Issue 5 - October 2: The Mental Health Issue

What’s your thing / p.7

Concussions & the effects / p.11

Election recap / p.3

Issue 5 | Wednesday, October 21, 2015 | www.thesputnik.ca

Take care of each other

Mental Health: We’re all involved Shelby Do Staff Writer

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 20 per cent of Canadians are afflicted with some form of mental illness in their lifetime, and unfortunately, the CMHA has found that mental illnesses and disorders are more prominent in young people than any other age group. As the most susceptible group, it is vital to inform youth about all aspects of mental health, particularly through education.

Media, particularly television and film, has increasingly become an effective way to educate and assist young people who struggle with mental health, particularly mental illness.

In Canada, the most open and diverse discussion about mental illness on television comes from Degrassi. While mostly viewed by younger adolescents, the show teaches about mental health very early on in a teenager’s life.

Specifically, the show has cov-

ered topics such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and suicide. Not only does it illustrate what the person with a mental illness is going through, but also how friends and family can help.

As for films, one of the most prolific examples of mental illness in film is the four-time Academy Award-winning film, A Beautiful Mind (2001), starring Russell Crowe. The film is a biography about a genius named John Nash, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Through the film, John experiences delusional episodes and illustrates the difficulties of living with paranoid schizophrenia, on both the afflicted and his loved ones, particularly when proper treatments are unavailable.

Through his ups and downs, John proves that mental illness does not make a person incapable. With the support of his wife, Alicia, John overcomes the difficulties that schizophrenia created, and continued on to become a professor and win a Nobel Me-

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hardest part. Fortunately, Laurier offers a multitude of services and support to assist students in every aspect of wellness. In an interview with Cindy Wood, the manager of the Wellness Centre and men-

Media can provide a welcome relief of stress, or an information overload.

(Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik)

and look further into mental health issues. This not only helps people empathize and understand, but can show people that they’re not alone.

After getting educated, the next step is to take action, which can sometimes be the

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morial Prize in Economics for his work on the game theory.

By educating people about mental health, media like Degrassi and A Beautiful Mind have opened up a dialogue for people to discuss, question

tal health on the Brantford Campus, and Sarah Paulitzki, the campus’ personal counsellor, they discussed how the Wellness Centre provides support for students.

Paulitzki, when discussing the various services Laurier

offers, said, “We also provide supportive counselling to students with, or without, mental health issues.” It’s comforting to know that there are services for all students and for whatever support they might need. It doesn’t have to be for a mental illness, but for any student in need.

Wood discussed the different methods of handling multiple issues relating to school, such as workload, scheduling conflicts, time management or academic struggling. As for more personal issues, she explained, “If it’s homesickness, if it’s loneliness. Come here, they can talk to me, they can talk to our doctors, they can talk to Sarah. Sometimes it’s just finding a safe place to come and feel safe.”

For any further questions or information on Laurier’s Wellness Centre, its services, and how to get help, visit the Laurier website, or the Wellness Centre, which is located on the second floor of the Student Centre.

Recycling DOES make a difference...thank you!

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The ugly truth about Mental Health Ricky Pacheco Staff Writer As we ascend into our respective careers we consistently challenge ourselves to be better and gain the edge we need to stand out. We strive to be a better versions of ourselves. The truth is that if we are not careful, the best version of ourselves can easily become the ugliest part of our lives.

Through all the commotion of being young and ambitious, we see the minor concerns of our life like mental health, slip through the cracks. If this is the case, there is no telling how or when it will come to bite us in the ass. The highest diagnosed mental health illnesses within Canadian youth today are anxiety and depression. As adults, 8 per cent of us will experience major depression. Five per cent of the population currently lives with mild to severe anxiety within their daily lives. Also, consider the myth that suicides are isolated incidents.

The Canadian Children’s Rights Council has expressed that 8 out 10 suicides in Canada are pre-meditated, and according to the Canadian

Let yourself off the hook

A misusing the soapbox special Dillon Giancola EIC

Welcome back after a much deserved fall reading week! I hope it was as beneficial and enjoyable for you as it was for me. School, and life, hits top speed in no time, and a time of rest and reflection is needed.

To build off of that theme, this issue of The Sputnik is all about mental health. We just want to continue the conversation.

We do not necessarily have anything ground-breaking to say, some of it you will have heard before, other stories may open your eyes a bit, and that’s OK. We just want to add to this important cause that affects us all as students, whether we realize it or not.

Mental health truly applies to us all. Managing your stress, getting rest, and taking a break are as relevant to mental health as battling anxiety and seeking help for depression. It is important to see the common ground, instead of treat mental health as something only certain people need to pay attention to. As well, arguing about the stigma and how to get rid of it will only go so far. We need

to build people up, not push back.

changed person, and indeed I was, and am.

Another important aspect that is often ignored, is not being so hard on yourself.

Whether you suffer with some clinical form of mental illness, or find the burdens of stress and life are making you feel like a failure or act like someone other than yourself, it is important to remember that no external pressures or negative thoughts, whether they come from within or from others, matter. Sometimes things don’t go our way, sometimes we let ourselves or others down, and it sucks, but its not the end of the world. In fact, its often an opportunity for reflection and positive self change.

Perhaps you have experienced this before, or know someone that has. It’s pretty tough to go through, and to accept, but It can be very valuable. It was a needed reminder that I am, and that we are, more than our problems, our pressures and our stress. We are more than our health or sickness, our love or loneliness. We all go through hard times, some that really are our fault, others that we do not deserve at all.

But none of it should ever own you, should cause you to feel like you are worthless or that something is wrong with you.

Sometimes, it can come crashing down. Recently, I had a feeling of letting myself and others down. In that time, I was forced to face my fears, thinking maybe I wasn’t changing, maybe I was a fraud. I went an extended period, almost five years, of feeling that I had conquered my mental illness, and was a

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

We at Laurier are a community, and a family. We call ourselves the studentbody, and like individual parts of a body, we all have a part to play to make sure that the university experience is as productive and enjoyable as it should be.

This is the Mental Health Issue. Take care of each other.

Students should be mindful of their mental health, and to seek help when they are having a hard time. (Sai Gnanaharan/The Sputnik)

Mental Health Association, Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle age. It’s important to see suicide as a process rather than an event.

According to Statistics Canada, the rate of suicide in both sexes from any age has been on the rise. This places middle age adults, between 45 and 49, at a staggering 29 deaths per 100,000. That is not to say young people between 20 and 29 are not vulnerable too, when the suicide rate averages between 16 and 18 per 100,000.

Statistics Canada shows, men continue to lead the board with rates that are least three times higher than that of women aged 20

to 59. It is important to ask ourselves what risk factors are factors that can affect the rest of our lives. Is this a telling sign about how life has evolved in our developed western society?

I want to use this opportunity to remind all readers that mental health is as important as physical.

We should not ostracize or stigmatize those who suffer from it. Furthermore, we are not personally responsible for every sick individual, but we must be compassionate. At the end of the day, if you were sick, you wouldn’t appreciate some asshole looking down on you just because they aren’t experiencing your pain.

In This Issue News Election recap Homecoming

Features

3 5

Talking about asexuality 6 What’s your thing 7

Art & Culture Going to Russia Featured Artist

Sports

8 9

Sports and stress

10 Concussions & their effects 11

Opinon

Breaking the stigma

12 Mental Health resources 12

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

News

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Liberals dominate but torries take Brantford Taylor Berzins Devon Momy-Gamache Christina Manocchio Mia Vamos-Yuhasz Monday night marked Canada’s 42nd federal election and voters took to the polls to usher in a new era of leadership in Canada.

Justin Trudeau has been elected as Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister and will lead a Liberal majority government.

In the local riding of Brantford-Brant, incumbent MP Phil McColeman will return to work at the House of Commons after winning his third consecutive federal election in the riding.

67 per cent of eligible voters went to the polls in this election, the highest turnout since 1997.

After an overwhelming defeat by the Liberal party, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday night that he would step down as the Conservative Party leader. “During the past nine years, it has been an unbelievable honour to serve as your Prime Minister,” Harper stated to supporters during his post-election rally on Monday night.

Despite a massive defeat, with the party winning 44 seats, Tom Mulcair remains leader of the NDP. Trudeau’s Promises to students:

With a Liberal majority in power, Justin Trudeau is promising that his leadership will launch Canada into an era of change.

During the 78-day campaign leading up to Monday night’s election Trudeau’s platform was rooted in promises, the campaign slogan being, “Together, with hard work and the right plan, we can bring Real Change to Canada.” With the election resulting in a Liberal claim to a majority of seats in the House of Commons, the Liberal government has the potential to honour these promises without the opposition that would be met with a minority government.

During a town hall interview with Vice on Oct. 5, Trudeau promised to raise the debt repayment salary that one needs to make before they are to begin paying back their student debt to $25,000 a year, implying the system would support graduates garnering a steady job before they have to start paying back their loans. Trudeau also stated that the Liberal Party would significantly increase the Canada Student Grants in order to help relieve the burden of student debt.

The Liberal online platform cites this example to explain their approach to student aid, “Seema’s parents earn $65,000 each year. Under our plan, she would be eligible for an annual grant of $2,000 instead

of the $800 she is eligible for today.”

During the Vice town hall, Trudeau also stated, “Youth unemployment is stubbornly high, we need to invest now in the kinds of things that are going to create opportunities and jobs,” promising to develop more youth employment opportunities, as well as more permanent job opportunities through the creation of a more stable, growing, national economy.

During the campaign trail, Trudeau also promised that a Liberal government will work to legalize marijuana, launch an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, provide accessible and clean drinking water to all First Nation communities within five years, and create a more transparent government.

Trudeau has also promised an equal number of men and women in his ministry.

Brantford-Brant The NDP planned an event at the Piston Broke with the hope of celebrating a victory.

Early polls distributed by CBC predicted that the riding of Brantford-Brant would vote to elect an NDP MP, but the party ended the election with 25 per cent of the local votes.

Marc Laferriere joined the party has the end of the results were being announced.

Although a victory was ex-

pected the crowd remained positive and gave Laferriere a loud round of applause as he entered. In his speech to the crowd of over 40 supporters, Laferriere encouraged them to stay positive and continue to spread their message.

First time Liberal candidate Danielle Takacs took 31 per cent of the local vote. Despite the fact Takacs did not win her Brantford-Brant riding, she and her supporters still celebrated a victory with the federal Liberals winning a majority government.

Having a new prime minister and a new government that has “four years to make changes that this country wants is fabulous,” said Takacs.

It will be an important four years for the Brantford-Brant Liberals regardless of their loss.

“We have four years to show what we can give back locally,” said Takacs. “We will continue to grown and earn the trust of out constituents.”

“We are the ones to watch now,” she concluded to a round of applause.

Takacs is very happy to see Justin Trudeau become the next prime minister of Canada.

“Justin Trudeau inspired me to run,” she said. “He represents a new generation that will tackle problems from a new perspective.”

Takacs thanked her family

and her volunteers and said that the Liberals ran an “excellent, amazing and perfect campaign locally as well as nationally.”

Takacs also congratulated Conservative incumbent Phil McColeman on his win, saying that she knows he’ll work with Justin and will fight for the people of Brantford.

The Liberal government may have won a majority, but Brantford-Brant winner is Conservative Phil McColeman, with 41 per cent of the local votes. The Liberals knocked the Conservatives right into official opposition on Election Day 2015.

All of the campaigning and goal planning has paid off for McColeman’s third win as a Member of Parliament in Ottawa. In the past, he has restored Mohawk Lake and participated in the cleanup of Greenwich-Mohawk brownfield. McColeman hopes to continue advocating for priorities of the First Nations and to push the communities needs into parliament.

McColeman has bittersweet feelings for the winning of the Liberal majority government.

He feels that many highly tenement people will not be returning to parliament but he is thankful for his return.

In an interview with The Sputnik in September, McColeman promised to, “continue to support the growth of Laurier locally.”

Off-campus housing: A safety concern Melissa Weaver Staff Writer Recent crimes and the way they have been handled in Laurier Brantford student housing areas are concerning students regarding their safety in off-campus housing.

On Sunday, Sept. 20, around 3 a.m., a man was stabbed in a Laurier Brantford off-campus student housing area. The man was not a student, and no students are known to be involved in the incident.

Sputnik staff writer Taylor Burt, a second-year student, was affected by it all. Burt recalls that around 3:20 a.m., she saw a large group of people on the street outside her house.

She said, “I thought it was just a party going past, but it kept getting louder and sounded angrier. I noticed a man running down the street yelling ‘I got stabbed.’ About 25 minutes later, police showed up with five police cars and an ambulance. They calmed the crowd. Most people had left by then, but 20 minutes after that police knocked on doors

asking questions.”

As a young student, Burt felt vulnerable staying in the house alone and said she was not offered any support by the police officers that interviewed her.

“The police officers that asked me questions didn’t give any contact information.

They didn’t offer any counseling supports or resources in case I was feeling upset about the incident. It could’ve been handled much better,” said Burt.

Burt wished the police had taken a different approach.

DzYou have administration and supports to reach out to but it’s very intimidating.

Most of the supports, you are required to access them. It is easier for someone to say ‘are you okay,’ than a student having to go to those supports and say ‘I’m not okay,’” explained Burt.

In September of 2014, a house of five female Laurier Brantford students was broken into while they were all away for the weekend.

Rylee Barber, a resident of the home that was broken

into said, “Myself and four roommates went home for the weekend. When we returned home, we realized that a laptop was missing.

Then we realized that all of us were missing things, and that our house had been broken into. The robbers popped a screen out in the back of our house and managed to get in through the window.”

The students called the police. Brantford Police Service took finger prints but were unable to identify the robbers.

The students are still unsure if the robbers have been caught since the incident.

Barber said, “I felt safer in residence since there were more security features, but I also feel safe living in my current house, and I am happy living off-campus.”

Chris Eley, Manager of Residence Life, said, “I think [safety] awareness improves as they spend time here, I think they become very aware of things like Foot Patrol right away and from the great work that Students’ Union does with Orientation Week and promoting that service. Stu-

dents are also made aware of Duty Dons and Special Constables Services. But I think there are different levels of awareness and it builds as students go along.”’

Burt and Barber offered some suggestions for what the university can do to help students feel safer in their offcampus housing.

Burt offered the suggestion that the university add more panic buttons around the downtown area, like the one in the Research and Academic Centre courtyard. She also suggested that after an incident like this occurs, a poster should be put up in the neighbourhood with contact information for students and community members to reach out to.

Barber said, “I think the university could have workshops on ways to add safety features to your house and ways to protect yourself.” She thinks more information should be available to students on how best to react to a break-in or other emergency situation.

Barber said that, “break-ins can take a large emotional toll

on a person, so it would be beneficial to have people that students can talk to.”

Barber added that, “it would be helpful if the community would try and get to know the students so that both know who is living in their area. This could also help students to be informed with what good or bad things are happening in their neighbourhood.”

In residence, students are completely safe. First-year students that live off-campus have the Laurier Off-campus Univeristy Students program (LOCUS), while second, third, fourth and even fifth year students are on their own. While Eley believes that first-year students are equipped with the proper tools to be safe offcampus, Burt and Barber disagree.

Eley reminds first-year students that upper-year residences are available if they wish to stay on campus.

Special Constables Services do not have jurisdiction on off-campus housing issues.

Those are handled through the Brantford Police Service.

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Man arrested in Laurier’s Waterloo campus scare Konnor Huard Staff Writer Friday morning around 8 a.m., Wilfrid Laurier’s Waterloo campus was put on a lockdown. Waterloo regional police were contacted by the university’s police after Crime Stoppers gave them a tip threatening the school’s science building.

The police have not revealed what the threat was yet, but lifted the lockdown on the school later the same day, at about 11:45am. Police are also said to be working with the RCMP and the FBI on this matter.

Later Saturday, an email was sent out to Wilfrid Laurier University staff, faculty, and students saying, “A suspect has been arrested in

London, UK in relation to the online threat leading to the lockdown of the Waterloo campus.”

The lockdown cancelled any classes or meetings and closed all buildings on campus. After the lockdown was lifted, faculty and staff were not required to return to work.

Wilfrid Laurier’s reading week was going on when the lockdown occurred. However, campus police made sure anyone who stayed on campus knew about the lockdown and were being updated on anything that may have affected them.

According to some social media sites, the threat could have come from the online forum of 4chan.

An anonymous poster recommended that fellow

4chan-ers keep away from the “Laurier science building hall”.The university’s emergency notification system sent this message out to anyone subscribed to get notifications, “WLU Waterloo Campus on lockdown. All buildings closed. Classes, meetings cancelled. Details as available.”

The nearby University of Waterloo stayed open.

“We are open and are continuously monitoring the situation at Wilfrid Laurier.

Currently no evidence of threat at #UWaterloo.” said the University of Waterloo’s twitter page early on Friday morning.

Classes and meetings are now resumed and the buildings are open again.

A fall reading week is crucial for studen’s well-being Taylor Burt Staff Writer Students feel that reading week is necessary in order for them to stay sane and focused at school.

“I feel that if there was no reading week there would be a lot more stress,” said Jessica Mensinga, a second year student at Laurier.

Wilfrid Laurier University is in its second year of a threeyear trial run on offering students a fall reading week, to see if students use the week well, and to see if stress and anxiety among students decreases.

Some feel that they do experience stress, and that reading week is a nice way to catch up on overdue homework and relax with family and friends.

“I turn to my family and friends [when stressed out],” said Mensinga.

“Friends definitely help me out the most, as well as the occasional family member such as a close cousin. I usually just try to relax in

my room with some sort of distracting activity like knitting, colouring, reading or watching a movie or TV show,” Hayley Goossen, a second year student, wrote in an email.

“It is a much-needed break for students to focus on themselves and their mental and physical health, rather than worrying about school work and everything that needs to get done,” wrote Goossen.

Mental health is the main focus of reading week, and students are encouraged to take advantage of the time to study and de-stress. “A lot of students don’t go home until Thanksgiving, and reading week is a time for them to get caught up on readings and have a refresher before heading back to midterms,” said Mensinga.

University is a stressful time for most, but maybe more so for students who move away from home, some say.

“I think it’s more beneficial for people who live further away because they usually

don’t get to go home. Where I live is closer, so it’s not as crucial because I can see my family more. For those who live far away it’s a chance for them to head home.

They may be more stressed and depressed about being away from home,” explained Mensinga.

Mensinga and Goossen both felt that this reading week is much needed, well placed and is used well.

Goossen wrote, “More might make students become too reliant on breaks and may result in laziness. It would be harder to settle back into the swing of school work and everything that comes with it. Fewer might create more stress and would allow it to keep building up inside the student. That could result in very serious anxiety and even thoughts of taking their own life.”

Students feel that the week is beneficial for mental health and also helps them stay focused for the remainder of the term.

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The front page of Ontario’s Differentiation Policy Framework for Postsecondary Education, a document that has brought postsecondary schools at a competition of diversification. (The Sputnik/Brittany Bennett)

What can we expect to see for Laurier’s future?

Brittany Bennett Features Editor

Last year brought many complicating conversations about the future of Wilfrid Laurier University that we cannot forget.

The announcement of the projected $25-million deficit, the cutting of 22 support staff, breaking ties with Nipissing University, program changes, and a drop in enrollment numbers have all left unanswered questions for students, staff and faculty.

It has also been just over one year since Laurier published their Strategic Mandate Agreement between the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in response to Ontario’s Differentiation Policy Framework for Postsecondary Education. Published in November of 2013, one has to wonder, is it this provincial government document that has uprooted Laurier’s confidence in the future?

The introduction of Ontario’s Differentiation Policy Framework for Postsecondary Education outlines: “The 2008 economic downturn and the ensuing precarious state of the global economy have made Ontario’s fiscal environment challenging. Substantial new investment by the government at levels comparable to the previous decade is not feasible. Also, as enrolment growth is expected to slow in the near future so too will operating grant funding.”

We have seen 45 publicallyassisted colleges and universities sign strategic mandate agreements in order to “help guide future growth by encouraging more focus on unique strengths, while avoiding or limiting expansion in academic areas where programs already exist,” as

written by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in August of 2014.

But what does this mean to us here at Laurier?

WLUFA president Michelle Kramer explains that universities are now at somewhat of a competition for money from the government. Some unfortunate foreseeable events Kramer sees occurring are a shrinkage in number of courses offered, larger class sizes, and thus, less access to tutorial classes.

“What a university education should have been is getting lost. A lot of professors and students are sad to see it’s all coming down to this business model,” explains Kramer.

The White Paper, now being referred to as the Strategic Academic Plan Consultation Draft, is one major step Laurier seems to be taking in regards to our Strategic Mandate Agreement for 2014-2017.

Distribution of minutes from the Divisional Council Meeting that discussed this consultation draft have been pushed back to be approved by the Divisional Council before being made public. Melissa Huszczo, administrative manager for liberal arts, says this will take place after their next meeting on November 9 and the document will be published on their website.

If you, or someone you know may have answers to any of these questions or concerns, please email features@ thesputnik.ca

Follow us on Twitter @sputnik_news

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Homecoming to kick it up a notch this year Dillon Giancola Brittany Bennett

Laurier Brantford expects to see an upscale homecoming event this weekend compared to previous years.

This Saturday, October 24 at 12 p.m., Laurier Brantford’s homecoming kick starts with a tailgate party in the Civic Centre parking lot and an alumni family event in the Civic Centre Auditorium. Between 2 and 2:45 p.m., a community pregame skate offers the opportunity for alumni to join the students and mem-

bers of the community in getting on the ice before the puck drops for the varsity homecoming game at 4 p.m. in the Brantford and District Civic Centre. At 7:30 p.m. an alumni pub social will be held at Piston Broke Pub, tickets include one free refreshment.

“We’re trying to bring back some of our older alumni from the campus that have been more settled in their careers and starting their families, so [we] just want to bring them back and celebrate Golden Hawks forever,” said Penny Friesen, Alumni Relations and

Development Officer.

Friesen has been involved with Laurier Brantford’s homecoming since the very first one in 2009. Friesen said each year brings growth in pride, passion and the amount of people that attend.

Organizing members have been working closely with Friesen to ensure all safety measures are taken, and the students will be acting in a responsible manner.

One of the homecoming organizers, Matthew Wright said tickets “are flying like hot-cakes so far.” Wright said

the tailgate party will be featuring 4KORNERS, the official DJ of the Toronto Raptors who has collaborated with artists such as Drake, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Usher in the past.

Wright said this year brings an upscale tent so they are able to host more people compared to last year’s tight attendance. The tailgate party will also have a large food truck in substitution of last year’s small food tables.

Along with 4KORNERS, The Candidates and DJ Cashmere will be playing as well,

stationed in a VIP area making it feel more like a concert.

“It will be inclusive and very diverse, you can sit there and hang out and talk to your friends and sit down and have a beer, or you can get up and you can go dance. It will be a concert and club and a bar all mixed into one,” said Wright.

Dean of students, Adam Lawrence acknowledged the drinking culture that comes with homecoming and said, “we want people to be responsible and mindful, not to say don’t do this don’t do that.”

What are you doing for homecoming?

Content by Jamaal Owusu-Ansah

Candace Feagan

David Huynh

Michael Del Bono

Shannon Coulter

“My plans for homecoming includes dressing up and drinking throughout the day.”

“My plans for homecoming is to get day drunk with my friends and celebrate in Golden Hawk spirit!!”

“Celebrate, being on this awesome campus with every Golden Hawk I can find!!”

“I’m ready to dress up in purple and gold and cheer loud proud for our Golden Hawks hockey team.”

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Features

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Brittany Bennett | features@thesputnik.ca |

Exploring the spectrum of sexuality Dellesia Noah Staff Writer When joining Tinder you never really know what to expect. I’ve read about complete horror stories: people who can’t take no for an answer, stories regarding sexism and harassment. I didn’t know what my experience would be, but I was definitely not expecting it to be any better than those horror stories. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a story so thought provoking and touching that it would open my eyes to a whole new perspective on sexuality.

Tinder introduced me to Sara McCullen. “Would you do stories on sexuality?” she asked me. And in retrospect, I’m so glad I said yes and picked up her story this week.

You see, McCullen is asexual.

What is asexuality? In its simplest terms, asexuality is a lack of sexual attraction to another person. During our interview McCullen explained that asexuality is another aspect to the spectrum of sexuality along with others such as heterosexuality, homosexuality, and pansexuality. McCullen also explained that under

Sara McCullen lacks the feeling of sexual attraction, and instead pursues biromantic relationships: emotional relationships with either men or women without the physical aspect. (Courtesy of Sara McCullen)

asexuality there are many subsexual orientations like demi-sexuality – which is a person who doesn’t experience sexual attraction unless they first form a strong emotional connection with someone,

and grey asexuality – which includes a person who may not normally experience sexual attraction but can experience it sometimes, who may experience a sexual attraction but a low sex drive, who may experience both sexual attraction and drive but not enough to act on them, or lastly people who can enjoy and desire sex but under very limited and specific circumstances.

All the information quickly overwhelmed me. I have never looked at sexuality beyond heterosexuality and homosexuality, then to discover that there is a whole spectrum of sexuality? I was trying to wrap my head around it all. I was embarrassed by how naive and ignorant I was on this topic. I felt out of my league on this issue. So I decided to share that moment of honesty with McCullen. “It’s ok to be ignorant,” she said. “But it’s not ok to want to stay ignorant,” I added. “Exactly,” she agreed.

“So how does your sexuality effect your social relationships?” I asked her. Because, I imagined that explaining this to family and friends must have been a collective of frightening moments.

“For the most part my friends have been understanding … I had to explain to my mom twice before she grasped what it meant,” McCullen told me.

McCullen detailed all the misconceptions out there for me, “If I had a dollar for every time I heard the joke ‘Oh so you’re just a plant”, I’d be rich … another misconception commonly brought up is that it’s a phase or that I just haven’t found the right person … or that they have a hormone imbalance – which is very rarely the case – sex drive or libido has nothing to do with orientation, or that they’ve been abused in some way, which again can be the case, but that doesn’t invalidate asexuality, or that they’re holding virginal standards.”

An intimate relationship for McCullen matched any other type of relationship, “I like the emotional aspect of the relationship but it never got past any major physical aspect … the most I’ve ever done was make out, but even while I was doing it I’d ask myself ‘What’s the point of this?’” Sara describes herself as biromantic, which she explains is along the lines of bisexual; being ro-

mantically attracted to both male and female but without the sexual attraction.

“Did you ever feel that there was something wrong with you before realizing what asexuality was?” I ask.

“Oh my goodness, for the longest time I did not know what was wrong with me.

When I first realized the term for what I was I cried,” she said, looking a little teary eyed again. I couldn’t help but empathize with what she went through. Imagine not truly discovering who you are until 18 years into your life. “I didn’t realize the term for what I was until last year when I watched this documentary on Netflix [ [A]sexual ] … I want to bring awareness to this topic because there are so many misconceptions that need to be laid to rest, maybe there is someone out there who needs help realizing what they’re going through.”

It is Asexuality Awareness week until October 25. If you’re looking for more information on asexuality go to www.asexuality.org or check out the 2011 documentary (A) sexual, directed by Angela Tucker on Netflix.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Features

The Sputnik

7

Brittany Bennett | features@thesputnik.ca |

Gabrielle Lantaigne Staff Writer

M

eet Julie Anne Tamilia, the dancer.

This 19 year-old Brantford native is taking the dance world by storm, having shared the stage with the likes of performers such as Avril Lavigne, Walk Off the Earth and, most recently, Janet Jackson. She has been shining onstage since before she can even remember.

“You could definitely tell that I liked it from the beginning,” Tamilia says of her early beginnings as a young dancer.

For Tamilia, dancing began as a hobby, but as her talent developed she began to realize it could become something more. “I started getting noticed more and more in [dance] conventions,” she says. “These top, well-known choreographers would call my name and they’d call me up onstage.” Soon after, she began booking jobs assisting at these conventions.

“I really loved it and I wanted to pursue it because I just felt it when I was dancing, you know?

Felt that magic.”

At fourteen, Tamilia was awarded the title of Elite Protégé at the Pulse dance convention in New York City, a feat nearly unheard of for someone her age. She toured with the convention and was able to work one-on-one with renowned choreographers like Brian Friedman, whose past credits include Britney Spears, The X-Factor, America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance?

Her career took a hit, however, as a severe hamstring injury put her out of competition and on crutches for nearly six months. She emphasizes the fact that in a discipline like dance, “your body’s your instrument,” and any injury could be devastating. Fortunately, as Tamilia describes herself, she is “a pretty driven person,” and with hard work and perseverance, was eventually able to make a full recovery.

When asked about her favourite part of dance Tamilia explains, “I like … the stage aspect of it, because I love performing for an audience, and that’s like sharing your own talent with everyone.” She says that even from a young age, she never liked the competitive aspect

Julie Anne Tamilia has been dancing since before she can remember, and has always loved the stage aspect of it the most. (Courtesy of Julie Anne Tamilia)

as much as she loved, “being onstage and dancing for everyone.” For her, having the audience enjoy the performance is much more important than winning.

Tamilia’s talent has brought her across most of North America, and she fondly remembers her first trip to Los Angeles at the age of only nine-years-old:

“L.A. is far, so I thought that was a big place for me when I was younger.” She has yet to travel overseas, but hopes to be able to dance in Europe at some point in the future.

Among her proudest achievements, Tamilia includes dancing backup for Avril Lavigne at the 2013 Much Music Video Awards, dancing for Walk Off

the Earth at the 2015 MMVAs, and sharing the stage with Janet Jackson at her concert in Toronto this past September.

She also mentions Monsters of Hip Hop, a Los Angeles dance show that she was a part of in 2014. “Paula Abdul came to that too, that was sweet. Nigel Lythgoe [of So You Think You Can Dance? Fame], Zendaya. A lot of big people came, and they were like ‘this is awesome!’”

During the past few months, Tamilia has been hard at work dancing professionally in multiple upcoming films, including a major unnamed project set for release in 2016 that she is very excited about.

Tamilia credits much of her success to her drive, strong work ethic, and positive personal philosophy, which she says she learned from the lessons and values instilled in her as a young dancer. “You can carry everything you learn into your everyday life.”

When asked what she would say to anyone considering taking dance lessons, she responds immediately with an enthusiastic “do it!”

Mental illness and its effect on supporters Tayler Buchanan Staff Writer

Disclaimer: The names in this article have been changed to protect the anonymity of the sources.

I sit down in a chair and take the coffee that Lucas kindly made for me. As I turn my head to the left I see a picture of a happy, smiling couple; Lucas is dressed up in a suit while his girlfriend Sarah is wearing a beautiful long formal dress. I point to the picture and can’t help but smile because of how content they look; I ask Lucas when the photo was taken.

“That was my prom a couple years ago.”

I take a sip of my coffee and nervously twist my hands together. Lucas and I are close but considering how depression and mental illness is still such a taboo topic I can’t help but feel a bit nervous, I don’t wish to make him uncomfortable. Mental illness doesn’t just directly affect the person with the illness, but also the people in their lives such as family members and the close friends who support them.

“So, let’s start with an easy question, how long have you and Sarah been dating?”

“Just over three years,” he smiles in disbelief, as if bewildered that it’s been that long already.

“Wow that’s a long time! Did you know before you started dating she was clinically depressed?”

“When we first started dating I had no idea. I found out a couple months into the re-

lationship. She called me one night because she was upset about something. I hopped into my mom’s car and rushed over to her place,” he says. “After calming her down we sat and she told me about her depression. I held her hand and told her this wouldn’t change anything and we would work through it. “ “Was your relationship different after you found out?”

“No. Sometimes things would get hard, but pushing through the hard times just made our relationship stronger,” he says.

“Most people suffering from depression have triggers, were you aware of hers?”

“I was really new to depression in general. Like most people, I was ignorant,” Lucas admits. “I didn’t understand what depression really meant, I just thought it meant some people get sad more than others.”

“What happens when a trigger occurs, how does it affect your relationship?”

“When a trigger occurs it causes her to be upset, quite, sad, or really down about something. Unlike most people who get upset, depression doesn’t necessarily happen for one cause or reason usually it just happens out of the blue from something you can’t control.” But Lucas does feel, “It doesn’t really affect our relationship negatively, we just have to sit down and I try to calm her down and cheer up the best I can. Sometimes I wish I could do more, but all I

As Lucas explains, “surround yourself with a good support network.” (Christina Manocchio/The Sputnik)

can do is try and put a smile on her face.”

“Would you say you’re one of her main supporters?”

“I believe so, she also has a great support team including friends, my family, and her family,” he explains.

“Does that affect your life or your mental health at all?”

“It affects my life because it is something that we go through together. I don’t think it really affects my mental health but it has really opened my eyes to what mental health and mental illness really means. There are so many people that don’t understand mental illness – which isn’t their fault, there is nowhere near enough education and awareness of this problem.” Lucas drums his fingers on the desk and pauses thoughtfully, “I am thankful that this has given me the opportunity to understand what other people go through, and in some small way help those people.”

I pause before asking the

next question I have, afraid to upset him or push on the boundaries that both of them would be comfortable with.

“Has she ever been suicidal?”

He however, doesn’t pause.

Merely takes a sip of his coffee and looks towards the picture of them. His smile dims a bit as he speaks.

“There was a time when the depression got to that level.

We would push through it together through me calming her and supporting her, we also used the support resources available to us such as Kids Help Phone. This was a problem early into her diagnosis of depression,” Lucas recalls. “I’m very proud of where she has come to where she is now; she can manage her depression without it getting to a suicidal point.”

“Did you at any point consider ending the relationship because of her illness?”

“Never. I am committed to her and love her. If it’s something real why would I not work hard at being together?

It’s not always easy, but looking back at where we were two years ago to where we are now it just proves that it was worth fighting for,” he says.

“In your opinion, what is the best way to manage depression after being a witness to the struggles people face?”

“Surround yourself with a good support network. The people in your life that love and care for you are the greatest assets to help battle depression. Not only have that but the use of outlets really helped. My

girlfriend uses art as her creative outlet. It helps her calm down and battle depression. It doesn’t have to be art it can be reading, exercising, and working anything that you seek enjoyment out of that you can use will help you cope with depression,” Lucas explains.

“Any advice for someone in similar shoes as you?”

“Everyone is different so this is a pretty hard question to answer,” Lucas ponders.

“My best advice would be don’t let something like depression scare you. It’s not your fault, but that person who is going through depression depends on you to be their support through the good times and the bad.”

“And how is your relationship today?”

“Never better. I’ve been approached by numerous people even many of my guy friends who say that they look up to our relationship and strive to have what we have together.

It’s a special feeling being role models to others and just makes our time together even more special,” he says.

I thank Lucas for his time and being so honest with what I considered to be some difficult questions. I leave with a renewed hope for people suffering with mental illness: it’s refreshing to know that there are understanding and supportive people in the world and I only wish everyone was fortunate enough to have as good a listener as Lucas in their life.

8

Arts & Culture

The Sputnik

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Matthew Burley | arts@thesputnik.ca |

Russia: Just like Canada, except not

Dillon Giancola Editor In Chief

Going to a different country, and experiencing a different culture is always a really neat experience. And, feeling some sort of culture shock is always inevitable but always surprising nonetheless. That is exactly what happened when I went to Russia over reading week for my brother’s wedding, (and yes of course I brought The Sputnik to Russia). And to write about it as if it is some new thing no one has ever been privy to is extremely narcissistic.

But as I was thinking about it, I had to admit – people just don’t really seem to go to Russia. Certainly not Canadians – the only person I know that had been there before was my brother, and while Canadians like to travel, we didn’t come across a single Canadian. In fact, the only other Englishspeaking tourists we came across were from England.

What I wanted to know was, just what was it like in Russia.

I can’t think of another country that has been mythicized in the way that Russia has, and yet nobody has really visited. I guess a bunch of athletes and journalists did for the Winter Olympics. I was amused by what I found: Russians are a lot like Canadians.

I didn’t get it at first, even when another member of our group first suggested it.

It seemed like all you had to do was look around at the ancient architecture and coldness of the people in the subway station, their lack of

smiles, to feel like you were in a different world. But then again, to see masses of people wandering around in winter jackets, the screaming fans at hockey games and the population’s ability to embrace doing dumb things in the cold outdoors, it was easy to see the parallels. Russia is not as different as you would think.

One of the first stereotypes that come to mind when one thinks of Russian people is

Tradition is everything in Russia, and all former leaders, even Josef Stalin, are honoured. (Dillon Giancola/ The Sputnik)

vodka. And, they did not disappoint in that representation, especially considering that there was a celebration at hand. However, it didn’t appear that they were downing a shot every night after a hard day at work, like us Canadians and our beer. Likewise, the first thing people would say to us when they hear we’re from Canada is say, “Oh, you

like hockey? I love Phil Esposito!” Seriously, it seemed like every Russian’s favourite hockey player is Phil Esposito, and they are always surprised when you don’t react as positively to his name as they do.

Phil Esposito is cool, no doubt, but Phil Esposito is also very old.

Russians love hockey too, much like you would expect.

In fact, one of the first things I said to my Russian sister-inlaw when we got to Moscow was that I wanted to find Evgeni Plushenko, the famous Russian figure skater. I actually said that, which I understand now is kind of like when somebody from the States hears that you are from Canada and says they know somebody from Canada named Scott. It is never fun to realize your ignorance. However, I did have the pleasure of attending a KHL game, and who appeared on the big screen?

Why, none-other than Evgeni Plushenko! Nothing to make you realize that you need to brush up on your Russian pop culture when the most famous Russian I think of, other than Vladimir Putin of course, is a figure skater.

The common notion of Russians as a hard, cold people, while perhaps appearing that way on the outside or in public transit, my experience allowed me to meet some extremely hospitable, people.

While the idea of ‘Canadian values’ that every party leader argued about this past election are largely here say, we are all likely to agree that family is an integral tenant. The

Canada vs Russia tug of war during our celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving. (Dillon Giancola/ The Sputnik)

amount of compassion and love that the Russian friends we met showed us was surreal. Together with the hugs, the food, the cold, and laughter, the similarities were never more striking.

I will not pretend that the politics of Canada and Russia are not extremely different. Nor ignore the fact that Russians are proud of their country to the point that they do not care one bit if anybody else ever gets to experience it.

That is a sharp contrast to how us Canadians whine when we realize that Americans can’t answer Canadian trivia questions. Being immersed in any place for a period of time, you realize, on a human level, that these differences do not matter. Especially when you are deep into the second day of a wedding, and this guy you just met, who barely speaks any English, says to you, “now we go do competition”, which led to a best of three Russia vs Canada tug- of-war match.

We are both great countries, full of great people, like all countries and cultures of this world. Any chance to experi-

ence and meet someone that comes from a different place or background than yourself is invaluable, and that is something that we often take for granted here in Canada. Even if that different background is a political view or ideology.

A final thought that stuck with me as I took The Sputnik to Russia, is the diversity of factors that ultimately play into what knits a national identity together. What I saw in Russia is that Russian people are united by some intense nationalism and pride of Russian history, on a level that is unheard of in Canada. They have Vladimir Lenin’s frozen body on display for all to see, for crying out loud! Which is both amazing and very, very strange. And over here, Canada was an politicized battleground for over two months, as a polarized federal election campaigning put the country at odds with itself. And what, in the midst of that, is bringing Canada together? A bunch of guys in blue shirts playing baseball. Stereotypes be damned!

Brantford keeps its eyes to the sky Alex Vialette Staff Writer

Have you seen strange, inexplicable lights in the Brantford night sky? There’s a group of individuals in Brantford devoted to trying to find and document any and all UFO sightings, as well as spread the word throughout Canada.

This group of individuals is the Brantford chapter of the Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON for short.

The group met up on Friday, October 9 in the lobby of the Brantford Via Rail station where they had Emmy Award winner Sid Goldberg talk about his upcoming documentary and his very own encounters with alien species.

Of the group of people who had showed up for this meeting, half had at some time or another encountered aliens.

All of these people were locals who had the encounter here in Brantford.

From left to right: David Palachik, Sid Goldberg, Stuard Bundy and Justin Peeler, pose for a photo at least week’s MUFON meeting. (Alex Vialette/ The Sputnik)

“Brantford is a hotspot and it has been a hotspot for a lot of years,” said the Ontario Provincial Director of MUFON, Stuart Bundy. “We have a lot of UFO sightings that get into MUFON from this area and we think that a lot of it is because of the proximity of the First Nations folks. They’re very sensitive to spirit, to other realms, they’re very in touch with the

earth and very psychic people.

We think that might be one of the reasons, the other might be geology.”

The group spoke about encountering a variety of different species of aliens and spacecraft. The most common species encountered were Mantismen. Mantismen are one of the 52 documented species of aliens to visit this plan-

et, and the number continues to grow.

One woman at the meeting brought up an encounter with a race none of the Field Investigators had heard of, describing its appearance as being similar to a clown.

Another topic covered at the MUFON meet-up, was interplanetary reincarnation.

Goldberg and another mem-

ber said they had encountered loved ones of their old lives as an alien race. During an out of body experience they were abducted and promised to be reincarnated as an alien again after they had learned unknown lessons during their time on earth.

MUFON has been operating in Ontario for the past twenty years, doing field work and research from corner to corner of this province. The entire organization has been operating since 1969, following the closing of Project Blue Book. For those who don’t know, Project Blue Book was a systematic study of UFOs funded by the United States Air Force until 1969. Once closed, citizens felt the need to keep track of UFOs since the government ceased.

They now hold meetings for their chapters three to four times a year, where they meet up and discuss their findings and encounters.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Arts & Culture

The Sputnik

9

Matthew Burley | arts@thesputnik.ca |

The Featured Artist:

Lekha Sriragurajah Matthew Burley A&C Editor The Featured Artist is a Laurier Brantford student who is constantly striving for creative and artistic excellence. The medium isn’t what’s important; it’s the art. This week’s featured artist is Lekha Sriragurajah.

How long have you been drawing for? Is it something that you stumbled upon or did someone influence you? What are some of your other artistic outlets?

I have been drawing ever since I was a child, as I always had an interest in art. It was something I stumbled upon when I realized that I am able to express my feelings and emotions through different artworks. Some of my other artistic outlets are dancing and drama. I have done classical dancing, Hip-Hop, and Tamil Gaana dancing as well as partaking in dramas when I was young.

Do any aspects of everyday life influence your work?

If so, what are these influences?

From my everyday life, nature and listening to music influences my work. The natural beauty of the world amazes me; I have always seen it as a beautiful painting. Music is another great way of expression, so listening to different genres of songs inspires me to draw.

Who are some of your professional influences?

As a child, the Group of Seven influenced me. This wellknown Canadian group made me feel proud to be a Canadian. Their artwork of capturing natural beauty further influenced me to continue drawing. I remember learning about them on a field trip in elementary school, and that’s where my passion to draw grew even more.

How much attention do you pay to detail? What are some techniques you’ve learned that allow you to really zone in on these things?

I pay a lot of attention to details, as I believe they contribute to the bigger picture no matter what. For me, every detail counts, and I make sure each one of my artworks are drawn to perfection. Some techniques I have learned include sketching lightly for a first copy before finalizing

my ideas, and how to take control of my pencil. Sketching allows me to correct my mistakes when it comes to drawing my final copy. Learning how to take control of my pencil helps me draw all the important details of a picture.

What is one of your favourite things to draw?

One of my favourite things to draw are characters from

Lekha showcases her Marilyn Monroe portrait. (Courtesy of Lekha Sriragurajay)

movies, as I find it fun to recreate them in my own way.

The number of comments I get from how real my drawings look makes me really happy.

How would you define your style in three words?

I would define my style as neat, spontaneous, and to perfection. I seem to draw out of nowhere as soon as I get an idea or motivation, and when I do, I draw with perfection and never stop until the end of the day. Once I start drawing, I never like to take a break until I am satisfied with my work.

Who are some people that have shown you support over the years?

My parents, sister and friends have shown me support with my art over the years. Their support makes me confident and encourages me to continue drawing. Without their support, I would have never developed my passion towards art as far as I have.

Have you ever sold any of your work before? If so, how did it make you feel and if not, would you ever want to?

I never sold my work but I have drawn and given my work to people as gifts. It feels special to give gifts that are made with my own effort. It feels almost sad giving away an artwork that you fell in love with, but the joy received from the other person’s appreciation for such a gift makes me extremely happy and proud. In the future, I would love to sell my artwork as it shows me that others also fall in love with my work and are willing to pay a price for it.

Where do you see your art at in the next five years?

In the next five years, I see my artwork being displayed in the homes of those that I give my drawings too, whether as gifts or sold to those who have a great appreciation for my artwork.

Is there anywhere that people can check out your work?

People can check my work on my Instagram or Twitter page @lekha_rajah. All works I submitted for Blueprint Magazine are also displayed in the Meta and Looking Forward, Looking Back issues.

One of Lekha’s pictures featured in the Blueprint, a great example of how a picture is worth a thousand words. (Courtesy of Lekha Sriragurajah)

Demi Lovato’s newest album, Confident, is her most honest and powerful collection to date.

Demi Lovato’s Confident is full of emotional rollercoasters Anya Eland Staff Writer Compelling and powerful are two words that can describe Demi Lovato’s new album Confident.

Lovato has come a long way from her days as a Disney Channel star. She has had many struggles in her past and has found the strength to overcome them. Confident is her fifth album released since 2008.

Lovato’s songs are empowering with inspiring messages that talk about her personal experiences and how they have helped her become the woman she is today. Her songs are approach topics of depression, eating disorders and alcohol abuse, as Lovato sings of her own personal struggles and experiences.

Tons of emotion and passion was put into this album.

Her hit 2015 summer single, ‘Cool for the Summer’ gives off an E.D.M. type of sound as she shows off the softer, raspier elements of her voice in the first couple verses, it is one of the few upbeat songs on this album.

Many of the songs on this album are liberating ballads that show off her powerful vocal range. Each song has its own backstory relating to tough times in her life and how she survived them.

‘Old Ways,’ talks about Lovato’s struggles with alcohol abuse, and how she does not want to go give in to temptation. Lovato sings, “I’m not burning out/ I’m not afraid

to fall/ I’m not afraid to fall anymore.” The song works to reach out to those who like Lovato struggle with alcohol abuse, she uses the ballad as a platform to encourage the strength that can be found through recovery and advocate beyond the struggles of the past.

The final song on her album ‘Father’ is a tear-jerking tribute song to her estranged, late-father and her struggles with their complicated relationship. Lovato certainly shows off her emotion through her performance and as the song progresses, a gospel choir sings in the background helping to showcase Lovato’s powerful vocals as she sings her heart out.

Through her emotional lyrics, Lovato definitely showcases her emotion in the song, “Father, I’m going to say thank you/ Even if I don’t understand/ Oh, you left us alone/ I guess that made me who I am.” This song shows off her grief in a relatable way, and her hope that her father is in a peaceful place.

Lovato has definitely grown from a tween pop star to an inspiring, powerful artist.

Although her third album Unbroken, truly debuted her emotional musical style as an artist, Confident continues to highlight her songwriting abilities and her journey to inner strength. It is definitely an album full of emotion, heart and incredibly powerful lyrics.

10

The Sputnik

Sports

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Devon Momy-Gamache| sports@thesputnik.ca |

Laurier rugby team eliminated in playoffs Adam Stocker Staff Writer

For the first time since 2005, the Laurier women’s rugby team entered the OUA playoffs with a winning record.

Starting outside centre is Tamika Marks-Grant, a fifthyear student who has been there through the women’s rugby team’s dark days.

“My first two years on the team we didn’t win a single game.”

Grant-Marks said, recalling a loss to Guelph 108-0 during her first two seasons. Losing was uncommon for MarksGrant, who won an OFSSA gold medal with Guelph high school Centennial in 2009.

It wouldn’t be until her third year on the team that MarksGrant would finally win her first game as a Golden Hawk. The team qualified for the playoffs, but were quickly eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Grant-Marksmissed her fourth year due to a concussion, but the team would again improve by a win, finishing at 2-3. For the second straight year, the team would again be quickly dispatched from the playoffs in the quarterfinals. GrantMarks can pinpoint a few reasons why the team has improved to 3-2 this season.

“In my first year, we barely had enough healthy girls to field a team. This year we have a full 30 girls, enough to scrimmage with in games.

The large numbers this year also help to keep momentum since we have subs for when someone goes down. This year we are more confident in our skills and our teammates. We also have about fourteen vets … who are hungry for wins.”

Saturday, the team travels to London to take on Western in the quarterfinals. Grant-Marks described the feeling within the team when they clinched

Tamika Grant-Marks attempts a tackle in Laurier’s game against top ranked Guelph. (Courtesy of Kha Vo)

a playoff spot. “We were all excited and overjoyed. We know we are a team that can compete with the best. It has taken us awhile to get to this point where we have a real shot at advancing past the quarter finals.”

Two weeks ago, Laurier faced Western and lost 4614. However, this has not discouraged Grant-Marks and

her teammates.

“We expect to win. The last game we had against them, we entered the game expecting not to perform well and that was reflected in the game. When we enter games with confidence we are able to play great rugby. We want to come out of the gate running hard and not letting up for the full 80 minutes. We want to

redeem ourselves.”

Laurier lost to Western 64-19 on October 17th. An early injury to Laurier’s starting fullback 15 minutes in forced several lineup changes. Western gained momentum after several back to back tries and there was no looking back for the Mustangs. Grant-Marks described the outcome as “a very tough loss.”

balance sports and school at the same time. Many student athletes feel that sports are becoming more of a job in themselves, rather than being a fun and carefree stress reliever.

“It’s stressful to have to spend hours in practice knowing that I have studying and assignments that I still need to do,” said a first year Laurier Brantford athlete, “and the expectations of the sport are also pretty stressful in and of themselves.”

According to many students, when sports are taken to a competitive level, they become a whole new stressful responsibility. The pressure to stay committed, attend all practices and games, and consistently perform to the best of one’s abilities becomes almost equivalent to the

pressure schoolwork puts on.

“It really seems like we have to prioritize either school or the sport,” the first year said.

“Maybe some people are able to balance both perfectly, but for me it seems like I’m being torn between the two and I have to choose one or the other.”

Opinions are different for Erin Braun, a tenth grade student from Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener. Out with an injury in her thigh for a month now, her stress has built up because without access to sports, there is no escape from the demands of school and social life.

“I would rather deal with the stress of balancing sports and school than the stress of not having sports at all,” Braun said. “Sports are a big part of my life and not having them

after school every day makes me feel like I don’t know what to do with myself.”

When not playing sports competitively, Golden Hawk Mitch Hardy believes that finding at least one time a week to add sports to his schedule helps to reduce stress.

“Playing golf once a week relieves stress and tension brought on by school and expectations. It’s a relaxing and enjoyable method to get away from the chaos,” he said.

Students are encouraged to be aware of what reduces and adds to their individual stress and what the right athletic and academic balance for them is.

Devon Momy-Gamache Sports Editor

Andrew Ziedins. Ziedins had an ERA of 2.03 which was the second best of any pitcher with 25 innings pitched.

In their game against the Brock Badgers they lost another tight game 7-6. The game eliminated Laurier from the playoffs. Laurier failed to win their second championship in three seasons with their third loss of the season to the defending champions.

The Golden Hawks still had a successful season with many players performing at an all-star level. Along with Ziedins, outfielder Alex Kupchak was also named a first team all-star. Kupchak finished the season with a

league leading 24 RBI’s, his next closest competitor only had 19.

New starting Catcher Ryley Davenport was recognized for his season, winning OUA rookie of the year. Davenport finished with the second best batting average for Laurier and excelled with extra base hits which allowed him to have the highest slugging percentage for any Golden Hawk. Davenport was named a second team all-star for his contributions.

Of the all-stars, only Davenport will be returning next year, but Laurier has proven to be consistent and should be competing again next season.

Does playing sports add or reduce stress?

Jessa Braun Staff Writer

Sports are a common part of life as a high school or university student, but here’s the question: do sports relieve stress or add to it?

Many students have been involved in sports at some point during their school lives. Some say that the physical activity is a good break from studying and academic responsibilities.

Others say that the commitment involved in being on a sports team makes their schedules more overwhelming.“More than anything I think that being involved in extracurriculars helps you to catch a break and release some energy,” said Mallory Glaves, a Laurier

Brantford student who grew up playing competitive soccer.

But Glaves has also faced the disadvantages of being involved in sports. She had the opportunity to play for the campus’ soccer team, and for her this caused an increase in stress. She eventually decided that the best decision for her was to discontinue her involvement with the team.

“As a commuting student, the stress of getting places, getting my work done prior to practices and games and getting enough sleep for the next day weighed on my mind,” recalled Glaves. “No matter how much I wanted to be on the team, the thought of getting behind in school ultimately stressed me out. ”But it isn’t just Glaves who feels the pressure of trying to

Laurier baseball season ends Laurier entered the 2015 season with high hopes but were eliminated by top seeded Brock in the playoffs. After finishing the season with ten straight wins to finish with a 14-4 record, Laurier entered as the second seed.

Laurier won their first game with an offensive masterpiece as they beat Toronto 13-3. In their second game against number three seed Western, Laurier had a 3-2 lead in the ninth but Western scored three runs to win the game. The loss came despite a strong performance from OUA pitcher of the year

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The Sputnik

Sports

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Devon Momy-Gamache | sports@thesputnik.ca |

Concussions: Effects on young athletes Devon Momy-Gamache

Sports Editor

Concussions began as something resulting from violent hits in football and hockey. However, scientists have now discovered that repeated injuries to the head can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease of the brain.

CTE can begin with many small blows starting from a young age. There has been some increase in awareness of the dangers of concussions in youth sports. Unfortunately, there are still scenarios such as that of Rowan Stringer. On May 8, 2013, Stringer was tackled playing high school rugby. She landed on her head and was immediately taken to a hospital. Stringer remained unconscious until her death four days later.

Previous attempts had been made to improve safety for youth in Ontario. Bill 39 failed to pass in the fall of 2012. A new act was proposed for this fall for the provincial legislature, which is meant to increase awareness for both players and coaches to help prevent situations such as Stringer’s.

Concussions can have long-

term effects for those who survive them. The risk of another concussion is constant, and this may cause more severe damage. A person who suffers a severe concussion may be safe, but they will still have struggles in their daily lives due to post-concussion syndrome.

Laurier student Megan Elmhirst suffered a severe concussion 11 years ago. At 11 years old, Megan suffered a concussion doing gymnastics.

She had a broken foot when her coach encouraged her to continue practicing her floor routine.

Elmhirst continued even through the pain, “When you’re 11 years old, you don’t argue with your coach, you do whatever they tell (you to do)”. A common problem facing youth is that they are sometimes put in risky positions by coaches.

While doing her routine, Elmhirst landed directly on her head, causing a concussion.

She explained the moment, “I didn’t black out or anything, and at that time there wasn’t much awareness about concussions.”

Ten days later the symptoms of the concussion appeared. Elmhirst suffered four seizures and was rushed

Megan continues to play soccer after her concussion. She usually suffers one small concussion every season.

(Courtesy of Megan Elmhirst)

to the hospital. Doctors discovered her skull had split due to her brain swelling. A difficult decision would face Elmhirst after her recovery.

She could continue to play sports or quit to prevent further damage.

Although many doctors told her to quit, she decided to continue as a way to avoid depression, “I can’t imagine what would have happened if I quit sports”.

In an attempt to stay positive, Elmhirst still plays sports believing that, “I don’t think someone’s life should have to stop because of a con-

Megan Elmhirst competed in gymnastics at the age of 11, she suffered her concussion doing a floor routine.

(Courtesy of Megan Elmhirst)

cussion.”

This attitude has allowed Elmhirst to enjoy life after her injury. A lot of people would have tried to be careful and protect their brain from further damage. Elmhirst currently still plays sports, although cautiously. During a soccer season she usually suffers one mild concussion.

All the concussions have not slowed her down as she continues to play and enjoy the competition.

The damage of a concussion affects the mind in many ways. Sleeping can become a challenge, affecting everything a person does on a daily basis. “I would try to get up for classes but couldn’t, not the will power, but know if I go to school today I will go to sleep, can’t handle that day.”

Memory problems are also very common. Memorizing information can take multiple times and multiple techniques for a person who has a concussion history. Memory problems have caused Elmhirst to change her career goal due to the difficulty she faced. A goal of one day doing something with science had to be changed. Memorizing formulas became too complicated of a task so a change was made. Elmhirst is now a Concurrent Education student and hopes to be a teacher one day.

Elmhirst explained one reason she chose to be a teacher, “times in my life, this being one of them, where I wish there had been somebody able to step in and take more of a positive role and I’d like to be that role for kids with their education and anything else they need.”

As concussions become more common and knowledge is gained, more can be done to help people who suffer the injury. Prevention can be achieved through education and spreading the knowledge that concussions

can have on a person’s life.

Elmhirst explained how easy it is to get a concussion, “Almost any time you hit your head you get a minor concussion. People think you need to black out or puke, but it’s not like that. I think awareness form that stand point is important”.

Elmhirst credits a strong support system for helping her through her recovery.

With all the challenges that she has conquered, she has had help. According to Elmhirst, a person can’t do this alone, “make sure you have a good support system.”

Prevention remains the safest option for dealing with the ongoing issue of concussions. That’s why Stringer’s story is of such importance. If an injury can be prevented, it can save a person for the rest of their life. 11 years later Elmhirst is not recovered fully. “to this day I still have different symptoms, memory loss, when I get tired my speech gets all jumbled up”.

Elmhirst realizes the problem with prevention, “one of the hardest things with a concussion is with a broken arm or leg people can see that you’re injured, but with a concussion nobody can see that anything is wrong with you.”

Concussions rely on the person being injured to tell their coach. Coaches and other adults need to learn of the risk and must educate youth not to risk further injury.

Stringer reportedly suffered a concussion in a game the week before her concussion that left her unconscious.

One hit to the head can cause major change for Elmhirst, “I sit here and wonder, what can my life be, how could it be different if it hadn’t had happened to me”.

People should know the risk and how to limit how often it occurs and how many people it affects.

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The Sputnik

Opinion

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Josh Adesina | opinion@thesputnik.ca |

Breaking the stigma Arnisa Morina Staff Writer

What can be done to improve the stigma of mental health? Break the silence. We live in a society where if you were to break your leg, people will support and help you. On the other hand, if you were to tell someone you suffered from depression, people would shrug it off. That is ignorant.

Ignorance is marginalizing people and preventing them from wanting to talk about mental illness, or get

help. This ignorance has unfortunately contributed to the over 4000 Canadians that commit suicide each year. No one should contribute to that kind of ignorance.

There is a stigma attached to mental health and how people chose to speak about it. Society would rather avoid talking about mental health than engage in conversations to help end the stigma. I believe that this isn’t just a problem but an injustice.

Society can improve by not treating mental illness as a weakness or sickness because

that furthers stigmatization; which forces some to stay silent and avoid seeking help.

I strongly believe that if talking about mental health becomes a norm, mental illness and suicide rates could drastically decrease.

In addition, those struggling with their mental health won’t be reluctant to access treatment early on because they won’t be ashamed or fear prejudice.

Canada needs to listen to those living with mental illnesses. Their voices must be heard so that they can be

The only time I believe mental health is tangibly talked about, in a public way, is through Bell Lets Talk campaign - which is only one day out of the year.

The campaign is supposed to make us more aware about mental illness but is it really providing us with the necessary information? I don’t believe so.

There is not enough accessible information in Canada to help us understand living with or even without mental illness.

Accessible, readily available resources are important because they provide us with a foundation of knowledge we can build upon. Whether or not you are suffering from mental illness, it affects all of us somehow. People in society you may encounter could be suffering, perhaps even a friend or family member.

“Itis hard to help someone with mental illness if you aren’t educated on how to help them,” says Rumila Chattopadhyay. She never

People that suffer from mental health illness should not feel like they are separate from the rest of society. (Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik)

supported, and assured that they are not alone. I think the best way to deal with mental illnesses is not by focusing on «me» and «I» but rather on «us» and «we,» because mental illnesses affect society

as a whole, both directly and indirectly.

I know that the hardest step to take is the first.

Nonetheless, it is worth the trouble if it means breaking the silence on mental health.

understood how to fully help her family members suffering from mental illness.

Although there are many online resources, research is not as effective as talking to a professional. We have places like the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mental Health Help Line. But, are these enough to help us become more aware of the illnesses within our communities? No! Canada needs a lot more resources put out there for people to educate

themselves. This could help people to understand the signs of different mental illnesses. Also, it helps to educate us on further things because mental health is linked to drug addiction, and a lot of other disorders.

It is important to have knowledge on this subject.

Post-secondary institutions need to educate their students more about mental illnesses because as young people, we are vulnerable.

Canadian mental health resources in Canada Lauren Macfarlane Staff Writer

Mental health issues are something we cannot see and is definitely not something we hearabout as often as we should.

Mental health affects everyone in the world whether or not you are aware of it. Not nearly enough information is provided to the public to help us fully understand how to deal with mental health issues.

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