The Cord March 29 2017

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 57 ISSUE 27 • MARCH 29, 2017

Until we meet again.

MARIJUANA IN K-W

GROW A PAIR

WHERE’S JANE?

BAZINGA! I HATE YOU

LAURIER’S NEW OWL

Looking at weed culture in Waterloo

How toxic masculinity affects communication

Tarzan Cam and Instagram fame

Why Big Bang Theory is the worst show ever

Soccer’s Julie Karn recognized with award

News, page 4

Features, page 14

Arts & Life, page 18

Opinion, page 24

Sports, page 27

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Mon-Wed for March

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

VOCAL CORD

What do you do to celebrate the end of the year?

The Cord

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

CordNews THIS DAY IN HISTORY: MARCH 29 1795: Ludwig van Beethoven has his debut performance as pianist in Vienna 1966: Muhammad Ali beats George Chuvalo in 15 for heavyweight boxing title 1985: Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist

“Relax”

1995: The Cord’s Web Director Brian Phillips blessed us with sarcasm and endless roasts. HBD FAM!

-Danielle D’souza, thirdyear music

TANZEEL SAYANI/INCOMING PHOTO EDITOR

Thank you from The Cord’s 2016-18 team! It’s been one hell of a ride. Until next time, Laurier.

“Spend time with family.”

MEET THE CORD’S 2017-18 TEAM

-Parmeet Gill, third-year business administration

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: KURTIS RIDEOUT CREATIVE DIRECTOR: MADELINE MCINNIS WEB DIRECTOR: GARRISON OOSTERHOF SENIOR NEWS EDITOR: SAFINA HUSEIN NEWS EDITOR: JAKE WATTS

“Go to the cottage.”

-Shawn Natkar, thirdyear sociology

Editor’s note: saying goodbye BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Go away for a week.”

-Luke West, second-year communications with management option

Compiled by Nathalie Bouchard Photos by Marco Pedri

NEXT ISSUE

THE FUTURE IS UNCLEAR. CHECK BACK IN MAY.

CORD STAFF

On Sunday night, I attended my last ever Editorial Board meeting with The Cord. For the past two years, that’s what I’ve done on Sunday nights, much like the other people who work for The Cord.

But after Sunday’s meeting, I went home and got into bed and kept thinking about how my time as Editor-in-Chief was coming to a close. I asked myself if I was proud of my year, if I had accomplished everything I wanted to.

I made a ton of mistakes this year. I had spelling mistakes that

FEATURES EDITOR Mitchell Consky features@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Nathalie Bouchard news@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Manjot Bhullar arts@thecord.ca

LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Pranav Desai sports@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bethany Bowles editor@thecord.ca

OPINION EDITOR Madeline McInnis opinion@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Will Huang creative@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Rob Fifield sports@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Brian Phillips online@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Fani Hsieh graphics@thecord.ca

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin news@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Paige Bush photos@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Safina Husein news@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros online@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Shyenne MacDonald news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Garrison Oosterhof video@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Marco Pedri photos@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Emi Zibaei photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Christian Paron copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Brittany Ditizio socialmedia@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Kurtis Rideout Emily Waitson Vidish Parikh Jacob Broz Sam Tundup Philip Su Simran Dhaliwal Meaghan Ince Alan Li Serena Truong Qaio Liu Alex Trkulja Victoria Panacci Dylan Leonard Jake Watts Karlis Wilde Eliza Moratz Matthew Good Brittany Tenhage Kyle McCord Alexandra Juraschka Ayesha Feradous Selena Piro Chrissy DiBiasio Michael Olivieri

LEAD REPORTER: ERIN ABE LEAD SPORTS REPORTER: ABDULHAMID IBRAHIM LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER: LUKE SARAZIN

NEWS EDITOR: NATHALIE BOUCHARD FEATURES EDITOR: KARLIS WILDE ARTS & LIFE EDITOR: SHYENNE MACDONALD OPINION EDITOR: EMILY WAITSON SPORTS EDITOR: PRANAV DESAI GRAPHICS EDITOR: ALAN LI PHOTO EDITOR: TANZEEL SAYANI

made it to print (one on cover, too, ugh). I didn’t fundraise as much as I could have. I messed up colour plates one night an hour before our deadline. I received some “Dear Life’s” that told me I sucked and The Cord was failing (they were all published, don’t worry).

And while I could go on with every small mistake I made this year, I still feel like I’m the luckiest person in the whole world.

And most of all, I regret nothing.

This year, I learned so much about myself and what I could handle. I learned so much from the people around me. I learned so much about team work.

When I look at my team and where they all are now, every single small mistake seems so insignificant in comparison to how successful and talented we are as a unit. A small mistake that one person makes is irrelevant when I look at the accomplishments that

canceled keynote at Brantford” by Kaitlyn Severin

“A friend and a journalist”

by Kurtis Rideout

VACANCIES: ONLINE EDITOR, VIDEO EDITOR, PHOTO EDITOR & SOCIAL MEDIA AND RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR

we’ve made as a team. We’ve carried each other from the beginning until now. We love each other.

One of my staff members pointed out to me that if it hadn’t been for The Cord, he wondered if they would have all been friends, because in the classroom, they’re all different.

Some are shy, some are outgoing. Some are social butterflies, some are more reserved. Some are creative with visuals, some are creative with words.

But, once they’re out of the classroom and in the office making the paper every week, these differences are irrelevant. Because no matter how different they are from each other, they all have the same goal; they all love the same paper. The Cord literally developed a culture of its own based on this mishmash of misfits.

So when I think about what was accomplished in my year of

EDITOR’S CHOICES ADVERTISING INQUIRIES “Revisiting Robitaille’s 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

2004: The Republic of Ireland became the first country to ban smoking in all work places, including bars and restaurants.

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

Editor-in-Chief, yeah, I can say we put out a great product week after week. Yeah, I can say my staff pushed themselves to dig deeper, look more critically or challenge themselves.

But the parts I know I’ll remember most when I’m 50-years-old and telling my kids about my campus newspaper are the times we connected with each other. The times we confided in each other.

The times we joked around with each other. Marco’s laugh. Will’s pranks. Manjot’s playlists. Brian’s “faaaaaam.” Kaitlyn’s wild stories.

Rob’s sarcasm. Maddie’s encouragement. Paige’s immune system.

If I had a higher word count, I’d go on.

I’m not saying goodbye to a newspaper. The Cord will always be here and it’ll be great. I’m saying goodbye to my family.

And I’m not going to lie, my heart really hurts.

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: “It’s like a bad sensation but I like it.”

- Sports Editor, Rob Fifield about spilling hot wax on his hand

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

News REVIEW

• 3 SENIOR NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR SAFINA HUSEIN news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR SHYENNE MACDONALD news@thecord.ca

TOP NEWS STORIES of 2017

VERITAS One of the most controversial events to occur on the Laurier Waterloo campus this year made headlines across the country. On Dec. 12, 2016, The Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association terminated its contract with Sandor Dosman, the former operator of the campus’s Veritas Café. Dosman’s termination happened as a result of a help wanted ad that he posted on social media, which read, “I need a new slave (full time staff member) to boss (mentor) around at Veritas Café!” The story was reported first by The Cord, and was later covered by The Globe and Mail, Vice and The Toronto Star, among other well-known publications. In the beginning of the winter term, Veritas went under the operations of their new manager, Patrick McMahon, who brought a new atmosphere to the café through their revamped food and drink options.

Deborah Maclatchy On Jan. 11, Deborah MacLatchy, Wilfrid Laurier University’s provost and vice-president: academic, was announced as the seventh appointed president and vice-chancellor of the university. MacLatchy will be taking over the role from current president and vice-chancellor, Max Blouw, when he completes his five-year term on July 1 and will be Laurier’s second ever female president. MacLatchy is also a recognized and awarded scientist and earned an honours BSc in biology, a PhD in zoology from the University of Manitoba and completed her postdoctoral work at the University of Guelph.

She has also promoted the field of science by participating in organizations such as the Institute for Waterloo Science and was involved in the creation of the Centre for Women in Science.

HISTORY RESURFACED A three-year old story came back into the public spotlight in the beginning of March when Jeremiah Rojas, University of Guelph’s Central Student Association’s (CSA) local affairs commissioner, was revealed to be responsible for numerous break-ins at Laurier’s Waterloo College Hall and Little House. While running as the only candidate for president of the CSA, an article from CTV News Kitchener was posted on the “Overheard at Guelph” Facebook group. Before coming to Guelph, Rojas was a student at Laurier and a don at Little House and WCH. When the story resurfaced, Rojas took responsibility for his past actions on his personal Facebook account. However, at the end of the campaign period, Rojas was not elected as president of the CSA.

KANWAR BRAR On Jan. 27, fourth-year political science student, Kanwar Brar, was announced as the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union’s president. While Brar was the only candidate running for the position during campaign season, the overall turnout was 22.22 per cent of the Laurier student population. The Students’ Union board of directors also welcomed 11 first-time directors, who later elected the only returning director, Tarique Plummer, as the chair of the board. Currently, Brar and the directors are preparing for their roles when they officially begin on May 1.

St. Patty’s This years’ St. Patrick’s Day in Waterloo proved itself to be one of the biggest holidays of the winter term. The infamous Ezra Avenue festivities welcomed over 12,000 individuals throughout the day. According to the Waterloo Regional Police Service, this year’s festivities included months of planning. Community associations, including the university, prepared for the holiday by educating students on the dangers of binge drinking and public intoxication. At the end of the day, in total, 208 charges were pressed. According to Waterloo Regional Police Services police chief, Bryan Larkin, while a sea of students in green covered the surrounding streets around Ezra, the day could have gone a lot worse.

FILE PHOTOS BY PAIGE BUSH, JESSICA DIK, MARCO PEDRI AND WILL HUANG

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

GOVERNMENT

Discrepencies within Ontario dispensaries SHYENNE MACDONALD INCOMING ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

On March 10, Waterloo Regional Police raided one of the five cannabis dispensaries in the area. After a search warrant was presented to Green Tree Medicinal Dispensary on King Street, four arrests were made, as well as charges for the possession with the purpose of trafficking.

Ontario has seen an increase in the number of dispensaries — seemingly more are opening every month.

“We received complaints from the community about the dispensaries. That gives us a sense of how some members of the community feel about them. Once we receive the complaints then often we will launch an investigation, and in this case, it resulted in a search warrant and some arrests,” Sloden Lackovic, Staff Sergeant of the Waterloo Regional Police, said.

In Ontario, there are three legal ways to access cannabis for medicinal purposes. The first is through the mail.

“Contact a licensed producer and the licensed producer would register [the patient] and through the mail they would ship them their medical [cannabis],” Lackovic explained.

“The second way is, as of Aug. 24, 2016 the framework changed to allow people to grow a limited

amount of marijuana themselves if they had that license to access cannabis for medical purposes.”

The third way is to have a designated licensed producer to grow cannabis on a patient’s behalf.

However, some dispensary owners believe this is not enough.

“The reason dispensaries exist is because there’s not enough product to meet medical demands.

There are over a hundred thousand medical patients but there’s only thirty-two licensed producers [in Ontario],” Crystal Woodward explained, manager of Tasty Budds, a medicinal dispensary in London, Ontario.

Jason Wrixon, manager of the head-shop Different Strokes on King Street, also advocated for dispensary shops.

“Everybody has different needs and the ability to cater to those is one thing that dispensaries very much provide. [Dispensaries give] the ability to go in and take a certain set of issues and find something that’s going to best target those, rather than picking off a pre-set menu of four to six items,” Wrixon said.

Different Strokes does not sell any cannabis products, nor its by-products. However, because of the industry, they can provide knowledge to their costumers which come from years of experience that could be difficult to find online.

“That’s exactly what it comes down to, being able to take a patient that’s new to the industry, that’s new to the way of thinking, new to the entire culture and be able to educate them in a way that they can benefit themselves. It’s one thing to roll up a joint or be a stoned high school student, it’s another thing to be a functional adult and treat yourself in a way that actually benefits your life,” Wrixon said.

Lackovic expressed that there is still some confusion to what is legal and what isn’t legal.

“They’re selling marijuana and calling it [medicinal cannabis There may be people that have [a] genuine [license to access cannabis], however, the way they’re accessing it isn’t within the framework of the regulation.”

The argument over the legalization of marijuana and the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes has been on-going in Canada for some time. However, recent developments have the government suggesting the date for the legalization of marijuana in Canada could come as soon as July 1, 2018.

According to a CBC article released on March 26, the following month could see a new legislation introduced that would change the laws surrounding marijuana.

“I honestly see that people are far more open minded now and accepting that there’s holistic med-

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHIC EDITOR

icines or alternative medicines.

However, the laws haven’t changed yet and we hope that people would respect the laws that are currently in place,” Lackovic said.

“It opens all sorts of avenues for us,” Wrixon said, speaking to how the legalization of marijuana could alter Different Strokes.

“And it would close the door on the prohibition mindset that’s been dominating North America for many decades now. But it would be nice for people to feel like it’s not a dirty little secret.”

As for Tasty Budds, the thought of the legalization of their product means the support from the government that they have been waiting for.

“The lack of support absolutely impacts us; it’s not only damaging for us but also our patients. Every time a raid happens, we lose [a] product that could potentially be helping somebody,” Woodward

said.

“It’s very easy to tell that the custumers are frustrated with what’s going on … they feel they’ve had a valuable tool and resource taken from them and that’s an unfair thing,” Wrixon said.

The subject of dispensaries in the community has been an on-going debate not only in the Tri-Cities, but all across Ontario. Like Tasty Budds in London and Green Tree in Kitchener, dispensaries in Toronto are being raided. Whether this conflict will see an end soon is unknown. Lackovic hopes that citizens would continue to operate within the law and Woodward hopes that others would see the relief dispensaries provide.

“Spend a day in a dispensary and see the people that come in.

Compare the state from when the patients get here to the state that they’re in from when they’re using … it is benefiting communities.”

RESEARCH

Graduates present thesis in three minutes Students learn how to effectively communicate the value of their research through competition SAFINA HUSEIN INCOMING SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Graduate students at Wilfrid Laurier University had the opportunity to present their dissertations and research at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which was held on March 24 in the Senate and Board Chamber.

The event was initially created at the University of Queensland, Australia in 2008.

Since then, the competition has grown into an international research communication competition. 3MT has been held annually at Laurier since 2012.

Within the event, PhD and masters students are given three minutes and the use of a single PowerPoint slide to communicate their thesis or dissertation to a broad audience.

A graduate’s thesis, depending on the discipline, can be approximately 300 pages.

“For many graduate students, their research is relatively complicated. But we ask them to boil it down to just the essentials … what

they’re doing, why it’s important and what type of impact it would have,” Jeffery Jones, acting associate dean: faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies, who was a member of the event’s organizational committee, said.

The event also provides participating students the opportunity to refine their communication skills.

For many graduate students, their research is relatively complicated. But we ask them to boil it down to just the essentials ...

-Jeffery Jones, acting associate dean: faculty of graduate and post-doctoral studies

“In terms of research today, one of the things that governments in North America, as well as Europe, are asking researchers to do is to

communicate the value of their research to the public,” Jones said.

As a lot of research is highly technical; it can be difficult for people who are untrained in the area to understand its value and purpose.

For this reason, research funding council’s want the public to understand the benefit of the research they are paying for with their taxes.

“One of the benefits of the 3MT is introducing students who are being trained to conduct research to communicate the value of the research that they’re doing and hopefully they’ll learn how to communicate this. It will benefit them in their careers in the future [sic],” Jones said.

Fifteen graduate students volunteered their time to present at the competition. The range of participating students spoke on a variety of topics, including infants, toddlers and mobile technology; sedentary behaviour, physical activity and mobile apps; beyong and contemporary xenophobia and parochialism.

A panel of judges rated each participant’s effectiveness to

communicate their research, as well as their ability to engage the audience.

Judges at the event included Jean Becker, senior adviser: Aboriginal Initiatives, Andrew Clairk president and CEO of ALIGNED Insurance, Deborah Dubenofsky, vice-president of finance and operations, Gary Edwards, owner of Golfdale Consulting and Michael Melling, regional news director of CTV Ontario.

Richard Edwards, MsC of science and chemistry, was announced as the winner of the competition.

As a result, Edwards will receive a prize of $1,000 and will get the chance to present his thesis, Chiral Quantum Dots: Lending a Hand in the Fight Against Cancer, at the provincial Three Minute Thesis competition which will be hosted by the University of Waterloo on April 12.

In addition to the student competition, the event incorporated a challenge undertaken by professors to celebrate its sixth competition at Laurier.

Three professors from Laurier

One of the benefits of the 3MT is ... to communicate the value of the research that they’re doing ...

-Jeffery Jones, acting associate dean: faculty of graduate and post-doctoral studies

also participated by speaking about the contribution made by graduate students to the success of Laurier’s research enterprise.

Each of the three professors were also given three minutes to present their ideas and thoughts on the subject.

“It will benefit them for their academic careers in the future, and if they don’t go on to acadmics,” Jones said.

“It will absolutely be beneficial in any other type of career where they have to communicate with other people or the public.”

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 CONSTRUCTION

EMI ZIBAEI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

First renovation in 50 years at seminary NATHALIE BOUCHARD INCOMING NEWS EDITOR

The Waterloo Lutheran Seminary on the Wilfrid Laurier University Campus is receiving a nine million dollar renovation in the upcoming months. The renovation consists of several new features and an update of the entire building, minus the chapel.

The Seminary is a community space as well as a federal institution on the Laurier campus, which

includes seven different programs of study, currently home to the philosophy department and hosts Sunday worship, as well as community programs such as “Chillin’ With Dogs.”

“The Seminary was built in the early 1960’s, at that point in time we had one program to train primarily Lutheran pastors and in those days the students were all males … over the last 50 years we have turned into a much different school than we were back then,”

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said Mark Harris, principal-dean, professor of functional theology and director of Leadership in Ministry.

“It’s not just that the building is 50 years old, it is technologically outdated and has asbestos. As the school currently exists, the Seminary no longer serves the needs of both the Laurier students and Seminary students.”

In regards to the actual renovation itself, the Seminary will be completely gutted except for the chapel, which is just having the ceiling fixed.

With various renovations going on around campus, the philosophy department, currently located in the seminary building, will be relocating to the Peters Building which was the previous business building.

The goal of the renovation, according to Harris, is to create a community environment.

“The nine million dollars basically covers hard costs and soft costs; seven million dollars covers hard costs and two million dollars of hard cost,” Harris said.

“The physical renovation of the space [beside] the chapel which [will] remain the same. The entire space will be gutted inside and [the] addition [that is] put on Bricker Street which will allow a street level entrance,” Harris said.

According to Harris, the biggest chunk of the budget is going towards bricks and mortar, which is the tools and supplies needed to make the actual Seminary.

“The two million dollars in soft costs is the technology going into the building furniture going into the building and those things,” Harris explained.

Laurier does not have a lot of green space available on campus.

The largest open green space, other than the football field, is the quad beside Veritas Café.

According to Harris, the courtyard in the Seminary is going to be redone with decking and chairs for people to gather during the warmer months and for those who are looking for some quiet study space outdoors.

It would be available to Laurier students and members of the community.

Along with creating a new space for students to congregate in the sunshine, the Seminary is also in the process of applying for a name change to Martin Luther University.

“The term Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, while it reflected who we once were as a primarily denominational school, no longer reflects who we are as a diverse multi-faith community,” Harris explained.

When it comes to the initial programming and courses offered at the seminary, there isn’t going to be a lot of changes.

“We’re not adding a whole lot more to our programming but we will be able to better accomplish what we’re doing now. We’re simply limited by not only our classroom space and gathering space but also by technological limitations,” Harris explained.

According to Harris, the Seminary is using this renovation as a way to give back to the Laurier community and will use this as an opportunity to allow for development within the area.

“While the Seminary is taking this renovation on our own, we are not receiving university funding or provincial funding. This is entirely an undertaking on our own. We hope that this is our contribution to the ongoing life of the entire university,” Harris explained.

With the addition being added to the Seminary facing Bricker, there is a goal to be a more aesthetically pleasing building which allows for the building to become a bridge to the community.

“We really value our partnership with Laurier. We are a federated school of Laurier, so in many things we are highly integrated with Laurier … we have [a] facility we want to share,” Harris said.

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

CAMPUS LIFE

Revisiting Robitaille’s cancelled keynote at Brantford Looking into the public responses of Ghomeshi’s lawyer after students expressed concern KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

After defence lawyer Danielle Robitaille cancelled her keynote presentation at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Criminology Student Association conference on the Brantford campus, the Laurier community, as well as numerous publications around Kitchener-Waterloo and the Greater Toronto Area, began the debate on what constitutes free speech on university campuses.

On March 3, Danielle Robitaille was announced by the CSA as one of the conference’s keynote speakers.

Robitaille came into the spotlight in 2014 after becoming former CBC radio host’s Jian Ghomeshi’s defence lawyer, who was tried and acquitted for sexual assault.

As a response, the Advocates for a Student Culture of Consent (ASCC) created an official Facebook page called “We Believe Survivors: a Call to Action at Laurier Brantford” as a form of resistance to Robitaille’s presentation.

It must be stopped because stifling and censoring ideas is in complete opposition to the mandate and mission of universities ...

-David M. Haskell, associate professor

“We believe that this event not only decenters this work, but actively challenges the trajectory that Laurier has been creating around Gendered Violence,” read the group’s Facebook post.

On March 7, it was announced by the CSA that Robitaille cancelled her presentation at the conference, supposedly due to safety

You exploit ASCC’s unpaid labour when it serves you, and then are silent as you allow your professors and deans to scoff at us -ASCC published public letter

CHRISTINA MANOCCHIO/THE SPUTNIK

concerns for herself and other conference members.

Since the announcement of her cancellation, numerous editorials and opinion columns have discussed the controversy surrounding Robitaille’s cancelled presentation and if it was the right decision.

One of these opinion columns titled “Free speech at university under attack … again” was written

by Laurier Brantford’s associate professor of digital media and journalism and religion and culture, David M. Haskell.

In his column, Haskell focused on how free speech is being scrutinized on university campuses and how the ability to think critically from students is being exposed to challenging ideas.

“Unfortunately, the truth of that argument is called into question when significant numbers of our students demand not to be exposed to competing ideas,” Haskell wrote in his column.

In an email statement to The

Cord, Haskell focused on the case that several times a month on post-secondary campuses in North America, a group of students prevents another group from hearing a speaker they wanted to hear and how the “intolerance … toward diversity of ideas … must stop.”

“It must be stopped because stifling and censoring ideas is in complete opposition to the mandate and mission of universities.

The very essence of a university is the fostering of open, unconstrained inquiry though freedom of expression — be it spoken or written.”

“Shutting down speakers who hold ideas that you disagree with, or encouraging students that such behaviour is legitimate on a university campus, directly contradicts the values and mission … of a university.”

“It contradicts the values and mission of our university,” Haskell wrote in his statement.

At the end of his statement, Haskell concluded that the univer-

sity must make a choice to foster an environment where Laurier’s greatest priority is the pursuit of knowledge, which comes through an open contest of ideas.

“In short, I want to see a policy passed that ensures Wilfrid Laurier University is safe place for ideas, even the controversial ones. I hope others on campus who are of the same mind will begin to raise their voice in support of free speech.”

On March 20, ASCC published an open letter to the Laurier community, which critiqued the university’s participation in the conference and their reaction to ASCC after Robitaille’s cancellation.

“You exploit ASCC’s unpaid labour when it serves you, and then are silent as you allow your professors and deans to scoff at us and publicly pick their teeth with our bones. We see you, Laurier, and we are so disappointed,” read the letter.

The co-founder of ASCC, Brittany Bennett, also published

a column to The Waterloo Record as a response to the organization’s reaction to Robitaille’s keynote presentation.

In her article, Bennett explained how an ASCC representative met with the CSA regarding their concerns with the keynote.

According to Bennett, ASCC practiced peaceful democratic action and utilized the power of free speech, rather than shutting it down.

“An ASCC representative met with the CSA regarding the above concerns, feeling limited within such a short time-frame to respond.”

“Unfortunately, the association chose not to implement any of the support measures we suggested, and advertising for the event focused on the titillating scandal rather than critical inquiry,” Bennett wrote in her column.

According to The Record, Robitaille’s law office released her correspondence to Laurier students. Robitaille outlined that she would have shown up to the conference if she was given more time to prepare if possible protests broke out.

“I simply don’t have a sense of the scope of the objection, whether any International Women’s Day demonstrations will be combined with protests against the talk,” Robitaille wrote in cancelling, as published in The Record. “From my perspective, the roadblock here is logistical and there are no hard feelings.”

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NEWS • 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 COMMUNITY

Mental health advocacy at UW DYLAN LEONARD STAFF WRITER

The mental health conversation at the University of Waterloo has experienced a dramatic surge in activity, following a student suicide which occurred on March 20 at UW Place residence. This was the second suicide to take place at UW this semester, the previous occurring on Jan. 12.

“Mental health has always been a concern on this campus. I’m sure it’s been a concern on basically every campus in the country, but in the last week it’s really hit home for a lot of people,” said Chris Lolas, president of The Federation of Students (FEDS) at UW. One of the first mediums students turned to was the online world to express their grief and dissatisfaction with how mental health is handled.

This came in the form of numerous posts on the UWaterloo forum on Reddit, including a post allegedly by the 16-year-old brother of the student who died on March 20. The person who posted expressed grievances his family experienced with how the universi-

ty allegedly handled mental health and his brother’s death.

Other students on the forum expressed dissatisfaction with the availability of counsellors and the way the family of the student was treated by the university.

Students at UW and beyond also expressed their desire for change through a petition created

by Nicole St. Clair, a second-year political science student at UW. The petition now has over 15,000 signatures.

“I created the petition because after what happened last Monday, I couldn’t just sit back and not do anything about it. I just wouldn’t feel good about that. So a petition was just the first thing that popped into my mind and I thought it would be a good way to get input and ideas from the community,” St. Clair said.

Feedback gathered from the petition was brought to a meeting on March 27 between St. Clair and the University of Waterloo.

Later that day, Feridun Hamdullahpur, president of the University of Waterloo, put out a blog post titled “A community committed to action on mental health.”

GLOBAL

South Sudan crisis JAKE WATTS INCOMING NEWS EDITOR

In 2013 when the president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, suspected his vice-president of planning a coup d’état, the nation quickly fractured along ethnic lines and a volatile civil war began.

Dr. Norman Epstein, an emergency room physician currently working in the Toronto area, hopes to raise awareness about the conflict and prevent it from turning into a genocide.

Epstein first decided to speak out against the atrocities taking place in Sudan 16 years ago. In 2001, he co-founded the organization, Canadians Against Slavery and Torture in Sudan with Dr. Acol Dor, a Sudanese woman who had witnessed such atrocities firsthand. Their organization raised awareness about the violence going on in the region and served as a platform for further advocacy.

“When [the genocide in] Darfur emerged, we were instrumental in forming a Canadian coalition dealing with Darfur and my co-chair was actually the catalyst. She spoke at a national student conference in Montreal,” Epstein said.

Since then, there have been a few changes in the region. The Republic of South Sudan gained its independence in 2011 and became the world’s newest country. Not too long after this, however, did the country devolve into a civil war largely waged between competing ethnic groups.

“During the civil war, each side has targeted the other side’s civilians. Gross atrocities have occurred: rape, murder, torture. The area of South Sudan is littered with

mass graves,” Epstein said.

The ongoing conflict is happening amidst other problems, exacerbating the situation for the South Sudanese people.

“Because of the civil war and devastation, a famine has emerged ... Lives are hanging in the balance,” Epstein said.

Some groups have warned that the civil war could turn into a genocide.

When asked about the role the Canadian government is playing to prevent such a thing from happening, Epstein seemed discouraged.

“Well I don’t know if [Justin Trudeau] has done anything to be quite frank with you. I’m not sure how engaged he is. As I say, he’s promised in the last election that he would re-engage the world and be a leader internationally when it comes to human rights,” said Epstein.

When asked how students and young people could get involved and help prevent the impending genocide, Epstein sounded a little more optimistic.

“Ten years ago, an organization emerged in the United States, then in Canada and around the world, called STAND: Students Taking Action Now in Darfur. And I think many people have largely contributed to the success of the anti-genocide movement to mobilizing the international community, to the voices being raised and the international focus by the media on what was happening,” Epstein said.

“There’s already that infrastructure, it’s just a question of mobilizing the students to embark on the same campaign that occurred ten years ago.”

In the post, he outlined the steps the university will take to change the mental health environment at UW. Specifically, he promised the creation of a president’s advisory committee on mental health, an increase in public education around mental health and how to get help, as well as engagement opportunities.

The engagement opportunities will include open houses staffed by mental health professionals and opportunities to provide feedback online. This will result in the creation of a report that will be released in fall 2017.

St. Clair explained that she will be encouraging students to participate in these opportunities and that these changes would not have been possible without support from the student community.

The FEDS have also been working on initiatives aimed at improving the mental health of students at UW. One initiative FEDS is focusing on is the Mentor Assistance Through Education and Support (MATES) program. “[MATES] is a service run jointly by the FEDS and UW Counselling

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Services and it offers peer to peer support. We joined with MATES within the last year so we’re trying to increase the number of students involved … once we got involved the number of volunteers grew dramatically, so we need to keep growing that initiative,” Lolas said.

Lolas also noted that FEDS is ready to support other student initiatives to improve mental health at the UW campus.

“We’d encourage any students if they got an idea … for an initiative to improve mental health to reach

out to us and we’ll support them the best we can.”

Mental health is an issue across all Ontario university campuses.

A survey from the Ontario University and College Health Association conducted in spring 2016 revealed that 13 per cent of college and university students had seriously considered suicide in the previous year. Sixty-five per cent of students reported over-whelming anxiety and 46 per cent reported depression that made it difficult to function.

8 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

RECOGNITION

LOCUS unveils Legacy Award Award to recognize campus ambassador, Kyle McCord JAKE WATTS INCOMING NEWS EDITOR

Members of Laurier Off Campus University Students (LOCUS) recently unveiled the Kyle McCord Legacy Award, named in honour of Kyle McCord, a current fifth-year film studies student and campus ambassador at the Welcome Centre.

The award is set to be presented on an annual basis to a first-year student on the LOCUS House Council.

The recipient of the award will be selected based on their level of commitment and dedication to the LOCUS program.

“This student should be a support to other council members, go out of their way to make others feel included and be someone who inspires others to reach their full potential,” said Jessi Calberry, coordinator for the Centre for Student Life and Engagement in an email to The Cord.

In his time at Laurier, McCord has been deeply involved in the LOCUS program.

He began as a member of House Council, then moved on to become a don, a House Council advisor and then the coordinator of the whole LOCUS program.

It was originally McCord’s idea

to establish an award to honour exceptional first-year LOCUS House Council members, but the decision to name that award in his honour came as a surprise to him.

If I could give any advice ... is just think about what you’re doing and what legacy you are leaving.

-Kyle McCord, fifth-year film studies student

“I was shocked. I just remember them explaining the award and how it was going to be newly named the Kyle McCord Legacy Award and my mouth just dropped ... it was a very humbling experience,” McCord said.

At LOCUS’s recent year-end banquet, the award was presented to its very first recipient, a Laurier student named Nolan Schleimer.

“Talking to him about what he’s done in LOCUS was very reminiscent of what I was doing in my

first-year and how I felt coming on to campus and how I felt wanting to get involved but not knowing how because I wasn’t directly on campus,” McCord said.

It was through engagement with the LOCUS program that McCord found a sense of belonging at the university.

“When I started [at Laurier], living off campus in my firstyear, I just thought I would come to school and go to class and go home, but that completely changed when I joined LOCUS and started getting involved,” McCord said. “[LOCUS] has honestly helped me so much. If I did do what I was thinking was going to happen and that was just come to school and go to class ... I would not have half the things under my portfolio as I do ... I just wouldn’t have as many connections on campus as I have.”

Having the award named in his honour caused McCord to reflect on his time at Laurier and the impact students have the potential to make while in school.

“If I could give any advice to people, even Nolan who got the award or anyone, is just think about what you’re doing and what legacy you are leaving. I never really thought about it until I got this award and I always kind of thought

EMI ZIBAEI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

The new award will recognize dedicated LOCUS coordinator, Kyle McCord.

I was just doing what I wanted to do,” he said.

“And that was to help make a difference in one person’s life, but

being able to do it over five years and make a difference in so many other people’s lives. I didn’t think that it would come to an award.”

EVENTS

Consent is Cool event to be held at Turret SHYENNE MACDONALD INCOMING ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

On April 1 at the Turret, a nightclub event will be hosted by local DJ and undergraduate at Wilfrid Laurier University, Garrett Large.

The event is a club-night dubbed Consent is Cool and will raise proceeds to donate to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC).

SASC works with Laurier directly and acts as a 24-7 phone support centre. Laurier also has several student groups that focus on gender violence and consent, such as “Not My Laurier; Golden Hawks Combatting Gender Violence” and “Advocates for Student Culture of Consent.” However, neither the Gendered Violence Task Force nor Laurier as an institute affiliated with the event Consent is Cool.

“It’s not about awareness; it’s about setting an example. Obviously there will be awareness brought to the issue just because of [the theme]. But that’s not what this is about, it’s about having fun,” Large said.

Large also said that the clubnight will also be about redefining nightlife with a sense of mutual respect.

“In general, it’s good to make opportunities to challenge the culture around consent as it relates to nightlife. When people think about consent they think about it maybe just in the strict realm of sexual

acts or encounters. I think there’s a lot that needs to be introduced to the bar scene,” Lynn Kane, manager of gender violence prevention and gender support, said.

“...We should be able to have this sort of environment without there being issues.”

-Garrett Large, ‘Consent is Cool’ event host

MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

The Consent is Cool event will raise proceeds to donate to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo (SASC).

As of yet, the event will operate just as any club-night event hosted at the Turret.

“I hope people look at this and don’t shy away from the event because of the underlying theme.

It’s still going to be a great night,” Large said.

In the past, it could be said that events held by the Diversity and Equity Office and Gendered Violence Task Force that explored the subject of consent have been more formal and focused on education.

“I don’t think that a nightclub event necessarily provides the best opportunity to provide education.

Consent can be a pretty complicat-

ed topic for people to understand and I think that to build that kind of understanding, you often need dialogue and that is hard to facilitate at a nightclub event,” Kane said.

Allegedly, concerns have been raised regarding the theme of consent being incompatible with the setting of a nightclub.

“Everyone keeps asking me, is there going to be alcohol? Absolutely. They say, well that’s a little sensitive. Well, no it’s not. Because we should be able to have this sort of environment without there being issues,” Large explained when asked if he believed having

a consent event in the context of a club-night could be problematic.

“When I talk to our security, I will tell them ‘you see anything at all, they need to go.’ No questions, no talking to them, they need to go.’ Because, this is a night when we’re fundraising for [SASC] and if something goes wrong because someone is being a jerk, like it’s an example that needs to be set and pushed, especially for this night,” Large said.

Other than the alleged scrutinized security, Large did not vocalize any further plans to ensure that the nightclub will be a safe zone.

“I hope that what people will

take from this event is that they had fun. That everyone was great and it was a good environment,” Large said.

“Going forward, I hope people will have that in the back of their minds. That night at the Turret, why can’t every night be like that?”

Kane has contacted Large on April 28 and they currently have plans to discuss a possible collaboration on April 29.

A collaboration could mean possible support and education that relates to the theme of the night and provides the event with more resources that would make it more accessible.

NEWS • 9

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

REVIEWING THE STUDENTS’ UNION BOARD As another school year comes to an end, The Cord sat down with members of the Students’ Union board of directors to reflect on the year and if they best represented Laurier undergraduate students

TYLER VAN HERZELE

As the first ever Brantford student to be elected president and CEO of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union, Tyler Van Herzele must be applauded for his ability to govern a multi-campus institution while being stationed at the campus that he did not study at. Van Herzele has made the appropriate effort to distinguish issues on both campuses and recognize that both Laurier campuses have different needs.

In terms of working with the board, it was noted that Van Herzele absorbed the results of his midterm review and used those criticisms to better his performance. It was suggested that he shorten his updates when presenting to the board and in winter term, he did just that. It was said that Van Herzele takes criticism exceptionally well.

As a figurehead of an organization, Van Herzele was

likeable and approachable. He was good at communicating with his management team, the board and the general student population. He was present on campus and set up initiatives such as open office hours to include students and have their voices heard.

While we recognize that one year is not a long enough time to make huge changes, we wish Van Herzele had taken a firmer stance on significant issues that came to light on campus this year. While he has been overseeing the Turret renovations that will hopefully come in full force once his term is over, he also found time to open up the President’s’ Council, which creates a chance for all the presidents from each faculty to come together and bridge any gaps. Van Herzele’s year was not necessarily a year for drastic change or political stance, but more so a year for transparency

Out of all the directors, it could be noted that Chair of the Board and CGO, Nick DeSumma, has undergone the most growth from May 1 until now. When DeSumma was elected as chair, there was some concern that he would not be able to adequately divide up his time between the Waterloo campus and his home base: the Brantford campus. Over the summer, DeSumma also appeared to lack confidence and would occasionally break Robert’s Rules.

However, DeSumma didn’t let geography affect his ability to chair the board and his confidence grew very quickly in a short period of time. He made himself very accessible to other board members and as time passed, he was a strong presence at the head of the board table. He acted as a reliable support system to other board members but also held board members

accountable.

It was noted that DeSumma often seemed overwhelmed and could have delegated tasks a bit more to lighten his load. His ability to time manage, at times, needed work, but given that he was dividing his time between two campuses, that challenge is legitimate.

It was also noted that DeSumma took his midterm feedback really well and made changes to the endof-meeting feedback forms to make sure that the information gathered was the most accurate.

Incoming Chair and CGO Tarique Plummer has some big shoes to fill; we recommend that DeSumma works closely with Plummer to ensure that the communication, transparency and support that DeSumma brought to the board this year will be translated into Plummer’s term.

Newcomer Nick Molkoski performed to the best of his abilities as both a first-time director and vicechair this year. While he submitted a small number of regrets in the winter term due to co-op, Molkoski was critical and vocal at the board table. While he had a professional working relationship with chair DeSumma, Molkoski could have taken more initiative as the vice-chair of the board. As a director, Molkoski was strong and competent when critical discussions

and debates were presented to the board. While he became more assertive in the answers he gave to other directors, there was still a lack of confidence.

There was also opportunities for Molkoski to ask more questions to the board and to chair DeSumma that he did not take. Overall, Molkoski proved himself to be a strong and approachable director of the board and his knowledge in governance and policy proved to be worthy as vice-chair.

PRESIDENT & CEO

NICK DESUMMA CHAIR OF THE BOARD & CHIEF GOVERNANCE OFFICER

NICK MOLKOSKI VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

These reviews were written collaboratively by Senior News Editor Kaitlyn Severin, News Editor Safina Husein, News Editor Shyenne MacDonald and Editor-in-Chief Bethany Bowles. They are based on observations from board meetings and interviews with directors, chair and president.

10 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STEPHANIE BELLOTTO

MATT DESUMMA

Since the midterm review, Stephanie Bellotto has proven herself to be one of the strongest and most critical directors on the board. Before, during and after board meetings, Bellotto’s participation as a director has proven to be evident. Since her midterm review, Bellotto has continued to ask critical and strategic questions at the board table and was never afraid to incorporate her input into board discussions. Throughout the term, Bellotto’s confidence in the role became more apparent,

and she became more inclusive with various other Students’ Union committees, such as the Election Appeals committee, as well as other external organizations such as the Ontario University Student Alliance. While Bellotto is not returning as a director, she will be transitioning into her new role as vice-president of university affairs. In this role, Bellotto is encouraged to continue advocating for students in a confident and assertive manner.

Veteran director and Brantford student Matt DeSumma has had a good term on the board. He has held a perfect attendance throughout his term, despite being a student on the Brantford campus and has adequately reached the goals he set out to achieve at the beginning of his campaign. As the only Brantford director, DeSumma is on all committees and chairs the Ownership Linkage Committee, in which he has been successful and shows a lot of pride. However, it has been noted

that DeSumma can be highly critical of the board and their actions, yet does not take actions to remedy the shortcomings. DeSumma’s focus is centered greatly on the Brantford campus, which could be viewed as a drawback to some board members, but that representation is vital to a multi-campus institution. Altogether, DeSumma has been a critical and active member of the board; his presence has been strong and his confidence remains unwavered.

Faraz Iftekharuddin had a slow start to his position on the board throughout first semester and has been identified as one of the weaker members of the board.

After taking the time to feel comfortable in his role and more confident in his responsibilities, Iftekharuddin has been able to put forth more effort at the board table through asking questions and coming to meetings more prepared. Despite his average attendance first

semester, Iftekharuddin has improved his presence at the board and has attended all but one meeting in the second semester. Iftekharuddin has not been a part of any committees during his time on the board; however, he put forth his best effort throughout the second half of his term. Altogether, Iftekharuddin could have furthered his experience on the board and therefore been a more effective director.

Kevin Jang has been recognized as one of the board members most in need of improvement. While Jang has been described to be a less attentive member of the board, with time he has been able to accomplish voicing his own opinions during board meetings.

However, at the same time, he has had a lack of involvement throughout the meetings and committees

as he has not participated in any committees this year.

Jang’s attendance has been frequent and because of this, has built strong relationships with fellow board members. Outside the board, Jang has been involved in several clubs that may have diverted his attention away from the board. Because of this, Jang is not returning to the board of directors to focus on school.

Going into the role with her experience as the board secretary, Shannon Kelly has proven to be one of the more knowledgeable directors on the board. It was evident going into the position that Kelly knew what her responsibilities were as a director. Fortunately, Kelly succeeded in doing this by asking critical discussion questions and using her expertise in governance, operations and policy to help make decisions with her fellow directors. Kelly also participated in numerous

committees within the Students’ Union, including co-chairing the elections appeals committee and being on both campus’s Student Life Levy committees. It should also be noted that Kelly has had perfect attendance, even participating in meetings during her co-op term. Overall, Kelly’s participation on the board, at the table and within the union, have made her a positive standout as a director and one of the strongest members at the table this year.

FARAZ IFTEKHARUDDIN

KEVIN JANG

SHANNON KELLY

NEWS • 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Hubert Lee’s presence as a director at the board table has vastly improved this winter term. After his midterm review, Lee used his expertise and knowledge about the Laurier student body to bring more perspectives to the table. While it took time for Lee to transition into the role over the fall term, he has come to meetings well prepared and has participated in critical discussions with his fellow directors. However,

Lee took on many responsibilities and roles within the Students’ Union, including the Ownership Linkage Committee and Student Life Levy, as well as other associations within the university. Overall, Lee has proven to be one of most critical directors on the board, and was confident in the discussion and knowledge he brought to the table.

Genelle Martin was recognized as one of the strongest directors on the board this year. She was an active listener and asked thoughtful, critical and engaging questions at every meeting. Martin has not been afraid to hold others accountable and challenge those in authority positions. She is always prepared for meetings and seems to genuinely care about the success of the board. She understands that the board

is operational and can distinguish that the board doesn’t have a governing role. Martin’s experience as a don helped integrate first-year students into the role of the Students’ Union and contributed to the board’s transparency this year. She was one of the most confident contributors to the board table this year and her success should not go unnoticed.

Since midterm reviews, Tarique Plummer’s performance as a director has improved. Plummer struggled at the beginning of his term — his attendance was mediocre and his contribution to the table was slim.

However, Plummer has used the feedback he was given to become a stronger, more confident director.

Plummer, as a part of the board, has been on the inspection committee and election reviews committee.

Outside of the board, he is a don and is a part of the business faculty. Plummer will be the only returning director next year and is also the incoming Chair of the Board for the 2017-18 school year, meaning a lot of responsibility will fall on him to mentor and guide 11 new directors. Since being elected as chair, Plummer has taken the initiative to learn and ask critical questions, demonstrating his commitment to the board.

Ryan Price has had a successful term on the board of directors. In the second term, despite not being able to be physically present in meetings due to co-op commitments in Toronto, Price was still able to be a vital member of the board. Although it was noted that Price could have contributed more to meetings

and did not ask many questions or voice his opinions enough, Price was described to be a major asset to the finance committee because of his background business knowledge. Price has accepted an offer for an exchange program next year and therefore will not be returning to the board.

Jonathan Ricci, a veteran board member of three years, will be completing his final year as a board member this term. Overall, Ricci has been a confident, effective and strong director. In addition to his participation in various committees, such as Ownership Linkage Committee and a co-chair for elections review committee, Ricci has also taken part this year as an

icebreaker, a soccer referee and UA volunteer. As a veteran and former chair, Ricci has had solid attendance to meetings and a firm vocal presence. As he will not be returning next year, Ricci has taken a back seat on the board, leaving room for less experienced directors to gain experience. Ricci has also provided positive mentorship and feedback to newer board members.

HUBERT LEE

GENELLE MARTIN

TARIQUE PLUMMER

RYAN PRICE

JONATHAN RICCI

These reviews were written collaboratively by Senior News Editor Kaitlyn Severin, News Editor Safina Husein, News Editor Shyenne MacDonald and Editor-in-Chief Bethany Bowles. They are based on observations from board meetings and interviews with directors, chair and president.

12 • GAMES SUDOKU

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GAMES • 13

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

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 The Cord, Trust me, it’s not just the students who think your paper has gone into the shitter this year.

Sincerely, A concerned Laurier alumnus Dear Life, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved” Helen Keller.

To my best friend: I want you to think about this quote everytime you feel as though you have been tainted by the tyrant who did this to you. I want you to remember that through this hardship, you will solely grow stronger as a woman, become more hungry for a challenge, and succeed beyond compare. You inspire me everyday to be a better person, and I will be with you through this every step of the way until you realize how amazing you truly are.

Sincerely, The Other Meatball

Dear Life, I know that that time management priority article meant well, but it’s bothered me all week. Some of us have jobs and need to pay to go to Laurier. Some of us have mental health issues and need to cancel plans. That doesn’t mean that we don’t care about people or want to put effort in. Sometimes we just can’t. Being able to go to every class or social engagement is great, good for you for being great at prioritizing. But that’s a privilege. And some of us can’t afford that, and if you’re shit with priorities, you’re alright in my book. I’m a mess, and so are my best friends. We can’t all be perfect. We’re just learning or getting by sometimes. And that’s ok too.

Sincerely, Trying your best is all that matters Dear Life, Roses are red Violets are blue Goodbye you crazy kids I wish you all the best summer Sincerely, A boy that misses his ape Dear Life, Billions is the BEST SHOW on television right now. It’s basically Breaking Bad but about insider trading instead of meth dealing.

Most of the new season 2 has been epic must watch TV. Just got CraveTV from Bell and it’s awesome since it allows me to watch new episodes of Billions and other showtime series live without commercials the same date and time they debut in the U.S. No more blurry and lagging streams for me.

What’s the point of having fuck you money if you never say fuck you.

Sincerely, TV worth my time Dear The Cord, Thanks to all the people past and present who made my time here such an amazing experience!

Sincerely, Thankful Dear Beth, Thank you for being such a wonderful boss. You have made me feel like I’m making a difference, helped me to accept myself and changed my life for the better. We will all miss you next year.

Love, Positive vibes Dear Life, The Cord’s outgoing EIC is the ballinest person I ever met Sincerely, stevedave Dear Life, Im addicted to Papa Johns, I can’t go to sleep at night unless I eat an entire personal cheese pizza along with a garlic sauce and hot pepper.

Without Papa Johns I have night terrors where I wake up crying and sweating. Papa Johns is delicious and now all I want is a sugar daddy named Papa John.

Sincerely, pApA_jOhn_Lover69coveredingarlic

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14 •

FEATURES EDITOR/MITCHELL CONSKY/FEATURES@THECORD.CA

To me, the ability to communicate is the strongest asset a man could carry. But I didn’t always see it that way.

Growing up within the traditional structure of masculinity, emotional expression and manliness often didn’t go hand-in-hand.

Explaining what’s on my mind didn’t fit the system. Expressing my troubles vocally wasn’t a conceivable solution. So my words were shaped by letters. Suddenly, through the power of my keyboard, I was allowed to talk.

I write everything. Every thought I have. Every idea. Every fear and every desire. For so long, it was because I thought no one would be willing to listen but my screen.

Anyone who knows me would say I fit the traditional mould of masculinity. I’m a 21-year-old, heterosexual male who is borderline athletic, more than comfortable outdoors (in fact, I’ll always prefer it), can grow a full beard, weight lift regularly — and often have more confidence than is probably good for me.

I’m not boasting; I’m saying I fit into the comic book narrative of dominance and assertion, of control and alpha composure, of absoluteself-sufficiency. I get it. It’s cool to be the tough guy. It’s expected. Grab your shield and flex your muscles, Cap! The Avengers need you! But don’t let anyone know you’re actually Steve Rogers (pre super-serum).

Somewhere within this structure of masculinity, being tough and in control has translated to being emotionless and distant. That’s the direction ‘being a man’ has taken, and I didn’t realize it until my keyboard stopped being enough.

There’s an event I run with my fraternity we call “Highs and Lows.”

To avoid spilling the beans on the sacred secrecy of fraternal affairs, I’ll only say that it’s an episode where we sit around the fireplace and pass around a talking stick: a bottle of Jack Daniels. Through this exchange, we each voluntarily share what’s on our minds, our deepest fears, our strongest desires, the lowest and highest points in our lives. Suddenly, with the flame flickering and the whisky burning, the armour is removed, our weapons of toughness lowered.

With our guard let down, we’re suddenly permitted to be human.

Through this experience, I learn more about my buddies than I ever would have. For the first time, I’m able to hear about their deepeststruggles, their emotional conditions and the anguishes ripping them apart from the inside out. But isn’t it strange that the only time so many men feel able to communicate on this level of emotional expression is when we literally have to establish permission to speak? That our words are only granted by the masculine resonance of alcoholic consumption?

I’ve noticed that vulnerability is like dropping a match in gasoline —the flame quickly spreads. When one guy shares, everyone else is also willing to open up. Why? Because it’s been boiling under our toughened skin. Deep down, many dudes just want their feelings to be heard.

“When they look at the dominant narrative of manhood in society, a lot of young men grow up internalizing very unhealthy ideas around what it means to be a, quote unquote, ‘real man,’” said Stephen Souci, the program coordinator with Male Allies — an organization housed by the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo (SASC).

SASC’s Male Allies program focusses on ending gender-based violence through public education for boys and men. The initiative encourages critical introspection of manhood through workshops and sessions.

“Never showing emotion, aggression, that sort of self-sufficient,bself-reliant, always in control narrative is pretty one-dimensional,” Soucie said.

“It doesn’t allow young men to be fully human beings. There might be some specific characteristics that are not wrong or negative within the dominant narrative, things like leadership or

FEATU

strength. But we want to encourage men to endure characteristics beyond the traditional man-box.”

The man-box is all too common throughout boyhood. Hockey coaches and fathers preach its ideals all the time. “Suck it up! Don’t be a pussy!

Puke is weakness leaving your body!” (If you’ve ever seen Friday Night Tykes on Netflix, I recommend a couple episodes for the pure affirmation of this idea and the proliferation of some laughably alarming “fatherly” quotes.)

“A lot of men assume that women are ‘naturally’ more emotional than men. And they assume that men are more ‘biologically’ rational than women. We need to complicate that. A lot of young men and boys are schooled to supress their emotions, to only express anger,” Soucie said.

“We want to give men more tools in their emotional tool box so they can communicate their emotions rather than harming other men, harming women, or harming themselves.”

Stephen then told me his favourite Frederick Douglass quote: “It’s easier to repair strong children than to repair broken men.”

And it’s true. As we inch closer towards the inevitable realm of adulthood, the dangerous ideals of our childhood threaten to latch onto whoever it is we become and whoever we raise our children to follow. It’s up to those who grow and learn beyond societal expectations to break out of the boundaries men have been situated firmly within.

“I think for a lot of guys growing up, we didn’t have that,” Stephen said, referring to the realization of not having to fulfill the dominant narrative.

“I often think about how different my life would’ve been if somebody had these conversations with me.”

Many fathers neglect to show tears as they take on the percieved responsibilities of being in control and unsentimental, of being selfless and unemotional. Sons follow suit.

I asked Soucie how men could start breaking out of the structure of masculinity that holds back their ability to communicate intimately with one another.

“Start being comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he said.

“You have to make yourself vulnerable. And it’s not easy. A lot of this work is unlearning, rather than learning. You have to unlearn how to interact with other men. How to understand ourselves in the world.”

It’s a constant process of self-discovery, one that resists every-

URES

thing we may believe ourselves to be. But let me be the first to tell you: being a man isn’t the same as being a robot.

To any dudes reading this, I challenge to look at your best male friend today. When was the last time he told you what’s really on his mind? Not just how many goals he scored in his last intramural hockey game, or how drunk he got at Phil’s a couple nights before, but ask yourself if you really know what’s going on with him. If the answer is no, it’s time to start asking him. He may look at you funny. He’ll likely nod you off with a dumb smirk. But letting him know that you’re a pair of ears willing to listen can mean the difference between being a real friend and an accompanying locker buddy — great for laughs, but just there to pass the time.

Sam Nabi, a volunteer with SASC, participated in a six-week training program with Male Allies which focussed on fleshing out self-reflection amongst men as allies for survivors of sexual assault.

He agreed to explain the experience of introspection amongst a group of other men going through similar problems.

“By the end of the six weeks, it had really become a bonding experience with other members in the group — there were about ten guys,” Nabi explained.

“It wasn’t so much that there was a day where we were like, ‘okay everyone, we’re going to share our darkest secrets with everybody today.’ It was working through these issues and themes that naturally became emotional; we were talking about how we interact with people in the world.”

Nabi touched on what male bonding usually looks like and how depth of conversation isn’t usually a part of that.

“So much of male bonding is just, you know, we’re going to go play pick-up together, or we’re going to go play pool. It’s an activity that doesn’t require much conversation. The act of talking about real stuff with each other made us open up naturally.”

Nabi went on to explain that you don’t have to be worried when talking about heavier topics with people you encounter.

“I think men get their guard up a lot more easily about stuff like that. They think: this conversation is going into an area of people’s personal lives. I’m going to steer it away; let’s talk about something else.”

And just in case you think I’m bullshitting about this massive void of distance between male friends, Nabi sees the disconnect as well.

“For myself, I would say that a lot of the male friends that I’m

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 • 15

close with, I still don’t know much about their lives, when I really think about it,” Nabi explained.

“And I don’t share a whole lot about my life, either. It’s a huge barrier. It’s a hard one to get over.”

Nabi’s perspective is no different than many of my own friends.

For the past year, I’ve made the conscious effort to connect with guys that haven’t really opened up with me before. As a result, I began to see them for who they really are.

Beyond their daily personas, I began to see what drives them forward, their motivations behind tackling daily challenges. I became a better friend because I was suddenly willing to offer undivided attention.

Nothing needs to be said, either. Too many times, people think that communication constantly has to be a two-way street. People continuously feel that they need to run their mouths with meaningless advice or feelings of relation in order to affirm their roles of caring about what’s being said to them. But in those cases, they’re not listening to understand; they’re listening to respond. And that’s the biggest miscommunication in human history.

Just listening as your friend gets shit off his chest is all you have to do. Don’t try and muster up some clever response, don’t try and break the tension with a witty comment, don’t place a calculated hand on your friend’s shoulder as a ‘physical reminder that they’re not alone in this world.’ Cut that shit out, man!

Be there. Listen. That’s it.

“There’s a belief within the man-box that men are supposed to have all the answers. If you’re in a situation where you want to express some doubts, that they’re worried about something, I think a lot people are afraid that makes them look weak. People are afraid to admit that they’re worried about what might happen after they graduate. That they don’t know what’s in this big world out there,” Nabi said.

“You might not have the answers and maybe you’re not necessarily looking for any answers, but you just want to share that. Once one person does it, it opens the door for other conversations.”

Being worried isn’t the same as being weak. On the contrary, it proves that you’re strong enough to not let your insecurities hold you back from sharing what’s on your mind. Vulnerability establishes stability, proving to others that you’re comfortable in your own skin and not trying to hide.

Why am I telling you this? Who the hell am I to redefine masculinity? I’m just an outgoing Features Editor of The Cord who’s just as secretly clueless about my life as any of you reading.

I don’t have the answers; I haven’t seen the glorious light at the end of the tunnel or whatever the fuck that means. I’m not telling you it’s imperative that you look your male friend in the eyes and dive into his emotional psyche. I’m simply saying, don’t let ‘being a man’ stop you from being a good guy, or from communicating what’s on your mind.

Don’t let fear of other people’s thinking trap you in a world where those that are closest to you feel so far away.

Don’t move on with your daily interactions casted with illusion of being fearless, in control and completely self-sufficient. It’s a difficult act to keep up.

This isn’t about what you consume in the media; it’s not about mindlessly taking my word as law. It’s about the boundaries you see in your own life and the restrictions you’re willing to walk across.

It’s about asking yourself if you’re willing to walk out of the manbox.

Masculinity may be a changing term, but don’t let the term change you. Step outside the comic book. There’s a real world that needs saving.

Sam Nabi is the web manager for WLUSP

16 • PHOTO SPREAD

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

THE YEAR IN

PHOTOS

CUPE RALLY

CURLING NATIONALS

YATES CUP

O-WEEK ST. PATTY’S DAY

HOMECOMING

PHOTO SPREAD • 17

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

OKTOBERFEST

STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTIONS

HOCKEY

TARZAN CAM

A TRIBE CALLED RED

NICK CARTER FILE PHOTOS BY PAIGE BUSH, MARCO PEDRI, EMI ZIBAEI, ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS, TANZEEL SAYANI, WILL HUANG, BETHANY BOWLES

18 •

Arts & Life

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR MANJOT BHULLAR arts@thecord.ca

PROFILE

Swingin’ out of the ‘bridge MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Being an Instagram aficionado is what’s on the mind of almost everyone our age. Every party and event we go to is a dud, if we didn’t get a good picture to capture the moment and share with all of our friends. It has become an obsessive online reflection of ourselves, one which we routinely tweak and perfect to garner likes from those we know, or don’t.

But for some, Instagram has become somewhat of a career.

Cameron McElroy, just a regular boy from Cambridge found himself traversing the world of fitness modeling a few years ago and his life quite literally hasn’t been the same.

“I think it was last year I got flown out to Puerto Rico to do a swimwear photoshoot. From there, Instagram kept getting bigger,” said McElroy.

McElroy began his Instagram with intentions to become a fitness model but soon found himself surrounded by the harsh realities of the industry. The perks and opportunities that we, as followers, see online have dark sides yet still appear to be spitting images of ‘perfect’ lives.

“I went to the Vegas expo and I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore. Everyone was asking

‘how many followers do you have?’ and I just thought it doesn’t matter … I realized they’ve got a shoelace personality. That’s all they have: their fitness. They’re very one-sided.”

Being inside a room full of inflated egos driven by likes and followers, it’s easy to see how quickly the glass box of internet fame can be destroyed for someone.

The novelty is shed and all that’s left is the shallow need for validation.

Now focusing on a life of ‘adventuring’ subsidized by posing for less body-conscious photoshoots on tropical beaches, McElroy hopes to continue to appeal to the online community after leaving the strict world of fitness.

Known online as @tarzancam, McElroy’s intentions of being the human-incarnate of the beloved Disney character were a bit of a coincidence, but he’s been unphased by the daily objectifying comments his photos receive.

“I was in the Dominican and all these little kids started calling me Tarzan on the beach. I came back after Vegas and I just decided to change my name … Someone posted a picture of me beside [the cartoon] Tarzan and a lot of pages picked it up,” he said.

Now his claim to fame, McElroy has been using this as a way to expand his travel diary. Apart from

his daily posts half-nude or donning sponsored gear to fund his lifestyle, McElroy was featured as the male-lead in a music video for “Easy Go” for Kitchener-Waterloo native Delaney.

Whether you heard this song voluntarily or due to Can-Con radio requirements, you can’t deny how catchy and visually stimulating the video is.

“It was my first time doing a video shoot. I’m pretty comfortable kissing girls so it was no issue,” said McElroy.

There are serious implications for people who follow accounts such as @tarzancam and the narrative of a perfect life that we, as viewers, can morph around them.

“People get way too caught up in it. It’s so easy to get caught up.

They compare themselves to other people and it fucks up their confidence a lot. So I just want to show people that you can do whatever you want.”

Apart from his online presence, McElroy has gotten offers to appear on reality TV and streaming shows that have yet to come to fruition.

The only thing left to be decided is if this jungle boy can stay in one place for so long.

However, one phrase left some questions unanswered.

“It’s cool that people follow me.

And they’ll keep following me, if I

EMI ZIBAEI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

keep doing cool stuff.”

Even whilst living a supposed care-free lifestyle after seeing the inner workings of the fitness industry and Instagram fame, it may be difficult to fully distance himself from the attention. Regardless,

he has plans to one day go soul searching, leaving behind the one thing connecting him to his 125k Instagram followers: his iPhone.

“I’m just trying to find myself.

I’m not trying to show anybody who I am; I don’t know who I am.”

MUSIC

SUMMER PLAYLIST Symphony - Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson This song is one I will be blasting with friends all summer, reminding me of how happy I am to be surrounded by them. Larsson’s voice and the mixed mid and fast tempo arrangement instantly brings the ‘feels’ of comfort and love. Whether it’s the patio or the beach, you will love this one all summer. The best thing about it is the video companion. It features the story of two gay black men and their life together, which only adds to the feels.

- Kyle McCord

Can I Sit Next To You - Spoon Dancing along a funky, cool guitar lick and a simple drum beat, “Can I Sit Next to You” bursts with sunlight — its loose, sexy drawl evokes wayfarers and backyard beers. The raucous, staccato piano evolves into electronic sounds that beat around the rhythm of the tune, all holding onto the simple, impermeable staying power of the guitar. Britt Daniel screams into the microphone between vicious phrases as the music evolves — resolving from stadium rock into a digital, beautiful mess.

- Karlis Wilde

Passionfruit - Drake

Hallelujah Money - Gorillaz

“Passionfruit” has an exciting dancehall sound that is bursting with energy. Whether at the club, on a beach or just driving around, it’s an excellent summer jam for more reasons than one. The lyricism is playful yet sensitive and the euphoric beat puts to shame those who think that Drake only makes sad, downbeat songs about love and relationships. Not to mention that Moodyman’s intro hints that DJ’s are going to be playing this song back in the clubs and at parties. As this song was curated through the aid of alcohol, Drake is getting all ready in the mood for good times in the summer sun.

- Emi Zibaei

Haunting 808 bass rings out in the new Gorillaz release “Hallelujah Money” featuring Benjamin Clementine with haunting vocals that are reminiscent of a preacher addressing his congregation. Their first major release since “Plastic Beach” way back in 2010, the song is one of many on their forthcoming album, Humanz set to release this April 28. The lyrics contain many references to the Trump administration and the current state of America —the song itself, a commentary on the worship of money.

- Matthew Good

Call On Me (Ryan Riback Remix) - Starley By now, you’ve definitely heard this mix on the radio — however it didn’t always sound this way. The Australian singer’s debut single was originally released in July 2016 on a moodier, and dialed back, note. However, with more views and streams than the original track, Ryan Riback’s remix of “Call On Me” has me in summer mode already. Walking around my apartment singing along to the track, I haven’t stopped belting out the lyrics as if I too have a love interest to relate.

- Manjot Bhullar CONTRIBUTED IMAGES

ARTS & LIFE • 19

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 EVENTS

HAPPILY EVER AFTER AT BINGEMAN’S

TRISTAN RENAUD/FILE PHOTO

MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

As a recent convertee into the world of EDM, I was a bit apprehensive in embracing the genre of music for whatever inner battle I’m having with self-actualization. After writing it off completely alongside country music, I’ve dipped my toes into the likes of DVBBs and DJ Snake, the equivalent of listening to Drake as an intro to rap music and I don’t completely hate it.

And on the heels of Kitchener-Waterloo’s very own EDM festival Ever After around the corner, I may be digging into my bank account to see what all the hype is about. This year, the lineup is clearly taking a more bass and dubstep route which should open me up to even more possibilities into this abyss of sub genres.

“We try to listen to our audience.

Bass has been a thing that K-W and [the] GTA have been increasingly asking for … and it’s on an incline; it’s garnering a lot of traction from worldwide events that have bass-only stages,” Gabriel Mattachione said, organizer of Ever After

Festival.

Having only just realized how close to home this increasingly popular festival is to the Laurier community recently, it’s a surprise that the festival isn’t more prevalent in our culture – perhaps it’s the stigmas surrounding EDM music and the lack of knowledge of all the sub genres. There’s definitely a genre for everyone; it’s not all straight beats and bass drops.

With the saturation prevalent in the Toronto music scene and the multitude of venues shutting down, Ever After is still going strong at K-W’s Bingemans.

“I truly don’t believe there is a better venue suited for something that we are creating and trying to create with Ever After. [Bingeman’s] has a number of amenities that are on site: a water park, camping, a scenic view along the river. It’s just the perfect home,” Mattachione said.

After the closure of Beta, I was interested to see if the EDM scene would migrate out of K-W and look for the bass elsewhere, but there may be a glimmer of hope. “[Beta’s closure] has given us an

opportunity to potentially open something up such as Beta with a different outlook on what Beta really was … to truly bring an experience to students that other venues don’t bring,” Mattachione said.

I don’t truly believe that the other festivals are real festivals.

To me, they’re just two day long concerts.

-Gabriel Mattachione, organiser of Ever After Festival

One of the first things that are often tied into a congregation of shufflers and head banging is the prolific use of drugs. And the organizer’s at these events are fully aware of the stigma and the harsh realities of consumption of whoknows-what pills.

“We have three lines of defence for this apparent problem within the scene. We do extensive research and educational pieces that make it apparent that this is not the thing to do and just come and enjoy your time, the music and the experience,” said Mattachione.

In addition to an extensive security team that is educated on the types of drugs that may be apparent this year, the venue will have a strong police presence and amnesty boxes to warn attendees and give them an opportunity to ditch any items they realize they are not allowed to bring inside.

With an EMS team, Ever After will be setting up a mini hospital within the venue to attend to those who need it until they are able to be taken to a hospital if need be.

Having complied with city restrictions that were placed on the festival last year, Ever After is committed to continuing to uphold this level of respect for the surrounding community while also making sure that the attendees’ experience is flawless. The only difference from last year’s festival is that they will be starting a couple hours later, at

1:00 p.m.

Like other festivals in the GTA, Ever After is expecting an influx of attendees from all over the world who, as expected, will be interested in exploring the city. There will be many events planned from after parties in downtown Kitchener bars.

As the summer festival season kicks into full gear, there will be an EDM festival happening in Southern Ontario each month. Although to outsiders it may seem like all the same, the experience at Ever After is definitely intended to be a well-rounded and inclusive one.

“I don’t truly believe that the other festivals are real festivals.

To me, they’re just two day long concerts,” Mattachione said.

Ever After is definitely hoping to maximize the use of the facilities at Bingemans, allowing attendees to truly camp out, experience the water parks and the scenic views by the river.

“We try and recreate an experience. In doing so, we really believe that Ever After can become a weekend vacation and getaway for students and other people alike.”

monopoly.

Unfortunately for Tim Hortons, the public has discovered something called ‘good taste.’ They now crave the ethically sourced story of the beans, a journey that sings upon the taste buds, beating with varied notes like cherry and allspice.

In true Hortonsian fashion, they’ve dumbed down the story, leaving only the essential, vehicular beats: “Our premium 100 per cent Arabica beans are roasted.”

Bravo.

I sit on a wooden slab, steaming cup of black, virulent piss-water releasing the essence of quote unquote coffee into the air in hot, vaporous waves. I am performing an imperative for the good of the public.

I am engaging with the new Tim Hortons Dark Roast Coffee; the #TIMSDARK beaming from glowing advertisements that hover obtrusively around my body.

In a sniff, I receive muted notes of … biscuit? The scent is so weak it’s hard to tell. It doesn’t smell like dark roast coffee — it barely smells like anything at all.

On the tongue, there’s a brief splash of bitterness. It immediately overwhelms the senses, like an anesthesia, to disguise any other

hint of flavour. In an instant, it’s all gone.

The conclusion is simple: Tim Hortons doesn’t know what dark roast coffee is supposed to taste like. Tim Hortons appears to have narrowed down the concept of ‘Dark Roast’ to being an embodiment of bitterness — a vehicle for caffeine that numbs the mouth.

This is an IPA without notes; this is garlic bread without garlic.

What needs to be remembered is that Tim Hortons is not a celebration of flavour — it isn’t a farm-to-table journey or any other romantic endeavour.

What Tim Hortons is, is a 14-year-old’s first job. It’s a shitty double-double to get you through a day of work after a night of drinking. It’s a stale bagel with a poorly-spread, dissipating gradient of herb and garlic cream cheese at 3:00 in the morning. It’s cooking a frozen potato in a toaster oven and calling it hashbrowns.

The new #TimsDark, in relative consideration, is not awful. It’s boringly bitter. It’s a forgettable cup of coffee that isn’t really going to change anyone’s mind about the restaurant. It’s better than their regular joe, and I guess it’s better than their old dark roast. Maybe that’s enough.

COFFEE

Roasting the new blend PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR

KARLIS WILDE INCOMING FEATURES EDITOR

Love them or hate them, Tim Hortons has held a monopoly on the Canadian coffee ideal for forever and a day. Coupled with a sour cream glazed Timbit, nothing better embodies the image of morn-

ings at the hockey rink, celebrating the essence of what it means to be Canadian.

At least, that’s what their incredibly successful advertising department will tell you.

Tim Hortons is a division of Restaurant Brands International.

Tim Hortons is a corporate mechanization bent on sap-sucking dollars from your pocket through the romanticization of a constructed national identity.

Tim Hortons is a purveyor of reheated, mass-produced donut

sludge and filthy, bland grounds.

And, as of March 2017, Tim Hortons is the proud father of a new Dark Roast Coffee Blend. Their advertising claims: Because of You. This is an obscene personalization of a commercial imperative.

Yes, they have come out with a new blend because of you, the customer, but it’s merely a calculated response to a violent awakening in the public as more and more premium coffee shops of actual quality product open on every street corner, challenging their

20 • ARTS & LIFE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

CONCERT

They’re bringing the funk MATTHEW GOOD CORD ARTS

The spirit of rock ‘n’ roll is still alive and while it may come in many forms these days, Five Alarm Funk, a Canadian band based out of Vancouver, have manifested this spirit in their genre-bending style of self-described “shark funk.”

Set to play at Maxwell’s on March 29, the band is an ensemble of blaring horns, funky rhythms and shredding guitar, mixed in with outrageous live shows that are high energy and high volume.

Sitting down with the band’s drummer Tayo Branston, it was evident they’ve stayed true to their beginnings.

“Five Alarm Funk was formed through friends coming together over their sheer love of music,” Branston said. “We met as a small group at jam sessions and house party’s, basically, and through that small group we kept adding, and we knew we wanted to create this giant sound.”

Five Alarm Funk has been releasing tracks as early as 2006, with their self-titled album Five Alarm Funk and their latest release, Sweat

— now available on iTunes.

“We may be considered calling [our genre of music] ‘shark funk,’ because it’s super deadly funk,” said Branston.

This is the best live show we’ve ever put on. The band is super tight, we’re having tons of fun and we’re ready to bring an amazing concert.

-Tayo Branston, drummer for Five Alarm Funk

Keen listeners may notice their musical styles ranging from punk, ska, prog-rock and so on, but the fusion of all these styles allows the band to be something truly unique.

A few of their musical influences include Rage Against The Machine, Tito Puente, Primace and Frank Zappa. Many of these names shine through their songs, each leaving

little hints as to where they were placed in songs like, “Wash Your Face” and “We All Scream.”

“It’s the passion and love to create. Why does a painter love to paint? It’s self-expression,” Branston said.

The same can be said for many artists, whether it be painting, music, film — the passion that Five Alarm Funk exude in their performances, goes hand in hand with this self-expression and elevates their music to something more than just a band performing music.

“For me [the one defining song] would be the first track off our new album Sweat: “Widow Maker.” I think it’s exactly where the band has been honing our sound for the last couple of years.”

And perhaps some fans of the band would agree, as the song is the same Five Alarm Funk from previous years, but more precise — more refined — in the way that the song almost seems to attack the listener — an attack of unbridled rhythm and sound, horns and guitar, all set to a funky baseline.

People can expect “hot, sweaty, tight, punchy, funk” from tonight’s performance.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

“This is the best live show we’ve ever put on. The band is super tight, we’re having tons of fun and we’re ready to bring an amazing concert for everybody,” Branston said.

Five Alarm Funk are no strangers to the Waterloo area either, as they have previously played at Maxwell’s and the Waterloo Jazz

festival.

All in all, Five Alarm Funk are poised to make some big noises happen at Maxwell’s this evening.

“We cannot wait to come and party with you guys. This the best show we’ve ever had and we’re very excited about it and we can’t wait to see you there,” Branston said.

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This year, when essays and exams start to pile up, the Wilfrid Laurier University Rotaract has a good idea to help students relax — watching a movie in the pool.

The WLU Rotaract is Laurier’s chapter of Rotaract, the community service club that is the post-secondary branch of the organization Rotary International. The club held an untraditional fundraiser this past Monday.

Their Dive-In Movie Event, which took place in the Athletic Complex, offered an opportunity to float around in the pool and watch John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The movie was chosen by popular vote via a poll on their Facebook page. Which, at a time like this, how could Laurier students focus on studying for their exams?

The event cost three dollars to attend, although bringing a friend meant getting a deal of five dollars for two tickets.

“The proceeds will all be going to Rotary... and that is going to help out their clean water initiatives,” said Asad Raza, a third-year business administration student who is president of the club.

With 35 people in attendance, the event raised almost $110, all of which will help people worldwide get access to clean water. All the costs of the event came out of the club’s budget.

During the event, the AC provided floaties and attendees were encouraged to relax as the movie began.

The film was set up to project on a screen beside the pool.

Some people seemed to prefer the social aspect of the event to the movie and many attendees quickly abandoned watching it to swim around and talk with their friends.

This extra noise made it difficult for those who were actively trying to pay attention to the movie to hear, at times.

Overall, everyone seemed to have a good time, although many individuals left long before the film had finished. Now, it is yet to be determined if those who ditched did so because of dermatological reasons.

Raza and other members of the WLU Rotaract were pleased with the turn out.

“Not a lot of people on campus know what [Rotaract] is about,” Raza said. “Until last year, we weren’t that big on campus.”

He acknowledged that events like their cactus and succulent sales have helped them gain recognition on campus and is hoping that the Dive-In Movie and future events will do the same.

Although the year is coming to a close, there is still a chance to get involved.

“We’re always accepting [general members],” said Raza. “If you want to make something happen, this is probably your best bet.”

ARTS & LIFE • 21

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 ENTREPRENURIAL

BATTING YOUR EYES AT THIS STUDENT VENTURE

VICTORIA PANACCI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

NATHALIE BOUCHARD INCOMING NEWS EDITOR

The eyelash extension trend in Waterloo has quite frankly got people lashin’ out. This beauty trend is something that has allowed individuals to enhance their own beauty without using makeup to ultimately feel confident and beautiful.

Lindsay Stevenson, a third-year global studies student at Wilfrid

Laurier University, runs her own eyelash extension business out of her apartment.

Instantly becoming hooked to the eyelash extension trend, Stevenson shares how she got started and what exactly eyelash extensions are.

“You use tweezers and you kind of look at the lashes and isolate them and you glue the eyelash extension to the real lash,” said Stevenson.

You lay down on a bed or flat surface as the specialist begins to place the extension lashes on the real lashes.

“The lashes are synthetic mink plastic. I don’t use the real ones because they are more expensive and there’s also silk ones but those are more expensive as well. There isn’t really too much of a difference except for the weight of them on your eyes,” said Stevenson.

Stevenson said that this new

beauty trend has turned into a passion and business venture.

“I got [eyelash extensions] once for a vacation and they never came off. I was really interested to see if I could try and do them myself or for other people,” she said.

“I honestly never thought that I would be doing lashes. I follow this girl on Instagram and she was having a promo for September to do a training course, so I just said now or never, before school gets busy, I’ll try it out and see if I like it — I ended up really liking it,” said Stevenson.

Stevenson doesn’t just do eyelash extensions for the purpose of profit but actually wears them and believes that these extensions can save time in the morning.

“I’m not sure about why other people wear eyelashes but I like it for the purpose of time and my lashes are really straight and not curly at all so I just find that putting on mascara is so time consuming.

I’d rather lay down once a month for an hour than put on mascara every day,” said Stevenson.

Stevenson said that there are many different ways to wear your eyelash extensions; lashes are easily customizable to her liking.

“I always love the D-Curl; those are the curliest ones that I like but obviously give people the options that they can do. The C-Curl is another kind that is also popular.

My main motto, however, is ‘go big or go home’.”

Now for the moment that we have all been waiting for: how much do these babies cost?

Stevenson’s pricing is competitive for the Waterloo area as beauty salons and spas have rates up to $200 per fill.

“I do $80 for a full set, $40 for a 2 week fill and $50 for a 3 week fill,” said Stevenson.

I follow this girl on Instagram and she was having a promo for September to do a training course, so I just said now or never.

-Lindsay Stevenson, third-year global studies student

When asked if she was planning to build her eyelash extension business into an empire, Stevenson says she wants to continue practicing her passion but possibly pursue a different career path.

“I’m in third-year and I’m just trying to get my degree but this is something that I can see myself doing in the meantime. I really like school and I want to get my degree … I’m open to opening up my own place however, way in the future,” she said.

22 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR MADELINE MCINNIS opinion@thecord.ca

It’s still a struggle for women’s representation in sports But the rules should be standard in all play, regardless of gender.

Look at how female bodies are sexualized in sport.

Uniforms can be downright revealing to the point that it’s difficult to actually play.

Female field hockey players are still expected to wear skirts.

Where’s the logic in that?

You’ve got fighting stars, like Ronda Rousey, who are made into sex symbols to market their fights. On the other hand, Serena Williams is criticized for being too muscular.

It’s still a tough time to be a woman in sport.

The OWL awards are a great step towards bridging that gap and accepting the accomplishments of female athletes, not just for what they’re able to accomplish with their bodies, but also what they are doing for the community.

The three nominees should be seen as role models in a world that is still boxing in female athletes to fit a certain standard that is both confusing and unattainable.

With the Outstanding Women of Laurier award being awarded to Julie Karn last week, we were all proud to see the representation of women in sports.

But why is there still such a divide in sports, in regards to gender?

The idea that women are more fragile and need protection is dated, but it still seems to be the mentality in sports.

Women are told not to be aggressive. That becomes even more of an issue when you compare the aggression in men’s sports to women’s. Hockey, for example, is still non-contact for women.

It’s not like women are less aggressive, especially in sports.

It’s that they’re just not supposed to let it out.

Women are still told to solve problems with words and men are still allowed to solve problems with violence.

The rules are just dated.

It’s not that everyone should be fighting — that’s visible from the injuries of contact sports.

The Instagram culture creates a false life for everyone our memories for the future.

What we preserve is what we want to be seen and shared, for both our current friends and the ones we’ll make in the future.

However, it’s still not an accurate representation of our real lives.

That’s so important to remember.

Everyone, despite how shitty their life is, will put their best face and best aspects online.

It’s easy to get caught up in everyone else’s perfect life when you still have to deal with the shitty aspects of your own.

Uploading superficiality has become our culture and that’s fine as long as we’re thinking critically about it.

Instagram is a great platform to show the best aspects of your life, but the “art” it was originally for is now the art of hiding.

Be careful what you’re filtering and absorbing.

Following the lives of the rich and famous seems like a great thing, until it builds a sense of false confidence.

Instagram used to be about original content, art and showcasing the best of everyone’s photos, making photography more accessible.

Now, it’s about self-gratification through likes and being unique through art has become increasingly difficult.

Some people have rules about the photos they post — if it has under 50 likes in nine hours, take it down; at least three photos between selfies, we don’t want to seem vain; show the very best of our lives, not the times of despair or uncertainty.

Photography has always been about capturing the best and the purest emotions, but Instagram brings self-branding to a new level.

And we love it.

In a lot of ways, it is preserving

These unsigned editorials are based off informal discussions and then agreed upon by the majority of The Cord’s editorial board, including the Editor-in-Chief 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

DIRECTOR Matt Burley

CHAIR Meghan Roach

TREASURER John Pehar

VICE-CHAIR Abdiasis Issa DIRECTOR Maddy Cutts DIRECTOR Mynt Marsellus

PRESIDENT Meghan Roach president@wlusp.com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Caroline Schummer care.schummer@ wlusp.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp. com HR MANAGER/CORPORATE SECRETARY Taylor Berzins hr@wlusp.com

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

A friend and a journalist KURTIS RIDEOUT INCOMING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I am many different things to many different people. I am a friend, I am a student, I am a journalist.

There are many facets of my personality, some of which I wear on my sleeve and some I just keep to myself.

As a journalist, the way I am perceived has a heavy influence on my career ambitions. But, as a friend, I really just want to be there for the people that I care about.

Usually this means setting my own beliefs aside.

This is something that has become increasingly difficult, particularly in regards to a recent controversy that broke out on my stomping ground – the Laurier Brantford campus.

I won’t go into detail with this debate; if you are trying to figure out my stance on this issue, you should know that I am being intentionally vague.

Instead I wanted to focus on some of the underlying pressures a journalist might face in this type of situation.

I come from a place where everyone is very conservative.

Lots of cowboy boots and pick-up trucks – it’s like a little mini Alberta tucked between two intersecting 400 series highways.

This means that when I come home to visit, I basically have ‘Liberal Arts College’ written on my forehead – a phrase that very loosely translates to “please come at me with your bullshit rhetoric.”

Don’t get me wrong, these are my childhood friends and I would never just tell them that they are flat out wrong.

I will, at first, tell them where I see the logic in their argument, hearing them out before I respectfully disagree or share my own interpretation. And that’s usually the end of those discussions.

I am transparent with my opinions and even though our viewpoints clash pretty often, they pretty much always allow me to respectfully disagree with them.

So then why, when I am on campus, where people are supposed to be open-minded, progressive thinkers, does everyone want me to choose a side? To choose their side?

I get that there is a very polarizing argument going on around me, but as a journalist, is it not one of my few obligations to remain as objective as possible?

A lot of my peers, teachers and colleagues would seem to disagree.

I have been playing devil’s advocate a little bit more than usual, to be honest with you, but this doesn’t mean I should have to finish every conversation I have with the words, “you aren’t going to convince me, either way.”

I mean, yeah, maybe there is a problem with free speech on university campuses. I can’t rule that out.

If I can’t have this kind of discussion on campus without feeling a ridiculous amount of pressure and judgement from either side, then that definitely isn’t really an environment that fosters diversity of opinion.

But if this super conservative, “free speech,” “we-must-be-ableto-have-dialogue-on-campus” stance on the argument were to imply that a certain group shouldn’t have stood up for what they believed in, then aren’t both sides at fault here?

If you ask me, a very important time to practice free speech is when people feel unsafe or stifled.

If that’s the case, then who are we to chastise a young group of students for speaking up, whether or not we fully agree with their cause?

Isn’t that what free speech is all about?

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Opinion

• 23 OPINION EDITOR MADELINE MCINNIS opinion@thecord.ca

Soft-skills we learn in university are vital As much as our lectures can be useful, discipline and time management are just as important

JACOB BROZ STAFF WRITER

Recently, I’ve had many discussions with one of my roommates about what we have actually learned in university.

Aside from economics, accounting and calculus, I have learned many lessons that I never would have learned in high school.

First off, university is a great, humbling experience because I realized I’m not as smart as I think I am.

In high school, I would walk around with a sense of superiority because I had high grades.

I would think it was funny when somebody struggled with math or if people registered in applied classes rather than academic.

Now, I’m in a program that only admits people like me.

I have no reason to be smug about my intelligence because there are 1000 people that are just as smart as I am — or even smarter.

Humility is something that is vital to learn in life because arrogance is an unattractive quality.

It’s better to learn how to be humble now rather than in the future when changing one’s

behaviour is more complicated because they are so steadfast in their ways.

Becoming humbled by university was important because it helped me realize that it takes more than just intellect to do well in life.

Throughout high school, I never read a textbook for a class or worked past 10 p.m.

I have no reason to be smug about my intelligence because there are 1000 people that are just as smart as I am — or even smarter.

Those days were much simpler.

I would just go to class, listen to what the teacher was saying, do minimally study and managed to do well on the tests.

If I maintained that strategy in university, I would not have made it past first semester.

When you go to your first class in university, it immediately becomes apparent that the professor is just there to brush over the immense amount of material that the course

covers.

It is up to the student to actually read the material and ensure they understand it.

University is very effective at promoting the benefits of hard work and a strong work ethic.

If you go to class, make notes and study, you’re rewarded with a 90.

If you just go to class and take notes, you’re punished by being kicked out.

As much as all-nighters that are fueled with multiple cans of Red Bull suck, these are character building experiences.

When we enter the workplace, we will be that much more prepared when our boss asks us to work late and undertake a specific project.

Tied in with the work ethic that university promotes, time management is strongly emphasized.

Having five classes, extracurricular obligations and the other general frustrations of life eats up a lot of time.

High marks can be achieved in high school by studying for the test you have in third period at lunchtime.

University requires a different level of studiousness where sometimes studying for an exam starts weeks before the exam itself.

I’d love to be able to go to Phil’s every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Pub every Thursday and Chainsaw every Tuesday,

FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR

The heroes that we deserve Batman is much more than just a caped comic character

SAM TUNDUP STAFF WRITER

How do we define a hero, besides a mask and a cape?

Prior to watching The Lego Batman Movie, I watched The Dark Knight trilogy.

That series made me realize just how much I idolize Batman and

what the caped crusader and the superhero phenomenon mean to me.

Now, when we think of vigilantism, many immediately think of someone dressing up in a superhero costume and chasing criminals off the street. That’s only one of the many ways a hero can contribute to society’s wellbeing.

However, throwing punches is not the only route when it comes to a hero.

Batman taught me that you don’t need special powers to overcome the face of adversity, but he also

taught me the mindset of doing the right thing.

Both the real life superhero movement and Batman have taught me that moral values and the ability to inspire others to do good is the embodiment of what a hero should be.

When looking at the superhero movement, it seems to have started to gain widespread attention as superhero movies came out, especially with comic books being the main root of this phenomenon.

What I found amazing about this movement, when I first discovered

QAIO LIU/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

but the demands of a course load prevent me from doing so.

A very important aspect of time management is learning how to say “no” to tempting activities.

While I think that the business-related topics I have learned are integral to a successful career

in business, humility, hard work and time management are all facets that can enable one to pursue a successful life.

By being grilled now, we are being trained on how to handle adversity and struggle when we encounter them in the future.

it, was its ability to give people a dramatic example, much like Batman, of the notion that it what is in your heart that can make you a hero.

Phoenix Jones, who is a sensation in the superhero world in Seattle, has an armored bodysuit and various gadgets.

When I discovered this hero, what struck me is that he did not care if others perceived him as crazy, but he attained justice by inspiring other ordinary citizens in his city to join him in helping others.

From seeing the real-life superhero movement giving food to the homeless, administering first aid and helping others get home safely, it definitely emphasized the idea of lending your time towards others and how that is heroic.

Overall, it’s the deeds that we do to help others that can define us as being a hero and helping bring out the good in others.

Now, for Batman, what I have learned over the years through watching many of his films and reading many issues of the comics, is that despite having many abilities, his main power is that he is able to inspire a failing city to have hope.

When looking at Batman, I see someone who has gone through so much hardship and has the power of seeing even those who are evil

as human beings who fell on hard times.

I have integrated these two heroes’ teachings in my life, as I feel my actions define who I am.

I definitely try to give back to my community and always remember the value of kindness when working with others.

When looking at Batman, I see someone who has gone through so much hardship and has the power of seeing even those who are evil as human beings who fell on hard times.

To me, being able to show kindness has helped bring out the goodness in others, leading to a positive cycle, which I have seen countless times in my own life.

Despite all the obstacles we encounter in life, it always warms my heart when I see others helping to make the world a better place in their own way. Those people are real-life superheroes Thank you, Batman.

24 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Needing to re-Cooper-ate from TV show

The Big Bang Theory is that high school friend that you can’t get rid of — and it’s not going away The problems with this show are endless, but it’s come to a point where I have serious doubts as to whether or not The Big Bang Theory will ever actually end.

EMILY WAITSON INCOMING OPINION EDITOR

It seems to me that many of us have one friend from high school who, no matter what you do, they won’t go away.

You desperately want to move on and put that stage of your life behind you, yet they’re still annoyingly present.

For me, this “friend” is The Big Bang Theory.

Things obviously change after we graduate high school, which was the only time I ever liked this dumpster fire of a television show.

When I was an incredibly naive 14-year-old and The Big Bang Theory was still relatively new, I laughed at it easily. It was the new show that everyone loved, referenced and mimicked at every turn.

This was a time of ignorance, when hearing “bazinga” yelled down a school hallway didn’t make me physically clench every muscle uncomfortably and start twitching with annoyance.

Yet, it didn’t take me long to realize a definitive and eventually unavoidable flaw in the show’s overall execution: it just wasn’t that good.

The laugh track unceasingly chants over the most miniscule moments, so that I question my sanity at the end of every episode, making me wonder why I’m not chiming in with everyone else over their zany and wacky antics onscreen.

We get it, for fuck sakes.

They’re all nerds, so that means they’re funny!

This entire concept was something that grew stale really quickly.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

At first, it seems innocent enough.

They’re a bunch of misfit guys who are not stereotypically masculine.

They’re awkward and just want to learn the mysterious ways of women.

Here we insert Penny, the pretty plot device that makes me want to write an angry letter to CBS complaining like an old man who yells at kids to get off his lawn.

She’s quite literally a stereotypical dumb blonde who is constantly labelled as a “slut” and used for objectification by the group of elitist, privileged morons across the hall, who also find amusement in making fun of their ultra quirky friend, Sheldon, who doesn’t understand social norms.

Penny is painted to be the stupid one, but at least she manages to

function like a normal human being in society and is by far the most well-adjusted person these idiots know.

I may not be her biggest fan, but this show takes endless pleasure in demeaning the intelligence of others if they don’t have a PhD or don’t know the ins and outs of every Star Trek episode by heart.

It’s sickening to think that this 20 minute problem has been on air long enough to garner 10 seasons of insipid canned laughter and debated salaries for each actor that are well over a million dollars each.

Every character is an asshole.

Leonard is debatably the most narcissistic little man of the bunch.

Raj gives me feelings that I can equate to accidentally stepping in goose poop.

Howard is basically a Pepe meme come to life.

Sheldon isn’t too much better, but he’s outwardly unpleasant 99.9 per cent of the time, so I’ve become adapted to his crappy disposition more easily than the others.

Amy and Bernadette merely exist to counteract the poor behaviour of their respective boyfriends, though they aren’t necessarily positive or progressive representations of intelligent women.

Amy is depicted to be nearly as socially inept as Sheldon and dowdy in her overall appearance.

Bernadette is shrill, jealous and “crazy” with her behaviour when dealing with Howard.

Both of these characters are reduced to servicing their boyfriends and doing nothing that would overshadow them in any possible way that would make them feel insecure.

The problems with this show are endless, but it’s come to a point where I have serious doubts as to whether or not The Big Bang Theory will ever actually end.

They keep being renewed season after season and I just found out they’re making a fucking prequel called Young Sheldon.

That sounds like a creation from the mind of Patrick Star if he scrambled to think of an idea to pitch at the last minute, just pointed at a poster of the cast and muttered, “what if Sheldon is a child ... we could make even more money... bazinga.”

Much like Patrick Star, that seems like it’ll only be funny to anyone who literally lives under a rock.

I believe that all things have a shelf life, no matter how good they are or how much I love them.

It’s part of the entertainment cycle of life: that everything must come to an end.

Sometimes, the sooner you decide to make this decision, the better.

It seems that for a long while yet, I’ll have to inadvertently endure it and hope that if I ever hear its Barenaked Ladies theme song again, it’ll be during my descent into hell.

OPINION • 25

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Frowning for the camera I recall numerous times when such a smile seemed, quite obviously, artificial.

I put on this smile anyway.

I wasn’t an unhappy child — far from it.

VIDISH PARIKH STAFF WRITER

Moving on from the Laurier life

SIMRAN DHALIWAL/GRAPHIC ARTIST

BRITTANY DITIZIO SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Four years ago, I couldn’t picture the end of my university career. It seemed so far away and I figured these four years would be about the longest of my life.

Looking back on it, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Moving a couple hours away from home seemed like it was going to be one of the hardest things I’d ever have to do, though it seems so miniscule looking back.

It really was a hard adjustment and the stresses of studying increased that ten-fold. I thought four years ago was the hardest transition of my life, but, once again, I was wrong.

The hardest transition is right now.

I always hear people say how they can’t wait to finish university and I heard the exact same thing throughout high school.

This statement doesn’t always make sense to me because, one way or another, your university experience has shaped you. You wouldn’t be who you are today without it.

When students begin university for the first time, more often than not they will be moving away from home. If you are moving away for university, you still have a part of you at your first home — whether you live two hours away or in another country.

The transition away from your home is hard, but you usually have the opportunity to visit your family throughout the school year.

When your university career comes to an end, you may have to move back home or to a new city and you have to leave your campus city behind.

You may not have a reason to even come back to this city once you receive your diploma, which can make leaving so much harder.

As a student, coming to university wasn’t much different from high school because you were still required to follow an academic

schedule that the university put together for you.

You have a daily routine throughout the week and even if you have a part-time job throughout school, your day-to-day life is pretty much planned for you.

After graduating, things become more complicated because a career is generally at the top of your priorities, unless you decide to go back to school, like many people do.

No matter the case, there seems to be so much more planning than there ever was during your undergraduate career.

Sure, university may seem hard and it can be stressful, but there is so much more life beyond these four or five years.

Graduation is the start of the real world and it comes with endless decisions.

It’s not that life isn’t going to be great beyond university, but it’s best to enjoy these moments first.

Finances become more of an issue after you complete your schooling because when coming to university, you didn’t have student loans to pay back.

Graduation is the start of the real world and it comes with endless decisions. It’s not that life isn’t going to be great beyond university, but it’s best to enjoy these moments first.

You’ll miss who you were during your years at university — I already miss everything about it and there are still a few days of classes left.

So stop saying you can’t wait to leave your university because a few weeks, months or years from now, you will wish you were back on campus.

Embrace the studying and cram your papers because this experience will always be your foundation and one day, you’ll just remember it as the good old days.

My family takes a lot of pictures, so many that I sometimes lose count.

Pictures give us a way to share our memories — good and bad — with those around us and each photograph expresses something different.

You will never be able to capture the same exact moment twice and, in many ways, that’s the beauty of it.

However, today there are so many different online platforms where we can share our pictures, be it professional platforms like LinkedIn or personal like Facebook and Instagram.

Despite the variety of platforms, one thing remains the same — the assumption that there is a correlation between how much you smile in a picture and how happy you are in real life.

One thing I vividly remember from a young age is being told to “smile for the camera.”

The bottom line is that our emotions are more complicated than a smile or a frown and by reducing them, our pictures can quickly become generic and repetitive.

It was just that when someone put a camera in front of me, I wasn’t able to produce a genuine smile.

But then it struck me.

If the goal of a photograph is to capture a memory, then isn’t it counter intuitive to expect someone to capture only the happy moments in their lives, or at least act happy all the time?

After all, it’s the silly pictures with the funny facial expressions that I still remember from my childhood.

They accurately captured how I genuinely felt in that moment.

Do you always need to smile in pictures?

The answer is no — not if doing so makes you feel clearly uncomfortable.

There’s nothing wrong with a picture capturing a genuine smile.

However, what I am suggesting is that we need to stop assuming that there is only one emotion that can be expressed through a photograph.

In fact, each of us expresses a range of emotions in our daily lives.

A smile only captures one side of ourselves and, by extension, one portion of a memory.

The bottom line is that our emotions are more complicated than a smile or a frown and by reducing them, our pictures can quickly become quite generic and repetitive.

As the adage goes: a picture is worth a thousand words.

We need to transition towards using pictures as a way to generate a more complete representation of our everyday emotions.

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26 •

Sports

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 SPORTS EDITOR ROB FIFIELD sports@thecord.ca

FOOTBALL

New and familiar faces PRANAV DESAI INCOMING SPORTS EDITOR

The expectations will be at an all time high for the Laurier men’s football team next season.

Anything less than a playoff appearance will be considered a failure for the defending OUA champions.

With key players like Kwaku Boateng, Nakas Onyeka and Jalen Price potentially moving on to the CFL, things will only get harder for the Hawks. However, every year with departures come arrivals.

The 2017 recruits for the Hawks will be facing added pressure due to the success the team achieved this year.

Head coach Michael Faulds discussed what the Hawks look for while recruiting new prospects.

“Character is a big thing. When you’re only bringing in 25-30 people into your locker room every year, it’s important that they’re

good character guys. We want them to be good students. Good guys with time management skills and ultimately, competitors,” he said.

It’s always a tough adjustment for rookies in their first-year, especially in a physical sport like football.

It is a difficult transition period and Faulds mentioned that patience is vital.

“They have to be mature and realize that as good as they are at 17 and 18, they’re going to be a totally different player in a couple of years. You’re now going to go against older players at other schools. Be patient, learn the system, learn the playbook and get in the weight room. It’s a progression and you need to climb a ladder before you become a great player,” he said.

The Hawks will be aspiring for a deep playoff run once again. The resilience and the underdog men-

tality was a key factor behind their success this year, but having that mentality across the entire roster again will be a challenge.

“We have 100 players on the roster and only about 47 dress for games. We just need to make sure everyone, not just the rookies, is coached up and well prepared before they even get a chance to dress,” Faulds said.

“We have so much competition at every position, so the people who dress on game days are the people we are confident in.”

With key defensive players leaving this year it will be very important for every player on the Hawks to be ready when their number is called. Depth and internal competition can do wonders for a team.

For the rookies, it will also be very important to not let the pressures of team expectations affect their play. Adjusting to a new level of play can be overwhelming for first-year players.

MARCO PEDRI/FILE PHOTO

“They just need to come to work everyday. They don’t even have to worry about the pressure. Let the coaches be concerned with that stuff. We’re a hardworking football team,” Faulds said.

“We won’t read our own press

clippings, or replay last year’s Yates Cup. We’re a motivated group and we realize that we lost 36-6 the game after the Yates Cup. We have a good group of veterans that aren’t satisfied. Anything less than your best is unacceptable.”

KITCHENER

K-W welcomes a new team KW Titans settle into their new home ROB FIFIELD SPORTS EDITOR

The Kitchener Rangers aren’t the only team that calls the Aud home.

In their first year as a member of the NBL, the KW Titans are finding their way as the region’s professional basketball team.

The National Basketball League of Canada, also known as the NBL, is a Canadian professional basketball league that was founded in 2011. The league currently has 10 teams that compete in two divisions: Atlantic and Central.

Considering this is only the Titan’s first year in the league, they have settled in nicely as they currently hold a record of 12-17, good enough for third place in the Central division.

“If you look at the rest of the conference, it’s really, really tight with the exception of London, which is kind of the class of our conference … [with] the other four teams it’s really, really tight … but I think anybody can beat anybody basically,” Stu Julius, general manager of the team said.

The Titans have close ties to the Laurier community as Julius is a former coach of the women’s basketball team.

“I coached and I was the athletic director at Lakehead for 22 years.

Then I came down and I coached at Laurier,” he said.

On top of Julius’ basketball knowledge from coaching at the OUA level, he also has experience

within the NBL. “I was an assistant coach for the Mississauga Power of the NBL with my son, Kyle. Then I was an assistant coach in London with

The city’s been really good. The Aud has been fantastic for us, you know it’s a great venue you to play at.

-Stu Julius, general manager

the Lightning where he still is and that’s how I ended up in Kitchener.”

Breaking into a new market is never easy, but Julius and the Titans are encouraged by the support they’ve seen thus far.

“The city’s been really good. The Aud has been fantastic for us, you know it’s a great venue to play at,” Julius said.

“The last six games we’ve averaged over 1500 which is good.

We’d certainly like to push that up a little higher but it’s a brand new product, it’s a brand new team and it’s going to take a while to get used to. But the big picture — we certainly want to get it way up there.”

SPORTS • 27

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 AWARDS

Karn wins the prestigious OWL award BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Last Thursday evening, Julie Karn, a third-year kinesiology student and midfielder for the Laurier women’s soccer team was the recipient of the 12th annual Outstanding Women of Laurier award.

The event was held at Bingeman’s Conference Centre, where several members of the Laurier community, as well as external members of the Kitchener-Waterloo community, came together to celebrate female athletes.

“I’m speechless. I still can’t believe it. I’m shaking. The fact that I received this award is just incredible. I’m very excited,” Karn said after receiving the award.

“It shows the support that [Laurier] provide[s] female athletes.

For this school to even offer this opportunity and this award and this event just shows how much they support their female athletes through scholarships, through athletic awards and programs and so forth.”

Karn was nominated alongside fifth-year lacrosse player Jessica Lubert and fourth-year hockey player Giuliana Pallotta. This is the second year in a row that the Outstanding Women of Laurier award

VICTORIA PANACCI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

has gone to a soccer star, as last year’s winner, Jacky Normandeau, was a member of the women’s soccer team, as well as the women’s hockey team.

Along with playing varsity soccer, Karn is also the co-owner and co-director of Battle of the Next Generation with her sister, an initiative that hopes to bridge the gap between competitive dance and the professional dance industry for

young dancers.

“We wanted to use everything that we learned in the past to shape the dancers of the future.

It’s really difficult to break into the professional dance industry, so we wanted to provide them with the opportunities and the experience to get in front of professional dancers, choreographers, casting directors, agents, to give them the opportunity to break into the

professional dance industry and to follow their dreams,” Karn said.

“We’re there to mentor them.”

A highlight of the night was also the keynote address from Karina Leblanc, goalkeeper for the 2012 Olympic bronze medal winning Canadian women’s soccer team.

Leblanc talked about her experience playing for team Canada and the importance of trying again after not making the cut, or losing

a big game. She also challenged the whole room to “live the next 48 hours of your life purposefully” whether that was with sports, or random acts of kindness, or pushing yourself to achieve your dream.

Leblanc’s speech embodied what the Outstanding Women of Laurier award is all about — celebrating female athletes who are successful both on and off the field.

“Obviously, I’d love to go to the Olympics like [Karina Leblanc] did.

She’s an amazing role model and to get to that level would be incredible,” Karn said.

As for Karn’s future, she hopes to continue to inspire young athletes to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

“This is obviously going to help me in my future; it’s amazing to be recognized at this level in the university as a varsity athlete. I want to continue to grow my business that I have with my sister so we can continue to mentor the next generation of dancers. I’d like to start up some sort of academy that I can run in the summer with some coaches that I’ve met over my years participating in sports,” she said.

“I definitely want to use this and kind of run on it so I can further impact the young generation of athletes [sic].”

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28 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

Sports editor Rob Fifield looks back on the most memorable moments from Winter semester

The Laurier men’s curling team lived up to their hype, taking the banner at the 2017 OUA championships. The rink took down Queen’s 5-3 in the finals and successfully won their third straight OUA title. The Hawks had an impressive year going undefeated until heading to Thunder Bay for nationals, where they were eliminated in the preliminaries.

The women’s basketball team had a successful year on the court finishing up the regular season 13-7.

The Hawks made it to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Carleton Ravens.

Kaitlyn Schenck and Nicole Morrison both had standout years for the Hawks, combining for an impressive 591 points. The Hawks will look to keep their momentum rolling into next season and continue to climb the OUA standings.

Right winger Andrew Fritsch and the men’s hockey team had themselves a solid year before being upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Windsor Lancers. Fritsch led the team in scoring with 27 points in 28 games played. Fritsch was also recognized by the OUA being awarded a Second Team All-Star and also taking home the OUA West’s Most Sportsmanlike award.

Winter semester seemed to be the time for the Laurier rookies all around to thrive, and Emily Woodhouse of the women’s hockey team had a solid year in her first year on the ice. Woodhouse led the Hawks in goals and scoring in her rookie year with a 10 goals and 18 points.

Woodhouse is sure to be a staple on this roster for many years to come.

The Hawks had a busy offseason building an impressive recruiting class, recruiting a new quarterback coach and having players compete in combines across the country. Former Western Mustangs quarterback Will Finch is the newest addition to the Hawks coaching staff and will come in as the new quarterback coach for the 2017-18 season. The Hawks also had a number of players compete in regional and national combines in Toronto and Regina in hopes of getting scouted to the CFL.

Waterloo native Julie Karn, a third-year midfielder on the women’s soccer team was this year’s recipient of the 12th annual Outstanding Women of Laurier (OWL) award. The finalists for this years award were Karn, Giuliana Pallotta and Jessie Lubert. All three of the finalists were recognized for their outstanding leadership abilities not only on the field but off the field, too. Last year’s winner, Jacky Normandeau was also a women’s soccer player, too.

Laurier men’s basketball rookie sensation Tevaun Kokko had an outstanding year as a member of the purple and gold. Kokko finished sixth in OUA scoring average of 19.2 points per game and lead the Hawks in scoring with an impressive 383 points. Kokko was also named an OUA All-Star and All-Rookie for his impressive year.

In what was an off year for the women’s hockey team on the ice, goalie Amanda Smith stood tall and gave the Hawks a chance in every game she played. Smith posted an impressive .931 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average. Smith also managed to make 571 saves, while only playing in 17 games this year.

LAYOUT BY MADELINE MCINNIS, INCOMING CREATIVE DIRECTOR FILE PHOTOS BY EMI ZIBAEI, TANZEEL SAYANI, MARCO PEDRI, BRIAN PHILLIPS, PAIGE BUSH, VICTORIA PANACCI