The Cord March 28, 2018

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 58 ISSUE 26 • MARCH 28, 2018

HAWKS IMPRESS AT DANCE SHOWCASE News. page 7

CLOSING THE WAGE GAP

LEADING WOMEN IN KW

MARVEL’S NEW ROLE MODEL

MARCH FOR OUR LIVES

THE END OF THE LINE

Assessing Laurier’s equality efforts

Prof wins award for advocacy efforts

Jessica Jones is the anti-hero we all need

Gun control demonstrations draw big crowds

WCURL’s championship hopes fade

News. page 3

News, Page 6

Arts & Life, page 12

Opinion, page 18

Sports, page 20 SADMAN SAKIB RAHMAN/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

VOCAL CORD

What is your go-to stress food for exam season?

The Cord

@cordnews

@cordwlusp

CordNews

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

“Sushi, it’s brain food.”

–Harry Choi, fourth-year business administration

“Pasta, because I’m Italian.”

–Nicole Pagano, fourthyear business administration TANZEEL SAYANI/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Wilfrid Laurier University’s women’s curling team recently represented the Golden Hawks at the U-Sports National Curling Championships in Leduc, Alta.

“Burritos.”

–Courtney Digregorio, second-year sociology

Letter to the Editor We will not be intimidated

“Junior Chicken from McDonalds.”

–Nicole Thompson, second-year sociology

Compiled by Erin Abe Photos by Sadman Sakib Rahman NEXT ISSUE APRIL 4, 2018

CORD STAFF

Laurier students are being harmed and oppressed by Lindsay Shepherd, the Laurier Society for Open Inquiry, and their idiotic unpopular opinion speaker series. Laurier administration, through their inaction, have allowed militant white supremacist groups on campus including Proud Boys, the president of the White Students Union, and Faith Goldy. In defense, militant leftist groups have also come on campus. This added tension puts the entire campus at risk of violence.

We are afraid for our safety.

In the days prior to Goldy’s talk,

FEATURES EDITOR Karlis Wilde features@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Erin Abe news@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Shyenne MacDonald arts@thecord.ca

LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Abdulhamid Ibrahim sports@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kurtis Rideout editor@thecord.ca

OPINION EDITOR Emily Waitson opinion@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanzeel Sayani creative@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Pranav Desai sports@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Garrison Oosterhof online@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Alan Li graphics@thecord.ca

NEWS DIRECTOR Safina Husein news@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Luke Sarazin photos@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Jake Watts news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Sarah Tyler video@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Nathalie Bouchard news@thecord.ca

WEB ASSISTANT Kate Weber online@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Sadman Sakib Rahman photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Michael Oliveri copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Danielle Deslauriers socialmedia@thecord.ca

students and faculty were followed around campus and photographed. Some were even followed off-campus, when leaving the Diversity and Equity Office, and while putting up posters.

This isn’t the first time Lindsay Shepherd has employed violence to serve her purpose, either; students, staff, and faculty have been repeatedly doxxed by Shepherd and her followers, on Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram. She has released private information regarding the identities of her opposition, and has encouraged her followers to harass those people online. White supremacists with a history of violence now have our names and photos. These individuals have also been in attendance at Shepherd’s events, and at our own counter-demonstrations.

The onus has fallen on already marginalized LGBTQ2S+ and BIPOC students to respond. We were made scapegoats for opposing

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Sharan Rana Dotun Jide Adam Weerskin Eliza Moratz Sarah Spragg Madeline McInnis Vidish Parikh Aaron Hagey Margaret Russell Victoria Berndt Kashwap Patel Caitlyn Lourenco Tyler Currie Sara Burgess Jazzmine Gabert Alex Pham Hayley McGoldrick

“Optimizing Paralympic wheelchair design” by Abdulhamid Ibrahim

white supremacy and transphobia on campus when the university prioritized its reputation above the safety of its students. The administration has responsibilized us for responding by making the student-led services the only avenue of support for students, while simultaneously barring the DEO from getting involved. Students who act have been threatened with academic penalty.

We did not pull the fire alarm.

Our priority was safety. Hundreds of antagonistic people evacuating towards our rally only escalated the threat of violence.

LSOI and Shepherd accuse us and the campus left of shutting down dialogue to further their carefully manipulated free speech narrative. There cannot be dialogue with a group that negates our entire existence by perpetuating transphobic and racist ideology.

Shepherd claims she wants to “air out” these ideas instead of sup-

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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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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

press them. White supremacy is no mystery. There is no debate necessary, only garbage ideas to prevent from being perceived as legitimate at an institution of higher learning.

Laurier is a microcosm of a larger trend of the newly emboldened altright. When we do not shut it down we facilitate its growth through unlimited tolerance and the idea that Canada is too ‘polite’ for white supremacy to exist here. White supremacists draw power from the combined denial and tolerance towards them.

We named our event #NoNazisAtLaurier to clearly state we will not tolerate systemic oppression.

We will not be intimidated into silence.

Shut down hate speech. Ban LSOI from campus. Take out the trash, Laurier.

–Written by #NoNazisAtLaurier Rally Organizers

reply at the earliest time possible.

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

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

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

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

Quote of the week: “Disappointing profs is The Cord experience.”

- Incoming Editor-in-Chief Safina Husein. Wiser words have not been spoken.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

News

• 3 NEWS DIRECTOR SAFINA HUSEIN news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR NATHALIE BOUCHARD news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR JAKE WATTS news@thecord.ca

Investigating the gender wage gap at Laurier Comparing and contrasting some of WLU’s highest paying positions

ALEX PHAM CORD NEWS

The 1996 Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act saw to the creation of the Ontario Sunshine list.

The Sunshine list keeps a catalogue of all employers within the public sector and documents each employees name, position and total earnings for a given year.

The act was designed to make public institutions more transparent and accountable, but it also highlights progress in resolving the issue of gender wage gaps within Canada.

Tammy Schirle, associate professor of economics and expert in gender economics at Laurier, believes so. A wage settlement imposed at Laurier last year served to equalize the wages of faculty members.

“We provide a small increase in wages to all faculty members who were at the associate or full professor level,” Schirle said.

“A committee had studied the wages of faculty members at Laurier and they found that on average — even after controlling for all these market differences and how long we’ve all been here — our associate professors that were women were getting paid slightly less than the men were, and the same thing with the full professors.”

“So they did some adjustments in the wages to correct for that.”

Since the wage settlement was implemented, male and female faculty members’ wages are now

amongst the top 20 highest paid employees at Laurier and is the highest paid female employee.

However, there is a large discrepancy between the wages she received in 2015 and 2016.

In 2015, she earned a salary of $308,575.78, whereas in 2016 she earned $298,666.57.

Schirle clarified that this discrepancy was not due to issues of inequality.

“It would not have to do with the structure of anything along the lines of gender,” Schirle said.

“In her position she was the vice-president: academic and provost at the time and I know that there were some changing responsibilities in that position while she

If there is any differences in salary from year to year, it probably reflected some negotiations that had to do with her responsibilities ...

-Tammy Schirle, associate professor of economics

was there.”

“If there is any differences in salary from year to year, it probably reflected some negotiations that

had to do with her responsibilities in that job.”

Furthermore, administrators in the position of vice-president: academic and provost at different universities such as Charlotte Yates at Guelph and Ian Orchard at Waterloo received comparable wages.

In 2016, Yates earned a salary of $299,024.52, roughly equal to MacLatchy’s, and Orchard earned $305,000.04.

Schirle explained that this difference in wages reflects adjustment for the size of each university and amount of responsibility each of them have.

“Things like the size of the university and the number of people that the individual would

They tend to be very subtle ... how do your collegues treat the fact that you might have primary caregiver responsibilities?

It wasnt a very large gap to begin with, there was a three percent difference for women who were at the associate professor level ...

-Tammy Schirle, associate professor of economics

-Tammy Schirle, associate professor of economics

on par with each other.

“It wasn’t a very large gap to begin with, there was a three per cent difference for women who were at the associate professor level, but there was still a gap that was there so it was taken seriously,” Schirle said.

Looking at the official salary disclosures from 2015 and 2016, current president and vice-chancellor, Deborah MacLatchy — formerly vice-president: academic and provost — consistently ranked

be responsible for in that type of position,” Schirle said.

“VP academic is in charge of a lot of things and one difference between Laurier and Waterloo is that Waterloo has a large engineering school, they have a pharmacy school, there’s all of these other things that we aren’t dealing with here and they have a much larger graduate program as well.”

“In that sense, you expect people to get paid according to the level of responsibility and challenges that comes with their job,” Schirle continued.

As for the gender wage gaps across Canada, Schirle believes that the bigger issue lies with individual factors.

“I think the bigger persistent issue that is there is the tendency for men and women to break into different fields of study,” she said.

“It seems that there are some barriers to women in entering certain fields, challenges perhaps that their male counterparts don’t have to manage in their jobs.”

Schirle elaborated further, explaining the types of issues that women face which are tied to women only and are not experienced by men in the workplace.

“They tend to be very subtle …

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS ARTIST

How do your colleagues treat the fact that you might have primary caregiver responsibilities? How is your maternity leave time treated when you go for things like tenure and promotion as professors?”

Schirle said.

Finally, Schirle ultimately stated that anecdotal evidence is not significant enough data to fully indicate if women receive less pay than men as a direct result of gender inequality.

“What you need to be able to seek out are those apples to apples comparisons,” Schirle said.

“You’re looking for two people who really have the same kinds of responsibilities and then trying to tell whether on average, men and women are able to negotiate the same salaries.”

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

RESEARCH

Laurier students compete in annual Three Minute Thesis NATHALIE BOUCHARD NEWS EDITOR

On March 28, Wilfrid Laurier University will be holding the three-minute thesis competition for master’s and post doctoral students from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. on its Waterloo campus.

Research-based masters and PhD students will present their topic of research in a time period of three minutes or less.

The three-minute thesis is specifically meant to help masters and post-doctoral students to develop their communications skills and explain the significance of their research to a layperson audience.

“Basically, it’s a competition where [masters students] have to present their thesis, major research project or dissertation in three minutes or less,” Claire Prime, communications coordinator for the competition said.

“They get one PowerPoint slide or any notes or any props and the winner [moves] onto the provincial competition.”

The three-minute thesis competition is a world-renowned competition which began in 2008.

This competition has both national and international significance for master’s researchers and post-doctoral students from a wide range of disciplines.

“It’s a competition about effective communication,” Matt Smith, biology professor and associate dean of graduate and doctoral studies, said.

“It was actually founded at the University of Queensland, in New Zealand, quite a number of years ago and now spread across globe really, universities all over the world do it now.”

“It’s an event about effective

I think it is really a great showcase of students and the work that they are doing, again it’s a huge diversity of different topics ...

-Matt Smith, biology professor and associate dean of graduate and doctoral studies

communication to an audience, how can you boil your thesis down and – for a PhD student for four, five, six years a big research project – how can you boil that down and effectively communicate that in three minutes or less ... it’s like an elevator pitch basically,” Smith said.

Masters and post-doctoral students were recruited in January by Claire Prime in order to participate in the three-minute thesis competition.

This year there are many competitors from all different kinds of Laurier programs presenting their research.

“It happens every March, and I think at Laurier it has been happening since 2012. Next year we will be looking for more competitors in and around January,” Prime said.

“We have 16 disciplines this year and 30 competitors at the moment, so we have pretty well almost every faculty involved [from] social work, music therapy, biology, management, criminology and all sorts of different disciplines,” Prime said.

In addition to the experience of sharing valuable research with the community, there is a wide range of prizes to be won by the participants of the competition.

“First place is $1,000, runner up is $500 and honourable mention is $250. Then the Participant’s Choice Award, which is chosen by the competitors, is $250,” Prime said. “[The] winner goes onto the provincial competition at York university … then after that there is a national competition,” Prime said.

Last year, Richard Edwards, former three-minute thesis competitor, made it to the national three-minute thesis competition for his master’s research on quantum dots and their ability to detect tumors.

The challenge to explain an entire thesis within a three-minute time period is extremely difficult.

Smith explained that it really showcases the vast amount of effort it takes to conduct such a difficult task.

“It’s actually a really difficult challenge to do this in exactly three

ALAN LI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

minutes or less, so students really put a lot of work into that and it really is exciting to see all of the presentations and how good they are and knowing how much work they put into it,” Smith said.

“I think it is really a great showcase of students and the work that they are doing, again it’s a huge diversity of different topics and really high-quality work that is going on, so I think that it’s a really good aspect of the day,” Smith said.

The public and undergraduate

students are also welcomed to attend the event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. which allows for the opportunity for the community to be exposed to the research happening at Laurier.

“It gives the public … a taste of kind of … research happening at Laurier,” Prime said.

“There’s just so much many disciplines involved and some really cutting-edge research that doesn’t always make the news.”

EQUALITY

Equal Voices works to empower women in politics ERIN ABE LEAD REPORTER

March 25, 2018 marked the founding meeting of Equal Voice for the Waterloo Region.

Equal Voice is a national multi-partisan organization with the mandate to elect more women to all levels of the political office.

The offices of Catherine Fife, member of provincial parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo and Katherine Bergman, president and vice-chancellor of St. Jerome’s University, organized the event to host local women from the KW community for Equal Voice.

The meeting had just under 100 women and allies attend in support of KW being accredited to the third chapter of Equal Voice in Ontario.

Equal Voice in KW now has 18 individuals on the steering committee that will shape the direction of the club moving forward.

The local equal vote initiative of Waterloo Region was inspired by the daughters of the vote which took place in 2017 in Ottawa where 338 young women from across Canada took their seat in the House of Commons to commemorate some women getting the right

to vote.

“Fife and Bergman were so inspired by the daughters of the vote initiative, we need to have something that happens all the time, every year,” Carly Pettinger, constituency assistant to Catherine Fife said.

We need to be talking about getting more women elected and supporting more women to become elected all year around ...

-Carly Pettinger, constituency assistant to Catherine Fife

“We need to be talking about getting more women elected and supporting more women to become elected all year around so that is exactly what this vocal chapter will aim to do.”

Equal Voice is the only organization that brings women together across the country and across the

political spectrum to advance women’s representation in elected office, as stated on their website.

Sunday’s event hosted a Women in Politics panel that included, Bardish Chagger, a member of parliament, Lori Campbell, the director of indigenous initiative at University of Waterloo, and Tracey Weiler, a former conservative candidate for the riding of KW. “There was so much interest [in Equal Voice] we ended up having co-chairs, co-vice chairs, co-memberships and we didn’t want to say no to anybody because the interest was so great,” Pettinger said.

The next meeting for the local Equal Voice has yet to be determined by the steering committee since the initiative is waiting to become officially accredited in Ontario.

“It’s concerning that we don’t have any LGBTQ folks, we don’t have any racialized folks elected municipally and those are two things I am committed to supporting women from those groups to see some different representation,” Pettinger said.

“It’s concerning that our elected officials locally do not reflect the make-up of our community so I hope we’ll change that.”

ALAN LI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 EVENTS

Women in Leadership Laurier host conference JAZZMINE GABERT CORD NEWS

Women in Leadership Laurier (WILL) hosted their annual leadership conference this past Sunday on March 25.

WILL held the conference at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics building located at Wilfrid Laurier University. The conference was an all day event running from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..

The conference this year was called ‘WILL to Succeed,’ and included a TEDx speaker, a Unilever workshop, and speed networking component. This event was meant to give students valuable skills which will contribute to future employment. “[Here at] WILL, we promote having women in the workforce and promote events such as this one today,” Co-president of WILL, Olivia Lewis said.

“We bring in a variety of women and men to share their experiences on how they were able to get where they are today.”

Co-presidents Olivia Lewis and Victoria Mastroianni explained that the conference was used to empower members and give out information to contribute to professional advancement.

“We try to bring in a wide variety of corperate people to give our members a very wide range of opinions and expertise,” Lewis

We try to bring in a wide variety of corporate people to give our members a very wide range of opinions and expertise.

-Olivia Lewis, co-president of WILL

LUKE SARAZIN/PHOTO EDITOR

said, “[Our keynote speaker today] was not [focusing on] typical bank[ing] or accounting, she was able to help our members with [life-skills].”

This year, WILL partnered with Donahue Learning and Unilever to create case studies and speaker presentations.

“We just had a keynote speech

by Dr. Mary Donohue, who is the CEO of Donohue Learning. She is a TEDx talk speaker, a writer, she kind of does it all. The main goal of her business is she helps teach people how to digitally communicate,” Lewis said.

“This was an approach that was different from the [rest] of our events.”

In addition to the WILL to Succeed conference, WILL hosts many other events which contribute to the professional, career and personal development of their members.

“Our breakout workshop is going to be facilitated by Unilever on key things that hold women back from succeeding,” WILL explained in a post on their Facebook page. “[We do these workshops because it] also allow[s] our members to [find confidence] through networking or through these wom-

en’s [speeches] to go out to these job interviews and be able to sell themselves in the best way.

We are trying to help with soft skills that [aren’t always] taught in the classroom,” Mastroianni explained.

This conference was one of many events held throughout the year, Mastroianni said.

The executive team of WILL has also been proud to host a number of informative workshops for students to attend.

In addition to running info sessions, the group also organized mentorship lunches: “[an] opportunity for students to get paired up

with an industry professional and their choice of interest and have the ability to use that connection in the future. Whether it’s for personal or professional career advice.”

Mastroianni explained that the events WILL hosts are meant to help students gain confidence and develop skills needed in the workforce.

“Along with the networking, it’s about having students come and succeed in the workplace. [A lot of ] these students are applying for summer jobs, co-op, or full-time.

We are looking … for what tools we need,”Mastroianni said.

“The hard and soft tools … and this event really targets that, looks at [it], and finds ways [to] have women be more confident and do these things. That’s why we host events like [WILL to Suceed Conference] in the first place,” Mastroianni said.

PARTNERSHIPS

The goal is really about encouraging youth in this area to embrace post-secondary education ...

-Gail Forsyth, director: teaching, learning and retention at Jumpstart to Higher Education

ALAN LI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Manulife donates to Jumpstart SAFINA HUSEIN NEWS DIRECTOR

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Jumpstart to Higher Education program recently received a $300,000 donation from Manulife earlier this month.

The generous gift will ultimately allow the program to continue running and expand further into the Waterloo Region as well as into Brantford.

“Laurier and Manulife enjoy a successful partnership that has spanned nearly four decades,” Deborah MacLatchy, president and vice-chancellor of Laurier, said in a Laurier press release.

“Manulife’s generous gift will make a material difference in the futures of thousands of children from our communities. Jumpstart to Higher Education continues Manulife and Laurier’s long tradition of fostering lasting social change through community partnerships.”

The Jumpstart to Higher Education program is a post-secondary education literacy intervention program that works to target grade seven and eight students in public schools within the Waterloo Region.

“The program is really targeting schools and communities where there is a higher percentage of

families with a lower post-secondary attainment. What we’re trying to do is de-mystify post-secondary education for them,” Gail Forsyth, director: teaching, learning and retention at Jumpstart to Higher Education, said.

The program helps students understand the various post-secondary pathways at a young age.

Students are able to seek answers to questions surrounding post-secondary options, such as funding, different careers and education streams and more.

“They don’t have the same role models that they would normally have in communities where there’s a lot of families or parents that

have gone on to post-secondary,” Forsyth said.

“So we’re trying to provide that information for those students early on so they can be less anxious about exploring post-secondary and learn about the pathways.”

The program was first developed five years ago. However, the current funding limited the program to remain solely within public schools within the Waterloo Region.

“This most recent gift allows us to continue to develop the program and expand it to the Brantford community where there’s a high percentage of communities that are Indigenous,” Forsyth said.

Manulife’s donation will ultimately allow the program to continue running and expanding for a minimum of three years, with a potential for two years after that.

“We’re excited to being able to continue the program, because without the funding it would have

stopped … we can continue to evolve and I’m excited that we can move into the Brantford community because we also have a campus in Brantford,” Forsyth said.

Although the mandate of the Jumpstart program is not to recruit students to attend Laurier, Forsyth noted that the program often naturally leaves a positive impression on students and their families.

“By default, I think we will certainly have some positive relationships that people will think about [Laurier] in a high regard and will remember us, but that is certainly not the mandate or the goal,” Forsyth said.

“The goal is really about encouraging youth in this area to embrace post-secondary education — in whatever stream is the best stream for them for their career and aspirations — that’s really what we’re looking for.”

In correspondence with the program, a research component called Poverty Reduction Research Group has been developed in order to measure the long-term effects and impacts of Jumpstart.

The data collected by the research group will work to, hopefully, incorporate Jumpstart’s goals and mandates into the Ontario junior high curriculum for all students to have access to.

“I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to provide post-secondary education literacy for these students, I hope it brings and encourages students to consider post-secondary as a viable option,” Forsyth said.

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

EDUCATION

Laurier emphasizes experiential learning JAKE WATTS NEWS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University has made some changes to its Navigator website, the online hub where students and alumni can track experiential learning and find employment opportunities.

The new site incorporates the previously separate webpage dedicated to maintaining each student’s co-curricular record.

“What we’ve done is bring in the co-curricular record, and re-branded it as the ‘Laurier Experience Record’,” Jan Basso, Laurier’s assistant vice-president: experiential learning & career development, said.

“In terms of the experience record, it will cover the experiential learning opportunities students have had, curricular and co-curricular, but it also does include all those certificates that you can develop or participate in at Laurier as well,” Basso said.

Examples of those certificates include the Career Development Certificate, the Money Management Certificate, and the Diversity and Equity Certificate, all of which students can earn by attending the relevant events and workshops.

Further, the new system has a built-in mechanism that allows students to reflect on their experiences.

“So when you complete the experience, you have the opportu-

development company Orbis Communications, it is intended to facilitate students’ experiential learning.

“Last April we made the announcement that we were the first partner with Orbis in Canada on this experiential learning platform.

Subsequent to that, a number of schools have now decided they’re going to do the same thing,” Basso said.

JAKE WATTS/NEWS EDITOR

nity to really think about what it is really that you learned. So we want to enhance the learning that takes place in all of these experiences,” Basso said.

“Co-op has a reflection process and a work-report that has to be developed, community service learning goes through a reflection process as part of the course.”

“But there are a lot of other activities where, when students log and enter them for their co-curricular record, there will be a series of five questions that we want them to think about around reflection, so that when they complete the experience, they are better able to articulate the competencies

that they developed and what the meaning of that experience was for them.”

Enabling students to seek out and leverage experiential learning opportunities in these ways is a trend that many Canadian universities have been following.

“Experiential learning within curriculum is a pedagogical practice that is being embraced across the country. The Ontario government has put a very strong emphasis on experiential learning as a result of some reports that were done for them,” Basso said.

“One being the ‘Building the Workforce of Tomorrow’ report that recommended that every stu-

dent at a post-secondary institution have at least one experiential learning opportunity.”

That report, commissioned in 2015 by Premier Kathleen Wynne, focused on how students can be best equipped to succeed in today’s economy.

“We are trying to ramp up the number of opportunities that are available to students, so that they really can have those opportunities and acquire more knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, think about career options, become much more self-aware,” Basso said.

Laurier’s new Navigator website represents the locus of these efforts. Developed by the software

We are trying to ramp up the number of opportunities that are available to students ...

-Jan Basso, avp: experiential learning and career development

“But we’re going to be the first to launch at Laurier, which is kind of exciting for us.”

Orbis also happens to staff some former Laurier Golden Hawks.

“Two of the partners at Orbis are former Laurier students, one was our Students’ Union president and one was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Students’ Union,” Basso said.

RECOGNITION

Laurier prof wins local award ERIN ABE LEAD REPORTER

On April 13, Wilfrid Laurier University professor Janet McLaughlin will receive an award for the leading women building communities program in Kitchener Waterloo.

Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife announced the winners of the award and it will be presented to McLaughlin among 10 other local women honoured from the KW area.

McLaughlin is a health studies faculty member at Wilfrid Laurier University who has advocated for children with autism and migrant workers.

“What both migrant workers and children with autism have in common for me is it’s about creating a more inclusive society where everyone can reach their potential and have their needs supported regardless of the challenges they face in their lives,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin began advocating for children with autism when the provincial government cut funding for children to receive intensive behaviour intervention therapy over the age of five.

“I have a son who was just turning five with autism who was waiting for that therapy so I was kind of directly impacted by that decision,” McLaughlin said.

For McLaughlin, advocating

for this issue involved organizing rallies, meeting with politicians in Toronto and writing articles in the media to display what change would mean for families affected by this government cut.

“It was really a part of a broad movement, there were other leaders throughout the province doing similar activities and all of us came together as a united front in partnership [to advocate],” McLaughlin said.

I spend a lot of time trying to take what I’ve learned and make change or influence people who can make change.

-Janet McLaughlin, associate professor, health studies

With the efforts of McLaughlin’s work among other organized advocacy groups across the province, the pressure caused the liberals to reverse their decision and reinstate the therapy for children over the age of five.

“I spent a lot of time outside of the academic world meeting with

policy makers and service providers, writing reports and meeting with the government to try to make my research relevant in the real world,” McLaughlin said.

“I spent a lot of time trying to take what I’ve learned and make change or influence people who can make change.”

McLaughlin’s long-term research has focused on migrant workers since the completion of her PhD. McLaughlin has been researching and advocating for migrant worker health and human rights issues since beginning her research in this area.

One of the major outcomes of McLaughlin’s work was the creation of migrant worker health clinics.

“I noticed [migrant workers] had a lot of barriers accessing health care, we started giving presentations to policy makers and service providers with our recommendation for how this could be improved and … a result of that advocacy was [the creation] of some migrant worker health clinics,” McLaughlin said.

The health clinics for migrant workers now run throughout the summer and are at a more accessible location and time for migrant works to attend when needed.

Clinics also have translators as many workers don’t speak English,

LUKE SARAZIN/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

which posed a large barrier prior.

“They overcome barriers that our research identified,” McLaughlin said.

“For me, it’s a real privilege to be able to have a career that enables

me to spend my days researching what I’m passionate about and it’s all the more rewarding if research can actually be used to make a change in the world for the better.”

NEWS • 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 PERFORMANCE

Annual Laurier Dance Showcase HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK STAFF WRITER

Even through the midst of midterms and holidays, the coordinators, instructors and dancers of Wilfrid Laurier University Dance worked to prepare the Winter 2018 Dance Showcase, which took place this Sunday on March 25.

Laurier Athletics offers four different levels of dance for 14 different styles, all of which had performances in the showcase.

Nicole Lanzo, the advanced lyrical instructor this term, had the goal to move the audience in an untraditional way with a style that merges ballet and jazz.

“Being a lyrical routine, it definitely involves using more emotion and storytelling than most other styles of dance so I’m looking forward to my dancers being able to share the emotions they feel while performing to the song I chose,” Lanzo said.

The piece featured dancers styled in black dresses and included stylistic elements like a full turn

section to Sleeping At Last’s cover of “Chasing Cars”.

“The lyrics in the song reflect losing yourself in the presence of someone else whether it be friend-

The showcase creates such an exciting atmosphere for all the students involved.

-Michelle Callendar, veteran of Laurier dance

The Winter Dance Showcase was brought to life not only through those creating the dances, but the performers of them as well.

Michelle Callendar, a veteran of Laurier dance, who was featured in multiple dances presented to the crowd at the showcase.

“My favourite part about being a Laurier dance participant, and specifically being in the showcase, is the opportunity to continue dancing and being part of such a welcoming community, even in university,” Callendar said.

“The showcase creates such an exciting atmosphere for all the students involved.”

Callendar noted that the piece she was most looking forward to is Advanced Hip-Hop, which was

performed to a medley of Chris Brown songs.

“It’s one of the most popular classes and is always an amazing performance,” she said.

Performing in her fourth showcase, Maya Saggar, second-year student at Laurier, was part of the advanced open dance class, which performed a piece by Sydney Faulkner, set to the music of Novo Amor.

“I’m most looking forward to getting to see all the other dances.

Showcase weekend is the first time we get to see all the other classes’ dances,” Saggar said.

The showcase had two times for the performances, one performance was at 12:30 p.m. and the other performance at 4:00 p.m.,

with both showings having a full house spectate as all the dancers performed their last 10 weeks’ worth of classes.

“The most rewarding thing would definitely be watching all the different dances and classes progress throughout the semester.”

Rachel Hunter coordinator and advanced tap instructor, said.

“We only have ten weeks to finish, clean and make sure all the dances are stage ready and our participants feel confident,” Hunter said.

“It makes me so happy watching all the smiles on the audience’s faces at the showcase watching the dances and I love being able to watch the finished product come to life.”

ship or love, so I chose this piece with the hope that the audience will be captivated enough by the routine to feel the same way and be able to see the connections the dancers have with the song and each other,” Lanzo said.

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GAMES • 9

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 SUDOKU Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to your life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public forum.

All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous and therefore do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Cord or WLUSP. They should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions can be sent to dearlife@thecord.ca no later than Monday at noon each week.

Dear Life,

I heard it all before So don’t knock down my door I’m a loser and a user So I don’t need no accuser To try and slag me down Because I know you’re right So go do what you like Make sure you do it wise You may find out that your selfdoubt Means nothing was ever there You can’t go forcing something If it’s just not right

academic staff who contribute to other departments within the university as well. These professors deserve salary positions in order to keep teaching students the importance of diversity, gender, race, and feminist theory. The department has the ability to educate not only students who attend their classes but the ability to educate many areas of this problematic campus.

We need to have students aware of sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and racism in order to improve campus climate for the rest of the university. Women and gender studies professors are valuable, let them do more with their knowledge and improve our school!

Sincerely, Billy Joe

Sincerely, Concerned Double Major

Dear Laurier Administration,

Gare Bear,

The women and gender studies department deserves more funding for contract academic staff to become salary employee’s. More than half of the department is contract

You’re the best

Sincerely, sucks Dear Life,

Thanks AndY Sincerely, Denise Dear Life, It kinda really sucks working for the media at times, you hear about everything bad going on around you.

Sincerely, You is so gentle

From the Archives: March 28, 2007 On March 28. 2007, The Cord profiled outgoing president and vice chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier Univeristy, Dr. Robert “Bob” G. Rosehart.

Dr. Bob served a ten year term as president, from 1997 to 2007, and helped to transform the small school of about 6,100 students into the large, multicampus institution that it is today. After finishing his tenure at Laurier Dr. Bob was appointed Northwestern Ontario Economic Facilitator, presenting his final report ‘Northwestern Ontario: Preparing For Change’ to Minister Gravelle in March 2008.

thecord.ca

To learn more about the history of The Cord, check out Laurier Archives, where digitized versions dating back to 1926 are available.

“The Laurier Archives is the Library’s research collection of archival papers, rare books, and historic university records.”

FILE PHOTO/SYDNEY HELLAND

10 •

FEATURES EDITOR/KARLIS WILDE/FEATURES@THECORD.CA

FEATU

Where univers

Arts & Life Editor Shyenne mental health and the po

On 2018’s Bell Let’s Talk Day, the twitter page @SpottedLaurier published three tweets directed toward the wellness centre on campus. “#bellletstalk about how the Wellness Centre turned me away during crisis hours because I wasn’t going to kill myself.. but all I needed was someone to talk to that day.” The anonymous tweet was published at 3:56 am.

The one that followed was in the afternoon: “#BellLetsTalk because the Wellness Centre turned me away for being a ‘conflict of interest’ because my sister was someone of importance in the Laurier community and that apparently trumped my mental health in first year.”

The final tweet was posted in the evening, demanding change within the Wellness Centre. They claimed that the waitlist for mental health services was too long.

Before delving into the issues on campus any further, I think that we need to take a step back. Wilfrid Laurier isn’t the only university that struggles with mental health resources.

According to an August 2016 release from The Ontario University and College Health Association (OUCHA), 65 per cent of students reported experiencing overwhelming anxiety.

The report claims that 13 per cent of post-secondary students reported having seriously considered suicide and around 11 per cent (roughly 2,803 students) had attempted it.

This data reflects an eight per cent spike since the last survey was conducted in 2013.

But where is this spike coming from? How did we become the generation with record breaking mental health issues?

The answer to that isn’t simple, but it may be related to a number of unique, modern factors.

In a research statement released by Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), social media was linked to a negative impact on young people’s mental health.

“Social media has been described as more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol, and is now entrenched in the lives of young people that it is no longer possible to ignore it when talking about young people’s mental health issues,” claimed chief executive of RSPH, Shirley Cramer in a 2017 report.

“It’s interesting to see Instagram and Snapchat ranking as the worst for mental health and wellbeing — both platforms are image focused and it appears they may be driving feelings of inadequacy and anxiety in young people.”

But it isn’t just social media. It’s video games, drinking, Christmas, societal expectations and a constant barrage of information. Global news and looming war affects our mood — there have even been studies of country music being linked to depression.

But it’s also worth noting that the increase in reported data might not be because more students are depressed than they were in 2013 — it’s possible that the stigma surrounding mental health has simply been broken down to the point where more students feel comfortable coming forward.

“You just need to look around Laurier, there’s so many students actively championing the need for more discussion around mental health and decreasing stigma. By extension, there’s also a lot more people engaging in the conversation about mental health,” Leanne Holland-Brown, Dean of Students at Laurier, said.

We know where we are, but how do we move forward? A first step would be understanding that problems we face at Laurier are the same problems other universities are facing.

“In the news there’s been information concerning student’s mental health,” Karen Ostrander, director of the Student Wellness Centre said.

At this point she motioned to a thick blue booklet aptly titled ‘Student Mental Health,’ sitting on her desk. It had a million yellow tabs sticking out, and — as if to ensure I had seen it — she lifted it up and then let it drop back onto her desk.

“I’ve been here for quite some time; I think the world has changed quite a bit,” she continued.

“All you need to do is take a look at any of the articles coming out of universities and student’s affairs, not just in Canada but across North America.”

-Leanne Holland-Brown, Dean of Students

URES

sities fall short

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28. 2018 • 11

e MacDonald talks about ost-secondary experience.

“I think the population of students that we’re seeing now, there might be more significant mental health concerns presenting in the post-secondary population partly because people are being better supported to get to post-secondary school.”

WLU is evidently one of the better universities when it comes to managing mental health. Professors are mostly understanding and there are a large number of resources available for students seeking help. The Wellness Centre as a whole takes a holistic approach to the well-being of students, focusing as much on physical health as they do on mental health.

Whether it’s the University of Waterloo, who’ve had three suicides since the start of 2018, or McGill University who are trying to accommodate the 35 per cent increase of students seeking counselling — it seems like all universities are grappling with a staggering demand for mental health resources.

“All you need to do is take a look at any of the articles coming out of universities and student’s affairs, not just in Canada but across North America. Probably even more broad than that, the challenge of increasingly complex mental health needs is not unique to Laurier,” Holland-Brown explained.

“We’re currently doing a survey for all students, just to try and get some feedback,” Ostrander said. “Being aware of the student landscape, regarding mental health, there’s a lot of concerns about the services and resources.”

“So, we wanted to reach out to our general student body to try and get some feedback to create a mechanism for that feedback. The Dean of Students also elected to meet with a number of student groups that might have special needs or possibly be marginalized, just to make sure they had an opportunity to chat as well.”

This survey, which can be accessed through your Laurier email, doesn’t actually ask for personal experiences. Instead, it asks questions pertaining to accessibility: Do you know where the Student Wellness Centre is located? Have you been there before? Are you aware of their services?

“The main kind of themes we’ve been chatting about have been relating to access, student’s knowledge and understanding of the Wellness Centre’s support and what it can provide,” Holland-Brown explained.

“...there’s just so many students actively championing the need for more discussion around mental health and decreasing stigma...”

-Leanne Holland-Brown, Dean of Students

“We’ve been hearing about issues, challenges and barriers accessing support and experiences students have had with the Wellness Centre that can be improved upon.”

But issues lay beyond accessibility and what students know of the Wellness Centre. An ongoing problem seems to be resources and lack thereof. In The Cord’s March 7 issue, an anonymous letter to the Wellness Centre was published in the “Dear Life” section: “Dear Wellness Centre, I need an appointment this month, not mid April. I get that you guys work hard to help people but you also have a serious problem that needs to be addressed. How many students are slipping through the cracks because you can’t provide the adequate care expected of you?

Sincerely, Desperate and destitute” We have an estimated total of 17,019 undergraduate students at Laurier and only eight counsellors focused on their mental health.

If the Wellness Centre is dealing with a ratio of roughly 2,000 students per counsellor, how much attention is each individual being given? It would be fair to say that all universities are at a point of change, where how mental health is handled needs to be carefully considered.

At Laurier, we can count ourselves as lucky that our school genuinely cares about mental health and ensuring that the quality of student life remains high.

But it’s also fair to say we all still have a long way to go.

LAYOUT AND PHOTO BY SADMAN SAKIB RAHMAN/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

12 •

Arts & Life

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28. 2018 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR SHYENNE MACDONALD arts@thecord.ca

ENTERTAINMENT

Sofar so good!

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

ADAM WEERSKIN CORD ARTS

On March 25, Sofar Sounds held another event in a downtown Kitchener office space. Sofar Sounds is a music company that hosts secret intimate concerts in a new location for every event.

The location is only revealed a day before the event and must remain a secret between those involved.

The Cord had the chance to speak to the Marketing Lead Ryan Baillie and the City Lead Amit Mehta. These two individuals are very passionate about Sofar Sounds; they are eager to talk about the work that goes on behind the scenes of every event.

The artists are not revealed ahead of time and are only re-

leased at the event.

“Three totally diverse acts,” Mehta said, insuring there is something for everyone in the audience.

The first artist we got to see was Rebecca Lappa, a passionate singer from Edmonton.

Then we saw Hugo Alley, an indie-rock band from Kitchener-Waterloo. Last, we had an acoustic folk artist named Richard Garvey who had no shortage of quips and audience interaction.

Sofar Sounds is present in 404 cities worldwide, however Waterloo Sofar Sounds started small in September 2017 with only 30 guests at their first event and 10 volunteers.

Sofar Sounds now has 27 volunteers and over 150 applicants for each show.

Applicants can find a show in

their city and apply for a ticket online.

We want to showcase arts and culture in Kitchener-Waterloo

-Amit Mehta, City Lead

“We actually handpick the audience to try and increase the sense of community at the show,”

Mehta said.

The audience at the events often consist of young and old members creating a very diverse crowd.

Due to creative concert locations, audience members are encouraged to bring pillows and blankets to sit on, creating a very close quarters event — you really get to know the person next to you.

The event on Sunday was hosted in the office space of Smile.io; previously an event has been held in 10,000 Villages.

“To … set up in the storefront we had to move all the displays out of the way,” Baillie said.

“You never know where the event is going to be held.”

Sofar Sounds previously held events just once a month. Having recently updated the frequency to every other week, their events will

help to bring together a community in Kitchener-Waterloo.

“We want to showcase arts and culture in Kitchener-Waterloo,” Mehta said.

Interested in a night of live music with a private audience and a diverse crowd?

Great, there is a three step process.

First apply online for tickets, next wait for your email letting you know that you have been selected.

Finally buy your ticket!

Then wait for the secret location to be revealed to you.

Make sure you bring some cash for the bar to pick up a drink.

Sofar Sounds is a great event for meeting people you normally wouldn’t; the mutual love for music and the intimate setting brings everyone together.

TELEVISION

Our defender, Jessica Jones BRITTANY TENHAGE STAFF WRITER

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Marvel’s Jessica Jones is not your typical superhero. She’s a heavy drinker, she swears a lot, and doesn’t really care about being a superhero.

Despite that, she cares for the people around her and frequently ends up saving the world.

Jessica Jones was taken as a newly orphaned child and experimented on without her consent, a comparison to the way vulnerable people can be preyed on and taken advantage of by those in power over them.

She’s also a sexual assault and rape survivor. In the first season, she delves into how the season’s villain, Kilgrave, used his power of control to force her into a sexual relationship with him.

Throughout both seasons, she addresses him directly by saying “you raped me.”

At the end of the first season she overpowers his control over her and kills him.

The scene where she kills him is not contrived or played up for drama, but instead, fills the viewer

with a feeling of relief at seeing him dead.

The second season furthers this with a scene where Jessica tells an assailant who uses a gendered slur against her that “time’s up.”

The second season also features flashbacks to Jessica’s sister, Trish, being raped and sexually abused by a male movie producer.

It’s very important, especially with the current social climate of women saying “no more” to silence, to have a female superhero who’s also a survivor.

Jessica Jones allows women who have been victims to see strength in themselves. She isn’t limited by what she’s been through, but instead, channels her anger into her work as a superhero and private eye.

Actress Krysten Ritter, who plays Jessica Jones, has spoken about this, saying: “Jessica Jones means more in the era of #MeToo.” “The trauma she experienced affects everything. It affects how she walks, how she speaks, how she drinks, how she relates to her friends, how she hates herself.

It’s always there,” Ritter said in an interview with TIME magazine.

Ritter also speaks in depth in that interview about why Jessica Jones resonates with people: “People are connecting with Jessica because she is outwardly expressing her anger about it.

She’s pissed off. [Trish’s] story does not involve her, but she’s a victim of sexual assault herself. I think it triggers an anger that has been lying dormant. The fact that he’s hurting other women makes her completely flip out and punch a hole in a car.”

Beyond the show’s storylines and how it tackles stories about sexual assault and rape, Jessica Jones is also full of women.

Two of the main characters in the first season are female with multiple female side characters and the second season adds a third female main character. The second season is also directed entirely by women.

The show’s producer and showrunner is a woman. This makes the storylines feel more organic, and the visuals are no longer seen from the male gaze, but a woman’s. Ritter said to Entertainment Weekly that it changed the atmosphere and that the set felt softer.

Jessica Jones changes the landscape surrounding superheroes and the stories they can tell.

Her status as a victim of experimentation and sexual abuse does not take away her power or make her seem weak. Instead, it furthers her strength and shapes her into the hero we see.

Jessica Jones is the superhero that the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements need.

ARTS & LIFE • 13

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28. 2018 CHARITY

Alpha Epsilon Pi is all fun and charity!

SARAH SPRAGG STAFF WRITER

Would you believe that an event with over 380 donors, 150 participants and a staggering $21, 680 raised shares a name with a popular dare for drinking games?

No, I wouldn’t either — but the Jewish Fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi’s “Naked Mile” was able to accomplish way more in the span of a month-and-a-half than supposedly any other single event for a club on campus.

On Friday, March 23, the fraternity hosted their first ever “Naked Mile” on Alumni Field with many of the brothers from Greek Life and other supporters.

Although I was quite astounded with the accomplishments of this when I went to the event, I was genuinely curious if this would become the true nature of the name, but many participants expressed that they weren’t planning on going too far with it.

Others said that it honestly depended on how the mood went and the day itself.

When asked about how the fraternity was able to get this event approved by Laurier, AEPi President Michael Cooper said: “The fraternity had to promise to

DOTUN JIDE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

give t-shirts and boxers but it might end up getting a little wild.”

“Their fraternity’s organization gave them the goal of raising $20,000 over two years … and they really took that goal to heart,” Cooper said.

The fraternity was inspired to take on the “Naked Mile” as their major proposed idea, planning alongside sponsors, such as Dallas Nightclub, Sleep Ezzz Matress Express, Ethel’s Lounge, and many others. The ambitious attitude of

both Cooper and his fellow members of the fraternity made them decide to not only raise the money in under a year but that they would do it in one big event.

Alpha Epsilon Pi itself is the largest international fraternity in Canada. The chapter that executed this event has over 67 active brothers — reflecting their capacity, just in sheer numbers and connections to other donors, to raise the amount that they did.

But, what is truly incredible is

the short amount of time it took them to do so. As previously expressed, Cooper wanted to be able to meet their objective with one single event.

“We [the fraternity] made it our life for a month-and-a-half.”

And within two weeks of the event, they had gone far beyond what they could have expected to achieve — they continuously kept raising funds until they had exceeded the initial $20,000 goal.

“I am very proud of the brothers

and community for the efforts that were demonstrated,” Cooper said.

All of the proceeds from this event were sent in support of the B’nai Brith Canada. This organization provides an important voice for the Canadian Jewish community and, as Cooper explained, gives a range of educational and social programming, community services, and human initiatives.

“This organization is important in combatting the anti-Semitism that many of our members experience every day.”

When asked what he hopes for the future in terms of other events, and the Naked Mile itself, Cooper expressed that: “The fraternity hope’s to be able to keep pushing the boundaries … and they will be conducting the event again next year with an even higher goal than this year.”

This event honestly amazed me and goes to show what one club on campus can do when they put their full efforts towards it.

The day was one to remember for the Laurier community, and I hope that they will be able to reach higher goals in the next year, and you never know what could happen with the run itself — they might end up taking it up a notch.

Nothing’s impossible, right?

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14 • ARTS & LIFE HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Bleeding ethically Menstrual cups, known commonly by the brand Diva Cup, are one of the most eco-friendly alternatives.

ELIZA MORATZ STAFF WRITER

Although menstruation happens to approximately half of all people during their lives, it’s still treated as taboo.

Even on a university campus, considered by many to be a very liberal place, talking about periods in casual conversation is often frowned upon.

On March 22, the University of Waterloo Women’s Centre held a workshop titled ‘Menstrual Products: Healthy Alternatives & Sustainable Practices’, with the hope of diminishing the stigma surrounding menstruating and provide information on the alternatives to traditional menstrual products.

Through an informal presentation, four alternatives to traditional menstrual products such as disposable pads and tampons were discussed.

The presenters emphasized that menstruation is not a gendered experience and to be trans-inclusionary the term “menstruating person” was used.

The first alternative discussed — and perhaps the one that most people will feel comfortable with — was green disposables.

These are organic and biodegradable tampons and pads.

It’s been estimated that the average menstruating person uses 9,600 to 11,000 tampons throughout their lifetime.

If those can be composted instead, a lot of waste will be saved.

Unfortunately, green disposables tend to be more expensive than their traditional counterparts, making them inaccessible to some individuals.

When the topic of tampons comes up, it’s important to talk about Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).

Just the thought of acquiring the infection can lead to individuals choosing not to use tampons.

And remember, they are a sponge, and we all know what happens when a full sponge is squeezed.

ALAN LI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

However, what actually causes TSS is more of a mystery.

The risk of developing TSS has nothing to do with the chemicals present, but instead it occurs when tiny cuts develop caused by the friction between the material and the flesh, which can become the perfect site for bacteria.

Because of this, there’s a chance of getting TSS even when using

green disposables.

There are also sea sponges.

However, the group consensus during discussion is that they are probably the worst alternative to use. These animals are harvested from oceans, and are inserted and used like a tampon.

Because they are naturally recurring and a renewable resource, it eliminates the resources needed to create other products.

However, there are many horror stories that come up with this option. There is the possibility of having parts of the sponge break off while in use, possibly leading to toxic shock.

As well, testing of a sample of sea sponges by the FDA found sand, bacteria and mold within them.

And remember, they are a sponge, and we all know what happens when a full sponge is squeezed.

Personally, I think it’s in your best interest if you skip this choice.

Cloth pads have been gaining popularity recently, although they have been used by menstruating people for centuries.

These reusable pads are usually made from a cotton material with an absorbent inner layer and act much like a regular pad.

Related to cloth pads are ‘period panties’ which typically have an

absorbent layer sewn into them.

These are often used as a backup with other products, as they may not be absorbent enough on their own for someone with a heavy flow.

From an environmental perspective, the longevity of cloth pads means that new resources don’t need to be used for each cycle. However, they must be washed after each use and therefore use a large amount of water.

Perhaps the most common alternative is the menstrual cup. These small, silicone or latex cups have been around since the 1930s.

Inserted like a tampon, they create a seal that collects the flow of blood.

Menstrual cups, known commonly by the brand Diva Cup, are one of the most eco-friendly alternatives.

Each cup can be used for up to ten years, saving thousands of disposables from entering the landfill.

As for cleaning, they should be washed each time you empty it, and then boiled at the end of your cycle.

Therefore, it uses a lot less water than cloth pads. As well, because of the material, there is no worry over developing TSS. After the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy some snacks, socialize with each other and craft. Supplies were provided to make homemade cloth pads or a knitted pouch to hold a menstrual cup.

The event was a great opportunity to learn about alternatives that schools don’t typically cover when people who menstruate begin needing this information.

This workshop, along with providing tools to help people lead a more sustainable lifestyle, was just one step on a path to better menstrual hygiene education for all people.

Participants at the workshop were given a chance to speak openly about their experiences, thoughts, and worries concerning menstruation.

Such spaces are few and far between. We’re taught about the process in school, but beyond that it’s often spoken of in lowered voices, and pads and tampons are hidden inside sleeves so that no one knows you’re on your period.

While perceptions surrounding periods have certainly changed since our parents generation, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Menstruating is completely natural, and no one should feel ashamed of a natural bodily function, and talking about it is the best place to start.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

• 15

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR EMILY WAITSON opinion@thecord.ca

The proactive approach

KURTIS RIDEOUT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Eat well, exercise, talk about your feelings, take care of yourself.

Easier said than done for most of us right? But if you are the type of person who freezes up in the face of adversity, I would recommend not letting self-care fall to the back burner, because it can be a slippery slope.

It’s so easy for us to say “I’ll worry about it later,” but your health and wellbeing should always be at the forefront of your concerns.

In university we put our studies first, our friends second and our own wellbeing tends to become an afterthought.

“Man, I barely drank any water today … I haven’t had any veggies all week.”

That’s the shit I tell myself every day, often moments before I realize that it’s too late for my concerns to bring about any meaningful results. That’s when I switch to damage control and self-pity, but realistically it’s never to late to chip away at all of your shitty habits.

You see, I never ate the greatest in university. It’s pretty fair to say that the only thing comparable to my lack of proper nutrients would be my lack of adequate sleep. I can’t be the only person in that boat either, so bear with me.

Our bodies are hella resilient.

Every time I drive a car, I think about all of the intricate systems that work in conjunction to propel me forward. And it’s the same every time I take a step too. I am often simply amazed that, despite all of the potential for things to go wrong, I somehow spring out of bed each day in working condition.

But being amazed that my car — or my body — still functions, despite the lack of considerable care I

put into it, is basically an accident waiting to happen.

We tend take the retroactive approach a little bit too often, which makes sense, because it requires less consideration. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

But that’s so wrong, and so messed up. If the check engine light is on in your car, you either take it to the mechanic and get it checked out, or you wind up on the side of the road at the mercy of passers-by. And I hate to rely on this metaphor so heavily in order to get my point across, but, for the

It’s so easy for us to say “I’ll worry about it later,” but your health and wellbeing should always be at the forefront of your concerns.

longest time, I ignored my body’s “check engine” light and it only ever served to make my life a million times more complicated.

This didn’t become a problem for me until I was in fourth-year and I missed an exam because I was confined to a hospital bed in the emergency room.

I’d be hard pressed to say that I learned my lesson at that point to be honest, as I have currently found myself to be in a similar predicament. But this time around, I have found myself all out of excuses. This time around, I called my doctor and made an appointment the moment I noticed something wasn’t right.

My last car sold on Kijiji.ca for like $700 and I was surprised to hear that it started up first try when the buyer turned the key.

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Rejecting toxic masculinity GARRISON OOSTERHOF WEB DIRECTOR

One of the responsibilities I put on myself is to look for opportunities where I can use my gifts and positions of influence to help other people and magnify their stories.

However, while writing this editorial, I found that it only felt right to speak to something close to my heart.

I have been very fortunate to learn tools from my family that help me discern and communicate in life.

I had a fairly unique childhood.

Growing up homeschooled meant I was mostly home with my mom and three sisters.

The long hours together and time spent on my own meant that I didn’t have many chances to learn stereotypical masculinity, compared to say if I had a brother or peers at public school for example.

Even though I played competitive hockey I felt very removed from having the close friendships that many of my teammates experienced. I was quiet and distant, I didn’t know how to relate to the other guys. Even the friendliest guys eventually moved on because I was unable to connect to them in

a way that they were accustomed to.

All of this lead meant to learning masculinity later in life.

The masculinity I learned was mostly positive and strictly through observation. It was only the toxic masculinity that was actively taught to me through peer pressure and through other male expectations but it was later in life and, thankfully, not fully ingrained.

In grade six I was put into public school, and looking back, I believe my lack of understanding of social masculinity is what lumped me in with the “geeks” and outcasts.

In grade nine, when I entered high school, I made a very conscious decision to act more like the “cool” guys, which was to be more condescending and aggressive, and to stifle my emotions.

Unfortunately, that worked. I had rewritten a new persona that wasn’t as gentle and caring as it should have been.

It was one that accepted aspects of toxic masculinity willingly and, because I was speaking their language, I could finally have close male friends.

I feel that my experiences with toxic masculinity have enabled me to have a deep understanding of its flaws. I like to think I can see the external pressures that may be only subconscious to others as I struggle with the mistakes I made in my past.

I have found that this toxic masculinity is tied strongly to fear, the same kind of fear that was soothed when I started acting out negative masculine stereotypes.

Among my greatest fears is that I will be forgotten. That my attempt at having a family of my own will fail and I will be alone and ignored by my children. My intense fear of loneliness fighting with my intense fear of being abandoned has been both the cause for starting and ending serious relationships.

I believe other guys struggle with these things too and that toxic masculinity is a perpetuated problem, not just because it is learned at a young age, but because it helps us hide from our fears.

I’ve found the toxic parts are not necessary.

Masculinity is something that unifies people and sometimes I am in situations where I must quickly shift back to acting out some stereotypical masculinities because it’s the only way to relate.

But that doesn’t mean I have to resume the toxic behaviour.

The more masculinity is challenged, the more toxic it may become.

It acts like a defence mechanism, a safety net, that solidifies even more as people resist it.

Evidently, we need to put more emphasis on positive masculine tendencies if their toxic counterparts are ever going to fade away.

16 •

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 OPINION EDITOR EMILY WAITSON opinion@thecord.ca

Making long distance relationships work

share things with them and make them feel special, even if you can’t to their face.

That’s just what you do if you love them, and you don’t have to be conscious of that effort.

In short, long distance isn’t hard at all, if your heart is in the right place. Of course you’ll miss them, but it’s worth it. It’s just that simple if you really want your relationship to work.

If you can’t handle a little time apart, I think that might be a problem for you, not for your partner.

Distance gives you the opportunity to act out, sure. But it also forces you to be completely independent of your partner — an authentic human autonomous of anyone else and their decisions — like everyone should be in a relationship.

You don’t lose yourself when you have that first kiss or the third date. You are your own person; you can make your own decisions.

If you think you can’t handle a long-distance relationship for whatever reason, be it time commitment or the threat of cheating,

those will likely still be problems no matter where you are in the world.

And seriously, it’s not like anyone is ever really that far away from each other these days. Especially in the internet age, I am up on literally everything my friends are doing at home in real time.

From our various group chats on Facebook — chats for friends, work friends, double dates, the whole works — to Snapchat and Instagram stories displaying photographic evidence of what everyone is up to. As long as I have cell service, I’m right there anyway.

The same goes for my boyfriend — when something happens, we still message each other first.

It’s just like being in class at school, we’re separated but we’re giving each other updates on whatever stupid parking job someone did that day or how outwardly gross the communal bathrooms are.

On top of that, Skype is a really useful tool.

We can be just as silly over video chats as we are in real life. We even keep up on Riverdale together using the screen-share feature, so we see it at the same time as the other.

We put in effort to make each other feel special, and there is nothing about that statement that is exclusive to long distance.

It’s seriously all the same, as long as you put in the effort, even in a different way.

Long distance is never a reason to break up unless you’ve got underlying issues.

Every relationship is different, but if you love someone, you make it work. That’s all there is to it.

viewpoints. It also allows you to recognize that you can be friends with someone even if they don’t have the same opinions as you.

There’s something powerful about healthy competition. It’s exhilarating, it’s genuine but it’s not personal. Regardless of how hard you try, there are going to be disagreements. People are going to criticize how you feel. Be prepared.

If you express your opinion in a respectful manner and are ready to listen to what they have to say, there is a lot you will learn. Consensus is overrated. You learn far more from criticism as long as it’s constructive. So don’t go around expecting everyone to agree with you all the time.

Rather, take a minute to consider whether there is any truth to their perspective. If after hearing what they say, you tend agree with them, then you do. However, listening doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing with someone.

That is why standing your ground is also very important. You don’t want to be the person who is far too easy to convince. If you truly like Coke more than Pepsi, don’t rest until you have done everything in your power to present your side of the case. Stand by your perspective and don’t be afraid to defend it.

I mentioned earlier that a discussion isn’t a personal attack. It’s important to differentiate the two.

If you have something to say about someone, say it in their presence.

Don’t attack their point of view after they are gone. It’s unprofessional and you aren’t giving them a chance to defend themselves. I don’t know about you, but I think the world would be quite a dull place if we all agreed about everything.

That’s why it’s so important to make your voice heard.

Don’t just accept someone else’s opinion out of fear that they have a higher rank than you. That’s not very useful. If you think what they are saying is wrong, it’s wrong.

Remember: the aim isn’t always to win the discussion, but instead to make meaningful progress.

MADELINE MCINNIS STAFF WRITER

Since late December, I’ve seen my boyfriend in person a total of eight days. Between getting sick — again — being in and out of the doctor’s and then flying off to exchange in England for a semester, physically getting to one another is next to impossible.

Our relationship was one of the biggest reservations I had about going on exchange.

We were roommates before we got into a relationship and we had never not lived together in our year together.

Moving across the ocean was going to be a massive change and there was an unspoken worry between us when it was supposed to happen.

Would we be able to talk as much as we normally do? Keep up with each other’s lives?

Honestly, it’s been effortless.

It really hit me the other day that long distance relationships are the breaking point for some couples.

People seriously just can’t handle that distance from their significant other, and now that I’ve experienced it myself, I just can’t understand why.

What’s a relationship about? It’s about love and trust.

It’s making time for one another, even when you are stressed yourself.

It’s a commitment that you must

SIMRAN DHALIWAL/GRAPHIC ARTIST

see through and actually try to get it right.

None of that stops no matter how far you are physically from your partner. It all stays the same, even if you have to approach it from a new angle.

You trust them enough not to have to keep tabs on them at all hours of the day.

You make time to talk to them, even if their schedule is completely different from yours.

You still have to put in effort to

Healthy discourse VIDISH PARIKH STAFF WRITER

I’m a diehard Maple Leafs fan.

There isn’t any team I would rather support. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with me. My best friend, for example, is a Montreal Canadiens fan. Now, if you know anything about hockey, you probably know that the Leafs-Habs rivalry is fierce; it’s rooted in years of competition.

When those two teams are on the ice, they absolutely hate each other, and they aren’t afraid to show it. But, there’s also an enormous sense of respect between them. It’s a form of comradery.

My best friend and I would spend hours attempting to convince each other that our team was better. “Why can’t you just be a Habs fan already,” she would cry in vain.

I guess there is a great deal of pride when you see a team so close

to home which has managed to exceed expectations. The Leafs are also the team I grew up watching almost every day. So, you can understand why I have a list of reasons ready to defend my team just in case I have to go up against another hockey fan.

I have used my list on more than one occasion. But, my purpose has been to engage in discussion — here’s what I think, here’s some proof, but what do you think?

The last part is critical — you need to truly listen to what the other person has to say. Many of us have such fixed notions about things that we are unwilling to accept other perspectives. It’s good to be passionate, but not closed-minded. We aren’t going to agree on everything. To suggest so would be outrageous.

However, we still need to listen.

We still need to welcome healthy discussion. Am I going to stop being friends with someone just because they like a different hockey team? No, probably not, although the Leafs are a much better team, just for the record. Discussion is a necessary part of reaching a resolution. It allows for different

LUKE SARAZIN/PHOTO EDITOR

OPINION • 17

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Discovering your path in life AARON HAGEY STAFF WRITER

SERENA TRUONG/GRAPHIC ARTIST

There is an abnormal amount of pressure in our society to figure out all aspects of our future.

From the time we enter high school, a clock begins to quickly tick down to the moment that you will need to start having things “figured out”— a dreaded notion that makes a lot of young adults squirm and feel anxious.

This is frequently paired with questions regarding which post-secondary school you should go to, what program to focus on, what job you’ll pursue, where you want to live or what your long-term goals are.

It becomes an endless list of questions typically asked by baby-boomers who have “can I speak to the manager” haircuts.

For the most part, I understand where these concerns can come from.

Often enough family and friends, misguided though they sometimes may be, want to be involved in knowing what plans you have for the future.

But these good intentions often come off as everything but helpful — leading to annoying conversations, banal chit-chat and the half-baked, panicked fabrications of one’s plans for the rest of their adult life.

To put it simply, there is frequently very little regard given to the future when we are young, especially when so many of us are focused on getting through the present.

Throughout high school, I had absolutely no clue what it was that I wanted to do when I graduated.

I listened to all the inspirational, after-school-special speakers

enthusiastically issuing words of encouragement about how things would “just come to you eventually” and that all you had to do was “wait for the opportunity to come to you.”

But I never had those moments they’d gesture about onstage and wondered if it would ever “click” for me like many so confidently told me it would.

For most of my life, I wanted to be an accountant.

Absolutely no clue why, but at twelve years old it sounded ideal for a kid who liked to work with numbers and fuck around with Rubik’s Cubes when he should have been paying attention.

That was pretty much the closest I ever got to knowing what I wanted to be while growing up and I roll my eyes now at the thought of how boring and clean-cut my aspirations were at such a young age.

But once I got closer to the end of high school and the chorus of repetitive inquiries from family members began drilling their way deeper into my head, the anxiety that I got at the mere thought of planning out my life began to drown out everything else.

Now nearing the end of the third year of my program, I’m finally in a place where I understand the path that I want to take through the rest of adulthood.

It is nowhere near where I thought it would be when I was younger.

I still have a very long way to go until I start feeling like a proper “adult,” but I’m so much further along than I thought I would be at this point.

I feel like a huge part of that was the freedom from needing to decide what I wanted to do immediately.

I started to just allow myself to live my life focusing on the things I enjoyed, as opposed to doing what I thought everyone else expected of me.

There is too much of an expec-

tation for life to follow a linear path — and I think that’s incredibly problematic.

Go to school, get a job, buy a car, go to university, get a career, get a house, pay taxes and start a family, settle down.

It doesn’t suit everybody’s individual expectations or perceptions of how they might want their future to play out.

I will never put down people who have a firm grasp on what they want their lives to be — I’ve always been incredibly envious of those who have gotten to a place where they have it figured out for themselves.

Now nearing the end of the third year of my program, I’m finally in a place where I understand the path that I want to take through the rest of adulthood.

What I want to discourage is the practice of slighting people who haven’t quite “figured it out.”

This criticism doesn’t lead to anything constructive, despite the intentions behind it.

All it does is encourage a cycle of perpetual anxiety that sticks in the heads of those who haven’t yet found the answers.

When you get right down to it, you’ll find those answers when you’re ready and willing to. There is no immediate rush, other then pestering parents who were antipating an empty nest sooner rather than later.

You don’t have to live life according to anybody else’s timeline but your own.

18 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

LUKE SARAZIN/PHOTO EDITOR

Tackling the opioid crisis MARGARET RUSSEL OPINION COLUMNIST

Ontario needs a different approach to the opioid epidemic that’s taking over communities, towns and regions like Kitchener-Waterloo.

In 2016, the number of opioid-related deaths in Canada hit

2,861. An astronomically high number when comparing data from the previous decade.

From January to June 2017 alone, there were at least 1,460 opioid-related deaths and Health Canada only predicts that this number will rise as data becomes available.

In Waterloo specifically, there were 71 opioid-related deaths in 2017, jumping from 36 in the year before, according to CTV Kitchener.

This number doesn’t even begin

to clarify how many active opioid abusers there are in the region and this has become evident to those working in Waterloo’s Grand River Hospital and the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.

Dr. Rupinder Sahsi, a physician at Grand River Hospital, told The Record that it’s commonplace to see a non-fatal opioid overdose in their emergency department daily.

In the fall of 2017, the Ministry of Health and our provincial government publicly recognized the climbing magnitude of opioid

overdoses occurring in Ontario.

This crisis, primarily a by-product of the presence of Fentanyl in street-drugs, has not yet been given the status of “state of emergency”

by Health Minister Eric Hoskins.

The reason for this? This is not a short-term issue, but a habitual one. The government of Ontario instead produced an “emergency task force” in October to strengthen front-line workers with additional training.

Addiction counselling and expanding resources for those struggling with opioid dependency are priorities, alongside Naloxone kit distribution and safe injection sites.

However, there has yet to be a safe injection site anywhere in the tri-cities since Ontario’s Ministry of Health put millions into the task force. There has, however, been a recent discussion of establishing three — one in Cambridge, one in Kitchener, and one mobile location.

Now it’s time for implementation so the region can start effectively combating the crisis.

If you’re living in Ontario, I’m sure that you’ve heard of the Government of Ontario’s new public service announcement on the radio — “It could be in your streetdrugs. It’s Fentanyl and even the smallest amount could be enough to kill you.”

These ads belong to a campaign encouraging people to take advantage of free Naloxone kits, made available at pharmacies and hospitals across the province.

These kits, which contain the temporary antidote for an opioid overdose, are now being carried by our Laurier Special Constable services, as well. Last Tuesday, March 20, the tri-cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge held a regional council meeting in which the Mayor of Cambridge, Doug

Craig, begged the Waterloo Region to declare a “state of emergency” for the opioid crisis.

“When you lose that many people, like over 71 people and you have other issues in the community that reflect off of that, it’s

However, there has yet to be a safe injection site anywhere in the tri-cities since Ontario’s Ministry of Health put millions into the task force.

certainly an emergency in my view and it’s one not just in a city or in a neighborhood, it is across the region,” Mayor Craig told The Record.

Mayor Craig’s position is that the tri-cities are too focused on the implementation of injection sites when instead there needs to be an action plan fit for a crisis. The position is mutual.

The region, in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Health, needs to dig deeper towards creating long-term, systemic solutions for the population — those being affected directly and indirectly — Waterloo region’s permanent residents, as well as its substantial student population.

This crisis — drug use in our communities — and substance abuse in general, is a massive problem that’s going to take a proportionate amount effort from authorities and individuals equally to rectify.

Let’s keep our campus and our province healthy and safe.

March for Our Lives protest attracts thousands EMILY WAITSON OPINION EDITOR

On Saturday, March 24, 200,000 protestors gathered in Washington DC for the March for Our Lives demonstration to enact stricter gun laws in the United States. It was created and organized by #NeverAgain, a group of students who survived the mass shooting that occurred at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy organization, helped these students plan and execute the event. It inspired hundreds of gun rallies all over the US and other cities across the world including London, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin.

Following the eighth American mass shooting in 2018 alone, the goal behind this movement is to address lawmakers who have the power to implement more comprehensive gun control legislation.

The petition on the March for Our Lives website has three central

demands: “1. Passing a law to ban the sale of assault weapons. 2. Prohibiting the sale of high-capacity magazines such as the ones the shooter at our school — and so many other recent mass shootings used.

3. Closing the loophole in our background check law that allows dangerous people who shouldn’t be allowed to purchase firearms to slip through the cracks and buy guns online or at gun shows.”

The march in Washington was a rousing, impassioned rally that included countless memorable moments and speakers who all gave their voices towards a cause that is quickly gaining more and more recognition and has managed to reach all edges of the world.

A standout from the day was an incredibly moving and empowering speech from Emma González, one of the strongest, unwavering forces backing the increased demands for changing current gun regulations. As a survivor of the shooting that took place at her high school, she has been an unshakable voice behind microphones and social media alike — standing resolutely on podiums, determined to fight for the rights that she and countless other students like her are entitled to have.

Emotional, yet relentlessly powerful, Emma assumed her position onstage in front of a crowd of thousands with convicted resolve.

Relaying a message honouring her 17 classmates who lost their lives — she stood in silence for six minutes and 20-seconds — the exact length of time it took for the gunman to kill each student that day.

Watching footage of the sobbing crowd and Emma’s stony, tearstreaked face as she passed on a message that spoke volumes — it’s difficult not to be moved by her words and actions. A 17-yearold high school senior who has made herself known through her activism is admirable and she has become a driving force for a cause that needs a strong leader like her to support and move it forward.

Martin Luther King Jr’s granddaughter, nine-year-old Yolanda Renee King, also made an appearance at the rally. Directly referencing her grandfather’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech that was delivered close to where she stood on Saturday, she said, “I have a dream that enough is enough. That this should be a gun-free world — period.”

Naomi Waddler, an 11-year-old fifth-grader from Alexandria, Vir-

ginia, represented African American girls affected by gun violence who are ignored and overlooked by the media because of their race.

In her words, girls who are “simply statistics” rather than “vibrant, beautiful girls who are full of potential.”

At the march in New York Manhattan, Paul McCartney stated, “One of my best friends was shot not far from here,” referring to John Lennon, who was fatally gunned down near Central Park in 1980.

Although this raging cry for change has attracted numerous famous names and adults who support the teenagers rallying for a safer world to live in, the voices that we should be actively listening to the most are the children and young people who have experienced these tragedies firsthand.

We should be encouraging the input from the marginalized groups who are affected by these instances of violence everyday and listen to the words of the unheard and ignored — the victims of these atrocities who don’t get a platform to share what they have every right to say.

Emma González has become one of the key faces representing this movement because she is an example of how political expres-

sion can be used to effectively influence others like her to stand up for what is right.

Silencing the voices of these kids because they’re “too young to understand what they’re talking about” should only be cancelled out once they’re too young to be faced with the threat of dying in a classroom from a semi-automatic weapon.

They’re too young to barricade themselves from bullets behind desks, send what they think will be their last words to their loved ones and have their lives ended simply because they went to school that day and were caught in the crossfire.

Protests like this may seem pointless to some, but their influence is greater than cleverly worded signs, celebrity Instagram photos and the nonsensical conspiracy theories encouraged by Fox News and fabricated by right-wing meme pages.

Events like March for Our Lives hold endless power and merit when they have the unified support of thousands of students who are unwilling to back down from a movement that needs the attention it’s been getting to help protect their generation and the ones following it.

• 19

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR PRANAV DESAI sports@thecord.ca

INNOVATION

Optimizing Paralympic wheelchair design ABDULHAMID IBRAHIM LEAD SPORTS REPORTER

Sometimes we lose sight of those who are underrepresented when looking at ways to improve our society.

Whenever we are positioned to directly assist others, especially regarding innovation, it is quite beautiful. In this case, we may soon witness the departure of mass-produced wheelchairs and the grand entrance to optimized wheelchairs customized to Paralympic athletes.

Enter, Brock Laschowski.

Laschowski is currently a PhD student at the University of Toronto in Biomedical Engineering, who alongside other scientists and engineers at the University of Waterloo, has recently developed a method to optimize wheelchair designs.

These designs will be customized to the individual physical disabilities of Paralympic athletes.

“The overall objective of the project is to optimize wheelchair designs for Paralympic athletes to minimize the possibility of injuries and maximize performance.

Traditionally, wheelchair designs and wheelchair configurations have been selected based upon the athletes’ subjective preferences,” Laschowski said.

“Being an engineer, I’m interested in the applications of predictive modelling and simulation to enhance the design and selection processes,” he added.

Having been involved in Olympic and Paralympic sports engineering research for many years, the initiative is currently the beginning phase of applying these improvements for Paralympic athletes.

“Only recently have engineering methods like computer modelling and simulation been applied towards optimizing the design of assistive devices like wheelchairs and prosthetics. We’re at the beginning phase and there is much room for

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

innovation and further improvements,” Laschowski said.

With this understanding that such design methods for assistive devices have not received enough attention, the room for innovation is quite appealing.

His drive for conducting such research comes from the motivation and inspiration he draws from those individuals who have, and continue to, overcome physical, social and psychological barriers to perform at the highest levels of sport.

“That’s extremely motivating and inspirational and I want to utilize my engineering and scientific knowledge to further assist these individuals.”

With the acknowledgement of the lack of attention, there

has been some progress among scientists and engineers who have previously focused on sprinting prosthetics.

“We’re beginning to gradually see more and more of those engineers extend their research towards including optimization methods for sport wheelchairs,” he said.

Laschowski worked with Dr. Naser Mehrabi, post-doctoral fellow in engineering at the University of Waterloo, and Dr. John McPhee, professor of systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo and Tier I Canada Research Chair in Biomechatronic System Dynamics.

Beginning initially with Paralympic wheelchair curling athletes, the Waterloo group has recently

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extended their predictive modelling and simulation research to optimize wheelchair designs for Paralympic wheelchair basketball players. Having worked with many Team Canada Paralympians, another objective involves the timing of when these highly-anticipated optimized wheelchairs will be physically prototyped.

“Hopefully sooner rather than later. The challenge with predictive computer modelling and simulation is that it requires relatively accurate mathematical models of the human musculoskeletal and central nervous systems, which are extremely difficult to model,” Laschowski said.

“However, we’re becoming somewhat proficient in developing good-enough models and

therefore hopefully within the next several years you’ll begin seeing the applications of predictive modelling and simulation towards physical prototyping of optimized wheelchairs and optimized prosthetics.”

While Laschowski may not entirely know the impact or how far these predictive computer methods could go, it is moreover interesting to consider how much Paralympic athletes have been capable of performing with their wheelchairs and prosthetics having received limited scientific and engineering attention.

“The advances you watch on television, the incredible performances at the Paralympic games, these are generally with minimal engineering and scientific knowledge applied towards them, using sports equipment that has received minimal attention from the scientific and engineering communities,” he said.

When discussing ways in which we can improve performance for athletes, there are many different things that have been done for predominately able-bodied individuals. Consideration realistically should be made for everybody. If anything, the efforts and capabilities of Paralympic athletes is probably greater than those who are able-bodied. They are capable of so many remarkable things, working with much less. Then why can’t we accommodate those who could potentially benefit the most?

In such cases, Laschowski is correct, it does rightfully deserve additional attention.

With his research having been recently published in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics and the Journal of Sports Engineering, and the vision for extending these advanced design methods to numerous Team Canada wheelchair athletes, if everything goes as planned, an evolution is approaching — and sooner rather than later.

20 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018

WOMEN’S CURLING

Hawks fall short at U-Sports Nationals PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women’s curling team were looking to add a fifth national title to their collection as they competed at the U-Sports National Curling Championships from March 24 to March 28 in Leduc, Alberta.

The team consisted of Kaitlin Jewer at skip, Riley Sandham at vice, Kelly Middaugh at second, Bridget Ribeau at lead and Susanna Wright as an alternate.

Coming off an OUA championship win, expectations were naturally high for the Hawks to have a successful nationals campaign.

Laurier got off to a good start in the round-robin, beating Regina by a final score of 6-4 over 11 ends in their opening game of the tournament.

The game against Regina was a good representation of the Hawks’ season, as they had to rely on making some clutch shots down the stretch to pull off an impressive victory.

Although the good start gave Laurier some much needed momentum going in to the rest of the tournament, the Hawks were stopped dead in their tracks in their second game on opening day against the Mount Allison Mounties.

The Mounties put up points in every one of the first five ends, keeping the Hawks off the board.

In the end, the Hawks couldn’t find a way to overcome the deficit, losing by a final score of 9-1.

However, Laurier used the tough loss against the Mounties as motivation to begin day two of the championships.

The Hawks took on Memorial in the first game of day two and their superiority was on display throughout the entire game.

Laurier jumped out to an early 4-1 through three ends and never stopped scoring, eventually winning game three of the round-robin with a final score of 13-3.

Varsity coach John Gabel mentioned that the Hawks’ struggles

against the Mounties were mostly the result of a lack of communication.

“I think it’s just a case of communicating and knowing a little better than we did last night. We got off to not the best start and just lingered there a little bit [last night]. So a good start tonight is key and having played [Brock] a couple times this year is also a big thing for us because we have a little intel on them,” he said, after the game against Mount Allison.

Up next for the Hawks in the round-robin would be their Ontario rivals, the Brock Badgers.

Having lost to the Hawks twice this season already, the Badgers came out strong looking to get some redemption.

But Laurier was up for the challenge, keeping the game close for the most part. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Badgers skip Terri Weeks made a number of tough shots towards the end of the game, making sure that the result between these teams was different this time around.

I think we had a strong showing in a lot of the games, it was just hard to have it throughout the games which is why our record was 3-4 -John Gabel, varsity coach

The Badgers won the game by a final score of 10-5, which dropped the Hawks record to an even 2-2.

Although the Hawks had been inconsistent over the first two days of the Nationals, they had done a good job of dictating the play while hitting some tough shots.

However, things started going downhill on day three.

The Hawks lost both games on

TANZEEL SAYANI/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

the third day of Nationals, losing against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack and the hosting Alberta Pandas, which knocked them out of playoff contention.

Laurier ran into a red hot Thompson Rivers team that had won three straight games after losing their opener, and they carried that momentum into the game against the Hawks while never losing control.

The loss against the WolfPack made the game against Alberta a must-win and the Hawks gave it their best shot.

They were able to climb out of a 7-2 deficit to eventually tie the game at 9 in the tenth end, but the Pandas took advantage of having the hammer in the extra eleventh end, ending the Hawks playoff hopes.

Laurier skip Kaitlin Jewer pointed out the fact that although the Hawks were unable to make the playoffs, they still had a lot to be proud of.

“All these teams just have a lot more experience playing on arena ice than we do. We’ve been very unlucky all week. It seems like we’re on the wrong side of the

inches all the time. There were a few shots that just didn’t go our way and that really cost us. We should still be very proud of how we played,” she said.

In their final game of the tournament the Hawks took on the Queen’s Gaels in a rematch of the OUA Championship finals.

With both teams sitting on a 2-4 record and having no shot at winning the Nationals, this game was all about pride.

Queen’s featured World Junior Curling Champion Mary Fay at skip, which made the game that much tougher for the Hawks.

But Laurier showed that their win over Queen’s at the OUA finals was no fluke, winning their final game of the season by a score of 6-4.

Even though the Hawks couldn’t capture their fifth national title as a program, it was a still an extremely successful year for Laurier.

“I think we had a strong showing in a lot of the games, it was just hard to have it throughout the games which is why our record was 3-4,” Gabel said, regarding the Hawks performance at the Nationals.

“Obviously we played a few strong teams for sure and we didn’t have our best performances but it was a good showing from the team this year considering it was the first time at the nationals for a lot of [our players].”

It’s important to realize that this is a very young Hawks team, with only Riley Sandham returning on the team from last year.

When asked to comment on the Hawks’ season as a whole, Gabel described it as a success. “[Winning the OUA Championship] was a huge achievement.

Coming into the year we didn’t have super high expectations with how many people we lost last year [and] only one returning player. So the girls did a great job this year.

Just getting [to the Nationals] in itself is a huge accomplishment and it’s something we can move forward with next year,” he said.

This Hawks team is only going to get better with time, and it’s going to be exciting to see how far they can go next year.

Expect bigger and better things from the Hawks in 2019 as they look to build on an extremely successful 2018 campaign.

TANZEEL SAYANI/CREATIVE DIRECTOR