THE CORD FOOTBALL
THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOLUME 56 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 28, 2015
DEBATE
Statue strife ignites campus MADDY CUTTS LEAD REPORTER
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Senate has voted to recommend a cancelation of the university’s Prime Minister’s Statue project. The project, originally proposed for Victoria Park in Kitchener but rejected by community members, was unveiled in June with the installation of a statue of John A. MacDonald on the school’s Waterloo campus. The remaining 21 Canadian prime ministers were to be implemented over the coming years. The project has garnered controversy since its unveiling, with a petition started over the summer by Jonathan Finn, chair of the department of communications. Finns believes the project lacks both merit and cultural sensitivity, and should
have been discussed by the campus community prior to its acceptance. “It’s something that should have been brought up for discussion in the first place,” said Finn. “It’s the place where we all live and work, and for the students it’s the place that they play. When you’re going to be significantly transforming their environment, it just makes perfect sense that you would ask first their opinion on this matter.” Opposition to the project is shared by many, with the petition gaining signatures from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. As of Tuesday night, the petition had garnered 1,179 signatures. The petition explains the cultural insensitivity, funding issues and lack of discussion with the general
Campus, page 5
VANDALISM
PLAYOFF BOUND Hawks advance to quarter-finals after triumphant win
Posters defaced Pellet gun suspect charged
SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Earlier this week, large posters from Wilfrid Laurier University’s Diversity and Equity Office and Laurier’s Student Public Interest Research Group’s “I’m not a costume” campaign were defaced on campus when students crossed out the “not” and added a winky face emoticon with a permanent black marker. Additionally, LSPIRG’s post on Facebook promoting the campaign went viral with over one million people reached, over 12,000 shares and 2,000 likes with comments varying from racist remarks to support from various Laurier students and members of the DEO. “We started trying to engage some of the folks on cultural appropriation and racism and other forms of oppression … on the one hand, we have seen some push back and seen some positive shares,” said Mohammed Akbar, administration and development director at LSPIRG. “It’s really disheartening. LSPIRG doesn’t tolerate racist remarks on posters of individuals in our community.” Special Constable Services was notified Saturday evening when the defaced posters were found, but no descriptors of suspects are available.
Sports, page 16
WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR
page 3
Illuminating our view of light page 8
The effects of a globalized world page 12
Campus, page 4
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2 •
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
VOCAL CORD What’s the least original Halloween costume you’ve seen?
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
“A fairy.” –Trisha Neogi, thirdyear communications
“A cat.” –Talia Shapiro, secondyear communications
MARCO PEDRI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A staged photo portraying how students staying in during Halloween are able to find their own activities that don’t include social interaction or partying.
Bag O’ Crime “A ghost.” –Osayi Iginuan, firstyear sociology
“Lingerie and cat ears.” –Sukhtej Sohal, firstyear psychology
Reported: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 A 20 year old male Laurier student was arrested by WRPS on numerous firearm-related criminal offences. These charges stem from a series of BB gun shootings during the month of September in which several Laurier students were shot at with a CO2 air gun. The accused was held in custody for a bail hearing and was released the following day with numerous stringent conditions and to reside with a surety. Location: On Campus Reported: Tuesday, October 21, 2015 @ 6:48 p.m. A female student contacted SCS regarding the suspicious behavior of a male that had been following her on campus. She had been walking from the Athletic Complex to the Fred Nichols Campus Centre when a male walking behind her advised her that she had dropped something and mentioned this twice. She had
not and the male came closer to her making her feel uncomfortable. The male then left the area. She did not feel threatened or fear for her safety. Location: Bouckaert Hall Reported: Wednesday, October 21, 2015 @ 8:47 a.m. SCS was made aware of a collection of signs (Real Estate & Laurier) that had been accumulating over a period of time in a lounge in the residence. The signs were returned to their respective owners. A large number of the residents were found to have been responsible and they will be dealt with by Residence Life. Location: Science Building Reported: Thursday, October 22, 2015 @ 11:41 p.m. WRPS and SCS are investigating an online “Snapchat” posting that raised concerns in the wake of an internet threat last week which prompted the lockdown of the university’s Waterloo campus. There was
no immediate danger to the Laurier community. The posting included the image of a man holding what police have determined to be a replica weapon and a caption referencing the “Science Building.” Additional security and police presence was provided on campus for the day. Location: Parking Lot #1 Reported: Saturday, October 24, 2015 @ 12:39 a.m. SCS responded to lot #1 after receiving a report of a theft from a motor vehicle. The victim and owner of the vehicle reported observing several males within her car which she had parked in the lot. The males fled the scene prior to the arrival of SCS. A small amount of coin was taken from the vehicle. The suspects have not been identified. Location: Solarium Reported: N/A SCS investigated a report of several posters near the Toyota Solarium
having been defaced. The posters, which are part of an on-going diversity and respect campaign with regards to Halloween, had been defaced with a black marker. There are presently no suspects in this incident. LSPIRG were notified. Location: Athletic Complex Reported: Sunday, October 25, 2015 @ 12:30 p.m. A student attended SCS Dispatch Centre to report a sexual assault that happened sometime between 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, and 12:30 a.m. on Sunday October 25. The reporting person is friends with the victim, who is unwilling to come forward at this time. The assault happened somewhere near the Athletic Complex on WLU property. The reporting person was given advice and contact information, and asked to encourage the victim to attend Saint Mary’s Hospital, and to report the incident to police. No suspect descriptors available.
WANT TO MAKE BETTER ADS THAN THIS? “A sheet for a ghost.”
HIRING GRAPHICS ARTISTS station.manager@radiolaurier.ca
–Sandra Dudzinski, fourth-year sociology Compiled by Maddy Cutts Photos by Jessica Dik NEXT ISSUE: NOVEMBER 4, 2015
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
GRAPHICS EDITOR Vacant
LOCAL NEWS EDITOR Erika Ymana eymana@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros apatsiaouros@thecord. ca
FEATURES EDITOR Bethany Bowles bbowles@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Will Huang whuang@thecord.ca
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Zach Guitor zguitor@thecord.ca
VIDEO EDITOR Brian Phillips bphillips@thecord.ca
OPINION EDITOR Mitchell Consky mconsky@thecord.ca
LEAD REPORTER Maddy Cutts mcutts@thecord.ca
SPORTS EDITOR Drew Yates dyates@thecord.ca
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jessica Dik jdik@thecord.ca
SENIOR COPY EDITOR Caitlyn Sageman csageman@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Kira Gelbard kgelbard@thecord.ca
CONTRIBUTORS Abigail Barrett Deanna Beran Mira Busscher Max Chamberlain Ryan Culley Killian Cuppage Emilia Curcic Brittany Ditizio Amy Esplen Marissa Evans Fani Hsieh Kyle McCord Don Morgenson Nabiha Noorani Christian Paron Tarique Plummer Aliaa Sidawi Caroline Spicer Fatima Soomro Jessi Wood
EDITOR’S CHOICE: The line of best fit by Erika Ymana
EDITOR’S CHOICE ONLINE: THEMUSEUM: LIGHT Illuminated by Brian Phillips
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Schummer at care.schummer@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.
COLOPHON
PREAMBLE
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.
The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of Kitchener-Waterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University. Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate. The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled
when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the student body. The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of the student press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.
Quote of the week: “The dick is like a third leg!” - Creative Director Lena Yang. No context can be provided.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
Campus
• 3 CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN kseverin@thecord.ca
INVESTIGATION
Shots fired for BB gun suspect
Laurier individual responsible for shooting students with BB pellets has been arrested, WRPS say
JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
The suspect, a first-year Laurier student, injured three other students on Sept. 7 from an apartment building between King Street North, Hickory Street and Columbia Street with a BB pellet gun. DEANNA BERAN CORD NEWS
Students at Wilfrid Laurier University will be relieved to hear the alleged BB gun shooter has been apprehended. On September 7, three victims reported being shot by a BB pellet between King Street North, Hickory Street and Columbia Street. In one case, a female suffered critical injuries due to a shot in the eye. Last week, Waterloo Regional Police Services and Laurier’s Special Constable Services announced via social media the suspect was arrested and charged.
“... Now catching the BB shooter, it is a huge accomplishment for us.”
-Mike Haffner, staff sergeant of WRPS
The 20-year old male Laurier student, Nick Pavlasek, was arrested for the connection to various pellet gun shootings. Police said he lived in one of the
residence buildings on King Stree near Columbia. Mike Haffner, staff sergeant of WRPS, provided little insight on the situation. “Until courting has happened, I can only disclose a little of the case,” he said. Specific details such as how the suspect was caught or his intentions for the attacks could not be disclosed. In the midst of multiple fearful events recently surrounding the city, such as the Laurier lockdown, it was an important accomplishment for WRPS. “With a huge student popula-
tion that comes in, the first couple of weeks coming into school this year, there has been a lot going on,” Haffner said. “We have successfully discovered the source of the internet threat, and now catching the BB shooter, it is a huge accomplishment for us.” Kevin Crowley, director of communications and public affairs at Laurier, said the suspect is prohibited from being on Laurier-owned property. “The university has released conditions that prohibit the accused from being on any property owned, leased or operated by the university,” said Crowley.
With the charges now before the courts, the university has not released information to the public. “Laurier is also reviewing the matter further as per processes set out in the university’s non-academic student code of conduct,” said Crowley. Pavlasek appeared in court this past Wednesday to face two counts of assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public and aggravated assault. He was later released on bail by the court. Pavlasek is currently required to be under house arrest while living with his mother in Toronto.
great partnerships and programs that are in place that focus on safety,” she said. Only halfway through the recruiting season, Casey noted the school has made changes in terms of marketing, including a new Viewbook, sessions and partnerships. “We seem to be tracking about on par in terms of our numbers right now from last year, registrations for the Waterloo Open House are slightly up at this point.” “We’ve been really proactive in terms of the communication that’s going out to prospective students that are in our system so we’ll continue to see increases in the
registration for the open houses,” she continued. The Waterloo Open House will be taking place on campus on November 6. According to McMurray, rather than looking at the past events that took place in Waterloo, many students choose to come to Laurier because of services like the Diversity and Equity Office, the Rainbow Centre, and the Centre for Women and Trans People. “I don’t think there’s a university that has the passion associated with campus climate and inclusiveness and I think that really impacts safety overall and one’s general wellbeing.”
ADMISSIONS
What’s the impact of recent events? Presentations for prospective students to focus on safety KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
Faculty and staff at Wilfrid Laurier University are currently working on recruiting prospective students for 2016-17, but should the school be worried about the negative impact the university may receive from this month’s events? In September, a Laurier student was involved in shooting BB pellets at three women in the King StreetHickory Street area. In October, Laurier was involved in a lockdown procedure after a threat on 4chan.org targeted the Science Building. A week later, an investigation was launched into a Snapchat with a student holding what is believed to be a replica gun saying, “tell ISIS I’m in the Science Building.” David McMurray, vice-president of student affairs at Laurier, believes the events highlighted in the media over the past month will not impact students’ choice to come to the school. “I think being isolated as it was
will not impact next year’s students who will choose Laurier as one of their choices to come,” McMurray said. “I think as concerning as it was, overall our campus is very safe.” According to McMurray, police arresting and charging the suspect from the BB gun incidents was a relief to the school’s staff, faculty and students. “The student who has been charged [BB gun incident], it was quite a relief I think to the campus community to know after some time an investigation has been ongoing by Waterloo Regional Police to know that that person has been charged,” he said. Laurier’s enrolment services have provided the appropriate message to the university’s recruiters and ambassadors about the past events such as the lockdown. “Interestingly enough, in all the tours and in the classroom visits, we’re not getting questions about these events,” said Jennifer Casey, assistant vice-president of enrolment services and registrar at Laurier.
“I think as concerning as it was, overall our campus is very safe.”
-David McMurray, vice-president of student affairs LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Laurier, particularly Special Constable Services, received praise for how quickly the university communicated with students, staff and faculty during the various events. SCS has a very strong relationship with WRPS, so when police have to be on campus the relationship is effective. According to Casey, prospective students visiting the university have the opportunity to learn about the school’s programs that focus on campus safety. “The presentations that we’re doing in the high schools and the ambassadors when they’re touring the campus, they talk about all the
4 • CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
FUNDING
PAIGE BUSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Graduate Student Society will award a total of $8,552 to graduate students that will be used for professional development opportunities, such as case competitions.
Grants available for grad students Wilfrid Laurier graduate students can apply for grant money to help round out their education MADDY CUTTS LEAD REPORTER
The Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Student’s Association has increased the accessibility of funding opportunities for Laurier’s graduate student population. The grant money, totaling $8,552, was awarded to students to be used towards professional development
“This is to try and allow our students to have as many opportunities as possible to complete a wellrounded education.” -Ian Muller, president and chief executive officer of the GSA
opportunities such as the attendance of conferences, workshops or academic competitions. Given the current competitive climate of the work force, activities such as participation in case competitions or the presentation of research at conferences are considered integral to being a successful graduate student. Many students, however, are not aware of the costs which can arise on top of tuition, a situation not aided by the current lack of funding from the university itself. “This is meant to compliment the limit funding that’s available from the university currently,” said Ian Muller, president and chief executive officer of the GSA. “This is to try and allow our students to have as many opportunities as possible to complete a well-rounded education.” New this year is the implementa-
tion of grants available by semester. Which means students will be able to apply for a grant in the same term as their professional development opportunity, ensuring that as many students have access to the funds as possible. The grants, which can be applied for using an online submission form created by the GSA, are available for denominations of up to $200. “These opportunities are increasingly more expensive, if you’re researching or going to conferences internationally it gets very expensive,” said Muller. “There’s a lot of diverse kind of opportunities that people are exploring, and with that comes a pretty high cost, so we’re trying to offset that as much as we can.” Though the association is waiting for the first year’s completion before assessing which periods involve the
most activities, applications for the fall have already risen to 44 recipients from the 33 they received in the spring term. The funding is not intended for activities explicitly required of programs. Rather the belief is that by supporting students in their personal development these activities help in the development of the graduate community as a whole. “These are things that are really going to help them to be more productive and more successful graduate students, so it’s really for us about creating opportunity and enabling some of these skills to be developed,” said Muller. “They then bring this back and share with their colleagues and enrich the Laurier environment as well.” Though the funds available are just a fraction of the cost incurred by students embarking on international
“It gives [students] a greater range of opportunities that they might not be able to take otherwise.” -Andrea Gal, PhD candidate in history
conferences or participating in high profile competitions, students are nonetheless appreciative of the help being offered. “I think it just helps to off-set the cost,” said Andrea Gal, a PhD candidate in history, who utilized the grant to help attend a conference in Toronto.“It gives [students] a greater range of opportunities that they might not be able to take otherwise.”
FROM COVER
Discussion continues despite harassment –cover The Diversity and Equity Office contacted those in the posters to offer support and to make sure they were okay when they were notified about the vandalism. The Facebook post began to go viral Sunday evening and Monday morning, reaching individuals in the United States. Comments on the post said that Halloween is supposed to be “fun” and a “joke” for one day of the year. On Tuesday evening, LSPIRG sent out a press release saying they condemn the vandalism and harrassment they have received toward the campaign. “I don’t think we expected this much negativity, especially when the campaign’s been run in the past and the Laurier community’s usually been pretty supportive,” Akbar said. “But we’re still eager to engage and talk to the Laurier community about these issues,” Laura Mae Lindo, director of the Diversity and Equity Office, said that
while the actions of the students defacing the posters and the negative comments on Facebook are not at all tolerated, it helped reinforce the need for discussions such as this campaign. “Until people say these kinds of things or do these kinds of things, we actually don’t know what issues we have on campus,” she said. “It’s a learning moment … it’s an opportunity for us to take a really interesting campaign and recognize that it’s valuable in that it can initiate these kinds of discussions, even though it may not be the way you anticipated initiating discussions.” Lindo said there is a lot of history around Halloween and people find costumes to be “humorous.” With four days until the actual occasion, it is important to continue to address the harm of wearing racist costumes and keep a dialogue going about these issues on campus. The campaign is still being shared online and posters are up on campus.
With only a few days until Halloween, Lindo is hoping discussion can continue so that culture appropriation is something students are aware of when choosing a costume. LSPIRG is hoping to hold a Laurier-centred workshop that focuses on racism and culture appropriation before Saturday to continue the discussion. “We want to try to engage the campus as much as possible and make sure we’re still talking about the issues at hand and not being distracted,” Akbar explained. Lindo was impressed by the presence of Laurier students on LSPIRG’s Facebook posting supporting the campaign and raising awareness. The campaign is meant to make students be mindful of what they are for Halloween, and continue to acknowledge culture appropriation. “It’s not just a handful of people, whether it’s in LSPIRG or the DEO that are speaking back. It’s the Laurier community that [is] speaking back.”
ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS /PHOTO EDITOR
Posters from the Diversity and Equity Office can be seen around campus.
CAMPUS NEWS • 5
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 FROM COVER
SNAPCHAT
Board to vote on statues –cover population community. It finishes by saying, “In these ways and others, this project is an embarrassment to the University and the larger community and should be stopped immediately.” Among those who supported Finn’s presentation to Senate was Jaydene Lavallie, a fourth-year global studies student who identifies as Métis and doesn’t consider the history represented by the statues a true depiction of Canada’s history. “In my opinion, if you’re putting up these statues you’ve already chosen a side,” said Lavaille. “If we want to look at history, we can look back and see good and bad on either side perhaps, but when you have a conflict and you erect statues to one side of that history, you’re already giving preference to that side.” Not all students agree that the statues depict a negative attitude. A second petition launched last week in support of the project have garnered hundreds of signatories in mere days. As of Tuesday evening, 475 people signed the petition. The petition states that awareness of Canada’s history is crucial for effectively moving forward, and that these statues will allow students to critically analyze the actions of Canada’s past leaders and their lasting effects. It also reads, “According to the logic set fourth by professor Finn’s statement, the very existence of a university named after Sir Wilfrid Laurier on what he considers to
Image causes concern
“In my opinion, if you’re putting up these statues you’ve already chosen a side.”
KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
-Jaydene Lavallie, fourth-year global studies student
be First Nations land is a problem, which would undermine the entire university as a whole. Ironically, Dr. Finn seems fine with the idea of teaching his classes on this land, and happily gets paid to do so.” “Students who are against the John A. MacDonald statue, they put up a sign explaining the fact that he was okay with the wrongful mistreatment of First Nations, and I’m actually okay with that because it starts the discussion,” said Spencer Gibara, a fifth-year political science student and creator of the Keep the Statues petition. “And for me, I always viewed him as just the founder of Canada, but it’s clear that people view him in different ways, and he’s not one of these things, he’s all of these things.” Though Senate has issued the recommendation to terminate the project, the decision is ultimately left to Laurier’s board of governors. The board will meet in November and the project’s fate will be an agenda item.
JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
The John A. MacDonald statue was revealed in June to negative criticism.
Although no decisions have yet to be made, university administration is hopeful that a solution can be found which appeals to individuals from both sides. “We’re hopeful that by meeting with the benefactors, the individuals from the community that have instigated the project and with others on campus, that we can have some discussions in the days and weeks ahead to see whether or not there’s some compromised way to go forward,” said Joel Peters, assistant vice-president of external relations.
“And for me, I always viewed him as just the founder of Canada, but it’s clear that people view him in different ways ...” -Spencer Gibara, fifth-year political science student
A week after Wilfrid Laurier University went into lockdown over a threat posted on the online forum 4chan, the school and Waterloo Regional Police Service began an investigation into a picture from the Snapchat account, “Laurier Snaps.” Mike Haffner, staff sergeant at WRPS, said the police were contacted after the picture was released on Snapchat last Friday. “Once that person posted that picture, our services contacted and we reached out to Laurier Special Constable Service and then we put the plan together to for this past Friday,” said Haffner. The photo shows an image of a male whose face is covered by a giant smiley emoji holding a gun believed to be a replica. The caption reads, “Tell Isis to find me in the science buildin.” The WRPS currently have no suspects. Haffner noted it’s important from a security perspective to ensure the safety of the Laurier community. The lockdown, which took place on October 16, was triggered after a threat was posted on the online forum 4chan that mentioned an attack on the Science Building. According to Haffner, some would believe the picture was taken out of humour, yet it caused anxiety and fear among the Laurier and Waterloo community.
Saturday October 31st 10 pm @ The Turret
$5 Cover Cash Prizes for BEST COSTUMES
6 •
Local
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 LOCAL NEWS EDITOR ERIKA YMANA eymana@thecord.ca
SERVICES
Persistence key for finding best services ERIKA YMANA LOCAL NEWS EDITOR
University is a place full of transition. Students transition into a more vigorous school environment, a new home and a new group of friends. This can spur mixed emotions as some may feel excited while others, are overwhelmed. Thus, all postsecondary institutions are equipped with resources to handle a student’s mental health situation. There are a number of options available at Wilfrid Laurier University, such as the Wellness Centre, Counselling Services and peer support like Peer Connect. The University of Waterloo also offers counselling services. However for most students, the first point of contact at Laurier is the Wellness Centre. With over 17,000 students attending Laurier, one place is expected to offer a variety of physical health services and facilitate mental health care. While the Wellness Centre is not a crisis centre, the response time for a booked appointment with a counsellor can be up to two weeks during peak times. The centre expects to see over 100 people per day during the school year for a number of reasons that can be unrelated to mental health. Karen Ostrander, director at the Wellness Centre, said that in terms of
“In an ideal world, there’s room for more. We’re continually trying to look at our numbers, the issues and what we can do.” -Karen Ostrander, director at Wellness Centre
space, there is a greater demand for services. “In an ideal world, there’s room for more. We’re continually trying to look at our numbers, the issues and what we can do,” Ostrander explained. “There isn’t an endless pot of money or space that we can put in so hopefully we can utilize our services more efficiently using the multidisciplinary team.” Since the Wellness Centre is a short-term goal-directed facility, any type of intensive care will be referred out to the community. If a student is looking for more immediate help, Here24/7 is a community-based crisis centre that has 24-hour staff to take calls or see individuals who need mental health or addictions help. Here24/7 expects to see those who have booked appointments within the week. As for calls, the centre
expects to have around 120 calls per day for access or to inquire about service. Here24/7 can facilitate the intake, referral, crisis and booking work as the service prides itself on being the “front door” to mental health and addictions services. Carmen Abel, manager at Here 24/7, says that their premise is to eliminate unnecessary links and constant redirection to other services as this confuses and deters the individual from seeking further help. “If you give people six different phone numbers to call, they’re not going to call them. But if we facilitate that connection, then they don’t have to worry,” said Abel. With different services available on-campus and off-campus, it is up to the student to decide what works for their own needs. Dave Patterson, fifth-year Laurier student and an on-campus advocate for mental health, has had experience in both — seeking services on-campus and off-campus. Ultimately, he ended up staying with Laurier’s counselling services after meeting a counsellor he felt comfortable with. Patterson advises those who are seeking mental health services to be patient. Each individual will have different needs, and in order to have a rewarding experience in university,
AMY ESPLEN/GRAPHIC ARTIST
a real effort must be made to make sure these needs are met by the right practitioner or provider. “Sometimes it might take one or two tries to find someone you are fully comfortable with opening up. Often times, if that’s the case, I feel like that gets blurred and categorized as a flaw in the system, but really it’s a matter of persistence and just continuing to try and trust in that,” said Patterson.
“Sometimes it might take one or two tries to find someone you are fully comfortable with opening up. It’s a matter of persistence.” -Dave Patterson, fifth-year student
TECHNOLOGY
JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
TD’s technology hub to innovate banking MARISSA EVANS STAFF WRITER
TD Canada Trust is bringing banking to the next level as it turns its attention to innovative technology that will provide their customers with better digital experiences. Those developments in technology will be happening right here in the Waterloo Region. The TD Tech Centre had its grand opening on Oct. 22 and is set to bring 120 new jobs to the Region. The goal is to turn the centre into a space for the development of the future of banking. “The hope is that we’ll continue to attract talent who really want to be part of the bank of the future and really help us create great experiences for our customers,” explained Jeff Martin, senior vice-president and chief information officer, direct channels technology solutions at TD.
Martin explained that they connected with Communitech a year and a half ago to tour the space as they were interested in what kinds of innovation and technology were grounded in the Region. “We decided when we were there that it made sense for TD to create a technology outpost and really build what is the TD Lab in Communitech,” Martin said. “That really got us engaged in the Waterloo community.” Following this decision, they toured facilities in the area to find an appropriate location, landing at 55 Columbia Street. Following renovations, they had employees working in the building by September. While TD has tech facilities in a handful of locations in Ontario as well as one in Montreal, the Tech Centre is the first of its kind. “The facility itself is really the first time we’ve designed something from
“We were a little bit more visionary in where we wanted to go with this space.”
-Jeff Martin, vice-president and chief information officer, direct channels technology solutions at TD
the ground up thinking about a developer and software development, and building great digital experiences,” Martin said. “We were a little bit more visionary in where we wanted to go with this space.” Beyond its tech culture, Martin said another reason for picking Waterloo was its proximity to Toronto. This will allow them to access a new range of talent located in the region while still being close to their head-
quarters. “I think it’s a testament to our business and our technology background that we have here from an education standpoint, that TD is coming all the way to our area to invent the future of banking,” said Dave Jaworsky, mayor of the City of Waterloo. Jaworsky pointed out that TD’s decision to come to Waterloo indicates a possible reinvigoration of the finance and insurance industry in the region. He explained that in the 1950s, Waterloo was referred to as the Hartford of Canada because a number of major insurance companies were located here. This is the next step in that heritage. “The days of brick and mortar are sort of the current status,” Jaworsky said of businesses. “But having virtual businesses with some people is what’s going to be the future and
that’s what they’re going to invent here.” By this time next year, they are aiming to have hired 120 employees at the Tech Centre. They will be actively recruiting these employees throughout the year. Martin said the grand opening last week went well and had a particularly good turnout from students. Those in attendance were able to participate in a challenge involving engineering paper airplanes. “We had a lot of great conversations with TD executives and hiring managers and students,” Martin said. Martin continued that he is excited to start seeing their collaborative space get put to by larger teams. “For me, personally, it’s actually getting a good cohort of people into the facility and seeing our mobile development team and our web development team working in that collaborative space.”
LOCAL • 7
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 EMPLOYMENT
Job market advice for recent graduates EMILIA CURCIC STAFF WRITER
As a graduating student, finding a job right out of school can be a daunting task. In today’s society, students face extreme pressures among themselves and others already situated in the fields that they are looking to work in. Luckily, students at Wilfrid Laurier University have access to many resources and knowledgeable faculty that are always ready to help. Jan Basso, director of the Co-operative Education and Development Centre at WLU, advises students to visit the Career Centre first when beginning their job search. “The services offered at Laurier are somewhat unique in the country. We offer a full range of services to students for a lifetime. Once they graduate from Laurier they can come back and use our services over and over again for free,” Basso said. The Career Centre offers around 600 workshops and special events each year for students and alumni to gain the skills that will set them apart in the workplace. When it comes to applying for a job straight out of university, there are many factors applicants should be aware of. The importance of a resume is something that is stressed by both the Career Centre and career experts everywhere. “We look at the resume as a marketing tool. A mistake that a lot of
“Students need to adjust their perspective. They’re not going to walk through the doors into a perfect career.” -Nashifa Carter, OB and HR professor at Laurier
LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
students make is that they think they have to put everything they’ve ever done. If you’re just trying to fill up the page, it’s not really going to sell you,” says Karen MacMillan, assistant professor of business at Laurier. MacMillan suggested that applicants should focus on what makes them stand out for the specific role they are applying for. This may even include a part-time job from as far back as high school. “That’s saying that from a young age you have been able to go out there and learn what it’s like to be there on time, do what is expected of you and to consistently do this for months and months,” MacMillan explained. As time consuming as it is, learning to market a resume to each individual job posting an applicant is
applies is important. As competition and the pressures to be successful increase, students are finding it more and more difficult to really hone in on which career direction they want to take. As a result, many recent graduates find themselves in positions where they pick a career based on the salary or compensation package rather than choosing something they are truly passionate about. “If you have a choice, always pick a job that seems like the best fit for you over one that offers the most money or prestige. If you go into the wrong job for you, it is likely that you won’t shine,” said MacMillan. With daunting statistics existing, such as a 13.5 per cent youth unemployment rate, the job search can be a discouraging one.
Nashifa Carter, organizational business and human resource management professor at Laurier said, “Students need to adjust their perspective. They’re not going to walk through the doors into a perfect career. Our economy just doesn’t allow for that right now.” “The only constant in today’s workplace is change. The ability to be flexible, adaptable to different situations. Organizations that hire you for a particular job today don’t know what the future will bring in terms of your job,” Carter said. MacMillan added that mindset is really important. “Let’s say a Laurier grad can expect to get eight rejections,” MacMillan said. “So now if I know I can expect to get eight no’s before I can expect to get to a yes, then every time I get a no that’s a great thing.” Carter reinforces that requesting feedback is critical after a hiring decision has been made. This is something that can play a huge role in filling in the gaps for an applicant. One important factor that
many students often forget about is their social media accounts. “Be aware of your social media profile. You need to understand that organizations look behind the scenes. If that’s not the profile that you would want a potential employer to see, then get it off there,” said Carter. Ultimately, the most important skill an applicant can have when it comes to the job search is the ability to network. Basso suggests that although organizations in the tech sector may be looking for software engineers, for example, they are also looking to fill roles in other fields such as human resources and communications, among many others. Lauren Ross, job developer at The Working Centre, advises grads to utilize employment services, especially if an applicant does not have much job-related experience. Most of these programs are funded provincially, so youth should take advantage of these free programs. “There are employment programs out there that youth are eligible for. The government is supplying them to help youth find jobs in their field that utilize their degree. We see a lot of youth get a part-time job versus actually putting their education into the job market,” said Ross. There are many opportunities that exist in the K-W region. As stated by the Career Centre annual graduate employment survey, 23.6 per cent of respondents reported to being employed in the Region of Waterloo.
8 •
Arts & Life
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ZACH GUITOR zguitor@thecord.ca
EXHIBIT
WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR
Glowing response to new exhibit ZACH GUITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
Whether you want to unleash your inner spy, have x-ray vision or recapture your child-like wonderment, THEMUSEUM’s latest exhibit has you covered. LIGHT Illuminated aims to celebrate the science of light and light-based technologies through the use of interactive displays and eyepopping design. As a testament to the United Nations’ International Year of Light, the University of Waterloo and the UW Optical Society of America, along with other sponsors, hope to inspire residents within the Waterloo region to take a greater interest in how light plays into their everyday lives. “It’s not just magic that flips a switch and creates light,” said Aimee Gunther, president of UW’s OSA. Situated on the fourth floor of THEMUSEUM in downtown Kitchener, organizers were challenged to create an exhibit that appealed to
WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR
Think you’re fast? The opening display is a race against the speed of light.
both children and adults. “In a museum that’s not guarded by grad students, [the exhibit] actually has to be safe and beautiful and accessible,” said Gunther. Thankfully, the OSA chapter members tasked with conceptualizing the exhibit had the support of students in UW’s knowledge integration de-
partment to ensure the final product met their criteria. With the support of a local technical firm Wizard Labs and designers at THEMUSEUM, LIGHT Illuminated has managed to deliver on its promise. Entering the exhibit, visitors are first met with the challenge to “race
the speed of light.” The clean and minimal design, coupled with the display’s participatory nature set the stage for the amusing exhibit. From there, attendees are invited to learn about polarization, whether it be through using rope to understand light waves, blocking light waves with polarized panels or wearing polarized glasses to see the bottom of a fish tank. Rather than presenting a single medium to understand polarization, LIGHT presents an array of immersive experiences to satisfy all learning styles. Never once while venturing through this exhibit did the excitement stop. Situated in the second room is a gorgeous infographic that explores the array of different types of light waves. Just opposite stands an ultraviolet room outfitted with craft stations, which invites visitors to revisit their youth and create art that will glow under the purple hue. Although many displays are obviously meant for children, exhibit
curators have done an excellent job ensuring that visitors of all ages feel engaged and welcome. The real standout activity is found in the fourth room. A freakin’ laser maze Mission Impossible-style. Participants are invited to a dark room, with a handful of lasers fragmenting the space to protect a “precious” vase from theft. A fog machine reveals a familiar geometric security system that participants have to maneuver around to fulfill their mission. Although this activity failed to present much scientific insight into lasers, it was a necessary inclusion to uphold LIGHT’s exciting nature. While other exhibits will present visitors with bland video segments or daunting walls of text as their main attractions, LIGHT is bursting with activities to create a truly immersive experience. By striking a balance of clean design and amusing displays, LIGHT Illuminated proved to be an entertaining visit for both children and adults.
HALLOWEEN
What’s spooky this Saturday? Plan your Halloween weekend with us Freak Night Beta Nightclub - $10
I’ve never been a fan of this Uptown club, mainly because they only play EDM. To Beta’s credit, their Halloween event tickets are on the cheap side this year so its bound to be a busy night Beta is also holding a costume contest with a $500 prize, which will nicely compensate for the wildly expensive drinks and bottle service at this venue.
Halloween at Phil’s Phil’s - $5
Phil’s isn’t doing anything too different this Halloween. Cover stays the same and they will still be playing their regular Saturday night EDM. Cash prizes will be available to those who show up in the best costumes. Be wary, though. You thought that the Phil’s line was long on a normal weekend — anticipate the worst this Saturday, especially with cover being one of the cheapest in the city.
Nightmare on University Maxwell’s - $15
Maxwell’s is a really nice and new venue. Usually known for live bands and rock shows, this Halloween the venue will have more of a club atmosphere with a DJ. Over $1000 is up for grabs for best costumes. The great thing about Maxwell’s is that if you live in the Laurier area, you can forget busses or cabs — which will be nearly impossible to use on such a busy night — because it’s so close to campus.
Halloween Howl Pearl Nightclub - $25
Because this club is so large, going on a normal Friday night is almost always a bust as it can be hard to fill the venue. But I’ve gone to Pearl on both Halloween and New Year’s Eve and it gets pretty full. If you plan on going to Pearl for Halloween, prepare for long lineups and the chance that you could lose your friends. Also, tickets are almost sold out.
JESSICA DIK/FILE PHOTO
Pick your poison this Halloween. You can party all night at Phil’s (above) or admire art at NIGHT\SHIFT (below).
Haunted House Party Thought Pop - $10
If you’re not in the mood for the club atmosphere but still want to get freaky, check out Thought Pop’s Haunted House Party in downtown Kitchener. This bring your own booze event will feature performances from numerous local bands. Plus, if you ever wanted to be featured in a web series, this is your chance to do so. The creators of Kitchener Sync are looking for extras for a Haunted House scene, and they’ll be shooting on site on October 30.
NIGHT\SHIFT Free
Partying isn’t for everyone. Thankfully this year’s NIGHT\SHIFT will grace downtown Kitchener on Halloween night. This art festival spreads exhibits and displays throughout the downtown core, inviting attendees to explore the weird and wonderful art the region has to offer. Despite the lack of keg beer, attendees are still encouraged to wear costumes. Come out to NIGHT\SHIFT if you’re tired of the usual braggadocio Halloween promises every year.
Halloween Bash Dallas Nightclub - $5
If you like country, Dallas is the place for you this Halloween. This is one of the few places that isn’t raising cover. Dallas is also holding a costume contest with up to $1000 in prizes up for grabs. Since tickets don’t have to be bought beforehand, make sure to show up early to avoid standing in line all night.
–Compiled by Bethany Bowles and Zach Guitor
ARTS & LIFE • 9
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 MUSIC
Album Review: Dealer – Foxing St-Louis-based indie band releases their anticipated sophomore album
Congratulations CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
RYAN CULLEY STAFF WRITER
Foxing is back with their new album, Dealer, two years after the re-release of their popular 2014 album The Albatross. After gaining a lot of traction with The Albatross, an album of emotionally driven punk sounds inspired by lost love, youth and innocence, it was clear fans had big expectations for the new album. With the arrival of Dealer these same themes of youth, failed relationships and existentialism remain but a new sense of acceptance emerges within the new album. The calmer sounds of Dealer may catch fans off guard upon first listen, but a familiarity in the sound remains within the tracks. Despite the band’s evolving sound, the music is still distinctly Foxing. “The Magdalene,” the opening track on Dealer, reveals the raw emotions behind the making of the album. Songwriters Conor Murphy and Josh Coll have pulled from personal experience and presented a song that explores how their respective upbringings have shaped their present lives. It is clear that Foxing did not hold back emotionally when writing each track. Take the song “Weave” for example, a track that discusses being stuck in the same place in life for so long. In interviews about Dealer, bassist Josh Coll described “Weave” as a response to their 2014 album
The Albatross and a motion for the band to move past their old work. “Weave” marks a new stage for Foxing — a stage of poetic lyrics mixed with candour and a much softer sound musically. This is such an accessible and satisfying album whether you’re listening intently or simply playing Dealer in the background as study music. The simplicity in their lyrics is often relatable, yet retains a sense of poetic eloquence for an indie band with major punk and emo influence. Meanwhile, the soft intros coupled with heavier choruses, bridges and endings make for great background music while studying. The indie band fuses their math– rock style guitar riffs and drum patterns with a progressive rock sound to present an eerie and existential experience for the listener. While they have maintained their emo roots, there is definitely a post-rock vibe reminiscent of groups such as Sigur Ros or Múm. The sentiment behind this album and Foxing’s music in general, which speaks to the vanity of life and the fleetingness of youth, seems fitting for this time of year. Fall is coming to an end, and midterms and assignments are looming over our heads. However despite the somewhat pessimistic notions, there is an accessibility and relatable aspect to Dealer that gives the listener a sense of security and rest; despite all the struggles that happens in life, there’s still beauty in simple things. All in all Dealer by Foxing is highly recommended, and if you haven’t listened to their first album The Albatross, do yourself a favour and pick up both for this fall season.
THERE’S PLENTY MORE ONLINE. thecord.ca
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10 • GAMES
Dear Life Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to your life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public forum. All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous, should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions can be sent to dearlife@thecord.ca no later than Monday at noon each week. Dear Life, Can we just talk about how amazing the Food Bank is, didn’t think I would have time to do groceries with all these midterms and they are just totally saving me from starving. Don’t know what I’d do without the services at this school! Sincerely, A no-longer-hungry-hawk Dear first year business kids, Shut the fuck up Sincerely, if you can’t handle it, please drop out (and off the face of the earth) Dear Life, Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality. Open your eyes, Look up to the skies and see, I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy, Because I’m easy come, easy go, Little high, little low, Anyway the wind blows doesn’t really matter to me, to me.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 Mama, just killed a man, Put a gun against his head, Pulled my trigger, now he’s dead. Mama, life had just begun, But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away. Mama, ooh, Didn’t mean to make you cry, If I’m not back again this time tomorrow, Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters. Too late, my time has come, Sent shivers down my spine, Body’s aching all the time. Goodbye, everybody, I’ve got to go, Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth. Mama, ooh (anyway the wind blows), I don’t wanna die, I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all. I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango? Thunderbolt and lightning, Very, very frightening me. (Galileo) Galileo. (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro Magnifico. I’m just a poor boy, nobody loves me. He’s just a poor boy from a poor family, Spare him his life from this monstrosity. Easy come, easy go, will you let me go? Bismillah! No, we will not let you go. (Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let him go!) Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let me go!) Will not let you go. (Let me go!)
Never, never let you go Never let me go, oh. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, mama mia, mama mia (Mama mia, let me go.) Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me. So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye? So you think you can love me and leave me to die? Oh, baby, can’t do this to me, baby, Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here. (Oh, yeah, oh yeah) Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters, Nothing really matters to me. Anyway this bitch blows. Sincerely, Great White Buffalo
Dear Life, Why must Bath and Body Works candles be 50% on the week I don’t get paid? Sincerely, All I want for Christmas is more candles
the door. Sincerely, Happy Haunting Dear WHO, Thanks for sending out that study about how bacon and processed meats have as much a chance to cause cancer as tobacco. Way to ruin one of the most delicious creations I have ever tasted. Apparently everything causes cancer nowadays. Sincerely, I’ll risk it
Dear Life, The only man in the world sat on a chair in a room. He heard a knock on
Sudoku
Dear Life, I can’t believe I didn’t know until this week how racist, sexist, homophobic and just generally terrible the students at Laurier are. Sincerely, Being Pocahontas is still racist Dear Life, I thought the rampant hypocrisy of profs complaining about the statue project when they work at a university named after a genocidal prime minister was annoying. Then I saw how many horrible human beings signed the pro-statue petition. News Flash, no one against the statues is talking about political correctness you idiots – why not confront them with logic instead of platitudes Sincerely, Is there no room for moderates on this campus
alvvays
OCT 28 & OCT 29
ANNUAL HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTYOCT 31
STEVE PARKINSON & THE STONY LONESOME NOV 7 NOV 10
CD RELEASE PARTY
NOV 12
Dear Life, You know what’s awesome? Justin Trudeau’s face. Sincerely, #WeeklyReminders
VINYL RELEASE PARTY
WHOOP-SZO & TEEN VIOLENCE WITH
YONATAN GAT
with WHPSH and BABY LABOUR NOV 18
The Dears OWEN PALLETT
WRITING. COPY EDITING. DRAWING. PHOTOS. VIDEO. MULTIMEDIA. LAYOUT.
INTERESTED?
NOV 26
NOV 29
The Paper Kites
NOV 30
thecord.ca/ volunteer
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
Editorial
• 11 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca
The sexualization of newly elected PM Justin Trudeau Countless Canadians have called him “the most attractive prime minister in Canadian history.” For many, there is no denying his physical appeal, but to what degree did appearance help Justin Trudeau become elected? In earlier months through opposing political ad campaigns, Trudeau’s “attractiveness” was used negatively. The ads were situated to portray a candidate that merely cares about his own image, constructing the idea of another “pretty face” that is “just not ready.” Now that he has won, people are glorifying his attractiveness and celebrating the very attribute other parties had attempted to use against him. However, when does appreciation for appearance go too far, especially when dealing with an important political figure who governs the decisions of our country? Beyond his charismatic personality, emotional intellect and calm and composed approach to change, Jus-
tin Trudeau is being objectified and sexualized. Social media has erupted with comments on Canada’s “hottest PM yet.” The problem is, it seems that the traffic of his explosive attention has mostly to do with his appearance, rather than his vision for newly implemented policies. His appearance is what seems to be the most talked about, even more than his suspected legalization of marijuana, which has created tremendous confrontation. What does this mean? The attractiveness of Trudeau is enticing for much of the globe’s media, but his role may be undervalued if his appearance is the main component of interviews. Justin Trudeau is a man with a direct vision. He knows what our country needs and is willing to do what is necessary, however critical analysis of his position is necessary despite the appearance. Whether you agree with his political direction or not, it is important that we remember not to judge a book by its cover.
Student accountability with the rise of social media The reputation of a university is not entirely dependent on the policies of the faculty and administration. Often, it is in the hands of the student body. The decisions students make often shape outsiders’ perception of an institution — for better or for worse. Shortly after the lockdown on Wilfrid Laurier University’s campus, a student sent out a Snapchat where he threatened the safety of anyone who was in the Science Building. Whether his intentions were to generate laughter or not, the idiotic use of social media struck again. Apparently, lessons were not learned from the previous week. This is far from the first time a Laurier student has used social media carelessly. Over the years there have been countless cases of uploaded photos, tweets and statuses that not only deteriorate the reputation of the person who chose to share, but also the reputation of the school that is being negatively represented. Social media continues to circulate with drunk selfies, inappropriate comments and now, more prominently, cyber threats that can perpetrate an aftershock with news
outlets, regional police and university officials. Students are not thinking twice on what they choose to upload and garnering a reputation through their postings on various mediums. Western University, previously the University of Western Ontario, changed its branding allegedly to change its image. Laurier tries to focus on becoming the best business school while breaking down the stigma of the “party school” down the street, but this continues to develop through social media and students’ portrayal of this very institution. But whether through the validation of criminal culture, either with comedic or serious intention, or the confirmation of the “sex and drugs” lifestyle on and around campus, the portrayal of what it “means to be a Golden Hawk” is blurred among students’ portrayals; students are acting blind to the audience sitting before them. Students must take accountability for their decisions. They must understand that their actions reflect what happens at Laurier and they are responsible for how this institution is viewed from the outside.
These unsigned editorials are based off informal discussions and then agreed upon by the majority of The Cord’s editorial board, including the Editor-inChief and Opinion Editor. The arguments made may reference any facts that have been made available through interviews, documents or other sources. The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of The Cord’s volunteers, staff or WLUSP.
THE CORD IS PUBLISHED BY WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 205 REGINA ST. N., WATERLOO
WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Bryan Stephens VICE-CHAIR Abdiasis Issa DIRECTOR Rafey Sattar DIRECTOR John Pehar
DIRECTOR Tom Lillo
DIRECTOR Angela Foster DIRECTOR Fred Kuntz DIRECTOR Gary Doyle
PRESIDENT Bryan Stephens president@wlusp. com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Caroline Schummer care.schummer@ wlusp.com
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@ wlusp.com HR MANAGER/ CORPORATE SECRETARY Emily Crump hr@wlusp.com
JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Instilling fear on campus It’s important to remember who is affected by ‘jokes’
SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It took me a really, really, really long time to convince my parents to let me go away for university. As a wanderlust, I always wanted to leave home and explore. My mom was always teary-eyed every summer when I’d go away to camp, and it took her driving us to the airport to let me live in California for a month when I was 17. When it came to choosing a university, my mom’s response was always the same: “There’s a perfectly good university right down the street.” But I left home and came to Wilfrid Laurier University. I spent four years here doing my degree, to which every day she trusted that I would be taken care of. She didn’t expect anything further than a casual text every day to make sure I was alive, or a phone call every so often if things got hard. Beyond that, my parents never had any reason to think I was in danger. Until two weeks ago. As Editor-in-Chief of this fine publication, I have a subtle sense of neuroticism. When breaking news happens and we are alerted to stay away, instead of listening, I run right into the line of fire. That’s what I did when the school was on lockdown.
Police said stay away, but I got up at 7:30 a.m., and walked briskly to the corner of King Street and University Avenue to do my interview and cover the story. I was not surprised when I checked my Facebook to a message from my mother. “Stay home … in the basement,” it said. Well, I already didn’t listen to that. Throughout the day, my mom was notified that I was safe because I kept tweeting and posting on Facebook, doing my job. She was notified through social media about my wellbeing. My parents were okay because they had a way to know I was okay. But that doesn’t mean it was any easier on them. My parents were worried sick. Every member of my staff’s parents were worried sick. My friends who don’t even live in the city anymore had their parent or guardian messaging them asking if they were okay. Someone could have been hurt, and it would have been devastating. Now, we had an “online posting” that makes Laurier need extra police presence on campus. There was an ongoing investigation because some student decided it was funny to put “Tell ISIS I’m in the Science Building” on a Snapchat of him holding a gun. That’s funny to you? I got a message Friday morning from my mom saying she wants me to leave Waterloo. Maybe she was joking, but it’s not funny when my parents, who are two hours away, feel helpless that their
only daughter could be in danger while some idiot puts a picture of him on a social media site. To students, it may be fun to engage in something they are not directly influenced by; to the poster of the original threat, it was a running inside joke. But to those looking from the outside, knowing someone they love is near a potential threat, it’s anything but hilarious. It’s degrading to the trust our parents and guardians have with Laurier to make sure we’re okay. It’s stressful for our parents and guardians who have to wait for updates to make sure their children aren’t hurt. It’s harmful to students who may not feel safe because students want to have some “fun.” I put my parents in a terrible place when I decided to be Editor-in-Chief. News is my number one priority and regardless of if it’s safe, I’m going to cover whatever is happening. It’s in my nature. But for all of the other students at Laurier that have to text, call or email their parent or guardian to tell them “I’m okay” because someone decided to threaten the very institution they have put their trust in, is stupid, ridiculous and a waste of time. Don’t use someone else’s stress as a game. Don’t make people worry constantly about whether or not you’ll be okay walking to class or studying for a midterm. These images, threats and postings are inappropriate because one day, it might actually happen. And that day it won’t be a joke.
12 •
Opinion
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca
A globalizing world Recounting the pros and cons of global assimilation
ABIGAIL BARRETT OPINION COLUMNIST
When we think of globalization, it is almost impossible to forget the benefits of technology the process wields along with it. We think of how interconnected the world has become, we think of the many opportunities that we now have access to because of the increased amount of online services and developments in technology, transportation, media and communication. We think globalization and we think inevitable. On the other hand, as the world becomes interconnected it also gets disconnected. Cultural diffusion engulfs new societies and the cultural collage is framed into one big picture as opposed to skipping through an album. Take for example a multinational corporation like McDonald’s. At present, McDonald’s operates over 35,000 restaurants worldwide in
at least 118 territories and countries — in countries as far as Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Thailand. We’re all having happy meals and Big Macs. We’re all familiar with the tag ‘Made in China’ that’s on 90 per cent of our clothes, shoes and accessories. The economies of these exporting countries benefit tremendously, but this easily leads to a case where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The reality of this also shows us that while we are somewhat different we are gradually moving towards “sameness” — a sameness that is being driven and extended by the forces of globalization. While some may see this as a relatively good thing, it calls into question the truth behind cultural diversity. It beckons others to think of the de-popularization, or even elimination, of what is unique to different cultures. Globalization, according to Manfred Steger in his book Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, is the buzzword of our time that describes a variety of changing economic, political, cultural and technological processes that are transform-
ing our experience of the world. It goes unquestionably that the introduction of new, varied ideas, health practices, political ideals and technology to different places are a relatively good thing. The processes by which these relatively good things are brought to different spheres in the world are often seen as advantageous, but the extent to which it is advantageous differs greatly in different countries. Regrettably, the spread of Western culture, more so the predominance of American pop culture as well as political and economic influence around the world, cause many developing countries to regard globalization as a form of “Americanization” that weakens the fabric of their traditional societies. Native traditions lose their place in the society as the spread of a language and other elements of culture cannot be interpreted outside of a social context. One cannot help but imagine what the world will be like 10 or 20 years in the future. While the continuous expansion of a multinational corporation like McDonald’s may employ thousands of persons and introduce differ-
JESSICA WOOD/GRAPHIC ARTIST
ent foods to different countries, the drawbacks to its popularization often go unnoticed. Many cultural foods, dishes, languages are lost and replaced by those that embody the cultures of Western societies. According to the National Geographic’s Enduring Voices Project, every 14 days a language is lost. English has become one of the most popular languages for doing business in the world and while this
is a great achievement, every time another language dies we lose part of the picture of what our brains can do. Needless to say, it is an ongoing, inevitable process that provides both negative and positive impacts. However the degree of these impacts is almost never the same across the board. Globalization will have different effects on each country and only time will tell how far the boundaries will stretch or disappear.
Recounting the wisdom of Dostoevsky Unraveling the philosophies of an iconic Russian novelist and how his words can help our lives
DON MORGENSON COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR
There are some psychologists who refer to the great Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoevsky, as a “psychologist among psychologists.” Among them, Sigmund Freud agreed and wrote an insightful essay on “Dostoevsky and Patricide.” Dostoevsky is considered one of the precursors of psychoanalysis and existentialism. To me however, he was first and foremost, simply and hugely: Fyodor Dostoevsky.In what many critics agree is his finest and most layered novel “The Brothers Karamazov,” Dostoevsky identified three essential human needs, often those determining much of human behavior. He began with “bread,” symbolizing the sum total of all material goods necessary for survival. Dostoevsky wrote with a touch of irony: “There is no crime and hence no sin, but only those who are hungry. Feed them first and then demand virtue of them.” But the novelist denied that material comfort was the sole criterion of our contentedness. He also wrote: “Human beings must also be understood because the mystery of human life is not only in how to live but what to live for. Even knowledge of the meaning of life cannot satisfy our hunger for transcendence, if we are the sole bearers of that knowledge.” We need to share our ideas with other members of the human family. The third and final need is for
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Fyoder Dostoevsky was a respected Russian novelist who explored human psychology through philosophies.
what Dostoevsky defined as “universal synthesis.” We struggle to make everything universal. According to the Grand Inquisitor (The Brothers Karamazov), people are more eager to accept “miracles, mystery and authority” than remain in agonizing uncertainty. We need to centre ourselves in our world. Freedom of choice is too burdensome and brings loneliness and a sense of isolation; we need to belong to someone, belong somewhere and center ourselves in our sacred place in the cosmos. To live, to know and to belong — these define the basis of human behavior. Dostoevsky wrote: “Human
nature is not only something dark and cruel, but also something bright and exalted. Goodness, pity and conscience are as deep and resistant to external influences as are cruelty and egoism.” And here the great novelist speaks to the dialectical duality of human nature. Accepting our social inheritance contains not only the great victories of the human spirit but also the weight of darkness, selfishness and evil that follows us on our brief walks across eternity. The good however was Dostoevsky’s greatest hope. For him, the critical factor of
opposing the selfish tendencies of the individual was empathy — that ability to perceive and feel another’s pain as one’s own. For Dostoevsky, compassion was the saving path to God, but he argued too that we could analyze compassion outside the religious and mystical context of his collected work. Not only can we understand brother Alyosha’s religious orientation but we can grasp fully too, brother Mitya’s more secular approach to the same important issue. In his novel, “Crime and Punishment,” Dostoevky’s anti-hero Raskolnikov — the axe murderer — was
not tortured by anxiety, weakness or even helplessness when trapped by wily detective Porfiry Petrovich, investigating the double homicide. Rather, he was tormented by that which he could not suppress — his own humanity, that which connected him to all others, a humanity which Sonya, his friend and salvation, most clearly saw. Raskolnikov said: “If only I were alone and nobody had loved me and I had never loved anybody. Things wouldn’t have been that bad.” Through all of Dostoevsky’s novels, all faith rests on the fundamental belief in the deep and enduring humanity in each of us, even in Raskolnikov. Compassion allows you and me to feel, almost physically, those dehumanizing influences exerted on another person. Dostoevsky knew that people who have not internalized the world of another person would find it difficult to experience themselves as fully human beings. He wrote: “The labor (sic) of the soul is to suffer, to feel the pain and suffering of all humankind … and first of all, one’s mother, father, sisters, brothers and grandparents. Do not be afraid to open a young soul to these sufferings — they are full of dignity. Let a 13-year old so spend the whole night at the bedside of his ailing mother or father … let their pain fill all the deepest recesses of his young heart. One of the most painfully difficult things in education is to teach the child the labor of love.” In a world where many of us suffer from alienation, of one form or another, it is good to remember that central wisdom revealed in Dostoevsky’s novels.
OPINION • 13
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
MOYO AREWA/FILE PHOTO
The word “nigger” is often exploited in music, movies and different outlets of entertainment. The word is being minimized as slang and represents years of oppression through times of slavery.
Should anyone say the “N” word? TARIQUE PLUMMER OPINION COLUMNIST
What can we say? What can we not say? Which words should I use? Is it necessary to be concerned about offending him or her? It is no secret that the racial climate amongst blacks, whites and different races can transform into a deeply regrettable stage-five hurricane at the utterance of one word. This word is so potent that many people think twice before uttering it. This word is so powerful that some have been fired for using it. This word is so strong that even saying it accidentally can cause a protest. “Nigger” is that word.
Historically, we can date the origin of the word back to times of slavery. “Negro” was used to depict people of colour and their lessened value. In the 17th century, the word somehow changed to “nigger.” However, the word’s new form had a new meaning stapled to it. It was used by the white dominant society to reaffirm their status and to keep the blacks in servitude. The word promoted segregation and mental inferiority. Another modification took place to suit our contemporary context and the word became “nigga,” but not without keeping its derogatory meaning. The entertainment industry (mostly music and comedy) seems to be the only beneficiary of the word’s use. Numerous hip-hop artists and comedians use the word so often that it has become a staple. The word intrudes our minds with its prevalent usage, and as a result,
Letter to the Editor A response to the statue project Dear fellow Golden Hawks, As many of you are aware, there is a major controversial topic; 22 Prime Minister bronze statues being donated to the campus to be put on various locations. A few students and staff have spoken in outrage about this “approved” project. Prime Ministers are leaders of our country, our values and are elected democratically. Very rarely are public figures seen in the same light by everyone. Regardless of partisan background, these 22 leaders are the public figures of our country. The idea has faced backlash, based on the grounds that the project is “politically and culturally insensitive (if not offensive).” Yet, the backlash received has only been made by a select few. A statistic was mentioned by a student of Laurier that stated “99 per cent of students” oppose this project. This statistic has no source. If the university claims to be democratically run, it should not allow a few to oppose a project. But rather, the Senate and the university Board of Directors should conduct a true poll by LISPOP (The University Polling Institute), then hold a vote on this matter. Democracy is about having all voices heard, opposing a project based on a select few would set a slippery-slop precedent.
Democracy is about having the majority make decisions ethically. Students and staff should have equal say in this project. Yours truly, –Michael Piasezny, third-year political science major
Letter policy Letters must not exceed 250 words. Include your full name and telephone number. Letters must be received by 12:00 p.m. noon Monday via e-mail to letters@thecord.ca. The Cord reserves the right to edit for length and clarity or to reject any letter.
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many who listen believes it’s now okay to use. It is very important to note that a double standard does exist. Just like there is a double standard for gender, there’s also one for race. A black person can use the word and not generate a social uproar. The opposite happens when a white person does it. “Nigger” is laden with a bloodsoaked history in which acts of brutality were common against the black race. Its declaration, its sound and its utterance is a permanent reminder. For decades, blacks have explored appropriating and re-appropriating; taking the word back hence its use in the black culture today. This is very similar to what the LGBT has done with the word “queer.” The latest celebrity to fall, not by the sword but by this potent term, is Hulk Hogan. “I am a racist, to a point, f*cking n*ggers. But then when it comes to nice people and sh*t, and
whatever.” World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) separated themselves from Hogan after he referred to black people as such. Removing all traces of him online was an action taken in addition to his sacking. Funnily enough, many people do not understand why the word is offensive. Is it their fault that it was not explained to them? Can you tell a judge you did not know murder in this country is a crime after doing it and expecting not to be held accountable? We can discuss freedom of speech but this would be short. You can say whatever you wish. You can say unicorns exist, you can call people stupid and you can call black people “niggers,” but you must be mindful that your words have consequences. Think of it this way: you can go
online and defame your boss but if they hear, do not be surprised if you get suspended, placed on probation or even fired. Derrick Clifton, writer for The Kernel, said it best, “After all, it’s a word many black ancestors in the Americas had to hear while their relatives were sold off on auction blocks, while they were being raped by slave masters and mistresses, and while they were being beaten into compliance with forced labour. Is that a legacy, decades later, that any non-black person would ever want to associate themselves with — even in the name of free speech?” In surmising, pundits argue that only those who were affected can use it; others say that it is just a word so everyone can. One thing is certain though, the word will always offend. If you choose to say it, remember for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
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14 •
Sports
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 SPORTS EDITOR DREW YATES dyates@thecord.ca
SOCCER
Sixth seed familiar for Laurier Heading into the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, the Hawks will be the sixth-place team DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR
For the fourth consecutive year, the Wilfrid Laurier University men’s soccer team is going into the Ontario University Athletics playoffs as the sixth seed in the West division. The Hawks have followed a trend, coming into the postseason as the sixth seed and pulling the upset against their opponents in dramatic fashion. In the past three years, they’ve eliminated the Western Mustangs and Guelph Gryphons in hostile territory and earned a trip to the quarter-finals. This time around, things will be a little different. The Hawks drew a tougher opponent in the nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders. This season, the Hawks have lost both matchups to the Marauders, losing 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. Despite the change in opponent, head coach Mario Halapir is confident the club can find success against one of the OUA’s top teams. “The way I go into the game, I go in there and expect to win; I don’t really care who we play. I’m hoping that the boys will have that same attitude,” he said. “The two games before have no real impact on what’s going to happen on Wednesday. If we fully believe that we can do it and we commit to playing, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be able to win a game.“ The club has struggled to put points on the scoreboard for the last six games, which has been mainly
ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR
Gurjinder Garcha battles against a Guelph player during Friday night’s 1-0 loss. The Hawks lost both games on their final weekend of the regular season.
attributed to bad ball luck. In their matchup against the Brock Badgers on Sunday, the Hawks had multiple scoring chances, including three breakaways, but were still unable to score. According to Halapir, he could tell the boys were frustrated — they gave “everything they had” but the ball did not go into the net. He believes that if the Hawks are going to pull the upset against McMaster, they will have to figure out a strategy on how to overcome “bad ball luck.”
“I think we still have a bit of work to do with defending set pieces and most of the goals that have been scored on us this year have been scored on set pieces, and the only other problems we’ve had is that we haven’t been able to put the ball in the net,” he said. Laurier won’t be changing their preparation tactics against McMaster, as both games against them this season came really close. “Preparing for them is no different than we prepared the first two times. We know they’re a quality team, we
know their strengths and again the only thing we can do on the field is we can go out there and try and perform.” Regardless of the outcome, Halapir just hopes Laurier goes out onto the field and performs, giving everything they have. “Regardless of score I just don’t want to have a situation where we don’t come out to play. As long as we come out to play and that’s all that we can ask, and if the results turn out in our favour, then great, if not, we’ve done our best,” he said.
“If we fully believe that we can do it and we commit to playing, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be able to win a game.” -Mario Halapir, men’s soccer head coach
HOCKEY
Power play a work in progress KILLIAN CUPPAGE STAFF WRITER
There are still a few blemishes that need to be worked out before the Wilfrid Laurier University men’s hockey team can start adding more tallies to the win column. Despite winning 5-1 against the RMC Paladins on Saturday afternoon during Brantford’s Homecoming, the Hawks dropped their home contest 2-0 to the Carleton Ravens on Oct. 25. The Hawks currently sit at 2-3 and in the bottom half of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West division. Head coach Greg Puhalski did find some good performances to build on from the loss this weekend, particularly when it comes to the intensity level his team displays. “It’s early in the year, we’ve been in a lot of close games. Our compete level this weekend has been better than earlier, which is something that’s got to keep on an upward trend,” he said. A significant reason for the Hawks’ inconsistencies early on in the season has been their struggles on the power-play. The Hawks went 0-8 last Sunday evening and dates back to their opening game of the year. Despite having 18 opportunities, the Hawks have only been able to convert on one chance with the
man-advantage so far. Puhalski recognized this is currently an area of weakness for the team and something they must find a fix if they want to succeed. “[The] power play right now has been a sore spot, we just haven’t been able to generate much offence and it’s just a matter of being a lot more intense,” he explained. Meanwhile, the other side of special teams has been a completely different story for the Hawks. Currently, they are the only team in the OUA that has not surrendered a power play goal. Their penalty kill was stellar once again on Sunday when the Hawks shut down both of Carleton’s opportunities, including a 5-on-3 power play while the game was scoreless in the second period. “Our penalty kill has been good this year, We’ve done a good job discipline wise of staying out of the box,” Puhalski said. If the Hawks’ penalty-kill can sustain the level it is at right now and the power-play can chip in with a few more scoring opportunities, the Hawks could be on the right track to more success. Laurier will head to Quebec for their next couple games with a tilt against the Concordia Stingers on Friday in Montreal, followed by facing the No. 5 nationallyranked UQTR Patriotes Saturday.
SPORTS • 15
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 LACROSSE
Hawks finish fourth Laurier improves on 2014 finish with large rookie class DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF GRACE CHUNG
A fourth-place finish exceeded expectations for the young Laurier squad.
SPORTS IN BRIEF Hawks place second in annual Hawk Challenge During their annual Hawk Challenge tournament, the Wilfrid Laurier University men’s basketball team came second after defeating the Bishop Gaitors 8172, but falling to the Saint Mary University Huskies 91-87. Over the tournament, the Hawks spread out their scoring, with multiple athletes scoring in double digits. Will Coulthard led the way for Laurier against the Gaitors when he scored 27 points, while Chuder Teny and Luke Allin added 22 points and 10 points respectively. Coulthard and Teny also had another strong effort against the Huskies, leading the way for the Hawks with 13 and 16 points respectively.
Women’s basketball goes 0-3 in Ottawa The Metro Glebe tournament marked the last chance for the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s basketball team to fine-tune their skills before their season kicks off. The Hawks’ offence struggled against the UQAM Citadins on Oct. 23, only posting 37 points in a 62-37 losing effort. The team rebounded against the Carleton Ravens but came up short, losing 73-65, and then dropping their third straight decision to the Regina Tigers 85-52. The Hawks will look to pick it up when their regular season starts in Windsor on Nov. 4.
For a team comprised of 13 rookies, the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s lacrosse team finished higher than expected at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships held in Oshawa from Oct. 23-25. The Hawks placed fourth, improving on their fifth-place result last year. After winning their first game against the second-place Toronto Varsity Blues 7-6, the Hawks dropped the next two games 12-7 and 10-8 respectively against the Western Mustangs and the Queen’s Gaels. “[It’s] very positive,” head coach Lynn Orth said. “Last year we didn’t execute game plans as we wanted to and ended up finishing lower than we should have. This year we executed game plans as we wanted to and finished above expectations.” The Hawks were able to hold their own against the dominant Mustangs, limiting them to the lowest amount of goals Western scored during the entire tournament despite the loss. Their second game against Queen’s was played without their two top goal-scorers Torey Barfoot and rookie Taylor Miller. Even though Laurier came out on the losing end of the affair, they still held Queen’s to 10 goals while putting up eight of
“Next year we will be stronger. We don’t lose that much and we have some people who can step in which is great ...” -Lynn Orth, women’s lacrosse head coach
their own to keep the game close. “Had we had those two players, who knows what the outcome would have been,” Orth said. “It was a good performance, and I can’t say enough about our defence.” Orth gave a tremendous amount of credit to the Hawks’ defence — over the course of the weekend Western scored 15 goals on both Brock and Trent to capture the OUA championship weekend for the fifth straight year, yet the Mustangs could only muster 12 against Laurier. “It’s very hard to quantify a defence other than goals against and win or lose,” she said. “That’s the only way to quantify — we can’t say this person stopped that person 20 times and this person stopped that person 20 times. You can say this person scored 38 goals in a season and this person scored five points in a game.” One of the biggest storylines fol-
lowing the Laurier women’s lacrosse team is the amount of rookies they put onto the field. The Hawks sported 13 new rookies while other schools had small rookie classes, only playing around two rookies on the field, said Orth. Not only were the rookies able to adapt to OUA play, their development over the season also sped up. “You can barely measure [their growth] because they are practicing every day and playing every weekend. They get probably three years [of ] growth in a season,” Orth said. “They just develop so quickly because they got people to help them, they have people to support them.” “Because you are doing that every day you just develop very quickly.” The championship weekend marks the end of a season that yielded mixed results for the Hawks. In a sport that Laurier has been particularly dominant in considering they have finished in the top five since 2011, the finish was promising for the young Laurier squad. Classified as a rebuilding year, Orth believes the Hawks can only get better next year. “Next year we’re going to be stronger. We don’t lose that much and we have some people who can step in which is great and I’ll do some recruiting,” she explained. “I think we’ll definitely be top four next year and hopefully a little higher than that.”
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16 • SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015
FOOTBALL
Redemption at Richardson Stadium Hawks clinch playoffs in first win at Queen’s since 2007 DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR
KINGSTON, Ont. — The date had been circled since the Homecoming loss. If the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks were going to make the Ontario University Athletics playoffs, they were going to have to win a date with the Queen’s Gaels. Why would that be a problem? It’s not like Laurier hasn’t won against Queen’s since 2010. It’s not like Laurier hasn’t won at Richardson Stadium since 2007. And it’s definitely not like a loss would send them home without their second postseason berth in three years. Oh wait. But on the final regular season weekend at the current version of Richardson Stadium, the Hawks played four quarters and dominated in every aspect — offensively, defensively and special teams. Laurier’s defence fired up and forced six turnovers, including three interceptions and two fumbles that resulted in two touchdowns, and spoiled Queen’s Homecoming weekend with a 49-26 victory. It was poetic, to say the least. “Well, that’s why you never give up,” head coach Michael Faulds said. “We started the year 1-3, we finished 3-1, I’d say it’s kind of the opposite of last year.” “Last year we started strong and
kind of backed our way into the playoffs. This year it’s the opposite. We started very slow and we’re starting to get healthier and gain momentum as the season goes along.” The win put a stamp on a whirlwind of a month that started with the Hawks on the outside looking in after a disappointing 22-18 loss to the Windsor Lancers at their own Homecoming. According to Faulds, after the loss, the guys took it upon themselves to battle for a playoff spot. “It looked like it was going to be tough for us to make the playoffs but our guys looked themselves in the mirror and said, ‘We’re going to all do more and dig deeper’ and they did that,” Faulds said. Defence stepped up even further for Laurier, contributing 28 points before the Hawks put their first offensive touchdown on the board. Second-year quarterback Eric Morelli connected with Daniel Bennett for an 18-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 35 and put the game out of reach for the Gaels. Out of all the years that fifth-year defensive lineman Asante Mizan has played with Laurier, no team has ever accomplished what the Hawks have been able to do at Richardson Stadium. “I’ve played on a lot of great teams here in the past five years, defensively seen a lot of talent come in and out, and I mean it’s just been amazing. We came together like none of
the other teams I’ve been on have done this here,” Mizan explained. The Hawks, who finished 4-4, now shift their focus to a quarter-final date with the McMaster Marauders on Saturday at Ron Joyce Stadium. The No. 6 Marauders will prove a challenge for Laurier, but Mizan thinks the Hawks have the capacity to beat the best provided they fix a few issues. “I don’t think after we watched the film that nobody ever really beat us, we just made a lot of silly mistakes,” he continued. “Once we clean it up we can definitely dominate.” Despite the struggles at the beginning of the season, Mizan takes note of the capability of the Hawks’ defence when they are firing on all cylinders. “We have the ability to dominate, we have the talent, so defensively, offensively we are just going to go out there and shut people down.” “Every team that sees us on their schedule is going to be scared to play us for the next couple years.” After doubling stellar McMaster quarterback Asher Hastings’ interception total two weeks ago in their regular season, Laurier’s defence will be up to the test to limit one of the strongest offences in the province. “We can’t let teams score 30 points anymore, that’s sort of the level of standard.” Game time Saturday is at 1 p.m. A Laurier win would set up a semifinal matchup with the Western Mustangs.
WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR
Hawks’ Scott Hutter and Dillon Campbell carry the ball in their 49-26 win.
SOCCER
ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR
The two wins against Brock and Guelph this weekend give Laurier a 12-2-2 record, good for second place in the OUA West division. Laurier will play their quarter-final matchup on Sunday Nov. 1.
Two wins good enough for playoff bye Second-place finish in OUA West gives Laurier bypass into quarter-final matchup at home DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR
Despite being plagued by injury all season, the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s soccer team secured second place in the Ontario University Athletics West division last weekend, receiving a first round bye and they will also host the quarter-final next weekend. The Hawks won both of their games against the Guelph Gryphons and Brock Badgers last weekend, passing the Western Mustangs to take sole possession of second place. Laurier has finished either first or second in the OUA West every year
since 2009. The Hawks have not been playing at 100 per cent all season, yet they still produce results. “I was pleased. We needed to get those two wins to take care of [the playoff bye], so, I’m happy,” head coach Barry MacLean said. “I’m happy to get the bye, and I’m happy to play home field for the second game, it’s all positive.” With the win, Laurier is able to rest their multitude of injuries and finetune during a week of practices, as they do not have to play a midweek playoff game. The team is haunted by many injuries affecting key players like Maxine
Murchie, Nicole Lyon, Julie Karn, Kassia Hayek and Pauline McCordic. Each player has missed some key playing time over the last few weeks. This gives the Hawks more time to get healthy before a major playoff game. According to MacLean, capturing the first-round bye game is a priority to give the Hawks more preparation time. “It’s always a priority. Not playing that [first round] game, it’s an awkward game and the parity in the league is so great you don’t want to have to play that game,” he explained. “Always playing your first game at home and then playing against a team that’s already had to
play is a positive so for us it’s great.” MacLean said the club will focus on having upbeat, intense practices for the first half of the week and then prepare for the team they are playing against in the last three days, which gives them more flexibility and allows them to do things that they would not be able to do otherwise. Because of all of their injuries, the Hawks have not been able to play at their full capacity. MacLean said even though the team has struggled through injuries, the Hawks have still done well and found success on the field. MacLean reassures the team will be prepared to face their opponent,
whoever they may be. “We’ll be prepared to play whoever we have to play and we hope we get everybody back from injury. We’ve had countless injuries, we’ve lost so many men to injuries and we got a lot of players that are touch and go for the weekend,” he said. The Hawks will await their opponent while they prepare to play in front of their home crowd on Sunday Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. The winner will punch their ticket into the OUA Final Four championship, with the top two teams advancing to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship later in the month.