The Cord Jan. 9, 2019

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 59 ISSUE 15 • JANUARY 9, 2019

THE CAMPUS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN Taking a peak at alternate designs of Laurier’s campus News, Page 3

POWERFUL WOMEN

BEST OF LAURIER

SEASONAL DEPRESSION

R.KELLY’S DOCUMENTERY

CHEERLEADING SEES SUCCESS

Chancellor at Laurier gets prestigious title

You voted.

We have the results

Confronting your winter woes

The controversy surrounding the singer

Laurier team wins ninth championship

News, page 3

News, page 8

Arts & Life, page 11

Opinion, page 13

Sports, page 16

Election season is officially in full swing SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The 2019 Students’ Union election has officially kicked-off.

On Sunday Jan. 6 at 8 p.m., the all-candidates meeting took place.

At the meeting, CRO Troy Freiburger and Chair and CGO of the board of directors, Adam Kovacs, presented important dates, rules, regu-lations and more to candidates and their campaign teams.

At the meeting, candidates running for Senate, Board of Governors as well as presidential candidates were present.

This year, four individuals have entered the race to be elected as the 2019-2020 Students’ Union Presi-dent and CEO. One of the four candidates — Ibrahim Musa, Klaudia Wojtanowski, Tahla Naeem and Zemar Hakim — will be elected as the new president at the end of the month, on Jan. 24, 2019 at Wilf’s Night.

For Wojtanowski, heading into her third election period with the Students’ Union is an exciting period.

“I’m just really excited, this is my third time running in an elections.

I just love representing the student voice and the coolest thing that I

“The cool thing

is showing the opportunities that Laurier has for students. I’m personally just really excited at building a campaign team...”

-Klaudia Wojtanowski, presidential candidate

think elections have is the opportunity to talk to so many students and them very willingly giving you their honest opinion,” Wojtanowski said.

“The cool thing is showing the opportunities that Laurier has for students. I’m personally just really excited at building a campaign team [and] building a platform — thats been really exciting.”

Health and wellness is a big component to Wojtanowski’s platform. Additionally, she hopes to work on enhancing clubs and associations.

For Hakim, his platform is largely focused on both external

and internal components to a multi-campus.

“One of the points is to have a 24-hour student building access in Waterloo and Brantford, as well as enhanced food services with a smoothie bar at our athletic facilities,” Hakim said.

Naeem, as former chair and CGO of the board of directors, feels confident heading into the campaign period.

“Going into this campaign time, I feel confident, I feel ready — I feel i’m doing something which will serve the Laurier students,” Naeem said.

Continued on page 5.

PHOTO BY GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

2 •

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

VOCAL CORD What would make you stand in the long bookstore line?

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The Cord

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CordNews

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

“I have a limited time on campus.”

–Ocean Suley, second-year french

“If I needed something right away.”

–Josh Pottinger, thirdyear BBA MARGARET RUSSELL/LEAD REPORTER

Seven of our Cord staff members travelled to Calgary, Alberta for NASH, an annual student journalism conference. Here they are on a day trip tp Banff!

“I like to actually buy and have the materials in person.”

–Hilary Yousif, fourthyear religion and culture

“I would strategize my time so I wouldn’t have to.”

–Becky Schmidt, fourthyear languages Compiled by Margaret Russell Photos by Jacke Vang NEXT ISSUE JANUARY 16, 2019

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Emily Waitson arts@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

OPINION EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino opinion@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Safina Husein editor@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Pranav Desai sports@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sadman Sakib Rahman creative@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Kashyap Patel graphics@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Garrison Oosterhof online@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Eva Ou photos@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Hayley McGoldrick news@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Katherine Weber online@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Aaron Hagey news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Sarah Tyler video@thecord.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Madeline McInnis features@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Margaret Russell news@thecord.ca

LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Abdulhamid Ibrahim sports@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jackie Vang photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Sara Burgess copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Vacant editor@thecord.ca CORDCAST PRODUCER Brielle Huang cordcast@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Joseph DeFilippis Olivia Jones Dotun Jide Anne Marie Russell Brielle Huang Rachel Burns Jennifer Webb Victoria Marshall

Taking “New Year, New Me” Literally By Aaron Hagey

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Schummer at care.schummer@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.

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

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

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

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

for principal photography.

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 4,500 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada.

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

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

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

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

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

reply at the earliest time possible.

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

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

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

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

Quote of the week: “A hornet stung my ass and so I had three butts for a week.”

- Creative Director, Sadman Sakib Rahman, at the annual NASH conference in Calgary.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

News

• 3 NEWS EDITOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR AARON HAGEY news@thecord.ca

HISTORY

Glimpse into Laurier’s past shows what could have been HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

The Laurier Archives, located in the basement of the library on Laurier’s Waterloo Campus, have been given old blueprints of architectural designs of Laurier’s campus from the 1960s, thanks to the family of Karl Kruschen.

Kruschen, who designed many buildings on Laurier’s current campus like the seminary and the dining hall, was a very popular architect in building Lutheran churches and was especially famous at Waterloo Lutheran University, the former name of Laurier University.

“We happened to connect with the family through our participation at Doors Open in September of 2017 and one of [Kruschen’s] sons came on campus just to walk through — and he ended up down here in the archives,” said Cindy Preece, archives administrator at the Laurier Archives.

“We got talking about the work that his father had done here and we got the connection through that — and shortly after he wondered if we would be interested in these blueprints.”

The blueprints, though much different than how the campus looks today, depict many possible scenarios for how Laurier’s campus could have been constructed, including a football field on Bricker Ave. — and seemingly more park-

Bricker Ave., were still private and were homes. The university slowly acquired the block — it didn’t happen all at once — but the designs show a different time where the landscape hadn’t changed yet.”

Even Laurier students in the time of Kruschen’s designs may have seen buildings that did not turn out exactly like his designs.

Kruschen had plans for buildings like the theatre auditorium and MacDonald House to be connected by a three-story building — and there actually was a time where the two were connected by a single-story pathway.

“There are many different sce-

narios there and actually, some of the course calendars from the 60s had campus maps in them as well as ‘buildings to come’, which some of them never did come. Some did, but look different, but all these plans used to be in the calendar,” Preece said.

“He would do architectural drawings with technical things on them for each one, but also ideas of what they would actually look like in person along with those models.

The models aren’t built to survive, even the Kruschen family doesn’t have any models.”

The team at the archives has catalogued the designs and gotten them stored in the archives, as they are important to the Kruschen family, since Laurier was the only university that Kruschen worked on before he retired in the 1970s.

“I think it is important because they show the evolution of this campus, the physical evolution [and] how we got to where we are.

It’s fun to see what paths could have been taken,” Preece said.

“I think that’s how they appeal to people here on campus and students, but architectural drawings will always have people who are interested in them and in studying those kinds of things.”

“This is just one kind of architectural drawing we have on campus, we have many others over the years that are useful to the university itself also because of the schemes and plans,” she said.

for sure.”

Though the Feely Piano School was created in order to serve eager piano students, they are always looking for more instructors who

are passionate about education in music who may not have the equipment or space of their own but do have the skills necessary to teach others.

GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

ing than the school currently has.

“Kruschen did a lot of Lutheran churches, but he also did many buildings on this campus in the 60s.”

“The seminary, the dining hall, the theatre auditorium — which now is kind of encompassed by other buildings on campus — it was all his design,” Preece said.

“Alumni Hall he designed, it was originally built as a house for the president here on campus and also the Fred Nichols Campus Centre was his design. There was a big boom of building on campus here in the 60s and Kruschen was the architect that designed everything.”

Kruschen, who was born and trained in architecture in Germany, passed away in the year 2000, but as his family became more informed as to the services Laurier has, like the archives, they felt inclined to donate the items so that they would be visible to more people.

“Venting, electrical work, furniture — everything it takes to create a building, we have drawings of those that he did. When he built the seminary, he designed a lot of the details, like the pews,” Preece said.

“At the time of the construction, a lot of the lots, such as ones on

MUSIC EDUCATION

Teaching music from home HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

For many university students, they know the struggle of not being able to access a lot of things they can at home; a car, their own bathroom and even hobby items that just don’t have any room in student housing.

For Emilee Feely, her inaccessibility to a piano while trying to become a piano teacher led her to create Feely Piano School.

The school is a mobile music school that sends piano teachers to the students’ house instead of bringing the students into a studio.

“I was wanting to teach music lessons and I didn’t have a piano available to me in the city that I was living in, and because I was living a university lifestyle, I wasn’t in a place to commit to one space and would often be in different places, so the best way to create a job that is flexible to your unsteady location is to go to their home, so I started doing that,” said Emilee Feely, founder of the Feely Piano School.

The school currently operates

out of seven different cities in Ontario, and also has instructors located in Alberta and Nova Scotia.

These instructors are able to travel to different students in their city and provide piano lessons for low costs. The costs of these lessons start as low as $23 for a 30-minute lesson in the comfort of the student’s own home.

“We have 23 teachers now, they’re located throughout Ontario as well as we have teachers in Halifax and Edmonton, and Waterloo is the most dense, as 30 per cent of the school is located in Waterloo,” Feely said.

Though music is enjoyed and should be taught around the world, Feely wants to educate Canadians in piano before taking her talents globally.

“Right now, we’re taking it city by city, I would like to conquer Canada first, what we’re doing in India is kind of a spin off of the business, to create an app to track piano homework,” Feely said.

Music is part of her nature, as both her childhood and university career were defined by music.

“I studied music at the Universi-

ty of Toronto, and then I was dating somebody in Waterloo and wanted to make extra income as I was seeing him on my way there. I have a musical education history and my father is a classical guitarist too, so I’ve had it in the house since I was growing up.”

The school currently is only teaching piano, however after Feely has mastered the art of booking and tracking her students, she aims to expand to other instruments to diversify the range of music education they teach.

“The reason for being only piano right now is that I’ve just designed software to create an easier booking system, it’s been very manual entry and it’s difficult to schedule so many people, and in so many different places with so many different schedules, so the reason we only offer piano right now is that I’m launching new software to facilitate the bookings,” Feely said.

“The way I’ve designed the software it will be able to offer any service. Afterwards, hopefully in September of 2019, we’re looking to offer guitar, so we are going to be opening different instruments

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Youth advocate groups demand climate conversation AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

On Friday, Jan. 11, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., climate advocacy groups in Kitchener-Waterloo will be hosting a “Fridays for Future Climate Strike” event at Waterloo City Hall, with the goal of engaging youth advocacy against climate change.

Hosted by Kitchener-Waterloo Climate Save, RISE Waterloo Region, Divest Waterloo Region and Citizens Climate Lobby Waterloo Region, the strike hopes to achieve a more unified and amplified voice for younger people to speak out and demand change from their governments.

“We’re not going to give up until we’re actually heard and we have people take action or [the] government take action on this,” said Megan Ruttan, an activist and co-organizer for RISE. They were inspired by the acts of Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, who between August and November of 2018 became a prominent figurehead in the youth advocacy movement for climate change awareness.

For one Friday a month since the beginning of the school year, Thunberg has been sitting in front of the Swedish parliament to make politicians take accountability for their apparent inaction towards climate change. These local organizations and nonprofits have been dedicated to mirroring her efforts by coordinating these strike events.

“We want to make individual action a collective endeavour,”

Ruttan said.

“Young people have been failed.

We need to continue to beat this drum so that we can have action — it’s our future … There’s never going to be a point at which we’re not going to have to have these events.”

Activists like Ruttan see the missed opportunities and failures of those in their generation as a chance to improve not only our world for future generations, but the conversation regarding climate change as a whole.

“We really need young people …

The people in charge when I was a young child did nothing and that’s why we’re in this situation now,” Ruttan said.

“My kids shouldn’t have to deal with this, you shouldn’t have to deal with this — and it’s a really fundamental threat we have to mitigate now or suffer later.”

Similar to Sweden, this anger is directed largely at Canadian government and media organizations, whom they see as not taking a serious or aggressive enough approach to combating or informing the public about these crucial environmental issues.

“What our governments are doing is just not sufficient to turn things around in time … They’re not talking about [the issues] fast enough or doing anything about it fast enough,” said Mo Markham, an activist and co-organizer for K-W Climate Save.

Markham sees the potential power in a collective and organized stand against climate change. She sees young people

ALEXANDRA GUIZZETTI/FILE PHOTO

put in a pedagogical role, with the power to influence those around them and make them pay greater attention to the severity of these issues.

“Young people speaking up in large enough numbers will make governments stand up and pay attention … I hope as many young people as possible can come out and understand how serious the issue is,” Markham said.

“This isn’t our future we’re playing with — this is their future …

This is really going to change their life completely and we don’t have the right to do what we’re doing right now — to not act and not change. We don’t have that moral right...”

For some students, these events offer an opportunity to demonstrate the severity of their convictions regarding climate change — a unified platform that demands to be taken seriously.

“We’re the ones that have our future ahead of us. We have [a]

clear outlook of what’s important and what’s necessary … When you get together with others, you all share the same kinds of motivation[s] and you can see something happen,” said Shayna Dehaan, a student at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School in Cambridge. “[Individually] it’s that ‘I’m one person, I can’t do anything’ [mentality], but when you have events like this, you see ... [that] we’re all one person when we stand together.”

HALL OF FAME

Eileen Mercier named one of Canada’s most powerful women MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Wilfrid Laurier University’s chancellor, Eileen Mercier, was recently inducted into the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Hall of Fame, after being presented with the recognition as one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women — for the fourth time in her career.

There are now 151 WXN Hall of Fame inductees which have been bestowed by the organization throughout the last 16 years.

WXN’s Top 100 Awards has honoured 1,115 Canadian professional women, which includes their Top 100 Regional Celebrations in Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax and Calgary.

Mercier was presented with this award at the WXN Gala in Toronto last month which recognizes women who have demonstrated great leadership in their professional careers and who serve as titans of diversity.

“I was nominated and chosen in the ‘corporate directors’ category.

This is actually the ‘final’ stage, if you like, in a long professional career — in my case, 48 years,”

Mercier stated.

“I have been extraordinarily fortunate in my career and really loved being a woman in business at a time when the path forward was being forged. Now it is my time to give back and mentor young women so that they can do even more than they ever thought possible.”

Mercier was unanimously appointed into her position as Wilfrid Laurier University’s ninth chancellor in 2016. Currently, she is the chair of Payments Canada, which is responsible for Canada’s national payments systems, is a board member of Intact Financial Corporation, as well as the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Mercier’s past positions, such as chair of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan board, founder and President of Finvoy Management Inc. and senior vice-president and chief financial officer of Abitibi-Price — to name a few — have contributed to her long history of success and has made her a force in the industry.

In 2011, during Laurier’s centennial, Mercier was named one of the university’s 100 Alumni of Achieve-

ment. She graduated from Laurier — previously named Waterloo Lutheran University — with a BA and an academic gold medal.

“My best advice is always to say ‘yes’ when asked to take on something new or more challenging,” said Mercier.

“You will always play up when someone thinks well enough of you to ask you to move forward.

Then ask for all the help and support you think you will need to be successful.”

Mercier has achieved the recognition as one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women in 2012, 2015 and 2017 as well. Being nominated for a fourth time in 2018 made her eligible for recommendation of induction into WXN’s Hall of Fame by the Diversity Champions committee.

WXN is a member-based organization which not only hosts the Top 100 awards but also provides mentoring, training, networking and programs for women.

“WXN is doing very valuable work in inspiring women to aim higher. Showcasing those who have done well allows others to dream,” Mercier added.

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 AWARDS

LAURIER VOTES

GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

Pranav Desai, The Cord’s sports editor, was awarded the Sports Reporting JHM Award at the NASH81 conference.

The Cord wins JHM sports award SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EVA OU/PHOTO EDITOR

Candidates meeting kicks off elections SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

— COVER “I feel my four years of community work engagement, contributions and the work that I put in building on the Laurier community … has given me an opportunity to serve Laurier students through my journey which is running as a presidential candidate with the vision to serve Laurier students.”

Naeem’s platform focuses on helping students utilize services and resources on campus and breaking down any barriers that students might be facing.

“My campaign focuses on empowering students by opening grants, funding opportunities for student leaders, entrepreneurs for students who are willing to represent Laurier,” Naeem said.

“It’s going to be an open door policy and through that I'm going to provide that opportunity for all our students who have a specialized need in terms of making their dreams a reality, which is making Laurier proud.”

For Musa, entering the campaign period brings about both feelings of nervousness, but also a sense of calm.

“I'm feeling okay. I thought I’d be a little bit more nervous than I am right now, but after the whole meeting and everything I actually really believe that I might have a chance at this, so I am feeling calm — for now,” he said.

Musa’s platform focuses on enhancing resources on Laurier’s campus, for example, looking into stronger WiFi connections for students.

“We can do much better so that’s definitely something that I wanna look into as president and see if we can get a better connection going on, maybe even for a better price.

The usage of resources [on campus] is really a key thing on my platform,” Musa said.

Each year, encouraging more students to be engaged, involved and to cast their vote during election season is a goal for the Students’ Union.

Last year, approximately 22 per

cent of the student body voted.

Of those votes, current Students’ Union president and CEO, Tarique Plummer, received 52.35 per cent of the votes.

“I think the four candidates we have … we have a second year candidate and a Brantford candidate, the voter turnout will come from the diversity of demographics on campus,” Hakim said.

As well, as the Students’ Union strives to inform more students of how their vote impacts their experience at Laurier during their time as an undergrad, it will, hopefully, also contribute to a higher voter turnout. “[Students] feel as though the president they're voting for can't actually do anything for them. The reality is that we can actually do a lot for them … so just getting the knowledge out there or the idea out there that we can make a difference.” Musa said.

Most importantly, candidates aim to advocate for the issues and topics that students care the most about.

“When it comes to voter turnout, is that people vote when they’ve spoken to you or heard from you, when they're involved or engaged or there’s a issue that they care about,” Wojtanowski said.

“People aren’t gonna vote because you tell them to vote. You have to explain to them why elections are important and why you need to vote as an undergraduate student — there’s so many things that your vote [impacts].”

Campaigning will be taking place over the next few weeks and will end at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 22, 30 minutes prior to when voting polls open.

Voting will then take place on Jan. 22 to 24. Results will be announced on the evening of Jan. 24.

“Everyone here can make a difference just by making their voice heard. So if you're not voting, I'm sorry, but you're just really losing out on the opportunity to make an actual difference — you're going to be leaving a legacy here. In order to do that, you got to make a few moves and make your voice heard,” Musa said.

This past weekend, The Cord’s sports editor, Pranav Desai, won the JHM Sports Reporting Award at NASH, an annual student journalism conference.

At NASH, student journalists come together to meet professionals in the journalism and media field, learning about trends and tips about various categories in the journalism industry.

Desai was shortlisted for the award on Dec. 25, 2019.

He was nominated for his story “Laurier graduate Jessica Platt comes out as first openly transgender player in the CWHL.” The story was published in The Cord on Jan. 24, 2018.

This year, NASH81 took place in Calgary, Alberta. Seven of The Cord’s staff travelled to attend the conference.

The JHM gala is an annual award ceremony at which student journalists across Canada are recognized for their hard work in various categories.

The JHM Gala took place on Sat-

urday Jan. 5, 2019. Kurtis Rideout, The Cord’s Editor-in-Chief in 201718 accepted the award on behalf of Desai, as he was unable to attend the conference.

Desai is in his second year as sports editor. He began as Lead Sports Reporter in 2016-17.

This is the first time Desai has been nominated for and received the prestigious JHM award.

The Cord thanks Desai for all of his hard work, and congratulates him on bringing home an award for The Cord. We are proud of you, Pranav!

DESIGN UNVEILING The City of Waterloo is expanding the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex which will include an older adult centre.

Thursday, January 24, 2019 Hauser Haus Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex 2 – 4 p.m or 6 – 8 p.m.

See the architectural and interior designs, share your comments and ask questions!

engagewr.ca/waterloo

6 • GAMES

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Dear Life

SUDOKU

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.

Please slow down. I’m already failing all my classes and it is only the 3rd day.

Sincerely, #SyllabiTillIDie Dear Life, I need SO many more dear lifes!

Sincerely, The Puppet Master Dear Life,

Dear Life,

I pull your strings.

Four more months till shit gets real, and I’m not ready.

SIncerely, The Puppet Master

Sincerely, A nervous hawk

Dear School,

Dear Immune System, Just wanna know why you’re being a trick ass bitch, if this is your sick and twisted way to tell me to get healthy joke is on you because I can’t take a hint!

Loved the break from you but also missed my girlfriend a heckin lot.

Sincerely, Ya know Dear Henry, Why are you not Big?

Sincerely, Snacks on snacks on snacks

Sincerely, Oh

Dear student body, Dear Staff, I realize I’m not as important as the Students’ Union’s election, but please vote for me. We matter too.

Sincerely, WLUSP Elections

Don’t get me sick.

Sincerely, I was just sick Dear Life,

Dear Parnav, Thanks for being awesome and winning a JHM. You have made us all so so proud, P-Daddy.

Sincerely, Your Cordie Fam

The only good part of coming back to another semester is the thought of all the money I’m gonna waste buying drinks from Second Cup to feed my coffee addiction.

Sincerely, Too tasty for it’s own good

Dear Life, Dear Second Semester, My staff hate me because of this section of the paper.

Sincerely, Why don’t people submit shit

ANOTHER YEAR. ANOTHER REASON TO SPARK ONE UP. COME AND SEE US FOR SOME NEW ITEMS TO CELEBRATE WITH!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK | 18+ ONLY

95 KING STREET NORTH, WATERLOO 519 . 74 6 .1 50 0 | di fferent -s t rokes .ca

Dear Life,

You’ve barely even started and I already want a break. Please slow down.

Sincerely, Tired

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 WORD SEARCH

ARCHITECT BEST CLIMATE FACEMASKS PIANO ARCHIVES CANDIDATES DEPRESSION FAVOURITES WINTER BASKETBALL CHEERLEADING ELECTIONS NEWYEAR

JANUARY 14 & 15

9-6 9-5

8 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/MADELINE MCINNIS/FEATURES@THECORD.CA

THE BEST OF LAURIER 2018 We asked you what your favourites were; you guys answered.

BEST FIRST YEAR RESIDENCE First Place: KSR Second Place: Willison

BEST ORIENTATION WEEK ACTIVITY First Place: Headphone Disco Second Place: Cheer Off

BEST FOOD SERVICE EMPLOYEE

First Place: The awesome people at Second Cup Coffee Second Place: Linda

BEST STUDENT BAR First Place : Dallas Second Place : Pub On King

BEST WAYS TO MAKE NEW BEST PLACE TO GRAB FOOD FRIENDS ON CAMPUS First Place: Clubs Second Place: Talk to People In Class

BEST PLACES TO POOP IN PRIVATE First Place: DAWB Upper Floor Second Place: Lazaridis Hall Hall

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR A DATE IN WATERLOO First Place: Famoso Second Place: Waterloo Park

First Place: Wilf’s Pub Second Place: Union Market

FAVORITE LAURIER GEARED SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT First Place: Spotted at Laurier Second Place: OneCard

BEST PLACE TO STUDY ON CAMPUS First Place: Library Second Place: 24 Lounge

URES

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 • 9

MOST DIFFICULT COURSE First Place: BU111 Second Place: MA122 BEST PLACE TO STUDY WITH A GROUP First Place: 24 Lounge Second Place: Science Atrium

BEST PLACE TO FIND PARKING First Place: Nowhere Second Place: Bricker Avenue

BEST PLACE TO TAKE A NAP First Place: Nap Pods in the Library Second Place: At your home

BEST PLACE TO GET BOOKS OTHER THAN THE BOOKSTORE First Place: Facebook/ Other Social Media Second Place: Amazon

BEST EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY First Place: Intramural Sports Second Place: Ice Breaking

BEST STUDY SPOT OFF CAMPUS First Place: Home Second Place: Settlement Co.

BEST PROFESSOR First Place: Bina Mehta Second Place: Louise Dawe

BEST PLACE TO GRAB FOOD BEST CLASSROOM SPACE OFF CAMPUS ON CAMPUS First Place : Meltwich Second Place : Lazeez

First Place: DAWB 1-101 Second Place: Lazaridis Hall

QUESTIONS BY MADELINE MCINNIS. LAYOUT BYSADMAN SAKIB RAHMAN/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

10 •

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Arts & Life

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR EMILY WAITSON arts@thecord.ca

Best face masks for dry skin in the winter The online customer reviews are mostly positive, but some reviewers noted that the mask was irritating or ineffective for them, so it would be worthwhile to take that into consideration as well. The price is relatively low budget, and you can get a few uses out of it, which is definitely a great feature.

ALYSSA DISABATINO OPINION EDITOR

I don’t know about you, but my skin is always in shambles once the winter rolls around. The cold, dry air mixed with exam season stress is enough to wreak absolute havoc on my skin, and unfortunately, I wasn’t blessed with good skin by anyone’s standards. But, I’d consider myself pretty good at spending money on beauty products, and I just so happen to be very passionate about face masks, so you can take my word for it when I say these are the best face masks to try for an at-home winter skin treatment.

TONY MOLY: I’m Real Aloe Mask Sheet Price: $6.00 The official Tony Moly website sells sheet masks in sets of two for only $6.00, but if you do a little cyber-surfing you could easily find a larger set for an even better

Freeman Beauty: Infusion Manuka Honey + Collagen Hydrating Sheet Mask Price: $3.97

If you’ve begun to feel uncontrollably and unexplainably morose as the days become shorter, the darkness arrives earlier and the weather becomes colder and more unforgiving, then you may be one of the unfortunate few who suffers from seasonal depression.

Also called Seasonal Affective Disorder (literally S.A.D.), seasonal depression is a specific type of mood disorder that is most related

is known for its animal activist efforts, so you can buy this product and feel good about how you’re spending your money.

I’ve used Lush face masks in the past and found them to be extremely drying, but after trying the Oatifix mask, my skin was smoother than I anticipated. The all-natural ingredient list includes fine oatmeal and mashed bananas, which are both known for their soothing and softening qualities.

receive on a daily basis. Vitamin D deficiency has been known to be linked with symptoms of chronic depression.

Furthermore, this change is aggravated by a shift in people’s biological clock — their circadian rhythms — which is interrupted and confused by the shift in hours of sunlight. Circadian rhythms are dominated by physical and environmental cues, such as the rising and falling of the sun, which naturally determines when we should rise and wake. Also, drop in your serotonin and melatonin levels during this period adds an extra level of complication, as the lack of sunlight during this time

can impact sleep patterns, moods and trigger S.A.D. Because of this, onset-S.A.D. should be taken extremely seriously, as it affects two to three per cent of the general population annually.

Furthermore, 13 to 17 per cent of people who experience symptoms of SAD have a family member with the disorder, indicating a genetic component to it.

Moreover, S.A.D. is often diagnosed higher in women than men, and disproportionately so in younger, as opposed to older, adults. S.A.D. is considered a “specifier” of overarching, major depression symptoms, which means that if you currently suffer

from chronic depression, you are more likely to experience symptoms of S.A.D. We all have the tendency to get S.A.D. — and whilst it cannot always be avoided or fixed, especially if it is the result of a chemical imbalance, isolation does nothing but further exacerbate the problem.It can be very easy to lock ourselves away during the colder months, turn out the lights and resort to Netflix to dull the pain of existence — especially during cuffing season when many individuals are left craving intimacy and a relationship. But we shouldn’t allow ourselves to succumb to it if we don’t have to.

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

price on Amazon. These masks are seriously moisturizing and super inexpensive, which is great if you’re looking for a lot of hydration on a low budget.While Tony Moly has an extensive repertoire of sheet masks, the Aloe one is well-suited for moisturizing and replenishing the skin. If you’re reading this article and wondering which mask you should pick up first, I’d definitely put this one at the top of the list.

The Body Shop: Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Face Mask Price: $26.00

Coping with S.A.D. AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

While it may be one of the more expensive masks on the list, it definitely lives up to expectations.

This mask looks and feels like honey on your skin. It makes removal a little difficult because of its high viscosity, but even so, I found it to be very gentle on my skin. Once you rinse this mask off, your skin will feel super soft and nourished.

The mask comes in a cute and dainty jar, and is well suited for multi-ple uses — which justifies the price — as opposed to sheet masks which are typically single use. This mask is also 100 per cent vegetarian, and The Body Shop

I always find sheet masks to be amazing on dry skin because they’re so moisturizing, even when they’re not specifically marketed for that purpose. Freeman Beauty is known for their inexpensive masks, and they have a whole line of Manuka Honey + Collagen Hydrating masks beyond just the sheet masks as well. The collagen properties aim to improve elasticity and the honey aims to soften skin. Out of all the face masks listed, Freeman Beauty definitely has the most accessible masks in terms of price and location, as they’re usually available at Walmart or most drug stores, while the other masks listed are more pricey and could be harder to obtain.

to the changing of the seasons, and more distinctly occurs during the winter months.

This often leaves people feeling moody, sluggish or excessively irritable, losing interest in things they enjoy, having low energy, under or over-sleeping, with a lack of concentration, leads to changes in weight or appetite — and most dangerously, having more frequent thoughts regarding death or suicide. This is most easily explained by a number of factors, including the amount of sunlight people

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ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Netflix’s “Bandersnatch” is full of surprises CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

EMILY WAITSON ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

Black Mirror, the British science fiction anthology series that portrays dark depictions of an alternate present-day and near future, surprised Netflix viewers with a “movie” released on Dec. 28 after the trailer was released just one day before.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is an interactive, build-your-own adventure style psychological thriller that places the viewer in control of the storyline and the main character, Stefan Butler.

There is a brief tutorial presented to the viewer on how to make decisions, with seconds to choose an option before a default decision is picked for you. The film lasts roughly 90 minutes but can run on for hours depending on the

choices made by the viewer and how many times you go back to see each available ending. It has five “main” endings that trigger the credits, but countless other choices that can be made to alter the plot.

Overall, Bandersnatch is an ambitious stand-alone film that still fits into place with the “mindfuck” brand that Black Mirror has so cleverly expanded upon since the first season aired in 2011.

Utilizing a quirky blend of dark humour, wacky turning points and violent thrills brought on by the failings of technology and humanity, Bandersnatch feels less like a movie and more like another episode of the original show.

It keeps the tone in line with Black Mirror’s fictional ideology, with numerous easter eggs and nods to former episodes scattered throughout it. Perhaps its largest

weakness overall is that Bandersnatch attempts to cram such an expansive multifaceted jumble of ideas into one film that feels more like a prototype of an idea rather than a completed, final version of what it has the potential to be.

Given that it’s the first example of this genre and an experimental method of moviemaking to grace Netflix’s homepage, it’s understandable that it wouldn’t be flawless.

Despite its setbacks, like being forced to choose certain options that make you backtrack to previous points in the story that manipulate the way you might want to direct it to go, Bandersnatch feels like the beginning of an entertainment medium that could take over the way we watch and interact with films and television series.

I actually sympathized with poor

Stefan, the awkward youth and blossoming computer programmer who just wants his video game creation, Bandersnatch, to be made properly and become successful. Even though many, if not most, of the movie’s endings revolve around his descent into some violent rampage or outburst, you can’t help but feel bad for the guy living in such a twisted version of reality.

The 80s setting is reminiscent of one of my favourite Black Mirror episodes, “San Junipero” and its peculiar characters, on-the-nose music choices and vintage feel makes it all the more engaging and intriguing to be an active participant in.

One of Bandersnatch’s greatest and probably most surprising strengths is the character of Colin Ritman, who ends up being

bizarrely fascinating in a way you don’t expect.

Bandersnatch’s self-aware attitude and fourth-wall breaking hits its peak when the viewer is given the task of explaining what Netflix is to a bewildered and confused Stefan. It doesn’t really play out well no matter how you go about it and we’re left realizing that a little over 30 years ago something like Netflix couldn’t even be conceptualized.

I never thought I’d spend three hours on a Friday afternoon with my boyfriend debating about what cereal we should make Stefan eat or if he should bash his father over the head with an ashtray and cut up his body in the bathtub — but those are the kind of predicaments Black Mirror likes to put you in and you learn not to question it too much.

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12 •

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s Note: Making challenging decisions Despite not only wanting to on a super fun trip with my friends, but also having a commitment to be at the conference for my job, I had to make a tough call to stay home and prioritize getting myself back to 100 per cent.

And although, at the time, it felt like I had let me staff down and was unable to fulfill my job as editor by not coming, I ultimately had to put my job aside and choose to take care of myself.

It wasn’t the easiest choice I’ve ever made, but I know that it was the right choice.

Instead of travelling sick and making myself more sick and more stressed going into the first week of work and school, I prioritized my own well-being and was able to rest and work on feeling more myself, and ultimately, starting this new term in a more positive place.

I spent a lot of time that I could have used getting better worrying about what my co-workers would think if I didn’t come on the trip.

And I spent so much time stressing and feeling guilty when I knew that staying in bed to rest was the best thing for me.

In the end, it was the people who genuinely cared about me and my well-being (aka my wonderful staff ) that were understanding and accepting of my decision not to come.

I guess this experience showed me that this year, I want to prioritize the things that matter the most to me in 2019, and one of those things is my own well-being.

Although sometimes what’s best for you might not make others happy or pleased, if it’s right for you, then — in my opinion — that’s worth prioritizing.

SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With the start of every new year, everyone is focused on their new goals and resolutions, thinking about all the things they want to accomplish and get done in 2019.

For me, I was excited to start 2019 after a break with a trip to Calgary with my staff NASH — an annual student journalism conference.

Before the conference, my seven pals and I had booked a day trip to Banff and I had already made a schedule of all the journalist speakers I had wanted to listen to.

However, the day before we were schedule to leave for Calgary, I found myself at home feeling unwell.

Often, we push ourselves past our limits or simply “suck it up” when we have colds and are feeling under the weather for work, to make our friends happy, or to merely try to stick with plans that had been made.

I often do the same; especially when it comes to my job. But, after an extremely busy semester and an even busier semester coming up, I had promised myself that I would use my two weeks off to recover, recuperate, and get myself organized for the new year.

There’s so much I want to get done and accomplish here at The Cord, in terms of academics, and with regards to my personal life.

And checking off adventures in Calgary seemed like the perfect way to start 2019.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Taking “new year, new me” literally

AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

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For many of us, the phrase “new year, new me” offers a chance to shed ourselves of the failures and missed opportunities of the year before, giving way to a fresh start — and with it, the possibility to begin again.

This year, after legally changing my last name, I will have the chance to take that phrase more literally than most.

Though I won’t go into the details of it, I made the choice to change my name to better reflect the person I want to be and the people I’d prefer to be associated with.

In the past few years, I’ve found myself a part of a new family — though that is not to say I’m completely cutting ties with my biological one.

There is an odd and significant stigma surrounding men changing their surnames, especially when it’s their female partners surname that they’re taking.

The expectation that we have

become comfortable with is that women will either have to take their significant other’s or keep their own — yet the inverse is never discussed.

While I’m sure I will receive a number of cocked eyebrows, slightly pursed lips and befuddled glances when I mention it, the conviction I hold behind this decision is indefinite.

I am a firm believer that, while we cannot choose our family, one of the most important choices you make is who you choose to hold close to your heart.

For me, the latter has always represented who I connect most strongly with.

Because of that, it would seem the right choice to have my name reflect that.

My girlfriend’s family has treated me with an endless amount of kindness, unconditional love, support and more than I think I deserve.

Though they would never ask or expect it of me, I suppose this is one way for me to repay that kindness.

Beyond that, after over four years of being together, I believe that I can firmly disregard of any of the naysaying comments that people will probably say to me like, “But what if you two don’t work

out? What happens then?”

Thankfully, because it’s just a name, it can be changed to something else.

I realize it would be a hassle, but it’s an easier change to make than something like a tattoo — and people make the decision to get those a lot more impulsively.

At the end of the day, I wanted to do something that reflected the significant changes I’ve made in the past few years. I wanted to show my commitment to the idea that I’m a different person than the man I got my last name from and I’ve grown to deserve something better.

It’s frightening sometimes how much we change in such a short period of time — and it can be a bit overwhelming.

When looking at your New Year’s resolutions this year, remember why you’re doing them.

Change should be about adapting yourself to the person you’re becoming.

Sometimes change is slow and takes a while, sometimes it’s immediate and impulsive. Other times, it’s a resonation inside yourself that demands action against apathy.

At the end of the day, I did this for myself — and for my future happiness.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

• 13

Opinion

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

Surviving R. Kelly documentary sparks Twitter debate ALYSSA DI SABATINO OPINION EDITOR

Rumours of R&B singer R. Kelly’s sexual abuse, predatory behaviour and pedophilia scandals have accompanied him for most of his career, but on Jan. 3, 2019, the first episode of Surviving R. Kelly aired on LifeTime TV. A total of six episodes have been released, which include testimonies by his past victims and survivors, former members of his inner circle and well-known celebrity figures, including Wendy Williams and John Legend.

The allegations against R. Kelly are extensive.

Some of the more prolific ones include his relationship with deceased singer Aaliyah, whom he met when she was just 12 and then illegally married when she was 15 and he was 27 in 1994.

Other allegations include his sex tape scandal where he is filmed

urinating on an underaged girl, which was made public in 2002.

Further, he has been accused of abusing women in a sex cult, where the women are forbidden from outside contact.

These “allegations” and “accusations” are classed as such because he has not been convicted of anything to this day, but the documentary shows extensive footage and proof of his sexual abuse and pedophilia.

Altogether, he has had around 25 years worth of sexual misconduct allegations against him with little repercussions.

In an interview with GQ in 2016, R. Kelly admitted to being sexually pursued and abused from the ages of 7-14 by an older family member.

Surviving R. Kelly goes into further details, as some of his siblings testified for his claims, saying they were abused as well.

In the first episode of the documentary, clinical psychologist Dr. Candice Norcott said that when a child is sexually abused, it “confuses power and control with sex.”

This in some ways explains, but doesn’t justify, R. Kelly’s own abuse of power against underaged girls.

Dr. Norcott also says that after being sexually abused, children might consciously or unconsciously conclude that to maintain a position of power when they are older, they need to become an abuser themselves.

On Twitter, viewers have taken to the hashtag, #SurvivingRKelly to discuss the subject matter.

I’ve seen one tweet, among others similar to it, saying that the same people defending R. Kelly’s identity, even after the allegations, are the same people that are defending their sexually abusive family members and failing to protect their own children from similar situations.

Within the first episode of the documentary, R. Kelly’s younger brother Carey Kelly bravely explained that he was also sexually abused by a family member as a child, and was afraid to tell anyone about it because he feared he would not be believed.

Using this documentary as an example, it could be stated that pedophilia and child sexual abuse are proliferated by people who either fail to acknowledge its harmful impact or people who are abusers,

or protecting abusers, themselves.

This proliferation is the reason that so many victims are afraid to tell anyone of their trauma.

When abusers are supported more than their victims are, it reinforces the power imbalance even further.

In cases like these, it’s pretty common for people to claim that they are able to “separate the art from the artist.”

I highly disagree with this notion, and find it hard to believe that anyone claiming such a thing is justified in saying so.

R. Kelly’s artistry should not be separate from him as a person.

This goes for every abuser in the industry as well.

Some songs from his 1993 album, 12 Play, detail lyrics of him disregarding the age of the women — or more appropriately, young girls — that he is trying to bed.

Separating his art from his character in this case would be equal to disregarding the outright admittance of his misconduct.

An abuser’s actions should not be excused just because you enjoy their work.

Interestingly enough, R. Kelly’s

music streams and sales have increased since the documentary first aired.

The documentary has also sparked a conversation about the ways in which the lives of young black girls are devalued, as most of the survivors and testifiers who came out against R. Kelly were either women or black.

It’s not that his victims have stayed silent all these years, because they haven’t. R. Kelly has been tried and acquitted several times, despite the overwhelming evidence against him.

It’s just that the voices of his victims have been disregarded this entire time.

In reference to those who ask how R. Kelly’s abuse had gone unnoticed for so long, cofounder of HoodFeminism, Mikki Kendall, said it best. “We all noticed, [but] nobody cared because we were black girls.”

If people are still able to listen to and enjoy R. Kelly’s music in spite of his proven abuse, I just have to wonder why people find it so hard, or trivial, to listen to these girls who have bravely come out against their abuser.

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14

•

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Kanye’s mental health debate BRIELLE HUANG CORDCAST PRODUCER

Over the break, Kanye West went on another Twitter rampage against Drake. (What else is new?)

Amidst the chaos, Ariana Grande tweeted the following: “Guys, I know there are grown men arguing online rn but miley and I dropping our beautiful, new songs tonight so if y’all could please jus behave for just like a few hours so the girls can shine that’d be so sick thank you.”

It didn’t take long for Kanye West to respond: “I know Ariana said this to be cool and didn’t mean no harm but I don’t like even slightest level of slight commentary from someone I know loves and respects me.”

“People will no longer take mental health for a joke.”

The Kanye-Ariana exchange is a perfect example of how it is very hard to disagree with people who have mental health issues without facing accusations of attacking mental health.

Ariana was not making fun of mental health; she was making fun of Kanye’s behaviour as a human being.

But is it even possible to distinguish between the two? In other

words, can Kanye the man-whohad-a-mental-breakdown be distinguished from Kanye the talented-albeit-off-his-meds creator?

The answer should be a resounding yes; mental health problems are just that — problems which need to be dealt with —but they do not define a person. Said person’s actions and opinions, on the other hand, do define them.

The Kanye-Ariana exchange is a perfect example of how it is very hard to disagree with people who have mental health issues without facing accusations of attacking mental health.

The worst thing you can do is treat someone differently because of their mental health; nothing makes a person with depression more self-conscious than when you tell them they weren’t invited to get drinks because you thought they’d be too depressed to go.

And just because someone has mental health issues does not mean they’re “off their rocker” whenever their opinions don’t

match yours, and that their voices should be largely ignored.

This is the reason so many people have hidden their disorders: for fear of judgement and direct or indirect retribution.

But there are two sides to every coin.

If our voices should be able to stand despite any mental health issues, they should also be able to stand against any criticisms.

If the call is for our actions to be evaluated separately from our diagnoses, then we need to be able to take what we dish out.

Being concerned for someone’s mental health should be completely separate from disagreeing with their actions.

Walking on eggshells is no way to live, and if people are shamed or blamed for interacting in a certain way with those suffering from mental health issues, then it’s only a matter of time before these interactions cease completely.

Dividing arguments into sides where one party has mental health issues and the other party is “sane” should never be a debate tactic.

As Kanye vehemently states on his Twitter, he is not his mental health.

In fact, I think he’d agree with me for saying he is himself despite his mental health.

But if this is true, he needs to start taking responsibility for his actions rather than hiding behind the words “mental health” whenever it suits him.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Kevin Hart’s offensive tweets were used against him ANNE MARIE RUSSELL OPINION COLUMNIST

The entertainment industry has consistently been a place where scandals and controversy thrive: perhaps it is due to the fame going to people’s heads, and thinking that any behaviour is acceptable, or perhaps it’s just the way these people are.

Throughout 2018, we saw the #MeToo movement make its way across Hollywood, and become extremely influential in the equality conversation.

Heading into 2019, we are now seeing another scandal that, to some, is quite shocking.

This February, the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, were supposed to be hosted by Kevin Hart.

However, once Hart was announced as the future host, numerous homophobic tweets from several years ago were brought to the public’s attention.

The public was outraged that Hart would be allowed to host the Oscars with such an offensive Twitter history.

As most people are aware of, things posted on the internet usually stay on the internet, even through Twitter.

When the public began bringing up these past tweets, Hart came to Twitter with a video about him stepping down from the position and saying he “didn’t want to give in to the internet trolls.”

especially in Hollywood where so many individuals from different backgrounds and identities should be respected and represented. It transcends into the idea of equality and respect for individuals.

Despite many people being against Kevin Hart, there are some who are agreeing with forgiveness and second chances.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

He also mentioned that he had addressed these homophobic tweets in the past, although the public argued this “was not exactly an apology.”

Recently, Ellen DeGeneres invited Kevin Hart as a guest on her talk show and addressed the Oscar situation with the actor.

She further went on to say that she supported Kevin Hart and wanted him to be the host of the Oscars.

In fact, she even went onto Twitter continuing her support by creating hashtags and several posts in honour of his name.

Ellen DeGeneres is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and has spoken up about these topics in the past, which is why the public is so conflicted.

During this interview, she addressed the people upset with Kevin Hart hosting the Oscars as “haters.”

This image of Ellen DeGeneres supporting and forgiving Kevin Hart for his previous behaviour is one that screams forgiveness.

However, the public is not so ready to forgive.

Many people are not convinced that Kevin Hart actually apolo-

gized, and instead just went on about people being too caught up with his past.

Forgiveness is important, but does this forgiveness from Ellen DeGeneres shows that despite a person’s past, we can forgive them, even if they are a person of influence?

Despite many people being against Kevin Hart, there are some who are agreeing with the idea of forgiveness and second chances.

The idea of people being able to change and grow as individuals and learn from their mistakes transcends into multiple issues,

In the end, we should look at the situation with Kevin Hart as a further step in equality, and how we should proceed with it.

Regardless of whether or not the public decides to forgive Kevin Hart for his actions in the past, it is an example for further generations to show that the things you say can come back to haunt you and how powerful social media can be.

Forgiveness can be the way for some, but not all, and the damage from Kevin Hart’s tweets may already be done; all we can hope is that Kevin Hart himself and others will learn from this and use it to better themselves for the future to come.

• 15

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR PRANAV DESAI sports@thecord.ca

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Golden Hawks get back on track against Windsor OLIVIA JONES STAFF WRITER

MADELINE MCINNIS/FEATURES EDITOR

On Friday night the Laurier Golden Hawks Men’s Basketball team made their highly anticipated return to the court after a six-week holiday hiatus. The Golden Hawks opened their first game of 2019 at the Athletic Complex Gym against the McMaster Marauders, but unfortunately fell short with a final score of 79-67.

The Marauders came into the game with a defensive fire that challenged the Hawks offence and they were only able to score 13 points in the first quarter. Although offensive delivery was an issue for the Hawks, defensively they had 20 turnovers and 13 steals, but were unsuccessful at converting those opportunities to steer them toward a game win.

“We struggled the whole game to get our groove in and getting ball movement like we did in the first half of the season. That trickled

down into us exposing ourselves defensively because at the end of the game we didn't really have any option but to trap and put us at risk,” head coach Justin Serresse said.

The Hawks only hit 34 percent from the floor, and 21 percent from the three that Friday night.

“The guys were getting frustrated because we weren’t making shots, but that’s just not what we do, we don't try to get frustrated from those shots, we try to find solutions and give each other confidence,” Serresse said. Second year Ali Sow, who is no stranger to a heavy offensive output, played all 40 minutes and put up a game-high 29 points.

Ntore Habimana followed Snow scoring 14 points that game.

In the second half of the third quarter Laurier was able to close the gap by one point, but the Marauders turned the heat up and played both effectively and aggressively, resulting in an 11-point lead by the end of the

third. Unfortunately the Golden Hawks were unable to turn things around in the fourth, and took a loss on their home court. With no time to be upset the Golden Hawks had a quick turnaround and were on the road to Windsor, ON where they redeemed themselves in an 88-79 victory against the University of Windsor Lancers.

In the first quarter, the Hawks had a huge 18-point lead with their lead not dropping below 15 points during the second and third quarters. During the fourth, the Lancers stepped up their game and had a comeback down the stretch resulting in the score closing to 78-74 with three minutes left of game play. It was the efforts of Sow who brought down the house with five straight points and a set-up for Matt Minutillo to sink a three.

The Golden Hawks will be playing this Wednesday Jan. 9 in the Athletic Complex Gym. Tip off for the women is at 6 p.m., and men is at 8 p.m.

CHEERLEADING

Nine-Time Champs PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR

On Dec. 5, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks cheerleading team won the ninth national championship in their program’s history. The Hawks’ last title came in 2016 and after a third place finish last year, the purple and gold were looking to stake their claim at the top once again.

“We knew that we were gunning for first again and we had to work harder than last year. Last year was kind of a letdown. We added in more workouts, more training. We just knew we had to work harder than last year in order to win back our first place title,” Caitlyn Drexler, fourth-year cheerleader, said.

Drexler was also a part of the 2016 national title winning Laurier team and she discussed what the Hawks do year after to year to maintain the program’s consistent excellence.

“We start training in the summer which definitely helps. We end our season usually around February and March and then by May we start [training] again, so it’s a year-long process,” she said. “We have a lot of team bonding things we do and practicing twice a week definitely helps. So all the time together helps [us] strengthen and respond as a team.”

The 2018 title is perhaps the most impressive accomplishment for the Hawks in team history, as Laurier was a part of the biggest division: the all-girl division consisting of 10 teams. There is a big emphasis on the cheerleading program at Laurier athletics and the nine national championships

are a direct result of the hard work that the Golden Hawk cheerleaders put into perfecting their craft every year. Although there is a perception amongst many sports fans that cheerleading only involves cheering on other sports teams, there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes.

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I think people just don’t understand the intensity and the skill you need to be a cheerleader.

-Caitlyn Drexler, Wilfrid Laurier varsity cheerleader

“I think people just don’t understand the intensity and the skill you need to be a cheerleader.

People just think of cheerleading as cheering on another sports team on the sidelines and waving the pom-poms around,” Drexler said.

“They don’t actually see the skill and the stunting that we do.

We train in an off-site facility from campus so people don’t get to see the work we put in, whereas [a sport like] football or basketball, they’ll train at the school so people see the work they put in.”

The work that Drexler and the rest of the cheerleaders put in has paid off big time and a ninth national title in the span of 11 years is a great achievement.

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16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

MEN’S HOCKEY

Golden Hawks need to rely on their defensive identity JOSEPH DEFILIPPIS STAFF WRITER

The start of the 2018-19 men’s hockey season for Laurier was largely a tale of two halves.

After beginning the season with one win in their first eight games, the Golden Hawks rebounded with a 6-2-0 record to close out 2018, restoring hope that a playoff appearance at season’s end was within reach.

After a month long winter break, Laurier opened up the new year with a weekend series against the Windsor Lancers.

Both teams entered 2019 with identical 7-9-0 records, sitting mid-table in the OUA West conference.

“I think on the whole we played pretty well,” head coach Greg Puhalski said, in regards to the team’s performance in the first half of the season.

“I think we probably deserved a little better of a record [than we had].”

In game one of the weekend series, the Hawks had no answer for Windsor goaltender Jonathan Reinhart, who made 25 saves in a 3-0 shutout win.

A scoreless game through the first 39 minutes, Windsor was finally able to sneak a goal passed Hawks’ goaltender Tyler Fassl with one second left in the second period.

As Laurier started to apply more pressure in the third, Windsor answered with two goals mid-way through the period to put the game out of reach.

“For us to have success against a team like Windsor, we just need to be patient,” Puhalski mentioned.

“We want to attack and get on them and be aggressive. We want to keep the score a little closer and not let it get out of hand.”

Similar to the first game of the weekend series, the second meeting on Saturday night saw neither team find the score sheet in the first half of the game. Mid-way through the second period, Laurier finally found the back of the net, with winger Ethan Wiseman tipping home the team’s first goal of 2019.

The Hawks weren’t able to hold onto the lead for very long, as Windsor answered back a few minutes later with a power play tally.

The rest of regulation would see both teams trade chances, but overtime was ultimately needed to decide the result. After a few more high quality chances in the extra frame, Windsor was finally able to put Laurier away and complete the weekend sweep.

“The positive [so far] is that we fought back from the 1-7-0 start [to the season]. A lot of that is we were really able to cut down our goals against,” mentioned Puhalski. “In the first eight games we gave up 32 goals, in the last eight games we gave up only 11, so hence we get some wins.”

Cutting down the goals against is a trend that the Golden Hawks want to continue going forward, and in order to do so, the team brought in reinforcements in net over the winter break.

Goaltender Olivier Lafreniere was added to the roster, as Puhal-

MADELINE MCINNIS/FEATURES EDITOR

ski confirmed that Jacob Standen, who was injured in the team’s first game of the season, would be shut down for the rest of the year.

Lafreniere comes to Laurier with two seasons of OHL experience under his belt, hoping to help reduce the workload of Tyler Fassl going forward, who has played in 17 of the Hawks’ 18 games thus far.

For us, we’re not going to be a high scoring team ... we’re going to need to be a real hardnosed, gritty team to play against.

-Greg Puhalski, Laurier varsity men’s hockey coach

“For us, we’re not going to be a high scoring team. It isn’t going to be our identity,” Puhalski said.

“We’re going to need to be a real hard-nosed, gritty team to play against.”

With leading scorer Brandon Robinson leaving the team in November, Laurier now finds themselves without an active player inside the Top 50 for scoring in the OUA. Furthermore, only three teams in the province have scored less goals than the Golden Hawks this season.

“Half our games [have been] one goal games. I don’t think that’s going to change. We just need to make sure we are on the winning side of the ledger in goals against.”

Following the weekend series against Windsor, Laurier sees themselves slip to ninth in the OUA West.

With only ten games remaining in the regular season, the Hawks need to start stringing together wins sooner rather than later if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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