May 20, 2015 by The Cord

LOCAL

ARTS & LIFE

OPINION

First-ever competition brings local breweries together

Cord staff create the soundtrack to their summer

What does an NDP victory in Alberta mean for Canada?

page 5

page 8

page 11

Shopping local

Features, pages 6-7

THE CORD

THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 56 ISSUE 1 MAY 20, 2015

FOOTBALL

CFL BOUND

SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The CFL draft was an hour away on May 12, and four Wilfrid Laurier University football players were socializing with family, friends and teammates at Wilf’s Restaurant and Bar. Versatile defensive back Chris Ackie, defensive end Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, running back Dillon Campbell and defensive lineman Asante Mizan kept busy while the room took subtle glances at the giant screen at the front, waiting for the draft to begin. As the first, second and third draft picks were called, Ackie got a call. He went into Wilf’s Den to take it, coming out shortly after with a straight face. “And with the fourth overall pick, the Montreal Alouettes pick Chris Ackie, defensive back from Wilfrid Laurier University,” said CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge. The restaurant erupted with cheers as Ackie, ranked 11th in the top-20 prospects ranking heading into the night, was taken off the board. It was the highest a Hawk had been snagged since 1972. “I didn’t see it coming,” Ackie said as the excitement died down. “[Some] were saying Montreal, [some were] saying Edmonton, so I was kind of assuming Edmonton. But then Montreal picked me up with the fourth spot.” “To see everything kind of come together, because you’ve had the same goal your whole life, so for it to finally be here that day and hear your name actually get called. It was something I dreamed of.” Surrounded by former Hawk teammates and friends, Ackie celebrated. But suddenly, Wilf’s erupted again. A pick after his teammate, Mrabure-Ajufo was drafted by the BC Lions. It was the first time since 1972 that two Hawks went in the first

Laurier players Chris Ackie, Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, Dillon Campbell hear their names called during CFL draft

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

Sports, page 12

FUNDING

Business receives $35-million donation Contribution to help build management institute in the Global Innovation Exchange building KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

A $35-million donation has been given to Wilfrid Laurier University to build a “world-class” management institute in the Global Innovation Exchange building. Blackberry’s co-founder and philanthropist, Mike Lazaridis, made a $20-million investment to the university along with a $15-million contribution from the Ontario government. Michael Kelly, the dean of the school of business and econom-

ics, said the university was very excited to receive the donation from someone of Lazaridis’ status. “When you get somebody of Lazaridis’ reputation in giving the school $20-million and the province matching it, I think it’s a really good story there,” said Kelly. Kelly believes Lazaridis wants to see how companies grow with talent from Laurier’s management institute. “We have a great startup culture here, but we’re not grow-

ing the companies, and I think [Lazaridis] realized that the management school here is the best in the country and his great part is a key piece in the puzzle,” said Kelly. The school, known as Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises, will provide management education and training for executives in the technology sector to help build their skills and to expand their companies. Kelly predicts the institution will start to launch this fall.

“We have a little bit of work to do in terms of staffing it, but we’re already doing some work on the curriculum side of the [master of business and administration] program and we’ll see some curriculum work for the [bachelor of business and administration] in the next year.” Earlier this February at the University of Waterloo, the board of governors approved a budget to expand study space for the faculty of arts in Hagey Hall. Campus, page 3

“We have a great startup culture here, but we’re not growing the companies ...”

-Michael Kelly, dean of the school of business and economics

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

VOCAL CORD

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.

What is the soundtrack to your summer?

“Patio Lanterns - Kim Mitchell” –Annalise Yundt, fourthyear business

Meet The Cord’s 2015-16 staff Top row, left to right: Bryan Stephens – President and Publisher, Brian Phillips – Video Editor, Will Huang – Photo Editor, Mynt Marsellus – Multimedia Director Middle row, left to right: Caitlyn Sageman – Copy Editing Manager, Kaitlyn Severin – Campus News Editor, Shelby Blackley – Editor-in-Chief, Lena Yang – Creative Director, Jessica Dik – Lead Photographer, Bethany Bowles –

“Taylor Swift” –Chris Martyn, fourthyear political science

“Lean On - Major Lazer” –Spoorthi Srinivasa, third-year business

“Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars ft. Mark Ronson” –Kurt Schulthies, firstyear business and financial math

Features Editor, Maddy Cutts – Lead Reporter Bottom row, left to right: Andreas Patsiaouros – Photo Editor, Drew Yates – Sports Editor, Joshua Awolade – Creative Director, Zach Guitor – Arts & Life Editor Not pictured: Mitchell Consky – Opinion Editor, Erika Ymana – Local News Editor

Editor’s note: we’re back SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Well, here we go again. A new year of The Cord has begun, and just like every year before us, our obligation hasn’t changed: to provide the community of Wilfrid Laurier University with the news it deserves. But this year, we’ll be upping our game and looking to provide you, our readers, with everything you need to know about the Laurier community and surrounding area. We’ll be dedicated to quality, critical coverage. We’ll be finding new ways to provide

content that is engaging and interesting. That is our promise to you. We here at The Cord are well aware that the 24-hour news cycle is taking precedence over weekly newspapers. We hate it, but we understand it. That’s why this year, we’re improving the way we interact on the web. Our Multimedia Director has an improved job description to increase the way you read news on your laptops, phones and tablets while procrastinating your homework. Our social media outlets will have more engagement and more day-today coverage. Our video department will continue to expand as we get new, more professional equipment. And our website, that I have a love-hate relationship with

currently, will hopefully be faster, user-friendly and full of interesting content for you to read. As for our print copy, it will still provide you with information every Wednesday, but the style will change to engage you past just the basic facts you will already know by the time you pick it up. The Cord has lived to be the official student newspaper of Wilfrid Laurier University since 1926, and in 2015, it’s still going. Digital media may be the primary form of information, but that doesn’t put an end to this newspaper. We’re still around — whether that’s online or in your hands — and we’re back for another year and another fight with the changing face of media. I hope you’re along for the ride.

Editorial note: ‘Dear Life’ submission

“We Dem Boyz - Wiz Kalifa” –Mike Grantis, thirdyear buiness Compiled by Heather Davidson Photos by Jessica Dik 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 CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin kseverin@thecord.ca

This month, The Cord received a ‘Dear Life’ through our online form, illustrating an individual’s opinion about the recent and ongoing FHRITP heckling toward news reporters. As an anonymous outlet for people to express their views, we decided to print the ‘Dear Life.’ The point of ‘Dear Life’ has been to act like an open forum for people to vent about life. We respect the individual’s opinion on the matter, and the

LOCAL NEWS EDITOR Erika Ymana eymana@thecord.ca FEATURES EDITOR Bethany Bowles bbowles@thecord.ca ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Zach Guitor zguitor@thecord.ca OPINION EDITOR Mitchell Consky mconsky@thecord.ca SPORTS EDITOR Drew Yates dyates@thecord.ca GRAPHICS EDITOR Vacant

fact they had a personal experience with assault. The individual deserves to have their voice heard and as it is a view held by many, we want to promote discussion around this issue rather than stifle it. That being said, we at The Cord do not share the same opinion as the ‘Dear Life.’ As members of the journalism community, we see the severity of the heckling and view it as assault toward reporters and women. As a

PHOTO EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros apatsiaouros @thecord.ca

COPY EDITING MANAGER Caitlyn Sageman csageman@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Will Huang whuang@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS

VIDEO EDITOR Brian Phillips bphillips@thecord.ca LEAD REPORTER Maddy Cutts mcutts@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jessica Dik jdik@thecord.ca

Danica Brett Heather Davidson Kristen Lambie

newspaper, we do not wish that on ourselves and would not want to experience the ramifications that come with such a derogatory phrase. Our job as a student newspaper is to provide news and to allow individuals of the community to express themselves openly. However this does not mean those views reflect the opinions of The Cord. Any concerns can be addressed at editor@thecord.ca.

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. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press

Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ ontpress.com. The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 6,000 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

Dear Laurier Alumni, I’m not even done my undergrad a month and one of you goes and makes a fool of yourself on the news. Thanks for making Laurier’s reputation even worse. With love, Sincerely, A disappointed, but not surprised almost-grad. Dear Life, We wish more people would tune-in to listen to our awesome shows! :( Sincerely, Radio Laurier Dear Life, Why is it that whenever I try to do something remotely adult, it leads to a horrible conclusion? Sincerely, I want my pillow fort back Dear Life, Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived in a world where we couldn’t hear our roommates gettin’ it on? Sincerely, Stuck in celibacy Dear Life, All these girls posting about their babies and engagments and I’m just sitting here wondering if I should get a footlong or a six inch sub. Sincerely, Always go for the footlong Dear Laurier, I am have a full course load this summer and the constant construction indoors is not helping me study. Sincerely, The one with the headache Dear WLU, We have finally done it! We are in the Toronto Pride Parade this year! For more details go to the WLU Rainbow Centre Facebook page. Sincerely, A happy gay student Dear Life, Seriously?? Sincerely, Stop, this is not funny!! Dear Life, The FHRITP fiasco got so blown out of proportion. It was a prank. Not gendered violence, sexual assault, or anything like that. Sincerely, A real victim of assault

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: “Real pioneers ... and by that I mean Mennonites.” - Arts & Life Editor Zach Guitor regarding the actors at Doon Heritage Village

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Campus

• 3 CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN kseverin@thecord.ca

AWARDS

Laurier claims first place MBA students win case competition for the third time in five years MADDY CUTTS LEAD REPORTER

Wilfrid Laurier University’s students have brought home first place at the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society International Master of Business and Administration Case Competition. The competition, which began with an on-campus round and included five Laurier teams, concluded on April 17 when the top five overall teams travelled to New York City to present before a distinguished panel of industry professionals. Laurier’s team, which consisted of MBA students Kate Applin, Albert Tam, Tristan Pilcher and Daniel Hebeisen, was one of two Canadian schools to participate this year. This marks the school’s third win, following first-place placement in 2011 and 2014. “This is a prestigious competition, and now that Laurier’s won it three years, I would imagine that’s an aspirational thing for undergraduates who are in business and economics,” said

“They can see that if they want to continue on and do an MBA at some time that Laurier is a great place to do that.” CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

-Ian Muller, president of Graduate Students’ Association

Ian Muller, president and chief executive officer of the Graduate Students’ Association. “They can see that if they want to continue on and do an MBA at some time that Laurier is a great place to do that.” The competition’s emphasis on sustainability in business was an ideal match for coach Barry Colbert, an associate professor and director at Laurier’s P&G Centre for Business & Sustainability. Colbert coached the team along with former Aspen champion Priyanka Lloyd. “I think it’s just external validation of the approach that we take. It’s that somebody recog-

Laurier’s team, consisting of MBA students, finished first at the international case competition in New York City.

nizes that we have good students at Laurier, and it’s not just what they learn in the sustainability class, it’s the full education they’re getting,” said Colbert. “It’s broad and deep thinking, as well as critical thinking, what we try to teach, so to me I think it’s satisfying that people are seeing what we’re doing and it resonates with them.” The team devotes their success to keeping with Laurier’s strong emphasis on co-curricular involvement and supplemental learning, which the members recognized during the competition. “I came into my MBA not from a business background at all, so I kind of dove in and took on anything I could, and I think it’s made a huge impact on my ex-

perience in the MBA,” said team member Applin. “This competition in particular taught what a fantastic team can look like, how to leverage people’s strengths, and what extreme hard work beyond the classroom looks like. It kind of pushes you to another level when you’re proving yourself on a world stage rather than just the classroom.” The opportunity for feedback and evaluation beyond the realm of academics was not lost on participants. Members valued the ability to find something out of the classroom to benefit their degrees. “This was probably the highlight of my MBA. The importance of getting out of the classroom I can’t stress enough,” said team

“It’s satisfying that people are seeing what we’re doing and it resonates with them.”

-Barry Colbert, team coach

member Tam. “At case competitions, you’re being evaluated from an academic lens, from an industry lens, from a sustainability lens, specific to the Aspen Case Competition, so you get an evaluation that is really holistic and really gives different perspectives on your body of work.”

FROM COVER

SERENA GILL/FILE PHOTO

The $35-million donation will go toward a management institute in the Global Innovation Exchange building.

Institute to benefit both business and arts UW funds arts, WLU tries to blend arts into business –cover Douglas Peers, the dean of arts at the University of Waterloo, explained the budget was approved because of support from students, faculty and alumni. “It’s part of our strategic planning exercise which had started three years ago, we identified student space as one of the critical priorities for the faculty,” Peers continued. “It’s open to any students in the area, but there’s just a real lack of both study space and social space at this end of the campus that we felt was a real important investment for us.”

Despite the investment into arts at the neighbour school, Kelly said it’s a good investment to put money into the BBA program. “I think it’s going into the business school because we have one of the best business schools in the country here and people see it’s worth investing in it,” he said. He also explained the business faculty has been working with the arts faculty on a direct entry option. First-year students with a certain grade point average can get into business through a management option. “We’ve been doing a lot of

work with the arts in the last little while to add some management education to their programming,” Kelly explained. “By building a new building for business and mathematics, more space will be made available to arts and to other programs,” said Laurier president and vice-chancellor, Max Blouw. According to Blouw, by relieving pressure in one part of the university, more space will be made avilable to other areas on campus. “It will benefit both business and arts students, and also science students.”

4 •

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

EDUCATION

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

The faculty of arts’ Strategies for Academic Success project team is currently identfying Laurier students who will receive invitations to participate in the pilot project starting in fall of 2015.

A second chance at student success

New academic pilot project gives students a chance to finish their programs after withdrawing KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Students who have withdrawn from Wilfrid Laurier University now have a second chance at completing their programs. The faculty of arts launched the “Strategies for Academic Success” pilot project aimed at helping students who were forced to withdraw from their programs due to academic requirements to come back to Laurier. In the last three years, Mercedes Rowinsky, associate dean of student affairs and special projects in the faculty of arts, said she’s had numerous students ask her how to stay at the

university once they’re required to withdraw. Rowinsky said most students do not come back to Laurier once they are required to take courses at different institutions for a year. “We did a survey and we found out that barely 10 per cent come back to Laurier, and we have to remember that these are students that have to live at Laurier — they’re happy at Laurier,” said Rowinsky. According to Rowinsky, in most cases students are unsuccessful academically because they are in difficult financial situations or have to work a fulltime job. This inspired Rowinsky to

think of ways in which students can come back and complete their programs. “[Students] are going to take this as a test and say, I’m having issues but I’m allowed to stay at Laurier — so I think it’s a more formative approach than the previous approach of sending them to be away for a year,” Rowinsky said. The project will start in the fall of 2015. Rowinsky, as well as others working on the project, will monitor students with peer, academic and faculty mentoring. During the first semester, students will take two six-week courses, reflecting on how they

learn, how they create, as well as look into their time management and presentation skills. Students will take what they learned from the first half and apply them to the second half of the semester. “A big part of the program is identifying how we learn and how you learn, so it’s kind of getting behind the scenes and letting the student understand the process by which they can be successful and then implementing those strategies,” said Ruth MacNeil, acting university registrar. If students receive a 4.0 grade point average in their non-credit courses during the fall, they are able to move forward into

the winter term as a part-time student. Rowinsky explained there are 100 spots available and it’s first come, first served. As of now, the project’s team is in the process of identifying the students who will receive invitations to consider participating in the program. The first class will be identified by the end of May. “I’m hopeful that this is going to create a more supportive environment for students facing challenges and this is the spirit of who we are as a community, I think this is important because this reflects who we are as an institution.”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Local

• 5 LOCAL NEWS EDITOR ERIKA YMANA eymana@thecord.ca

BEER

Best beer in Waterloo crowned Sold out event features Waterloo’s first-ever battle of the breweries at local restaurant Abe Erb ERIKA YMANA LOCAL NEWS EDITOR

A battle of the best ale occured May 5 between four prominent brewers within the KitchenerWaterloo and Cambridge area. The contenders included Abe Erb, Innocente, Block Three and Grand River. The objective was simple: to create a unique brew that would appeal to their audience. Steve Innocente, head brewer and president of Innocente Brewing Company, put the idea forward. “It was actually my idea, we used to do them all the time in Britain. I thought it would be cool if we did one here,” said Innocente. The event consisted of a blind taste test of the four brews from the respective breweries. Decisions about what style of beer and ingredients used were made by the participants before the event, to which they all decided to go with brown ale. The beer was served blindly at the day of the event, meaning the brewers themselves had no idea which beer belonged to whom. Each beer was served between 20-minute intervals in order for everyone to enjoy their drink and take notes. The event was not based on

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Abe Erb hosted the battle of the breweries where Abe Erb, Innocente, Block Three and Grand River participated.

technicalities — there was no set guideline. The audience simply voted on which ale they thought was the best. Robert Cundari, brewer at Abe Erb, said he understands the importance of finding a balance between what a brewer enjoys and also catering to the audience. “It was really just personal

preference, and you just voted for what you liked. Being a brewery, you have to go with what people enjoy rather than what you want to enjoy — you have an audience,” Cundari explained. Much of the audience enjoyed Abe Erb’s brew, as it won by eight votes over Innocente Brewing Company. Cundari said Abe Erb tried to

achieve a toffee flavour using a combination of hops that the audience enjoyed. Innocente came second, using a small sample of hops that were new to the market. Initially, Innocente was not sure of how the brew was going to taste or the audience’s reception, but coming second assured its popularity.

Both participants agreed the event was a success. The 150 available tickets to the event sold out in 45 minutes. Cundari said there will be other events with other breweries that may be able to accommodate more people or those who missed out. “As I was walking through the crowd, I was asking people about it and everyone loved the event. Most of the people that I had spoken to haven’t been here [Abe Erb] before,” said Cundari. “They just knew and came to the event. This town is right for this type of stuff.” With a sold out event, Innocente hopes to host the next battle at a bigger venue. He hopes to host this type of event once or twice a year and to have more people involved in raising money for charity. It is also a good chance to get to know other brewers in the industry as well as others who simply just enjoy beer. Giancarlo Todon, brewer at Abe Erb, said Kitchener-Waterloo is the perfect area as it brews “some of the best beer in the province.” “This couldn’t be a better area to be in, in the province. [To] know your money’s staying in the neighbourhood [and] supporting local jobs,” said Todon.

CULTURE

Historic village to explore period of change BRYAN STEPHENS PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Opening in 1957, the Doon Heritage Village at the Waterloo Region Museum spent many years in development. Originally Doon Pioneer Village, the current iteration focuses on the period of 1914, a major time of change for the Region of Waterloo. “All the buildings, content, interpreters and how they are dressed come together to tell the story of what daily life was like in our small, rural village in 1914 in Waterloo county,” said Kevin Thomas, public program specialist for Waterloo Region Museum. Thomas said the choice to have a fixed restoration date for the entire village was based upon an assessment of what the museum’s collection could best support, as well as the opportunity to build a different living history village than those typically found in Ontario. Another important factor in the decision for 1914 was events happening outside of Waterloo at the time. “If you start thinking about what is important in the history of this community, you simply cannot escape the impact of World War One on the community’s identity,” said Tom Reitz, manager and curator at Wa-

“People [in 1914] were going through a lot of change in their lives, just as we are now ...”

-Kevin Thomas, public program specialist

terloo Region Museum. “If you had picked any other date, you wouldn’t have that opportunity to explore that issue of identity.” With 20 buildings, the staff on-site at the heritage village are in period-appropriate costume and perform period-appropriate activities, such as gardening and maintaining livestock. In the summer months, the museum offers day-in-the-life activities, where visitors have the opportunity to participate or watch demonstrations of butter churning, for example. “[These activities] make it more hands-on and gives the opportunity to talk about specific things you normally wouldn’t come across if you were just visiting,” said Thomas. Thomas believed it is this immersive quality that will interest people to come to the site. “The context that activities took place in, you can get a bet-

ter sense of what that activity was, how it was done.” The land where the property is placed also adds a charm to the village. “We sit on 60 acres of land that is a mix of forest, bottomlands and marsh areas. It really is an oasis in the community. You can get into the village and truly feel lost in this place and I think we will be able to maintain this idea,” said Reitz. Plans are already underway to expand on the site. Following the groundwater festival later this month, the museum has plans for a new harness shop to open next year. Thomas said the museum is also looking at adding a schoolhouse, although that is a few years away from being a possibility. When looking at the importance of retelling the past, he also commented that often when someone looks at where they have been, it can help them determine where they are now. “People [in 1914] were going through a lot of change in their lives, just as we are now. That kind of comparison is helpful in figuring out how did those people deal with changes and disruptions,” said Thomas. “What we do in the village is give people a sense of what here is and was.”

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Staff in period-appropriate costumes portray life in 1914 at the new village.

6 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/BETHANY BOWLES/BBOWLES@THECORD.CA

Shopping local

Features Editor Bethany Bowles discusses t

Growing up in the Waterloo region, I was never a stranger to shopping local. I’m from Cambridge, and I remember dragging my mom most Saturdays to the tiny farmers’ market that was just minutes from my house. I loved the social aspect of shopping local and I loved how delicious and fresh everything looked. I loved the colours, the smells, the music from the numerous buskers and the farmers who were overjoyed to sell their products. In Waterloo, we are extremely lucky to be close to two farmers’ markets. At one end of King Street is the Kitchener Market and at the other is St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. The Kitchener Market is open Tuesday to Saturday until early afternoon, whereas St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market is only open Thursdays and Saturdays. Both are accessible by bus, which makes shopping local while being a student extremely easy. The main difference between these two markets is the spectacle. I grew up going to the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market because it was huge, bright, busy and exciting. It is advertised as a tourist attraction, mainly because of its grand scale. If you’re looking to go shopping for more than an hour, and maybe get lunch while you’re at it, St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market is the best place to go. St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market sells everything from fresh produce to meat. There are also several food trucks that provide you with a delicious lunch or a quick snack. In the indoor portion of the market, there are stalls that sell coffee, pizza and the best apple fritters you will ever have. There’s live music, homemade crafts and even clothing. It’s definitely one of my favourite places in K-W. The Kitchener Market is much smaller, and much easier to get in and out of. While St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market isn’t ideal for everyday shopping, the Kitchener Market definitely is. Here you can find fresh produce, meat and delicious baked goods. Located right in downtown Kitchener, all you have to do is hop on the route 7 bus and you can be right down there to do your shopping. Although shopping local satisfies your taste buds, there is much more to it that makes it so important. When you shop at a grocery store, the food is coming from all over. You can sometimes be purchasing produce that has crossed national borders just to meet your plate. When we purchase food traveling so far, we are ultimately polluting the environment with travel emissions, whether it is a huge truck that brought your oranges up from Florida, or a plane bringing your bananas from Ecuador. When shopping at farmers’ markets, the food is not traveling as far to “We come this way bereach your plate, which is more sustainable for the environment. cause this is where the Another factor that must be kept in mind when shoppopulation is. I do well at ping at a grocery store is where the money is going. When you purchase a head of lettuce from a grocery store, a this market.” fraction of that money is going to the store employees, the store’s head office and the huge companies that farm the produce, such as Dole. When you buy a head of lettuce from a farmers’ market, the money is going straight into -Rob Boneschansker, farmer the farmer’s pocket, as they were the ones who did all the work to grow a perfect head of lettuce. Rob Boneschansker, a farmer who sells his produce at St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, is responsible for bringing cold crops such as cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli to local shoppers from his farm in Wroxeter, Ont. “I’m here every Thursday and Saturday,” Boneschansker explained. “We come this way because this is where the population is. I do well at this market.” Boneschansker explained he enjoys selling at St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. “It’s still that half-countryhalf-city attitude out here. It’s a nice friendly attitude. People out here are willing to visit and shop.” Boneschansker went on to explain the importance of shopping from local farms and businesses as a whole. “Local is a big thing,” he said. “It drives the whole local economy. I’m within 100 kms of here, so whatever is sold here eventually gets back to me at the farm, so to stay within that area keeps things closer to home.” For Boneschansker, selling local has molded his lifestyle.

URES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 • 7

l this summer

the benefits of shopping at farmers’ markets

“I’ve gradually grown with the business, you see. I started this 20 years ago. It works for me. I get to be my own boss and it seems fun that way.” While at St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, two local shoppers from Kitchener, Danica and Sarah, explained they come to St. Jacobs for the produce more so than the spectacle. They grew up going to farmers’ markets and have continued to into early adulthood. “I wouldn’t look at it as a touristy thing, because I’ve always known it’s been here,” Danica said. “But at the same time it’s nice because you go around and everyone offers you something different.” “... I enjoy knowing that Danica and Sarah pointed out they come to St. Jacobs for the money I spend there the fresh produce, but also the famous apple fritters. As a student, I will admit, it is much easier to go to Zehrs is going right back into the or Walmart than travel all the way to Kitchener or St. community.” Jacobs to get my groceries. As much as Laurier houses a small farmers’ market once a week in the concourse during the school year, the options are limited, and you still have to go to a grocery store to buy your canned goods or meat. Knowing shopping local is an accessible option, however, -Ashley Dujlovic, third-year student at Laurier is something all university students should be aware of. Ashley Dujlovic is a third-year sociology student at Wilfrid Laurier University who has shopped at farmers’ markets several times during her time at Laurier. “I was introduced to St. Jacobs and the Kitchener Market when I began school at Laurier a few years ago,” Dujlovic explained. “I like shopping for food and different crafts locally because I enjoy knowing that the money I spend there is going right back into the community.” Dujlovic really stressed the importance of how shopping local can build your relationship with your surrounding community. “[Farmers’ markets are] a great place to build community relationships and get out of the Laurier bubble,” she said. Shopping local may seem tedious, but it is a small way to support the local economy, experience new environments, have fun and be healthier.

Pros 1. The food is cheaper 2. The food is better quality 3. The produce doesn’t travel nearly as far 4. You can reduce your ecological footprint 5. You can meet the farmers who are responsible for providing you with produce 6. It makes shopping more social and less of a task

Cons 1.

Farmers’ markets aren’t open everyday, so you have to plan ahead

PHOTOS BY WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

8 •

Arts & Life

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ZACH GUITOR zguitor@thecord.ca

PLAYLIST

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Songs of the season Whatever mood you’re in this summer, The Cord’s got you covered

Chaos and the Calm — James Bay

Let It Be — The Replacements

Forward Thinking — JAHKOY

Beach Fossils — Beach Fossils

Unorthodox Jukebox — Bruno Mars

Released this past March, James Bay’s debut full-length album The Chaos and The Calm surpassed all my expectations. I’m generally not a fan of hit singles off new albums, but I can’t get enough of Bay’s radio hit “Hold Back the River.” The song opens with a delicate finger-picked guitar, and gradually ascends into an epic anthem of love. The album as a whole is fairly mellow and rich with ballads such as “Move Together,” which is a sappy song lover’s paradise. However Bay also mixes in uptempo rock hits like the album’s first track “Craving,” which is bound to encourage you to sing along. Altogether, James Bay’s new album is the soundtrack for any steamy summer romances. - Bethany Bowles

Released in 1984, The Replacement’s fourth album stands in contrast to the period, lacking the polished approach of other classic rock artists of the decade. What makes this album so enjoyable is its situation: a comingof-age album that preaches to choirs of adolescents. The band’s more light-hearted moments, like “Gary’s Got A Boner,” are paired with moments of sincere reflections, as with the ballad “Androgynous.” What makes this a great summer listen is the album’s pacing; knowing when to deliver raw and angst-ridden post punk and when to slow it down and address the difficulties of a generation. It’s a classic in its ability to address the challenges faced by teenagers in the ‘80s that continue to the present day. - Bryan Stephens

Toronto’s Jahkoy is only 19-years old, but his smooth and unique voice backed by an EDM-rooted production makes this artist one to watch for this summer. From his mixtape Forward Thinking, the bionic sound of “Fall in Love” will easily get you dancing. The intro starts slow, but slowly picks up into a classical instrumental, and then quickly adds techno to the mix. His unique sound distinguishes him from a lot of other artists hitting the scene. Many of Jahkoy’s songs are about the ups and downs of falling in love; he portrays the emotions through the instrumentals accompanying it seamlessly with his voice. Despite strong themes of romance, Jahkoy’s mixtape is a great backtrack for enjoying the warm weather at the beach. - Kristen Lambie

Beach Fossils’ self-titled debut epitomizes the lazy summer attitude with its jangly guitar licks, muted backbeats and nonchalant vocals. Fittingly, one of the strongest cuts off the record is “Lazy Day.” Opening with the line, “I felt the grass on my chest in the open field,” it’s backed by a jittering delayed guitar. With such strong imagery, this song teleports the listener into a simple, serene world. The band only strays from their formula on the final track “Gathering.” The song opens with seagulls and crashing waves accompanied by a lazy strumming guitar. Harmonized vocals reminiscent of the Beach Boys ease into the mix, only to quickly fade away as the sun sets on the album. - Zach Guitor

It may be three years old now but until we get another album from the pint-sized prince of funk, his 2012 album Unorthodox Jukebox remains the ideal summer album for fans of funk inspired pop music. Since his breakout performance on Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” in 2010, no one has had a handle on the feeling of summer like Bruno Mars. With respect for the funk and disco that came before him, Mars adds a perfectly contemporary pop feel to all his songs. From the Police inspired hit “Locked out of Heaven” to the pure disco-redux of “Treasure,” Unorthodox Jukebox is loaded with tracks that feel as good on the patio for a barbeque as they do when you’re getting turnt at Phil’s. - Mynt Marsellus

BALANCE

‘Live your summer in moderation’ DANICA BRETT STAFF WRITER

The sun is shining, the ice cream truck is gingerly perusing down the streets of Waterloo, birds are chirping and flocks of backpacks are headed towards the business building. Yep — school is back. It’s my first time being a Wilfrid Laurier University summer student, and going into this I wasn’t sure whether it would be a pleasant or negative experience. After speaking to a handful of summer students, past and present, it’s obvious the pros outweigh the cons. From the beautiful weather, a dramatically less crowded school, weekday keggers and of course Laurier’s summer baseball league, it is a pretty sweet deal.

Third-year student Colton Vandenberk is most excited about the prospect of free time, and the extent of activities that the good weather has to offer. “Without having a job this summer my afternoons are open for golfing, baseball and patio beers with the guys,” he said. Ridhima Gujral, a fourth-year marketing student felt the best part about going to school in the summer is getting to know everyone so closely. “Since there are only so many people here in the summer you become kind of like a tight-knit little Laurier community.” Many students are done the bulk of their classes by 11:30 a.m., and with such a big chunk of the day left there are many possibilities for activities.

A summer student veteran and now Laurier BBA graduate, Laurianne Wilson, organized her class schedule to take advantage of the summer potential. “The best part was having a schedule that allows you to enjoy the summer. It certainly beats looking out at the sun from behind an office window.” Sure, being a summer student has its positives, but let’s not forget to address its drawbacks. A major downfall of school in the summer is that you still have a lot of responsibilities and commitments. With all the fun events happening around you, it is easy to slack off, push your work to another day and relax patio side instead. “[But] at the end of the day,

school matters,” Gujral said. She’s right. Summer is a time to enjoy the beautiful weather and all the things that come along with it, but we still have assignments, readings and let’s not forget exams. Wilson shared a few tips from her time as a summer student on how to manage a full course load while still having fun. “Make sure you participate in the summer events around campus because you’ll definitely make a ton of new friends. As for getting school work done, try planning your work around Wednesday and Friday nights, and maybe Thursday and Saturday mornings too, just to be safe.” Although schoolwork should be your first priority, Vandenberk said everything is healthy

in moderation, and that having a little bit too much fun isn’t necessarily a bad idea. “Live your summer in moderation. Sure go to class, do your readings and buckle down when needed, but get out to a few too many keggers, maybe spend a little too much time at the beach. For a lot of us, this will be one of the last summers we have as undergrad students, why not make some new stories along the way,” he said. Whether you see going to school in the summer as a great thing or not, it’s all about perspective. Start embracing the amazing things that being a summer student has to offer, and it may just change your mind about having to trek to campus this summer.

GAMES • 9

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

Sudoku

WE DON’T JUST ‘STOP’ FOR THE SUMMER. NEXT CORD ISSUE: JUNE 17

WE’RE HIRING Programming Manager External Music Manager Internal Music Manager Web Manager Sports Coordinator EMAIL station.manager @radiolaurier.ca

HEY YOU...

NEED SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR SUMMER?

VOLUNTEER.

thecord.ca/volunteer

Craft beer. Knitting. Street festivals. Cycling. THE COMMUNITY EDITION IS LOOKING FOR WRITERS ON ALL OF THESE TRENDY SUBJECTS. EMAIL US TO GET INVOLVED. ALLISON.LEONARD@WLUSP.COM WWW.COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

10 •

Editorial

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

Strategies for Academic Success a much-needed initiative at Laurier Wilfrid Laurier University’s “Strategies for Academic Success” pilot project, launched by the faculty of arts for fall 2015, is a much-needed initiative for getting tumbling students back on their feet. The goal is to help students finish their programs after being forced to withdraw from a lacking academic performance. The program monitors participants through faculty, peer and academic mentoring. Instead of having to leave campus and take courses elsewhere, the project is an alternative solution at Laurier to help unlock potential in withdrawn students and allow them to get the best out of their education. However is this pilot project necessary? Do students who have failed to meet academic requirements deserve another chance? Would this new system make a difference? It’s important to realize lack of academic performance is not always because of lack of academic effort. Students can have varying experiences when they enter their first year, and problems, therefore, can certainly vary. The monitoring the program entails can work to create a window into the struggles of students’ lives, and work to cater to individualspecific problems. Ultimately, the mentorship can guide participants towards overcoming the obstacles that are standing in

their way of success. For those dealing with financial setbacks or juggling jobs, the initiative can teach them to manage their resources and instill skills aimed to improve their performance. For those who are negatively influenced by the stigma of withdrawing, this program works as a safety net, de-stigmatizing their situation and preventing students from hitting rock bottom in their academic careers and helping them finish what they set out to do. When a student is forced to withdraw and leave campus, the chance of that student reapplying later on is minimal. For one, they would of had to resume their studies at a different institution, and jumping back and forth between schools like a Ping-Pong ball can be tauntingly stressful. Most of the time, these students will not finish their degrees because of such stressful situations. This program allows those students who have to withdraw to come back and finish what they started with guidance and support. So far only science and arts students are situated for acceptance into the program. The solution is necessary for all departments, to give students a basis to excel despite previous setbacks. Instead of leaving withdrawn students in the dark, this system ignites their way. JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Take on your summer to do list in Waterloo region As many students at Wilfrid Laurier University may not know, there is much more to Waterloo culture than cheap drinks at Phil’s and late night Pizza Maniac indulgence. Though it’s easy for students’ understanding of the city to get lost in a safety net of convenience, it’s important to realize there is much more the unique Region of Waterloo has to offer. Whether it’s enjoying a wide selection of quality craft beer, purchasing fresh produce at local farmers’ markets, experiencing excellent cuisine or immersing yourself in unconventional movies at one of the Uptown independent theatres, Waterloo has proven to have an enriched culture of art and entertainment beyond campus life.

We fall into a system of familiarity, with little room to walk outside the borders of our lives. But if any of you brave souls find time throughout your summers to unlock the hidden secrets of your current home, consider this your official invitation. Try the unconventional movies or those “limited release” productions you wouldn’t normally see, or wouldn’t have time to during the piles of essays. During the wrath of winter, it makes perfect sense that students would prefer locking themselves indoors. But now the inviting breeze of summer heat will guide you on your uncertain way. If you want to experience Waterloo, there is simply no better time. Get out your ‘to do list.’ It’s time to cross everything off.

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

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PRESIDENT Bryan Stephens president @wlusp.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Bryn Ossington bryn@wlusp.com

Theory in the ‘real’ world SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Throughout my four years at Wilfrid Laurier University, I spent the majority of my time resenting my degree. I was an English and sociology major with a psychology minor — pretentious enough when you said it with your nose in the air — learning how to foreshadow the inevitable death of Hamlet or explaining the social construct of gender. I sat through countless hours of class being taught things I was determined would have no value after I left university and went into what the big people call “the real world.” But a few weeks ago, I went to a panel discussion at THEMUSEUM, which looked at nakedness in the media and how different mediums portray nakedness. This included everything from the use of the words penis and vagina on the radio to showing frontal nudity in a community newspaper. One of the panellists, who is also my colleague, argued that the reason we as a society have such a hard time accepting nudity in the media is because of our social norms — we follow a social contract that lays out the fine details of how we should behave, especially when something is unconventional. The more my colleague talked

about the way social contracts influence our ability to be accepting, and how these norms create informal rules, the more I remembered those very classes in sociology that taught me exactly what she was talking about. In four years, I learned everything from social norms and folklores, taboos and constructions, rules and contracts, and most recently in my fourth-year seminar, I learned that all of this is already in place because of something as trivial as language. Our interactions and our language form everything we see and do — the way we behave, the way we act and how we perceive the world around us. This is all already decided before we even step foot into a discussion. As silly as this may seem, the fact my colleague was using something I learned in academia gave me a new perspective on the four years I spent writing countless 3,500-word essays about how hegemonic masculinity is found in the workplace or how white privilege is as much a construction as racism. She was able to apply something that is theory-based to media, something I am immersed in every day. I can confidently say I will never go into academia. I will never teach a class, I will never write an acclaimed research paper and I probably won’t ever mark someone’s exam. The academic world just isn’t for me, and I am okay with that. But for me to finally be able to say I learned something I

can take into the real world is important. The theory that is drilled into our heads for four years can be used — you just need to find a way to apply it. Maybe my theoretical knowledge will never translate into the practical skills I need to write an article or run a newspaper. I can guarantee my ability to read a novel and analyze the colour of the drapes will not be useful when deciding whom to talk to for a story. But the critical analysis and understanding of societal roles from the theory I learned as a sociology major can be used if I apply it properly and understand its value. We as university students spend so much time throughout our degrees hating what we’re learning and saying it has no value. Don’t worry; I’m guilty of it, too. But the point in university isn’t to learn practical skills that will be used directly in your respective field. The point is to find a way to use what you’ve learned to help understand what your job or occupation can do. The point is to find a way to understand the world around you so you can work to either change the stigma, or take advantage of it. As a recent graduate, take my advice: the next time you walk into your three-hour seminar, don’t resent it. Find out what you can take from it to have a better understanding of the real world that is just around the corner.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

• 11

Opinion

OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

Social justice or a social trend? The recent earthquakes in Nepal sprung a rise of social action, but have been quickly forgotten

MITCHELL CONSKY OPINION EDITOR

Last month, tragedy shook the earth when the Nepal earthquake on April 25 deteriorated the lives of more than eight million people — including those affected by the chain-reaction of avalanches and aftershocks, with another earthquake just last week. According to recent reports, the 7.8 magnitude-hit resulted in the death of 4,200 victims in Nepal, with more bodies being found every day. Reports claim that the estimated infrastructure damage can add up to $100 billion, with economic losses potentially exceeding the gross domestic product of the country. Unsurprisingly, the tragedy sprung a rise of global action, through 24-hour news cycles, storms of rescue groups, medical supply deliveries, emergency effort donations and, perhaps most significantly, the heroic use of social media. Facebook and Twitter played a large role in uncovering survivors and giving victims a basis of support and community assistance. Over seven million people used Facebook’s Safety Check (an emergency check-in feature) to inform their friends and family of their wellbeing following the disaster. Celebrities tweeted their prayers and condolences

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

for the victims, dominating the Internet with numerous photos of Nepal’s destruction and links to non-government organization donation sites. Journalists from all over the world expressed the catastrophic wreckage in articles and video clips, sharing awareness and inspiring others to take action. Simply put, the digital global village became a driving force of social justice. But how much longer does Nepal have until their devastated lives begin to fade within the spotlight of worldwide attention? The truth is, the tragedy’s buzz is already fading. As most of us know, this is not the first natural disaster where

the interconnected world has joined forces for the greater good. Some former tragedies include the 2008 quake in China, the 2011 floods in Thailand and Hurricane Sandy in 2012 in the United States. These disasters were detrimental, but led to various eruptions of charitable action. Unfortunately, these eruptions were short lived. Perhaps the best example is the 2010 Haiti earthquake. This 7.0 magnitude hit killed more than 160,000 people and destroyed the homes of close to 1.5 million. The damage inspired collaborative efforts (much like Nepal), including 24-hour news

reports, celebrity fundraising movements, social media outbursts and countless volunteer initiatives. Canada launched an organization called Young Artists for Haiti, where more than fifty famous singers such as Drake, Nelly Furtado, Sam Roberts and Justin Bieber joined together to produce a song called “Wavin’ Flag,” to raise money aimed towards Haiti’s infrastructure repairs. The terrors of Haiti seemed to be the main story CNN would cover for almost a month. For a while, Haiti was the center of everyone’s attention. But, much like the earthquakes, the floods and the hurricanes before it, big news is eventually forgotten in the rubble. It’s hard to believe that during the last half decade after Haiti’s devastation, there have been only a few reports on the country’s current conditions. Many of the collaborative initiatives detached from the cause and thousands of Haitians are still sleeping in flimsy tents with limited clean water and medical supplies. According to an article in TIME Magazine, the conditions are worse now than ever. Within the last few years, NGOs have halted involvement, and creditors stopped investing in building restoration. Haitians are living in a graveyard of pollution, disease, starvation and thirst, but it seems that the lightning-speed world is too far forward to look five years behind. In Nepal, tourism contributes

to around five per cent of the GDP. Considering the disaster destroyed the majority of iconic sites and landmarks — in other words, the fundamental tourist attractions — Nepal will ultimately enter new levels of economic devastation in the next years to come. But will NGO and collaborative initiatives still be around to help? Or will social justice in Nepal just be another passing trend? Nepal’s quake, with a magnitude eight decimal points higher than Haiti’s, attracted media attention for a shorter amount of time than the 2010 travesty. As hundreds of people scurry for shelter after having their homes destroyed, society recently seemed more concerned with who’s going to win the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao boxing fight and the birth of the royal baby. Unfortunately, new news will continue to replace the old. That’s just how the world is. But let’s just hope that even after the media hype is over, the victims of disaster will continue to receive the support they need.

minister associated with scandals a-plenty, voting for the NDP doesn’t seem so crazy anymore. We’ve seen it in Waterloo before. A place that had never, provincially or federally, voted for the NDP elected Catherine Fife when scandal-plagued Dalton McGuinty looked like he was trying electoral tricks. The election this fall is so

unpredictable because for the first time it’s not unrealistic for Canadians from Vancouver to St. John’s to think the NDP could form a government. Harper and Trudeau should rightfully be scared of the implications of Alberta 2015 because when people stop being scared of voting for who they really want, that’s when the NDP thrives.

But, much like the earthquakes, the floods and the earthquakes before it, big news is eventually forgotten in the rubble.

What ‘Albertastan’ could mean for the country After winning the provincial election, the potential of an NDP federal government isn’t so unlikely anymore

MYNT MARSELLUS MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

It’s official: pigs are flying and hell has frozen over. The province of Alberta elected a bunch of socialists to form their next government. I understand few reading this care about an election in Alberta, so why does this matter? Well on Oct. 18 (barring hell freezing over again), we’re having a federal election in this country, and a New Democratic Party victory in Alberta could mean a great deal. Up until last month there was a clear path forward. The Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta was on the road to a majority government in their election and the federal Conservatives were confident they would maintain their hold on the province and the country this fall with their tax-cut filled budget.

Justin Trudeau-mania was still in full swing among younger and progressive Canadians and the federal Liberal party was looking to unseat current Prime Minister Stephen Harper with some confidence this fall. NPD lead Tom Mulcair spent his entire leadership trying to look happy and shouting at the wind about progressive ideas that, he swears, won’t increase your taxes. The federal election would end with either a Liberal or Conservative minority and everything would make sense again. Now, none of that is clear. To recap the past three weeks in Canadian politics, things were unusual. Outside of Alberta, Prince Edward Island elected its first openly gay premier, Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberal party voted in favour of the wildly unpopular anti-terror bill C51 and the federal budget appears to have had no effect on Harper’s polling numbers. When you put all that together and try to look ahead to the federal election this fall, you get one

of the most uncertain electoral futures in the history of Canadian politics — all because Alberta decided to lose their minds and elect the NDP. The Alberta election was so shocking that Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay joked that the province was now the province of ‘Albertastan.’ To many university students who were fans of Jack Layton, this may seem surprising. Younger Canadians have always had a partiality for NDP and never understood why their parents didn’t. Were it not for the election in Alberta, it’s likely this batch of Canadians would fall into the same pattern as their parents. The NDP have always been Canada’s social conscience, but Canadians that were sympathetic to their policies continued to vote Liberal because they knew the NDP could never win. Now, for the first time in Canadian history, that might not happen. With a Liberal party that’s looking more and more like conservatives-lite and a prime

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

12 •

Sports

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 SPORTS EDITOR DREW YATES dyates@thecord.ca

Pursuing CFL dreams

FROM COVER

Drafted Hawks shift focus to upcoming training camps

HEATHER DAVIDSON/CORD ALUM

Ese Mrabure-Ajufo celebrates moments after being drafted to the CFL.

–cover round of the CFL draft. “As they were calling the fourth pick, I got the call,” MrabureAjufo said Tuesday. “And as they were saying Chris’ name [on the television], [Lions player personnel director Neil McEvoy] was telling me, ‘we’re picking you next.’ I heard, ‘you. Next.’” Arguably the biggest shocker of the draft, no one was more surprised than Mrabure-Ajufo. Originally ranked 17th on the top-20 prospects ranking, the pass rusher expected to go late in the first round, or early second. “Hearing that and seeing my name up there right now is surreal.” “I think the biggest surprise was how early Ese went,” said head coach Michael Faulds. “We knew a lot of teams were intrigued by him, but we still kind of thought second round at some point.” Campbell, the Ontario University Athletics MVP for the 2014 season, was then drafted 39th overall by the Toronto Argonauts, rounding out the three players drafted from Laurier’s class. “It’s great to know football’s not over yet. Now you get paid to do something you would do for free,” Ackie said. Ackie, Mrabure-Ajufo and Campbell, the top three perform-

“Hearing that and seeing my name up there right now is surreal.”

-Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, defensive end

ers for Laurier in their respective positions in 2014, will bring a wealth of talent to their new teams. Faulds attributes their success to their “exceptional work ethic,” saying they are good role models for the current players. Life for the three draftees now continues with preparation and training before rookie camps get underway at the end of the month. They hope to land a slot on the starting roster, but if not, they’ll be offered the practice roster or be released to finish up their final year of eligibility with the Hawks. Faulds said the probability of seeing the first-round picks in a purple uniform again is scarce, but hopes Campbell can also find a place for himself with his new team. “We’re rooting for him to make

it … but if he did get sent back, we’d welcome him with open arms, that’s for sure.” Despite the success of three Laurier players having their names called, there were three others who didn’t find a new home Tuesday. Mizan, receiver Kelvin Muamba and kicker/punter Ronnie Pfeffer are still up for grabs after the seven-round selection night. Invitations from all rookie camps are still possible for the three. If any CFL teams do not sign them, all three players have one more year of Canadian Interuniversity Sport eligibility they can use with Laurier. “They’re upset, but they’re realists too. They know the process … but they’re keeping their heads up high,” Faulds said. And as the draftees prepare for camps, Faulds is already planning for their absences on the starting roster for next year’s instalment of the Hawks. “To be honest with you, as of our last game on November 1, we kind of had an idea they would be gone,” he explained. “We’ve spent all offseason and all spring camp getting some of our younger guys ready to take starting roles this year.” “Even though we’re going to miss these guys, we don’t want to have to take a step back.”

SOCCER

K-W United W-League squad discontinued Laurier’s women’s soccer players left with no offseason team after Ontario clubs cancelled DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

Players of the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s soccer team are caught in limbo this summer. K-W United FC, a local WLeague club where many of the Hawks played during the last two Laurier offseasons, was suddenly discontinued, leaving many players without a ground to train this summer. However K-W United wasn’t the only casualty. Three other W-League teams, including Toronto, London and Ottawa, also decided not to continue, leaving only two Quebec teams and leaving many athletes across Ontario without a club. The two remaining Quebec squads would move into one of the American divisions to continue playing in the W-League. Fourth-year Laurier striker Emily Brown has decided not to play soccer at all over the Laurier offseason, but rather is following a gym program set out by a trainer. However when it comes to playing soccer, Brown will have to seek an alternative method. “It was a shock to everyone,” Brown said. “We had six to seven girls from Laurier playing on [K-W United], and people were already planning for the summer, planning to be here to play for the team and people have been committed for the past two to three years and for that to be gone, it is

“... There’s so much talent and there’s so much potential for girls of this calibre that now don’t have anywhere to play.” -Emily Brown, striker

upsetting.” Athletes still have the opportunity to play for lower-level leagues such as rep teams and local teams, but Brown realizes it will be difficult to find the level of competition the girls that play for teams like Laurier need in order to remain competitive over the summer. “It’s a shame because there’s so much talent and there’s so much potential for girls of this caliber that now don’t have anywhere to play,” she said. On top of losing the chance to play, Laurier is also missing out on another front —recruitment measures. Over the past few years, Laurier benefited from the increased exposure of having a competitive club playing in Kitchener-Waterloo. The club plays at University Stadium and attracts players from around the country. Current Laurier member Maxine Murchie transferred to Laurier from the University of Central Florida after playing soccer with K-W United two years

KHA VO/FILE PHOTO

Emily Brown is one of the many Laurier female players who will no longer have a team to train with this summer.

ago. Brown believes this is one of the main components Laurier will be missing out on with the club’s sudden discontinuation. “I think a hard part too is K-W brought really talented athletes into the region and exposed them to Laurier, so we did get a few recruits through that program. We got some really great players from that so I think we

lose on that front,” she said. Not only will Brown and her teammates be missing out on the chance with each other, but the team will also be missing out on prime bonding time, as in the past the Hawks have been able to take advantage and build chemistry that translates into the school season. However Brown was not overly concerned with the potential of

losing that chemistry. “K-W United came in at a time when we were a really young team and we had a lot of new players and we were still developing,” Brown explained. “To have that supplementary training during the summer with a few of those girls was really good in order to build that, I think the point right now, we have built that chemistry.”