Issue 7- November 7, 2012

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - Issue 7 // www.thesputnik.ca

News

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On Campus

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THE SPUTNIK Features

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A&E

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Sports

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Opinion

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Find m

ore

EXCLU

SIVE

Partnership with Laurier photo s at w likely ww.th esput nik.ca page 3

Night Hawk event sold out page 4

Tasty Grant for LB Professor page 5

I <3 Brantford page 12

Remember the poppy page 7

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7 , 2012

NEWS

Jordan Johnston // news@thesputnik.ca

VIA Rail frustrates commuters EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Graeme Gordon eic@thesputnik.ca ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

Angela Taylor angela.taylor@wlusp.com (519) 884-0710 ext. 3560 PHOTO AND PRODUCTION EDITOR Olivia Rutt photography@thesputnik.ca ART EDITOR Diane Sison art.editor@thesputnik.ca WEB EDITOR Caitlin Henshaw web@thesputnik.ca COPY EDITORS Ahmed Minhas Alicia Saunders Jessica Lalonde SECTION EDITORS Jordan Johnston, Local News Melissa McGuffin, On Campus Layla Bozich, Features Courtney Langstaff, A&E Kyle Morison, Sports Leisha Senko, Opinion

CONTRIBUTORS Aaleya Waslat Olivia Rutt Diane Sison Courtney Langstaff Kyle Morrison Jordan Johnston Cody Hoffman Dillon Giancola Amber Richardson Melissa McGuffin Matt Cook Stephanie Di Bartolo Craig Hagerman Madison Hawkins Kim Jackson Kaya Firth Cody Groat Sebastien Bell Karly Rath Graeme Gordon

WLUSP BRANTFORD MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Allison Leonard allison.leonard@wlusp.com PHONE (519) 756-8228 ext.5948 202-171 Colborne St. N3T 2C9

WLUSP OFFICE 205 Regina Street Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 PRESIDENT Emily Frost (519) 884-0710 ext.3565 emily.frost@wlusp.com ADVERTISING Angela Taylor (519)884-0710 ext. 3560 angela@wlusp.com The Sputnik is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo. Contact Emily Frost - WLUSP, 205 Regina Street The Sputnik is a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) Opinions expressed in The Sputnik are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the Editorial staff, The Sputnik, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. FRONT PAGE PHOTO CREIDTS: Main: Kim Jackson Left: Olivia Rutt Centre: Cody Hoffman Right: (Art) Diane Sison

You have to now pay at the VIA Station Parking (Photo by Jordan Johnston)

Jordan Johnston News Editor

BRANTFORD – The Via Rail station located on Wadsworth Street began imposing paid parking in August. The nearby street space in front of the station has since then been free and no commuters have chosen to park there. The Brantford City Council will be discussing this topic in upcoming meetings. They will decide whether or not to charge for street parking along Wadsworth or to impose a time limit forcing patrons, often loyal commuters using the Via, to pay for parking. Local houses and businesses on the street were asked to give their opinion in a survey to help give input on the future decision. The owner of the coffee shop beside the Via Rail station has said that paid parking can and will affect his business because people are often there longer than an hour and will not want to pay for parking. Paid parking is an obstacle that his small shop now has to deal with. Via Rail imposed the paid parking and

has requested the city take responsibility for the lot. Market Street parking patrollers will have to take on this extra work because the city was not willing to hire another person for that purpose. The cost of parking as posted is now $4 for 12 hours, $6 for 24 hours, $34 for a week or $65 for the month. Commuters are upset with this because the Via is one of the only ways they are able to get to work and it is not cheap. Another plan for Via Rail rumoured in the future is to remove the flexibility of tickets. This makes it so that people cannot cancel a purchased ticket as they can now. For commuters who purchase monthly passes, they will still have some flexibility, but the cost is said to rise. One commuter commented that, “It is clear Via is not dedicated to commuters because they have no guarantee for a seat and no consideration for cost when the cost of tickets is already pricey enough. To pay for parking is just ridiculous.”

Commuters were gossiping that Via Rail has removed a car from the train, making it even harder to get a ticket before they sell out. Another daily commuter says, “We cannot be faced with the chance we won’t get a ticket because we have to go to work, and work doesn’t care how we get there as long as we are on time.” Some riders will stop using Via Rail and begin to use other means of commuting like carpooling to GO stations. It is not simple to just ‘catch another train’ in Brantford when they only come four times a day. This impacts not only commuters who will have to buy tickets early in advance if they want a seat, but will also will affect students who commute back and forth from home. People expect a certain service from Via Rail, and if they don’t get it, Via Rail may lose business.

''Iron Road'' favourite at 3rd annual Brantford Film Festival

Potential teachers' strike looming

Dillon Giancola Staff

Jordan Johnston News Editor

The third annual Brantford Film Festival took place over the weekend, from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, and was another huge success, as the festival continues to grow each year. This year saw an estimated 600 people come out to enjoy a large variety of independent films. The festival, which saw five different viewing times with four screens each, concluded with an awards gala on Saturday night. There were six awards given out, as well as screenings of the winning films, a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. The big winner at the festival was the Canadian film “Iron Road”, which won the awards for Best Feature Length, Best of the Festival, and People’s Choice. The film, which was a love story set against the building of a Canadian railroad using Chinese immigrants in the 1800’s, was shot in China and Kamloops, B.C. It was an excellent movie and was directed by David Wu, and starred Li Sun and London, Ont. native Luke McFarlane. Other notable actors are the legendary Peter O’Toole and Sam Neil of Jurassic Park fame. The film’s producer, Anne Tait, said jokingly that after winning an award at Rome’s film festival she was “ascending to the Brantford Film Festival.” Tait was thrilled to win the awards and was very pleased with the “rapt audiences that came to see the movie.” She had heard of the festival from a friend that lives in Brantford, and decided to submit her movie here.

“The award is rewarding, but it’s those individuals in Brantford that make it worthwhile,” said Tait. The winning producer said she had made the movie because she wanted to tell the story of a “dark chapter of Canadian history, when thousands of Chinese had the dream to come to Canada, were mistreated, but some survived and were able to overcome and carve out a good life for themselves here.” The winner of Best Documentary was “Broken Soldier.” It told the eye-opening account of several war veterans, who upon being released from the army for medical reasons, experienced shocking reductions in insurance and health benefits and other non-financial injustices from the Canadian government and Veterans Affairs Services. The film’s director and maker of the film, Dale Stevens, said that he was “grateful to be in Brantford and have people watch our film. This is our first film festival, so this is special.” In the movie, he describes the soldiers as “feeling betrayed by the government they were serving.” Other winners included “Blood Country” for best short, and “They Grow Together” for Best Aboriginal Film. The winner for Best Student Film was “Sin Dolor”.

ON – Teachers will not be permitted to strike under the proposed legislation enacted by Dalton McGuinty to impose a two year wage freeze. Teachers must negotiate deals that do not include pay increases. The reason for this is in order to make up an almost $15 million waste of taxpayer money. This wage freeze could affect students at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Concurrent Education program. As Con Ed. students graduate this year, they will find that it may be even harder to find a job. One student in Concurrent Education said, “I understand where they are coming from with the pay freeze because it will take away the less dedicated teachers and make room for new ones that want to be in that profession but I want to be able to afford to live and have a home.” Teachers are frustrated at the idea of a wage freeze and although it is unfair it is not the students’ fault. Hopefully they remember this for future report cards. It was mentioned in the news a few weeks ago that some teachers have been putting forth the bare minimum as their way of ‘getting back’ at the government. This legislation is still up for debate but has not and will not be taken off the table as an option for making money back. The ultimate decision will be made by September 1, 2013. This agreement would be similar to the contract English Catholic School Board teachers agreed to early this year.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

ON CAMPUS Melissa McGuffin // oncampus@thesputnik.ca

Night Hawk Halloween Party sees record sell-out

NIght Hawk Halloween Party (Photos by Kim Jackson) Melissa McGuffin On Campus Editor

DISCLOSUREMelissa McGuffin is an executive on Night Hawks In the record time of a mere eight hours, Night Hawks sold out their most popular event of the year, the Halloween Party. With so little time to be able to purchase a ticket, many students were left disappointed and even angry that they were not able to be a part of the event and would be missing out. Emotions were shown quite vividly in the events’ Facebook group, where students were quite vocal about their anger. Night Hawks, formerly conjoined with Hawk Team, is the student-run committee that is in charge of planning all night events for Laurier Brantford. While every year they put on entertaining events for the students, the Halloween Party event is the most desired and the one that can be counted on being sold out. This year, just like the last year, the tickets indeed sold out. Except this time around, some students decided to post their disappointment and frustration

on the event’s Facebook group, essentially attacking the Night Hawks team. “We put time, effort, and dedication into making enjoyable events for our fellow students and friends. It’s saddening to see that they don’t understand what we do, and don’t have enough respect for us,” said Samantha Diogo-Mandic, a member of the Night Hawks committee. Diogo-Mandic felt offended by all of the comments she was reading saying, “Here we are, students, volunteering our time so that other students can feel welcomed and have an enjoyable experience. Those commenting on the page didn’t understand that we volunteer and take time out of our lives to make sure they enjoy themselves.” No matter how many times DiogoMandic tried to explain the capacity to the students, they didn’t seem to care or understand. The comment that started all of the posts was moot, telling Night Hawks that they invited too many people since the capacity for N.V. is around 420 people. To

invite only a few hundred students to the event, and not notify the entire student body about the event is for obvious reasons unfair. The capacity is set on legal terms and follows the codes set by the fire department, it is not a number made up by the school or Night Hawks. However, although most of the comments were a mere attack on Night Hawks, some students brought up valid concerns that can be useful for future events. One student brought up the point of limiting the number of tickets sold to one person at a time. Another student said that it is unfair to sell on Mondays because students that have practicum cannot go and buy the tickets themselves, so they have to get a friend to go and buy them that day. Since the tickets sold out early on Tuesday, Monday would have been a good day to purchase a ticket. “I definitely think students brought up valid points, hey I would have been upset too if I didn’t get a ticket. The problem is that there is no way to please everyone. The

fact is that there are only 420 tickets and there are many more students than that at our school- we need a bigger venue,” said Jordan Copeland, coordinator of the Night Hawks committee. “I am hoping it was only ‘heat of the moment’ as the upset comments were done by the end of the day,” Copeland said. Just as Copeland said, there is no way to please everyone. Promotion for the event started way ahead of time, and even warned students that it would sell out fast. Pretickets were also sold in conjunction with the New Year New Year’s event, allowing an All-Access Pass for $10 that would get the students a Halloween Party event ticket ahead of time. Although students brought up valid concerns, the attack on the Night Hawks team was excessive and offensive. Instead of devoting their time on attacking the team, students are encouraged to bring up their concerns through e-mail with the coordinator and the Students’ Union so changes can be made for the future.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, October 24, 2012

ON CAMPUS

Melissa McGuffin // oncampus@thesputnik.ca

London board students without practicum placement Melissa McGuffin On Campus Editor

One of the greatest things a Concurrent Education student will say about their program is the excitement of receiving their practicum placements and beginning their training in the real teaching world. However, some students at Laurier Brantford are without their practicum placements due to the strike mandate in London, Ontario. Back in September of this year, Bill 115, “Putting Students First Act”, was passed. Bill 115 is an act to implement restraint measures in the education sector. McGuinty Mondays, and now Tuesdays, started to take place in the ETFO’s (Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario) response to the passing of the bill. This means that

they will arrive no longer than 30 minutes before their teaching begins, and leave no later than 30 minutes after. This is a way for the teachers to strike back against the government’s terms. Although they may not think it will affect their students, it certainly has affected Laurier Brantford’s Con Ed. students. Third-year Con Ed. Primary/ Junior student, Jessica Nunns, is awaiting her placement at University Heights in London, which teaches from kindergarten up to grade six. “I might end up in Brantford if I can’t get a placement there soon,” says Nunns. London was ideal for her because that is where she is from, so she would be able to see her family on the weekends. So far, Nunns has missed two days of classes, and needs a total of twenty hours to be

completed. “That’s kind of got me in a rut, I’m thinking of getting them over the December break,” says Nunns. Although the situation is frustrating, Nunns does not have any anger towards what the teachers are doing. Instead, she feels bad about not getting to develop relationships sooner with the students, and feels stressed about having to make up those missed hours. Nunns also wants to be there just to be able to help out, especially with low-income schools. “I think it’s the older generation being like ‘we don’t want them here’ which I don’t understand because we’re going to be replacing them some day, and they can teach us things,” says Nunns. The same goes for third-year Con Ed. student Emily Dwyer, who also has not

received her placement. “It’s added some extra stress because once I do get placed I will have to find the time in my schedule to add in extra practicum days plus the work I already have. Along with this, I will be behind when it comes to when I’ll be teaching versus observing in the classroom compared to my classmates,” explains Dwyer. For now, unless they find an alternative placement, it is a waiting game between Nipissing University and the Thames Valley District School Board. For Nunns and Dwyer, it is a matter of finding a teacher that is available and open for them to be in their classrooms.

Tapping into climate change: LB prof acquires research grant Graeme Gordon Editor-in-Chief

Brenda Murphy, Associate Professor of Geography and Contemporary Studies at Laurier Brantford, has secured a $380,000 research grant to study the effects of maple syrup production due to climate change. Murphy, a faculty member of LB since its inception in 1999, received the funding last month from the Social Sciences and Research Council grant. The federally funded grant will assist Murphy and the others on the team in their longitudinal study of ten years, which is currently at the midway mark. The research by Murphy and her colleagues will show some of the sideeffects of climate change on the maple sugar production in rural communities throughout Ontario. “One of the issues with climate change is that we can do [research covering] broad strokes across Canada or all of Ontario and find out it’s going to get two degrees warmer, but what does that mean to us people in Brantford or people in small communities,” said Murphy. “One of the things were able to observe by talking to people from various places … is we begin to see patterns across local spaces, so we can start to translate that two degree temperature change into something meaningful, which people in

these communities will understand [and will know how they will be affected]. Murphy sees the maple sugar tree and maple syrup production as a way of grounding the sometimes elusive or abstract concept of climate change by showing how it is directly affecting the environment. “The reason it is focussed on maple syrup is that if you go to a rural community and ask them about climate change in the community — what does that mean — they can’t tell you. But if you ask them about the weather and if it has changed over their lifetime, if you ask them about the syrup production, for them (some people have been on the land for generations) they have an oral history,” said Murphy. “If we want people to make adjustments, changes, or to think differently about the future , it has to be real to them. It also has to be something that they can do something about at the local level,” said Murphy. Following the LB tradition, the study will take an interdisciplinary approach to research, using information gathered from oral and archival history, weather data, maple syrup production records, etc. The longitudinal range of data for the project will have several different perspectives or “ways of knowing,” and will allow the researchers to assess what Murphy calls the “social value, economical value and spiritual value” of maple syrup for

Laurier library in the works Aaleya Waslatt Staff

The partnership between Laurier Brantford and the Brantford Public Library was established in 1999. Since then, the public library has held a total of 10,000 textbooks and catalogues, and offered computers and study space for Laurier Brantford students. Laurier Brantford officials have acknowledged that the campus has outgrown the university. Laurier Brantford has grown; today there are over 2,700 students who need a sufficient supply of textbooks and research opportunities. The Faculty of Laurier and the students have been asking for their own library for a very long time. “The Carnegie Building was a library and instead of keeping it they converted it into offices and classrooms. I wasn’t there but I might have made a different decision,” said Max Blouw, President and Vice-Chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University. “We will continue to view the library situation as high priority and we are thinking ‘what does the library of the future look like?’ The opportunity to borrow textbooks from the public library and to be in a Laurier safe place is very inviting, but the financial times are not easy,” said Blouw. The decision of the Laurier Library has been in debate for a long time.

A poll conducted on The Sputnik website found that 70 per cent of people stated that the current library is insufficient to their scholarly needs. Another 18 per cent found that the library “could be better.” “In my 4 years of university, I did not feel comfortable to use the public library in the evenings. I think that a Laurier library would allow us to work specifically with textbooks and offer more study rooms at night,” said Pooja Patel, fourth-year Laurier Brantford student. “University doesn’t only mean education, it can be very distracting to students, therefore a quiet place to study is always needed,” says Aarti Patel, a third-year Leadership student. The future library looks different than the public library in Brantford. Libraries are starting to need more space for digital media, textbooks, computers and more printers. Many students also wish to be able to contact the librarians at any time, especially during exam time when there is always help needed. As far as the process of setting opening times for a library, we are still not there. “There have been only initial studies into whether any of our current campus buildings would serve as a library, at least in part. No concrete plans have been made,” says Kevin Klein, the External Relations Coordinator at Laurier Brantford.

Canadian communities. Murphy has also been recently involved in other projects related to her work. She has just completed a podcast on her studies on climate change that will be played for school kids across Ontario. Murphy is also helping lead an eco-education lesson for over 400 kids in the Halton Region, where she will be taking them out into the bush and educating them on how the trees are being affected by climate change. Murphy sees her research in maple syrup as a way of reigniting public interest towards climate change because of its broad appeal to Canadians. “There’s a social value to it so when you start telling people that it won’t be available — that thing that is a part of us as Canadians… if our sugar maples are in danger, I

Brenda Murphy (Photo by Olivia Rutt)

mean that’s our flag … that’s part of our identity.”

here at Laurier Brantford. They were romantically involved in first-year. They are now friends.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

FEATURES

Layla Bozich// features@thesputnik.ca

Why can’t we be friends? The challenges of a plutonic relationship Sebastien Bell Staff

Though it may not come as a surprise to anyone, science has succeeded in proving that friendships between men and women are, in fact, difficult. A new study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships by April BleskeRechek of the University of WisconsinEau Claire, has determined that it is hard for men and women to be platonic friends “because cross-sex friendships are a historically recent phenomenon.” The article argues that since cross-sex friendships are a relatively new occurrence, there are still evolutionary instincts that must be overcome for them to work. Therefore, new mating strategies must be developed. The study took a group of 176 undergraduate students, comprised of 88 pairs of cross-sex friends and asked each participant a series of questions. Privacy and anonymity were paramount before, during, and after the study’s completion. The result of revealing one participant’s attraction to their friend of the opposite sex could have been detrimental to the whole relationship. The reason that cross-sex relationships are so hard is relatively simple. In a word: feelings. Specifically, the uneven dispersal thereof. Harry is a student at Laurier Brantford majoring in English. He has taken a women’s studies class, but he also loves sports, video games, and hanging out with his friends. He is a modern man. Sally is a Criminology student. Harry met Sally in their first year here at Laurier Brantford. They were romantically involved in first-year. They are now friends. It was near the beginning of the second semester of their first year that Harry and Sally became romantically involved. It was not a relationship as most people know it, though. It all started with a movie. Sally was quiet. “Nobody really talked to her,” remembered Harry. After they met he asked some of his friends about her, but no one knew much.

Harry, whether in spite or because of the lack of information, became intrigued. “The first time we hung out, we didn’t even do anything,” he said. “We just watched a movie.” This was not to last. A few nights later they were watching another movie. “We just started making out.” “Honestly,” said Harry, “it just kind of fell into my lap. I did think about her in that way and … she wanted me.” He wasn’t preoccupied with a relationship, though. He confesses that, had she texted later to call it off, he wouldn’t have been that upset. Both, at first, tried to pretend that they had already been in this sort of situation, what Harry calls “friends with benefits.” As it progressed, though, they had to admit that neither had done this type of thing before. Sadly, it couldn’t last. An impending summer apart and the difficult realization that, because of the time they’d been spending together, feelings had started creeping into the picture causing the relationship to fall apart. Harry said that Sally got attached, and Sally said that Harry got attached. “He was the girl,” she explained drily. But, according to the BleskeRechek study, this is common. Men and women experience relationships differently. The study claims that men, especially those who are attracted to their female friends, have an inflated view of themselves. Men, on the whole, seem to think that their female friends are more attracted to them than they are. Women, on the other hand, tend to think that their male friends are not attracted to them. Clearly, then, neither sex seems to have

She’s a total bro (Art by Diane Sison)

a firm grasp of what the other is thinking. Bleske-Rechek claims that “male and female mating adaptations are expected to differ.” Because of the success of children with two parents, it is in the best interest of women to be highly selective in their choice of mate. Men, argues the article, find it is in their best interest to procreate with many partners, as “males who did not engage in indiscriminate sex would eventually have been out-reproduced by males who did.” These different mating strategies lead

Continued controversy: Gay men face blood donation struggles Matt Cook Staff

There are many reasons why Canadians might not be able to give blood. You may have had a body piercing in the last six months, tried cocaine at any point in your life, or be under 17 years of age. However there is another, less popular restriction that is creating controversy in the medical world. If a man has had sex with another man at any time after 1977, he is restricted from donating blood. The ban is not limited to men. If a woman has had sex with a man who had sex with another man since 1977, she too is restricted from giving blood. Women who have had sex with other women are exempt from the restriction. The cut-off year was established as 1977 due to HIV becoming more widespread at the time and being better understood internationally. Recently groups have protested the restriction on the grounds of homophobia. Both San Jose University and Southern Oregon University have cancelled campus blood drives. Carleton University voted earlier this year to uphold their ban of blood clinics on campus. Such protests have not yet hit the Brantford community, though this does not mean students are unaware of the issue. Rebecca Andrews, a second year Health Wellness and Fitness student at Mohawk College, voiced her opinions on the issue.

“I can see where [the Canadian Blood diagnosed, fewer than 50 contracted HIV Services] are coming from, since the rate from a blood transfusion. of gay men getting AIDS is higher. But I This means that of every person don’t think it should be a restriction. They diagnosed in 2010, less than 0.001002 per shouldn’t discriminate against people cent of them received HIV from a blood based on sexual preference.” transfusion. The Canadian Blood Services maintains Magee explained that there is potential the necessity of each of its donor screening for future change to the Canadian Blood questions, including those that prohibit Services’ restrictions. men who have slept with men from “We’ve been pursuing data that might donating blood. inform a Veronica Magee, policy change “of every person diagnosed in r e g a r d i n g Communications Specialist for the 2010, less than 0.001002 per cent MSM (men Canadian Blood of them received HIV from a blood who have sex Services, explains with men). transfusion.” the organization’s Our board reasoning for the restriction. of directors recently passed a policy to re“All of our policies are in place to examine our restrictions. We would reduce ensure a safe supply of blood products for our policy to no less than five years and no patients who rely on them for treatment. more than ten. It’s definitely a first step.” This means certain individuals may be This means that a man who has slept restricted from giving blood. Our bottom with another man could donate blood, but line is the safety of the patient.” only if he has not slept with a man in the However all donated blood, once past five years. collected, undergoes intense screening for Lowering the restrictions on blood HIV or other diseases. Out of an estimated donation is not impossible. The proposed 46, 913 diagnoses of HIV by the Centre for notion is similar to the policy in Australia, Disease Control in 2010, approximately 28, where men who have slept with men must 782 of them were contracted from male- not do so for only one year before donating to-male sexual contact. This may serve blood. to support the Canadian Blood Services’ decision. However of these 46, 913 people

to a gap in understanding between men and women. Relationships become wildly different to the sexes, and two people can experience one relationship in two totally different ways. Whatever the reasons behind it, though, it seems clear that it is not sex itself that gets in the way of a healthy friendship. It is, rather, the emotions behind it, and the different experiences of those involved that make it so hard for men and women to be “just friends.”

THE MOUTHPIECE I don’t even know what to say about Laurier’s Further Education fair. Maybe it should have been called the Con-Ed Further Education Fair. I’m inclined to say I’m actually insulted. Nearly every booth there was directed towards a masters in educations or teaching or something of that sort. There wasn’t even a stand alone booth for Laurier’s newest masters program in Criminology. And not only was it lumped in with the other graduate and doctoral studies, it wasn’t even on the masters program list and all the recruitment officer could tell my roommates and I about it was that it was new, it was on our campus and oh so kindly supplied is with Marg Harris‘ email. Whoopty-shit, tell me something I don’t know. It would have been more worth my time walking over and visiting Marg myself at her office in GRH. There were a grand total of 3 schools there to persuade us into further education in something either law or crim related, one of which was overseas. I feel for anyone in Journalism that wasted their time walking through to be turned down at likely every booth. Granted, there is a careers in Criminology fair, but it’s just that - careers, I haven’t seen much directed towards higher education for the second largest program at this campus. I’m finding more of my peers on the fence like myself about further education, likely due to feeling like we’re paying more & getting less and I highly doubt this helped clear anything up. Way to go LB. Sincerely, Is this really what the university is going to waste my tuition on?

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

FEATURES

Layla Bozich // features@thesputnik.ca

The purpose behind the petals: The poppy Karly Rath Staff

T h e small crimson flower pinned to our left lapels signals Remembrance Day is approaching. The seemingly unanimous meaning behind the symbol is the remembrance of fallen soldiers, but the significance of the poppy differs greatly from person to person. Veteran Dick Wagenaar’s pale blue eyes widened when asked what the poppy means to him. “I believe in it. I support it — I’ve supported it all my life. People have no idea what it means,” he said, placing his hand on his heart. To Wagenaar, the poppy represents his and his fellow veterans’ sacrifices. He spent two years of service in Holland. Wagenaar said that in choosing to go overseas, he sacrificed his entire life. After his contract was up, he could not bear to re-enlist. Despite the fact he didn’t return, Wagenaar never stopped fighting. “I’ve been [in Canada] since 1952 and I’m going all the time. I keep going. I’ve got to keep going, because right now I’m fighting cancer,” he said. According to Wagenaar, today’s generation doesn’t understand what war is truly like. The only way one can appreciate the symbolism behind poppies is to experience war themselves. Brant Naval Veteran Association member Ron Stele said that poppies are to remember the lives that were sacrificed. Even though Stele’s brother served in Korea for three years, “he didn’t sacrifice anything—he is still alive. He simply did his

organization. As a result, the Legion was given the responsibility of ensuring that the poppy would never be used inappropriately such as for personal or commercial gain. The Poppy Manual, released in 2011, outlines very specific ‘Poppy Protocol’ on how to wear the poppies respectfully. For instance, no pins other than those provided can be used to attach it to your clothing, even if it bears a Canadian flag, as this is defacing the symbol of remembrance. Also, the center must be black — not green. It is interesting to note that Wagenaar, who is a member of the Legion, wears two poppies on his baseball cap, simply because they often fall off of his shirt. Due to the Legion’s standards, it is clear that changing the poppies’ colour of

job.” Everyone’s definition of sacrifice depends on their experiences and what they have sacrificed themselves. Stele has never seen a war like his brother or Wagenaar have. Wagenaar has been a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for 50 years. He says that everyone in the Legion understands and supports the poppy but many people outside of the Legion don’t truly support the symbol, even if they wear poppies. “A lot of people don’t have any respect for the poppy,” he said. He believes the reason many people in society wear poppies is because they would feel guilty if they did not. On June 30, 1948, an act in Parliament granted the poppy a trademark of the Legion which is the largest Canadian Veterans’

blood red to white would be an issue. On Armistice Day in 1933, that is just what a group of widows did. The white poppy, often called the peace poppy, represents all of the lives that have been lost in war, including civilians. These poppies encourage people to do more than just remember, but to also work towards peace so more lives are not lost in violent conflicts. Some wear red, some wear white, and some choose to wear no poppy at all. John Cocarla, a Laurier student who majors in Philosophy and Global Studies, delves into his own meaning behind the poppy. He believes wearing a poppy has political resonance as it is supporting a government that advocates war. The white poppy certainly represents peoples’ desire to find a peaceful solution to war. However, Cocarla believes that wearing a poppy is in no way striving for peace: “If people truly wanted to remember the dead, they would actively seek an end to war.” For this reason, Cocarla elects not to wear a poppy. “The way I choose to remember the fallen is through my right to vote, and the very personal way I mourn the lost,” he said. The white poppy has caused controversy, not only legally but emotionally. Some veterans are offended that some people are not honouring how they shed blood for their country. Wagenaar’s opinion is that the poppy’s meaning should not be changed and that the colour should remain red. Cocarla believes that those who are offended have binary visions of the support of the military. Either someone supports the military patriotically, and they wear a red poppy, or they don’t support it at all. Ron Stele believes that poppies honour not only the fallen soldiers, but their families as well. Their endless support and suffering without their loved ones deserves remembrance too. As a response to John McCrae’s famous poem “In Flanders Field”, poet Floyd Zurbrigg wrote a poem called “In Canadian Fields” which touches on the importance of remembering soldiers’ families. The last stanza reads, “To the one’s at home, we owe a debt/They suffered too, let’s not forget/While in Flanders Fields the poppies grew/The folks at home were heroes too.” Whether the poppy stands for the sacrifice of a high quality of life, the lives of lost soldiers, their suffering families, late civilians, a peaceful future — or all of the above — the poppy’s purpose flourishes. Wagenaar points to the two blood red flowers on his hat. “I believe in the poppy, always have and always will.”

Poppies of Canada. (Art by Diane Sison)

8

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A&E

Courtney Langstaff // arts@thesputnik.ca

Canadian spring fashion hits Toronto Madison Hawkins Staff Canadian fashion designers rocked the runway at World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week, taking place Oct. 22-26. New 2013 spring lines flooded Toronto with edge, colour, and sophistication. Guests enjoyed shows of new up-and-coming designers, as well as those Canadian brands already established in the fashion world. David Peacaut Square was flooded with fashion lovers admiring the works of designers from inside and out of the tent. The tent was filled with excitement in addition to the music of DJ Bellosound. As the music pumped, guests could enjoy getting pampered at either of the Essie nails or Maybeline makeup booths, with a glass of champagne in hand. It was a classy event, where fashionistas of all kinds could admire the new looks of spring while the leaves of autumn were falling outside. The hottest new brand of denim, Triarchy hit the Canadian runway on Thursday, Oct. 25. It was the Vancouver born brand’s second solo show, where sibling designers, Adam, Ania and Mark Taubenfligel, created a fun, fashion forward show. “For us, it’s really important not to take runway too seriously. I find a lot of runway shows are very monotone, stone faced models and what not.” Shared clothing designer, Adam. “So we like to have fun with it. We usually do a little skit and tell the girls to have fun. Think more Victoria Secret than Prada,” he continued. Models took charge of the runway in new bleached out denim, colourful metallics, cut off jean shorts, spring coloured denim, gold studded denim and, of course, the high wasted jean trademark. Designer Ania impressed denim lovers by walking the runway herself in just a black bra, gold chain and of course her high wasted, thigh lined gold studded jeans— that made her appear 6ft tall. Her confidence and crazy smirk as she strutted her stuff, highlighted the brand’s unique and authentic style. The show went off without a hitch,“We definitely want to grow, we want to move beyond the small boutiques and move to larger retailers. We are really excited to talk to stores like The Bay and Nordstrom, when we are ready to,” explains Adam. “That requires a lot of different ways in which we do business, so those are the things that we are working on,” he added. Celebrities such as True Blood’s Jessica Clark and Gillian Zinser from 90210 have been spotted wearing Triarchy jeans, but that doesn’t mean that the sibling power team are abandoning their Canadian, down-to-earth values. “When we started moving down to the states, [we

Lighthouse debuts in Brantford Stephanie Di Bartolo Staff

Toronto Fashion Week. (Photo by Madison Hawkins)

found it to be] a very different market. It’s very celebrity driven. We had a PR company come to our show last season and they wanted to talk to us about doing celebrity placements for the brand and start getting it noticed on that level. We really liked that they came to us and that we didn’t go to them, it was really organic,” says Adam. “So it’s not like we just send jeans to stars, we actually have a relationship through that PR Company and it just makes it a bit more real,” added designer Adam. “We don’t just want to be like, ‘oh whoever can wear them, gets them.’ We like to choose and pick people that resonate with the brand and that are nice,” he continued to explain. It has taken extreme dedication of all three designers in this family line to help get their foot into the fashion world. Despite having a slow start, the brand has started to become widely known especially following last year’s Fashion Week in Toronto. From new high wasted, studded jeans to the newest spring coloured jeans, Triarchy denim is a brand to look out for. They are going to take on the fashion world at full force and won’t stop until everyone is living in their trademark ‘T’ jeans. With big dreams of expanding the brand, Triarchy is here to stay.

It was an event 40 years in the making as Canadian rock group Lighthouse played to a crowd of nearly 900 at Brantford’s Sanderson Centre. The group had previously played in Brantford in 1973, and the show was, and still is, the biggest indoor rock concert in Brantford history. Besides gracing Brantford this past Thursday with the show the town has been waiting nearly four decades for, the band was also in town to support a good cause, Brantford’s Freedom House. Proceeds from the tickets, as well as money made from a 50/50 draw, all went towards the Kindness Project set out by the Freedom House. The Kindness Project is a mission that promotes kindness in the city and hopes to turn Brantford into the kindest city in Canada. President of Freedom House, Brian Beattie, took the stage in a red superhero costume disguised as the project’s mascot, Captain Kindness. “I believe we can be transformed by good, into good, and that Brantford can be the kindest city in Canada,” said Beattie. After the short presentation from Freedom House, it was time for the show to begin. Supporting Lighthouse was Brantford native, Ray Materick. Accompanied by his talented band, Materick played most of the songs off of his newest record, “Home Sweet Home”. Materick had the audience engaged from the start and fans were singing along for his entire 45-minute set. After a short fifteen-minute intermission, the lights dimmed and the crowd’s screams were deafening. It was time for Lighthouse to finally take the stage. The band casually walked on, waved to the crowd, and took their places. They opened the show with their hit “Take it Slow (Out in the Country)” and had the crowd clap along with the beat of the drums. “This [show] has been long in the making,” said singer, Dan Clancy. With 11 talented band mates on their roster, this Juno awardwinning band together played in a harmonious tune charged with rock and roll vibes. The band followed with some of their other hits like “1849” and “Remember the Times”. As they belted out one of their biggest hits “Sunny Days” the fun turned into a competition of the men in the audience singing certain lyrics of the song against the women. The women won with a landslide. Their next song was a combination of two of their songs, “Lonely Places” and “Lonely Hours.” The band described it as a “fusion”. “This song is never the same night to night. This is a musical journey.”

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9

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A&E

Courtney Langstaff // arts@thesputnik.ca

Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’: Getting over a Breakup Courtney Langstaff A & E Editor The album “Red� can arguably be considered the best album Taylor Swift has produced yet. Her image from the bubblegum adorable blonde in cowboy boots has definitely evolved over the last year or two and her sound and lyrics have grown with her. Either it is the captivating lyrics or incredible marketing strategy that has made this entire album (that was released only a few weeks ago) such a hit. A couple weeks before ‘Red’ hit stores globally, Taylor Swift and her team released one song from the album virtually almost every few

days. This created a huge buildup that made almost everyone including non-Taylor Swift fans fall in love with each song. First began “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together�, which is still a sensation to this day, then the song “Red� (which is now used to market the store Target, which is on its way to Canada). Other big hits include “Begin Again�, and “I knew you were Trouble�. The latter in fact is a new take on a T-Swift sound adding dub step and some serious bass, you can actually dance to this beat. “22� and “I Almost Do� are other popular songs on “Red�. For those who have listened to the album or individual songs

you will notice that they all have a unified theme: Getting over a Breakup. It is not a surprise that T-Swift usually, if not always, sings about the boy who has either captured or stomped on her heart. But these songs either are about how hurt she is or was, her trying to get over him or her almost giving in to going back with the guy and or how she knew that certain boy was “some kind of trouble.� I personally would say this is my favourite of all her records. I find it hard to actually force myself to go out and buy an album these days unless I love virtually every song, and “Red� is definitely one that I will buy. No matter who is listening to it: girls, guys, children, teenagers or adults, we can all relate to her music and lyrics in some way. There is always that one person we think of when listening to her songs, so for that reason I recommend picking Taylor Swift’s “Red� today.

‘End of Watch’ worth a view Amber Richardson Staff David Ayer, writer of The Fast and Furious and Training Day, tried his hand at directing for the fourth time with his latest film End of Watch. Overall, the movie can be slotted into the genre of action, but it is also hilarious and tear jerking — a complete emotional roller coaster. End of Watch follows the relationship between two partners, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael PeĂąa), two LAPD officers who cruise the streets of a gang-littered Los Angeles. This leads to them busting the wrong people and starting a war with the Mexican cartel. The film is shot primarily in the “recovered footageâ€? style, as Gyllenhaal’s character is shooting a documentary about the life of

cops for a college course on filmmaking. Cameras were meticulously planted throughout their patrol car, on their shirts, and in the hands of Gyllenhaal’s character, to reveal an authenticity that is often lost on the big screen. This authenticity was carried out through the flawless, seemingly unscripted, conversations and onscreen chemistry delivered by Peùa and Gyllenhaal. As with most cop movies, there were fantastical elements that just do not exist in real life. One scene in particular showed a gangster challenging Peùa to a fight, and just as one might expect from an action film, he stripped himself of his gear to fistfight the challenger. The directing was also a bit shaky, and the editing towards the end of the movie provides a sometimes-distracting shift between found footage and

choreographed camera shots. It gets difficult to transition from watching the movie from the characters’ perspective, to an outsider’s perspective — especially when there are a number of plot points to remember. However, the riveting performances delivered by both Peùa and Gyllenhaal make this a minor negative for the movie. With End of Watch, you can expect a believable story that has you rooting for the protagonists the whole way through. The recovered original footage provides a documentary-like feeling throughout the film, misleading you into temporarily believing that everything that’s happening is real. In my opinion, End of Watch deserves an award, and at least one watch by all.

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The Everything to do with Sex Show Amber Richardson Staff The ‘Everything to do with Sex Show’ returned to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this past weekend and, let me tell you, from bed sheets to nail art, whips to dildos, this show really did have everything. At first, I was a bit underwhelmed, because I was expecting a massive show, with a real dungeon, and some real freaky people. One couple that I spoke to stated, “We have never been to a [sex] show before, I was expecting it to be really wild. We fit in here.� The show was really laid back with everyday people in attendance . I was worried that I was going to run into a few parents I knew (but not mine, I made them stay home). Once I got over my own preconceptions of what a sex show in Toronto should be, I realized that this show really did have something for everyone. What puzzled me at first were the seemingly completely random booths that I was seeing. There were booths with nail polish, “Snore No More� aromatherapy, baked goods, and even stockbrokers. I immediately took to asking each “non-sexual� booth what brought them to a sex show. One booth’s representative admitted that her business had nothing to do with sex and explained that “Women are here. I want to market to them, it doesn’t matter that this stuff isn’t ‘sexy.’� While I found this true with a few of the obscure booths, some of them convincingly tied their trade to sex, because really sex is the lowest common denominator among human beings and for some it starts with a seductive glance, for others, “It starts with really good cookies.� There were also mini sex stores in the show, set up with a ton of stuff that you’d normally expect to find in a sex store. However, most other booths focused on one particular aspect of sex. There were pole dancing booths, which had most women coyly intrigued; a slew of bondage and BDSM booths in

the dungeon; burlesque; meet-andgreets with webcam girls; bed sheets; art; sex vacations; etc. Basically anything you could possibly think of related to sex, no matter how obscure, was there. I talked to one particular vendor that offered a variety of things. “People are expecting to come and see pervs everywhere. It’s not like that ... everyone likes sex, even normal moms and dads. We have everyone from [people who are barely 18], to seniors. This show is about celebrating and enjoying sex as much as possible.� Another great part of the entire event was the seminars and demonstrations that were scheduled throughout the weekend. These sessions were completely free, and allowed real, practical advice for couples on how to spice up their sex life. There were seminars ranging from: The Pleasures of Anal Sex; Bigger, Better, Orgasms; How to Fix Your Relationship; and many more. The impressive part about these seminars was that even though it was exhibitors running the sessions, they weren’t set up like an infomercial. They just gave real advice, and some sessions didn’t even recommend that you buy anything. While this may seem puzzling to read in a sex column, my favourite part of the show was the xxxchurch. com booth. I was so intrigued by the flashy yellow signs and neon pink stickers, that I talked to Ryan Russell, the man behind it all. Turns out, xxxchurch.com is a non-profit international resource for people who are addicted to sex or who are trying to get out of the industry (e.g. porn stars). With their presence at the show, they offer non-judgmental support in order to move away from the idea of trying to get people to abandon their sexual fantasies, but for those who really need help and are unaware that help is available to them. While this may seem “antisex�, I think it’s a great resource that promotes safe and healthy sex. After all of this, I was told to remember one thing, “Jesus loves porn stars.�

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" # ! $# " # Sex candy anyone? (Photo by Amber Richardson)

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

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11

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

SPORTS Kyle Morrison // sports@thesputnik.ca

LB Mens’ Basketball Team Wins Silver at George Brown Kyle Morrison Sports Editor November 3 will stand out as a proud day for Laurier Brantford athletics in 2012. The men’s basketball team went into George Brown College this past Saturday to take part in their first tournament of the season and came out with a silver medal – the first piece of hardware a Laurier Brantford team has received. Co-captain Matthew Wright couldn’t be happier to have obtained this honour. “We wanted to get this win for the school, everything was for the program. Everything’s still sinking in.” After beating Centennial College to get to the tournament final, who Wright said was the best team in the tournament, the Hawks simply couldn’t keep pace with the host team from George Brown. Having only ten minutes between the semi-final and final, a tired Golden Hawks team fought hard, but ended up losing 60-41. “It came down to mental errors [due to the lack of rest]. By the end of it we were just so burnt out.” Endurance and having fresh legs is something that is so key in basketball and when you have to deplete your bench to try and stay rested, things aren’t going to go as

planned. Legs get a little weaker, you cramp easier and shots that were falling earlier in the tournament can’t get passed the rim. Not all the fault can be put on the team for not having the endurance necessary to keep up as they got stuck with an inconvenient schedule of back-to-back games. But if the team plans on winning it all, that can’t be used as an excuse. More than simply hitting the gym and increasing the amount of running and endurance training, Wright wanted to stress the importance of eating right before and in between games. The team now has a two week break before heading to the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus for their next tournament on November 16. The competition is going to be ramped up, as the host team is definitely one of the best in the OCAA (Ontario Collegiate Athletics Association). But the goal doesn’t change; they want to bring home not just a silver medal, but a championship trophy to Brantford. But with the newfound success does come some added pressure to perform. However, it’s something Wright welcomes. “It adds good pressure. Going into tournaments we know what we’re capable of.” The team has come a long way since their inaugural season last year. Every

Winner, winner, chicken diner! (Photo by Lynne Gulliver, Recreation Coordinator)

consecutive tournament the Hawks have been in has been an improvement from the last. The team went from a seventh place finish to third in their two tournaments last year, and now silver in their first one of this season. But once things settle down, it’s back to the gym practicing like it never happened. Everything up to this point has been a building block for the team. Wright

felt second place was a good start to the season. But it’s all about how you finish. And a successful finish is one that involves having that trophy in your hands. With all the time and effort the men’s basketball program is putting in, they are ready to go onto the University of Toronto Mississauga’ home court and finish what they have started.

Co-Ed dodgeball team solid in first tournament Craig Hagerman Staff The Laurier Brantford extramural dodgeball team took part in their first tournament of the year on October 26. They hoped to dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge their way to a championship. The team took part in four round robin games during the tournament and came out with a respectable 2-2 record. The Hawks started out the day with a game against the home squad from Lakeshore Humber. They were able to go toe-to-toe with Humber, but unfortunately fell just short of a win losing 4 matches to 3. In game two, the Hawks took on a team from Boreal College. It was here that Laurier Brantford got to really show what they were made of. The team was able to shutout a weaker Boreal team, winning the match 5-0. In game three, Laurier was pinned up against another strong Humber team, this

team from the North campus. Unfortunately, a tired Golden Hawks team, having hit the court immediately following their game two win over Boreal, lost 6-2. The loss stung even more since they had beaten North Humber last year. “We played North Humber campus directly after our games versus Boreal. It was hard because we ran out of steam from the games before we lost six games to two games. We were severely disappointed since we beat them in our tournament last year,” says Laurier’s co-captain Tim Miller. In their final round robin game, Laurier Brantford really showed their dominance against a second Boreal team. The Hawks laid out a beating, winning the match with ease, 10 games to two. This win propelled the team into the semi-finals. The Hawks unfortunately, ended up losing the game to their rivals from Lake-

shore Humber, a team that the Hawks came so close to beating in the round robin. The Humber teams were clearly both very strong and very serious. However, Laurier Brantford left the tournament feeling good about their results and co-captain Michelle Anger believes that with a bit more practice they could really get to the same level as the Humber squads. “The Humber teams had coaches and were very serious, they had knee pads and had certain plays that they did in the games. However we have a very strong team and contended with them in the game. I believe if we keep practicing and working hard that we can beat them,” says Anger. One of the biggest surprises for the team during the tournament was the great play of Oliver Moyse, who joined the team as a replacement. Co-captains Miller and Anger were very impressed by the skill

that Oliver brought to the team. “Oliver Moyse played great throughout the tournament. He originally was not supposed to come with us, but as one of our players could not make it, we invited him for the day. He played well and learned very quickly all of the rules,” says Anger. Miller was also pleased with the play of Moyse and his co-captain. “I believe that our MVP’s of the tournament were Oliver Moyse who was a new addition to our team as well as the veteran Michelle Anger who many times was our last player standing,” says Miller. The team’s next tournament is on November 9 at Redeemer College where they hope to improve on a very strong opening to the dodgeball season.

Men’s extramural hockey team falls short in first game Dillon Giancola Staff The Laurier Brantford men’s extramural hockey team got their season underway on Halloween night in a 4-3 loss to Conestoga. It was their first exhibition game of the season, and was hard fought right to the end. The first five minutes were fast paced and back and forth. Laurier, having not played together yet this year, were a little sloppy out of the gate defensively and Conestoga capitalized with a goal four minutes in. First year goalie, Ben Brenner made a huge save two minutes later to keep the game from getting away from them early. Two minutes later at 7:30 in the first period, on a Laurier power play, Michael Bondy buried a rebound to tie the game. The first period ended on a low note, as Conestoga scored a fluke goal on a pass that deflected off of a Laurier defensemen into the net to take the lead back 2-1. The second period started off much the same, with end-to-end action topped off with a Conestoga goal on a snipe from the left hash marks. Laurier began to get into penalty trouble. At 7:17 into the period, killing off a slashing penalty, Laurier got caught in the neutral zone. Conestoga had a 2 on 0 break and scored a nice tic-tac toe-goal to go up 4-1. This seemed to be the turning point for

the rest of the game as Laurier found another gear. Thirty seconds later Kelen Herr passed the puck from behind the net to captain Andrew Pawluk who was all alone and buried it to get within two. The last five minutes of the second saw a flurry of activity as the small, but loud, crowd got into it. Bondy and Pawluk took penalties ten seconds apart, giving Conestoga a two minute five on three. Laurier’s defense was solid, not giving up any good chances. The third period was dominated by Laurier. They had a five on three halfway through the third and got some good chances but could not score. The next six minutes were more of the same, with Laurier all over Conestoga but just not able to get that lucky bounce. At 19:12 in the third, Bondy finished a nice pass from behind the net to get within one. Laurier pulled Brenner for the last minute, but was not able to sustain control, and the game ended. Dave Howe, a third year student new to the team and one of their three captains, was pleased with their effort. “We didn’t have much in the first, but we skated well and got better as the game went on and got our legs under us,” says Howe. “We really got going in the third and moved the puck well. It’s just the first

Men’s extramural hockey team. (Photo by Lynne Gulliver, Recreation Coordinator)

game and with a couple more games and practices under our belt we’ll be good.” But Howe says that the team needs to work on breaking out of the zone, and setting up some passes down low. In just their second season in the OCAA, the team has a lot of returning players and a lot of potential. They especially like their

chances with Brenner in net, who figures to be a key factor if the team is to have success this year. There are currently no more exhibition games scheduled, but the regular season is set to open with a tournament at Humber College on Nov. 23.

12

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 7, 2012

OPINION Leisha Senko // opinion@thesputnik.ca

Learning to love Brantford Kaya Firth Staff It may sound trivial, but when I was first touring Laurier Brantford, the one thing that really sold me on living here was Victoria Park. I came in the springtime when it was full of blooming flowers, rustic cobblestones, and fresh leaves. In my head I could picture myself sitting on those adorable park benches to do my homework once I moved here. I arrived in September only to discover that my idyllic park benches were in reality occupied by some homeless people and just like that, the spell was broken. I started hearing a lot of bad things about Brantford and I said on several occasions, “I wish I’d known that before I moved here.” However, after a few weeks of exploring the downtown core (timidly, I admit), I started to discover that all those myths aren’t necessarily true. One of the most common misconceptions about Brantford is that there’s nothing to do here. A lot of other universities, as a virtue of their size and location, are much more busy and action-packed than Laurier Brantford, but Laurier Brantford isn’t like other universities – that’s why we all chose to come here! “People who are from Brantford think

this too,” says Maddi Bury, a Laurier Brantford student and resident, “We have a huge movie theatre and we have a mall that really isn’t that bad, but nobody takes advantage of it.” According to Ellora Jones, another student and resident of Brantford, the issue is that people aren’t looking. “There’s a ton to do, and the problem is that people just don’t look hard enough,” says Jones. Brantford is more than meets the eye. The Wayne Gretzky Centre offers a wide variety of sports, including badminton, flag football, and hockey, and many local organizations offer volunteer opportunities if sports aren’t for you. The Sanderson Centre always has awesome music and theatre events with great deals on student tickets. For example, Colin James recently played a concert at the Sanderson Centre, and a production of The Colour Purple with the original Broadway cast offered tickets for only five dollars. On November 29, Spencer West is coming to the Sanderson and again, student tickets are only $5 – an experience that you won’t get at many other schools. A lot of the students of Laurier Brantford may look down on the “locals,” but for no real reason. According to Jones, most of the residents of Brantford are happy to have the university here because it feeds into the town’s economy, which was not

exactly flourishing before. The presence of the school means that the downtown core is safer than it used to be, and people are starting to open businesses here. “There’s so many young people downtown and it’s all central to the university,” says Bury. “There are people that are just kid-haters to begin with and hate all kids that are loud and partying. I haven’t really heard about students causing any problems, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t like them,” says Jones, dispelling the notion entertained by many students that, “the locals hate us.” As most of us know, the Brantford we see now is not the Brantford that existed 10, or even five years ago. “Before, there wasn’t really very much to do downtown, and I can’t remember ever going there except for the library,” Jones says. Downtown Brantford started to change when Harmony Square was introduced and more shows and events started happening, giving people a reason to go there. Thus, attracting more students to get involved in the town’s unique culture. “One of my favourite things about Brantford is the trails along the river and right now they’re trying to develop a lot of that land to build condos,” says Jones. Brantford has changed so drastically

over the last decade and we can expect this trend to continue as the student population of Laurier Brantford is expected to double in the next four years. “My favourite thing about Brantford is how connected everyone is,” says Bury, “People who live in Brantford tend to stay here for their whole lives. The people I went to preschool and elementary school with are the people I went to high school with, and I still talk to them.” This surprised and interested me, as I’ve heard so much about how “sketchy” Brantford is. “It’s different once you’re out of downtown,” says Bury. Maybe this is the mistake most students make – because all the university buildings and residences are centrally located downtown, most of us don’t really have a reason to venture farther out into the rest of Brantford. Most newcomers to Brantford don’t ever discover a lot of its unique character – people come here to go to school, and then they leave without getting all they can get out of the experience. So maybe Victoria Park isn’t for me, but there might be something awaiting me out there in Brantford that I’m missing out on simply because I don’t know about it. It’s just a matter of looking a little harder than right outside my door.

I love Brantford: My favourite places. Photo essay by Cody Hoffman

Guest lecturers: they could change your life Cody Groat Staff “I think sharing your own personal experiences and stories is essential to modern education,” says Marc Laferriere, part owner of The Brant Advocate, Brant NDP MP Candidate of record, and recurring college and university guest speaker. I have to agree. Personally, a university guest speaker is always an exciting experience for me. In high school, I may have had one or two people come occasionally, but no one really special ever spoke to my small town country school. Because of this, I couldn’t help but wonder, what do guest speakers do for us? Are they a benefit or a detriment to learning? And how does a personal story or experience enliven the, sometimes boring, routine of read, lecture, evaluate, repeat? “I can help students think about the broad democratic themes at stake in an election, but I can’t share with them the actual feelings of running as a candidate.

A guest speaker can. I can show a documentary film, but students will only have the chance to ask the filmmaker questions about her approach and political viewpoint if I invite her into the classroom,” explains James Cairns, an assistant professor in the Contemporary Studies program. Whether it’s Alex Neve, an Officer of the Order of Canada and the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, speaking to a Human Rights class about how he recently came back from a research mission in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa, or Rene Meshake an Ojibwe author, illustrator, musician, and visual artist explaining his life and work to students in the Indigenous People in a Contemporary World course, a guest speaker’s story can put students to sleep, or change a student’s life. Laferriere believes this greatly, recalling how one of the greatest moments he’s ever experienced as a speaker was when a student expressed to him in an email how Laferriere, “showed the importance of having a voice,” and how his talks made the

same student “ready now to speak.” How he, just by talking, could alter someone’s life, is perhaps one of the best things to come out of being a guest speaker. But the fact that he can do that to a student is perhaps one of the best things that can happen to an educational system. Cairns believes that, “there is no substitute for hearing people talk about their own experiences, in their own words.” First year Youth and Children student Chrissie Greig believes that when a guest speaker comes in, the classroom becomes more focused, organized, and personally she’s more attentive. Law and Society student Maddi Bury believes that a guest speaker can give her a “different way of looking at a lesson, expanding the lesson a little more.” She also noticed people had “a lot more respect to the guest lecturer.” However, sometimes guest speakers don’t add anything to a student’s experience in a course. Although this is a different view than the others, it is still relevant.

I can see some of this in my personal experience. Some guest speakers simply do not interest students with what they have to say. When the day is over however, I can still respect what they have done; travelled to my school or community, got in front of a large crowd, and exposed an aspect about themselves that could be rather personal. Look at your syllabus. Today, a guest speaker is coming in. The choices mount already. Do you decide to go to class, or maybe skip it? After all, some teachers don’t even evaluate you on what guest speakers say. When you get to class, do you pay attention? Does what the speaker has to say interest you? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it’s enough to change your views on something entirely. Maybe what a speaker has just shared about his or her life can be enough to change your life. Or, maybe they put you to sleep. I guess it all just depends.

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