September 6, 2015 by The Cord

Studying through tragedy Features, page 20–21

CAMPUS

LOCAL

ARTS & LIFE

Students’ Union makes enhancements to O-Week events

Mayor of Waterloo wants students incorporated in city’s vision

University may be a test for your long distance relationship

page 3

page 13

page 28

THE CORD

THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 56 ISSUE 4 SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

FALLING INTO A NEW YEAR ORIENTATION WEEK 2015

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

2 •

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

VOCAL CORD

Editor’s note: We’re here for you

FROM THE ARCHIVES

What are you scared about coming into this year? SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Meeting new people, mainly.” –Raiyana Parekh, firstyear political science

COURTESY OF LAURIER ARCHIVES

“Classes getting smaller and the profs getting more strict.”

The annual “Torchlight Parade” in 1968. Yearly, students would walk around the campus district holding torches and dressed in pajamas. The traditional parade became a riot in later years and hasn’t existed since.

–Cass Stupak, secondyear communication studies

“Just all the change.” –Daniel Isen, first-year business

“Shuffling fun and getting your work done.” –Tanner Matthews, firstyear business

COURTESY OF LAURIER ARCHIVES

Two first-year students participate in a colour-versus-colour activity during Orientation Week in the year 1999.

I’m really tired. Over the past week putting together this 40-page monster, I have slept less then five hours a night, have put in well over what would apply as “double overtime” and have drank probably twice my weight in green teas. But regardless of how much my body is aching for a decent night of rest or for me to eat something other than greek yogurt, I am so damn proud. I am proud of the 15-person staff I overlook that were in and out of this office — that doesn’t have air conditioning — working feverishly to finish the highest amount of pages we print in our publishing year. I am proud of the content you hold in your hands or are reading on your laptop that took hours to write, edit, refine and design. I am proud of the community of people that surrounded The Cord while they put this paper together. The gratitude I have for them could never be explained in this small editor’s note. But the point of this is that all of the above comes together to show you, dear readers, what The Cord and its family will go through to bring you quality news. We’ve been sent hate emails, we’ve been sent angry Dear Life submissions and most of the time we’re disregarded for what we do. But despite this, we’re still here. We’re still going. We’re still doing what we love and we’re still here to serve the Laurier community. We’re here for you, whether it’s to yell at us, to appreciate us or to say we suck. Our job is to give you the news and our job is to engage you in discussion about what’s happening on and around the Laurier campus. And because we’re here for you, we want you to be part of the discussion. Email us a tip. Tell us about an event. Tweet at us with what you want to know. Because regardless of what it is, we’re here to tell the story.

“Maintaining a balance of friends and good marks.” –Nanzio Romeo, secondyear economics Compiled by Andreas Patsiaouros Photos by Jessica Dik CORD STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Shelby Blackley sblackley@thecord.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lena Yang lyang@thecord.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joshua Awolade jawolade@thecord.ca MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Mynt Marsellus mmarsellus@thecord.ca CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin kseverin@thecord.ca

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

PHOTO EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros apatsiaouros@thecord. ca PHOTO EDITOR Will Huang whuang@thecord.ca VIDEO EDITOR Brian Phillips bphillips@thecord.ca LEAD REPORTER Maddy Cutts mcutts@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jessica Dik jdik@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Caitlyn Sageman csageman@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Emilia Curcic Heather Davidson Amy Esplen Alexandra Foggetti Laila Hawrylyshyn Kristen Lambie Don Morgenson Josh Peters Cara Peticca Dani Saad Rafey Sattar Bryan Stephens Julia Vasilyeva Jessica Wood

COLOPHON The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community. Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be

sent to the council at info@ ontpress.com. The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 6,000 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada. The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2004.

PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that 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: “I read this and I read ‘big ass cocks.” - Bethany Bowles regarding her feature headline

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

• 3

Campus

CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN kseverin@thecord.ca

ORIENTATION WEEK

‘Enhancements’ made to O-Week Uptown tour, carnival night and emphasis on mental health, consent all added to weekly events KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Incoming first-year students at Wilfrid Laurier University can expect new changes in this years’ Orientation Week, where they can socialize with upper-years and get the chance to explore their new home. This is also the second year that Laurier’s Orientation Week has been adjusted to accommodate for earlier class schedules, which will begin on the Thursday. One of the major changes includes the ability for students to move out of the “Laurier bubble” into different parts of Waterloo. “We actually added an event on the Friday that would allow students to kind of integrate into uptown Waterloo and explore what’s going on there and all the things that are around,” said Tyler Murdock, orientation and transition coordinator. According to Murdock, businesses in uptown Waterloo are planning a sidewalk sale for incoming first-years on the Friday. Students will finish in the Beertown plaza where there will be food trucks and live entertainment. “There’ll be some buses looping back to campus so if students have classes they can hop on a bus back to campus and go from there,” Murdock explained. “[Friday] gives students the opportunity to get familiar with the area as well and kind of bring them out of that campus bubble right away in that first week of classes,” said Deborah Lam, promotions and programming manager for the Students’ Union. O-Week’s annual Comedy Night, usually taken place on the Wednesday, will now be an event of the past.

“... What the 1997 want isn’t necessarily what the 1993 wanted.”

-Olivia Matthews, Students’ Union president

KHA VO/FILE PHOTO

First-year students take part in the annual “Cheer Off” on Alumni Field during last year’s Orientation Week.

“In the past we’ve kind of found that it’s really hard for comedy because the way to make people laugh is basically crossing the line and that isn’t really something that fits with the values of Orientation Week,” Murdock explained. “You don’t really want to make people uncomfortable.” He also explained it is difficult to find a comedian who is “PG-rated” and won’t offend first-year stu-

dents. Instead, the Students’ Union is hoping to bring in a carnival on Wednesday night. “With an event like that you can kind of socialize with more people other than sitting and watching [a comedian].” O-Week volunteers will also notice a change during this years’ bootcamp training. As opposed to learning about personality types, campus partners will be speaking

to volunteers about what first-years need to know during their first weeks at Laurier. One of the speakers, Ben Yang from Laurier International, will give information to volunteers on what it is like being an international student at Laurier. Speakers from academic advising will also be focusing on proper techniques for MyLearningSpace and LORIS so volunteers can prop-

erly teach their first-years how to use the services and succeed in the classroom more efficiently. “It’s kind of cool that we’re putting an academic focus into the week again and making sure that that’s a good priority,” said Kaipa Bharucha, vice-president of programming and services. Students’ Union president and CEO Olivia Matthews believes the new events are enhancements rather than changes. “I think changing the week is important because although legacy and tradition is important, even more so is keeping up-to-date with our current students,” she said. “So we got the 1997 [birth-year cohort], which is crazy to say, but what the 1997 want isn’t necessarily what the 1993 wanted.” Even with these enhancements, Matthews said the university and Students’ Union always keep certain elements of tradition during O-Week. “Shinerama will always be a huge part of Orientation Week, and it starts a good community culture of charity.” Orientation Week will begin September 6 with the first cohort of students moving into residence and run until September 12.

STUDENTS’ UNION

Campus services undergo name changes Laurier’s Peer Help Line and BACCHUS are now known as Peer Connect and Healthy Lifestyles KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Name changes have happened for the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union services Peer Help Line and BACCHUS. Peer Help Line, a service that addresses mental health and student well being, has officially changed their name to ‘Peer Connect’, and BACCHUS — Boosting Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students — will be known as ‘Healthy Lifestyles’. “We’re essentially revamping how we look at our campaign format so the way we get information across to the students,” said Kaipa Bharucha, vice-president of programming and services. The Peer Connect committee, like Peer Help Line, is an anonymous phone service where students can call for questions and information on mental health. Peer Connect, operating on both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, is dedicated to providing resources and support to students, as well as campaigning for stress relief and body care. They will also use the same phone

“We’re essentially revamping how we look at our campaign format so the way we get information across to the students.” -Kaipa Bharucha, vice-president of programming and services

line as Peer Help Line. Healthy Lifestyles is focused on healthy practices and responsible decision making in regards to students’ health. Healthy Lifestyles revamped themselves to focus on health as a whole, rather than on just safe drinking practices. According to Bharucha, the revamped Peer Help Line will now focus on a number of different campaigns. Bharucha explained volunteers of Peer Connect are not trained to deal with crisis situations, nor do they want volunteers to be put into risky situations where they cannot properly distribute correct information. “Essentially we want to make sure

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

that we’re supporting our line in the best way possible, so the Peer Connect line is information and referral based,” she said. “We want to make sure we’re information and referral and we’re linking to groups in the community or on campus that [can] help with student needs for an ongoing basis.” Bharucha believes this is also a new chance for students to engage with the programs and services available in a new light. Possibly, students have never used

the service before or even heard of it, and this can provide students with information. Peer Connect is also focusing their attention on marketing to students. The committee believes they have the right knowledge and information to let students be successful in their time at Laurier. “We want to make sure that we’re ensuring students get that right throughout all four years of their school and not necessarily only engaging with these programs later

on in their career.” Now, Peer Connect is finding ways to bring information to students in a way that is acceptable to them. “Everyone has changing needs the way students process and understand information and resources changes every year,” said Bharucha. “We’re just trying to find that practices that work to make sure that we’re delivering information in ways that is acceptable to students and doesn’t make them have to try and search and find it out themselves.”

4 • CAMPUS NEWS

WHILE YOU WERE OUT

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 DEBATE

Laurier business receives $35-million donation Originally reported May 12 by Kaitlyn Severin

Laurier’s business school received a $35-million donation to help build a management institute in the Global Innovation Exchange building. Blackberry co-founder Mike Lazaridis donated $20-million and the government contributed an additional $15-million. Despite the University of Waterloo funding their arts program, Laurier says it’s a good investment to put money into the BBA program.

Examining Laurier’s response to sexual assault Originally reported June 17 by Kaitlyn Severin

After the conviction of Laurier student Adam Hughes for sexual assault in January 2013, Laurier’s response was scrutinized and evaluated. Members of the Laurier community said Laurier needs to be more “actively engaged in doing something, but change is slow.” Working groups and gendered violence task forces have been working on creating policies and guidelines for responding to cases on campus.

Statues cause debate Originally reported July 15 by Kaitlyn Severin

A ‘risky’ trade

Originally reported July 15 by Kaitlyn Severin Annette Abma, an English contract staff at Laurier, was told she would not have any classes to teach in the 2014-15 year. Abma believed she had seniority for the courses. Insecurity is a major issue for contract academic staff, and the position is a risky trade. Abma said Laurier did not provide her with a reason why she was not being offerred the courses this year. - Compiled by Shelby Blackley

JESSICA DIK/FILE PHOTO

A statue of John A. MacDonald stands in the Quad of Laurier’s Waterloo campus. 22 statues will be placed on campus, but not without opposition.

Statue project strife continues MADDY CUTTS CAMPUS LEAD REPORTER

The controversy continues surrounding Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus’ newly unveiled Prime Ministers Statue Project. The project, which was originally proposed for and rejected by the City of Kitchener, was announced earlier this summer by university administration. The first statue, that of former Prime Minister John A. McDonald, was unveiled in July, with the remaining 21 statues set to be erected over the coming years. The project proved controversial at Laurier when a PhD candidate at Western University voiced his objection to the project at the unveiling, on the grounds of its content running contrary to the Waterloo region’s cultural heritage and diversity. Another voice has been raised in opposition in the form of a peti-

“But those are all tourism initiatives, and we’re not a theme park.”

-Jonathan Finn, communication studies department chair

tion created on Change.org by one of Laurier’s own faculty members, Jonathan Finn, chair of the communication studies department. “I was familiar with the debate when it was proposed for the City of Kitchener, and was shocked, to put it quite mildly, that it came to Laurier, in the way that it did, that there was absolutely no discussion,” said Finn. “Other people I spoke to, students, staff, alumnae, were equally as shocked, so I thought why not, I’ll

start a petition.” The petition, titled ‘Stop the Statues Project,’ states that the project is lacking in artistic merit and runs counter to the cultural diversity of the Kitchener-Waterloo region. The primary issue Finn raised is the lack of involvement offered to the Laurier community prior to administration having agreed to house the project, with the decision made independently by the president and board of governors. “Maybe when the students get back, an overwhelming majority say yes we want it. But the point is, that discussion should take place before this statue project was ever decided on.” Similar to the concerns voiced at the project’s unveiling, the topic of cost was raised once more, with continuing questions surrounding the actual burden the university has undertaken to install and maintain the pieces.

“We’ve just come out of a year where we’ve been told that we’re in a very bad financial situation, that we need to ask people to retire early, that we need to lay-off and fire people,” said Finn. “So to then turn around and bring in a very controversial project without any discussion, a controversial artistic project, without any discussion, seems a very peculiar choice.” Despite Laurier president Max Blouw hopes that the statues will attract visitors to the campus as a discussion piece, and act as a possible destination for elementary field trips. This concept was additionally viewed as an unnecessary addition to campus life. “This sounds a lot like the mouse project in Toronto, and they’ve been done in different cities the world over to varying degrees,” said Finn. “But those are all tourism initiatives, and we’re not a theme park.”

THEFT

Electronic thefts at Library rising KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Over the past three years, electronic thefts at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Library have been on a steady increase, with students’ laptops and personal belongings being stolen almost every month. Corey Clarysse, a special constable with Laurier’s Special Constable Services, said they have seen nearly 30 thefts take place at the Library alone, not accounting for other thefts on campus. “That includes everything from laptops, cell phones, wallets, purses; those are the main things,” said Clarysse. According to Clarysse, SCS is unsure at this point whether Laurier students or non-Laurier students are to blame for the thefts. “We’ve had a few incidences where it’s been non-Laurier students in the past, so anybody is capable of stealing from the Library,” said Clarysse. “It’s not specifically Laurier students, it can be anybody who walks through the Library doors.” Although some may think the majority of thefts happen during midterms and exams, a time where the most students are in the Library, Clarysse explained there is a steady increase of stolen electronics every month. “Obviously there’s more volume during exam and midterm time at the Library,” Clarysse explained, “But our

“It’s not specifically Laurier students, it can be anybody who walks through the Library doors.”

-Corey Clarysse, special constable

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

statistics show that it’s just as possible during any month of the year to have something stolen and left unattended.” Among the past three years of data, 2013 was the busiest for electronic thefts and 2014 was the second worst. “2015 we had a few and the year’s not over yet, so I would say it’s on pace to matching 2013 and 2014,” Clarysse explained. Clarysse noted that for students, the most important thing is to never leave valuable electronics unattend-

ed at the Library. “Don’t leave anything out of your view, personalize your property even by adding stickers, covers and you can get your laptop engraved.” Laptop locks are also available at the Laurier Bookstore for students, which according to Clarysse, could really help students keep their laptops safe. Clarysse continued to say it is a good idea for students to go with friends to the Library where they can watch each other’s valuables if they need to leave for a moment.

“The people that you trust the most if they’re at the Library with you, have them look after your items when you go for a quick washroom break.” To combat these thefts, SCS is also continuing to do proactive patrols through the Library at various hours throughout the week. “It’s not like we’re going to come in everyday at seven o’clock, it’s going to be random, and we’re going to be keeping our eyes out for unattended objects as well and anything that might be suspicious,” Clarysse said. SCS will now start to promote their services to students, especially first-years, which will give students information on electronic theft prevention tips. “Special Constables is in the process of combating these thefts,” Clarysse said. “We have a threshold strategy moving forward and we’re going to start with a marketing campaign so primarily at information fairs on campus.”

CAMPUS NEWS • 5

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 TECHNOLOGY

New apps in store for incoming first-years KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

The Guidebook and SafeHawk applications are available for all students.

Students can look digitally on their cell phones for information when coming back to school this year. The Guidebook application, led by the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union, and the SafeHawk app, created by Special Constable Services, will provide safety tips, resources and campus maps for students. The Guidebook app provides first-years, as well as upper-years, interactive campus maps and information on school services, clubs and Orientation Week information. The app is available for both Brantford and Waterloo campuses. The app also has a special guidebook for O-Week volunteers that helps them with information about the university to guide first-year students. Catherine Mulvihill, director of the student experience at the Students’ Union, took the lead on developing the app over the summer. Mulvihill explained the intention of the app was to give first-year students a closer look at what is going on at the university, which comes with information about exam sessions, workshops and events

happening in residences, as well as detailed information about campus partners and dining information. “We can help promote a lot of different events on campus, but the intention is still to try and gear it towards students as they transition at Laurier,” Mulvihill explained. Olivia Matthews, Students’ Union president and CEO, explained the efficiency of the app for Orientation Week. If the Students’ Union has to change the location of an event, students will get a notification on the app. “It’s a tool of information but also a tool of connecting especially with first-year students,” said Matthews. According to Mulvhill, the Students’ Union will keep posting information about Laurier through Guidebook year-round. “We can help promote a lot of different events on campus, but the intention is still to try and gear it towards students as they transition at Laurier.” The SafeHawk app, also created this year, started as a means for SCS to communicate with Laurier’s students, faculty and staff quickly, as well as providing them an easy way of contacting emergency and support resources. Special Constables’ Greg Mudry,

SEMINARY

Karen Sider, as well as SCS’s associate director, Tammy Lee, were involved in SafeHawk’s initial set-up. The app is, also, operated for both Brantford and Waterloo campuses. “We were looking to have students, faculty and staff be more safety conscious of and be more proactive in their approach to their safety and well-being,” Mudry said. The SafeHawk app allows students to file reports to safety recourses on campus. It also has a personal safety tool set, which includes alarms, flashlights and campus maps. According to Mudry, SCS also decided to include resources to assist those suffering with mental health. “We thought it was important to include resources to assist those who are suffering to get those help and support that they need,” said Mudry. Although the app is up and running, its official launch date will be September 10. The app, like Laurier’s Emergency Notification System, has a push notification component that can send out mass messages to students in case of major incidences on campus. According to Matthews, the SafeHawk app also comes with the aspect of gendered violence where students can report their own sexual assaults.

REAL ESTATE

WLU buys houses KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Reverend and assistant professor Mark Harris has been appointed the principal-dean of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. He takes over for David Pfrimmer.

Seminary appoints principal-dean MADDY CUTTS CAMPUS LEAD REPORTER

Waterloo Lutheran Seminary has appointed Reverend Mark Harris to the position of principal-dean. The position of principal-dean was held by Rev. David Pfrimmer for over a decade before he chose to step down earlier this year, leaving the Seminary in search of a candidate to fill the position. They found it in the form of Mark Harris, an assistant professor with the Seminary, who has more than 27 years of experience as a pastor with the Lutheran Church and is himself a graduate of the seminary. “I am both humbled and honoured to have been chosen for the position,” said Harris. Harris will be taking over the position as the Seminary is in the midst of major changes, with planned multi-million dollar renovations and

a change in name from Waterloo Lutheran Seminary to Martin Luther University. “There are major transitions in the life here underway. Not only in terms of our physical planned space, but the change to the name,” said Harris. “While it would not come into effect for a year, year and a half, we are filing the legal documents toward making application for that name change.” In addition to those changes they’ve begun, the Seminary is in the process of renegotiating its operating agreement with Wilfrid Laurier University. “Our current operating agreement with the university is getting really old and out-dated now,” Harris explained. “It’s really time for the university and the seminary to sit down and explore how we can better work together and support one-another,

and how we at the Seminary can better integrate our programs and our operations with those at the university.” Although the Seminary will be undergoing this transitionary period, Harris is certain that he will be able to continue to support Pfrimmer’s vision of a public Seminary, which extended beyond pastoral ordainment. “This is really a place where people can come and they can integrate not only their academic curiosity and academic studies, but also conversations about the things that they most deeply value,” said Harris. “We will continue to grow into that reality of what it means to be a public seminary in this community.” In addition to the work he will be doing with the Seminary, Harris is glad of the opportunity to remain in a city and region that through his years as a pastor and at the univer-

“We will continue to grow into that reality of what it means to be a public seminary of this community.” -Reverend Mark Harris, principal-dean of the Seminary

sity he has grown fond of. “I have a deep appreciation for not only Waterloo, but the whole Waterloo region; for the diversity, for the innovation, for the character of the community in this place and for the academic institutions that are to be found in the region,” said Harris. “So all of those things together pulled me back to this community, and make it an honour to be a citizen in this region.”

In 2016, five houses bought by Wilfrid Laurier University will be renovated, repaired and used for student housing. According to Kevin Crowley, director of communications, public affairs and marketing at Laurier, Laurier purchased five houses as part of their real estate program in mid-2014. Laurier’s real estate program is the strategic buying and selling of properties to ensure the university has acceptable buildings for their current and future needs. Three houses can be found at 128 Albert Street, 130 Albert Street and 148 Albert Street, while two properties are on the Ezra strip at 63 Ezra Avenue and 65 Ezra Avenue. All houses were previously privatelyowned rental properties. “These houses had been neglected and were in need of significant repair. The university is mindful of city property standards and the special heritage character of Albert Street,” said Crowley. The university worked with city planners and a heritage contractor to improve accessibility and the conditions of the houses. In 2012, Laurier purchased 12 privately owned student-rental buildings — 10 on Ezra Street, one on Bricker Avenue and one on Hickory Street. “The rental income from these apartment units covers the mortgage costs and also yields a net profit to the university each month, while also providing Laurier with property that it might use in future for possible growth needs,” said Crowley.

6 • CAMPUS NEWS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

GSA

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

The Graduate Students’ Association will be holding various social activities and information sessions during O-Week for graduate students to introduce them to Laurier and their professors.

GSA plans O-Week programming Social activites and information sessions set for graduate students during first week of school MADDY CUTTS CAMPUS LEAD REPORTER

Wilfrid Laurier University’s graduate students are in store for their own week of orientation activities. The graduate student orientation week, which runs from Sept. 8 - 12, serves much of the same introductory purpose as its undergraduate counterpart. “While there are a number of graduate students who continue on at Laurier, there’s a number of students that come from different schools,” said Ian Muller, president of the Graduate Students’ Association. “Part of orientation is to welcome them to Laurier specifically, and the Waterloo region more generally.” Activities organized by the GSA for their aptly named ‘Explorientation’,

such as a Foodie tour of the area or canoeing in the Grand River, provide graduate students with the chance to familiarize themselves with the Waterloo region. “Our focus is to welcome them to the Laurier community by showing them both what the GSA does, what graduate studies at Laurier is like, but then also helping them get more familiar with the new area that they may be living in,” Muller continued. While the GSA is organizing social activities and information sessions, the faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies has planned department specific programming to help ease students into their studies. “Individual graduate programs have time Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon to do more program specific orientation,” said

“Part of orientation is to welcome them to Laurier specifically, and the Waterloo region more generally.”

-Ian Muller. president of the Graduate Students’ Association

Michael Bittle, communications coordinator for the faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies. “You can meet your colleagues, your professors, your friends, sort of these people that you will be moving forward with you through your graduate studies.” This year’s events are a marked

change from the previously held graduate and professional student symposium, with organizers opting for coordinated events rather than a single cohesive program. Nevertheless, the GSA and faculty’s events will be joined by sessions from the Career Centre, the Centre for Teaching Innovation and Excellence, as well as other campus organizations aiming to help support graduate students. “[It] was a collaborative effort between all of the different areas on campus that sort of support graduate students,” said Muller. “All of those different partners are still providing graduate orientation activities, but in a less comprehensive format.” Despite the voluntary nature of most of the programming, faculty of social work and MBA activities

aside, organizers are confident students will be eager to participate in graduate-specific programming. “We feel that on the whole graduate students are pretty serious about wanting to start out on the right foot,” said Muller. “So a good percentage of students definitely make the point of coming out to things.” Nevertheless, the GSA were still responsible for creating a week of programming which linked both the social aspects of university and community, with the realities of the demands of graduate level studies. “We’re trying to find that balance,” said Muller. “That balance between not overwhelming students with information, but wanting to provide them with the tools and the knowledge they need to start out their graduate degree.”

few call-ins just asking about how to use the services and it seems like it’s going well,” said Martins. Although students are getting more comfortable with the tab, Service Laurier still honours consent from students to let a third party have access to their financial information. “We’re still allowing [consent] so

we’re kind of in-between, so if you set up consent we still honour that you have that set up verses the Proxy Account, so I think we’re in the moment of transition.” As of now, first-year students seem to be on board with the Proxy Access tab, while ICT and Service Laurier are hoping more upper-year students are getting involved with it.

LORIS

LORIS debuts new Proxy Access tab Proxy Access to give third party ability to see account summary and invoice without jeopardizing confidentiality KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University students will now be able to give account summary information and invoices to their parents or a third party through proxy access. This summer, Laurier’s Information and Communications Technologies team, along with Service Laurier, announced their new “Proxy Access” tab on LORIS. This will allow students to give access to part of their LORIS account without giving away all of their information. According to Necia Martins, manager of Service Laurier, the university started practicing paperless bills in the 2014-15 year, but students still assumed their parents were getting their invoices and bills. After complaints were sent from students who were not notified about their e-bills, Service Laurier tried to meet parents and students halfway by launching the Proxy Access tab. “ICT found the Proxy Access tab, they found that and brought it forward to us because we were trying to figure out how to get parents notified

that a new e-bill had been posted because that was the number one complaint,” Martins explained. “They didn’t even care about receiving an invoice, it’s just more or less being more aware.” In a campus update on Laurier’s website, Shelagh Pepper, manager of Student Information Systems, said the proxy access “combines ease of access and enhanced experience for students along with cost-reduction for internal partners.” According to Martins, Service Laurier and ICT are aware of the high volume of emails to students and can understand how notifications about invoices can slip through the cracks. “[A proxy account] just adds that step of ease in just having your parents or someone else aware of whether there’s a new e-bill,” said Martins. To add a proxy account, students will have to go to the Proxy Access tab on LORIS. There, students will be directed to a management page where they can add a proxy by providing an email address and name. Students will then have to create a secret passphrase to verify the ac-

“[Students] didn’t even care about receiving an invoice, it’s just more or less being more aware.”

-Necia Martins, manager of Service Laurier

count, which will allow the students’ proxy to call Service Laurier and ask questions regarding account information. After the student completes the process, their proxy will receive an email that will ask for the passphrase. After the user sets up a password and account information, the proxy will have access to the students’ invoices and account summary. As of now, Service Laurier is not running reports on how successful the tab is, but Martins believes students are starting to use it. “We do believe there are a lot of students that are using it, we’ve had a

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CAMPUS NEWS • 7

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 ARTS

Big changes in store for arts council Laurier’s arts council, CICDA, will now operate under the new name Arts Undergraduate Society KAITLYN SEVERIN CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR

Formerly known as the Council for the Intellectual and Cultural Development of the Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University’s arts council is going through big changes this year — the first being its name. Coming into the 2015-16 academic year, CICDA has officially changed their name to the Arts Undergraduate Society. “Sometimes it feels like arts programs get the short end of the stick when it comes to funding and just overall recognition and AUS wants to change that stereotype,” said AUS vice-president: external Jenna Centofanti. “Revamping the former CICDA to AUS is going to give the whole operation a modern face lift and help us become recognizable in the social media world as well as on campus.” After seeing the potential in other faculty associations, such as School of Business and Economics Students Society, president of AUS Tom Ebeyer believed CICDA was not living up to its own capability. “It was quite clear that the name was so disenfranchising, you know, ‘Council for the Intellectual and Cultural Development of the Arts’ was quite pretentious and didn’t resonate with first-year students,” said Ebeyer. “So we decided it kind of needed a little bit of a change or restructuring to get the most value out of the fee that students in the faculty of arts are paying.” According to Ebeyer, the former

“Revamping the former CICDA to AUS is going to give the whole operation a modern face lift.”

-Jenna Centofanti, VP external of AUS

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CICDA is being restructured to represent their core structure and program associations. AUS oversees 35 to 40 clubs, including the History Students Association and the Political Society Association, as well as groups like Laurier Musical Theatre. “We decided … there was a real need for a differentiation between those two different groups; some are

personal interest based and that’s great and we totally support that, and some are academic based,” said Ebeyer. Ebeyer noted the goal of AUS is to enhance student engagement and advocacy within the departments in the faculty of arts. “We want to really help history students go to a history students association and have their voice heard

on things like course selection.” According to Ebeyer, a few programs in the faculty of arts that didn’t formerly have student associations will be launched this September. AUS is also testing out initiatives like the Grant Fund Council, a project designed for student groups and campus clubs to receive funding for their events and projects, and the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of

the Arts. The AUS has also taken on the Social Innovation project, a studentrun program dedicated to helping university students become innovators and entrepreneurs, as an internal program to give students more opportunities to transfer theoretical knowledge into community oriented projects. “The Social Innovation Project is basically striving to create an environment where arts student can flourish,” said Centofanti. “We’ll have workshops and placements with community partners that’ll give them some real world experience,” echoed Ebeyer. AUS has yet to put out a public launch, but Ebeyer is hoping to announce their changes by the beginning of Orientation Week. “We are waiting for the website to be finished, now it obviously has to be launched no later than the very first day of Orientation Week,” Ebeyer continued. “In an ideal world I’d say September 1 we’re all ready to go, but it’s a big project that we’re doing.”

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8 • LOCAL NEWS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

Local

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

STARTUPS

Local spin on grocery delivery

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ERIKA YMANA LOCAL NEWS EDITOR

Busy Kitchener-Waterloo residents are now able to buy locally-grown food through the help of Grocera, a startup grocery delivery service headed by University of Waterloo alumni Niket Soni and Wilfrid Laurier University alumni, Patrick Valoppi. Grocera is an online-based company where customers can pick from a variety of products including meat, produce and kitchen-essentials, among others. Since its inception two months ago, the service has acquired five local suppliers, including St. Agatha for produce, Grain Harvest for baked goods and local independent organizations for meat products. The startup company plans to expand its product features by offering organic and gluten-free options. “It’s just continually seeing what people want, what’s going to

resonate with them and being able to offer that from a logistics point of view,” Soni said. For Soni, the idea derived from working at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for two years handling food safety. This exposed him to a variety of different manufacturers as well as the logistics behind working for the industry. This experience worked well with his hobby for web development and programming. Soni also found that Canada is late on this trend, which leaves a huge market in the industry. “I know there’s a gap in the market place because local food is what’s trending right now … it’s an ondemand economy, we want things now or the next day at the latest. We’re right on the outsets so there’s a huge market there that we’re really trying to capture.” Growing up, buying local food was always important for Valoppi since his family has a history of agricul-

ture. Seeing the gap in Waterloo in which many missed out on plentiful and nutritious Ontario food, he debated on whether to return to the corporate world — having previously worked at Microsoft — or to venture into startups, also having experience in the field. “It was just one of those opportunities at the right time. Niket posted an ad on a local tech forum … I was reading it and it looked really awesome and it aligned with all the values that I have and it took off from there,” Valoppi, a business graduate, explained. Grocera considers itself not only a tech company but also a “service for the people,” as the startup wants to focus on building invaluable relationships with its customers. “We’re trying to recreate that ‘milk man relationship’ that used to exist even with technology where usually you have less human interaction. Not only does that instill the trust factor, but gives it a retro feel to the

whole idea. Yes it’s a tech company, but we’re also customer-focused,” said Soni. In terms of customer outreach and community reception, Valoppi added that there are target markets that have responded positively to the service. He mentioned students and “timestarved” parents who can’t dedicate enough time to grocery shop. “I talked to a couple of students who said during finals they eat a can of beans for dinner because they had nothing else in the fridge. If you don’t have time to get groceries, we can provide you wholesome ingredients for your meal,” said Valoppi. As a recent startup, Grocera already has a lot planned for its next steps, which includes an expansion to Toronto by next summer and more product offerings such as alcohol delivery. The company is currently in the process of applying for an alcohol delivery license, which will allow

them to deliver local beer and wine. “That’s a service that’s going to resonate with students so we’re actually very excited for that,” said Soni. As for Toronto, the company will take the winter to plan and contact suppliers. Soni believes that the logistical and operational model currently implemented is “transplantable” to different areas. “We started in Kitchener-Waterloo because it’s like a test market. It has a growing population, there are students, there are elderly, we have everything we need and then once we figured out all the kinks it’s time to go big,” Soni explained. The company plans to wholeheartedly continue the service in the region accommodating all customers by offering discounts. For example, Laurier students will receive a special discount using the discount code “laurier5” for five per cent off. A newsletter will also be in place to benefit loyal customers.

COMMUNITY

Small shops battle LRT construction HEATHER DAVIDSON CORD ALUM

Local businesses in Kitchener-Waterloo are finding new ways to attract customers amid ION light rail transit construction in the region. Honey Bakeshop and Words Worth Books, located in uptown Waterloo, opened their back doors on Hughes Lane on July 24 with the goal of increasing foot traffic despite nearby construction-related road closures. David Worsley, co-owner of Words Worth Books, said fellow co-owner and member of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area, Mandy Grouse, developed the idea. Guests at the event, titled “Summer Party in Our Backyard” had the opportunity to browse an outdoor book market and enjoy lunch or dessert in the comfort of the renovated back alley of the two businesses. The alley was also home to children’s activities, workshops and live music on the weekends. The event, which was scheduled to run from July 24 to August 8, was extended until August 22 due to the success of the first two weeks. “I would love to do it permanently,” said Worsley. “It’s just a question of logistics, whether we can keep it going.” The event was part of a

“It’s not enough to like your little bakery, or your little hairdresser or your little bookstore. You have to actually use them.” -David Worsley, co-owner of Words Worth Books

larger initiative to combat the effects frequent road closures are having on local businesses, as customers are finding it increasingly hard to access these smaller stores. “The back alley will always be viable no matter what happens out front. That’s the hook. No matter what happens out front, whether there’s a bulldozer every eight feet, people can get in through that back alley,” Worsley said. With more roads set to close in the coming months, Worsley said that every business in the area is feeling the pressure to find creative ways to bring customers in. “You hear it anecdotally from businesses, everybody’s heard by now about Central [Fresh Market] and what they have to deal with. They’ve said, ‘We lost 30 per cent right away,’ ” Worsley said.

Central, located on the stretch of King St. between Union and Victoria, which was one of the first sections closed for construction, has resorted to putting up signs around town directing customers to their store. Other side road stores are also dealing with detours with signs saying they are still open and which roads to take to get to their locations. In regards to his own business, Worsley believes the hard part is still to come, but initiatives like the Summer Party will help to keep business steady during the coming months. “We will be fine with enough small ideas,” he said. On top of plans to continue using the Hughes Lane, Worsley mentioned talks of collaborating with Sabletine Fine Pastries and members of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area to plan more events and promote the idea of supporting local businesses during ION construction. Worsley added the importance of continuously utilizing these small businesses especially during this time. “It’s not enough to like your little bakery, or your little hairdresser or your little bookstore. You have to actually use them,” he said. “It would be a profound shame if [the LRT] debuted in front of a bunch of boarded up businesses.”

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Words Worth books and Honey Bakeshop had an alley party to help sales.

10 • LOCAL NEWS

K-W IN BRIEF Busker Fest revamp as ‘new and improved’ Moving to a new location, behind the Waterloo City Hall, the annual Busker Carnival delivered a fun-filled experience with a carnival-like experience. The event ran from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30 behind the main City Hall building. The relocation didn’t seem to hinder the attendance.

St. Jacobs market grand re-opening St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market launched its official grand reopening on Tuesday, September 1. The building now accommodates over 400 vendors. The grand opening held a silent auction from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and free pony rides from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Suicide numbers surge in Waterloo Region According to Ontario’s chief coroner, the region’s suicide rate rose 57 per cent in the span of six years. Police have also responded to over 1000 suicide attempts within the past two years. Chief Bryan Larkin from Waterloo Regional Police Services said more can be done in terms of efficiency when managing such a sensitive crisis.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 PILOT PROJECT

Modernizing alcohol sales JULIA VASILYEVA STAFF WRITER

An LCBO memo released on August 19 revealed that the Kitchener location at 721 Ottawa Street South, was one of 10 across Ontario chosen for a pilot project introducing the sale of 12-packs of beer. The project was laid out by the provincial government to “modernize” alcohol sales. This particular LCBO was chosen based on a number of criteria. “One of the criteria was that it had to be [two kilometres] from the nearest Beer Store ... and that particular store usually had walk-in fridge space,” said LCBO media relations coordinator Christine Bujold. “It would have also been a location which customers were accustomed to going to for beer products and beer packs ... and that was all laid out by the asset review council — the premier’s council,” she continued. The provincial government implemented the pilot project in an attempt to improve alcohol sales by making larger quantities of beer more convenient. Expanding the sales of 12-packs to the LCBO is an attempt to make this purchase more convenient, as it will no longer be necessary to go to the Beer Store for larger quantities of beer. “It’s the best possible customer service. It meets the needs of our customers as well as the requirements from the council,” said Bujold. The beer store had no comment when contacted.

The products that have now become available in 12-packs include domestic brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling Lager and Budweiser as well as some craft beer options such as Steam Whistle and Muskoka Survival Pack. Heineken, Stella Artois, Corona Extra and Grolsch will also be available among the imported beer options. Bujold said there will be no variation in beer price. “A 12-pack whether it’s purchased at a Beer Store or an LCBO store is still the same price,” said Bujold. The pilot project chosen by the provincial government under Premier Kathleen Wynne is an attempt to generate more revenue from larger public assets to fund government programs. “Once the year is over [the results of the pilot project] will be looked upon by an independent third party and it will go from there,” said Bujold. The memo also states that more Ontario craft beer options will become available this fall. “One of the other things that the LCBO is going to be doing going forward is introducing destination craft beer zones. So this will be areas within the LCBO stores that will feature craft beer products all in one place so consumers can go in and take a look at a vast variety of craft beer,” said Bujold. For now, there is one confirmed location that is going to begin implementing these changes, at the Summerhill store in Toronto that will also have a growler station.

NOTICE OF STUDY COMMENCEMENT

NORTHDALE STREETSCAPE MASTER PLAN

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Pilot project introduces the sale of 12-pack beers across 10 LCBO locations.

E M O C WE L ! K C A B

The City of Waterloo, with the assistance of IBI Group, is beginning a streetscape master plan of the Northdale neighbourhood in the centre of Waterloo. The study is being conducted as a Schedule ‘B’ Class Environmental Assessment.

My office can help with:

The streetscape master plan will develop design concepts and strategies for public spaces and reconstruction of city streets within the study area (not including the above-noted boundary streets). This will include assessment of infrastructure and utilities for the ultimate full redevelopment of the Northdale neighbourhood.

• Recognition for Special Occasions

Public information centres will be held beginning in fall of 2015. These sessions will be advertised in local newspapers, posted on the city’s web site and mailed to all those on the study mailing list.

• OSAP and Funding Issues

For further information, to provide comment and/or to be added to the study mailing list, please e-mail northdale@waterloo.ca or contact either of the following study representatives listed below right.

• Landlord and Tenant Board

Mike Lupsa, P. Eng. Senior Project Engineer City of Waterloo Phone: 519-886-2310 ext. 30261 Fax: 519-886-5788 E-mail: mike.lupsa@waterloo.ca Don Drackley MCIP RPP, Consultant Master Plan Manager IBI Group, 101 – 410 Albert Street Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3V3 Tel: 519-585-2255 Fax: 519-585-2269 E-mail: ddrackley@ibigroup.com

P. 519.886.1550 TTY. 1.866.786.3941 waterloo.ca/publicnotices

• Education Issues

• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board • Supportive Housing • Preparation of Petitions for the Ontario Legislature

Catherine Fife MPP Kitchener-Waterloo 22 King St. S., Unit 401, Waterloo 519-725-3477 cfife-co@ndp.on.ca CatherineFife.com

LOCAL NEWS • 11

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

EMPLOYMENT

TECHNOLOGY

BAs in tech ERIKA YMANA LOCAL NEWS EDITOR

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR, CONTRIBUTED IMAGES

New interactive app allows taxi booking, multiple payments and tracking. The company hopes to increase convenience between them and the customer.

Waterloo Taxi stepping up ERIKA YMANA LOCAL NEWS EDITOR

With almost 70 years of service, Waterloo Taxi plans to be at the forefront of taxi service innovation within the region through their fully integrated app set to launch on September 1. The free app will be equipped with a number of features that aim to be inclusive of all customers. A few highlighted features that differentiate the app from others already available are its ability to accept accessibility requests and multiple ways of payment for customers looking for a taxi. For example, if a customer needs a wheel-chair accessible taxi, they are able to specify their request in the app. A customer also has the options to pay through credit card or pay in-person with cash, unlike other similar apps that only take credit payments. The app is interactive as it allows

for communication between the driver and passenger. If the pick-up point for the passenger has changed, they can send a message, which will be sent directly to the driver. The customer will also be able to know their driver, the car number and can track the taxi upon its arrival on Google maps. Tony Rodriguez, Waterloo Taxi’s director of marketing, said Waterloo Taxi is only the second company in Canada to offer in-app payment. He adds that the company is hoping to add the OneCard and WatCard on its list of payment options in the future. “The intent is to be progressive. We want to be the leaders in the industry,” said Rodriguez. The planning and execution of the idea occurred a little over a year ago, and Rodriguez said the plan was always in place regardless of other services like Uber or Lyft. “We knew that Uber was around, alive and well but … it’s something

HERITAGE

that we knew we were going to do and we wanted to do it as well as we possibly could and we certainly didn’t rush it,” Rodriguez said. The company hopes to have 1500 app users within the first 30 days of its launch. Peter Neufeld, president of Waterloo Taxi and former president of the Waterloo Region Taxi Association, said innovation is a key factor in succeeding in the taxi industry. “Technology advances so rapidly and the taxi industry isn’t exempt from that. We have to keep up with the latest technology, make it as convenient as possible for the customer — that’s basically our main goal,” said Neufeld. Rodriguez and Neufeld indicate that the overall theme of this change is seamlessness. The company emphasizes convenience for their customers. “It’s all about convenience, we’re trying to make this as easy a transaction as possible for the

“The intent is to be progressive. We want to be the leaders in the industry.”

-Tony Rodriguez, director of marketing for Waterloo Taxi

consumer,” said Neufeld. Waterloo hopes to integrate tablets in their cars within the next year with the hopes of upgraded communication between the company and the customer. This is just one idea as Rodriguez indicates there is much more in store for the company. “So we continue to go with the times or what is demanding of the industry … or what is demanding of our customer base. We’ll continue to move forward. There’s no doubt.”

The Working Centre recently launched a federally-funded program, STEM to STEAM, that aims to provide arts and humanities graduates the opportunity to find work within Waterloo’s evident technology sector. The program began at the beginning of the month and hopes to re-introduce the importance of an arts education as it provides necessary critical thinking and interpersonal skills that are needed in any company to succeed. The funding allows the Working Centre to provide 12 six-month internships. But there is a set of criteria the applicant must meet before they can set up a meeting. Such criteria include that the applicant must be between 15 and 30 years of age, and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or of refugee status. They must be legally entitled to work in Canada and cannot be a recipient of employment insurance benefits. Sarah Anderson, coordinator of the project, said the program is interactive with the applicant as the organization works to understand the goals of the individual. “We don’t set up cookie cutter placements,” said Anderson. It credits both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo in helping shape the direction of the program. It is also partnering with Communitech as it has the necessary connections needed with Waterloo Region’s tech sector. The program is still searching for applicants and employers, but it must begin by mid-January. Nathan Stretch, another program coordinator, said it is important to use external resources similar to the Working Centre when looking for employment opportunities. Anderson agrees that searching through the job market alone can can lead to isolation or depression. “It feels really exciting to open up doors. They don’t have to be alone. There’s really something valuable in that.”

A walk through history Descendants of John E. Brubacher walked 700 kilometres from Pennsylvania to Waterloo to trace Mennonite roots EMILIA CURCIC STAFF WRITER

JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Brubacher house (pictured above) built in 1850, was the final destination.

In July, cousins Erin and Christine Brubaker, direct descendants of John E. Brubacher, decided to travel on foot from Pennsylvania to Waterloo on a journey that would pay tribute to their ancestors as well as become a personal achievement. The Brubacher household, built in 1850 by John E. Brubacher, sits on the University of Waterloo campus and serves as a symbol for the Pennsylvania/German heritage that was cultivated on those lands during the late 1800s. The house itself was purchased by the University of Waterloo in 1965 and since has been restored and converted into a museum. The Brubacher family played a crucial role in the migration of the Mennonite community to Waterloo. The idea came from a story of one of their ancestors who had walked the Pennsylvania/Waterloo route

many times. Both women have a background in the arts and were looking for inspiration. Having met each other only two and a half years prior, a fresh opportunity for artistic possibilities was obvious. The pair found many similarities between themselves. Not only are they both artistic, they were also both excited by the idea of this new experience. “Taking time to walk this distance spoke to our sense of things — and our desires to interrupt or disrupt our day-to-day ways,” said Erin Brubacher in an email. The journey itself brought immense fulfillment to both women full of moments and accomplishments. “There was one day, walking into East Aurora [New York], when I felt really physically accomplished. Christine and I had split up that day, because my hips were hurting and I needed to keep going and her feet were hurting and she needed to

stop, and I arrived a couple of hours ahead of her. I walked for 9.5 hours with only a 10-minute break. When I sat down in a little bakery/bar on arrival I felt so satisfied and proud,” Erin said. On August 6, one day after their expected arrival, the Brubacher descendants reached their final destination. After walking around 700 kilometres over a span of just under a month, the house in Waterloo was a welcoming sight. “The ending, looking at the John E. Brubacher house and the crowd of people gathered there felt quite profound. We had arrived at our end point,” said Brubaker. “I’m not sure what my journey can teach others, but I do hope that there is an inclination to slow down — literally our pace, step out of our cars, connect with our environment.” The pair is looking to collaborate again in the near future on a project that stems from the experience they had on their walk.

12 • LOCAL NEWS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

FEDERAL ELECTION

Election spurs student outreach The Cord talks with party candidates regarding their ideas in investing in younger demographic MYNT MARSELLUS MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

On October 19, Canadians across the country will be going to polling stations to elect the 42nd Parliament of Canada. Students in Waterloo have four candidates with a real chance at being the next Member of Parliament with different strategies for student engagement. In 2008, Peter Braid defeated Liberal incumbent Andrew Telegdi by only 17 votes to become the first conservative MP for Waterloo in 15 years. In 2011, he was re-elected and he is standing for re-election again this fall. “We’ve had some real wins and successes in terms of an ongoing process of policy changes to the Canada Student Loans and Grants program,” Braid said, defending his record. “Including the elimination of the value of a student’s vehicle as part of the assessments process … [and] the elimination of in-study income as part of needs assessment.” Braid also highlighted funding for campus infrastructure and years of community engagement as important parts of his record as an MP. Looking to unseat him from the Liberal Party is Bardish Chagger, a community organizer and former executive assistant to Liberal MP Andrew Telegdi. The biggest issue Chagger has been hearing in the community is around representation. “There’s a lot of concern that we

“We want people representing our community rather than the leader’s voice to our riding.” -Bardish Chagger, Liberal candidate

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR, CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Peter Braid, Bardish Chagger, Diane Freeman and Richard Walsh are in running to be the next MP for Waterloo.

have an elected official that is not representing our community and that is representing his leader,” Chagger said. “We want people representing our community rather than the leader’s voice to our riding.” Diane Freeman of the NDP has a different challenge than Chagger in this campaign. Since 1979, Waterloo’s riding has been represented

exclusively by either the Conservatives or Liberals both provincially and federally. However in 2012, Catherine Fife was elected as an NDP member of provincial parliament, which brightened the prospects of a federal NDP candidate in Waterloo. “[Students] see the NDP as a party that will start reinvesting in

research,” Freeman said. “The current government has ceased using applied and good advice in terms of research in policy making and I think everyone recognizes that.” “Tuition fees go up because there has been an underinvestment in post-secondary education and students know that and they are footing

the bill for it,” Freeman adds. After nine years on council, Freeman was adamant about her desire to serve the community. “I care about people, the reason why I put my name forth was to let folks know that I’m willing to serve them at a higher office if that is where they would like me to work.” Recently retired Wilfrid Laurier University professor Richard Walsh and the Green Party candidate is also looking to make a splash in this campaign specifically through campusbased activism. “We have a couple of people affiliated with the Green Party who are attempting to revive Young Greens at Laurier,” Walsh said. “That movement is occurring even as we speak … to ensure that students are actively informed about, from a peer perspective what the Green Party is all about.” Laurier will host advanced polls on their campus while the University of Waterloo will be part of a pilot project with Elections Canada, hosting main voting stations.

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LOCAL NEWS •

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

COMMUNITY

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mayor hopes to expand student culture SHELBY BLACKLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dave Jaworsky may have the best seat in Waterloo. The mayor of Waterloo sits on the third floor of the City Hall building on Regina Street, his office overlooking the many high rises being built strategically close to the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. With the strategic plan for the City of Waterloo beside him, Jaworsky talks about the student influence. “That’s the key offering of the City of Waterloo, is all of the talent that we produce here with 55,000 students in our region,” he said. “We have a great opportunity to be a world leader in skills … if we can provide the right quality of life and jobs, I think people would want to locate here just as I did three decades ago.” Coming to Waterloo in 1983 for a

degree in computer science at UW, Jaworsky understands the importance students have for the growth and stability of Waterloo. Moneysense magazine ranked Waterloo 16 out of 209 cities for “best place to live,” and the mayor says he wants to continue this with the students that come into the area by focusing on Waterloo’s vision statement. This highlights being world renowned, a home for discovery and creating jobs through entrepreneurship and opportunity. “I view us as one of the best medium-sized cities in Canada … we are a very unique community,” Jaworsky explained. “We have very exciting things going on in the area of discovery.” Jaworsky and the city hope to keep students here once they graduate from UW, Laurier or Conestoga College by creating strong economic development through area planning,

“If we can provide the right quality of life and jobs, I think people would want to locate here just as I did three decades ago.” -Dave Jaworsky, mayor of Waterloo

increasing the Northdale private sector, using station area plans and embracing and planning around quantum technology, nanotechnology and other research clusters, as outlined in the strategic plan. They are also working with local companies one-on-one to match what their needs are to grow economically. “What we’re growing here is buildings of knowledge and buildings of

employment for things that have yet to be invented. It’s exciting to be here.” However despite the large amount of students in the area — over 55,000, according to Jaworsky — students don’t have the desire to explore outside of the university and college bubbles. Many students stay entranced in the university district and, unless they become invested in their new home, rarely adventure uptown to see what there is to offer. “One of the challenges I found, even when I was a student, the universities offer so much that you often don’t have to go beyond the university borders,” he explained. “And I want to change that. I want students to say, ‘I want to go to Waterloo Park,’ ‘I want to explore Laurel Creek,’ ‘I want to see some shopping and do some dining in uptown Waterloo’ and the other things the city has to offer because I do believe

that’s how people become more engaged with the city or comfortable with the city.” “That’s something I’d really like to change; to get people off campus. [I want to] get people out of those towers and more into the streets and into the parks.” Jaworsky says the City of Waterloo is trying to embrace the urban lifestyle that “a lot of the younger people want.” The city is also doing more with streetscapes and active transportation to increase mobility for students and residents, while working with Laurier and the district school board about an appropriate plan for Northdale and Waterloo Collegiate Institute. This includes a new streetscape plan, new parks and implementing walkways. “We want to be invested in it, not just watching it happen,” Jaworsky said.

HOUSING

Survey indicates surplus of beds With the leveling of enrolment, it has become harder to fill student housing MADDY CUTTS CAMPUS LEAD REPORTER

A recent survey into Waterloo student housing may have revealed the city’s supply will soon exceed its demand. The survey, which was conducted in fall 2014, was undertaken by the Waterloo region Town and Gown Committee, an organization which serves to facilitate collaboration between post-secondary institutions and the municipalities in which they reside. “Our overall vision is to improve the quality of life in a municipality with post-secondary institutions,” said Kathleen Hofer, president of the Ontario Town and Gown Association. “At this point we are comprised of stakeholders who would be municipal representatives, they would be from a post-secondary institution, and from a lot of the services that work within cities.” The survey was two-fold, seeking to examine both the supply-anddemand aspect of student housing in Waterloo, as well as student expectations and satisfaction with regard to housing. The results generated indicated that there was a potential 1,196 bed surplus of student housing in Waterloo. Work was done with both univer-

“Our overall vision is to improve the quality of life in a municipality with post-secondary institutions.” -Kathleen Hofer, president of the Ontario Town and Gown Association

sities’ registrars’ offices to gain an understanding of student enrolment, while accounting for Laurier’s Brantford campus and any of the University of Waterloo’s satellite campuses. The Regional Municipality of Waterloo was then consulted with regard to the number of local students who attended either institution, with the final step being to factor in any local co-op students. “We really worked kind of backwards to try and filter things down to try and get a supply-and-demand picture so that we can really get a sense of, okay, how many students are actually looking?” said Ryan King, manager of Off-Campus Living and Residence Assignments at the University of Waterloo and chair of the working group responsible for the survey. There are however limitations on the data, such as hav-

HEATHER DAVIDSON/CORD ALUM

Student residences like the one pictured above on Lester Street is one of the many housing options available.

ing accounted for every low-density housing licence in the city regardless of its occupants, or solely having included multi-residential buildings inside a set catchment area. Nevertheless, the committee is confident their room for error is wide enough to account for these limitations, and their data could indicate a real surplus in the Waterloo market. They also believe this is only likely to grow given the continuous construction of student-geared housing in the area. “I think Waterloo is a little further in the development of purpose-built [student] housing than most municipalities in Canada,” said Hofer.

The second half of the survey, the student feedback to which over 5000 responses were received, indicates that this purpose built housing may not always be meeting its customers’ needs. “What’s available, and what we counted and we saw, was very much the four and five bedroom units,” said King. “There’s a lot of students who may not want that set-up, they may want a two or a three bedroom set-up, and sort of lower occupancy per unit.”The committee hopes that from the survey will come better education by the region and the universities with regard to students and housing, from accommoda-

“We really worked kind of backwards to try and filter things down to try and get a supply-and-demand picture.” -Ryan King, manager of Off-Campus Living and Residence Assignments

tion licensing to tenant rights and responsibilities. “The more educated they are, the more opportunity that a tenant has to be empowered,” said King.

14 • AD

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READERSHIP SURVEY WE’RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS. FILL OUT OUR READERSHIP SURVEY AND BRING IT TO 205 REGINA STREET (BEHIND KING STREET RES) FOR A CHANCE TO WIN SOME SWAG. DON’T WANT TO DROP IT OFF BUT HAVE AN OPINION? FILL IT OUT ONLINE AT THECORD.CA 1. Are you a...

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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, Nothing says the start of school is approaching like people selling textbooks via Facebook posts. Sincerely, Ugh Another School Year Dear Cord, Thank you for submitting my Dear Life saying you guys suck monkey balls. Maybe you guys aren`t as sensitive as I thought Sincerely, You still suck monkey balls though Dear Life, I believe that living a perfect life revolves around three things. 1) Loving yourself. 2) Being yourself. 3) Finding someone who loves you for being yourself. So Life, now I must ask you. Why is it that some have such difficulty accomplishing all three of these? Sincerely, Waiting To Be Loved Dear Earth, Why you so warm?

Sincerely, my butt sweat stain Dear WLUSU, Glad to see which two the political parties you favour in the coming election. I guess without the red or green in your advertising, you’re hoping to work with the incumbent MP, and the incumbent MPP. Yes, I’m talking conservative and liberal. Sincerely, #LaurierVotes is biased. DEAR WEATHER, Please cool down. Sincerely, Sweaty Dear Life, Maybe if he can’t convince the Republicans to elect him, Donald Trump will come up here to replace Blouw as WLU President. Sincerely, #DraftTrump Dear Life, Why am I excited to move back to Waterloo? So I can come home drunk at 3 am without my mother judging me Sincerely, Stop hating mom Dear Life, Legalize weed? More like LEGALIZE FREE TEXTBOOKS! Sincerely, Help me I’m poor Dear Life, Classes don’t start till the 10th!?! Please don’t tell me I’m writing exams on Christmas eve… Sincerely,

I like my holidays. Dear Life, Every other school started classes before Labour day, why the fuck are we waiting till the 10th to start? Exams don’t start till Dec 12? Thats only 10 days of exams. Grand River Hospital, get ready for student aneurysms over Christmas. Sincerely, FML Dear Laurier, WHY DO EXAMS END ON DECEMBER 23RD? Am I really going to have to study on the night of my birthday? Sincerely, Fuck it, I’m still getting drunk Dear Life, I wish people would let me achieve my fitness goals without scrutinizing times I don’t want to drink. Sincerely, Stop looking at me like I have sex without a condom. Dear Life, It’s so sad when you buy a bunch of cute clothes but you have no friends to hangout with so you have nowhere to wear them to. Sincerely, Whatever, still looking cute alone in my house Dear Life, Could really use a break from your stupidity. Can’t people be nice for once? Sincerely, I’m going to go chill with my best friend vodka.

STUDENT WORK OPPORTUNITY Excellent student work opportunity! The Survey Research Centre at the University of Waterloo is currently seeking part-time telephone interviewers for the fall/winter terms (September-April). The SRC is a research centre on the UW campus which offers a variety of survey services. Interviewers are responsible for conducting high quality interviews and performing administrative tasks such as data entry. Work does not involve telemarketing or fundraising. Must be in at least 2nd year, be fluent in English, have a clear, strong speaking voice, and excellent communication skills. Experience in telephone work, data entry, or customer service helpful, but not required; ability to speak French or Spanish fluently an asset. Minimum 15 hours/week required, mainly evenings and weekends. Starting wage is $12/hour. Send resume by September 18 to emclay@uwaterloo.ca.

16 • PHOTOS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

Summer 2015 in photos

PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR, WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR, JESSICA DIK/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

PHOTOS • 17

18 • FEATURES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

FIFTH-YEAR SCIENCE

“

WILLIAM CALDWELL

ALISON CARLI THIRD-YEAR CHEMISTRY AND MATH

“[Waterloo] is a great community to move into. There’s lots of diversity and job opportunities, especially in science and the computer science area.”

KELSEY MATHESON FOURTH-YEAR KINESIOLOGY

“

Features Editor Bethany Bowles asked upper-year students for advice to give to first-years

“

FIRST-YEAR SURVIVAL GUIDE FROM AGING HAWKS

“Pay more attention to classes you’re not interested in because the second you let them slide, you’re too far back to catch up ... there’s always one that you have absolutely no interest in and it kills you unless you stay on top of it.”

“First-years coming in should definitely know about Veritas Café right outside the Quad. It’s a great place to go get some food. They have really awesome sandwiches and wraps. The mac and cheese is so delicious!”

JENNIFER LAWLEY

CODY PETRISINO

“

“There’s always something going on campus and in residence, so it’s really hard to balance social life and academics. Your goals are long term, so there’s not an immediate kind of goal in first year, so focus on academics even though there’s going to be stuff going on. It’s also important too to not be scared and get involved ... Even though you’re at the bottom of the barrel, they really want first-years to get involved and not be scared.”

“

FOURTH-YEAR PSYCHOLOGY

SECOND-YEAR BBA FINANCIAL MATH DOUBLE DEGREE

“From an off-campus student’s perspective, for sure get involved, participate in RAC sports and go to every event that you possibly can. Join LOCUS, [which is]a virtual residence for off campus students and it provides a social aspect as well as a good support network [for students not in residence].”

FEATURES • 19

“Be open to everything and take it as a clean slate ... If you’re open to doing anything, you get a lot back as far as rewards and opportunities.”

LAURIER BUSINESS ALUMNI

“

GREG NORSAL

BO URBINA FOURTH-YEAR LANGUAGES

“Be sure to get involved. Try to do something. Go meet people, but at the same time, it’s easy to get too involved. You can over commit, so your grades will easily fall.”

KATIE O’BRIEN FIFTH-YEAR SOCIOLOGY

“

FIFTH-YEAR KINESIOLOGY

“

TYLER MURDOCK

“

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

“Actually pay attention to what you’re learning in class. Go to class because that stuff you’re learning is important when you graduate. I’m doing it all right now and it’s all applicable.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff and time manage. You’re going to stay up until five in the morning working on a project that in three years you’re not even going to remember, but you are going to remember who you spent that time with.”

KIMBERLEY HEINL

ZACH SILBER

“

“Map out your semester the moment you get your syllabus. It helps to be able to see it all laid out in front of you. It’s super overwhelming the first week of class when you get everything, especially if you’re just coming from high school, but if you map it all out and see what time frames you have and then you give yourself deadlines almost a few days in advance, then you can be prepared for those upcoming [assignments].”

ACCOUNTING AD-ONS STUDENT

“

SECOND-YEAR GRAD STUDIES

“There’s a bunch of PRISM labs that usually have empty space to work in and we have rental equipment and training courses to get you ahead. PRISM is the technology hub for the business school and can give you access to a lot of the technological stuff that you can’t get elsewhere.”

PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

20 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/BETHANY BOWLES/BBOWLES@THECORD.CA

Balancing a the wake of

Features Editor Bethany Bowles explore her grades while battling

To state the obvious, being a university student is stressful. Wilfrid Laurier University is constantly promoting the balance students need to maintain between one’s academics and personal life, but when life throws unexpected curveballs at students, sometimes the stress of keeping on top of schoolwork gets to be too much. For some students, life’s curveballs are thrown a little harder than others, to the point where they have no choice but to take academics off the top of their list of

… most of my profs were really good with [allowing me] to take my time or [giving extensions]. But I just used [schoolwork] as a distraction or a coping mechanism.” “I had a meeting with an academic advisor last month,” Stroeder continued, “and she congratulated me on how good my marks were despite [my diagnosis] being at the end of the semester.” Over the summer, Stroeder’s motivation to succeed academically didn’t change. She continued to take two summer courses — one online and one in class — despite

“In the days after I was diagnosed, I tried to stay at school as much as I could ... people were around me and I wasn’t alone thinking of all the bad stuff.”

-Mikayla Stroeder, fourth-year communications student

priorities. Fourth-year communications student Mikayla Stroeder knows all too well what it’s like to balance academics with a tough personal situation. In March 2015, two weeks before the winter exam break, she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, otherwise known as skin cancer. “The week that I was diagnosed [and the following week] was the busiest week of my semester. At that point I still had so many papers to write, I still had to get through exams, I had two presentations and I think at least one quiz,” Stroeder explained. For most students, this much work plus a devastating diagnosis would have been enough to be pushed over the edge. Stroeder, however, took a different approach. “It was very helpful to be here, at school, after the news because I was diagnosed and your mind goes to the worst places, obviously. You start thinking about what your future is going to be like, but being at school and having that distraction on my mind was so helpful. In the days after I was diagnosed, I tried to stay at school as much as I could … people were around me and I wasn’t alone thinking of all the bad stuff.” Stroeder threw herself into her assignments and ended up completing everything that was expected of her. “I got a few extensions on papers and was omitted from doing a presentation

going through treatment and despite her doctors’ advice not to do so. “I was doing treatment at the cancer centre every day for five weeks, so I was spending my days there. I didn’t really have much motivation to do the online course, but I made it through ... I just did a six-week one in class, and that one was much better.” Stroeder explained that she did notify each of her professors about her illness, and although they were sympathetic, no major accommodations were made for her. “I didn’t think there was any other option [other than to finish what was expected of me],” Stroeder expressed. “My professors said, ‘make sure you get the support you need.’ When they said that, I thought they meant in terms of counselling. Nothing was said about talking to the dean or the department.” Mercedes Rowinsky-Geurts, the associate dean of student affairs and special projects in the faculty of arts, explained there are several resources available at the university to ensure the academic success of students who have been diagnosed with serious illnesses. “We are extremely accommodating in these circumstances,” Rowinsky-Guerts explained. “In the faculty of arts, we are very holistic.” “My first move [in a circumstance like this] is to contact all the instructors and let

URES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 • 21

academics in f a tragedy

es how a Laurier student is maintaining a life-threatening illness them know that they have the full support … We have to eliminate any pressure the student may have because they already have a crisis in their hands and we don’t want to add to that,” Rowinsky-Guerts continued. When a student is diagnosed with an illness as serious as cancer, however, staying in school is not always an option. “Students can be away for up to 18 months,” Rowinsky-Guerts explained. “Usually if you are away for more than 18 months, you have to go through the process to be re-admitted, but we have petitions to exceptions of academic regulations. It’s an amazing tool for students, and sometimes [they] don’t know how to use it.” Rowinsky-Guerts expressed she believes not all students, Stroeder being one of them, are aware of the lengths the university will go to in order to maintain student success. “There are exceptional circumstances where the rules can be broken and we make exceptions. There is not enough awareness for students to know that these are the tools that they have. If you are sick and cannot complete a course, let us know and we intervene on your behalf.” “It’s not about placing obstacles, it’s about facilitating while keeping the integrity of the program, the integrity of the course, the integrity of the university …

about how helpful and accommodating the school could be for students in her situation. Stroeder was very appreciative of Laurier’s accommodations, but she wishes the university made her experience more accessible and accommodating. “I wish that there was,” Stroeder began, searching for the right word, “a protocol for someone who has been diagnosed with a serious illness … like a piece of paper, or a form, so professors are aware.” “[The professors] don’t know what to do,” she said. “And I don’t know what to do.” Stroeder’s experience showed many faculty are not fully trained on how to deal with serious situations. In September, Stroeder will be returning to Laurier, but taking a reduced course load. “I had a really hard time coping with that decision,” Stroeder said when talking about her reduced course load. “It puts my graduation off, which was really hard to accept, but I’m doing much better with that now and I just know that I need to get myself healthy and take care of myself right now and if that requires taking fewer courses, then it is what it is.” As it stands right now, Stroeder’s graduation will only be put off by one semester. On top of being a student, Stroeder has also started a blog about her experience as a young person with melanoma.

“We have to eliminate any pressure the student may have because they already have a crisis in their hands and we don’t want to add to that.”

-Mercedes Rowinsky-Guerts, associate dean of student affairs and special projects, faculty of arts

We have to be rigorous, but understanding at the same time,” Rowinsky-Guerts continued. While Rowinsky-Guerts believes Laurier is accommodating when a student has a serious illness, she also pointed out there are flaws within the system. “I think we need, as an institution … to be more proactive on these measures,” she said. Although she received extensions and sympathy from faculty members, Stroeder’s situation was not handled as well as it could have been. She was ill informed

“My blog is called A Pretty Disaster. It is essentially about how despite this crazy journey I call a disaster, it has been really pretty because I’ve leaned on God more than I ever have in my entire life. I’ve also really had people show me that they care for me. “Writing has really allowed me to cope with all of this and it’s really amazing to have my story read by so many people … My message is that I don’t want people to go through what I’ve had to go through. Check your skin. Don’t lie in the sun. Just be careful.”

GRAPHICS BY LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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24 •

Arts & Life

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ZACH GUITOR zguitor@thecord.ca

FOOD

Raf’s Pizza Adventure Tito’s

To usher in the start of the fall semester, I thought I’d help simplify a common decision students at Wilfrid Laurier University make all the time: which local restaurant to order pizza. This should help first-years and upper-years alike know what to expect from the local pizzerias and hopefully stir some debate for the returning crowd who are familiar with the spots I visited.

Located tw o of Univers blocks away from c ity and We a ber, Tito’s mpus at the interse It’s light on d ction elivers a w sa uce, wh base. The crust is slig ich highlights the so ell-crafted pizza. ftness of th htly crispie terparts, w e h r pizza’s ma ich I would conside than its counjor shortco r a plus. Th of grease y ming is th e e o cheese. Th u’ll find glazing the amount is for anyone could be a turn-off o if it drown n a health kick, or s out the a ppeal of your topp in is the grea gs. What I found se much awa doesn’t take y from the experienc e anything, overall. If it meshes well with th base, leav e soft in with anoth g us e good pizza r a able close vailto campus.

s u p m a C PIzza

ush of ect a r your p x e n You ca flavour from Campus t savory e of a slice a overpow- y t i k b c salt t i ly firs is is qu ’s extremely who Th . a z a s t z z iz Pi en will e stud y the p ered b can imagin s of dancing otherr I t sauce. ars after hou rolytes, but i My pizza. t b g c is n e e i l v e lea helm ut one of h ss. the w e t r a e i v c o o e r n s d i p a t e l s p s a sa e off ally to le the omes g wise c idekick actu uldn’t hand e, seasonin s s o e g c e m n e i h . In y ec eat se h becau e reason th ur are muted st, which s e c i l s its cru f flavo the sam balThis is er sources o ving grace is e sauce and . h a and ot Campus’ s parison to th clean finish n o m i o n c ently i op eet in za for a dec w s s seem ut the piz o ances

PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR, ZACH GUITOR/ARTS & LIFE EDITOR WORDS BY RAFEY SATTAR/STAFF WRITER

Bianca’s

asonh its se h is it w n is sio great d impres a great r, but I know a s sprinkled s e k a m u rb Bianca’s no connoisse . The slight he ake it stand s m il ’m a a I z t . e g iz in dents ed ’s p all in th p of a Bianca vailable to stu o has a ls on to what’s pizza a out from ight now. The touches that r andard These a few st good choice. rous a ne make it include a ge a soft would t of cheese, tly amoun st and a sligh e Th cru uce. salty sa a great lt resu is which pizza, d at n you’ll fi and g in K the bia inm lu o C n for tersectio able n a reaso rice. p

Pizza Maniac

This litt introdu le pizza place area. W ction for stu needs no go here hy you ask? B dents in the reg eca Situate d at a p ardless of wha use you’ll r t I te ime cam Street R pus and sand location acro ll you. ss from w e s ic id he en en ing you d up at Pizza ce and Phil’s, d between Kin r Maniac you’re studen boun g ts loo university c a nu from ca king for a che areer. It enjoy mber of times d to comes mpus or near ap meal on a s cult-status a durAny po off chewy, wh by bars. You c late night walk mong t ic tough fe ential in the c h doesn’t su an expect a piz home it its th heese a el. Man za that ick c nd iac imity to campu ’s redeeming sauce are lost rust dough. s, is its in the featur press planet. ed to find a $7 incredibly lo e, aside from crust’s w its prox I .9 f p y 9 ext ou’r rice get, get used to e a student lo ra large pizza s. You’d be ha becaus the cardboa oking to eat o anywhere on rd e you’ll r u likely b d texture of th t on a small b the e going e pizza udat back tim e and timManiac’s e again .

ARTS & LIFE • 25

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 BEARDS

The rise of ‘lumbersexuality’ from beards like beard oil and shampoo that is then delivered to their homes on a monthly basis. The promotional video found on the website showcases their clientele as suave, hard working professionals that are well-groomed and care about how they look. The video portrays men with beards as people who mean business and care about how they look. It promotes the confident masculinity reminiscent of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. The popularity of beards has historically been very cyclical. In the 18th century, having a beard was commonplace, with figures such as Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche posed in photographs with copious amounts of facial hair. Towards the middle of the 20th century, men tended to be clean shaven as

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hockey during the playoff season. Walking down a crowded street, it is obvious that men with beards have become a mainstay. Entrepreneurs capitalized on this growing trend. Services such as “dollarbeardclub.com” allow men to purchase grooming products

published online last year by Global News, the rise of what has been called “lumbersexuality” is evident everywhere. Male celebrities can be spotted across the red carpet exhibiting groomed beards. Athletes tend to grow some form of facial hair in conjunction with traditions, such as

Br in a g

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the mentality of professionalism changed towards a cleaner cut approach. Currently the trend seems to be a mixture of both those time periods, as men are embracing facial hair but maintaining its growth and health. What makes the current trend of beards so unique is the aspect of grooming. Men have been growing beards historically for a long time. The concept of grooming though is becoming more popular with the rise of services like “dollarbeardclub. com.” Whether or not this trend will stand the test of time, the overall success of beard grooming has shown how pogonotrophy has evolved into an activity that requires time and dedication to achieve the perfect beard.

16 Charles St W Kitchener Across from the Charles Street Bus Terminal

26 • ARTS & LIFE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

ARTS & LIFE •

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

ADVICE

Let go of their hand, it’ll be okay Overbearing guardians should allow their children to develop independence, says therapist KRISTEN LAMBIE STAFF WRITER

JESSICA WOOD/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Entering post-secondary for the first time can be exciting and scary for various reasons. It may be the first time you are living on your own or it may just be a huge stride in your independence. Whatever the case, it is important to have a good support system as you enter into this new stage of your life. Having your parent or guardian there to support you can be very comforting as they have a lot of life experience and can help you on your journey to success. But what can be done if you have a parent or guardian that is over involved, causing you to feel hindered in your independence? The term “helicopter parent” describes a parent who takes over in fulfilling or directing tasks that their child is more than capable of doing on their own. This leaves many children with little room to express their newfound independence as they venture into post-secondary. Determining how involved is too involved can be a bit tricky. “If we think about an upside down triangle, let’s say that, you know where at the bottom you’re giving them more support and more direction, and then as they grow older

“... they really don’t have the skills they need to make decisions for themselves.”

-Sherrie Steinberg, counsellor and psychotherapist at Laurier

you know they have more control,” explained counsellor and psychotherapist at Wilfrid Laurier University, Sherrie Steinberg. Steinberg also has her own practice out of St. Agatha. “If you don’t give children that, then they don’t learn and then what happens is they maybe come away to places like university and they really don’t have the skills they need to make decisions for themselves.” Helicopter parents may feel the need to step up to take over on decisions for various reasons. Most of the time it is not to cause harm, but rather to help. The fear of failure may cause a parent to hold the reins and direct traffic in their child’s life. In most cases, it is not that they

believe their child is a failure, but rather they do not want their child to experience failure in life, academics and finances. “Some students rely on their parents to help out or guardians, just with completing payments and gathering the right solutions to handling it,” said Service Laurier manager Necia Martins. “I think that’s always a hard adjustment when they’re incoming first year. Because they’re used to doing it all or being there to have their son or daughter next to them and letting them do the talking is where it’s a huge shift.” The reality is that we all go through mishaps in life and it is important to live and grow from them. According to Steinberg, the best way to deal with the pressures of pleasing an overprotective and hovering parent is to sit, talk to them and be understanding. Make it clear that you are at a stage in life where you can take the lessons learned from their wisdom to apply to your decision making process. Taking flight into independence is a huge step in your parent’s life just as it is in yours. It may be an adjustment for both of you to make a change into this new life, but take your time.

MUSIC

Reclaiming Canadian rock Rock bands out of the great north aren’t getting the credit they deserve

BETHANY BOWLES FEATURES EDITOR

When people ask me what I’ve been listening to lately and I say “modern Canadian rock,” the response I receive is usually a look of confusion or an unsure cock of the eyebrow. This is because for some reason, modern Canadian rock ’n’ roll is viewed as a joke. I blame Nickelback. The truth is, there are really good things happening in the Canadian rock scene right now. I believe people just don’t know where to look. As Canadians, we are so influenced by our American neighbours, that sometimes we forget our own country is capable of creating tasteful art. Of course we are home to some incredible bands like The Tragically Hip or The Guess Who, but in terms of new Canadian rock, there are many bands that are not receiving the recognition they deserve. Although this is contestable, I believe the Saskatoon-based rock band The Sheepdogs are one of the first 21st century Canadian bands to prove that mainstream modern Canadian rock doesn’t always have to suck. I remember when The Sheepdogs were first making their mark around 2010 when they released Learn and Burn. This band looked as if they had stepped out of a time machine, with

I don’t see how any of these amazing bands will ever be fully appreciated or receive substantial recognition.

their raw hippie aesthetic reminiscent of the ‘60s. The Sheepdogs are cool, talented, amazing live and above all, Canadian. Now the modern Canadian rock scene is seeing bands like The Glorious Sons from Kingston, July Talk from Toronto, Monster Truck from Hamilton and One Bad Sons from Saskatoon who are all booming with talent. Although these bands are different and cannot be discussed as one, they do have one main factor in common: they are all wildly underlooked. In September 2014, The Glorious Sons released their album The Union, genuine rock record from start to finish. Like a good book, I can’t put it down. Lyrically, this album is poetry. Instrumentally, this album is versatile and puts all that over played radio garbage to shame. This album leaves me wondering why radio stations are consistently playing the same commercial material over and over when they can support musicians in their own neighbourhoods who actually have

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Nickelback’s lead Chad Kroeger is among the musicians who arguably gave Canadian rock a bad reputation.

that raw, unadulterated talent that is supposed to make musicians famous in the first place. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission provides Canadian radio stations with regulations as to how much Canadian content they must play. As it stands now, roughly onethird of all music aired by Canadian radio stations must be Canadianmade. Although this process is much more complicated than it seems, this regulation is important for the success of Canadian musicians. Our

country is so huge that geography alone makes being a successful musician in Canada a hard road to travel. My only argument is that even with regulations made by the CRTC, why isn’t a wider variety of Canadian music being explored by radio stations? The only musicians that seem to make the CanCon cut are the Nickelbacks or the Carly Rae Jepsens or the Justin Biebers who have obviously been manufactured by the industry for somebody else’s success. Two years ago, I saw Monster Truck in a small venue in Hamilton.

Tickets were thirty dollars, and to date it is still one of the best shows I’ve been to. All I could think was how those guys deserve to sell out a stadium one day. If modern Canadian rock continues to be perceived as worse than their American counterparts, I don’t see how any of these amazing bands will ever be fully appreciated or receive substantial recognition. CanCon needs to be more versatile, and Canadians themselves need to stop looking outside of our own borders for new music. There are incredible things happening here.

28 • ARTS & LIFE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

RELATIONSHIPS

Going the distance is no simple task ZACH GUITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

“You’re still young, I just want you to have fun.” My mother stressed those words as I entered my first year of university, the beginning of what would be a six-month long distance relationship with my girlfriend at the time. A set of rules were quickly established in the first few weeks. We had to FaceTime every two days — no — every day. “Good morning” and “good night” texts were always expected and a mid-day update was always appreciated. Building social circles and maintaining good grades became a challenge, as my relationship consumed most of my energy. Our emotional interdependence was a burden and I realized the structure of our relationship was not built for long distance. We officially ended things the day after Valentine’s Day. Even though my long distance relationship floundered, others have managed to stay afloat or even flourish. Currently in a long distance relationship is fourth-year business student Chelsea Lee. She credits her relationship’s success to their more personal communication methods and respective strong independence. “Long distance relationships are not for everybody, they are not for

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

people who are very clingy, not for people who need a lot attention and not for people who need a lot of FaceTime,” Lee said. Whenever conflict arises, Lee and her significant other make a deliberate effort to keep things off instant messaging, and rather opt for phone calls or FaceTime to allow them to hear each other’s voice and/or see each other’s faces. Keeping communication as personal as possible ensures that misunderstandings are less prevalent, as we largely rely on tone and body language to convey our feelings. Emotional expression falls on a spectrum that emojis and emoticons

could never replicate. But simply talking on the phone isn’t the only step to be taken to resolve conflict. “You always want to resolve things before you go to sleep, and make sure you leave the conversation without any form of negativity because that will just carry on to the next day,” said Lee. “And at the end of the night we always make sure that we tell each other exactly how we feel and we say ‘I love you.’” Another challenge faced is trying to keep things exciting and avoiding monotony. Where many couples go wrong is in their insistency to share every waking moment or feeling with

their significant other throughout the day. These couples are simply spreading their love too thin. Laurier alumni Andrew Savory explained that his past long distance relationship thrived by avoiding constant communication. “[When] you get distraught by the fact that you can’t keep in frequent contact with each other … you can’t let it wear down on you,” said Savory. “Just set a time once a week to talk, you can’t be talking everyday.” Being in a constant state of communication dampers the passion that keeps relationships exciting. It’s better to allow those stories, events and feelings to accumulate rather

than sharing everything throughout the day. That way when you finally do talk, the conversation is engaging and reminds you of the reason why you are committing yourself to this person. For the first-years with their high school sweethearts, there’s probably a huge weight of uncertainty weighing down on you. When I pressed Savory and Lee about what they thought about high school relationships continuing into university, they shared very differing viewpoints. On one hand, Lee felt that “every high school couple thinks they’ve found their princess or knight in shining armour, and think that they’re going to be together forever, but chances are they won’t.” In contrast, Savory stressed that you “never want to have that ‘what if?’ moment, [he’d] rather take the risk and see what happens.” The truth is, it differs on a case-bycase scenario. When you are debating the state of your relationship, it’s important to strip away the passion for a moment to assess it from a realistic and constructive perspective. University is a stressful transition, and our first instinct is to cling to our most personal and fulfilling bonds, even if they lack long-term sustainability. Sometime you should just listen to your mom, and have a bit of fun.

PILOT PROJECT

Laurier pilot project takes on e-textbooks ZACH GUITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

I have to pay $800 for physical textbooks this year. Well, at least that’s what Wilfrid Laurier University’s telling me to pay. Opting for digital textbooks means more money in my pocket for Wilf’s Spin-Dip, Phil’s nights and one more pair of those cute gold leggings for Homecoming. And I’m not the only student in this boat. Sometimes we compromise our education by investing in sub-par resources to save money and time. Digital textbooks may be cheaper, but are not openly available to the average student. Secondly, classrooms are becoming more fragmented. It’s not unlikely in a group project setting to have one member with a pirated textbook, one with the digital version, one with

an out-dated physical edition and one with the recommended physical materials. The current strength of the textbook black market simply makes it too difficult for faculty members to create an accommodating learning experience for all students. Starting this semester, Laurier will be piloting an e-textbook pilot project on both Waterloo and Brantford campuses, which hopes to explore the implications of a mostly paperless classroom. The basis of the project is to address issues of “accessibility, affordability and achievement,” said Wayne Steffler, assistant vice-president of administration and the pilot project’s lead. Faculty members who chose to partake in this project will integrate digital resources into their teachings and will make a focused effort to not rely on physical materials. Students

participating will not have to pay for their digital textbook, but the success of this project will see the cost of textbooks factored into the Laurier invoice. This allows all students to gain access to the same materials at the same time to ensure a levelled resource pool, which facilitates student collaboration. Steffler emphasized that the project’s success “really starts with the faculty member,” and credited the volatility of the textbook black market to the lack of communication and guidance that faculty members receive when choosing course resources. “Right now the current model, for faculty members, [price] is not a big deal when they meet with publishers and talk about what they are going to use,” Steffler explained. “They might not know what the cost of a specific book is before they

decide to adopt it. They might not know what kind of used market is out there as well.” Professors often get so caught up in the raw contents of the textbook, they overlook essential facets of learning materials that will affect the way their classrooms function, namely the quality of the digital resources. “We’ve really tried to refocus and look at more bringing the best value to the student and communicating that to [faculty members] that things are changing,” said Steffler. Addressing this bottleneck in communication is paramount to transitioning our learning environment to a primarily digital platform. This project will address issues in accessibility and ease-of-use by integrating e-textbooks straight into MyLearningSpace, Laurier’s online learning management system.

“We want to set the platform to make sure that we’re ready for it. So students don’t have this disjointed experience where they’re going into all sorts of readers and platforms,” said Steffler Soon gone are the days of strenuously switching between MyLearningSpace, NelsonBrain, McGraw-Hill and Supersite to fully grasp the introductory chapter. Additionally, this functionality of digital textbooks could mitigate the risk of accidentally clicking on that Facebook tab, and inevitably losing focus on your task at hand. The success of this project could see a large shift in the way students and faculty members collaborate and learn in university. Digital textbooks may soon become a guilt-free purchase. You can buy all the gold leggings you want, while being confident in your learning resources.

THERE’S PLENTY MORE ONLINE. thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE •

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

CINEMA

SPOTLIGHT

At the movies MYNT MARSELLUS MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Teen Violence in their band space from left to right; Kyle Skillman (drums), Geoff Albrecht (guitar), Jeff Kenney (bass), Marcus Addams (vocalist and guitar).

The good kind of Teen Violence

Kitchener/Toronto-based band credits perseverance for their recent success ZACH GUITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

“You live in a city with a lot of extremely talented people, and you just gotta dig a little sometimes.” Marcus Addams’ statement resonates with many Kitchener-Waterloo locals, but it certainly applies to his excellent band “Teen Violence.” The band burst onto the scene in 2010 with their debut single “Girls I Know,” an infectious tune that’s pure angsty pop-punk in spirit, but swooning doo-wop in structure. This release stood in stark contrast to the dominating skate-punk scene at the time. Teen Violence was not scared to challenge the norm early in their career. “The band established itself by never discounting an idea, we’ll try anything,” said Addams. The band’s strong pop sensibility and unique influences were met with an initial bewildered response. Despite these early challenges, the

band trudged on. “You can’t just show up on the scene and expect everyone to love you,” said Addams. Although it seems Teen Violence is picking up a lot of steam in 2015, with a recent set at Wayhome Music Festival and their debut album “Your Brain On Teen” just around the corner, founding members Geoff Albrecht and Wanka insist that not much has changed since their early days as basement show regulars. They credit their recent success to their perseverance. “Part of being a band is people don’t take you seriously at first … The longer you stick around the more they can’t ignore,” Addams said. Diving into Teen Violence’s discography, there’s a definite progression in their production quality and instrumentation. Where the band has maintained consistency is in their playful and light-hearted lyricism. Addams insists that he writes his lyrics based on what will add to

the overall feel of a song, describing his lyrics as a “collage” and “potpourri,” rather than a structured story. “The more nonsensical, the more I like it, you can derive whatever meaning you want from them,” Addams said in regards to his writing style. A definite standout single is “Cassandra,” a sweet lick of surf-pop that finds Addams questioning the intentions of the song’s titular character. When pressed about whether “Cassandra” was a real person, Addams said, “Sure she’s real, everybody in the song is real. All the songs feature a real person. But was she named Cassandra? I don’t fucking now.” Despite a strong local following, things haven’t been easy for the pair. With a lack of funding for their musical endeavours, the band has been forced to adopt a “do-it-yourself” approach when recording and distributing their music.

“It’s not that we like [DIY], there’s just no other option. This is the only way to go, it just happens to be a pretty good way,” Addams explained. “If I was somehow to inherit some money, instead of buying a house or car, I would immediately invest it into some band avenue.” The band is set to play this year’s KOI Music Festival, an annual Kitchener festival that celebrates the best in punk, hardcore, indie rock and more. Sadly, this is likely the final local show for the band this year, and may be their last as a Kitchenerbased band. With Albrecht already living full-time in Toronto, there are future plans to relocate the band to the big city. “Essentially, anyone who plays music or goes to shows [in K-W] is aware of our band … I think that’s kind of just the ceiling,” Albrecht said. The band is hoping to grace new audiences with their sound, and make music their sole priority.

Their concert felt like it took on new meaning because of what was happening in my life. Not only was I going to see a band that I have listened to countless times, but I felt more connected to their melancholic songs because of the emotional turmoil I was dealing with. Following that concert, I revisited music I listened to in my adolescents. Albums like A Crow Left on the Murder and London Calling brought a sort of sense of nirvana. It felt like all of the confusion stirred up became more manageable, creating moments of clarity and understanding.

Since seeing Interpol live, I’ve been to several other concerts where I have been able to connect with the music in a very personal manner. For every show I attended, the myriad of perplexing thoughts and confusion began to slowly become more acquiescent. Reflecting back on what CAMT promotes as music therapy, my own experience with music these past two months has allowed me to develop a necessary clarity. After thinking back on that performance at the Danforth Music Hall and considering Interpol’s lyrics, I now understand what the rejoicing Banks was talking about.

HEALING

Music medicine BRYAN STEPHENS PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Seeing Interpol live this summer felt amazing. Watching as the band performed songs spanning their 18-year career brought back memories of when I first started listening to Paul Banks and the band when I was 13. Standing inside The Danforth Music Hall and hearing Paul Banks baritone voice sing, “We rejoice because the hurting is so painless,” hit me on a personal note that made the song stand out as one of my favourites from the evening. It is amazing how music can be so therapeutic. It has this breathtaking ability to convey feelings that help listeners cope with emotional distress or enable the capacity to deal with depression. The potential for music to be a form of therapy has become well-documented by the medical community. The Canadian Association for Music Therapy

stresses that “music has non-verbal, creative, structural and emotional qualities” that can be used in therapeutic relationships to facilitate things such as self-expression, learning, communication and personal development. It promotes the idea that through music, patients have the potential to heal, whether physically or emotionally. Music has always been a source of inspiration for myself. Growing up, I always felt heavily connected to the bands that I listened to. Whether listening or playing music, it has always been the factor in my life where I’ve felt most at ease. But it was only this summer that I began to understand music as a form of therapy. Back in July, I learned that my parents were separating after 25 years of marriage. It came without notice and on the first summer I had moved away from home it seemed to hit me even harder. The last two months have been a difficult time. The first week after finding out the news, it was hard to sleep and even harder to make sense of what had happened. The first moment of relief came from watching Interpol up on stage.

LENA YANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Students living in Kitchener-Waterloo are absolutely spoiled with things to do for fun. Between the nightclubs up and down King street, two big, beautiful parks and much more, no one should ever feel like there’s an empty day in K-W. Film fans in particular have a myriad of places to spend their spare time. Conestoga Mall, Fairview Park and The Boardwalk all have multiscreen theatres for students to catch new releases. However these big chains can often leave locally-owned options forgotten, and with both the Princess Cinema and the Apollo available, students shouldn’t limit themselves to just the big studio releases. The Princess Twin, located in the heart of uptown Waterloo, and the original Princess Cinema located just east of there on Princess Street offer a retro movie-going experience. Even with a digital projection system, everything from the box office to the seats to the programming make the three screens at the Princess feel like a blast from the past. “When I think of the Princess, I think of nostalgia,” said Wilfrid Laurier University alumna and former Princess employee Sarah McBain. “One of my favourite experiences during my education at Laurier was going to the annual Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dressing up and playing along to the film was always a blast.” That’s one of the huge benefits to the Princess Cinemas according to McBain. “I love when they show the classics and knowing that I can watch almost all of the Oscar-worthy films of the year.” The Princess shows all of the big Oscar contenders each year and makes even the big studio releases available right around Oscar time. On the other hand, The Apollo, located in downtown Kitchener, is trying to compete with the big multiplex theatres by playing their own game. “We rival the big chain theatres with our new sound system and screen size, not to mention we’re capable of 3-D, while other smaller theatres are not,” said Laurier film student and Apollo employee Aaron Miller. They also offer an experience you arguably can’t get at any other theatre in town. “We are fully licensed and sell wine, ciders and a variety of local craft beers such as Block 3, Innocente and Abe Erb,” said Miller. A word of advice concerning alcohol — the Apollo has some of the most comfortable seats around and more legroom than you’ll ever see in a movie theatre, so be patient with your brew as to not get drowsy during the movie. Both of these theatres have a lot to offer outside of the big multiplexes in town, including a great selection of movies offering optimal comfort. Give these theatres your support to maintain two great local businesses.

CHECK OUT EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FOR THIS STORY @ THECORD.CA

30 • ARTS & LIFE

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

Editorial

• 31 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

Let students find independence throughout university As you drive up to Wilfrid Laurier University for the first time, eager, unprepared or apprehensive for the next four or more university years, there are many people to be met and to unite with, but there’s also some who will be waving goodbye. The people dropping you off have likely been with you from the start and now it is your turn to take on the intimidating realm of independence. Take a deep breath. You’ll be fine. Some students take on different levels of responsibility when living alone for the first time. While some blankly stare at a laundry machine like it’s an advanced NASA rocket launcher, others pay their own tuition, get their own groceries and effortlessly cook their own meals. Parent or guardian involvement can range from minor to extreme, but it is always important to have some level of guidance and mentorship to fall back on. There is no correct formula for how much your caretakers should help with the journey of independent living. However, whether small or big, we believe there should be presence. Not many students walk out of their childhood house knowing everything on how to balance cheques and effectively time manage their days. Everyone has to start somewhere and university is the perfect place to learn about financial budgeting, following deadlines, time management, maintaining a clean

environment and learning to handle the countless requirements of the real world. It’s that chance to find out what “being on your own” really means. Some students pay for their tuition completely out of their own pockets, some are fortunate to have their bills paid for them and others rely on subsidization and scholarships to stay afloat on the rising waves of financial duty. These students might feel different obligations to academically excel based on the level of involvement from guardians or external influences. Students may feel self-inflicted pressure if they’re paying for school themselves opposed to pressure from those paying the bills. It’s a simple matter of disappointing your loved ones or disappointing yourself. University is an environment to learn, grow and understand yourself in ways you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Mistakes will be made and lessons will be gained. In the struggle for independence, it is important to have a fall back of support. Some guardians will helicopter over their children from start to finish of university careers. Some will take a step back and let them discover the realm of independence for their own. Whether the parental role is big or small while settling into living on your own, it is necessary, but make sure you find your independence before your helicopter gets too close.

The role of electronic textbooks with students The average expense for required university textbooks in Canada can range anywhere from $300 to $1,000 or more. On top of an average tuition of $5,772, costs can add up; alternative solutions to save some dollars are being searched for far and wide. Wilfrid Laurier University is starting a pilot project to expand e-textbook accessibility. Courses on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses will have access to digitalized reading material. The convenience of digital textbooks not only saves your bank account, but they can also make your days easier. You can have all your course material organized on a single tablet, you can engage in course content with a direct connection between the text and the Internet directly in the classroom with your professors and you can ultimately adjust to the innovative domain of developing classroom technology. Another major perk is you don’t have to worry about unopened, outdated

books, which are impossible to sell, collecting dust in your basement. There are some problems with the digital alternative too. The market of textbook exchange may no longer be an option. As much as textbooks tend to vacuum our money, an updated edition of a book is typically easy to re-sell for a reasonable price. As well, some students tend to have a stronger connection with the physical copy in their hands — feeling the pages beneath their fingertips is a more personalized relationship between the reader and the text. The most important factor to consider is that every student learns differently. Some may be more inclined to read over a screen while others depend on old-fashioned books in their hands. With the appeal of saving money aside, students should chose their form of reading material depending on their individual style of learning. Education should not have to be compromised because of the dollar tag that comes with it.

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

FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Caroline Schumer cschumer@wlusp. com

PRESIDENT Bryan Stephens president@wlusp. com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@ wlusp.com

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Learning to focus and prioritize yourself LENA YANG CREATIVE DIRECTOR

It started with a wrong turn. It was a hot, bright July day, same as any other and I was driving to work, when I turned onto the wrong street. While I was detouring to get on to the right route, I got into an accident and totalled my car. It was the kind of infuriating wrongplace-at-the-wrong-time mindless coincidence that left me in a sour mood for days. Passersby who could afford to lose a few minutes came over to help. It was bad — a chunk of the intersection was closed off, two cars were totalled and Apple maps on my phone displayed orange dots at my location for slow traffic. People kept asking if I was okay. I nodded, despite sobbing horribly, because I really was fine but my car wasn’t. I was crying for my damn car. But really, nobody — not even my dad whom the car belonged to — gave a crap about either of the cars because everyone involved in the accident walked away with nothing more than bumps and bruises. A theme emerged the following days regardless of who I was with, from police officers to my co-workers to my friends. No matter what I said of the accident, it always came back to one question: “But you’re okay, right?”

It’s so easy to get caught up in school and work and life that we frequently forget to take a step back and think about ourselves.

Often, when it comes to our own well-being, our worry may be a little misplaced. It’s so easy to get caught up in school and work and life that we frequently forget to take a step back and think about ourselves. After all, if need be, everything that can be put on hold if continuing in such a manner will ultimately be detrimental to your health. The frivolities that come with life will never be as important as you are. People care about you. Strangers you’ve never met will care about you. It’s up to you to realize you have got to care about yourself too, especially now when thousands of students — one of whom may be you — are moving away from home for the first time to conquer post-secondary. I’m going to tell you something, and it’s going to be contradictory, but no advice is black and white. It’s okay to take a break from school if it’s starting to wear on you. The transition from high school to university is a tough one to make and not everybody will be able to make the leap as successfully as others. You’re not a failure if you take a little longer,

or if you don’t end up making the transition at all. It’s just not worth it to beat yourself up for school. But, having said that, this is not an excuse to shirk your responsibilities and commitments because your work, your grades, your education — they’re all important. As a resident in a first world country, it’s easy to forget the luxuries afforded to us are not enjoyed by others around the world. Post-secondary education is a wonderful opportunity and only a handful are able to access such facilities.So no, it’s not all studying all the time, but neither is it all you all the time. There is a balance that needs to be struck. It’s about knowing when to prioritize yourself and when to prioritize your responsibilities. There will be failed tests, bad marks, maybe lousy car accidents and a few bruises, but if you make it out in one piece, then consider it a triumph. You are not just made up of your successes but also your failures. Those crummy mud-in-yourfingernails, heavy-bloodshot-eyes moments define you more than your golden moments ever will because failure is the most precious teacher. After all, no puzzle is made up of perfect individual fragments. Some carry prints of flowers while others a smudgy black chunk of the sky. But they all come together to make a whole, and that whole is the most important of all. Learn to take care of yourself. Learn to craft a life around your responsibilities and learn to think of yourself once in a while. You are so, so important. Don’t ever forget that.

32 •

Opinion

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 OPINION EDITOR MITCHELL CONSKY mconsky@thecord.ca

The problems with Harper’s travel ban DANI SAAD CORD ALUM

A few weeks ago, as part of his broader election strategy, Stephen Harper proposed a travel ban, which would “designate travel to places that are ‘ground zero’ for terrorist activity a criminal offence.” The proposal is an especially troubling type of pandering as it simultaneously encourages the Conservative base, takes focus away from more important and effective counterterrorism measures and perpetuates counterterrorism myths that evidence long ago refuted. Additionally the proposal, despite lacking any details regarding scope, oversight and legality, is enough to elicit a defence from Conservative supporters as well as responses from other parties. When Tom Mulcair and Justin Trudeau comment on the ban, Harper can in turn push the narrative that he is the only one focused on our safety. It’s all very clever and sad but it does provide an opportunity to make some significant clarifications regarding counterterrorism. First, the proposal elicits a number of serious concerns and uncertainties, which is the point of such a vague announcement. What areas would be affected? What legitimate reasons for travel will be accepted? What oversight would the govern-

ment have with respect to the ban and its associated criminal charges? What we do know is that the onus will be on the traveller to prove their reason for travel is unrelated to terrorism (guilty until proven innocent for the win) and if they fail to do so, they would be subject to criminal charges. Visiting friends or family would likely be too casual of a travel purpose, but maybe a dying family member would do the trick. What are the chances people have dying family members in Syria or Iraq? Well, it’s a war zone. Good luck getting hospital records from Homs to the Canadian government for approval. With respect to the efficacy of such a ban, limiting travel will not reduce the threat to Canadian safety. If someone wants to do harm to Canada, they hardly need to travel to Syria or Iraq to do so. There is no evidence that Canadians would leave for another place, pick up a terrorist starter kit and then return to Canada to get violent. And no, the instability of the region, or wherever the ban would cover, would not make it any easier or more likely for terrorists to succeed. All “rooted in” theories on terrorism are false. Education, poverty, religion and failed states do not offer blanket explanations. Inflation, unemployment, GDP growth, HDI, calories per capita and GINI index are not predictors of terrorist incidents. Broadly speaking, economic opportunity is unrelated to terrorism. Poverty does not cause terrorism and prosperity will not

eradicate it. Overall, all available evidence suggests a lack of correlation between failed states — according to the failed state index — and the presence of terrorist groups. For example, the 9/11 attacks were conceptually rooted in Afghanistan but the logistical planning occurred in both Germany and Spain. Terrorists operating within democratic states can use features of such a state to thrive. Welfare, education, communication networks and ease of financial exchange make Western countries attractive to transnational terror groups. Someone is equally if not far more dangerous from a Canadian, American or Western European city than from Aleppo. Without a doubt, the Conservatives know this, despite what Harper and Jason Kenney would have you believe. Empirical evidence on the topic is clouded by definitions that lack clarity. What qualifies as terrorism, who qualifies as a terrorist, what qualifies as an attack and what states are in fact failed make evidence useful, but inconclusive. As Iraq and now Syria have shown, criteria for who is good or bad change almost daily, far quicker than policies can adapt. The worse the economy gets, the more Conservatives will talk terrorism and who knows what proposals will come next. Let’s just hope that terrorism stays far away in the land of people we don’t care about because we definitely couldn’t process terrorism in a good ole’ Canadian city like Moncton.

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

Combating the bystander effect Why we must stand up for what we believe in during confrontation

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS PHOTO EDITOR

Most people these days would probably agree that racism is simply wrong and those who feel they can discriminate against others because of the way they look or what they wear and believe should probably find a change of perspective. If you saw a stranger being victimized right in front of you, what exactly would you do about it? Sure, you could stand up for the victim by giving the victimizer a piece of your mind, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. Unfortunately, a more common solution is to stare blankly at the situation as it unfolds, stuck in a moment of inaction where you feel there’s nothing that you can do, like driving through a dark road at night and seeing a deer in your headlights at the last second. Eventually, whether you slam the breaks or keep on driving, it’s road kill either way. So what’s the best decision to make when you’re accelerated into a situation where decisions of morals have to be made? The bystander effect is a common one, but I think it is something we can work through and overcome. One day while I had a rather slow shift at work as a cashier, I witnessed a male Caucasian customer ask a women in a burqa, “You hiding guns under there?” while his girlfriend giggled at his side. Never had I seen something like that happen in front of me. A few confrontational words were exchanged between the two but the man went silent after she asked if he had a problem with her. All the cashiers, including myself,

watched silently with shock, unware of what we should do. I don’t necessarily think any of us were cowards, but as far as I’m concerned, the man should have been kicked out. I was pissed at us for not doing anything about it because it felt like a situation that should have been handled differently. But I guess it’s different playing it out in my mind than actually being locked in the moment of disbelief. The main problem was that no one who witnessed this situation was prepared. I know the store has a zero-discrimination policy, but that doesn’t tell me what the proper steps to take are when discrimination does arise. I guess it’s a matter of instinct, of standing up for what you believe, but sometimes fear can swallow your words and leave you as inactive as a driver running over a deer. It’s important to not avoid confrontation; to refuse to allow fear to control your actions. Standing up for what you believe is better than standing by and wishing you could do something. For those who are able to overcome the bystander effect, handling the situation with the right words is another important element to keep in mind. When the situation had occurred in front of me I also had anger mixed in with all my other emotions. If I were to have said something, I could have potentially made things a whole lot worse. This may have been the biggest dilemma for me, but whether or not you think it is your place to get into the situation, doing something about it at the present time can help things out in the long run. If you let things simmer down on their own or get involved, the problem is still going to be there regardless, so it’s better to make a point of it while you can.

OPINION • 33

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

Brash Trump resonates with voters JOSH PETERS STAFF WRITER

American politics has never failed to provide us with quality entertainment, especially when election season rolls around. Our favourite comedians usually entertain us with parodies and exaggerated takes on the wild extravaganza that is the presidential race. What we are not as used to is the pure entertainment coming from the candidates themselves. Sure, we get a ludicrous remark here and there from political figures, but those are often followed by a series of apologies and justifications. This year we are treated to entertainment in its purest form as Mr. Apprentice himself, Donald Trump, runs to be the representative of the Republican Party in the upcoming 2016 election. When he says things like he’s going to build a “great wall” at the American border to keep out Mexicans because “they’re rapists,” you can’t help but turn your head. Note, that he did add, “some, I assume are good people.” Nice save, Trump. But is that all Trump is: a head turner? An entertainer? Or is there a quantifiable impact that he will have on this upcoming election? The resounding answer to that is yes. Love him or hate him, Trump is garnering lots of attention. Yes, his ideas are almost as ridiculous as his hair, but a recent poll shows him at

Staying grateful The importance of reflecting positive energy

Donald Trump is a whole new brand of politician; whether that’s a good thing or not is yet to be seen.

23 per cent of the republican vote. Yes, it’s early and people probably haven’t really sat down to think about what the implications of a Trump government are. But the fact of the matter is a quarter of the party has Trump on their mind, and that’s not nothing. Even if five per cent choose to act on that impulse, Trump is taking away from his Republican counterparts, and that five per cent could shift the landscape of the final tally dramatically. Even the Democrats can’t rest easy. Trump has mentioned that he would run as a third party candidate if the Republicans don’t support him. This means he would take away votes from both the parties in the actual election. So we’ve established that above being an entertainer, Trump is also a useful stat in the upcoming election. But is he anything more? What do those 23 per cent see in him, and is it something that could lead him all the way to the White House? I think they see honesty, even when it’s in the form of flat out stupidity, Americans are still seeing a trait they haven’t seen in a political

DON MORGENSON COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

figure possibly ever; pure, brutal honesty. Not only is that trait refreshing to the American people, it’s also exciting. It’s the same reason we constantly have our eyes on people like Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. You never know what they are going to do next, for better or for worse. People will tune in to see Trump. Whether you see him as a visionary or a trainwreck, you’ll still watch. It’s the same reason people poke their heads out when you see an accident on the side of the road: shock and entertainment value. Besides his flair for the dramatic, I believe there is another depressingly true reason why Trump seems to be atop the polls. As Trump puts it, his counterparts are “a bunch of losers.” He is attempting to show the American people that that those running for the Republican nod are a sad excuse for viable candidates themselves. Not-so-surprisingly, it’s looking like he’s succeeding. He’s a rich, loudmouth, radical

candidate who’s not trying to make any friends out there. But at least he’s giving America something to think about. His transparency is exposing how opaque politicians of today truly are. His bluntness makes us realize how often our leaders tip toe around questions. His lack of empathy makes us realize how much public opinion affects what would have been or should have been said. Donald Trump is a whole new brand of politician; whether that’s a good thing or not is yet to be seen.

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Caitlyn still in the spotlight An exploration of Jenner’s recent accomplishments and the impact she is making for the transgender community as a celebrity role model

LAILA HAWRYLYSHYN OPINION COLUMIST

Months after debuting a new name and image, Caitlyn Jenner’s 30 seconds of fame are still not over. Since featuring on the cover of Vanity Fair earlier this year, Jenner has added a handful of accomplishments to her celebrity profile which have kept her name among the hottest trending topics of the entertainment world. Last month, Jenner was voted the Teen Choice Social Media Queen of the year, running up against major stars like Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. This award is representative of the significant amount of support her transition has received over the last few months. In a very short period of time, she gained over 180,000 followers on Facebook, 350,000 on Instagram and one million in just four hours on Twitter, breaking President Obama’s record. Her presence on social media has been marked by the usual life updates and birthday wishes, but also by attempts to raise awareness of transgender issues and messages

thanking people for their love and support. In July, Jenner accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, a sportsoriented but not limited award, meaning that it may be presented to individuals whose contributions are capable of transforming sports. Past winners include world famous boxer Muhammad Ali and anti-apartheid revolutionary and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela. Some critics however did not believe Jenner deserved to join these big names. Instead, some hoped the winner would be Lauren Hill, a teenager who died of cancer in April after scoring four points in a game of college basketball, fulfilling her life’s dream. Others hoped the award would be given to army veteran Noah Galloway, who lost a leg and an arm in Iraq but continues to participate in adventure races. Despite this controversy, Jenner went on to accept her award at the ESPYs and was supported by her family and friends who have played a significant role in the transition process. She delivered an inspiring speech which highlighted the difficulties faced by transgender people that are bullied, beaten up, murdered or driven to commit suicide. With this, her aim was to change people’s at-

titudes towards transgender people. Jenner even took the opportunity to address her critics by adding: “If you want to call me names, make jokes and doubt my intentions, go ahead because the reality is I can take it. But for thousands of kids out there coming to terms with the reality of who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.” This summer was also marked by the premiere of I am Cait, an eight-part documentary series about Jenner’s transition. A grand total of 2.7 million viewers were introduced to Caitlyn Jenner on the series premiere. Jenner was excited to come out as her true self and showed great hopes to change how the world sees transgender people. As Jenner possesses a privileged status, which has given her a voice, part of the episode focused on raising awareness of the difficulties encountered by young transgender people. Jenner realizes that to most people the transitioning process is not as well embraced as it was for her. She shows awareness of the importance of this issue and welcomes the tremendous responsibility bestowed upon her. As family support is essential for transitioning, Jenner was also shown interacting with her own. In this first episode, Jenner’s mother

and two sisters were also introduced to Caitlyn for the first time. In their separate testimonies, all confessed the transitioning process was hard and that everybody had to change along. Even though they did not understand how it could work, they were happy to see Jenner relaxed and happy with herself. From the beginning, Jenner hoped to transform world views of transgender people by taking advantage of her status and using the show as a mean to educate people. However this will be harder than expected as episodes focusing on transgender issues have received significantly less viewers than those featuring members of the Kardashian family. Perhaps the smaller audience can be explained by unmet expectations from a public who hoped for a similar reality show to Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Welcoming the Kardashian presence on the show more often might contradict Jenner’s intentions with her show, but it also might be just what she needs to keep it on the air. Overall, the show exhibits an overdose of ambition, which could be damaging or beneficial to her intentions. Whether she is succeeding or not, the important thing is that Jenner remains on the spotlight. At the end of the day, any press is good press.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all of the others,” so said Roman philosopher Cicero. And gratitude appears to be an emotion many of us do feel, often and strongly. A recent Gallup poll had reported that among those surveyed, 67 per cent felt gratitude “all of the time” while 60 per cent experiencing gratitude “made them feel very happy and content with their world.” A quick study of the world’s great religions’ secular teachings confirms gratitude’s central, spiritual position which is often a fundamental focus of Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, as well as among other faiths. Some writers argue that gratitude is essential for all societies, encouraging reciprocity and mutual aid. Central to spiritual life and vital for secular life, psychology has, for the most part, ignored its importance. Only in the relatively new school of positive psychology has such a concept received significant attention. According to some studies, there are people who feel much more gratitude than others; and those who do feel grateful, according to mood adjective check lists, have greater measured happiness, lower levels of stress and fewer depressive episodes. The moral effects of emotional gratitude are essential in maintaining mature individual relationships and important in the smooth running of society. Grateful people notice they have been helped while ungrateful people may be less likely to notice and hence, more likely not to reciprocate. Grateful people have better social relationships, greater psychological intimacy and greatly heightened social support. When age cohorts and peer ratings are done, grateful people are seen as more empathetic, agreeable and extroverted, suggesting that such people “are more helpful and unselfish” when dealing with others. Even though, in our fast-paced, stress filled world, gratitude is often difficult to express. Research on gratitude suggests that when it is expressed, people on both sides of the interpersonal equation increase their levels of intrapersonal happiness and well-being and decrease their levels and frequency of depressive episodes. Generally speaking, grateful people have greater immunocompetence and as a consequent, better physical health. So express your gratitude about our world, the people in it and yourselves. Express it freely and generously. Positive energies can reshape the perspectives others have of you and it could shift your own perspective on how you see others. As Albert Einstein said: “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Gratitude is like walking hand-inhand, with others on the “sunny side of the street.”

34 • OPINION

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

A drug for every student need University students are living with a dangerous dependency on drug consumption to fix daily problems

MITCHELL CONSKY OPINION EDITOR

There’s alcohol for courage, marijuana for relaxation, Adderall for academic performance, caffeine to stay awake, birth control pills to prevent sexual errors, MDMA for increased happiness and Xanax to numb everything. The list goes on. The world is a charging train of synthesized solutions, with every stop being a student need. Why do we rely on artificial stimulation? Non-prescribed drug consumption is no longer a mere basis for getting high or zoning out; it has become a perceived doorway for adapting to circumstance and zoning in. The biggest issue is that the use of one drug can lead to the dependency of another, with all the pressures of a university student becoming catalysts for another non-prescribed player. The following may sound familiar: After a weekend of intense binge drinking, your pounding hangover locks you under the bed covers on the Monday morning of an important lecture. In a desperate attempt to wake up, good old caffeine becomes your best friend. You con-

sume an excessive amount — three or more cups of coffee to ease the pain. As you sit in the lecture, trying to focus, you feel your concentration failing. Your hand may start twitching and your prof might as well be speaking Cantonese. Let’s fast-forward a few months to exam period. Remember that lecture when you were battling with a hangover, buzzing with caffeine and your prof wasn’t speaking English? Well you never reviewed the content and your several weeks behind in studying. Adderall to the rescue! You swallow the pill(s) and pull an all-nighter scanning textbooks and note-taking. After several hours, the struggle to stay alert continues and you call over good old caffeine yet again. Despite the long night of perceived preparation, you write the exam unprepared and unrested. Hoping to escape the worries of the previous academic trainwreck, you turn to some Xanax to numb the world of your sorrows, or you might go out drinking with your friends to distract your distressed mind. Inevitably, the cycle continues. Getting drunk is not suddenly a growing epidemic. For a bunch of students, it’s no more a dependency than eating a bag of popcorn while watching a movie — it’s a custom of entertainment that’s embedded in our culture. There’s no denying the dangerous effects of binge drinking,

These deep-rooted dependencies are warping our brains and cancelling out the practiciallities of real life.

but these dangers are certainly not new. This being said, alcoholism has taken a back seat to “self-improvement” supplementation. This can be as minor as pre-workout powders to give you that extra edge during a workout, or as extreme as non-medical use of psychostimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin to enhance overall focus in times of overwhelming stress. Why do we feel such a need to get ahead of our naturally functioning bodies? The pressure is on. We feel it every second we’re reminded of our degrees. We fear what the future holds in store for us. We are constantly aware of the competitive battlefield of careers and credentials and many of us have come to accept that hard work is no longer enough. Worries of the future fuse with the worries of our present. We need to maintain a social life. We find ourselves

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

desperate to relax. We’re hungry for an edge. We want to feel good, look great and fight for something more. Our lives are booming in a thunderstorm of due dates, deadlines and expectations. The truth is that many of us see drug consumption as the only way to calm the storm. The problem is that these deeprooted dependencies are warping our brains and cancelling out the practicalities of real life. They are damaging our health and being deluded as study tools or harmless entertainment. Amphetamines such as Adderall may appear to be harmless and worth it for the higher grade, but jacked up heart rates, depression from decreased levels of dopamine,

fevers, chills and seizures that can eventually join the study party makes the academic significance quickly forgotten. A night of alcohol consumption at Phil’s is not likely to make you immediately drop dead. However steady binge drinking over a long period of time increases chances of high-blood pressure, stroke, other heart-related problems, liver disease and nerve damage. For every drug, the list of side effects goes on. It’s important to understand what we are putting in our bodies, beyond the benefits that are being supplied for us. The pressures of daily life may appear impossible to push through, but compromising our health should not be the solution.

Future of tech privacy in modern day

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CARA PETICCA OPINION COLUMIST

Privacy has experienced incredible reformation in this past decade; the age-old reminder not to take candy or rides from strangers has technologically proliferated into cautionary prompts to regularly modify login information. We are no longer fending off the creep in our small city; we are up against the entire world that is but a few clicks and Google searches away from creating a mini map of our lives. In light of the recent release of

information from users on Ashley Madison, the contemporary debate of online privacy, or lack thereof, has temporarily resurfaced. While information stored in an account might spill into a public sphere infrequently, online users should understand that the Internet is a massive database which syphons every click, share, enter and delete. Clearing your browser history or fooling around Incognito is no match for the “Big Brother-esque” veracity of the worldwide web. Earlier this year, the trending release of both private and provocative photos of various celebrity women was a grave reminder that access to information is straightforward and a stereotypical “hacker” can be an average person with some curiosity, unlimited Wi-Fi and some free time. Each of these instances argu-

ment a consciousness amid the general public that at any given time our secrets might be the next news headline. Unfortunately, this can happen to undeserving people who are unexpectedly targeted and publically shamed. Take for instance the 27-year-old popular video gamer Joshua Peters whose IP address was ripped during a live stream from his home in Minnesota. In front of over 50,000 avid viewers, Peters was a victim of “swatting” — an Internet prank where law enforcement assembles a SWAT team to storm a person’s home under the false impression that there is a serious crime being committed. The attack on Peters, or entertainers like him, might have been a hoax but the fallout is very real. The experience was real.

While this exploitation of privacy is not unfamiliar to online users, there is a serious untapped culture of defaming the guilty which I find to be most fascinating. Doxing, the release of detailed personal information, has become a complex tool to upholding justice during times where the judiciary is failing or acting with a deliberate resistance. Picture this: Sandra Bland pulled over for a routine traffic stop that went awry as a Texas State trooper ends up wildly botching a professional interaction by threatening to use his taser and employing violence to a somewhat defensive yet compliant victim. As social media shared the dashboard video, the simple title of Texas State trooper, whose identity was not immediately released as he was under investigation for his actions, was being outed on a nationwide scale. His name, his photo, along with the prejudice that occurred was relayed in seconds as public information. He had been doxed and society launched a cohesive utilitarian goal for justice. The release of information is often synonymous with hacking or abuse although it is becoming a tangible platform for activism. It is important to distinguish between ways in which information is shared. Contemporary perceptions of public spectacles has removed justice and politics from the hands of the few and redistributed it. In a technological age of connectedness and immediacy, society decides what is fair and just. Doxing, then, unites many into a sort of makeshift body politic operating at an international level. The most notorious group of Doxers is known as Anonymous.

Contemporary perceptions of public spectacles has removed justice and politics from the hands of the few and redistributed it.

Comprised of a worldwide selection of ‘Anons’ wearing masks and endorsing the chilling motto, “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us” as they aggressively push toward fairness. Whether they are doxing a corporate thief, a lying politician or a corrupt police officer, Anonymous means business. When a crime is committed, they stop at nothing to reveal telephone numbers, home addresses, in addition to detailed personal information. Doxing and the stripping of power associated with one’s identity which ensues is not a new concept yet remains in its infancy. It’s the revolutionary new “middle class” with a voice ready to engage with ferocity. So far, a notable pitfall is the validity of a dox — mistakes are not unheard of and doxing the wrong person is tremendously consequential. There is a negative connotation prescribed to hacking, to infringing on the privacy of another person but in instances where the collective is cooperating to restore justice and mutually resist, the world of social media unfolds into a dynamic sphere of connectedness.

OPINION • 35

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

A professor’s open letter to parents Combined efforts of faculty members and guardians stimulate engaging educational experience

DON MORGENSON COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR

We who are toiling in post-secondary education face growing numbers of university students and increased pressures, and we need parents’ help. Our responsibilities as professors continue to be as they have always been; delivering stimulating lectures, showing concern for the whole lives of our students and preparing careful, critical evaluations of students’ efforts. Mothers and fathers of our students have responsibilities, as well. Your daughters and sons tell me you want them to have a “career” orientation to their educations. When they might prefer a broader, more liberal learning approach to their education, a wider selection of courses, etc., they have to deal with “pressures from my mom and dad to take courses, which may contribute to a career.” Students say some parents have a narrow, utilitarian focus on market-related concerns, so dutiful students scramble to get jobs which they think, require only training not education. Some even confess some guilt because they so thoroughly enjoy courses outside their major. Your sons and daughters question the use of a course in comparative religion, question the value of courses in fine arts, history of music,

JOSHUA AWOLADE/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

philosophy courses, among others. And if the dominant goal of education is vocational, such courses may well be outside theirs or your educational objectives. But you and I know an education is more than a constellation of career-oriented courses because life is certainly more than what one practices. Yes, we must earn a good living but, more importantly, we must also earn a good life. And a genuinely liberal education is still the best foundation for any career calling. If we hope to identify the central questions of life and how to respond thoughtfully to the challenges these questions present; if we hope to

identify the best in literature, art, and music; if we hope to become active members of the human family with a sense of perspective that comes from a knowledge of the struggles of those who preceded us; if we want to avoid that insensitivity wherein we treat others as objects, then we must become friends of Socrates, Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Ludwig von Beethoven and Hannah Arendt. Such great lights cannot give our students — your sons and daughters — instant recipes for the “good life,” but the young can discover the common bonds to those noble souls who went before us, in their short and often painful

walk across eternity. In the liberal arts, we find help for forging ethical codes, for refining our sensitivity to and passion for social justice. The study of the most creative thought in human experience will help your sons and daughters develop qualities of mind and character that lead to a greatly enhanced life. Familiarity with great minds can free the spirits of your sons and daughters so they can search for new ideas, pointing to greater possibilities. Of course, education can be complete in itself with a vocational goal, but it is a preparation for something much more difficult and more challenging than they have yet experienced — and that takes place before 9 a.m. in the morning and after 5 p.m. in the afternoon. From my own perspective, after 54 joyous years teaching university students, I do have some advice that you might pass on to your own sons and daughters, so they may become “high involvement“ university students who seek challenges, who love to learn, who enjoy stimulating environments, who are reflective and see themselves in larger social contexts of human history. We must encourage them to: Take time to meet faculty members. The more involved (and hence more successful) students make an effort to meet and get to know at least one faculty member each term. Study a foreign language. The involved students tell me that language courses are the “best kept secret on campus; hard work, but pure pleasure.” The study of language

... Parents and committed faculty members can envision a university experience that promotes the rich exchange of ideas.

can combine all the elements leading to more learning and greater intellectual engagement. Get involved in non-academic activities. What goes on outside the classroom is just as important as formal classroom experiences. Students who get involved in volunteer activities are not only better students, but are more engaged and committed students. Perhaps most important is encouraging your sons and daughters to take a rich mix of courses. Those students who are achievers, treat their early university years like a smorgasbord, taking art, music and philosophy courses and they report being more engaged and happier with their major area of concentration. Together, parents and committed faculty members can envision a university experience that promotes the rich exchange of ideas and an appreciation of our common humanity. We can help students reclaim, from those earlier years, that revelation of wonders which now takes the form of a mature engagement of minds. Together we can do it.

36 •

Sports

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 SPORTS EDITOR DREW YATES dyates@thecord.ca

BASEBALL

Hungry for another championship With most of their veteran core staying intact, men’s baseball looks for a championship run

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Laurier’s men’s baseball team took part in a few exhibition games against Gueph before their season kicks off. JOSH PETERS STAFF WRITER

One year after an early exit from the Ontario University Athletics playoffs, the Wilfrid Laurier University men’s baseball team is hungry to take back the title. After a heartbreaking tournament loss to the Waterloo Warriors last season, Laurier’s defending

championship squad was left with a third-place finish. The Hawks are looking to use the same veteran core to dominate for this year. Even though they lost an exceptional pitcher in Brett Van Pelt, that may be the extent of the damage as the rest of the roster has a very similar look to it. According to fifth-year captain Jonathan Brouse, the team’s belief and talent is there.

“It’s definitely exciting, the opportunity to win another championship. We’ve had success really all four years that I’ve been here, but especially the last two years we’ve been one of the top teams in the OUA,” he said. Brouse sported a .328 batting average in a 14-4 season a year ago and is central to the nucleus of players that make Laurier baseball so tough to

play against. Head coach Scott Ballantyne has led the team to a 28-12 record over the last two seasons, and he thinks the conclusion to last year will put a spring in the team’s step. “[We] had our best regular season [last year] so we’re looking to continue to build on that momentum that we had. We had one bad weekend and the OUA championship where we didn’t play our best,” he said. “We have that taste in our mouths and our veteran guys are definitely looking to be able to rebound from that,” he continued. Brouse and Ballantyne both believe the distinguishing factor this year for the Golden Hawks lies in their experience. Ballantyne says combining team chemistry with a wealth of talent is going to be a tough combination to stop. “What I am the most excited about is that we have a really veteran team here, a lot of guys who have been here for three or four years and even some in their fifth year, so we feel like we have a lot of experience and we will come right out of the gate and play some good baseball,” he said. With rivals like the Brock Badgers and Waterloo having a much higher turnover than Laurier, Brouse thinks having the same guys around is more important than ever. “We have played together for three

years. I think we are pretty much going to be picking up where we left off, but it’ll be a better team,” he added. In terms of last-minute additions, the team found a catcher in Rick Murray from the Kitchener Panthers. While he may not make an immediate impact, Ballantyne thinks he’ll be an exciting talent that can add elite offence and defence to the position that has caused the Hawks some trouble in the past. “I know teams in the past traditionally like to run on us and to have him here is going to be definitely a big staple and behind the plate to sort of stop that, so that will be huge for us,” said Brouse. In addition to the confidence the players have in each other, Brouse also echoed the tremendous confidence they have in their coach and the system they run. Much the same as a season ago, the Hawks will use simple baseball as well as good pitching and defence to try to make it back to the top of the OUA and strive for another deep postseason run. “I know that whatever game plan whatever decision he makes, come this year, come regulation, come playoffs, come whenever it is, he’s going to have an OUA championship in mind and definitely learn from every experience and bring home another one,” Brouse said.

SOCCER

Time for a culture change for men’s soccer DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/PHOTO EDITOR

Joren Ramsay-Marshall battles Algoma’s Scarpino during Sunday’s win.

Mario Halapir thinks it is time for a culture change. Over the last seven years, the Wilfrid Laurier University men’s soccer team has reached an impasse — making it to the playoffs only to be eliminated in the quarter-final round. The squad has not made it any further than the quarter-finals since 2008 when they earned a national berth. After their season was cut short by the York Lions last year for the third time in as many years, a change was needed And now is the perfect time to do it. “Last year I thought was better than years in the past, but basically we are changing guard, a lot of new faces,” said Halapir, the men’s soccer head coach. This is also partly due to the large turnover that occurred over the summer. The 2015 roster is more compact, with 16 of the 33 athletes not returning to the team. The 2015 team is comprised of 27 athletes, six less than last year. “Potentially by design as well,” Halapir explained, regarding the massive turnover. “There’s been what we would like to say is our turning point and we’d like to see if we can actually create a new culture in men’s soccer and I think that it’s about time that it starts.” “I think with the new group of players coming in, and the existing players that are there with some of the old leadership that we have, I

think it will be a very good balance and I think this will be a very good start for us,” he continued. Over the course of the summer, the Hawks lost fourth-years Jordan Kotsopolous, Donald Chmura and Tyrell Wilson to eligibility, as well as goalkeeper Julien John who decided not to come back. However on the upside, 2014’s rookie class is a year older and more experienced, and will be the core as the team progresses forward. The Hawks also hold on to forward Tommy Sitaridis, a huge scoring threat while on the pitch, as he was the top Hawk in the Ontario University Athletics goal scoring category. On the back end, the Hawks will be looking for fifth-year Blake Whiteley to bring a veteran presence to the defence. In addition, the Hawks brought in 10 new rookies, looking to send the Hawks in the right direction in the coming years, as well as adding some much-needed depth to give the head coach some options to work with on the field. But the process may be a long one. The team opened up their season splitting their weekend against Algoma with a 1-1 tie and a 4-0 win. After falling behind early in the first half of the first game, the Hawks were able to find the equalizer in the 62nd minute, but weren’t able to capitalize on their opportunities to get the full three points. “I feel it was a disappointing result,” said second-year Niklas Bauer right after the game. “I feel like we controlled most of the play. Honestly I think we deserved a better result

but sometimes it doesn’t go your way. The other team battled hard and gave us a good run but in the end it just wasn’t good enough.” Halapir doesn’t see drawing with Algoma as an issue, but more so an opportunity for some of the young recruits to get their toes wet and see what it’s like playing in the OUA. “It’s good for us this weekend to play a lot of players in the lineup, probably have six new players in the lineup so that we really get a chance to see all the first year guys play this weekend. So sacrificing maybe some points on the weekend is something we have to live with but maybe I think we’re going to be fine,” he said. Although Halapir acknowledges there will be an experience factor involved when playing the rookies, he knows every player is going through a transition period when moving up into playing university soccer opposed to playing in their previous league. “There’s always a transition for every player coming in no matter what level of soccer. Coming into varsity play, it is for the most part, it is a lot quicker than where most of them are coming from playing as. They need to learn, they need to understand in order to be able to execute and then at the pace of what the game is asking,” he said. “That is always going to be the case and I think that it’s just how quickly that adjustment is going to happen is how successful you are going to be and that will determine how quickly you are going to have success on the field.”

SPORTS • 37

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 SOCCER

‘Winning anything feels great’ Mario Halapir helped lead K-W United FC to first-ever PDL championship in franchise history DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

At the end of K-W United’s 3-1 loss to Forest City London on May 31, Wilfrid Laurier University men’s soccer coach Mario Halapir approached goalkeeper Nathan Ingham at the end of the game and told him that they were going to win it all. Three months later, K-W United Football Club won the Premier Development League championship for the first time in franchise history against the New York Red Bulls. “Winning anything feels great. I love winning,” Halapir said. “Winning as a team, I think there’s nothing like it. Winning individual awards is satisfying but when you do it as a team I think that’s the greatest thing.” K-W United is a group of university-level players looking for competitive play during the offseason that doesn’t use up their eligibility. Halapir became an assistant couch, finding himself alongside women’s soccer head coach and K-W United president Barry MacLean. The two of them were reunited after Halapir served as an assistant coach to MacLean for the men’s soccer team before taking over head coach duties in 2008 when MacLean took over the women’s team. “I really enjoyed it,” Halapir said, reflecting on his experience coaching K-W United. “I enjoyed the commitment level of the players that were involved with the group, with the team. It was second to none.”

“Winning individual awards is satisfying but when you do it as a team I think that’s the greatest thing.”

-Mario Halapir, men’s soccer head coach

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Laurier head coach Mario Halapir helped lead K-W United FC to their first PDL championship as assistant coach.

“With K-W United, to be fair, it was a good breath of fresh air for me because it was working with players who had great desire and as I said I really wasn’t planning to spend too much time with it, but being around kids that have the desire and kids that have to will to learn and desire to learn, I thoroughly enjoyed it.” With such a short season, Halapir

said one of the biggest challenges the team faced was trying to build chemistry. When the players don’t play with each other on a regular basis, it can require patience for both the coaches and the players. “There was a bit of a learning curve for [the players] from an expectation point of view because you can come into the summer and you

can think that it’s more of a summer time league that is going to keep you semi-fit,” he said. “Once we established that [it’s] really not how they should look at this, some of them were trying to be pros, once that mentality changed they progressed a lot better.” As someone who enjoys coaching different levels of play, Halapir

stressed the importance of having expectations of players who play in the PDL league in comparison to the varsity league. The expectations of what coaches can expect from the players at each level also changes. “It’s going to be a little bit different, but understanding what you can expect from players and what you can’t is something that you have to adapt to,” he said. “I think you have to control what you can expect from this level of play, with the level of play that was there during the summer.” Moreover, Halapir felt the players needed a little more time to learn the tactical side of things and adjust to the strategy, just as a team would at the beginning of a university year. The boys had a rough beginning, but as the season moved forward, they were able to adjust and come through. “In the beginning I wouldn’t say it was great, so I think it’s also potentially the same thing, I think you can have the same thing at the varsity level as well.”

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38 • SPORTS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

CFL

‘I can’t even describe it’ Ackie, Mrabure-Ajufo and Pfeffer realize their CFL dreams JOSH PETERS STAFF WRITER

Last summer, three Wilfrid Laurier University football stars were launched into their professional careers. Defensive back Chris Ackie and defensive linebacker Ese MrabureAjufo were taken fourth and fifth respectively in the CFL draft while kicker/punter Ronnie Pfeffer signed with the Toronto Argonauts for a brief stint before ending up with the Ottawa Redblacks. This ended their prolific careers with the Hawks and sent them into a radically different lifestyle. Ackie and Mrabure-Ajufo, who were drafted by the Montreal Alouettes and B.C. Lions respectively, have both played sparingly in their first season in the CFL as they try to learn the ropes. Mrabure-Ajufo was taken aback at the atmosphere of professional football compared to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport. “The first real game, we went out to Ottawa. I mean, that feeling I couldn’t even really describe it. It was close to the most insane thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. They had so many fans out there. I can’t even describe it. It was crazy,” he said. Pfeffer was signed by the Argos after the regular season already begun. His very first challenge in his first game as an Argo was to kick a 50-yard field goal as a welcoming gift to the CFL. “For me to be able to help them out with a 50-yard field goal [and]

“I mean, that feeling I couldn’t even describe it. It was the most insane thing I have ever experienced in my life.” -Ese Mrabure-Ajufo, defensive lineman for BC Lions

to be able to hit such a long field goal especially on your first kick, definitely brings a name to yourself in the CFL,” Pfeffer said. For Ackie, once he got on the field, he too felt the rush of playing in front of thousands of fans. “It was really exciting,” said Ackie. “My first game was in Winnipeg. I think running down after the first kickoff and making my first tackle in my very first kickoff, it felt great. Just doing what I love to do.” Ackie racked up 128 tackles at Laurier and was a highly-touted prospect throughout his final year as a Golden Hawk. He attributes his current success to his time spent in the Laurier football program as he is a component of the Alouette’s special teams currently. “I’d say it was the coaching,” he said. “I learned a lot from coaches when I was younger and from the older players. Some of the players are in the CFL now so I always lean on them for advice. That always comes back to help me a lot.” Pfeffer also contributes his success to the Laurier coaches and players

who helped him along the way. “The coaches at Laurier were amazing, just knowing that they have your back and still be able to go to them and talk to them,” Pfeffer said. “For example my kicking coach, coach John, [I was] able to still give him a call and talk to him and let him know about everything that is going on and how everything is working out. It’s just an amazing feeling and Laurier is like a family.” “Every coach that have ever been there, they always have your back.” After contributing 45 tackles at Laurier, Mrabure-Ajufo, like Ackie, has played mostly special teams this year, tallying one tackle so far while also finding time on the practice roster. Ackie says the firm attention to detail at the professional level has been the most challenging part of his transition. “Here they are really strict on foot work. The game is so much faster, you can’t get away with stuff you can do in university. The guys are just too skilled and too fast here that you can’t make little mistakes that cost you,” he said. After four years of leading the defensive charge for the Golden Hawks, and aspiring to make it to the next level, the goals and dreams of these athletes are starting to resemble those of poised and professional athletes. Mrabure-Ajufo is focused on mastering the every day mindset needed to play with the pros. “I’m still transitioning into being a professional football player and I

HEATHER DAVIDSON/FILE PHOTO

Chris Ackie is one of three former WLU players currently with a CFL team.

mean the whole mental aspect of the game and as well the physical aspect of the game is a big change from college football,” said Mrabure-Ajufo. Ackie has his sights set on the CFL’s prized possession. “Hopefully win the Grey Cup. Right now I’m not even really thinking about what I am going to do in the offseason right now I’m thinking about taking it week by week do what I can to win games,” he said. –With files from Drew Yates

“To be able to hit such a long field goal especially on your first kick, definitely brings a name to yourself in the CFL.” -Ronnie Pfeffer, punter for Ottawa Redblacks

HOCKEY

Hawks back to finding their foundation After an uncharacteristic year, women’s hockey looks to return to top of OUA with new recruits DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

For the last ten years, Wilfrid Laurier’s women’s hockey team and head coach Rick Osborne were always near the top of the Ontario University Athletics standings. As the 2014 season came to a close, the Hawks found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Laurier finished the season in sixth place — a surprise considering they finished at the top of the OUA in most goals scored with their highoctane offence and ability to finish around the net. However come the end of the winter break, the Hawks’ performance fell into a tailspin. After taking some tough losses against teams they never had trouble playing against and losing their top goal scorer to the 2015 Winter Universiade for the last leg of the season, the Hawks slipped. “The foundation of what we pride ourselves in our team; low goals against average, being really tough, taking care of our own end first, was really challenged and it is something that we are uneasy as the head coach of our team. It’s always been ‘Laurier’s so hard to play against’ and I’m not sure we were as tough to play against as we should have been last year,” Osborne said. Additionally, Osborne felt that the Hawks weren’t winning enough races or battles, and needed to improve their puck possession. The 2015 incoming recruit class is built to address these concerns. This class features three forwards,

“It’s always been ‘Laurier’s so hard to play against’ and I’m not sure we were as tough to play against as we should have been.” Rick Osborne, women’s hockey head coach

WILL HUANG/FILE PHOTO

Dollee Meigs chases after the puck against Waterloo captain McDonell in one of the many games versus Waterloo.

four defenders and a goaltender while also leaving opportunity for two other invitees to make the team when training camp starts in September. When choosing his recruit class, Osborne focused on adding depth to the blueline and the goaltender position. According to Osborne, he has been trading emails with many of these athletes for a number of years, working with them and outlining specific things that he likes to see in players before they come play for Laurier. “When you have that big of a class you can’t make too many mistakes,” he said. The class features three centres in Rebecca Haddaway, Madison

MacCulloch and Kaitlyn Hatzes. Haddaway echoes the strengths of current centres Jessie Hurrell and Robyn Degagne, in being strong in the faceoff circle, special teams and can play a 200-foot game, while MacCulloch is quick on her feet and strong in the faceoff circle. Hatzes is a player dedicated to the game, reminding Osborne of alumna Abby Rainsberry and her burning desire to win. On the blueline, Giuliana Pallotta is a poised player, transferring from Minnesota and is projected to be a top-two defender. She is joined by Megan Kingston and Cassandra Calabreese, two defenders that are very quick on their feet, and Morgan Bates, the last defender to join the

team, is strong on the penalty kill. Rounding off the class is goaltender Lauren Webber, a strong netminder who rounds out the Hawks goaltending depth and can motivate Amanda Smith and Nicholle Kovach to compete for a starting position. More than ever, the recruiting process must focus on intangibles. With teams like Western and Guelph getting stronger and the OUA continuing to get more competitive, the little things count more. “Small things make a difference. Intangibles are bigger than ever. If you didn’t do your work in the summer it’s going to show at training camp,” Osborne said. “The players are bigger, are stronger, if you play a team like Western,

they are huge. When you get them big, that can be a little bit intimidating to some players, and it’s really important to find players that can meet that challenge head on and come out on top.” All of these recruits possess the exact traits Osborne is looking for; willingness to go into the blue paint, footspeed, toughness, and the ability to empty the tank every night only to fill it again and ready to go the next night. Even though Osborne is proud of his team, he knows that things need to change if the Hawks want to reclaim their spot at the top of the standings. “I just have the greatest respect for all the players that are playing on our team,” Osborne said. “But our team traditionally has been in the top three or four in the country, and we have always been at the top of the OUA standings.” “Even though it’s really close, we have just fallen too much in the last couple of years, they either have to change their training habits and performance levels or they have to be challenged by it.”

SPORTS • 39

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 GOLF

Golfer returns home after short NCAA stint Flockhart comes to WLU after Saint Mary’s program cut DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

After the Mount’s golf program funding was cut, Flockhart comes to WLU.

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When golfer Eric Flockhart packed his bags and moved south of the border to play in the NCAA in the fall of 2012, he never expected to be finishing his university career back home. The golfer was convinced that he would be spending his next four years in Maryland, as a new recruit for Mount Saint Mary’s University. But the Mississauga native now finds himself on the Wilfrid Laurier University roster, and despite the stress to get here, has made an immediate impact. “I was recruited, so I went down there my first year and I visited the campus directly after I finished my high school exams,” Flockhart said, upon arriving to Saint Mary’s. “I signed my national letter of intent right then, and then I went down in August and had a fantastic time while I was there.” However when Flockhart finally arrived to start school, he hit a couple speed bumps along the way. It started when the head coach decided to transfer to Bowling State University in Ohio. However the bad news didn’t end there. “Unfortunately after my first semester they called a big meeting and they announced that they were cutting funding to the golf teams,” he said. Everything changed in the blink

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of an eye. The team’s top player transferred over the Christmas break. Bad quickly turned to worse, as two of Flockhart’s teammates decided to petition the NCAA for their full year of eligibility back, opting to sit out during their spring season in hopes to play in grad school. “I looked through the summer for places to transfer because my plan was to stay in the US, and then ultimately decided to come back for a semester. So I went through my first semester sophomore year and about halfway through I had some offers to stay in the US, but nothing I really wanted.” After weighing all of his options, Flockhart decided that the NCAA wasn’t the best option for him and decided to return home to Canada. According to Flockhart, a couple reasons contributed to his decision to come play for Laurier. “Before I signed my letter of intent to go down to the Mount after school, I obviously applied in Ontario as a ‘just in case’ kind of thing, and it was I believe my second choice. Coming home I wanted to be close enough to home to make it matter. I knew Laurier had a half decent golf team, and I knew the former coach Jim Zwolak, so I figured it would be a good fit that way.” “It seemed like the best decision, the best place to come back to.” It would turn out to be a good fit. Flockhart’s game improved after

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only posting one top ten finish while attending Mount Saint Mary’s, posting three with Laurier in the 2014 season. According to Flockhart, compared to their NCAA counterparts, Laurier’s golf team would rank in the top 50 among NCAA caliber teams. “I was very surprised when I returned to play for Laurier in terms of competition,” Flockhart said. “The level of competition was definitely a lot higher than I expected, you know it wouldn’t be as high as the top teams in the NCAA, but our team last year would have competed well in the NCAA.” Most recently, Flockhart finished in the top 20 with teammates Austin Ryan and Daley Byles at the Canadian University/College Championships last May. The competition in the Ontario University Athletics conference came as a welcoming surprise to Flockhart after his short stint playing south of the border. “It was exceptional,” Flockhart said. “I found my game stepped up. I had played well all summer but I found it got pretty good coming into the fall so I got super confident going into tournaments and stuff which was nice.” Flockhart and the golf team will be looking to start their season off on a good note when they travel to London to participate in the Western Invitational. Tee off is at 11a.m on Thursday Sept. 17 and will go for two days.

40 • SPORTS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2015

FOOTBALL

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Fifth-year running back Dillon Campbell tries to break through the York Lions’ defence during their season opener Sunday in North York. The Hawks won 38-21 to start 1-0 on the season.

Taking the 2015 season by storm After almost three years under bench boss Michael Faulds, Laurier football is starting to click DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

It’s been two years and nine months since head coach Michael Faulds was hired to coach the Wilfrid Laurier University men’s football team. Come 2015, the Hawks transition period is over and they are ready to take the season by storm. “Year after year we’re getting better chemistry-wise,“ third-year defensive linesman Kwaku Boateng said. “We’re at the point where everyone has grown up together. Chemistry is so strong. You’re not playing the game for yourself anymore, it’s more so you’re playing the game for the man beside you and the people supporting you.” And that chemistry seems to be emanating across the gridiron for the Hawks as they took home a week one 38-21 victory over the York Lions on their home turf. Despite Eric Morelli making his first-career start in the absence of starter James Fracas,

Laurier still seemed to execute the crucial parts of their system — almost seamlessly. The 2015 edition of the Hawks brings many questions to the forefront. Laurier’s offence kept a valuable asset in Hec Crighton nominee Dillon Campbell returning for a fifth-year after his brief stint with the Toronto Argonauts, but took a hit to their special teams when kicker/ punter Ronnie Pfeffer found a new home with the Argos before heading to the Ottawa Redblacks. To combat this, the Hawks look to second-year Nathan Mesher to take over both kicking and punting duties. Mesher made his career debut against York, going 1-for-2 on field goals and punting for 347 yards. The return of Campbell brings another question: whether or not the Hawks will rely too much on their running game and risk becoming a one-trick pony. Campbell rushed for a CIS-high 1458 yards in 2015, rushing for an average of 182.3 yards per game.

“At the end of the day you’ve just got to tell yourself that we’re just reloading, we’re not rebuilding.”

-Kwaku Boateng, defensive linesman

But the Hawks laid those questions to rest, with Morelli choosing many different targets in Greg Nyhof, Marcus Arkarakas, and Zeph Fraser, solving the York defence by not allowing them to key in on a single target. Second-year Morelli had no trouble filling in either, combining for 258 passing yards and three touchdowns while showcasing the Hawks’ depth at both the receiver and quarterback position. “[Morelli] really managed the game well,” Faulds said. “He went about his reads. You could tell in

Saskatchewan he was uneasy, he wasn’t going through his progression properly. He went through the progressions absolutely perfect every time.” Fifth-year wide receiver Nyhof, who recorded his first touchdown of the 2015 season Sunday, is excited for the upcoming season. “It’s the same brand of football we ran last year. It’s taken the offence a couple seasons to kind of gel and really start to key in on nuances and really see things out,” he said. “I think having an older group of guys in the offence, especially in receiver and now the quarterback position as well, it definitely helps with that.” Hawks quarterback Fracas is expecting to retake his position as starter once he is fully healthy, after sustaining an injury in the Hawks’ preseason tilt against the Saskatchewan Huskies. On the defensive side of the ball, Laurier will be without CFL draftees Chris Ackie and Ese Mrabure-Ajufo.

Despite losing Ackie and MrabureAjufo, defensive back Boateng does not see this as a concern. Boateng said there is a good recruit class coming in and a lot of second-years willing to step up and fill positions. “At the end of the day you’ve just got to tell yourself that we’re just reloading, we’re not rebuilding, and that’s always a great sign when you are able to just reload and not rebuild,” he said. Moreover, the Hawks are eager to get started. The first-game jitters are out of the way, and the team is steadily preparing and getting healthy for week two when they travel to Guelph to take on the Gryphons. Guelph starts the year nationally ranked at No.6 after stomping the Waterloo Warriors 78-7 to open the season. “[I’m] most excited to have a Yates Cup run and I’m excited to get a ring on my finger and maybe if it leads off and we win the whole thing then we can go to Vanier,” Boateng said.

SOCCER

A more offensive touch Women’s soccer plans to heighten offence in 2015 year DREW YATES SPORTS EDITOR

When people think of soccer, they usually think of games that stretch on, fans waiting on the edge of their seats for the deciding goal to break the deadlock. They don’t expect games with a ton of goals. But the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s soccer team goes against that stereotype, bringing a more unique style of play — and a lot more goals for entertainment. The end of the 2014 season meant some Hawks had to say goodbye — goalkeeper Maggie Carmichael decided to complete her post-graduate studies at Queen’s University while midfielder Jessica Craig transferred to the University of Ontario Institute Technology Ridgebacks, the very team that eliminated the Hawks in the Ontario University Athletics final four last year. The Hawks also said goodbye to former captain Kelsey Tikka and midfielder Julie Maheu to graduation. That didn’t seem to phase the Hawks as they routed the Algoma Thunderbirds 18-1 and 15-0 to kick off the opening weekend of the OUA season on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31. In all fairness, Algoma put up a good fight, even after Nicole Lyon

scored her first of four goals three minutes into the first game and six different Hawks found the scoresheet in the first 45 minutes. The Thunderbirds only lost motivation when their own defender deflected a corner kick past goalkeeper Enya Farelly to give Laurier a 15-0 lead in the 77th minute. Head coach Barry MacLean said it was a good test for the Hawks to keep to their system. “Well, I mean it’s a good exercise for us. We had to try and remain disciplined and keep things that we are trying to do for the year. We just tried to do the things we do over and over, and we got a lot of players to play which was positive,” he said of playing Algoma, a team that is in just their second season amongst the elite in the OUA. Even after retiring their starting 11, including fifth-year striker Emily Brown, the depth of the Hawk bench would overwhelm the Thunderbirds chances. Laurier was just as aggressive, forcing the Thunderbirds to play on their heels the entire game. “It’s always important to strengthen our bench,” Brown said. “Our starting 11 players are really strong but it helps to have a few players on the bench to come in and compete as well with us. It’s really important

“I think we’re capable of scoring a ton of goals and our defence is good. If we can do that I think we can tear apart all the teams.” -Katie Bishop, midfielder

to stay competitive within our own team.” It doesn’t stop with Algoma. Little tweaks are being made to the Hawks’ style of play that will make them more dangerous to play against. “Well, last year we had a tendency to get a little bit up the wings and get crosses in, and we do the same this year but it’s more dynamic, it’s more fluid and I think the top four are just, they all have amazing foot skills, so they are all just switching in and out and little passes in the box,” fourthyear midfielder Katie Bishop said. So what does this mean? Well last year Laurier was well known for flying up the wing, battling against the opponent’s defender, and then crossing the ball to the middle to land in the feet of strikers Brown or Lyon to finish. By bringing a more aggressive

WILL HUANG/PHOTO EDITOR

Julie Karn dekes out an Algoma defender over the weekend in a 18-1 win.

approach to the pitch, spectators can expect more goals, more possession and more contributors. Spectators can also expect Julie Karn to use her speed to fly past opponents and create scoring chances. There will be little passes in the opponent’s box between four strong Hawk competitors, or as Bishop calls it, playing “very Barcelona.” Moreover, Hawks could become an offensive juggernaut without sacrificing any defence. Laurier was never known for having games that

were decided by one goal — for the most part, the Hawks took a commanding lead for the majority of their games which led to their 62 goals for count last year. After putting up a combined 33 goals in two games of soccer, it’s no secret there’s an arsenal of weapons. “I think we have a really strong attack,” Bishop said. “I think we’re capable of scoring a ton of goals and our defence is good. If we can do that I think we can tear apart all the teams.”