The living wall / p.14
The N0-Club / p.8
What’s your thing / p.7
Issue 7 | Wednesday, November 18, 2015 | www.thesputnik.ca
When the darkest corners of the internet reach our smartphones
Tayler Buchanan Staff Writer The topics of sexual harassment and sexual assault have been headlining many news stories in the past few months, simply because society is finally taking notice to the abuse that happens on a daily basis. However, what seems to be absent from the news is the amount of harassment that happens via smartphone apps. The average smartphone user spends 88 per cent of their time using their cellphone within an app and only 12 per cent of the time actual surfing the web. According to an article published by the Huffington Post, a recent survey revealed that out of 5,400 Canadian children and teens through grades four to 11, a majority of them had their own smartphone. Of that, an upward to 40 per cent of children as young as 11 also had their own smartphone. With chatroom apps today such as Chat Roulette, Grindr,
WhatsApp, and Tinder, there are many platforms where complete strangers can interact with each other all day every day, including children and teens. But what happens when a supposedly friendly conversation turns suddenly dangerous? After reading an article about a man who devotes his nights to posing as a young boy in online chatrooms in attempt to catch predators, I decided to try my own experiment. Instead of joining chatrooms on my computer I downloaded an app onto my smartphone. This way I could receive messages anytime and anywhere I went. I was curious to see what kind of response I would get if I went on this app and pretended to be younger than I actually am. I downloaded MocoSpace, an app that promised to anonymously connect me with people nearby. I created a username and set up my profile with a picture of myself from a few years back, around the age of 14 or 15, where making a peace sign and sucking in your cheeks was considered the cool thing to do (or at least I thought so). Needless to say
I looked young in the photo: I was not trying to hide my impersonated age whatsoever. I signed on and simply put this as my caption: “looking for some cool people to talk too.” Within two days I made 187 “friends” online, based primarily on my profile picture and caption. Like Facebook, people from all over the world sent me a “friend request” and after I accepted my entire profile could be seen and vice versa. After scanning through the list, I was overwhelmed that almost all of these “friends” were guys. Maybe one or two girls were in the mix, but the majority were men, by far. I thought I would have to try at least a little bit to get someone to talk to me but the reality was I only had to log on. I was female, I was young, and I was a target. According to the Ontario Women’s Directorate, 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime. Of these assaults, half will be against women under the age of 16. As I watched 45 messages fly in within five minutes, I was reminded that these were not just men from Canada, but from all over the world. They
were approaching me with the lines typical of, “hey cutie” or “hey sexy, I like your picture wanna chat?” I decided I would talk to the guys who just said the simple introduction of “hey” – one even going so far as saying he just wanted a “clean and friendly chat.” Mr. Clean and Friendly started out as a nice guy, asking me what homework I was working on, what I liked to do in my spare time, and if I had any pets at home. But then the conversation soon took a darker turn. I asked why his profile didn’t have a picture on it, he replied explaining he just didn’t have the time to find a good one. I asked him how old he was, he said 35. I told him I was only 15 and might be a little too young to talk too. He said he “liked them young.” I would estimate that nine times out of 10, when I revealed my impersonated age, men became more interested in me. The men that started conversations with me were all men who joined a chatroom supposedly for 20-25 year olds, but in reality were all 30 years and older. The conversations always changed instantly from friendly questions to: “Are you
sexually active?” “Are you a virgin?” “Do you like older guys?” I was sent pictures, asked where I lived and if I wanted to meet up. The messages were endless until finally after the third night, I had enough and needed to delete the app. The feeling I had afterwards can only be described as dirty. I felt violated, like I was being used as an object to satisfy men’s sexual, and sometimes violent, fantasies in the virtual world. Nobody really wanted to know me, they just wanted to know how much I would be willing to give them. This can be especially damaging for young girls simply because they’re at an age where they want to be liked and valued, and are only beginning to navigate what constitutes a healthy relationship. With the accessibility of apps on smartphones, especially with teens, the places are now endless. Predators now have a whole new platform to interact with young people. With smartphone owners now being as young as nine and an upwards of 300 apps being created a day, do parents really know who their kids are talking to?
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Once again, Justin Bieber is the centerpiece of a journalism shit storm I call entertainment news media. According to TMZ, Bieber walked off stage in Oslo after a fan left a mess on stage. He thought it was on him to clean it up but seeing as it didn’t work, he decided the show wasn’t worth the extra effort. This happened shortly after storming off from what can be described as the radio interview from hell. The Daily Mail wrote, “The incredibly awkward interview saw Justin being chatted to by three Spanishspeaking DJs, none of whom were particularly good at English.” Again we’re reminded there is nothing more disrespectful than not understanding your guest’s native language. Bieber tops it all off with another blockbuster performance. According to the Daily Mail, Bieber interrupted his own performance on the Spanish TV show El Hormiguero. Let’s consider the cringe as this performer stopped the
Although Justin Bieber claims to have changed, he is still up to the same shenanigans. (Sai Gnanaharan/The Sputnik)
show and scolds his fans for not clapping on the right beat. Then again, I never considered clapping would be necessary for him to perform. As TMZ put it, “I’ve had a rough week.” We can all agree we’ve had one as well. But let’s consider Bieber as a person. Reading in an interview with Complex, we can see Bieber to be competitive in nature, receiving selfvalidation from “being good at stuff.” As we all know, being good at stuff is great, but at the same time you get hated on for being good at stuff. It is very well possible. We all know JB has had a troubled past but is he to blame? Having the glamorous world of popstardom thrust upon you
at such a young age can be devastating. How can any of us know what money is really good for at the age of fifteen? It’s probably farfetched to think anyone at that age would do something more worthwhile than buying into the mainstream. In this sense, seeing how easily they can be caught up in their own emotion, is Bieber comparable to Kanye? The answer is no. Bieber’s tantrums stem from an inherit sense of selfentitlement. Where Kanye is probably self-entitled to some degree, he uses his rants, as misguided as they may be, to bring us to some sort of conclusion. Bieber never really did anything for us in the first place.
In This Issue The Facebook wars Misusing the soapbox News Statue Project Dillon Giancola EIC
This past Saturday was what I am calling the most depressing day in Facebook history. Years from now we will all remember where we were, and what status we posted, the day the Facebook wars reached their peak. I am referring to the outpouring of hate, accusations and bitterness that occurred on Facebook in response to the terrorist attacks in Paris the night before. From a thousand different opinions about Jian Ghomeshi, to the shouts of praise from Trudeau supporters (and prophecies of doom from Harper’s), everybody now has a say about highly-publicized social issues. But Saturday was a different beast altogether. For every person who said something racist about not letting refugees into Canada, there was someone else who told
everybody how much they hated all their friends and how they were of such high morals that they would delete these ignorant people. Which is fine in and of itself, but broadcasting it on Facebook only contributes to the atmosphere of accusations and hate that occurred on that day. Beyond those two factions, there are the people that respond, encouraging everyone to love, and not be so critical of others. But we know how people respond to criticism – not well. And don’t let me forget the people who say don’t pray for Paris, but pray for the world. Praying for Paris is still a decent idea, but that praying for or remembering the other countries that were attacked on that day wouldn’t hurt. Something that should be taken into consideration is that everybody is expressing their thoughts from the same place – that of anger and hurt, and often fear. We all feel horrible about what happened, and are all affected in many different ways. But that is the point. We are all affected, so it is
counterproductive to take it out on each other when we are all experiencing the same feeling of horror and worry about the world, and about what could happen next. After all, the goal of terrorism is to evoke fear and terror into the hearts of the masses, so let’s not give in to their wishes. Remember, hate only breeds more hate. So let’s remember that we are all human, and we are all connected. If you want to change your profile picture, that is just as OK as not doing that. If you think people should show concern for victims of other attacks instead of just the Paris ones, that is commendable, but it is worth it to understand why people react the way they do. Everyone feels bad about what happened, it is just that some people are more affected by what happened in Paris than they are by what happened in other places. That is nobody’s fault, nor is any of this anybody’s fault. It is a reality of our world, and a reality that can only be fixed by love and compassion, not war, even if that war occurs on Facebook.
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Nippissing strike
Features
The Living Wall What’s Your Thing
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The N0-Club Featured Artist
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Cotto vs Alvarez Laurier Soccer
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#PrayforParis Leaving Social Media
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President Blouw constructs Special Advisory Committee to take over Statue Project talks Taylor Berzins Brantford Manager Wilfrid Laurier University’s president, Max Blouw, released a statement on Nov. 5 to explain that all formal talks about the future of the statue project will now take place via a Special Advisory Committee. On June 25, Laurier’s Board of Governors approved a proposal to permanently house the statue project at Laurier’s Waterloo campus. On Oct. 20, Laurier’s Senate voted in opposition of the Board of Governor’s decision, asking them to cancel the project. Blouw’s statement explains that given the divisive stances each of the governing bodies have taken in regards to the project, a Special Advisory Committee will be put together in order to, “engage in a respectful dialogue and to learn and reflect on the points of view that others are putting forward,” and provide advice on how the University should move forward regarding the project. According to the statement, the advisory committee will include: three faculty senators (to be selected by the senate), a member of the Board of Governors, a member of the Students’ Union, a member
of the Graduate Students’ Association, an Arts Divisional Council Student Member, a member of the WLU Alumni Association, Dean of Arts, Richard Nemesvari; Dean of Education, Colleen WillardHolt; Chair of Political Science, Debora Van Nijnatten; Faculty of the Department of History, Susan Neylan; and AVP of External Relations; Joel Peters. Other key representatives, as highlighted by Blouw, will be, Principal-Dean of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Mark Harris; Senior Advisor of Aboriginal Initiatives, Jean Becker (plus an additional Aboriginal representative); Director of the Diversity and Equity Office, Laura Mae Lindo; and VP Student Affairs, David McMurray who will chair the Special Advisory Committee. Jennie Rideout, a Laurier Brantford alum, who is an advocate working as part of the group, Students Against The Statue Project, explains that Blouw’s decision to create an advisory committee came with no notice. On Nov. 5, Students Against The Statue Project requested to speak at Laurier’s upcoming Nov. 26 Board of Governors meeting on behalf of students and alum opposed to the project. “Three days later we received notice that the project was taken off the agenda for the upcoming meeting. In fact, it was taken off the agen-
da for any meeting. The decision would instead be made by a hand picked committee who would advise the Board of Governors privately - lacking all resemblance of democratic process or debate,” said a Nov. 7 statement on Students Against The Statue Project’s Facebook page. Rideout is concerned that by forcing the discussions about the statue project to move ahead with a “hand picked” advisory committee, the University is sending students a confusing message about the role of the student voice in moments of formal decision making. “In times of need and in times of tough discussion, they take it off the table,” explained Rideout. According to Blouw’s statement, the expectation is that the advisory committee will report back “early in the new year,” with a plan on how the university should move forward with the project. “We’re hoping it’s going to be quick, so that we can get this all settled one way or the other,” explained Rideout. Students Against The Statue Project hope to speak with all members of the committee in order to ensure their voice is heard. “We’re still here, and we’re still paying attention,” said Rideout. According to Rideout, despite the Laurier Brantford community being engaged
In October, students placed a sign on the statue of John A Mcdonald saying to take down the Statue, due to Mcdonald’s racism of what he argued in Parliament in 1885. (Courtest of the Students Against The Statue Project’s Facebook page)
in conversations about the Statue Project, Brantford does not appear to be represented in the advisory committee. “Students Against The Statue Project will continue to
collect letters of opposition, addressed to the Board of Governors and President Max Blouw, until mid-December,” Rideout explained.
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How are you Where to get the flu shot affected by the Nippising strike? Content by Jamaal Owusu-Ansah Lead Photographer
Laurier and Nippissing students express their feelings about the Nippissing University strike.
Jacob deVries
Konnor Huard Staff Writer
The flu shot isn’t just to protect yourself, it’s to protect those around you as well. By getting the flu shot, individuals can protect themselves from the influenza, but they also protect those around them that cannot get the shot, such as young children and the elderly. Flu shots are a vaccination to prevent one from getting the flu anytime between November and March. Although the flu shot is not 100 per cent effective to eliminating your chances of getting the flu, it has its benefits. “The very young can’t get the flu shot, so by getting the flu shot and preventing yourself and preventing this age population from getting the flu, we’re also protecting the very young who can’t get it,” said Beverly Jones, a nurse from Laurier Brantford’s Wellness Centre. “While the age group is not considered a high risk population, we definitely recommend it for everyone for
The flu shot is worth getting, even if it can seem like an inconvenience. (Art manipulation by Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik)
the benefits to themselves, but also for the protection they’re providing to everyone else they come in contact with,” said Jones. Besides the Wellness Centre on campus, there are other places students can go to get the flu shot. Most pharmacies will administer the shot, along with most walk-in clinics, and the Brant County Health Unit as well. “The flu shot is a vaccination that protects against the most common strains of flu that have influenced us in the past year,” said Jones. “It changes every year based on that. That’s why you have to get a new one every year.” “[On a scale from one to ten, the importance of getting the flu shot is a] ten. I think it’s very important; definitely more so for certain populations… I think there’s good reason for everybody to get
it,” Jones said. “If you’re going to be exposed to the elderly or the very young, they’re definitely a higher risk population. Also, we recommend that for sure if you have diabetes you’re at higher risk for getting [the flu]. But even for the general population I’d say ten out of ten, everybody should get it, 100 per cent.” Jones is passionate about everyone getting the flu shot to protect those who cannot get it. “I’ve just been getting the flu shot every single year, and one year when I was probably about 12, I decided not to get the flu shot, and of course I ended up with the flu and I missed quite a bit of school. So, after that I was like ‘I should just stick with getting it’,” said Laurier student Ranita Virk when asked why she gets the flu shot every year on campus.
on. Many outside groups and agencies, such as City of Brantford Parks, police and fire departments, and Brant County Ambulance, help JCI ensure that the parade is a success. JCI always hosts the Santa Claus float that ends the parade. “The float is in pretty good shape, so we are not planning on any major overhauls for this season, although we do need to get our ninth reindeer back, so we will be looking at fixing that,” said Stemmler. “Since Santa’s real reindeer are in preparation for Christmas at the North Pole, we cannot use them for the actual parade. Plus I think they would travel a bit too fast for us to be able to see them.” “My goal is that all children – and big kids like myself – come out with a smile on their faces and that the event is an enjoyable and safe experience for all involved, including the participants, spectators and volunteers,” said Stemmler. Many volunteers help to create floats for the Christmas parade, including Brantford’s Freedom House Church. Dave Carrol, the community pastor of the Freedom House Church, explained that the church have been part of the parade for 10 years. The Freedom House Church
is a non-denominational church that is inclusive of people from many different backgrounds. Their goal is to serve the city and to spread kindness. University students come to the church to find friends and community. The Freedom House Church is currently preparing their float for the parade. “Nationwide trucks came to us a couple years ago and donated them to us, but we don’t get the trucks until the day of the parade, so on parade day, the truck pulled in and we got to work,” said Carrol. “Our float has been living nativity for the last bunch of years. It’s a play we do in Harmony Square every Dec. 11, 12 and 13.” For the float, the freedom church puts on a full stable to recreate the stage on the truck. They have always used this float, as it’s a tradition for them. “I love anything that gets the community together. I love the atmosphere in the city when everyone does something together at once, and the Santa Claus Parade does that for me. That’s my favourite part,” said Carrol Make sure to check out Brantford’s annual Santa Clause parade on Nov. 28, at 7:00 p.m. starting on Colborne St. at Second Ave.
Preparing for the parade Stefani Solari
Anya Eland News Editor
Stefan Thames
Janneke Barten, left, and Nicole Dilliott, right.
It’s that time of year again. This year marks the forty-first anniversary of Branford’s annual Santa Claus Parade, hosted by the Junior Chamber International (JCI). Shawn Stemmler, the head chair for this year’s parade committee, is very excited. This year’s theme is Christmas in film. “When we pick a theme we usually try to keep them pretty broad so people and groups can use their imagination to come up with the best float they can based on their ability. Christmas in film can mean many things. I personally think of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, or my favourite Christmas movie, The Christmas Story,” Said Stemmler. Originally a daytime event, the parade was changed to take place in the evening (beginning at 7 p.m.) so that more lights could be added to the floats to add a little pizazz. JCI also organizes the logistics of making the parade happen: applying for road closures, hiring bands, and so
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Orphan 32: the tale of a child refugee Shreya Shah Staff Writer Thanh Campbell was born during the Vietnam War in the year of 1973, and he was one of 57 orphan children that were airlifted out of the country for a new life in Canada. On Nov. 6, a bright eyed and contagiously cheerful Thanh shared his story with an overflowing room of Laurier Brantford students. One of the consequences of the war in Vietnam was the high volume of infants and children without families and caretakers. The country sent out an international message asking nations to step up and take in the orphan children - leading to a rescue project referred to as Operation Babylift. Volunteers set to work getting all the paperwork in order for the orphan children to be able to travel. The plane carried children from the ages of three months to nine years old, with the infants being transported in banana boxes and orange crates. During a stop in Hong Kong, a team of nurses and doctors were assembled to take care of the
gravely ill children. They were then flown to Toronto on a commercial airplane. In Canada, Thanh was adopted by the Campbell family and their five children. Curious about the other children who shared his airplane journey to Canada, Thanh set out to have a reunion with the pilots, children, volunteers, and stewardesses of Operation Babylift. The reunion was covered by the Hamilton Spectator, and his story was also published in a local Vietnamese newspaper. This led to Thanh being contacted by his long lost biological family. In the years to follow, Thanh would learn that he was not orphaned, but rather taken away from his family due to a misunderstanding. The first time Thanh spoke to his biological father was on a phone call to Vietnam during which they communicated with the help of a translator. Thanh fondly recalled the translator telling him the following, “Your father wants you to know three things: One: You were never abandoned. Two: we love you very much. Three: we have been looking for you for over thirty
Thanh Campbell poses with his book Orphan 32; a book about his life as a refugee and his reunions with his family. (Courtesy of Thanh Campbell)
years and we never gave up hope that we would find you one day.” In 2007, Thanh, his wife and his three children set out to meet his family in Vietnam. When asked what the most memorable part of his trip was, Thanh answered, “I remember when we were flying into Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, I reflected on the fact that we flew out under
such different circumstances during the war, and how grateful I was that the world had changed and I could now go back to my home country and meet my family.” Thanh’s story is especially significant in light of the current Syrian refugee crisis. Recently admitted into parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that Canada needs to be more di-
rectly involved in helping the refugees relocate. During the election, Trudeau promised that Canada will provide refuge to 25,000 Syrians fleeing the civil war. Furthermore, Trudeau’s government has promised $100 million as aid to the UN refugee agency. As the Syrian crisis continues, Canada’s role in providing humanitarian aid will be in the spotlight.
Diversity and Equity Anya Eland News Editor The Diversity and Equity office (DEO) is an office that offers diversity-related supports to students and diversity initiatives. It promotes acceptance and empowerment, and inclusiveness of creating an accepting life for all staff, faculty and students. The DEO “works to educate, advocate and celebrate the uniqueness of every individual at Laurier,” said Lauren Burrows, the Education and Inclusion Coordinator. Adam Lawrence, Dean of Students for Laurier Brantford, said that, “One of my roles as the Dean of Students is to work with students to advocate for change, and to continue to build a community where all students feel safe, supported, and engaged.” The Diversity and Equity office offers several programs to promote support, diversity, inclusion-related programming and advocacy. These include the Student Diversity Committee, Rainbow Centre, Association of Black Students, Centre for Women and Trans People, and Multi-Faith Resource Team,” stated Lawrence. “Students may access the DEO if they wish to volunteer in those initiatives, if they are seeking support for types of
marginalization including but not limited to sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexual assault etc,” said Burrows. Training is also available from the DEO for faculty, students and staff on diversityrelated issues, such disclosure training and pro-social bystander training. There is a Diversity and Equity office in the Waterloo campus, and it was decided to build one in Brantford because, “Students expressed a need for more diversity-related support and programming, and this evolution makes sense,” said Lawrence. “My role is to support the WLU Brantford community through the development and execution of a diversity education strategy that includes elements such as educational programming and events, training sessions and the development of awareness campaigns,” said Burrows. The office has been an ongoing process since March. The Diversity and Equity Office will be having a large recruitment campaign for students interested in volunteering for the DEO. “The DEO is also a social space for social justice oriented folks who wish to spend time with those who share similar lived experiences, and allies,” said Burrows.
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Brittany Bennett | features@thesputnik.ca |
Bringing the living wall back to life
Before
After
RCW’s living wall saw a large amount of plant decay due to a pump failure that was not immediately noticed. Left image shows the brown decaying plants, right image shows the decayed plants removed. (Left: Taylor Berzins/ The Sputnik, Right: Jamaal Owusu-Ansah/ The Sputnik)
Taylor Berzins Brantford Manager Standing in RCW, one is greeted with the predictably serene sound of trickling water, as the pumps behind Laurier Brantford’s living wall work to feed the green, robust, foliage that helps clean our campus air. The living wall was a gift to our campus, bestowed upon us on through a generous $50,000 donation from the local law firm, Waterous, Holden, Amey, Hitchon LLP. A press release from 2009 boasts, “the opportunity to sponsor the living wall in Laurier Brantford’s new Research and Academic Centre is an ideal way to reflect these values while at the same time contributing to Laurier’s remarkable campus in the core.” Nedlaw, the company which designed and installed Laurier Brantford’s living wall operates an intricate biofiltration system. According to the Nedlaw website, “air from the occupied space is actively drawn through the plant wall by either the HVAC system or onboard fans and then returned to the occupied space. As the dirty air from the space comes in contact with the growing (rooting) media, contaminants move into the water phase where they are broken down by the
beneficial microbes.” In turn, the living wall takes the dirty air from RCW in through an HVAC system, breaks it down and reproduces clean, healthy air for all of the students at Laurier Brantford to breathe in. The living wall looks good, and is good for you. Mary McClelland from Nedlaw explained that living walls also work to reduce the energy that is needed within a space. As no external air needs to be brought into the mix, the air in turn remains at a constant temperature eliminating the need for additional heating or cooling. The living wall has become synonymous with Laurier’s efforts towards sustainability. The greenness of the space a symbol for Laurier’s desire to portray itself as a green institution. Images of the wall are featured on Laurier Brantford’s website, Laurier’s Sustainability Office website, and Facebook page. At Laurier Brantford we have clubs working to rally our interest and motivate the student community towards a state of consciousness about one’s environmental impact. The living wall is an icon of Laurier’s commitment to greenness. According to Nedlaw, “there are increasingly strong links between greening the indoor space and the well-being of the occupants. Greening the space reduces the stress levels, increases the productivity and reduces absenteeism.” The pretty plants that deco-
rate RCW, have made a long trip to be part of our campus at Laurier Brantford. Nedlaw plants come all the way from Florida, this is because facilities down south have the capacity to grow plants yearround that are big and beautiful enough to be displayed on the walls. Despite its beauty, and complexities, and the campus push towards engaging with greenness, we failed to notice when the pump shut down and the wall began to decay. The pretty green leaves turned brown. The trickling pump went silent. The growing root media began to rot. RCW smelled pretty funky.
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Everyone always notices when the smell comes.” -Lisa Keys
“Unfortunately, the pump that fed water up throughout the living wall broke and it was not noticed right away,” Lisa Keys, Manager of Facilities Operations at Laurier Brantford explained. “Because of this we experienced excessive and unexpected plant decay.” Nedlaw explained that the plants in the living wall are “bare rooted,” meaning that there must be a constant flow
of water to sustain the plants’ life. “They need their water,” said McClelland. Last week a representative from Nedlaw came to our campus early Thursday morning to pluck the rotting, brown, remains of plants from of our living wall, leaving behind the plants that survived, holes, and some empty spaces. According to Keys, this isn’t the first incident of the pump malfunctioning in RCW. “From my knowledge this happened about two years ago,” Keys explained. Back then they were lucky to have noticed the pump failure early enough to avoid having to perform any invasive teardown of decay. Are Laurier Brantford students different than they were two years ago? How did they notice the pump was off, when we did not? Do we take time to stop and appreciate the intricacies of our campus, the details that make Laurier Brantford unique? Perhaps if we were more aware, more conscious, more engaged, we’d have noticed the browning leaves. But we didn’t. We were too late. Our failure to notice the living wall, drudges up familiar images of sitting in some of my courses this semester. I am often burdened and stirred by the uncomfortable silences that arise after a professor proposes a question to lecture-goers. It is almost painful to sit in the apathetic silence, as students cower, avoid eye contact and leave
the question lingering, unanswered in the static, quiet air.
“
Are Laurier Brantford students different than they were two years ago?” “Everyone always notices when the smell comes,” Keys explained. “We had more emails and phone calls about the smell than we have ever had from people inquiring about what the wall is.” Keys explained that new plants will be coming in order to redress and renew our living wall, but they have to make the trek from Florida first. A “fail-safe buzzer” is being installed to the living wall’s pump, so in the case it ever shuts down again, an audible alert will sound to express that the wall needs some TLC. Perhaps we’ll pay better attention this time by actively noticing the features that make our campus special, and care for the details that are integral to portraying our narrative of sustainability and greenness. Let’s not wait for the smell to set in before we start talking.
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Brittany Bennett | features@thesputnik.ca |
Brittany Bennett Features Editor
M
eet Riley Campbell, the retro pop artist. Now we’re not talking about the next Justin Bieber here. This is actual pop art: a cultural movement that took the 60s art world to a new realm of fun and exciting ways of expression. But here we have a 20-yearold Laurier student in 2015 dipping his toes into this abstract expression, using the digital advantages we have in this day and age to piece it all together. By the simple luck of wining a prepaid visa card from a scavenger hunt, Campbell
found himself buying a Bamboo Graphics tablet, something he otherwise would have never bought. This tablet gave Campbell an outlet to show not only his creativity, but his humorous side, and then began a journey through the world of digital pop art. “I’m like a pop culture kind of maniac I guess you could say, well I wouldn’t say maniac,” too late Campbell, that just happened. Campbell is a pop culture maniac. His art features many popular icons such as Scooby-Doo’s mystery machine, Kermit the Frog, and Campbell’s very favourite, Lego. Campbell finds himself pondering ideas sometimes as complex as a hamburger, while jamming out to an upbeat artist such as The Barenaked Ladies. It is easy to imagine a brain inside Campbell’s head, with arms and legs running up his staircase
Campbell’s digital art piece “Board Game Café”. (Courtesy of Riley Campbell)
of thoughts. At the very top the walking brain gets to a long chain hanging down from the roof of his skull, and thus, pulls down, turning on the lightbulb hovering above Campbell’s head. Once the idea is there, the creative juices flow with little planning prior to. Sometimes Campbell will find himself doodling out his ideas if he happens to be falling asleep on the city bus anyways, but otherwise, it’s to the drawing board for Campbell. The common punny theme is portrayed throughout Campbell’s work. Food is an especially consistent idea seen throughout – food with arms and legs of course. “If I thought of something, and I’m like, ‘oh that’s a hoot’ and something about the food that I can draw, then I would do that,” explains Campbell. The list of Campbell’s inspirations go on, but he does say that “pretty much all of [his art] is inspired by music.” Specifically, Campbell found himself entering a disco phase – always needing to hear songs that bring daydreams of large fluffy hair and tight bell-bottomed pants. Well, that may not have quite been Campbell’s reasoning: “I kind of had this time where I was just very against listening to negative songs. I didn’t like sad songs whatsoever, so I would just listen to the happiest crappy 80s songs I could find.” An artist that caught Campbell’s attention before he be-
Campbell’s digital art piece “Steel Loves Burgers”. (Courtesy of Riley Campbell)
gan his venture with pop art was Michael Godard and his olive paintings, all of which have arms and legs. “They kind of have the quirkiness that is kind of seen in my pieces,” explains Campbell. Campbell’s art is created through a mixture of sketches, photos, or paintings, and digital programs such as CorelDraw, Illustrator, SketchBook Express and Photoshop. On top of Campbell’s still work, he uses Premiere to put together humorous short stories, but also videos similar to his pop art, showcasing a 80s’ disco-type of feel to them. Film was a hobby taken on before Campbell was even out
of diapers, and thus began his introduction to pop culture. “We had two things we would do. We would either watch movies that my mom necessarily wouldn’t want us to watch … And then we would make our own home movies as well,” says Campbell about spending time with his father and two brothers. Austin Powers was one of many movies toddler-Campbell watched and recreated with his family, “shagadelic baby, yeah!” Campbell has created a brand for himself called “Riles for Smiles,” and it is exactly that, smiling, that you will find yourself doing when you look through his portfolio.
‘Why Not’ encourage’s Brantford’s youth Dellesia Noah Staff Writer It all started on a box of prayers. Sue Kopczyk saw a need in the eyes of the people of Brantford. She set up a little table with a sign that said “need prayer?” and one after the other people came with tears in their eyes. What began as a small outreach project turned into an organization. She soon built the Why Not Youth Centre with her husband Charlie Kopczyk, making a mission to reach, help and encourage the at-risk youth in the city of Brantford. Little by little, they started holding drives and barbeques for the neighborhood. Their goal was to provide compassion and empathy to the people of this town. Today the organization is managed by a small staff, including Becca Vandekemp McLellan, a graduate of Lau-
rier and Nipissing here on the Brantford campus who continues to carry out that mission with the help of an enthusiastic volunteer team. The centre provides many services including team mentorship, crime prevention, suicide prevention, esteem and leadership building, as well as life skills development. These services are rarely presented formally, but are incorporated into semi-structured activities and ongoing mentorship. The centre’s target age group is among 13 to 18 years of age, but they have created such a sense of community that youth below or above that age range feel comfortable enough coming to the centre with their issues as well. As soon as one walks through the door of the centre, you can feel that sense of community and fellowship among the youth, the staff and the volunteers. “Sometimes they’ll come and show us their grades, and their grad dresses and their babies before they show their own parents because a lot of them don’t have the greatest
relationships with their parents,” says McLellan. “Generational poverty is big. It’s been a huge blow to the portion of this community … we don’t have very high graduation rates among the youth that we attract. We have a lot of teen pregnancies right now and some of the kids are criminally involved. But our goal is that by the time our youth leave, they will feel infinitely better about themselves.” The centre has seen significant change and development among the youth in their community from the time it began to where it is now. The confidence that Brantford youths find at the centre transcend beyond those four walls. “I’ve worked really hard to create another layer of mentorship. I’m trying to create an opportunity for blossoming professionals to learn how to engage and understand the needs of street youth,” says McLellan. This education seems to be paying off, as during their dinners the volunteers are so well integrated among the youth that you can hardly tell
The Why Not Youth Centre exists to help and encourage at-risk youth in Brantford. (Jamaal Owusu-Ansah/ The Sputnik)
them apart. Laurier volunteer, Krista McCarney explains, “The benefit of volunteering here has definitely been getting to know these guys and their experiences. I really didn’t know what they went through before I came here.” McCarney says one individual walked to the centre one day without any shoes on. This was an experience that took McCarney completely off guard, “I had no idea growing up what it was
like to walk without any shoes on my feet,” she admits. Throughout the dinner youth and volunteers socialize in a way where you cannot observe the differences or the advantages one was given in life over the other. “They provide a great environment for you. You got something to eat if you’re hungry … but they also teach you things you should be doing,” says Kodi Adams, a youth from the centre.
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Arts & Culture
The Sputnik
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Matthew Burley | arts@thesputnik.ca |
Percy Jackson and the Hunger Maze Shelby Do Staff Writer
If your friend ever recommended a series of books to you in high school, chances are that book series has been turned into a series of movies. Of course, the last book will have been adapted into two parts, in order to make more money off the last two movies. Both movies also happen to be in 3D. Beginning predominantly with the adaptation of the Harry Potter series into eight films, young adult novels have been turned into films more frequently each year. Often, it’s a dystopian world in a vague future, with a teenage protagonist who is considered to be special in
some way. That protagonist has likely felt like an outcast their whole life, has only a few friends, and has two people fall in love with them in an unnecessary love triangle, but you all know which one they’re going to end up with. To say that young adult adaptations are each a unique series, with innovative characters and film-altering plots, is a quite stretch. Of course, there are outliers to this equation. The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns are both young adult books, which do not involve love triangles and are not a series, but rather are stand alone novels, written by the same author. Usually the series consists of three books, but Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Twilight all have more than three novels in their series. Despite their glaring similarities, young adult novels
are definitely not all bad. Many of them actually positively impact youth, and provide young readers with, often more than one, role models that assist in shaping them into better people. In a study released in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Harry Potter proves to encourage readers to become more accepting. The study read, “Participants observed the positive attitudes and behaviours of Harry Potter toward stigmatized fantastic groups, and projected them onto real stigmatized categories only when they identified with the main positive character.” The Hunger Games protagonist, Katniss, is also a prime example of a good role model. In an interview with The Observer, English lecturer, Melissa Johnson, analyzed about the protagonist, “Katniss has a broad appeal, not
More and more, young adult novels are making their way to the big screen. Which one will be next? (Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik)
because her character is compromised or reduced, but because she is a fully realized, complex woman.” While there might not necessarily be anything Earthshatteringly original in all young adult novels, just how these novels affect readers is far more significant. The protagonists proving to be often
excellent role models, whose issues and desires are usually those of an ordinary teen inan extraordinary, or supernatural, circumstance. Ultimately, giving youths a positive role model is the greatest contribution of young adult novel, despite its failings.
You need to say yes to the “N0-Club”
Support for the N0-Club has been accellerating. Their Facebook inbox is overflowing with requests for stickers, like the one on the car above. (Courtesy of Rob Robson)
Alex Vialette Staff Writer Since April this year, a car collective called N0-Club has been taking the nation by storm. N0-Club (spelt with a zero, pronounced like the letter) got its start as a joke in St. George at a car meet up. Three of the founding members, Jack Petrovich, Austin Shoemaker, and Dan Mulroy
slapped N0-Club banners on their cars at an event which kick started their self described movement. “The whole N0-Club thing is pretty much we love all types of makes, and models,” said Petrovich. “Doesn’t matter if it’s a Civic, a scooter or a Ferrari, as long as you love your own vehicle and you’re passionate about it. N0-Club is for the people, it’s just pretty much a movement of different vehicle enthusiasts.” When Petrovich and Shoemaker preach acceptance of all drivers to their group, they mean it. In their legions of
members there’s an extreme variety. The oldest member of the club is Shoemaker’s grandmother who sports the N0-Club banner on her minivan; another member, nicknamed “Mike-on-a-bike”, has the N0-Club logo on the front of his helmet. The group is not exclusively local either, members range in location from Barrie to British Columbia. According to Petrovich and Shoemaker, new members joining was slow at the beginning. After a few months, however, more and more drivers started asking for banners and the page took off. Every
day (literally) hundreds of new members join the N0Club Facebook group asking for banners. When they were interviewed on Nov. 10, the group had 1500 members, while writing this on Nov. 13, the group now has 1800 members and climbing every few hours. Mulroy, Petrovich, and Shoemaker rented a garage, now called the N0-Club Club House, just outside of Brantford. There, they work on their cars, sell stickers, and knock back beers with members who drop by to visit. Rather than pocketing the money
they make of the stickers and spending it on their cars, they put it back into the group. Based on demand on the group page, the founders are now looking to expand into selling clothing as well and building the group a website. “We can’t even keep up the inboxes we get on Facebook and people message our Instagram account all the time,” said Petrovich. “It’s a huge change for us, like we’re going from asking people to put a banner on to now we can’t even keep up with reading all the messages. It’s just everyone wants to have one.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Arts & Culture
The Sputnik
9
Matthew Burley | arts@thesputnik.ca |
The Featured Artist: Will Thompson 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 weeks Featured Artist is Will Thompson. How long have you been singing for? I have been singing for about four years, I have always known that I could kinda sing but I never really performed. I started in a theater and we were doing a version of Romeo and Juliet with some songs added in and I got picked to do one of the songs, then a friend who was in the cast heard me singing and got me to join a professional choir he was in, and that’s where I really started to learn to love performing and singing. What has kept you singing for so long? I find that singing is just a great stress buster, I honestly can’t imagine not getting what I need to get out, out. Are you able to find time for singing as often as you’d like? What are some things that can get in the way? Not really, I used to sing whenever I was alone, which used to be a lot before university, but now I am with people 24-7 it sometimes gets hard to find time to sing, singing in front of people is one thing but I actually really love singing when I’m alone. I can learn new songs and mess them up completely in the process, and nobody will hear it so nobody will care. Singing polished songs in front of people is fun and I like doing it but I am always just a little self-conscious.
What’s your favourite genre to sing? I really like country and pop and stuff like that but lately I have been trying to get into more jazz, blues and old-fashioned styles of music. When I am organizing songs for the singers association things tend to be more pop and top 40, just because that is what everyone can agree on.
I’ve noticed that some artists get influenced by different genres outside of their comfort zones. Do you ever hear a random song and get inspired to sing? Absolutely, all the time, whenever I am listening to the radio I will hear a song that maybe I have never heard before or maybe have not heard in awhile and it will be amazing and I will really want to sing it even if it is a sound or style that I have no experience in. I like trying to be adaptable and testing my limitations on what I can and can’t do with my voice. You’re the co-president for the Laurier Singers Association. Care to expand on what the association does? The association acts like a choir in some respects. We meet once a week and work on songs that we all like, usually they end up being top 40 stuff. We do about half a cappella and half with accompaniment and with any luck we will be competing next year in the actual collegiate a cappella championships (Pitch Perfect style). Does the Laurier Singers Association have any upcoming events that students should be aware of? We have a lot of plans up in the air at the moment, they will mostly consist of flash
mobs, karaoke nights, and open mics, as well as a coffee house that we will be running in association with the theater club and the film club. How did you become the copresident? By complete accident. I was in the club last year and I put my name in as a joke for nomination (elected democratically within the club) and I guess people thought I would do a good job. What are some of your responsibilities as co-president? I am basically responsible for the music. I pick it out, find the proper accompaniment, re-write it a bit so it’s easier for everyone, figure out the harmonies and what everyone is singing, and direct and teach people the songs. I find writing in harmonies and teaching the higher pitched singers fairly difficult because I myself am a bass, so I can sing really deep and tend to focus more on the deeper stuff but I have an executive who really helps me with stuff like that. It really helps that I have a really good ear for pitch too so I can tell when something needs to be changed. I’ve noticed that tons of Laurier Brantford students are really artistically talented. Are there any other students who inspire you? I get a lot of inspiration from one of our executives Shannon Coulter, she helps me with harmonies and higher pitched voices while also writing her own songs and performing all the time. I also get loads of inspiration from Chandler Berardi. She is a Brantford local and student that I became friends with in my first year and she has one of the best voices I have ever heard. She performs all the time at local bars and weddings. Where do you see the Laurier Singers Association by this time next year? By popular opinion, the Singers Association will be much more versed in a cappella next year and possibly competing in the a cappella collegiate championships.
Will Thompson, co-president of the Laurier Singer’s Association. (Anna Principato/ The Sputnik)
Is there anywhere that people can check out any of your work? Or do we have to make it out to one of the events? Unfortunately you would have to come to one of our events to see one of my arrangements.
Spectre has done relatively well at the box office despite mediocre reviews.
Shaken, not stirred: a Spectre review Matthew Burley A&C Editor The latest addition to the James Bond series, Spectre, swiftly skyrocketed to the top of the box office during its opening weekend, but how? As of Monday, Oct. 9, Spectre grossed a whopping $70.2 million, placing it in between Skyfall at $90.6 million and Quantum of Solace at $68.5 million. Spectre was hyped up within the weeks prior to its release, however it was just shy of its lofty goal of $73 million. This is possibly because Spectre has not met the standards set by many Bond fan boys. The twenty-fourth instalment of the series had many of the expected details from a James Bond film; beautiful women, explosions, dry martini’s, the occasional gunfight and of course Bond, James Bond. Daniel Craig dropped a couple of one-liners that left the crowd chuckling. The villains were as notorious and evil as ever, taking every opportunity to send Bond to his grave. However, something about Spectre didn’t sit right with some of its viewers. Perhaps it was its length; it takes a lot of explosions to fill up 148 minutes. A movie over two hours can leave an audience squirming in their seats if the plot is not airtight and the
acting lacks genuineness. The acting from many of the characters lacked that “oumph” that is needed to really pack a dramatic punch. Craig’s character is infamously dry, however, there is something to be said about some other members of the cast. The plot of the film is a little foggy at times. Bond and his bandwagon hop from continent to continent through the movie, starting in Mexico (which was personally my favourite scene) and ending in England. Bond managed to hit a handful of other countries along the way. This made it harder to follow, which was already difficult if you had not seen any of the other recent Bond films. If Spectre could be summed up in one word, it would have to be hokey. The film felt like a homage of sorts to the glamour of past movies; but with a bone dry delivery by Daniel Craig. The plot unfolded too seamlessly for its character; there was no evident struggle. With all said and done, Spectre had its moments; the fight scenes were intense, leavingyou wanting more. The movie settings were also beautiful, showcasing some of the finer and rougher parts of our planet. When the James Bond theme song played during the intro and the white circles swept across the screen, the nostalgia was so thick you could practically grab it.
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The Sputnik
Sports
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Devon Momy-Gamache| sports@thesputnik.ca |
Cotto vs Alvarez reunites an international rivalry Adam Stocker Staff Writer On Saturday, Nov. 21, a national rivalry is reignited inside the ring as Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) steps into the ring with Puerto Rican Middleweight Champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs). For decades there has been no bigger national rivalry in boxing than that between Mexico and Puerto Rico. The fighters have changed over the years, but the fans and the fighting styles have remained the same. Both elect to come straight and throw punches until they can’t anymore. It’s an electric style that brings the prideful nationalistic fans to their feet as they compete with each other to be the loudest in the arena. For both the fans and the boxers, winning means more than the boxer’s hand being raised at the end of the night. The fans and fighters want to be victorious to prove to the other that not only is their boxer superior, but so is their
way of life. A win provides a nation with hope and inspiration to the people that one
to sent Martinez to the canvas three times in the first round, eventually stopping Martinez
day they can rise to the top. For boxing fans, CottoCanelo is a dream matchup between two of boxing’s biggest stars that has been a year in making. But it is a fight that no one could have predicted even three years ago. In December 2012, Cotto was easily defeated for his second straight fight. People began to wonder if the speed and power that had helped Cotto win titles at both 140, 147 and 154 pounds had been lost to father time. After deliberating his future for several months, Cotto would return to the ring in Oct. 2013. However, for this fight, Cotto elected to hire Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. With Roach in his corner, Cotto was rejuvenated inside the ring and the results showed it. In his next three fights, Cotto won all three by stoppage, including a dominate performance by Cotto to claim the lineal middleweight title belt against Sergio Martinez. In front of a rapid Puerto Rican crowd at Madison Square Garden, Cot-
and sending him into retirement. Despite capturing a title in a fourth weight class, Cotto enters the ring a slight underdog to Mexican prodigy Alvarez. At the same time, Cotto knows a victory secures his position within the Boxing Hall of Fame. Despite only being twentyfive years old, Saul ‘Canelo” Alvarez is the Mexican face of boxing. His trademark movie star good looks, and red hair that spawned the nickname “Canelo” has made him one of the biggest box office draws in the sport. But despite his looks and charm, Alvarez is not a boxer to be mistaken as a pretty boy fighter who excels defensively to ensure the shape of his face. Alvarez is in fact almost the exact opposite, a fighter who is not afraid of taking a punch to the face as long as he lands a more powerful punch to the face of his opponent. Alvarez turned professional at fifteen years old, something common within Mexico as boxers attempt to fight their way out of poverty. For the
Cotto and Alvarez will add another chapter to the boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico this Saturday. (Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik)
next five years, Alvarez would claim the boxing ranks maintaining an undefeated record. Alvarez’s shot at stardom came against Jose Cotto, the older less talented brother of Miguel. Alvarez would continue his impressive career dispatching of Cotto in the ninth round when he handed the Puerto Rican boxer the only knockout loss of his career. In his next ten fights Alvarez would win by decisively, including a unanimous decision over Mosley in May 2012 on the undercard of another Mayweather pay-per view. Alvarez would taste his first defeat when he faced defensive mastermind Mayweather in Sept. 2013. The defeat was humbling for Alvarez as he
lost a decisive decision. Like Cotto, Alvarez responded with three with three straight victories, including a knockout of the year candidate in May against James Kirkland. On Saturday, Alvarez enters the ring the favourite not only because of his elite level of skill, but his size advantage in the ring over Cotto. When round 12 concludes in the early hours of Sunday morning, there is no guarantee who will walk away victorious. The only guarantee is that both boxers’ faces will be bruised, swollen and bloody for the enjoyment of the fans. When ring announce Michael Buffer announces the winner, an entire nation will be united in pride.
Provincial battles in CFL conference finals Adam Stocker Staff Writer Provincial rivalries headline the conference finals this Sunday. The Calgary Stampeders are set to square off against the Eskimos next Sunday in Edmonton, while the Ottaw Red Blacks will host the Hamilton Tigercats. The Eskimos closed out the season on an eight game winning streak, including a road win over Calgary that gave them top spot in the west. Mike Reily and their offense has been the key to their success. The Stampeders have leaned on a balanced offense during a 14 win season. Without John Cornish, they have leaned on quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and receiver Eric Rogers. If Edmonton wants to beat the ‘Stamps, the CFL’s top
shutdown
corner
tandem
of Patrick Watkins and John Ojo will have to contain the receiving him. In the east, few predicted Ottawa would make the playoff in their second season. However, Ottawa proved the experts wrong as the strong play of ageless wonder Henry Burris carried the team to a 12win season. At mid-season many considered Hamilton the favourites to win the Grey Cup as they routinely defeated teams by 30 points. However that all changed on Sept. 19, when starting quarterback Zack Collaros tore his ACL. If Hamilton is to advance to their third straight Grey Cup game, they will need quarterback Jerimiah Masoli to play the game of his life. For Adam’s full review, see www.thesputnik.ca.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Sports
The Sputnik
11
Devon Momy-Gamache | sports@thesputnik.ca |
Laurier struggles in CIS championships
Pauline McCordic was a strong force on defence. She started all five of Laurier’s playoff games (Shelby Blackley/ The Cord).
Jessa Braun Staff Writer Laurier’s women’s soccer ended their season at the Canadian Intervarsity Sport Championships in Vancouver on Friday. A 1-0 loss to Laval University in the quarterfinals on Thursday sent the Hawks to the consolation round for their second game. The tournament ended their season after they lost 2-0 to Cape Breton in the consolation semi-finals at Thunderbirds Stadium. With three main offensive players injured -- Nicole Lyon, Maxine Murchie and team captain Emily Brown -- the team struggled to finish. Even
with a few good chances, Cape Breton keeper Lysianne Trottier put up a fight. Although the team was eliminated sooner than they would have liked, they still finished eighth in the country. “Passion and determination has led our team to where we are now,” said Brown. “From the very beginning of our season our goals have been clear and I believe we’ve had a united front in taking on those goals.” The roster went through a lot of adjustments at the beginning of the season. The team lost six key players, including defender Kelsey Tikka, midfielder Julie Maheau and keeper Maggie Carmichael. Head coach Barrie MacLean took on 10 rookies to fill in the empty spaces on the roster, with starting forward Gagan Parhar and starting keeper Ashley Almeida among
that group. But the adjustments did not have any negative effects. Laurier finished their regular season with a 12-2-2 record, giving them a bye to the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals. Laurier won 1-0 against Windsor, the lone goal scored by Brown. The win led them to the OUA Final Four showdown in Ottawa. The Hawks earned another victory in the semi-final game against the University of Ottawa. Ottawa was leading 1-0 at the end of the first half, but defender Pauline McCordic tied the game three minutes into the second after a run down the wing. Nicole Lyon sent the team to the finals when she later scored the game winner off a corner kick. The Hawks lost 1-0 to Queen’s in the gold medal match but that was enough to get them to nationals.
“Everything we’ve worked for has led up to the [CIS] Championship tournament,” said Brown. “As the season has progressed I think our team has grown over time and I believe that our team peaked during the OUA semi-final game against Ottawa.” The CIS Championships also mark the permanent end to the Laurier legend’s soccer career as a Golden Hawk. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end my career than to be at nationals with my team,” Brown said. The fifth year Business major has been a CIS first team All-Canadian twice, OUA first-team for four consecutive years, two-time OUA West MVP and OUA Rookie of the Year in 2011. Brown is also the current scoring leader in the OUA with a career total of seventysix goals. Alongside Brown and the
Golden Hawks’ successes as a team, Laurier had many individual achievements this season. First year forward Gagan Parhar was named OUA West Rookie of the Year. She was the third leading scorer on the team and tied for fourteenth in the OUA this season with seven goals. Five Hawks were recognized as OUA West all-stars. Brown and Lyon, both tied as leading scorers for Laurier with 13 goals each, were first team all-stars. In addition to being a league all-star, Lyon was recognized as a CIS second team all-star. Jacky Normandeau, Julie Karn and Katie Bishop were recognized as West conference second team all-stars. Brown said the group is capable of improving its talent and skill for upcoming seasons. “We have a very talented group that is capable
Short-handed Laurier falls on home court Devon Momy-Gamache
Sports Editor
With a chance to advance to the finals, Laurier appeared to run out of steam in a 5-1 loss to Humber North. Laurier lost the last three points of the game. A questionable call did not help the Golden Hawks. Down 3-1, Laurier appeared to be close to winning a point. A ball bounced off a Humber player, but neither ref saw if the ball was caught off the deflection. The refs ruled that it was caught and Humber won the point to take a 4-1 lead. Co-captain Matthew Pollack refused to blame the refs, “It was a very questionable call
and I could see it going both ways.” The loss was a bit of a surprise after the Golden Hawks finished their group play with a 2-1 record concluding with a 4-2 win over Humber North. Co-captain Megan Elmhirst described the feeling after losing the rematch. “It’s always too bad (to lose), especially when you know for a fact you can beat a team.” Laurier played with only seven players, giving them only one sub for the tournament, compared to the five or six subs of the other teams. Elmhirst believes this can be an advantage. “Because we have such a small team, we are able to mesh that much better and we know how each other play more than if we had an extremely large team.” Getting the team up to seven
Megan Elmhirst, Kyle Solomon, Matthew Pollak and Sydney Nicholson prepare to launch an attack. (Devon Momy-Gamache/ The Sputnik)
players also proved to be a challenge. “We call ourselves misfits because we’ve literally just pulled people from everywhere on campus saying ‘Hey, do you like to throw things? Come join us.” This was Laurier’s first time hosting a dodgeball tournament. Pollack described the feeling
of playing at home. “It sucks that we lost at home, but this is our turf. It adds to the proudness of playing here.” Laurier will have one more chance to improve on their performance. The Golden Hawks will finish their season when they travel to George Brown on Jan. 28. During this break, Pollack
explained his goals for the team, “I want to build on our team relationships. There are times you play really well as a team, and times when you fall apart. Aside from trying to win the tournament, one thing I want to focus on for us is just playing as well as we can together as a team.”
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The Sputnik
Opinion
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Josh Adesina | opinion@thesputnik.ca |
Instagram star opens up about social media Lauren Macfarlane Opinion Editor Is quitting social media a new trend? Many people throughout the year have been seen quitting social media, and then jumping back on the bandwagon later. Social media seems to have consumed us. Constantly scrolling through
our phones and posting things has become a bad habit. In addition, we should be more cautious of the negative effects it can have on us. Eighteen-year-old Australian Instagram model and vegan YouTuber, Essena O’Neill, recently came out stating she was deleting her accounts on social media. O’Neill had over 500,000 followers and is sponsored by many companies to promote their products in her posts. She found that it was taking over
her life, and that she was not being true to herself anymore. The fame was also making her depressed. O’Neill’s reason behind quitting social media was as follows: “I quit social media because of my 12-year-old self,” she says in the video found on YouTube. “Being with people in your real life, hugging people, talking to people ... that is ... real life, and I didn’t do it for the majority of my life ... I was just living in a screen.” The video got more than two-
million views in twenty-four hours. The video has gone viral and has people discussing the negatives of social media. This is something our generation needs to have more knowledge about. Social media is something that forces us to create false ideas about ourselves, and we hope others like it in return. It is essentially all about getting likes and your followers making you feel good about yourself. It also provides bullies with something to
comment on, and it happens quite often - we just don’t hear about it. As a generation, we need to be more cautious of what we are posting on the web. It will outlive us and always be there to be used against us. I only post pictures that I think make myself look the best I can, but is that going to boost my self-esteem? No, it is not. We need to learn how to feel good about ourselves without exposing ourselves to the world.
Let’s pray for Paris and the whole world Josh Adesina Opinion Editor Let’s remember to pray for the world, along with Paris It’s all happening again. Another tragic event has occurred and has encouraged people to leave racist comments all over social media. People have already made their minds up about whom the killers were because it’s the same people all the time, right? It is a shame that these things are still happening in our world. However, there are a few questions we should ask ourselves. Why is it that we only pay attention to what the news covers?
Should we assume that only breaking news is important? Are you actually praying for the city that you hashtag on Facebook? Let’s be honest with ourselves. The world was once again shocked by the tragedies that took place in Paris. Up to 129 people have been killed, along with up to 352 injured due to the attacks in Paris – according to BBC and The Guardian. The attacks were said to have been the worst in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings, according to BBC. The attacks are still being investigated, but that hasn’t stopped people from expressing themselves on social media. There have been several assumptions made about the culprits behind these attacks. The same old stories mentioning terrorist attacks and ISIS. What are people
doing on social media, though? Only the same thing they did for Lamar Odom and other subjects mentioned in the media. Remembering the lives lost in this madness is important, but let’s not forget about the rest of the world. For example, were you aware of the attacks in Kenya that left up to 147 dead? According to Inquisitr, an Islamic group was behind the attacks. Nonetheless, the Paris bombings have received a significant amount of media coverage in comparison to the attacks in Kenya. Praying for Paris is important but what about Kenya and other countries that aren’t included in mainstream media? We need to be aware of all countries that are involved in tragedies, instead of the ones that receive the most attention. Pray for Paris but don’t forget about the world.
We must acknowledge all those that suffer from injustices all over the world along with Paris’ (Sai Gnanaharan/ The Sputnik)
You can’t wear that! Journalism: dying or evolving? Tristan Wright Staff Writer “That the social justice movement has gone too far when kids can’t even represent their own culture,” Sewerynek told MRCTV. A student was dressed as a mariachi for Halloween, as reported by MRCTV. This character is an element of his culture and he wanted to dress up as that stereotype, just as if I wanted to dress up as an English aristocrat, with a top hat and monocle. Only he was told he couldn’t, according to the Ontario School Board. Apparently that’s offensive. To himself. How is a mariachi band offensive? Are we banning any cultural costumes now? Is every culture so frail that we can’t even wear it for one
night? Can you imagine any other culture being told off when they celebrate an ancient tradition? There is a costume approval board and I have a few questions for them. Can I dress up as a cat, or does that offend cats? Can I dress up as a ninja, or does that offend the Japanese? Can I dress up as a pirate or does that offend victims of piracy? This rapidly becomes stupid because it is stupid. Dress up as whatever you want. Some people might enjoy the costume, others won’t. Regardless, those who won’t can’t really enjoy anything anyways. You don’t have to have your costume approved by uptight people who have never had any fun in their lives. This is the logical result of zero tolerance and safe-space policies that the Baby Boomers forced on us, and that our parents and grandparents have wholeheartedly embraced. Be rebellious, offensive and think for yourself.
Arnisa Morina Staff Writer The industry of journalism has always experienced decline. There have been a lot of sudden announcements concerning newspapers cutting staff members, and moving from print to the Internet. Advertising agencies have not been too enthusiastic about partnering with newspapers because of its decline in circulation. How many hits can the industry of journalism take before it goes down for the count? Bell Media was one of the recent companies to cut 270 jobs in Toronto, along with 110 in Montreal – according to the Globe and Mail. All of these jobs were cut from the production, editorial and sales & marketing segments of
Bell Media. Quite unfortunate, indeed. In addition, Montrealbased paper, La Presse, was another paper that cut 158 jobs, according to the Globe and Mail. 43 newsroom jobs were cut, along with approximately 40 jobs circulation jobs. As you can see, things haven’t been looking great for journalists. If companies continue to cut staff loose, what could this mean for journalism? The world has changed in the past 10 years, and journalism has changed along with it. I strongly believe that change is not something to lament, but rather to welcome. Journalism has evolved from newspapers to radio coverage, television, the Internet, and social media. I think that the future is bright for journalists, if they develop effective strategies, and gain skills to respond to an ever-changing society. After all, journalism comes from journalists. There is no industry that has
not changed and evolved in the last decade. Journalism is definitely changing but it may not be for the worst. As long as journalists understand the quality and effort that needs to go into producing content, journalism should be in good hands. On the other hand, jobs are becoming harder to get because they are in demand. Furthermore, we have seen the emergence of digital media, and the decline of traditional journalism. Nowadays, online journalists receive pleasure from retweets on Twitter, shares on Facebook, and other social media outlets. I think it is important for journalists, especially prospective journalists, to adapt to the transformation of journalism in order to be successful. People will always want to hear and know about the latest controversial issues, and what is new in the world.. Will journalism die? Never. Will journalism continue to change and evolve? Absolutely.