The Cord March 4, 2020

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 60 ISSUE 20 • MARCH 4, 2020

WALKING THE RUNWAY OF RACIAL DISCOURSE News, page 6

WET’SUWET’EN WALKOUT

MENSTRUAL MARCH

LOVE IS BLIND

POINTING OUT PRIVILEGE

GO THE DISTANCE

Students and faculty show their solidarity

Period equity focus of campus events

Reviewing the latest popular reality tv show

Finneas O’Connell is criticized

Laurier team prepares for nationals

News, page 3

Features, page 8

Arts & Life, page 11

Opinion, page 13

Sports, page 16

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

STRIKE A CORD What word(s) do you hate?

@cordnews

The Cord

@thecord.ca

CordNews THIS DAY IN HISTORY: MARCH 4

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

AD 51: Nero, later to become Roman emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).

1522: Anne Boleyn makes her debut at the English court at the Green Castle pageant.

1774: First sighting of Orion nebula (William Herschel).

"Excrete."

1789: First US Congress meets and declares constitution in effect.

Sophia Cole, News Editor

1861: Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth US president.

1881: Holmes & Watson begin "A Study in Scarlet," first case together.

1922: First vampire film Nosferatu premieres at the Berlin Zoological Garden, Germany, an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

"Cluster. Ooze. Pustule."

Emily Waitson, Editor-in-Chief BRIT KOVACS/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

1924: "Happy Birthday To You" published by Claydon Sunny.

1927: Babe Ruth becomes the highest-paid player in MLB history when he signs three-year, $70,000 per season contract with the New York Yankees.

1936: First flight of the airship Hindenburg at Friedrichshafen, Germany.

"Wart."

Kathleen McCullough, Online Editor

1966: John Lennon says "We (the Beatles) are more popular than Jesus."

1974: People magazine is published for the first time in the United States as People Weekly.

1989: The Louvre Pyramid designed by I. M. Pei is inaugurated by French President Francois Mitterrand.

"Moist."

Aaron Waitson, President and Publisher

2019: US Democrats announce a wide-ranging corruption investigation into President Donald Trump.

"Strike a Cord" is a compilation of staff responses to a groundbreaking question and was created by Sophia Cole.

NEXT ISSUE MARCH 11, 2020

SPORTS EDITOR Mark Cascagnette sports@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

GRAPHICS EDITOR Jamie Mere graphics@thecord.ca

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

PHOTO EDITOR Darien Funk photos@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brit Kovacs creative@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Kathleen McCullough online@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Kashyap Patel online@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR VACANT video@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Sophia Cole news@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER VACANT news@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino arts@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER VACANT photos@thecord.ca

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Victoria Marshall copyeditor@thecord.ca

2019: Luke Perry, American actor and former teen idol known for Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale, passes away (b.

1966).

CORDCAST PRODUCERS Jade Hosick, Victoria Marshall cordcast@thecord.ca EVENTS COORIDNATOR

Ranjit Saini

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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

"Love is Blind: eyesore or worth it?" by Jackson Carse

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Kurtis Rideout at kurtis.rideout@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.

COLOPHON The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community.

Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.

Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used

for principal photography.

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The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 4,500 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada.

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

PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly.

The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy.

The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly.

When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to

reply at the earliest time possible.

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

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

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

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

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples.

Quote of the Week "So yeah I — HOW DO YOU TYPE WITH THOSE NAILS?” - News Editor, Sophia Cole, when she noticed Editor-in-Chief Emily Waitson's nails.

• 3

News

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 NEWS EDITOR SOPHIA COLE news@thecord.ca

ACTIVISM Tyendinaga Solidarity Gathering” wrote that the walkout was “to show support for Indigenous sovereignty, and demand the RCMP and other police get off Indigenous land.”

And the Canadian government has interfered with Indigenous peoples and has continued to perpetuate state violence ...

-Monica Van Schaik, Wilfrid Laurier masters of social work student

BRIT KOVACS/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Organized by the WLU faculty of social work, students and staff gathered in front of City Hall to show their solidarity.

Students and faculty participate in Wet’suwet’en walkout ELIZA MORATZ STAFF WRITER

On Friday, Feb. 28 at 11 am,

students and faculty at the Wilfrid Laurier University faculty of social work in Kitchener gathered to prepare for a walkout in solidarity

with Indigenous communities across Canada who are currently protesting. A Facebook page for the “Student Led Wet’suwet’en and

The walkout was planned by Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at WLU. Students, staff, and community members travelled from the faculty of social work to King Street, in front of Kitchener City Hall.

The group blocked traffic in front of City Hall, as they spent the lunch hour listening to and participating in drumming, speeches and a round dance led by Indigenous students and community members. Despite the cold, many students turned out to show their support and listen to the speakers touch on issues such as Indigenous-settler relations, the environment, and holding the government accountable.

The protest occurred in the wake of demonstrations and blockades across Ontario and Canada supporting Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, including recent arrests that occurred at a blockade in Tyendinaga, near Belleville, Ontario.

Monica Van Schaik is a current master of social work student at

WLU and identifies as a Dutch-Belgian-Canadian settler. “I’m here in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people and other indigenous communities who are standing up to defend the land right now,” Van Schaik said.

Students were encouraged to join the walkout “in order to stand in solidarity for Wet’suwet’en defenders, to stand up for the land, and the waters, to protect the earth.”

“I feel really called to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities. I feel greatly worried about our land and our earth, but I also feel a lot of accountability and responsibility to uphold the treaties that we agreed to,” Van Schaik said.

Van Shaik emphasized the Two Row Wampum treaty that her ancestors agreed to.

“That treaty talks about how we’ll travel down the same river together, without interfering with each other,” Van Schaik said.

“And the Canadian government has interfered with Indigenous peoples and has continued to perpetuate state violence and land violence and all kinds of violence and discrimination of Indigenous peoples.”

Van Shaik believes she has a responsibility to advocate for the injustices that are currently being faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada.

“So I think that what’s happening in Wet’suwet’en territory right now is a continuation of that,” Van Shaik said.

“I feel a great deal of responsibility to stand up in solidarity and to try to hold the government that represents Canada, which is the country I’m apart of, to account to allow Indigenous sovereignty to happen, to respect Indigenous governance systems and also to take the time to understand those and to respect them and to follow what the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and people are asking for.”

EDUCATION

Laurier’s new privacy booth MELISSA MARCUS CORD NEWS

KASH PATEL/WEB DIRECTOR

Communication studies professor Judith Nicholson has brought a new research project to the Wilfrid Laurier University campus.

The project focuses on a “Privacy Booth,” which has been set up in the concourse.

The project’s goal is to understand students’ views of privacy and to educate other young adults on the topic.

The Privacy Booth is open for anyone to enter, at which point a video recording begins.

Participants are highly encouraged to share anything they wish on the topic of privacy. These videos are later sorted through, edited and made available to adolescents to explore.

The stories shared by students in the booth have been diverse. Some students explain the ways that privacy affects them personally, while others look at the ways governments impose on our privacy.

Other students choose to do nothing more than take a selfie.

“Almost everyone has a story about a moment when privacy was breached,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson also claims that this peer-to-peer storytelling could be an effective way to make sense of how privacy is perceived among young people.

She went on to explain that this method creates an unfolding pedagogy that allows education to happen between students outside of the classroom.

“It encourages us to think about the question ‘what do we give up?’

in order to participate in a digital world,” Nicholson said.

She feels that it is important to think about privacy in a world where material private spaces are disappearing.

Nicholson also claims that there has been a shift in privacy itself, which is why it’s important to offer a medium to voice student opinions on the matter.

According to Nicholson, the booth is a conjunction of public and private.

While it creates a sphere of digital privacy, the data is released into the public realm.

Nicholson has worked with a number of others on the project.

Collaborators include faculty from Laurier’s Brantford campus, the University of Guelph and the University of Toronto.

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 MUSIC

Celebrating 50 years of Opera Laurier HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK CORD ALUM

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

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With the closing of their final performance of The Llandovery Castle on Mar. 1, Laurier’s faculty of music is celebrating 50 years of Opera Laurier, the dynamic performance program that casts undergraduate and opera diploma students into full-blown productions.

The first ever Opera Laurier performance back in 1970 was a monodrama performed by artist-in-residence Carrol Anne Curry on Jan. 21, 1970 in a third-floor arts classroom, a piece composed by Poulenc. The advertising for the piece was a simple, hand-drawn post with a picture of Curry on it.

Now, 50 years later, the productions include 12 Canadian premieres of operas through Opera Laurier, including this year’s The Llandovery Castle, multiple Mozart operas as he is the school’s most performed composer and a performance of The Magic Flute in 2011 where current students and alumni performed together celebrating Laurier’s centennial year.

“Opera provides so many transferrable skills and the reason is that it is an absolute team effort; you can’t produce an opera without the cooperation of every individual who is involved because it is such a complex art form that combines theatre, music, movement, scenic elements, orchestra, lighting and sets,” said Kimberly Barber, administrative coordinator of opera for Laurier’s faculty of music.

Laurier’s faculty of music requires third and fourth year students to take at least one fullyear opera course, in which they partake in both opera excerpts in the fall as well as a fully produced opera in the spring. Though only required once, many students take it in both of their upper years, as well as return to Laurier after finishing their undergraduate degree to earn an Opera diploma and join the production for a third time.

Though many students in their third year are cast in the chorus, the skills they learn both on and off stage help them develop their musical presence and spark a love for opera that encourages them to return to the opera for one or two more years.

“The weakest link is always going to be the thing that makes or breaks a production, so when you’re in the chorus if you are really invested and committed to the performance and you bring your absolute best self, that lifts up the entire production,” Barber said.

“There are very, very few operas that can ride simply on a powerful performance from one person, all the elements need to come together so when they are involved in the opera course, they not only learn their part they have to sing and act in, so they get acting training, but we do a lot of work on stage craft, how to interact with colleagues in a professional manner, we are teaching life skills.”

In the last five years, Opera Laurier has put on shows such as

Cendrillion, The Tender Land, The Tales of Hoffman and The Cunning Little Vixen. On top of being in the shows, students also help build the sets, do each other’s hair, make-up and costumes, plan the staging and tie together the show.

“We don’t have a huge budget and so we’re dependant on the involvement of the students in every aspect of production, so rather than that being a disadvantage, we turn that into an advantage by involving the students that part of their coursework also has to do with production elements,” Barber said.

There are very, very few operas that can ride simply on a powerful performance from one person, all the elements need to come together...

-Kimberly Barber, Administrative Coordinator of opera

For this year’s production, an extra special show as it celebrated half a century of opera at Laurier, came full circle as the opera was composed by Stephanie Martin, a graduate of the Laurier faculty of music composition program in 1985.

“At Laurier we have a strong brand, and at Opera Laurier, for innovation, for re-imagining the art form of really experiencing opera as theatre, it never feels like a museum piece and has production value, the feeling of it being an immersive experience and the relevance,” Barber said.

“It’s extremely socially relevant as we talk about global conflict, I think we can all identify with that and for Laurier to produce a world premiere, the first time this opera was professionally fully staged which was written by Laurier composition alumna, we were extremely proud in this year to produce the work of someone who had graduated from our program.”

Though the run of 2020’s shows have now ended, future, current and past Laurier Music students alike can appreciate the productions they have or will be a part of in their time at Laurier knowing how it can help them develop much beyond their time on campus.

“Our founding fathers of our program, Victor Martens and David Falk, really against the odds they bought this undergraduate opera program which we have now taken forward to such a level where we really can offer our students an incredibly immersive, hands-on undergraduate opera experience,” Barber said.

“I think it’s really quite extraordinary and we’ve built on a great legacy and we continue to take it forward.”

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 DIVERSITY

Laurier hosts ninth-annual Indigenous Education Week The university will be holding educational events from Mar. 2 to Mar. 6.

SOPHIA COLE NEW EDITOR

Mar. 2 marked the beginning of Wilfrid Laurier University’s ninth annual Indigenous Education Week, a time devoted to recognizing the many contributions that Indigenous people bring to education and sharing Indigenous knowledge.

“I want people to know that it is a chance and an opportunity to engage in connections and relationships with the Indigenous community on campus,” said Melissa Ireland, director: Indigenous initiative. “It’s an opportunity to learn, experience new things and create relationships.”

Indigenous education week was born from Laurier’s desire to take the lead when it comes to showcasing the experiences and contributions of Indigenous community members, and providing the student population with a more diverse learning experience.

“We often get requests to support events and activities, which we help with which is wonderful, but at the same time we were like ‘you know, instead of just being a partner on people’s events, why not take the lead’ and showcase and lift up our Indigenous campus community,” Ireland said.

There will be various events taking place during Indigenous Education Week between March 2 and 6 on both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, including public lectures, film viewings, lunches and more.

An Indigenous education panel with local professors, a soup and bannock lunch, medicinal tea and teachings, Indigenous senior peer mentor drop in session, among others are some of the events which have already taken place.

“We’ve really worked hard to really balance the programming at Waterloo and Brantford not to just have speakers but also to engage in experiential learning opportunities and use our hands and our hearts and our minds,” said Ireland.

“We tend to usually have one or two headliners, so we try to bring high profile Indigenous guests to campus to educate and lift up our Indigenous community as well as the non-Indigenous campus community,” Ireland said.

This year’s Indigenous Education Week headliners include a variety events on both campuses.

On Mar. 4, there will be a film viewing of nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up which looks at the history of colonialism in the Canadian prairies. The viewing will be followed by a public lecture with director Tasha Hubbard on the Brantford campus.

On Mar. 6, Brantford will also be hosting a public lecture with entrepreneur Colleen Davis, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Mohawk Nation, Bear Clan. The lecture, titled “Land Reclamation, Six Nations, Support of Wet’suwe’ten: A Woman’s Duty: Protecting the Land for Future

Generations,” will have a particular focus on women for international women’s day.

On the Waterloo campus, there will be a public lecture with Alicia Elliot, Haudenosaunee writer, taking place on Mar. 4. The lecture will examine the media’s roles and responsibilities regarding missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

“She is a national writer and Indigenous influencer, so it’s a very big deal that she is coming,” Ireland said.

... It is a chance and an oppourtunity to engage in connections and relationships with the Indigenous community on campus FILE PHOTO/JACKIE VANG

-Melissa Ireland, Director: Indigenous initiatives

On Mar. 5, Something Cold and Hard like Winter, a multimedia art exhibition, creator Shelley Niro of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Bay of Quinte Mohawk, Turtle Clan will be present on the Waterloo campus to give a lecture about her work.

The exhibit itself, comprised of a short film, images and triptychs, is located in the Robert Langen Art Gallery within the Laurier library and will be open to audiences until Apr. 3 There will be various other events taking place on both campus throughout the week which are listed in more detail on Laurier’s designated Indigenous Education Week webpage.

All events are free of charge and open to both the student body and the Waterloo community as a whole, though some events do require registration prior to the event.

Apart from Indigenous Education Week, there are ways that both students and faculty alike can continue to support Indigenous educators and the Indigenous community as a whole when it comes to the current educational infrastructure at Laurier.

“We also really hope that people will want to encourage more Indigenization of content in their departments and faculties, so if students wanted to address that within their departments or faculties, as it needs,” Ireland continued.

“I only see Indigeneity and decolonization growing on campus.”

“Indigeneity is a key component is a key component of Laurier’s strategic vision 2019:2024, so we’re in the process from the office of Indigenous initiatives to work with other departments and faculties and units to lift up and indigenous areas in their work as well.”

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6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BRIT KOVACS / CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fashion icon and reality judge speaks at Guelph event EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Runway coach, model and reality television personality, Miss J. Alexander, delivered a keynote address, “A Talk with Miss J.,” on the University of Guelph’s campus on Monday, Mar. 2.

University of Guelph’s Cultural Diversity Office and Gender and Sexual Diversity Office, in collaboration with Laurier’s Student Affairs and Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and McMaster’s Equity and Inclusion Office, organized the cornerstone event to observe and celebrate Black History Month.

Lauren Burrows, the education and inclusion coordinator for The Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the Laurier Brantford campus, moderated the discussion with Alexander.

“This is our second collaboration: last year, we worked together on Black History Month bringing in Dr. Angela Davis; this year, we’re bringing in Miss J. Alexander who is known for their work on America’s Next Top Model, but also

is known as a public figure who has done a lot of work around conversations about blackness, gender and femininity,” Burrows said.

“And [Alexander has] really been working to normalize the experiences of those who identify as black and queer in public representations and the media.”

Burrows began the event by reading a thorough land acknowledgement that covered a variety of issues impacting Indigenous peoples in Canada, highlighting themes of reconciliation and the need for increased advocacy and inclusivity, broadly connecting to the topics that were covered throughout the discussion.

The keynote centred on Alexander’s identity as a black, queer person who has been working in the fashion industry for over 40 years, having established a highly-respected career that has spanned multiple platforms and reached people in various countries all over the world.

Born into a family of 10 siblings in the South Bronx, Alexander was interested in fashion from a young age.

He began altering the hand-medowns from his brothers that he was given to suit his personal style preferences, authenticating his unique expression of fashionability and breaking down the norms of gender performance while growing up.

Miss J. Alexander ... is known for their work on America’s Next Top Model, ... [and] as a public figure who has done a lot of work around conversations about blackness, gender and femininity.

-Lauren Burrows, education & inclusion coordinator at WLU

Throughout the hour that Alexander spoke, he reiterated his personal philosophy: to always be unapologetically who he is and to

take on each opportunity and venture with unflappable confidence, even in the face of adversity.

Burrows hoped that discussion-goers would not only appreciate his perspective but walk away from the event with more knowledge and understanding surrounding the lived experiences of black and queer folks, as well as how to be more effective in advocacy efforts.

“Number one: to learn a little bit more about the personal experiences of someone who’s a public figure who maybe hasn’t necessarily talked about their blackness and queerness in ways that people have recognized,” Burrows said.

“So, for example, you’re watching America’s Next Top Model – that conversation might not have come up in a particular way, so really looking into how that mainstream media show is also connected to these issues.”

“Gaining more awareness around experiences, especially diverse experiences of blackness, black identity and how those intersect with LGBTQS+ folks,” she said.

Alexander touched on the ways

that he disrupted the status quo without even realizing it, and the impact that his presence in popular media had on underrepresented populations.

He described being a part of New York City’s Pride Parade a few years ago and truly understanding for the first time in his career how much influence he’s had on younger people especially, who could be seen crying and screaming his name from the crowd.

After navigating the structured question and answer period, members from the audience were given the chance to ask their own.

Alexander ended the evening with a runway walk demonstration and commentary regarding his dedication to “making space” for marginalized communities in primarily white spaces, encouraging others to do the same.

Furthering the confidence he wished to demonstrate and share surrounding his identity, Alexander concluded on a note of self-assured positivity.

“Babe, I may not be pretty: but goddamn, I am talented,” Alexander said.

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

THE CORD’S

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8 • PHOTO

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020

95.6%

OF RESPONDENTS WOULD FEEL POSITIVELY ABOUT LAURIER PROVIDING FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS ON CAMPUS

PADDING

THE PATH TO

PERIOD EQUITY Editor-in-Chief, Emily Waitson, unpacks menstrual inequality on Laurier’s campus

Menstruating individuals spend an average of 2,535 days — or approximately seven years — of their life on their period, and Canadians will expend up to $6,000 over the course of that time on menstrual hygiene products.

The push for menstrual equity, which refers to the provision of equal access to period products and furthering the improvement of reproductive education, has become a notable global movement over the past few years.

With internet figures like Rupi Kaur, the popular poet and author of Milk and Honey, posting photos of period blood lightly staining her pants and bed sheet (which wasn’t even real blood) on her social media in 2015, only to have them removed from Instagram for not following their “Community Guidelines,” the conversation surrounding the stigmatization of menstruation has increased.

Kaur responded to the removal of these photos and the backlash she received by stating that she wished to “demystify the period and make something that is innate ‘normal’ again.”

Period poverty and menstrual inequality heavily impact the demographics of people who are living below the poverty line and require social assistance, experiencing homelessness or in prison, for example, with increased pressure being placed on providing access to these products for free in schools and other public institutions.

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92.3%

75%

OF RESPONDENTS CHECKED ‘INFO ON WHERE TO ACCESS SUPPORT IF YOU’RE EXPERIENCING HARASSMENT’ AS AN AID IN MENSTRUATING IN A GENDERED ‘MENS’ WASHROOM

OF NON-BINARY RESPONDENTS FINANCIALLY STRUGGLE TO PURCHASE MENSTRUAL CARE

84.6%

100%

OF TRANSGENDER MEN HAVE BEGUN MENSTRUATING ON CAMPUS WITHOUT ACCESS TO ADEQUATE SUPPLIES

OF RESPONDENTS CHECKED THE ADDITION OF DISPOSAL BINS IN STALLS

surrounding inclusivity and improved menstrual care accessibility, there is still a significant amount of work that needs to be done in order to bridge the gaps that still exist in reproductive health knowledge and to address the distinct lack in proper product access.

On an international scale, while many countries are still slow to develop more equitable menstrual strategies, Scotland is working towards becoming the first nation to provide free tampons and pads to those who menstruate.

Locally, a menstrual products pilot launched at city facilities in Kitchener, includes free pads and tampons that are available in the women’s washrooms for the next six months at The Aud, Chandler-Mowat Community Centre, Victoria Hills Community Centre, Breithaupt Centre, Lyle Hallman Pool, Activa Sportsplex and Kitchener City Hall.

As well, the Kitchener Public Library’s central branch location offers free menstrual products in their washrooms and hopes to expand this service to their other locations.

At Laurier, the month of March will be dedicated to a campaign for menstrual equity, in partnership with LSPRIG, the Students’ Union, the Sustainability Office, the GSA, CSEDI, the Indigenous Student Centre, SHORE Centre and more.

Brooke Dietrich, a masters student and sustainability assistant at the Laurier

Sustainability office, is passionate about advocating for menstrual equity.

“Menstrual equity and this entire ‘Menstrual March’ came out of this need to break down the stigma around menstruation. That encapsulates a lot of different areas. So, sustainable menstruation, using alternative menstrual products such as reusable pads, menstrual cups, menstrual underwear, things like that,” Dietrich said.

“It also encapsulates menstrual equity, making sure everyone has access to those products. Sometimes, folks aren’t able to afford menstrual products like sustainable or reusable ones, so making sure that even the most basic products are available for everybody.”

An important aspect regarding these initiatives will be centred on effective education and deconstructing the unfortunately common belief that cisgender women are the only people who menstruate.

“Another part is breaking down the stigma of who menstruates because not everybody who menstruates is a woman, and not all women menstruate. So, that includes trans men and non-binary folks and it’s important to break down the stigma to allow for a better flow of conversation so everyone feels like they have a seat at the table when it comes to health and wellness,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich was the recipient of a grant that will enable her to host an informative session which also provides a free period

product to each attendee.

“Myself [and colleagues] applied for and received funding to do a sustainable menstruation workshop, which will be happening at the end of the month. That will be where we partner with Diva Cup and a couple of other local organizations like SHORE Centre who educate people on periods and talk about all of the things mentioned before and actually walk away with a product of their choosing. That’s actually happening on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses for over 150 students,” Dietrich said.

Part of the immeasurable value in hosting campus events like this is spreading awareness about the limitations that currently exist for menstruating students on campus who may not be able to have regular access to the products that they need.

“We did a survey last summer and the percentage of students who don’t have access to products, have been on campus without products or can’t afford them, is ridiculously high and the numbers are even greater in trans and non-binary folks,” Dietrich said.

“Having access to menstrual products is not a privilege in any way shape or form, it’s a right. Making sure that anyone who menstruates on campus has access to the products they need is essential — just as essential as toilet paper. So we’re really working to make sure that we are giving access [to menstrual products] to students who require them.

LAYOUT BY BRIT KOVACS/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

10 • ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 RESOURCES

ENTERTAINMENT

NAME/POSITION

Discovering Snapchat channels AMICHAI ABRAHAM STAFF WRITER

Snapchat has a discovery tab filled with stories, entertainment and other channels that one can view. Sometimes when I’m bored, procrastinating or both, I search through the discovery tab to see what I can find.

While I come across content that’s very interesting, sometimes I come across content that wastes my time and annoys me.

While I could just avoid that content, I much prefer watching more of it so that I can complain about it on a public forum. With that being said, there are three channels I studied — here are my overall thoughts on them.

Reaction Time Reaction Time may be my least favorite channel on the discovery tab. If you haven’t heard of reaction videos, it’s very simple; someone sees something on their screen, then they react to whatever is on their screen in front of a camera.

It’s very basic, but can be done well in my opinion, by using your genuine reaction.

Tal, the face behind Reaction Time does not do this. He forces emotions and reactions to whatever his fan base would find the most captivating. While he will sometimes react to fail compilations or satisfying compilations which are boring and predictable enough, nothing is quite as infuriating as when he reacts to make-up transformations as is the case with his most recent video. His content essentially boils down to him pretending to be in shock every time a woman puts on make-up and turns into an irresistible supermodel. His reaction is the exact same every time, which is both annoying and sends a poor message overall (i.e. you can only be pretty with makeup on). This, along with his dryas-sand personality, puts Reaction Time at the bottom of the barrel in terms of Discovery tab content.

Gangster Granny At the time of my writing this,

Gangster Granny is revolutionizing the way we think about beating a dead horse. Gangster Granny follows a 92-year-old lady, guided by her grandson to make jokes and play pranks that aren’t typically associated with the elderly (mainly for their inappropriate content)but the joke gets old very fast.

We get it, the Grandma says something sexual, threatening or weird but it stops being funny after ten seconds.

Apparently, the people who work on the Gangster Granny videos realized this as well which is clear looking at how the content progresses throughout its seven seasons of existence. After a while, saying weird things to passers-by in the hopes of a reaction became more cringeworthy than funny, so the show shifted to a format of a compilation of short sketches.

Eventually, the skits begin to involve other characters and the titular ‘gangster granny’ begins to appear less and less.

One of the most recent episodes actually has no grandma within it at all. If you like this show, I’m glad you get some enjoyment out of it, however, I personally find the show to be a catastrophe.

Bunchie Bunchie is a new reality series on Snapchat that follows 13-yearold football prodigy Bunchie, who recounts his day-to-day life and his football development. The production of the show itself isn’t horrible; most of the shots are fine, the music is good enough, the sound is okay but that’s all the show really is: passible.

It’s just about some annoying and arrogant kid going to football practice with probably the most boring drama I’ve ever seen.

I’d almost rather content be infuriatingly bad than just boring — at least with the former I have something to talk about. It’s difficult to make a show about a topic that isn’t very interesting to begin with.

It also seems to be inflating the ego of both Bunchie and his father who has been in every episode thus far.

Sometimes shows have room to grow and I’d be happy if this one could prove me wrong.

Some advice for switching programs University is stressful: in case you’re getting overwhelmed and need something new, here are a few helpful tips.

ALYSSA DI SABATINO ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

University itself is stressful, but it’s even more stressful if you’re unsure of your program.

You could always stick it out, but if you’re not all the way in on your degree, you might feel like you’re wasting your time with a program you have no interest in.

Sometimes considering your options is the best course of action, so here are a few steps to get you started. If you’re interested in exploring your options in regards to a program change, read on.

1. Determine why you want to switch Are you in a major that you thought would make you successful but you don’t enjoy the subject matter? Are you in something you thought you were passionate about but you’re now realizing that this isn’t something you can see yourself doing long term? These are questions that are pertinent to unravel now.

Changing majors is stressful, especially when it’s something you were sure you wanted to do at one point. Determining why you want to switch majors is important so that you don’t end up in another “dead end” program, so to speak.

2. Look at your options Are you looking to switch programs, faculties or schools entirely? These are some good things to determine early on so that you can have an efficient plan as possible. It’s easier to switch programs within the same faculty, but it’s doable either way. If you’re looking to switch faculties entirely, make sure you contact the advisors

for that faculty and if you’re trying to switch schools, there are plenty of online resources for making this process as streamlined as possible.

3. Get some advice If you’re considering changing your majors, you should arrange a time to meet and talk with your professors or the academic advisor for your faculty. They can help you make the right choices, like which program is best for you, what you need to do to fulfill the requirements and whether it’s feasible to switch in the coming semester, or within your desired time-frame.

Making yourself aware of the resources that are in place to help you make the best choice for you is an important first step in making the process of switching majors as painless as it possibly can be.

4. Trust your intuition If you’re considering switching programs, you might be hesitant to hop right into something else that you’re not sure you enjoy.

Ultimately, the right choice is to trust your gut. If you’re in the business program but you’re far more enthusiastic about your computer science elective then you might be in the wrong place.

You’re not going to love every class in your program but if you don’t share the same enthusiasm about the subject matter that your classmates share, that’s a decent sign that you might want to start studying something else.

Nobody knows your own feelings towards your program as much as you do, so even though there are lots of resources for you to reach out to, it’s important to remember that the decision ultimately lies with you.

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 REALITY TV

Love is Blind: eyesore or worth it?

JACKSON CARSE STAFF WRITER

If Ted Mosby was a reality show, you’d have Love is Blind. It’s a Netflix original — a label that has officially lost all its credibility — about literal blind dating.

Contestants of both genders are each thrown into a conjoining room, separated by a sheet of stained glass.

The idea is that, without the constructs of prejudice and sexual preference, it is possible to fall in love with someone simply based on their personality.

Alright, cute idea I guess. It’s obvious this show is just another gimmick, dramatized to entice viewers to continue binging episodes. But the problems regarding this program cannot solely be thrown at the producers.

The participants are excruciatingly bland, and there is no depth to these people past their glaring insecurities and willingness to show cleavage. It becomes increasingly difficult to root for these egocentric, primitive bores and by the end of the series you find yourself wishing them all severe romantic anguish.

Okay, I guess this is your spoiler warning (although I am in no way promoting this show). It’s entertaining, I’ll give it that. I watched every episode the day it came out and even got friends hooked on it.

If you can watch the show with low

expectations and the willingness to laugh at these people’s fragility, go ahead, enjoy.

But if you’re clicking play looking for a Bachelor-esque melodrama, just swallow your pride and go watch The Masked Singer. You’ll find more tear jerking sentimentality there.

Now that we understand the premise, let’s make fun of it. Here are some of my not overly serious issues with the show: Vague occcupations I will compliment this show’s ability to find synonyms for unemployed. Amber is an ‘Ex-Tank Mechanic.’ Sounds fun, right? Her new fiancé is likely to disagree once discovering that along with her instability, he’s also acquiring her $100 000 of unpaid debt.

Cameron is a ‘scientist.’ Who knew Coldplay songs could be an occupation? It simply begs me to ask, scientist of what? Impulsivity?

He never really specifies.

Every occupation is either vague as hell or just the person’s title within their respective organization. Regional Manager of what, Jessica? Christ!

Constructed romance It rings true that there’s no such thing as love at first sight. Love is not instant, infatuation is. Love is something that is built over time,

something you form with a partner based on that initial attraction.

I struggle to believe these relationships are anything more than infatuation. True love” (or whatever you want to call it) cannot be constructed based on two or three meetings with a person through a wall all while being monitored and documented.

If this was the case I’d have proposed to Reyshan, the TD Canada customer support worker, a long time ago. I miss you, ReyRey. There is such an informal, casual expression of love on this show.

There is no hesitation to declare your infinite adoration to a relative stranger. It’s irrational. I’ve known my mother for 20 years and I’m still not sure how I feel about her.

Everyone is hot Does it really say anything about the experiment of falling in love with one’s personality when everyone on the show is absolutely stunning? Just once I’d like to see an overweight bricklayer with a heart of gold. Just one herpes-riddled hooker with the intentions of an angel. But no, everyone is hot.

The biggest worry for these people in regards to what they call ‘the experiment’ is that there won’t be a physical attraction to their partners once they’ve met.

But with the confirmation of attractiveness within their respective genders, it forms an assurance

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Seriously, this is concerning.

There’s at least a couple of alcoholics in the bunch. Get some help, girlfriend.

Honestly though, this show is harmless. It’s just another piece of monotonous content to feel selfconscious over, just like every

other bland television show targeting hopeless romantics.

There’s a hell of a lot larger influences to worry about impacting our society; mindless YouTubers, airbrushed Instagram models and those goblins we call the Kardashians.

Sure, a cigarette isn’t good for the environment but really how much does it affect the ozone layer? That’s all this show is: a single cigarette.

Just one butt amongst the deadly carbon omissions that are the Paul Brothers. The smoke stacks that are the Chris Browns and the catastrophic oil spills that are the Howard Sterns.

It’s all just thoughtless garbage at the end of the day, and it’s our choice whether or not we consume it.

off their latest EP The Professional, alongside tracks from their 2017 album Late Show, amongst other singles they have released over the years.

The use of lighting in the show is also worth noting. Kudos to the band for meticulously planning the lighting and also to the technician who executed their plan. I have to give credit to Sean Hackl of the Fade Awaays for mentioning the lighting in The Beaches’ shows during my interview with the band.

If it weren’t for him I would not have looked at it as meticulously as I did during the show.

The lighting perfectly matched each song that the band performed. The performance of the heart-wrenching tune Highway 6 was framed by the low-key lighting and calmed the crowd for a rare moment of peace during the show.

However, within minutes, the mood changed when strobe lights supported an ecstatic performance of “Want What You Got.” Lighting definitely plays a critical role in this band’s performance style.

For myself, one of the best moments of this show was the band’s cover of Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” It’s always a risky move for bands to perform covers of songs, but if they can do it well, it’s a strong signifier of the group’s talent and ability to put their own spin on previous hits.

All eyes were on guitarist Kylie Minner as she sang a whimsical rendition of Minogue’s 2001 tune.

Even if you weren’t entirely familiar with the work of The Beaches,

this song had the whole crowd engaged and singing along.

The way that they shares the space on stage is democratic and natural. Fun, coordinated, yet onthe-spot dance routines took place between the group throughout the show, that really proved the point that you were watching four best friends perform together on stage.

It made the audience vulnerable knowing that they were watching four women on stage who had such a strong love and trust for each other.

I am eternally grateful that I went to this concert, not only because it was such a fantastic show, but because seeing The Beaches perform showed me what amazing things women are accomplishing in the modern rock scene.

At a time where the music landscape is dominated by pop and hip-hop, we seem to be missing a key genre: rock. While we typically think of rock as a tight pants, slicked-back hair, male-dominated industry, The Beaches are appearing at a critical moment where rock has the opportunity to redefine itself as a space equally as open to women as it has historically been to men.

Through their strong, female-centric lyrics, tight music and dominant stage presence, these women tear down the gender norms of rock. The Beaches prove to be the perfect group who can merge the two separate entities of feminism and rock into a harmonious union in Canada’s contemporary music landscape.

that the opposing gender will be equally gorgeous.

Even with this fact in place, two of the five engagements were broken off strictly due to lack of a physical attraction. Mark was a little too short for Jessica. Kenny wasn’t quite Kelly’s “type.” This just speaks to the genuine hollowness of our society, prioritizing enormous breasts or a hefty bulge over literacy or competence.

Everyone is always drunk

CONCERT

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Beaches make waves at Elements AMELIA MOLA ARTS AND LIFE CONTRIBUTOR

This past Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to see the magic that is The Beaches at Elements Nightclub in Kitchener. To say this show was a wild, magical and powerful concert would be an understatement. The band’s four women ooze chemistry, confidence and female empowerment.

The show kicked off with a bang — Toronto groups Fade Awaays and Goodbye Honolulu opened the show with powerful and energetic performances. Last Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to sit down with Fade Awaays alongside Radio Laurier’s Music Director, Lucas Gielekas.

These four guys were so genuine during our conversation, and their

vulnerability in the discussion of the way they create their art was honest and reflects so well in their music. I highly recommend listening to their 2019 album Taste of Life — the song “She Don’t Know Why” has been added to many of my recent playlists.

As many of you know, opening acts often face alarmingly low audience rates, however, this was not the case during the Fade Awaays performance.

During their opening set, the crowd was engaged and loved every second of it. The group’s energy and passion connected with everyone in the audience and the crowd was humming along with them throughout their performance.

The positive energy was radiating through the crowd from the Fade Awaays by the time Goodbye Honolulu came on. Another group out of the independent rock scene of Toronto, Goodbye Honolulu brought an ‘80s rock vibe mixed with contemporary indie to the stage.

By the time both opening bands completed their acts, the crowd was howling for The Beaches to take the stage. When they walked on stage the audience could not be silenced. Dressed in hip and unique outfits, these women jumped on stage ready to rock.

From the minute they opened with their 2018 single Fascination, the crowd was following along with every chord, lyric and dance move that the band performed.

The band moved through energetic performances of songs

12 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s Note: Revisiting reading Reading for as long as I can doesn’t have to mean doing it for hours on end, it can just be a few minutes at a time.

It’s already improved my mood and general sense of accomplish-

EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Reading has always been a passion and a beloved hobby of mine since I was a kid.

Growing up, I read multiple books a week, regularly went to the library and turned to it as a natural pastime before bed or whenever I had some downtime.

Then I came to university, entered an english program and became overwhelmingly busy.

I not only began to hate it but I let it slip away as my go-to habit and my main way to pass the time.

It became a challenge to pick up a book solely for pleasure, and I lost my ability to focus enough to finish a novel all the way through without completely giving up and leaving it to sit on my bedside table with dogeared pages folded on a forgotten chapter.

Having to read for countless english classes meant that I ended up losing the desire I once had to constantly have a book on the go.

And having to juggle dozens of different things to cross off my todo lists each week, I never ended up feeling like I wanted to come home and read a book.

I would be tired and only want to shut my bran off to watch Netflix, which didn’t take the same effort that I had convinced myself reading would.

Slowly but surely I’ve gotten myself back into the routine of reading, and I’m actually starting to enjoy doing it again.

I did pick up American Pyscho as my latest read, which admittedly wasn’t the lightest or easiest pick to get through, but I’ve been makikng my way through it slowly but surely.

I not only began to hate it but I let it slip away as my go-to habit and my main way to pass time.

ment per day so that I don’t get as lost in hours and hours of movies and TV shows.

And as someone who always has trouble sleeping, it’s a better altenative than staring at my phone for who knows how long before attempting to settle down for the night.

With reading, I find that it helps shut my brain off and actually make me feel sleepy, as opposed to wide awake because of the blue light from my bright phone an inch away from my face.

I also used to fixate on what I was reading and the so-called quality and literary merit that it held, rather than the enjoyment that it gave me.

It doesn’t really matter what it is, the point is that I like it, and want to keep reading it.

Even though I still don’t really have the time to finish books as quickly as I used to, I certainly did miss the feeling of comfort that reading gives me when I make the effort to do it because I want to, not because I have to.

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

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TREASURER Kashyap Patel

CHAIR Aaron Waitson

PRESIDENT Aaron Waitson president@wlusp.com

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

EDITORIAL CARTOON

FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com

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

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Editorial: Validating feelings I want to counter that notion from now on — feelings are valid simply because you are experiencing them.

JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

Feelings suck.

There I said it. I really hate having feelings.

If I was super into astrology I would probably say that I feel feelings so intensely because I am a Pisces.

But everyone has feelings, and everyone must learn how to navigate through life with their feelings.

Something I noticed, more so this year, is that everyone is constantly apologizing for having feelings, as if they are not a natural part of life. A lot of people can easily validate the feelings their friends have while invalidating their own.

When my friends are talking to me about how they feel, I will always listen and validate how they are feeling, letting them know that I am here for them.

While, often times when I’m having a breakdown or when I’m in my feels, I will say things like “I know I’m crazy” or “I know I should not be feeling like this”.

We are often taught that some feelings should be ignored. which is likely a reason why we devalue our own feelings

Feelings are not a right or wrong thing; they are rather a reflection of your thoughts and experiences.

This is why two people could have a fight but feel two completely different emotions afterwards. We are often taught that some feelings should be ignored, which is likely a reason why we devalue our own feelings.

“There is no need to be scared” is an example of people slightly devaluing your feelings. When I was younger, I was terrified of horror movies and I would never want to watch them.

People would often tell me that

there is no need to be scared, as if being scared is not a normal reaction a 10-year-old would have to watching a horror movie.

“You’re being dramatic,” is another example, I often heard this when I was upset about things when I was younger, because my friends couldn’t relate to my feelings.

Validating your own feelings is important and something that we need to normalize.

This is because it allows us to feel these feelings and then move on, not just push them down and potentially lash out at another date, which is the unhealthier alternative.

Validating friends’ feelings are a good way to start validating your own because to validate someone’s feelings does not mean you have to agree with the way they are feeling.

To put it simply, validating your friends feelings is just an acknowledgement that feelings are normal and natural.

When you start to look at other people’s emotions like this, it becomes easier to look at your feelings in the same light.

So while feelings suck, they are something we all have to deal with, so it’s just better to allow yourself to feel and then move on.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Opinion

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

Privilege and nepotism in the music industry MARLEY MCLELLAN OPINION COLUMNIST

We’re in an era where all our new celebrities seem to be the children of the brightest stars of the ‘90s, whether it’s Kaia Gerber, the daughter of Cindy Crawford, or Maya Hawke, the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.

But does having connections in the industry make or break your fame in the long run and are all connections equal?

This question was played out on Twitter after Finneas O’Connell, a 22-year-old singer, songwriter and producer recently sparked debate about privilege and nepotism in the music industry.

Finneas tweeted the following advice on February 23rd: “A piece of advice to young creatives.

‘Shooting your shot’ is promoted widely and I think honestly, it’s a little overrated. Work super hard alone or with [your] closest friends.

Make shit so good it speaks for itself. Don’t pester people to work with you, let them come to you”.

This sparked a debate on Twitter largely because Finneas, along with his sister and frequent collaborator Billie Eilish, are from Los Angeles. Their parents Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell are actors who encouraged their children to be creative.

Finneas and Billie were both homeschooled and had record-

ing studios in their rooms so they could make music whenever they desired.

Both Maggie and Patrick were working actors who appeared in some episodes of popular television shows such as Bones and The X Files, and did voice-overs.

The knowledge of Finneas’ early life prompted many people to criticize him for being overly privileged and blind to the struggle of others who do not have the money or the resources to wait for music industry officials to find them.

Finneas responded to the criticism on Twitter by stating his parents did not make enough money through their acting to afford living just on acting alone.

They also had other jobs, his mom was a teacher and his dad also worked construction.

Finneas did ultimately thank those who called him out, apologizing for his statement coming from a place of arrogance and privilege.

While there is no denying Finneas’ comments came from a place of privilege; as someone who succeeded in the music industry at a fairly young age and always had support from his parents and the ability to record music, does that mean his success is all attributed to nepotism?

Nepotism is the act of those with power or influence favouring relatives or friends by giving them jobs.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

There does not seem to be any obvious music industry connections in Finneas’ life, unless encouraging parents with moderate success in a similar entertainment field constitutes nepotism.

While Finneas did likely have more time and accessible tools to focus on his music than others with the same goals as him, at the end of the day, if his music was not good or if he were not talented,

nothing would have worked out for him.

One can have all the wealth in the world and not be talented, which is why not every successful person in the music industry came from a wealthy family, and hence the prevalent struggling artist stereotype.

In an age of prevalent nepotism, it should be noted that there is a difference between the child of a

celebrity being a famous model simply because they had the connections to do so, and someone who grew up in Los Angeles with parents whose claim to fame are one-offs on sci-fi shows.

Honestly, nepotism might be why we’re all in university and not on the cover of vogue promoting our new album, movie or some other venture.

Hank Azaria steps down from voicing Apu on The Simpsons JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Actor Hank Azaria, a prevalent voice actor on The Simpsons has decided that he will no longer be voicing the character of Apu. He stated that he has been thoughtfully considering the change for many years before he made the final decision.

Azaria wanted to consult with Indian-Americans when making his decision, but after self-reflection he said that he would not feel very good if a TV show depicted someone like him — a white and Jewish male — in a similar way to how they portray Apu, which is a stereotypical one.

He stated that, “If that character were the only representation of Jewish people in American culture for 20 years, which was the case with Apu, I might not love that.”

At this point in time, we do not know if The Simpsons will continue to use Apu, or if a new actor will take over the role.

This topic is something that is starting to be discussed more and more often. There are so many actors portraying people within communities they do not belong to.

For example, Robert Downey Jr. portrayed a fictional black character in the 2008 movie Tropic Thunder, and Emma Stone portrayed an Asian-Hawaiian character in Aloha, a movie from 2015.

It is said very often in the live action film industry that actors should not be playing characters they do not represent themselves, but it is rarely discussed within animated productions.

Azaria decided to step back because of the character being a stereotype of a whole ethnicity, something that I very much agree with his decision on.

I grew up in a small town and the only people who I really interacted with were the people who lived there, which was a lot of Italian-Canadians. If I wasn’t exposed to other cultures outside of my small town, it would be very easy to see this depiction and believe that this is how all Indian-Americans are.

I also think that it is a good idea to cast people in roles that they are

fit to play. There is such a surplus of amazing actors from different racial backgrounds and sexual orientations that it seems very strange to me that people are still cast in roles that portray a very stereotypical view of people.

I get the idea of wanting to explore different character arcs and things of that nature. As a drama kid, I used to get typecast as a dumb blonde all the time, which was very frustrating for me.

At the same time, there are a lot of characters I cannot play.

I will never be able to play a character that is not a blonde white girl, because that is who I am, and that is the only racial and gender-based experience I can bring forth.

I think that it is important to remember when talking about Azaria no longer voicing Apu; he was portraying a character that had an experience that he could not relate to, and one that created a very stereotypical depiction.

He stated that he was initially reluctant to listen to the voices which said Apu was a stereotype, but I think it was very smart of Azaria to look at himself and talk to people to expand his view on the character.

14 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Hulu is a good home for the Love, Simon series

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

In 2018, we saw the emergence of many coming of age romantic comedy movie tropes with movies like The Kissing Booth, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Sierra Burgess is a Loser and Love, Simon all being released within an 8-month period.

All of these movies had a different aspect that would allow a vast range of people to relate to the characters even if they were no longer in high school.

In February, Love, Simon gave audiences a new view on a coming of age story as it follows the coming out story of a teenage boy in high school. His journey of coming out was faced with a fear different then what people normally think of when coming out. Simon was not afraid of being gay, but, rather, was scared of his life changing because of his announcement.

This is definitely a new way that the film industry had taken on the coming out experience, as the only stories of coming out that I had heard, whether as a B-plot in movies or on television shows, were of the individuals feeling more ashamed of being gay and then at the end of the movie coming to terms with themselves.

The movie protrayed Simon’s story through the digital age and allows the viewers to see that just because a person comes out does not mean that they change who they are.

Love, Simon was the first major studio film that followed the coming out of a LGBTQ+ teen, and it was announced that there was

going to be a spin-off series on Disney+ in the year 2020.

The spin-off, which is to be set in the same universe, was going to focus on a new student named Victor who was also going through a journey of self-acceptance much like Simon was in the film.

Disney was supportive of the spin-off and it was originally stated by the vice president of content at Disney+ that it would be an honour to bring a story within the Love, Simon universe to the service.

However, it was recently announced that the spin-off now entitled Love, Victor would not find its place on Disney+, but Hulu instead.

Hulu is reportedly a better fit for the series as Love, Simon had some mature subject matter that Disney deemed to not be “family friendly“.

A source close to the production states that the spin-off being relocated to Hulu did not have anything to do with the LGBTQ+ themes, but rather the film having sexual content and underage alcohol consumption.

I was confused about this statement for two main reasons.

Firstly, I was confused by Disney saying that Love, Victor was moved because it had sexual content.

Although I do not know the content within the Love, Victor series, Love, Simon only had two kisses within it, which I think is the same amount of PDA that was present in the High School Musical movies.

Secondly, I am confused as to how this series was not deemed as “family friendly,” but movies like Avengers: Endgame is, even though Thor literally beheads Thanos and they do not steer clear of showing that and other violence.

Love, Victor is not the only series coming to Hulu that had originally been a Disney+ series, as the series High Fidelity staring Zoe Kravitz was also moved to Hulu before its’

premiere, and it looks like it will not be the last as well.

On Feb. 29, 2020 Hilary Duff went to Instagram and posted that she actually wanted Disney to allow the series that she was filming (a series which follows the life of Lizzie McGuire as a 30-year-old) to move to Hulu as well.

Duff had stated in her post that she’d “be doing a disservice to everyone by limiting the realities of a 30-year old’s journey to live under the ceiling of a PG rating.

It’s important to me that just as her experiences as a preteen/teenager navigating life were authentic, her next chapters are equally as real and relatable.”

It was not until after I read her post that I changed my mind regarding Disney moving the series over to Hulu.

Although I do not necessarily agree with Disney stating that the Love, Victor series was not family friendly, I do think that the series should not live under what Duff calls the “ceiling of a PG rating.”

The experiences that many teens face are not PG, and I think if Disney kept this program on its own streaming platform, it would be doing a disservice to the viewers.

Stories like that of Love, Victor need to be real and authentic; they need to allow individuals to relate to the characters and see both their struggles as well as the triumphs.

A lot of articles surrounding this topic begin with saying Love, Simon removed from Disney+ as it does not have “family friendly” content. I originally believed that Disney did not want to have a story of an LGBTQ+ teen on their platform, even though that supposedly had nothing to do with it.

I think that having Love, Victor on Hulu now is the best option, if it will allow for Victor to share an authentic story that people will then be able to relate to.

• 15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR MARK CASCAGNETTE sports@thecord.ca

BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

Hawks lose OUA semi-finals in heartbreaking fashion MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

Coach Justin Serresse and the Laurier Golden Hawks men’s basketball team came up just short of the USPORTS Nationals once again after a heartbreaking loss to the Western Mustangs in the OUA Semi-Finals.

In a memorable game at Alumni Hall in London last week, the Golden Hawks and eigth ranked, Western Mustangs put on an absolute show.

The end result saw the Mustangs advance on a game winning three-pointer by local Kitchener native Nikola Farkic.

Both the Mustangs and Hawks’ star players battled it out back and forth for four quarters and that still did not decide a winner from either side, as the game was sent to overtime.

In a game that saw Laurier leading with five seconds left in regulation and leading with four seconds left in overtime, the Mustangs made some remarkable shots and Laurier suffered a crushing 104-103 loss.

One of the games of the basketball year saw excellent efforts on both sides of the court as a chance to advance to the Wilson Cup Finals and play the top team in the country, the Carleton Ravens was at stake.

The winner would also receive an automatic bid to the National Championships which take place in Ottawa over this upcoming weekend, a goal that Justin Serresse had hoped to achieve this year.

“When I first took this job four years ago, I set out a plan and told my guys that we would be in the final four of OUA’s in third year, which I was so proud, we did last year,” Coach Serresse said.

“I also told them that in four years we would be at nationals, and we were so close, that’s why this one is going to take a while to get over,” Coach Serresse added after the game.

Serresse is right, as the Golden Hawks were seconds away from advancing.

How close they were, as Laurier

looked like they were destined to move through to the OUA finals at several points of the fourth quarter and overtime.

However it was two incredible threes, that sunk the hopes of Justin Serresse and the Laurier faithful who travelled so well to London.

Laurier fought back hard in the electric atmosphere on Wednesday night as they began the game trailing Western for the majority of the first half.

Stellar post play by Kemel Archer and another clutch three-pointer

by Adnan Begovic, who has been great from long distance this postseason, had tied the game up as the teams were heading into halftime.

After a close game saw both teams take leads at points in the third and fourth quarter, Ali Sow led the way once again, as he so often does for the Golden Hawks.

Sow took over, as the two-time OUA All-Star looked unstoppable in the second half, pouring in a game high 41 points on the night.

Sow was able to keep the Golden Hawks close with the Mustangs, even at times it looked like Western was going to be able to pull away.

A three by Nashon Hurst, who Coach Serresse has trusted down the stretch, had given Laurier the three-point lead with ten seconds left.

That was until Western turned to Eriq Jenkins with nearly no time left on the clock, who hit the game tying three and sent the game to overtime.

In the overtime frame, Sow continued his dominance and made one of the biggest shots of his Laurier career.

Sinking one of his six three pointers on the night, this one was clutch, as with 38 seconds left in the overtime quarter, Sow’s three put Laurier up 103-101.

On the final possession, the Mustangs had the ball with 20 seconds left and down by two points.

Kemel Archer blocked the initial Mustang shot, but the ball went out of bounds giving Western one last chance with four seconds left to tie or win the game.

Veteran fourth-year guard

who played his junior basketball in Waterloo, Nikola Farkic hit a game-winning three with just two seconds left on the clock, to break the hearts of the Laurier Golden Hawks players, who felt as if this was their year.

With the win, the Mustangs advanced to the Wilson Cup Finals where they eventually lost to the Carleton Ravens , the Ravens team who has now won their 12th OUA title in the past 18 years.

The Mustangs season is not over as they will play in the USPORTS final eight tournament this upcoming weekend, hoping to secure a top national seeding.

For Coach Serresse and the Laurier players, it was a tough one to swallow as the game and win was in their fingertips with seconds left in the fourth quarter and in overtime.

The clutch shooting by the Mustangs blew the roof off of Alumni Hall on Wednesday night, and while the loss will be tough for the players, Justin Serresse offered high praise for the energetic atmosphere that was in the arena.

“It was a game that everybody wants to play in or be a part of, the atmosphere was a ten out of ten and if you bought a ticket, it was worth every penny,” Coach Serresse said of the crowd on Wednesday night.

“I want to take a moment to appreciate the football team, athletic director, our whole department and the rest of the fans who supported us all year and made the trip with us to London, it was fantastic to see,” Serresse added.

In terms of the game itself, Coach Serresse found it hard to find words after the game, as he said the focus post-game was on the season, rather then the semi-final.

“It’s been hard to swallow, it’s been a week now and I still haven’t really watched any basketball, I believed in our team and the plan that I set out and losing a game like this is tough,” Coach Serresse said.

“I didn’t have much to tell the guys, we just reflected on the season and didn’t talk about the game too much,” he said.

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VS

FILE PHOTO

“We were also showing some appreciation to our fifth-year guys Kemel (Archer) and Matt (Minutillo),” Serresse added.

For Archer and Minutillo they have played their last games in the purple and gold but have left a profound legacy on the school and with Coach Justin Serresse, who has always spoken highly of the two.

After two crushing semi-final losses in the past two seasons, the Hawks will now turn their focus to the offseason, one that Serresse has said won’t be as eventful as last year.

Last year, the Laurier basketball program travelled to France, while Coach Serresse and Ali Sow played in Italy for Canada.

Coach Serresse says that they shouldn’t be expecting a big offseason trip this year and will rather stay local.

“We will most likely save money this year, and plan a bigger trip for

next year. For this offseason we may travel local, maybe Quebec,” Coach Serresse said.

In terms of his plans this offseason he said that he has been in touch with a lot of great recruits and he will be travelling over the next few weeks to scout out the top junior talent.

“I’ll be travelling to Ottawa on Thursday and then will be in Ryerson on the weekend, with some more trips planned in the United States. It will be a busy summer with recruiting and player development but I’m looking forward to it,” Coach Serresse said.

While undoubtedly the loss is a disappointment, Laurier has reached new heights under Coach Justin Serresse in the past few years. Although they haven’t reached his ultimate goal of nationals, the program continues to improve, and look ahead to the offseason hoping to achieve that goal next year.

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16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

TRACK & FIELD

Pattison and Laurie ready for the national stage MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR

At last weekend’s OUA Championships in Toronto, the Laurier Golden Hawks indoor distance team performed well, however the weekend performance’s were headlined by veteran runner Sydney Pattison.

Having already enriched her name in the Laurier history books last year, becoming the first ever Golden Hawk to bring home a medal at a provincial championship, Pattison continued to make her mark this year.

After finishing third and winning bronze in the 1500m race last year, Pattison picked up major ground in the final couple of laps thhis year, to move into second place and win the silver medal for Laurier.

Not only has a silver medal, never been won by a Golden Hawk student-athlete, but the silver will also qualify Pattison for the USPORTS Championships in Edmonton that will take place over the next several days.

The time of four minutes and 27.4 seconds was good enough for second place and Pattison’s second medal of the tournament.

She also was able to win bronze on the first day of the competition, racing in the 1000m race.

FILE PHOTO

Pattison who won the Outstanding Women of Laurier award last year and numerous MVP awards, as well as All-Star accolades and was named Laurier female athlete of the week for her fifth time as a part of the school.

The fourth-year runner from Rockwood, Ontario, Pattison continues to break records for Laurier and will look to perform well on the national stage with the National Championships beginning on

March 5th.

From one great runner in Sydney Pattison to another Laurier All-Star runner in Lizzy Laurie.

In what is a remarkable accomplishment for the fourth-year runner, Lizzy Laurie, she has been named to Team Canada’s team for the 2020 FISU World University Cross County Championships that are taking place in Morocco.

After being named a USPORTS All-star and making Laurier history

in the fall for the Golden Hawks cross-country team, Laurier has been rewarded with the opportunity to represent Team Canada with 12 other University runners.

Laurie’s finish in the USPORTS Cross Country Championships that took place last November made her eligible for selection with Team Canada.

In the eight-kilometer race, Laurie was able to finish with a time of 29 minutes and 0.8 seconds, which

was good enough for a top fifteen finish in the country.

Just like Pattison, Laurie has won her fair share of awards with the Golden Hawks in her four years here and is looking forward to the opportunity on the international stage. While she will represent Canada, Laurie is expected to participate in the 10km route, which will be the longest race of her fouryear career.

She is looking forward to the great opportunity ahead and the challenge that the weekend will present. The 2020 FISU World University Cross Country Championships begin on Saturday, March 7th at 5:30 A.M. in Marrakech, Morocco. Laurie will arrive with Team Canada and partake in the opening ceremonies, that will start on Fri. Mar. 6th.

Saturday is sure to be a big day as Laurie will look to make her mark on the international stage, becoming the next great Golden Hawk student-athlete to represent Canada at the FISU events.

Pattison and Laurie continue to make history for the Laurier Golden Hawks. Both of them will be participating on the national or international stage this upcoming weekend, looking to earn more individual accolades as their time with Laurier nears it’s ending.

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