Issue 2 - August 29, 2014

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the

Friday, August 29, 2014 - Issue 2 // www.thesputnik.ca

Meet your Orientation Week icebreakers!

Pages 6 & 7

From dust to dining page 4

News 2 Features 4 On Campus 6 Arts & Culture 8 Sports 10 Opinion 12

Partnership with Laurier likely page 3

Laurier men’s 2014 baseball team page 11

Tattoos in the workplace page 12

Brantfords Farmers’ Market Open year round . Friday 7am - 5pm . Saturday 7am - 2pm Laurier Students get 10% discount Located close to Laurier downtown campus & residences . 79 Icomm Drive

Laurier Brantford full page ad August 29 september 10 and 24_Layout 1 14-08-20 4:24 PM Page 1

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The Sputnik

Friday, August 29, 2014

Welcome Laurier Brantford students!

The Brantford recycling program is a 2-sort system with all containers (including plastics 1 through 7), sorted into one blue box or tote and all paper products, sorted into the other blue box or tote.

Please visit brantford.ca/environmental for further information

Friday, August 29, 2014

The Sputnik

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News Taylor Berzins | news@thesputnik.ca | @sputnik_news

Updating Carnegie Hall and Victoria Park EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Layla Bozich eic@thesputnik.ca ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Rohith Sothilongam rohith@wlusp.com

PHOTO EDITOR Cody Hoffman photography@thesputnik.ca

ART EDITOR Now hiring! visual@thesputnik.ca WEB EDITOR Dylan Kellendonk web@thesputnik.ca COPY EDITOR Hannah Brunsdon SECTION EDITORS Taylor Berzins - News Swathy Sooriyakumar - On Campus Karly Rath - Features Dillon Giancola - Arts & Culture Kyle Morrison - Sports Brittany Bennett - Opinion WLUSP BRANTFORD 202-171 Colborne St. Brantford, ON N3T 2C9 (519) 756-8228 ext, 5948

MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Nathanael Lewis nathanael.lewis@wlusp.com

Victoria Park. (Photo by Nathanael Lewis)

Taylor Berzins News Editor Carnegie Hall and Victoria Park are in the midst of receiving a facelift.

Facets of the project, which include redesigning the ramps and walkways into Carnegie Hall, and the paths in Victoria Park are expected to be complete around the beginning of September.

According to Brantford Director of Park Service Brian Hughes, the Victoria Park proj-

ADVERTISING Angela Taylor (519) 884-0719 ext. 3560 angela.taylor@wlusp.com The Sputnik is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981.

The Sputnik is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications (WLUSP) WLUSP Head Office 205 Regina Street Waterloo, Ontario N2J 3C5 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 CREDITS Main: Nathanael Lewis Left: Cody Hoffman Centre: Will Huang Right: Caitlin Snider

or Homecoming,” say Gladysz.

The walkways at both Carnegie Hall and Victoria Park are being remade with concrete as opposed to the Unistone that once lay in its place.

“We spent a lot of time thinking about how to make it as accessible as possible under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act,” says Gladysz The park will include wider, more smooth, sidewalks, and new street indicators for the visually impaired.

Pay-and-display parking may be on its way Taylor Berzins News Editor

PRESIDENT Dani Saad (519) 884-0710 ext. 3565 dani.saad@wlusp.com

ect will cost an estimated $438,000.

Work to the George Street-scape, which was intended to be completed this summer, is being pushed back until Spring 2015.

Mark Gladysz, Brantford’s Senior Planner says, the city has been working very closely with the Laurier during this project.

“One of the things that we’re hoping to see happen overtime with the George Street scape work, is that we can institute a predictable closure program so that the street is available for major events like Convocation

Free parking may become all but a memory for Brantford’s downtown core.

The City of Brantford’s Downtown Parking Task Force has created a recommendation that downtown convert from free parking, to a pay-and-display system.

After much discourse, the task force’s recommendation was endorsed by city councilors 7-4, and the council will officially determine the fate of the proposal on Monday.

The plan will see a three-phase process, phase-one potentially beginning at the end of the winter-term, in Spring 2015.

Pay-and-display parking is not new to Brantford’s downtown core. The system existed in Brantford until the years 1995-2001, in which all parking meters were removed in hopes of encouraging more people to visit the downtown area.

If the plan is approved, on-street parking rates will be applied at one-dollar per hour, with a daytime limit of parking for twohours. Rates and time limits will only be applied through regular 9 to 5 business hours.

The proposal will see phase one of the

project paid for via Casino funds, for an estimated total of $350,000. The first phase will have meters installed on either side of Darling and Dalhousie, between Charlotte and Queen. The next two phases would be funded through profits generated by the parking meters, and all phases of the project would be completed by 2018.

Representatives from the Wilfrid Laurier Student’s Union (WLUSU) sat in discussions about pay and display parking, and feel the move will benefit the University.

According to Laura Bassett, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, WLUSU believes that the change will positively impact student’s experience downtown, especially through proposed features like the repletion of re-parking tickets that currently burden commuter students, “At first, with any change, it may be regarded as something negative, but it will really actually save students money in the very short term as well as the long run.”

Ward 5 Councilor David Neumann says pay-and-display parking is a forward thinking concept, “There’s no such thing as free parking. Somebody is paying for it.”

According to Neumann, free parking

made sense at the time council implemented it in the nineties and early two thousands but downtown Brantford is outgrowing that model. “We can’t continue to have the approach that parking is free… looking forward it doesn’t make sense. We have to plan for the future,” says Neumann.

Mark Gladysz, Brantford’s Senior Planner, refers to the concept as “pay per use”.

Rather than charging all local taxpayers for the maintenance of parking, the costs will be maintained exclusively by those using the spaces.

Ward 1 Councilor Jan Vanderstelt, calls the proposal “premature”.

“It’s counter-intuitive, and it places the onus on the population to solve the problem, not the municipality.” says Vanderstelt, discussing the fact that communities with similar or greater populations, like Simcoe, Woodstock, Cambridge, Guelph and Kitchener do not have pay parking in their downtowns.

“I don’t know why we would start charging for parking, when other municipalities with greater populations and a denser core don’t, it doesn’t make any sense,” says Vanderstelt.

Commemorating Canada’s faceless victims Taylor Berzins News Editor An artistic endeavor to raise awareness for missing and murdered Aboriginal women has taken root in the Brantford Community.

The Faceless Dolls Project is an endeavor created by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC). The project uses handcrafted, colourful, felt dolls to create a visual and physical representation of the thousand missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada. According to the NWAC website, the faceless dolls are a reminder of the “Aboriginal women who have become ‘faceless’ victims of crime.”

In solidarity with NWAC’s efforts, community advocates have brought the project to Brantford, in hopes to create a local, travelling art exhibit, which will be used to inspire

discussion and healing.

According to the RCMP document, ‘Murdered and Missing Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview’, published earlier this year, there are 1,181-recorded cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, 225 of these cases are unsolved.

Sherry Lewis the Community Support Program Manager at Brantford’s Native Housing calls the government’s lack of action towards a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, “baffling.”

Through the Faceless Dolls Project, Brantford Native Housing, The Aboriginal Health Centre, Laurier-Brantford and the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant, hope to bring a new spotlight to the issues surrounding violence against Aboriginal women, and want to use the project as a catalyst to open discus-

sion with local decision makers and leaders.

“These are creative women coming together, and we’re saying, ‘we need to push this forward.’” says Lewis, “We certainly support the idea of a national inquiry, something desperate is going on here in this country.”

The murder of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, whose remains were recovered from Winnipeg’s Red River on August 17, has resulted in resurgence in the public push towards a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada.

On Thursday, during a visit to Whitehorse, Prime Minister Stephen Harper dismissed the renewed push for a national inquiry, extending his sympathies to Fontaine’s family, also stating, “We should not view this as sociological phenomenon, we should view it as crime. It is crime against innocent people, and it needs to be addressed as such.”

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The Sputnik

Friday, August 29, 2014

Features Karly Rath | features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

From dust to dining on Colborne Street Karly Rath Features Editor After about ten years of abandonment, a four-story building on Colborne St. is open and teeming with life.

Brothers Sona and Bobby Reehal bought and transformed 70 Colborne St. into a multi-purpose building that includes the newly-opened Colborne Coffee and Tea House, residences for locals and students, and a soon-to-be pub.

After nine months of renovation and rejuvenation, the café has a spacious, relaxing atmosphere and overlooks the casino which is a colourful scene at night.

“It was a lot of work,” Reehal said.

“You name it—from plumbing to the roof leaking to rewiring the electrical.”

The owners took care to keep the character of the building by incorporating the old barn wood and hanging pictures on the wall that depict Brantford as it was a century ago.

The café offers students a 10 per cent discount, free Wi-Fi and round tables that fit three to four people—ideal for studying.

Colborne Coffee and Tea House. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

Starting in September, Colborne Coffee and Tea House will expand their menu to include breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The café offers loose leaf tea, sold individually or by the pot, and is expected to reach 44 blends by September. They offer build-your-own sandwiches, quiche and grilled cheese with tomato and bacon.

The café helps the city’s economy by

buying its meats from local delis, some vegetables from local farmers and the artisan bread from a Burford bakery.

They offer some vegan dining options, and are looking into offering some fair trade coffee options.

The floor above the café is already renovated and occupied with residents and the neighbouring 4000-square-foot pub is to open in January.

The difference between this pub and the Hawk and Bell, which the brothers previously owned, is that there are no noise restrictions like there was in Harmony Square.

“It really got to us because we couldn’t do a lot of live bands,” Reehal said.

This pub will include fine-dining, a lounge area, pool tables and live music until three or four o’clock in the morning.

“There’s not any other venue like that downtown,” Reehal said.

The Reehal brothers have been doing business together for nearly their entire lives, Reehal said.

Next year, the other building they currently house their real estate business in, 80 Colborne St., will be renovated to include a couple floors of student residences.

The café has a front row seat in viewing the construction of the YMCA Athletics and Recreation Centre that recently began. With a new lecture hall for Laurier students, the Colborne Coffee and Tea House and the beginnings of the rec centre, Colborne St. has undergone quite the rejuvenation.

Back to Brantford: The art of staying close Karly Rath Features Editor Whether it takes a one-hour drive or a 12-hour flight, for most students, Laurier Brantford is not close to home.

Living away from home not only means students have to learn how to use an oven and a washing machine, but also how to stay close with those back at home.

Keeping relationships strong is a challenge even without the distance.

But with some effort, friends, family and significant others can remain connected even while far away.

Googling “How to make a long-distance relationship work” offers some tips like sending snail mail, watching TV shows together but apart, and surviving off of a string of countdowns.

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hear success stories from people who have mastered long-distance communication.

Fourth-year student Nadine Saba is an international student from Oman. When Saba decided to move to Canada, she knew it would be challenging but due to social media was not worried about losing contact with her friends and family.

“Some friends and I tend to go months without contact, but we manage to pick up where we left off,” Saba said.

Caroline Barnes, 20, recommends contacting friends more often to ensure that the relationship will stay strong.

“You have to put in the effort, if you want to keep in touch,” Barnes said.

“If you don’t, things probably won’t be the same when you try to reconnect later.”

Barnes has kept her childhood friendship strong even after moving across the country. She and her friend became close in elementary school in Nova Scotia. After grade six, Barnes moved to Ontario but makes every effort to travel to Nova Scoyour entertainment tia every summer to package at the visit.

Both Saba and Barnes find that scheduling a specific time to communicate is helpful. while quantities last Saba talks to her parents from overseas every day at the same

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time. Barnes and her friend talk every Sunday, and take care to reschedule if

“The first few months are not easy, but surrounding yourselves with friends you are comfortable with is a definite distraction from feelings of homesickness.”

something comes up.

“University life is busy, so I don’t always have time to have a lengthy conversation with a bunch of friends,” Saba said. “You can send a quick message, share a funny video or make plans for semester breaks.”

Saba uses Skype, Facebook and Instagram as free, convenient ways to communicate: pictures can show what they cannot see and video-messaging is a reminder of that facial expression and vocal tone that they miss.

“The first few months are not easy, but surrounding [yourselves] with friends [you] are comfortable with is

“You have to put in the effort if you want to keep in touch.

If you don’t, things won’t be the same when you reconnect later.” a definite distraction from feelings of homesickness,” Saba said.

Barnes shares the importance of paying attention to relationships during university life.

“It’s easy to get caught up in being in a new place with new people,” Barnes said. “But you should make sure you are setting aside the time to talk, visit or keep in touch with your friends and family that are at home or in other places.”

In between roommate shenanigans and cramming for midterms, try not to forget about those who live outside of Laurier Brantford.

Friday, August 29, 2014

The Sputnik

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Features Karly Rath | features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

Pursuing the passion: The importance of bucket lists

Olivia Rutt during trip to Greece. (Photo courtesy of Oivia Rutt)

Karly Rath Features Editor What do sending a message in a bottle, kissing the Stanley Cup and playing basketball with President Obama have in common? Besides being inherently awesome, these are all

crossed-off items on the bucket list of The Buried Life, the lifestyle of a group of young Canadian men who embarked on a journey to do 100 epic things before they die.

Laurier alumni Olivia Rutt describes a bucket list as “a list of things you want to do before a certain age,

death.”

Rutt, 22, has always had a bucket list in her head but last year before she left for a trip to Greece, she formally wrote down her travel bucket list.

“Bucket lists can drive people to do the things they have always wanted to do. By putting it down on paper or

“By putting it down on paper or putting it on the web, it is a constant reminder of your passions.”

before a significant moment, or before

putting it on the web, it is a constant reminder of your passions.”

Rutt’s list includes everything from swimming with manatees, to bar hopping in Ireland, to sailing around the Galapagos Islands like Charles Darwin.

“I fell in love with the Galapagos during second year in a class with Professor Stephen Haller,” Rutt said. “[Since then], I have wanted to go there for a photographic, scientific, eco-adventure.”

Some of Rutt’s completed feats include hiking a volcano, flying in an aerobatic plane and visiting the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. The Rideau is one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage sites. Rutt has already seen 11 UNESCO sites which means to complete her goal, only 996 more to go!

“Bucket lists are just fantasy until you put it into action,” Rutt said.

“Sure, you can see the big stuff, but knowing why you want to do the things on your bucket list creates a sense of curiosity.”

Not all bucket lists are as ambitious or worldly as Rutt’s travel bucket list.

She also has a short-term bucket list of things to do before her next birthday. This list includes things like seeing a drive-in movie and visiting an aquarium.

The men from The Buried Life, which is now a best-selling book and

show currently available on Netflix, have quite a few quirky items that anyone can do with essentially zero budget: hosting a lemonade stand, growing a moustache or protesting something you’re passionate about.

The group of four men now travel the world encouraging and helping people to do the things they want to do before they die.

Krista Syczewski, 22, does not feel the need to have her own bucket list.

She believes that she can do the things she wants to do without a list to guide her. For Syczewski, moving to Brantford in her first year was the beginning of many new experiences, starting with Orientation Week.

Current O-Week Go-Team Member Syczewski believes O-Week is a great opportunity for students to step out of

“Bucket lists are just fantasy until you put it into action.

Knowing why you want to do the things on your bucket list creates a sense of curiosity.” their comfort zone and try things they have never done.

“There are lots of activities to try if you haven’t before, and it’s a great chance for people to break out of their shells, especially if they are shy,” Syczewski said.

With the chaos of moving in and figuring out class schedules, it is easy to forget that this September sparks a new adventure. As you experience the novelty of this coming year, keep Rutt’s motto in mind: “Stay Curious.”

Editor’s note for disclosure: Olivia Rutt is a Laurier Brantford alumni and a former editor-in-chief of The Sputnik.

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The Sputnik

Friday, August 29, 2014

On Campus Swathy Sooriyakumar | oncampus@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikoncampus

Time to get our hands dirty with the YMCA project

Design mock-up of future Brantford YMCA facility. (Photo courtesy of Wilfrid Laurier University)

Swathy Sooriyakumar On Campus Editor The long awaited YMCA is finally breaking ground as construction is set to start this fall and be carried out on schedule for the two-year build.

“It’s what we’ve been planning from the very start,” said Brian Rosborough, Senior Executive Officer at the Brantford campus of Wilfrid Laurier University.

“It’s a project that accomplishes many goals,” explained Rosborough.

“This is a unique collaboration because it’s Laurier and the YMCA working together to create a single facility that meets the needs of post secondary students, as well as faculty and staff, but also meets the needs of the broader community under one roof.”

The almost $60 million building is ready to undertake physical construction after many years of planning and

designing. The YMCA has already won the 2012 progressive architecture award for the American Institute of Architects. “I’m a big fan of Harmony Square and the student lounge (in the YMCA) over looks Harmony Square,” said Adam Lawrence, Dean of Students.

Laurier is only a small part of this facility that also offers benefits to Nipissing students, Conestoga students, and residents of Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations.

“That’s a unique collaboration, as far as we know in Canada,” mentioned Rosborough on the unexpected powerful support with this project.

“It addresses the lack of athletic facilities that we currently have on campus, and creates a platform for new athletic programming. It’s a spectacular addition to the campus, and it also aids in revitalization of downtown Brantford,” he said.

With a blossoming downtown, the new YMCA will also be a better addition financially as it also creates employment opportunities for Laurier students.

The tight knit community of downtown Brantford has been the backbone for funding the motivation to make this idea a reality.

Some of the grants received were from the federal government for $16.7 million, the government of Ontario for $16.7 million, the city of Brantford for $5.2 million, and Laurier’s Student Union for $3.8 million.

“We’re working on a joint $5 million capital campaign with the YMCA,” continued Rosborough. “That’s already attracted two gifts of a million dollars – one from the Kun family and one from the Davis family.”

To honor the generous support from the two locally known families, the aquatics center at the facility will

be named for the Davis family, and the center’s main entrance from West St. will be named for the Kun family.

“The success of the Laurier campus in Brantford is a tremendous example of what can happen when a university and a community works together.”

“Students who are coming [to Laurier Brantford] get to experience a campus that is fully integrated into the downtown and can really be a part of bringing a community to life.”

The 13,000 sq. ft. athletics and recreation center being built on the south side of Colborne Street will have many outstanding features such as the aquatics center, yoga studio, gymnasiums, fitness/free weights areas, jogging track, and WLU student lounge.

If plans go as scheduled, students and the public can be looking forward to inhabiting this center by spring 2017.

Campus launching new faculty associations Swathy Sooriyakumar On Campus Editor Laurier Brantford starts off the school year by bringing two new faculties to campus – the Liberal Arts Association and Human and Social Sciences Association, which house many available majors. The only faculty associations that existed on the Brantford campus previously were Criminology, Journalism, and Leadership.

Faculty associations provide opportunities for students to work with other students and faculty. It’s a way to become further involved in your field of study, your program, and meet people who share your interests.

“I was blown away at what the groups did, but I started to question why there was only three when there are tons of other programs,” mentioned Adam Lawrence referring to the work the current associations carried out. The Dean of Students, who did his undergrad at The University of Western Ontario and initially worked as the Dean at the Wilfrid Laurier University campus in Waterloo, was utterly impressed to see such passionate

students. it through a student referendum,” exNow the program has started a “I was very intrigued by the num- plained Lawrence. “We want to let the search for a President, Vice President ber of students engaged,” Lawrence students have the opportunity to share of Finance, and a Vice President of Exfurther explained. “There was such a their voice.” ternal Affairs and Marketing for each high level of involvement.”

This referendum will happen dur- of the two associations.

Lawrence saw the idea of program ing election time in February 2015. associations at the Waterloo campus.

Quickly, he took action.

“I went to campus operations who [were] facilitating the existing groups and I found out that they were approved and set up through the NonTuition Fee Protocol Committee,” he said.

The committee had implemented Minutes from Laurier a fee and after the Student Union’s investigation, it was clear students were paying a higher price at Laurier BrantReinstall Operating System ..... $65* ford than at other institutions. “First Virus/ malware removal ............ $25 thing was to revisit the existing fees, Laptop Servicing .......................... $65 and existing groups and [figure out] how we implement more,” said LawHArdware Install ........................ $10* rence.

Software Install ......................... $35 Lawrence was overwhelmed with Screen Replacement .................. $110 the faculty’s interest and success of w/labour included* how the existing groups worked.

“It was determined that we couldn’t access fees for all of the other programs 519.751.4607 or 519.751.4689 through the Non-Tuition Fee Protocol Committee, so we would have to do 130 DALHOUSIE ST. BRANTFORD 10-7. MON - FRI. 11-5. SAT.

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On Campus Swathy Sooriyakumar | oncampus@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikoncampus

Meet your Orientation Week 2014 icebreakers The Sputnik chatted with your icebreakers about why they love what they do

Tyler Raymond The director of orientation programming and events at the Brantford campus is going into his fourth year of concurrent education. “O-week has always been an important part of my experience, it’s where I met my best friends and people I still call best friends today.”

Kaela Roemmele This fifth year concurrent education student, is a First Year Immigration Executive this year, and has been on Foot Patrol, Laurier Leadership Team, Food Bank, Healthy Lifestyle and Brantford’s Residence Council. “I like to show all the different things you can be involved in and how to find yourself.”

Adam Zack This Golden Hawk is going into his fourth year in Concurrent Education, hoping to teach history in high school.

“I’ve done Orientation Week for three years, but what made me want to be an icebreaker is the positive impact on first years coming into university. There’s such positive energy involved with Orientation Week, and it’s impossible not to just feel good about things in your life when you’re involved with O-Week.”

Darcee Carnes The new Vice President oversees Orientation Week, Night Hawks, Hawk Team and the services on campus; Foot Patrol, Food Bank and Healthy Lifestyles.

“There are so many people who help out - just fantastic volunteers! All the minor details and guidance falls under my role.”

Benjamin Howard This Golden Hawk going into his fourth year of Concurrrent Education loves getting involved. Howard’s been an executive for both Foot Patrol and Hawk Team, and now works at the U-Desk. “Ever since I came into OWeek, I absolutely loved it, and I just wanted to live it again.”

Michael Dimitroff This Laurier lover, who is currently going into his fourth year in Criminology, loved visiting the campus when his sister attended school here. “I hope to impact everyone in a positive way. Everybody’s different and has a different idea of what they’re coming into, so [I want] to approach everybody with an open mind and make everyone feel comfortable.”

Jacob Barry This fifth year Concurrent Education major is icebreaking for the fourth time this year.

“I’m an optimist, and I can put positive spins on things. I like to think I’m warm and welcoming and can make people feel comfortable.

Shaylene Kern “This is my third year being an icebreaker.

O-Week for me in first year was absolutely amazing. It’s one of my favourtie memories, so I’m just continuing the tradition and trying to give that to everyone else. I try to make every Laurier student have the same experience I did. There’s just a big place in my heart for Laurier and I just love living that tradition. I want to bring my passion for Laurier to everyone else, and open up our Laurier family.”

Check out the rest of their interviews at thesputnik.ca!

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Arts & Culture Dillon Giancola | arts@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikarts

Arkells to rock the Sanderson Centre for O-Week Dillon Giancola A&C Editor O-Week is back! And not only does that mean that new-comers get to get situated with their programs and roommates, but it also means they get to see some killer bands.

The organizers behind Laurier-Brantford’s O-Week have gained a reputation for booking some great bands as of late, most notably Lights last year. Well they have done it again, as Hamilton’s own Arkells are play-

ing on Wednesday night, September 3.

Of course, Arkells are not just your average local Hamilton band. These are the two-time Juno award-winning Arkells.

Their newest album and third full length, High Noon, was just released this month, and Arkells are busy touring North America in support of the record. Their Brantford stop is just a part of a number of Canadian shows before a short eastern America tour.

The new album picks up where Michigan Left, their last album, left off. Where Michigan Left perfected their clean, mod-

ern rock sound, High Noon takes it and adds to it. Full of unique melodies, riffs, and progressions, Arkells are clearly trying to push their sound on this record, and it works. They even add string sections to certain songs.

The single, “Come To Light”, is a catchy, up-beat, bass driven foot-stomper.

If you don’t find yourself dancing to this one on Wednesday, then you may not have any rhythm. Just as good if not better, the next song, “Cynical Bastards”, is a perfect example of the push forward the band has

made. They keep their trademark sound, but add in 80’s keyboards with a dynamic, syncopated chorus. Check out these tunes in advance of the show and you won’t be able to contain your excitement.

If you’ve never seen Arkells before, you can expect a max-effort performance. The band is known for giving it their all, with great stage presence, and an awesome connection with their fans. And being so close to their home should only make the show at the Sanderson even more special. Arkells are coming Laurier, see you at the show.

Try something different: top ethnic restaurants in Brantford Dillon Giancola A&C Editor We all know how it works. We start the school year with smart budgets for groceries and food. We might even have a healthy meal plan. But it is only a couple weeks before we are abandoning that for some KD and pre-packed salads, or late night runs to Admirals. We are not suggesting that you don’t eat healthy, or that going out is bad.

But if you do, here are some different places to check out, that you may not have heard of or got a chance to go to yet. Brantford’s ethnic food scene is as diverse as its people.

Oh, and it’s delicious.

1. Sushi 8 – 265 King George Road This student favourite has everything you’d want and more. It’s excellent lunch deal gets you all you can eat for just $12.99.

It is the prefect way to start off that Friday after a late, rough Thursday night. Not only is their sushi superb, (it even has a dish named after Brantford!) the Chinese buffet is good enough to be its own restaurant. Having them together under one roof is true bliss.

2. Gus and Guidos – 245 King George Road Perhaps not your typical ethnic restaurant, as it is fancy, a bit pricier, and overall more high-end, Gus and Guidos is neverthe-less a very authentic Greek and Italian

dining destination. One of Brantford’s best restaurants, the atmosphere is amazing, as is the food. Do not go on a full stomach.

3. Quan 99 – 250 King George Road One of the more unknown places on this list, Quan 99 is a must for any fan of Vietnamese and Thai food. It follows a recent trend of similar style restaurants popping up all over Canada in the last 5 years, and is just as good. The vermicelli, pho, and pad thai options, amongst others, are just as you would expect, and the prices are generally within the $10-$12 range, and it a very student-friendly option.

4. Taal Fine Indian Cuisine – 578 Colborne Street East Finally a place a little closer to cam-

pus, Taal is an up and coming prime student destination. If you want to go outside your normal food genres, Taal is a perfect introduction to Indian Cuisine. It is a very affordable buffet style restaurant. Lunch is only $10.99, while dinner ranges from $12.99 to $14.99, depending on the day.

5. Pita Plus – 28 Market Street By no-means an unknown, Pita Plus is a gem, and it is right on campus. It is more of a quick lunch or snack destination, but there delicious $5 wraps and shawarma do the trick. Pita Plus is a great, quick, middle-eastern experience, and it’s extremely friendly staff only add to the matter. This is definitely not a place that you want to over-look.

Entertainment in Brantford and the surrounding area this September Dillon Giancola A&C Editor Welcome back! Or welcome, if this is your first year. September at Laurier Brantford is always exciting, bursting with possibilities. Many new experiences, relationships (and assignments) await. But it doesn’t take long until the school work mounts up and you get bogged down.

Luckily, The Sputnik is watching out for Laurier Brantford students, and is keeping you up-to-date on concerts happening in and around Brantford to give you just enough of a break to refresh and hit the books hard.

George Canyon – September 11, 2014.

8:00 pm. Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts. $45.00 This Canadian country legend hits campus streets at the nearby Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts for a night of great country music. With him is special guest Jordan McIntosh. Sure to remind students of their childhood, this concert will give you that feeling of being at home without having to leave.

Brantford International Jazz Festival/ Frank Sinatra Jr. – September 12, 13, 14.

Harmony Square/ Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts. $55.00+ The fifth annual Brantford International Jazz Festival promises to be the best one yet.

This year they are expanding to a three day schedule, and trust me it is a weekend you will not want to miss. It grows in size every year, and is a great way to feel part of the community. You might not know any of the acts, but don’t let that keep you away. Take the short walk from your house or dorm down to Harmony Square for a beautiful outdoor music break. The festival is free, although this year, a special headlining act is scheduled. Frank Sinatra Jr. will be hitting the Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts on Saturday, September 13. This is a great way to feel nostalgic, to take someone on an awkward first date, or to simply just enjoy good, classic music.

Brantford Comedy Festival Featuring Jeremy Hotz – September 18-20. The Station/Best Western/ Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts. Free - $55.00 Also in its fifth edition, the Brantford Comedy Festival is an exciting, growing weekend of comedy, both professionally

and locally, right in downtown Brantford!

Things get started off with a local comedy show Thursday night at The Station, the coffeehouse by the Train Station. Doors open at 8 p.m., the show starts at 9 p.m., and it is free. Friday night at the Best Western is the finals of the Rising Stars Challenge. Eight comics compete, and the winner gets to open for the finale Saturday night. Tickets are $15.00 and the show starts at 8. The fes-

tival wraps up with The Gala Night, featuring Canadian comedian Jeremy Hotz. Often seen on Just For Laughs, Hotz is a huge talent and this will be a night you don’t want to miss. The show is at the Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts, and tickets start at $55.00.

KOI Music Festival – September 19-21.

Downtown Kitchener. Free - $45 Ok, we know this is not in Brantford,

but the line-up is simply too good to ignore.

Bands include Danko Jones, Mad Caddies, Every Time I Die, Protest The Hero and USS! In total, over 90 bands will be performing, and the short trip to Kitchener is definitely worth it. Friday night is free, and Saturday passes are $45, while Sunday is just $32. This is a cheap, affordable festival that you don’t want to miss!

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The Sputnik

Friday, August 29, 2014

Sports Kyle Morrison | sports@thesputnik.ca | @sputniksports

Laurier football team looks for big improvement in 2014

Wide receiver Kelvin Muamba and the Laurier Golden Hawks look to improve on a 1-7 2013 season September 1 against U of T. (Photo courtesy of Heather Davidson)

Kyle Morrison Sports Editor 2013 being a year to forget for the Laurier men’s football team would be an understatement. The Golden Hawks went 1-7, their worst record since 2002.

This continues a downward trend to what was once a solid football program in the OUA as the team has not had a winning season since 2009 when they went 6-2 and made the OUA semifi-

nals.

However, the Golden Hawks can’t go anywhere but up and head coach, Michael Faulds is very excited for the squad that he and the Laurier coaching staff has put together for 2014.

Faulds, who came over from York University where he was an offensive coordinator didn’t have any experience as a head coach and one large role that played into the team’s 1-7 re-

cord was their need to learn on the fly.

Coach Faulds brought in an entirely new coaching staff, running a different offence, which is a huge adjustment for any team, but especially when the inexperience of the coach matches that of the depth chart. The Golden Hawks were one of the youngest teams in the OUA in 2013 with 41 players being second-year students or younger.

“One of the biggest positives [for the upcoming season] is that there’s more continuity,” Faulds says. “It was a full offseason with me as the head coach and a full year now where our offensive players have been running our offense … Everyone’s come on the same page.”

Even slowly by the end of last season fans could see that the continuity within the offence was taking shape.

Laurier started the year averaging 15.7 points and 295 yards per game after three games and finished the year averaging 22 points and 316.4 yards per game. It’s these little victories that need to be taken into the offseason to use as building blocks.

There were certainly some major impact players that were large factors in turning the offense around by the end of the year. Faulds credits the quarterback change from then-second year QB, Julien John to James Fracas.

Fracas held his own as a starter, completing 103 of his 164 passes, throwing

“The Golden Hawks were one of the youngest teams in the OUA in 2013 with 41 players being second-year students or younger.” for 1,312 yards and six touchdowns.

“There was a greater confidence on both sides of the football [once Fracas took over],” Faulds explains. “We’re going to ride James Fracas as much as we can.” And it never hurts to have the OUA’s leading rusher in Dillon Campbell, who ran for 867 yards and five touchdowns. With Fracas and

Campbell both in their fourth years, the team expects big things from them in 2014 to turn around Laurier’s fortunes on the field.

“Football is a game of momentum ... I told our guys we have to be healthy and ready to go right from September 1.”

This older, more mature Golden Hawks squad opens their season on September 1 on the road against the University of Toronto, who finished 4-4 last season. The schedule seems to favour the purple and gold this year.

Their combined opponents’ record from last season is 31-34, so they need to take advantage of the weaker competition until things ramp up in the last half of the season when they play the OUA-champion Western Mustangs and McMaster Marauders. “Football is a game of momentum … I told our guys we have to be healthy and ready to go right from September 1 [against U of T],” Faulds says.

And although Faulds doesn’t like to definitively set goals for his team, internally they all know what steps along the way they need to make in order to reach the ultimate goal of a Vanier Cup championship. Going from 1-7 to championship contender might be a bit of a stretch, but with very few players lost to graduation and every younger guy with a full year of Faulds’ new offense under their belt, expect a much better team in 2014.

Friday, August 29, 2014

The Sputnik

11

Sports Kyle Morrison | sports@thesputnik.ca | @sputniksports

Men’s baseball team carries championship momentum into 2014 Kyle Morrison Sports Editor The Laurier men’s baseball team had one of the university’s most successful athletic seasons last year, coming out of nowhere to win their first OUA championship. The hard road to defending their title begins with exhibition games August 26 until September 4, when they play Guelph at Arnold Andersen Stadium in front of the home crowd Laurier Brantford fans. Two days the Golden Hawks will officially start the season against Western. a team that has long had the Golden Hawks’ number.

Before Laurier’s 10-4 victory against the Mustangs in London at the end of last season, they hadn’t beaten them since 2008, including an OUA championship loss in 2011. “[Western] is well coached, they play good defence and they do a lot of the little things right,” Ballantyne says. “We need to make sure we’re manufacturing runs and keep them off the scoreboard as much as we can.”

After a tumultuous 2012 which included the infamous hazing scandal, Ballantyne helped turn everything around in 2013, en route to a 25 win season and OUA finals victory over Brock.

Baseball has the perfect offseason for a veteran team like the Golden Hawks as being a summer sport, many of the players play for their local teams and get conditioning and reps allowing them to head into training camp almost 100 per cent ready to go. There’s always the potential for injury this way and with the

Golden Hawks’ pitchers being the key to their success, you have to be incredibly careful with them. But at the same time, Ballantyne thinks summer base-

ball is really valuable for his players.

“We don’t have a really long season to work on a bunch of things … so coming in being prepared and getting your reps

Andrew Ziedins is one of the key members of the Golden Hawks’ pitching staff hoping to repeat as OUA champions. (Photo courtesy of Will Huang)

in is the biggest thing.”

Ideally he wants his pitching staff to come in with only about 30-50 innings pitched in the summer because, as has been seen way too often lately in baseball on an amateur and professional level, a pitcher’s arm is very fragile and doesn’t take much to be lost for full seasons.

But if the team can all stay healthy, the championship lineup is mostly intact. Most of the improvement will need to be on the offensive side of the ball as the Golden Hawks lost left fielder and lead-off hitter, Daniel Murphy to graduation and second baseman Trevor Knight.

Murphy’s role of lead-off hitter was especially important because Ballantyne knows that being the champions, universities are going to be throwing their best pitching at them every game.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves that we’re facing the best pitchers from all of the other teams,” Ballantyne explains.

“It’s something we have to embrace and work hard … I think our guys are up for the challenge.”

Pitching and defence carried the Golden Hawks last year and that’s what they’re going to have to rely on again if they want a shot at a title defence, Ballantyne says. Led by last year’s solid rotation of Jordan Petruska, Adam McBride, Brett van Pelt and Andrew Ziedins the Golden Hawks have put themselves in a good position to be a first place team once again.

The tale of the 2014 Blue Jays: A slow demise back to mediocrity Kyle Morrison Sports Editor There have been many great collapses in history: the Mayans, King Cesar and the Roman Empire, nine out of ten celebrity marriages and many Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs teams. It is quickly becoming clear that the 2014 Toronto Blue Jays can be added to such a list. Am I being overly dramatic? Sure, I’m a Toronto sports fan. But considering (at the time of writing) the Blue Jays are 65-63, miles behind the 1st place Baltimore Orioles and four games back of the last remaining wild card position to reach the playoffs when less than a month ago they comfortably controlled a wild card spot and four or so weeks before that were the hottest team in baseball well ahead in 1st place, things are looking bleak.

It was the first week of June and the

Jays had just come off one of their best months of baseball in a very long time, going 21-9 in May, highlighted by a ninegame win streak. Between May 15 and June 6, the boys of summer won 18 of 21 games giving them their largest first place lead in the American League East since 1993 when the team won their last World Series championship and last made the playoffs.

The bats were on fire, there were great plays made on defence and what struggles the pitching staff had made in April were a thing of the past. Another mediocre start to the baseball season and fans dreading another long season were instantly erased. Toronto sports fans weren’t even talking playoffs yet, but had dreams of finally playing meaningful baseball in September, the home stretch before the playoffs begin.

All that has come crashing to a halt

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and the only meaningful baseball now for the Blue Jays will be to stay above the .500 mark, something they haven’t managed since 2010. The Jays limped into the All-Star break after a west coast road trip that saw the team lose six of their seven games in California and relinquish their first place lead to the Orioles.

Like with so many Toronto teams in the past, there was a sliver of hope that the sun was going to shine again and playoff baseball would grace everyone at last when the Jays went 11-3 after the All-Star break to finish the month of July. They climbed within one and a half games of the Orioles for first place and then proceeded to spiral seemingly completely out of control. It is becoming a horrid wreck that you simply cannot turn away from. As the losses pile up, team after team is passing them in the standings.

Unfortunately, I cannot help but think that the Blue Jays are playing to their potential. They were never meant to take the league by storm and lead their division. On paper, the pitching wasn’t there and whatever guise the offense has been able to provide when the going’s been good, it was only a matter of time before they simply couldn’t do it anymore.

Whether it was going to be the injuries to key stars or simply the stars aligning and all the key bats slumping at the same time, it was bound to happen. The Jays are who everyone thought they were; a mediocre team that once again doesn’t have the right tools to make the playoffs.

They’ve collapsed mightily this year, but it really is 20-plus years in the making.

And you know what that means, Blue Jays fans? Any day now you can start uttering the dreaded phrase, “there’s always next year.”

12

The Sputnik

Friday, August 29, 2014

Opinion Brittany Bennett | opinion@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikopinion

Downtown parking fees a poor decision by City Council Brittany Bennett Opinion Editor On Monday, August 18, a meeting of Brantford’s Operations and Administrative Committee endorsed a new pay-anddisplay parking system to take place of the current free two- and three-hour on-street downtown parking. Parking meters will be dispersed, charging a rate of $1 per hour as of September.

If I were a cartoon character at the precise moment I read about this, my jaw would have smashed a whole in the ground.

First of all, this is happening to a broken downtown that has just begun to put its pieces back together after all these years.

“Wow” has been the reoccurring word throughout my head.

Seven of the 11 committee members voted in favour. Councillor Richard Carpenter, one of the four members opposed, sounded as stunned as I was. “We’re just getting [downtown Brantford] going and I’d hate to see it go right back down,” said Carpenter.

Carpenter said that he saw no value in this new system. He could not explain one reason why this was implemented because he felt the members in favour did not explain the rationality well enough during the meeting. Carpenter did however mention that none of the councillors have to pay for their on-street parking. Otherwise, this new system will not affect them directly.

Who could have guessed that one?

“I feel very confident in saying things are already decided in council at a bar before the meetings happen,” said Carpenter.

New pay-and-display parking will replace Brantford’s free downtown parking. (Photo by Cody Hoffman) Well, that is just great. The poor busi- people downtown, but now they’re going nesses downtown will now have to suffer to go to other places.” the committee’s consequences for their sick Brantford’s on-street parking was one cash grab. Who in their right mind is going of the great unique things about our camto pay for parking to go to a coffee shop? A pus. Students that commute did not have restaurant? The library? to pay for parking on the days they had “It’s going to affect us big time, espe- few classes, and part-time students could cially here in Brantford,” said Viplan Ru- always park freely on-street since they only drasingham, owner of Rocklings Tap & came for a class or two a day. We could Grill in Harmony Square. “We need more even go home during Christmas or the end

of the school year to drive in for our exams.

Scratch all that now.

Commuting students will have to invest in the eight month parking permits offered through Laurier. These are listed to range from $253.15 for general to $361 for premium. Part-time students are not offered a lower rate. These are hardly affordable compared to the usual free 2-3 hours everyone is used to.

The school’s faculty are also to be affected, especially the part-timers. Parking permits used to be optional for professors but are now going to be necessary. Faculty parking permits do not offer eight-month permits, only one term or one year. A fulltime faculty permit ranges from $379.75 for general to $844.94 for reserved each year, and part-time faculty are only offered general parking permits at $284.82 for the year.

Journalism is only offered through Laurier here at our Brantford campus, and guess what, students? Good luck getting interviews. It is hard enough to get people to spare their time to talk to us for an article, but now we have to ask them to pay to meet us at a downtown coffee shop? This could influence students to feel they have to meet their sources in their homes, which raises many safety issues.

This is honestly the most unexpected, selfish decision I have heard of our council making. It is now clear to me that our downtown’s success, local businesses, school faculty and students are not in the majority of this committee’s best interests.

A not-so-free freedom: Tattoos in the workplace Brittany Bennett Opinion Editor It is said that “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice,” in article 19 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This article is also outlined to be subject to certain reasonable restrictions involving respect, rights and reputation as well as the protection of national security, public order, health and morals.

But where do tattoos fit in here?

Many argue that tattoos are merely a freedom of expression through artwork on the body as a canvas. But when it comes to having them in the workplace it seems to be a whole different story. I cannot see how having a noticeable tattoo in the workplace goes against any of the restrictions in article 19, but still employers are asking their employees to cover them up.

How exactly are employers getting away with this? Well, if you look into Part 1: Freedom from Discrimination, of the Ontario Human Rights Code, you will see that it is only “race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability” that are considered for discrimination.

These are all very important factors, but I think it is about time this act is updated.

I understand there are inappropriate tattoos out there, but there are also inappropriate shirts that people would not wear in a work setting. Tattoos in the workplace should be looked at the same as an employer would when outlining a dress code. If one works in a place without uniforms, there are still guidelines such as no profanity and no advertising. I believe the same should go with tattoos in that area of work. Therefore I would expect more strict guidelines as such in a professional work setting.

Currently, most companies that involve direct cliental or customer service do not allow their employers to show tattoos on shift. The companies that do accept tattoos in the workplace normally revolve around art of some kind (book stores, art stores and music stores). From the research I have gathered, the common thought is that employees with tattoos reflect the company negatively.

Tattoos do not pose any health or safety hazards; actually, the main outcome I have seen from them is a conversation starter. I want to wrap my head around the concept of tattoos not being professional, or reflecting a negative image, but I just cannot. I think tattoos are the same as anything else, good in moderation.

A man named Josh Adams from the State University of New York Fredonia looked into this topic two years ago in his journal article called, Cleaning up the Dirty Work: Professionalization and the Management of stigma in the Cosmetic Surgery and Tattoo Industry. Adams explained that while tattoos did begin with the bad reputation associated with marginal groups such as sailors, gangs or “social deviants”, tattoos are now expanding in the modern culture to be recognized as a form of artwork worn by many types of individuals. Adams pointed out that the originally known “tattooists” are now known as “tattoo artists”, as well as the originally known “parlor” or “shop” is now known as a “tattoo studio”.

The tattoo industry has developed its professionalism over the decades, so why are we not adapting to this yet?

We should not be held back in life because we express ourselves through beautiful artwork – at least not the ones who have tattoos in order to show their pride, loves and beliefs. Give it a couple decades and we will be the middle-aged tattooed parents teaching our children the importance of thinking through their tattoos. But it should not be for the reasons we have today, not to make sure an employer will not see it, but to make sure it is something meaningful and worth showing off for the rest of your life.

Kenneth Paul Lemoine with work attire and tattoos. (Photo courtesy of Caitlin Snider)