Issue 12 - February 13, 2013

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - Issue 12 // www.thesputnik.ca

News

2

On Campus

4

Features

8

A&E

6

Sports

10

Opinion

12

Partnership with Laurier likely page 3

LB Golden Hawks take victory page 11

Love, lust and relationships page 6

Out in the Cold page 3

Women in comics page 12

2

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

NEWS

Jordan Johnston // news@thesputnik.ca

New addition to Brantford’s night life Sikander Panag Staff

20 Dalhousie Street, just steps away from the Laurier Brantford campus has new owners and is set to be the new home of Allure Nightclub. The former home of The Rodeo has been completely renovated and transformed from bar to nightclub.

Just last year the previous establishment, The Rodeo, had been hosting swingers’ nights on weekends. Aware of the controversy of having a swingers club close to Laurier Brantford, Trevor Johnson, manager of Allure explains that it was imperative to distance themselves from the previous establishment.

“We definitely are not a swingers club and we want to separate ourselves from that — we will get rid of that image on the opening weekend,” said Johnson.

Johnson also noted that the university had helped the areas and that he wanted Allure to do the same.

“Laurier is doing a lot to [help] clean up [the] downtown and we want to reflect that and make things look more clean and modern to match,” said Johnson.

There are expectations with

any bar or club near a university campus to have events catered exclusively to students. Johnson expressed interest in hosting frosh events in September along with special nights that will draw students, such as Toonie Tuesdays as well as karaoke.

“We want to compete with other universities where the nightlife is the draw. We understand some students go to particular cities for the nightlife like Hess Village [the popular club district for McMaster University students]. We want to give students more options,” said Johnson.

Every Friday night Allure will host live music acts and promote local talent. While the music will be varied from night to night, students can expect the latest top 40 hits and dance music on the nights Allure hosts radio station 91.5 The Beat for their live-to-air broadcasting.

Allure will be open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and on select Sundays for special events. The grand opening will take place Thursday, February 14, to Sunday February 17.

There is no dress code but club goers are expected to dress-toimpress.

8AM classe$ are painful.

With an average student return of $1000, at least taxes are painless.*

95 $29.

student pricing & free SPC Card*

hrblock.ca | 800-HRBLOCK (472-5625)

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13 , 2013

NEWS

Jordan Johnston // news@thesputnik.ca

Out in the Cold braves snowstorm EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Olivia Rutt eic@thesputnik.ca

Dillon Giancola Staff

ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

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

CONTRIBUTORS Diane Sison Dillon Giancola Sikander Panag Oren Weiner Amber Richardson Stephanie Di Bartolo Craig Hagerman Madison Hawkins Elizabeth Medeiros Alicia Saunders Sebastien Bell Karly Rath Anthony Fusco Caitlin Henshaw Katelyn Cullum, The Cord

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

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

Casey outside of her temporary shelter. (Photo by Olivia Rutt)

Laurier students and other community members slept outside last Thursday night as part of Youth Homelessness Week, snowstorm and all. The Out in the Cold sleep-out event aimed to increase awareness of youth homelessness in the community and to raise funds for St. Leonard’s Community Services. 22 people participated, including five students and two professors.

The group was huddled together in the corner of the courtyard, each with their own custom built cardboard shelter and little else. Each person had their own inspiration for spending the night outside and wanting to experience what those less fortunate go through. The forecast was already pretty glum with minus 17 degrees expected, but the snow storm really tested their will. The event had to pack up early due to the closure of campus on Friday.

Kevin Lyons, a second year Health Studies student said it was bittersweet and

the extremely cold weather and snow made it unbearable at times.

“It was a humbling experience and really helped to put things in perspective,” said Lyons.

He said he was interested in finding out what it was like to spend a night on the streets. Lyons said that through talking with people from all different ways of life he was able to gain a new perspective on the issue.

“It was really enlightening to understand that this is a problem that people recognize and are trying to put an end to,” said Lyons.

Tamara Enzel, the president of the campus’ Social Justice Coalition helped put on the event. Ever since she read a book ten years ago about a girl on a mission trip, it opened her eyes to the fact that as she says, “One person can make a difference.”

Enzel has been interested in international human rights ever since. She

said she was pleased with the turnout and really impressed by the fact that faculty participated. This was her first time participating after seeing other people doing it previous years, and wondering what it would be like.

The Social Justice Coalition is a campus club that has been active in raising money and supporting causes in numerous events, including a spaghetti dinner for the Salvation Army and a bake sale for the Because I Am a Girl campaign.

Most recently, they had participated in International Development Day, with the proceeds also going to Because I Am a Girl.

Youth Homelessness Week is put on

by St. Leonard’s and consists of different events aimed to make the community more aware of the homelessness issue in Brantford. Other events that took place were The March for Homelessness, a soup challenge and a pasta dinner fundraiser.

Snow day closes Laurier Dillon Giancola Staff

Snow days aren’t just for kids. Laurier Brantford students gave a collective sigh of relief this past Friday morning as they realized the campus was closed for the day and all classes were cancelled. The closure was caused by a massive snow storm that hit the Brantford area Thursday night and into Friday, dumping around 30 centimetres of snow.

All schools in Brantford were closed, as well as many other businesses and facilities, but it was not just Brantford that was hit. All of Southern Ontario was affected by the storm with nearly every university and college shut down except Windsor and Toronto. Although the storm was forecasted ahead of time, it still caught many people by surprise as the snow had

not even started until four in the morning.

This could not have come at a better time as it is right in the middle of midterm season. All exams and projects have been pushed back, giving students a long weekend to get work done and to relax.

While this may have caused classes and workloads to be crammed this week, it is manageable as there is no school the following week due to reading week.

Environment Canada said that Friday’s storm was the biggest snow storm in the area in four years. Snow removal had already been an issue in Brantford during the last couple weeks, so the city will have their hands full for the next couple of days.

By Sunday evening, all major roads in the city had been plowed, but most residential

streets had yet to be cleared. Warmer weather was expected for the following few days after the storm including rain, which may help to reduce the snow a bit. However, big piles of plowed snow will stick around, making it hard to find parking.

Whether you enjoyed the snow fall or not, it was certainly a different and crazy scene around town. Snowmobiles were passing cars on King George road and it was common to see people getting out of their vehicles to help push other cars.

Snow is loved by some and hated by others, but we can all agree that snow days are great. Unless of course, you already have Fridays off.

The death of the Canadian penny Jordan Johnston News Editor

It will now cost more money to ask someone what they’re thinking. Four cents more to be exact.

The Canadian penny, the lowest currency has been around since 1858, but as of this month, the penny is dead. The penny was chosen by the Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, to be phased out as the cost of production is more than it is worth.

However, the penny is still able to be used as legal tender but is no longer able to be given back as change.

How this works is that the nearest two

cents is rounded to the nearest five cents.

One and two cents will be rounded down, and three and four cents rounded up to five cents. Here and there a couple cents will be lost, but overall the penny will soon be completely gone.

With the same look for the majority of its lifetime, the penny’s head presented the profile of the reigning British monarch (Queen Elizabeth for most of us) and its tails showed a vine of our nation’s symbol: the maple leaf. The last penny was minted in Winnipeg in 2012, changing the amount

of copper from 95 per cent to 94 per cent steel by the last time it was made.

In a poll conducted by the Canadian government, almost 30 per cent of adults were opposed to the death of the penny.

Pennies should be brought to banks if possible in order to take them out of circulation. Even though they are still allowed to be used, not all businesses will accept them and are expected to return these coins to the bank.

4

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

ON CAMPUS Melissa McGuffin // oncampus@thesputnik.ca

MLS troubles put students in limbo Desire2Learn’s and WLU’s MyLearningSpace experiences blackouts due to data migration of main servers Katelyn Cullum The Cord

MyLearningSpace (MLS), the online learning system at Wilfrid Laurier University that houses the majority of the institution’s courses, lecture notes, assignment guidelines and assignment submission boxes experienced an immense system failure throughout this past week.

Crashes, slow load times and website time-outs plagued the system, resulting in many students reacting angrily on social media. “The first thing that happened to us was that it was getting slow, and that’s when the whole thing started to unravel,” expressed Sandy Hughes, director: teaching support services.

On Jan. 29, the system began experiencing slowness and eventually reached system failure.

Virginia Jamieson, senior director of corporate communications at Desire2Learn, the host server of MyLearningSpace, explained that the company is still doing diagnostics to find out what happened.

“We haven’t released to the public yet the actual details,” she said.

Laurier was not aware of the data

migration Desire2Learn was completing last week, because the university did not anticipate the outage. The school was not the only one affected by this failure; 25 per cent of Desire2Learn’s customers, including the University of Waterloo, were affected.

Desire2Learn did keep customers up-todate on the outage through their Twitter and Facebook accounts, and also released of a letter from their CEO. “All affected Desire2Learn sites are now fully functional. We understand your frustration and anger. We will do better,” Desire2Learn tweeted on Friday. Students took to social network sites to express their anger, and sometimes amusement, with the continuous faulting system.

Monica Geary, a first-year student, expressed that the situation was extremely annoying and made students’ workload more stressful.

“Most professors use MLS, it’s the only outlet for communication,” she said.

Geary has a class that requires a quiz to be completed every Sunday night, and she was not able to access the information and

readings online until Friday. Unfortunately, her quiz was not pushed back.

Scott Ramsay, chair of the biology department, explained that he extended his deadlines for his classes. “You can’t penalize the students for an external problem that’s happening with the service provider,” he said.

Ken Boyd, director: ITC solutions at Laurier expressed that the school has a strong relationship with Desire2Learn.

“They are a very good partner of ours, but they are a young company, we are helping them as much as they are helping us,” he said.

“Once they start to make the change, they’re in it, until it finishes,” explained Boyd with regards to the data migration.

“They can’t stop, they can’t back out because they have to preserve the quality of the information other student records could be at risk.”

However, Jamieson ensured The Cord that Desire2Learn had addressed the issues as quickly as possible.

“We can say that we have, through all

of our resources, fixed the issue as quickly as possible, and by the end of the week, all the customers were back up and running.

We want to make sure that when are able to say that it is not going to happen again that we feel 100 per cent to back that up,” said Jamieson.

At the beginning of this week, MyLearningSpace was still experiencing slowness, which was attributed to a more specific issue with Laurier’s system.

“They had moved us to another server, I believe, and something wasn’t quite right with that one so they took us off of there,” Hughes discussed.

As of Tuesday morning, the Laurier campus was still experiencing technical issues, but that was not related to Desire2Learn.

“The problem was that our Internet pipe got completely saturated,” Boyd explained. “This problem was due to the Internet activity, which is through Orion [the internet provider]. We live in a connected world with partnerships with other firms. ”

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

ON CAMPUS

Melissa McGuffin // oncampus@thesputnik.ca

Prof Profile: Robyn Bourgeois Melissa McGuffin On Campus Editor

Some students have labeled her “the professor that used to be a drug addict and prostitute.”

However, for Dr. Robyn Bourgeois, her past is what makes her who she is today. Speaking of her personal experience allows for strong lectures and inspires others around her, including her students.

“I was too smart,” says Dr. Bourgeois with her contagious chuckle. “I took two intro courses and my prof said, ‘you know the stuff, don’t come back until you have to write the final.’ And so I thought to myself, ‘Why am I here?’ she explains as to why she was dissatisfied with her university institute and dropped out. With her family and high school sweet heart moving away to Vancouver, Dr. Bourgeois decided to move there as well, where she started living with an older guy she had met before leaving British Columbia.

At the time, Dr. Bourgeois was making money working as a manager at a clothing store, but seeing how little she made compared to her boyfriend at the

time, she quit and started to go on the drug deliveries with him. “Of course when you’re around all of that it’s really easy to slip into it because the drugs are there. And once that took hold, I’ve really always had drinking problems most of my life. It progressed so much that I couldn’t defend myself against him anymore. He hinted that we could make a ton of money if I sold myself on the streets,” explains Dr. Bourgeois. Her first reaction to his request was that of total disgust, but once he pressured her constantly and threatened her that if she did not sell herself, she would be killed.

In 1996 and 1997, the peak time of the Robert Pickton murders, Robyn was being trafficked, and relied on her friends and colleagues to make her feel safe. Finally, her and her parents had had enough, and Dr. Bourgeois got off the streets and took her life into her own hands and pursued a different path.

After receiving her BA and MA and being a PhD candidate at OISE/ UT, and 10 years of keeping silent, Dr. Bourgeois became more and more active and began to partake in activism towards preventing

violence against women.

The road to her recovery has not been an easy one, and Dr. Bourgeois continues to fight every day against her addiction. “Even now, I worry that people will still label me as the prostitute, or think that I used to be an addict and I will be again. But whatever,” says Dr. Bourgeois with a laugh. Speaking of her past has helped Dr. Bourgeois overcome her past, and has overall had a really positive response. “I don’t know if this makes sense, but I started feeling guilty, that I survived when others haven’t, that I had the privilege to get off the streets when other women didn’t. The guilt was overwhelming,” explains Dr. Bourgeois. It was the guilt that she felt that made her realize she has a privilege, and that she felt she had to use it to help other women.

And that is just what she has done. Dr. Bourgeois has devoted her studies to violence against Aboriginal women, and uses her experience to act as a role model for women who may have suffered abuse themselves. Laurier Brantford has the privilege of having such an incredible, brave, and intelligent professor.

World development converges on Brantford Oren Weiner Staff

Organizations and activists alike, promoting their own causes from around the world converged on Laurier Brantford’s campus to introduce to students the opportunities to make a difference worldwide. The event spanned a week, lasting from February 4th until the 8th.

“It’s supposed to encourage students to get involved, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of opportunities to get involved in the world,” said Kathy Rose, Laurier Brantford’s Global Engagement coordinator.

For the first time in its history, Laurier hosted International Development Week. This year’s theme goes by the phrase, “I Am Making a Difference,” as it is intended to encourage students to become more aware of the issues that are beyond the borders of the campus, and their country. The program’s lineup for the week included an Indigenous art sale, a Vow of Silence, international food fair and an open house for the newly developed Global Engagement Centre in the Research and Academic Centre East wing.

While the event’s activities were centered on encouraging students to get involved and become more aware of the world outside of North America, it also served as a window for faculty and staff at the university to take part.

“We tried to choose some events that would be appropriate for faculty, like an introduction to conducting research internationally,” Rose said.

International Development Week functions as the second part of the international awareness program series, preceded by International Education Week in the fall of 2012. Acting as the complimentary program to the fall one, this week also coincides with Black History Month, a February

observance. To accentuate this, the lineup also included an AfricanCanadian presence discussion.

Rose and her colleague, Melissa DiLeo, the International Student Advisor for the campus, recently opened the global engagement centre and seized this week’s event as an opportunity to introduce students to the opening of the department.

Rose commented, “We had our own objective to celebrate and introduce the opening of the Global Engagement Centre and to define and promote the Global Engagement Centre’s purpose and function through global and community participation.”

The development week program is a creation of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Rose explains, “Most universities, at some point, will apply for CIDA funding for international development projects. That’s why this kind of program is generally run through universities.”

CIDA’s objectives are generalized as an “effort to help people living in poverty,” working with internal government departments to accomplish this task. Their mission stretches all over the globe, extending their hand to countries that have been undergoing more difficult times like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan and Haiti among a total of 20.

CIDA lists its “priority themes” as increasing food security, ensuring successful futures for the youth in target countries and helping stimulate economic growth.

With issues springing up constantly, CIDA will continue its mission all over the world. As for the Global Engagement Centre, Kathy Rose and Melissa DiLeo will continue their own mission of spreading awareness within the world of Laurier Brantford.

Robyn Bourgeois (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

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6

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A&E

Courtney Langstaff // arts@thesputnik.ca

Risky gifts, no matter your style Madison Hawkins Staff Valentine’s Day is a day full of hearts and chocolate. It is a day for couples to spend a romantic evening together complete with flowers, jewelry, and a candle-lit dinner. Boyfriends rush around for those last minute stereotypical gifts that won’t disappoint. Men often refer it to as the ‘Hallmark’ holiday, but this is a day that girls dream about all year round. Single girls sit and pout while watching movies like The Notebook when they have no one to share a special valentines kiss with. So us girls, who are lucky enough to have a guy to play along on Feb. 14, should show some sexy appreciation to our men.

Guys don’t want a cute card filled with xo’s. They want to see you in your hottest lingerie and get you between the sheets. So if you’re looking to show your man some love this Valentines Day, try out some of these different sexy outfits.

The Sporty Girlfriend: Go out and buy yourself a new sports bra, one without the padding—so there is just a thin piece of fabric between him and your girls.

Pair it with sexy, colour matching lacy underwear and let him help you work up a sweat!

The Cute, Shy Girlfriend: If you’re a little on the shy side, nothing beats a matching bra and panty set. You’ll look polished and well put together. He won’t be able to take his hands off you!

The Classic Sexy Girlfriend: The pricy but classic naughty look is a matching corset that pushes your girls up to your neck, thong, and garter belt and knee-high stockings. Pair with sky-high stilettos and be prepared for your man to pounce like the masculine beast that he is.

The Kinky Girlfriend: Want to spice up the bedroom with a little S&M look?

Knee high pleather boots, dog collar, chain g-string and whip in hand. Just make sure your man can handle it.

The Playful Girlfriend: Looking to have a little fun? Dig up one of your old Halloween costumes (think sexy nurse or maid) and play dress up. Your man will love the excitement of role-playing.

The Bare-All Girlfriend: strip down to your birthday suit. Walk out of the washroom with nothing on, and give him the best surprise gift a guy can ask for.

There are so many options of different valentines attire.

Don’t be afraid to pick the wrong one, pick what you are comfortable with. No man will turn you down... and if he does, well then, maybe you should be rethinking the whole relationship!

Love. Sex. Relationships.

No topic is off-limits.

All submissions are completely anonymous.

Email ask.amber@thesputnik.ca.

A&E Corner: Valentine’s Day Favourites Album: Christina Perri – Lovestrong Stephanie Di Bartolo Whether you’re in a relationship or not on Valentines Day, let’s face it, you turn to music to soothe the mood you’re in to get you through the love-hyped day. The best thing about Christina Perri’s Lovestrong is it will appeal to the single, broken-hearted, in-love, or whatever you may be on that day. Perri has a knack for analyzing every single emotion related to love and turning her experiences with both successful and failed relationships into the most beautiful and unique songs, not only lyrically but musically as well.

Whatever feeling you have towards love, there’s a song about it on this album. The best romantic song for the lovebirds, in my opinion, is Arms, and the best heartbreak song is the singer’s very popular Jar of Hearts. This album will always be a 10 out of 10 in my book.

Show: Weeds Amber Richardson Being single around Valentine’s Day sucks.

But you know what sucks more? Being a single mom pot dealer who has to do “brick dances” to get drugs. Weeds is my new obsession, and I’ve powered through three seasons in less than a week. It is an awesome pick-me-up when you think life kind of sucks, and a great way to escape from the stress of school. There’s also tons of relationship-y stuff included from teens to moms. Want to know when to have sex with your boyfriend for the first time? Want to know how long to wait to date after your husband dies?

Want to know how to dump a DEA agent? Well, all the answers lie within the first three seasons of this hilarious so-messed-up-it’s-probably-true comedy series. If you want to share the sorrow of losing a lover, or you just want justification for smoking pot, this show delivers it all.

Movie: He’s just not that into you Madison Hawkins With Valentines Day around the corner, romantic comedies and love story movies are being watched by girls everywhere. One movie that I love is He’s just not that into you with

Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Connelly. No matter if you are taken or single this movie is a must watch! It has been my go-to Valentine’s movie since it came out in 2009. It takes you on a journey of many ups and downs of different kinds of relationships. You feel every emotion in the book while watching the movie, but at the end you are left smiling and hopeful that you will be someone’s love exception. It’s a lighthearted movie with awesome actors and multiple love stories that anyone can relate to.

You won’t be disappointed after watching this movie your heart will be left smiling!

Movie: My Bloody Valentine Courtney Langstaff All right, so I am by no means a V-Day Hater or Cynic. I actually really do secretly love the day and the traditions; I am a big suck at heart.

However, I do like to add a Courtney twist to the day of love, the only way I know how: with a cheesy horror flick. My Bloody Valentine both the original and the remake is one good way to

t u r n t h e day of love into a cheesy, sexy and thrilling evening. Not to mention the cast includes a couple characters that are quite easy on the eyes for both men and women. So, for all of you people not into a typical V-Day flick that includes Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams and, oh yeah, Ryan Gosling - Check out this film that takes Valentines Day and adds a twist of blood instead of chocolate.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday,February 13, 2013

A&E

Courtney Langstaff // arts@thesputnik.ca

Screw Hallmark and sex-it-up Amber Richardson Staff There is a universal image for Valentine’s Day: a heart shaped box of mediocre chocolates, roses, and a cheesy Hallmark card that makes you blush for the wrong reasons. This year, whether you’re single or taken, ditch the traditional clichés of Valentine’s Day and get sexy instead.

Singles: Valentine’s Day can be brutal for even the most adamant “I don’t need anyone” kind of people. This Valentine’s Day, slip into something that makes you sizzle (possibly a red sweetheart neckline dress, or a spiffy fitted suit) and go out. Gather your single friends and go to speed dating. You will either end up hooking up with someone who loves or hates V-day just as much as you, or you will have a blast laughing at everyone (including yourself) on your way back. If this is not an option, go to your local sex store, buy a toy, and have a fun night for one at home.

And remember, if you have a f**k buddy, you should call them (they’re likely single and lonely too).

Couples: Since Valentine’s Day is a corporate scam to get couples to waste money on each other for the sake of love, I say, “screw it”. There is nothing sexy about plastic wrapped chocolate, or a fuzzy gorilla that comes to life at the push of a button and sings, “Wild Thing.” Here are my sweet to sexy transformations that will ensure that you and your honey have a sexy Valentine’s Day which, let’s face it, is so much better.

Ditch the box of chocolates and get body chocolate instead.

Who wouldn’t love their partner licking chocolate off of all the erogenous zones? No one, that’s who, go get some body chocolate and write sexy things all over your lover’s body, then take your time getting rid of it.

Screw Hallmark and Sext it up. (Ladies only) Unfortunately guys, ladies still like the sweet little nothings written in V-day cards, but it doesn’t mean you need to buy one. If you make it yourself, she will find it so much sexier, and your chances of a happy ending are skyrocketed. And ladies, it’s a pretty well known fact that most men hate cards, so don’t waste your money. If you sext him throughout the day instead, it will drive him WILD.

Who needs a teddy bear when you can get a real toy?

Don’t buy teddy bears! Buy something that will remind your lover of how sexy you are year round. Buy your man some cuffs or a fleshlight (if you’re not too jealous of the faux vag), or buy a toy that he can use on you. You will get 365 times more use out of it, and you won’t even have to throw it out if you break up.

Don’t go on a boring date.

If you want to make V-day date night, you might as well make it a date that ensures great sex at the end of it. Opt for something that gets blood pumping and adrenaline rushing through your body. Try a rock concert, a risky hike, or even taboozing (tobogganing while drunk).

The excitement of the night will definitely carry on in the bedroom if you ditch the typical dinner and movie V-day date.

THE CHARTS

By: Stephanie Di Bartolo, The Sputnik’s watchdog of the local, national and everchanging music scene. On this week’s agenda:

TOP CHARTING LOVE SONGS Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - If I had a Gun...

Christina Perri - Arms Florence + The Machine - Never Let Me Go Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait

Coldplay - ‘Til Kingdom Come Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Atlas Hands

Foster The People - I Would Do Anything For You Hollerado - Pick Me Up

Suggestions? Tell us what album, band, or artist you want to see reviewed or featured in The Sputnik by emailing arts@thesputnik.ca

8

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

FEATURES

Layla Bozich// features@thesputnik.ca

Rape revenge movies Karly Rath Staff

Safe in Hell (1931) This early film was one of the first of its kind. The protagonist may not have been raped per se but Van Saal exploits her and forces her into prostitution. Eventually, she vengefully murders him for ruining her life. The jury is not sympathetic: She is convicted for murder and executed.

Lipstick (1976) After Chris McCormick, a sexy model, rejects an interested older musician named Gordon, her life changes. Gordon forces her to perform oral sex on him and anally rapes her to the rhythm of his self-composed music. McCormick tries to erase the rape from her mind as she repeatedly shoots Gordon to death.

I Spit on Your Grave (1978) Its infamous movie poster reads “This woman has just cut, chopped, broken and burned five men beyond recognition… but no jury in America would ever convict her!”

After Jennifer is passed around like a piece of meat, she feels the need to get revenge on her five rapists. Throughout the film, she violently murders each and every one.

No One Could Protect Her (1996) What makes this rape-revenge film unique is that it is based off of the real life rapist and murderer Harvey Miguel Robinson.

He was convicted at the age of 18 years old. Two years later, this film was released depicting the experience of one of his victims who escaped. In the film adaptation, she did not simply use the court system to bring him to justice.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) In this recent Hollywood film, the first movie of a novel trilogy, the protagonist, Blomkvist is chained to a bed and brutally raped. Later on, she chains him to a bed and rapes him. Then she tattoos his body, identifying him as a rapist. Murder is next on the agenda for Blomkvist.

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Rape revenge movies Karly Rath Staff

Beginning a movie with a woman being brutally raped, and ending it with her vengefully murdering her offender is a surefire way to reel viewers in. Film directors know sex, violence, power, and revenge are a recipe for high ratings.

Rape-revenge story lines are embedded into many blockbuster movies—from low budget horror films to Hollywood thrillers. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I Spit on Your Grave are both examples.

Deborah Singh believes these films are only realistic when it comes to victims’ emotions of anger and vengefulness.

Singh is a counsellor at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape, and is a victim of sexual assault herself.

“I think we, as survivors, feel angry that someone can abuse us and get away with it, or perpetrators never have to think about it again like survivors do,” Singh said., “Survivors want justice, we want revenge, and we want him to pay the way we have paid.”

Yet, Singh has not dealt with many women who use violence to act on these feelings.

Laurier Brantford professor Dr. Judy Eaton believes revenge is natural. But as her research shows, “ultimately, it’s better for victims if they let go of these vengeful feelings.”

Eaton has a PhD in Social Psychology, and has researched why victims of violent crimes choose to attend their offenders’ execution on death row. After interviewing many victims who have witnessed their offenders being killed, she claims the impact is more negative than positive.

“They sometimes express disappointment, either that the offender didn’t apologize, or that the method of execution was too humane, or that they didn’t feel the relief they had hoped for,” Eaton said.

Kate-Christine Miller, community liaison of the feminist magazine Shameless, believes these films are satisfying to women because they offer “an easy solution to violence” that does not involve the complications of the justice system.

Miller works in a Hincks-Dellcrest Centre open custody home with male youth who have been charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) including some that have committed sexual assault.

Miller does not see the protagonists’ murderous actions as a feminist triumph, but instead a dehumanizing assumption that all men who commit these crimes are “scumbags” who do not deserve second chances.

“People who commit sexual assault are people,” Miller said.

She thinks these movies completely undermine rehabilitation for men who commit sexual assault.

Treatment is what makes her feel safe, not simply detaining them.

She also believes the films are too individualistic.

“They feed into this patriarchal myth that men are generally good, and there are a few who are evil,” said Miller.

It is clear there are many layers to these films.

Unraveling the effects these movies have on society and the psychology behind the woman’s actions show there is much more involved in these movies than a woman on a death mission.

We have a club?

Sebastien Bell Staff

Ask almost any campus club at Laurier Brantford what the most common question they receive from students is, and the answer will likely be: “We have a [insert club name here] club?”

This is a frustrating question for Lewis Wood, an administrator for our campus’ ski club, the Snow Hawks. The club was created three years ago, and was a great success in its first year. It saw diminishing interest last year and now the Snow Hawks face extinction.

Among myriad reasons for their drop in membership, the club’s leaders cite the high turnover in membership and leadership, the cost of skiing, and a new member fee, introduced for sports clubs this year. The fee is $25 and, on top of the already high price of lift tickets, can be off-putting to prospective members.

The fee would not be as big an issue if the club’s trips were subsidized, which they could be.

“It’s a catch-22 for us, though,” said Wood. The member fee helps to subsidize club activities, but “we need members to get subsidies.”

Though this fee does not apply to clubs that are not sports related, most clubs face similar challenges.

Falynn Wynacht, Campus Clubs Coordinator, said “it is hard to get a lot of people as [some clubs] appeal to people with specific interests.”

According to Wynacht, most clubs have around 10-15 members.

Despite the many opportunities around campus, advertising remains a troublesome topic for many clubs.

“Advertising has perhaps been the most frustrating thing for me, every year,” said founder of the Improv Club, Christopher Tanaka-Mann.

Clubs are free to make use of advertising venues that include LBTV, the online Student Union website, posters around campus, weekly news, Facebook groups, and Twitter. Clubs can also advertise during the Clubs Fair at the beginning of the year, but not everyone who signs up will show up. According to Andrew Henderson, president of the 14-member WLU Poker Association, “weekly turnout only rests around five to eight.”

One issue the club presidents raise is that our campus is quite small. Though we are attached to a medium sized university and carry its name, we still have comparatively few students. According to Tanaka-Mann, our clubs may feel especially small when meeting similar clubs from other schools.

“Believe me,” he said, “at Brock University’s Improv Summit last year, we felt tiny.”

This comparison is especially unflattering for the Snow Hawks, whose Waterloo campus counterparts, the Laurier Ski and Snowboard Club, far exceed them in membership.

Persistence, said Tanaka-Mann, is one of the most important qualities a club president can have.

“Ultimately, if you want to start a club, you must want it,” said Tanaka-Mann.

Unfortunately for the Snow Hawks, no matter how much they want it, they may have to face the very hard reality that students do not. If they cannot prove otherwise, there may not be any Snow Hawks next year.

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9

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

FEATURES

Layla Bozich // features@thesputnik.ca

The endless quest for exposure: one author brings life to millions who have lost it

Layla Bozich Features Editor

“Some people call me the Genocide Queen.”

Marsha Skrypuch earned this title through writing books. As a Ukrainian born in Brantford, she has penned over 10 titles about a myriad of problems throughout time, including wars, immigration, famine, and yes, genocide.

“I like to give voice to people who have not been able to have a voice,” said the 58-year-old author.

Skrypuch’s goal is to normalize a variety of people’s experiences from around the world. When she could not find a body of fiction about Armenian experiences and hardships at the library, she decided to begin her research and recount those events herself. She wanted to know who spoke for the millions of people who had died in the Armenian Genocide from 1915-18 through deportations and massacres. She realized that many survivors of the genocide had lost their identities, and she felt obligated to tell their stories.

With her Master’s Degree in Library Science, Skrypuch considers herself to be a detective. She found the diary of a girl who survived the genocide from a library in California, where there was only one copy available. She needed it. After ordering it through an interlibrary loan, Skrypuch was allowed to have it for 48 hours to transcribe as much as she could. Multiply that experience by 50, she said, and she has enough information for a single novel.

However, research became easier as time went on and word spread about her works.

“Just by the fact of writing the first book in an authoritative and respectful way ... all of a sudden I was brought into the Armenian community and trusted with these things that they didn’t want to show other people, because they were afraid of how they would be used,” she said.

Skrypuch said approximately 85 per cent of Armenians living in Turkey at the time of the genocide were killed, and the remaining 15 per cent were saved by Muslims. Because of this, it was clearly difficult for an Armenian to write on the topic due to their intolerance for the Turks.

“You have to look within the community and see the shining lights who were able to transcend the politics and hate of the time and risk their lives to help their fellow human beings,” she said.

Dr. Dave Jenkinson is a retired professor at the University of Manitoba, and he taught children’s and adolescent’s literature courses for over three decades.

He has been the editor of CM: Canadian Review of Materials, an online book review journal, for 15 years.

During his years as a professor, Jenkinson used Skrypuch’s novels in his classes as “examples of excellence in the [historical fiction] genre.”

“All truly good books have to speak to a wide audience, and Marsha’s novels do that because, at their core, they address fundamental human concerns that transcend both time and place,” said Jenkinson.

Many of Skrypuch’s works are marketed to schoolchildren and young adults,

despite dealing with ghastly and grotesque recollections of past horrors. She said that readers are more likely to identify with the victim of her fiction when marketed to children or young adults, because in most cases, “the victim is the dessert” for adulttargeted fiction. For Skrypuch, “children’s lit is written to change the world.”

However, after Enough’s release in 2000, Skrypuch’s own life was at stake.

The story, written about a young girl and her father saving a Ukrainian village from famine by tricking the sadistic leader, resulted in death threats and hate mail so callous that Skrypuch started bringing police protection to her book launches. She had to cancel her son’s birthday party, and the police had to accompany him to recess when he was in kindergarten. Slurs such as “neo-Nazi” were hurled at Skrypuch for speaking out about Holodomor, the Soviet Union’s man-made famine that killed almost 10 million Ukrainians from 1932-33.

After the release of Hope’s War in 2001, another story based on World War II Ukraine, the hate mail started again.

“It was a really dark time for me, and I didn’t know if I would continue to write,” she said.

Skrypuch’s self-proclaimed breakout book, Nobody’s Child, rekindled her passion for writing after it was released in 2003. It focused on an Armenian girl rescued by her friend before she suffered a horrific fate in the Armenian Genocide. Skrypuch moved from doing eight school visits a year to over 160 a year to promote her book. Nobody’s Child was shortlisted for

awards both nationally and internationally the following year.

It was not until many years later that a Ukrainian book was treated with the same respect.

Viktor Yushchenko, former President of Ukraine, awarded Skrypuch with the Order of Princess Olha for Enough in 2008, celebrating the first commercial piece of fiction written about Holodomor in the English speaking world. The award, a Ukrainian civil decoration, is given to citizens for “outstanding achievements in development of economy, science, culture, social sphere, defense of Motherland, protection of man’s constitutional rights and freedoms, state building and public activity, [and] for other services before Ukraine.”

“Marsha’s fiction and nonfiction puts a human face on past events which could easily become just forgotten footnotes in history,” said Jenkinson, “Because Canada has, fortunately, never experienced war firsthand on our soil, we need to be made aware of the horrendous impact that armed conflict, whether it be within a single country or between countries, can have on ordinary people.”

Skrypuch’s sharpened research skills, and knack for keeping an audience allows the stories of historical horrors to reach around the globe, though she sees her own work on a much simpler scale.

“I will never dwell on the despicable nature of some people,” she said, “I like to highlight the heroism.”

10

The Sputnik // Wednesday,February 13, 2013

SPORTS Kyle Morrison // sports@thesputnik.ca

Ronda Rousey breaks through into male-dominated UFC Anthony Fusco Staff The UFC has made many significant changes to its organization in the recent past. They opened a flyweight division and now have the organizations first champion of that weight class. They recently have confirmed that a strawweight division is in the works for fighters weighing in around the 115 pound. Both of these changes are significant for the UFC. But there is one change that is bigger than both of those: the addition of women to the UFC. WMMA (Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mixed Martial Arts) has historically never been as popular as the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side of things. A fighter by the name of Gina Carano used to be the face of WMMA. Often known for her beauty, more importantly she was charismatic and she could fight. The trouble is that after a brutal knockout in the first round, she hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t set foot in an octagon since.

With Carano out of the sport, WMMA was quickly losing power and interest. That is until Ronda Rousey showed up. Rousey was a Judo bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing games. After winning the medal, she was unsure of where to go career wise. She tried a few waitressing jobs before finally deciding to fight.

Rousey got into the cage for her first amateur fight and won by hip tossing her opponent to the ground and securing and armbar submission. This has since become her trademark move for finishing fights. Her two subsequent amateur bouts went much the same. Hip toss to armbar, armbar to victory.

After a perfect amateur record of 3-0, Rousey decided to turn professional.

She fought two bouts in smaller organizations, which she won by armbar in the first

round. Strikeforce, an organization that employed female MMA fighters as well as male fighters, then signed her.

Being in front of a bigger audience seemingly made Rousey even better. She won her first two Strikeforce fights, and was granted a title shot at the then champion, Miesha Tate.

It was Rouseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toughest fight yet, but she was able to secure an armbar near the end of the first round and capture the belt. By now, Rousey was on the minds of everyone associated with MMA. Her meteoric rise had been incredible, but she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done yet.

After defending her belt against Sarah Kaufman, Rousey and the UFC broke ground and did something never seen before. She signed a UFC contract and became the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ban-

tamweight champion.

Rousey is everything the UFC could want. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well spoken, extremely marketable and very talented. She has become the face of WMMA and has taken it to places that many thought were not possible. On February 23, Rousey will break ground again by being the first woman to headline a UFC pay-per-view.

She will defend her championship belt against tough challenger, Liz Carmouche. From waitressing to becoming a UFC champion, the rise of the star that is Ronda Rousey keeps on flying high. A reporter once asked UFC president Dana White if there would ever be women in the UFC. His response was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Never.â&#x20AC;? A few years later and we have a woman champion headlining a fight card. Never say never, Dana.

Health and Fitness Emma Dillabough Staff

Summer slim-down Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to imagine sun and sand while winter is in full effect, but right now is the perfect time to start getting in shape. Here are five tips to ensure you look and feel fantastic this summer.

Tip #1: Stop eating junk food! Hide the chips and buttered popcorn and reach for something a little healthier, like carrots and hummus. This doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean to completely stop eating--instead focus on eating fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.

Tip #2: Do not starve yourself. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just end up binging and being unhappy. In fact, do the opposite. Try eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day. I find this tip helps me stay on track and away from craving junk food.

Tip #3: Make water your beverage of choice. This is my favourite tip.

Surprisingly you can drop a few pounds simply by removing juice and pop from your diet. Unfortunately alcohol also packs calories so opt for a cold glass of water instead of a vodka lime.

Tip #4: Hit the gym! Exercise is not only fun but will also help you burn mega calories when combined with a healthy diet. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re new to the gym, try out a fitness class at the Wilkes House Recreation Centre such as Zumba or Bootcamp.

Tip #5: Lastly, be realistic about your goals. Your body wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change overnight or even in a week so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get discouraged. Stick with it! Remember that it takes time and consistency to lose weight.

Always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or eating plan to ensure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right for you. Start now, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be glad you did!

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11

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

SPORTS Kyle Morrison // sports@thesputnik.ca

Men’s extramural hockey team victorious at home

Tourneyment champions (Photo courtesy of Lynne Gulliver)

Craig Hagerman Staff “Everyone was pumped, coming in here we were fired up.”

This was how Captain David Howe described the mentality of the Laurier Brantford’s extramural hockey team coming into Friday’s tournament at the Wayne Gretzky Centre. The team was looking to build off a solid tournament at Conestoga where the team lost a heartbreaker in the semi-finals.

Laurier started off the tournament against the highly ranked St. Lawrence College from Cornwall. The game was highlighted by a parade of penalties going against both teams. Laurier was able to weather the wrath of penalties and take a 3-0 lead. The lead held up until St. Lawrence broke the shutout with just seconds remaining, but that was all they got as Laurier took the first game 3-1.

After the game, assistant captain Andrew Pawluk spoke about the importance of the team’s penalty kill.

“Special teams played a huge role, especially in that first game our penalty kill, where we faced a lot of five-on-threes against us. So, special teams played a huge role in us getting the victory,” said Pawluk.

In their second game, the guys took on Redeemer College, where once again special teams played a vital role. Laurier connected on two power plays, both coming

off the stick of Pawluk. Laurier came out on top over Redeemer 4-2 and with the win secured a birth in the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals the Hawks faced a strong team from Sheridan College. Laurier ran into penalty trouble early on, but the Hawks had the last laugh. Michael Mazurek blocked a Sheridan point shot and took off on a breakaway. Mazurek rifled a shot high over the blocker on the Sheridan goalie put Laurier up 1-0. Sheridan tied the game just seconds later on the power play.

The game remained tied until Jake Milligan sealed the win for the Hawks with just 10.9 seconds left in the game. With the 2-1 victory, Laurier headed to the finals.

Laurier faced McMaster in the finals and it didn’t take long for the guys to hit the scoreboard. Blake Dionne found the back of the net just minutes into the game and it seemed like the momentum was on Laurier’s side.

The teams exchanged goals, and after the second McMaster held the lead at 3-2.

Things looked down for the Hawks, but they came out flying in the third. Howe tied the game just 1:20 into the period. Milligan then answered just seconds after Howe’s tally, giving Laurier a 4-3 lead.

The guys would not look back after this. Clay Chalmers hopped on a Mazurek rebound and make it 5-3 Laurier. McMas-

ter cut the lead to one, but with just 30 seconds remaining Tanner Rutland sealed the game with an empty-netter, giving Laurier a 6-4 victory and its first tournament win in team history.

Throughout the tournament the Hawks had solid offensive contribution from its top two lines, but captain David Howe believes it was the play of freshman goaltender Ben Brenner who shone for the Golden Hawks throughout the team’s four games.

“He was by far the player of the tournament. All tournament he stood on his head,” said Howe.

Pawluk added, “He gave us the chance to win all tournament, so we owe him.”

On top of the stellar play of Brenner, Laurier also received an offensive jolt from their line of Mazurek, Milligan, and Chalmers, as the trio was responsible for ten goals in the four games.

As Howe explained, “Kellan [Herr] came up with the line and Mazurek opened the ice and even got a few breaks and then you have Milly and Chalms, who has pretty nice hands in tight, and Milligan who was skating hard to get him the puck.”

On Friday, the guys also thrived to do something that had been seldom seen by the team until recently, and that was playing together as a team. In the past, it

seemed as though the guys were playing as individuals, which was clearly not the case this time around.

“We had a very solid team effort,” said Pawluk, “The boys played with a lot of heart.”

“It was an all-around team effort and it was just a matter of clicking,” added Howe, “We have a very tight-knit group and tonight we’re going to be celebrating and last week we got together, so everyone trusts each other.”

Recreation Programs Coordinator Lynne Gulliver believes the tournament is not only a reflection on the success of the team, but also to the school itself.

“With winning an OCAA sanction tournament the Men’s Hockey team has created Laurier Brantford history. In only three short years the Extramural program has grown and with this win we have been able to prove how strong athletics is on this campus, and with qualifying for the Challenge Cup we are able to go up against the best hockey teams in the OCAA,” said Gulliver.

The guys qualified for Challenge Cup with the tournament win and will now head to Oshawa on March 21-22, where they will look to keep this ball of recent success rolling and prove they are the real deal.

The precarious problem of PEDs in sports Kyle Morrison Sports Editor Deer antler spray, blood doping, human growth hormone, steroids and who knows what else athletes are putting into their bodies to try and gain an advantage in their sport, have been in the spotlight throughout the month of January and into the beginning of February.

With more and more revelations of star players admitting to using or what is more likely to be the case, being found out about using performance enhancing drugs, can fans accept a player’s accomplishments on-field at face value? Or, are those accomplishments even that impressive any-

more?

Take Lance Armstrong, for example. After a decade of investigations and inquiries into whether or not he used any PEDs, the winner of an unprecedented seven Tour de France cycling victories, which some consider to be one of the greatest sporting achievements ever, begrudgingly gave up trying to prove his innocence and admitted to being involved in blood doping scandals he had been caught up in for so many years.

One of the many reasons sports fascinates the masses is because of the sheer physical ability

athletes (are supposed to) have to achieve improbable victories while beating unbelievable odds.

If it’s more drug and less true ability, the air gets let out of great sports storylines very quickly.

And even in the case of sports moments that have not been tarnished by PEDs, do we know that for sure? We’ll never really know.

Drug testing is at such a high priority these days in sports, but you never know--the labs will always be a step ahead.

Many are probably ambivalent on the matter; surprised or disappointed when an athlete is first ousted, but easily fades into

the distance once the bright lights are shining on the field the next day.

In today’s world, sports are a business. No suspension or ban is going to stop athletes from trying to get a leg up on the competition and gain that fame and fortune.

And no fan is going to truly advocate for a ban if their team is winning. As long as it’s not officially announced or released to the media that their star player cheating, most fans won’t care and neither will ownership, because those fans in those seats add more digits to the bottom line.

PEDs will always be in the

same conversation, as sports; that dirty little secret that you know should be addressed, but you can’t quite blurt it out completely.

Sure, each professional sport now has much stricter drug testing, but it won’t ever be enough. Competition and greed get the best of us.

Many grow up being taught to play fair and are punished for not playing fair. And when you get punished you’re told, “cheaters never prosper”, but I guess they’ve never seen the world of sports.

12

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 13, 2013

OPINION Leisha Senko // opinion@thesputnik.ca

X-Men, not X-Women Caitlin Henshaw Staff They were the heroes of your childhood.

The team of superheroes you could actually see yourself being a part of. They were the X-Men, a team of mutant men and women each born with a unique set of superpowers. This year, Marvel is bringing them back in a bold new way.

In their latest incarnation, creators Brian Wood and Oliver Coipel have put together an all female team of X-Men to fight off an impending invasion of alien forces. Wood and Coipel are AList creators in the comic book world and have managed to generate a lot of buzz for their new pet project.

Marvel doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to producing female heroes, often ignoring them or drawing them like soft-core porn stars. But X-Men has been one of the few avenues where Marvel has managed to get it right. They’ve created a slew of powerful, strong willed heroines and are now taking advantage of that with this new series.

The cover art alone speaks volumes of Wood and Coipel’s enlightened approach. Rather than falling back on anatomically incorrect cleavage shots (that female heroes are subjected to far too often), Wood and Coipel’s cover looks like a poster for an all girl rock band. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean the series itself will be good, but in the comic book world the cover can actually say quite a bit about what’s inside a book’s pages.

Before the first issue has even been released though, there has been an online push by some fans to change the title of the series. As of right now the series is simply being called “X-Men,” but some fans have been suggested that an all female team needs its own title. “X-Women” and “XX” were two of the main suggestions tweeted to creator Brian Wood. Thankfully, Wood’s responses to these tweets show why he’s exactly the right person to be writing this series. “...Over my dead body,” he tweeted, “They’re X-Men. Always have been.”

He’s quite right too. Storm, Rouge and Jubilee, the leading members of this new X-Men series, have all been long time members of the XMen team. From the very beginning, X-Men has never been a team of just men. It’s what makes the series so appealing. Anyone can be a mutant and anyone can be hero (or villain if that’s your thing).

The “men” in X-Men has always been a reference to the not-so-politically-correct term “mankind” and the fact mutants stand apart from them. The title has never been a reference to gender of its team members, but the fact that we’re having this debate now highlights an unfortunate tendency of today’s post-feminist so-

ciety.

In the patriarchal days of past, women often banded together as a way of empowering themselves against female oppression. There was strength in numbers and all girl groups were a means of rebelling against the male dominated system that refused to admit them. The point of declaring to the world “we are women” though was not to set women apart. Feminism at its core has always been about equality. For the most part, North American society has managed to achieve that goal, at least in a legal sense. Society always takes a bit more time to catch up though as this X-Women debate has shown.

It’s funny too because this desire to label the team “X-Women” doesn’t actually spawn from some sexist desire to set women apart. At the heart of it, I would chalk this up to humanity’s obsessive need to group and label everything.

It’s understandable too. Labels make things easier for us. They allow us to attach traits to people and make assumptions without actually having to get to know a person. When people see a group of super powered women they want to call them a group of “women,” rather than just a group. The label “women” makes things more specific and easier for our brains to understand.

The problem though is that if this were a group of all super powered men, we wouldn’t feel the same need to label them so. It’s the backlash we feel of a once male dominated society.

Men are still considered the norm. Women are something different, a deviation from the norm.

It doesn’t matter that mentally, physically and legally women can do just about anything men can do. Nor does it matter that all people, male or female, are far more complicated than their gender label implies. We still feel this innate desire to put them in a neat little box. Thus, spawns our need to label this new X-Team as “X-Women.”

Lucky for us, Brian Wood understands that a character is more than just their gender. In an interview with Wired magazine he stated “the key to writing good female characters is simply to try to understand them on a human level first, and then consider the character from a perspective of gender.”

It’s sad that I’m so shocked to hear these words coming out of the mouth of a man. Thinking of them as a person first? Considering their brains before their breasts? By God, what a revolutionary thought! But hearing it gives me hope for both humanity and the future of the Marvel franchise. At the end of the day, all anyone wants is to be seen for what they are: people. In the land of capes and heroes, that goes double. This new team X-Men may be women, but they’re heroes first.

X-woman (Art by Diane Sison)

How WiFi is ruining education Leisha Senko Opinion Editor Oh the horror, the horror of that clicking. The nonstop, sadistic cackling of keyboards, as they join in with tens of others, morphing into a never-ending cacophony of sound. The odd student, with a notepad and pen, stands as an island of serenity amongst a sea of cold screens. Many of which are logged into familiar and colorfully distracting websites, beckoning every eye stationed behind.

The professor, lecturing at the front of the room, is forced to compete. She or he is helpless as so many are sucked into the technological vortex, never to be heard from again. In essence, every class is a cage match between the Internet; basically a one-stop shop for everything entertaining, and one lone person attempting furiously to make theory entertaining.

In almost every Laurier Brantford class, this is standard. In fact, in nearly every university classroom in North America, this is considered totally normal. Yet, should it be? Widespread professor fatigue, multiple studies linking this type of multitasking with lower levels of productivity, and student’s own anecdotal tales of being

distracted by the glowing screens of their peers, should be enough to say that in an academic sense, the answer is probably no.

Free will, and self-determination are all well and good, but when they become an impediment to the learning of others, most would agree, we have an issue at hand.

Logically then, this should be enough to prompt action. Unfortunately, every Canadian University must not only act as an institution of higher learning, but also as a business. The latter is what blurs these lines.

While wireless internet in the classroom may be a powerfully distracting force, so much so that some professors take to walking up and down aisles during lectures to check on screens, nearly every Canadian university feels compelled to provide it. This includes prestigious names like McGill and Queens. Yes, their top tier students are just as hypnotized. A survey done by Online Colleges, attempts to make sense of this. They found in 2011 that sixty per cent of perspective students wouldn’t attend a university that doesn’t provide free, readily available wifi on cam-

pus, making it a competitive necessity. On top of this, seventy-three per cent of these same students believe it is important for their academic success.

Academic success, coincidently, is yet another term that students and faculty don’t always see eye to eye on. Traditionally, education was a privilege lauded as an exhausting and uncomfortable exercise, in line with Plato’s metaphor of a bright, permeating light bearing into your skull.

Not the image that most campus recruiters really want to paint for expectant twelfth graders. Today, with university education perceived as a necessary step before a career, more and more students view their degree as a means to an end; nothing more than a formality, acquired without having to put the effort in. It’s an attitude that would explain the glazed over expressions and flashing computer screens that can be spotted in any given lecture. I know that I’ve been guilty at times. It’s an infectious apathy that breeds a certain type of learning culture; one that’s accented by such unsavory realities as grade inflation and lowered entrance standards.

This dichotomy is painful for old institutions trying to be relevant to the new. But it seems like an even more painful experience for new institutions trying to rise in the ranks. Fearful of being passed over or labeled out of touch, they have no other choice but to rush head first into a predicament that other professors and students all over the globe, are currently negotiating and renegotiating. It’s an issue that brings up many important and disturbing realities, including our reliance on technology, the commoditization of learning and the slow suffocation of learning for learning’s sake.

All of this can’t help but raise a very fundamental question. Do the market and education really go hand in hand? Or are there fissures in the system, cracks and clashes, that force us to face the modern university’s most troubling conundrum: If in business the customer is always right, how do we tell students that sometimes they’re wrong?