THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOCAL CORD
CORD STAFF SPECIAL EDITION
What was your favourite memory from working at e Cord last term?
FEBRUARY 6, 2025
CORD STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brontë Behling
editor@thecord.ca
MANAGING EDITIOR Madalyn Mostacci managingeditor@thecord.ca
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Rytham Sahni creative@thecord.ca
MULTIMEDIA & WEBSITE DIRECTOR
Aysia Steiner multimedia@thecord.ca
NEWS DIRECTOR Sangjun Han newsdirector@thecord.ca
ARTS EDITOR VACANT arts@thecord.ca
OPINION EDITOR Abigail Dombrovsky opinion@thecord.ca
SPORTS EDITOR Birnavan Varnacumaaran sports@thecord.ca
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Santosh Chandrasekar social@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR VACANT photo@thecord.ca
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EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING HEAD Simran Gajbhiye events@thecord.ca
BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY // THE VERVE
ONE OF THESE NIGHTS // EAGLES
LIKE A PRAYER // MADONNA
HEADS WILL ROLL // YEAH YEAH YEAHS
OMG // SUKI WATERHOUSE
VON DUTCH // CHARLI XCX
DIET PEPSI // ADDISON RAE
PERFUME // THE DARE
PERFECT GIRL // THE STEREOTYPES
GET BACK // THE BEATLES
FIRST DAY OF MY LIFE // BRIGHT EYES
YOU’RE SO VAIN // CARLY SIMON
MY SWEET LORD // GEORGE HARRISON
PEG // STEELY DAN
RIO // DURAN DURAN
MESSY // LOLA YOUNG
SOMEDAY // THE STROKES
CELEBRITY SKIN // HOLE
CRUEL TO BE KIND // NICK LOWE
HERE IT GOES AGAIN //
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE
"I would say actually going around campus and doing Vocal Cord, talking to everybody. I think it's always fun." - Santosh Chandrasekar, social media editor.
"Recruiting new volunteers to write for the newspaper." - Madalyn Mostacci, managing editor.
"Working here, writing articles, doing interviews and editing...that kind of stu ."- Sangjun Han, news director.
SANGJUN HAN/NEWS DIRECTOR January in Waterloo.
"Doing the clubs fair in September and getting to connect with students." - Bronte Behling, editor-in-chief.
SANGJUN HAN newsdirector@thecord.ca
e Food Bank of Waterloo Region recieves funding
Organization to use $756,000 increase in 2025 funding to develop services and expand reach across the Region
SANGJUN HAN NEWS DIRECTOR
On Dec. 11, the Food Bank of Waterloo Region received a $756,000 increase in their funding from the Waterloo Region, totalling their funds to $1,500,000 instead of the requested $2,086,724.12.
e region approved the Food Bank’s request to increase its funding as part of the 2025 budget due to the escalating demand for emergency food assistance.
e increased funding will maintain and support emergency food assistance programs including food hampers, meals and other essential resources for individuals and families facing food insecurity in the Waterloo Region.
Kim Wilhelm, the chief executive o cer of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region, said she has never seen such a rapid increase in demand for food assistance programs and the organization is in a crisis.
“People are accessing food assistance at alarming rates,” Wilhelm said. “ e cost of living overall has never been higher, and people have to make possible choices every day, whether to put food in their stomachs or a house over their heads.”
e Food Bank of Waterloo Region plans to split the funding into six regionally based programs: Cambridge Food Bank, House of Friendship, Salvation Army Kitchener, e Working Centre, Wilmot Family Resource Centre and Woolwich Community Services.
e Food Bank of Waterloo Region will also retain 10 per cent of the funding to support food purchases.
“ e funding is essential to meet the increasing demand for food assistance, which has seen a signi cant rise in recent years,” said James.
She also said that the funding
would provide a long-term solution to ensure the Food Bank can continue meeting the current and future demand for food assistance, ensuring that no one in the community goes hungry. is year, e Food Bank of Waterloo Region noticed a rapid increase of people using emergency food assistance programs, with approximately 558,545 visits made to a hamper program in the past year, a 24 per cent increase over the previous year.
e demand for food support continues to rise, with no signs of slowing down. In October alone, 25,000 individuals accessed emergency food support, making an all-time high for the organization.
Colleen James, a Waterloo Regional councillor representing Kitchener, said that out of those 558,545 food hamper visits, 8,465 households were accessing food assistance services for the rst time, a 12 per cent increase compared to last year.
She also said the Community Food Assistance Network distributed 8.9 million pounds of fresh, frozen and non-perishable food to partner organizations, such as the House of Friendship and Cambridge Food Bank.
She says the demand rapidly increased over the past year and expressed di culties keeping up with the increasing demand for food assistance programs.
James explained that Waterloo Region’s food insecurity is a complex issue in uenced by various factors, including economic challenges such as unemployment, underemployment, and low wages make signi cant contributors.
Many families and individuals struggle to a ord necessities due to insu cient income.
Other contributing factors include rising living costs, including housing, utilities and healthcare.
“In ation plays a role, as it increases the cost of food and other essential goods, making it harder for people to a ord nutritious meals,” James said.
Unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or car repairs, can
also strain tight budgets.
James said that addressing food security within the region requires a multi-faceted approach, including increased funding for emergency food assistance, community support, and collaboration among local organizations. ey also require sustainable funding models, public awareness campaigns, and policy changes to address the root causes of food insecurity.
“I think that the next two to ve years, at minimum, are going to be challenging,” said Wilhelm. “I don’t have a crystal ball to tell me what the future has in store for us, but I hope we can all do something together to address this problem.”
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/DARIEN FUNK Canned foods.
Thea Lim named Edna Staebler writer in residence
Novelist to begin her stay at Laurier starting on Jan. 22
MADALYN MOSTACCI
MANAGING EDITOR
Each year, Laurier welcomes a writer in residence who spends ten weeks at the university working with students and the greater community.
On Jan. 22, Thea Lim will begin her residency as the 2025 Edna Staebler writer in residence.
Lim is a novelist and her most recent work, An Ocean of Minutes, has been critically acclaimed.
She has also served as a creative writing faculty member, lecturer and mentor.
The program is funded through a bequest the late Edna Staebler left to Laurier. Staebler was a writer and literary journalist from Kitchener-Waterloo.
”I heard a lot of wonderful things about the program from other authors who had previously been Writer-in-Residences. I’m really looking forward to it,” Lim said.
“What we found as a committee
very interesting about [Lim] is her versatility,” said Mariam Pirbhai, a professor in the faculty of English and Laurier and the chair of the Edna Staebler Writer-in-Residence program.
“I would describe her as a novelist, an essayist, and a culture critic. She does interesting work across these genres and she’s always experimenting with form and with narrative,” she said.
Pirbhai outlined the four aspects to the writer-in-residence’s stay.
They include classroom visits, workshops, office hours and working on the development of their own projects.
“I think that it is really important to open up conversations about creative writing, what creative writers do, what literature does outside of creative writing and how it might be relevant to other disciplines,” Pirbhai said. “[The writer-in-residence] has an important role as a literary ambassador in the university community and for students.”
Lim’s office hours are open to students and community members during the duration of her residency.
“I really hope you come in — and you can come in any form. I’m always happy to talk shop with anyone,” Lim said.
One week of Lim’s residency in January will be spent on the Brantford campus.
“I just love to talk stories with anybody at any stage. I hope that writers and poets and people working in all different formats all feel able to come and chat stories with me,” Lim said.
To kickstart her residency, Lim will deliver a public lecture titled Boring Worlds: The Storytelling Power of the Mundane on Jan. 30 at the Hawks Nest.
“It’s open to everyone in the Laurier community. Bring friends who might be interested in creative writing, or even specifically in Lim’s work or her genre of science fiction,” Pirbhai mentioned about the lecture.
For more information about Thea Lim and the Edna Staebler Writer-in-Residence program, visit the university’s website.
“I hope that people come and come often so that we can make the most of this wonderful resource together,” Lim said.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ CTV YOUR MORNING ON YOUTUBE Lim in an interview with CTV Your Morning in 2018.
Holocaust Remembrance Day provides a time to reflect on past Annual event to take place across Canada on Jan. 27
On Jan. 27 Canada celebrates Holocaust Remembrance Day, where Canadian citizens take time to remember and commemorate those who lost their lives during the genocide and educate themselves on the historical event.
Seventy-nine years later, the effects of World War II are still felt all over the world and since October 2023 Canada has experienced a significant spike in antisemitism of 670 per cent.
In 1945, the Holocaust ended with the surrender of Germany. The Russian army liberated ten camps east of the Oder River, the Allied Forces liberated the five western camps and with the dwindling of the Nazi party the war had ended after twelve years.
Marty Lebi is a University of Waterloo architectural engineering student, working closely with Hillel as the organization’s social engagement intern.
Hillel Laurier is a branch of Hil-
lel International; an organization that provides supports for Jewish post-secondary students.
“Most elementary and high school education systems fail to properly focus on Holocaust education, which is deeply concerning considering recent global rises in antisemitism. Though I was fortunate enough to grow up in a strong Jewish community and attend Jewish day school in my childhood, I noticed issues as I entered university,” Lebi said when asked about his opinion on Holocaust education in schools.
“Many of the non-Jewish friends I have made have major gaps in their knowledge of the Holocaust - most don’t even know how many Jewish people were killed. This is a serious issue in our educational systems, as it glosses over the most significant instances of Jewish persecution in recent years,” Lebi said.
Without this knowledge and education, preventing large-scale antisemitism is made that much harder. Jewish education is limited, history is often diminished and swept aside despite its importance.
Eva Plach, an associate professor in the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University also shared her perspective.
“The Holocaust happened for
many reasons -- because of ideology, antisemitism, propaganda, war, politics – and because individual people chose to become killers.
Understanding why and how “ordinary people” could be mobilized to participate in genocide is important. There are lessons in that for our day, I think,” Plach said. “In an age when lots of people get their “news” from social media outlets the work of professional historians is even more important.”
Plach stressed the need for history to be an evidence-based discipline that safeguards fact-based historical record to counteract disinformation and propaganda.
“Historians use evidence judiciously to make arguments about origins, cause and effect, and the evolution of policies and decisions,” Plach said.
Canada continues to feel the impact of the Holocaust on its culture, community and the waves of antisemitism that are still present in the country.
Antisemitism is learned, and anti-Jewish stereotypes run deep into the education and media society consumes. Even though Jewish people make up only 1.4 per cent of the Canadian population, 70 per cent of religious hate crimes have antisemitic intent.
“We have a civic responsibility -- and a moral one -- to remember our collective pasts. If we want to celebrate the positive aspects of our histories, then we should also have the confidence and humility to remember the ignoble or difficult parts of our histories. We are products of everything that has come before us,” Plach said.
The Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity not only to recollect the Holocaust, but to honour those who served, and continue to support those who suffered.
The fight isn’t over: Canada Post workers rally together
Brantford’s
postal service workers continue their fight against unfair working conditions
This article was cross-published with The Sputnik.
After 32 days on the picket line in front of their office Brantford's Canada post employees were instructed to return to work by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) under the direction of the Minister of Labour.
Canada post workers in Brantford say this isn’t the end of the fight. Kamila Mancuso, union representative for local 508, says that after a year of negotiation a strike before the holidays wasn’t something they wanted to do.
“We were at an impasse. We were in a legal, striking position on November 5th, and we waited an additional week, hoping that Canada Post would come to the table. So, the fact that we had walked out on strike on November 15 is just how the timing played out. It certainly wasn't planned,” Mancuso said.
Mancuso says a large misconception believed by the public is that Canada Post is funded by taxpayers.
Canada Post is a Crown corporation, a government owned company that is self-sustained, structured and funded privately.
Canada Post workers are fighting for more fair wages, other items include a standardized eight-hour day with overtime pay, the continued status of health benefits and equal contracts with the urban op-
erations, meaning the drivers and walking delivery workers would be under the same contract.
While the workers are facing backlash from the public on social media about the simplicity of their job and wanting better wages.
Multiple videos have surfaced over the time of the strike of users claiming that Canada post isn’t
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/PIPER FORCE
Protestors hold up signs.
necessary, and they should find new jobs if the workers aren’t happy.
Andrea Riga, a rural subdivision mail carrier whose been with the company since 2020, says that’s why she wishes the workers could fight harder.
“They gave them a two-year extension during COVID, and we
helped all those small businesses and people that are crying the blues right now. We bent over backwards and helped them with all that and made them money off our back. So, for them to complain and do what they did, it really upsets me,” Riga said.
Riga referred to the contract renewal in 2022, when the union workers originally wanted to fight for these new terms. The workers agreed to maintain the current contract at the time so as not to disrupt small businesses and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some workers are scared that the negotiating may never happen, such as Julie Taylor, a letter carrier for the company since 2017.
“I'm petrified what's going to happen in the next five months, because if they haven't been working towards an agreement, what's going to make them move forward to help us if they change the whole way Canada Post runs, we're already hurting with health and safety issues,” Taylor said.
After renewing their contract in 2022, Postal workers of Canadian Union of Postal Worker (CUPW) began negotiating with Canada Post in December 2023.
The negotiations are now at a pause and will be revisited in May 2025.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JACKIE VANG Memorial put on by Hillel Laurier in 2018.
CLARA ROSE NEWS CONTRIBUTOR
Editor’s
Note: So, where are the jobs?
According to an analysis released by Statistics Canada early in December, businesses that expect their number of vacancies to increase make up 4.6 per cent of all businesses in the country and are led by those that t into health care and social assistance sectors at 8.3 per cent. is, for someone who graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts degree, is not exactly encouraging news.
Working in the arts means that you must rely frequently on freelance work, which is often inconsistent and does not come with a cushy healthcare insurance package.
As a writer, something that I’ve been seeing far too often when it comes to creative job postings is that many companies are looking for those with arts degrees to train AI (arti cial intelligence) bots.
Now, why would I train an AI to do my job?
Do I want to be replaced in a eld I enjoy working in?
In an era where AI seems to be taking over many creative positions, I am hyper aware that my future career prospects don’t look especially bright.
However, there is one saving grace — I don’t believe that AI will ever be able to mimic the way human emotion comes across in human-made art.
As a fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I cannot imagine an AI system being able to write such a heartfelt and meaningful story.
While the elements of the story would be there, it would still lack the heart and emotion that Austen poured into her story.
e same goes for countless other works of classic and modem
literature — as products of their time, it would be near impossible for an AI system to e ectively replicate them.
So, whenever I see these job postings, I nd myself wondering who feels as if they must take these roles — and wishing that they did not have to.
Coming out of university with an arts degree, getting a job for a company that wishes for you to train AI may seem like a good rst position.
However, in no time, you could be replaced by the very AI bot you trained.
So, is there a solution?
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but as we move into the rst month of 2025, I believe that it is more important than ever that we realize how AI can be used in ways that are productive rather than taking away from those in creative elds.
When talking with friends and family about the use of AI, I have heard it argued that AI technology can be used to help those in many elds with processing large amounts of data in a quick and e cient way. is is a way, in my mind, that AI can be used for good.
Of course, there will need to be those who know how to insert the data correctly into the AI system for processing – but AI technology can certainly do the extensive organizing and perhaps advanced mathematical procedures that may be needed.
In this way, AI can be used in a sustainable and useful way.
I believe that as the use of AI becomes even more widespread than it already is, we will see more elaborate laws that help to dictate its use in workplaces and in personal settings.
As we go into 2025, I know I will be keeping an eye on AI law and its continued use in society.
Maybe by the end of this year, we will have an understanding of how it can be used in a sustainable way.
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EDITORIAL CARTOON
New year wellness culture
With every new year comes new year’s resolutions as many see Jan. 1 as the perfect starting date for their journey of reinvention and improvement.
Although new year’s resolutions are the cause of overcrowded gyms, cringey Instagram posts and diet fads, individuals working to better their lives should not be seen as a negative.
However, in recent years, there has been an increase in attention around wellness and the wellness industry.
In recent years, social media and by extension, businesses — have xated on an ideal image of wellness that, in my opinion, has morphed into an obsession. Instead of encouraging genuine wellness, we are seeing toxic wellness trends thrust upon the average person daily.
Wellness, as we know it, is a relatively modern concept.
e Global Wellness Institute de nes it as “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.”
e Global Wellness Institute also says that wellness, according to the prior de nition, was used from the 1950s onwards.
this popularity, content creators are capitalizing on the success of wellness trends and using their platforms to promote products that are promised to improve the wellbeing of their followers.
But with the success of wellness content creation, in uencers subject their followers to a toxic cycle of wellness.
In this cycle, consumers are encouraged to purchase the overpriced and “must-need” wellness product peddled by the in uencer to achieve the supposed same state of wellbeing they are in. is is never enough, and a short time later you will be encouraged to buy into a new product or service.
HR MANAGER Makenzie Worton hr@wlusp.com
According to Statista, a data gathering and visualization platform, the 2023 health and wellness market size was estimated around $6.2 trillion U.S dollars and is set to reach almost $8.5 trillion by 2027. ere is no doubt that much of the money pumped into this industry is necessary to maintain and improve the wellness of people worldwide.
But with any multi-trillion-dollar enterprise, when does it become excessive?
e notion of toxic wellness has proven to be a result of the wellness industries’ excess.
It refers to the idea that striving for a better, or more well, version of yourself is a perpetual journey that can never be completed.
A BBC feature about the evolution of wellness pinpoints the 2000s as the time when wellness trends began to take over.
ey note that workplace wellness programs, a boom in tness and spa centres, celebrity wellness brands and an increase in self-help experts all emerged rapidly following the millennium.
I am not suggesting that wellness trends, such as spas, tness centres and self-help guides are the sole contributor to the notion of toxic wellness.
Instead, I believe that the rise of social media, lifestyle in uencers and ever-changing trends has led to toxic wellness being disguised simply as ‘wellness’.
TikTok is a major contributor to this. On the platform, #wellness has over 3.7 million posts with close to 16 billion views. With
Popular wellness brand Goop, started by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, is an excellent example of a business that promotes this toxic cycle.
On the brand’s website, customers can purchase a $2,000 gemstone lled yoga mat, a $80 rose quarts lled water bottle or a $4,000 red light therapy sauna all in the name of wellness.
To promote their version of wellness and gain millions of views, content creators showcase unattainable wellness routines. Expensive workout classes, a multi-step thousand dollar skin care routine and exclusive massages are all promoted as wellness essentials. rough this, the average viewer is left worrying that their own a ordable, normal and e ective wellness e orts are not enough.
BRONTË BEHLING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
RYTHAM SAHNI/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MADALYN MOSTACCI MANAGING EDITOR
Puzzle 1 Puzzle 2
Puzzle 3 Puzzle 4
Solutions 1 2 3 4
• Cozy
• Mitten
• Slush
• December
• Tea
• January
• Snow ake
• Espresso
• Scarf
Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public form. All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous, should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions will be minimally edited for grammar, spelling or punctuation. All submissions must be sent to the QR code by January 30 to be featured in our February issue.
Dear Life
Dear Life, I’m confused.
Dear Life, You’re beautiful!
Dear Life, New year, new me...right?
Dear Life, How do I get into a new routine? I feel so stuck in my old routines and nd it hard to break out of them. Am I broken?
Dear Life, Life is so good right now. I’ve never been this happy before - I know I’ve been hard on you before, but...thank you. I’m enjoying this period of life that I am in.
Dear Life, What do you have in store for me this month? I’m nervous, but excited. is is my last semester at Laurier, and I want to make the most of it!
CORD-O-SCOPES
Aries (March 21 — April 19)
In the new year, you may feel an urge to take signicant steps in your career or academics. Assertiveness is never a bad quality, but be sure your descisions are well thought out, Aries.
Gemini (May 21 — June 21)
Engery is high this January for Gemini. Try channeling it toward creative or social activities. Be mindful of overcommitting yourself.
Leo (July 23 — Aug. 22)
Take January as a time to rede ne your goals, both short and long term. Engaging in critcial thought may help Leo reassess their priorities. Who knows, a positive breakthrough may be just around the corner.
Libra (Sept. 22 — Oct. 23)
January invites Libra to focus on balence in both your academic and personal life. Rework your goals and set a realistic plan for 2025.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 — Dec. 21)
Sagittarius is urged to explore new ideas, not just in January but throughout 2025. Dive into these ideas with enthusiasm, passion and an open mind.
Aquarius (Jan. 20 — Feb. 18)
is January, Aquarius is encouraged to stay open minded to all kinds of collaboration. Whether academic, personal or professional these new connections could result in the creation of a positive path.
Taurus (April 20 — May 20)
January will focus on personal growth and stability. Take this time to re ect on long-term goals and be present in your current relationships.
Cancer (June 22 — July 22)
For Cancer, January is time to focus on emotional well-being. is a perfect time to strengthen close friendships and let go of anything that is not serving you.
Virgo (Aug. 23 — Sept. 22)
e new year brings a fresh sense of clarity for Virgo. Expect more from your relationships, both personal and professional. Be sure to watch out for the little details that may bring about this clarity.
Scorpio (Oct. 24 — Nov. 21)
January is time for Scorpio to trust their instincts. Let your intuition guide you to what is right and keep you away from you do not need. You may nd yourself in the position to take bold steps forward.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 — Jan. 19)
is new year, do not shy away from trying new opportunities. For Capricorn, January is a time to step out of your comfort zone and start 2025 on an exciting note.
Pisces (Feb. 19 — March 20)
January encourages Pisces to dive into their sudies with renewed focus. Manage your time wisely this semester and avoid unecessary distractions. Try setting your alarm early.
CONTRIBUTED
PHOTO/CHLOE SCHAEFER Chicopee Ski Resort in Kitchener.
35th anniversary of a tragedy: Remembering those lost in the Montreal massacre
Editor-in-Chief Bronte Behling attends the Canadian Federation of University Women Kitchener-Waterloo’s vigil.
I think we have to be careful that it’s not relegated to history. It’s difficult to know, but it does at least look on the surface like the violence is getting worse, not better. We’ve got to keep at it.
- Margaret Walker, committee chair and CFUW-KW member.
“ “Dec. 6 marked the 35th anniversary of the École Polytechnique tragedy, or Montreal massacre.
On this day in 1989, gunman Marc Lépine entered a mechanical engineering classroom at Montreal’s École Polytechnique university, separated the men and women, and killed 14 women in a shooting rampage.
Thirteen other individuals were wounded.
The names of the women killed are Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte.
None of these women were above the age of 35, and the youngest, Annie Turcotte, was only 20.
To mark the anniversary, local organization the Canadian Federation of University Women Kitchener-Waterloo (CFUW-KW) held a vigil at St. Columba Anglican Church in Waterloo. The CFUW-KW holds this vigil every year.
Present at the vigil this year were local politicians, including Green Party MP for Kitchener Centre Mike Morrice, Green MPP for Kitchener Centre Aislinn Clancy and Liberal MP for Waterloo Bardish Chagger.
At the event, music was performed by violinist Kaitlynn Cook and pianist Lisa Santoprete, both students in the faculty of music at Wilfrid Laurier University.
The evening began with words from the Dec. 6 vigil committee chair and CFUW-KW member
Margaret Walker before candles were lit to mark each of the 14 women lost.
A presentation was also given by Sara Casselman, the executive director of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Re- gion (SASC).
“I’ve now been working in this sector for 22 years, and every year I struggle trying to figure out what to share on this anniversary that’s different than what I shared in previous years. I have countless statistics that speak to the prevalence of violence against women in its many forms, locally and nationally,” Casselman said.
With 2024 marking the 35th anniversary, many take the anniversary of such an event to determine what steps can be taken to ensure that a similar incident is not repeated.
“It’s a time to look back and say, as everybody says, ‘What can we do next?’,” said Debbie Cook, the program chair of the CFUW-KW’s executive committee when asked what the 35th anniversary of the massacre means to her.
She also highlights that it is important to educate women’s fathers and brothers so they recognize the important role they play in protecting women.
“I think we have to be careful that it’s not relegated to history,” echoed Walker. “It’s difficult to know, but it does at least look on the surface like the violence is getting worse, not better. We’ve got to keep on at it.”
According to the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA), there has been a 27 per cent increase in killings of women and girls involving male accused from 2019 to 2022.
“Last year, our center supported almost 1,300 survivors of gen- der-based violence across our programs. We also responded to more than 1,500 calls on our 24hour support line,” Casselman said in her presentation about SASC ‘s work in the Region to at- tendees of the vigil. “We’ve been doing this work since 1989. Two short months after our centre was founded was the Montreal massacre.”
Founded in 1989 after an anonymous $1000 dollar dona- tion and donated airtime from an answering service, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region began with a 24-hour support hot line ran by 25 volunteers.
After the Montreal Massacre took place, the centre received a $30,000 dollar donation from Mutual Life of Canada in June 1990.
This donation in combination with community donation allowed the organization to rent an office space and hire a staff member before provincial funding was acquired.
Today, the centre has 31 staff members and 74 volunteers.
Through the work of these individuals, the organization has been able to continue helping those across the region.
“Last year, our center supported almost 1300 survivors of gen- der-based violence across our programs. We also responded to more than 1500 calls on our 24hour support line,” Casselman said.
For those who studied engineering like Walker and Cook, the anniversary has an added layer of emotion.
“I had met other women who came into my field, and they did have issues — things like ‘Oh,
you can’t walk in that part of the plant because you distract the men,’ or getting bad co-op reviews because they refused something from a man,” Cook said.
“Luckily, the woman I’m thinking of was strong and called them on the carpet for it and said ‘what are you doing?’” she said.
“There were times I did call people to task on what they said,” echoed Walker. “Let me say in the end, calling people to task did not actually hurt my career.”
Walker also stressed the need for men in the field to understand that there can be violence happening in the workplace and to support women around them.
For women in engineering, it is important to have a strong support system in the workplace in order to feel confident when speaking up. “Try and surround yourself with supportive people, so that if you do have to get up, you’ve got supportive women, but also supportive men around you who can be with you,” Walk- er said.
For the CFUW-KW and SASC, work to support women facing violence is ongoing.
The CFUW has compiled a toolkit of information and strategies that help to increase awareness of gender-based violence and how to combat it.
SASC continues to assist those suffering directly in the region, as well as advocating through their public education and male allyship programs within the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) that brings young athletes to- gether to have “meaningful conversations around consent, healthy relationships, positive masculinity, and leadership.”
VACANT
arts@thecord.ca
LIZZDREW TAKE ON THE ‘LOO
Mo money, more Momo Kimbap on your plate
ANDREW
is week we have a real treat for you, dear reader. We present to you: Momo Kimbap, a wonderful Japanese noodle and donburi spot nestled away at 140 University Ave. W., right near Mel’s Infamous Diner.
A quaint, inviting and incredibly delicious place to go eat, it stands as the type of small yet delicious restaurant that this column is meant to shine a well-deserved light on.
For appetizers, we jumped right in with two superb plates. e rst was the veggie croquettes, a crunchy starter that packed nice avour and was paired with a scrumptious dipping sauce.
e sausage and rice cake skewers on the other hand stole the show, with a mix of savoury avours and some sweet and spicy elements. Overall, a great starter that we recommend to anyone trying this place for the rst time.
For the main, Andrew got the curry chicken don. It was a simple meal, but don’t let that fool you, the combination of rice, a crispy chicken cutlet and of course, curry, showed that looks can be quite deceiving.
e rice served as a great base for the chicken, which was rich and provided a great crunch.
Of course, then there was the curry, the star of the show: Piquant, creamy and aromatic perfectly pairing with the chicken.
e only complaint Andrew had was that it wasn’t spicy enough (a bold take coming from a noted spice intolerant person).
Lizzie opted for a classic soup dish, shoyu pork ramen, which was accompanied by a Japanese style bulgogi rice ball — onigiri. e broth itself was full of warm hugs with each bite.
e vegetables were fresh and the meat was tender. e noodles were every ‘slurp-ers’ dream and Lizzie is a nut for textures in a dish, and the crunchiness of the vegetables, especially the bean sprouts, gave it a gold star in her book.
With such a huge serving of food, no seriously, there was so much food, she couldn’t possibly nish it all — even though she very much tried.
e overall aesthetics of the place are super cute. It has little gurines and decorations from a plethora of di erent tv shows and movies (if you are a Studio Ghibli fan like Lizzie, this is the place to be). e wall art was gorgeous and de nitely hand painted. e owner was kind and made us feel welcomed right away. It was so nice to see the restaurant become lled with friends and family who wanted to have a nice sit-down meal with plenty of chances to chat and catch up.
Overall, Momo Kimbap is a place that we can’t recommend enough. It pairs a welcoming atmosphere, cute aesthetic and great food to create the type of family-owned restaurant experience that is sorely missed in today’s age of chains and franchises. A great spot that we’re sure anyone who reads this column would love. If you do end up going, tell them LizzDrew sent you.
Ratings
Ambiance: 8 out of 10
Drinks: 9 out of 10
Food: 9 out of 10
A ordability: 7.5 out of 10
Momo Japanese Noodle & Donburi, located at 140 University Ave. W.
Let’s make natural gym spray
Whether it is due to the cold weather or the upcoming exam season, this time of year can be rough.
Feeling drained and burnt out is completely normal, but there is something you can do about it.
I started making this recipe last year, and it has remained a staple of my morning routine ever since.
ese detox shots are the perfect way to start your day, providing an amazing energy boost that will wake up your body and mind.
e natural ingredients used in this recipe are a source of major health bene ts, including improved digestion, cognitive function and gut health.
Equipment
is is what you’ll need to beat the winter blues: A cutting board, a bowl, a blender, a knife and shot glasses.
Ingredients
• 1 small ginger root
• 3 lemons
• 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon of tumeric powder
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
SERIES REVIEW
Start by washing your ginger root and roughly chopping it with the peel on.
Set this aside and cut your lemons in half, juicing them into a separate bowl and adding the juice to a blender with your ginger. Use the back of your knife to slide the orange o your cutting board and into the blender, along with any additional juice. Finally, add a spoonful of honey
and spices.
Turn your blender on medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth.
Distribute the juice mixture evenly amongst your shot glasses and store in the fridge.
Personally, I ordered a four-pack of juice shot bottles from Amazon for $15.
It’s a great investment if you plan on making these regularly, since
Fans of AMC’s Interview with the Vampire (IWTV) are bound to start the new year o right with a third season of the show set to air sometime early in 2025.
For those who are not familiar, the series adapts Anne Rice’s hit series e Vampire Chronicles with contemporary twists.
After debuting in October 2022, the show has amassed a global following.
e rst two seasons cover book one, Interview with the Vampire while fans online have speculated that season three will cover books two and three.
Before season three premieres, let’s recap where we are at in the current IWTV timeline.
In season one, audiences are introduced to the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), as he details his present life to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian).
Louis describes his life before vampirism and his experience as a self-made businessman and entrepreneur living in 1910s New Orleans.
After being introduced to a mysterious wealthy French stranger, vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), the two discover they have
undeniable chemistry.
is chemistry is what leads Lestat to bestow Louis with ‘the dark gift’ – or vampirism.
Due to racial tension, res are started in their neighborhood and Louis saves fourteen-year-old Claudia.
Not willing to let Claudia die, Louis urges Lestat to save her life by turning her into a vampire.
Lestat warns Louis that this is in violation of vampire law, but eventually Louis convinces him to give her the dark gift.
In season two, we continue to follow the story through the eyes of Louis as he recounts his time in Europe around 1945.
Louis recounts Claudia joining a theatre group composed entirely of other vampires, and he meets the coven leader, Armand (Assad Zaman), for the rst time.
While the plot of the series closely follows the books, the series has made a few tweaks that has improved the plot.
One of these being Louis’ background.
In the books, Louis is a white plantation owner (a tone-deaf decision on Anne Rice’s part).
In the series, he comes from a Creole background. is adds a layer of complexity to the story. He is a Black businessman in a society that is still racially segregated.
IWTV has incredible acting. Many fans of the books expressed online their concerns that the AMC adaptation would not live up to the
they have leak-proof lids which will maximize freshness.
Plus, they o er a convenient means of storage and portion control. As an alternative, you can use regular shot glasses and seal them with plastic wrap or store the liquid in a resealable cup that can be used to pour individual servings.
I recommend taking your juice shot rst thing in the morning with a glass of water, to improve mental
performance and cleanse your gut.
If you continue taking these shots, you’ll begin to notice bene ts over time,such as reduced bloating, brighter skin, increased energy levels and improved immunity.
If you’re feeling under the weather, looking for a way to spice up your mornings, or otherwise exhausted this recipe is calling your name.
Interview with the Vampire is a fang-tastic watch
lm adaptation, Interview with the Vampire (1994), starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
However, there is no doubt that the series took a bite out of its movie competition as the acting in the AMC series far surpasses the movie’s acting.
Standouts include series regulars Anderson and Reid alongside Zaman.
Ben Daniel’s also serves the series well in his supporting role as Santiago.
Although the character of Claudia was recast from Bailey Bass to Delainey Hayles after season one, both actors have done an amazing job during this transition.
e sets of IWTV outshine the movie as well.
With season one being predominantly set and lmed in New Orleans, there is an authenticity to it that the movie lacks.
Season two is set in Paris, the sets and colouring re ecting a post-war grittiness that feels dark and realistic.
Season 3 has been speculated to dive into the events of books two and three, e Vampire Lestat and e Queen of the Damned Devil’s minion is the most anticipated element of season three, and with the chemistry between Zaman and Bogosian, it is sure to be an amazing season.
Fans online have been speculating for months on possible casting for season three’s antagonist, Akasha.
Aaliyah’s iconic portrayal of
the vampires in e Queen of the Damned (2002) movie will be a tough act to follow, but I have every con dence that the upcoming season three will introduce us to many more quality cast characters.
If you haven’t watched Interview with the Vampire yet, there’s still time to catch up before the early 2025 season three release.
e show has been one of my top-rated shows of all time and is something I regularly recommend to any family and friends looking to sink their fangs into a powerful story with humour and complexity.
MADDIE MCGRATH ARTS & LIFE CONTRIBUTOR
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MADDIE MCGRATH Juice shot.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/IGN MOVIE TRAILERS ON YOUTUBE. Clip from Interview with the Vampire’s rst season.
SNEH LEIGHL ARTS & LIFE CONTRIBUTOR
Films to look out for in 2025
e new year brings a brand-new slate of movies.
While we might still be reeling from 2024’s hits such as Challengers and We Live in Time, 2025 promises another impressive collection of lms. Let’s take a look ahead.
Sequels and reboots:
2025 is set to be the year of the franchise, starting in January with Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, a Universal monster movie similar to his 2020 feature e Invisible Man Horror fans can also head to theatres on June 29 to see Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, the next installment of the zombie franchise featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and possibly a zombi ed Cillian Murphy.
Following it on June 27 is Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN 2.0 with Allison Williams reprising her role.
Some secretive upcoming installments include Zootopia 2 (Nov. 26), Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 (Dec. 5), TRON: Ares (Oct. 10) and e Naked Gun (Aug. 1) directed by e Lonely Island’s Akiva Scha er.
Alongside these is James Gunn’s Superman movie set to release on July 11.
Two of the most highly antic-
PHILOSOPHY
ipated franchise installments of 2025 are Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Wicked: For Good
James Cameron ends the year with the third movie in his Avatar franchise on Dec. 19, while Jon M. Chu precedes it with the second part of the successful adaptation of Wicked on Nov. 21.
If you’re looking for a more relaxed franchise to follow in 2025, you can catch Paddington in Peru on Feb. 14, directed by Dougal Wilson and with Ben Whishaw returning as the voice of Paddington Bear.
e Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): is year, Marvel Studios has three movies slated to be released in 2025.
e rst MCU movie of 2025 is Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah and set to be released on Feb. 14. is lm marks Anthony Mackie’s rst movie in the titular role.
On May 2, Marvel Studios will release underbolts*, featuring various MCU characters such as Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes.
e biggest MCU movie of 2025 is Matt Shakman’s e Fantastic Four: First Steps
Another reboot on this list, the lm will see Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards leading the team against Ralph Ineson’s Galactus.
e movie is set to be released on July 25.
Live-Action Remakes:
As per usual, audiences can expect a few live-action remakes in 2025.
e rst live-action remake is less of a remake and more of a video game movie.
Audiences can see Jack Black in A Minecraft Movie, releasing on April 4.
Audiences aren’t overly hopeful about the movie’s quality, but it might at least be fun to watch.
On May 23, Lilo & Stitch is getting the Disney live-action treatment and is directed by Dean Fleicher Camp.
e images so far seem promising and feature Maia Kealoha as Lilo and Chris Sanders returning as the voice of Stitch.
Kicking o the summer on June 13 is the long-awaited live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon
Directed by Dean DeBlois, the same director as the original lmand starring Mason ames as Hiccup, the lm will hopefully be a nostalgic love letter to the animated original.
Standalone Movies:
2025 also has an impressive list of standalone movies, starting on Jan. 10 with the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man and Gia Coppola’s e Last Showgirl starring Pamela Anderson.
January will end with Companion, a horror romance starring Jack Quaid and Sophie atcher.
Following Companion, Jack Quaid returns later in the year for
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/WARNER BROS. PICTURES ON YOUTUBE e Minecraft Movie, releasing on April 4.
his action-comedy Novocaine on March 14.
e latest standalone movie on this list Mickey 17 (Apr. 18) comes from Robert Pattinson and Parasite director Bong Joon-ho.
In this sci- comedy Pattinson plays a series of clones sent on dangerous and intergalactic missions. With a large variety of movies coming out this year, there’s something for everybody.
Laurier launches new philosophy course
ROSE
CLARA
ARTS CONTRIBUTOR
A new philosophy course, Philosophy of Happiness (PP103), has nished its rst-ever semester at Wilfrid Laurier University on Dec. 4, 2024.
Created and taught by Ashwani K. Peetush, the course covered topics such as knowledge, logic and happiness, showing 300 students the strengths of philosophy.
“It’s been one of the best experiences I’ve had in many ways, I think a lot of that is from the meaningful connections I’ve made with students. It hasn’t just been about teaching the course but also about learning—both the content and through pedagogical experimentation,” said Peetush, describing how there are 15 to 20 students who come to listen to the course regularly who are not enrolled.
“ ere are instrumental and intrinsic reasons to take the course.
e instrumental reasons are the critical thinking and logical skills that philosophy teaches you, which help you in any academic domain. Everyone says to ‘think outside of the box’, but no one says what it means. Well, logic is a subdivision of philosophy.” Peetush said.
“Intrinsic reasons come from the nature of those profound questions—what is it to ourish? What is it to be happy? ese questions matter to our life.”
In PP103, Peetush engaged students in unconventional ways during his lessons, incorporating aspects such as meditation, weekly performances, and impactful speakers that brought the class closer as a community. Scientically, meditation can change the
way your brain reacts to the world, in just six weeks you can begin to see a signi cant di erence in your attention, critical thinking skills, and even helps to aid those with ADHD. ese concepts are not only taught but practiced in the Philosophy of Happiness.
“I found the content extremely practical for living a happier dayto-day life,” said John Phillips, a rst-year business student taking his rst-ever philosophy course.
“Being able to apply philosophical ideas like stoicism—only worrying about things you can control— or living a more virtuous life are some of the things I took away from the course. Overall, the course was incredibly enjoyable, engaging, and extremely helpful for living happier.”
Often philosophy courses center around a European curriculum. Peetush sought to change that narrative, working hard to both
create a course and teach himself new concepts. Because of this, the class adopts from many concepts — Daoism, Buddhism, concepts of Pratityasmutpada, Ubuntu and a diverse selection of Southeast Asian philosophies which are very new to the Canadian education system are present in the course.
“I was very engrossed in Daoism to the point I was dreaming about it,” Peetush said.
“For about two weeks—because I knew I was going to lecture about the Dao—I was extensively studying it. I felt great about that, meditating and contemplating on it. For me, teaching isn’t just a job, it gives me purpose and meaning in my life,” he said.
Mitchell Solsky, the course’s teaching assistant, shared his thoughts on its rst semester.
“Whenever you ask a question, you’re philosophizing. A lot of people think philosophers are just a bunch of people sitting around stroking their beards, but not quite. You get to be in tune with the world, and become deeply analytic, which is the biggest bene t you can get from this class. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Peetush for the teaching experience,” he said.
Next year, PP103 will be returning with a bigger class size, ready to expand upon itself and ingrain its curriculum into the Laurier Philosophy department for years to come.
SANGJUN HAN/NEWS DIRECTOR Performance during a PP103 presentation.
JACK VROLYK RADIO LAURIER STATION MANAGER
Erasing Frankenstein: Erasure poetry and examining incarceration
BRONTE BEHLING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
This article was cross-published with the Community Edition.
Erasing Frankenstein: Remaking the Monster, A Public Humanities Prison Arts Project, edited by Elizabeth Effinger, is a collection of erasure poems formulated from pages of Mary Shelly’s 1818 novel Frankenstein and essays on the project’s conception and execution.
Each erasure poem in the text’s I or Us collection was created by incarcerated women and members of the Walls to Bridges Collective (W2BC) at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener alongside graduate and undergraduate students from the University of New Brunswick.
No poems have an author name given, the work of the incarcerated women and members alongside the work of the students fully anonymous.
Accompanying the erasure poems are essays from Elizabeth Effinger, Sue Sinclair and Nyki Kish.
Every aspect of Erasing Frankenstein, including the title of the erasure poetry collection was taken from Shelly’s Frankenstein
This text was chosen as no fewer than six of the characters in the story are faced with imprisonment themselves.
The theme of incarceration runs through the entirety of I or Us, alongside its intersection with carceral logic and how we each live within different carceral systems that operate within cultural systems.
The second half of Erasing Frankenstein has essays on these themes and the ethics of erasure poetry and ownership.
I did not expect to have such a visceral reaction while reading through I or Us — while piecing through each poem, there were many moments while reading where
the eternal absence of love in this place,” the poem reads.
This selection, in my mind, echos the text’s overall thesis — whose voices are made public, heeded and are allowed to write poetry?
The essay collection within Erasing Frankenstein was also enjoyable to read, providing perspective on the text’s writing process and why such a collaboration was beneficial.
Of the five essays, my favourite was “The Composite Art and Carceral Aesthetics of I or Us” by Effinger.
This chapter essay gave a detailed breakdown and interpretation of I or Us as a form of composite art and carceral aesthetics.
Composite art in this case refers to the combination of text and images in the same visual field where the two become so entangled that it is unclear where one ends and the other begins.
Carceral aesthetics is a concept developed by Nicole R. Fleetwood that refers to forms of art making and cultural engagement that occur during a period of mass incarceration and engage with various states of unfreedom and freedom.
Key to this chapter is Effinger’s section on “Artworking the Cultural Apparatus’, which provides a succinct examination of the poem on prison which impacted me so profoundly.
Having these insights into the creation of the erasure poems made me flip back to the ones that were being referenced and assisted me in looking at them in a new light — as I now had context that I did not have when reading them for the first time.
I believe having the essays at the end of the text was incredibly impactful for this reason — as the reader I was able to formulate my own opinions of the erasure poems before gaining more context later that helped me gain an even better understanding.
The work of all involved with Erasing Frankenstein is admirable, and I believe it is worth reading — even if you are not a fan of poetry.
I or Us in combination with the afore-
Bored? Try out some of these winter activities
As January arrives at Wilfrid Laurier University, students and faculty prepare as the winter term begins.
e winter break has nished, textbooks are stu ed back into bags, assignments are on the horizon, and the buzz of the new year is still fresh in the cold air.
With more free time before midterms hit, some may be looking to make the most of the winter weather.
Here are ten activities you can do before the snow melts and the winter blues leave.
Go out sledding.
Now is the time to be childish again, climb back up that mountain of snow with your sled and barrel down it, though be careful not to y into the highway.
Get into baking
ere are plenty of easy winter-y recipes right at your ngertips. Gingerbread, Rum cake, Tye plates, Christopsomo, Turron de Jijon and Malva pudding.
ere are a whole wealth of holiday desserts around the globe — explore traditional meals from every part of the country or even try to create some of your own.
At the very least whip up some
FILM AND JOURNAL REVIEW
sugar cookies.
Spend time with your friends. is seems obvious as that’s what friends are for, but it’s easy to forget how much your friends love you.
Go out for dinner, share a laugh in the dining hall or spend a night in watching lms to reconnect.
Revisit an old book.
Reading might seem boring to those looking for a fun time, but reading an old book from childhood is one of the best ways to spend an evening with your brain turned o . Find a dusty book on your shelf and revisit a story you used to love.
Binge your favourite show e winter season is a time of rest, and what better way to feel warm and snug than to cuddle up and watch a comfort show? Relax on your couch and turn on an old favourite, fall back in love with it all over again.
Learn a new skill.
It may seem daunting to tackle something so huge in the span of a couple of weeks, but this is just the time to do it. Spend your days learning sheet music or picking up crochet. Take time to appreciate the learning experience.
Take a snowy walk.
It’s time to take advantage of the weather.
Get bundled up, slip on some headphones under your toque and take a nice stroll in your neighborhood.
Let your worries melt away as you explore the glittering streets.
Visit a local market.
ere are plenty of artisan markets and vendors hidden all around the nooks and crannies of Kitchener-Waterloo.
One such spot is the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market, which takes place every ursday and Saturday.
e market is accessible by bus and is only 20 minutes away from the Laurier campus.
Go to a movie theatre.
Head down to your local cinema and watch a cheap afternoon showcase of a new lm and sit in an empty theatre at the very back as you enjoy some buttery popcorn.
ere’s nothing more delicious than movie theatre popcorn, after all.
Spend some time with yourself.
Self-care is key during those stay-inside winter days, make plenty of space for some precious you time.
Have a spa day, put cucumbers over your eyes and sink back into a hot bathtub.
Don’t beat yourself up for taking the rest you deserve.
Don’t forget to study
Make sure to ll your whole day with studying. No slacking o .
It’s o cially time to get on the grind and pitch a tent in the Laurier library.
Just kidding, be kind to yourself and enjoy the new semester.
Signal Fire: Examining the philosophies of science
SANTOSH CHANDRASEKAR ARTS CONTRIBUTOR
On Nov. 5, the lm Signal Fire by director Kelly Milner was shown at the Princess Twin in Uptown Waterloo.
e lm was released in tandem with the paper “Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada” by Carmen Wonga, Kate Ballegooyen, Lawrence Ignace, Mary Jane (Gùdia) Johnson and Heidi Swanson.
e ten calls for action within the journal article highlight the gaps within natural sciences and research practices to enable reconciliation while bringing to light the lack of representation of Indigenous peoples in this eld.
e lm, set in Northern Canada, provides a deeper understanding of the issue and questions the underlying philosophy of science and its origins.
“Science was in fact the belly of the beast. It was where they dispossessed us of knowledge,” said Dawn Martin-Hill, a professor in the department of anthropology
and Indigenous studies at McMaster university. e sciences have often rejected and dispossessed Indigenous knowledge and human relationships.
is dispossession was tied to the colonial project that formed the bases of modern scienti c practices two centuries ago.
“[It is important to realize] these di erent biases and lenses that we’ve been raised with and be aware there are other ways to look at world and reestablish those connections, which probably most had
and kind of lost through school and training,” said Heidi Swanson, associate professor and Jarislowsky Chair at Wilfrid Laurier University and adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo. “We can nd a better way — giving people a place to start is important.”
Understanding the socio-political context of the land is vital.
As Swanson points out, scientists and researchers have tremendous amounts of power, which they do not realize.
ey in uence perspectives, decisions and policies in a way that
Indigenous knowledge is not. As the paper alarmingly points out, the sciences lack representation of Indigenous peoples, especially youths. Based on this, how can we incorporate di erent perspectives when one side is barely represented and where can young researchers start?
e lm and the paper aim to answer these questions.
“I am thinking that in this global change of reconciliation and decolonization, the rst step that you are going to do as a young person coming in to look at the land is go
and ask permission. Knock on that door and ask, is it okay if I come here?” said Gùdia, Lhù'áán Mân Ye Shäw, Elder of the Kluane First Nation.
“I think proper reconciliation requires us to make those human relationships the foundation of everything we do. Research doesn’t start when you get into the eld and start collecting data. It takes months, sometimes years of conversations and trust building,” said Kyle Bobbiwash, an Anishinaabe-Ojibwe assistant professor and an Indigenous scholar at the University of Manitoba.
Building relationships is key to reconciliation focused research practices, but this process could take years as Swanson notes.
To start, young researchers can attend community events, talk to elders and other community members about their research, try to involve Indigenous youths in their research and ask permission.
It is not simply about collaborating or having conversations but understanding that Indigenous knowledge is complementary and essential to understanding the world around us.
“ e rst step is to decolonize ourselves,” said William Alger, Dehcho Guardian, Líídlii Kúe First Nation.
CLARA ROSE ARTS CONTRIBUTOR
BRONTE BEHLING/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SIGNAL FIRE FILM O N YOUTUBE Clip from lm’s 2023 trailer.
OPINION EDITOR
ABIGAIL DOMBROVSKY opinion@thecord.ca
How will business tariffs impact the Region?
SANGJUN HAN NEWS DIRECTOR
Early in November, Donald Trump proposed a 25 per cent tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada through a social media post, an unreasonable decision that puts Canada at a disadvantage.
A tariff is a tax on imported goods or services collected by the country’s government who are importing the product.
Its purpose is to raise revenue, protect domestic industries or exert political leverage over another country.
They often result in unwanted side effects, such as higher consumer prices, which could cause more financial problems for residents in the Waterloo Region.
The disruptions caused by the tariff will also leave Canadians with limited options on essential products, like prescription medications or household goods reliant on U.S. components.
The Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce says the tariffs will affect Ontario’s manufacturing sector the most. Other business sectors that will be impacted the most include the automotive, energy, chemical, plastic manufacturing, forestry products and machinery sectors.
In 2023, Ontario’s exports represented one-fifth of the provincial economy, and more than three-quarters of Ontario’s interna-
tional trade was with the U.S.
This represented 39 per cent of the provincial economy. Trevor Tombe, an economist from the University of Calgary, said the 25 per cent tariff would reduce the size of the country’s economy by 2.6 per cent next year compared to the status quo, making Canada undergo a recession.
In the past, when Canada faced high tariffs on certain goods and industries, it raised the cost of trade, lowered America’s economic performance, stifled economic activity and kept prices for many goods and services higher than necessary.
Higher tariffs also increase business costs by making necessities such as equipment and machinery more expensive, which may eliminate jobs and reduce economic opportunities for Ontarians.
In multiple social media posts, Donald Trump claimed that the flow of drugs and illegal immigration led to the creation of the tariffs.
If Canada and Mexico do not secure their shared border to the flow of irregular migrants and drugs, then he will implement the tariffs.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce created a financial model suggesting that even a 10 per cent across-the-board tariff would reduce the size of the Canadian economy between 0.9 and one per cent, resulting in $30 billion per year in economic costs.
There are also scenarios where countries like Canada could respond with tariffs of their own in response tariff. In that case, Canadian incomes would fall by 1.5
per cent and productivity would fall by 1.6 per cent according to the Chamber of Commerce’s report.
It won’t be Canada alone that receives negative backlash from this decision. The U.S. will also suffer from this decision.
Ontario premier Doug Ford said Trump’s proposed tariffs wouldn’t work due to the integration of the U.S. and Canadian economies. He said that the auto sector alone is a critical example, as parts must be shipped between Ontario and Michigan seven to eight times before assembly.
The tariff could also increase the lumber price imported from Canada, increasing construction costs, gas, and heating oil in the U.S. Ontario and Canada benefited greatly from free trade with the U.S., and a threat to the free flow of goods and services will pose a threat. It would also violate USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) provisions, which ensure free trade among member countries.
In upcoming weeks, Canada’s provincial and federal political leaders must show the U.S. administration the negative aspects of the tariff.
It will not only impact Canada’s industries negatively.
But it will also cause monetary issues such as inflation that could further harm the economy.
Many individuals, including Tony LaMantia, president and CEO of Waterloo Economic Development Corporation, think the Tariffs won’t get implemented.
However, Canada has to be mindful that it could happen in the future.
Keeping mental health in mind during the winter
For many, January is marked by an increase in stress and burnout. While the academic demands and “new year new me” energy can be daunting, the season’s colder weather can also exacerbate feelings of isolation, fatigue and anxiety.
Although we’ve touched on seasonal depression in past issues, it’s crucial to consider how the intersection of academic rigor and the challenges of shorter daylight hours can impact students’ mental well-being.
Whether or not you're directly affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the combination of finals stress and environmental shifts can make the season particularly difficult to navigate.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a branch of depression.
SAD occurs during certain seasons throughout the year, most often being autumn and winter.
It is believed that shorter days with less daylight trigger a chemical change in the brain, resulting in symptoms synonymous with depression.
The pressure to perform well at the start of a new term can lead to heightened stress and anxiety, which in turn can impact eating habits, energy levels and overall mental health.
According to a study done by Concordia University, the stress of exams can affect your body in three ways: Physically, mentally and behaviourally. Physical symptoms can lead to headaches, difficulty sleeping and an increase in anxiety and nausea.
Mental signs can vary from difficulty concentrating, blanking on content while studying and
feelings of fear and helplessness.
Behavioural indications include nail biting, smoking and/or drinking and isolating oneself.
To manage these symptoms, students often resort to unhealthy coping strategies, including excessive caffeine consumption, substance abuse, lack of eating and sleep deprivation in dire attempts to manage their stress.
For me, one of the most effective ways to avoid feeling overwhelmed is to establish a consistent daily routine.
A well-structured schedule fosters a sense of stability amidst the chaos of midterms and finals.
Additionally, making time to get outside during daylight hours can greatly improve your mood and energy levels.
Exposure to natural sunlight helps regulate sleep patterns and can alleviate the feelings of sadness often linked to SAD.
Thoroughly understanding the distinctive challenges faced by students during finals season, specifically those struggling with
seasonal depression, is pivotal.
By recognizing the severe impact of academic pressure on mental health, students can take proactive steps to seek support, implement self-care strategies and foster a more balanced approach to their education.
Despite best efforts, there may be times when stress becomes overwhelming or when feelings of anxiety, sadness or exhaustion persist. If you find that your mental health is being significantly impacted, it’s important to reach out for support.
Laurier offers mental health resources at the Student Wellness Centre.
Speaking to a trusted professor, academic advisor or mental health
professional can provide you with additional coping strategies and emotional support during the winter blues.
The start of the winter term can be a stressful and demanding time, but with the right strategies in place, it’s possible to manage both academic pressure and your mental health.
By implementing practical coping techniques, students can navigate this high-pressure period without sacrificing their well-being.
Remember, mental health is just as crucial to academic success as studying.
Taking care of yourself is key to thriving during the beginning of the term and beyond.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/FORBES BREAKING NEWS ON YOUTUBE Donald Trump.
ISMA SHAIKH OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
e ongoing debate between practcial e ects and CGI
In the world of movies and television there are some debates that rage on forever. Marvel vs DC, who the best Chris is (Evans, Hemsworth or Pine) and whether the Avatar movies are overrated (they are).
However, one of my favourite debates is the one between practical e ects and computer-generated imagery (CGI).
Practical e ects tend to be favoured in part because of their rich history. For a long time, lmmakers could only use practical e ects and they got really good at making them as realistic as possible.
One of the best testaments to practical e ects is the 1968 lm 2001: A Space Odyssey. In a time before computer generated imagery (CGI), Kubrick created his e ects through the manipulation of the camera, the use of miniatures and elaborate sets.
In an iconic scene where an astronaut goes for a jog around the space station, the set itself was spinning to create the appearance of arti cial gravity.
Even the colourful vortex the astronaut travels through towards the end of the lm was shot practically
using a technique called slit-scan photography. e best way I can explain slit-scan photography (partially because I barely understand it) is that it provides a similar e ect to when you scan a page in a copier but move the page while it’s being scanned. While practical e ects have a longer history than CGI, it’s impossible to deny that CGI has its own bene ts. CGI allows us to create e ects that we could only have
dreamed of prior.
Unfortunately it’s easy to get CGI wrong, especially when it comes to faces. Remember Henry Cavill’s erased moustache in Justice League?
Or young Princess Leia at the end of Rogue One? Even in the 21st-century when CGI can be done by anybody with a laptop, we still get it wrong.
Despite a still growing list of bad CGI examples, you can’t deny how
Do Laurier’s business programs live up to the hype?
e Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at Wilfrid Laurier University enrols approximately 6,000 undergraduate students each year.
With 20,000 students annually, business students make up 30 per cent of Laurier’s student community.
With a 95 per cent employment rate after graduation and close interaction with many versatile companies, Laurier is a top choice for many students interested in business.
e BBA program encourages community inside and outside of the classroom as students collaborate through various teamwork centric assignments and simulated work experiences. Companies such as Google, Facebook, Scotiabank and others source their employees from Laurier directly after graduation. Every year, students compete in a ‘case-competition’ where Laurier brings a company to the school with an issue needing to be solved. Students must listen to the problem, discover a solution and present their ndings accordingly. is creates potential future relationships necessary for the
business career.
“I want to try running a business, I guess it’s a good introduction but if I’m running a business, I’m not going to pull my textbook and look for Porter’s ve forces,” said Kasper Hatami, a rst-year BBA student at Laurier.
“A lot of the work is common sense, if you have some general accounting, economics and business knowledge, you’ll be ne,” Hatami said.
“If you are thinking about a business degree, Laurier has got to be the place, because you are in the business world from day one. You are learning about real companies and working with real companies,” said Chima Mbagwu, the associate dean of business at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.
Kyle Murray, the dean of business and economics at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics explained his personal perspective of the program.
“A lot of people have told me it’s cutting edge without being cutthroat and I think that’s true.
A lot of business schools are very competitive, and Lazaridis is less so,” he said.
“It’s more about collaborating to achieve a goal as opposed to who’s going to get to the top of the mountain,” he added.
“It’s a lot of work, very time consuming and you have to stay on top of things. It’s rigorous and mentally taxing but fun at the same time,”says Anthony Moretti, a rst-year
student in Laurier’s BBA program.
Many students from the BBA program graduate into elds like accounting, banking, marketing and business management.
However, there are many non-traditional paths.
Shadrach Kabango, stage name ‘Shad’, graduated from Laurier with a business degree, using it to pursue music.
In 2011, he won a Juno for his efforts and is arranging a partnership with Laurier’s music program.
“ e community here is wonderful, and you hear that from alumni as well,” Murray said.
“A big part of what they’re excited about when I talk to them is the experience they had here and about the football team winning the cup. If I talk to 100 alumni from Alberta, I bet I’d be unlikely to nd one even who knows what the football team’s record is, here it’s a little bit di erent,” Murray said.
e BBA program trains young aspiring entrepreneurs but with so many classes, what is the most important thing a student can learn through BBA?
“Critical thinking.” Mbagwu said. “I always say the business degree can set you up to be anything you want to be, it gives you the tools to be able to think about problems and solve them logically,” Mbagwu said.
Laurier’s business program is a pillar stone of the University, there is a great sense of pride for those in and outside of it.
convincing.
What Steven Spielberg understood when he made Jurassic Park is that the best kind of e ect isn’t practical or CGI, but rather a mixture of both.
When you see an e ect in a movie or tv show and think to yourself, “woah that looks so real,” it was probably made with a combination of practical and CGI.
In 2014’s Captain America: e Winter Soldier, the Russo brothers made realistic e ects by basing certain e ects in practical techniques while using CGI to enhance them and erase any evidence (such as wires).
When Steve Rogers chases Bucky Barnes through tra c, they actually were running that fast. By having the performers run on a sort of mat being dragged by a car they can make it look like they’re running faster than a person possibly could.
it’s revolutionized visual e ects. CGI opened a whole new world of opportunities and has been a part of some classic movies.
Take 1993’s Jurassic Park. e scene where they rst encounter the brachiosaurus on the island contains fully CGI dinosaurs that are impressive even by our standards today.
While in today’s industry CGI is common and easy to achieve, it can be di cult to make it truly
And when Bucky grabs the motorcycle and spins it around? at’s real too. Using wires, framing and perspective with a little CGI added in to polish, they achieve an impressive level of realism in their stunts.
e best directors and visual e ects artists understand that CGI can’t be an afterthought. You have to shoot with the e ects in mind and can’t just slap it on in post-production.
Good visual e ects can make a movie fun, but great visual e ects can make it legendary.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/THERYANEY ON YOUTUBE Princess Leia in Rogue One.
JACK VROLYK RADIO LAURIER STATION MANAGER
CLARA ROSE OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
FILE PHOTO/ VICTORIA PANICCI Opening of Lazaridis Hall in 2016.
Upcoming games to watch out for this term
With the new term starting up, there are some upcoming games to look forward to for Wilfrid Laurier University athletes, students and sports fans.
The Laurier women’s basketball team recently broke a three-game losing streak with a win against the Lakehead University Thunderwolves.
Third-year biology major Katie White added 22 points to the scoreboard to contribute to their win with a final score of 65-51. Their momentum will carry on as they head to the University of Windsor to take on the Lancers on Jan. 11, a team they have not faced since last season where they lost 79-61.
On the other hand, the Lauri-
er men’s basketball team is on a four-game losing streak. Their last game was close, with a final score of 85-78 for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
Fourth-year arts major Ethan Passley contributed 25 points to the game, but they ultimately fell short being just a few points behind the Thunderwolves the entire game.
Their next game is in Windsor where they will face off against the Lancer’s for the first time this season on Jan. 11. Their last matchup was Feb. 9, 2024 and Laurier won 83-70. On the ice, the men’s and women’s hockey teams have some exciting games coming up.
The women’s team has won their last two games against the University of Brock and the University of Guelph.
Keep an eye on fourth-year sociology major Arielle MacDonald, who currently leads the team in points, with three goals and nine assists so far this season.
The men’s hockey team most recently lost the Battle of Waterloo
for the second time this season, with a final score of 6-3 in favor of the University of Waterloo Warriors. Their next games are backto-back home games, Jan. 10 and 11 against Lakehead. The last time they played the Thunderwolves was last season, where Laurier came out on top with a final score of 3-1.
Fourth-year arts major Sam Rhodes and second-year business major Thomas Lenart are currently tied for point leader, with both of them having twelve points under their belts this season.
Who will be the first to get their thirteenth point of the season and can they break their losing streak?
With the football season over, the Laurier cheerleaders are working hard to prepare for the International Cheer Union (ICU) University World Cup Cheerleading Championships.
We wish them luck as they head to Orlando, Florida on Jan. 19 to compete at one of the most competitive cheerleading events of the year.
Looking back on a memorable
fall semester
Here’s a look at the standout players, pivotal moments and achievements that made the 2024 fall season memorable.
For women’s soccer, the Laurier team started their 2024 season with a 3-0-2 unbeaten streak.
However, their momentum came to a halt on Sept. 20 with a 1-0 home loss to the McMaster Marauders.
The team wrapped up their campaign on Oct. 12 with a 1-1 draw against the Windsor Lancers, securing a 3-5-4 record and finishing sixth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Division.
Ashley Graco earned the OUA West Rookie of the Year award. Graco contributed a goal and an assist while only missing 12 min-
utes the entire season.
Midfielder Samantha Murphy and striker Sasha Marikano were both recognized as OUA West Division First-Team All-Stars, while defender Tamara Lisser earned a spot on the Second-Team All-Star list.
The Hawks began the playoffs on Oct.18 in a rematch against McMaster.
The match extended into double overtime with Laurier falling 2-1 and bringing their season to a bittersweet close.
For men’s soccer, the Laurier team kicked off with a 2-1 road win against the Brock Badgers, powered by goals from George Kirio and Adriano Colangelo.
Throughout much of the season, the Hawks maintained a 0.500 record, staying in the playoff mix as they approached an important final weekend.
The team wrapped up their season with two strong wins against the Windsor Lancers to secure a plus 0.500 record of 6-5-1 going into the 2024 playoffs.
They finished fourth in the OUA West Division.
The Hawks hosted the Guelph Gryphons in the opening round of the playoffs on Oct. 19 at Ansley alumni field.
After the game was tied, the Hawks suffered a 6-5 loss in penalties, putting an end to their season.
Second year forward Adriano Colangelo led the offense with three goals and an assist over 12 games.
Goalkeeper David Carano started 11 matches and recorded a 0.703 save percentage.
First-year standouts Andrea Chiechi and Yusef Rehman each contributed two goals to the Hawks’ campaign.
With a solid foundation of young talent, the Golden Hawks are well-positioned to build on their 2024 campaign.
The women’s rugby team kicked off their 2024 campaign on Sept. 8 at University Stadium, facing the Western Mustangs in a tough home opener.
The Hawks struggled, losing
44-7.
The team struggled all season but experienced a breakthrough on Oct. 4 with a 25-15 win against Trent on the road.
Second-year standout Abby Byers’ season-long impressive performances earned her a spot as a 2024 OUA Women’s Rugby Second Team All-Star.
This year, the team is preparing to say goodbye to four seniors: Caitlin Aseerwathan, Janeen Burke, Madi Duffy and Jaylyn Kirwan-Moorman.
Their departure opens the door for the younger players to take on greater roles as the team rebuilds.
The Golden Hawks Men’s rugby team concluded their season with a 1-5 record in OUA conference play, finishing ninth in the standings and narrowly missing out on a playoff berth.
The campaign began with a heartbreaker on Sept. 15, as the Hawks fell 22-24 in their home opener against the Western Mustangs.
Road struggles persisted
throughout the season, with the team going 0-3 away from home.
The Hawks found redemption on Oct. 12 in Waterloo.
In a dominating 78-10 victory over the McMaster Marauders, the team displayed its full potential.
The win was not only the Hawks’ first conference victory but also a high note to cap their season at home.
Three players earned recognition as OUA second-team all-stars: Second-year prop Alex Levia, second-year hooker Joe Aceti and first-year fullback Tejpal Sangha.
The emergence of a strong and motivated young core signals a promising future for the Golden Hawks.
As the Golden Hawks reflect on their 2024 fall campaigns, each team showcased moments of resilience and talent that provide a foundation for future success.
With standout individual performances and promising young players, the stage is set for continued growth and achievement in the seasons to come.
FALL RECAP
MADALYN MOSTACCI/MANAGING EDITOR Laurier vs. Windsor on Oct. 9, 2024.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JASMINE ABEL Laurier vs. Windsor on Oct. 9, 2024.
MAX ZENTIL SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
MONDAYS - THURSDAYS
6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
FRIDAYS
6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
SATURDAYS
8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
SUNDAYS
8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
UPCOMING
FRIDAY, JAN. 10, 2025
Men’s Ice Hockey vs Lakehead
7 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
Women’s Ice Hockey at Ottawa
7 p.m.
Minto Sports Complex
SATURDAY, JAN. 11, 2025
Women’s Basketball vs Windsor
4 p.m. Athletic Complex Gym
Men’s Basketball vs Windsor
6 p.m. Athletic Complex Gym
Women’s Ice Hockey at Carleton
7 p.m.
Carleton Ice House
Men’s Ice Hockey vs Lakehead
7 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
THURSDAY, JAN.16, 2025
Women’s Ice Hockey vs Waterloo
7 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
Men’s Ice Hockey at Toronto
7:30 p.m.
Varsity Arena
FRIDAY, JAN. 17, 2025
Women’s Basketball vs Algoma
6 p.m. Athletic Complex Gym
Men’s Basketball vs Algoma
8 p.m. Athletic Complex Gym
SATURDAY, JAN.18, 2025
Women’s Ice Hockey vs Western 3 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
Women’s Basketball vs Algoma
4 p.m. Athletic Complex Gym
Men’s Basketball vs Algoma
6 p.m. Athletic Complex Gym
Men’s Ice Hockey vs Guelph
7 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22, 2025
Women’s Basketball at Toronto
6 p.m.
Goldring Centre
Men’s Basketball at Toronto 8 p.m.
Goldring Centre
THURSDAY, JAN. 23, 2025
Men’s Ice Hockey vs Waterloo 11 a.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
FRIDAY, JAN. 24, 2025
Women’s Basketball vs Waterloo 6 p.m.
Athletic Complex Gym
Women’s Ice Hockey at Western 7 p.m.
Thompson Arena, London
Men’s Basketball vs Waterloo 8 p.m.
Athletic Complex Gym
SATURDAY, JAN. 25, 2025
Women’s Ice Hockey at Windsor 4 p.m.
Capri Pizzeria Recreation Centre, Windsor
Men’s Ice Hockey vs Ontario Tech
7 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
FRIDAY, JAN. 31, 2025
Men’s Curling vs OUA Championships
Galt Country Club
Women’s Curling at OUA Championships
Idylwylde Golf & Country Club, Sudbury
Women’s Ice Hockey at Brock 6 p.m.
Canada Games Park, St. Catherines
Women’s Basketball vs Western 6 p.m.
Athletic Complex Gym, Waterloo
Men’s Ice Hockey vs Concordia 7 p.m.
Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
Men’s Basketball vs Western 8 p.m.
Athletic Complex Gym
Looking back on the Laurier men’s football season
The 2024 season for the Laurier Golden Hawks football team was a remarkable journey, culminating in a Yates Cup victory and a Vanier Cup appearance. This historic campaign was defined by key moments, strategic brilliance and unwavering team spirit.
The Golden Hawks' triumph in the Yates Cup was a testament to their skill and determination.
Running back and third-year year psychology major Darion Bacik-Hadden was a key player in the Golden Hawks' 42-21 victory over the Western Mustangs, highlighted by his first touchdown of the season.
After dashing into the end zone for a ten-yard score, Bacik-Hadden wasn’t done.
At 10:03 in the third quarter, he executed a trick play called "Chatham," where he took a handoff from quarterback and fourthyear kinesiology student Taylor Elgersma.
Bacik-Hadden threw a chip-shot pass to a wide-open Khalil Derman for another touchdown which put Laurier up 42-21.
Bacik-Hadden described the play as both a design and an audible, executed at a critical moment to solidify the team’s lead.
Despite suffering a severe leg injury during the game, he powered through the pain.
"It was a big play for us, and I’m proud of how we executed it," Bacik-Hadden said, demonstrating his resilience and the Golden Hawks’ determination.
Despite suffering a severe leg injury, Bacik-Hadden's resilience exemplified the team's spirit.
Defensive back and fourth-year sociology major, Tristan Miller, highlighted the importance of early defensive stops in Laurier's successful 2024 season, stating, "We knew we had this."
His confidence was well-founded, as the Golden Hawks maintained an undefeated record throughout the season, culminating in a Yates Cup victory against Western with a decisive 51-31 win.
Miller's contributions were part of a strong defensive effort that helped Laurier dominate their opponents, including holding the Queen’s University Gaels to just 21 points in the OUA semifinals.
The victory celebration extended beyond the field, marking a turning point for the Laurier community.
The team's success, including their impressive run to the Vanier Cup, reignited school pride and showcased Laurier's football program on a national stage.
Despite a narrow 22-17 loss to Université Laval in the Vanier Cup, the Golden Hawks' remarkable season set a new standard for
excellence in Laurier athletics.
The team's journey began with the regular season, where they focused on growth and camaraderie.
Elgersma reflected on the team's evolution: "We started the season still learning to play together," he said.
Key matchups against rivals like the Western University Mustangs and University of Waterloo Warriors tested the team's mettle.
Elgersma described their approach to the Western game as "business as usual," showcasing their quiet confidence.
Players like second – year geography major Tayshaun Jackson emerged as a game-changer alongside defensive units like Jesse Wilkins, a second-year arts major and secondary.
Defense was instrumental in Laurier's successful 2024 season.
This unit formed a formidable defensive force that significantly contributed to the team's undefeated regular season record.
Jackson returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and his versatility added depth to both the offense and special teams.
In the Vanier Cup, Laurier faced a tough opponent, the Laval Rouge et Or. Despite falling short of victory, the team's journey was a testament to their dedication.
Elgersma highlighted Jaxon Stebbing's crucial touchdown, saying, "It's tough to replay those moments, but the group effort and defense kept us in the game".
The experience, though humbling, set a new standard for Laurier football.
“This season was about more than just football—it was about building a culture and setting expectations for the future," Elgersma said.
With many seniors graduating, younger players have witnessed the commitment required at this level.
Bacik-Hadden emphasized, "We've set the standard, and it's about keeping that swagger and confidence alive".
The 2024 season drew parallels to Laurier's iconic 2016 Vanier Cup campaign. Elgersma noted the flow of university sports, saying, "Teams go through cycles, and the 2016 run marked the start of something special under Coach Faulds."
Elgersma emerged as the offensive leader, known for his poise and intelligence.
His pre-game ritual of walking the field while listening to worship music reflects his grounded approach. "It's about staying true to myself and preparing mentally for the challenge ahead," he said.
Elgersma's leadership on and off the field has set a new standard for what it means to be a Golden Hawk, inspiring teammates and fans with his dedication and drive.
This year’s Laurier men’s football season will be remembered as a defining moment in Laurier’s football history, showcasing the team's resilience, skill and unwavering spirit.
As they look to the future, the Golden Hawks are poised to build on this success and continue their pursuit of excellence in Canadian university football.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/JASMINE ABEL Yates Cup game on Nov. 9, 2024.
HADIYAH ABEDIN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR