March 30, 2016

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 56 ISSUE 28 • MARCH 30, 2016

YEAR IN REVIEW

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

VOCAL CORD

@cordnews

The Cord

PHOTOS OF THE YEAR

The Cord was my first love

What class did you hate the most?

“Human Migration and Refugees.”

–Jake Gorenkoff, third-year political science

WILL HUANG/FILE PHOTO

Alternative indie-rock band X Ambassadors rocks the Turret in January. Lead vocals Sam Harris leaps into the air.

“International Law, which is PO333.”

–Mike Piaseczny, thirdyear political science

“Psychology Statistics.”

–Lindsey Feltis, secondyear psychology and communications

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/FILE PHOTO

Sabrina Barsky has a moment with her mother and a friend after a flashmob in memory of her brother, Gaby.

MEET THE CORD’S 2016-17 EDITORIAL BOARD AND SENIOR STAFF “HI341, a Canadian history class.”

–Jess Cail, fourth-year history

“BDM.” –Kieran Donelson, secondyear business

Editor-in-Chief: Bethany Bowles

Sports Editor: Arman Aryapour

Senior News Editor: Kaitlyn Severin

Photo Editor: Paige Bush

Creative Director: Will Huang

Online Editor: Andreas Patsiaouros

Web Director: Brian Phillips

Graphics Editor: Fani Hsieh

News Editor: Emilia Curcic

Lead Reporter: Safina Husein

Assistant News Editor: Maddy Cutts

Lead Photographer: Kira Gelbard

Features Editor: Mitchell Consky

Lead Photographer: Marco Pedri

Arts and Life Editor: Manjot Bhullar

Senior Copy Editor: Christian Paron

Opinion Editor: Jon Coward

Social Media Coordinator: Brittany Ditizio

Compiled by Maddy Cutts Photos by Jessica Dik NEXT ISSUE:

THERE IS NONE.

(JK. WE’LL BE BACK IN THE SUMMER.)

CORD STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shelby Blackley sblackley@thecord.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lena Yang lyang@thecord.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joshua Awolade jawolade@thecord.ca MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Mynt Marsellus mmarsellus@thecord.ca NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin kseverin@thecord.ca

We’re hiring a Video Editor. Email bbowles@thecord.ca for more info.

NEWS EDITOR Erika Ymana eymana@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Will Huang whuang@thecord.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Bethany Bowles bbowles@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Brian Phillips bphillips@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Zach Guitor zguitor@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Maddy Cutts mcutts@thecord.ca

OPINION EDITOR Mitchell Consky mconsky@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jessica Dik jdik@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Drew Yates dyates@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Caitlyn Sageman csageman@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Fani Hsieh fhsieh@thecord.caW

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Kira Gelbard kgelbard@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros apatsiaouros@thecord.ca

CordNews

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CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE:

Kamil Ahmed Victoria Berndt Manjot Bhullar Paige Bush Mira Busscher Hayley Colussi Alex Dulanovic Safina Husein Daniel Johnson Alexandra Juraschka Brigitte Kloss Alison Lum Madeline McInnis Heather McLeod Christian Paron Aliaa Sidawi Faima Soomro Caroline Spicer Jordan Soufian Jessi Wood

Words on my walls by Mitchell Consky

EDITOR’S CHOICE ONLINE: Cord Cookoff: Burger edition by Brian Phillips

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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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The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 6,000 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000.

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

The Cord was my first love.

I never experienced love quite like this before. It was the kind that took your breath away. Week in and week out I remember the happiness from seeing it on stands, turning to the page my article was plastered on. The amount of time we spent together grew. The passion grew. Eventually, it was love.

When I first met The Cord, it would help me find solace in writing about sports. But it wasn’t just the potential that caught my eye.

It was the audience. The methodology. The articulate detail. The people. The possibilities. It was an endless abyss that needed to be conquered.

And every year, the love grew. I didn’t want to show it at first, but I suppose it was hard to hide. I spent all of my time with The Cord. I travelled with its best interest in mind, I wrote with the desire for perfection in every word. The brand was my brand. It was what I possessed and what I showed to the world.

But it wasn’t the easiest of relationships. It was difficult, and at times, we almost broke up. I poured everything my body had into this relationship. For what?

An article that would last a week?

For something that didn’t give me anything in return? How selfish.

But this love was worth fighting for. It was something I couldn’t live without. The Cord taught me so much more than I could ever fathom — sure, I have skills to get me through my career. But that’s not what I’ll remember.

The Cord taught me patience. It taught me to trust people. It taught me to work with people smarter than me. It taught me not everything has to be rooted in perfectionism. It taught me it’s okay to admit your mistakes.

I owe my first love a lot. It’ll be the place I first saw my name published. It’ll be the place I found some of my best friends and the place I combatted many of my issues with mental illness.

I love The Cord not because of what it can provide on a tangible level, but what it stands for.

But now, I am breaking up with The Cord after five years of blood — literally, I fell down the stairs — sweat and tears. I’m breaking up with The Cord to pursue everything The Cord has provided me — an internship at The Globe and Mail, a profound love for what journalism stands for and everything I am now confident to do.

It’ll be the hardest break up I will ever go through and even though we’ll never be together again, I will always be thankful for the time we had together.

Thank you, dear student newspaper, for giving me everything and more.

–Shelby Blackley, Editor-in-Chief

PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy.

The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff.

The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of Kitchener-Waterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University.

Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate.

The Cord has an obligation to foster

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

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

Quote of the week: “You make a lot of noise, but you’re good.”

- Bryan Stephens, president and publisher to Lead Photographer Jess Dik “Yo, I love this song! I work out to it sometimes.”

- Opinion Editor Mitchell Consky about Son of Man from Tarzan

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

News

• 3 NEWS EDITOR ERIKA YMANA eymana@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN kseverin@thecord.ca

TOP FIVE IN NEWS 2015-16

PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/INCOMING ONLINE EDITOR, CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

St. Patrick’s Day

Refugee influx in K-W

Van Herzele elected

Witnessing hate crimes

Statues rejected

Before the holiday even began, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations made headlines when the National Post published an article saying Laurier cancelled the holiday from its campus. In a statement, Students’ Union president and CEO, Olivia Matthews, cleared up any concerns. While the St. Patrick’s Day festivities still went on, merchandise was banned from the Bookstore and extra security was present around the campus in an attempt to “shift the culture” around the holiday. Over 5,000 students and Waterloo visitors celebrated on Ezra Avenue while numerous security guards and officers were patrolling the area making sure students were drinking responsibly. Fortunately there were no major incidences reported during the day.

In sponsorship with the Mennonite Central Committee, Wilfrid Laurier University sponsored three Syrian refugee families through the blended-visa sponsorship program last November.

On January 15, Wilfrid Laurier University welcomed one of the three sponsored Syrian refugee families to arrive in Canada.

The first family to arrive was brought to Kitchener where an Arabic volunteer was able to explain how things worked in the area.

The family was also able to set up bank accounts and OHIP cards.

The parents are also attending English as a second language classes to be able to secure employment.

Laurier also raised $85,000 from the Laurier community for the program.

On February 4, the Students’ Union announced Tyler Van Herzele, a fourth-year concurrent education student, as its first-ever president from the Brantford campus, beating fellow candidate, Waterloo student Tyler Murdock, with 55.25 per cent of the student vote.

A total of 4,315 Laurier students voted in this year’s elections, making for a 26.14 per cent turnout rate, a two per cent increase from last year.

Currently, Students’ Union president Olivia Matthews is in the process of training Van Herzele while he transitions into his new role.

Laurier students will be able to officially call Van Herzele their Students’ Union president when he begins his job on May 1.

Throughout the months of December and January, there was an increasing amount of reports regarding hate crimes on the Waterloo campus.

Most of the hate crimes included anti-Semitic and anti-black graffiti seen on various campus buildings. Special Constable Services, along with the Diversity and Equity Office, made strides in an effort to support students and prevent hate crimes similar to these in the future. The DEO also offered an event called a Play for Peace, in which students could be supported by campus community members who could speak about the campus climate Laurier hopes to uphold.

Since January, there’s been a low rate of hate crimes reported on campus.

After a long and dramatic decision period, the board of governors passed the motion to withdraw from their participation in the Prime Minister Statue Project. A statue of John A. Macdonald which was unveiled in July 2015, stirred controversy as organizations and individuals at Laurier felt the project didn’t represent cultural diversity. “Stop the Statue Project” petition came as a reaction. In November, Laurier president Max Blouw created a special advisory committee to provide recommendations to the university Senate and board of governors on how they should move forward.

The end of the project came on February 11 when the governors passed the motion with 26 in favour, three opposed and one abstention.

ALUMNI

Supporting Laurier through donations MADDY CUTTS INCOMING NEWS EDITOR

Posters sprung up around Wilfrid Laurier University filled with facts and anecdotes related to donating to the institution.

Tag Day, where students can post pictures of themselves with the numerous tags posted around campus for a chance at winning prizes, is part of a yearly initiative to bring awareness to the Laurier community about the importance of philanthropic donations.

Many of the posters showcased testimonies from Laurier alumni who themselves became donors, lauding the many benefits donations brought to both academic and student experience.

“The university’s donors are alumni, obviously, so graduates of Laurier. But there’s lots of corporations, foundations, friends, faculty and staff, parents of students. And when I say friends, I’m meaning people that have a relationship with Laurier, but maybe they didn’t necessarily graduate from here,” said Julia Thomson, communica-

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Tag Day is an initiative to bring awareness about the donations at Laurier.

tion manager, development and alumni relations.

“Having students, where they can contribute financially, especially when they graduate and things like that, it’s a great way for students to show their appre-

ciation or their love of Laurier in making the university better for the students that are coming after them.”

The remainder of the posters featured relevant facts regarding philanthropy at Laurier in recent

years, including information ranging from over 500 faculty and staff donating back to the school out of pocket, to the statement that tuition payments cover only half of the cost of a student attending the institution.

The campaign was intended to impress upon the Laurier community the importance that donations play within the institution’s finances.

“We’ve all heard about the funding constraints that we have from the provincial government, we know students are at times struggling to cover tuition, living expenses, books, all of the associated cost with their education,” said Thomson.

“Being able to have donors’ support, whether it’s through scholarships, or bursaries, or funding classrooms or spaces on campus, or funding programs, that’s incredibly important for the university.”

With such an array of outlets available for donations to be funnelled into, there has been an increasing trend amongst donors

to specify where they would like their funds directed.

When making their donation, the option is available for funds to be either deposited into the university’s greatest need reserve, which can be used by the school for any opportunity or need they see fit, or to be directed towards a particular department, program or project. Though donations are imperative to the continuation of the student experience at Laurier, the campaign’s organizers felt that monetary contributions are not the sole means by which alumni and Laurier community members could help support the institution.

“There are lots of other ways for people to stay connected with Laurier, or support Laurier,” said Thomson.

“Whether it is recruiting students as employers, or as co-op employers, or just being a good ambassador for Laurier and talking about it with their colleagues and friends. Coming back and speaking to classes, volunteering for different career nights or things like that.”

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

FUNDING

Levy funds 26 projects JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Student Life Levy grants $750,000 to the Athletic Complex for bleacher replacements and $40,000 to re-examine and design a study space in the Turret KAITLYN SEVERIN

INCOMING SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

It may have been a slower term, but the Wilfrid Laurier University’s Student Life Levy has approved funding for 12 projects on the Waterloo campus and eight in Brantford, including eight multicampus projects.

Waterloo received a total of 20 applications while Brantford received 16. For their March term, the Student Life Levy’s total amount for both Waterloo and multi-campus projects came out to $931,785.27. The biggest project, the Athletics Complex bleacher replacement, was funded for $750,000.

“The bleachers benefit everyone because they’re used during O-Week, sporting games,” said Colin Aitchison, chair of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union board of directors and chief governance officer.

According to the project sum-

“We’re finding the first phase of where we’re going to come up with proposals and see how much it’s going to cost.”

-Colin Aitchison, chair of the Students’ Union BOD and chief governance officer

mary, the bleachers are showing major signs of breaking down.

The seating areas in the AC require more repairs and structures every year to keep the bleachers functional.

The second biggest project is to re-examine study space in the Turret, which received $40,000. The funds will go towards compensating the successful design firm in creating a new space for students.

After the design is approved and finalized, the project will look for

financing to proceed with their construction phase, hopefully starting in the summer of 2017.

“We’re funding the first phase of where we’re going to come up with proposals and see how much it’s going to cost,” said Aitchison.

Other approved projects on the Waterloo campus include the Golden Hawk Lounge furniture and technology enhancement, which received a funding total of $22,700.

The project will replace existing furniture and technology in the Golden Hawk Lounge of the Athletic Complex to improve the space for students and athletes.

Waterloo’s “Game Ready” system, funded for $5,526.27, is a cold therapy system that will enhance injury treatments and post-operative recovery for Laurier’s studentathletes.

Other funded projects in Waterloo include a trip to Ottawa for the department of political science’s 50th anniversary, an eco-container

relaunch from Campus Sustainability and a language theatre night. “[The project’s] benefits everyone, but each project benefits like a specific group of people this term,” said Aitchison.

According to Aitchison, the Students’ Union, as well as chair-elect, Nick DeSumma, are hoping to push more marketing to promote Student Life Levy.

“Normally it’s mainly just faculty members trying to get stuff [from SLL],” said Aitchison.

“I would definitely encourage my successor to market it better next time around.”

In addition to this term, the Student Life Committee has also approved a subcommittee to look at multi-campus proposals.

“We created a subcommittee to look at those proposals just to make sure that it’s completely fair and then that committee has members from both committees on it.”

APPROVED PROJECTS: Athletic Complex Bleacher Replacement: $750,000 Large Examination Space Laurier Brantford: $60,429.17 Game on! Establishment of a gaming collection at Laurier Library: $30,000 Turret’s Future: The Design Phase: $40,000 Brantford Campus Computer Lounge: $25,000 Social Innovation Lounge (Brantford): $25,000 Golden Hawk Lounge Furniture and Technology Enhancement: $22,700

School of Applied Technology

INITIATIVES

Showcasing research talent on social media

PROJECTS PERFORMANCE POSSIBILITIES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT POST-GRADUATE PROGRAM From business to public sector and not-for-profit organizations, our in-depth two-semester program equips our students to become more competitive in the job market and to excel in the project management field, preparing them to move into roles such as project coordinator, project analyst, project manager and roles within a PMO. For more information, go to: humber.ca/programs/project-management

New photo series aims to tell students the stories and ideas of researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University ALISON LUM CORD NEWS

An upcoming digital and social media initiative will showcase Wilfrid Laurier University’s researchers in an exciting and emotional way to today’s students.

Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier is a photo series comprised of various university researchers which was launched earlier this month.

The caption of each photo includes a brief explanation of their research, but more importantly, why it is of interest to each researcher.

Drawing parallels to the hugely successful Humans of New York initiative, Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier will tell the stories of researchers in an educational yet relatable way.

Shawna Reibling, knowledge mobilization officer at Laurier, is leading the project.

“Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier is designed to let everyone know that researchers at Laurier are passionate about the work that they do, as well as to give students more information about what researchers do in their own words,” Reibling explained.

Since a large part of the student

population is unaware of what professors do beyond lectures, Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier will be an excellent tool to raise awareness and educate students.

This is a large part of the reason why Reibling decided to launch the project.

“Often researchers can seem remote from students who only see them in their classrooms. What I wanted to do was show students what researchers are doing outside the classroom and the work they are doing that students often don’t see,” Reibling said.

A variety of researchers will be featured on Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier, including Donna Kotsopoulos, professor in the faculty of education and mathematics, Tristan Long, associate professor in biology and Shohini Ghose, associate professor in the department of physics and computer science.

The researchers will not only discuss their current research, but also share any surprises they have come across and explain why they were drawn to their respective studies.

The breadth of the researchers is also an important component of the project.

“The project covers all facets

“Often researchers can seem remote from students who only see them in their classrooms ...”

-Shawn Reibling, knowledge mobilization officer

of research at Laurier. We want to highlight the broad range that happens at Laurier. One of Laurier’s strengths is the interdisciplinary and variety of research that happens at Laurier,” Reibling explained.

Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier will impact students through educating them about what their professors do beyond what directly affects them in the classroom.

Through launching the project on Twitter, Facebook and an online gallery, the initiative definitely keeps in mind it’s student audience.

Researchers of Wilfrid Laurier will paint researchers in a new, more human light through adding a personal touch on educating students to current research projects.

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 SEXUAL VIOLENCE

What Bill 132 means for students Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union played a critical role in the creation of Ontario’s Bill 132 SAFINA HUSEIN INCOMING LEAD REPORTER

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario recently passed Bill 132, the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act. The Wilfrid Laurier University’s Student’s Union played a large role in the creation process of the Bill, which was drafted and passed in only a year.

“This bill will force universities to have a policy in place for sexual violence,” said Olivia Matthews, Students’ Union president and chief executive officer.

Last May, a select committee of the social policy committee from the legislator went across Ontario to hear from universities, colleges, students’ unions and victim advocacy groups, among others, about their experience with sexual violence and harassment.

Each group taking part was able to bring forth ideas and recommendations in regards to the content of Bill 132.

Laura Bassett, Students’ Union vice-president of university affairs, explained that the Students’ Union had four main themes which they planned to address and advocate for at the committee meetings.

“It wasn’t very concrete or clear as to what students were supposed to do... they kind of treated it like everything else.”

-Laura Bassett VP of university affairs

“It wasn’t very concrete or clear as to what students were supposed to do ... they kind of treated it like everything else.”

-Laura Bassett, Students’ Union vice-president of university affairs

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

The first was a hope for a single policy, which covered all forms of sexual violence and harassment to provide a clear definition of what sexual violence is.

“It wasn’t very concrete or clear as to what students were supposed to do ... they kind of treated it like everything else,” said Bassett.

“So say your car has been vandalized, you do the exact same things as you would with sexual harassment.”

The Students’ Union advocated for the government to take a leadership role in creating definitions for universities to adopt within their policies.

According to Bassett, the Students’ Union recommended that the Bill reinforce the importance of better education

and professional training to combat sexual violence for senior level administration, staff, faculty members as well as student leaders in order to ensure protocol is maintained when situations of sexual violence are disclosed.

“For example, the work we did with the Hawk Pact to talk about consent, mental health and substance abuse during Orientation Week is now going to be mandated across the province,” explained Matthews.

As well, through the use of climate surveys on campus, universities will be able to gain a thorough understanding of what is going on within their campuses when it comes to sexual violence and harassment.

There is a survey currently

circulating on Laurier’s campus about safety to help gather an understanding of gendered violence and sexual assault.

The Students’ Union’s fight for the residential tenancy act was the one of greatest impact.

“What is unique about what the Students’ Union has done, is the residential tenancy piece, which will allow students and people in general to leave their leases unobstructed if they have been sexually assaulted,” explained Matthews.

The Students’ Union advocated for an amendment that allowed individuals to exit their lease by giving their tenants 28 days notice for reasons of sexual violence and harassment.

“It’s our hope that the residential

tenancy act will allow people who are victims of sexual violence, assault or harassment to have avenues of support and to have ways to remedy that when they’re in that situation,” said Chris Hyde, Student Union’s director of policy, research and advocacy.

Specifically, the tenancy act will be of significance to the Laurier community given the type of living conditions in which students usually live — often, consisting of a high number of students living in a confined space.

Lastly, the Student’s Union hoped that Bill 132 would instil a more compassionate response to sexual violence and harassment and an empathetic climate that is survivor-oriented.

The Students’ Union hopes Bill 132 will encourage more survivors to come forward, regardless of whether they choose to press formal charges.

“We want to make it clear that survivors should have the choice to come forward and disclose to someone and still access the services and supports,” said Hyde.

“Or, you can not disclose to someone and still access those services and supports. That’s the most important thing.”

INNOVATION

Wilf’s testing new app through Kik A new online take-out application for Wilf’s restaurant is currently in the process of beta-testing ERIKA YMANA NEWS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University’s campus restaurant, Wilf’s, is currently in the process of beta-testing their online take-out system or “app” through Kik Interactive. It is currently in its third week of testing with specific groups on campus, such as Residence Life and the BU111 and BU121 teaching assistants.

The system of ordering takeout essentially works by the consumer putting their order through a Kik chat where a “bot” will respond, take the order and then send the order back to Wilf’s.

The chat is currently not available to the student body.

Demi Oba, a fourth-year business student, currently works for business development at Kik and is a Residence Life don at Laurier.

The idea came about through lengthy discussions with Jeyas Balaskanthan, the director of hospitality services.

“I think the basic idea is that

“I think the basic idea is that people are kind of getting app overload at this point”

-Demi Oba, fourth-year business student

people are kind of getting app overload at this point. So people kind of have their go-to apps and what they need, but among those apps are chat apps,” explained Oba. “So if you can use the chat app not just to connect with your friends or your family, but to also connect to the world around you and start to build a platform, then you’re really onto something.”

Balaskanthan said using Kik as the platform was the right decision as the company understands what the establishment needs and a chat platform is distinctly different

from other food apps currently available, such as JustEat. “Demi being a part of Kik, being a Laurier student and knowing the Wilf’s culture makes it special that there is an overall thought process and commitment to do something right,” he said.

During this testing period, Oba and Balaskanthan agreed that the app is a step in the right direction in increasing efficiency.

Instead of physically being in the restaurant or calling, sending a few messages to the “bot” will have an order completed in half the time.

“If you’re calling sometimes you may not be able to get through the phone and otherwise if you want to leave class,” said Balaskanthan.

“So you’re doing two trips, but with the app it becomes just one trip.”

It also allows the restaurant to contact the customer when the order is ready.

Before the introduction of the app, there was no way to contact the customer and contacting each one about their order would not be feasible.

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

The establishment is aiming to have their app available to students by fall.

“This whole term as we started it, our purpose for the rest of the term is to try to see how it works, get the input, get the feedback, get the criticisms until the end of the term,” Balaskanthan said.

He added that Wilf’s will be open during lunch hours in the summer and will be another avenue for testing. The establishment is aiming to have it available to the student body by the fall.

“The whole term as we started it, our purpose for the rest of the term is to try to see how it works, get the input, get the feedback [...].”

-Jeyas Balaskanthan, director of hospitality services

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

STUDENTS’ UNION BOARD UNDER REVIEW It was certainly a trying year for the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union board of directors. The board dealt with multiple issues that tested them, such as statues, the federal election, disqualifying a candidate and St. Patrick’s Day. Overall, the board was effective and fulfilled their duty in terms of governance of the Union and directing the strategic planning of the organization.

Under the leadership of Colin Aitchison, meetings continued to be effective, lasting less than their allotted time. The focus continued to be around strategic discussion.

With a third of the board from Brantford, it allowed for a stronger approach to multicampus representation. Directors should remember that all perspectives need to be brought to the board table regardless of geography. Going into next year, this will be a major piece of the board’s portfolio with both the incoming chair and incoming president coming from Brantford.

Although discussions began to improve in the latter half of first semester, participation and critical discussion began to dwindle in the latter half of second semester. The board

was also consistently divided on the purpose of the board of directors. While some directors individually brought forward strong points and provided good insight into strategic discussion, the board collectively failed to be a critical entity. Conversations strayed in the latter half of the year and participation dwindled from many board members.

Differing opinions were more welcome this year and the professionalism of the board as a whole improved. This should continue in the upcoming year, allowing for critical and diverse opinions to be welcome

in an inclusive environment.

The board had a large amount of meetings, many of which had the same people show up and contribute on a regular basis.

Attendance began to dissipate in the latter half of the year and it hindered the board’s overall performance to be effective regularly.

Overall, the board was solid this year. In the upcoming year, it’s encouraged that directors understand the Students’ Union policies, bring in critical discussion, a holistic approach and continue to focus on strategic planning.

Olivia Matthews President and CEO of the Students’ Union With only one month left in her term, it’s safe to say Matthews has worked her way up to becoming one of the best Students’ Union presidents in the past few years. Matthews has dramatically improved in communication with the university and building better relations with the school, as seen through her consistent meetings with university departments and partners, such as Laurier president, Max Blouw, and vicepresident of student affairs, David McMurray.

During board meetings, Matthews is keen on presenting her monitoring reports and Students’ Union operational updates to board members and has been educated on governance policies

and operations. She is also open to voicing student concerns at the board table and will talk to directors outside of board meetings if asked. However, Matthews is encouraged to follow Robert’s Rules of Order during meetings and respecting the rules the meetings follow. Compared to the past few Students’ Union presidents, Matthews has been the most open and vocal when it comes to engaging with students. Early into her term, Matthews implemented open office hours where she invited students to come and voice their concerns on critical issues surrounding the university or the Students’ Union.

This semester, Matthews was very involved in the Students’ Union elections, often participating in

open forums and marketing events through social media. Matthews has also been very open to engaging students through her Facebook and Twitter pages and has voiced her own concerns on issues such as St. Patrick’s Day or the Brantford bus stop. It is recommended however that Matthews keeps her personal feelings about her role off of social media and continue to present a professional decorum in the final month.

Overall, Matthews has done a great job as president in representing the multi-campus student body. It is encouraged that she stress the importance of engagement and advocacy when transitioning Tyler Van Herzele into the role.

Colin Aitchison Chair of the Board and Chief Governance Officer Aitchison was a dominant chair this year. His obvious knowledge of the Students’ Union and the functions of the board helped him facilitate strategically-focused discourse at the board table.

He ran meetings efficiently all year, stayed objective and limited the amount of in-camera sessions.

The addition of the consent agenda was also an effective move that benefitted the board.

Despite a trying year, Aitchison has kept an objective approach to issuesm including conversations surrounding the role of a board.

As chair, Aitchison has done a

great job letting his fellow directors steer discussion, but would have benefitted from better ground rules at the beginning around attendance and participation from the whole board.

However, this should not take away from his outstanding performance.

Since the midterm review, there has been a complete change in Aitchison’s approachability.

He has increased communication and transparency with board members.

He was less apprehensive and instead helped directors under-

stand issues that arised. He made himself available in second term for directors to learn and this will be especially important to continue for the final weeks as he trains Nick DeSumma for his role.

Aitchison’s professionalism and decorum in the role have never been in question.

He displayed a large amount of professionalism in such a large role and handled the multitude of issues he faced well.

Overall, Aitchison had a successful term as chair and CGO and should continue to train DeSumma to step into his shoes.

table.

He brought up critical points in some aspects and while this is beneficial in a transitional period, he is encouraged to be more vocal over the next few weeks. He is also encouraged to set a strong emphasis on engagement to the incoming board.

DeSumma’s strong punctuation continued second semester, as his attendance was perfect and

he was organized and prepared for meetings. He displayed the ability to move into the role of chair, but is encouraged to learn from chair Aitchison and facilitate discussions so they are relevant during his term. He will need to continue to be a strong vice-chair while being open to suggestions as he transitions into his role for next year.

Overall, DeSumma has been a good vice-chair this year.

Nick DeSumma Vice-Chair of the Board As vice-chair, DeSumma has done well in the role. As the first-ever Brantford vice-chair and the firstever incoming chair from Brantford, DeSumma continued to bring a healthy perspective to the board.

He brings passion and dedication, which has been beneficial to the board as a whole.

While he has improved, DeSumma continued to take a back seat in discussions at the board

These reviews were written collaboratively by News Editors Kaitlyn Severin and Erika Ymana, and Editor-in-Chief Shelby Blackley. They are based on observations from board meetings and interviews with directors, chair and president.

NEWS • 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kanwar Brar Brar has been a great asset to the board. He has consistently been critical and impartial, bringing the best interest of the organization forward in conversations. Brar has been active in engagement and this was evident through his attendance to almost every single meeting, his outstanding work with the Ownership Linkage Committee and his help during the Students’

Union election.

With his improvement on asking critical questions, he has held the president accountable and wants to work towards taking a more proactive stance.

Brar has helped with strategy as a whole and takes initiative on fulfilling the mandate correctly.

Brar understands the overall roles of the board and its function, and

brings a wealth of passion to the position.

Brar can often speak fast, but has worked to rectify this in the second semester to better articulate his strong points.

Overall, he has had a great term and not returning, will be a major loss to the board next year. *Disclaimer: Kanwar Brar is an Opinion Columnist for The Cord.

DeSumma continues to come prepared to meetings. As a Brantford board member, DeSumma attended all meetings on the Waterloo campus and is involved in many committees. He is a personable, professional director and can bring forth a strong voice for all students and should continue to

be a voice for all Laurier students.

As a returning board member, it is important that DeSumma uses his experience to help the incoming directors and help steer the strategic discussion of the organization.

directors, Fletcher has been a huge asset to the board through his participation in strategic discussions. He has also improved by being present at all Waterloo meetings after his midterm review and brings a true multi-campus perspective.

Fletcher improved second se-

mester to bring up more in discussion, communicate with students and promote events such as the Brantford Student Life Levy.

It is encouraged during his last month as director that Fletcher continue to participate in strategic discussions around the board table.

forth questions and concerns to the board.

During his term, Giuga has provided an avenue for students to express their opinions about the strategic direction of the Students’ Union by helping administer surveys in the Ownership Linkage Committee.

In meetings, Giuga is often listens to what other members have to say before voicing his opinions.

While Giuga keeps an open mind and does his best to agree with his fellow directors, he did not contribute much to strategic discussions.

semester, but has tried to voice his concerns and bring in more perspectives during strategic discussions. Harris often asks the president for follow up meetings, engaging with what the operational side is doing. However, he should remember to focus on

policy and governance.

While Harris will not be returning to the board next year, it is encouraged that he continue to bring more student perspectives to the board in his remaining time as director. Overall, Harris has been an asset to the board.

Matt DeSumma DeSumma improved this semester by thoroughly understanding what the board role entails. He has moved away from thinking about operational plans and invested more into understanding the governance aspect of the job, which will be critical as a returning member next year.

Ryley Fletcher Fletcher has greatly improved in his second term as a director through more education on Students’ Union policies and governance.

He comes prepared to meetings and isn’t afraid to bring up his perspectives.

As one of the four Brantford

Giovanni Giuga Giuga has had a good term as board. Giuga has begun to differentiate the roles of the Students’ Union board and the operational side, but still struggles with the overall encompassing aspects of the board.

However, Giuga has become more comfortable with bringing

Andrew Harris During second semester, Harris has improved in bringing a more critical perspective to board meetings. He still conveys a sense of professionalism during board meetings and is less critical of errors in the agenda packages.

Harris has been quieter this

8 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Abdiasis Issa Issa has continued to be an effective board member in terms of his knowledge and understanding of policy and governance. With his experience, Issa has provided insight, but has also been removed from the student body to hold a critical point of view.

However, Issa has continued to be absent or late to meetings and often not bringing up big discussion points. He has not hit his potential on the Students’ Union board. Issa has continuously missed meetings, which hindered his ability to hold day-to-day orga-

nizations accountable.

Issa has the professionalism and potential of a good director, but did not reach this potential due to his absenteeism and lack of discussion in meetings *Disclaimer: Abdiasis Issa is a director of the board for WLUSP

meetings and trips to Brantford has also been consistent. As such, he has been able to bring issues forward to the board. His passion for the board vision committee was evident throughout the year, and although it was dissolved, it should be noted Jagannathan’s work did not go unnoticed.

Jagannathan was involved in discussions, but would have benefited from more of a leadership role in encouraging discussion from directors. Overall, Jagannathan has had a good term as director.

opinion with confidence to add to discussions, even though it may not be the most popular perspective.

However, she is often fueled by emotion instead of logic and her contributions have been limited.

She would have benefited from more consistency in her contribu-

tions over the year.

Although from Brantford, Parton’s effort to come to meetings in Waterloo has not gone unnoticed.

She has also made an effort to continue board discussions away from the table, but has often found hesitance from her fellow members. This should be commended.

As a veteran member of the board, Ricci is eager and passionate, continuing his role as an active person on social media and in wanting to meet and talk to various students on campus.

Despite not earning chair, Ricci brings a positive attitude to the board, especially in a year that was full of polarizing discussions.

He contributes to discussions, however will not often offer an opinion but rather agree with a point already brought up, not furthering the discourse.

As a returning member, Ricci is encouraged to use his experience and bring critical discussion to the board, as he will be one of two returning directors-at-large.

confident in his opinions this semester. Worden consistently brings a level-headed, non-partisan approach to decision making. This was evident during the most recent discussion about the future of the board vision committee, where he encouraged a critical analysis of its effectiveness.

As a first-year director, he has been involved in multiple committees and has not missed a scheduled meeting. He has made time

for his commitment as a director.

Worden covers a lot of aspects as a director and does not allow the opinions he brings forward to be influenced by emotion. He logically approaches strategic direction and policies around the Union.

Worden boasted a large amount of professionalism this year. His departure from the board will be felt, but he has provided an excellent example to incoming directors.

Sujaay Jagannathan Jagannathan continued to engage in critical conversations this term and has contributed well with the board. Jagannathan has a thorough understanding of the role of board members and values the board’s vision. He continued to stay openminded this term.

Jagannathan’s attendance in

Melody Parton As a veteran member, Parton continued to have a strong understanding of the board and its function.

Her dedication continued as she was present for all meetings except for two over her term.

When she speaks up in meetings, Parton portrays her personal

Jonathan Ricci Ricci’s experience was his best asset over the past year. He brings a large amount of professionalism and is passionate in his role as a director.

He comes prepared to meetings, understanding the role and what has worked in the past, as well as how to move forward in the future as a director.

Derek Worden Worden has been an absolute asset to the board this year. He was consistently one of the strongest directors, being prepared for all meetings and coming with questions and comments. Worden has a full understanding of what the board’s role is but continues to strive to learn as much as he can.

When he isn’t the one steering critical discussions, Worden always has something beneficial to add to the discourse. He was more

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

PHOTOS • 11

PHOTOS BY WILL HUANG/INCOMING CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/INCOMING ONLINE EDITOR, JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER, PAIGE BUSH/INCOMING PHOTO EDITOR

12 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/BETHANY BOWLES/BBOWLES@THECORD.CA

LENDING LIGHT ON LAURIER’S TOP EARNERS

Editor-in-Chief Shelby Blackley dissects the 2015 Sunshine List and who from Laurier makes the cutoff of $100,000 Do you ever wonder how much money your professors make?

Well, they could be making over $100,000, qualifying them for the Sunshine List, a registry of all public sector employees in a province of Canada over that echelon.

As per the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act of 1996, the Sunshine List was created to make Ontario’s public sector more “open and accountable” to taxpayers. The act requires organizations that receive public funding from the province of Ontario to disclose annually the names, positions, salaries and total taxable benefits of employees paid $100,000 or more in a calendar year.

“It was about transparency,” said Kevin Crowley, director of communications and public affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University. “There was a concern over public sector wages and Mike Harris government in the 90s decided on a salary disclosure.”

The salaries and benefits, compiled for the previous calendar year, allows the public to know how much publicly-funded institutions devote to wages.

No one’s name is left off the list if they are a public sector employee.

The list’s cutoff of $100,000 was set 20 years ago and, despite inflation, stays there. Premier Kathleen Wynne said she has no intention of moving it up because “a lot of people, many, many thousands of people in this province” still say $100,000 is a lot of money to earn.

But often it can be buried. The list was released just before the long weekend and Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government were criticized for trying to hide the list from the public.

On the list are 556 Laurier employees ranging from the president, to members of administration, staff, professors and faculty. Out of the 556

employees, 426 were considered “faculty” on the list, which is approximately 77 per cent.

“The number of faculty or percentage of faculty has stayed about the same [since the 2014 list]. The number of managers has stayed roughly the same at about 11 per cent,” Crowley said. “The rest are a variety of things: deans, librarians and a variety of staff members who for one reason or another make over $100,000.”

The salaries for Laurier employees range from $100,099.20 to $371,417.90. The total for Laurier salaries on the Sunshine List equalled $80,139,563.27.

The average salary was $144,056.85.

According to Crowley, the university’s operating budget for 2015-16 — the current fiscal year — is $265 million. Seventy-seven per cent of that is salaries and benefits.

Max Blouw, president and vice-chancellor of Laurier, was the highest paid individual in 2015, earning $371,417.90. His salary remained the same as 2014 because, according to Crowley, the 2010 Ontario government imposed a salary freeze on the top administrators of all public sector bodies.

The second highest paid individual was James Orbinski, who is a faculty member with the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His salary was disclosed as $357,998.84. He accepted a nobel prize with Médecins Sans Frontières in 1999, adding to the prestige of Laurier having him.

The highest paid woman was Deborah Maclatchy, provost and vice-president: academic, whose salary was disclosed at $308,575.78. This was a dramatic increase from 2014, when she made $237,628.79.

According to Crowley, this is because of a number of reasons. Maclatchy’s position went

under a gender equity review, which found men in the same position or role were making more at universities. Additionally, under the new responsibility-centred budget model, Maclatchy’s position will require her to take on more responsibility. She was also acting vice-president of research for the majority of 2015 and received a stipend.

“A provost at a lot of universities is almost like a general manager,” Crowley explained. “They’re responsible for the day-to-day operations of the university … we’re moving toward that model and we wanted to reflect that.”

Six Laurier employees had no taxable benefits disclosed, while Blouw’s taxable benefits were $28,355.68, the highest of any employee on the list. Crowley said the taxable benefits on Laurier’s salary disclosure list typically relate to the basic life insurance provided by the university as a benefit to full-time employees under the age of 70. The zero taxable benefits could be because they have reached the age of 70 or because they are not fulltime employees.

Leanne Holland Brown, the Waterloo dean of students, made $116,287.92 in 2015. Her counterpart on the Brantford campus, Adam Lawrence, made $110,840.38.

The Sunshine List is meant to promote transparency of institutions that declare themselves to be publicly funded. It allows people to hold the institution accountable when they are paying taxes and observing the budget. For students, it’s important to understand what portion of the university’s budget is used on salaries and benefits in comparison to academics and student experience.

But what’s more important: imagine how many boxes of Kraft Dinner you could buy with an average salary of $144,000?

URES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 • 13

LAURIER’S RECEIPT OF SUNSHINE ·

556 Laurier employees made the list

·

426 of the Laurier employees are considered “faculty”, which is 77 per cent of the list

·

Salaries for Laurier employees range from $100,099.20 to $371,417.90

·

Total amount of Sunshine List salaries was $80,139,563.27

·

Average salary of those on the Sunshine List was $144,056.85

·

Average salary of those on the Sunshine List was 2.96 times that of the average Canadian income in 2014

·

Total university operating budget for 2015-16 is $265 million

·

77 per cent of Laurier’s total operating budget is salaries and benefits

·

Max Blouw, president: highest paid individual in 2015 making $371,417.90 (salary freeze, hasn’t changed since 2014 disclosure)

·

Blouw’s taxable benefits: $28,355.68

·

Deborah Maclatchy, provost and vice-president: academic made $308,575.78 in 2015, a large jump from $237,628.79 in 2014

·

Leanne Holland Brown, Waterloo dean of students: $116,287.92

·

Adam Lawrence, Brantford dean of students: $110,840.38

GRAPHICS BY LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

14 • GAMES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

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

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

Dear World, Please learn to answer your emails.

Please, for the sake of my sanity, learn to answer your emails.

Sincerely, You don’t want me to have to hunt you down Dear Blue Jays, Come back into my life.

Sincerely, I love baseball bums Dear Life, End of an era. On to new beginnings. You know who this is directed towards. Congrats on an amazing 5 years.

Sincerely, Welcome to the next chapter.

Dear life, Blessed are the poor in bank account, for theirs is the kingdom Phil’s Blessed are those who study, for MyLS will comfort them Blessed are the volunteers, for they shall inherit the campus Blessed are those who hunger for summer jobs, for generous profs will hire them Blessed are the editors, for their work shall too be edited Blessed are the pure in liver, for they shall see 12s Blessed are the procrastinators, for they will be pitied Blessed are the caffeinated, for eventually they shall see sleep Sincerely, God Dear Life, Shelby Blackley is the bestest

friend anyone could ever ask for.

Sincerely, BJ buddy Dear Life, Can people stop throwing their trash on the ground? It takes two seconds to put it in the garbage.

Sincerely, Captain Planet Dear The Cord, Thanks for a great year and thanks for giving me purpose and unlimited laughs. Also thank you to the little blonde basement dweller who kept us afloat.

Sincerely, A Cordie Dear Life, I hate a Capella. I hate it. Probably about as much as I hate acoustic guitar.

Sincerely, Unpopular Opinion Time Dear Life, I’m at the point in the semester where I day dream about being the beloved golden retriever of an upper class family.

Sincerely, Stressed and sad Dear Cats, I love you. Please appreciate me as much as I appreciate you.

Sincerely, Cat enthusiast Dear Life, I can’t believe we made Megan Trainor a thing and now we’re going to have to live with her for who knows how long.

Sincerely, Give Her Grammy Away Dear Life, Can we make 2016 start in April so I don’t feel like I’ve totally wasted the first quarter of the year?

Sincerely, Blink-182 Got It Dear Life, As we go on, we remember, all the times we, had together.

Sincerely, End of an era

GAMES • 15

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16 •

Arts & Life MUSIC

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ZACH GUITOR zguitor@thecord.ca

LINGUISTICS

Jai Paul brings mystery JORDAN SOUFIAN STAFF WRITER

The first time I listened to Jai Paul’s infamous song, “BTSTU,” I threw my laptop on the floor, doused my speakers in water and ran away from home. I was 15.

Regretting my decision, I went to a friend’s house for a few days and borrowed his laptop to listen to the song I had become infatuated with. It was the first time I heard something so good in an unfamiliar and novel way. The song was a wave of undulating distortion with Paul’s jarring falsettos echoing in the background — “Don’t fuck with me, don’t fuck with me” — a perfect encapsulation of Jai Paul’s mysterious air of debonair.

He’s managed to garner more media coverage than most artists could ever dream of ...

Rumoured to have only ever conducted one interview, Paul has a unique relationship with the media. After signing to one of the music industry’s strongest independent labels, XL Recordings, 16 tracks were uploaded to the Internet, spawning a slew of rumours across music blogs. His name has floated around the internet since 2007, yet nobody really knows who he is. Heck, it wouldn’t even be fair to conduct an album review since the 16-track record I planned on discussing is a leak — which Paul promptly disowned following its release — from his stolen laptop.

All at once Paul inspired a massive fanbase, largely because of his perpetual inactivity. Notwithstanding, he has had several of his songs sampled, including “Dreams Money Can Buy” by Drake and “End of Time” by Beyoncé.

In suit with the enigma, the 16 tracks oscillate between hints of wanting to be heard and not caring who hears the “demo” and its freeflowing, airy production.

Will Jai Paul ever release an actual album? The answer doesn’t really matter. He’s managed to garner more media coverage than most artists could ever dream of while simultaneously remaining in the shadows of the hype … until now.

On March 21, Jai Paul and his brother A.K. Paul announced Paul Institute, a new project from the two brothers. Though, it’s not yet clear what it is. Classic.

As you rummage through YouTube to find a stream of his songs, just assume those skips, pauses and off-the-cuff noises are intentional on the grounds that nobody has actually spoken to him about it, except for maybe his mom.

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fake words, real friends Exploring the origins and function of slang terms MANJOT BHULLAR INCOMING ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Do you ever find yourself unable to convey the message you want without the use of slang?

Perhaps your elongated “yaaaas” is justified, and your incessant use of “beauty” can be accepted as your inability to use breadth of vocabulary to express your thoughts.

While it has the potential to alienate, it can also be a way of bringing a group of people together.

Although language and vernacular present familiarity, slang plays a key role in facilitating inclusion.

Millennials incessantly use new slang terms to express themselves, allowing for widespread use.

What many people don’t realize is some slang terms have been dis-

carded and recycled for decades.

For example, “OMG,” the abbreviation of “oh my god,” dates back to 1917 when it was first used in a letter from Lord Fisher to Winston Churchill.

In a study conducted by Yanchun Zhou, an associate professor of foreign linguistics at the Changchun University of Science and Technology, she said, “slang terms from subculture groups are adopted by common people and become common peoples’ vocabulary.”

Many overused terms have stemmed from black social media, such as “on fleek,” “bae” and “yas,” which come from somewhat cultural roots.

African American Vernacular English, also known as AAVE, is one of the most prominent influ-

encers of modern day slang. Many terms that now have been removed from their roots are derived from dialects such as AAVE. However, some terms including “ratchet” and “ghetto” carry underlying offensive connotations to some that have been popularized as universally accepted vocabulary.

This normalizes association of inherently black adjectives to actions viewed in society as less than or inappropriate.

Language plays a key role in promoting inclusivity and community within social cohorts.

Matthew Gidman, a coach for the Wilfrid Laurier University Dragon Boat team, highlighted the use of slang in sports as terms, “not made to confuse people who are not involved in the sport, but they

are necessary for competitors and coaches alike.”

Technical slang terms assist athletic performance, but at times can transcend into every day conversation.

The LGBTQ community has been a key source for many popular slang terms.

Scott McPherson, a third-year business student brought up an important aspect of slang terminology and the isolating effects an outsider may face.

“To be able to understand [one] term, you have to know even more slang, which shows how vital of a role it can potentially play,” said McPherson.

Labels on different sexualities and the roles of individuals within the LGBTQ community are among the basics of common slang terms.

From drag queens to individual social cohorts within the LGBTQ community, the deeper you immerse yourself within the culture, the larger the pool of slang terms.

These slang terms can differ based on the group of people in a community, as well.

At Laurier, students have created terms, whether it be in the form of hashtags such as #BBAbes, or assonances such as “Phil’s and Skills,” stemming from separate social cohorts such as programs or faculties.

“The reason people constantly use slang is … to show they are one of the qualified members among a certain distinct group,” said Zhou.

Coming to university is like a salad bowl of many different cultures coming together. As apprehensive as students are to accept new slang, it soon becomes commonplace and a part of daily vernacular.

So the next time you elongate your “yas,” think about where it came from and why it’s in your daily vocabulary. You may be surprised.

FOOD

The french fry manifesto

Most surprisingly tasty fry: Mozy’s Runner up: Bao Sandwich Bar

Most overrated fry: Frites Runner up: McDonald’s

Best overall: Sonny’s Runner up: Frat Burger

Best fast food fry: Burger King Runner up: Wendy’s

It’s funny, they have the word “fries” on their window, but I never thought seriously about getting fries from a shawarma restaurant.

But boy, did Mozy’s prove me wrong.

For those who’ve had the joy of the infamous Costco fry, these are the closest you can get to those beauties around campus.

I don’t know for sure how they make them, but these fries are flaky on the outside and delightfully crispy. When you try one of these, you can’t help but want to eat another and another until you feel the need to go back to Mozy’s for more.

What happened? When Frites first opened they seemed like the perfect counter to common complaints about Smoke’s Poutinerie.

They double layered the cheese and gravy and the fries were substantially bigger and crispier.

But now the problems that were always there just make the fries overwhelming. They have always been over-seasoned and now this makes them almost unpalatable.

The biggest problem is just how big the fries are. After four or five of them, I wanted to stop eating because they aren’t properly fried so they get soggy in the box. All in all, a real disappointment.

Not all french fries make good chips. Where you can serve just any kind of fry next to a burger, with fish you need something special. They need to be really crispy and only lightly salted to handle the vinegar without making the whole dish too salty. They are a real supporting player, giving you a break from the greasy fried fish.

Sonny’s fries are perfect for this. You get a solid crunch with every bite, even as they cool down.

Sonny’s also gets a leg up because they have an awesome seasoning mix that you can add yourself.

These are the best fries around campus by a mile.

I know, it almost seems sacrilegious to say there’s a better fry than McDonald’s, but hear me out. McDonald’s fries are only great under very specific circumstances. They have to come fresh out of the fryer, be salted just right and you have to eat them all at once or they get soft and weirdly unappetizing.

Burger King on the other hand has fries that stay crispy as you eat your meal and feel substantial so you don’t feel the need to eat them all at once. Whatever seasoning mix Burger King uses really puts them on top. They work as a side or a snack and make the perfect hangover food.

WORDS BY MYNT MARSELLUS, PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS

ARTS & LIFE • 17

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 FILM

MEDIA

Reel Paddling returns

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

The advent of podcasting In a media landscape of audio-visual overload, podcasts shine in simplicity

ALEX DULANOVIC STAFF WRITER

They say history tends to repeat itself, but I disagree. Things don’t simply come back. Instead, they grow out of a historical soil enriched by lessons of years prior.

In the 1920s, when radio first became accessible to the general public, it had a significant cultural impact. People made time to huddle around their crystal radios in order to hear broadcasts of music, news and entertainment.

Today, these subjects have shifted to different media. Portable memory and streaming services moved music to the cell phone.

The demand for visual immersion made computers and television the primary sources of news and entertainment.

Here comes the podcast, feeling no shame in being your background. While radio looks to cater to the masses with its music and advertisements, podcasts cater to the 21st century.

Equally important to providing a better answer to “what,” is catering to “when” and “where” something is heard. Users can subscribe to a podcast and automatically have it accessible on multiple devices.

Despite the accessibility, it’s the content itself that has raised popularity of the medium.

While one of the main attractions of the podcast comes from the diversity of content available, they all strive for the same thing — to be interesting.

While radio looks to cater to the masses with its music and advertisements, podcasts cater to the 21st century.

Last summer, while helping my mom clear out our garden, I got addicted to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, a podcast in which the host thoroughly examines watershed moments in history.

His magnum opus “Blueprint for Armageddon” is a 24-hour audio megalith, split into six episodes,

that explores the First Word War. I dove in with the intention of having something to shift my focus while I tugged on weeds and swept away dirt.

At the end of my day, I cleaned a section of my backyard, went shopping, finished a home workout and became an expert on the political, social and economic climate in Europe from 1914 to 1918.

The audio format also gives space to the listener to formulate their own thoughts, instead of having an audio-visual overload.

Ironically, I’d taken a class on the very subject, but my teacher wasn’t very interesting. Podcasts thrive due to their personalities.

Joe Rogan hosts a range of intellectuals, mixed martial arts fighters and comedians in order to gain perspective on cultural events.

Bill Simmons surveys the sports world through interviews with friends, athletes and media members.

Existing in the background of whatever you’re doing, they sneak into real, thought-provoking conversation.

I have a theory. I feel we’ve collectively gotten tired of the manufactured presentation of personality. Placed in suits and dresses with makeup, flashing lights and TV cameras, personalities on the screen seem so far removed from the average humans we regularly encounter.

Podcasts refreshingly offer uninterrupted conversation, restoring humanity within media. Freed from the cage of time limits and marketing agendas, personalities are relaxed and thus more open.

The audio format also gives space to the listener to formulate their own thoughts, instead of having an audio-visual overload.

Importantly, it also counters fears of political correctness present in our culture. It’s an opportunity to fully explain oneself and caters to more controversial and complex opinions.

Therefore, in a media field occupied by manufactured presentations, we’ve gravitated back to one of the most natural human occurrences — conversation.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

VICTORIA BERNDT STAFF WRITER

In an age of constant connectivity and access to technology, going to a film festival about canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddling, camping and fishing seemed like a break from the daily buzz.

Held at the Princess Cinemas on March 24, Rapid Media’s Reel Paddling Film Festival is touring for its 11th year. The festival is a unique event for residents in Waterloo Region due to its backcountry appeal in a city quickly becoming more modern and global, while also situated in one of Canada’s richest canoeing and kayaking provinces.

The event featured a handful of selections from the festival’s repertoire for the year, ranging from simple five-minute reflections on the art of canoeing to half-hour epics about month-long expeditions in the wild. Each film discussed humanity’s connection with nature, whether that be celebratory or more of a warning for action against major industries such as

logging or mining.

Paddle to the North was one of the most impactful of the selections in this respect. It dealt with paddlers from all over the world going on a canoe trip in the Yukon to raise awareness of the precious Peel watershed, which is facing destruction due to government legislation.

The typical canoer or camper was not referenced in these films.

Each story was extravagant and fulfilling, leaving your average camping trip in the dust with ease.

Films did not show typical canoe trips or fishing expeditions.

Instead, each piece needed to be worth its price of admission. While not many people in the Region would have completed life-threatening challenges, the distanciation each film provided helped the film festival remain a film festival, even with its natural ties.

Among the more notable mentions in the festival, Kayaking the Aleutians focused on two female explorers making their way across the sparse island chain from Russia to Alaska — an extremely dangerous task due to the area’s unpredictable weather. The amount of risk in the film both distanced and astounded the audience and renewed an adventurous spirit in

those safe within the theatre.

Some films, on the other hand, simply flaunted their quality and didn’t deliver meaning. These films showcased expert filmmaking without any connection to the nature they wanted to film. Ironically, these films would not have been successful had the nature filmed been anything short of breathtaking.

A standout example of this was Beyond Definition, whose vague title gave way to vaguely inspirational jargon about what paddling does to the mind while showing extremely well-choreographed shots of a man kayaking through a variety of landscapes. Additionally, Expedition Q told the story of two couples on a canoe trip in such a way that the film did not have any cohesive or binding thought, preferring to overlay any message with gorgeous scenes of the Canadian wilderness.

These films made appreciating the art of canoeing, kayaking and camping harder to grasp and appreciate.

In this respect, technology and the natural world will only create something meaningful if they respect each other and help us learn more about our world in a humbling manner.

Travel Vaccines Including Yellow Fever Typhoid Meningitis Hepatitis A/B and Malaria Rabies Vaccine Japanese Encephalitis

570 University Ave. East, Waterloo 519-570-4208

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18 • ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

NEUROSCIENCE

THE INFINITE FLOAT JESSI WOOD/GRAPHIC ARTIST

ZACH GUITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

The quarter-life crisis hit hard.

Questions flurried in my head. Is this the right path? Am I chasing the right thing? Will I find fulfillment in the end? Fermenting in frustration could only get me so far.

Psychedelic experiences present the potential for brain plasticity, which is certainly a desirable state for many, but the unpredictable nature of illicit substances can lead someone astray. But you don’t need drugs to reach that frame of mind. One can embark in the “metaprogramming” of the “human computer,” as described by neuroscientist John C. Lilly, through sensory deprivation therapy.

Lilly is considered the founding father of sensory deprivation ther-

apy through use of isolation tanks, or more gently known as “float” tanks. These tanks isolate users in complete darkness within a neutral space free of discrete smell or sound. Suspended in only inches of extremely salient and buoyant water at a temperature consistent with the subject’s skin temperature, the environment is meant to subdue any feeling of touch or motion. At the absence of sensory stimulation, it’s much simpler to focus and possibly manipulate the thinking process.

Flowt K-W, a young establishment north of the Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo campus, specializes in sensory deprivation therapy. The establishment has garnered the curiosity and commitment of many community members bent on addressing physical or mental concerns by

floating for up to 90 minutes.

“Your brain and your mind follow your body,” said Arend Okkema, co-founder of Flowt K-W. “Psychedelics are like a slingshot out into the sky and it’s like you don’t know what might necessarily happen … [floating] is much more of a controlled state.”

Floating first caught the fatherson duo’s attention upon hearing about Christian Zrymiak, a Saskatoon entrepreneur who put his own float tank in a school bus, giving multiple people the “float” experience as he journeyed to music festivals along the coast of British Columbia.

Both Mark and Arend Okkema, intrigued by the unique business, tried floating and found it incredible. Noticing the lack of float centres in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, the duo felt that commu-

nity members ought to reap the therapeutic benefits and opened the business.

I floated and it was marvelous.

“You’re only going to hear two things: your breath and your heart,” said Mark Okkema, cofounder of Flowt K-W and Arend’s father.

After a brief conversation with the duo, it was time. Arend gave me the introduction, offering tips on how to float safely, comfortably and positively.

Earplugs, shower, float.

I began recalling the horrendous swimming lessons of my youth, where I struggled to float even when using the assuredly buoyant star formation. But the hyperbuoyancy of the float tank water mitigated any chlorine flashbacks.

The warm salient water enraptured my naked body, enveloping me in a comforting, fluid cashmere. But if I wanted to program my brain, I thought, I couldn’t just float there.

The first five minutes were spent capturing any fleeting thoughts, to find something purposeful and focused. I imagined if I focused on my mental conflict long enough, the abstract function of the float experience would take course and I would emerge satisfied and fulfilled.

But this proved difficult, so I tried to make something of the colour aberrations burned into my retinas and eventually, sensations in my fingers began to fleet.

“There’s a sensation called nerve stagnation and that’s where your nerves actually stop sending signals back to your brain that they’re getting any input,” said Arend Okkema.

“Because you don’t have any sound to judge by and you don’t have any light to judge by, you really don’t know where you are

in terms of everything else. That’s called your loss of proprioception.”

I then began to use visualization in a more abstracted manner.

Rather than playing with tangibles, I pictured the ideal future, visualizing true fulfillment. My relaxed state intensified.

Some ambiguous time later, I emerged from a dark void, recollecting sensation in my extremities and realized I was still floating in 200 gallons of warm, salient water.

“Shit,” I thought. “I fell asleep, I missed it.”

In that very moment, I was convinced that my goal to achieve some abstracted serenity had been botched by selective narcolepsy.

A subtle chime signaled the end of my float. I emerged from the tank and stumbled to turn on the light. Even at its dimmest, the illuminated room was straining.

As I walked to the front desk after getting dressed, Arend’s voice bellowed with apparent depth even at speaking volume.

“A lot of people experience a sensory reboot,” said Arend Okkema.

The duo assured that the dreamless, dark void was a delta brainwave state, a deep and regenerative experience.

Sitting in the vanity room, sipping peppermint tea, I reflected on the float. Although my experience didn’t recall that of a “disembodied mind floating through the universe,” it felt intangibly meaningful.

“Almost everyone will agree that they’ve experienced something that they have a very difficult time putting words to because it’s so different,” Mark Okkema explained.

I’m still here with questions abound, floating didn’t answer them, but it could help me get there in time.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2015

• 19

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

Know where you’re money’s going before you donate ment with the realities of for-profit education and the comical amount of debt students have to manage after graduation, leaves a sour taste in mouths of many who refuse to give money to the school.

Even though they hold no particular love for the institution itself, they took advantage of the many clubs and groups offered, and crafted their own positive experience.

When students answer a phone call from a Laurier representative who mispronounces their name while asking for money, they’re aware of the oddity of the situation. The school is a corporation, systematically designed to maximize their profits by encouraging student debt. And yet, all of the positive memories, friendships built and experience gained through joining different clubs and associations all would not be possible without it.

As you grab your diploma, begin to walk off stage and immediately feel a vibration in your pocket, don’t immediately say yes or no to their requests for money. Instead, ask where the money is going, and do everything in your power to ensure that your money is going to support everything that made your undergrad enjoyable.

If you’re graduating at the end of the semester and this is your last time picking up a copy of The Cord, congratulations. You’ve made it through four years of procrastination followed by caffeine-fuelled cram sessions, and you’re ready to collect the piece of paper that will make it all “worth it.” But if you think completing your undergrad means you’re free of obligations to Wilfrid Laurier University, think again.

The fun is just beginning.

You’ll likely leave with $28,000 in debt as a parting gift, but even before you pay off a cent of that they’ll be calling you on the phone, hounding you for more.

Donations have become a key part of the funding process for universities across Canada, and Laurier is no exception. Around 60 per cent of the Laurier’s revenue is raised through alumni donations, and though the university is touting this as a positive, students continue to wonder exactly where their money is going.

During their yearly alumnus donation drives, Laurier promotes images of smiling, gainfully employed graduates who credit the school for their success, but for many people, their experiences were quite different. Disillusion-

Understanding rights in the battle with landlords ing students about housing rights and tenant agreements. There to assist students with a catapult of complications, they’re one option for allowing tenants to remain in control beneath the roofs they sleep under. Reading full leases before signing and discussion with lawyers are other ways to gain home field advantage on someone else’s turf.

Knowing what you need for sustainable living conditions is an underlying requirement for all tenants. Hydro bills, laundry costs, plumbing and air conditioning functionality are examples of living necessities that must not be overlooked. Rushing to sign contracts can cause you to gamble with these crucial necessities and can jeopardize your chances of finding the best place for you.

Being educated is the key to preparation, and preparation is your greatest weapon in battle.

Leaking pipes, renovation projects gone wrong, mold, damaged air conditioning, flooded toilets, holes in walls and miscommunicated contracts are all part of the reoccurring tale: the battle between tenants and landlords. How do students prepare for this repetitive duel of housing complications?

Understanding their rights.

A binding contract requires cooperation from both parties, but your rights are your landlord’s obligation. Certain expectations must be met, and sometimes these expectations are forgotten or dismissed. As important as it is for you to follow certain rules of conduct during your tenure, it’s equally important for expectations towards your landlord to be fulfilled and respected.

Staying educated is crucial when choosing where to live. The Students Rights Advisory Committee is a valuable resource for inform-

These unsigned editorials are based off informal discussions and then agreed upon by the majority of The Cord’s editorial board, including the Editor-inChief and Opinion Editor. The arguments made may reference any facts that have been made available through interviews, documents or other sources.

The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of The Cord’s volunteers, staff or WLUSP.

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

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Bryan Stephens VICE-CHAIR Abdiasis Issa DIRECTOR Rafey Sattar DIRECTOR John Pehar

DIRECTOR Tom Lillo

DIRECTOR Angela Foster DIRECTOR Fred Kuntz DIRECTOR Gary Doyle

PRESIDENT Bryan Stephens president@wlusp. com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Caroline Schummer care.schummer@ wlusp.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@ wlusp.com HR MANAGER/ CORPORATE SECRETARY Emily Crump hr@wlusp.com

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

‘Overreacting’ again Derailing conversation by saying ‘calm down’ or ‘relax’ is not the way to respond to someone’s frustration

BETHANY BOWLES INCOMING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s being told I’m overreacting.

As someone who has dealt with a roller coaster of moderate to severe anxiety their whole life, the way I respond to certain situations can be somewhat unpredictable.

For instance, if I get a bad grade, I’m really good at laughing it off and moving on with my day.

If I find out a friend has lied to me, however, I respond with an aggressive punch of emotion.

Anxiety blurs my ability to think rationally and this is when I tend to say things I don’t mean or move into that dark place I’ve tried so hard to get out of.

My anxiety is mainly social.

I get very upset when people I care about do me wrong, if plans change suddenly or if someone backs out of a promise.

With general stresses of life, however, like financial positions or job security, I’m generally pretty optimistic.

In situations like those, I can usually look at the bright side.

This is why I’m so annoyed with the phrase, “you’re overreacting.”

Measuring human reactions is such a wild generalization, that

Instead of ultimately thinking “there they go, overreacting again,” try your best to find the root of their responses.

I’m arguing that phrase as actually offensive.

Let me put this in perspective for you.

In my fourth-year English seminar, we’re reading a novel that has a really troubling rape scene.

While I read this, I sympathized with the main character, but since I don’t have any personal experiences with being raped, my reaction to reading this scene can be measured as “normal” by societal standards.

For someone who might have been raped themselves, reading this scene could have caused them to “overreact,” due to past traumas.

Can that really qualify as “overreacting,” though?

Or is it just a different form of reaction?

When you tell someone they’re overreacting, you’re telling them that there is a norm for how someone should react to certain situations and they don’t fit into that norm.

It’s the same as telling someone to calm down.

You’re asking that person to cater their reaction to what you think is fit.

Ultimately, that’s really uncool.

I’m lucky because my family and friends understand why I react strongly to certain social situations.

I don’t ever ask anyone to cater to my anxiety, but just to be open and understanding that sometimes I can respond to situations with high levels of emotion.

The majority of people close to me know that telling me I’m overreacting makes everything worse because this is the last thing an upset person needs — to feel alienated and outside of the norm.

Everyone has that one friend that has been deemed “overly emotional.”

Everyone has that one friend that is like a ticking time bomb; we dance around the conversation in efforts to keep the storm at bay.

Instead of ultimately thinking, “there they go, overreacting again,” try your best to find the root of their responses.

But more than anything, just listen to them.

Telling someone they’re “overreacting” is derailing conversation.

By saying this, you’re making it seem like they’re the problem, when really the problem is your inability to be considerate of multiple positions other than your own.

No, I’m not “overreacting.”

20 •

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

The current state of sexual assault SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In 2013, I was assaulted. It was after a night out with friends. I drank too much and was falling asleep on the floor. So, completely aware of my actions, I went up to my bedroom alone to call it a night.

Shortly after falling asleep, I was woken by someone behind me trying to touch me.

He was pushing himself up against me, trying to put himself inside me as I grumbled “no.” I ran out of my room shortly after, just wanting to sleep.

I didn’t realize the reality of this assault until two years later, walking home after an intense conversation with some co-workers. I had an anxiety attack and since then, have kept it buried along with the other triggering memories of my 23 years on this Earth.

And now, the day of the Jian Ghomeshi trial, when he was acquitted of all charges, I am finding myself right where I was the day of the panic attack: confused with a strange feeling in my stomach, wondering what will happen to survivors — but more so, wondering what will happen to those who don’t realize it happened to them, as well.

You see, I thought I was lucky.

I have written multiple pieces

during my tenure about the current state of sexual assault and gendered violence on Wilfrid Laurier Univerity’s campus.

I have sympathized with survivors. I wrote an editor’s note saying something needs to change. I was passionate about this before I realized how much it also affected me.

But now we’re at a crossroads.

And it means more than just one case.

We have students on Laurier’s campuses that are afraid to speak up and very well may be more afraid to speak up going forward.

From a freedom of information request, I found out only three students have gone to Special Constable Services on the Waterloo campus since the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. If the statistics we have come to know about this epidemic are true, doesn’t that seem a little low?

And now, perhaps that number will stay low for the upcoming years. Because people are afraid.

People don’t feel safe. And more importantly, people don’t know what to do.

It’s not for a lack of trying from supporters. It’s a fear inside of survivors that they are unsure what will follow. Support is there, yes, but we also know how grueling of a process this can be if someone chooses to report.

And it makes me sick to know that people who may want to report their assailant may be stopped because there’s so much ambiguity, so much stress and so much torture.

This very well may be the last opinion piece I ever write for this beloved newspaper.

And despite how many times I have opened up about mental illness, school and family, this will be the most important to be published.

It doesn’t matter if you are upset, saddened, disgusted or disturbed by the current state of rape culture.

It doesn’t matter if you are unsurprised by the verdict in the Ghomeshi case.

It really doesn’t even matter if you believe me right now.

What’s important is that you don’t allow rape culture to stay as it is. You need to use those feelings around the Ghomeshi verdict, around constant brave individuals who spoke up the day of and around your friends, family and classmates to fuel discourse surrounding a topic that will not go away by suppressing it.

I was assaulted in 2013. And I’m okay. But our current state of sexual assault is not.

What’s important is that you don’t allow rape culture to stay as it is.

KAMIL AHMED/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Casting for discrimination KAMIL AHMED OPINION COLUMNIST

There is something about being told “no” that drives me, that pushes me, that makes me want to work harder and prove something.

But there is also something about being told “no” due to something you can’t change that makes me want to cry, punch a hole in the wall and scream.

This is me screaming.

The words: “You’re not what we’re looking for,” have permanently been engraved in me, carved by the sharp pens of the not so entertaining entertainment industry.

Growing up, my friends and I used to dream about being on stage, having the curtains open and before us a crowd of excited individuals.

We used to dream about the rush you would get when hitting the note, saying the line or getting the part.

We used to dream, not realizing there would come a day when those dreams would be shattered by industry professionals, the same people who came to our drama classes to tell us that we all had a shot only if we believed.

But it’s not faith they want, it’s a different reflection in the mirror.

It was sunny as I approached the local community theatre with a resume in hand and dreams in mind.

I sat down in the waiting room recognizing that I was the only one there that looked like me.

After all, this wasn’t the first time.

“Kamil Ah … Kamil? You’re next.”

It was the usual: prepared monologue, prepared song and a group dance audition.

“Great,” said one of the directors.

“Now we would like you to do your monologue again except this time in a traditional South Asian accent as seen on The Big Bang Theory.

Let’s see it.”

I stood there as though I had been smacked right across the face, the brown on my face flushing now.

“Excuse me?” I finally whispered. “I don’t mean to be rude, but the character I am auditioning for doesn’t have an accent nor has an identified origin.”

I saw one of the directors lean to his colleague. “He also isn’t brown,” I overheard him say.

This was a window, a small eye hole view into the bigger systemic problem at hand.

Unfortunately, you don’t have to go to an audition to be discriminated against, it happens in the work place, the supermarket and even at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Whether you’re trying to get into a frat party or just heading to class, subtle and often not-so-subtle acts of racism occur.

During Orientation Week, I was fortunate enough to find some people who could relate to me and understood what it felt like to be on the receiving end of discrimination.

I ran into one of those individuals not too long ago only to see him surrounded by people who were discriminatory to him in the past.

Shocked and somewhat confused, I pulled him aside and questioned his choice of company.

He looked at me and said, “If you can’t beat them, join them.

They can’t hurt me anymore because I’m one of them.”

I felt like I had felt at the audition. I was distraught and angry that someone felt the need to be someone else just to protect themselves, to survive.

I wanted so badly to blame them, to shake them back into reality, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the times I did just that.

Sometimes hiding behind a mask is easier — safer than revealing your true self. That’s the problem.

That mask is heavy and the burden of wearing it grows everyday.

With every act that you perform, every thought that is not yours and every word that the real you would never say, that mask starts to look a lot like your new self and soon you forget about who you were before.

Don’t forget about who you are.

Racism is nothing new to me.

Discrimination at auditions is nothing new to me. Hate is nothing new to any of us.

What is new to me is seeing that I am not the only one, hearing about stories, seeing situations and experiencing it first hand; it hurts but it feels good to know that you’re not alone. You are never the only one. Once we can recognize that and acknowledge the connection through our pain and lean on one another as we strive towards equality, then we become a unit — strong and stable.

Share your stories, vocalize your pain, find individuals and communities on and off campus that you can connect with. Forge your pain into purpose and becoming unmasked will never feel so accepting.

OPINION • 21

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

Defense against the dark arts I guess I just liked the whole “all was well” conclusion to the Harry Potter series.

MADELINE MCINNIS OPINION COLUMNIST

I am not excited for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. There, I said it. I don’t know if I will see it, and if I do, it’ll probably be in a few years when it goes off Broadway or goes on tour.

To me, it’s nothing more than a money grab. We learned about supply and demand in grade seven, but I don’t think we ever realized how effective that is until we looked at it closer.

Everyone knows that the Harry Potter franchise is in demand. Hell, the eighth movie was released in 2011 and here in 2016 we have a spinoff series, two plays and yet another theme park opening. The magic hasn’t died yet.

So, this is the perfect way to create the supply by only bringing this story to the stage with a limited amount of seats available.

This allows for exorbitant prices for seats to the plays, which people will be willing to pay to see the new stories of the ‘Golden Trio.’

The script is also being published in book form. It is being marketed as “The Eighth Harry Potter Story.” Although nothing about this is false, it is very misleading. It is a story, but it’s not a novel. It comes after the seventh book, but it is not about Harry’s adventures as we know them. Is it just me, or did J.K. Rowling not say a few years ago that she didn’t want a next generation story?

This isn’t a canonical story and it wasn’t even written by her. It’s essentially ‘fan fiction’ with financial backing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m

ing to the official website. That’s also the price starting for August of this year and I can only assume the premiere performances are more expensive.

To give a little perspective, that’s also a higher end price for a seat for Wicked on Broadway.

For both parts of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it’ll set you back £130 ($244 Canadian) plus tax.

Add on the costs of travel, food and accommodations and that becomes a small fortune. If you can afford that, I envy you. What I don’t envy are the people who do really want to see these plays and can’t because of the price.

That was one of the greatest things about the books and movies. They were so mass produced and distributed that they were available to everyone. You could even access the magic for free if you had a library card or enough Scene points.

But free doesn’t make millionaires. This book is a marketing tool for the plays. Once you read it, you’re going to want to see it.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be publishing it.

It’s become about the money, not about the magic. The stories we love and grew up with are gone.

What’s left is capitalism created in the shadow of the success of the canonical narratives. This is an expansion that I don’t think is necessary, but I seem to be the only one. I know several people that will be attending both parts. Everyone seems like this is the best thing to happen since 2011. In some ways, I wish I could be excited for this. It’s a new story with the characters we grew up with.

But nothing about this is appealing to me. Maybe I’m missing the hype or maybe I am a fake fan after all. Or maybe I’m the only one willing to be seen as a fake fan. If the opportunity comes around for me to see it, yeah, I’ll go. But I’m not going to be waiting in line for tickets or for the script.

our own two feet, our hope is not only that we are deemed unique, but that we are understood.

We walk this planet hoping to differentiate ourselves from thousands of others, to know ourselves and be known by those who matter to us, yet we often find ourselves lost within the contradictory ideals of conformation.

We want to be different, yet not all of us are willing to do what constitutes as different. Not all of us are willing to speak our mind or

do what makes us happy.

I don’t have any all-mighty advice for uncovering your roadmap.

For me it was writing words, for someone else it could’ve been writing codes.

Our ideas and aspirations are projected into our passions. And nothing will tell you more about yourself than the finished product of your dedication.

So if you want to get to know me, you can find me in the archives of The Cord.

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

sure it’s a beautiful, gripping and heartwarming narrative. It got approval from the creator of the universe anyway and I’m sure she has good taste in regards to her characters.

I guess I just liked the whole “all was well” conclusion to the Harry Potter series. Apparently, that’s not the case any more because we’ve got two plays with the word “cursed” in the title.

That’s part of the problem. They are plays — more than one. Not only is it an expensive ticket for one play, but it’s in two parts.

When’s the last time you saw a play in two parts? But if people are

willing to buy two tickets, why not charge them for two tickets?

With a fandom that’s constantly competing, they won’t even have to advertise. We’re constantly competing to prove who the biggest fan is. We race to show our love and knowledge of the series to other fans because that’s the culture created around them now. The plays haven’t even premiered yet and you’re already a “fake fan” if you don’t have tickets.

Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to afford these luxuries.

One seat in the best section for a single part is £65 (approximately $121 Canadian) plus tax, accord-

Words on my walls Want to know me? Find me in the archives of The Cord

MITCHELL CONSKY OPINION EDITOR

Most students decorate their bedroom walls with posters. They customize their turf with their favourite movies and TV characters.

They personalize their area with photos, Christmas lights, speakers, jerseys, colourful bedspreads, empty 26 bottles, hats, maps, calendars, lava lamps, record collections, instruments and even glow in the dark stars for fuck’s sake.

Why? Not only to have a “sweet set up” — whatever the hell that means ­— but to give visitors and themselves a window into their personality.

Artifacts that surround a student’s bedroom have become concrete representations of individualism.

They inspire an understanding of the inhabitant. They’re reminders of uniqueness.

My walls, besides a mainstream Steve Jobs poster quote and the eight rules of Fight Club, are dominated by a different collection of display: my articles.

Every piece I’ve ever written and published has been cut out and

Doing more than giving me a voice and encouraging subjective outlooks, this section has allowed me to grow as a writer ...

pinned around my bedroom. Why? Not to exclusively demonstrate pride in my work, nor to convey some hyped level of underlying work ethic, but because there’s no greater indication of who I am than those cut out words.

There’s a lot there.

Ideas for societal improvement.

Political irritation. Critiquing the system of academics. Frustration from an argument. Thoughts on entering an unexplored territory.

Excitement over a stomach-churning experience. Testing social boundaries. Responding to a hate crime. Thanking my father. Grieving the loss of a friend. Happiness.

Sadness. Inspiration.

These articles say more about who I am than any poster ever will.

Whatever’s been prevalent in my life over the last couple years of university has been written and published, pinned to my walls’

growing collection — my expanding web of columns and newspaper visuals creating a portal into my past and a looking glass for my future.

These printed articles are a roadmap to my life.

Writing encapsulates pain and suffering. But it’s also an escape, a plane out of reality that flies high enough to oversee whatever’s happening down below.

Sometimes it takes cranking out an article for an opinion to truly surface, and sometimes it takes a surfaced opinion for true individualism to unfold.

As my last printed article as editor of the opinion section, I felt the need to express just how liberating this section has been for me.

Doing more than giving me a voice and encouraging subjective outlooks, this section has allowed me to grow as a writer and challenge the thoughts that could be brought to a page.

No matter the struggles that have consumed me this year, my keyboard has always been my oasis, my safe haven, my launching pad into far-off realms that can be slapped onto my wall like a bunch of pretty post cards.

As an aspiring novelist, writing is everything to me. And these pinned articles represent what ‘everything’ actually is.

As students struggling to stay on

MITCHELL CONSKY/OPINION EDITOR

22 •

Sports

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016 SPORTS EDITOR DREW YATES dyates@thecord.ca

CURLING

A sweeping change Broom restriction causes Laurier to switch strategies DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

For fifth-year lead Fraser Reid and the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men’s curling team, the moratorium on hair brooms did not affect them on the way to winning the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships.

The rink swept the Ontario University Athletics curling championships with a perfect 9-0 record, winning a gold medal. A month later, the same team had an overall record of 8-1 on their way to winning the CIS gold medal.

The difference? Broom heads.

The CIS followed in the footsteps of Curling Canada and banned the use of hair brooms for the duration of the tournament.

This decision came a week before the tournament began, which led to teams scrambling to decide what they wanted to do.

But during the OUA tournament, hair brooms were not banned from competition, which led Laurier to switch up their strategy.

“We had everything possible prepared,” Reid, a member of a dynamic sweeping team, said. “We had a broom bag at one point that had 15 brooms in it. It was going to be a heavy bag.”

CATEGORIES

THE BEST OF THE BEST The Cord Sports team rated the best performers of 2015-16

Words by Shelby Blackley, Daniel Johnson and Drew Yates Photos by Will Huang and Andreas Patisiaouros

The brooms come in two different parts, the handle and the head. Reid said the team used two BalancePlus EQualizer heads and then converted another BalancePlus broom with a Hardline head as their third broom.

Reid said the Hardline heads were the best at being able to make a rock curl, which is exactly what the team was able to do with the hair heads.

“We felt like by switching to the Hardline, we were able to make it curl better than a regular synthetic head like an EQ,” he said.

“We ended up getting a ton of heads just to make sure we had a ton of everything, both on the EQ and on the Hardline heads.”

Reid said it wasn’t a big deal that the CIS decided to ban hair brooms from tournament play,

mainly because the team wasn’t 100 per cent used to the hair heads.

It was just a matter of trying to get the same quality of performance out of the synthetic brooms as the hair brooms.

“We did well at OUA’s and we were really good with them, but for us, it felt more natural for us to be using synthetic because that was what we used over the last few years anyway,” Reid explained.

Kelsey Rocque of the Alberta Pandas liked the idea of the rule put in place and the ban on hair brooms.

The Pandas use the Norway Goldline brooms during tournament play.

Rocque said the ban on hair brooms brought the game back to old-fashioned curling. It was a good thing that the hair brooms weren’t allowed to be used.

“I think it’s a great thing. It’s bringing precision back into the game,” she said.

“Hair brooms were starting to carve rocks pretty good. You were able to make shots that you weren’t able to make before hair brooms came into play.”

The CIS also implemented another rule, in which two teams were only allowed to have two

brooms designated for sweeping.

These brooms must be declared at the beginning of the game as sweeping brooms. This led to the team juggling brooms during each shot.

Reid said the team was surprised at the CIS decision to only allow two brooms as sweeping brooms for the entire game.

“At OUA’s you were allowed to use three,” he said. “But in the CIS championships, we were only allowed to use two and that was the most we could sweep with. So that was the bigger change, in our

minds at least.”

Regardless of the new CIS rules, the rink was prepared with the decision the league made. It worked out in the end, as they still captured the gold medal.

And once they figured out what strategy they could use at the championships, their bag that once held 15 brooms, well, held less.

“We were pretty prepared assuming every option and then once we figured it out we could take some things out, which was pretty nice,” Reid said.

Biggest Surprise

Unsung Hero

Coach of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Eric Morelli

Richard Krell

Peter Campbell

“We had a broom bag at one point that had 15 brooms in it. It was going to be a heavy bag.”

-Fraser Reid, lead

Eric Morelli showed a strong ability to run the offence and move the sticks with his arm this year.

Morelli threw for 1,143 yards, 12 touchdowns and only three interceptions over 154 attempts in the 2015 season. He stepped up big in clutch situations and revitalized the Golden Hawks’ passing game.

The second-year quarterback still has time to grow and raise his handle on the offence, but he took strides in the right direction.

Krell shot the lights out at the CIS national championship, helping the men’s curling rink capture their second CIS gold medal in team history. Throwing vice stones, Krell played a crucial part in making the final step up the podium, shooting 93 per cent in the final against Alberta and nominated as a CIS second-team all-Canadian.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

The CIS banned hair broom heads from nationals, forcing teams to adapt.

Ashley Almeida

His team may not have made it very far, but in his final campaign, Peter Campbell made his team work hard and enjoy every minute of it. Campbell made unbreakable connections with his players over his tenure, speaking volumes to these individuals’ character.Campbell led his final men’s basketball team to the playoffs where they fell to the Brock Badgers. Campbell will go out as one of the best coaches to touch the Laurier court.

After losing Katrina Ward and Maggie Carmichael in two consecutive years, the women’s soccer team was looking for a lockedin goalkeeper. Ashley Almeida produced an outstanding rookie campaign, leading the Hawks to an upset over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the OUA semifinal. In her first national championship, Almeida had a great showing and will continue to be an asset for the rest of her tenure with the Hawks.

Team of the Year

Fifth-year player

MVP

Men’s Curling

Will Coulthard

Aaron Squires

After going undefeated and sweeping the Ontario University Athletics provincial championship and winning gold, the rink flew to nationals in search of the missing piece of hardware from their collection — the CIS gold medal.

Finishing in second place after the round robin, the team won a thrilling match against the Alberta Golden Bears to capture gold.

After a tumultous career, standout Will Coulthard goes into the Laurier record books for multiple accolades. Coulthard led the Hawks to a strong showing and was consistently their lead scorer.

He eclipsed 1,500 points in his career, the third Laurier player to do so. Coulthard graduates with 1,594 points overall and 147 steals, most all-time in Laurier history.

After five years, Aaron Squires of the men’s curling rink finished his journey by capturing the CIS gold medal at the curling championships. Shooting 89 per cent against a tough Alberta Golden Bears squad, Squires finished his goal by adding another accolade to his collection. Squires was also honoured as a first-team all-Canadian for the third straight year.

SPORTS • 23

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

REPORT CARDS

Laurier’s winter teams take a grade WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

MEN’S HOCKEY

B

B-

B-

Injuries plagued the women’s basketball team as they consistently had their big players sidelined. After losing some big players after the 2014-15 campaign, the Hawks had it tough since the beginning, but fought through the season. Laurier finished with a 9-11 record this year and entered the playoffs taking on the Windsor Lancers. Despite leading at half, Laurier couldn’t keep pace and was eventually eliminated in the first round. – Shelby Blackley

It was a tough year for Laurier, who found themselves in unfamiliar territory among the OUA. Finishing sixth in the standings for the first time, the Hawks entered the playoffs taking on the second-place Toronto Varsity Blues. The Hawks stuck in the series that saw all three games go to overtime and came out victorious to upset the Blues. Despite giving the Guelph Gryphons a battle, the Hawks fell short of an OUA final appearance for the second consecutive year. – Shelby Blackley

The team made their first return to the playoffs in the last three years by finishing in seventh-place on the OUA West conference. Facing a tall order in the eventual OUA silver medalists Western Mustangs, the Hawks were swept in what is considered to be a strong rebound year for the squad. With playoff experience under their belt, the squad can continue to build around their large rookie class this year. – Drew Yates

WOMEN’S CURLING

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S CURLING

A The women’s curling rink went a perfect 7-0 at the OUA championships last month, capturing a gold medal and earning a berth into the CIS curling nationals. Facing a tough pool of depth, the team finished seventh, unable to build off their bronze medal finish last year. – Drew Yates FILE PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS, SERENA GILL, HEATHER DAVIDSON AND JESSICA DIK

B-

A+

The run-and-gun style of the men’s basketball team rang true once again as the Hawks constantly found themselves in high scoring affairs. They developed some good talent in Will Coulthard, Garrison Thomas, Matt Chesson and rookie Simon Mikre. The Hawks, in Peter Campbell’s last season as bench boss, finished with a 9-11 record. Taking on the Brock Badgers in the first round, Laurier couldn’t keep up, seeing their season come to an end. – Shelby Blackley

Rocking a veteran squad that has dominated the university circuit for the last four years, the men’s rink finally made the final step up the podium to capture gold at the CIS curling championships. After medalling the last two years and capturing silver and bronze, the rink added gold to their collection and now will represent Team Canada at the 2017 FISU Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan. – Drew Yates

24 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016

TOP TEN

LAURIER’S TOP 2015-16 MOMENTS The Cord Sports team counts down the top ten sport moments in Laurier this year

10

9

LACROSSE FINISHES FOURTH AT OUA CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 13 ROOKIES After finishing in fifth-place at last year’s OUA championship, the Wilfrid Laurier women’s lacrosse team improved on their finish in fourth place. The more impressive stat is that the team did it with 13 rookies joining up, which could lead to potential top finishes in the near future.

7

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ELIMINATED IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS After coming off a strong year that saw the women’s basketball team have a great season, the team came up short in the first round of the OUA playoffs against their rival the Windsor Lancers. The team had the Lancers on their toes throughout the game, but eventually lost to the OUA bronze medalists in single digits.

6

WOMEN’S SOCCER BACK TO NATIONALS After another stellar season in the books, with head coach Barry MacLean at the helm and led by fifthyear striker Emily Brown, the women’s soccer team returned to nationals where they placed seventh among the top teams in the country. They lost to Laval in the quarterfinals and Cape Breton in the consolation semifinal.

4

MEN’S HOCKEY MAKES PLAYOFFS After a three-year hiatus, the men’s hockey team made it back to the OUA playoffs by finishing in seventh place in the West conference. The team eventually lost to the OUA silver medalists Western Mustangs in the first round, but the experience they gained is

3

WILL COULTHARD ECLIPSES 1,500 CAREER POINTS After an outstanding career, men’s basketball star Will Coulthard topped off his fifth year with the Hawks by being the third Hawk in team history and 19th in OUA history to hit the 1,500 career point mark. Coulthard finished the season at 1,594, good enough to solidify himself in the record books as the third-leading scorer in team history.

1

PETER CAMPBELL RETIRES After 16 years serving as the bench boss of the men’s basketball team and a 31-year career in the OUA conference, head coach Peter Campbell decided to retire at the end of the 2015-16 season. He finished his career at Laurier with a total overall record of 164-363, including playoff games.

8

KWAKU BOATENG WINS THE J.P. METRAS AWARD In his third year on the football team, defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng was honoured with the J.P. Metras award, given to the most outstanding defensive lineman. Boateng was a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron, recording 18 tackles and four sacks, and became the eighth Hawk to receive this prestigious award.

5

FOOTBALL BEATS MCMASTER IN QUARTER-FINALS In head coach Faulds’ third year as bench boss, the men’s football team beat the McMaster Marauders in the quarter-final to earn a date with the Western Mustangs. The squad took it to the OUA powerhouse, leading at halftime, but their offence sputtered in the second half where they lost 29-15.

2

CAMPBELL BECOMES ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHER After returning to the team for a fifth and final year, running back Dillon Campbell became the all-time leading rusher at Laurier with 3,568 yards. He also led the nation for the second straight year with 1,115 rushing yards over the eight-game season and finished with 1,323 all-purpose yards in helping the Hawks improve their air game.

MEN’S CURLING WINS NATIONAL GOLD The men’s curling team captured a CIS gold medal this year. After capturing a CIS silver and bronze medal the last two years, the team returned to Laurier for their fifth year with one goal in mind — the CIS gold medal. The Hawks rink went undefeated at OUA’s to capture gold and went 8-1 at the CIS championship to claim victory.

WORDS BY DREW YATES PHOTOS BY WILL HUANG, JESSICA DIK, HEATHER DAVIDSON AND ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS