The Cord, January 30, 2019

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 59 ISSUE 18 • JANUARY 30, 2019

STUDENTS ELECT NEW PRESIDENT News, page 5

ROMANCE SCAMMERS

DOLLARS VS. DIPLOMAS

CANADA CUTS THE CHEESE

“MALE-ONLY MARCH”

COMPETING WITH CROHN’S

Online site scams students of thousands

Should players be compensated for their craft?

New breakdown for the daily food guide

Logan Paul trivializes LGBTQ on YouTube

Dominating disease on and off the field

News, page 5

Features, page 8

Arts & Life, page 10

Opinion, page 13

Sports, page 16

Laurier teaches mental and physical self-defence classes The name “Wen-Do” is a combination of the Japanese word “do” — meaning “way” — and a contraction of the word “women.”

It translates to “women’s way.”

OLIVIA JONES STAFF WRITER

On Wednesday Jan. 23, the first class of a five-week series of Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence was hosted for students on the Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo campus.

The Laurier Sexual Violence Education Action Group, in conjunction with the Wellness Education Centre, organized this sold-out series.

“It is a self-defence program that is a combination of mental self-defence as well as physical self-defence. We have discussions as well

as physical practice. The discussions focus on awareness, as well as empowerment,” said Shailagh Keaney, the Wen-Do instructor and Laurier alum.

The name “Wen-Do” is a combination of the Japanese word “do” — meaning “way” — and a contraction of the word “women.”

It translates to “women’s way.”

This course comes at a time in history where women, more than ever, are speaking up and speaking out, sharing their personal experiences of sexual violence and sexual assault.

Wen-Do training is survivor-centred, acting as a support for women

to reveal their individual power and providing them with the confidence to move around more freely within the world.

Wen-Do Women’s Self Defence is a registered charity that began in 1972 and has become Canada’s longest running self-defence organization, created by and for women. It is important to note that Wen-Do practice is open to individuals that identify as non-binary — and Keaney specified that although she uses the word women, “I do not want that to erase the experiences and participation of non-binary folks in the course.”

The course is designed for

women to learn how to embody their power, to learn avoidance and awareness of what warning signs to look for in day-to-day life and to discuss the psychological, social and legal concerns surrounding self-defence.

Another important aspect of Wen-Do is breaking the myths of sexual assault.

A study from the Wilfrid Laurier Faculty of Social Work found that about 65 per cent of people misunderstand sexual assault law in Canada. As a result of this statistic, Keaney wants to bust that myth in her class.

Continued on page 3.

2 •

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

VOCAL CORD Most effective way to take care of mental health?

@cordnews

The Cord

@thecord.ca

CordNews

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

“Taking breaks for yourself.”

–Monika Warsinka, firstyear master of applied politics

“Study less.”

–Andy Kim, second-year political science EVA OU/PHOTO EDITOR

News Editors Aaron Hagey and Hayley McGoldrick took a trip to the AC to take a photo for a story. Don’t worry, we promise they actually like each other.

“Making resources more available and better.”

–Rumaysa Ziaiedana, second-year BBA

“Having a good support system.”

–Alyssa Green, firstyear psychology/neuroscience Compiled by Margaret Russell Photos by Jackie Vang NEXT ISSUE FEBRUARY 6. 2019

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Emily Waitson arts@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

OPINION EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino opinion@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Safina Husein editor@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Pranav Desai sports@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sadman Sakib Rahman creative@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Kashyap Patel graphics@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Garrison Oosterhof online@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Eva Ou photos@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Hayley McGoldrick news@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Katherine Weber online@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Aaron Hagey news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Sarah Tyler video@thecord.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Madeline McInnis features@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Margaret Russell news@thecord.ca

LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Abdulhamid Ibrahim sports@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jackie Vang photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Sara Burgess copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Vacant editor@thecord.ca CORDCAST PRODUCER Brielle Huang cordcast@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Emma McVicar Olivia Jones Dylan Kavalsky Yitian Cai Christy Regalado Isaak Wong Victoria Marshall Eliza Moratz

“Male-only March” is trivializing by Eliza Moratz

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Schummer at care.schummer@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.

COLOPHON The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community.

Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.

Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used

for principal photography.

The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com.

The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 4,500 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada.

The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2004.

PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly.

The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy.

The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly.

When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to

reply at the earliest time possible.

Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff.

The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of Kitchener-Waterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University. Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate.

The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the student body.

The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of the student press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.

Quote of the week: “I’m HUNGY!!!”

- News Editor Hayley McGoldrick to Editor-in-Chief Safina Husein when talking about our trip to Meltwich.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

News

• 3 NEWS EDITOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR AARON HAGEY news@thecord.ca

ACTIVITY

Laurier is leading the way for women’s self-defence classes OLIVIA JONES STAFF WRITER

— COVER Wen-Do is unique in that it takes a more inward approach of identifying relationships within the lives of the women and what to expect within those relationships. In contrast, other self-defence programs often rely on the stereotype of “stranger danger,” with the perpetrator being an unknown person to the victim.

However, Keaney shared that “only about 17 per cent of all assaults are stranger assaults, which means that the other 83 per cent of all assaults are perpetrated by people who are known to us. That is how violence against women works.”

“I want to put as many self-defence skills in as many people’s hands as possible because I want people to have the tools of survival in their hands,” Keaney said.

Keaney grew up the oldest of four and was often the person amongst her friends that people would call when they felt unsafe.

Although this protector energy inspired her to become a self-defence instructor, it was also a per-

I want to put as many self-defence skills in as many people’s hands as possible because I want people to have the tools of survival in their hands.

-Shailagh Keaney, Wen-Do instructor and Laurier alumn

sonal story about a friend of hers that chose to fight back against an attacker and unfortunately did not make it.

When asked about what Keaney’s hopes were for these women registered in the series, she expressed a beautiful and truthful statement, of which “many of us have been trained to be so polite and to give the benefit of the doubt — and what I hope for people to take away from this course is the permission to protect themselves.”

The Office of Sexual Violence Prevention and Support were the ones who coordinated Wen-Do courses on campus throughout the past two years.

This year, the Wellness Education Centre noted the potential in picking up the training program, which is heavily subsidized by over 450 Laurier alumni who contributed to its ongoing mental health campaign.

Their generosity allows for the program to be offered to students at a fraction of the cost and adds to the greater picture of educating women on sexual violence.

EVA OU/PHOTO EDITOR

WELLNESS

Bridging the Gap hosts first “Laurier Let’s Talk” day MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, Bridging the Gap hosted Wilfrid Laurier University’s first ever “Laurier Let’s Talk” event at the Paul Martin Centre.

The event took place during this semester’s Thrive Week and was the collaborative effort of the Laurier Wellness Centre and Bridging the Gap, a student-run club on campus which frequently runs workshops and events aimed at ending the stigma associated with mental health.

This is the first one like this, but every year around Bell Let’s Talk Day we have a dimilar event to get people actually talking in person.

-Ashley Siegel, co-president of Bridging the Gap

We tried to hit more of the more stigmatized disorders this year ...

-Ashley Siegel, co-president of Bridging the Gap

This particular event focused on bringing students together to truly spark an insightful discussion regarding stigmatized mental illnesses.

The discussion was led formally by fellow student speakers, who courageously shared their stories about their own lived experiences

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

with mental illness and how this effected their life while attending university.

“We tried to hit more of the more stigmatized disorders this year … those that aren’t talked about a whole lot,” said Ashley Siegel, co-president of Bridging the Gap. “[They talked] about how they lived and made their recovery back into the university life,” Siegel said.

“Then we split off into a couple of workshops … we [had] work-

shops on how to improve sleep, hygiene, mental health and exercise, ones on how to write about your happy place — and some mindfulness techniques, so we [could] give people tangible things to take home with them.” “[The event was] completely free and Laurier Wellness [had] collaborated with us,” she said. The event also offered complimentary desserts and drinks from David’s Tea for all students who attended.

Some of the speakers that came to speak to at Laurier Let’s Talk included Aristaea Murell, who discussed her on-going fight with anxiety, and Sarah Krestell, who spoke about her struggle with eating disorders.

Both Murell and Krestell are students at Laurier and spoke adamantly about the importance of ending the stigmatization of theses mental illnesses, as well as all mental illnesses for all people.

“Typically we host ‘Speak Up’ events throughout the year, which are more of an informal setting. We don’t have formal speakers prepared, so people can kind of just go up as they feel to tell their story or ask questions,” Siegel said.

“This is the first one like this, but every year around Bell Let’s Talk Day we have a similar event to get people actually talking in person.”

Although the event facilitated formally prepared guest speakers, Bridging the Gap encouraged all students to get involved in the conversations and share their own stories.

The Paul Martin Centre at this time was a safe space for open dialogue regarding mental illness, in order to spread and share support for one another.

More information regarding Bridging the Gap and their ongoing mental health awareness initiatives can be found through their Facebook page.

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

INNOVATION

Changemaker Month concludes with Ashoka event AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

As an AshokaU Changemaker Campus, Wilfrid Laurier University took part in the annual kick-off of “Changemaker Awareness Month,” where students are asked, inspired and challenged to engage their community and get involved in doing small or large acts to improve on problems they feel passionate about.

Ashoka, founded in 1980 by Bill Drayton, has become one of the leading organizations for social entrepreneurship, operating in over 90 countries globally and with over 3,500 Ashoka Fellows.

The Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation hosted a number of “changemaking” events throughout the month of January, including workshops about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, how businesses can improve their communities and how students and alumni are changemaking in their communities.

“A lot of the events during the month were about just putting your hand up and getting involved and started on something,” said Sam Haas, programming and student engagement coordinator for the Schlegel Centre.

The month also finished off with a special event: getting to hear from and speak to two current Ashoka Fellows. Mike Morrice,

we wanted to also celebrate all the changemaking that is happening at Laurier already,” Haas said.

We have students that work on really amazing things, so we wanted to also celebrate all the changemaking that is happening at Laurier already.

-Sam Haas, programming coordinator, Schlegel Centre

YITIAN CAI/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

a Laurier alum, earned a double degree in business & computer electronics in 2008, and founded both Green Economy Canada and Sustainable Waterloo Region.

“The point of that event was to inspire students to see how far they can really go and both speakers made it clear that what they’re doing is not the upper limit of what possibility is,” Haas said.

Steve Leafloor has his Masters in social work and over 30 years of experience in the field. He is also the founder of BluePrint for Life, an

organization that combines social work and dance therapy for Indigenous and Inuit communities.

Leafloor and Morrice have both been Ashoka fellows since 2012.

Morrice got his start in social entrepreneurship at Laurier — and it was the work he did during his time at the university that helped him on his path to an Ashoka Fellowship.

“The program that was instrumental in getting him appointed an Ashoka Fellow was an initiative that he actually started here at

Laurier — and which actually grew into being Sustainable Waterloo Region,” Haas said.

The other critical thing that the Schlegel Centre wanted to highlight during this time was the amount of changemaking that is already taking place on the campus.

“There’s a reason that we are the most engaged campus — and there are benefits that we get from that as a school and as a student body here … We have students that work on really amazing things, so

The Schlegel Centre and Ashoka Fellow partnership will be hosting a number of events from Jan. 30 to Mar. 20, such as workshops with Fellows, community entrepreneurs and social innovators, as well as their primary student engagement event the “Changemaker Innovation Challenge,” which will be running throughout the semester. “[It] is an opportunity for students to dive into problems and look at them from a system perspective, which is something not a lot of people have experience with. But essentially, what we’re asking students to do is look at a problem area and think about all the different parts that are involved in a certain problem,” Haas said.

START-UP five years of experience that is so often required for an entry-level position.

“We were thinking — how could we set this up better so that students can get more experiential learning while they’re at school and build relationships with employers so that when they graduate, they’re in a much better position to find an actually relevant job,” Jack said.

We’re looking for people who are driven, motivated, passionate about the future and youth talent.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

JobJunxion connects students to their potential employers DYLAN KAVALSKY CORD NEWS

The job market isn’t perfect; college and university graduates are having trouble finding jobs that match up with the skills they learned in school, and employers are having trouble finding graduates that possess the skills necessary to work for them.

Justin and Jack Litchfield, entrepreneurs from Kitchener, have created an innovative solution for this problem with their new startup, JobJunxion.

JobJunxion is an online service that allows students to connect with potential employers before they graduate. Students can register on the website for free and build a personal profile that

features their education, work experience, technical competencies and hobbies. Employers can then contact them and discuss ways in which they can build a future working relationship.

Justin and Jack thought of the idea while they were in university themselves. They noticed that students would come out of university with a degree, but not the three to

-Jack Litchfield, co-founder of JobJunxtion

The brothers incorporated JobJunxion in 2016 — and they have been working on it ever since.

Being the only full-time members of the organization, Jack and Justin have to take on many different roles every day, each bringing their own unique strengths to the table.

“Jack does a great job with email outreach, a lot of the communication — the external side,” Justin said.

“For me, I really like the strategy

side of things, the relationships, the person-to-person kind of stuff.

That stuff really gets me going. It gets me excited.”

Many new features will be added to the platform in the future.

“We have big plans moving forward,” Jack said. “Right off the bat, we want to get into machine learning: making the database intelligent in the sense that it can look at the previous hiring patterns of a company and recommend candidates based on those patterns.”

They also plan to collect labour market forecast data, which high school students can use to get a better understanding of what kind of post-secondary programs they should pursue down the road.

They’ve already achieved a lot on their own, but Jack and Justin acknowledge that they need all the help that they can get. With their new student ambassador program, the brothers are recruiting current university students to help spread the word about JobJunxion and what it offers.

“We’re looking for people who are driven, motivated, passionate about the future and youth talent,” Jack said.

“In the real world, if you want to build something that really can invoke change, it’s gotta be bigger than yourself — and that’s what I love about this venture so much ... our challenge is so much bigger than ourselves.”

“So, in order for us to try and accomplish that, we need to include so many more people than just ourselves,” he said.

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019 ELECTIONS

Zemar Hakim announced as next President of the Students’ Union HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

EVA OU/PHOTO EDITOR

The Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union election season came to an end on Thursday night as Zemar Hakim was announced the incoming president and CEO of the Students’ Union for 2019-2020.

Receiving 54.29 per cent of the vote in the final round, with 2046 students voting for Hakim versus the other final candidate, Klaudia Wojtanowski, who received 45.72 per cent of the vote from 1723 students, Hakim was the frontrunner in all three rounds of voting.

Voter turnout was also the highest it has been in the last couple of years, with 4330 out of a potential 18337 students voting — which is 23.61 per cent of the students. This is higher than last years, which was just over 22 per cent.

“Voter turnout actually increased by approximately 354 students and I think that was because of a range of different activities we did, just the fact that students actually care about the elections,” said Adam Kovacs, current chair of the Students’ Union board of directors.

“We had awesome candidates who came out and we just really pushed the vote this year and made sure that people were as involved as possible. Voter turnout is the highest it’s been in the last four years at least.”

The referendum question,

positioned to students about hiring someone from KPMG to audit the Students’ Union’s finances, was also approved, with an 84.13 per cent “yes” vote.

The HASSA presidential race was the only faculty to have two candidates run, where every other faculty had their candidates run unopposed and students were given a “yes” or “no” vote.

“With all the debates and open forums, we had max turnout, we had almost all of the seats filled at every given point and people were very engaged, absolutely the candidates are the reason we had it as well, but I would say mostly it was 70 per cent effort [and] 30 per cent the candidates,” Kovacs said.

As for the board of directors, the only two candidates from Brantford were acclaimed before voting even started. The recipient of the most votes was current vice-chair Owen Bourrie, who received 625 votes, with the quota being 313 votes. Nine out of the twelve elected directors are new for the upcoming year.

“On Friday it was just the director elects, so the chair and the vice chair have not been elected yet.

However we plan on doing that very soon, so that the transition is done very smoothly and director elects are as prepared as possible for the next year,” Kovacs said.

“Right now, it’s just pretty much hiring, and getting our future suc-

cessors ready.”

Despite the success of the 2019 election season and the increase in voter turnout, there is always room for improvement for following years to increase the involvement of students in their governing body.

“Something that we can improve on is getting more volunteers, volunteers for the elections side not just for the candidates. Candidates had a wide range of volunteers, so that’s not the issue, but on the elections side having more volunteers and pushing that more would be significant,” Kovacs said.

“The way I grab their attention, because I went to about 24 classrooms in that given week alone, I first talked about how there’s an $11.5 million dollar budget approximately, as well as I talked about how each student puts in about $100 towards that, so just saying the money they put towards the Students’ Union really grabbed their attention and that’s how I got them to care more.”

As for newly elected president Zemar Hakim, the process of becoming president is already in full swing as the team for next year is slowly coming together.

“I’m learning the roles, I’m currently actually hiring my vice presidents this week — and then talking briefly about how I plan on actualizing the initiatives that I proposed to students,” Hakim said.

out of jail, they’re in hospital and need help that way or whatever job they’re in is in trouble and they need the fusion of cash,” Lea said.

“They get the person invested with the idea that as soon as they meet up, as soon as they’re able to come to Canada that they’ll pay them back.”

In an age where most teens and young adults meet their significant other through Tinder or other dating apps, it is important to take caution when talking to strangers

as they could be trying to deceive others with fake pictures and could potentially harm victims physically, emotionally or even financially.

“Nowadays, majority of people who want to date have tried dating apps at some point or online dating and it’s become very common, so it’s just being aware that it is a possibility and just being careful; if you wouldn’t give that kind of money to somebody you know, why would you give it to somebody you’ve never met?” Lea said.

ONLINE SAFETY

The frightening costs to consider when dating online HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

Two Waterloo region residents have been scammed out of a combined $1.5 million after they were lured in from online dating profiles. The Waterloo Regional Police Service has been investigating these two instances since last week.

A female victim was scammed out of $1 million alone over a fouryear period, while a male victim’s $500,000 was taken over a threemonth period. WRPS investigated 21 other cases that were related to online dating scams in 2018.

“The basic information that we can give out is essentially that the woman met somebody online, this person reportedly worked for the U.S. military and so he was constantly moving around and over the four years that they were in this relationship she didn’t meet him once,” said David Lea, a detective constable in the fraud branch of the Waterloo Regional Police Service.

“All conversations were through text message and over the phone or through email, and over the four years he asked for more and more

money, and eventually it ended up being around $1 million dollars in total.”

Brought to media attention often by shows like MTV’s “Catfish”, many of these scam artists online are not who they claim to be and use fake profiles and stolen images to put on the façade they are someone else, whether for entertainment, financial or even just personal reasons.

“These people never end up being real, I mean it’s fictitious from the get-go. I can’t say we’ll probably never be able to find them, they’re most likely not in the country, at least that’s the way the scam generally works, but that being said we don’t know for sure,” Lea said.

“The case will be assigned to an investigator, and it will be their job to figure out whether or not the IP address links that are being used are in Canada or overseas and use partners outside of the country if necessary.”

Many different financial scams have been circulating for years through email, such as e-transfer emails from the Canada Revenue Agency, Nigerian princes asking for thousands or hackers claiming

that unless they are paid in Bitcoin, they will release sensitive information. All prey on uniformed users to send money or their financial information that the scam artist will then take advantage of.

“One of the biggest or easiest giveaways is that stock photos are being used, so something that really doesn’t look genuine, something that would fit into a magazine or something along those lines. Those are the pictures that are used because they’re pulled from somewhere on the internet,” Lea stated.

“It becomes what language are they using; are they talking to you about money early in the relationship? Are they using the word love without ever meeting you?”

In the year 2017 it was estimated that Canadians alone were scammed out of $17 million from purely romance scams, not including other phishing scams like posing as banks and saying that the client must email their card numbers.

“In general, the way the scam works is that this person lives or works overseas, they run into problems pretty quickly whether they’ve had legal problems and they need money or bail to get

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

REPRESENTATION

Laura Mae Lindo speaks at BIPoC community event AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

On Monday, Jan. 28, between 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Hawk’s Nest, located in the Turret Event Space at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus, Laura Mae Lindo, the member of provincial parliament for Kitchener Centre, came to speak with students to discuss and advocate in favor of including more diverse voices within their communities.

The event, called “Centering BIPoC Voices in the Academy,” was the first part of a three-part series of community discussions, aimed at focussing on the viewpoints, opinions and experiences of the “Black and Indigenous People/ Person(s) of Colour” (BIPoC) community — and to kick-off Black History Month.

This event, however, was organized in partnership with the Centre for Community Research Learning and Action (CCRA), a local community-based research and evaluation hub, students in the community psychology program, the Difficult Conversations Committee, as well as a number of other groups who helped to fund the series.

“Laura Mae, being a racialized woman and an MP, wanting to have a politician on campus, was kind of the purpose of this event in a larger series,” said Ciann Wilson, an assistant professor at Laurier.

“One of those perspectives is centring diverse voices, both in terms of cultures, in terms of representation, but also in terms of experience.”

Lindo’s experience being an equity and diversity leader, as someone who has worked with various communities, including the LGBTQ+ and racialized minorities, is important for Wilson to see reflected in events such as these.

What is especially valuable, she says, is “having different voices from different sectors — the political sector, for example — and her lending that important community voice as a representative of KW to that particular perspective,” Wilson said.

Lindo, the speaker at this event, had a number of thoughts regarding what it’s like to navigate professions, such as politics, that are historically and traditionally considered to be white and male-dominated fields.

“I have to be very careful, because there’s just as much work outside in those systems that has to be done, as work inside myself to take — to actually hold onto the privilege or access that I have to the system now,” Lindo said.

One significant aspect of being a part of a racialized or minority community, Lindo says, is dealing with the idea that she and others “deserve” to be in spaces dominated by majority groups.

As far as those who are in

charge of making laws, rules and regulations, Lindo believes that sometimes, even despite the best intentions, it is very difficult to judge and determine what is in the best interest of marginalized groups without those experiences being voiced.

“This becomes an opportunity to have different people sitting in those seats, bringing those stories into the space — those stories become part of our debate, so they need to be considered. Even with the best heart in the world, you can’t do that without knowing what somebody is actually experiencing in their lives,” Lindo said.

“We have the most diverse opposition — I would say ever — and that means we have a plethora of wisdom and experience to work with and an opportunity to really build inclusion in Ontario.”

One particular anecdote which stood out during the event was an experience that an international student has had with regard to the changes in student tuition and an increase in pricing that may come soon.

This is especially apparent given it may impact those students more negatively than what already exists.

Lindo reassured the student that their voice matters and needs to be heard, especially during times when they feel they don’t “deserve” to have opinions — echoing the sentiment infused throughout the discussion.

feeling stressed or anxious; they can utilize items that sooth these in order to lower their own levels of stress and anxiety,” Reeve said.

This semester’s Thrive Week’s events have a diversity of professionals assisting in their facilitation.

Events, such as the “coping with difficulty” workshop, will be run by counsellors at the Wellness Education Centre.

As well, Thrive Week’s eight physical workshops are being run

by Athletic Centre staff members.

Laurier Thrive week continues to have a tremendous amount of support from student volunteers who are enthusiastic to share their support at events such as the canvas paint party, which took place on Monday — and Laurier Let’s Talk on Tuesday.

For the remainder of the week,

Laurier will be bustling with a variety of mental wellness events such as free group exercise classes all day long at the Athletic Complex on Thursday, as well as giveaways of fresh fruit, juices and energy bites on Friday.

“If students have any feedback on what they want to see, I’m happy to accept any,” added Reeve.

“The Wellness Centre has a feedback form on our website.”

MENTAL WELLNESS

Laurier Thrive Week starts out strong MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER

This week Wilfrid Laurier University will be holding its Thrive Week, a once-per-semester week of scheduled events and sessions geared towards raising awareness and support for mental health, as well as opening up a dialogue to end stigma around student mental illness. ‘“For Thrive Week, our purpose is to create awareness and support for student mental health and educate students on what’s available on campus and in the community,” said Nathan Reeve, Wilfrid Laurier University’s wellness education coordinator.

This term, he said, the wellness education centre is focussed on helping students develop the necessary coping skills and tools in order to navigate student life.

Laurier’s Thrive Week is a strong-standing affair that has only grown in size and support since 2017 when it was introduced to the campus.

“We have some new and exciting things, like therapy dog yoga. We have financial wellness [events].

We’re also giving out 700 mental health tool kits this week — everyday we’re spending time in a different location [on campus] and

giving away these kits,” Reeve said.

“We’re also having a ‘connect over cocoa’ on Bell Let’s Talk day on Wednesday — in the concourse from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Leanne Holland Brown, [Dean of students], the vice-president of student affairs, David McMurray and our director of the Wellness Centre, Karen Ostrander are spending time in the concourse and offering cocoa to anyone that wants to share their thoughts on our mental health services.”

“They really want to hear what students have to say, so that we can keep doing better,” he said.

The Thrive mental health toolkits are a new addition to what Thrive Week typically offers.

These kits were created with the goal of providing more tactical resources for students in order to tackle their mental wellness with free items and information about free on-campus mental health services. “[They include] free mental health resources and items that are based on the concept of grounding and mindfulness. So we have items that are surrounding the five senses and really what we’re trying to do is encourage students to be mindful and know what works best for them so they can utilize their five senses and really when they’re

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

Dear Life Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to your life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public forum.

All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous, should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions can be sent to dearlife@thecord. ca no later than Monday at noon each week.

Dear Life, Yelling random Migos adlips to songs is my favourite free time activity.

Sincerely, Ariana Grande Dear Life, Are you in?? Jake 2.0 new and improved. Muzzin the man! Hainsey to the 3rd line so he can take some Dad naps. Reilly and Muzzin gonna carry us like a freight train from here to Winnipeg. “Choo Choo!

All aboard! Next stop Stanley Cup finals!”

Sincerely, The Maple Leaf Dear Life, You can’t spell Garrison without ars which sounds like arse which is what he is being.

Sincerely, Gare is a bully Dear Laurier, Did you know: There is a species of jellyfish named Turritopsis dohrnii that is functionally immortal?

Sincerely, KtK, tKKA Dear Laurier Men’s Basketball, Stay fuego, You’re our playoff hope.

Sincerely, A Golden Hawk

Dear everyone in the concourse, Why is your go-to fundraiser always Krispy Kreme? I try to stay healthy and the you do this to me.

Sincerely, Fatty Lumpkins

WORD SEARCH

Dear CEH, Four Months, eh.

It’s just four of forever.

Sincerely, Heart Dear Bananas, Stop looking like me.

Sincerely, Banana Boy Dear World, Cats Suck.

Sincerely, Cats Dear Sadman, That was rude.

Sincerely, The Cats (Aka Hayley) Dear Cats, That’s your problem.

Sincerely, Sakib n his Dawgs Dear The Cord, I love you so so much but seriously you tire me.

Sincerely, Sleep is Nicer than you Dear Guy at Meltwich, Sorry I scared you from that night I blacked out.

Sincerely, Thanks for remembering Dear Hayley, You are unforgettable and Smoke’s Poutine knows everything.

Sincerely, HAFINA

BOOTS

SNOW

GLOVES

HAT

FEBRUARY

WINTER

JANUARY

SHOVEL

ICE

CHILLY

STORM

WIND

COLD

SUDOKU

8 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/MADELINE MCINNIS/FEATURES@THECORD.CA

DOLLARS VS. DIPLOMAS

News Editor Hayley McGoldrick explores t financial compensation is more impor A similar incident happened to the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2010 when football players signed autographs for free tattoos, which resulted in head coach Jim Tressel having to step down from his position, and the team not being bowl eligible for one year, the year that new head coach Urban Meyer took the team to a perfect 12-0 season that would not result in even being allowed to play in the Big Ten Conference championship game.

Theatrics and finances that are the backbone of American college athletics aren’t the focus in Canada; some may say it’s because athletes weren’t talented enough to take their talents elsewhere, when the case actually has been that student comes before athlete in student-athlete for a reason.

In Ontario, the situation is a little bit different. Students are not allowed to receive full scholarships for pure athletics, but rather can receive athletic financial awards (AFAs), which are capped at $4,500 in Ontario. Athletes must have an 80 per cent average coming out of high school to be eligible for an AFA, and in upper years, the average drops to 70 per cent in Ontario and 65 per cent in the rest of Canada, which has different rules for how much financial assistance university athletes are allowed to receive.

“For a lot of schools, not all schools, but a lot of schools, their graduation rates are horrendous. A few years ago, I saw Louisiana State University was in the national championship, and their graduation rate was 33 per cent.

If they were African-American, it was about 15 per cent. At the end of the day, you have to have a degree,” said Peter Baxter, the athletic director for Wilfrid Laurier University since 1998.

“Your degree is going to take you a lot further, you could be injured at any time in sport and it’s gone. At Laurier, our graduation rate is 6 per cent higher than a non-athlete, so it’s 95 per cent. When they come in, our recruitment isn’t scholarships, our recruitment to a parent is that we’re going to get you a great athletic experience, but we’re going to get your son or daughter a degree.”

Athletes who play at an elite level, usually Division I or II sports, attempt to be recruited by big name schools to try and get a chance as a professional athlete. The problem with this mindset is not only that less than one per cent of college athletes actually do make it professionally, but also that declaring for the draft means leaving school before a degree is finished, which is the argument as to why these athletes should get financial compensation instead.

The National Football League established a rule that players must be out of high school for three years before becoming eligible to play. The National Basketball Association does not carry the same rule, but most players enter college for one year to get exposure by teams before leaving to go professional.

Canada has it’s fair share of professional sports leagues like the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL), the Canadian Football League (CFL)and even sports for women like the Canadian

Going to work seems like a tedious and unenjoyable task for most, but every two weeks when a paycheck direct deposits into the bank it seems like the stress of the job was worth it. Now imagine working those 40 hours a week, and having hundreds of thousands of people pay hundreds of dollars to watch you work, and not getting paid for it? In the minds of some student athletes, that’s exactly what life is like.

Under the National Collegiate Athletic Association, athletes must play under the rules of “amateurism,” which means they may not be paid in cash or other goods and services for their work otherwise, they will lose amateur eligibility and can no longer compete in college athletics.

Not being able to play for a school may not seem like the biggest deal in the world, but for many college football players, one of the highest-grossing income sports for the NCAA, not being available for NFL scouts to see is detrimental. NFL rules state that players must be out of high school for three years before they are eligible to enrol in the NFL draft and combine, so those years of college football showcase their talents to potential teams.

The same way democracy in poli-

For a lot of schools, not all schools, but a lot of schools, their graduation rates are horrendous. A few years ago, I saw Louisiana State University was in the national championship, and their graduation rate was 33 per cent.

-Peter Baxter, Athletic Director WLU

tics exists with the Democratic party and the Republican party, there are two sides to the argument of playing these amateur players in college athletics. Many argue that the schools make money off these players names and performances and they don’t see a cent of it; but these players are usually on fullride scholarships at top universities while getting to play the sport they love, only a dream for students who would never be able to afford a post-secondary education.

In many cases, the NCAA brings down the hammer when it comes to amateurism infractions. In 2005, University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush violated the rule of receiving payment as an amateur, and as a result, USC’s 2004 national championship as well as Bush’s Heisman award were vacated and are no longer recognized by the NCAA.

10

◄

20

◄

30

◄

40

◄

5

URES

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019 • 9

S FOR STUDENT ATHLETES

the discussion of whether an education or rtant in the world of college athletics.

50

Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) to name a few. The problem, however, is that these leagues don’t generate nearly as much income as their American counterparts.

“There’s 12 [Laurier alumni] right now who play in the Canadian Football League, the average career for most Canadians going into the CFL is about 2.6 years, if less. A lot of them, if they get drafted, they’ll play, but most could be making about $75,000. You’re not going to be investing that, your career might last, if it’s long, six years, so you won’t make a lot of money in the CFL, and nobod’s gone to the NFL from here,” Baxter said.

“They’re young and they want to pursue that dream, but Kwaku Boateng, who plays for Edmonton, he was an Academic All-Canadian and was in the school of business. He worked for Kik along with a few other football players who do, and he told me if football doesn’t work out, well he has the business side. I think Kwaku might be working in the offseason with Sunlife Financial as a representative in the summertime.”

The cost of an education in America for a Canadian, who would qualify as an international student, can skyrocket to over $200,000 for a four-year undergraduate degree, and many athletes do not get full scholarships. On top of that, the athletes who may not be good enough to play in Division I or II schools and go to Division III athletics are not eligible to receive scholarships for athletics, and practice time is reduced under NCAA sanctions.

“The quality of our universities speak for themselves.

If you’re going to play and study at one of the 56 members of USPORTS, you’re going to get an outstanding education, and the benefit is that there’s 56 schools instead of hundreds and hundreds, so there’s a quality assurance there as far as the academics of it,” said David Goldstein, the chief operating officer of USPORTS. “We’re also not under the same commercial pressures in the sense that our student athletes in all sports are truly student athletes — getting real degrees, they’re getting great educations, they’re having a real university experience and aren’t isolated from the rest of the student body which can be an issue in some of the revenue sports at some of the major schools.

Now that’s an outstanding experience in it’s own right, but you get a special experience here in Canada.”

In America, the NCAA generates over $8 billion in profit a year from college football alone, with some schools making over $100 million a year in income. The highest paid coach in Division I football makes $10 million a year, and though much of the income goes back into the school for scholarships, facility upgrades and other necessities, many employees make six figure salaries when some athletes seem to be struggling to stay afloat; this is the source of the amateurism argument.

“The NCAA has the amateurism concept which essentially means if you get paid a single dollar by virtue of playing your sport, you can’t play a college sport because you’re no longer an amateur, you’re no longer eligible — we don’t have that. There are rules and regulations for each sport tailored by what the coaches and ath-

40►

letic directors have wanted and preferred over years and decades,” Goldstein said.

“Generally, until you turn 20, we allow you to play pro sports without it impacting your eligibility, and even afterwards, you might play a professional sport and you might have to sit out a year, and you might lose a year of eligibility, but you can still play some university sport. I think it’s important because the idea underlying is that when you’re 15, 16, 17, our philosophical view is that you shouldn’t be forced to make a decision that might hinder your academic career in pursuit of your athletic career.”

Many athletes in America who are Olympic hopefuls at young ages that can be as young as 15 struggle with the decision to pursue these dreams or attempt to go to school, as many fear that when they become Olympians, if they accept any sort of sponsorship deal or make any amount of income from their athletics, they won’t be able to attend college and still play their sport three years down the road.

“You should be able to get both.

Our rules allow someone to try to pursue professional sports, and if for whatever reason it isn’t working for

We encourage them to get away from those who are the same-thinking, because when you leave here, you have to get along with the rest of the world, some people won’t be the same type of thinking as you are, and that’s ok.

-Peter Baxter, Athletic Director WLU them, that avenue where they can play university sports is still available to them, and that’s fundamentally different,” Goldstein said.

“We have some athletes who have been Olympians and they’ve had the opportunity to earn endorsement money, and we as of now don’t have any rules that prohibit that. It’s never been a big enough issue — and that could always change — but you don’t have to choose to benefit from your Olympic success or to play university sports, you get to do both.”

Though many may argue that those in revenue-generating sports are only there for the avenue to professionalism, the opportunity to get a degree at an accredited university is still available to them.

The fact of the matter is, a lot of them don’t take it seriously. In 2014, it was reported that the University of North Carolina had been committing academic dishonesty and fraud for 18 years in order to keep their student-athletes in good academic standing, especially in their basketball program.

“When I tell an academic our athlete graduation rate compared to a non-athlete, they’re floored, because the stereotype would be

30►

20►

10►

SADMAN RAHMAN/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

10 •

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

Arts & Life

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR EMILY WAITSON arts@thecord.ca

HEALTH

Canada suggests new diet EMILY WAITSON ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

An ongoing discussion regarding what and how we eat has taken over news outlets and social media comment sections since the government recently released an updated version of Canada’s Food Guide.

The last time changes were made to the Food Guide was in 2007, with the newest advisement breaking away from the wellknown rainbow visual that has become synonymous with the dietary suggestion list since 1997 and removing foods that were once considered to be staples of a healthy diet.

Growing up, I clearly remember the 90s Canada Food Guide taped up in my elementary school classrooms, used as a teaching tool for homework exercises and a model for what we were expected to be bringing in our lunchbags and eating at home.

The image that I had been taught always stuck out to me, but now that times are changing and the internet is altering the access we have to information, specifically about diet, it makes sense that

a hearty glass of milk and white bread aren’t the standout options that the government is suggesting we eat.

The new photo features a plateful of fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains divided into their respective serving sizes, with a glass of water as the suggested beverage you should be pairing with your meals.

People immediately noticed and heavily criticized the shift in focus that has been made from meat and dairy onto alternative sources of protein such as beans, seeds and tofu, as well as whether the portions were substantial enough or merely “diet” sized. With questions surrounding whether or not these nutrition alterations are accurate or even necessary, it’s important to look at the new guide from the perspective of a dietary expert.

Caroline Valeriote, a registered dietitian in the Student Wellness Centre at Laurier, provided her insight into the new guide.

“Because it’s online, which may be one of the most useful tools to transfer this information to Canadians, it feels a little more real because the pictures are real and that’s a little more relatable. I think

that it was a necessary change, even though what we’re seeing on this representative plate, is not really many new foods from the prior food guide,” Valeriote said.

Overall, she thinks that the changes that have been made aren’t very drastic and that a key part of nutrition education lies in how we’re actually eating the food we consume.

“Most of us have a fairly good sense of what foods are healthy and which foods aren’t. But when we talk about things like being mindful, it’s probably new information,” Valeriote said.

Food patterns, eating more slowly and preparing meals at home, are just some of the examples she lists that are not as widely understood or put into practice by Canadians.

“That has meaning that could be more impactful for Canadians, I feel, than what you’re eating. What you’re eating is important too, but we’ve had those messages before, for many years. But we’ve taken on a new approach with how we’re doing this,” Valeriote said.

“So do you have food skills? If you don’t where are you going to get these food skills? The messages

CHRISTY REGALADO/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

that are behind the Food Guide are very necessary,” she said.

In regard to whether or not university students are meeting their nutritional needs, Valeriote noted that it highly depends on the circumstances and eating habits of the individual student.

“Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

And that could depend on what type of question they’re asking me.

If they’re mindlessly eating other foods that are less healthy for us than maybe they’re not getting the proper nutrition. It’s what it is, and how they’re consuming it,” Valeriote said.

Making positive changes in your overall diet requires an under-

standing of nutritious foods, as well as an understanding of how to incorporate them into our routines with valuable food skills.

“I really want to impress upon our population here at Laurier that developing food skills for whatever means you have accessible, whether that’s going home in the summer and learning from your families, taking a culinary class, looking at what options are available, talking to your friends, watching online tools to be able to acquire some food skills, that’s important because they’re life skills. And we’re hoping Laurier can provide you with something for your life,” Valeriote said.

MUSIC

Vampire Weekend returns after a hiatus HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

Grammy award-winning alternative rock band Vampire Weekend made their comeback after an almost six-year hiatus with two new singles that dropped on Thursday, “Harmony Hall” and “2021.”

Vampire Weekend, the band composed of four Columbia University graduates who met in college, has been missing in action since the release of their third studio album, Modern Vampires of the City, which was released in May of 2013. Modern Vampires of the City is the album that would clinch the Best Alternative Album Grammy award for the group, their first Grammy win and second nomination after their sophomore release Contra was nominated in 2011.

Led by frontman Ezra Koenig, “Harmony Hall” and “2021” come after the band went through some major changes in 2016 — notably the departure of bandmate Rostam Batmanglij, though Batmanglij continues to work with the band and even co-produced “Harmony Hall.” The lead guitar that starts off track one, “Harmony Hall”, sounds

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

similar to something you would find in an old school country track, but leads into a piano riff that seems like it came fresh off of a George Michael ballad.

Koenig, always known for his intelligence and political undertones that run through each Vampire Weekend song, subtly throws in his opinions on the ignorance of politics, especially in America, as he sings, “Anger wants a voice/Voices wanna sing/Singers harmonize/ Till they can’t hear anything.”

He continues by singing over

the 80s inspired piano melody by repeating, “I don’t want to live like this/But I don’t wanna die.” The song alludes to the constant problems that seem to be popping up not only worldwide, but especially in the government struggles under Trump. Koenig, a known Bernie Sanders supporter, has made it known he is not the fondest fan of the current president.

Their fourth studio album, titled Father of the Bride, has subtle vibes of previous albums, though their self-titled debut and soph-

omore album Contra create the façade of summers in Cape Cod at a family’s beach house, where Modern Vampires of the City has more of a heavy rock influence behind tracks like Finger Back and Diane Young.

The second track to accompany Vampire Weekend’s return to music is called “2021.” The track is only one minute and 38 seconds long and has a toy piano inspired melody that runs through the background as the auto-tuned voice of Jenny Lewis repeats the

word “boy” when Koenig isn’t singing.

2021 also can be perceived as another political venture through music as Koenig repeats the exact same verse twice through the whole song. Koenig is a Jewish-American and ex-guitarist Batmanglij is openly gay, both identifiers that are not supported by the Trump administration.

“2021, will you think about me?/I could wait a year but I shouldn't wait three/I don't wanna be,” Koenig softly sings on the track as he doesn’t say much, but says everything at the same time.

2021 is the year a new president could possibly come into power, and Koenig is asking listeners to consider others when they vote as the voting that took place in 2016 is the cause of what currently is happening in America. Koenig has not outright stated exactly what each song is about, but Vampire Weekend’s return to the music scene seems to have taken a political stance early on in its release, opposed to past lighthearted tracks like “Horchata” with lyrics like, “In December drinking horchata/I’d look psychotic in a balaclava.”

With a hiatus of almost six years, it makes sense that the band would focus on making an impact with their music, but regardless, it’s nice to hear from Vampire Weekend after over half a decade without any new tracks.

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019 SUSTAINABILITY

COMBATTING WASTE AT GROCERY STORES YITIAN CAI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

EMILY WAITSON ARTS & LIFE

In 2017, a study was done in Canada to calculate the amount of food waste generated by the average household.

The results concluded that 63 per cent of the food Canadians throw away could have been eaten.

Canada is one of the worst countries globally for wasting food, which in part, is due to people’s lack of interest in purchasing imperfect produce at grocery stores that are still edible and discarding food that could be consumed but doesn’t look as appetizing to eat.

Discounting and hyping up the value — both for your wallet and the planet — of ugly duckling lines of produce in grocery stores is

slowly becoming the norm.

Smaller businesses like Zero Waste Bulk, an uptown Waterloo sustainable grocer that offers “packaging-free goods, local & organic products, and plastic-free alternatives” are providing customers with advertised products that may have originally been overlooked but are worthy of being bought just the same.

Recently shared on their store’s Facebook page was a post about spotty bananas that were for sale which stressed the necessity of buying food like this by saying, “It's important to note that a lot of food goes to waste because of "best before" dates which are NOT the same as expiry dates.

A product reaching its best before date does not necessarily mean it has gone bad.

Sometimes they are good to eat for much longer than the listed date though they might not be at their freshest.”

Larger grocery chains like

Loblaws are also starting to put this line of thinking into practice by stocking blemished and mishappen fruits and vegetables at lower prices.

The results concluded that 63 per cent of the food Canadians throw away could have been eaten.

These seemingly uglier versions of a produce item costing at least 30 per cent less than their better-looking counterparts.

For students especially, buying

more sustainable and cost friendly fresh food options can be difficult if they aren’t willing to participate in shopping methods such as these or there aren’t as many grocery stores that have these options available to begin with.

Buying local isn’t going to be the answer to every problem on the planet, but it does help considerably with waste management and putting a strain on the environment.

Shops like Legacy Greens and J&P Grocery in downtown Kitchener, are great examples of stores that discount foods that are approaching their expiry date.

As well, their produce is shipped from local farms, and the amount of energy that’s expended in order to get it is more minimal than a chain grocery store.

These stores also try and use all of the food they have in some way or another so they aren’t throwing anything away that they don’t need to.

Students on a budget could put this into practice with their cooking and meal prep methods as well in order to avoid any unneeded waste.

Instead of chucking food away the second you think it looks unappealing, cook it into something or use it.

As long as it’s clean and still safe to eat, there’s no reason why it should be going into the garbage.

Luckily, we have a growing number of resources on campus that are providing students with additional education and understanding of how to lead more sustainable lifestyles.

With events like “How to be Zero Waste!” hosted by the Laurier SDG Advocacy Network in the Concourse and increasing availability for waste-free and plastic-free alternatives, the future for sustainability is hopeful, especially if stores and university campuses continue to encourage it as they have been doing.

12 •

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

Change in ancillary fees could put funding in jeopardy Recently, the Ontario government under Doug Ford decided on a policy that will allow university students to opt-out of various ancillary fees. Ancillary fees are charges paid by students for administrative services, materials and activities that are separate from tuition fees alone. These ancillary fees range in cost and go towards various things, such as funding for the Athletic Complex, the Students’ Union and more.

With these fees, everyone who attends Laurier as an undergraduate student pays a small ancillary fee of approximately $10 that goes directly to funding for The Cord’s parent organization, Wilfrid Laurier Student Publications [WLUSP].

Students don’t have the option to opt-out yet, but Ford’s changes have the potential to affect our funding very shortly.

This recent change in ancillary fees taxes each individual institution with the responsibility of deciding which club fees are deemed essential and which fees students can choose to opt-out of.

That being said, The Cord’s funding in the next few years could change drastically, possibly forcing our publication to alter how we operate. Although here at The Cord we believe that WLUSP should be deemed an essential service, it is ultimately not up to us to decide. This potential change in our funding would be a challenge, but nonetheless can be faced.

Today more than ever, student journalism is crucial. We are students working to report on the happenings of the Laurier community for other students. We are all aspiring journalists and can all agree that our time at The Cord and the skills we have learned are invaluable, and will undoubtedly help us after our time at Laurier.

A change in funding could mean many things for The Cord — one major component could be a change in how we compensate our staff that put in hours of work each week. In this way, The Cord would become largely volunteer based, and the quality of our publication and reporting may be at stake.

For much of the student body, The Cord is the primary news source. With cuts to funding, our publication would suffer, good

reporting would no longer be guaranteed and students would miss out on important campus information.

Also, our publication gives exposure to local businesses more than other media sources do. This is due to the funding and manpower we are afforded — something that other local newspapers such as The Record and Waterloo Chronicle have don’t have enough of, comparatively.

If WLUSP were to be deemed non-essential, not only would funding be lost, but accountability and transparency would be reduced within Laurier.

For example, The Cord is the best source for keeping up to date with the Students’ Union elections.

Our funding enables us to keep the student body informed, and if this were compromised, the transparency we provide would be compromised alongside it.

Recently at Ryerson, their student newspaper, The Eyeopener, unveiled a scandal where their Students’ Union had allegedly spent over $250 000 worth of funding. The Eyeopener and this breaking story are a testimony to the way in which student publications benefit their readership and their school as a whole. If student media becomes underfunded, transparency within universities and campuses is threatened.

Although the future of WLUSP and The Cord is currently uncertain, we believe strongly in our mandate and we strive each week to provide the Laurier community with relevant news and information.

Approximately eight years ago, WLUSP’s funding was evaluated through a referendum question.

At the time, students voted to keep WLUSP’s ancillary fee permanent and considered essential. Students believed in the necessity of our work then, and we hope that still holds to be true.

Regardless of our funding’s future, The Cord will remain inclusive, observant and transparent.

But to guarantee we can continue to do our job to serve the Laurier community to the best of our abilities, we can only hope that our funding will be deemed essential

by Laurier and our community.

These unsigned editorials are based off informal discussions and then agreed upon by the majority of The Cord’s editorial board, including the Editor-in-Chief 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

DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne

CHAIR Terrence Mroz

DIRECTOR H.G. Watson

VICE-CHAIR Shyenne MacDonald

TREASURER Garrison Oosterhof

DIRECTOR Maiya Mistry DIRECTOR Vacant

PRESIDENT Terrence Mroz president@wlusp.com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Care Lucas care.lucas@wlusp. com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp. com HR MANAGER Paige Bush hr@wlusp.com CORPORATE SECRETARY Maiya Mistry

EDITORIAL CARTOON

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Finding your academic interests EVA OU PHOTO EDITOR

I came into university excited but extremely unprepared for what I was getting myself into academically. Throughout my four years of high school, I never found a true passion for a certain area of study.

I applied blindly to university business programs simply because I enjoyed my grade 11 marketing course and wanted to learn more topics relating to it.

It also worked out because this was one of the few programs that my Chinese parents approved of, considering that I didn’t take any science courses in grade 12. The only thing I knew at this point was that I wanted to go to Laurier.

Taking a chance, I applied to Laurier’s BBA and Computer Science double-degree program, and I got in. Although I had no idea what to expect, I knew the program was great and had high hopes of becoming fully versed in both business and computer science, and to be working for a big company down in California some time by the end of my fourth year.

Now in my last term at Laurier, I can say that that definitely wasn’t

the case.

By the end of grade 12, my calculus mark dropped. I lost my spot in the double-degree program and got placed into the BBA-only program.

I thought Grade 12 was bad, but first year wasn’t much better.

Of the three mandatory business classes we had to take, I failed the midterms for two of them, and had to retake the third class over the summer to make the business GPA. On top of that, I barely made it out of macroeconomics alive, and I really started to wonder if this program was for me; but I kept at it, mostly because I didn’t know what else I wanted to study.

Moving into second year, the mandatory business courses were a lot more specific and interesting.

Although I was still not getting the best grades, I was doing a lot better and I started to find interests in business that I had not been aware of before.

As my academic life got better, so did my extracurricular life.

The passion that I had built for photography at the end of second year gave me the opportunity to work professionally for Laurier Athletics last year, and pursue my love for sports. From there, my work experience and meeting the right people helped me realize that I had a fascination for the business behind the sports industry.

I spent this past summer trying to figure out how to combine supply chain with sports since it was the business concentration I wanted to follow in my fourth year, but couldn’t come to a consensus that made me content.

By the end of grade 12, my calculus mark dropped. I lost my spot in the doubledegree program, and got placed into the BBA-only program.

Two weeks into the fall semester of fourth year, I realized that supply chain was, in fact, not for me. I chose to pursue a marketing concentration instead which was fitting considering my positions as Varsity Sports Photographer and Graphic Designer within Laurier Athletics.

Although my university journey these past four years has had its fair share of ups and downs, it helped me figure out what I want to do in life, and I cannot wait to start my postgrad in a Sports Management program upon completing my undergrad.

• 13

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

Opinion

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

“Male-only March” is trivializing ELIZA MORATZ STAFF WRITER

In an episode of the Impaulsive Podcast on Jan. 9, 2019, YouTuber Logan Paul outlined his New Year’s resolutions. While most of them were fairly run-of-the-mill, such as going sober for January, Paul received backlash for his resolution for March: that he would attempt to “go gay for just one month.”

“Male-only March,” as it was dubbed by Paul, caught the attention of social media. Individuals and organizations supporting LGBTQ+ people quickly took to Twitter and other social media platforms to condemn Paul’s comments and demand an apology.

These comments paint a picture in which being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is a choice, and therefore trivializes the oppression that they experience.

This certainly isn’t the first time that Paul has come under scrutiny by the YouTube community and wider media. Last year, he uploaded a vlog in which he filmed in the Aokigahara forest in Japan, also known as the “suicide forest,” due to the large number of individuals who take their life in the forest.

In his video, he recorded an individual who had taken his own life in the forest that same day.

Following backlash from his fans and other YouTubers, in which

some comments accused him of taking advantage of the tragedy to increase his fame, he took down the vlog and posted a video apology. However, his new video makes it clear that he failed to learn from his mistakes of the past.

A quick look at the comments on the YouTube video show a divide of opinion among viewers. While many did not hesitate to criticize Paul, describing the resolution as tone-deaf and insensitive, many others jumped to his defence.

On Jan. 12, Paul responded to a tweet on Twitter from GLAAD, a non-governmental media organization founded by LGBTQ+ people, and admitted that his comment was a “poor choice of words.”

In a subsequent episode of the Impaulsive Podcast, LGBTQ+ activist Josh Seefried appeared to have a conversation about these comments and the controversy that followed. During the hour long discussion, Paul repeatedly apologizes and calls himself a “huge proponent and supporter of the LGBTQ+ movement” Seefried explains how Paul, as a public figure, has responsibility in setting the tone for what subject matter is acceptable to make a joke of. Despite Paul’s claim to be a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, his comments did have a negative impact on many individuals.

As someone with a large online

following, and therefore quite a bit of influence, Paul must be aware that his followers, especially younger ones, see him as a role model for what is acceptable to say and joke about. Regardless of his intentions, he should recognize these effects and be held accountable. Paul questions whether it would be acceptable for him to experiment sexually with men for a month. Seefried explains that it would, but the distinction must be made in order to show that the comments were serious and not just a joke. As a joke, the comments belittle the real experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. If serious, however, Paul’s admission of bi-curiosity would act to normalize same-sex relationships. Still, Paul fails to clarify, and it is still unclear whether Paul was joking in his comment.

Despite his claimed support of the LGBTQ+ community, Paul’s comments during both podcasts fail to show understanding of hardships and how he plays a role in oppression. Although he doesn’t seem to have malicious intent, it’s clear that he’s speaking from a place of ignorance.

Moving forward, if Paul wants to keep himself out controversy, it’s essential that he thinks before he speaks (and posts), and considers the real impact that his words can have.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Creating a positive relationship with yourself EMMA MCVICAR OPINION COLUMNIST

In the university community, there is constant talk of mental health. It covers study habits, de-stressing methods and healthy eating. While all are important for fostering positive mental health, I feel that the importance of healthy relationships does not have a strong voice. Specifically, the most important relationship — the one with ourselves.

Whether it was a harsh parent, a fake friend or unbalanced romances, each of us has experienced a less than satisfactory relationship. How do we respond?

We call it a waste of time, throwing harsh names at the people who have wronged us while validating reasons why we were right. But what about reasons why we were wrong?

Coming to university can be freeing. For some, it’s the first time you’re away from home. At the same time, university is an amazing opportunity to be challenged in your learning and ideas. It can be an introduction to party life, fast-food at 2 a.m. and sleeping in

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHCS EDITOR

until 3 p.m.

When I was introduced to party life, I would drink every weekend until I was hunched over the toilet even though I started the night promising myself I wouldn’t have more than a few drinks. I’d binge on junk food and feel so guilty the next day about the choices I’d made, then do it all over again.

The concept of a healthy rela-

tionship with yourself begins with understanding choices. If you want the extra hours of sleep, it’s okay to say no to going out. If you’re bothered by something, speak up and listen. You can fix things that are wrong by understanding why they’re worth changing.

It starts by recognizing your state of mind. Are you feeling calm as you read this, or maybe stressed? If

you’re stressed, take action! Pause, take a deep breath and remind yourself to be still. If you’re calm, feel that moment and enjoy it!

These small actions in everyday life can remind you that you are in control — that how you respond to the demanding world is important. You can make things radically better or worse by helping yourself recognize your emotional state.

I like to start the day with yoga because it reminds me to breathe and check in on my personal state, but this small action can be taken at any time. As if you are a child you love, ask yourself, how am I feeling right now? Is there anything I need to do make things better?

I tried something that changed my life: I began to pay attention to my emotions and ask myself why I internally felt how I did when I noticed something was different.

Then I’d try and figure out what in my surroundings was reacting with me to produce that emotion.

It helped me see more clearly why I did the things I did. I’d journal things about the day that were on my mind, and reflect on them.

The relationship you have with yourself is vital. Like any good relationship, it needs communication above all. So take the time this week, once each day, to remind yourself to be still and just breathe.

You are your best friend and that lets you give yourself critical self-love to tell yourself what you honestly could change, and listen to that advice to make your life better.

When you become your own best friend, you’ve always got someone watching out for you.

Thank your body for providing what it does, treat it well and listen to its voice, because that part of you deserves to be heard.

14 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

The anti-vaccination movement is regressive ALYSSA DI SABATINO OPINION EDITOR

In 2000, measles was reported to have been eliminated in the United States. But in 2018 alone, almost 350 cases were reported by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].

In Canada, there have been multiple reported outbreaks within the past few months, several of them having been reported in the Halton region, about an hour from Waterloo.

This regression is a product of the anti-vaccination movement that is taking hold across North America.

Those who are anti-vaccination, or anti-vax for short, often see it as a matter of personal liberty in whether or not they decide to get themselves or their children vaccinated, and some just believe that vaccinations are unhealthy, which is false.

The notion of vaccinations as unhealthy can be credited to an article published in 1998 by former doctor Andrew Wakefield, who published an article claiming that vaccines caused autism.

His work was not based in any substantiation and he was ultimately stripped of his right to practice medicine.

But this lie has been perpetuated for years now, with many people failing to see its falsity.

I’d just like to point out the ignorance in the claim that vaccines cause autism. Because even if it were true, there’s nothing wrong with not being neurotypical. This lie only enforces the harmful stereotypes that surround atypical people.

Obviously, if you’re vaccinated then your chances of being immune to a disease are higher.

For example, if you’ve received one dose of the measles vaccine at 12 months old, you’re 95 per cent immune.

An outbreak of measles in

Disneyland in 2014 sparked a large discussion on anti-vaccination in America. Six out of the 52 people that were exposed to it had been vaccinated.

Health officials have commented on this disparity, saying that for some people, vaccinations don’t produce a strong enough antibody to completely stop the disease.

These patients often have milder cases of measles, but nonetheless, they are still inflicted.

Measles are highly contagious, and are spread through direct contact, as well as through the air, or by touching objects that were recently exposed to mucous or saliva, such as doorknobs, railings or utensils.

Because it is so contagious, those who choose not to get vaccinated are irresponsible, and are a threat to public health.

Choosing not to get vaccinated is a threat to those who can’t get vaccinated, whether it be a baby who has not yet received their shot, a child who can’t receive vaccines due to health issues (i.e. cancer, or immune deficiencies) or a person who does not have access to a clinic.

Voluntarily choosing not to get vaccinated is a product of privilege and ignorance.

In North America, we are afforded the luxury of generally accessible health care, which is why measles is not considered an endemic anymore. But countries in Europe, Asia and Africa have high child mortality rates due to a lack of access to vaccinations.

In 2017, the World Health Organization reported that the rise of measles in Europe was due to the decline of vaccine coverage. If the trend of anti-vaccination were to spread to countries that are already more vulnerable, enormous populations of people could possibly spread an epidemic.

Because much of this anti-vaccine hysteria comes from parents who fail to see the benefit of vaccinating their children, they are putting their children’s health at risk.

Failing to take their children’s well-being seriously has the potential to cause serious illnesses from

preventable diseases.

If a parent has the ability to decide for themselves not to get vaccinated, then fine. But dragging their children and, ultimately, the

greater population into their misinformed thinking is irresponsible.

Children in North America have the right to be protected from abuse and neglect. Anti-vaccina-

tion should be classed as such.

Preventing your child from getting vaccinated also violates that child’s right to personal health and welfare.

• 15

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR PRANAV DESAI sports@thecord.ca

ALUMNI

ADAM GAGNON/CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Former Laurier goalie Liz Knox in action for the Golden Hawks

Laurier alumni continue to shine PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University is known to be one of the top sports schools

in Canada, and with good reason.

Laurier varsity teams are always competitive and Golden Hawk athletes continue to make headlines even after graduation.

So far, 2019 has been no different for former Laurier athletes.

Liz Knox, one of the greatest hockey players in Golden Hawk history, captained Team Gold at

the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) All-Star game on Jan. 22.

Knox and Team Gold won the All-Star game in emphatic fashion by a final score of 8-4.

This was Knox’s first CWHL All-Star game appearance and fans voted the Markham Thunder goalie as one of the two captains.

Knox had an illustrious Laurier career, to say the least. During her five-year tenure as a Hawk, Knox logged over 5,900 minutes for the Hawks, while posting a 0.960 save percentage.

Knox was a key part of four OUA championship winning Golden Hawk teams during her time at Laurier, and she capped off her purple and gold career by winning the CIS Player of the Year award in 2010, becoming the first Laurier women’s hockey player ever to accomplish the feat.

At the professional level, Knox’s phenomenal play was rewarded in 2018 as she led the Markham Thunder to their first ever Clarkson Cup trophy last year.

This season, the Thunder hold a record of 10-8-3, which puts them fourth in the CWHL standings.

After a tremendous 2018, Golden Hawks everywhere will be hoping that Knox can have even greater success in 2019 as she hopes to lead her team to a second Clarkson Cup. Hockey isn’t the only sport where Laurier alumni are tasting success; 12 former Hawks are also competing at the 2019 Ontario Provincial Curling Championships.

Out of the 12 former Hawks, there are seven women’s and five men’s curlers.

The seven women include Chelsea Brandwood, Brenda Holloway and Riley Sandham competing for Team Brandwood.

Hollie Duncan, Laura Hickey, and Cheryl Kreviazuk as a part of Team Duncan, last year’s champions, and finally, Megan Arnold as a part of Team Horton.

After a tremendous 2018, Golden Hawks everywhere will be hoping that Knox can have even greater success in 2019 ...

The former Laurier men’s curlers feature 2018 Olympian Brent Laing who will compete for Team Epping, Aaron Squires playing for Team Bice, Fraser Reid playing for Team Thomas, Jordie Lyon-Hatcher playing for Team Dew, and Shane Konings playing for Team Deruelle.

With the men all competing for different teams, it will be exciting to see which Laurier alumnus the last one standing.

The championships began on Jan. 27 and they will end in early February, with the women’s final taking place on Feb. 2 and the men’s final taking place on Feb. 3.

The winners of the championships will represent Ontario at the 2019 Tim Horton’s Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Halifax.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Hawks fly at School Day Game ABDULHAMID IBRAHIM LEAD SPORTS REPORTER

ISAAK WONG/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s usually an exciting a time where the atmosphere is guaranteed to be pushed to a new level.

The School Day Game, where around 1000 kids from different local schools come out to see the basketball teams play.

The Wilfrid Laurier University women’s varsity basketball team did not fail to impress the youth as they gave an exciting 78-69 win over the Guelph Gryphons.

After a first quarter that was tight between both sides, the second quarter is where the game got interesting.

Going into the second, Laurier was able to slowly but surely extend their lead from five to eight points.

With a couple of minutes left, Laurier made a 9-2 run to close out the half up 36-22, outscoring the Gryphons 17-8 in the quarter as well.

In the third quarter however, the Gryphons went into comeback mode as they made multiple runs at Laurier’s lead.

The issue for them was that Jill Condron continuously made baskets to bring those runs to a halt in the fourth as well.

“I think just staying calm in the moment when things were kind of tense … I tried to remain calm and focus on my finishes when I was getting the great passes from my teammates,” Condron said.

Down 11 to start out the fourth quarter, the Gryphons got back to work trying to grind away at Laurier’s lead.

With under three minutes left, Guelph finally managed to cut the lead below seven points by way of a three-point play by Sarah Holmes with the score at 66-60.

“At that time, it was just full focus on defence. We knew we really had to up the intensity and watch our fouls. We just stopped worrying about if our shots were hitting or not and really locked down,” Condron said.

As they slowly crept closer, the Golden Hawks maintained their poise late in the game.

With some key stops made on the defensive end and big buckets from key players (Jill Condron

scoring six of their final twelve points), the Hawks managed to push their lead back to nine and come out with the big win.

“I think Guelph’s a tough team to stop defensively. They’re a good offensive team. They have a lot of weapons and they play with good pace,” coach Falco said.

“Our goal was to try and reduce their layups in transition and in the half court and protect our glass because we’ve had some trouble [with] defensive rebounding.”

“For the most part, I thought we did that, especially in the second quarter. In the second half, we got away from that a bit and they started scoring in the paint a lot and fortunately we got our offence going a bit and we hung on there.”

Following a double overtime loss to the Waterloo Warriors a few days later, the Hawks are currently fifth in the OUA West.

They will be looking to get back on track going for the fourth seed in the OUA West to host a playoff game, facing the Western Mustangs Jan. 30 as they look to gain some momentum for a possible playoff push.

16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019

PLAYER PROFILE

Autoimmune disease doesn’t slow down Devon Mundy EMILY WAITSON ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

Devon Mundy, second-year environmental and geomatics student at Wilfrid Laurier University and middle-distance runner, has faced one of the biggest challenges in his career so far on and off the track: living with an autoimmune disease.

As a competitive runner in high school, Mundy experienced health issues early on in his adolescence when he was 14-years old. Originally diagnosed with enthesitis-related arthritis, he went through a failed series of different medications, none of which provided any relief for his symptoms.

Two years ago, Mundy was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

Commonly difficult to diagnose, Crohn’s is an autoimmune disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract and causes inflammation that is painful and can be difficult to control — even with the assistance of medicine.

For Mundy, athletics are an essential part of disease management and controlling the symptoms that affect him.

“Track was huge for me. I always found that when I was more physical, everything was more manageable. Mentally speaking, physically speaking, it was just so much easier,” Mundy said.

Mundy was unable to participate in track last year due to a knee injury — and the lack of physical activity he was able to engage in was something that directly impacted his overall well-being.

“It really got to me — my illness.

I had an acute flare-up for several weeks on end [and] it was just awful. It took a toll on me academically, mentally ... and ever since this school year started and I could compete again, it’s been wonderful just being able to get out there,” Mundy said.

Since he got back into track, the problems he was experiencing before lessened significantly.

“It’s been great for my body, my mind … I’ve just been more in control of my disease,” he said.

Running has had an incredibly positive impact on his health.

Mundy has managed to stay optimistic and driven because of the benefits that it provides him.

However, being an athlete with an autoimmune disease isn’t without its own set of challenges and setbacks.

I could go out one day and do amazing ... and then the day after that I could be standing at the finish line throwing up my guts ...

-Devon Mundy, Laurier varsity middle-distance runner

“Not many people really understand what autoimmune diseases really do to your body — where it’s like the greatest thing you’re ever going to face, is facing yourself. It’s really frustrating when every day

could go a little differently. I could go out one day and do amazing,” Mundy said.

“And then the day after that, I could be standing at the finish line throwing up my guts, almost in tears because of the pain.”

“It does take some time to recover from everything. You see your teammates, you work just as hard as them, but you’re not making as much progress, you can’t put on as much weight and muscle — and training is different for sure,” he said.

Mundy has seen the toll that Crohn’s and other autoimmune diseases can have on different people, and it’s helped push him to stay motivated, even when things can feel disheartening.

“It motivates me to [think] I can do this and I should do this because some people can’t and I’d love to do it for them,” Mundy said.

Mundy doesn’t want people to pity or feel sorry for him. He just wants to provide a voice for those who may be struggling with similar health issues, especially “invisible” diseases — diseases that are not immediately apparent to other people — and show that they are working just as hard as everyone else.

As he has done with athletics, Mundy has proven that it’s possible to persevere and succeed despite the complications of an illness.

“I just want people to understand what individuals go through with something like an autoimmune disease and how hard it is for some people. No one really sees what they’re going through and understands it.”

EVA OU/PHOTO EDITOR

MEN’S HOCKEY

Greg Puhalski inducted into Toledo Hall of Fame ABDULHAMID IBRAHIM LEAD SPORTS REPORTER

Some play to win, and some play for the legacy and their name being etched into history forever.

Then there are those who manage to be able to do both — those people are held to another level of respect and recognition.

Enter Greg Puhalski, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men’s hockey coach who was recently inducted into the Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame.

“I think as far as my experience in Toledo, it was definitely a capper on my career, my seven years in Toledo. Winning championships is why I played the game to start with and I was able to be a part of some teams in Toledo to do that and whenever you do it, it’s something that part of your history for the rest of your life and it’s a great memory to have,” Puhalski said.

It began with a four-year career as a part of Laurier’s men’s hockey team from 1987 to 1991, where he became the all-time leading scorer with 88 goals and 134 assists.

Following his career at Laurier, Puhalski went on to play for the Toledo Storm from 1991 to 1994 in the ECHL.

In that time, he was able to win back to back championships in 1993 and 1994, to go along with scoring 225 points in 122 games in his time there.

As a coach, he was the bench boss for the Fort Wayne Komets from 2000 to 2006.

In 2003, Puhalski led the Komets to the United Hockey League's Colonial Cup and also ranks second in franchise wins with 271, behind Al Sims' 437. Ironically, his induction into the Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame at the ECHL All-Star Classic is a matchup between Toledo and Fort Wayne.

“You feel proud of your accomplishments and you recognize that with any of those accomplishments, you have to have good people you’re working alongside and recognize, they’re just as important as anyone else in helping you. You can’t do things alone. I think that’s a great thing about team sports,” Puhalski stated.

“It’s all the people that are doing it together and that’s always the best feeling. We’re no different, this past weekend, we were able to reunite with a lot of former teammates that I haven’t seen in many years and those are definitely special times to be together.”

GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

With all the success he’s had along the way, there comes an understanding as to what it takes to succeed which also carries into what he is able to teach his players in his experience as a coach at Laurier over the last nine years.

“Success is something that you learn. Why teams have certain

success or why programs have success. I think there’s a foundation of trying to get character people together, trying to get talented people together, and you try to build a vision for how to accomplish it. You need good leadership — that’s really, really important.

It’ll continue to drive your program

and team.”

“You got to have guys who want to win, want to compete, want to win championships, are willing to sacrifice to get it done and that’s by no means an easy accomplishment but it takes a lot of sacrifice on everyone’s part to make it happen,” Puhalski concluded.