THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 10 • NOVEMBER 2, 2016
NEW DONOR REGULATIONS Canadian Blood Services makes changes to how often women can donate blood News, page 7
AN OVERDUE POLICY
LAURIER WINS FIRST PLACE
SCARIEST MOVIE EVER
VOCALIZING DISPLEASURE
THE GRAND FINALE
Laurier’s first sexual violence policy is here
WLU ranked first in student satisfaction
Halloween film contest takes odd approach
Is it ever appropriate to “boo” somebody?
Anticipating men’s football playoffs
News, page 3
News, page 6
Arts & Life, page 9
Opinion, page 14
Sports, page 16
WILL HUANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
2 •
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
VOCAL CORD
What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Bag O’ Crime Location: Senate and Board Chamber Reported: Thursday, October 28, 2016 @ 11:13 a.m. SCS received a complaint of some property damage in the hallway by the Senate and Board Chambers located on campus. The attending officers discovered that person(s) unknown overnight had smashed a hole in the drywall. There are no CCTV cameras in this area and no suspects. A work order was sent to Physical Resources for repairs.
“I don’t like scary movies.” –Erich Berger, second-year political science
WILL HUANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
It’s not always business at The Cord, especially when we have talented photographers like Will and sparklers!
Letter to the Editor: Fearing sexual assault “My favourite scary movie is Oculus.” –Milan Situm, first-year math
“Amityville Horror is the scariest movie I’ve seen.” –Stephen Wang, second-year kinesiology
The other day, I was walking down Spruce street at night. I was walking behind another girl and she saw a group of guys walking towards her and they seemed intoxicated. She proceeded to swerve to walk into the middle of the road instead of continuing on the sidewalk. As soon as she made enough distance, to presumably make herself feel comfortable, she swerved back onto the sidewalk and kept walking. In my role on campus, I preach campus safety and the use of the resources that volunteers diligently work to run. However, in the moment of walking home from my friend’s house on the corner of Hickory and Hazel, I choked. I chose to make the decision to walk home alone even though my phone had just died. On one hand, I do not want to have to call someone else to babysit me on my walk home but on the other, I shouldn’t need to switch sides of
“Room is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen.” –Bianca Beemer, fourthyear business administration
Compiled by Safina Husein Photos by Marco Pedri
NEXT ISSUE: NOVEMBER 9, 2016
CordNews
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Maddy Cutts news@thecord.ca
CORD STAFF
FEATURES EDITOR Mitchell Consky features@thecord.ca
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bethany Bowles editor@thecord.ca
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Manjot Bhullar arts@thecord.ca
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Will Huang creative@thecord.ca
OPINION EDITOR Madeline McInnis opinion@thecord.ca
WEB DIRECTOR Brian Phillips online@thecord.ca
SPORTS EDITOR Rob Fifield sports@thecord.ca
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin news@thecord.ca
GRAPHICS EDITOR Fani Hsieh graphics@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR Emilia Curcic news@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Paige Bush photos@thecord.ca
the street, carry keys between my fingers or speed walk to avoid the potential of being attacked on my walk home. I recognize that making assumptions about male friends who happen to walk in groups is not right, but I am not apologizing for the fact that I don’t feel safe walking dark streets alone. Yes, I probably should have called FOOT Patrol, but to make it a few blocks it hardly seems fair that statistically, I am more likely to be raped on my walk home than a man. It’s not right that assailants are almost always men. It is terrible that I have to constantly look over my shoulder and wonder what each rustle in the bushes is, when most of the time it is just the wind. All because there is always the slightest chance it could be someone ready to attack me. I want to feel safe in my community, from school to city to country. I just want to feel safe. Going back to that girl I was
walking behind, she ended up heading to the exact building I was. In fact, she was a first-year student. I told her I noticed how she dodged the group of young men who approached us both. In essence, she told me that boys will be boys and its better to be safe than sorry. But think about that for a second; a first-year female student who arrived on campus less than eight weeks ago is already scared to walk home at night. What does that mean? It means that we, as a society, are creating a space where it is normal to be scared and to have to move to the other side of the road when groups of men approach us. No. Hell no. That is not the kind of community I want to build. We should not have to live in fear of our own communities and yet, we are. - Bianca Anderson, Laurier student
CAN YOU WRITE? TAKE PICTURES? DRAW? COPY EDIT? WE WANT YOU. THECORD.CA/VOLUNTEER NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. NO DEADLINE. ONLINE EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros online@thecord.ca VIDEO EDITOR Vacant editor@thecord.ca LEAD REPORTER Safina Husein news@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Marco Pedri photos@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Vacant photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Christian Paron copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Brittany Ditizio socialmedia@thecord.ca
CONTRIBUTORS Garrison Oosterof Liam McIntosh Alexa Woloszuk Mynt Marsellus Emily Waitson Sam Tundup Chris Luciantonio Margaret Afekafe Owen Martin Erick Flockhart Cameron King Dylan Hines Luke Sarazin Alex Trkulja Tanzeel Sayani Victoria Panacci Kayla Hargarty Alexandra Juraschka Elissa Doyle Elizabeth Zmijak
EDITOR’S CHOICE: COLOPHON “Type 1 misconceptions of a hidden illness” by Emily Waitson
EDITOR’S CHOICE ONLINE: Interactive elements of “Wilfrid Laurier University introduces sexual violence policy” uploaded by Brian Phillips
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Schummer at care.schummer@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.
The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community. Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com.
The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 6,000 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada. The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2004.
PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires
Location: Arts C-Wing Reported: Friday, October 28, 2016 @ 10:50 p.m. SCS received a report of a female in possession of several large reusable bags and what appeared to be set of small metal tools standing in front of some lockers in the Arts C-Wing. She was gone upon the arrival of the attending officers. None of the lockers appeared to have been tampered with or broken into. Location: Nils Willison Hall Reported: Saturday, October 29, 2016 @ 3:09 a.m. SCS officers attended to the student residence at Nils Willison Hall in response to a complaint of an assault. It was determined that a group of males had barged uninvited into a unit on the second floor but left immediately. They then entered another unit across the hall, locked the door and a male student was then assaulted. They fled the area when another student banged on the door after hearing a commotion. The victim had sustained lacerations to his chest and bruising to his face. At 1:17 p.m. a 19-year-old male student was arrested at Nils Willison Hall by SCS on charges of Assault and two counts of Break and Enter. He was transported to North Division and released on a Promise to Appear with Conditions and evicted from residence.
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: “Don’t make me quit, Beth! Seriously, though, what would you do?” - Sports Editor, Rob Fifield being sassy to Editor-in-Chief Bethany Bowles (she knows nothing about sports)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
News
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN news@thecord.ca
• 3 NEWS EDITOR EMILIA CURCIC news@thecord.ca
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR MADDY CUTTS news@thecord.ca
ADVOCACY
PAIGE BUSH/FILE PHOTO
WLU releases first sexual violence policy Laurier has released its first policy to be reviewed by the Board of Governors on November 24 BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Wilfrid Laurier University’s first ever sexual violence policy and procedure has been drafted and is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Governors for approval on November 24. The single document consists of two parts: the policy, which outlines Laurier’s stance on sexual violence on campus, as well as goals for how they wish to deal with cases of sexual violence and the procedure, which explains how the policy will be executed. The policy has been in the works since 2014, when a group of students at Laurier’s Brantford campus did a research project on how universities in the country were handling gendered and sexual violence policies. Through this research, the group found out that Laurier did not have a policy.
What this means is the survivor is going to be interrogated by the person who already caused harm.
-Karly Rath, co-founder of ASCC
“We decided to approach the Gendered Violence Task Force and the senior administration at Laurier to say this is unacceptable and you need a sexual violence policy,” said Karly Rath, one of the students who was involved in this research project. Rath and her colleagues created the group, Advocates for Student
Culture of Consent (ASCC) and began to write the policy alongside other campus partners. Since then, Rath has graduated from Laurier, but is still involved in ASCC and the creation of Laurier’s first sexual violence policy and procedure. ASCC has two main projects: to create a policy and to create the “Consent is Golden” project, which is the official consent campaign. Over the past year and a half, ASCC and the Gendered Violence Task Force worked on the policy. During this time, the provincial government introduced legislation that said all universities in Ontario had to have a sexual violence policy implemented by January 1, 2017. The goal of this piece of legislation, called Bill 132, is to support survivors and to allow them a space to feel more comfortable to come forward, Rath explained. “After the initial draft came out … then we had the announcement that Bill 132, the sexual violence and harassment action was coming down the pipeline and we were aware that there would be requirements in that that would influence what our policy would have to contain. That put things on pause while we waited to find out what that would look like,” said Lynn Kane, manager of gendered violence prevention and support. “And then, once that came out … we began again on the policy and last spring [sic], we worked with ASCC and consulted with a lot of people to draft that policy and it was really in its very final stages last spring. There are regulations that came out that accompany legislation — they’re part of the legislation, but they came out at a different time and those regulations provide some minimum requirements that universities and colleges need to have in their policy around details about the procedure that we did not have,
so we were set to go to the board in the spring, but had to put it on pause once more to make sure that the policy met the regulation,” Kane explained further. Once the policy was drafted, university administration and the university’s legal council began to draft the procedure. Rath expressed some concerns about the procedure, as she and ASCC did not have much to do with the drafting of it, only the policy.
In the next few weeks, we need to make important changes so we can feel confident about what we are passing. -Karly Rath, co-founder of ASCC
Rath outlined the main aspects of the procedure that ASCC does not support. “Laurier is allowing [within the protocol] the perpetrator to cross-examine the survivor during the appeal stage. Basically, what that means is the survivor is going to be interrogated by the person who already caused harm,” Rath said. She additionally explained that she has some concerns with the role of the investigator within the procedure. “This person needs to be trauma informed, understand sexual violence … and in the protocol or the policy, nowhere does it say what specific training an investigator has to have, or who can be an investigator.” ASCC and the Gendered Vio-
lence Task Force will be holding town hall meetings this week at the Brantford, Kitchener and Waterloo campuses for the Laurier community to come together and have a conversation about the new policy and procedure. The Waterloo town hall meeting will occur on Thursday, November 3 at 6 p.m. in Arts 2C15. “The purpose is to hear what the Laurier community thinks and provide input. Students, alumni, staff, faculty, etc., can show up and have no previous knowledge of the policy … and we will … point to issues in the protocol and the policy and we’d like to have open discussion and hear what Laurier students think,” Rath said. Both Rath and Kane expressed how, with the introduction of Bill 132, having the policy and procedure approved in time has rushed the process along. The Board of Governors meeting is the last meeting before the new year. Therefore, having these discussions as soon as possible is important. “They essentially need to be passed because Bill 132 says we need to have a policy in place by January 1,” Rath said. Rath hopes that the policy and procedure will be passed conditionally and that her concerns can be addressed. “In the next few weeks we need to make important changes so we can feel confident about what we are passing.” The hope is that the town hall meetings will spark a conversation and encourage the Laurier community to look critically at the policy and procedure before it is approved. “This is a policy for the students,” Kane said. “So my ultimate hope is that this policy meets student needs and does what’s right for them.” *Note: WLUSP HR Manager, Taylor Berzins, is a co-founder of ASCC
STATISICS According to a CBC News: British Columbia report in May; two dozen post-secondary institutions have stand-alone policies, out of more than 100 universities and colleges. Some institutions, including McGill University and the University of British Columbia, have begun developing policies after high-profile allegations of assault. The Globe and Mail analyzed and collected data from more than 20 Canadian universities of complaints of harassment or discrimination made by staff, faculty and students. According to their data, less than 10 per cent of complaints are resolved through a formal investigation and in less than one per cent of cases, some institutions turn to a formal process. According to Metro News: Ottawa, nine out of 78 Canadian universities had a sexual violence policy as of November 2014. This is changing now that Ontario’s universities have to develop their own sexual assault policies due to Bill 132. They will be renewed every four years and students will be allowed to include their input. The University of Toronto, is creating a stand-alone sexual assault policy and is opening a Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre, serving students on all three campuses by January 2017, as reported by the Toronto Star. -Kaitlyn Severin , Senior News Editor
4 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
WATERLOO REGION
Council approves 10-year plan for Northdale area SAFINA HUSEIN LEAD REPORTER
Waterloo City Council recently approved 24 million dollars to be put towards a 10-year long-term streetscape plan in the Northdale neighbourhood. With the vast development occurring around the Northdale area, the need for further capacity and updated infrastructure is necessary, explained Waterloo councillor, Jeff Henry. “We get to take a 1950 suburban plan and imagine what the 21st century, vibrant, intense neighbourhood could look like in terms of livelier streets, greater access to green space, more space for trees and an enhanced ability for pedestrians and cyclists to get around,” he said. The council’s plan is to turn many streets in the Northdale area into much more than streets—
they hope to have spaces amongst these streets that can be used for intermingling. “The streetscape is about the public space between private buildings … your sidewalks, boulevard space, roads, sidewalks and really imagining that cross section,” said Henry. According to The Record, Spruce Street was also rated the highest priority along with Hickory Street located between Spruce and King Street. Specifically, Hickory Street will undergo a large change. The street will incorporate a new multi-use trail for cyclists, more space for trees and less space for cars. “The suburban style has its setbacks and a lot of its space is given over to cars,” said Henry. “We want to give that space over to people who are walking and biking.” The council hopes this renova-
tion of Hickory Street will allow for a safer and more welcoming atmosphere for pedestrians. With less space for cars, the street can become a calm, interesting area where individuals may choose to stay, linger, eat lunch and study. With a far less car dominated space and a more pedestrian dominated space, Henry said the Council has created a space that he feels more accurately describes a 21st century neighbourhood that is vibrant and lively. In the future, plans will continue to be thought of and discussed for the Waterloo Collegiate Institute and Wilfrid Laurier University owned properties. This space could essentially turn into a community hub in terms of activity stations, a new school, etc. This development is not included in the Northdale Streetscape budget.
ALEX TRKULJA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Spruce Street was rated the high priority along with Hickory Street.
The Streetscape plan is set to begin within the next year, with the first section of Hickory Street being completed by end of 2017 if construction goes as planned, as per the comprehensive study on the Northdale neighbourhood that was completed to gain a broad picture of each street.
“Certainly Laurier students are a huge part of the Northdale community and they’re among the major users that we hope can benefit from this,” said Henry. “We also hope that it becomes a neighbourhood where a wider cross-section of people will want to come to, this is a component of it.”
PARTNERSHIP
Laurier and City of Waterloo to unveil CityStudio MADDY CUTTS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University will soon be unveiling the CityStudio project, a newly developed course to be offered through a partnership with the City of Waterloo. The new course, named Social Innovation in the City, is set to be offered in the beginning of January 2017 for the winter term through the department of Global Studies. This is but a stepping stone, as the course’s leads hope to bring a resolution to Senate later this year asking for the course to be added as part of the university’s social entrepreneurship option. The course is set to be a collaboration between the school and the municipality, where students will work to find creative solutions to some of the
issues being faced by Waterloo. “We will begin to identify particular areas of concern, particular areas of need that the city would like to engage the skills and expertise of these students in,” said John Abraham, assistant professor in Laurier’s global studies department and one of the leads on the courses pilot launch. “Trying to address them, and trying to come up with some way of fashioning an initiative around them, to create some kind of an impact.” The CityStudio saw its Canadian debut in Vancouver in 2011, and following several years of success was showcased at a conference to which numerous universities and municipalities from across the country were invited in November 2015, including Laurier and the
City of Waterloo. Given Laurier’s strategic plan’s emphasis on experiential learning, the CityStudio project was soon pursued in Waterloo, and a partnership was established between the municipality and the university. “We were able to work with them around their concerns - about the project not being meaningful for the city, well we were able to work into our partnership agreement that the projects would align with the pillars of their strategic plan. They were concerned about how we would manage the relationship, and that there was strong accountability, and so we have a governance chart that outlines who is responsible for different aspects of the project,” said Carrie Wright, postdoctoral research associate
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of Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation. “They were concerned about it becoming a burden for their staff, and so we were able to go through the curriculum and be very detailed about which sessions where staff participation from the city would be optional.” In an action which solidified the city’s support for the project, Waterloo city councilors voted on October 17 to approve an initiative whereby the project will have designated space in the basement of Carnegie Library, a historic building that will see the development of a modern classroom akin to Laurier’s current active learning classrooms. The projects, which will be chosen by students but focused around city initiatives such as eco-
Find out more at waterloo.ca/students
nomic development, community relations and the environment, will not only allow the city to benefit from the passion and energy of a younger generation, but holds hope that it will bring about greater student engagement with the community outside of the campus bubble. “It gives our students a sense of rootedness. It gets them engaged, it gets them involved, in understanding the community around them in a way that is otherwise not possible in a classroom setting,” said Abraham. “And hopefully what that translates to in the long-term is that they feel a sense of ownership in the community, around the city here, and that that ultimately enhances their desire to stay on, and to continue to engage these kinds of issues.”
NEWS • 5
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 PROPOSAL
Another chance for a Milton campus
LUKE SARAZIN/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY
After last Wednesday’s announcement from the Ontario provincial government, Laurier is planning to move forward with their proposal to develop a university campus in Milton. LIAM MCINTOSH CORD NEWS
On Wednesday October 26, the Ontario provincial government announced it’s commitment to support the idea of establishing post-secondary campuses in both Milton and Brampton. Wilfrid Laurier University is planning to move forward with its ambition to develop campuses in Milton following this announcement. This has been the latest development of a long collaboration which first began in 2008, when Laurier and the Town of Milton proposed the idea. Deborah Dubenofsky,
vice-president of finance and operations, described the proposal as just an idea in the beginning. “It was a concept. It wasn’t yet on any radar screen at the provincial government,” she said. Further development came in 2014, when the proposal included a 150-acre campus placed within the Milton Education Village. In May 2015, Laurier’s proposal was declined by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. According to Dubenofsky, the provincial government’s support is presented as an opportunity and not a confirmation that Laurier would be getting a new campus.
“What was announced was a process, not a winning bid and
We see that Milton is right in the middle of that innovation corridor between Toronto and Waterloo.
-Deborah Dubenofsky, vicepresident of finance and operation
that’s an important distinction,” she said. Dubenofsky also elaborated on the possibly complex, but overall rewarding procress ahead. “That’s an important distinction. So, Laurier, like other universities, will have an opportunity to say to the town of Milton, ‘we’d like to partner with you.’ And we’d like to go forward to the province and say here’s how we could expand our offerings.” The building and end result of the new campuses could be very beneficial to the larger Laurier community, as said by Dubenofsky. “What we would be doing is try-
ing to bring the same high quality academic excellence and student experience to the town of Milton and to the surrounding areas.” Speaking about the future possibility of Laurier being chosen, Dubenofsky said one of the benefits of a Milton Laurier campus would be bringing the accomplishments of Waterloo and Brantford to the Halton Region. “We’d like it to be us because that’s part of our service area. We see that Milton is right in the middle of that innovation corridor between Toronto and Waterloo. So, we really think it has a lot of opportunity for us. And that we could do a good job in Milton.”
TRANSPORTATION
Mixed reactions on LRT construction GrandLinq timeline says Uptown Waterloo will re-open to two-way traffic by end of November SAFINA HUSEIN LEAD REPORTER
Uptown Waterloo has been under construction for the LRT since September 2014. King Street, the main street running through uptown, has now been under construction and closed to traffic since February 2016. Despite many re-openings around uptown Waterloo, such as the intersection of Erb Street and Caroline Street, which reopened this past September, and King Street from Union Street to William Street which also reopened, construction continues to impact businesses in the area. “It’s a really long project. It’s not just a couple of months of road construction and then everything’s back to normal. It’ll take us a while to repair and rebuild after this,” said Michelle Maw, public relations and community liaison at Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area. The official timeline which GrandLinq recently released said that uptown Waterloo will re-open to two-way traffic by the end of November. “There isn’t an exact date, but before the end of November peo-
ple will be able to drive which is important, though there will still be some construction ongoing,” said Maw. Uptown is a prime economic district in Waterloo. With over 480 businesses in the BIA area, almost all of these places have seen an impact as a result of the construction.
Sometimes it’s not really that much more challenging to get around, you just have to adjust your expectations a little bit. -Michelle Maw, public relations and community liason, uptown BIA
Fortunately, the vast majority of businesses in uptown Waterloo are destination businesses. Many individuals make their way uptown for specific purposes, especially for the restaurants and nightlife that exist in the area. To assist, uptown BIA has taken
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
LRT has been under construction in Waterloo since September 2014.
on various promotional strategies to encourage individuals in Waterloo to support local businesses and make their way into uptown. “Uptown BIA has three main mandates. We promote uptown Waterloo businesses, we beautify the area so that it’s nice and pleasant for people to come and visit. That includes holding events, and we advocate on behalf of our
businesses,” said Maw. One large promotion that the BIA has taken on is the “OPEN” campaign, which can be seen in print, on television through their commercial and on the radio. In addition, BIA has made opportunities available to business owners to get discounted advertising for various media sources. As well, programs have been created that
are designed to help businesses promote themselves individually in contrast to the work promoting the BIA as an entire area. “We also have a series of normal events that we put on every year that we’ve done this year as well to really promote those businesses and to get people to come in to uptown Waterloo,” she said. Over the summer, events such as Solstice Sampling, Jazz Fest and Buskers Festival were hosted in uptown. More recently, Sausage Fest and Barrel Fest were held during Oktoberfest. “We’ve learned that construction really impacts the flow of how people travel around an area. That’s why closures have such a big impact,” said Maw. Despite a negative impact on businesses around King Street, due to more traffic travelling on Regina Street, in some cases, those businesses have seen an increase in traffic, causing a positive impact. “I think when you see construction you think it’s going to be difficult to get somewhere,” said Maw. “Sometimes it’s not really that much more challenging to get around, you just have to adjust your expectations a little bit.”
6 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
EDUCATION
LAURIER RANKED #1 IN STUDENT SATISFACTION The university places on top of Maclean’s magazine’s annual national university rankings
JESSICADIK/FILE PHOTO
EMILIA CURCIC NEWS EDITOR
This past week, Maclean’s magazine released their annual university rankings for the year of 2017. Among the top ranking schools across Canada was Wilfrid Laurier University, ranking ninth overall in the comprehensive category. This position reflects a shift up from the tenth spot in last year’s rankings. Although this improvement is significant, students, staff and faculty on campus are celebrating Laurier’s first place ranking for student satisfaction in the comprehensive category. The measure of student satisfaction was introduced last year to allow students to comment on the student life experience at each individual university. According to Maclean’s website, this was the first time that the results of student surveys contributed to the overall ranking of the
universities. “I was really excited to see Laurier ranked number one. I think it really reflects the student experience that we have here at Laurier and we consider that within that larger umbrella ranking, there was also a very high ranking for co-curricular, residence life,” said Deborah MacLatchy, provost and vice president: academic at Laurier. “It really speaks to the areas in which we have put a lot of effort over the last number of years to ensure that our students are getting the best educational experience combined with a strong developmental experience as well.” According to MacLatchy, the ranking benefits everyone in the Laurier community. “I think it allows us to have a sense of pride in what it is that we do. The students that come here every day and take classes and live here and participate and also in the faculty and the staff who
support it, I think it resonates well with alumni. When I speak with alumni, they reflect on the same positive experiences that they had at Laurier that our current students have and I think for prospective students as well,” said MacLatchy.
I think it allows us to have a sense of pride in what it is that we do. -Deborah MacLatchy, provost and vice president: academic at Laurier
MacLatchy also emphasized the importance of the ranking for
prospective students in identifying what benefits Laurier could offer them as an academic institution. “For students that are looking for their fit at a university, right now this is a great message that we’re sending out to students who are in high school, for example,” said MacLatchy. “We do have a strong focus on the development of the whole student. We have excellent academics, but we’re also very interested in how students are developing as they go through their programs and supporting students in their co-curricular activity that is helping them choose their careers and their life passions. I think that the ranking of number one student satisfaction represents that,” said MacLatchy. Student feedback to the rankings overall has been extremely positive, with many students sharing the story with friends across their social media pages.
“I think it’s fantastic because it just furthers our reputation as having a great university atmosphere beyond the academics,” said fourth-year business administration student, Hubert Lee. Laurier also received a third place ranking nationally in steps taken to prevent sexual assault. With this year’s addition of a sexual violence support advocate and the introduction of a sexual assault policy, Laurier is making clear, progressive steps toward preventing sexual assault on campus and providing the necessary support to students. “While we’re still in the process of finalizing the new process and procedures, but we’re all very excited about the collaborative work that has gone into that from students, faculty and staff. We look forward to continuing to provide the education needed and the supports that are needed in this area,” said MacLatchy.
EXPLORATION
LSVA ventures into space KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
The Laurier Space Ventures Association, a campus club at Wilfrid Laurier University, is helping students achieve their dreams of learning about space crafts and exploration through hands-on experiences. The club was created in 2014 by LSVA president, Henry Gusarovas. “[LSVA] gives [students] the opportunity to explore the private space industry, so we kind of tell them what’s going on, we explore different space crafts that are being built currently and different companies that are coming out,” said Gusarovas. The reason for creating the club, according to Gusarovas, was due in part to his realization that the international space industry is always changing. “There’s not just NASA using government tax dollars just to send up space crafts anymore, it’s actually small companies that are getting contracted by the govern-
ment,” he said. According to Gusarovas, small aerospace companies such as Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) and Blue Origin are getting more and more funding from government subsidies to create more space crafts and conduct more extensive
Now we actually have footage of space and no one can tell us that the earth is not round, we figured it out for ourselves. -Henry Gusarovas, president of Laurier Space Ventures
research. Last year, LSVA created and launched the GOLDENHAWK-1
spacecraft via weather balloon into space. Unfortunately, the project was unsuccessful the first time it was tested. “The first time, it actually failed because it was too windy and we had way too much pressure in the balloon, so we had hundreds of dollars literally just blow up into the atmosphere,” said Gusarovas. Fortunately for LSVA, after reconstructing the balloon a year later, the project proved to be successful after it was sent up again in Guelph. “[We] made everything a lot lighter. We renegotiated for funding again and we basically launched it there. All we did was brought out a map. We unfolded the balloon and we filled it up with helium and we connected everything and then turned on the GoPro and just let it go.” According to Gusarovas, the purpose of launching the spacecraft was to gather actual footage of space. “We didn’t just want to get
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Laurier Space Ventures Association sends balloon with camera into space.
pictures and now we actually have footage of space and no one can tell us that the earth is not round, we figured it out for ourselves,” he
said. “I think it’s pretty cool. We’re seeing the renaissance of the space industry.”
NEWS • 7
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 HEALTH
Timelines for donating blood change Canadian Blood Services has created updated regulations for both male and female donors KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Last week, Canadian Blood Services announced their new blood donation regulations, which feature new rules for male and female donors. Beginning December 10, female donors must wait up to 84 days (from 56 days) between donations to give blood again. On March 5, 2017, the minimum allowable hemoglobin level for male donors at the time of donations will also be increased from 125 grams per litre, to 130 grams per litre. Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells in the body, and is the pigment that makes blood red. Tara Gutscher, territory manager at Canadian Blood Services, explained how the new regulations were made to promote health and wellness among blood donors.
We’re making changes to donor guidelines related to iron levels, also known as ferritin, and donation eligibility. -Tara Gutscher, territory manager at Canadian Blood Services
“We’re making changes to donor guidelines related to iron levels, also known as ferritin, and donation eligibility,” said Gutscher. “Because donor health is such a priority, these [regulations] will mean any donor will not be able to give as often, which is really going to impact Canada’s blood supply.” Karen Ostrander, director of the Wilfrid Laurier University Student Wellness Centre, explained that women may have lower stores of iron in their blood due to their monthly cycle. Dietary intake can also impact iron stores. According to Ostrander, there are two sources of dietary iron: heme iron, which is derived from hemoglobin and is found in foods such as red meat, poultry and fish, and nonheme iron, which is derived from plant sources. According to Ostrander, these new rules were part of an evidence-based decision. She said there is a concern around adequate blood supply for individuals who need it, such as those going through cancer treatments. “There [are] lots of amazing things that blood treatments can do [sic], people who have cancer treatments, accidents, all those sorts of things so the demand is high,” she said. According to Gutscher, frequent blood donations can contribute to iron loss and anemia, particularly in women, and can result in a drop of hemoglobin. “We just don’t want to deplete
People going through cancer treatments, certain types of surgery needs to have a certain amount of blood on hand. -Karen Ostrander, director of the Wilfrid Laurier University Student Wellness Centre
our donors, so that’s why we made the decrease for females so that we’re not depleting our donors and having them become anemic in the process,” said Gutscher. According to Gutscher, it is projected that there will be a two to five per cent decrease in blood donations. The K-W Blood Donor Clinic collects up to 400 blood donations weekly. However, Gutscher believes there will be 20 to 50 donations less every week. “Husbands donate with wives, friends come in together and if a male waits to donate as long as a female is eligible, it really could affect us,” said Gutscher. According to Ostrander, Canadian Blood Services view young university students as an immense potential donor pool, and recommend that students give blood as a method of giving back to the community. “People going through cancer treatments, certain types of surgery need to have a certain amount of blood on hand and accident victims and that sort of thing, but other than the iron piece it takes a little while to rebuild those stores, you can quite safely give blood,” said Ostrander.
Because donor health is such a priority, these [regulations] will mean any donor will not be able to give as often... -Tara Gutscher, territory manager at Canadian Blood Services
According to Canadian Blood Services, 6,000 new blood donors are needed. “We do have [a great] need right now,” said Gutscher. As a promotion with the university, the K-W Blood Donor Clinic is offering transportation to and from the university or clinic. Laurier is also involved with Canadian Blood Services as a Partner for Life, a program that places mobile blood donor clinics on both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses. There will be a site on the Waterloo campus on March 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
8 •
Arts & Life
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR MANJOT BHULLAR arts@thecord.ca
MOVIES
Spoiler alert: It’s still fresh! DYLAN HINES/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY
MYNT MARSELLUS STAFF WRITER
Do you hate spoilers? Do you think a movie is ruined once you know what happens? If you do, you are holding the rest of society back and should have your popular media privileges restricted. Why? Because the best movies, TV shows, books, plays and other forms of narrative media get better once you know what happens because then you can focus on how it happens. Let’s start with the science. A study out of the University of California looked at this issue by giving students different amounts of information on the narratives of the books they were reading in their classes. Some students went in cold, others read small summaries and descriptions of the plots before entering the book. In a surprise twist that should shock no one who thinks about art in a critical way, those who knew more about the book beforehand enjoyed the book more. This is because our experience of art has almost nothing to do
with the events in a story and everything to do with how they are expressed and depicted. When you know what is coming you are more receptive to the literary devices we all learned about in high school. Thematic objects, motifs, foreshadowing and irony are all qualities of a text that is enhanced by knowing what is coming. Romeo and Juliet is a better play because you know they die at the end. You see the tragedy building between these star-cross’d lovers as they act in supremely stupid ways. I blame a few different things for our current spoiler-obsessed culture. One is mystery novels. Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, while great writers, hurt literature with their focus on the whodunit. It primed readers for TV shows that built up big mystery plot points like “Who shot J.R.” on Dallas (it was Kristin Shepherd) and “Is Jon Snow really dead?” on Game of Thrones (of course not). Then you have M. Night Shyamalan who birthed the modern idea of a twist ending in The Sixth Sense (Bruce Willis was dead all along) alongside The Usual Suspects (Kevin Spacey is Keyser Soze)
and The Empire Strikes Back (no Luke, I am your father). Hiding twists from the viewers is a marketing tool pure and simple, and society took it up, giving media industries an easy way to make you think you need to see films just to know what happens.
Our experience of art has almost nothing to do with the events in a story and everything to do with how they are expressed and depicted.
That’s not to say that some creators aren’t using this tool effectively. Game of Thrones spent two full episodes playing with the audience concerning Jon Snow. The end of the second episode features a solid five minutes of screen time
just waiting, building suspense. And this worked for all viewers, whether you were convinced he was dead or not. The tension was what made that episode great, not the shock of him actually waking up. Game of Thrones used our spoiler-obsessed culture to create an incredible piece of pop art, but they aren’t the only ones. Director David Fincher and Author Gillian Flynn took Flynn’s twist-heavy book Gone Girl and made a movie where the twist wasn’t the important part. Almost everyone who went into Gone Girl had already realized that Amy wasn’t actually dead, which made the process of getting to that revelation more interesting. And this speaks to a wider point about spoilers; when we focus on what happens, we ignore quality. I grant you that there are movies that are worse when you know the spoilers. But this isn’t because the spoilers ruined the movie, its because the movie wasn’t that good to begin with. If you look at any list of the best movies of all time, do you think those movies were only viewed
once by critics and scholars? No, of course not. The best movies are ones that hold up to multiple viewings. They get better the more you watch them, meaning they get better the more you know about them. Now, this isn’t an excuse to be an asshole about spoilers. As much as I think everyone should get over themselves and embrace spoilers, I know some people won’t. And we enlightened few shouldn’t be mean about this, but we also shouldn’t sacrifice the incredible cultural value of discussing the media we love in public because some people haven’t seen the movie yet. So, to the author of that “Dear Life” a few weeks back who whined about spoilers in a film studies class: spoiler, you’re wrong. You should stop whining and start enjoying the process of analyzing a film. You will start enjoying your media more. And on top of that, you’ll get better marks in film studies because of all people who don’t care about spoilers, film professors care the least. They set a good example that we should start following.
MUSIC
Laurier grad masters artistic self reflection MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
As a 2013 master’s in music therapy graduate, Sarah Pearson left Laurier with a drive to pursue music therapy at the Grand River Hospital. Now, after a few self-recorded EPs, Pearson is back with Circles We Live Inside, her first studio album. “My goal is always [to] create something that feels as meaningful to me as possible — for the sake of connection ... Music for me is about connection,” Pearson said. As a music therapist, Pearson does not expect her craft to make a living. She uses it to tell a story, to convey emotions rather than surface-level tunes. This album covers several personal topics, as well as ones that have unfolded in the news — “Not For Her,” in particular, centers around the lack of regard given to Indigenous people in the light of the Parliament Hill shootings. The theme of naming the tracks from either times throughout the
year, or places in Ontario can define this album as an audible diary in many ways. Pearson details roads she would take to travel back home in Montreal, to stories that unfolded in months of the year. “There’s a little ‘90s, alternative, Kate Bush-feel to the sound of this album,” Pearson said. Circles We Live Inside is the type of album that you can find yourself paying close attention to lyrically to derive the true meanings behind the music. Pearson strives to create music that is very complex and toys with different compositions and writing styles. As a musician, your success is often determined by the public’s perception of your craft. And all of a sudden, everyone is a critic and your art and your message is either validated or denounced. “Stay connected to whatever it is that guides you. Realize that no one else needs to define success for you. You get to decide what success is,” Pearson advised aspiring undergrad musicians. One of the more complex songs on the album, “Holding You,”
mentions the album title and provides the listener with greater understanding of the context of the song, but at the same time more confusion. Pearson explained the song is about sitting in a tree and, “[feeling] so held by this tree and it felt representative of a newfound, innate belonging.” It’s this tree, and its rings that represent the circles we live in. As a gigging musician, Pearson understood what it meant to make yourself vulnerable to the masses — often times the lack of masses when you’re a budding star. It’s important to know that you have to go through all the obstacles, to fully self-reflect on your own craft and make it so convincing that folks by the bar can’t help but notice. This album is circled in ties to the K-W area and really makes the niche group of K-W artists’ talents so diverse. In an industry of musicians fighting to be the figureheads of their respective genres, Sarah Pearson’s Circles We Live Inside finds itself as a creative reflection on one’s personal narrative.
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ARTS & LIFE • 9
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 TELEVISION
Finding prince charming and a following ALEXA WOLOSZUK CORD ARTS
The guilty pleasure of reality television is like nothing else. Opening a bottle of wine with friends and turning on shows like, the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, is a perfect way to enjoy a quiet night in. What is it about these cookie cutter shows that interests audiences enough to keep them coming back, week after week? Is it the hope for those romantics out there that want to believe love still exists? Is it the entertaining drama that keeps us interested? Or is it because, as a heterosexual being, I am more interested in viewing television programs, reality or not, that relate to me? In that case, what about those who are of other sexual identities and genders? What television shows are out there for these people to relate to? Finding Prince Charming is an American reality dating show on Logo, similar to the Bachelor and Bachelorette, but includes a cast of 13 gay men, rather than the mix
of both heterosexual men and women. This is the first LGBTQ+ dating show, since the short lived Boy Meets Boy on Bravo. This is a step forward into a changing society where acceptance of all sexual orientations, as well as sexual identities and genders, should be celebrated and displayed, so growing LGBTQ+ youth have something to relate to and feel apart of in society. After watching the first episode, I noticed the term “gay monogamy” used by one of the contestants. He was explaining how monogamy and gay relationships are often not thought to be one in the same and hoped that a show like Finding Prince Charming could shine a light on the misconceived notion that gay men don’t want a long lasting loving relationship. However, the reality show failed to display that concept by having 13 contestants who are pursuing one suitor. This displays more of a polygamous type relationship — as do the heterosexual counterpart TV shows — which ultimately upholds the stereotype that gay men
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are overtly sexual. Aside from a questionable portrayal of gay monogamy, this show presents unoriginality by following the exact concept of the Bachelor and Bachelorette. On top of that, it presents stereotypes of what one would think a gay relationship would consist of, which creates a misunderstanding of what is real and what is stereotyping. As an LGBTQ+ ally, I expected to see an
open, real platform showcasing what real gay relationships are like so that these stereotypes can be squashed. Similar to heterosexual dating shows where the contestants and suitor are drop dead gorgeous, as contestants on Finding Prince Charming are eliminated, it became apparent to many viewers that only the traditionally ‘hot’ guys are left.
A show so superficial as a TV dating show of this nature, viewers should have expected no less. There is no space on reality TV, yet, to find true love. True love takes months and months to find and it is not found in a fraternity house environment. One contestant, Chad, found it particularly hard to find true love with the suitor, Robert, attributing it to fighting tooth and nail to get just a few moments alone. It seemed almost as if these eligible bachelors were interviewing for a job, rather than for love. But maybe its just the viewers that are high strung with emotions. Perhaps this is all just one big money grab for the production company, Logo TV and free promotion for budding social media personalities. Reality TV should be taken with a grain of salt, regardless of if it’s the straight bachelor, or the gay bachelor. We should all drop any high expectations and understand that it’s trashy TV, not a place to really dive into social issues.
HORROR
BRITTANY DITIZIO
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
When I think of scary movies, the first thing that comes to mind is horror, fake blood and graphic scenes with nothing real about them. On October 27, The Scary Movie Challenge, hosted by the Horror Show Collective was held at the Princess Cinemas in uptown Waterloo. The movie that was being showed was kept secret, but it was said to be the scariest movie ever made, so naturally, horror fanatics flocked from near and far to wait over an hour in line. Whoever could sit through the entirety of the film would be entered in a draw to win $200. Coordinators interviewed attendees in line for a social experiment to compare reactions of those who stayed until the end. There was talk of what the movie could be about, from most recently released horror films to a couple hours of Justin Bieber on repeat. No one expected what the event had in store for us. Animal cruelty. The scariest movie ever made, according to the Horror Show Collective, was actually a
documentary called Earthlings, which is about how the human race uses and abuses animals in endless ways. The movie was chosen in partnership with the Kitchener Ontario Animal Liberation Alliance and Kitchener Waterloo Animal Save. Obviously, no one expected what they were about to watch, so it wasn’t surprising that nearly half of the theatre got up and left in less than thirty minutes. As I looked at the reactions from faces around the theatre, there weren’t the shrieks and uncomfortable anticipation that you would see from a spooky horror film. There were completely frozen faces waiting for the next gut-wrenching image to come up on the screen. After the movie finished, there were mixed reactions and opposing viewpoints from the audience. One person said what they just watched was disgusting and though they were vegan, they needed to prepare to watch something like that — but what could possibly prepare you to see animals being brutalized? Another viewer was upset because there should have been trigger warnings in the film
to prepare them for what was about to happen — did they not see the introduction when graphic content was mentioned? The animal activist groups explained their purpose for showing the public this film and some people definitely appreciated what they had done. At first, I was stunned at what I was watching, but then began to understand how smart the set-up actually was. I stuck out the remainder of the film with 62 other viewers, not because it was the first movie I wanted to watch on a Thursday night, but because I had to see how people would feel when it was all over. Ben Le Roi, a member of the Kitchener Waterloo Animal Save group explained why they chose this type of setting for a movie like this. “It was to raise awareness and get through to people that wouldn’t have seen this otherwise,” said Le Roi. “That’s why we had to do this in a deceitful way.” Viewers took to Facebook to release their anger towards the organizers for tricking their audience who anticipated a
Halloween horror and Princess Cinemas for allowing such a shocking event to take place. It seemed that these people got the reality check that no one wanted to have. Olivia, the attendee who won the $200 cash prize, said she wasn’t all that surprised. “I went in feeling that it wouldn’t be a true horror film,” she said, “but it was kind of a surprise to see what it was.” No one said what the movie would be, all that was said was that it’s the scariest movie ever made. Was it not? Maybe the definition of “scary” should be reexamined. It’s astounding that people who willingly sat through a movie had so much ridicule towards the activist groups when they had every opportunity to get up and leave. “When you’re trying to make a big societal change, there are going to be people who resist,” said Le Roi. “We can’t worry too much about them.” Princess Cinemas even apologized to social media followers who were upset about the event. “Yes there was people who left and were angry, but the amount of people that we
reached who were glad that we did this, made it all worthwhile,” said Le Roi. “We couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.” It’s easy to see where the upset viewers were coming from and of course the movie wasn’t what everyone had hoped for. And if it wasn’t for the fact that some viewers had to wait in the cold for a while, there would be little to complain about. K-W Animal Save were able to show a group of people the scary truth about animal abuse — a topic they otherwise wouldn’t have subjected themselves to. “What’s going on is horrible and completely unnecessary and we can do something about it if we have numbers,” said Le Roi. “We’re trying to increase the numbers and change the world.” So what constitutes as “scary”? Is it the masked murderers and fictional monsters we see in modern horror, or is it the brutal reality of what humans are guilty of on a daily basis? Maybe it’s too hard for people to see real human beings acting like real life Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees.
10 • GAMES
Dear Life Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to your life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public forum. All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous, should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions can be sent to dearlife@thecord.ca no later than Monday at noon each week.
Dear Life, Read through Laurier’s proposed Sexual Violence Policy and I think that we should call Appeals 6.00 (b) “The Brock Turner Claus” ... super cool that Laurier is saying that perpetrators should be allowed to appeal an official decision because it affects their scholarships/ awards/academic life, but a survivor can’t appeal for those reasons. Sincerely, Disappointed Dear The Cord, The HOCO video was absolutely golden, but when are you guys posting the photos? Sincerely, A patient Golden Hawk Dear Life, Why does Halloween have to be over? I already miss the candy and dressing up. Here’s looking at next year, already.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 Sincerely, A spooky, scary skeleton Dear Chocolate, Life would be a lot easier if you weren’t so tasty. Sincerely, Lactose Intolerant Dear Life, I think about my ex everyday, and everyday I hope she wakes up like “damn, I miss that guy, I’ll msg him” she never does and I know she doesn’t miss me because she’s like that and I know because I stalk her facebook, she never added me back. Why did she have to block my number, though? Like I’m some sort of predator. I just want to love her. Sincerely, IMISSYOUGBBY Dear Life, Gary Johnson for President. Sincerely, These other candidates are giving me a headache Dear Life, Roses are red War is near We’d all be safe If harambe was here Sincerely, A boy that misses his ape
latht week on K-W’s motht haunted locathionth. As a lithe-long rethident of “Kicthener-Waterloo,” it wath great to thee our local landmarkth on dithplay. “Kicthener” really ith bicthener. Thintherly, Sincerely, Thealed with a lithsp Dear Life, Why have you let social anxiety control my life? Why can I not just be like everyone else with no worries? Why do u make me send letters to the paper about connection without being able to use my name for it? Why are you not fair? Sincerely, Too anxious and shy Dear Life, Hiya Barbie Hi Ken! Do you want to go for a ride? Sure Ken Jump in I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world Life in plastic, it’s fantastic You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere Imagination, life is your creation Come on Barbie, let’s go party! Sincerely, The real Barbie gurl
Dear Lithe, I ethpecially enjoyed your pieth
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GAMES • 11
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 SPOT THE ANDY
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12 •
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
Editorial
OPINION EDITOR MADELINE MCINNIS editor@thecord.ca
What are our students satisfied about to make us No. 1? campus are finding problematic, it makes us question what other universities must be like if we placed third. Where does this information come from? Though a sample survey may be effective for some awards, for something like student satisfaction, it seems more beneficial to ask all students. We need to be critical of the awards we are given and why we are considered to be the best. We also need to be critical of what needs work. Even if this is just a marketing ploy, it positively affects Laurier students. There is nothing wrong with being proud of accomplishments that our university has worked hard for. If enrolment goes up as a result of this ranking, the university will have more money for student services, which will benefit everyone. We can be satisfied with knowing we’re the best, but we shouldn’t be totally content while there are still aspects that need work.
Laurier was recently ranked the number one school in Canada for student satisfaction in Maclean’s annual university rankings. The article has been shared numerous times by proud Golden Hawks, but it made us wonder how many of these students actually understand the university rankings and how they work. What really is student satisfaction? Looking at the criteria for this award, it’s not difficult to see why Laurier came out on top. Maclean’s, for the category of student satisfaction, looked into areas such as extracurriculars, course advising, bureaucracy, mental-health services, residence life and student-life staff. Laurier came out as number one for all of these. However, the last aspect of the category was the prevention of sexual assault, in which we placed third. With our sexual assault policy still awaiting approval by the Board of Governors and having some aspects that groups on
Click-bait in reality for politics instead of a fictional thrill This Halloween, Princess Cinemas and the Horror Show Collective invited viewers to screen the “scariest movie ever” for a chance to win $200, but they didn’t know the title of the film going into the screening. While patrons were expecting gore and horror in the form of Michael Meyers or Jason, what they got was animal slaughter documentary called Earthlings. This event seemed like real-life clickbait. The event was marketed to a very specific type of movie-goer. Instead of a thriller, they got a documentary. The two genres are not interchangeable, but the organizations that partnered with the Horror Show Collective left an ambiguous sway. They purposely mislead viewers. Though they claim the event was a success, they likely turned just as many people away from their cause as they encouraged to become vegan or animal activists.
Having this event on Halloween weekend also reinforced the idea that it was going to be a thriller. Thrill-seekers were excited for this event and it could have been a really amazing event. It was a smart, though manipulative, way to get their views out. They hit a lot of people that normally wouldn’t view this type of documentary. Facebook advertising doesn’t seem to have the same standards as other types of advertisement, so they got away with the ambiguity of their campaign. The end, we believe, does not justify the means. Implying a horror film and enticing viewers with this ideal is wrong. It’s pushing an agenda — one that the audience may not subscribe to. Forcing people to discuss political ideas when they don’t want to, especially if they’re not expecting it, is never okay. Consent is always golden.
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.
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FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Staying sober for the night EMILIA CURCIC NEWS EDITOR
As a Laurier student, you are guaranteed to experience the odd night out. Whether it be Pub on King, Phil’s or just your friends’ apartment, there’s always an opportunity to go out and have a good time. As a fourth-year student, I have had my fair share of late nights on the Phil’s dance floor or at Chainsaw, avoiding the friends I knew would try and make me get on the stage for karaoke. Looking back on the past three years, I have little regret when it comes to spending the night drinking. However, recently I’ve gone through a little bit of a self-reflection that began when I started going out with one of my good friends. Whenever we went out together, she typically made the decision not to drink. It wasn’t because of health or religious reasons, but purely because in that moment, she felt that she didn’t want to be drinking. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with going to
the bar and taking shots with your friends or having a casual glass of wine. Does that mentality mean that I have to drink every time I’m in a social situation with alcohol? That first night we went out together, she had to explain to at least three people why she wasn’t drinking, all three of whom did not take her explanation seriously. “I just didn’t feel like drinking,” didn’t sound like it was an appropriate answer. It seemed that if you didn’t have a very strong personal value that coincided with being exclusively sober, it didn’t make sense for you not to drink when going out. When did this line become so clearly drawn? It seems that either you make a commitment to never drink or you have no excuse to not have a beer. That’s when I started to think about why I was drinking when I went to the bar. Was it to have a good time? Sometimes, yes. But other times? No. Considering that I spent majority of the summer going out with this friend, I soon began to also forgo drinks when I wasn’t in the mood. All of a sudden, I could go out, have fun all night and wake up the next morning without knowing that I’d be hungover all day. Now, I leave it up to the moment
to decide whether or not I feel like having a drink and I’ve learned to appreciate those sober nights just as much as the drunken ones.
Now, I leave it up to the moment to decide whether or not I feel like having a drink and I’ve learned to appreciate those sober nights just as much as the drunken ones.
This is not to say that university students are alcoholics or that we go out specifically to consume alcohol. However, sometimes it’s easy to forget that other people shouldn’t be the ones deciding what factors should go into how much fun you’re having on that dance floor. Whether or not you decide to drink next time you go out, just know that either way, the pizza will be just as good at the end of the night. It’s your decision as to whether you want a drink or not and your reasons for declining a drink.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
Opinion
•
13
OPINION EDITOR MADELINE MCINNIS opinion@thecord.ca
Depression does not discriminate SAM TUNDUP OPINION COLUMNIST
Cara Delevingne, one of the most recognizable supermodels in the world, seems to have everything. However, the young superstar has revealed that life was not always so glamourous. In the modeling world, I have often heard of anorexia and pressure to lose weight as the causes of leaving this industry. Now, what I admire about Delevingne is that she brought much attention to much more than just the pressure to be thin. Specifically, she talks about her battle with depression. I think one of the many things that comes to mind when discussing the topic of modeling is the thought that models are a portion of physically attractive people who are selling a fantasy or image. However, underneath the glitz and glamour of the beauty being advertised, many fail to remember the other problems of modeling and how they can lead to internal
issues. In a 2015 interview with writer and actor Rupert Everett, Cara Delevingne explained how, in today’s culture, being reminded of one’s success and beauty seems like the true key to happiness, but based off her experience with depression, this was not the case. As the truth began to unfold, she claimed the modeling industry was certainly not fun.
I am a firm believer that hard work leads to success, but there are times when I think that some things are just not worth the money.
After watching Delevingne’s interviews and listening to her story, what caught my attention was the topic of abuse, something I never thought that much about in
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the world of modeling. The young 23-year-old claimed that she was a witness to many perverse photographers misusing young models and taking advantage of them, which is truly disgusting. I think it’s absolutely amazing that someone from the modeling world has brought mental illness into the light, along with many other courageous models. Delevingne was exposed to psoriasis, a long-lasting autoimmune disease with visual scars, leading her to constantly mask her external conditions with medicine. She claimed this prevented her from personally healing her deep internal wounds. Cara Delevingne has shed light on the notion of having everything from the outside eye, but underneath, she was desperately crying out for help. This may cause others to rethink their negative percep-
tions of models and the stress they deal with on the job. Depression does not discriminate – whether you’re one of the biggest models in the world or an average student at Laurier, your mental health is yours. It shouldn’t be overlooked because of your supposed privilege. During her discussion with Rupert Everett, she continued to express how she felt so alone in her battle. “I really wanted someone to stop me, to go ‘You need to take a break, you need to look after yourself.’ And no one did,” she said. I am a firm believer that hard work leads to success, but there are times when I think that some things are just not worth the money. “No” can be the hardest word to say when meeting big employers. When Delevingne felt alone, Kate Moss, a former model, stepped in and encouraged her
to take time for herself and her mental health. This kind act was just what she needed. It helped her discover her passions for writing and yoga, eventually releasing her sorrow and helping rebuild her mental state. I’m sure there is a long history of models speaking out against abuse, but I think what makes Cara Delevingne unique is that, despite having an enormous amount of wealth and beauty, she constantly reminds the public she is just like you and me through her actions. I think it’s ground-breaking that Delevingne is speaking about mental illness and reminding us that we are not alone. Talking about mental health is the first step which I feel will inspire other models and people outside that profession to realize there is help when you need it.
Being more employable by saying ‘no’ to extras an amazing opportunity to do something and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes. Then learn how to do it later.” MARGARET AFEKAFE STAFF WRITER
Making the choice to go to university today is one that thousands of young people all over the world make for a myriad of reasons. Maybe you did it because you want to enter a specialized field that requires a certain degree. Maybe it’s because you were told that’s what you do after high school. Maybe, you did it for one of the other countless reasons. Regardless, once you’re here, you learn very quickly that this is a place to learn new things, academic or otherwise, to become more employable. As a student, time management is a skill that you are forever cultivating and never quite perfecting. You have to juggle a personal life at school and at home, academic commitments, internships, possibly a job and let’s not forget friendships and relationships. It’s damn near impossible to fulfill all of these expectations. Even if (by some miracle) you do, it’s hard not to feel burnt out. Even knowing this, there is still a struggle with guilt for most
The message was clear: say no in your personal life, because you can afford to. Don’t say no in your professional life, because you can’t afford to.
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of us when we want to say no. We don’t want to disappoint the other person, or worse, disappoint ourselves. As the true millennial that I am, when I felt bad for wanting to say no, I scoured the internet for advice. It told me how and why I should say no in my personal life through the voice of Rachel Wilkerson Miller— the black Martha Stewart. She said that “saying no is a gift to the other person” because a reluctant and mildly resentful
me is not who they wanted at their party. However, the internet also told me that people far more clever than I, like creative director Liz Danzico, think that, “you need every opportunity you can get when you’re on the bottom. Later on in life, you can learn the art of saying ‘no,’ but first you need some things to say no to.” It also told me that wildly successful Sir Richard Branson said that, “if someone offers you
The message was clear: say no in your personal life, because you can afford to. Don’t say no in your professional life, because you can’t afford to. At least, not until you’re making the big bucks. Like many students, I took this to heart in an effort to succeed professionally. However, a problem arised in discerning what constituted an “amazing opportunity.” Suddenly, everything becomes an amazing opportunity to boost your resume thanks to good old “transferable skills.” The fact that more people than ever before have
access to the same degree you do encourages many of us to say yes in an effort to stand out and be memorable. Apparently, saying “no” is closing doors for your potential future career. As far as I am concerned, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For starters, saying no to mediocre things leaves you open to say yes to better things. While going to an interview with an eclectic array of experiences might make you seem interesting and show your ability to work under pressure, an employer might also see a lack of focus or an inability to commit to a single job. Your motive for applying to an opportunity, be it true passion or for a few extra dollars to make rent, gives you a real explanation for an employer that doesn’t make you sound like another thesaurus sprouting synonyms for various buzzwords. Saying no can give you the chance you need to focus and excel at something rather than being mediocre at a variety of small things, making you invaluable. While it is true that life is finite, the six or seven decades after you graduate is a remarkably long time to go back and open closed doors. I don’t think you should just say yes or just say no — I think you should give your decisions the weight of thought they deserve.
14 • OPINION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 Now, I am not suggesting that it is not okay to hate something, but a public forum may not be the best way to vent your dislike.
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‘Boo’ doesn’t help artists CHRIS LUCIANTONIO STAFF WRITER
Think back to the last time you were at a local show and the quaint intimate atmosphere turned sour. Either the performer wasn’t what the collective audience had pictured or some obvious mistakes were being made. Try to recall the inevitable reaction of a hostile crowd and focus in on the dull
droning sound of the boos that filled the space. Maybe you stayed quiet, maybe you joined in by way of mob rule, maybe you spearheaded the vocal protest, who can remember? Now, did you ever consider what that actually projects? Is it ever an appropriate time to boo someone who has mustered up the courage to offer themselves and their talent to the public tribunal that is a live show? Booing seems harsher than the criticism we would give face-toface. It’s intimate and confrontational, but still done anonymously, as your voice gets lost in the
cacophony of displeased voices following suit. It also projects no reason other than, “I don’t like this/you.” To hate something as subjective as a performance by a local band, you would need a reason behind it, such as poor playing or offensive lyrics: something concrete to hitch your criticism to. Booing is nothing more than anger made audible, a protest noise to counteract whatever you are experiencing and a signal to the performer that this audience enjoys the sound of their own detestation more than whatever song they are playing.
Is it ever an appropriate time to boo someone who has mustered up the courage to offer themselves and their talent to the public tribunal that is a live show?
Speaking from experience, playing to a crowd of people whom you don’t know is nerve-wracking. The thought that their presence can become hostile by the mere utterance of a spiteful onomatopoeia, for a reason you may never know, makes it all the worse. Standing up on stage requires a degree of bravery and courage that I feel deserves a degree of respect. Booing only requires you be loud and angry. A lot of the time, people who boo at a live show are only going with the predominate mood. It’s a social phenomenon more than an actual opinion of what you are watching,
an activity like the “wave” that lets the audience participate in the performance to some degree. Sometimes, let’s face it, people are just being pricks and shouting things just because they can (or they’re drunk). So, how do we voice our opinion of a performance that isn’t so self-aggrandizing and disruptive? I’ve always felt that no reaction is always more powerful than a loud noise at an affective level. Booing often incites the performer to get frustrated and see the crowd as unappreciative and self-serving, assuring that nothing will be learned and he/she will never improve. No reaction is a visceral confirmation that whatever you did registered at no level, that even the collective fun of voice frustrations isn’t worth it. Booing is heard, but silence is felt. Yes, there are times when booing is justified. A band shows up unprepared (or they’re drunk) and clearly not playing their material correctly, challenging the audience with violence, or just generally refusing to give you your money’s worth. However, as a means of voicing your opinion of the show’s quality, it comes across as crass. You don’t have to like what you are watching, but you don’t have to supply your own entertainment at the risk of looking like an asshole.
Type 1 misconceptions of a hidden illness EMILY WAITSON OPINION COLUMNIST
Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? I’m 21-years-old and I have type 1 diabetes. Many people are vastly unaware of what diabetes really is, apart from some vague information they may have picked up from the internet or media. I can’t fault this, as I could have been in the same boat had I not been diagnosed with diabetes when I was thirteen. One of the most jarring things about living with a disease, though, has been seeing just how many misconceptions and stigmas surround it. I was barely a teenager when I had to adapt to a new lifestyle immediately. The less-than-tactful attitudes of countless people I meet have merely been a factor associated with it. I’ll give you a simple Bill Nye the Science Guy breakdown. My pancreas does not produce any insulin. Type 1 diabetes is not preventable and the cause behind it is unknown. Flat out, it is not caused by eating too much sugar and there are no pharmaceutical or homeopathic remedies that will cure it. Diabetics, like anyone living with a disease, are human beings. We are all unique individuals who just want to live our lives as happy and healthy as possible.
Roughly seven years of countless doctors’ visits, numerous hospital stays, insulin pumps, needles, high blood sugars, low blood sugars and a lot of learning, has shown me that one of the key ways of dealing with it is through humour. Generally, most people don’t mean any harm in what they say and I’ve grown to treat it like the simple ignorance it really is. I’ve become so used to people staring, pointing and whispering when I have to check my blood sugar or give my insulin in public, that I either ignore it, or treat it like a live performance.
Well bucko, that’s great, but unfortunately I have two options: I either do what my doctor tells me to do and give myself insulin every day or I die. Not much choice.
Apparently, many people assume I’m taking illegal drugs, so why not play it up like I’m somehow shooting up heroin in the middle of the mall? I wear a Medic Alert bracelet that people readily assume is for an allergy. When told that it’s actually for my diabetes, I’ve heard a plethora of responses. “Wow. Well you don’t look diabetic.”
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Fuck. I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time. I’m not a real diabetic and they’re going to kick me out of the type 1 diabetes association because I don’t look the part. I’m sorry Mom, I know you were counting on me. “But you’re not fat.” Hold the damn phone and let’s just freeze right there. What in the ever loving Hell does that have to do with anything? If you’re refer-
ring to the crappy stigmas about type 2 diabetes, which is a totally different disease, that’s still a really shitty thing to say. “So you have to poke yourself with needles? I could never do that.” Well bucko, that’s great, but unfortunately I have two options: I either do what my doctor tells me to do and give myself insulin every day or I die. Not much choice.
“Wow. So does that mean you can never eat sugar?” Yes, unfortunately. I only drink water and cry every time I walk by a child eating a candy bar. “My aunt had diabetes. She had to get her legs amputated, went blind and then died.” You know, I was feeling okay before this uplifting tale. Now, I have the sudden urge to crawl into a dark hole. Funny how these things work. “Isn’t it pronounced diabeetus?” I think you might be right. Medical professionals have been saying it wrong this whole time. My experiences related to this disease have evolved while attending university and presented problems I never thought I would have. Getting drunk is all fun and games until I’m so smashed that I can’t tell what my blood sugar is and I don’t know what to do about how I’m feeling. Casual drinking is very much my thing, but there’s such an aggressively negative stigma attached to a student that doesn’t binge drink and party all the time in university. I have to do what’s best for me, with my safety and health being the number one priority. So no, I don’t have a stick up my ass, I promise. Diabetes isn’t simple, it’s hard, frustrating and absolutely exhausting sometimes. So the last thing that anyone wants is to feel like they’re not “normal.” Treat anyone, no matter what condition they may have, with tact, respect and kindness. Question things you may not understand, but rule of thumb: don’t be a dick about it.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
Sports
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SPORTS EDITOR ROB FIFIELD sports@thecord.ca
PLAYER PROFILE
Making the most of his opportunity ERIC FLOCKHART CORD SPORTS
Laurier running back, Eric Guiltinan, is finishing his OUA career with a bang, dominating the regular season and looking to continue his stellar play into the OUA playoffs. Guiltinan has been a staple in the Golden Hawk offence this season, helping the team to a nearly flawless 7-1 regular-season record. Sitting slightly in the shadow of former Laurier All-Canadian running back, Dillon Campbell, throughout the past few seasons, Guiltinan, in the fifth and final year of his Laurier career, is taking full advantage of his opportunity in the spotlight. “This is my fifth year,” Guiltinan said, “so I’ve been waiting a long time to get my opportunity. Obviously I’d been playing before, but not as much as I have been now.” The 5’10”, 205 lb London, Ontario native averaged over 105 rushing yards per game this season, good enough for fourth in the OUA. Guiltinan also concluded the regular season with 9 rushing touchdowns, which ranked an impressive second among running
backs in the OUA. This standout play has not gone unnoticed, as Guiltinan has received a number of accolades throughout the season. On top of earning a total of five offensive player of the game nods over the eight-game regular season, Guilti-
Our goal is to win the Yates cup ... we just have to win two games and we’ll be Yates Cup champs.
-Eric Guiltinan, Laurier running back
nan was named a Laurier athlete of the week on two occasions: September 6 and September 19, as well as an OUA player of the week on September 17. “I’ve been practicing for this year for four years now,” he remarked, “so I just feel like all that time and
effort that I’ve put in is starting to pay off.” Guiltinan’s individual efforts have been a contributing factor to the overall success of the Golden Hawks this year, who have completed their best regular season record since the 7-1 2007 campaign. “We’ve gotten better every year under coach Faulds. We started four years ago, his first year, we were 1-7, then we went 4-4 the next year, 4-4 last year and won a playoff game and now we’re 7-1. So, I think it’s really that mindset that he brought to the team,” Guiltinan said. With a successful regular season behind them, Guiltinan and the rest of the team turn their attention to the OUA playoffs, where Guiltinan says they have a single goal. “Our goal is to win the Yates Cup. We’re already in the semi-finals two weeks from now, so we just have to win two games and we’ll be Yates Cup champs. So that sounds pretty nice.” Guiltinan and the Golden Hawks will be back in action on Saturday, November 5, when they host the OUA Semifinals at University Stadium. They will host the McMaster Marauders. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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MEN’S SOCCER
MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
Going down fighting OWEN MARTIN STAFF WRITER
On a cold and windy fall night, the Laurier men’s soccer team played their first playoff match at home against the Western Mustangs. Heading into the game, everything was looking up for the Golden Hawks, having won three of their last four matches heading into the OUA playoffs and finishing the regular season as the fourth seed in the West. As the match got underway, the two teams appeared to be feeling each other out. There was
lots of midfield play and Western maintained a high press before the first shot came in the 8th minute. Western looked to be the stronger team early, with their press forcing Laurier to try to play longer passes over the Western defence. The first chance of the match came off of a nifty move on the left wing from Western’s Parker Seymour as he beat his man but couldn’t quite send in a good enough cross. Then, in the 45th minute, right before the halftime whistle, Laurier’s Luca Moco-Montanaro was played in by Niklas Bauer, but his
shot went just wide left of the goal and the first half ended 0-0. After the match, head coach Mario Halapir spoke about his team’s struggle to get after the opponent in the first half. “I think we came out a little bit afraid of losing,” he said, “and I think the first half was a very tentative half. It didn’t even look like playoff soccer.” The second half began with some drama as Western’s Chuka Ononye was yellow carded for a reckless challenge, breaking up a Laurier attack that got both benches up and shouting. After this, both
teams settled in and the game began to pick up pace. More chances went to waste before Western struck in the 74th minute, via striker Braeden Gee. The goal came on a long throw that confused the Laurier defenders, who weren’t able to clear the ball. Laurier pressed on, but ultimately couldn’t capture the equalizer and with numbers committed forward, Western’s James O’Callaghan sealed the victory for the away side in the 88th minute. Halapir wasn’t happy with the performance post-match. “We did what has hurt us all year. If we don’t follow a game plan it’s very difficult for us to be successful. Two errors and you’re not capitalizing, I think that spells a loss.” While this loss was a tough pill to swallow, the positive aspects the program can take out of this game is that young star Liam Chong Tai, who was subbed on for the second half, looked bright in his first game as a Golden Hawk. “[Chong Tai] is going to be a talent. He hasn’t played all season; he broke his ankle six weeks ago so we haven’t had the luxury of having him here,” Halapir said of the first-year player. “I think he’s got huge promise and I think he made a big impact alone on being able to at least complete a pass or two which we were lacking in the first half.” Wednesday’s game marked a disappointing end to an otherwise successful season for the men’s soccer team.
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• SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
FOOTBALL
GOLDEN HAWKS ARE ALL IN The 7-1 Golden Hawks look to stay hot as they host their first home playoff game since 2010
MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
DYLAN HINES CORD SPORTS
“Protect the nest.” This is the Laurier Golden Hawks Football team motto as they advance to the semi-finals. It will be the first time the Golden Hawks will have home field advantage in the playoffs since 2010. This is a very exciting year for the fourth-year seniors on the team, as they have been able to create a polar opposite season to their rookie years. “All the guys that have been here for four years have really played a big part in [Laurier football’s] turnaround. After the last win against Windsor, the fourth-year guys really got to see how they went from a 1-7 team their first year to a 7-1 team their fourth year,” said head coach, Michael Faulds. On Saturday November 5, the Golden Hawks will take on the McMaster Marauders for the first time this year. However, the Marauders
are looking for redemption after the Laurier Golden Hawk's eliminated them from the 2015 season playoffs. The Laurier Golden Hawks, led by quarterback, Michael Knevel, face off against McMaster’s defence which allowed the fewest points in Ontario on Saturday. Laurier had its most successful season in history under Michael Faulds with their only loss coming at the hands of the Western Mustangs. Michael Knevel has been an integral part of the team’s success this season, as he has thrown for 1516 passing yards already this season and will look to continue his rhythm against McMaster. If the Golden Hawks want to win this game, they’re also going to have to utilize star running back, Eric Guiltinan, who has been an offensive weapon so far this season. Guiltinan has rushed for 759 yards and picked up ten touchdowns over the course of the year. The McMaster defence will be sure
to have a plan to try and defuse Guiltinan and the Golden Hawks running game. On the other hand, McMaster should have a hard time getting their offence rolling against the Laurier defence which has been the backbone of this team all season long.
We want to win a Yates Cup. We want to get to a Yates Cup. We’re just four quarters away from doing that. -Michael Faulds, head coach
Led by veteran linebacker, Nakas Onyeka, defensive end Kwaku
Boateng in the trenches, Godfrey Onyeka and Malcom Thompson, the Golden Hawks have a good chance against McMaster this weekend, as these key players have shut down the opposing teams’ passing game all year. Nakas Onyeka has been an absolute warrior this season, leading the defence with 59.5 tackles in the regular season. Kwaku Boateng should also be a big factor in this game as the No. 1 ranked CIS prospect for the upcoming CFL draft will be looking to add to his impressive sack total from the regular season. Along with other key players, the Golden Hawks can boast the most quarterback sacks, as well as defensive touchdowns in all of Canada. Faulds is emphasizing the importance of both sides of the ball coming into this grudge match. “We had a really good regular season and earned the first round bye, so we were able to get healthy and get the extra week of
preparation. Mac is a really tough opponent, with two really good defensive ends … and a fifth-year quarterback. This means we will have to do a really good job on both sides of the ball.” Although Laurier did have an impressive regular season, they should be sure not to expect an easy game. McMaster is lead by quarterback Asher Hastings, who threw for an impressive 1915 passing yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. Running back, Chris Pezzetta, has also been a force for the Marauders this season, racking up 701 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the year. Faulds is urging fan participation on Saturday games, especially when it comes to playoffs. With weather looking outstanding for Saturday’s battle versus McMaster, he hopes to see student and alumni support alike. “We want to win a Yates Cup. We want to get to a Yates Cup. We’re just four quarters away from that.”
PLAYER PROFILE
Shining under the spotlight CAMERON KING CORD SPORTS
Niklas Bauer has been playing soccer since he was five-years-old and much of his time since has been spent honing his craft. “I’ve been playing pretty much all my life,” said Bauer. “I probably played house league when I was [around] five years old.” This season, the results of all of his hard work on the soccer field, were on full display. As a fourth-year business student, hailing from Newmarket, Ontario, Bauer is coming off an incredible season for the Laurier men’s soccer team, where he tied for the OUA league lead in points with 19 in just 14 games and finished second in the OUA in goals with 15, accounting for a little bit over 40 per cent of Laurier’s goals all season. He was also amongst the CIS leaders in both points and goals. Bauer was quick to deflect credit
for his breakout season away from himself and towards his teammates and the coaching staff. “[I tried] to involve the team more [and have] more faith in my teammates. A lot of things were clicking this year,” he said. The new approach paid dividends for the team, as Bauer led the team to its highest win total in 15 years, as well as a playoff berth. Although the team lost a 2-0 heartbreaker to Western in the first round of the playoffs, Bauer left it all on the field and it showed in his performance all season long. He received provincial recognition this season when he was named the OUA Athlete of the Week twice. When asked about these achievements, Bauer was quick to praise his teammates, but also acknowledged some personal pride in his accomplishments. “It was nice to get some individual recognition, but obviously I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of returning for his final year of eligibility, Bauer did not completely shut the door, but considered it a longshot, as he remains focused on his imminent graduation this spring. Bauer has remained confident in the team’s ability to succeed with or without his presence. “If I graduate, it’s probably not in the plans to come back for a fifth year, [but] with [coach] Mario [Halapir] there, they’re on the right track [and] they’ve been getting better year after year.” After graduation, while he does not yet have any concrete plans, Bauer’s goal is to play soccer professionally and he is willing to travel abroad to earn a shot. “I would like to, if it’s possible, continue playing [soccer] at the next level, [possibly in] Europe.” While Bauer’s soccer career at Laurier may be coming to a close, his future is bright, and his soccer story is just beginning.
VICTORIA PANACCI/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY