THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 3 • SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
FALLING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE ORIENTATION WEEK 2016
ORIENTATION WEEK 2016
GOING GREEK AT LAURIER
CLUBS AND BARS IN K-W
MISOGYNY IN DC COMICS
HAWKS VS. QUEEN’S
Laurier welcomes the class of 2020
Are frats and sororities still about partying?
What does your favourite club say about you?
The Killing Joke stuffs women in refrigerators
Men’s football defeats Queen’s in opener
News, page 3
Features, page 20
Arts & Life, page 24
Opinion, page 31
Sports, page 36 WILL HUANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
2 •
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
VOCAL CORD
What course are you most looking forward to this year?
@cordnews
The Cord
@cordwlusp
CordNews
Editor’s note: thank you
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“I’m going to say Business Law.” –David Dinu, second-year business and administration
MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
“I’m looking forward to my religion classes.”
On August 28, the Laurier Golden Hawks defeated the Queen’s Golden Gaels in a 37-18 victory in the home opener.
–Shannan Edmunds, third-year political science
“Subjectivity, power and government.” –Noor Ahmed, fourthyear sociology and psychology
“I think plagues and pestilence.” –Seth Ruttkay, secondyear history and medieval studies Compiled by Andreas Patsiaouros Photos by Paige Bush
NEXT ISSUE:
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 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.caW
NEWS EDITOR Emilia Curcic news@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Paige Bush photos@thecord.ca
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 Kira Gelbard photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Christian Paron copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Brittany Ditizio socialmedia@thecord.ca
CONTRIBUTORS Lena Yang Josh Awolade Owen Martin Daniel Johnson Josh Peters Drew Yates Nicole Stumpf Tina Nori Victoria Pranadjaja Chris Luciantonio Don Morgenson Shyenne MacDonald Josh Hortaleza Mynt Marsellus Vidish Parikh Abigail Barrett Lindsay Bindman Tristain Renaud Serena Gill Chad Butt Victoria Panacci
EDITOR’S CHOICE: COLOPHON “Sexual assault plot devices in Batman: The Killing Joke” by Shyenne MacDonald
EDITOR’S CHOICE ONLINE: “Welcome to Greek Life” by Mitchell Consky
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
The newspaper that you are holding in your hands is so much more than just a newspaper. You are holding the blood, sweat and tears of 17 Laurier students. Okay, so maybe I’m being a tad dramatic. When I was in second-year, three years ago, I filled out an online form to apply to be an Arts & Life volunteer writer for The Cord. I knew absolutely nothing about our school paper. I didn’t know who ran it. I didn’t know where the office was. The fact of the matter is that this is just not well known information. Who are the faces behind The Cord? Who decides the content that goes into these pages? It’s certainly not just me. Four months ago, 17 student volunteers made a promise to The Cord to devote a significant chunk of their weekly schedule to the success of this paper. Being a member of The Cord’s management team, Editorial Board or senior staff team is not a job, its a lifestyle—we think about The Cord every single day. It’s important to me, as Editor-in-Chief, that these volunteers are given the appreciation and recognition that they deserve. While I can tell them, “thanks for the hard work,” every time they leave the office, I know spoken gestures can be redundant. I want you to know that the students who put in this hard work are just that: students. Students with homework. Students with GPA’s to maintain. Students with families and friends. They are truly remarkable. To The Cord staff: thank you from the bottom of my heart for wanting to be a part of The Cord’s 90th year. The success of this newspaper would not be the same without each of you playing a part. And to our readers: thank you for giving us a reason to keep doing what we love to do. We’re here specifically for you.
impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of Kitchener-Waterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University. Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate. The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the student body. The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of the student press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.
Quote of the week: “I was talking about it with my mom, because I tell her everything about Andy...” - Cord alum, Lena Yang, on Andreas Patsiaouros’ financial situation
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
News ORIENTATION WEEK
• 3 SENIOR NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN news@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR EMILIA CURCIC news@thecord.ca
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR MADDY CUTTS news@thecord.ca
WELCOME TO
PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/ONLINE EDITOR, JESSICA DIK/PHOTOGRAPHER
Laurier’s Orientation Week will feature sessions, carnivals and a performance by The Arkells MADDY CUTTS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus is set to welcome a new cohort of first-year students, come September. Opening ceremonies for Orientation Week will be held on September 5, in the evening, allowing time for students moving-in that day to unpack and familiarise themselves with their floors, before launching into O-Week activities. First-years will begin the following Tuesday with student success sessions, aimed to brace them for life at university through chats on wellness and academic advising and then spending the afternoon scouring campus on a scavenger hunt specially designed to showcase the resources available on campus. One of O-Week’s highlights will come that evening when the Arkells will be performing in the Athletic Complex. This show will be made available to all Laurier students, a shift from past years when the annual On-Campus Celebration was exclusive to first-year students and included as part of their O-Week ticket. “Part of our biggest issue was that, in previous years, because the TA capacity is smaller and we have
so many first-year students, we were trying to mitigate the capacity issue of not being able to fit every first-year student in the concert and wanting to make sure that every first year student would be able to attend the concert if they wanted to,” said Laurier’s vice-president of programming and services, Kimberly Hutchings. “[It] just gives everyone an opportunity to come together as a campus community, versus holding it exclusively as an Orientation Week event.” Wednesday will feature morning academic sessions, followed by an afternoon presentation on consent and finally, an evening of nostalgic
We’ve had feedback from our volunteers saying they wish they had more one on one time to just hangout and get to know their first-years. -Kimberly Hutchings, vicepresident of programming and services
fun at A-Team’s carnival night. Though classes begin on Thursday, O-Week activities continue throughout the day, with the Get Involved Fair running all day, followed by an evening gameshow night. Friday features a day of picnicking at Waterloo Park, an activity to allow students to explore a new part of Waterloo, while still bonding with their icebreakers and floormates. “We’ve had feedback from our volunteers saying they wish they had more one on one time to just hangout and get to know their firstyears,” said Hutchings. “We thought that this was a good way to still explore part of the city while having more time scheduled that they could play games, explore the park and interact with the different city partners.” The picnic will feature resources brought in by the city to welcome students, such as recreation groups and food trucks. This all leads up to O-Week’s final day and arguably its most important; on Saturday, students and their icebreakers will be positioned across the K-W Region collecting money for Shinerama, a yearly fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, followed by their class of 2020 group photo and closing ceremonies. However, O-Week, put on by the
This isn’t just for Lazaridis students. That’s why we called it the first-year guide book and not the Lazaridis handbook. -Siman Macleod, LazSoc president
Student’s Union, is not the only thing to welcome new first-years to Laurier this fall. The newest cohort of the Lazaridis Students’ Society, who only arrived in office in May 2016, immediately set out to create the First Year Handbook, a comprehensive online guide for navigating your studies at Laurier. While it was developed with business and economics students in mind and certain sections in the guide are limited to these groups, LazSoc is confident that the guide can prove useful to all incoming students. “This isn’t just for Lazaridis students. That’s why we called it the first-year guide book and not the Lazaridis handbook,” said LazSoc president, Simon Macleod. “We
wanted students to feel like, even if you’re not in Lazaridis, the faculty, you still could easily access this information.” The handbook is split into four sections: academics, resources, social and contacts. The academic section includes a glossary on commonly used university jargon as well as a breakdown of all the best study spots on campus, including instructions on how to reserve library group study rooms. The resources tab lists information on the different resources available on campus, while the social tab discusses OneCards and everything you could need to know about meal plans and on-campus dinning. The ‘contact us’ section lists academic advising information for business and economics students only. There is also a section on Grand River Transit, the K-W Region’s public transportation service that all full-time students pay for with their tuition. “We just wanted to give firstyear students a positive impact before they even get to school and this is just a way for them to look over some quick little tips,” said Macleod. “Just things that students in general might not be aware of, we tried to do our best in providing information about.”
4 • NEWS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
FUNDRAISE
Swimming in support of the Great Lakes
Professor Loren King swam 52 kilometres across Lake Ontario in support of the Great Lakes Trust KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
A political science professor at Wilfrid Laurier University has completed his journey of swimming from Queen’s Royal Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake, to Marilyn Bell Park in Toronto. Loren King, who began his marathon across Lake Ontario on the evening of August 1 and finished the next day at 3:13 p.m., swam 52 kilometres in support of the Great Lakes Trust. The Trust is in partnership with Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and the Hamilton Community Foundation and offers yearly grants to sustain Canada’s Great Lakes. Their goal is to establish an endowment, or a forever fund, which will help support charities and organizations who are defending the Great Lakes. Along with the swim, King and his friends are aiming to raise more money through various other projects. One of the projects is currently taking place at McMaster University, where students developed a cost-effective technology to use for real-time, rapid response water monitoring that will generate data in water samples. “It’s relevant data on the quality of our waterways and watersheds
When you’re swimming, you’re really not thinking straight, you’re just focusing on the swim. -Loren King, political science professor at Laurier
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Laurier professor Loren King swam 52 kilometres from August 1 -2 starting from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto.
and that data will be public so we can use it to create far more detailed networks of real time data on water quality and water shed and dynamic,” said King. King hopes these kinds of projects will generate grant opportunities that can help fundraise for the Great Lakes Trust. “We have a series of integrated projects like that over the next year that we’re very excited about. Now that’s the swim’s over, I think we can use that to get some broader
publicity for those kinds of community engagement and student engagement like projects.” While King succeeded in swimming across Lake Ontario, he said he couldn’t have done it without the help of his crew. Throughout his journey, King had three points of contact between himself and his crew—to remove glow sticks from his swimsuit, to spray sunscreen and later to apply Vaseline. While most swimmers hope to complete their journey without any assis-
tance, King acknowledged his crew for their help and support. “You need people around to make those calls for you because when you’re swimming, you’re really not thinking straight, you’re just focusing on the swim.” Although King originally hoped to raise $50,000 for the Great Lakes Trust and for their other projects by the end of August, his current goal is to now raise at least $25,000 by March 2017. “I think we can really start this
fund off with a great endowment so there’d be raised money for these kinds of projects right off the bat,” he said. Rather than ridicule people for what they have done wrong to the environment, King hopes the swim will highlight the more positive things people have done locally for the Great Lakes. “I wanted this to be part of a positive vision of, ‘yes we are doing a lot of things wrong, but we’re also doing some things right,’” said King. “The things we can do, small steps to make the Great Lakes a lot better, some of those things we’ve been doing for the past 10, 20 years. The Lakes are certainly much better than they were when I was a kid.”
CHARITY
Shinerama begins summer programming Shinerama committee anticipates to raise more money for cystic fibrosis through partnerships EMILIA CURCIC NEWS EDITOR
This year’s Shinerama committee, led by coordinator Jillian Utter, has already spent the summer making significant progress by fundraising. The committee is made up of Utter, five executives and 35 general volunteers. The committee is already anticipating to raise more money than last year. They have developed strong partnerships with local companies including Ezra-Bricker, Shoeless Joes, Frat Burger and Wilf’s, among others. The summer was kicked off with the committee’s attendance at the annual Great Strides Walk, renamed this year, CARSTAR Walk, to Make Cystic Fibrosis History. The walk is held by Cystic Fibrosis Canada every year in local communities across Canada, to raise money for cystic fibrosis studies. This year’s walk raised over 3.5 million dollars. “We kind of just go out and have a fun time and get to know some of the community members that have cystic fibrosis or family with cystic fibrosis,” said Utter. The committee itself didn’t
Now we’re just looking forward to Orientation Week. It’s just crunch time.
-Jillian Utter, Shinerama coordinator
begin their own fundraising until orientation conference, where icebreakers and committee volunteers participated in a training weekend to prepare for Orientation Week at Wilfrid Laurier University. Fundraising began over the weekend with a couple of barbecues followed by Summer Challenge, a dry run for Shine Day, which is held during Orientation Week. Utter explained that they sent all of the icebreaking teams and committees to areas in the community to host car washes and collect money for Cystic Fibrosis. “Summer Challenge was fantastic. The time spent educating the volunteers about the disease is a
huge factor in the success of the day. Everyone is extremely motivated to work for donations and once the Waterloo citizens learn about what we are raising money for, they are happy to donate as well,” said fourth-year icebreaker, Erin Krische. This year’s Summer Challenge was accompanied by a new event. Partnering with Shoeless Joes, fundraising continued at an after party held at the restaurant that contributed 10 per cent from every bill to Shine. The orientation conference events were followed by the dodgeball tournament, another new event, held on July 22. The tournament had a great turn out, with members from all the icebreaking teams as well as a full committee team. Finally, the summer’s fundraising initiatives came to a close with the annual Shinerama baseball tournament, followed by a silent auction at Wilf’s. “Our silent auction after, at Wilf’s, went really smooth. There were some really great items that went. We actually had a basketball signed by Cory Joseph from the Raptors. Now we’re just looking forward to Orientation Week. It’s
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
just crunch time,” said Utter. Programming for Orientation Week is going to be a collection of old traditions and new events planned by the committee. “We’re going to do a lot of promoting of what cystic fibrosis is and trying to educate the firstyears that are coming, as well as our volunteers,” Utter said. “We bring a lot of speakers in for the week.” The speakers will include a young boy named Christopher who has been a fixture at Orientation Week for a few years now.
Christopher will be speaking at the opening ceremonies this year about his experience with cystic fibrosis. The week will end off with the annual Shine Day event, hosted this year on September 10, where first-years and volunteers will get the opportunity to go into the community and raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. The committee hopes to extend fundraising beyond Orientation Week by continuing their partnership with Textbooks for Change and adding a few events that are yet to be announced.
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
NEWS • 7
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 GENDER EQUITY
UW finds pay inequity among faculty members About $1 million will be allocated to fix anomalies EMILIA CURCIC NEWS EDITOR
As of September 1, the University of Waterloo will be making adjustments to faculty salaries to account for anomalies found in a recent pay equity review. UW will be spending about $1 million to account for these anomalies. The review, which was conducted by a committee comprised of six members from both the university’s administration and faculty association, narrowed down two kinds of anomaly adjustments that needed to be made in order to accomodate for the differences. “We found a gender inequity. We were very vigilant in articulating those in specific ways so that they can be acted upon and we are delighted that the university responded so quickly,” said Jean Andrey, co-chair of the committee and dean of the faculty of environment at the University of Waterloo. The first anomaly was for faculty members, both men and women, who were found to have low salaries. According to Andrey, the value of additional compensation these
Female faculty members were earning on average between 96 per cent and 98.5 per cent of male salaries
-Jean Andrey, dean of the faculty of environment at UW
individuals will receive is based on a regression model that analyzes their salaries visive what they should be on average. Factors include the kind of scholarship they’re in, the years they’ve been working at the university, what their highest degree is and so forth. Once the university had looked at individual cases of pay inequity, they moved on to add gender into the equation. After noticing that a gender bias also exists, the same regression model was used to analyze for the exact value.
“The gender specific adjustment that is made is the same for all women who are part of the bargaining unit made in 2015,” said Andrey. “Even though we found a difference between men and women salaries all else being held equal, still female faculty members were earning on average between 96 per cent and 98.5 per cent of male salaries for the different academic groups.” This review follows that of a less comprehensive one done by the university a number of years ago, for which Andrey also sat on the committee. Examining gendered pay inequities has become a prominent issue in workplaces all across Canada. “I believe that all institutions need to pay attention to equity, both as it pertains to gender lines and other dimensions as well. This is not just a university issue, it’s a broader societal issue that we need to be [sic] attentive to,” Andrey added. “The university remains focused on understanding and addressing the many factors that influence pay inequity and so part of that
LENA YANG/CORD ALUM
will very much effect the way we pay attention to the issues in the future.” Following the University of Waterloo’s announcement to tackle pay inequity, Wilfrid Laurier University will also be looking into anomalies that exist among their own faculty member’s compensation. “At Laurier, a bilateral committee composed of representatives of the
Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association and the administration are reviewing salary anomalies to identify any gender-based salary differentials for full-time faculty and librarians. This committee is in process and outcomes of the review will be provided to the university community as appropriate when available,” said a statement released from Laurier administration.
GRADUATE STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Preparations for grad students in full swing MADDY CUTTS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Things are gearing up for Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association’s ‘Graduate Student Orientation,’ which is set to take place on the Waterloo campus over September 6 and 7. Programming over those two days is open to all of Laurier’s graduate students and will be packed full of informational opportunities. September 6 will include a community lunch open to incoming students as well as their returning peers and other members of the graduate community, as well as afternoon sessions on achieving success while at Laurier and a panel presentation called ‘Getting the most out of your Graduate Student Experience.’ The following morning will feature a rotation of sessions covering topics such as gendered violence, mental health and professional development, followed by an afternoon services fair set to introduce students to the services they can access throughout the course of their studies. “Because it’s only two days, versus where the undergraduates stretch it out to the full week there, we really try to make the most of the two days,” said Sam Deeming president of GSA. While this programming will be taking place in Waterloo, the GSA
We really wanted to get new graduate students and returning graduate students to buy into the idea of the Laurier community. -Sam Deeming, GSA President
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
GSA’s ‘Graduate Student Orientation’ is open to all Laurier graduates and will feature informational programming.
are actively encouraging students from all Laurier campuses to attend, as the purpose of these two days is not only to welcome new students but to share with them the community aspects of life at Laurier. “We really wanted to get new graduate students and returning graduate students to buy into the idea of the Laurier community,” said Deeming. “Really what it means to be a Golden Hawk and all the stuff that the Laurier community values.”
Even Laurier’s masters of business and administration students, whose program begins long before orientation kicks off, are incited to the lunches over both days as an opportunity to connect with their fellow students. These days of community orientation are in addition to faculty specific programming that is offered in Kitchener for the faculty of social work on September 8, in Brantford on September 9, as well as by the Seminary on September 2 for doctorate students and the 9-11 for master’s students.
International students additionally had the opportunity to enjoy orientation activities catered to their unique needs from September 2-5. Activities this year differ from last, when multi-day Explorientation programming was introduced with the aim of familiarising students with the K-W region. Explorientation this year will begin with the GSA’s annual patio party and then continue with programming throughout the month of September.
This will range from family-friendly activities such as a Blue Jay’s game to a park picnic to wellness activities including yoga and free fitness classes, as well as a graduate specific homecoming experience. “We’ve decided that orientation shouldn’t just be that first week when students are back on campus, so we’re actually going to be spreading it out over the entire month of September,” said Deeming. “During those first two days we really wanted to, like I said, focus on that community feeling and the departmental stuff. But we also wanted to then say that, here’s things that you can do within Laurier, within the community, to better get an understanding of your surroundings.”
8 • NEWS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
FINANCIAL AID
Push for graduated students to stay in Ontario Council of Canadian Innovators wants graduates to reimburse taxpayers for their education KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
A new proposal created by the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) has been making waves in the higher education sector, in hopes that students who leave for jobs in countries like the United States will reimburse tax payers for their post-secondary education. Originally reported in June by The Globe and Mail, those pushing for the proposal are high-tech CEOs and members of the CCI. According to the CCI’s official website, the council hopes to connect Canadian CEOs to public policy leaders to enhance the growth of the country’s innovation-based sector.
In their mind, it’s to payback the province, payback society for the investments that we as a collective public have made in their higher education. -Zachary Rose, executive director of OUSA
CCI’s co-founder and chairman is Jim Balsillie, former co-CEO of Research In Motion. The proposal came from concerns that graduates from Ontario universities are moving to places like Silicon Valley and New York for work, where salaries are higher and companies are able to attract more talent. According to The Globe and Mail, the CCI also believes there should be consequences for Canadian university graduates who leave the country for jobs. The Ontario government is currently investing $1.3 billion into the Ontario Student Grant, which aims to make tuition more affordable for
students. “In their mind, it’s to payback the province, payback society for the investments that we, as a collective public, have made in their higher education, viewing that we’re putting money into the system to train our future workers so that if they then leave for another jurisdiction, they owe the public some money,” said Zachary Rose, executive director of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. On July 25, Rose, along with Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union vice-president of university affairs and OUSA steering committee member, Colin Aitchison, published their response to the proposal on OUSA’s blog. Rose and Aitchison chose to publish their response as the policy goes against all the work that’s being done to improve financial aid in Ontario, as well as ensuring equitable access to education and that students leave with substantial employment opportunities. According to Rose, the proposal goes radically against all the work that has been done by the Ontario government, OUSA and other stakeholder groups to ensure Ontario graduates get equitable access to education and ensuring they get the most out of their education. “We’ve made some really big improvements and the Ontario Student Grant, as well, was announced last budget, which makes a lot of really targeted investments in financial aid for those with the greatest need to come totally sideways…with a proposal that has nothing in it at all that acknowledges…the necessity of all that work and the importance of [it],” said Rose. “The fact that all that work has been done, it just seems like a very, very bad idea, very out of the blue with really no connection or no acknowledgment of sort of the reality of the situation.” According to their post, the CCI’s argument rests on the belief that
LENA YANG/CORD ALUM
Ontario graduates have an obligation to the economy. Aitchison and Rose wrote that this view completely ignores the economic benefits students bring to Ontario during their undergraduate studies and after they graduate. “Students contribute to local economies as consumers and by attending university they allow institutions to thrive, creating jobs and driving regional economic activity. Also, while CCI points out that Ontario’s tuition is heavily subsidized, these subsidies (quite correctly) focus on students with considerable financial need, who would otherwise not be able to pursue higher education.” Rose also argues that students are a major economic driver to Canadian universities, rather than a drain on resources. “Their conclusion that students graduate with a duty to repay
the economy and if they leave instead of doing that we should be charging them, it just doesn’t make any sense,” Rose said. “[Students are] serving as kind of ambassadors to respective students who may want to come in and get their
I don’t think it would be politically wise to implement such a policy, as it would alienate a large voter base. -Colin Aitchison, WLU Students’ Union vice-president of university affairs
education here, to investors who may want to come and invest sectors in our industries.” In their post, Aitchison and Rose argue that the proposal misses the main motive as to why Canadian graduates are leaving the country – youth unemployment in Ontario is high and some industries may find it difficult to recruit new talent. “Placing a barrier on graduate mobility would simply hinder our students from making the best choices for their own careers. Instead of limiting Ontario’s graduates, we should be looking for options to increase employment rates across our province.” The CCI is currently hoping to focus more on Ontario’s heavily subsidized tuition. “We should examine if an Ontario graduate leaves for Silicon Valley, the merits of reclaiming our collective investment in their education and repurposing these funds to make Canadian tech salaries more competitive,” Benjamin Bergen, the executive director of CCI, told The Globe and Mail. Aitchison and Rose, however, point out how these subsidies
mainly focus on students with financial need in post-secondary institutions. The government also financially assists students in the form of loans, which students later repay. According to Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, the province has the lowest, per student government funding in the country. “While it is certainly desirable for Ontario graduates to stay, it is difficult to sympathize with the belief that they have a duty to do so,” read the blog post. “I think what they probably meant to talk about was the financial assistance thing like [the Ontario Student Assistance Program] and on that front yes, we are quite generous with OSAP here in Ontario, but that’s targeted needfully and rightfully at those with financial need,” said Rose. The Globe and Mail article reported that Dan Latendre, CEO of Igloo Software, along with nine other CEOs, wrote to Bardish Chagger, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Minister of Small Business and Tourism and Waterloo MP, in April to request a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on how to keep highly skilled graduates in Canada. Since the article was published, there has been no reported response from Trudeau. The group is now hoping to meet with Ontario’s Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Deb Matthews. While the CCI is continuing to push for the proposal, Aitchison believes students shouldn’t be too worried about this coming into effect. “From my conversations it doesn’t seem like it’s getting much traction so it shouldn’t be an issue to undergraduate students and recent graduates,” said Aitchison. “I don’t think it would be politically wise to implement such a policy, as it would alienate a large voter base.”
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
NEWS • 9
SEMINARY
New opportunity for Howitt SAFINA HUSEIN LEAD REPORTER
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Janet Howitt has recently been appointed as executive director of the Delton Glebe Counselling Centre. The Delton Glebe Counselling Centre is a program run by the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary. Now open for over two years, the centre promotes and works to strengthen the spiritual and emotional well-being of individuals within and around the Wilfrid Laurier University community. The centre, in contrast to other counselling services around the Laurier campus, allows individuals to focus on the spiritual aspect of themselves. “The Glebe centre definitely creates a place where you can talk about spirituality. For a lot of people, that’s how they cope,” said Howitt. For graduates from Laurier’s social work and the Seminary’s theology programs, the Glebe Centre is an opportunity to conduct practicum and g experience in spirituality and psycho-therapy through placement hours. As executive director, Howitt will spend a portion of her time focused on the business side of the centre. Specifically, she will
be managing the centre, working on contracts with the therapists who practice at the Glebe entre and working on their marketing strategies. “It’s important to promote the fact that there’s an alternate counselling site if you are close to the University campus and in the community,” explained Howitt. Howitt is excited to be a part of Laurier’s staff after having graduated from the Seminary in 2010 with a joint masters of social work and theological studies. Howitt comes from a background of working in social services and for the municipal government. Since 2012, she worked as the community engagement coordinator with Immigration Partnership Waterloo Region. She also worked as a field instructor and assistant practicum instructor with Laurier’s faculty of social work for the past two years. In addition, Howitt’s constant engagement in community services will assist her in her new role. “Coming in from my side with experience working with Immigration Partnership, I often think about people who are coming into our community and how we can reach out and engage them, as well as what we can offer them to meet
The Glebe centre definitely creates a place where you can talk about spirituality. For a lot of people, that’s how they cope. -Janet Howitt, execuitve director of the Delton Glebe Counselling Centre
their needs.” The Glebe centre, being a smaller counselling site, is an opportunity for Howitt and other individuals to help students who are newer to the Laurier campus to find solutions to missing pieces through a therapeutic counselling place. Howitt also feels the Glebe’s quick response to students’ needs is a vital component to their goal. “I think it’s awesome that the Glebe doesn’t have a waiting list and there’s an opportunity to get in fairly quickly. For a lot of people, when they make the decision to talk, they should go somewhere that they can start exploring things right away.”
10 • NEWS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
BUSINESS
The search is on for Canada’s top tech talent The Lazaridis Institute is seeking the ten most promising tech ventures for scale up pilot program MADDY CUTTS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises is currently on a cross-Canada quest to seek out the ten best ventures in the country to join the first cohort of the Lazaridis Institute Scale Up Program. The institute was created to work within the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, with an aim of supporting growth-oriented tech companies within Canada. The institute recently embarked on a national roadshow, starting in Waterloo and then moving on to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver and more, in the hopes of generating interest in their new Scale Up Program. “We know that we have a lot of really, really great start-ups in Canada, especially in the Waterloo Region, but we don’t have as many enterprise sized, or we call them globally sized companies, as we should,” said Kim Morouney, program director for the Lazaridis Institute. “We want to find the most
promising start-ups and work with them to overcome the barriers to scaling up.” The inaugural program will be offered to the ten best ventures, and will involve a weekend a month for five months where the ventures will travel to different Canadian cities and be instructed by world-class experts, followed by a week spent in Silicon Valley.
We know that we have a lot of really, really great start-ups in Canada, especially in the Waterloo Region. -Kim Morouney, program director for Lazaridis Institute
“The program is also entirely customized to the companies in the cohort,” said Morouney. “We will choose the experts and
MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
Lazaridis Hall at Waterloo campus, future home of the Lazaridis Institute.
design the exact topics depending on the companies that we find and their needs. As well, when they go to Silicon Valley, they’re going to be meeting with investors and advisors of sorts and all of those people will be chosen to the specific company, so it’s a very tailored program.” The lucky ten will be chosen from the pool of applicants who
manage to complete the application before the September 16 deadline, which consists of a written portion, relating to themselves and their venture, as well as a two minute video delving further into the nature of their venture. Semi-finalists will be asked to conduct a video-conference with judges from Silicon Valley, New York and the Lazaridis Institute,
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where they will present a six minute pitch and then participate in a lengthy Q&A. Interest has already been peeked, with last week’s presentations proving successful and a number of applications already submitted through the online form. “We had one group which was at the [Ottawa event], which finished about 9 p.m., and they had their application in before nine o’clock [the next morning],” said Morouney. “I think there’s quite a lot of excitement.” The excitement is understandable considering that the pilot of this project is being offered free of charge, with accommodations and food additionally covered over the course of the six months, with ventures only required to pay for their flights. “We are hoping as many companies will apply as possible,” said Morouney. “We’re really wanting to find the top ten companies across Canada and provide them with all of the support and the access to resources that they need to be the next Canadian success story.”
NEWS • 11
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 VENTURE
LENA YANG/CORD ALUM
Migrants driven by climate woes KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
A joint project between Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Ottawa is the first in the country to examine the relationship between climate change and
migration to Canada. The Environmental Migration Project brings together researchers to investigate how droughts, pollution and other environmental issues are affecting migration dynamics in less developed countries and how these factors can contrib-
ute to one’s decision to move to Canada. Robert McLeman, an associate professor in the department of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, has been leading the project for a number of years. According to McLeman, the project focuses on how major environmental issues, such as the recent earthquake in Italy, influences migration to Canada. “It’s expected that hurricanes and droughts and things like that may become more frequent in the future,” said McLeman. “So the question is if they’re already starting to cause people to come to Canada, then should we expect more of them in the future as well.” McLeman has been studying the relationship between climate change and migration since the 1990’s. He has published a book, among other works, on the topic during his career and has conducted many research projects relating to the subject. Recently, the project has worked with the Bangladeshi Canadian community in Toronto. The research team found that Bangladeshi-Canadians who migrate to Canada may do so because of extreme levels of pollution in the capital city of Dhaka. While it may not be the core reason for some migrants, most
families may move to Canada if a family member has asthma or other types of illnesses, even if they benefit economically in their home countries.
The air is sometimes worse than the maximum acceptable standard in terms of air quality set by the World Health Organization. -Rober McLeman, associate professor of geography at WLU.
The Project has also conducted research with Haitian, Filipino and Sub-Saharan African communities in Ottawa and Montreal. “We met families who, in Dhaka, were very well off and very wealthy. These are people who are working as engineers or professors or doctors or lawyers and the pollution levels have become so extreme that they’re willing to move to Canada,” said McLeman. Those in the Bangladeshi-Canadian community blamed the air quality in Bangladesh for their migration to Canada. As of 2014, Bangladesh ranks 169 out of 178 countries at the
Environmental Performance Index for air quality. “The air is sometimes worse than the maximum acceptable standard in terms of air quality set by the World Health Organization, so in other words, it is many times beyond what is considered safe to breathe,” said McLeman. Food security was also a huge factor when migrating to Canada. Since Bangladesh imports most of their food, importers will inject formaldehyde into their fish and fresh produce to keep it from spoiling. In Canada, formaldehyde can be used as a disinfectant to kill bugs and is even used when preserving dead bodies before they are buried or cremated. “It’s extremely toxic and carcinogenic. It causes cancer and yet people are using this to preserve food that goes for sale in public markets in Dhaka, so there’s very little trust in the safety of food there.” The evidence from their research will help generate recommendations for Canadian and international immigration policies and settlement programming. Results from the Bangladesh case will be submitted to the Project through a scientific journal. The lead author is Mohamed Moniruzzaman, a PhD student at Laurier. “Economy is not a factor for [the migrants], in fact environmental issues motivated them to come here,” said Moniruzzaman.
HEALTH
Concussion research takes recent grad overseas Laura Fedy will be travelling to Berlin in October to present her findings on balance recovery SAFINA HUSEIN LEAD REPORTER
Laura Fedy, a recent graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and Michael Cinelli, a Laurier professor, will be attending and speaking at the fifth annual International Consensus Conference on Concussions in Sport in Berlin this coming October. The conference, held every four years, consists of those from around the world who are leaders in concussion research. These individuals produce a consensus statement, which regards the state of affairs of concussions at that point in time.
I saw that there were a lot of gaps in research on concussions and also a lack of information that the public knows. -Laura Fedy, Laurier graduate
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
Laura Fedy is travelling to Berlin this October to present her findings and research on concussions.
One of the problems with concussions is people assume that once you’re symptom free, you are clear of the concussion. -Laura Fedy, Laurier graduate
This includes the validated techniques to diagnose and manage concussions, as well as prevention and protocols in regards to the
injury. Fedy and Cinelli plan to present their findings at the conference. Specifically, they will be speaking about their research in regards to balance recovery after a concussion occurs. Cinelli, an associate professor in kinesiology and physical education at Laurier, began conducting concussion research in 2010. Together, Fedy and Cinelli began doing balance control studies with varsity athletes at Laurier. Hoping to create a test that would help to understand whether people had recovered fully from their concussion, they found huge gaps in their discoveries.
“One of the problems with concussions is people assume that once you’re symptom free, you are clear of the concussion,” explained Cinelli. The research showed that balance control did not necessarily recover after the symptoms had dissipated, as each individual demonstrates various issues of balance control post-concussion. Once they compared the behaviours of people with base line testing, the research started to show the extent of the differences in balance control abilities or impairments. “We were then determining how necessary it is to get baseline
tested, so you have a comparison for if you were to get a concussion,” said Fedy. Fedy’s interest in concussion research began when she was approached by Team Up Against Concussions Laurier, who was recruiting volunteers to join their group in the second-year of her undergraduate degree. “Just from this group I saw that there were a lot of gaps in research on concussions and also a lack of information that the public knows about concussions and on how to handle them,” explained Fedy. Passionate about concussions and possessing the desire to help more people heal, rather than hurt,
Fedy decided to focus on concussion research for her fourth-year thesis study and undergraduate research topic. Fedy plans to attend graduate school in the future to pursue a career in physiotherapy or as a chiropractor. “My goal, ultimately, is to open a clinic for both research purposes and treating purposes for concussions.” Fedy explained how getting involved and conducting research at Laurier greatly helped her to clarify her future goals, noting that Laurier, being a smaller campus, allowed her to work with professors who helped her narrow in on something she enjoys. “If I didn’t do this research,” she said, “it wouldn’t have led me to where I know I want to go in the future.”
12 • NEWS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
PROGRAMMING
Small changes made to services Healthy Lifestyles and Peer Connect to focus on changing mandates EMILIA CURCIC NEWS EDITOR
This coming year, the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union will not be seeing many changes in the services and programming department. With no addition of completely new services, students can only expect existing services to be improved. According to Kimberly Hutchings, vice-president of services and programming at the Students’ Union, students can look forward to changes enforced by the services themselves rather than these made by the Students’ Union. After deciding to eliminate the Peer Connect Line last year, Peer Connect will be facing some changes within the service to accommodate for the loss of the line, while continuing to provide mental health awareness and education on campus.
Ideally, we would like to work more with community partners, but I think we’ll see that progress throughout the school year. -Kimberly Hutchings, vicepresident of services and programming
“Peer Connect is kind of focusing on filling the gap for where that line would have supported students and making sure that students are still getting all of the support and access that they would have been offered with the line, but just from one committee instead of splitting it into two,” said Hutchings. Food Bank is expected to
FILE PHOTO
This year, changes will be enforced by Laurier services themselves, rather than made by the Students’ Union.
continue operating without many changes. They plan on continuing the hot meal program which was introduced last year. Laurier’s Healthy Lifestyles Committee, which is dedicated to promoting safe sex, stress relief activities, smart drinking habits, consent and healthy habits to the Laurier community, will be focusing more on an all-encompassing physical health mandate this year, rather than focusing solely on safe sex and alcohol awareness as per their previous mandate, adds Hutchings. According to Healthy Lifestyles
coordinator, Kaylee Boulton, the mandate has been changed to promote eating healthy, as well. This year will also come with the introduction of three first-year education events throughout the semester instead of floor talks. When it comes to working with community members, the Students’ Union has made it an active part of their services in the past and hopes to continue to do so this year. “That kind of comes with what each coordinator has decided they want to do for the year. Ideally, we would like to work more with com-
munity partners, but I think we’ll see that progress throughout the school year,” said Hutchings. As for first-year programming, the Students’ Union will continue to support their First-Year Project committee. The committee will hire 11 firstyear executives that will spend the year planning events geared towards fellow first-year students. Their first event will be ‘Return to the O,’ happening on September 22. The event will be held in the Turret for all first-year students and O-Week volunteers to relive some of the O-Week energy.
LRT construction running smoothly SAFINA HUSEIN LEAD REPORTER
Throughout the past year, the LRT construction has progressed steadily in Waterloo. The overall Ion Construction in Ontario includes installing 45 kilometres of new underground pipe, followed by the installation of approximately 36,000 metres of LRT track and 56,000 square metres of new sidewalk. Specifically, in uptown Waterloo, there is work being done in four key areas, as explained Melissa Ricci, construction liaison officer with GrandLinq Contractors. These four areas include Caroline Street from Erb Street to Allen Street, Allen Street from Caroline Street to King Street, King Street from William Street to Erb Street, and King Street from William Street to Union Street. Additional closures in uptown Waterloo in the coming months will be the intersection at William Street and King Street for the installation of LRT Tracks, once Caroline Street and Erb Street is reopened. “So far, the weather in Spring and Summer has been very favourable. So we’re excited to say that we’re tracking well and expecting to meet our schedule commitment in uptown Waterloo,” said Ricci. GrandLinq has also recognized the temporary challenges for local businesses that LRT Construction may have caused. “We are committed to finding solutions to the challenges of construction by providing accurate
information to the community and to businesses,” said Ricci. GrandLinq, working alongside Uptown BIA, sends out regular construction updates to uptown businesses to ensure that information is accurate. In addition, GrandLinq has a community relations team that is available to communicate with business owners to regularly address any concerns, as required. This past year, GrandLinq has participated in sponsorship initiatives to promote that businesses remain open. “This year, we provided 20,000 dollars to Uptown BIA. We also provided customer directional maps to approximately 30 businesses,” said Ricci. The maps were posted on the Uptown BIA website and were available to customers in Uptown Waterloo. They outlined the closures and ways to navigate construction. Parking spots in the Caroline North parking lot and St. John’s Lutheran Church lot have been secured for customers who are shopping in uptown during the construction. “We understand the importance of [the] holiday shopping season for businesses in uptown Waterloo. As a result, we are pleased to report we are working, [despite] the challenges, we are on track to complete this construction in time for Christmas shopping season,” said Ricci. The LRT is expected to be in service by 2018, with construction wrapping up by 2017.
NEWS • 13
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 ADMINISTRATION
Laurier appoints new VP: finance and operations Deborah Dubenofsky to take on role of Laurier’s VP: finance and operations from Jim Butler KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
This summer, Wilfrid Laurier University appointed Deborah Dubenofsky as the new VP: finance and operations, taking over for former vice-president of finance and administration, Jim Butler, who served in this role for 14 years. In November 2015, Laurier president, Max Blouw, hired Dubenofsky as the executive director and senior project lead for Laurier’s bid for a Milton campus. Dubenofsky provided support to the leadership team to explore Laurier’s opportunities under the Ontario government’s Major Capacity Expansion Policy Framework. The Framework defines criteria for where new or expanded university or college campuses should be located in Ontario. Currently, Dubenofsky is planning to continue leading the bid for a Milton campus. “The Milton project came with me to this portfolio and it’s an example of the kind of external partnerships and relationships with the provincial government
and with municipal governments that we want to be able to do and to advance so that the university continues to be able to prosper to have great relationships with other levels of government,” she said. During her professional career, Dubenofsky has worked in public service and public-policy advocacy. She has held senior executive roles in both municipal and provincial government, as well as in the private sector. This is her first opportunity in the post-secondary education sector. “It’s challenging, there’s so many opportunities, lots of places where I can use my skills learned in other places to bring a new sense of engagement,” said Dubenofsky. While she just began as the VP: finance and operations, Dubenofsky said the role features a lot of information, especially with the changes that are currently happening at the provincial government level. “Whether it’s tuition funding, funding formula changes, the upcoming strategic mandate agreement negotiation, there’s an awful lot, including the transition to the
I’m really looking forward to the challenge and I’m really looking forward to continue providing a contribution where I can. -Deborah Dubenofsky, VP: finance and operations
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Responsibility Centre Management budget model, that really makes this a very, very exciting time for Laurier.”
Dubenofsky is also a member of Laurier’s executive leadership team. As VP: finance and operations, Dubenofsky will be provid-
ing support to the Laurier Board of Governors, as well as to Senate and to other various committees. “[I am] also sitting as a member of the president senior leadership team, providing advice on the broad range of services in the finance and administration portfolio,” said Dubenofsky. Dubenofsky only joined the Laurier community last year, however she is looking forward to what she can offer to the university. “I’m really looking forward to this challenge and I’m really looking forward to continue providing a contribution where I can.”
14 • 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 Diary, Mood: Apathetic My life is spiraling downward. I couldn’t get enough money to go to the Blood Red Romance and Suffocate Me Dry concert. Sincerely, It doesn’t help that I couldn’t get my hair to do that flippy thing either. Dear Life, Good luck to the baddest group of mofos around on their O-Week issue and weekly production. I’ll be watching from afar in admiration. Sincerely, A life long fan Dear Life, I wonder if Pretty Little Liars will ever figure out a single story line or if there will be a new ‘A’ until I have grandchildren. Oh and I think this show is the cause of my anxiety. Sincerely, Probably the next A
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 Dear Life, Fuck crippling mental illness. Sincerely, The school year hasn’t even started yet Dear Life, Slow down a little? Those summer courses just finished, I’m not ready for fall ones to start. Sincerely, Burnt out Dear Life, This year, we’re going to focus on you. Nothing is more important than you, no matter what anyone says. Mental health is so important and the grades, extracurriculars, and commitments can’t exist without you in the first place. You’re most important, and my goal is to try to do what’s best for us, even when it’s overwhelming. We’re going to be okay. We’re going to make it through this. We’re going to thrive this year. Nothing is more important than life. Sincerely, Suicide is never the answer Dear Life, My crush is PGL Sincerely, Be my lady Dear Life, You’d be a lot easier if my eyes were evenly open in selfies Sincerely, Squinty Left
GAMES • 15
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16 • PHOTO SPREAD
SUMMER 2016 IN PHOTOS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
PHOTO SPREAD • 17
PHOTOS BY ANDREAS PATSIAOROUS/ONLINE EDITOR,PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR, MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER, VICTORIA PANACCI/PHOTOGRAPHER
18 •
FEATURES
FEATURES EDITOR/MITCHELL CONSKY/FEATURES@THECORD.CA
FRESH PICKS ON LORIS
Editor-in-Chief Bethany Bowles looked into new course and program offerings this year Every year, Wilfrid Laurier University introduces a plethora of new courses and programs that generally go under the radar. Like in the business world, if a new product is not marketed well, consumers won’t know that they can access it. Post-secondary institutions work a lot like this. Because there are so many courses and even services offered to such a large amount of people every year, knowing about everything that’s available to you, as a student, is impossible. Much like any other September, the school has revamped old programs and courses to meet the needs of changing generations. While you can always find this information online, I’ve taken it upon myself (with the help of several professors, deans and administrative professionals) to notify you, both new and returning students of Laurier, of all the incoming options you have within the four main faculties (or schools) on the Waterloo campus: arts, music, business and science.
FACULTY OF ARTS INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING OPTION This new option, under the faculty of arts, is directly associated with the anthropology program. This option consists of four credits, two mandatory credits from anthropology and two elective credits from a wide range of programs, such as global studies, religion, sociology and history. This option focuses on ethnography, multiculturalism and understanding diversity.
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY GG300EA, otherwise known as Political Geography, is a new course brought to the geography department and will be taught by Dr. Alison Mountz, Canada research chair in global mitigation. This course will aim to focus on sovereignty, United States exceptionalism, onshore and offshore operation and power.
WRITING FOR CAREER AND COMMUNITY MINOR This new minor, which falls under the English and film studies department, aims to enhance the communication skills necessary in most work places.
GLOBAL STUDIES CONCENTRATIONS Within the global studies department, three concentrations have been more clearly developed to make studies within global studies more specific. Now, students can have a more specialized field of study appear on their transcript if they choose to pursue global studies in addition to their major. The three concentrations are, international development studies concentration, globalization and culture concentration and peace and conflict studies concentration. Each concentration consists of three credits.
NORTH AMERICAN STUDIES North American studies is offering a new second-year course called Decolonizing North America. This course will focus on relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in North America. The course will be taught by George Kennedy, an Aboriginal scholar from First Nations.
NEW UPPER LEVEL FRENCH COURSES Two third-year French courses are being launched in the languages and literature department this year. Now students can enroll in Francophone Myths, Legends and Voodoo or Graphic Novels and Animation.
POLITICAL SCIENCE This year, political science is staying up to date with current events by offering a second-year course called Government I: The Polarization of American Politics and a third-year course called The Global Politics of Human Displacement and Refugees. They are also offering a minor in public policy, which consists of three credits, and hopes to bring communication skills and policy together, to prepare students for a competitive labour market.
VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL - LAURIER PATHWAY This collaborative program between both Laurier and the Vancouver Film School allows students to obtain both a Laurier honours BA in film studies and a certificate from the Vancouver Film School in film production, writing and acting in four years.
GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAMS Two new multi-disciplinary programs are being introduced this year by the biology, chemistry and geography and environmental studies departments. These programs are called applied water science and environmental science.
FEATURES
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 • 19
LAZARIDIS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ECONOMICS This year, the economics department is offering one new course. EC310A: Special Topics in Writing, is being taught by Jordana Garbati of the Writing Centre. This course is only available to economics students and will focus on writing for the field of economics.
BUSINESS ENTR100: Introduction to Business Principles for Entrepreneurs is a new first-year course designed for non-business students. On the other end of the spectrum, BU493: Financial Markets and Securities Trading, is a new fourth-year business course students can sign up for.
FACULTY OF MUSIC BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN COMMUNITY MUSIC This year, the faculty of music is launching a whole new program called bachelor of music in community music. With an incoming class of 35 students, this new program also brings with it four new classes: Community Music Skills, Community Music Ensemble, Class Voice and Class Drumming.
MUSIC THERAPY Introduction to Music Therapy is not a new first-year course, but this is the first year that the course will be open to students outside of the faculty of music. Also, a new third-year course in music therapy will be introduced this year. The course is called Music, Culture and Community and will be taught by Dr. Colin Lee.
BECKETT SCHOOL While the Beckett School is not for credit, it is still an awesome new offering that the faculty of music has this year. Located at 190 Lester Street, the Beckett School offers private instrumental instruction to everyone, regardless of program, age, etc. For students who played an instrument in high school, but are not pursuing music in post-secondary, this option is a great way to continue on with that hobby.
FACULTY OF SCIENCE MATHEMATICS Three new courses coming to the mathematics department this year are Mathematical Statistics, Regression Analysis and Monte Carlo Methods.
BIOLOGY This year, there are four new fourthyear courses added to the biology department. The courses are called Conservative Biology, Fish Physiological Adaptations, Honours Thesis in Environmental Science and Directed Study in Environmental Science. Conservative Biology discusses the mitigation of human impact and how global biodiversity is maintained. Fish Physiological Adaptations is about, you guessed it, adaptation in fish, while studying aquatic habitats. The new Honours Thesis course is a yearlong, full-credit course that focuses on individual research.
PHYSICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE The department of physics and computer science will also see three new upper-year courses this year: Android Programming, Data Mining and Enterprise Computing and Physical Computing: Digital Interfacing in an Analog World. Android Programming will focus on how to write programs for the Android mobile device. Data Mining and Enterprise Computing is being offered as the faculty realizes that data mining is becoming a very important field within computer science. Physical Computing will discuss the “Internet of Things” which is becoming a growing topic of conversation in the workplace.
FIRST-YEAR SCIENCE This year, the faculty of science is offering SC100: Introduction to the Science of Everyday Life. The course uses a range of topics from both an individual level (such as health and nutrition) to a societal level (such as pollution, energy use and climate change). The goal is that the course will appeal to non-science students.
GRAPHICS BY WILL HUANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
20 •
FEATURES EDITOR/MITCHELL CONSKY/FEATURES@THECORD.CA
Let’s walk away from the beer-guzzling mayhem of Animal House and the jarring sexual nervousness of American Pie. Don’t get me wrong. Those classics are as lovable as they are laughable, inspiring following generations long after their release dates, enlightening paths of raging alcoholism and explicit nudity amongst a catapult of unforgettable stories. But what’s Greek Life really about? Switch off your douche-bag-detectors and gather around, Golden Hawks — I’m about to expose one of the best decisions I’ve made in my university career. When entering first-year, I had no intention of joining a frat. I didn’t know much about them and was mostly unaware of their existence in Canada. Also, getting hammered and meeting friends seemed like an inevitability that didn’t need to be paid for in advance. Well, it wasn’t long until I received my ‘bid’ — an invitation into a fraternity recruitment program. Pledging was a foreign concept and sounded awfully similar to some ceremonial cult ritual to praise the Devil. I’ve seen Old School — if these guys were planning on bringing a rope and brick anywhere near me, I’d take a hard pass and run far, far away. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. Pledging and later becoming a brother busted open countless doors to enriching experiences, motivating me to be a better student, inspiring community leadership and forging some incredible bonds throughout the student body—no bricks and rope required. Grab some tissues folks. I’m about to get emotional. The best problem a man could encounter is having too many ‘best men’ to choose from. In my fraternity, I met guys that will stay with me for the rest of my life, guys I know will be roasting my ass with a wine glass in hand as I sit next to my newly-wed-wife and lower my head in exasperating embarrassment. These are the guys that’ll be there for the lows and highs, who I’ll travel with, talk about our kids with and eventually sit around arguing about retirement plans when we’re wrinkled old farts with a lifetime of stories up our sleeves. They’ll be my brothers long after undergrad. But what separates fraternity brothers and sorority sisters from any other group of friends you’ll bond with? What difference does Greek Life make at Wilfrid Laurier University and beyond? Here’s what many other representatives have to say about it. “My icebreaker was actually in a frat and he encouraged me to check out all the other fraternities,” said Pi Kappa Alpha’s chapter president, Xavier Prosper, going into his fourth-year at Laurier.
I’m speechless when I think of the friendships I made. They’re real, they’re genuine, they care for you. - Rachel Coombs, chapter president of Alpha Phi
FEATU
“They started talking to me about the more professional side of things. How they give back to the community and help in terms of personal development.” Now Prosper is currently an icebreaker himself, hoping to inspire the same impactful perspective within younger students. “Part of your academic success will be based on being properly integrated in different social groups. I want to show where they can participate in the school. I want to help them find somewhere they can belong and allow them to give back to the community.” Beyond the networking, philanthropy and community involvement, building bonds is the most important aspect of joining a Greek Life organization. “I met my best friend in my pledge class. We’ve been very close since,” Prosper said. “A lot of people always assume that we came from high school together, but we met through the frat and bonded right away.” Similarly, I met one of my own best friends through pledging my fraternity. Thanks to a memorable assortment of fraternal shenanigans, we’ve become inseparable. People always assume we’ve known each other for years prior—I guess that’s just part of the brotherly charm.
Prosper later mentioned that he and his fraternity brothers actively volunteer with the National Service Dogs of Canada — just one of many ways they give back to the community. “I always thought that it was the typical American film where all the girls had to look perfect all the time and there was hazing and girls were catty,” said Rachel Coombs, chapter president of Alpha Phi, going into her fourth-year at Laurier. “Once I did come to Laurier I found out that Greek Life is very different from that. Everyone in Greek Life is very passionate about community service and philanthropy. It was just a group of girls that wanted to do good and have fun together.” Alpha Phi organizes a Red Dress Gala every year, where all proceeds go towards Women’s Heart Health. Coombs went on to further explain how her sisterhood also guided her towards campus involvement and accepting new experiences with open arms. “I’m speechless when I think of the friendships I made. They’re real, they’re genuine, they care for you. A couple of these best friends I know I’ll live with in the future, they’ll be my future bridesmaids.” Now, I’m not trying to bombard you with a high-voltage blast of Greek propaganda that promises you’ll find your bridesmaids and best men. I’m just
URES
saying, a lot of us feel similar about the relationships we’ve built. I asked her what she’d say to an incoming first-year, on the fence about going Greek. “Try it out. It doesn’t hurt to go to recruitment events and see what that organization is truly about. Maybe one of their values will click with you. Or you’ll meet someone you want to get to know more. I’d say just go for it.” “Within Greek Life, obviously we have philanthropy work and getting involved in charities around the community and beyond, but we also let each other know about opportunities,” said Sarah Tyler, chapter president of Alpha Omega. “Personally, I got involved with being a campus ambassador because I had a sister who was a campus ambassador before me. She got me the resources I needed in being successful while applying to that job.” Tyler later explained to me that Alpha Omega’s main philanthropy initiative is Anselma House, a women and children’s shelter in Kitchener, supporting survivors of domestic violence and abuse. One of the events they hold to raise funds is their Guilty Pleasures All-You-Can-Eat Bake Sale each semester.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 • 21
If Greek Life didn’t exist, and if people in Greek life weren’t as passionate as they are, the community would suffer. - Michael Pinchin, chapter president of Zeta Psi
“If Greek Life didn’t exist, and if people in Greek Life weren’t as passionate as they are, the community would suffer,” said Micahel Pinchin, chapter president of Zeta Psi. “There could be other clubs that try and accomplish the same goals, but no one could do it as good as Greek Life. That’s because of the depth behind our intentions. There’s certain ideals that we’re sworn to.” He mentioned that all of us are so much more than school clubs. We’re brothers and sisters sworn to matching ideals of leadership, with some organizations carrying international histories going back over a hundred years. This massive network, with numerous chapters expanding throughout the globe, also leads to countless connections in professional fields. Despite mainstream misconceptions of opposing frats and sororities being innately sworn to hateful rivalry, the massive collaboration between our four fraternities and two sororities recognized on campus allows the ultimate impact to be made. Collectively we make the biggest difference. “You just want to see everyone succeed and do well, and we want to help our brothers,” said chapter president of Sigma Chi and fourth-year business student, Louis Pfeifer. “Through that you get these incredible bonds. A lot of normal campus clubs don’t really have that closeness and strive to help each other succeed. Not
even just success, but being happy. If you’re depressed, we’re there for you.” “We really encourage guys to be leaders, not just in the fraternity but on campus and in the community. That’s something that we try to foster.” One of Sigma Chi’s yearly initiatives is a Cancer walk to raise money towards the Hudson Cancer Foundation. Each member of each organization pays ‘dues’ — a pool of money going towards events and experiences. Much like a bunch of buddies pooling money together for a big road trip, a fraternity is no different. Without the change for gas, the tires just can’t hit the road. My brothers and I at Alpha Epsilon Pi hold a yearly “Man Service Auction” to raise money for Grand River Hospital. Services entail carrying your books, washing your car, cooking you a meal or taking you out on a date . Yes, some of us are single. These boys are my intramural team, my workout buddies, my study partners, my housemates and my hooligan friends hoping to get the best out of our undergrad experience. I’m not denying that the stereotypes of degenerate fraternity boys and snobby sorority girls aren’t real in some parts of North America — I follow Total Frat Move in bewildered amazement. But I know they’re not here at Laurier. And you don’t need to rid your wardrobe of anything that isn’t polo shirts and tacky pants, either. The diversity of each organization is open to students from all walks of life. No matter where you come from, where you stand financially, your ethnicity or sexual orientation, Greek Life will gladly open our arms in acceptance. Regardless of our letters, being fellow Golden Hawks is the fuel to our unity. Do we party? Absolutely. But in contrast to organizations outside of Waterloo that have been penalized for excessive alcoholism or hazing, it’s important to realize that times have changed. A group of students coming together to make a difference will always be more powerful than racking in keg-stand scores and being victorious in a rampant battle of flip cup. But I do hold some records in that regard, too. I know…so frat, bro. When young minds, thirsty for change, come together through diversity, community involvement and everlasting friendships, the results are undeniably beneficial. Whether or not Greek Life is right for you, getting involved on campus while meeting people who will unconditionally stay by your side will make your time at Laurier an experience to remember.
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24 •
Arts & Life NIGHTLIFE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR MANJOT BHULLAR arts@thecord.ca
What your bar says about you
LENA YANG/CORD ALUM
Phil’s
The Order
Dallas
If you got Phil’s then you’re cheap and dirty, my friend, but that’s okay because that just means you know how to party. School gets expensive, so those generously affordable shots are perfect for you. Your ideal night is sloppy, silly and probably ends with several bouncers shoving you out the door. If you aren’t drenched in other people’s liquor by the end of the night, you aren’t living. Legend has it the floors are so sticky at Phil’s that the staff are tasked with scraping at least three drunken students off the floor with shovels each night. They say scraping duty is the worst job one can have at Phil’s.
Your intention is to dance to some catchy beats. EDM, rap, underground bass. If you’re a part of the LGBTQ community and looking to meet someone, this is the the best club in uptown to do so. You tend to like quaint spaces where the photographer knows you by name and so do the regulars. As a child, you belted the Backstreet Boys lyrics and you’ll continue to do so at The Order. Legend has it that the washroom in The Order has a secret passageway that leads to each bar in uptown, used in the olden days by the first members of the sacred Order. Some say you can only find the passageway with the use of Grindr.
Just because you’re a small-towner at heart, doesn’t mean you don’t like to throw down a major hoedown when you get the chance. You’re most comfortable grooving to songs about Silverado grills in your plaid shirt and ripped jeans. Since you like to live on the wild side, you’ll have your eye on the Dallas bull the moment you walk into the club. Legend has it that beneath the floorboards of Dallas lies the graveyard of a thousand long, lost Chevy’s. Some say that on the quietest nights you can even hear the soft whimpers of a honky-tonk who cries for the fallen, metal stallions of the past.
Chainsaw
Pub on King
Brixton
Your ideal night is spent sitting down with a cold beer, talking with pals. You’ve been looking for a chance to blow off some steam with friends. Once you’ve had enough to drink you’re basically a Broadway star, so get up on that karaoke stage and let’s see you make a fool of yourself. Legend has it that karaoke at Chainsaw is what inspired Canadian Idol. Some argue against that and say American Idol was in fact the inspiration behind it. We will truly never know the answer to such a profound question.
You got Pub on King, so you’ve been sorted as the Hufflepuff of all drunks. You’re more on the preppy side, probably a hockey bro or sorority girl. Having good conversation by the bar is your style, but you’ll also step up to the dance floor when the right song comes on. Drink up, grab some affordable food and make new friends because this is the right place to do it. Legend has it that Pub on King was once Fox and the Fiddle.
Congratulations, you’re a sophisticated drunk, or at least you like to pretend to be. You dress to impress and have an elaborate story tucked in your back pocket that you’ll conveniently amaze your buddies with at any moment. Legend has it that one of the books on the back wall of Brixton contains a secret map that leads to a marvelous fraternity treasure. Some say this treasure contains the golden paddle of the long lost fraternity, Alpha-Omegatron. - Andreas Patsiaouros
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Freshtival lacks juice with small crowd MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
K-W, more than many other cities, engages with its residents through community events throughout the year. As a popular concert venue, Maxwell’s hosted it’s very first Freshtival, a daylong indie festival where artists and vendors gathered to celebrate community on August 27. One of the artists featured was Wilfrid Laurier University’s very own Last Minute, a band composed of second-year music students Justin Smith, Braydon Kains, Zemar Hakim and James Baker. Having been together for just under a year, the band has been making waves in the city coming just short of a performance
at KOI Fest. The band was formed similar to how you’d imagine. A solo jam session in a residence dorm turned to a duo and then a trio and finally a quartet. Before they knew it, they were up on stage at Maxwell’s for the first time. Reflecting on their progression, drummer Justin Smith said, “We’ve gotten accustomed to it now. The first time we went up was very nerve wracking.” The band, although young, is very committed to their craft. “We have decided, if we absolutely need to, we will drop out of university and pursue this career,” said Smith. Such conviction from a young band gives hope to creating another notable Laurier artist for years
to come. Booking studio time and recording original content at Studio A in Kitchener is where Smith says he’ll be taking on his next project. “In late September [I’ll be going] to record my first solo album.” While still being committed to the band, Smith says his focus is always on solely one project: depending on the availability of his Last Minute band mates. Last Minute, ironically, was slotted to open Freshtival, which resulted in playing to a desolate crowd. Despite the poor turnout to the midday performance, the band were unbothered, playing through their seven song set with full emotion. From first listen, the band had something to offer to the Waterloo music scene and is taking advan-
tage of their unique position. Hopes were initially high, as Smith said, “I think its going to be a lot of fun for everyone, especially for the bands who’ve never played Maxwell’s before.” Due to the lengthy program, its hard to expect a crowd to attend a festival for over ten hours. Poor planning may have resulted in the band receiving the short end of the stick, however Last Minute made it work. By the end of the set, it was easy to forget that they are budding second-year students and is only evident their detached aesthetic. Presenting a collective image goes a long way to package your craft nicely for the audience. Perhaps staying true to their name—this aesthetic was the perfect decision
for the band. This isn’t Smith’s first musical venture. “This is the first committed band I’ve been a part of. I’ve been a part of two other bands that didn’t really take off from Hamilton,” he said. Learning from past experiences and yet having such drive is admirable; it’s a shame that this particular appearance had poor attendance. Expectations run high as Laurier students wait to see just how far they can take their music. The Laurier community should make it our goal to support all of our talent, for who knows—the next best thing could be right here, in our own backyard. As for Freshtival, an event more closely timed in the future would help assure support for each artist.
ARTS & LIFE • 25
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Don’t snooze on these dorm essentials MADELINE MCINNIS OPINION EDITOR
There’s no doubt that back-toschool sales are tempting to the best of us frugal shoppers, and it’s pretty hard to separate the junk from the jewels. What’s worth the splurge? What are the things that a university student should not live without?
Protective Laptop Case
From the group chat for planning Phil’s nights, to handing in assignments on MyLearningSpace, your laptop will be your life at Laurier and you have to make sure it’s in working order. Whether you choose a hard or soft case, it’s worth the investment to protect your new (expensive) best friend, especially when it will be travelling every day with you. Picking a case can be a battle in itself. If your laptop overheats easily, a soft case won’t restrict airflow and will allow your laptop to calm down a little. Hard cases are better if you’re prone to dropping your laptop. Think of your phone—would you put on a decorative soft case or a protective one?
USB Drive
Bathrobe
Humidifier
Extra Phone Cord
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, shit happens. The only thing worse than writing an essay for the class you hate is writing an essay for the class you hate, a second time. Carry a USB and use it liberally. The ones with a key ring are great because you’ll never forget it and it keeps everything together. You never know when you’re going to need it and it’s important to make sure you have a backup.
Res life is no fashion show, folks. If you’re already in your pyjamas and have to run to pop some popcorn, there’s no way you’ll want to get dressed again. Throwing on a bathrobe just gives you that extra layer. Besides, it’s comfortable! Keep it close for emergency situations, too—you do not want to be the one that’s stuck outside in a towel during a fire alarm.
You’re not always going to have control over the AC or heating in your room, which means you can’t control all that dry air either. It can actually give you headaches, affect concentration and disrupt sleep if it’s too dry, especially if you’re from a humid climate. Even if you don’t have room for a full size, there’s always the personal size you attach a plastic water bottle to! This is an inexpensive way to keep both healthy and sane.
Printer Cord
EduRoam doesn’t let you print wirelessly. Everyone on my floor in firstyear found this one out the hard way. It’s annoying to have to plug it
Let’s be honest here, it’s just not realistic that your phone battery will last you all day, every day. It can be a scary situation if your phone is dead and you need to call Foot Patrol. Carrying an extra cord or a battery pack on you can save you these worries, especially when there are outlets all over campus and in most classrooms. LENA YANG/CORD ALUM
in every time you need to print something, but it’s the only way it’ll happen unless you go to The Hub. It’s also super helpful for when your roommate is lagging the wifi with excessive Netflix use and you’re just trying to print your assignment.
Quality Headphones
It will be worth the splurge when trying to block out noise. Whether they’re used for a late night study session, the walk across campus or blocking out your roommate’s hair dryer, quality headphones will be your best friend.
Reusable Water Bottle
Laurier has great filters around campus where you can refill for free. Not only will you be saving money and environment, you’ll feel better if you’re hydrated. The simplest way to stay hydrated is to always have a bottle on you.
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26 • ARTS & LIFE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
STUDY TIPS
DON'T GET YOUR FEATHERS RUFFLED THIS YEAR, HAWKS
KIRA GELBARD/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
NICOLE STUMPF CORD ARTS
There is always a certain level of excitement and anticipation at the beginning of every school year. If you are a new Golden Hawk, it means meeting new people and navigating through university life. For the more experienced Golden Hawks, it means meeting up with friends and sharing summer memories. That excitement is soon replaced by anxiety over coursework and looming deadlines. Michael Lisetto-Smith, a learning strategist at Wilfrid Laurier University, provided insights on
how to manage course work and stress. Lisetto-Smith suggested that in order to tackle a larger assignment, students should break it down into ‘soft due-dates.’ These refer to the idea of “taking those bigger projects and breaking them down into smaller ones,” stated Lisetto-Smith. Lisetto-Smith suggested that students can use the assignment planner offered by the writing center to create these soft due-dates. Essentially, a student records the due date for their assignment and the assignment planner breaks it down into smaller components. A good study space is necessary
for student success. Lisetto-Smith said that one of the most important aspects of having a permanent study space is to make sure everything has a place that it can go to. By having your supplies and materials all in one space, more productive studying time will take place, opposed to wasting time looking for said materials. Another aspect of a good study space is creating a space that caters to your own personal needs and learning style. Lisetto-Smith used the example of students who prefer the outdoors can recreate those aspects of adding the outdoors, inside. This can include plants or
even a water feature to make an indoor space more outdoorsy. Some students may also benefit from having some type of white noise within the background while they study, Lisetto-Smith said. As technology becomes more and more interwoven into our daily lives, it can serve as a helpful tool for students to remain on task for school. Applications including blogs, videos and computer tricks can be ways of helping students stay calm during stressful times. Blogs have become a popular medium to share ideas and tips. There are many blogs that can help guide students on how to manage all of their coursework. Blogs written by students like, College Info Geek, Organized Charm and Life as a Dare provide insights on how to succeed in post-secondary life and managing stress, time management and balancing academic life. Videos can also provide guidance on how to succeed at school. Lisetto-Smith stated that he uses the YouTube channel called AsapSCIENCE, which was created by former University of Guelph students. The channel features videos to help students improve their academic work. Many students are familiar with the Microsoft Suite and have likely used it at one point within their academic careers. It can be used to ease the stress of many students.
One tool that can be found on Microsoft Word is the references feature to help students create a bibliography. Simply go to the references tab and select the citation style that you wish to use and fill in the information with the corresponding box. Another computer tip is available through your Laurier student email account. In the account, you can use Google calendar to set up certain deadlines that can then send you notifications of upcoming assignments. Your student email also allows you to share documents. This is great for group assignments where you can invite the other members of your group to edit the assignment. This can work very well for presentations and allow students to add to the assignment without having to physically meet with each other. Even though technology can be a useful asset in helping students achieve their goals, it can also be their biggest obstacle. Lisetto-Smith described social media as a main contributor to distraction. He tells students that there is software available that can be used to help block out those sites. With the new semester underway, now is the time to get organized and ready for academic success. Make this the semester to make organizational changes and reach your goal GPA.
ARTS & LIFE • 27
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 RESTAURANTS
RELATIONSHIPS
Sushi takes on a new roll MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
If you’re a foodie, you’ve probably wandered deep outside the limits of the Waterloo bubble and into Cambridge for this hot bite: sushi burritos and bowls. You heard that right and they are coming full force with two new locations. Owner and operator Aaron Moir, along with his wife, are bringing Hungry Ninja out to both Waterloo and Guelph this month and should be operating shortly after Labour Day weekend. Growing up in Cambridge, with family and friends attending Laurier, Moir is no stranger to the glitz and glam of student living. “I’ve puked on Ezra just like everybody else, so I’m quite familiar,” he said. He gets it and hopes students get Hungry Ninja in return. Moir understands the student mindset of wanting quality food, but at a reasonable price. Offering a 10 per cent discount to students in-store, Hungry Ninja food ranges from $10-$13.
Young love grows old
It’s all about the sauce. We have eight signature sauces, not just your typical soy sauce.
VICTORIA PRANADJAJA CORD ARTS
-Aaron Moir, owner of Hungry Ninja
JOSH AWOLADE/CORD ALUM
“It’s a little bit on the upside of things which I know doesn’t necessarily suit students,” stated Moir, however the restaurant plans to release a new line of cheaper food options. Moier’s wife was a retail manager for Subway franchises, so it was easy to transfer the knowledge over to Hungry Ninja as the concept is very similar. Customers choose from either a bowl or burrito and move through different toppings and types of protein. The first location, in Cambridge, opened only a few months back in
mid-May, but the duo are already investing their returns in the ever growing student populations. “[Cambridge] has gone over very well, so we wanted to get into Waterloo and Guelph because of the student factor, plus it’s a healthy alternative.” With an abundance of all-youcan-eat sushi restaurants in the area, it should be exciting to see what kind of edge Hungry Ninja can bring. “Its all about the sauce. We have eight signature sauces, not just your typical soy sauce,” Moir said.
For vegans, sauce can be a deal breaker, however Aaron assures that the restaurant provides many vegan and vegetarian options. Local buzz has already gotten the owners thinking about creative ways to get the word out to students, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for creative and spontaneous promotions this month. Restaurants with unique food options always seem to do well in the Laurier area, so it will be interesting to see how Hungry Ninja’s approach to Asian cuisine goes with Laurier students.
MUSIC
Back to school music essentials This list of albums is guaranteed to help you achieve your academic goals
Feelin Kinda Free — The Drones For when the school year feels like an endless dirge of curveballs and chaos, leave it to Australian avant-garde outfit, The Drones, to put you in the right mindset to see it through. Feelin Kinda Free is a menacingly skittish rock saga that feels near impossible to pin down in terms of tone. From track to track, it is capable of shifting its sound from enigmatically desolate soundscapes to biting sarcastic grooves, with lead singer Gareth Liddiard slurring his provocatively political lyrics with the elegance of a boar. It guides you through up tempo but bleak dance numbers, moody, disjointed ballads, progressive ambience, all while maintaining a sense of harmony. It helps find the meaning and beauty in chaos, making it the perfect soundtrack for the utter mayhem that is the new school year. –Chris Luciantonio
Little Neon Limelight — Houndmouth It’s that time of year again. September can bring on a rush of mixed feelings—excitement for all the possibilities a new school year offers and absolute dread. Little Neon Limelight by Indiana’s quartet, Houndmouth, doesn’t fall short of delivering an album that’s instantly euphoric. From rock’n’roll to country balladry, each song has a spirit and energy which will be your anthem as you get ready for the day and walk into each class feeling like an instant badass. “For No One” may be a quitter track on the album, but it seems to be about life and personal discovery—a true feeling of heading back to the classroom. Houndmouth’s dynamic vocals and harmonies will keep you motivated to and from class and you’ll have a blast listening to each tune. –Tina Nori
Anti — Rihanna This album is an accumulation of so many genres and its difficult for it to not show up in almost any playlist on Spotify. Adding onto her continuous narrative of love lost, there are ballads galore, shattering the blind opinion that Rihanna can’t sing. A personal favourite right now is ‘Love on the Brain.’ For most folks, the first week of classes tack on little work so go ahead and ironically get down to ‘Work’ at your Wednesday night pre. Walking into your first day of class can be nerve-wracking, so your walk in song is just as important as your outfit. Bonus track from the deluxe version, ‘Pose,’ and ‘Needed Me’ are perfect to get your confident walk on. With the album being such a contrast to her previous pop-fueled albums, Rihanna seems to exude her true persona through the music, almost seeping through headphones. –Manjot Bhullar
If I Should Go Before You — City and Colour City and Colour’s latest album weaves through different tones of relaxing indie and soulful rock. Dallas Green’s unique vocals are a wonderful falsetto. The effect is both mysterious and soothing. The album takes the listener on a journey through different sounds. The beginning of the album starts off with more somber rock ,but as the album reaches it’s conclusion, the tracks start to take a more up lifting tone. Tracks like ‘Map of the World’ and ‘Friends’ take on a more traditional country sound. If you’re looking for a more alternative rock and country option, City and Colour’s new album is sure to deliver. –Nicole Stumpf CONTRIBUTED IMAGES
Many say that you never truly forget your first love. This may not necessarily be the first person you fall for, the first person you’re intimate with or the first person you get into a relationship with. They are, however, the first person you reveal your true self to, all your imperfections and your fears. More often than not this can be your high school sweetheart. Most teenagers can’t imagine their life without this person because you’ve spent every moment of your schooling life with them. However, as strong as young love may be, the difficulties that come with a long-distance relationship are just as strong. Sometimes this can result in the ultimatum of breaking up or staying together. Regardless of the outcome, know that you will be okay. For the sake of exploration, lets assume that you two break up. University presents a whole new world for you to explore. Yes, your first love may have seemed like your entire world right now. But once you move into your new dorm, it’s like stepping into a whole other playing field. The rush of falling for someone never changes, regardless if they’re your first, or fiftieth love. You learn something new each time. Many students try the long distance college relationship, leaving some bonds in ruins while others are stronger than they have ever been. Paranoia could either get you out of a failing relationship, or could shoot a good one right in the foot. According Jenna Tse, second-year psychology student at Trent University, her relationship faced problems when they couldn’t keep up with their nightly Skype dates and monthly anniversary visits. Paranoia of infidelity can eventually take a toll on your mood while spending seemingly invaluable time with a loved one. As Tse became increasingly independent, the relationship naturally ended. Ryan Chan, second-year student at the University of Toronto, who is currently in a long distance relationship, stated “trust and communication keep the relationship going strong.” You may wake up one day in your dorm room to realize that life could be so much more than waiting around for someone who isn’t physically there with you. If you and your significant other break up, chances are the seed was already planted and all it took was a little distance. Even though I was devastated when things ended with my high school sweetheart, I’m glad we didn’t work out. Take it in stride. You’ll move on. You’ll get over it.
28 • ARTS & LIFE RESTAURANTS
Abe Erb set to grow
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 RECIPES until brown (about 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and thyme at the end and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt. 3. Spread 1 tsp oil over naan. Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme to pizza. Sprinkle with ricotta. Cook for 5 minutes.
BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Two years ago, Rob Theodosiou opened the doors to Abe Erb, a brewpub in uptown Waterloo and almost instantly, the new venue seemed like a hit among both students and residents of Waterloo. Theodosiou was not new to the restaurant business upon opening Abe Erb, as he also runs Cora’s in uptown. Within a relatively small space, Abe Erb is serving better-than-average bar food, brewing their own beer and operating a small beer store in the back of the restaurant where you can grab Abe Erb merch, or fill up reusable growlers for an inexpensive price. With the level of success Abe Erb has experienced in the past two years, Theodosiou has decided to open a second and much larger location in the Tannery District in Downtown Kitchener. In mid-August, the brewpub announced the new location on their Instagram with a photo of construction occurring in the Tannery District. The caption read, “This larger space will offer a similar brewpub experience, but with increased brewing capabilities and some special design features that we hope will create another unique and vibrant place for enjoying some good food and drink.” Theodosiou explained that heightened customer experience was a goal that he had when opening the first location and hopes to translate that into the new location. “With Abe Erb, itself, we wanted to really concentrate on social experience,” he said. As for food and beer? Those aspects will undergo some changes, too. “The facility itself, beer wise, will be twice the size and about six times the capacity and volume of beer,” Theodosiou said. The existing location in Waterloo is currently launching a new menu as a pilot program for the new location. Theodosiou explained that while the community is constantly asking when the new location will open, that is totally dependent on how quickly they can start brewing the beer and when they can finish construction. While it may seem that Theodosiou could have his hands full with this newest project, he is currently working on several other business ventures, as well. His uptown coffee shop, Settlement Co., will also be opening a new location in Downtown Kitchener and he has also made a deal to start selling his beer at the LCBO in the near future. It is clear that Theodosiou understands that demand is up in K-W and soon enough, he will be creating the supplies to meet that demand.
Res recipes to drool over TINA NORI CORD ARTS
In the world of dining halls, all nighters and Pizza Maniac, it can seem almost impossible to eat healthy while in a university residence. For those skeptics out there who think they don’t have time to make a homemade meal in residence, or think it’s too expensive to eat healthy, think again. Whether you are a seasoned chef or don’t know the difference between a spatula and a whisk, anyone can create these simple recipes with all the resources available in a university residence kitchen. Eating healthy doesn’t mean dieting. You don’t have to sacrifice all your favourite foods. With some simple changes such
as choosing whole-wheat over white breads, drinking in moderation, choosing healthier snacks and a little will power, you might be able to avoid eating processed foods every day. While I can’t help with your classes or laundry, I can help you avoid that freshman 15 with these quick, healthy and budget-conscious recipes. Caramelized Onion and Bacon Sandwich Ingredients: -2 slices Italian bread -1/8th cup of sliced onions -1 tsp extra virgin olive oil -3 slices of mozzarella cheese -1 slice of bacon -Butter for bread Directions: 1. Heat oil on pan over medium
heat. Add onions and bacon and cook until golden brown. You may add some balsamic vinegar for a little added sweetness. 2. Butter both sides of the bread and place mozzarella, onions and bacon on top. Place other slice and top and cook until cheese is melted. Mushroom and Ricotta Pizza Ingredients: -1 piece of whole-wheat naan -3 small sliced cremini mushrooms -2 tsp extra virgin olive oil -1 tsp fresh chopped thyme -1/4 tsp minced garlic -3 tablespoons ricotta (or to taste) -Pinch of salt Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2. Heat 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté
Naan with Nutella and Strawberries Ingredients: -1 piece of whole-wheat Naan -2 tbsp. of Nutella -1/4 cup sliced strawberries (or how many you’d like) Directions: 1. Set oven to broil and heat up naan for 3 minutes 2. Spread Nutella all over naan and cover with strawberries. Easy Granola Ingredients: -2 cups rolled oats -1/2 cup all-purpose flour -1/2 cup brown sugar, packed -1 tsp ground cinnamon -1/2 tsp ground ginger -3 tbsp vegetable oil -1/4 cup apple juice -3 tbsp maple syrup -1/2 cups chopped nuts of your choice -1 ½ cups of dried cranberries Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 2. Combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, oil, juice, and maple syrup in a bowl. Place on baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, tossing a few times. 3. Add cranberries and serve with milk and greek yogurt.
FOOD
Which tacos crumble under pressure? BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
hot sauce. Because this isn’t a Mexican restaurant, they also throw a side of French fries in there, too, which doesn’t totally make sense, but hey, I’d never say no to a side of fries. These tacos are fresh (depending on location), filling and will satisfy that Mexican craving you have when all your friends don’t want to go to a Mexican place with you.
You’re an adult now, which means it’s no longer acceptable to eat tacos from Taco Bell. Hey, I didn’t make the rules, but if you love both tacos and your digestive system, and are new to Waterloo, you should probably check out these places for the best tacos in K-W. Taco Farm Taco farm is great. They have a wide variety of taco options such as fried fish, carnitas and pork belly. They also have arguably the best guacamole in the area, served with super tasty homemade tortilla chips. I’ve been to Taco Farm several times and their tacos are probably the most authentic in the city. They’re served on small corn tortillas with fresh ingredients like corn, cheese and cilantro. My only complaint is that what you order is sometimes inconsistent. I’ve experienced cold tacos, hot tacos, saucy tacos, dry tacos and inconsistent portion sizes. That said, when you get a good one, it can be a glorious experience. Ethel’s If you’re new to Waterloo, you need to know what Ethel’s is. Ethel’s is the definition of dive bar and it’s fantastic. Every Tuesday, Ethel’s serves up four hard shell tacos for
FANI HSIEH /GRAPHICS EDITOR
two dollars, with the purchase of a drink. These tacos are nothing special; they’re literally just shell, meat, cheese and lettuce with your choice of salsa, guac or sour cream. The key to why these are so awesome is both price and familiarity. They’re so darn cheap and so basic, which is why Ethel’s is packed every Tuesday night. I don’t know anywhere else in Waterloo where your meal is cheaper than beer.
Beertown Beertown has a taco trio on their menu, which is actually a pretty tasty dish. Beertown doesn’t specialize in Mexican cuisine, which generally leaves the assumption that anything Mexican they do will be crap, but these tacos are actually my favourite thing on their menu. You get three different tacos: fish, pork and brisket and a kick ass
West of Seoul With K-W’s food truck scene becoming more and more popular, West of Seoul is a truck you should keep an eye out for when walking through the streets of Waterloo. The only thing about this truck is that they have a rotating menu, so I can’t guarantee that they’ll always have the tacos that I had. When I went, I ordered a Japa Dog, which was a very strange hot-dog-meetssushi combo but my friend got the pork tacos. I didn’t like the Japa Dog, but when I had a bite of my friend’s tacos, I immediately regretted not ordering them. The sauce and red cabbage were an awesome addition to the pork. They take an Asian approach to tacos, as opposed to Mexican, but it works. If you ever come across this truck, stick to the tacosI believe them to be their hottest item.
ARTS & LIFE • 29
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 DANCE
Kickin’ it old school with nostalgic moves BRITTANY DITIZIO SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
This past year we’ve seen numerous dance crazes take the social media world by storm and everyone is feeling nostalgic about the most popular dances from our childhood. We’ve seen these moves time and time again, but where did they even come from and why do we even do them? When things come back in style, its usually clothing that your mom used to wear in the ‘80s. For the world’s most recent dance craze, the Running Man is the focal point of bringing things back. Started by a viral video and adapted from late ‘90s New Jersey clubs, the dance is done to a hit pop song called ‘My Boo’ by Ghost Town DJs. The move includes mock running on the spot, which sometimes gets confused with the ‘Running Man’ move of the 80s, which has been done by MC Hammer and Will Smith in the Fresh Prince of Bellaire. There’s no doubt that this move is a fad that may be forgotten soon,
but odds are it’ll be back just like your mom’s neon coloured body suit. Its only been a year since so many people got into the trend of whipping and nae nae-ing. Silento brought the world the song titled ‘Watch Me’ in May of 2015 and just like so many other moves, viral videos broadcasted the mass quantities of people who took part. Most fads aren’t made to last, but there isn’t any guarantees that you won’t bust into the whip and nae nae whenever you hear this song. Chances are the majority of the world participated in this next dance craze by recording videos and posting them online. The Harlem Shake is a song that was produced by Baauer in 2012 and became an instant hit, again not for its lyrics, but by the freestyle craze that came with it. Thousands of videos were made of people doing what seemed to be everyday things, until the ‘Harlem Shake’ lyrics made them jump into a freeform style of dance simultaneously, in big numbers. This one may just have been a fad of 2012,
but you can still watch the many videos on YouTube any time you need a throwback. At the start of a new decade, ‘Teach Me How to Dougie’ was originally recorded by Cali Swag District and became famous not by its lyrics, but by its practiced and perfected dance move, The Dougie. With a series of moves from swaying back and forth while sliding your hand over your head to loosening up your knees for the full effect, this move made 2010 a time to be alive. If you’ve ever heard of Soulja Boy, then you’ll know his most popular hit ‘Crank That (Soulja Boy)’ from 2007. Like most songs on this list, its never the lyrics that truly stuck, it was the dance moves that went with it. The song consisted of two important moves; the ‘superman,’ which involves jumping with your arms back in the form of, well, Superman and the ‘crank that’ move, which involves hopping to one side and cranking your arms in the opposite direction and then vice versa.
LENA YANG/CORD ALUM
You might still remember the moves every now and then when ‘Crank That’ comes on your old school playlist, but odds are the dance is too outdated to repeat. The start of the 21st century brought with it a dance that would travel through the next two decades and never be forgotten by ‘90s kids, everywhere. The Cha Cha Slide was the dance of all school dances, showcasing awkward times that would stick with us forever. From hopping to stepping to sliding, this dance can
be perfected by anyone, mainly because the lyrics tell you exactly when and how to move. The credits for this one belong to DJ Casper who rang in the new century with a craze that definitely left an impact. With the abundance of dance crazes fighting to be the next big thing, they also appear to be lasting shorter and shorter time frames. Whether these dance crazes brought you great embarrassment or were a feat achieved, we can all agree that dance has brought us together throughout the years.
30 •
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Editorial
OPINION EDITOR MADELINE MCINNIS opinion@thecord.ca
Council of Canadian Innovators’ outrageous proposal CCI doesn’t seem to recognize this, either. This new debt would increase the poverty cycle for the students who rely on the grants and bursaries. They come across as very entitled and out of touch with the reality of students. Moving to the United States may actually be beneficial to students as well as to the government. With the exchange rate the way it is, we might be able to pay off our loans faster with the American Dollar. Besides, when Ontario students are employed by a big company outside of the country, it’s free advertising for Ontario universities. It’s boasting the strengths of our programs. So why box our ambitions when they benefit Canadian taxpayers, as well? This could be seen as students being made into a commodity, rather than the people that we are. It makes the argument that we’re only valid to society if we’re contributing money to the Ontario government, otherwise we’re not worth the investment. Essentially, they want to keep Ontario students hostage. If this went through, we’d be trapped in Ontario until we paid back more money on top of the loans we already have. The CCI is also disregarding the fact that we have mobility rights. Legally, we can move wherever we want. Placing a tax on this right should be seen as unconstitutional. Even if this CCI initiative never gets off the ground, it shows the rhetoric working against students in Ontario. The fact we are talking about this issue shows the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance is doing a good job in protecting our students and their rights. Right now, OUSA is emphasizing that Laurier students have nothing to worry about.
The Council of Canadian Innovators’ discussion of charging Ontario students who leave the province after graduation is worrying, angering and also an example of regressive ideology. By restricting Ontario students, does that mean that they also want special job privileges for those graduated from Ontario universities? Or do they just want us to sit around unemployed while students who aren’t trapped to their home countries move to Ontario? Here in Waterloo, we have the Balsillie School of International Affairs, a collaborative between Laurier, University of Waterloo and the Centre for International Governance Innovation. It almost seems like a waste to have an international school if we’re being convinced to stay within Canada. If they’re crying for jobs in these sectors, wouldn’t it make sense to create appealing jobs, rather than threaten us with more debt if we want to move? The truth of the matter is that Ontario is great for tech startups, but if we want to move up in the tech workforce, we have to go to the United States. Students will move to where the jobs are and that’s just not Ontario, right now. Just look at RIM. Until jobs are sustainable in Ontario again, we’re going to go where it’s stable. There are only so many jobs that the new Google building can provide and with so many people coming out of the programs the CCI is suggesting every year, there’s no way all will get jobs in Ontario. So what’s to happen to the rest? What the CCI fails to understand is that students still pay massive amounts of money through our “publicly funded institutions.” Most students have some type of loan and we invest in our education ourselves, which we pay back to the government anyway. We, as students, all know that OSAP is a flawed system, but the
JOSH AWOLADE/CORD ALUM
Giving up those straight A’s ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS ONLINE EDITOR
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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You may have been a bright student in high school, graduated with honours and are now excited to continue to do well throughout your university career. However, in university, there are a lot of ways to actually succeed in the long run and straight A’s aren’t always at the top of that list. When going into your first year, you need to ask yourself what you want to truly get out of your four years at university and what will benefit you the most by the time you graduate. You’ll want to think about what’s more important to you: good marks, the experience to compliment your degree, or the proper balance of both. High school teachers tell you that university work is brutally difficult and you can’t screw around at all. This isn’t entirely true. The work itself isn’t truly hard, but the time commitment and workload from demanded by professor is most definitely unrealistic. The majority of students won’t
actually do all the course readings. Not because they’re shitty students, but because we’re not actual machines. If you want to simply get good grades, you just have to work for them. It’s about the choices you make to get them. If you do simple essays throughout the whole school year and check off the expectations that professors look for as you do it, you can probably land a 75 per cent or above, every time, even if you do it the night before. If you are given the opportunity to do something a little more creative and really challenge yourself, your marks will probably suffer. These kinds of assignments will teach you a lot. They usually take a lot of time and commitment and you wont be able to do that great of a job in the limited time you have to do it. This sucks, but it really just goes back to that question of what you want to get out of university. If you want good grades, then I suggest taking more “bird” courses and breezing through school. If you are the kind of person who wants to challenge yourself, learn new skills and marks aren’t always as important, as long as you achieve that degree by the end, taking courses out of your comfort zone will teach you a lot. The other main thing you want
to consider is that getting work experience, along with that degree, is extremely valuable. I know it’s ridiculous for us to have to go through years of schooling and then still be demanded to have experiences along with it, but that’s just the market. Employers will always want to hire the most qualified person. We go to school with lots of opportunities for student work, as well as clubs and volunteer positions. The awesome thing about post-secondary school clubs is that, in most cases, they will give you valuable, hands on experience that will benefit you after graduation. I was given a great volunteer experience to go on an extracurricular trip and miss school for a week. The responsibility and experience I gained from this was extremely valuable and not something I could have experienced in a classroom. However, the cost of this was missing a few deadlines for school and struggling to submit assignments before leaving on the trip. There is no one way to succeed. You’ll discover what career path you want after university and you will figure out how to get there. The decisions you have to make aren’t always easy, but remember your goals and take the opportunities that will lead you to them.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Opinion
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31
OPINION EDITOR MADELINE MCINNIS opinion@thecord.ca
University teaches more than information Your time at Laurier should be used to develop hope, inspiration, ideas, values and imagination
DON MORGENSON COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTER
Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote in his book, The Aims of Education, “. . . and the gift which the university has to offer all students is the very old one of imagination.” Yet, I do wonder occasionally whether or not formal education just might have the opposite effect, namely a stunting of the precious imagination. Consider for a moment the context in which the university resides. Social networking, cell phones, laptops and many other “bells and whistles” of technology all have merely created a society of alienation and an incivility among us. We pretend we are attending to another while we text, tweet, e-mail, play solitaire on our laptops or launch an internet search on our iPhones. I worry about a future when we send and receive what may constitute “information” but no longer create and share ideas, facing further atrophy of the human imagination.
KIRA GELBARD/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
Ideas and values make significant differences in our lives and our history. For example, we once believed that the earth was not only flat, but also the center of our fiery cosmos. Hippocrates and other early physicians thought diseases were carried by “humers” or fluids in the blood stream and “bloodletting” as well as other strange curative measures thought appropriate. The university is an investment
in the power of ideas. They are protective citadels for those seeking the truth. Mathematicians, scientists, musicians, writers and artists bring a vital interpretive spirit to this truth-seeking enterprise, uniting all of us as pilgrim seekers. But questions continue to nag: are we educating for competence and neglecting a creative conscience? Is learning destined to become another consumer good
or has it already become one more commodity in the marketplace? Are university presidents among the new business CEOs, rather than serving as leaders of institutions, devoted to learning and service? Does the university now serve as an instrument of personal and economic development but fails as guarantor of an open society in which is encouraged the continued asking of challenging questions? The mission statements of most universities suggest a complexity of role expectations—teaching, research, public service, information storage and public policy critique. But as critic Neil Postman argues, educational institutions today are rather asked to worship a variety of gods: the god of economic utility, the god of consumerism and the god of technology. Some would argue such are indeed worthy goals, but these concentrate on the means to many different ends. Bertrand Russell (Authority and the Individual) once wrote, “People who boast of being what is called ‘practical,’ are for the most part, exclusively preoccupied with means. But their’s is only one half of wisdom.” The other half, Russell would argue, is an emphasis on seeking the truth, creating a culture of dis-
sent and focused on meaning and understanding. Our universities must be places where all are invited, even obliged to think about what brings meaning to our lives as well as to the lives of others. It is one of the last places of refuge, where wonder continues to be cultivated and celebrated.
Ideas and values make significant differences in our lives and in our history.
The university has long been one of the important sources of our hope, where our lives are lives of the imagination and only through imagination can we restore peoples’ dignity and return them to their promises and their joys. Then we will finally know what is true, what is beautiful and what is just. That is when we will know what a university is for.
Sexual assault plot devices in Batman: The Killing Joke SHYENNE MACDONALD OPINION COLUMNIST
Note: This article contains content that that discusses sexual and gendered violence. Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s 1988 graphic novel, The Killing Joke, has recently been adapted into film. Produced by Bruce Timm, written by Brain Azzarello and directed by Sam Liu. Both the graphic novel and the film are widely seen as controversial for the mistreatment of Barbra Gordon, also known as the superhero Batgirl. The Killing Joke is sadistic to its core and filled with perverted ideas about the treatment of women, that should never have made it beyond the drawing board. It was a story arc meant to explore the connection between Batman and The Joker, his long time nemesis, as well as their similar origins of being victims of random tragedy and ultimately how easy
it would be for Batman to become The Joker. To make Batman question his sanity, The Joker tortures him through his torture of Barbra. He shoots her, which results in permanent spine damage and forces her to relinquish the mantle of Batgirl. He disrobes her and there is heavy implication that he also rapes her. He then mutilates her and photographs her exposed body. The photos are used to torture Batman as well as Barbra’s father, Commissioner Jim Gordon, who at this point in the story is bound, gagged and imprisoned by The Joker. Of course, it doesn’t work. Like any true superhero that has donned tights and a cape, Batman doesn’t waver. Neither does Jim Gordon, who orders Batman to take The Joker in “by the book” in an attempt to prove to The Joker that chaos doesn’t win. Both Jim Gordon and Batman get the chance to rise above the Joker, to prove that they’re more then this tragedy. As for Barbra? She is forgotten in the story and remained a victim of both The Joker and Moore’s perverted writing. The new film adaption is hardly different, despite Bruce Timm’s
attempts to make the story less misogynistic, he actually managed to make it more so. Simply adding in a half hour of extra Barbra Gordon content doesn’t excuse or legitimize what is done to her, especially when that whole extra half hour includes more misogynistic and violent content. CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) is reduced to torture porn for plot.
The Killing Joke is sadistic to its core and filled with perverted ideas about the treatment of women...
A monologue that boils down Barbra’s inspiration for becoming Batgirl due to amorous feelings toward Batman, a sex scene between Batgirl and Batman and some of the most misogynistic dialogue I’ve ever heard in a DC animated film,
was unsatisfyingly added. There are obvious roots to these problems that can’t be covered up with thirty minutes of trite narration that reads like it was slapped together. The abuse Barbara Gordon experiences in the story—being shot, disrobed, mutilated and photographed, in that order—is hardly unique. It takes only a moment to find multiple examples of the “women stuffed in refrigerators,” trope, a jarring title that calls out the exploitation and unequal violence women are subjected to within comics for the sole purpose of motivating a man to action. Barbara is one of the countless women raped, killed and depowered for the sake of a male character’s plot. Look at Bolland’s expose, which
analogs a desire to kidnap a little girl and keep her locked up in an abandoned sewer until she dies. His motivation being, you need to do bad to understand how to be good. Or, read Moore’s interview with Wizard Magazine from 2006, where he discussed making the decision to injure and abuse Barbra Gordon, he recalls his chief editor of The Killing Joke, Len Wein, saying, “yeah okay, cripple the bitch.” Those five awful (and ableist) words have defined Barbra Gordon for twenty-eight years. Broken, abused and depowered seems to be how these men love their women. They have to stop using women characters as torture porn that only serves to prove the humanity of a man. And we, as readers and viewers, have to stop letting them.
32 • OPINION
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Taylor Swift’s friends are not “squad goals” MADELINE MCINNIS OPINION EDITOR
By now, I’m sure everyone who has any access to social media has heard about Taylor Swift’s “squad” of friends. They’re a clique of female celebrities who show up at her concerts, hold massive parties and support each other through drama. The problem is, they are not a squad, nor are they “goals”. It’s the worst thing to happen to celebrity culture in my lifetime. The media has attached onto this accomplished group of twenty-somethings as the ideal friend group. They’re supportive, encouraging and they do seem to have fun together. But that’s where the positivity ends. The term “squad” refers to a group of people, typically young black individuals, uniting against the oppression they have been faced with. By using squad, we’re recognizing that the specific group of people has faced opposition and have overcome it, or are currently fighting it, together. Swift’s gaggle of supermodels and A-listers are appropriating the term and taking the identity away from the oppressed.
Also, it’s simply just not true. This “squad” had a lot less struggles in life than most of us. Gigi Hadid was already modelling for Guess at age two. She comes from a family of a model, a music producer and a real-estate entrepreneur worth about $200 million, according to the Business Insider. Cara Delevingne comes from a long line of upper class London families, including Lord Mayors and actresses. Swift herself came from a long list of bankers. Her family financially supported her singing from the very beginning. She received a convertible Lexus for her sixteenth birthday. Though all the ladies are very talented, they would not be where they are without the boost of their wealthy families and connections. Their struggles are petty compared to the ones the term “squad” refers to. Though some, such as Selena Gomez, worked their way up in the industry on their own, by the time they were in the “squad” they were already extremely successful. From any given picture of the friends, their privilege is obvious. The vast majority are all very white. They’re blonde, tall and slim. They all have “pretty” faces. They’re the faces in front of the cameras, not the faces behind them. They’re what the system puts up on a pedestal, all wrapped up into one group and glorified as being
the perfect friends. Because of this group, our sense of image has changed as a culture. Society’s no longer just attacking our self-image, it’s attacking our support systems as well. For as long as I can remember, it was always about what you look like and how you act. Now, that’s expanded to how your friends look and act when they’re with you. I don’t know anyone with a friend group that’s like Taylor Swift’s, and I probably don’t want to. I kind of picture it like a scene from Mean Girls in the real world. But this is what the media wants us to strive for. Expensive parties, travelling the world, famous boyfriends, society’s beautiful bodies and music videos. And if you’re not doing it? You’re missing out. If you’re not one of them, you want to be. And that’s exactly what the media is going for. But the worst part about the whole thing is that this “squad” refuses to acknowledge their privilege. Instead of focusing on real issues, they jump to the defense of each other over boyfriends, Photoshop and the “Kim Exposed Taylor Party.” Their fame and influence could be used for so many more meaningful things, especially with all of them in the same room. They portray themselves as underdogs, but they’re not. And they’re taking the “underdogs” away from the real squads who need our support.
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Don’t be afraid to change your major (again) It’s completely natural to be questioning your major and whether you’re making the right choices
JOSH HORTALEZA STAFF WRITER
Fourth-grade Josh would have never envisioned that his future would be what it is now. If I’ve learned anything, it is that plans change. I am the son of Asian immigrant parents who both majored in civil engineering. As expected, they were hard on me when it came to my grades and expected me to do really well in math. I didn’t. While they weren’t as strict as some parents, they still really wanted me to do well in academics and would always tell me that university education is priceless and the key to a happy life. While their intentions were indeed noble and altruistic, in hindsight, this would have been the first red flag indicating that my parents didn’t really know what they were talking about. They would throw arbitrary majors at me, like medicine or law or engineering, to try to steer me in that direction, while never
explaining why. I don’t blame them, though. Education is what got my father out of the slums of the Philippines and was the only one in his family to escape poverty. Grade 11 was when I really thought about my choice of university major. It is also the year where your courses affect your future courses. In order to cover my bases and delay my choice, I took every STEM course that was offered. It was my worst year academically. Anxiety started to catch up to me. My grades were crap and I had no idea what I wanted to do. I used computer science class time studying up on majors, preferably one with little math and high starting salary. That statement seemed like an oxymoron. My first pick was communications. I was really good at talking and I thought that companies needed effective communicators. I rolled with this for two months. To further my research, I bought a book on majors. It was written by the bluntest, meanest, and most insensitive author I have ever read. It changed my perspective on education. When talking about communications, he gave, by far, the
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
snarkiest and most condescending critique of the major. He implied that to go to school for four years and be chained to debt for a degree in communications was a waste, because anyone could communicate effectively even without this kind of training. This book changed my life and turned me into a cynic about
education. When OUAC applications came around, I picked marketing because it was a business degree and contained little math. I later experienced buyer’s remorse and decided to do finance instead. An applicant background summary got me into Laurier’s economics program after not getting
into business and administration. I was hell bent on getting a job in finance. A guest speaker from PO102 inadvertently convinced me to change my major once again. The lecturer was Cambridge educated. I talked to him about careers and the Ivy League and he told me that people with English majors from these schools got finance job offers. If that is the case, why bust my behind doing finance when I can major in whatever and get a job in finance? Though, I can’t see how an English degree provides any exposure to the world of finance. This summer I decided to bite the bullet and do a STEM major, mostly for employment reasons. If I were to choose a major in anything, it would be philosophy. But my fear has consumed me. It is never too late to switch and switching isn’t a bad thing. Life is a learning experience and I might switch again. The battle between doing what you love and doing what is practical is always there, buzzing in the back of almost every student’s mind. Hello. My name is Josh Hortaleza and I major in economics and computer science.
OPINION • 33
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Degrees are more than just an expensive paper MYNT MARSELLUS STAFF WRITER
Hi first-years! A lot of people are going to promise you a lot of things this Orientation Week. From the freshman 15—or 30—to the virtues of volunteering, everyone from the Students’ Union and professors to your dons and icebreakers to your parents and families will try and describe the university experience to you. Some of those things will be true, a lot of them won’t be, but I’m going to join the fray and predict something that will happen in about ten months. You’re going to meet a few older students who are going to graduate in June and somewhere on social media at least one of them will make some crack about their degree being just an “expensive piece of paper”. Undoubtedly, jokes like: “I’m
$30,000 in debt and all I got was this piece of paper” or “No job, but at least I have my $30,000 piece of paper to keep me warm at night” will come across your timeline. To those who make posts like this, let me be the first to say, fuck you and your expensive piece of paper. The fact that you have posted this on social media makes me feel sorry for you because you don’t value the time you put into that fancy piece of paper. You know how I know? You think all you got was a piece of paper. First-years, for the love of your education, don’t fall for this shit. This may be a cliché but I believe with every fibre of my being this is true—if you treat your diploma as just an expensive piece of paper that is all it will ever be. And that doesn’t just hold true to your diploma—every aspect of your education will be limited by how you treat it. If a class is just a credit, then you’ll have forgotten all of its content by the time you walk across the stage. If a paper is just a grade, then it has a zero per cent chance of it having any impact on your life. If volunteering and working while
at school is just a resume filler or a paycheque, then you are doomed to hours of unfulfilling work. So my advice to you is to never think of your degree as just an expensive piece of paper.
First-years, for the love of your education, don’t fall for this shit. JOSH AWOLADE/CORD ALUM
When you get to every one of your classes, figure out how you can get passionate about what you are learning and make an impact with every assignment you get. When your icebreakers and dons and other student leaders at the school show you all the opportunities to work and volunteer and meet your peers, take advantage.
Join clubs and see the diversity of people you can meet here. Volunteer and see the difference you can make in the lives of other students and community members. Find any of the hundreds of job opportunities available at the school and see how the school can give back to you outside of the classroom. And when the holidays come, seriously think about running for election to any of the positions available to every undergraduate at the school.
From the governing bodies of the university in the Senate and Board of Governors to the Board of Directors for both the Students’ Union and Student Publications to presidency positions, there are literally dozens of positions that are available to you. Your degree, through your place at this university, is the single greatest collection of opportunities you will ever have for the rest of your life. Treat it as such. You are lucky to be here.
34 • OPINION
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Easing first-year process VIDISH PARIKH CORD OPINION
Whether it be moving to a different city or attending a new university, we have all experienced periods of change in our lives. These periods are often accompanied by mixed emotions. There are feelings of nervousness and intimidation as we are unsure about what lies ahead. However, there is also the excitement and anticipation that quickly follows. We slowly begin to understand and welcome the reality of our unfolding situation. As an incoming first-year student, I can connect to all of these feelings. I can also tell you that it is completely normal for you to be feeling this way as you prepare for your first year at Wilfrid Laurier University. After all, we don’t know what to expect. With that being said, I have come to feel that there is something about the Golden Hawk community and its welcoming atmosphere that brings a sense of comfort and relief to us first-year students. The friendly environment makes us feel like we belong, helping us ease into our new home.
From my experiences, I believe that the upper-year students play an integral role in creating and developing this atmosphere. Why? Well, first off they are all very approachable and friendly. I still remember the first time I took a tour of the Laurier campus and residences. The senior students acted like mentors and were happy to answer any of my questions during the tour. I was initially unsure whether to major in economics or business. I knew I wanted to pursue law as my future career and was aware that there was no specific pre requisite for law school. I told my tour guide, who was also a third-year business student, that I had taken economics courses in the past and wasn’t completely interested in business. He was patient and ready to listen. He encouraged me to take economics, explaining that it would it provide me with the critical thinking necessary for a career in law, while allowing me to do something I was passionate about. This way I could maintain a high GPA and also concentrate on other extracurricular activities, maximizing my chances of getting into law school. Today, I know that choosing to major in economics was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself, a decision that was impacted by a helpful upper-year student.
He put himself in my shoes and reinforced my decision. This made me feel comfortable and I am certain that many of you have shared similar experiences. Along with the tour, senior students often provided tips and valuable advice. This included pointing out the best places to study on campus, sharing how to balance academics with a social life and suggesting the residence style or building that was right for me. The senior students also reminded me of the importance of getting involved with the student body. Senior students also gave us a tour of their own residence. This allowed me to imagine exactly how I would feel as a student living on-campus. The information I gathered from this visit to the school, prior to moving in, was so beneficial that I can only hope that my first-year peers also took advantage of such programs—programs that meant so much more coming from someone who had also experienced Laurier for the first time. Ultimately, university will be a big change for all of us. However, having a group of people to look up to who are friendly and easily approachable will surely make the transition smoother and help us feel like we belong. They’ve all done this before and you’re bound to find a friendly face when you need it.
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#AllLivesMatter is missing the point Of course all lives do matter, but we are still acting like black lives don’t
ABIGAIL BARRETT STAFF WRITER
In light of the mass amounts of media attention put on unarmed black persons killed by the police and the awakening of the BlackLivesMatter movement, I was mortified when I saw the AllLivesMatter hashtag trending on twitter. The first tweet I saw was in reply to a comment made by a twitter user comforting the family of Philando Castile, the six hundred and sixth person killed by police since the year started. It read: “Where was this sympathy when GilbertCollar was killed #Alllivesmatter.” In all honesty, I had never heard of the case for Gilbert Collar but I felt there was time to educate myself after coming to terms with how they justified the new hashtag, so I clicked on it. AllLivesMatter was being used as a smoke screen to devalue the BlackLivesMatter movement. In almost every instance, it’s used to pit lives against each other as if to say that having a non-black person killed by police equates or is more than the life of a black person who was. It serves as a backlash to people who are bellowing their voices in a call for treatment with equality, justice, dignity and respect. These are ideals that, in 2016, should not have to be asked for. But as it is, the black community is in desperate need. The ideology behind AllLivesMatter, itself, is not wrong. Adam Campbell’s Facebook post sums it up better than I ever could. He writes of “Bob” sitting at a table with no food. Bob says he deserves food. The people who are eating respond that everyone deserves food, continuing their meal. Everyone does deserve food, but that does nothing to change that Bob has nothing to eat. We know that all lives matter. There is no disputing that. However, we cannot turn a blind
eye to what is happening in our black communities. We cannot accept that all lives matter when the news headlines tell us that the black community is consistently being mistreated. We have very different experiences of the same things. Listen to the rhetoric from black parents to their children. They’re teaching them not to wear hoodies. Not to talk back to the police. Not to walk with too many friends. Then we see video footage of young black men adhering to all these rules and moments later their lives are still reduced to a hashtag. And although most of the hashtagged names speak to black men murdered by police, let the memories of Sandra Bland, Rekia Boyd, Korryn Gaines and Jessica Williams prove that this violence is not gender exclusive.
It’s used to pit lives against each other as if to say that having a non-black person killed by police equates or is more than the life of a black person who was.
The fact that this is not a problem in the white community is why AllLivesMatter echoes bullshit when we hear it. Black people are living in constant fear. Stop belittling our experiences. Stop telling us that we are imagining the things that are happening to us. Stop yelling AllLivesMatter in efforts to shut us up. Start showing us that all lives do matter by having these discussions and acting on them to end the systematic oppression of people because of their skin colour. When will all lives matter? When we start to consider black people a part of that whole.
OPINION • 35
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Cultural nostalgia in film By focusing so much on the 1980s in our films, we’re not creating our own unique 2016 culture
CHAD BUTT/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY
CHRIS LUCIANTONIO OPINION COLUMNIST
This summer, viewers saw the release of one of television’s unexpected sleeper hits in Stranger Things, a 1980s horror/science fiction throwback that has taken the Netflix binge-watching crowd by storm. What is best described as The Monster Squad (1987) drawn out over eight one-hour episodes, the series has been charming critics and audiences alike with its heavy doses of nostalgia for one of our culture’s most vibrant and aesthetically defined decades. With its music, plot and its references upon references, Stranger Things is just the latest of our
generations own sense of culture, drawing endlessly from the well that is the eighties, for a sense of unearned identity in a current cultural climate that has yet to define itself. It’s the latest example of our borrowed sense of culture. While it may not be as exploitative as others in recent memory, Stranger Things represents this debilitating reliance on the past in lieu of creating an identity unique to this time period. This culture is defining itself more for its ability to remix and revitalize media from the past, than to provide its own voice, style and aesthetic. With modern media platforms offering endless opportunities to relive these past decades as if they never past, it is easy for us to consider ourselves a part of a decade we had no temporal ties to. But eventually we have to reach a point of enough being enough.
Students are part of the youth generation. Therefore, we are uniquely poised as the future media creators and definers of what this culture considers popular and evocative of this time.
Stranger Things represents this debilitating reliance on the past in lieu of creating an identity unique to this time period.
We alone hold the ability to influence what media has cultural cache in this point in time. Sadly,
we are continually looking to the past, most likely out of frustration for our generation lacking a distinct aesthetic of its own. Look to the recent updates, reboots or remakes of films that were so closely identified with the decade in question and how their modern equivalents seem to lack the flavour of what they are based on. The Thing (2011), Robocop (2014) and The Evil Dead (2013) were doomed to lack the staying power of their originals because they are unable to identify with their new modern context. Despite best efforts, they just don’t have an identifiable flavour or aesthetic that is even comparable to the 1980s. This may be a non-issue for many. I contend that my love for science fiction and horror films from the 1980s, which Stranger Things endlessly gets inspired from, knows no bounds. But if we, as a culture, continual-
A letter to final year students LINDSAY BINDMAN STAFF WRITER
Dear upcoming graduates, So it’s that time of year again. Summer is winding down and everyone is back in Waterloo for another academic year. Lots to look forward to! Homecoming is around the corner, you get two reading weeks, a winter break and there’s no forgetting St. Patrick’s Day. But I’m willing to bet that although you have your entire final year of university ahead of you, you’ve already started stressing about what comes next. You’re probably starting to feel nostalgic around the campus. This is your second last semester. You’ll only have one more “first day of classes” at Laurier after this one.
Society has a very rigid and specific set of expectations for us upon graduating university. We’re pushed to pursue further education or to secure a job in your field with career potential. Ideally, meet your life partner if you haven’t already done so. Be married by thirty, with kids on the way. You’ve kept “them” happy up until now. You’ve gone and gotten yourself a degree. You’re wiser and more capable than you were before coming here. But now what? It’s a hell of a lot of pressure to have on top of classes, exams, part-time jobs and social obligations. I’m writing to tell you that this isn’t the only way. You are a smart and accomplished young person. You’ve gotten this far! The first thing you need to do is stop and congratulate yourself. In eight months, you’re going to be a university graduate. This is a huge accomplishment. It may not feel this way inside of the university bubble but you are now among an educated minority. You will have
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studied hard, passed your exams and have become a success. Not having a plan in place for the day after your convocation won’t make you a failure. Depending on when your birthday falls and how many years you’ve spent at Laurier, you’ll be somewhere in your early twenties. You are so young. You have your life ahead of you to work, to make money, to pay bills. So realize that there’s more freedom in this next chapter of life than you think. I submitted my final assignment of my undergrad on April 14 of this year, completing my degree in
communication studies at Laurier. Since then, I’ve been living on my dad’s sailboat in the Caribbean. Although I write for sailing magazines for pocket money, I don’t have a job. My lifestyle certainly isn’t on society’s pre-approved path. Yet, I’m discovering as much about myself and the world around me as I did at Laurier. I’m learning new languages and meeting incredible people. Every week we sail to a new island. I’ve been to seven different countries in four months and have officially sailed the entire Caribbean chain
ly look to the past for our entertainment, even for the sake of a model or a reference, we ultimately damage our own desire to have our generation be as culturally significant or unique. I am not saying to forever denounce the past, but we have to reach a point when just recalling the eighties won’t be enough to entertain us. For a decade, many of us never experienced firsthand, basking in second-hand nostalgia is not the answer to lacking pop culture. Where will the bold new films, television, music or what-have-you come from if series such as Stranger Things are allowed to live freely through it all over again? If we want future entertainment to be unique and original, we have to quit relying on nostalgia for our sense of culture. So enjoy Stranger Things (as I did myself ) but never lose faith in the present to entertain you.
of islands. As incredible this may sound, I faced endless skepticism towards my decision to adopt this lifestyle and this is precisely the problem. People are inclined to refer to my lifestyle as taking time off. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. I am taking time to experience new cultures, perspectives and environments, meeting new people and challenging myself in new ways every day. You may not have the opportunity to sail the Caribbean and may not even want to. But there are a million other ways to challenge yourself, to grow and to be happy without needing to feel inadequate if you’re not making six figures by this time next year. Go work at a camp in Switzerland. They’ll give you a room to sleep in and I hear it’s absolutely beautiful there. Work at a hotel in Banff. Get a job on a cruise ship. Become an au pair in Europe. Connect back to your roots. Spend time with family. It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. I can’t change the likelihood that you will be asked hundreds of times throughout this year what your plans are after graduation. What I can do is remind you that “I don’t know” is an acceptable and liberating answer.
36 •
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
Sports
SPORTS EDITOR ROB FIFIELD sports@thecord.ca
FOOTBALL
men’s football comes back strong in season opener PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
DANIEL JOHNSON STAFF WRITER
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks football team is looking to build upon their 2015 campaign, when they made it to the semifinal game but lost to the Western Mustangs in a hard fought battle. The 2016 season marks the departure for star player Dillon Campbell, who for years had been at the forefront of the Laurier offence and football team as a whole. Campbell meant so much to Golden Hawk football team through his tenure and finding a replacement for Laurier’s leading rusher is no easy task. Football is a sport of the next man up. Taking the helm of the Golden Hawks rushing attack is fifth-year running back, Eric Guiltinan. He is the veteran in the back-
field and will be taking the bulk of the carries for the 2016 season. Head coach, Michael Faulds is poised to take the next step with his team. Through his career, he has taken his team from a 1-7 season into the semifinal game, last year. The season is under way with a win over Queen’s with a final score of 37-18. The win was a good start to start the season, but not without its flaws. The offence, under quarterback Julien John, was held out of the end zone for the entire first half, which included John throwing four picks on the day. Faulds, however, dictates that the interceptions number doesn’t tell the full story. “It’s a little of all twelve guys and…we thought the receiver could go up and make a play. Sometimes it’s the pressure, some-
times the quarterback getting a little bit of happy feet,” said Faulds, regarding the four interceptions in the first game. In regards to the offensive woes of the first game, Faulds just simply said, “we’ll correct it.” There may be some questions that the offence will have to play through, but there are certainly few questions on defence. The defence is looking to be solid all around. Anchored by fourth-year defensive end, Kwaku Boateng. The defence was physical and looking to keep up the energy from their first game resulting in eight quarterback sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown. “Our offence has to face them every day, so we know exactly how good they are,” said Faulds. Any team can have one good
showing and it will be central to keep them fresh down the stretch. Faulds knows this. “Obviously you want to stay healthy and it’s about keeping them motivated, so we’ve got to nip in the bud the penalties and make sure they’re motivated and hungry to come in with that work ethic every day,” Faulds said. Depth is an integral part of any football team. The players on your bench are the ones that will get you over the playoff hump. Injuries will happen in the season and a strong bench is part of any championship team. Faulds sees some promising talent in his young players. He likes the play he is seeing from second-year defensive end, Robbie Smith, who recorded two sacks in the first game. Faulds also has high hopes for second-year receiver,
Brentyn Hall. For now, Faulds isn’t looking too far ahead; his mind remains in the present. “One week at a time. Right now, I know that’s the ultimate cliché, but we have to play York next Monday night and they’re going to come here really excited and amped up to play us and we’ll have to give our best week of practice to ensure that we have a good shot Monday night.” Potential means little if it’s never obtained. But in athletics nothing is handed to, instead it is fought for on the field. The Golden Hawks football team is rich in potential and only time will tell if they ever get to taste the ceiling. The team will be heading into week two of the season ranked number ten (as of Tuesday) by CIS.
While Kokko and Burrows will be competing for minutes this season, Seresse believes the other two guards, Matt Minutillo and Ntore Habimana, are likely in the running for a starting position in the upcoming seasons. Rounding out the class are Nick Braody and Nirosan Surendran, a pair of skilled big men who can spread out the offense and fit Serresse’s vision of versatility. “[Braody] reminds me of an old school four who can stretch the floor and post up, as well as guard multiple positions, so I am very intrigued by him. [Surendran] is a very good shooter, which is good for the CIS,” said Serresse. “Those two kids should be able
to come in and maybe compete for some minutes if the veterans don’t get it done.” As of now, this is all speculation for Serresse and he will look to mix and match his options in training camp as well as in the pre-season matchups to see what works. “For sure we are going to try at practice first. I know our five best players are going to be a big lineup. We are going to have to work on it now, maybe the small lineup will surprise me,” he said. The club finished 9-11 a year ago, and has failed to finish above .500 or make a playoff push for the last four seasons. Serresse believes that the club’s struggles boil down to two phrases: compete level and
leadership. “It could go as far as having the guys fight for a lose ball in the game, as far as getting the guys training hard during the offseason…They need to compete on any given night. I don’t think the guys were able to do that all the time the last year.” Serresse wants to see guys stepping up to the plate, even when he is not watching over them. “Sometimes, you are away for a week or two and you have to trust your leaders to step up and say [that] the coach is not here but we have to work just as hard,” he said. “When you have that type of leadership it really takes your program to the next level.”
BASKETBALL
Men’s basketball is revamped and ready to go JOSH PETERS STAFF WRITER
In addition to a fresh face behind the bench, Wilfrid Laurier University’s men’s basketball team has added a wide range of talent this offseason. Newly appointed head coach, Justin Serresse, topped up his roster with six new recruits for the upcoming season, consisting of four guards and two forwards. For Serresse, the new position, as well as the new recruits, are fostering a feeling of excitement as the season inches closer. “It’s exciting, nervous, all of the above. You don’t really know what you are getting yourself into, especially because we have six new recruits,” he said. “I want to see how the guys respond to my new coaching style…Hopefully we are going to get better in the year and the years to come.” The overarching theme behind this class of recruits is flexibility. Serresse was able to find success with a versatile lineup as an assis-
tant coach at the University of Ottawa and believes this new group of players can help provide that. “We might go small, or big depending on how the veterans are doing and how the recruits are doing,” said Serresse. “It allows us to be flexible with our lineup. Not knowing how the guys are going to do, I think it is going to be hit or miss. I wanted to have that flexibility to play two different styles and see what works better. The new arrivals reflect that strategy and are highlighted by guards Shamar Burrows and Teuvan Kokko from St. Catharines and Newmarket, respectively. These athletes’ diverse skillsets provide Serresse with more offensive options. “We definitely needed a combo guard with Kokko being a point guard and shooting guard. [Burrows] is more of a wing than a guard. He can grow and get stronger and play the three in our league as a defender and a creator…If we really go small he could even play the four,” he said.
TRISTAIN RENAUD/PHOTOGRAPHER
SPORTS • 37
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 MEN’S SOCCER
LAURIER BRANTFORD
Split start for men’s soccer
Varsity sports expands
Laurier’s men’s soccer team experiences one win and one loss in season opener DREW YATES CORD ALUM
The Wilfrid Laurier men’s soccer team may have split their series between the Guelph Gryphons and the Waterloo Warriors last weekend—and the game against Guelph may not have been pretty—but head coach, Mario Halapir, was nothing but optimistic about the team on the field this year. The Hawks dropped a 4-0 decision against the Gryphons on Saturday afternoon before they rebounded back to capture their first win of the season 3-1 against the Warriors. Halapir said that last year was the start of a rebuilding process, that will continue this coming year. “This year we have added some new young players that, in the future, are going to do quite well at this level,” he said. This season is also going to present a different kind of challenge. Halapir said that the Hawks are starting this year with a 28-man squad—eight of those players are injured. Out of those eight players, four of them are starters. 40 per cent of starters not playing is a significant number. But at the same time, Halapir said that this also creates an opportunity for the other players.
Varsity sports now available to students in Brantford
“I explained this to the guys that played today. This is also a great opportunity for players who we would normally not play, or normally not dress potentially. It’s a great opportunity for them to show what they can do and introduce themselves into the pressure and see how they dealt with it,” he said.
It’s a great opportunity for them to show what they can do and introduce themselves into the pressure and see how they deal with it. -Mario Halapir, men’s soccer head coach
“So I only look at the positives every year.” Halapir said that the only disappointing thing about the game against the Gryphons was that they were beat by the same things that they were able to identify in the change-room before the game and at halftime. They were defeated by mistakes that they had created
ROB FIFIELD SPORTS EDITOR
MARCO PEDRI/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
themselves and could have been prevented. “For a coach, that’s very frustrating. I’m sure from the player’s point of view, it’s also not the easiest thing to handle,” Halapir explained. “Because if it’s a situation or a scenario we’re talking about... before the game and saying, ‘This is what’s going to happen and this is what we got to guard against,’ and we get into the game and we get beat by that exact same thing that we were talking about; it’s a little frustrating.” Sunday’s matchup was a different story. The Hawks responded with two
goals by third-year forward Nikola Miokovic to take a 2-0 lead in the 57th minute. Waterloo cut the lead in half, but fourth-year Niklas Bauer restored the two goal lead in the 76th minute to take the victory. Halapir said that it was execution that created those mistakes against Guelph, something they fixed going into the matchup against Waterloo. “At the end of the day there has to be an execution part. It’s one of those things that we have to do our very best to keep plugging away and not get negative at this point of time. I did think it was going to be a little bit of a slow start this year and we’ll just battle through it.”
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Women’s soccer gets a new look DREW YATES CORD ALUM
There will be a new look to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women’s soccer team when they hit the pitch this season. Last year, Laurier finished in second place in the Ontario University Athletics conference and earned a spot in the final four, hosted by Ottawa. Having to beat a potent GeeGees squad in the OUA semifinals, the Hawks came through with the victory that propelled them to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships. Fresh off finishing in seventh place at the CIS championships and with only one veteran returning for a fifth-year, the Hawks are beginning to rebuild. But there will be growing pains. The Hawks earned a 2-2 result with the Guelph Gryphons and a 1-1 draw against the Waterloo Warriors to open the 2016 regular season. Head coach Barry McLean said that he is happy with the amount of rookies that played their first games, and is pleased with the core
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
of people and the mentality of the group. But he acknowledges that apart from third-year defenders Pauline McCordic and Jacky Normandeau, the Hawks are sporting a brand new rookie backline, which may take some time to adjust. “All of our defenders are firstyears, so we got to figure out a few things here and there,” he said. Currently, only a handful of veterans have returned to the lineup.
Midfielder Katie Bishop is the only player that returned for a fifth-year, and Maxine Murchie moved into the striker position with Nicole Lyon, while Julie Karn adds a veteran presence to the midfield. And although it may be a younger squad this year, with 17 rookies currently on the roster and eight rookies dressed for the game, this could also be an advantage for the Hawks. The rookies are already contrib-
uting, with Mackenzie D’Andrade scoring the second goal in the Hawks’ tilt against the Guelph Gryphons and many of the rookies saw action last Saturday. Bishop is excited for the year and feels that this is the time that the Hawks are going to be able to build as a team and bond really well with each other. “The next few years are going to be great,” she said. “They are only going to be losing me next year and then a couple more the next year, so, I think it looks really positive going forward.” Even though the result against Guelph wasn’t the one they were looking for, Bishop is optimistic that the Hawks will be victorious the next time the two squads meet on the field. “I think we were good. We had some ups and downs but I think our result was fair. Obviously we would have wanted to win, but it’s the first game of the season, obviously it’s a new line up, new information for us too, so I think we can only go up from here,” she said. “Next time we play them we’ll beat them.”
This fall, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus will see varsity sports on campus. For the first time, Laurier Brantford will be showcasing two varsity teams of their own: men’s indoor soccer and men’s and women’s cross country. In a joint effort with the Department of Athletics and Recreation, the city of Brantford and the YMCA, the Brantford Golden Hawks will finally have a gym they can call home. The gym will be a public access YMCA gym that is only a five minute walk from campus and will also be used as the home gym for the Brantford Hawks. This crucial development is the major stepping stone in bringing varsity sports to Brantford. Contrary to the Waterloo campus, Laurier Brantford’s athletics department is much smaller in scale, due to facility size and smaller student population. Up until this academic year, Laurier Brantford campus has had three main channels of recreation: fitness based programming, training and sport based programs classified as intramurals and extramural. Extramurals are a unique sporting opportunity that brings school teams together, manintains school spirit on both campuses and can compete against other universities and colleges at a recreational level while participating in the OCAA. This extramural program is essentially how students at Laurier Brantford who want to participate in interuniversity sports are able to participate, since varsity athletics has never accessible. “We’re extremely excited to finally have varsity sports at our Brantford campus,” said Megan Jacklin, the fitness and lifestyle coordinator at Laurier Brantford. Since Laurier Waterloo already competes in OUA, Laurier Brantford campus is unable to and will have to compete in a different league under the OCAA. Laurier Brantford is wasting no time to get things going. Cory Currie has been hired as cross country head and furthermore. cross country tryouts will begin in the first full week of classes. The first meet will be September 17 at Fanshawe college and will kick off a new era in Laurier Brantford’s history. Laurier Brantford hopes to use these two teams as a test period and if everything runs smoothly, the ultimate goal is to introduce more sports and to further grow the program.
38 • SPORTS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016
ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
Football player starts student athlete blog Rashari Henry starts all-in-one blog to help student athletes succeed in school and sport ROB FIFIELD SPORTS EDITOR
Rashari Henry is one of many student athletes at Wilfrid Laurier University, but that is not what makes him unique. Henry, a defensive lineman for the Golden Hawks football team is both an honours economics student and the founder of the Stath Blog (student athlete blog). Henry has the experience and knowledge to start up the Stath Blog and create the ultimate online hub for student athletes around the world to connect. It’s a chance for student athletes to show what actually went into that stellar season. People think it happens naturally but there’s actually a lot of work and struggle that goes into having success in sport and academics,” Henry said. From highlight tapes to fast and nutritious recipes for athletes on the go, The Stath Blog is hoping to have it all. The Stath Blog was designed to not only to connect student athletes with each other, but also to allow fans, coaches and family members to learn more about the
Laurier itself has definitely put out a lot of resources for student athletes ... Laurier has definitely upped their game alot. -Rashari Henry, Stath Blog founder
athletes and truly hear and understand their backround, experiences and stories Most athletes know how strong the bond is between teammates and this bond and support system is also what the Stath Blog is trying to create online. Henry is hoping that the blog becomes a support system for other student athletes. “Whether it’s time management, to dealing with your first-year of university,” Henry said. He wants to the Stath Blog to be student athletes’ hub for everything. “A lot of first-years make the same mistakes and although some
mistakes are good to make and learn from, some of them can be quite detrimental,” he said. The Stath Blog will also act as a resource for high school students. Henry remembers being overwhelmed and confused when trying to pick a school that was the best fit for him academically and athletically. He knew that this was something that has needed to be addressed for a while. Henry said that, although accommodating student athletes may not be the same across Canada, Laurier does do a really good job at helping their students out. “Laurier itself has definitely put out a lot of resources for student athletes, whether it’s study hall, academic mentors and support for mental health, Laurier has definitely upped their game a lot,” said Henry. Henry also noted that you can never do enough to help your surrounding community and that there is always more that can be done to help student athletes out. People often fortget how much work that these athletes have to do off the field in their sport as well as their academic careers.
SERENA GILL/PHOTOGRAPHER
The Stath blog has seen much success since being launced and now has campus ambassadors in many university campuses all across Canaada.
The Stath Blog is looking for more people to get involved in many areas of their business including business development, marketing and sponsorships.
CURLING
220 King Street N. (519) 954-1777 www.shawermaplus.com
Mens’ curling finds new coach ROB FIFIELD SPORTS EDITOR
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks have found a replacement head coach for former coach, Gary Crossley, who had been at the helm since the start of the 2009-10 season. Crossley announced that last season would be his final. That’s when the hunt for a new coach began. Laurier’s department of athletics and recreation wasted little time and have found their new bench boss for the men’s curling team, Matt Wilkinson. After the team’s success last year, it was crucial to find a well suited replacement. Wilkinson is a seasoned coach and player of OUA curling, as well as assists with the Ontario Junior curling tour. Wilkinson took up curling at age nine, when his dad took him to a recreational session at his local curling club in Dundas and he was immediately hooked. He continued pursuing his passion through high school and furthermore at Brock University, where he attended studied accounting and played as a member of the varsity curling team, winning the OUA championships in the 2006-07 season.
Since graduating from Brock University, Wilkinson has continued to stay heavily involved in the sport by coaching the Brock Badgers from 2010 through 2015 and the Guelph Gryphons for the 2015-16 season. Wilkinson is excited to join the Golden Hawks this season, a team that he has many memories battling with throughout the years. “Laurier was one of our biggest rivals,” he said. Wilkinson is quite familiar with the team through his experience in the OUA, however he has never had the opportunity to coach them until now. “Excellence is what we strive for,” said Wilkinson, who is once again hoping to bring the Golden Hawks back to being OUA champions. It is important to note that there is a full turnover for the men’s varsity curling team this season, as last season’s athletes have all graduated. Wilkinson stressed, in reference to the new recruits, “We’re not starting from scratch but we do have some limited experience.” Wilkinson is excited to get the 2016-17 school year underway and is looking forward to the challenges that this season will bring while coaching a new team and getting to know a new school.
SPORTS • 39
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 WOMEN’S SOCCER
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
Strange start for WSOCC DREW YATES CORD ALUM
The Wilfrid Laurier women’s soccer team had an unusual start to their 2016 Ontario University Athletics season, last weekend. Facing off against the Guelph Gryphons and the Waterloo Warriors,
the Hawks picked up two points, earning a 2-2 draw against the Gryphons and a 1-1 draw against the Warriors. “I think we were good. We had some ups and downs but I think our result was fair,” fifth-year midfielder Katie Bishop said. “We would have wanted to win, but
it’s the first game of the season. Obviously it’s a new line up, new information for us too, so I think we can only go up from here.” The Hawks brought in a lot of fresh faces to the team this year, with eight rookies seeing playing time during the matchup against the Gryphons. Out of those eight
rookies, the Hawks are also sporting an entirely new backline, one that could cause growing pains, according to head coach, Barry McLean. “A lot of [the first-year players] played so that’s awesome from our perspective,” he said. “We’re happy with the core of people, we’re happy with the mentality of the group, but we’re going to have some growing pains.” McLean also said that he thought the game was of two halves — in the first half, Laurier had lots of chances and controlled the tempo of the game. In the first half, Laurier took the lead with two goals, one by fourth-year Maxine Murchie and another by rookie Mackenzie D’Andrade. But in the second half, the Gryphons evened it up with a strike by Victoria Hinchcliffe to tie the game up at two. Guelph took the game to Laurier and had a lot of chances. “Second half I think we wilted a little bit,” McLean said. “The reality is, the score is a reasonable result, but we’re going to have to figure out how to play a 90 minute game, a 90 minute performance.” Murchie was the lone goal scorer against the Waterloo Warriors when she evened the game up at
one in the 88th minute to pick up a point. The biggest change to the squad this year is how much younger it became. Along with the eight rookies that dressed last Saturday, the Hawks added 17 new recruits to the current roster. McLean said that the Hawks were excellent in possession in the first half, but with the amount of young players being introduced to the team, the Hawks have some things they need to figure out. And with Bishop the only player that graduates this year, and with a handful of players graduating next year, she is optimistic that the Hawks will become stronger in future years. “This is the time that we’re just going to build as a team and everyone can bond really well, the next few years are going to be great,” she said. “They are only going to be losing me next year and then a couple more the next year, so, I think it looks really positive going forward,” she continued. “I’m just hoping that our team can build from that this year. Start strong and keep going from there,” she continued.
SWIMMING
Swim team looks to “double everything” OWEN MARTIN CORD SPORTS
Finishing in ninth place in both men’s and women’s OUA championship competition last year, Wilfrid Laurier University swim coach, Hans Witolla, is very hopeful that the team can double its output from last season’s competition. “I want to double the number of swimmers we have going to CIS. We had two last year, so my goal is to get to four,” Witolla said. “I’d also like to double the number of points we get at OUA.” With nine female swimmers and seven male swimmers joining the team this year, Witolla seemed very optimistic that the Laurier swim program is moving in a positive direction and could attain his ambitious goals for the 2016-17 season.
I want to double the number of swimmers we have going to CIS. We had two last year, so my goal is to get four. -Hans Witolla, Laurier swim coach
He explained that OUA swimming is “a very competitive enterprise” and that for most first-year athletes, the expectation is that they learn a lot in their first year before taking a big step up in their second and third years of OUA
ANDREAS PATSIAOUROS/ONLINE EDITOR
competition. That being said, there are very high hopes for top recruits Jasmine Raines, a breast stroker from Waterloo and Jacob Gardner, a sprint freestyler from Kingston. “These are two recruits that we’re getting that are already senior national qualifiers. So they’ll likely make CIS,” Witolla said. Should this occur, Laurier would be half way to the goal of sending four swimmers to the CIS competition at the beginning of 2017. These aren’t the only exciting recruits joining the team this fall,
either. On the women’s side there is also Jocelyn Chassie and Jessica Stoyan, who, alongside Raines, will make for a very strong rookie class of female swimmers. As for the men, Jacob Eby joins Gardner as the top recruits this season, with Eby competing in the butterfly. Witolla seemed very excited to have these guys bringing their talents to Laurier. “I mean, as far as male recruits coming, [Eby and Gardner are] pretty solid. There’s a bunch of other guys around them who are
probably going to step up, based on conversations [I’ve] had with them and their coaches.” Even with such an influx of talent, the team will ultimately be led by some of the more senior students who have already enjoyed some OUA success. There should be a good balance of young talent and veteran leadership on the team this year with proven swimmers like Kate Vanderbeek and Michael Neves returning this fall. “Kate Vanderbeek was great all year and she continued in the
summer. She swam great in the summer. I just saw her at senior nationals last week and she’s trained hard all summer,” Witolla stated about the three-time team MVP. He then went on to add, “Right now she’s taking the only three weeks off she’s had, so I’m really proud of her.” Considering all the hard work put in over the summer, coupled with a strong class of recruits, the Laurier men’s and women’s swim teams are prepared to make a substantial splash over the 2016-17 season.
Welcome home Golden Hawks – we’re so happy you’re here! Everything you need to know about living in Waterloo is at waterloo.ca/students. We can’t wait for you to discover our amazing city.
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