THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOLUME 60 ISSUE 14 • JANUARY 8, 2020
FROM THE BEACH TO THE BOOKS
CLUB CONTROVERSY
LAURIER IN THE LEAD
LOOKING BACK
IMPEACH OR NOT IMPEACH
DECADE IN SPORTS
The Drink Uptown faces backlash
WLU named top place of employment
Students’ Union 2019 events in review
Will Donald Trump stay in office?
Reviewing Laurier’s top team moments
News, page 3
News, page 5
Arts & Life, page 8
Opinion, page 10
Sports, page 12
2 •
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8. 2020
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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: JANUARY 8
JANUARY 2020
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
FEELIN’ GOOD // THE GROWLERS
CordNews
1656: Oldest surviving commercial newspaper begins (Haarlem, Netherlands).
DOMINOS // BETTER OBLIVION COMMUNITY CENTER
1790: First US President George Washington delivers first state of the union address.
WINDS CHANGE // ORVILLE PECK
1620: Construction of the oldest stone church in French North America, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, begins at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
FOOTSCRAY STATION // CAMP COPE HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY SINGS // FATHER JOHN MISTY
1816: Sophie Germain is the first woman to win a prize from the Paris Academy of Sciences for her paper on elasticity.
BLACK-RED // DR. DOG PRETTY PIMPIN’ // KURT VILE
1835: US national debt is $0 for the first and only time in history.
RACING STRIPES // BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB SHADOW BLOOM // FLORIST
1857: Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as new capital of Canada.
BIRD CHIRP // MOTHERHOOD & THE HYPOCHONDRIACS
1858: Canada begins using decimal currency system.
HEAT WAVE // SNAIL MAIL DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR
ROAD HEAD // JAPANESE BREAKFAST
1867: African American men granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C. despite President Andrew Johnson's veto. 1947: David Bowie is born. One of the most popular musicians for over five decades, Bowie sold over 140 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In his career he released eleven number-one albums.
SERVICE ROAD // BETTER OBLIVION COMMUNITY CENTER I’M A KID // JADU HEART
WAVEFORM // PINEGROVE
1954: Elvis Presley pays $4 to a Memphis studio & records his 1st two songs, "Casual Love" & "I'll Never Stand in Your Way."
SUGAR // BROCKHAMPTON
ALL IS ON MY SIDE // SAM FENDER
1978: Harvey Milk becomes the first openly gay person elected to public office in California.
LOSE YOU (ACOUSTIC) // NOAH GUNDERSEN
1993: NBC offers Tonight Show to David Letterman.
I CAN HARDLY SPEAK // BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB
1993: Michael Jordan's gamehigh 35 points leads Chicago to 120-95 win over Milwaukee; gives him exactly 20,000 points in 620th game of his NBA career; 2nd-fastest to reach milestone after Wilt Chamberlain.
DEPRESTON // COURTNEY BARNETT
2013: Steve Nash records his 10,000th career assist against Houston. NEXT ISSUE
OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca
SENIOR COPY EDITOR Victoria Marshall copyeditor@thecord.ca
CORD STAFF
SPORTS EDITOR Mark Cascagnette sports@thecord.ca
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Waitson editor@thecord.ca
GRAPHICS EDITOR Jamie Mere graphics@thecord.ca
CORDCAST PRODUCER Jade Hosick, Victoria Marshall cordcast@thecord.ca
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brit Kovacs creative@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Darien Funk photos@thecord.ca
WEB DIRECTOR Kashyap Patel online@thecord.ca
ONLINE EDITOR Kathleen McCullough online@thecord.ca
NEWS DIRECTOR Hayley McGoldrick news@thecord.ca
VIDEO EDITOR Katherine Fitzpatrick video@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR Sophia Cole news@thecord.ca
LEAD REPORTER VACANT news@thecord.ca
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino arts@thecord.ca
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Sidney Macdonald photos@thecord.ca
JANUARY 15, 2020
CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR’S CHOICE “The Drink causes controversy with innapropriate sign ” - Sophia Cole
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Kurtis Rideout at kurtis.rideout@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.
COLOPHON The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community. Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used
for principal photography. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com. The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 4,500 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada. The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2004.
PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to
reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of Kitchener-Waterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University. Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate. The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the student body. The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of the student press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.
We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Quote of the week: “I love complaining.” - Creative Director Brit Kovacs while talking about her favourite pastimes.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
News
• 3 NEWS DIRECTOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR SOPHIA COLE news@thecord.ca
UPTOWN
SIDNEY MACDONALD/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
SPENCER HARRISON/CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
The sign that was displayed at The Drink Uptown read “I thought she was 18.”
The Drink causes controversy with inappropriate sign Popular nightclub issues a public apology after a video of the sign is shared on social media SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR
The Drink Uptown, a popular nightclub in Uptown Waterloo, has recently come into the public eye and faced scrutiny due to a video posted on social media of a sign with concerning content displayed at the establishment. The video, which was posted to Facebook on Dec. 29 by Spencer Harrison, showed a group of people laughing at the signs content. The sign, reading “I thought she was 18,” was a product of The Drink’s VIP booth experience, where they allow groups to request personalized signs to be displayed in their booth. In her post, Harrison addressed the inappropriate nature of the sign and her disappointment in The Drink for curating and allowing this sort of language in their establishment. “The fact that they made this
sign LETTER by letter, carried it into a group of men, whilst laughing and making LIGHT of ‘F****** girls under the age of 17’ is saddening, unacceptable, sickening and should not be tolerated,” wrote Harrison. Her post gained significant traction and shortly after, The Drink released a public statement regarding the issue. The statement addressed the offensive sign, stating “the sign that was presented was inappropriate. Nobody should have to see what was presented to this group and for that we apologize.” “At The Drink Uptown, we have not approved and reviewed all presentation signs made to groups before our staff make these presentations. We have given the freedom to groups to make personalized messaged and it is clear that we need to do a better job ensuring that inappropriate messages are not presented.” The statement was not only
apologetic, but action oriented, asserting that the establishment would provide diversity, inclusion and safe space training for all staff and affiliates of The Drink. The first training session is set to take place in the last week of January and will be run by the Sexual Assault Centre of Waterloo Region. This training will be applied to any new staff hired by The Drink in the future, as well as staff of other restaurants and establishments under the umbrella of ownership. “It’s a program called ‘Raise the Bar’ with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region,” said Chad Yurkin, Managing Partner at The Drink Uptown. “So basically, all of our staff, DJs, promoters, managers — like extended family almost — anybody that’s got some kind of representation or identity surrounding The Drink will be participating.” The primary focus of the first training session will be something called “the continuum of harm,”
which recognizes that different people may experience the same content in vastly different ways. What seems harmless to some people may actually be offensive or distressing in the eyes of others. “It’s a matter of showing the impact of what one person might not think is offensive or can be taken a certain way, to other groups. And then obviously that increases everybody’s awareness and opens people’s minds,” Yurkin said. “You need to be aware of the worst side of it.” In addition to sensitivity training, The Drink will also be implementing a review process for all customizable signs requested in the future. “The personalized nature of the experience is what people enjoy, but we need to be aware that offensive material, or material that can be perceived as such, just can’t be allowed. So there will be a lot more scrutinization by the staff,” Yurkin said. While the content of the sign is what sparked controversy, it is the attitude and culture which allowed this sign, a deeper-rooted problem, which needs to be addressed in order to create an atmosphere where all parties feel comfortable and considered. “It really isn’t about a sign. It’s about messaging. It’s about sensitivity to different groups and why something would be offensive in the first place,” Yurkin said. “Removing the sign is the easy thing … I think removing that is not solving anything. Embracing that the problem is more than a physical sign, the problem is the people who have those sentiments.” The club has spoken to the group which requested the sign, communicating that the subject matter was not appropriate and would not be tolerated in the future. The group has not been banned from The Drink Uptown. The establishment recognizes that people make mistakes, but
the incident is on record and may influence their ability to receive the personalized VIP booth experience in the future.
It’s a program called ‘Raise the Bar’ with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.
-Chad Yurkin, managing partner at The Drink Uptown
“They haven’t been banned, but they have been allowed to make a mistake. And I think everybody made a mistake. Staff in bringing it out, us in not catching it, and people for reacting the way that this did,” Yurkin said. “I think that people should be allowed to make mistakes. I think it’s an important conversation that we’re having and a more important program that will be in place to ensure that is doesn’t happen again.” On Dec 30, Harrison posted a response to The Drink’s public apology, commending them for their timely and action-oriented response. “It is encouraging that this response came back so quickly. This is not only an apology but an action oriented apology,” wrote Harrison. “We cannot wait to see on social media the training that will be taking place,” Harrison wrote. Businesses and individuals should take note of this establishments response. Thank you for hearing our voices and committing to do better.”
4 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
CAMPUS
DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR
What’s in store for Laurier in 2020? HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR
The office of the president along with the office of student affairs are saying hello to students — while
some say goodbye — as the winter semester officially commenced on Jan. 6, welcoming students from all over the world as they return to Waterloo and Brantford to continue their studies.
“Welcome back, Golden Hawks and happy New Year! It’s an exciting time at Laurier as we begin a new decade full of possibilities. Over the next term, we look forward to sharing some exciting
developments that are in store for Laurier as we continue to implement a strategic plan designed to strengthen our thriving community and help you to gain the knowledge and skills to face the challenges of the future,” said president Deb MacLatchy and vice-president of student affairs David McMurray in an email statement. “Whether this is the beginning of your second term, or you’re nearing the end of your time at Laurier, you’ve likely come to learn that this is a special place. Laurier has earned its status as the number one university for student satisfaction in the comprehensive category from Maclean’s Magazine four years in a row through our commitment to deliver the services and support programs that make a real difference in the lives of our students.” There are many initiatives and programs available to students such as “Ride the Wave” workshops that assist in facing academic and social stressors and determining coping skills for all students, as well as “Wellness 101” workshops that take students through the seven dimensions of wellness, both of which are free to students at both Waterloo and Brantford campuses. Laurier also prides itself on equity, diversity, and inclusion, with four student collectives; the Association of Black Students, Rainbow Centre, Centre for Women and Trans People, and the Muslim Student Association that provide volunteer and educational opportunities for students.
“We wish you all the best for a safe, successful and enriching winter term. We’re always eager to hear from you and to listen to your feedback about how we can do more to meet the needs of our students,” MacLatchy and McMurray continued in an email statement. Jan. 7 also saw the announcement that vice president of student affairs, David McMurray, would be retiring in June of 2020 — exactly 10 years after he first took on the role — though McMurray has been with Laurier for 23 years since he first joined on as the assistant vice president of student services/dean of students in 1997. “It has been a highlight of my career personally and professionally to have worked so closely with David; I have learned so much from him. His reputation as one of North America’s most outstanding leaders in student affairs is well deserved. Laurier’s exceptional student experience is due in no small part to David’s vision for and commitment to our university and our students,” MacLatchy said in an email statement. “Since David joined Laurier in 1997, he has played a lead role in introducing multi-campus strategic initiatives that enhance student learning and in developing strategies to integrate Laurier’s academic/curricular agenda with the co-curricular elements of student learning, development and engagement. “David has influenced nearly every facet of the student experience during his career, ranging from residence life and student
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HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS DIRECTOR
vice president of studen affairs, David McMurray, has worked at Laurier 23 years
The Waterloo and Brantford campuses also have Indigenous student centres with their own programming and services to engage students and the newly launched KeepMeSafe counselling service has officially launched, offering online counselling for first-year international students and is available in over 35 languages. Laurier has also launched the Academic Skills certificate, also known as “Ask”, after a successful pilot program last year. The program encourages Laurier students to develop positive academic habits while also adding to their Laurier Experience Record.
leadership to student support and experiential learning.” McMurray is a valued member of the Laurier community, from working directly with student government to actively participating in events or contributing to student publications and will be deeply missed as a member of the Laurier community in the office of student affairs. Laurier is actively searching for a new dean of students currently as they will need someone to replace McMurray starting in June, however an event to honour the culture he has built and his legacy left at Laurier will be held in the spring.
NEWS • 5
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020 EMPLOYMENT
DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR
Laurier named one of the top employers in Waterloo HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR
For a second year in a row, Wilfrid Laurier University has been named one of Waterloo’s top employers by Canada’s Top 100 Employers due to the quality of programs and policies put in place by and for employees. Canada’s Top 100 Employers is a national competition that happens annually which recognizing both national and regional level leaders in employment, with Laurier’s honour being received at the regional level for their employment across all campuses including Waterloo, Brantford and Toronto. “I’ve been at Laurier for almost 15 years working in human resources and I think what I hear a lot is very similar to what we hear about our student experience; it’s that real sense of community that we have here at Laurier, new employees that I meet with through their onboarding process talk about how friendly and welcoming people are, for the most part our employees feel like they really belong here,” said Pamela Cant, assistance vice-president of human resources and equity. “We heard this through the employee engagement survey that we did last year as well that people really appreciate the additional perks and benefits that we offer as an employer and that was what helped us get the recognition; so tuition waiver for employees and their dependants, we invest in employee professional development, the fact we gave very comprehensive benefits plans and retirement savings plans, etcetera — it’s that whole package.” Canada’s Top 100 releases information and statistics about the chosen employers, with some of Laurier’s notable stats being that they have over 1,600 full-time employees and almost 700 parttime employees, their health care benefits pay up to 100 per cent of the premiums. Laurier’s longest serving employee has worked for Laurier for 47 years, employees receive three weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job and there are many plans for hours including compressed work weeks, telecommuting and an earned days off program. “Working at a university our employees have a unique opportunity
to be really connected to a meaningful mission which is to educate and inspire lives of leadership and purpose with our students and I don’t think with every corporation you can get that experience or contribute to something that is that meaningful,” Cant said. “That is something that is a little bit special, the fact that we’re connected with public funding there’s an accountability that we have as a public institution that wouldn’t exist in a corporate environment, we’re also very collaborative; I have a great network of colleagues in human resources for across the university sector in Ontario as well as Canada.” Laurier was also selected as one of Canada’s top green employers due to their green certified buildings and projects such as the Sustainable Hawk Fund and the certificate in sustainability which offers faculty and employees lunch and learn workshops. “We employ a lot of student on campus — the numbers change from time to time but over the course of an academic year we employ upwards of 4,000 students in addition to our regular, continuing employee complement which is about 2,000,” Cant said. “We do offer a lot offer a lot of employment opportunities for our students whether that be in the areas of athletics, the bookstore, working alongside a faculty member doing research, being a teaching assistant; there’s a lot of different opportunities for students to work on campus which is great.” Another aspect of Laurier’s top employer bid for the region is that they constantly strive for equity, diversity and inclusion, including the hiring of the first ever Indigenous curriculum specialist in 2017. “There’s a few things we’re working on currently: the employee engagement survey was conducted at the end of 2018, with all of our employees including our contract teaching faculty, we sent the survey to around 2,000 employees and we had 1,100 actually complete it so we felt like we had a good representation,” Cant said. “We were able to get really rich data on what’s working really well and what areas we need to spend more time on; there are areas that we are really dedicated to focusing on that came through in the engagement survey as needing attention, with a big one being
equity, diversity and inclusion.” Barrington Walker was hired as the school’s first ever senior advisor of equity, diversity and inclusion thanks to this feedback and his role is to develop a comprehensive strategy and was created thanks to federal funding, with the position starting as of Jan. 2020. “We want to ensure that we are attracting and retaining a diverse
population of employees, all of our people, systems and processes are bias free and that we’re removing barriers for underrepresented groups, so there’s a lot of commitment on behalf of the university and senior administration to further EDI initiatives,” Cant said. The next step for the university, however, is to not only be recognized as a top employer in the
region, but one of the top employers in the nation. “We’re pleased being recognized for a second year in a row, but our goal is to be recognized as a top 100 employer in Canada, so we’re going to continue to put our best foot forward and put our application in again next year with hopes all our initiatives will be recognized,” Cant said.
6 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
LOCAL BUSINESS
The Futon Shop closes after 35 years HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR
The Futon Shop in uptown Waterloo is closing its doors after 35 years of business due to rising rent prices, the economy and other major factors like the Uptown BIA construction. Greg Mewhiney, owner of The Futon Shop, has been making futons out of the King Street North location since 1985 and at one point even had three stores running due to the futon business. “There were probably several factors — one was declining sales; the futon industry probably hit its peak in the late 90s to early 2000s, that was probably the high point of sales and every year after that there was a small decline, which is fine, you can deal with that when it’s small. When it drops 40 per cent, that’s when you go bankrupt,” Mewhiney said. “You factor in rising expenses, your rent starts going up, wages, hydro, advertising all start going up, sales start to come down. We used to have a warehouse and a delivery person, we used to have all sorts of things, at the end it was just me, it was a one man show.”
Though there is still hope from customers that The Futon Shop may come back to life once again, much of the store’s stock was marked down 40 to 50 per cent in December to try and clear all inventory. “The final thing that happened was that the new rent was going to be basically double. To be fair we were probably paying under market value for years, then a new owner came on board who probably did pay market rates which are crazy,” Mewhiney said. “We sat down and had a great conversation. He told me what he needed for rent and I said there was not any way we could make it work with those prices, he understood and asked to go month to month until we could rent, then the next day said we had to rent it already. There was no screaming — it was a very cordial relationship, but someone was willing to pay a lot more than we were paying.” Due to the mass market mentality, many shoppers did not want to pay more than $200 for a futon. Though the quality of pieces Mewhiney crafted would last much longer than any large brand, the
SIDNEY MACDONALD/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
$600 dollar or higher price tag in comparison hurt sales along with other factors. “There was about four years of construction that wasn’t necessarily right in front of us but a block down the street, so even if we weren’t closed right in front of us somebody two blocks down was or the whole street was closed, people didn’t know even how to get to the store or if it was open, due to that we dropped 40 per cent,” Mewhiney said. “This year, sales kind of came back a little bit, but we’re still 30 per cent below what we used to be. That on top of the rental increase,
Launch your path to success
the numbers just didn’t add up. That definitely had a determining factor on us closing.” Locations have been looked at to reopen the store outside of uptown. However, Mewhiney states that maybe if he was a bit younger it would be in the cards — but age is a factor to consider with the legacy of the store and the shop closing for good. “It’s the interaction with people, my wife says I gab at everyone who comes through the door, but everyone has a story. People think you’re trying to jam something down their throat, but you ask
about them and interacting with people for me was always interesting, as well as having a purpose. We’ve only been closed for a week and I get up and wonder what I’ll do next,” Mewhiney said. “There is no malice between myself and uptown Waterloo or the landlord; we get along great, [but] it was strictly a business decision and I respect that. I used to own the building so I understand how it works; it’s just unfortunate that uptown is getting so expensive and a lot of unique places are going to get pushed out simply because they can’t pay the $40 a square foot rent.”
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GAMES • 7
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
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, Once upon a time there was a lovely princess.But she had an enchantment upon her of a fearful sort which could only be broken by love’s first kiss. She was locked away in a castle guarded by a terrible fire-breathing dragon.Many brave knigts had attempted to free her from this dreadful prison, but non prevailed. She waited in the dragon’s keep in the highest room of the tallest tower for her true love and true love’s first kiss. {Laughing} Like that’s ever gonna happen. {Paper Rusting, Toilet Flushes} What a load of Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed She was lookin’ kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb In the shape of an “L” on her forehead
RIDDLES 1. Priceless
5. Grandmother’s Birthday
I am something people love or hate. I change peoples appearances and thoughts. If a person takes care of them self I will go up even higher. To some people I will fool them. To others I am a mystery. Some people might want to try and hide me but I will show. No matter how hard people try I will Never go down. What am I?
How old is your son? asked a man to his neighbour. My son is five times as old as my daughter and my wife is five times as old as my son. Iam twice as old as my wife whereas my grandmother, who is celebrating her eighty-first birthday is as old as all of us put togeather. How old is the man’s son?
2. Only One Color, But Not One Size
6. Perception
Only one color, but not one size, Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain. Doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it? 3. New Words What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters? 4. Find It It is a 5 letter word if you take away first letter it is something you get from sun, if you remove second letter you will get something to eat, if you remove third letter you get a word you use in pointing at and if you remove the fourth letter you get something to drink. What is it?
On my own, I am darkness, a black abyss. But, Life brings me light with its gentle kiss. I am quiet and cold, but warmth I can hold. Alongside beauties and wonders, sights to be told. My surface may be bare, this I’m aware. But, beautiful secrets I am eager to share. My mouth so large, I swallow you whole. To be in my belly is your goal. What may lie within can drive men to sin. Greed and desire, gluttony’s kin. For some, I am fear. For others, hope. My perception shaped from life’s scope. From the earth I have come, and forever will stay, even if parts of me crumble away. What am I? 7. No Hands Who is that with a neck and no head, two arms and no hands? What is it?
Answers:
5. Five. 6. A cave. 7. A shirt.
SUDOKU (EVIL)
The years start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ Fed to the rules and hit the ground runnin’ Didn’t make sense not to live for fun Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb So much to do so much to see So what’s wrong with takin’ the backstreets You’ll never know if you don’t go You’ll never shine if you don’t glow Hey, now You’re an all-star Get your game on, go play Hey, now You’re a rock star Get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shootin’ stars break the mold It’s a cool place and they say it gets colder You’re bundled up now but wait till you get older But the meteor men beg to differ Judging by the hole in the satellite picture The ice we skate is gettin’ pretty thin The water’s getting warm so you might as well swim My world’s on fire How ‘bout yours That’s the way I like it and I’ll never get bored Hey, now, you’re an all-star {Shouting} Get your game on, go play Hey, now You’re a rock star Get the show on, get paid And all that glitters is gold Only shootin’ stars break the mold
1. Age. 2. It’s a shadow . 3. Queue. 4. Wheat.
SUDOKU (MEDIUM)
8•
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2019 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
Arts & Life
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO arts@thecord.ca
PROGRAMMING
Looking back at Students’ Union events from 2019
BRIT KOVACS/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ALYSSA DI SABATINO ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR
The 2019 fall semester here at Laurier has seen many exciting events take place. From concerts to craft beer fests, drag shows and cooking demonstrations, the events at Laurier have been nothing short of exciting thus far. “I think we’re trying new stuff this year. We haven’t done a drag show at Laurier for years and we’ve never done a speaker-type event like we have, and I think the fresh programming is what’s really invited people in,” said Twan Dieker, VP of programming and services for WLUSU. Laurier started strong with event programming when Toronto rapper Jazz Cartier was invited to host the O-Week concert to a soldout crowd of students. Since then, every event has been extremely successful, explained Dieker.
“Since then we’ve had our craft beer fest — it’s our third annual and it was our biggest one this year. We took it outside which was a really big step and a really big accomplishment so we were so thrilled with the turn out,” Dieker said. Following that, Laurier hosted a sold-out drag show featuring Brooke Lynn Hytes from RuPaul’s Drag Race. “We were thrilled to see that event sell out, and the feedback was so good that we’re looking at doing another one in the coming semester. So, people have just really responded well to that type of programming,” Dieker said. In November, Antoni Porowski from Netflix’s Queer Eye visited Laurier to do a cooking demonstration and speaking session in front of an eager crowd of students. “We are hoping to do a lot more speaker events because people
responded so positively to that, so we are looking at what kind of other opportunities we have to bring speakers,” Dieker said. “We’ve just been pushing the envelope a little on not sticking with the status quo, and by doing that I think people have responded really positively to that. So, we’ve been challenging a lot of the traditions and seeing how we can make it better and new and fresh and I think that’s paying off a lot for us.” With every event thus far having had high attendance and generating plenty of commotion on campus, it’s fair to say that the Student’s Union has had a very successful fall semester in terms of event planning. The success of the Brooke Lynn Hytes drag show as well as Antoni Porowski’s cooking demonstration has not gone unnoticed by the student body, either. “A lot of the events we have run have always been very high energy
and some of them we’ve kind of toned down from that. People have appreciated that we’ve just made simple programming — simple and effective programming,” Dieker said. There is no plan for these events to slow down in the winter semester, either. “Thursday we have our Return to The Snow event, so in the quad we’re gonna be putting up an ice rink … some food and some drink vendors, live music and games and we’re kind of going to transform the quad,” Dieker said. Students can now purchase tickets for recording artist Bulow’s performance at the Turret on Jan. 16. Following that is Open Mic Idol at Wilf’s on Jan. 20, and students can apply now to compete. Although nothing is revealed as of yet, students can look forward to plenty of programming during the week of Valentine’s Day, explained Dieker.
“Our year end concert is coming up very quickly — it’s just gonna fly out of nowhere — so we have our year end concert to look forward to. We’re going to be announcing a headliner soon,” Dieker said. The success of this year’s events have been no small feat. Dieker explained that working closely with other schools is helpful in terms of event programming. “Just hearing what other schools are doing and working closely with them to get better deals, bring in different acts and kind of working that way has been really helpful for us,” Dieker said. “Seeing where there’s opportunities to change things — what needs change and what doesn’t need change, and just kind of looking at everything from a more critical lens I think contributed a lot to how it’s different this year. It’s just taking a finer tooth comb through everything and seeing where we can change, and it’s paid off.”
ARTS & LIFE • 9
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020 CINEMA
KASHYAP PATEL/WEB DIRECTOR
Escaping into the world of film AMELIA MOLA ARTS AND LIFE CONTRIBUTER
I love going to the movies. Maybe it’s the buttery popcorn, or the comfy and worn-in chairs in the cinema, or even oddly enough the laugh I have when I hear someone trying to suck in every last drop of their slushy. Recently, I have been spending even more time than usual at the local cinema houses in Uptown Waterloo, The Princess and the Princess Twin. Most of the time, I prefer to see movies solo. I have found cinema a way for me to spend some time alone, away from the pervasiveness of my friends’ and families’ thoughts, where I can completely stall the gears of my brain for an hour and a half to focus on a completely new world separate from my own. Cinema is an escape. Cinema is informative. Cinema is life. However, lately I have been having a change of heart when it comes to seeing films. Recently, I have thoroughly enjoyed it when my friends have joined me to see a movie. The conversations we
have after the film is consistently constructive, and often helps me unpack various themes or scenes that were unclear to me initially. It is also a refreshing and new type of conversation, both stimulating in discussion and harmonious in how it brings my friends and I closer together. Not only has cinema brought me closer to my friends and family, but some of the films I have seen have moved me to reflect upon my personal experiences, memories in my life, and have opened up my world and mind to other peoples experiences around the world. Out of all the films I have seen recently, three have resonated with me significantly. First was Martin Scorcese’s much anticipated film The Irishman. With both a commercial and Netflix release, I opted to see this film at the Princess Twin. For three and a half hours, I was engulfed in a cinematic journey that took me through the life of Irishman Frank Sheeran, played by Martin Scorcese’s long time muse Robert De Niro. Joe Pesci and Al Pacino also star in the film, with cameos
from Hollywood giants like Harvey Keitel. As someone who grew up watching the films of Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Michael Cimino, The Irishman was very bitter sweet. My dad used to take me to the video store in our neighbourhood on the weekends I was with him, and through that time we watched all the classics. The Godfather trilogy (although not the third one — who really likes it?), Deer Hunter, Taxi Driver, and other major films from the Hollywood Renaissance. This created a bond between my father and I, we watched films together, and we talked about the films we wanted to see. The Irishman felt like the end of that era. With major actors from these films such as Pacino, De Niro, and Pesci getting older and retiring, The Irishman was a heart-wrenching goodbye. A goodbye to the actors that defined a generation of film, and a goodbye to a type of cinema that may not exist in the same way as it has since the 1970s, the mob film and the cinema of urban decline. I guess
that means my dad and I will have to find a new film genre too. Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho is another film of the year for me. Parasite was an incredible experience because I had never seen a film of Bong Joon-ho before, or a South Korean film. Seeing this movie was so important to me because it opened up a completely different worldview, from a part of the world I had never experienced physically or cinematically. Parasite was like nothing I had ever seen before. Following the life of a conning family, it was a brilliant social satire that was bitingly witty, elegantly filmed, and full of surprises that you never saw coming. For me, Parasite was quintessential because it elevated and exposed my palette to a whole new kind of film, outside of American and European cinema. By going outside of my comfort zone, I discovered something incredible. The next time any other South Korean films are playing at The Princess, I will definitely be attending, and I recommend you do as well. Finally, Waves, directed by Trey
Edward Shults finishes off this list of the three films that have resonated the most with me recently. Waves tells the story of an AfricanAmerican Florida family in two parts, the first surrounding the son Tyler, a high school senior and allstar athlete played by actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. The second half of the film is based on the life of the sister Emily, played by breakout Vancouver actress Taylor Russell. After their family faces tragedy and immense loss, the film focuses on how they reunite and come back together through adversity. Waves is a cinematic experience. The cinematography is creative, intense, and at times hard to watch (the amount of 360 degree shots at times made me a bit dizzy), however it added an element of disorientation to the plot of the film through the use of the camera. For a breakout independent, Waves presents a unique and articulate story about a family and takes you along for the journey, making you feel all the heartache and struggles of each character. At a time where we are constantly being hounded by the invasiveness of social media and mass commercialism, cinema is a way to escape these forces that have come to shape our generation. Films such as The Irishman, Parasite, and Waves each provided me with a different worldview, and connected me to different experiences of my own. That to me, is the power of cinema. When we think and engage with it critically, it can be a powerful medium that challenges the way we see things, connects us to our own personal lives, and brings us closer to the ones we love. I suggest to everyone that they get out more often to see films on their own, or with their friends. You may be surprised at the conversations you have with your friends after you see a movie. Instead of staring at each others Instagram feeds, meaningful discussion and quality time can be found through the discussion of films. Stimulating intellect and satisfying to the soul, the cinema is an escape from the chaos of our everyday lives.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
10 •
Editorial
OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca
Editors Note: New year, same me EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
With each passing year, I’ve always set impossible standards and “resolutions” for myself to meet in order to improve myself. Inevitably, these resolutions have been too broad and grand so that I can never accomplish them for more than a month or a few weeks at a time. I’ve typically seen this as a failure, and I give up entirely until the next year comes around and I try to commit to the idea of completely reinventing myself once again. New year’s resolutions have the tendency to be hyperfocused on diet and weight and have less and less to do with realistic goals or points of improvement that are healthy and realistic and more to do with how Instagram-worthy they are for the first week of January. Instead of romanticizing these generalized resolutions that end up making many (if not most) people feel bad about themselves, why not fixate on less trendy, but arguably more important objectives that you can personally strive towards without hurting yourself or feeling bad about in the process? I used to feel the need to punish myself for enjoying food and indulging over the holidays. Food isn’t the enemy and you should never have to work it off in order to deserve it. That gym membership you bought under the pressure of gaining “holiday weight” likely won’t last unless you purchased it for the right reasons and not solely because of guilt. I would always tell myself that starting in the new year I would get to the gym six days a week and wouldn’t touch another processed carb.
Shedding that toxic and unrealistic mentality, I’ve made my strategies more attainable and ultimately enjoyable. I want to start doing more small things for my physical and mental health, and I don’t want to feel like I’m being punished to be an improved version of myself. I’m ultimately the same person no matter what changes I implement, and that shouldn’t be a point of shame or failure. Resolutions don’t need to be as fixated on appearance as they have
I’m ultimately the same person no matter what changes I implement, and that shouldn’t be a point of shame or failure.
the tendency to be. They can be small, but important changes, like looking after your skin by wearing more sunscreen, getting a yearly pap smear, utilizing your right to vote, and treating yourself with more kindness than you did the year before. These aren’t things that are typically shared on social media, but that shouldn’t be the marker of how valuable they are to put into practice. And while it’s typical to lament over the pointlessness of new year’s resolutions, it’s something that’s taken me years to fully understand in order to alter the way I approach them. 2020 shouldn’t be about measuring up to the ideals set by others, it should be about treating yourself with more kindness, whatever that may look like for you.
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Editorial: Think before you buy SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR
In a capitalist culture, our economy succeeds based on supply and demand. In order for it to thrive, stores need to sell and people need to purchase. In North America, we are incredibly lucky to live with the privilege of nearly instantaneous accessibility to all the things we need and want. Need groceries but don’t feel like taking a trip to the store? Get them delivered. Want a new winter coat? Browse the seemingly endless selection of them available online with the click of a button. It is easier than ever to make purchases and we are constantly bombarded by the newest trend or item which will somehow enhance our live exponentially … well for about a second. The feeling when you buy something new is addictive. The novelty sends full blown dopamine rush straight to your brain while you think about how amazing this new thing is and how you ever lived without it. This feeling last for some time between 0.2 seconds and few weeks before you get bored and fixate on something more new and excited. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s an addictive one. This addiction to the new and exciting is what keep people pur-
chasing over and over, mostly on things they don’t even need with money they may not have. Thus comes another endless cycle — the cluttering and de-cluttering. Now, Marie Kondo was definitely on to something: if it doesn’t bring you joy, get rid of it; but the hardest part isn’t the hours and days you’ll spend reorganizing your house when it gets too full and throwing away half your inventory, it’s learning how to keep every unnecessary or unneeded item you see from sparking joy. We live in a culture where people are conditioned to think more is always better, and less is never enough — cue purchasing three different eyeshadow palettes with slightly different colour schemes (yes, I am guilty of doing this). The trouble with the culture of more is that while it may feel great mid-purchase, it isn’t really good for anyone. The more you buy, the more you reinforce the cycle and more you feel you need new things to be happy, and that is a slippery slope. It doesn’t take a psychologist to tell you that if you equate happiness to material items, you’re going to spend most of the time unhappy unless you have infinite funds (and even then, there are inherent issues). It also isn’t too great for your wallet. The urge to spend on frivolous items is a lot stronger to save your money for a rainy day or your phone bill or some extra gas in the tank — those things are a lot let fun than a new video game. When you
get in the habit of spending without thinking and considering the ramifications, you’re likely going to develop an unhealthy relationship with money and this might cause further financial burdens down the road. If the hits to wallet weren’t enough, the culture of more is hitting the planet even harder. The demand for new products and increase production of new things to replace perfectly fine old ones. Living in a culture of “more” is more harmful that is seems — to the plants, your finances and yourself. But shifting from the need for more to embracing enough is easier said than done. It takes an entirely new mindset and a whole lot of unlearning but (in my opinion) we would all be better for it. Now I’m not saying you need to quit buying new things all together — we all need to treat ourselves once in a while — but reshaping your pre-purchase thought process to consider which this is the best use of your resources will drastically change the way you spend your money. Making your coffee at home rather than stopping at Starbucks everyday can help you save for a vacation with your friends, and opting out of that extra pair of leggings can save you some cash and closet cleaning in the future. Think about the things you value — whether that’s time, experiences, friends, environmentalism or financial security — and consider whether the way you shop reflects those values.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2020
• 11
Opinion
OPINION EDITOR JADE HOSICK opinion@thecord.ca
Will Donald Trump be removed from office? What does impeachment really mean for the president of the United States?
JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR
On Dec. 18, 2019, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump based on two articles alleging grave misconduct. This was a decision that was made after months of debate and hearings that were conducted by the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees. The first article, which was passed by a 230-197 vote, addresses Trump’s abuse of power in seeking help from Ukraine for his own political benefit on domestic territory - specifically asking the Ukraine to get information on presidential candidate Joe Biden. The second article, which was passed 229-197, addressed Trump’s obstruction of Congress by refusing to cooperate with subpoenas issued for access to administration witnesses and documents. Some say the process began as early as April when the Mueller Report and Mueller’s House testimony occured, but it officially began on Sept. 4 when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would be launching a formal impeachment inquiry regarding the Ukraine scandal. On Dec. 5, Pelosi announced that she would be asking Judiciary to draft formal impeachment articles which quickly lead to a final debate and vote. The process of impeachment is something that is confusing to many people as there is no clear set of guidelines in the constitution saying exactly how an official can
be impeached. There have also only been two official impeachments in U.S. history (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton - Richard Nixon avoided an impeachment by his resignation).
The impeachment process has only just begun, so a celebration might not be worthwhile yet.
The biggest thing to remember is that impeachment is not the removal of corrupt presidents or other officials, but rather just the adoption of charges given by the House, which leads to a Senate trial. So while Clinton and Johnson were impeached as the House passed articles of impeachment, they were both acquitted by the Senate. The term impeachment still applies for the two, but they were never officially removed from office. The impeachment process has only just begun, so a celebration might not be worthwhile yet. During the Senate trial process, senators will be acting as jurors who make no public statements on the trial until after the trial process, although there is no official “gag order.” The length of the trial is also something that is up in the air, as the two other impeachment trials varied in length. But there’s currently a stalemate
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between Pelosi and Senate leader Mitch McConnell on how the trial will continue, and this statement could ultimately go on until the next election happens. If this was the case then Trump would be the president who was impeached but did not go to trial. If that were the case, Democrats would claim that Trump and the Republicans conspired to protect the current presidency, and Republicans would claim that the Democrats had such a weak case that this should not have proceeded to a trial. If Trump has a trial and is subsequently acquitted, the 2020 election would lead to either Trump
Late-night studying comfy on the couch
VS
getting re-elected or not. Regardless of whether or not Trump is removed from office, his impeachment has proven that the 2020 election is of very high stakes - the removal of the 45th president, who has been involved in corruption, norm breaking and has also had various racist and sexists attitudes goes against what the United States claims to stand for as a nation. I would agree that Trump does need to get removed by the United States and, honestly, when I first heard about the news I was more than excited. But the more research I did, the more I realized that this is really just the first step
in a process that could be very long. Trump is impeached, yes, but he is not removed. Kind of like when someone is charged with a crime but have yet to be convicted. The House is also held by a Democrat majority - therefore a vote in favour of impeachment was probably easier to get. The Senate, though, is held by a Republican majority meaning that an acquittal is more than likely. So before we celebrate the fact that the President was impeached, we need to remember that this is only step one. It is still very important for Americans to cast their vote in the 2020 election.
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12 •
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
Sports Top five moments of the decade SPORTS EDITOR MARK CASCAGNETTE sports@thecord.ca
2014
2015
FILE PHOTOS
2013
2010
2014
2014 Women’s curling rides perfect season
Gary Jeffries steps down as head coach
Women’s soccer finishes second in the nation
Women’s hockey wins eighth OUA title in ten years
Laurier’s presence in the CFL draft
A 13-0 season, saw the team lose in the national semi-finals however it was the sixth time in seven years that they had medaled at nationals They also captured their third OUA championship in a span of five years Throughout the whole decade, women’s curling arugabyly was the most consitent sport, winning two national championships and six OUA titles.
After 35 years with the team Gary Jeffries stepped down following the 2012 season and a new era began with York University offensive coordinator and CIS all-time leader in passing yards, Michael Faulds being hired to become the sixth head coach in the programs history Faulds completely changed the team implementing his pro-style, no huddle offense and developing the ground game with runnin backs Dillon Campbell and Levondre Gordon Jeffries a four-time OUA coach of the year, led the Hawks to a Vanier cup in 2005.
With only one loss throughout the season, the women’s team was able to capture thier second OUA championship in three years, A 107th minute goal placed perfectly by the Gaels in the national championshop gave Laurier a second place finish in the country Men’s and women’s coach Barry MacLean, who secured his 3rd OUA Championship in as many years, called it “probably the best women’s soccer team to play at Laurier.”
An 18-3-3 record, saw the Hawks capture their third OUA Championship in a span of five years The program won eight OUA championships in a span of ten years, starting in 2004. Laurier’s women’s hockey program has been on the decline ever since, as the Golden Hawks have missed the playoffs in three straight seasons
The first two defensive players selected at the draft were Laurier players as cornerback Chris Ackie was drafted fourth overall to the Montreal Alouettes and defensive lineman Ese Mrabure-Ajufo went 5th to the B.C. Lions. Star running back Dilon Campbell was also drafted in the fifth round (39th overall) With three players selected, Laurier had thier highest number of draft picks since 2004, and the second time in history two hawks were selected in the first round.
TOURNAMENT
Wilfrid Laurier to host Canadian chess championship MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR
Laurier’s chess club is excited for the upcoming opportunity as the school was slected to host the official national chess tournament. Universities from all across Canada will be attending the Senate and Board Chambers next weekend to compete in the tournament. Organizers Anthony Trinh and Josh Terry are eager for the event,
as they see it as an opportunity for the growth of the club. “We are a smaller school — however, we were honoured to receive support from the University of Waterloo’s chess club, the VP’s Office of Academics at Laurier as well as the Faculty of Science” said Trinh. As of now, a majority of universities in Ontario have registered for the event and Dalhousie University in Halifax has mentioned their
intent to fly over. The tournament will take place over two full days on Saturday, Jan. 18 and Sunday Jan. 19 and will be officiated by the Chess Federation of Canada. “The idea is that each university will compete as teams and every participant will get an official ranking from the federation” Trinh added. Trinh and Terry mentioned that the event is very open, as anyone
can join, and they strongly encourage new members (even if you have never played chess). “All of our players are willing to help and if we achieve a higher turnout we are hoping to host chess lessons in the future,” the organizers said. For now, the chess club at Laurier hosts weekly games in the science atrium and have been encouraged by the recent turnout in 2019.
With Laurier being selected as the host school, the organizers are going out of their way to prepare for the event, which will include refreshments and prizes for the winners. The tournament is a great opportunity for students eager to show off thier chess skills or learn. The main goal for this tournament as Trinh stated, is to “expand the club and bring chess back into the Laurier community.”