The Sputnik: Issue 6 - November 2

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016 ISSUE 6 WWW.THESPUTNIK.CA @SPUTNIK_NEWS THE SPUTNIK

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WITH MOSHKA YOGA 9

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Mental Health Issue ALEX VIALETTE / THE SPUTNIK

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THE SPUTNIK

The mental toll of being in a band

THE SPUTNIK TEAM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christina Manocchio eic@thesputnik.ca PHOTO EDITOR Kathleen Binder photography@thesputnik.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Gurleen Lall leadphotographer@thesputnik.ca GRAPHIC EDITOR Sai Gnanaharan visual@thesputnik.ca WEB EDITOR Kurtis Rideout web@thesputnik.ca NEWS EDITOR Shreya Shah news@thesputnik.ca ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Anya Eland FEATURES EDITOR Dellesia Noah features@thesputnik.ca ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Matthew Burley arts@thesputnik.ca SPORTS EDITOR Devon Momy-Gamache sports@thesputnik.ca OPINION EDITOR

Josh Adesina opinion@thesputnik.ca

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PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Meghan Roach (519) 884-0710 ext. 3565 president@wlusp.com ADVERTISING Care Schummer (519) 884-0719 ext. 3560 care.schummer@wlusp.com MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Jamaal Owusu-Ansah manager@thesputnik.ca EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Treasurer John Pehar Vice-Chair Abdiasis Issa Director Mynt Marsellus Director Maddy Cutts Director Matthew Burley Director Fred Kuntz Director Gary Doyle The Sputnik is a bi-weekly campus newspaper intended to engage and inform the community.

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Kurtis Rideout Web Editor You get sad, you bust out the Zune, and you jam to some good tunes. There is no real science to it. In fact, it’s second nature; music is often times the emotional crutch that we all need.

But what if you are the artist? Is it all just sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll, or is this therapy?

Well, as science may one day reveal, these musicians are in fact humans, who experience the same emotional ups and downs that we do.

From the life on the road to the life in the studio, on stage vs. band practice; being in a band is an emotional roller coaster.

Through all the turbulence and the headaches however, there is one thing that rings true: bringing happiness to others via music pretty much always makes it worth it.

“Keeping people entertained, constant experimentation, and ensuring a fair payout for all are some of the most enduring pressures in being a performer,” said Costa Chatzis.

Chatzi is the drummer for the Paris-local darlings known as Bad Reed who recently dropped a fantastic new video for Stained Glass. In a backhanded sort of fashion, a lot of people might say that they could not live without music. When Chatzis says this,

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he means it.

“Music is all around us and incredibly powerful,” said Chatzis while speaking on the overall benefits of music, “It has so many applications and expresses so many primal feelings that it’s hard to deny that the world itself is musical.”

For Chatzis, the positives of being in a band will always outweigh the negatives, “I believe my time spent in bands and pursuing music has had mostly positive effects on my psyche. These are the times I’ve been able to express myself and, for the most part, people seem to enjoy it.”

There is obviously the negative connotation that people have attached to artists and musicians, such as the stigma of being “broke, tortured individuals” but as Chatzis coolly points out, that has actually been the case at every other job he has had aside from making music.

“In this job I wear my own uniform and play the way I do...

It’s freeing.”

Like many artists and musicians, imagining life without music for Chatzis isn’t even an option.

“Without music I’d probably have offed myself long ago; what does that tell you? Music is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

For most artists, their craft is what brings meaning to life. The balance between having control over creative output and finding success can be compromising to this aspect in particular, but that

Zoe Smith of Good Anya during a show at Ryerson. Photo courtesy of Maria Magovskiaia

is what separates the genuine from the fake.

Zoe Smith knows this all too well. “There is a fine line between who makes it because they’re genuine and who makes it because they’ve been exploited or exploited themselves in hopes of being successful.”

As someone who doubles as an up and coming concert promoter/lead synth and vocalist for the Dundas based band ‘Good Anya’, Smith has not only seen the hardships that a band can face coming up on a local scene, she has felt them first hand.

“The social pressure to sacrifice your integrity and honesty to make it in the industry or even to be liked in your local scene is just an extension of one’s insecurities as an artist,” says Smith. “And that’s often the biggest challenge.”

Smith and her counterparts have neglected to conform to any pre-conceived notions you may have heard about pop music or music in general, and this has led to a hugely organic and successful following in the local underground music scene, but

this kind of success doesn’t always make things easier.

“A lot of the stress and anxiety that comes from being in a band is because of the fear of change and making mistakes,” said Smith. “As someone who struggles with anxiety on a daily basis, collaborating with my bandmates, making big decisions and performing live are huge obstacles.”

Despite the stress, for Smith the entire process is something close to catharsis.

“Music is a positive outlet for someone suffering mental illnesses because it forces you to confront your greatest flaws and fears with every decision you make. You’re not just facing yourself as a musician, but as a being with unique and often shameful, fearful, and anxiety provoking thoughts.”

From the introspective art form that is song writing, to its complications as a group process, the fears of appearing confident and performing in front of a crowd, and more; being in a band is something that forces you to face your fears and inevitably overcome them.

in Canada, according to sexualassault.ca. I personally would not base the whole 60 per cent on parties, but 25 per cent of it takes place at big parties like the ones hosted at Halloween in my opinion.

Many people aged between 14 to 25 attend Halloween parties, with their hormones going bizarre, and with an unlimited supply of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. Females attend these parties to have a good time.

While doing so, drunken episodes occur and in consumed drinks, pills may have been slipped in, resulting in an unplanned and unpleasant sexual encounter.

Halloween sadism is a legend perpetuated by the media, which eclipse the obvious risks.

However, the celebration does aggravate males when females are readily available. Females should have the liberty of dressing desirably, but society is incontrollable and the individual instincts of an intoxicated person or a psychopath are ambiguous. Violating someone’s privacy is not cool. I believe in the phrase, better safe than sorry.

Although Halloween is a wonderful way to meet new people and disguise yourself for a single day, you should be smart about your decisions and stay safe.

Trick or treat, not trick me for a treat

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Avril De Silva Staff Writer As quoted by Cady from Mean Girls, “Halloween is the one time of year where a person can be as provocatively dressed as they want and not be judged for it.” On Halloween, there is a mix of camouflage and magic.

In some cases, provocative costumes are illusions for an individual’s character.

For some individuals, Halloween is an excuse to have that one wild, sexual encounter. An easy target would be a lady dressed in an attention-seeking costume.

However, this should not be an excuse for males to force themselves on females.

From a bystander’s perspective, a female dressed in an attention-seeking costume is a flashing sign that reads, “I am available.” Costume, hair and makeup can instantly foretell a judgment in character. Looks are the first impressions of a per-

son before an individual speaks.

Ergo, it establishes the reality of the person and the kinds of attention someone wants drawn upon them.

Males on Halloween are not exactly preying on females. It is unfair to solely blame the entire male population for the ongoing rates of sexual assaults and rape incidents during Halloween.

CBC has provided us with an accurate definition of what date rape drugs are. Date rape drugs are some of the most commonly distributed drugs at big parties.

They are used to weaken the resistance of individuals, and most commonly used with intentions to exploit their body with apparent consent, without them having the slightest recollection of what happened afterwards. Halloween parties are prime locations where date rape drugs are being used actively. According to CBC, a 16-year-old girl in Quebec was found at a Halloween party naked, with traces of the date rape drug in her bloodstream. 60 per cent of sexual abuse or assault victims are under the age of 17

Consent is important and we should never take it for granted Anna Principato/ The Sputnik

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2 ,2016

THE SPUTNIK

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NEWS

SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

jack.org comes to Laurier Brantford

Kodey Hewlett and his team of students of jack.org strive to promote mental health awareness.

Rylee Wolfkamp Staff Writer New to Laurier Brantford this year is jack.org, a group of student leaders trying to break the stigma and promote awareness of mental health issues.

On Oct. 19 and 20, jack.org hosted an event in the Research and Academic Centre where students painted fun and inspirational quotes onto rocks.

These rocks were then placed through the path behind the

building where students were encouraged to take them home.

“Students can look out for lots of fun and exciting events throughout the year,” said Kodey Hewlett, Laurier Brantford’s jack.org campus coordinator.

“Our next upcoming event is a Stress Buster Fair that is running Nov. 23 through the 25 in the RCW lobby from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and sponsored by the Leadership Student Association (LSA). Each day at the fair we will have a multitude of different on-campus collaborations running different stress busters. Throughout the week the week the jack. org team will be running a special surprise stress

Avery Mcisaac Staff Writer On Oct. 23, Harmony Square hosted its second Pop-Up Store event. The event was organized

by Jennifer Middleton, with the goal of providing a retail storelike experience for people in need.

Anyone could come to the event, and no one asked any questions. Harmony Square was full of tables with volunteers handing out toiletries, shoes, fall and winter clothing and many more items. Different schools and businesses throughout Brantford have been holding clothing drives the past few months to contribute to the event.

One of these drives was organized by Stacey Cox Farrant, owner of SWEET Bakery. Far-

rant was the organizer of the event called Socktober.

“A community initiative with community partners, businesses, schools and organizations that were collecting new socks, hats, mittens, scarfs internally or acting as a drop off location. All of the donations are redistributed to other community organizations that are involved with people in need like the pop up store.”

Stacey spoke about the importance of the event saying, “The pop up store is the perfect distribution centre for those that do need some extra help.

The timing of the event worked out well because the weather got so cold the past couple of days.

It’s a great opportunity to get people started and taking care of themselves.”

Farrant said she brought around 1, 000 items to the Pop Up Store, and those were only the items dropped of at SWEET Bakery. The Brantford Police Department, Giant Tiger, Brant

buster that students will be pumped to see!”

According to jack.org, one in five Canadians will be affected by mental illness. Their mission is to end the stigma of mental health by running programs and initiatives directed towards teens and young adults. Statistics Canada also reported that in 2012, 10.1 per cent of Canadians aged 15 and older or 2.8 million people, “reported symptoms consistent with at least one of six mental or substance use disorders in the past 12 months.”

With 4.7 per cent meeting the criteria for depression, 2.6 per cent for generalised anxiety and 1.5 per cent for bipolar disorder.

Following the suicide of their son, who was a first-year student at Queens University, Eric Windeler and Sandra Hanington began The Jack Project, an online chat service and mobile application designed to allow young people in crisis or otherwise to reach help. This eventually led to the creation of jack.org.

The Canadian Mental Health Association notes that “suicide accounts for 24 per cent of all deaths among 15 to 24 year-olds and 16 per cent among 25 to 44 year-olds.” and that suicide is the leading cause of death from adolescence to middle age. The Canadian Mental Health association also state that “Canada’s

Kathleen Binder/ The Sputnik

youth suicide rate the third highest in the industrialised world.”

“Students interested in volunteering are encouraged to check out the jack.org website and apply to be a part of either the Talks program, the Chapter program or talk to me,” said Hewlett. “Students looking for more information pertaining to our chapter should like the Laurier Centre for Student Life & Engagement - Brantford Campus Facebook page and keep their eye out for regular updates on what our chapter is up to and what our other committees are doing.”

Harmony Square hosts Pop-Up Store Wellness and Physiotherapy, Closet Couture, Petit Gourmet and Serenity Candles also served as drop-off locations.

Farrant said that she was sure that between the rest of the locations there are thousands of items left to be donated, meaning they would hit their goal of 3,000 items.

Cheryl Antoski has volunteered at both Pop Up Store events and has seen the positive effects they have had on the community first-hand. She said, “I know at the first event we helped about 300 people, and I believe by the end of today we will have helped far more than that.”

“We are always looking for ways to mesh events like this with businesses and the community. Drives like Socktober really provide an easy way for people to make donations … This event has shown what a generous community we have … This event shows exactly what Brantford is willing to do in order to help our most

Pop-up store helps those in need. Christina Manocchio/ The Sputnik

vulnerable people,” said Antoski.

Midway through the event, Harmony Square was full of people of all ages taking advantage of the community’s donations. The event was very organized, as if it were an actual retail store. Each table had different types of donations, and they

were organized by size, gender, and classification. Participants appreciated the anonymity the event provided. Volunteers were friendly and helpful, and there was no judgement from anyone involved.

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THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

NEWS

ANYA ELAND | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Friends and neighbours presents lecture series

Shreya Shah News Editor On the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 19 Laurier Brantford hosted the first lecture of a series that focused on aboriginal history and the process and importance of reconciliation.

Specifically, the series focused on residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The series was opened by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the honorable Elizabeth Dowdeswell. As the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the Queen’s representative, Dowdeswell spoke about the importance of starting a dialogue on reconciliation, and addressing the significance of the Aboriginal community.

The lecture series is being organized and sponsored by Friends and Neighbours, which is a grassroots organization that works as an ally to the Woodland Cultural Centre and their Save the Evidence Campaign. The campaign is raising funds to help restore the historic Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School building, which suffered from major roof leaks in 2013. The project is aiming to raise $1 million in order to fix the roof and prevent any further damage.

Associate Professor at Lau-

rier and member of Friends and Neighbours, Dr. Robert Feagan explained how the lecture series came to be, “As we formed the Friends and Neighbours group, we had to really struggle with the question of, ‘what is our relationship with the Save the Evidence campaign?’ And as their allies, an important learning piece was to find out what we could do to meet the needs of the native people in the community. We wanted to draw in other allies in some way, but we did not want to impose anything and we really wanted to understand the colonization issue and concern.”

Ava Hill, elected Chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River, was also present at the event.

“When we first announced the Save the Evidence campaign, the elected council contributed $220 thousand and I put a challenge out there for people to match it and the first one to step up was City Council of Brantford. Friends and Neighbours got involved with fundraising and now they’re doing the lecture series which is helping to bring more education and awareness to the people in the city of Brantford,” she said.

The keynote speaker for the night was Nathan Tidridge. An alumni of Wilfrid Laurier University, Tidridge is a high school history teacher in Waterdown, Ontario. He is also the author of four books, including, Beyond Mainland, Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy, and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.

Nathan Tidridge is an Advocate for the Aboriginal community.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Tindridge /The Sputnik

Tidridge became involved as an advocate for the Aboriginal community when he visited the Mohawk Institute on a class trip.

His lecture focused on the historic and personal relationships between the Crown in Canada and the indigenous peoples.

While acknowledging the violent history between indigenous people and the sovereign, Tidridge also pointed out that the original relationship between the two was of trust and partnership.

“I was told that indigenous and non-indigenous people got along a lot longer than they didn’t. So, the original relationships were partnerships of two

very radically different people with different concepts time and language, and everything. And treaties need to be seen as relationships. And love has to underscore the treaties,” he said.

The lecture series will continue until next spring.

The next speaker will be Bob Rae, the former premiere of Ontario, who will be speaking on Nov. 16, 2016. Currently, Mr. Rae is working with First Nations as legal counsel, advisory, and negotiator. He will also teach at the University of Toronto and is a partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend, one of Canada’s prominent indigenous law firms.

Justice Gethin Edward will be

the guest on Jan. 25, 2017. He was named to the Ontario Court of Justice in Brantford in 1996 and he also led the creation of the first Indigenous Persons Court in the province.

In Feb., Amos Key Jr. will be the guest speaker. He is the First Nations Language Director of the Woodland Cultural Centre.

Laurier’s part-time staff without contract Christina Manocchio Editor-in-Chief Since Aug. 31 2016 part-time staff at Laurier have been working without a contract. Currently the union, Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA), is negotiating with the school to set out a new contact for the part time employees.

The employees of labour unions have contracts which list the terms and conditions they work under. Within the time frame of their contracts, the union and the employer work together to create a new contract. In the case of Laurier part-time workers, they are still negotiating their terms and conditions with the university.

“We been in in negotiations with the university since June,

the contacts ended in August.

Were at the point in negotiations where the negotiating team is asking the contacts faculty members of that bargaining unit to show their support,” said Kimberly Ellis-Hale, who is a Contact Academic Staff (CAS) and is a part of the WLUFA Executive Committee.

A mandate vote sends the employer a message stating that they stand behind their bargaining committee and they are willing to strike if necessary.

“So it is a strike mandate vote.

That does not mean were going on strike tomorrow at all,” said Ellis-Hale. “What it does is it tells the negotiating team that if it is a positive strike mandate vote that the membership is behind them and is pushing for what we are asking for. It lets administration know we are serious.”

The full-time faculty at Laurier contacts are renewed until 2017. Laurier employs about 550 full time members and 550 CAS.

In 2012 CAS teaches 52 per cent of students through lectures or running tutorials, making them the majority of educators at Laurier. CAS staff is pained on a stipend basis, meaning they get paid a lump sum of money per course. At Laurier the CAS gets paid $7,500 per term course.

“The three things that are being asked for at the table right now are improvements to compensation, improvements to job security … and some kind of access to benefits,” said Michelle Kramer who is WLUFA’s president.

With labour unions, lengthy negotiation terms are not uncommon. Crown Metal Packaging LP in Ont. labour union strike lasted 22-months.

The next step in the contract negotiation is to bring in a mediator. The mediator is a natural party to negotiate for both sides to come to an agreement. If an agreement isn’t reached a strike could arise. For students, this

means that the classes that are taught by full-time faculty will be the only taught. But a strike is the most extreme circumstances.

“All universities in Ont. use some form of contract agent, it’s a structural issue really,” explained Kevin Crowley is Laurier’s Communication and Public Affairs.

The number of incoming students changes every year, meaning the expected number of teaching staff needed is unknown.

Laurier wants to see change in more who is teaching the courses meaning more graduate students teaching courses.

Crowley explained under the current CAS agreement, graduate students can only teach 44 courses while contract staff have 1,500 courses they can apply to teach.

“Teaching is important part of a graduate student’s experience,” said Crowley.

They believe that graduate students teaching will allow for a better education experience for them.

Strikes are not unheard of in universities. In March 2015, York University in Toronto contract faculty went on strike for almost the entire month. Laurier is trying to avoid a strike as much as possible for the sake of students and is trying to come up with a new contract for the part-time faculty soon.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

THE SPUTNIK

5

NEWS Planning the change of Market Square SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Ben Cooke Video Editor On Oct. 19, the Market Square Project Committee held a town hall meeting for students to voice their opinion on the future of the Brantford Campus Library.

Over 20 students attended the first of seven meetings to address their concerns and ideas regarding the new library, the centrepiece for a newly-renovated 250,000 square foot Market Square.

Brian Barron, partner at Education Consulting Services (ECS), explains that Laurier needs a facility to support the growing number of students attending Laurier Brantford.

“Market Square gives the university the ability to use that growth. This place needs a big idea. The library can be a part of that.”

Barron and his partners are a part of a working committee of consultants that collect and present recommendations to the school. “Our job is to set a

frame for the first iteration,” says Barron. “What modern university libraries become is set by the students. They bring that perspective.”

Laurier, which bought the square more than two years ago for $5.8 million dollars, hired ECS and Toronto-based architectural firm Moriyama & Teshima to run the meeting.

Shahid Mahmood, senior urban planner from Moriyama & Teshima Architects, explains the process of the meetings. “We’re here to see the place from your perspective. We can take that vision and see what’s feasible.”

Of the many suggestions given by students, there were a reoccurring ones. Having a student friendly atmosphere, 24hour access during exams and a designated quiet study space sat at the top of most of the students’ agenda.

“When I went to school, the library was a different place than what it is now,” says Mahmood.

During the meetings, the 7-floor Ryerson Student Learn-

Mental health tips for midterms

Anya Enland Asisstant News Editor Midterm season can be a stressful time for students. Students have to juggle studying for midterms along with everything else going on in their lives. Laurier Brantford, as well as the city of Brantford, provides students with resources to help them take care of themselves.

The Wellness Centre The Wellness centre offers counselling to students. Students can seek help for issues with anything regarding their mental health or any personal problems they are experiencing.

Location: Second floor of the Student Centre (103 Darling St.) Food Bank If students do not have any time to go grocery shopping, Laurier Brantford’s food bank will help provide them with nutritious food. Making sure to eat healthily is essential to a student’s well-being. The request form can be accessed at http:// yourstudentsunion.ca/brantford-food-bank/ Writing Centre for Student Success Having trouble with studying techniques? Need help with

an assignment? Individual consultations with peer mentors are available to help with any writing or study skills. They are here to help you excel in your academics. Location: 45 Market Street.

St. Leonard’s Community Services St. Leonard’s offers programs and counselling services.

Students can call their mental health crisis line, which is open 24 hours. They also offer Mental Health Crisis Risk assessments (OHIP card needed).

Location: 225 Fairview Drive.

Drop in or telephone 519-7540253 crisis phone line: 519-7597188 or 1-866-811-7188 https:// www.st-leonards.com/ A few extra tips: Make sure to take breaks when studying. If you study too hard for a long period of time you can burn out.

Eat a healthy snack to feed your brain.

Try not to cram everything in the night before.

Always talk to someone if you need help.

Sleep. Make sure to get a good night’s rest after all that studying.

Approximately six to eight hours helps your brain’s function.

ing Centre was shown as a basis for what Market Square could be. The Square is planned to be a modern space for commercial and educational services.

Anthony Massi, is the Director of Brantford Operations and Laurier Brantford Alumni, was among the many who voiced ideas. “A soft seating element in the library where students could gather in groups or individually to work.”

Students agreed that there should be a place on campus for them to call their own. Market Square surely has the potential to be that place, although it might not be fully for students.

Michel De Jocas, a partner at ECS, addressed the students’ concern. “Laurier doesn’t want to become downtown Brantford. Laurier wants to be in downtown Brantford”.

Jocas and his team will attempt to find a balance between students and locals using Market Square. “There needs to be integration between Laurier access and public access,” says Jocas.

What the Market Square is currently. Alex Vialette /The Sputnik

Students will have several more opportunities to voice their ideas and concerns in the upcoming weeks. The second meeting held on Nov. 3 in Market Square Suite 301, will focus on campus experience, campus life, athletics and recreation.

It is highly suggested that students attend to help shape what Market Square could be for the future well-being of Laurier Brantford.

Is downward dog the key to mental health?

Hyrra Chughtai Staff Writer On Wednesday, Oct. 26, the Mental Health Education Group (MHEG) held its second annual Moksha Yoga event to help express the positive effects of yoga on mental health.

The Mental Health Education Group wanted to raise awareness of the stigma around mental health issues.

“MHEG is a student-run group through the Centre for Student Life and Engagement which focuses on educating the Laurier Brantford community about mental health, stigma, resources and mental illnesses,” explained Emilie Dudman, who is the coordinator of MHEG. There were high hopes for the event to be well-received.

“The event was successful last year and has continued to be successful this year. Yoga is a favoured activity by the student body which makes this event so successful with high attendance.

Students are always smiling and enjoying themselves throughout this engaging and relaxing event” said Dudman.

Moksha Yoga, located at 53 Dalhousie St., is co-owned by Markus Schneider, who decided that being bringing awareness to mental health issues through

Laurier student meditates their troubles away. Laura Gorza The Sputnik

yoga would be perfect.

“Education and awareness about mental health is a really important part of our culture because it’s so prevalent in everything we experience. There are so many individuals in our lives that are dealing with addictions and mental health issues and I think we need support for individuals dealing with that … bringing light to it allows us to make it normal…” said Schneider.

Schneider led the yoga class both last year and this year and looks at yoga as a gateway to help people through their troubled times.

“Yoga is a combination of

deep breathing and meditation.

Learning to breathe slowly and deeply can help calm the mind, body and soul. By attending our event, students are able to take an hour or two out of their day to relax and settle their mind.

Taking breaks is essential in order to retain information for studying, so a mental break is a must” said Dudman.

The event ran through to 9 p.m. with Schneider going through breathing exercises and different movements. Each step was done patiently to allow each individual to get the sense of relaxation and feel completely stress-free.

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THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

FEATURES

DELLESIA NOAH | FEATURES@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

The trauma behind trigger warnings

Dellesia Noah Features Editor Triggered. This word has been circulating the internet over the last couple of months, in different environments and in different contexts. No one can forget the meme of the women with the red hair who was triggered by the word “men” that she found within the Mentos packaging.

Another example would be the trigger warnings before explicit videos on the internet.

Another piece circulating the internet right now is by The Atlantic that implies that trigger warnings may be coddling the mind and doesn’t directly address how the victim can deal with their issues.

In the age of being politically correct, who’s narrative do we align ourselves with or validate?

Is the word triggered appropriate in all contexts all the time?

Is there a time to use the word or not use the word? Do trigger warnings really do coddle the individual or is about creating the safest space one can provide?

Renee Wallace-Konu, a psychotherapist at Bridging the Gap Counselling Services defined triggered in her own words -- and in the context of psychotherapy -- as “anything perceived

or experienced through the five senses and has a significant impact on the mind. It is a direct effect of a traumatic experience, a symptom of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”

“The mind is most often experiencing it [the trauma] in a now situation, even though it already previously happened,” Wallace-Konu said. “The mind is still playing it in the present.”

Wallace-Konu went on to explain that the mind is constantly living within that trauma.

Wallace-Konu explained that PTSD can stem from any sort of experience that an individual perceives as traumatic.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of patients … with people who have been in car accidents. It seems to be one of the most common ones and which is something that wasn’t carefully considered in the past,” Wallace-Konu said.

“They’re living in their accident all over again.” Wallace-Konu all explained that other most common experiences are instances of various types of abuse.

Wallace-Konu acknowledged that the word triggered can be tossed around in day-to-day dialogue, in different contexts. “As both a teacher and a psychotherapist, interestingly enough, in literature, they use the word triggered,” Wallace-Konu said. “For example, when they’re doing a plot graph, they mention the word trigger incident and that’s when the plot gets to the top of the graph and comes down to

When they refuse to acknowledge your triggers as valid. Laura Gorza/ The Sputnik

the denouement.”

Wallace-Konu explained that in the context of psychology both contexts are similar, “the trigger sets the action off.”

For those that think that trigger warnings are just for the overly sensitive Wallace-Konu warns that these invalidations can bring harm to those suffering. “When it comes to PTSD, it’s still not fully understood

or acknowledged. It’s basically like saying get over it,” WallaceKonu said.

Wallace-Konu had a friend that she used to treat that way, who had been traumatized by a couple of car accidents that she had experienced, “I had to apologize to her, getting into this job made me realize the full impact of what she had gone through.”

Wallace-Konu accredited

cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), when used effectively, can be a useful method of treatment for those suffering with PTSD.

Unearthing a new alternative for depression Cooper Rowe Staff Writer In a world filled with so many problems, there is always a pill for this or that. In the medical world, medications are constantly being improved to reduce side effects or to take the drug in an entirely different direction. But what happens when the pills and the patches and the injections just don’t work? New studies have started exploring the cure for depression in the hidden realm of psychedelic drugs, and the winner so far is the “Magic Mushroom”.

Currently, Psilocybin mushrooms also known as “shrooms” and “magic mushrooms,” are a class A drug. This classification means that any person caught selling or growing mushrooms containing psilocybin is eligible for seven to fourteen years in prison and an unlimited fine depending on the amount of mushrooms within possession.

In order for the experimenta-

tions to align with government regulations, the tests are run in a controlled environment, in a dark room with trained professional counsellors and therapists to guide the patient through the height of the hallucinatory effect that the mushrooms have.

With an overwhelming number of cases of depression sweeping the nation, this silent killer has led scientists to look elsewhere for their answers.

“Thinking outside the box is crucial and we need to be thinking about novel compounds to treat depression,” said Dr. Philip Muskin, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. Muskin and his team of scientists at Columbia University are one of the few groups studying the effects in North America.

The chemical reaction of psilocybin and psilocin created a supposed life-altering state where the peak of hallucinations can last for three to six hours.

Many users have described the

psychedelic trip as a way of getting closer with nature, detachment from the body and synesthesia which is the melding of the senses (feeling colours, seeing music).

People that suffer from depression long term have been shown to have a smaller hippocampus, the part of the brain which controls the long and short term memory, according to a study published in Molecular Psychiatry by L. Schmall, DJ. Veltman…. (2016). The term “psychedelic” is derived from the Greek word “psyche” which means “Mind revealing”. When a person suffering from depression is introduced to a drug that is mind revealing, “psychedelics like psilocybin offer are a way to reveal things that may be difficult to see that might be contributing to depression — things that have happened in the past, relationships and other issues we tend to put in the back of our minds and avoid but can

compound depression,” according to Robin Carhart-Harris, a research fellow at the center for neuro-psycho-pharmacology at Imperial College of London.

The average person tries three to four anti-depressant drugs before they find the right one, and even then, there is a possibility that their body will become used to the drug, and the effect will wear off. And even when one person finds the right prescription, there are often side effects that are undesirable such as weight fluctuation, nausea, insomnia and fatigue. Using Psilocybin mushrooms is a desirable alternative because the healing process can happen much faster, with one big dose instead of multiple pills every day. The mushrooms can also be grown in almost any soil, with little light and water, making it a green alternative as well.

Contrary to popular drugs such Zoloft, Prozac, Lexa Pro and many more, Psilocybin

mushrooms have shown little chance of addiction, and the only significant long term affect with habitual use was psychosis (a disconnect from reality) according Health Canada.

In a world that is advancing at such a fast rate and with all the medical knowledge that we have, who would have thought that a cure for one of the deadliest mental illnesses could be as simple as a mushroom?

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

THE SPUTNIK

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FEATURES

BRITTANY BENNETT | FEATURES@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Hypermasculinity: Time Capsule: The evolution of Why should you care? Brantwood Community Centre

Jelena Vulić Staff Writer The first thing you should ask yourself is what you think hypermasculinity really is. In many cases, this is the first time that some of you have even heard of the term. First year Laurier student Criko Alatraca is one of these examples, and in fact, had a hard time figuring out how it affected him once the term was explained to him.

“I guess being a dancer: in choreography, there are some moves that are more feminine,” Alatraca stated. “I feel excluded because I am more expected to do more masculine choreography.”

Media is at an influential high and is the reason for the seemingly set-in-stone criteria for all things masculine. From television to advertisements, the media is driving people towards a certain mentality. It’s all about the biggest, buffest guys Hollywood can get their hands on for an ad or a movie. Or maybe it’s about the hero saving the day, but only through sheer strength and courage can they manage it.

The fact of the matter is that the lack of attention to this term is harmful, if not arguably dangerous to people of all genders.

Not only is there only a minimal awareness of the subject, but the amount of research behind it is pint-sized at best. One of the first studies ever conducted on hypermasculinity was conducted in 1984 by psychologists Donald L. Mosher and Mark Sirkin, who identified three major components to hypermasculinity: having calloused sex attitudes toward women, viewing violence as manly and viewing danger as exciting This however is just a small part of what hypermasculinity is all about. Mosher and Sirkin only had the male-gendered populous in mind. It is imperative to recognize that hypermasculinity is a part of a social construct of all things masculine. In a time where we’re approaching the age of a “global village”, it’s the most potent it ever has been.

Why can’t a man be lanky or pudgy and be considered a desirable man? Why can’t the lady defend her knight in armour for once? Why is it that the more masculine genders are expected to be taller and stronger than the feminine ones? And what is

up with these gendered ideas behind being a caregiver, a leader, a warrior, or an artist?

It’s easy to scream and shout that this is the twenty-first century and everyone should do whatever the hell they want to do. The strongest argument against hypermasculinity, other than the psychological damage it can cause, is that this construct is completely irrational and, with what we consider now to be civil, ancient and barbaric.

A solution needs to surface: a social revolution against these masculinity “rules”. We need more research on the matter, of how it affects not only heterosexual men, but men, women, and gender-neutrals of all ages and sexualities. Hypermasculinity is a barrier to one’s personal growth and development. It limits us to what we can and cannot do, or rather what we should and shouldn’t. It’s a wall against our freedom of expression and the desire to explore ourselves and others, free of the fear of judgement.

This is a message to all of the masculine readers. Challenge what it means to be “manly”.

Dance your heart out to that early 2000’s pop song. Scream at the top of your lungs after that jump scare. Treat yourself and go to a spa. Don’t be afraid to order a fruity cocktail. Buy that hot pink shirt if you think you look hella fine in it. Don’t hold back your tears if you’re watching The Notebook with your significant other - because it’s okay to be emotional. The solution starts with you. As soon as the world sees that you don’t care about what it has to say about what makes you manly, others will follow and break down the stereotypes that restrict them as well.

Christina Manocchio Editor-in-Chief Diseases have swept across the earth since the beginning of time. The tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in the 19th century led to the creation of many sanatoriums in cities around the world, including Brantford.

Brant Sanatorium was opened in 1913 on Strawberry Hill, the highest point in Brantford, but is now located at 25 Bell Ln. At the time, the location provided ample sunshine and fresh air, which were beneficial to the treatment of TB. Many of the sanatoriums were located in rural areas, but there was a need to deal with the disease locally. Six acres of land was donated by Edmund Cockshutt, and other funding was donated by Shriners to build the children’s pavilion in 1923.

With the advancement of medicine, Brant Sanatorium became a residential care centre for children with developmental and physical challenges in 1964.

By 1999, all the residents had

moved out of the building for the first time in the history of the facility. It was transformed into a recreational therapy centre for individuals with developmental disabilities, and is now known as Brantwood Community Services.

“We were not the institution we once were,” said Jo-Anne Link, Executive Director of Brantwood Community Services.

Brantwood sold off portions of the land to support their new facility and services in 1999, and reopened in 2000. Brantwood now provides support for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. Some of the services they offer are a hydrotherapy pool, multisensory room, custom wheelchairs and residential services. Both Twin Lakes Clinical Services and the Lansdowne Centre operate programming out of the facility.

Brantwood owns 13 homes where an individual can choose to live in a residence full time.

Support is offered 24 hours, seven days a week to help with care.

By living in residential services, individuals gain skills for the real world while still receiving support from Brantwood. The main

focus of Brantwood is to create a good life through relationships, spirituality, and community.

Specialization is emphasized at Brantwood. Complex disabilities vary, but they provide a service and sport for every disability they can.

“If you look at the province of Ontario and you look everyone in the province who has a developmental disability, for 4 per cent of that population it’s really complex, it’s not a regular developmental disability,” said Link. “We look after that specialized population as well as people who just want to purchase services from us because they like us.”

Many who have attended Brantwood throughout the years have grown up with them.

Many individuals who attend services and programming here come back time and time again.

Link believes it’s because of the quality services they provide.

The original Brant Sanitorium. Photo courtesy of Brant Historical Society

Brantwood Community Centre doesn’t has evolved from the sanitorium. Christina Manocchio/ The Sputnik

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THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

ARTS & CULTURE MATTHEW BURLEY | ARTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Feeling blue?

Go green

Bored? Burnt out? Go outside and feel the benefits Mother Nature has to offer. Alex Vialette/ The Sputnik

Alex Vialette Staff Writer Skip the beer, skip the pills; if you’re feeling stressed, get outside.

While “take a walk, bro” might sound kind of cheesy, it is solid advice. Fresh air has an almost therapeutic effect on humans.

In fact, it has been studied and tested quite a few times over the past few decades. Humans have an innate connection to nature,

and while city life and life in general may overwhelm us, going back to our evolutionary roots helps us re-centre. This is called ecotherapy.

Ecotherapy is a pretty broad term, equally so to therapy in general. It’s also known as green exercise, green care, green therapy, and horticultural therapy.

There are tons of different forms of treatment, but they all follow the general guideline of immersing yourself and strengthening your connection to the natural world. Treatment methods vary in intensity, with examples such as tending to a garden, walking a nature trail, or wandering into a

forest and exploring the wilderness.

“It is clear [ecosystems] also provide a health service arising from direct activities in contact with nature,” Jo Barton and Jules Pretty wrote in their study on green exercise. “Recognition of the potential contribution of natural ecosystems to human population health may contribute to addressing problems associated with inactivity, obesity, mental ill-health, and other chronic diseases. Many of these urgent health challenges are also connected to sedentary and indoor lifestyles.”

Mind.org.uk, a site devoted

to mental health, has a detailed explanation of ecotherapy and what benefits it has. According to the website, ecotherapy is more or less an all-around fix to whatever might be ailing someone mentally. Getting that exposure to nature can reduce depression, anger, feelings of anxiety and stress, improve your mood and self-esteem, and increase emotional resilience. On top of that, getting out there gets people active. Going for a hike, walk, or bike ride are all great ways to boost energy levels and overall fitness.

While students may not have the opportunity to go out and

work on a farm like Mind may suggest (there is one in Mono, however), Brantford has tons of opportunities to get that fresh air our genes crave. Just by the riverfront, tucked behind the skate park and casino, there is a trail that stretches from the northwestern corner of the city limits of Brantford to the southeastern boundary. In addition, there’s a conservation area across the river that is roughly an 11 minute drive from the Research and Academic Centre on Dalhousie Street. Take a break from the hectic schedule and get some fresh air.

Villains or victims? Mental health in video games Stephan Rielly Staff Writer According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), mental illness is something that affects one of every five Canadians. It’s so common that every Canadian knows, either directly or indirectly, someone struggling with mental illness.

With that knowledge, it’s some wonder that in our popular culture mental illness is misrepresented. From books to movies to video games, every popular medium perpetuates some misinformed and often harmful misrepresentations of mental illness that have created a stigma around the subject. But it’s become so commonplace that we often have trouble identifying it and being critical. We as a society need to start to break down the harmful misunderstandings around mental illness and get the conversation back onto how we can help each other.

One of the most common and

arguably most damaging misrepresentations is the “crazy villain.” The Dark Knight’s Joker, Hannibal Lecter, and pretty much every single character in the hit Borderlands video game series are all examples of the “crazy villain” trope. Writers like to use “unhinged” or “crazy” villains as a crutch for explaining unmitigated aggressive or immoral behaviour. But in actuality, according to the CMHA, “People with mental health issues are not more violent than any other group in our society.”

Why is our popular culture so insistent on making you believe mental illness causes extreme violence? There are many reasons from lazy writing to personal bias or just plain misinformation. But the real victims of this stigma are those with mental illness. In Canada, one in four adults who suffer from a mental illness will be the victim of at least one act of violence per year.

That’s dozens of acts of violence committed against that person

in their lifetime. The CMHA states that, “the real issue is the fact that people with mental illness are two and a half to four times more likely to be the victims of violence than any other group in our society.” These acts of violence are in no small part due to the gross misunderstanding of mental illness in our culture, perpetuated by some of our favourite video games.

Video games are often the worst examples of stigmatizing mental illness. Just take a look at the critically acclaimed horror game Outlast. This game takes place at Mount Massive Asylum which is a defunct mental health hospital now overrun with “deranged” and “crazy” inmates. The creators of Outlast, Red Barrel Studios, wanted the setting to be terrifying and the enemies to scare the player. The enemies are all mental health patients suffering from mental illnesses. But Outlast turns them into vile monsters to be feared and encourages the player to

run and hide from them. When the player is caught the inmates brutally murder and torture the player in utterly revolting ways.

We’ve already established that people with mental health issues aren’t dangerous; they’re often the victims of the violence. But Outlast throws all the science out the window and creates completely unrealistic enemies to elicit fear. Fear of their imaginary, unpredictable, mentally ill monsters.

Another game to exploit mental illness to explain irrational and aggressive behaviour is the Borderlands series. The enemies in this world are “psychos” which in and of itself is a harmful, stigmatized word.

But these enemies are often depicted as suicidal. The covers of each game show one of these psychos holding a finger gun to their heads and a spray coming out the other side. This trivialises the very real issues of suicide among those struggling with mental health and almost sen-

sationalises it. The player is encouraged to shoot these psychos in large numbers, seemingly helping them end their lives. It’s a gross and horrid example of what video games get away with when they go unchallenged.

Ultimately it is up to us as consumers of popular culture and just decent human beings to be critical of what we’re consuming.

The only reason that the stigma persists is that we make it profitable for creators (Borderlands is a million dollar franchise). So the next time you play a game that you know is not helpful to the conversation around mental illness stop and consider what you’re supporting and if you’re okay allowing a victimised group to continue to be victimised on our screens as well as in their day to day lives.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

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ARTS & CULTURE MATTHEW BURLEY| ARTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Clerks: Moksha Yoga

Brantford’s downtown is home to a wide variety of shops and small businesses. These businesses define Brantford, but what defines the businesses? This is the inspiration behind “Clerks”; getting to know those who know us so well. From our shoe size to our favourite item on the menu, these business owners make us feel more like family than customers. With that being said, let us shine the spotlight on Emily Dwornikiewicz, Wendy Dwornikiewicz and Markus Schneider, owners of Moksha Yoga Brantford.

Matthew Burley A & C Editor For those who don’t know, what is Moksha Yoga and what are you all about?

Markus: We’re a hot yoga studio in downtown Brantford and we teach hatha yoga, which is based on yoga therapy principles. We also teach vinyasa, which is another way of saying flow, and we’re a community that really puts emphasis on mindfulness, so becoming aware of yourself, your body and the world around you, so you can make the world a better place.

Moksha recently celebrated its one year anniversary, how does it feel to have made it to that milestone? Did you expect to make it this far?

Emily: Well we had definitely hoped to make it to one year.

We hope to get to ten or 20 years. But it was definitely cool.

I think the coolest thing was getting to see the community that’s cultivated here over the last 365 days. Even the community in the first few months is so much bigger than we had anticipated. Like last year at Christmas we supported a local family. We had hoped to get a few presents in, and we were blown away; the whole lobby was filled with gifts. We had another local business come on board with it, and that was only after being open for like two months.

Markus: There’s an initiative that we’re doing again this year and we’re to provide gifts for 30 families.

Practices such as tai chi and qigong are considered by many as martial arts. Would you consider yoga a martial art or something more along the lines of a lifestyle?

Emily: In the form of it being a meditative movement, anything can be meditative: walking, doing your hair. You can tie it into anything. I think a lot of people with tai chi find it very relaxing and meditative for the body.

So in a way of yoga like that I would say absolutely. But as far as similar movements or the end goal, yoga is very different.

There are people who arrive on their mats for meditative pur-

poses. Usually the main draw in is injury or the physical practice. And what stems from that is the benefit for the mind and the benefits you carry off of the mat. Like when you’re stuck in traffic driving to Hamilton; you can breathe. And you’re not getting anxious from the hundreds of other people doing the same thing as you. But you take your yoga off the mat and you deal with it. Life becomes easy and more enjoyable.

Wendy: Sometimes it’s just teaching people the tool of breathing. I know we all think, “Oh, I can breathe. I breathe to be alive.” But a lot of times we don’t and when we do get into those tight situations whether it be traffic or an argument with somebody, that’s when we begin to tighten up and not breathe.

We tend to bring that out into the classes.

What would you consider the correct way to breathe?

Markus: What a lot of people don’t understand about breathing is that it is directly linked to your nervous system, so when you’re not intentionally breathing with purpose, you’re taking short, shallow breaths. If you want to get scientific about it, you’re taking about a litre and a half of oxygen into your body.

When you’re intentional about breathing, you increase this by about two and a half times, so about four litres of oxygen coming into your body, which really calms your nervous system. It oxygenates a lot more blood into your body which allows your organs to function better. It allows you to think more clearly, it allows you to calm your nervous system, so you’re not in that “fight or flight” response, you’re more in that “rest and digest” response. So everyone knows how to breathe. But we’re not necessarily teaching people how to breathe, we’re teaching them how to breathe in a way that benefits their body: by taking deeper breaths in and deeper breaths out.

How does yoga affect someone’s mental health?

Markus: You have to be careful, because an individual dealing with mental health is going to respond differently, but as a whole, in the general setting, calming your nervous system allows you to experience a lot more relief when dealing with mental health. Mental health affects the body, but the body

Moksha’s Emily Dwornikiewicz hopes the studio will a part of Brantford for many years. Anna Principato/ The Sputnik

also affects mental health. So if you’re taking care of your organs, you’re taking care of the body the way that it works and you start to feel better in a physical manifestation. Your mental capacity to experience life more enjoyably increases. And in the opposite way because your nervous system is being calmed and relaxed while you’re practicing yoga, you don’t spend so much time ruminating about repeat thoughts. You’re thinking about fresh thoughts and thinking more clearly and that relieves a lot of tension that builds up from somebody who’s struggling with mental health.

How has yoga affected your own mental health?

Markus: It has affected me in a severe way because I deal with depression and anxiety. It’s been an amazing coping mechanism for me to be able to address that I’m experiencing this.

Emily: For me, I can feel when I’ve gone too long without stepping on my yoga mat, I feel anxious and unsettled, and I find that as far as work productivity.

When I get practice in and go to

work on my tax list or my emails, it’s so much more seamless than if I’m just trying to rush around and do things without my practice. So mentally, my body feels calmer.

Wendy: For myself, I was a person with lots of busy thoughts and I’d be busy thinking about stuff. Through yoga I learned that’s okay, but it’s so much better if you can just calm down your mind and just focus on right now.

The Huffington Post published an article about how meditation doesn’t work, with one of their main arguments being that you “can’t meditate the past away.” How do you feel about that?

Emily: I was listening to a podcast about a girl who was abducted in Syria. She had crazy PTSD, and one of her coping mechanisms was meditation.

She knew everyday that those thoughts would happen, but through meditation she was able to pull forward from it.

We’re all in agreeance with the Huffington Post, you can’t meditate away the past. Nothing can

erase the past but just moving forward from it and being aware of it. I think it’s a great tool for coping with being ok with the present and being optimistic about the future.

Markus: I don’t think there’s ever been a meditation teacher that has tried to meditate away the past. There’s a big difference between trying to get rid of something and allowing something to exist. Meditation is the practice of allowing things to be as they are, so you can be empowered in that moment to live in the future without being impacted, whether knowingly or unknowingly by the past.

It’s a huge difference. When you talk about meditating away the past, that’s not an initiative that anyone’s trying to do in this practice. Allowing that past to exist there and recognize that the past doesn’t define whom your are in this moment allows you to live a completely different life, which negates the past.

The Huffington Post has also written very powerful articles supporting meditation so I was surprised to hear that.

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THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

SPORTS

DEVON MOMY-GAMACHE | SPORTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Dodgeball forgets to dodge the ball

The extramural team grew to nine players this season, up from seven last year. Emily Marra/ The Sputnik

Devon Momy-Gamache Sports Editor Laurier Brantford’s extramural dodgeball team played in their first tournament of their season and struggled finishing the tournament without a win.

After losing their three round robin matches by a combined score of 12-4 Laurier was set to face Humber-Lakeshore in the semi-finals. Laurier was swept 5-0 to be eliminated from their

home tournament.

Co-captain Matthew Pollak thanked the crowd for the support, “It’s nice to have the support as the home team, didn’t feel like we were playing at home last year because we didn’t have anyone, this year we did.”

Although they didn’t win the game against Humber-Lakeshore, Laurier kept fighting until the end. Fourth year Adam Paesano appeared to tie the first game in the final seconds. After getting someone out to leave two players on each team he was quickly hit as time expired to give Humber-Lakeshore the early lead.

Down 2-0 heading into the third game the Golden hawks appeared to be in trouble down to three players to the six remaining for their opponents.

After a fury of hits for Laurier it was down to two each when fourth year Matty Coomber tried to jump to dodge a ball that ended up just clipping his feet. Co-captain and fifth year Megan Elmhirst made it to the end of the game but HumberLakeshore won the game with two players left.

The last two games the Golden Hawks ran out of energy with a quick game ended with Humber-Lakeshore only losing

one of their six players. In the final game the final chance for Laurier was Elmhirst again, this time against five players. Elmhirst was eventually hit ending the tournament for the Golden Hawks.

The Golden Hawks were looking strong in their final round robin game against HumberNorth in which they appeared to be building some momentum.

Against Humber-North Laurier fell behind after the first game before tying it with a dominant win in which they only lost one player. Second year Adam Rizzardo got three hits in one game to help Laurier take the lead.

Two straight losses gave Humber-North a 3-2 win leaving Laurier winless after a strong effort.

This was the final tournament for Elmhirst who reflected on her experience, “The team kind of becomes your family and you become really close. I got to become friends with people I wouldn’t have without the team. Also, got to know people from other schools because dodgeball is a little community.”

Humber-Lakeshore won the final in a close match beating Humber-North 5-4 to end the tournament.

Cross country team finishes season strong Scott Maxwell Staff Writer Mahayla Markell had another great performance at the OCAA Cross Country Champions, as the Golden Hawks were solid throughout.

Markell was excellent on Saturday, Oct. 29, as she finished the women’s race in 23rd, with a running time of 24:09, in the cross country team’s last race of the season.

This came after a 19th place finish just two weeks ago, both coming at King City’s Seneca College.

Markell wasn’t the only runner for Laurier Brantford that

finished well, as she was one of four women participating in the event.

Coming in at almost a minute behind Markell, Jessa Braun finished in 36th place, taking only 25:10 to complete the race. Like Markell, it was a bit of a drop off from her last race, which saw her place 23rd.

It didn’t take long for another Laurier student to cross the finish line, as Sarah Maier finished in 42nd with a 25:41 running time. Nakita Dostie concluded the race for Laurier, finishing 86th and completing the race in 29:46.

Simon Crowley led the way for the Golden Hawks men’s team, as he placed in 53rd in just 32:25. Crowley, who missed the first race at Seneca, saw an improvement from his 67th place finish in his last race.

Laurier Brantford finished their first varsity season at the OCAA cross country championships.

Photo courtesy of Megan Jacklin

Craig Van Manen finished shortly after, completing the race in 33:26, good for 64th place. Manen led the way for Laurier in the last race, as he had finished that race in 73rd.

Michael Butler and Curtis Madden seem to enjoy each

other’s company a lot, as for the second time this year, they crossed the finish line together.

They gave the edge to Butler, as he finished in 93rd, while Madden finished in 94th, but they both completed the race in 36:01.

It was a slight drop in the standings for both racers, as Butler finished the Oct. 15th race in 87th, while Madden placed in 90th.

The entire team could potentially return as none of them are seniors.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

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SPORTS

DEVON MOMY-GAMACHE| SPORTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Homecoming crowd gets loud for Golden Hawks comeback

Neil Aird drove hard to the night trying to score his second goal of the season.

Devon Momy-Gamache Sports Editor Laurier’s constant pressure eventually lead to a few goals as they won in overtime over Waterloo after trailing 2-0.

A goal from senior Derek Schoenmakers off a pass from freshman Danny Hanlon gave Laurier the win two minutes into overtime. The shot was the 41st of the game for the Golden Hawks who were the more aggressive team through-

out the game.

Schoenmakers said on the atmosphere for the game, “All the guys look forward to it a lot, one of the game’s we mark down on our calendar, always a good crowd here. Everyone was awesome tonight it was really loud, it was fantastic and we all really enjoyed it.”

After a scoreless first Waterloo scored two goals in the second period to take the lead.

After only getting four shots in the first period Waterloo found themselves on the power-play after freshman Brandon Robinson was called for tripping.

A nice cross ice pass from Mike Moffat allowed Stephen Silas

Chris Festarini’s is first homecoming start of his career. Both photos by Mitch Emmanuel-Kalu/ The Sputnik

to score an easy goal.

Golden Hawks goalie Chris Festarini was making his second start of the year after taking last year off. Festarini couldn’t find the loose puck in a scramble before Waterloo’s Zac Coulter scored to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead midway through the second.

A goal with only nine seconds left in the period by senior Luke Hietkamp brought Laurier within only one after he scored on his own rebound. Laurier kept pushing throughout the third and tied the game with under four minutes left. Junior Erik Pushka scored on a one timer off a pass from the team’s

captain senior Kyle Morrison.

In overtime Hanlon continued his strong freshman season when he set up Schoenmakers.

The two are leading the team with six points each. Hanlon and Schoenmakers appear to have developed a nice chemistry early in the season and will be leading the Laurier offence this season.

Brantford native Andrew Fritsch is playing his first season after previously playing in the OHL. Fritsch is tied for third on the team in points with five through seven games.

Fritsch talked about playing at home, “Haven’t played in this rink in seven years so play-

ing here where I grew up and played minor midget was pretty special […] playing close to home was nice.”

Hanlon is another new face and he discussed the adjustments he’s had to make to start his Laurier career, “Coming from junior these guys are a lot older, a lot quicker and a lot smarter, so just adjusting to the speed of every aspect of the game.”

Laurier is 3-5 to start the season but has played a tough schedule to start the season and should still be able to qualify for the playoffs again this year.

NHL’s youth contributing to increased scoring

Scott Maxwell Staff Writer The NHL may have solved their goal scoring problem, and it’s not exactly how they thought they’d solve it.

Last year, one of the biggest conversations in the league was the lack of goals being scored.

The NHL saw an average of 2.71 goals scored per game last season, the lowest total it’s had since the dead puck era of the late 90’s and early 00’s.

However, there’s been a massive spike in goals early this season. On average, 2.91 goals are being scored in the league’s first 112 games. That’s a whole 0.2 goal increase from last season.

That doesn’t sound like much,

but that’s an extra two goals for every 10 games.

What exactly is the cause of this increase?

Part of that reason for low goal totals was that the goaltenders have improved how they play the game. Last season, the league average save percentage for a goalie was .915, tied for the highest since the league started recording save percentage in 1983. The other time the save percentage was that high was the season before that, in 201415.

Initially, the NHL’s reaction to change this lack of goal scoring in the league was to make the goalies worse by shrinking their equipment. However, the only changes that have been made so far are slightly smaller pads.

While that could be a slight effect, that most likely isn’t only cause.

There is another dramatic

change that the NHL has seen this season, that being the bigger focus on youth in the league.

There are 81 skaters that have played at least a game this season that are eligible for the Calder trophy, the league’s award for the best rookie. This is out of 640 skaters who have played a game this season, meaning that 12.66 per cent of the skaters are rookies.

Last season, through the full 1230 games, 226 rookies played a game, with 145 of those players being eligible this year. That’s a massive turnover for this year.

There are several teams that are playing more rookies than others. 11 teams have at least four rookies on their roster this year, including a league high six rookies on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So, is the increase in youth playing a role in the increase in scoring, or is it just a coinci-

dence?

Well, you need to look no further than Hockey Night in Canada’s first two games on the season’s debut night. The first game between the Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators saw Auston Matthews, the 2016 first overall pick, set a record for goals scored in a player’s debut with four. Later that evening, the Edmonton Oilers new captain Connor McDavid had a good night of his own, with a three point game.

You could also look at the current scoring leaders. If you go to the NHL’s league leaders page, you’ll see McDavid’s face in the points column, and Matthew’s face in the goals column.

26 of the league’s 50 top leading point scorers are 26 or younger, with ages 26-30 considered to be a player’s prime years.

On the other end of the ice, rookies are very well known for

being a bit risky, and with risks come mistakes, and with mistakes come goals. This only adds to the excitement of the game this season, as well as the goal totals.

Also, youth is cheap. Young players are usually making south of a million dollars a year, so it has almost no impact on a team’s cap. Instead of a $1-2 million grinder that slows down the game, teams are spending that money on young offensive players.

The game is also getting faster, and because of this, young players provide more of an impact, as they have the skill and skating to keep up with modern hockey’s speed.

Young players are making a huge impact on the entertainment of today’s game, to the point where the NHL may stand a fighting chance against the other American sports.

12

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2016

OPINION Kid Cudi’s mental health is imporant too JOSH ADESINA | OPINION@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Kurtis Rideout Web Editor

Earlier this year fans of hip hop music were taken aback when they heard these bars, which were from the song ‘‘Badass’’ by the Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave. The song, which was a ‘‘diss track’’ aimed at fellow Brooklyn emcee Joey Bada$$, featured a number of explicit lines that openly mocked the suicide of Bada$$’s late friend and mentor Capital Steez, a tragedy that devastated many people in the hip hop community.

Steez was known as a founding member, and the driving force behind the collective ‘Pro-Era’ who were quickly approaching mainstream success.

This ‘beef’ divided hip hop fans in a unique way. Inevitably Bada$$ destroyed Ave in an impressive ‘‘5 fingers of death’’ freestyle on the

Sway in the Morning radio show, but Ave opened up a topic of conversation in hip hop that is almost never discussed.

Everybody is aware of the stigma that surrounds mental health illnesses. Similarly, everyone is also aware of the macho, braggadocio attitude that has been pervasive throughout hip hop since its earliest days of mainstream success. So you probably wouldn’t be surprised to find out that mental health isn’t something that hip hop artists have been known to have an open dialogue about.

In the case of Troy Ave vs. Joey Bada$$, it was fairly easy for people to pick sides. Bada$$ is a young up and comer, respected by artists new and old, while Troy Ave was already known to most hip hop fans as a bad guy in general.

What happens then, when the artist who stigmatizes mental health illnesses is one that everybody likes?

That was the case earlier this month when Drake released the song ‘Two Birds, One Stone’ which

seemed to address all of the recent and ongoing attacks on his character, including one by fellow rapper Kid Cudi.

As many already know, Cudi has been in the media for some unfortunate reasons lately. Starting with a rant on Twitter where he called out Drake and Kanye West for their use of song-writing teams, and culminating in his admittance to a rehabilitation facility for depression and suicidal thoughts, Cudi’s fans took to Twitter to voice their support and speak up about mental health awareness using the hashtag “YouGoodMan.” Drake, seemingly unaware of the idea that he might be kicking someone while he was down, dismissed Cudi’s remarks with a couple brief life lines, including the one in question: “You were the man on the moon, Now you just go through your phases/life of the angry and famous” which seemed to belittle Cudi’s current situation, labelling it a phase.

Now as a huge fan of Drake I’d love to be the first to defend him,

Mental health affects us all, even celeberties. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

but this seems like an unprecedented move for the guy who made it popular to be a sensitive. You’d expect Drake to have some humility and take the high road on this one… I guess he just really doesn’t like Kid Cudi.

My hypothesis: Drake wrote those lyrics before he was aware of Cudi’s hospitalization, so they are not necessarily an intentional jab

at his current state of health. This would either mean that both Drake and his team lack the foresight to predict that the line might be interpreted negatively… or that Drake was just like “fuck it, if the shoe fits” and decided to take the heat.

Are you a culture lover or vulture?

Ricky Pacheco Staff Writer There is a lot of talk about appropriateness in modern society. A lot of people these days, while claiming to be forward and enlightened, seem to be drawn into a harmful pattern of thinking, the implications of which tend to do more harm than good.

With Halloween having just passed, it’s important to understand how your choices reflect on you. Specifically, I’m talking about cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation refers to one culture borrowing traditions from another. This is often seen as offensive, as can be seen through the “I am not a costume” posters that were put up around campus.

“So, what’s the big deal if we want to “borrow” things from other cultures?”

“Really, it just shows how I have appreciation for everything the world has to offer.”

This is the typical argument of an ignorant individual. The big deal is no one has the right to reduce anyone else’s cultural beliefs, practices, or dress to a novelty. Cultural appropriation exposes an ugly part of North American history. Miley Cyrus and Iggy Azalea are prime culprits of capitalizing off AfricanAmerican culture.

Even if you think a white girl rapping or twerking is not harmful, I’m still reminded of an era where African-American artists were cheated out of their music by white artists, with no legal course of action. Do any of us believe that Elvis Presley wrote his own music? I urge you to find out for yourself.

Curiosity.com explains the difference between cultural

awareness and cultural appropriation. The main idea behind awareness is just that, being aware. That’s not to say we are not allowed to participate in other cultural practices if we have a genuine desire to. Last year, Osheaga said they would not tolerate anyone wearing Native-American headdresses, the reason being the spiritual significance behind them. They are more than just a prop for a drunk white girl to wear while she rocks out at a music festival.

This also goes for Canadian kids using Jamaican Patois to make themselves look tough.

You just sound like an idiot. It’s okay to be curious. It’s okay to want to learn. What’s not okay is exploitation of minority cultures to support a personal agenda.

We should be mindful of what offends cultures. Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik

Canada’s battle with kindness Tristan Wright Staff Writer Canada is a good place to live, despite our prime minster and a regressive agenda. We take in refugees, actual refugees, not the economic migrants of Europe.

Women, children, young and old, not just military aged fighting men whom abandoned those same women and children. Time magazine puts the number of male refugees at 62 per cent, but as Time later points out, America, and Canada by extension, take in very little of these male

“refugees” trying to game the system. Women, children and the elderly first. The men who do come here usually take their entire families with them, as the one refugee family in my hometown of Caledonia, Ontario.

Stephen Harper wanted to take in refugees before it became the cool thing to do, according to the National Post. He wanted Canada to take in the most vulnerable, Christian refugees first which we should. Despite how politically incorrect it is to suggest that approach. Christians

are among the most persecuted group in the Middle East, according to The Guardian, and the persecution is clear in the migrant camps according to the Daily Mail. In these camps, attacks and persecutions are common by these poor ‘refugees’ who commit violence at the drop of a hat towards those who they disagree with. Most people talking about refugees now are just saying, “look how nice I am.

I want my country to take in people and do nothing personally.” It’s as easy as putting up a

hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, or changing your profile picture to a rainbow, or French flag. It achieves little more than your ego. But Harper, and our people, Canadians, wanted to do good because of our pathological altruism. They did it before people would applaud such things, and didn’t do it to gain progressive points.

I’m not saying Canada is the best place to live, or that we’re the nicest people. But I am saying we’re a lot better than most.

No country will be a progressive

utopia of equality, freedom, security and economic prosperity.

If Canada does wrong, should you correct it? Yes, but you shouldn’t bash our country for little reason; calling it racist, sexist and all the other buzzwords of today’s world because of a handful of things. There are no Jim Crow laws in Canada, no institutional racism or sexism.