The Cord March 11, 2020

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVEY RESULTS

VOLUME 60 ISSUE 21 • MARCH 11, 2020

10 0 % PURE

Feature, page 8

NUTRI

TION F

ACTS

MISSING:

T N E S N O C

waterloo, on SUSTAINABLE SELLS

PERIOD POSTERS

ARKELLS ADVOCATE

A REAL DRAG

LAURIE MAKES LAURIER PROUD

Laurier freestore rehomes discarded items

Campaign causes controversy

Popular band supports journalism

Reality personality disqualified

Runner shines at championship

News, page 3

News, page 6

Arts & Life, page 10

Opinion, page 13

Sports, page 16

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

STRIKE A CORD What would your ideal side-hustle be?

@cordnews

The Cord

@thecord.ca

CordNews THIS DAY IN HISTORY: MARCH 11

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

1302: Romeo & Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare.

1702: First English daily newspaper "Daily Courant" publishes.

1850: Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania opens, second female medical school in the US.

"Selling pictures of my feet."

1867: In Hawaii, the volcano Great Mauna Loa erupted.

- Sophia Cole, News Editor

1882: Fridtjof Nansen sets out on a sea voyage to study Arctic zoology.

1892: First public basketball game (Springfield, Massachusetts).

1912: First Stanley Cup challenge game to be played in three 20-minute periods (formerly 30-minute halves), Quebec beats Moncton, 9-3 on way to series sweep.

"Freelance web development."

- Kash Patel, Web Director DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

1931: Rupert Murdoch is born. He is best known as the creator, major shareholder, chairman and managing director of News Corporation one of the largest and most powerful media companies in the world.

"Rating Tik Toks for money."

1935: Bank of Canada first opens on Wellington Street, Ottawa.

- Kathleen McCullough, Online Editor

1953: First woman army doctor commissioned (FM Adams).

1959: "Raisin in the Sun," first Broadway play by a black woman, opens.

1967: Pink Floyd releases first single "Arnold Layne."

1969: Levi-Strauss started selling bell-bottomed jeans.

"Being a dog walker or a sassy cross stitch saying maker."

1993: Janet Reno is confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in the next day, becoming the first female Attorney General of the United States.

- Emily Waitson, Editor-in-Chief

1997: Beatle Paul McCartney knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

NEXT ISSUE MARCH 18, 2020

SPORTS EDITOR Mark Cascagnette sports@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

GRAPHICS EDITOR Jamie Mere graphics@thecord.ca

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

PHOTO EDITOR Darien Funk photos@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brit Kovacs creative@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Kathleen McCullough online@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Kashyap Patel online@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR VACANT 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 VACANT photos@thecord.ca

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Victoria Marshall copyeditor@thecord.ca

CORDCAST PRODUCERS Jade Hosick, Victoria Marshall cordcast@thecord.ca EVENTS COORDINATOR Ranjit Saini

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Jackson Carse Alysha Buck Jana Ibrahim Hayley McGoldrick Kaitlin Mckillop Marley McLellan Eliza Moratz Ian Schakel Laura Thompson Adina Turkonje Jennifer Webb

"Editorial: the therapy of a side hustle" by Brit Kovacs

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.

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OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography.

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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've got my thrusters on.”

-Creative Director, Brit Kovacs, talking about how prepared she was for pizza.

• 3

News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 NEWS EDITOR SOPHIA COLE news@thecord.ca

PUBLIC HEALTH

Ontario cuts $1 million in funding for rape crisis centres ALYSHA BUCK CORD NEWS

With the nearly simultaneous news of the Ontario government making therapy for anxiety and depression free, the news that they will be revoking the $1 million dollar grant for rape crisis centres in Ontario seems to have been overshadowed.

This news came from the Attorney General of Ontario, Doug Downey, just last Thursday, resulting in an outcry from nearly all crisis centres across Ontario.

In 2018, the provincial Liberal government had promised a great increase in funding for rape crisis centres, but when they lost the 2018 election, this funding was not granted. In the wake of the Liberals’ loss, the victorious provincial Conservative government followed this promise with a $1 million grant to be divided among the 42 crisis centres in Ontario last February.

Although it was a much lower amount of funding than the Liberals were going to provide, this funding helped dramatically lower the wait times for victims seeking help, as well as allowed for the hiring of more support facilitators.

However, this funding is set to run out by the end of the month, and not to be renewed by the Ford government.

“Provincially, we asked the gov-

only provides support for victims of rape, according to Casselman, but they also “provide counselling, advocacy in court and hospitals, 24-hour support, public education of sexual violence, and other issues related to sexual violence.”

With such a vast array of support services for victims of sexual assault, it is no wonder how a cut to funding by the Ontario government will impact the SASC. “Across all our programs, we have helped over 900 survivors by providing direct service last year,

but we also get around 80-100 calls per month on our 24-hour support line,” Casselman said. With this number of sexual assault victims in the Waterloo region alone, the cut to funding will dramatically increase wait times for victims seeking support, and cause staff hours to be cut.

With the $28,000 the SASC received from the Ontario government last year as part of the $1 million grant, they “were able to hire a full-time group and workshop facilitator to help meet the

demands”.

Drop-in groups, art groups, therapy groups, restorative yoga groups and music therapy groups, for example, were able to be created for survivors to utilize while they awaited private support and counselling.

Without the $28,000 that they will no longer receive, Casselman said she is “unsure” if this program will be able to be maintained in the upcoming year.

Casselman explained how necessary government funding is for sexual assault support programs, stating that “this is at a time when we have on average 140 survivors on our waitlist. Five years ago, if we had had 40 people on our waiting list, the [government] would’ve said it was a crisis. Our new normal is 140 survivors on our waitlist.”

With the number of survivors on wait lists increasing, and the amount of funding provided by the government decreasing, essential supports like the group program implemented at SASC will become nonexistent.

Should this continue, it is possible that the number of survivors reaching out to seek help will decrease as well.

As Casselman said, the Ontario government does not understand that “every person who calls, needs help then. A waiting list is not the thing that they need.”

sustainability office is considering opening the store on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, or giving people the option to request specific times they would like to drop by.

The freestore is not currently accepting donations, as they acquire a lot through the move out program and the local community, but this will likely change in the future. When the freestore is accepting donations, students can drop off donations as the freestore warehouse on 230 Regina Street in Waterloo, which will be set up throughout the year. Information

about what the freestore will and will not accept can be found on the Laurier website.

The freestore is a step closer to a more sustainable way to deal with the items which students leave behind, as well as helping those who may not have the resources to purchase new or used items.

“In a university or in an institutional setting in general, even Laurier, it’s so important that we engage such a wide range of students in sustainability and it’s so important because eventually they’re going to be graduating

and they’re going to be the next generation of our workforce. So it’s really key that we try to capture students,” said Milicic.

The Freestore grand opening will take place at the end of Zero Waste Week at Laurier – a week which is devoted to encouraging students to live more sustainably and reduce the amount of waste they produce.

The freestore is an important step in fostering a culture of sustainability at Laurier, which will eventually translate into the workforce and a more sustainable future.

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

ernment if they weren’t going to do that big boost in funding that we had been anticipating and needed if they could at least maintain that $1 million dollar funding divided by 42 centers, and they said ‘no’,” said Sara Casselman, Executive Director of the SASC. In the Waterloo region, this reduction of funding will have dire consequences. The Sexual Assault Support Center (SASC) of Kitchener is one of the 42 rape crisis centres in Ontario that will face the repercussions. SASC not

SUSTAINABILITY

Laurier “freestore” rehomes discarded dorm belongings MARLEY MCLELLAN CORD NEWS

Every year when all the first years move out of residence they leave behind all their unwanted items. From kitchen appliances to wall decorations, these useful and undamaged items typically end up in the landfill.

But no longer will thousands of pounds of useful household items go to waste; the Laurier Sustainability Office in collaboration with Martin Luther University College is opening a “freestore” to re-home these items. Like a typical re-store, the freestore will redistribute discarded items to new owners, but at no cost.

In September 2018, Laurier opened a pop-up freestore for students to shop at and the success of this idea has inspired a more permanent version. The new freestore will be open to the public on Laurier’s Waterloo campus on Mar. 13 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at 232

King Street North in room KB024, which is in the basement of the Special Constables office.

The Laurier community is welcome to come to the freestore opening and can take home up to five items from the store, and can also enjoy complimentary coffee and snacks.

The initial freestore pop-up in September 2018, along with Laurier’s Move Out Program, collected e-waste, textiles, textbooks and non-perishable food items, diverting 5000 pounds of waste from ending up in landfills in 2018.

The freestore has not officially set hours yet, but Katarina Milicic, the program and outreach coordinator of Laurier’s sustainability office, says the freestore will likely be open three or four times a week at the beginning of the upcoming school year in September, and then two times per week throughout the fall and winter terms.

Summer hours have not yet been defined either, but the

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

EQUALITY

Examining International Women’s Day in Waterloo How Waterloo businesses are celebrating and acknowledging female success HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK CORD ALUM

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Mar. 8 is known worldwide as International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women, their accomplishments and acknowledging the struggles they still continue to face.

“IWD is a opportunity to remember the women who fought for equality in the past and recognize the activists who continue to push for gender parity and human rights,” said Tarah Brookfield, associate professor in history and youth & children studies at Laurier in an email statement.

“It should also be an opportunity to have conversations about feminism and intersectionality that acknowledge that gender discrimination is not the only barrier that need to be confronted to achieve the goals of IWD.” The day is supported by many businesses in Waterloo region hosting breakfasts or luncheons to embrace and empower women in their respective industries for continuing to excel in their fields despite always competing with male counterparts.

“It is also important not to forget the day’s radical origins – something that may be obscured in the corporate sponsorship in recent years,” Brookfield continued in her statement.

“Female factory workers and socialists started the event in 1909 to call attention to women’s limited economic and political rights.”

Laurier Alumni also hosted their third annual International Women’s Day luncheon, with last year’s theme as “Advancing Women in STEAM” and this year’s theme as “Women Building Thriving Communities: Food, Nutrition and Sustainable Practice”, hosting speakers who are not only knowledgeable on the topic but extremely respected in their job regardless

of gender.

“Since the 1970s, when women’s history became a field of study, research into the lives of ordinary and extraordinary women in the past has increased our knowledge of Canada’s political, labour, family, immigration, military, and medical history,” Brookfield said.

“Being able to trace the roots of current struggles facing women has also been important to continuing efforts toward equal rights.

In the last decade, the field has grown more diverse and inclusive, placing more focus on groups of women’s whose voices were marginalized before – Indigenous women, Black women’s history, Queer women, and the history of girls.”

Though there is much support for women in tech and business in Waterloo region and at the Lazaridis School, but much work still needs to be done in order to get women to a level where they are not overqualified for jobs due to the fact they are overlooked for major positions due to gender.

“Unfortunately, the current economic climate means history as a discipline struggles to attract majors and universities’ reliance on part-time faculty instructors with few resources to conduct new research has stymied the ability of the next generation of historians to continue this important work,” Brookfield concluded in her statement.

Though IWD is only one day a year, many of these organizations continue to fight for women’s equality. Laurier is home to the club WILL, Women in Leadership Laurier, as well as Laurier Alumni hosting their Elevating Leaders Laurier panels that aim to encourage and manifest leadership positions for women currently at Laurier by connecting them with alumni and sharing their stories.

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 HOLIDAYS

St. Patrick’s Day poses communty challenges Waterloo Regional Police Services prepare for the infamous Ezra Ave. street parties SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University’s most infamous holiday, St. Patrick’s Day, is on the horizon and both Laurier and the Waterloo community are preparing for the annual unsanctioned street party which takes place on Ezra Avenue.

“Unsanctioned street gatherings are dangerous. Laurier continues to actively discourage them and to urge our students not to participate,” said Kevin Crowley, director, communications and public affairs, in an email statement.

Despite the fact that the university actively discourages these types of gatherings, the scale of the Ezra Avenue street parties has continued to grow over the years, attracting people from other schools and communities, which only adds to the disruption.

“The density of the crowds at the unsanctioned street parties have definitely increased over the years and we remain concerned with public safety,” said Andre Johnson, public information officer at the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).

The estimated number of people in attendance of last year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration was approximately 33,000, a nearly 50 per cent increase from the previous year and numbers are only expected to grow despite Laurier’s best efforts to discourage attendance by imposing guest restrictions on residences and university-owned apartments.

While Ezra Aveune parties used to take place solely on St. Patrick’s Day, in recent years students have taken to flooding Ezra on other celebratory days, such as homecoming.

The density of the crowds at the unsanctioned street parties have definitely increased over the years and we remain concerned with public safety.

-Andre Johnson, WRPS Publlic Information Officer

In past years, the street party had taken place solely on Ezra Avenue, but as the crowds continued to grow they have spread out into the surrounding areas, such as Clayfield Avenue, Bricker Avenue and Marshall Street, further impeding traffic and other day to day operations.

The overcrowding which comes along with groups of this size can pose a variety of safety risk to those

who choose to partake in the unsanctioned street gatherings.

“With crowds of those sizes, the actions of those in attendance can impact public safety and if one person were to act out, or throw a bottle as an example, or there were any issues that arise that require emergency service to respond to quickly to, crowds of that size make is difficult to get to people who may need help,” said Johnson.

We want individuals to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a safe manner that doesn’t cause harm to themselves or their community.

-Andre Johnson, WRPS Public Information Officer

As a way of informing the public of the risks that go along with the Ezra Avenue celebration, the WRPS will be conducting a door knocker campaign to inform people in close proximity to Wilfrid Laurier University and encourage people to opt for a more responsible way to celebrate.

“We want individuals to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a safe manner that doesn’t cause harm to themselves or their community.

We would encourage individuals who want to enjoy the day to do it in a licensed, legal establishment and not on the street,” said Johnson.

In addition, the WRPS is working with other emergency responders and community planners to develop a plan of action for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day gathering, as they have done in previous years.

The WRPS are concerned about the impacts these parties have on the community as a whole, given that they take place in a residential neighbourhood nearby an elementary school.

“In the past we’ve had issues with public urination and some levels of mischief as well, so it does have an impact on the greater community. Especially when streets are shut down, access isn’t as easily available, and again, the larger community isn’t just those who partake in the unsanctioned street gatherings. So, the impact is greater than just the parties themselves,” said Johnson.

While the Ezra street parties have become somewhat of a Laurier tradition, the scale of these gatherings is growing to a point where it is becoming increasingly difficult to ensure the safety and well-being of both those who attend the parties and the surrounding community members. If things continue on this course, more serious efforts may be taken to address this issue.

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6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

CAMPUS

PHOTOS BY DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

Menstrual campaign faces backlash for period posters

Laurier students took to Reddit to air their grievances regarding the promotional approach EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For a campaign promoting menstrual equity and education on Wilfrid Laurier’s Waterloo campus, a series of posters with black-and-white images of period blood-stained underwear have sparked noteworthy controversy and debate online.

The posters include a series of messages, such as “ain’t no shame in menstruating,” as well as other promotional sayings that are working to dismantle the belief that only cisgender women menstruate and that a portion of students don’t have adequate access to menstrual hygiene products.

On Reddit, users have shared their distaste with this postering method by directing their criticisms towards Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG).

“Posting disgusting images of underwear in Lazaridis Hall too.

Not sure how this is allowed. They can post it in the gender studies class all they want, outside of that, it’s just gross,” remarked one commenter in the thread.

Hayley Newman-Petryshen, LSPIRG member, and chair of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Menstrual Equity Committee, is working to deconstruct the misconceptions

that have been circulating around the posters, and by extension, menstruators themselves.

We did anticipate some controversy around it and it’s all part of the education process.

Hayley Newman-Petryshen, chair, WLU Menstrual Equity Committee

“We did anticipate some controversy around it and it’s all part of the education process,” Newman-Petryshen said.

And while there seemed to be the belief amongst some students that LSPIRG was spending money on the campaign, that isn’t the case.

“A lot of the controversy appeared to be around how LSPIRG is funded, and I think in terms of misinformation, one thing is that LSPIRG has put zero dollars into this campaign. I volunteer with [LSPIRG] and they have been supportive of this campaign, and

instead of us having to buy a whole new website domain, they have agreed to host the educational part on their website, at no extra cost for us which has been great, but we are not at all exclusively affiliated [with them],” Newman-Petryshen said.

A lot of the controversy appeared to be around how LSPIRG is funded ...

LSPIRG has put zero dollars into this campaign.

Hayley Newman-Petryshen, chair, WLU Menstrual Equity Committee

“The campaign is basically the work of the Menstrual Equity committee, which I started and includes the Students’ Union, Sustainability Office, Office of Dispute Resolution and Sexual Violence Support … there [are] so many collaborators.”

“All of the funding has come from the Student Life Levy and the Sustainable Hawk Fund, and not a single penny has come from

LSPIRG — they’ve just been generous enough to donate their website and volunteer resources for it,” she said.

We just wanted to de-stigmatize this idea that menstrual blood should be hidden.

Hayley Newman-Petryshen, chair, WLU Menstrual Equity Committee

And while the images on some of the posters have been criticized for being too “graphic,” according to Newman-Petryshen, this was a design choice that was purposefully implemented in order to open up more conversations about the public perceptions of menstruation.

“If you think about horror movies, there’s never any controversy, for the most part [about seeing blood]. But the moment it’s menstrual blood, everyone is like ‘no thank you, that is too much.’ So we picked that image intentionally,” Newman-Petryshen said.

“We made it black-and -white because we wanted to tame it a tiny bit. We just wanted to de-stigmatize this idea that menstrual blood should be hidden.”

There are also students on campus who don’t have proper access to the period products that they need, and some are faced with making difficult decisions about whether or not they can afford them at all.

If someone who menstruates is caught short on campus, there are currently no sanitary options available in washrooms — even coin-operated dispensers.

The cost of buying a whole box of pads or tampons from a store can be high for some people, and it creates what Newman-Petryshen believes is a noticeable issue that should be addressed.

“There’s a reason that food banks provide menstrual care products, and that’s because people genuinely do have to choose between whether [they] can buy a box of tampons or a box of cereal.

And that’s just a gendered barrier that I don’t think should exist,” Newman-Petryshen said.

“It’s behind this whole idea that if you’re getting toilet paper for free, soap is free [and] paper towels are free, then there’s no reason that pads and tampons should not also be free.”

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

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TRIGGER WARNING

THIS ARTICLE AND THE RELATED SURVEY CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND/OR VIOLENCE WHICH MAY BE TRIGGERING TO SURVIVORS

SEXUAL VIOLENCE ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES editor-in-chief, emily waitson, looks into Laurier’s standing in sexual violence survey results.

Canadian universities, and post-secondary institutions across the world, are being faced with increasing criticism and scrutiny surrounding the prevalence and subsequent treatment of sexual violence on their campuses.

In a Maclean’s article entitled “Canadian universities are failing students on sexual assault,” dozens of survivors were interviewed regarding the routine abandonment of victims from universities across the country.

Sexual and gendered violence on campuses are often overlooked and inadequately addressed, while vulnerable students are left to deal with the consequences in silence and with lacking procedures put in place.

As well, a two-year study into the various forms of sexual assault on university campuses in Ontario, entitled “Student Voices on Sexual Violence,” surveyed 117,148 students across the province, and has recently released their findings.

The study is categorized by various tables, including prevalence of sexual assault occurrences (“university students responding to the survey [who] indicated that they experienced sexual assault since the start of the 2017-2018 academic year”); methods of coercion involved in non-consensual experiences (e.g. ignoring body language, taking advantage while under the influence, anger or use of physical force, etc.); and sexual harassment and stalking experience rates.

However, the study also included some more potentially optimistic data, including the level of helpfulness from university staff, faculty, and administration when these experiences were reported; how students perceived consent, such as when it should be given, and various ways it can be revoked; and how universities are providing knowledge, support, and resources regarding sexual violence on (and off ) campuses.

It also included data on gender identity, with 69.3 per cent (approx. two-thirds) of students identifying as a woman or girl, 28.9 per cent (approx. one-third) identifying as a man or boy and 1.8 per cent

identifying as transgender, Two-Spirit, non-binary or gender fluid.

One of the most immediately recognizable data points on the survey was that Wilfrid Laurier University had one of the highest reported rates of sexual assault on and off-campus.

Laurier ranked 32 per cent, indicating that nearly one in three university students reported an instance of sexual assault in the previous year.

The survey included a number of types of non-consensual sexual assault in this report, including “being fondled or kissed, attempted oral or penetrative sex, and oral or penetrative sex.”

Compared to other universities, Laurier ranked third out of twenty in this category, with only Algoma University (32.2 per cent) and the University of Western Ontario (32.4 per cent) being ranked higher.

However, one of the two most important categories in this data set included patterns among perpetrators, timing and location of non-consensual events.

Among perpetrators of sexual assault, students indicated that 49.5 per cent were “another student” and 46 per cent were someone unaffiliated with the university. While minor, it is also important to note that 4 per cent of perpetrators were indicated as being someone directly employed by or affiliated with the university, such as a faculty member, administrator, instructor, coach, or an “other person.”

The most frequent times for these events to happen included just before classes began in the fall semester (18 per cent), during the first two weeks of classes (12 per cent) and during weeks 2 and 6 of the semester (20 per cent).

It is also very important to note that almost 4 out of 5 “unwanted experiences” — 79.8 per cent — occurred in an “off-campus setting not affiliated with their university”, while 20.3 per cent — one out of 5 events — occurred on-campus.

Among the two highest reported methods for coercion involved in non-consensual experiences included being caught off guard or “ignoring … body language or non-verbal signals” (59.9 per cent), and

being taken advantage of while dru asleep or unconscious (41.6 per cen Regarding sexual harassment, Laur the scale — 69.4 per cent of studen in the last year — placing them fou (with the University of Western On per cent).

When discussing sexual harassmen in these instances was even more s “other students,” which was 64.7 pe Further, significantly higher instan ported as taking place on universit ed that 47.2 per cent of events happ cent happened off-campus (a 26.9 instances when compared to sexua The survey also made sure to discu in the context of cases of sexual vio For example, “respondents who ide students with another sexually dive higher than the sector rate for all th As well, students who identified as enced higher rates of reported occu (sexual assault, harassment and sta Students who were between the ag experienced higher rates of these e the age of 35 were found to have ex categories.

One of the more concerning pieces responses to sexual violence: 35.6 o one about their experience, while a The overwhelming majority of stud to a friend, family member or room per cent reported them to an officia

CONDUCTED

RELEASED

FEB-APR 2018

STUDENT VOICES ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVEY RESULTS

PREVALENCE RATE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ON LAURIER’S CAMPUS

59.9%

69.4%

38.4%

SEXUAL HARASSMENT EXPERIENCE PREVALENCE RATE ON LAURIER’S CAMPUS ACROSS UNIVERSITIES PERPETRATORS WERE : OTHER STUDENTS (64.7%) INDICATED GENDER IDENTITY AS MALE (81.3%)

METHODS OF COERCION ASSOCIATED WITH NON-CONSENSUAL SEXUAL EXPERIENCES - UNIVERSITY SECTOR

ACROSS UNIVERSITIES PERPETRATORS WERE :

CATCHING YOU OFF GUARD OR IGNORING BODY LANGUAGE

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF YOU WHEN YOU WERE INTOXICATED, ASLEEP OR UNCONSCIOUS

22.4%

29.8%

TELLING LIES, THREATENING TO END RELATIONSHIP OR SPREAD RUMOURS, FALSE PROMISES OR CONTINUOUS PRESSURE

USING FORCE (FOR EXAMPLE PINNING ARMS OR THREATENING THE USE OF A WEAPON)

6.2%

41.6%

ANY OTHER MEANS WHEN YOU SAID OR SHOWED YOU DIDN’’T WANT TO

SHOWING DISPLEASURE, CRITICIZING AT TRACTIVENESS OR SEXUALITY OR GET TING ANGRY AFTER SAYING NO

27.2%

STALKING EXPERIENCE PREVALENCE RATE ON LAURIER’S CAMPUS

MARCH 2019

17.8%

THREATENING TO PHYSICALLY HARM YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE

OTHER STUDENTS (47.15) GENDER IDENTITY NOTED AS MALE (83.3%)

unk, under the influence of drugs, nt). rier also ranks relatively high on nts reported at least one incidence urth out of twenty universities ntario ranked the highest, at 71.6

nt, the percentage of perpetrators skewed towards being done by er cent of the total reported. nces of sexual harassment were rety campuses, as the survey indicatpened on-campus, while 55.9 per per cent increase in on-campus al assault). uss particularly vulnerable groups olence. entify bisexual, gay or lesbian, or erse identity [were found to be] hree forms of sexual violence.” having a disability also experiurrence for all three categories alking). ges of 21-25, or 21 and under, events occurring, while those over xperienced lower rates of the three

s of data on the survey included of participants did not tell someabout 46.5 per cent did. dents also reported these events mate (97.8 per cent), while just 9.4 al “such as a staff member at the

sexual violence Council of Ontario Universities centre, university therapist, or other university staff,” indicating a noteable gap in the research.

Among the biggest reasons students chose not to tell a university representative included the official believing that it was not serious enough (50.7 per cent), the student “not needing any help” (32.3 per cent), not wanting any official action taken (24.8 per cent), not wanting to cause trouble (26.7 per cent) and being too embarrassed to report it (15 per cent).

In terms of support for those who have experienced, or want to report an instance of sexual assault, harassment or stalking, the survey noted that the most helpful university officials included “university sexual violence centre staff ” (58.9 per cent, with 555 reports), “resident advisor or residence life staff ” (52.8 per cent, with 426 reports) and “university counsellor or twherapist” (52.5 per cent, with 1381 reports).

Education and awareness were also a significant part of the survey, including data regarding activities and processes that students were involved in or participated in to educate them about sexual violence and assault; demographics of those who discussed sexual violence with friends or family, including gender, sexual orientation and those who do/do not have a disability; and awareness of institutional supports or resources.

Overall, the survey concluded that “Ontario universities are committed to providing a safe, supportive and respectful environment for all members of campus communities. These results are important as universities work to understand student experiences, enhance prevention and awareness programs, and ensure access to supports for those affected by sexual violence.”

David McMurray, Laurier’s vice-president: student affairs, commented on the results of the survey, and the measures that Laurier has been implementing to address sexual violence.

“First of all, we really want to thank our students, for the ones who

took the time to fill out the survey: we’re very, very appreciative of that. Because we really welcome the results of this survey, we know that it’s a societal, systemic problem, worldwide,” McMurray said.

“In my time, we’ve been committed to doing all that we can to not only support survivors, but to provide more preventative measures, education, [and] awareness, to help change attitudes and reduce the prevalence of gendered and wsexual violence.”

“In my advocacy with this sector, we asked for this kind of approach.

In 2012, we actually conducted our own survey called ‘The Change Project’ … and the results of that survey gave us ten recommendations to move forward on new policy, new programs, and extended levels of support for survivors,” he said.

According to the description on Laurier’s website, “the Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) was hired to coordinate The Change Project, a collaboration between the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC), the SIRG, the Centre for Women and Trans People*, the UW Women’s Centre, the Diversity and Equity Office at Laurier, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo.”

“The seeds of this project grew out of a campus-community committee to address gendered violence that was struck at Laurier several years ago as a result of concerns about gendered violence on campus,” McMurray said.

McMurray noted that Laurier is committed to working on the ongoing problem of sexual and gendered violence and hopes to further the education and resources that the university has already put into place.

“So now, next steps: we’ve got to undertake a really detailed review and analysis of the data because it’s so extensive, and we need professional, qualified scholars and practitioners to do that — so that’s been done and overseen by [Laurier’s sexual violence response coordinator] Sarah Scanlon.”

10 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

Arts & Life

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO arts@thecord.ca

SUSTAINABILITY

Laurier challenges students with Zero Waste Week campaign ALYSSA DI SABATINO ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

This week, from March 9 to 13, Laurier’s Sustainability Office is hosting the second annual Zero Waste Week.

“Zero Waste Week is essentially a campaign to help get students and staff and, in general, the Laurier community, to think a little bit more about shifting towards a more low waste or zero waste lifestyle,” said Katarina Milicic, Outreach and Program Coordinator at Laurier’s Sustainability Office.

Those who choose to go “zero waste” often focus on reducing, reusing and preventing waste as much as possible — and this campaign seeks to engage participants in further sustainable practices.

“This year’s campaign we have a few different themes based on different areas that you could be implementing a zero waste lifestyle... and then we also have essentially a zero waste 101 for people who are starting to think a little bit more about where to even get started.”

On Monday, students were able to attend a “Zero Waste 101” session, where they were introduced to zero waste lifestyles. On Tuesday, Zero Waste Week moved to the Brantford campus, where students could attend a DIY beeswax wrap workshop.

This Wednesday, a clothing swap

Milicic explained that while Waste Reduction Week in Canada is typically held in late October, choosing to host Laurier’s Zero Waste Week during March was a strategic decision.

“This campaign was run in March just to get students to think a little bit more about zero waste in the second semester as opposed to kind of being, you know, inundated with a whole bunch of things at the start of the school year. So, I think that was strategic, to place it in March.”

For those who are curious to see how much waste they produce each week, the Sustainability Office is hosting the Zero Waste Challenge, wherein students can make an effort to keep a small mason jar as empty as possible with their waste use, excluding compost and recycling.

Those who compete are eligible to be entered in a prize draw with gift cards and bundles from various sustainable companies in the region, such as Zero Waste Bulk, Full Circle Foods and Copper Branch.

“The reasoning that this zero waste campaign kind of started last year from my assumption, is that we’d just been seeing a growing trend, even in social media and overall [of ] people kind of moving towards this culture where we’re not using as much plastics or things that at least can’t be recycled or composted,” Milicic said.

“But in general it just really started, I think, from trends — more people talking about it, and now this expectation that we shouldn’t have single-use plastics kind of being used at the university and in general in people’s daily lives.”

For those who are looking to get started in waste reduction efforts, starting small is the best method.

“I would say the first thing is to kind of not think about it as shifting your entire life, every single thing towards zero waste. It’s really about starting simple and starting really basic in the things that you have the most impact or you could have the most impact in,” said Milicic.

“That could be something like clothing that could be a huge part of your life, where you might want to think about doing more thrift or second hand shopping if you love to shop … that would be the biggest thing — to get students to start thinking about what is one particular area that you can get started on.”

tour connected audiences of all backgrounds with hits like “Hand Me Downs,” “People’s Champ” and “Knocking At The Door,” all tunes politically charged with mentions of poverty, women’s rights, and Hollywood-infused political systems.

Instead of simply dropping “Years In The Making,” Arkells chose to announce their newest release by mailing free t-shirts to fans.

There was a catch, though: to get one, those wanting the exclusive shirt had to purchase a subscription to a journalistic institution of their choice and upload proof of it to Arkells’ website. This was done to combat what they call “freemium” culture, which often results in local news and journalists struggling to fund the work they do: covering stories that many of us, thanks to the internet, read for free.

On the webpage for the t-shirt initiative, the band wrote “Good reporting not only keeps us in the loop, but also makes sure our big wigs are held accountable – to ensure there is no sneaky biz.”

“Somewhere along the way, we took this for granted. We forgot that we have to pay for this vital service, and that reporting the news isn’t free … Let’s start by supporting your local paper or a daily publication you really admire. It’s been years in the making. No more running from that paywall.”

According to the “Years In The Making” press release, Arkells have since filled hundreds of orders for these shirts — mine included — which feature a typewriter on the back with the band’s newly-minted logo. Not only does this mean happy fans, but happy journalists, too. Hundreds of Canadians and people all over the world have now paid for access to journalistic outlets, big and small, while acknowledging their important role in our lives.

Really, where would we be without news? Without a doubt, we would be in the dark. Fake news is enough of a problem in our fastpaced digital world that without legitimate, unbiased coverage, nobody would have any idea what the hell is going on.

Although Arkells’ commitment to supporting journalism put their passion for activism in the spotlight, this is not the first time they’ve shown their commitment to social causes. Their focus on community initiatives over the years has resulted in the furthering of social programs in their native Hamilton, supporting the city’s refugee community, showing gratitude for employees of public transit services and beyond. Since the release of Rally Cry, their focus has been on coming together to literally rally for societal progress within and beyond Canadian borders.

Arkells announced in past weeks that the second-ever of their celebrated rallies is to take place on June 20, 2020 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. To keep the ball of social engagement rolling, they have allotted one dollar from each ticket sold to Indwell, a charity based in Hamilton that aims to provide affordable housing within the city.

If Arkells’ commitment to making our country — and world, for that matter — a better place has made you think about your impact, you’re not alone. Although the “Years In The Making” t-shirt initiative has now closed, you can still make a difference by subscribing to any news outlet you desire.

The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and The New York Times (just to name a few) offer significant student discounts for online access, so no matter your budget, supporting quality journalism is attainable.

Most of these subscriptions cost no more than five dollars per month.

As a student journalist, I would like to thank Arkells for shining the spotlight on this shrinking sector. In politically complicated times like these, knowing the facts is more important than ever, and supporting the stories that keep you in the know has been a long time coming.

“Years In The Making” is streaming now, and tickets for The Rally are currently on sale through TicketMaster.

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

is taking place in the concourse, where students can trade their clothing and small household items in an effort to reduce textile waste. On Thursday, students can register for further events, including a personal care and sewing workshop.

To end the Zero Waste campaign on Friday, the Sustainability Office is soft-launching their permanent freestore — located in the basement of 232 King St. — where students can drop in and pick up anything they need for free.

ACTIVISM

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Support journalism, get a free t-shirt

Canadian band Arkells announce their new release by mailing free merch VICTORIA MARSHALL SENIOR COPY EDITOR

The legendary Canadian band Arkells has come back in recent weeks to promote their newest single “Years In The Making.”

In a press release from Feb. 25, frontman Max Kerman described the song as an “A+ banger,” and that it certainly is. The band broke their silence following the winding down of the tour for their 2018 album Rally Cry. The Rally Cry

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 FILM

Why Adam Sandler is an underrated actor JACKSON CARSE STAFF WRITER

Uncut Gems was without a doubt one of the best movies of 2019.

The film centers around New York City jeweler Harold Ratner, a gambling addict who always seems to be putting himself in the worst of situations. To describe this film as anything less than two straight hours of cardiac arrest would be a massive understatement.

The Safdie Brothers have officially perfected, and possibly invented, the art of anxiety films.

Their follow-up to the critically-acclaimed movie Good Time, Uncut Gems, was expected to draw major Oscar buzz.

Behind Adam Sandler’s outlandish and uncharacteristic performance, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if the entire cast and crew went home with little gold men.

But to my revulsion, Uncut Gems received not one nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. I was baffled: how could such a universally praised film receive such little recognition from credible voters?

I scanned the ballet over and over, scrutinizing the omission of a film so obviously worthy of global appreciation.

But as I continued to read through the list, through all the names of respectable and accomplished actors and directors I quickly realized something.

Respect. That’s what was lacking.

This was not about quality of content. This was a display of prejudice and bias against the tenuous resume of Adam Sandler. How could the Academy possibly reward the same actor who exposed the world to Grown Ups 2?

Sandler could give the performance of his life, which he quite likely did, yet will continue to receive a lack of appropriate recognition. Not to take anything away

from the commendable performance by Joker’s Joaquin Phoenix, but Sandler’s offbeat portrayal of Ratner was more than deserving of the Best Actor award at this year’s Oscars.

His reputation will continue to haunt him, regardless of the quality of his performances. There is a stigma to the name, one I’d like to call The Sandler Stigma.

The purpose of this article is to break that stigma. I’d like to clarify why Adam Sandler is such an important comic figure not only to the entertainment industry, but also for the public audience.

Before commending Sandler for his more highly regarded roles, I’d firstly like to examine those movies that created the stigma and explain why they might not be so atrocious.

It is true that Sandler has indeed made some pretty terrible movies, films such as Jack and Jill, The Cobbler and Pixels.

I won’t even bother glossing over these works of insulting, blabbering trash because I think we can all agree these movies are pretty damn awful.

But there are a hefty portion of Sandler films that fall somewhere in the spectrum of respectability — movies that have been designated with a foul reputation that I believe deserve reconsideration.

It’s true that comedies struggle to catch the eye of movie critics who tend to focus their attention on more dignified cinematic films.

Unfortunately for Sandler, 80 per cent of his top 40 ranked films according to Rotten Tomatoes are comedies, lowering his relative likelihood of bringing home any hardware.

These middle-tier films (50 First Dates, Billy Madison, Big Daddy, The Waterboy and Mr. Deeds) have been classified with a bad rap, adding depth to The Sandler

Stigma. Their average critic rating is a staggering 36 per cent. Now I’m not saying these films deserve a higher rating, I just want to shine some light on why I believe these movies are unfairly perceived.

Sure, they may all be filled with potty humour and jokes about having small penises but since when have we as a society been too uptight for a good poop joke? To this day, nothing makes me laugh harder than the look on someone’s face when they’ve finally accepted that they won’t be making it to the washroom.

It may not be original, stylized comedy but it’s a format that never seems to get old. It’s a traditional, established style of humour. Some see it as lazy and unoriginal, l but I see it as sticking to your roots, paying homage to those who came and created before you.

I have no expectation of the pretentious film critics to reevaluate these movies. This is not an innovative style. All I hope for is that you, the reader, will reconsider your thinking with all of this in mind.

Now I’d like to look at the films the critics agreed were worth recognition. Movies that proved Adam Sandler as a multifaceted, well-rounded actor with surprising range. The Meyerowitz Stories, Punch Drunk Love, Funny People and Reign Over Me are all highly regarded films amongst critics.

These are some of his top-tier films: the best content Sandler has created, in the eyes of the critics.

These films (should) add credibility to his resume, proving that Sandler is more than a slapstick comic who’s simply phoning in his performances for the profits.

His 2018 standup special Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh is one of my all-time favourite compilations of comedy within the last century.

Yes, there’s a three-minute song

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JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

about accidentally sixty-nining in space with Rob Schneider — but just wait until he starts singing about Chris Farley. Tears. A lot of them.

Maybe I am biased. I grew up with Adam Sandler movies. These films remind me of my youth, flooding me with the nostalgia of innocence and naiveté. Of course I’m going to back the actor who’s been making me laugh my entire life.

But I do believe Sandler is an important figure in the world of entertainment. Who hasn’t done the Happy Gilmore swing at the driving range? The “Back to School” song from Billy Madison continues to remain a cult

“My capstone project gave me real-world experience.”

NICHOLAS Business Intelligence Analyst, GERRIE ELECTRIC Analytics for Business Decision Making ‘19

tradition. God knows I sing it just about every Monday in the same patented voice Sandler does it in.

He’s created his own heritage, a culture of gags and humour.

Whether it’s through his idiotic comedy or his somber, heartbreaking performances, Adam Sandler is well deserving of respect from both fans and critics. His resume should not hinder the status of his current success.

We should view each film subjectively, analysing it for what it is rather than who he has been.

It’s time we end the stigma against Adam Sandler.

Let Uncut Gems be his final Oscar snub and let’s work together to abolish The Sandler Stigma.

12 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s Note: Coping with depression EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Depression has many faces.

For me, it can feel a little different on a Tuesday versus a Sunday.

It can be painfully consistent or horribly unpredictable — for seemingly no reason at all, I’ll wake up with a weight on my chest that I can’t push off or ignore.

And most people aren’t aware that I live with it at all. I’m open about the fact that I have moderate to severe anxiety depending on the situation or the day, but I rarely, if ever, touch on the fact that it’s often coupled with depression. It’s here where I fully acknowledge how much of a hypocrite I can be.

I commend people for seeking treatment for their mental health concerns, I herald therapy and all of the good that it can do, but I convince myself time and time again that I don’t need it.

I feel guilty, in a sense, for even feeling the way I do at all. I’m privileged (in many ways) to have the life that I do, the opportunities that I’ve been given, and it makes me angry that I can’t just “get over it.”

This toxic mindset is something that sits with me every time I experience a particularly noteworthy low-point. Recently, one of these periods lasted for about a month.

During stretches of time like this, I convince myself that I’m lazy and become unmotivated and despondent. I have no energy, all I want to do is sleep, but can’t, and wonder why I can’t just function “normally.”

My typical type-A personality fades and temporarily melts away, leaving behind a person who has little desire to do anything productive, especially for myself, and I’m left wondering for the umpteenth time how I’m going to drag myself out of this hole of unexplained unhappiness once again.

Working through this usually means that I’m completely on autopilot, doing everything mindless-

ly, distracting myself with anything that doesn’t actually include helping myself in the ways that I know I need to be helped. A few aimless therapy appointments here and there made me feel jaded against the whole process of properly seeking out psychiatry for myself, and it’s taken a lot of (overdue) self-reflection to recognize that I’ll never truly feel better (and be better, as my mind likes to remind me several times a day in the face of supposed failures) unless I take the step that scares me the most.

And, as a side note: self-reflection is not the same as self-hatred and belittlement, as much as I have convinced myself that it is. Calling myself a laundry list of insulting names and critiquing aspects about my personality that I either can’t change or know can’t be fixed in a matter of seconds isn’t going to result in anything useful.

I often wonder how I would be able to function if I didn’t feel so grippingly anxious over the smallest things and to not have to wonder when my depression was going to creep back in.

Ironically, part of that frightens me.

I don’t really know how to be a proper person without those added pieces mixed in, and the thought of waking up without being overwhelmed with negativity about day-to-day life is slightly disconcerting for me to think about.

But that’s bullshit, and I know it is.

It’s an excuse to continue on without tackling anything more difficult than what I already know.

How can I be an effective advocate for mental health awareness if I don’t feel any compassion or understanding about my own struggles as well?

I’m in a place where I can receive treatment if I want to pursue it while countless other people with mental illnesses don’t have that option.

I’m not about to sign this off with a nauseating “choose joy” Pinterest quote.

That’s not what this is about. I’m going to decisively choose what’s best for me, even if it feels like it’s the hardest thing I could ever do.

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

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TREASURER Kashyap Patel

CHAIR Aaron Waitson

PRESIDENT Aaron Waitson president@wlusp.com

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

FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Kurtis Rideout kurtis.rideout@wlusp. com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp. com HR MANAGER Maneesha Suresh hr@wlusp.com

EDITORIAL CARTOON

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Editorial: the therapy of a side-hustle BRIT KOVACS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

In the midst of balancing three jobs, a volunteer placement, and four courses, I’ve decided to allocate the remaining ten minutes of my week to a side hustle.

You may or may not be experiencing whiplash due to aggressively shaking your head in disbelief at this point.

However, conditioning and molding polymer clay into earrings is cheaper than therapy and has even proven profitable.

It also makes binge-watching The Office for the fourth time slightly more justifiable when done simultaneously.

I could eloquently detail the ways in which I craved a creative outlet or how I was destined to craft statement earrings out of bake-able clay.

But the reality is much more uninviting, as it came to in the midst of my seasonal depression and was further prompted by my inability to afford those already on the market.

If anyone has ever been to an Etsy market in the Region, or even visited the site itself, you’ll likely relate to the ways in which your deepest desires are often at odds with the funds remaining in your

account.

Thus, the hustle began.

I loosened my coin purse, downloaded the Michael’s craft store app, and filled my virtual cart with varying shades of polymer clay.

You can imagine this venture snowballed rather swiftly, as my total quadrupled in a matter of minutes.

I endlessly scrolled through Etsy, searching for cutters that would procure the most desirable of shapes, as the allure of my very own online shop appeared faintly in the distance.

I began following fellow clay connoisseurs’ socials, touring YouTube’s craftiest corners and throwing a swift elbow at my inevitable self-doubt.

With my tools in place, I began to marble my first batch of earrings.

Twisting a deep sienna into the creamiest tone of Premo, I began to admire the novel pigments it produced and pondered the endless possibilities that existed at my very fingertips.

My naiveté became evident as my nose met the potent odour of burning plastic.

My first batch came out burnt.

With any novice attempt, you’re bound to meet a steep learning curve and with the wealth of my

clay collection too vast to give up, I slowly began to twist and mold the next batch.

As I tackled the beast that was my oven’s ability to reach temperatures far greater than the knob suggested, I continued to meet new challenges.

The clay was uneven. They snapped if you handled them too rough.

Air bubbles became my mortal enemy.

Yet with each challenge, there proved a solution. A clay roller, a delicate touch and baking the clay between two ceramic tiles.

After months of conditioning clay, forcing jump rings through tiny holes and finessing my grip on what felt like the world’s smallest pliers, I finally assembled enough to begin populating an Instagram page.

A side hustle can be many things, a supplement to your income or simply a passion project.

Either way, it requires work, dedication, and persistence.

The sales I’ve made thus far may have only managed to pay a phone bill or cover a lunch date, but despite my chaotic schedule, it remains one of the highlights of my week.

So, start a side hustle or don’t and just buy my earrings.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

Opinion

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

The music industry needs to fix how it treats artists JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

Ever since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by the lives of people within the music industry. All of the components of it, from the singer to the person who runs the soundboard in the recording studio.

It almost seemed like a fairy tale to me, but when I actually learned about how the industry works, the storybook life that I thought I saw started to drift away.

On March 6, 2020 rapper Megan Pete, known by her stage name Megan Thee Stallion, released her new EP entitled SUGA, and this comes after winning a legal dispute against her old record label and Carl Crawford, the CEO. Pete had stated in a livestream that 1501 was preventing her from releasing her project, which led to her suing the company. She stated that when she signed with the label the terms of the contract were unclear, and when she asked to renegotiate she was prohibited from releasing any new music.

In the lawsuit, Pete sought monetary damages and asked for her contract to be null or terminated as

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

she had been taken advantage of by 1501.

According to court documents, Pete accused the defendants of nine different charges including breach of contract, fraud by non-disclosure and negligent misrepresentation.

Pete’s contract stated that not only was 1501 entitled to a share of her income made from touring, but 1501 was also entitled to up to 60 per cent of her recording income.

The 40 per cent that was left to her, however, was expected to be

used to pay featured artists, producers and sound engineers.

Now while she has won in the preliminary rulings with the judge allowing her to release SUGA and have a temporary restraining order against 1501, the case of terminating her contract could be more difficult, as the kind of fraud she is accusing Crawford of will be difficult to prove in court.

Pete’s lawyer, Brandon Clark, a music copyright lawyer, stated that the music and entertainment industry often have some level of

inflating the truth and set out a list of what Megan is going to need to prove in court in order to terminate her contract.

He stated that “She’s going to need to prove that those false statements went beyond normal overstatements, that 1501 knew those statements weren’t true, that they were said in order to get her to sign with them, that she signed with them because of those statements, and she has since been injured by that relationship” Megan Thee Stallion is not the

only person who has had issues with their record label; in late 2019 Taylor Swift’s old record label denied her the right to buy her own music, and we often hear stories of what artists had to endure with their own labels.

Jessie Reyez wrote a song in 2017 called “Gatekeeper” that was on her EP entitled Kiddo, where she opened up about how a big producer said that he would sign her to his label in exchange for sex.

She stated that she was “so close to selling her soul that night,” but instead she signed with Island Records.

The music industry needs a change and it needs to happen now. The fact that Pete’s lawyer claimed that it is known that the music industry overexaggerates what it can do for people and then subsequently harms those people makes me feel sick.

Megan Thee Stallion has a lesser share of her own work - work that has her name attached to it.

Her music is a direct reflection of her and that should be enough to at least entitle her to half of her earnings.

The music industry needs to stop taking advantage of people who are trying their best to live their dream.

The industry needs to stop taking advantage of those who are young, unexperienced, potentially naïve and do not know what they are signing up for.

Unpacking the recent RuPaul’s Drag Race disqualification EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race has barely started, and one of its contestants has already been disqualified and will no longer be appearing in the finale.

Joey Gugliemelli, who goes by the drag persona Sherry Pie, is a New York queen who was an initially-entertaining competitor on the popular reality show, but has since been accused by eight theatre company performers for allegedly soliciting sexually explicit and humiliating “audition” videos under the guise of a fake name.

After accusations regarding Gugliemelli’s transgressions were made public, he turned to Facebook to post an apology in which he stated, “This is Joey, I want to start by saying how sorry I am that I caused such trauma and pain and how horribly embarrassed and disgusted I am with myself. I know that the pain and hurt that I have caused will never go away and I

know that what I did was wrong and truly cruel.”

As far as apologies for disgusting behaviour go, this one feels pretty empty. If the people whom he victimized never spoke out and he was never caught, Gugliemelli very likely wouldn’t have said anything about his actions in order to protect his (now destroyed) career.

Many viewers were rooting for the queen who showed potential and skill with her quirky looks and cartoonish, fun character (with comparisons being made to season 11 favourite, Nina West). And after having placed in the top two that week, it seemed like she would be a strong presence this season.

After a spokesperson for RuPaul’s Drag Race swiftly responded to the outrage surrounding Sherry’s sexual misconduct by stating, “Out of respect for the hard work of the other queens, VH1 will air the season as planned.

Sherry will not appear in the grand finale scheduled to be filmed later this spring,” fans have been left wondering what the remainder of the show’s run this season will look like.Considering the fact that the bulk of the show is filmed months in advance, Sherry’s presence would be incredibly difficult to

remove and edit out entirely. It’s unknown how future episodes will be structured without Sherry in them the same way — especially with public knowledge about her behaviour, an uncomfortable factor that will be difficult to avoid or overlook, even if her screen time is minimal. additional, this incident has generated criticism surrounding the ineffectiveness of the show’s background check process.

It is truly unfortunate that Sherry was given the opportunity to be present on the show at all, and the continuing conversation surrounding her actions has only served as a gloomy cloud over what started out as a promising season.

If nothing else, it’s likely that the people who came forward against Gugliemelli would not have done so if he wasn’t given a public platform or any recognition, providing them with the opportunity to be validated and listened to over the pain they experienced because of him.

It’s a stark reminder for reality television audiences that no matter how likeable someone may seem on camera, they may not be the persona they’re presenting for the sake of your entertainment.

14 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 national recognition over the years and has since been met with many people whose goals are to humiliate her beyond belief.

After her speech to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit, Donald Trump tweeted about her abnormal angry tone and attitude.

People in defense of Trump have become brave enough to throw out their own hateful comments in public, often asking “Shouldn’t she be in school?”

In 2018, Thunberg let the public know that she would not attend school until the 2018 Swedish general election because of her protest concerning the heat waves and wildfires during Sweden’s

Why is it that when young girls and women speak out, men dismiss their ideas with brute criticism and violence?

FILE PHOTO/KASHYAP PATEL

We need to protect Greta Thunberg at all costs ADINA TURKONJE STAFF WRITER

“This shows we’re winning,” responded young Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg to an extremely graphic cartoon sticker earlier last week. The appalling

sticker depicts teen activist Greta Thunberg being sexually assaulted with the name of an Alberta oilfield company stretching across the decal.

“They are starting to get more and more desperate,” Greta added to her response, and rightfully so — the image has sparked great outrage.

A vast number of Canadians have got to feel ashamed. Is this

the memory of Canada we want Greta to have? Certainly not.

The men behind the sticker have justified it by bringing up Greta Thunberg’s age in their defense.

Apparently, being a 17-year-old girl qualifies her for this kind of mistreatment. Why is it that when young girls and women speak out, men dismiss their ideas with brute criticism and violence?

Greta received immense inter-

hottest summer in approximately 262 years.

Following this announcement, Thunberg added that many of her teachers were divided in their support for her. She was told by some of her teachers that she should stop.

The RCMP have denied the allegations that the decal depicts elements of child pornography.

So, then, if we go with that theory, we might ask ourselves: what connection does this sticker have anyways with the oil and gas company? What makes this sticker acceptable to be given out to the public?

In my opinion, any image of a woman being sexually assaulted,

whether young or old, shows nothing but an industry violently depicting women in explicitly graphic ways and, in turn, makes it harder for women to progress, strive and be taken seriously.

And if no action is brought forth by the Canadian government, we should probably ask why nothing is being done. Yet, if the company were taken to court, it has been argued that the context surrounding the image would be insufficient.

The RCMP have made it clear that they will not be commenting any further on this investigation.

Nonetheless, the image is degrading and unacceptable.

And the best way to leave off is to remind the public of her successes, especially since many people are confused and questioning Thunberg’s success over the years.

On Feb. 22 in Paris, between 5000 and 8000 students marched in support of her activism. She has encouraged students everywhere to protest for faster action.

In September 2019, Thunberg led and inspired 7.6 million people from around the world in a Global Climate Strike. She testified before Congress in September pleading with American lawmakers to do something.

And in response to those that have used her Asperger’s diagnosis to hate on her, Thunberg turned the negativity surrounding it into a way of calling her difference a superpower.

She told the New Yorker: “It’s very common that people on the autism spectrum have a special interest,” and on Instagram stated in a caption “I have Asperger’s and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And given the right circumstances being different is a superpower #aspiepower.”

Let’s protect Greta, support Greta, fight with Greta and spread her message of goodness. What harm

Does Canada need to follow in Italy’s footsteps?

JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

On March 4, 2020 it was announced that Italy was going to be shutting down schools nationwide as a way to help slow the growing of the coronavirus outbreak.

As of March 3, 2020, the virus had infected more than 3,000 people within the country and has killed at least 107. This is what triggered the government to shut down all schools, universities and daycares until at least March 15.

Italy isn’t the only country in the European Union taking measures regarding the epidemic. France has also closed 120 schools in the areas that are most impacted.

While children are not currently seen as an at risk demographic for the virus, there are still many aspects about the virus that scientists do not know - particularly how it is spread. So European governments are being proactive in their measures to try to slow the rate of infections.

Italy is seen as an older population as well, which means that a lot of their citizens are at risk of contracting the virus.

On March 9, 2020 it was announced that the entire country was going to be put under lockdown, after the number of infections hit 9,172 and has taken the lives of 463 people.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, has urged people to stay home and has banned all public gatherings including weddings, sports games and all night life activities.

Conte has also stated that the internal travel ban that Italy put in place early this month has now extended from covering certain cities to the entire country - from not just international travel but domestic as well. This shut-down has also extended the school closures until April 3, 2020.

The only reason for one to go to another city is for emergencies, and one could face fines and up to three months in jail as a punishment for breaking quarantine rules.

It is scary for me to hear about all of these quarantine rules because, in my mind, I now know that the coronavirus is a huge

threat. Italy is a place where I have actually been, so maybe that also has something to do with me feeling more scared.

This reality for Italians is something that could very well happen to Canadians as well. I know my mom wants to stock up on some items just in case a quarantine event takes place. But I don’t think we should necessarily feel scared until it gets to that point for us.

Canada has had 74 confirmed infections as of March 9 — 34 of which are from Ontario — but out of those 74, the country has only seen 1 death. The Ministry of Health has stated that the risk for Ontario residents remains low, but they are preparing just in case.

We should not be allowing this virus to currently affect our lives.

We should be taking precautions to ensure we stay healthy, like washing our hands for at least twenty seconds, not touchi—ng our faces and staying home if we feel sick, although we should be doing things like that on a normal day.

Honestly, the best thing we can do to potentially stop a quarantine from happening is to be aware of your own health - as your health now doesn’t only impact you but now the country as a whole.

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

• 15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR MARK CASCAGNETTE sports@thecord.ca

MEN’S HOCKEY

Jenkins and Williams named to OUA All-Star teams MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

Third-year defencemen Kyle Jenkins and rookie Goaltender Matt Williams were both honoured by the OUA this past weekend, as the league announced their post-season award winners and divisional All-Star teams.

After another stellar year in the purple and gold, defenceman Kyle Jenkins was recognized by the OUA and named to the OUA West Division’s second All-Star team for the second straight year.

Rookie goaltender Matt Williams, who was signed by Coach Greg Puhalski in the offseason and was expected to split play time with sophomore goalie Tyler Fassl, put together a great season in his first year in the OUA and was named to the OUA West Division All-Rookie team.

The awards for both Jenkins and Williams this year marks the first time that the Golden Hawks men’s hockey program has had two allstars since 2013 when goaltender Ryan Daniels won the OUA MVP award, defenceman Derek Holden was named to the All-Rookie team, and Coach Greg Puhalski won Coach of the Year, in what was one of the best seasons the program has ever witnessed In all three of his years with the team, Kyle Jenkins has continuously improved.

The 6’1 defenceman from Brampton played a pivotal role for the Hawks this season, especially its second half.

As he so often does, Jenkins showcased his offensive talent as a defenceman this year and recorded 19 points, which was good for third on the team.

Jenkins also led the Hawks once again in assists with 16 in the season, after having led the team with 13 assists last season.

The former Peterborough Pete had seven multi-point games throughout the season and led the

Golden Hawks with three points in the playoffs. He will be relied upon heavily come next year most importantly for his leadership.

On the other hand, rookie goaltender Matt Williams was able to put a solid season together, seizing the top goalie spot with standout performances this year.

Williams also got the nod and played in all three of Laurier’s playoff games.

Williams was able to finish with a save percentage of 0.922, which was good for sixth in the entire OUA. The rookie was at his best in meaningful games down the stretch with wins against Western and Ryerson and will look to gain more reps as the starting goaltender next year.

“Kyle had a very strong finish to the season and Matt in some tough games kept us in it. Those two were great players throughout the season and good character people as well,” Coach Puhalski said of his All-Stars.

Coach Puhalski and the team can at least head into the offseason with some optimism knowing that they will have both of their AllStars at their disposal next year.

In what was a rollercoaster 2019-2020 season for the Golden Hawks, which saw numerous high points and a large list of accomplishments, they finished with yet another disappointing playoff result.

This past season for the Golden Hawks was really a tale of two halves, as they had a tumultuous 2019 that most people did not believe they would be able to recover from.

In an exciting season of highs and lows, Laurier started the campaign on a five-game losing streak, losing four out of those five games consecutively on home ice.

At the mid-way mark of the season, through 14 games, the Golden Hawks had a record of 3-9-2 after dropping the first game of a back-

to-back against Lakehead, suffering their fourth straight loss and dropping Puhalski and his players to last place in the West division.

The second game of the backto-back was one to remember, however, as this is where the team took a drastic turn for the better.

The night following that loss, Laurier beat Lakehead 6-3 on the strength of two Anthony Conti goals and turned their season right around.

Laurier then went on to win three consecutive games to head into the Christmas break and the team stayed hot coming into the new year.

The three wins in November carried over to be a part of a seven-game point streak for the Golden Hawks, where they won six out of the seven games, only losing in overtime to nationally ranked Ryerson.

The trend continued as the Golden Hawks had found the chemistry that they were looking for all season.

A much-improved offense that was one of the best in the league down the stretch, combined with clutch goaltending performances by both Fassl and Williams, had the Laurier heading into the playoffs winning four out of their last five and earning a USPORTS national ranking for the first time in a decade, ranked as high as seventh in the country.

“We played so much better as a team, found an identity and started getting some results,” Coach Puhalski said.

“It was great to see the program recognized by USPORTS and ranked nationally,” he added.

Although Coach Puhalski was happy with the national ranking he was not satisfied with the season overall and classified it as a disappointment as the Golden Hawks were defeated in the first round by the Guelph Gyphons.

“The series was tough fought, and I think their power-play was

Stay golden

VS

FILE PHOTO

effective, while ours was ineffective. I wouldn’t classify the season as a success, we set out to win and we couldn’t get it done,” Coach Puhalski said about the season as a whole.

It is Laurier’s fourth consecutive season losing in the first round of the playoffs, as they have yet to advance past the first round since the 2010-2011 season, Coach Puhalski’s first year with the team.

The Gryphons went on to defeat both Brock and Western before winning the Queen’s Cup against Ottawa this past weekend.

Being one of the best teams in the country, the Gryphons will also look to win a medal at nationals over this upcoming weekend.

Laurier and Coach Puhalski will now focus their attention to a busy offseason with many players to replace.

Captain Will Cook, top forwards Anthony Sorrentino, Anthony Conti and Danny Hanlon as well as key defencemen Jacob Hetherington are all graduating this year among others, which will lead to a busy

offseason for the Hawks staff.

“Its going to be very busy over the next few months with scouting and recruiting. We will be looking all over Canada trying to find good character guys who can make an impact for us” Coach Puhalski stated.

While Laurier was once again unable to win in the post-season this year, there is still room for optimism, the eight recruits brought in this past year took a big step forward in 2020.

Mcjanet, Gottschalk and Herrfort to name a few, were able to generate some offense and played much better as a team near the end of the season.

The duo of Tyler Fassl and now, All-Rookie Matt Williams should also stay in tact for the Golden Hawks.

With the offseason here, Laurier must add the right pieces to their team this summer in order to continue climbing the ranks in the OUA and in USPORTS as they did this year, for the first time in a decade.

not golden Public urination fine – $300 Excessive garbage fine – $550 Excessive noise & nuisance fine – $490

waterloo.ca

THIS IS OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD. TREAT IT WITH RESPECT.

16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020

TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

Pattison and Laurie make Laurier history at nationals MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

Fourth-year runners and Golden Hawk superstars Sydney Pattison and Lizzy Laurie both made the podium in separate events this past weekend at the USPORTS National Track and Field Championship and in the process made Laurier history.

The two stellar athletes capped off an incredible 2019-2020 season, by both winning a medal on the biggest stage.

Over the course of the provincial championships, Pattison made history as she was able to receive the first ever medal by a Hawk at the OUA Championships.

Pattison was able to win the silver medal in the 1500m race and the bronze medal in the 1000m race against the top runners in the province.

Those results, among with various others, have already entrenched Sydney Pattison’s name into the Laurier record books, but she was not done there, as she headed into nationals looking to make some more history.

Pattison also raced in the National Championship last year in Manitoba, as she finished in

twelfth place in the 1500m race with a time of 4:45:72. laurie was attending her first ever USPORTS National Championships and was happy to be joining her friend and teammate in Alberta.

Although Laurie had qualified for nationals with her performances through the season, this was a change of plans from her original schedule.

Laurie was recognized by the International University Sports Federation, otherwise known as FISU,and was invited to compete for Team Canada at the World University Cross Country Championship that was scheduled to take place in Marrakech, Morocco last week, The opportunity of competing for Canada and representing the country as a Golden Hawk was special for Laurie.

Unfortunately however, after close deliberations with the government of Morocco, FISU decided to postpone the event to a later date due to the sweeping spread of the coronavirus.

The postponing of the competition is sure to be disappointing for Laurie as it is not an opportunity that comes by often for

student-athletes, however the government and health officials in Morocco had decided to prioritize the health of the athletes and everyone else involved as the coronavirus continues it’s fearful global track.

With that opportunity off of the table for Laurie, she joined Pattison and the two aimed to make history.

The two stellar athletes capped off an incredible 2019-2020 season, by both winning a medal on the biggest stage.

They both headed into this past weekend, determined and focused to cap off their superb season and even more spectacular careers with a National Championship medal.

That changed however on day one when Lizzy Laurie ran an outstanding race in the 3000m heat.

Laurie was able to leapfrog

three runners in the final lap as she made a big push and went on to make Golden Hawk history by becoming the first ever Laurier athlete to win a middle distance USPORTS medal.

Laurie headed into the final lap in fifth place, but was able to make up some ground on a strong push near the strectch run and ended up jumping from fifth to third place, where she then made a move for second place with the finish line in sight and was able to win the illustrious silver medal.

Lizzy Laurie finished that 3000m race with a time of 9:38:17, a personal best time for her.

The winning continued when Sydney Pattison made no mistake in her signature event, the 1500m race.

Pattison was able to finish third and win a USPORTS Bronze Medal after recording a personal best time of 4:24:79 in the 1500m event.

The time was three seconds quicker then her 1500m race and silver medal at OUA Championships and was much improved from last year’s nationals, coming in 21 seconds faster and nine spots higher along with a medal to show for it.

With the medal, the Rockwood,

Ontario native, Pattison continued to cement her legacy with the Golden Hawks. She is now officially the most decorated member in the short ten year history of indoor distance at Laurier.

Laurier as a team had their most successful season ever and finished in twelfth place out of the 35 participating schools.

Both Pattison and Laurie with their historic performances over the weekend in Edmonton were named athletes of the week once again.

With these medals, the two stars will close out their careers knowing the legacy they have left on the program has been profound.

Pattison was a second team cross country All-Star in the fall term and has won two team MVP awards to go along with her prestigious Outstanding Women of Laurier award.

Laurie was also a second team cross country All-Star, a USPORTS All-Canadian and an Academic All-Canadian.

The duo of Pattison and Laurie is sure to be missed next year, as they have arguably been the two most consistent and successful individual athletes over the past four years here at Laurier.

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