Issue 13 - February 26, 2014

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sputnik

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014 - Issue 13 // www.thesputnik.ca

News

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On Campus

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Features

6

A&E

8

Sports

10

Opinion

12

Partnership with Laurier likely page 3

Yellow Brick Wall: Art for Laurier Brantford page 5

Laurier Brantford has been #NekNominated page 4

Canadian Spotlight: USS page 9

Who’s afraid of the big, bad feminist? page 12

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

NEWS

Nathanael Lewis // news@thesputnik.ca | @Sputnik_News

Seniors to get support: Ontario accepting applications EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Layla Bozich eic@thesputnik.ca ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR

Rohith Sothilingam rohith@wlusp.com (519) 756-8228 ext. 5948 PHOTO EDITOR Cody Hoffman photography@thesputnik.ca ART EDITOR Rebecca Duce visual@thesputnik.ca WEB EDITOR Sylvia Hernandez-Rassavong web@thesputnik.ca COPY EDITORS Kyrsten Lowell Jessica Lalonde SECTION EDITORS Nathanael Lewis, News Now Hiring, On Campus Dillon Giancola, Features Amber Richardson, A&E Kyle Morrison, Sports Cody Groat, Opinion

CONTRIBUTORS Brittany Bennett Kathleen Binder Stevan Bodrozic Jaclyn Brown Hannah Brunsdon Brian Holland Chris Pimentel Kristen Rodgers

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The Sputnik is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo. Contact Allison Leonard - 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: Cody Hoffman Left: Dorian Wilson Centre: musiccanada.com Right: Rebecca Duce

Nathanael Lewis News Editor

Communities can now begin to apply with the Ontario government for the new Seniors Community Grant. The applications are being taken from not-for-profits which are looking to help seniors feel more connected with their communities. According to Statistics Canada, by the year 2016, seniors in Ontario will well outnumber the youth under 14 years old. In 2011, 14,265 people living in Brantford were classified as seniors. Brant MPP Dave Levac has made a strong effort to increase the availability

of services for seniors within Brant. Levac was sadly not available for comment. “The Seniors Community Grant Program will have a meaningful impact in our communities,” said Sue Hesjedahl, Executive Director of Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario. “Through these grants, seniors-focused organizations can help foster volunteerism, social inclusion and learning activities. ” The program will provide anywhere between $500 and $10,000 to groups who help their seniors groups in all areas of life. “Working with community partners

our government is addressing the problem of social isolation among seniors,» said Mario Sergio, Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs in Ontario. “Through the Seniors Community Grant Program we are keeping seniors connected to their communities. ” The Seniors Community Grant Program covers anything from a single event to an on going program, all looking to benefit seniors within the community. The program is a part of the Ontario government's action plan.

New factory brings jobs to Brantford Kathleen Binder Staff

A protein sports supplement factory will bring more jobs to the Brantford area in the near future. NutraBlend Foods is amongst the four newest companies receiving financial support from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. “The government’s Southwestern Ontario Development Fund is helping companies like NutraBlend in Brantford grow and create jobs. The provincial government continues to partner with companies here in Brantford and across the southwestern Ontario to invest, expand, innovate and create the jobs of today and of tomorrow,” said Brant MPP, Dave Levac. Ontario is investing $139,860 to aid NutraBlend Foods in building a new plant in Brantford, while creating 53 new jobs and retaining 60. As North America’s third largest producer of protein sports supplements, the support will help NutraBlend Foods increase production and gain market share. Four companies are receiving support from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. This will help to create jobs and encourage regional businesses to be innovative and pursue new markets. Other recently funded companies include Meridian Manufacturing (which will create 18 new jobs in Cambridge),

New jobs are coming to Brantford. (Photo by Nathanael Lewis)

Answer Precision Tool and Cambridge Towel Company. Ontario is assisting southwestern Ontario businesses in creating and retaining over 9,000 jobs as well as expanding the production capabilities and exploration of new markets. “The Southwestern Ontario

Development Fund is a catalyst for business wanting to grown and diversify their operations,” said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment. “We’re proud to support companies in southwestern Ontario that are contributing to Ontario’s economic growth and creating good jobs.” Since October 2012, the government has committed $36 million through the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund, which has attracted a total investment of $340 million. These investments have assisted in creating over 1,800 new jobs, and retained more than 7,200 existing jobs within the region. The Southwestern Ontario Development Fund was modelled after the proven Eastern Ontario Development Fund. Together, these two funds have both created and retained more than 24,400 jobs; they have strengthened local economies since their creations in 2008 (EODF) and 2012 (SWODF). Sectors eligible for funding include advanced manufacturing, processing, life sciences, information and communications technology, tourism and cultural industries. Ontario is accepting applications for the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund from qualified businesses that are growing and creating jobs.

Two Brantford residents arrested on drug charges Nathanael Lewis News Editor

Two Brantford residents now face drug related charges. Last week, the Brantford Police Street Crime Unit stopped a vehicle near Henry Street and Empey Street in East Brantford. The occupants of the vehicle, a man and a woman, were suspected by Police to be involved with drug trade within Brant. According to the report released by Police the following day, the female occupant was released unconditionally with no charges. Later, Police executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act warrant while at a Henry Street address. There, a woman was arrested and taken into custody. As per the report, “Police located 543 grams of marijuana with a street value of $3,000, 2 grams of Crystal Methamphetamine with a street value of

$300, 232 Oxycodone pills (Percocets) with a street value of $2,330, two switch blade knives and one set of brass knuckles. The police also seized $945 in cash as proceeds of crime.” The man found in the vehicle on Henry Street was also involved with two separate probationary orders, banning him from the procession of any weapon for life. Steven Alexander Vucenovic, 29, and Lindsay Anne Abram, 26, of Henry Street, in Brantford are now facing intensive charges as follow: Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking – Marijuana. Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking – Oxycodone. Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine. Possession of a Controlled Substance – Oxycodone. Possession of a Prohibited Weapon – Switch Blade. Proceeds of Crime. VUCENOVIC is also charged with: Two counts of Breach Weapons Prohibition Order. Both parties were held in custody until a bail hearing could be held. The Brantford Police Service would like to remind everyone that information leading to or helping to arrest someone trafficking drugs should be passed on to the Brantford Police Service Street Crime Unit immediately. “Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous are asked to contact BrantBrantford Crime Stoppers at 519-750-8477 or 1-800-222-8477.”

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

ON CAMPUS Now hiring! // features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

Laurier Brantford has been #NekNominated Brittany Bennett & Hannah Brunsdon Staff The new fad of Nek Nominations has swept across Facebook, and Laurier has been challenged to change it for the better. Nek Nominations are rumoured to have started in Perth, Australia and have spread like wildfire across the globe. The game works by nominating your friends to creatively drink alcohol, do something absurd and post a video of it on Facebook within 24 hours. The chain goes on. The topic is highly controversial; many people find it fun, while many others find it dangerous, especially after the four related deaths in Ireland and England. The deaths of Ross Cummins, age 22 and Jonny Byrne, age 19 from Ireland happened soon after the taping of their Nek Nomination videos. Byrne was found in the river under the bridge he jumped off of for his video. Cummins’ death, as well as the deaths of British Isaac Richardson, age 20 and Stephen Brookes, age 29 were suspected to be caused by alcohol poisoning. Students at Laurier Brantford had a lot to say about Nek Nominations, but the majority seemed to think it is a bad idea. Third year student Erine Roberts referred to Nek Nominations as a stupid and dangerous pastime. “What do you get out of it? What is the satisfaction? I don’t agree with it, I don’t think people should participate in it, and I’m hoping this trend just phases out,” she said. This was a common opinion among most students on campus. First year student Ali Saghari called it an idiotic trend that he hopes will end soon. He said, “If it doesn’t hurt you physically, it’ll hurt your

Laurier student Dorian Wilson nominates all of Laurier to perform a random act of kindness. (Screenshot courtesy of Dorian Wilson)

chances at potential future jobs, and it also makes some friends (like me) and your family, question your life decisions.” First year student Brayden Anstee had the same point of view as he said, “Nek Nominations are Darwinism at its finest.” Some students, like second year Riccardo Spadano, disagreed with the premise of the game, but still saw the good side to them. He said, “Nek Nominations are actually really funny.” First year student Lauren Stephenson had also thought they were funny and entertaining when she first noticed the trend on Facebook, and even participated in making one herself. But her ideas soon changed drastically as she heard of all the inappropriate things people were doing in their videos, along with the two related deaths. She said it was something that she no longer wanted people to see,

and took down her own Nek Nomination video. “There is another side of the game, which I believe to be very inspiring … and to me, as a student, I think these are much more encouraging and exciting,” said Stephenson. She referred to the new and improved Random Act of Kindness (RAK) Nominations. This game has the same idea of Nek Nominations, but instead of drinking and doing something absurd, one has to videotape themselves doing a random act of kindness. Laurier student Dorian Wilson from the Waterloo campus was one of the first to start this nomination trend with his video, “A Canadian Take on #neknomination.” Wilson’s video played the popular song “Say Something” by A Great Big World and showed his disappointment while watch-

ing other Nek Nomination videos. He then bought a $50 gift card at Tim Hortons and gave it to the worker in the drive-through to use on all the cars behind him, when he only used it to buy one medium coffee for himself. At the end of the video Wilson nominated two of his friends, and said, “I also want to nominate all the students at Laurier, because you know what? We can do great things today, and I think we all need to.” “I think that’s such an interesting offshoot of the original idea, and I think that goes to show you, especially the Laurier students that are doing it, the kind of students we have,” said Adam Lawrence, Dean of Students at the Brantford campus. Lawrence said he was very disappointed to find out that students have taped Nek Nomination videos in classrooms and residences, but at the same time is happy to see the RAK Nominations that have grown from it. Lawrence said that he just wants students to succeed until graduation, and to do so in a safe and healthy manner. He admitted that a lot of the Nek Nomination videos could be deemed safe because of their simplicity, but still does not support the idea. Lawrence believes that the risk comes from the notion of trying to outdo each other’s videos, and because of that said, “I just don’t know how safe participating in the Nek Nominations are.” But Lawrence fully supports outdoing each other in the RAK Nominations.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

ON CAMPUS

Now hiring! // oncampus@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikoncampus

The Yellow Brick Wall: Art for Laurier Brantford Sylvia Hernandez-Rassavong Web Editor The accessible learning building on Dalhousie no longer feels like an old dungeon. Works by local artist Elizabeth Gosse hang on the Yellow Brick Wall (YBW); colourful canvasses display the culture of several cities, adding an elegant touch to the building. “I thought [it] was a good choice for our first exhibit,� said Dr. Kathryn Carter, inter-faculty associate dean: academic coordination and chair of the art advisory committee. “It was a community art project so I like the idea of us showcasing the different communities coming together to create art because we have a history of doing that on this campus.� Carter believes that creating a space like the YBW reinforces an institution’s values. “One of the values we want to have showcased on this campus is that we’re genuinely interested in all kinds of expressive art, visual art and the world of creativity as much as the world of [academia].� Kathleen Thomas-Martin, a fourth year English major and artist said, “I think the basic idea of the Yellow Brick Wall is good. I think that trying to bring culture to campus is a good idea.� “We’re an arts campus and we don’t have anything in the traditional arts disciplines going on here,� said Thomas-Martin. “For a liberal arts campus, we’re sort of lacking in the arts. So the Yellow Brick Wall idea is great, especially if it had set out to fulfill its mission statement and actually included student artists and artists from the

community it would’ve been a wonderful thing.â€? Thomas-Martin said she was interested in submitting her artwork for consideration, but decided against it due to the language used in the application. “It’s an incredibly discouraging process,â€? said Thomas-Martin. “If it’s supposed to be about the students and our community, then I don’t think it should be restricted to just professional artists.â€? Carter said they are staying consistent with the requirements used at the Robert Langen Art Gallery at the Waterloo campus. “At this point, it is geared toward a more professional artist and that’s keeping in line with the art gallery space we have at the Waterloo campus ‌ a venue for exhibiting professional art and that’s what we’re doing with the Yellow Brick Wall,â€? said Carter. Carter also said, “We had a very clear sense that we were looking for a certain quality of work, and I guess that’s what I mean by professional. We don’t want to pretend we’re offering a space where everybody’s got a shot at putting up whatever.â€? The application process is a formality to narrow down the artwork that will be displayed because there is not enough space and time to put everything up. One of the concerns that Thomas-Martin expressed with regards to the application process is the resume. Emerging artists could feel discouraged by this.

Laurier Brantford’s Yellow Brick Wall. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

Carter explained the resume does not have a determining factor over what quality of work is right for the wall. The YBW is curated by a group of people, including Carter and the gallery director from the Waterloo campus. However, Carter said that she is hoping to have some space created for student art similar to what has been done at McMaster University, where the university president donated a wall to display student artwork. “We could do something similar here. There’s nothing to stop us from creating more art spaces on campus,� said Carter. “It would be great to have a senior executive here say, ‘I want student art showcased in this place.’� “There’s a huge artsy community here,� said Thomas-Martin. “It just wanders around invisible because there is no art club, there’s no art classes. So if they were able to tap that resource and get it up

on the Yellow Brick Wall, we would have a bunch of local celebrities, right here on campus, and it would be wonderful.� Carter said that art submissions are being considered “on their educational and creative merit, conceptually and visually and the ability of the artwork to engage the public imagination.� Carter encourages all artists to submit work they are proud of. “I hope that we get more art spaces and that we have students who submit their work for consideration for the Yellow Brick Wall.� Elizabeth Gosse’s “It’s Your City� will be displayed until March 15, 2014. The next exhibit will be up from April 1-30, 2014. It is by Bharati Sethi, using a process called Photovoice, where she gives cameras to women who have immigrated to Canada and asks them to make a visual image of a theme.

Laurier tests new fall semester reading week Brian Holland Staff Starting next year, a new fall reading week will be introduced as a three-year pilot program. Students will receive a full week off following Thanks-

giving weekend in addition to the existing winter reading week. As registrar Ray Darling explains, the initiative hopes to improve the students’ mental health. “There has been a lot of focus that we need to stress that this is a study break,� Darling says. “But in terms of mental health aspects there’s nothing wrong with having

a break. For most students, they will probably study. Some will just not do anything and if that helps them, that’s great.� The new proposal is for all undergraduate and graduate students, though, as Darling notes, it is aimed predominantly towards first-year students. “The first term for first-year students is probably the most important of all their terms,� said Darling. “So it just seemed wise to give them a break in their first term.� The new reading week means that classes will start slightly earlier and orientation week will also be affected. Instead of starting on Monday, classes will begin the first Thursday following Labour Day for the next three years. Orientation week will still run from Monday to Friday, though it will have a different structure. Alicia Appleby explains the new format and how it may help the students. Leading-edge Graduate “It will be more pasCertificate Programs: sive programming on Thursday and Friday,� - Business Ventures - Small Business Ventures says Appleby. “I think - Community and Social Service Management that it will benefit them. - Financial Planning Services They don’t actually get - Green Management - Sustainability to experience class during orientation week. - Project Management (May and Sept. start) Now they will be able - Social Media Marketing to go to class and ask questions to their icebreakers. It will be a nice transition.� The proposal was initially rejected by the Wilfrid Laurier University Senate three years ago. Students at that time were not supportive of a shortened orientation week, accord-

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ing to Darling. This time around, students showed a keen interest towards the fall reading week, according to Appleby. “We held meetings with coordinators and had open discussion groups,� says Appleby. “There were more questions involving logistics than the actual idea of it. The response to the reading week was very positive.� Laurier is not the first school to introduce a fall reading week. Darling notes that while other schools have helped introduce the program to Laurier, there is still a lack of evidence supporting its benefits. “People have rightly wondered, ‘What is the proof to show that this helps the students’ success?’. That is why it was passed as a pilot only,� Darling deducts. “A group has been set up to present a study on it. They will use GPA before and after, withdraws, progression and different kinds of metrics to measure whether this has a positive impact.� Some, such as psychology professor Judy Eaton, innately think that it will benefit the students. “In theory it makes a lot of sense,� says Eaton. “I think it’s good for the students. It is a stressful part of the year, especially for first-years. They might need a week to get caught up.� From an objective stand-point, Eaton remains skeptical of the health benefits regarding the program. “The scientist in me says that I would like to see more evidence that it works the way it was meant to. I am in favour of it, but I just haven’t seen the proof that their mental health is better after the break.� The study hopes to provide evidence towards the health benefits of a fall reading week. However, there are limitations to their research as Eaton explains. “It would have been ideal to survey students this past term and survey them after next year’s reading week. It might be hard for them to prove that there are benefits and if so, if those benefits relate to reading week or something else.�

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

FEATURES Dillon Giancola// features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

Getting out of this world may help you see it better Brittany Bennett Staff What has your job taught you? There are so many different careers out there in many diverse fields, each and every one teaching people new and important things about our world. Problems and solutions that affect everyone on Earth can be easily overseen without influences such as one’s job. In Dr. Robert Thirsk’s case, it was actually leaving the planet that brought him closer to it. The debate on whether Earth’s climate change (previously known as global warming) is a natural occurrence or man-made issue prevails. What we do know is that the drastic climate changes over the past 50 years are at a rate never recorded in history. This important issue worries not only

“Everyday, the human population contributes more and more to man-made pollution and destroys the natural habitat of wildlife.” - Mary Webster scientists in that field, but many others as well, such as Thirsk, a retired astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency, and they all keep this issue close to their hearts. Thirsk says, “Researchers seem to indicate that although there are global processes that contribute to [climate change], human activity plays a role as well.” Thirsk explains that his worries about climate change are not necessarily for his generation, or even the generation of his children.

He worries for the generations of the future that will have to deal with our generation’s consequences. Thirsk has taken part in two space missions, one being a short duration flight and one a long duration flight. His first mission in 1996 set a record at that time for being the longest short duration shuttle flight, at 17 days. He and his six crew mates devoted their studies to investigating life and material sciences under spaceflight conditions. He explains, “I think I’m more in tune with the planet than I had been prior to flight, and I think every human being on the planet would benefit from seeing that orbital perspective.” In 2009, Thirsk was the first Canadian to set off on a long duration flight for the International Space Academy. Thirsk explains that during a long duration flight the work is not as fast-paced, and this gave him and his crew members the opportunity to look out the window at our little blue planet every chance they could get. He says that was one of his most memorable experiences in space, but admitted the disappointment he felt as he saw the oil spills and clear cut forestry from up above. “It gives you a sense that life on Earth is actually fragile, and that humans have a responsibility to maintain this planet so we can support life for many generations to come,” says Thirsk. One of Thirsk’s main desires is to show that space technology can play an important role in supporting life here on Earth. He chuckles as he recalls the words of his Commander when he took orbit for the first time, “You’re a well-trained crew, we’ve

“I think I’m more in tune with the planet than I had been prior to flight, and I think every human being on the planet would benefit from seeing that orbital perspective.” - Dr. Robert Thirsk got great support on the ground, and therefore if you find that during the next 17 days you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.” Thirsk admits how much he loved his job as an astronaut, as he would take pictures and videos every chance he could get to show the people on Earth how his studies affected them as well. Although Thirsk’s astronaut studies did not directly revolve around climate change, he had actively worked with an initiative called Space for Species that does. This initiative educates students on the dangers to the environment from manmade pollutions. Thirsk explains that astronauts would take part by using handheld photography of Earth while in space, along with satellite Earth observation to show to the students. This was in cooperation with wildlife research to also show the students the large amount of endangered species. With this data, awareness is promoted to students about the effects humans have on Earth and the animals that inhabit it. Mary Webster, an activist for Space for Species is an absolute animal lover. “Ev-

Dr. Robert Thirsk.(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Space Academy)

eryday, the human population contributes more and more to man-made pollution and destroys the natural habitat of wildlife. This planet isn’t only ours. We share this earth with all other species living on it. It’s my goal to educate the public about the dangers our environment faces because of us,” she outlines on her Space for Species blog. “I really wish that humans— civilization— could come up with a way to preserve the environment as it is, including the global temperatures, just so that we can preserve this very fragile environment,” Thirsk says. He is proud to say that he had one of the best jobs in the world. Although his job was literally out of this world, it had taught him more about our world than he had ever hoped for.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

FEATURES

From no coast

Dillon Giancola // features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

Stevan Bodrozic Staff

to West Coast

Imagine waking up one morning and following through with what you’ve been dreaming about doing, whether it’s going on that special vacation, finally pushing for that career you’ve always wanted or just packing everything you own into a suitcase and moving somewhere completely new. Moving across the province is daunting enough for many of us, let alone across the country or even across the ocean. But, like everything else in life, if you’re willing to take the chance, it could be one of the best decisions you ever make.

“I didn’t want to be one of those people who stays in their hometown their whole life.” - Lindsay Carr At a time when many of her friends were deciding between going to school and finding full-time jobs after high school, Lindsay Carr decided in favour of a change of scenery. She packed everything she owned into a couple suitcases and bought a oneway ticket to Vancouver from Hamilton, and has not looked back. “It was definitely the best decision I’ve ever made,” Carr says. She initially stayed with her aunt in Chilliwack and enrolled in a local high school to boost her marks. After finishing at a high school in nearby Abbotsford, she took a job in downtown Vancouver, where she has lived and worked since. Carr originally planned to stay for a year to test the waters and see if moving across the country was the right decision. However, almost five years later, she’s right at home in Vancouver. For her, the decision worked out:

she’s made countless friends, has a cozy apartment near the downtown and has had too many new and exciting experiences to count. She’s met a number of people who moved to Vancouver from across Canada. Some stay and make themselves comfortable and eventually call the city home, while others venture back home after a few months. Those who decide to stay, she says, fall in love with the city and the idea of spending the foreseeable future in a new environment. Her decision to leave her family and friends and the only city she knew as home to venture across the country was not easy by any stretch. For her, it was difficult to choose between staying with her family and starting a new life across the country. “I knew I wanted to get out and see something new,” Carr says, “but I was torn between going off on my own and making my own life, or between staying close to my family and friends.” “I wanted something different. I didn’t want to be one of those people who stays in their hometown their whole life, and I didn’t want to move away to school only to come back a few years later,” she added. For Carr, her time in Vancouver has changed her life. Being on her own for the first time and in a completely new environment has allowed her to learn more about herself than she ever knew before. It’s shown her how strong she truly is and it’s challenged her to work

“Being halfway across the country doesn’t give you an excuse to forget about your friends and family back home.” - Lindsay Carr

World traveller. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

hard and meet the goals she’s set for herself. “I think being in the comfort of your hometown makes it too easy for you to just sit back and coast,” she

For her, it was difficult to choose between staying with her friends and family and starting a new life across the country. says. “You’ll almost always have the support of family so you don’t necessarily have that motivation to push forward and support yourself.” Between phone calls, Skype and fairly regular visits, Carr is still close with her friends and family from Hamilton. It isn’t easy, but she makes it work and stays in close contact. More importantly, her friends and family understand that people sometimes choose different paths in life, and fully support her decision to call Vancouver her home. “Being halfway across the country doesn’t give you an excuse to forget about your friends and family back

home,” she says. “It’s really important to me to keep in contact with everyone. My friends and family were the reason I made it through the first few months alone out here, and I’m grateful for them.” Moving away from home isn’t for everyone, but whether you move 20 minutes outside of your hometown for school or you move to across the globe, it’s an experience that will stay with you forever. It’s an experience that will get you outside of your comfort zone and will teach you so many things about your own self. “I’d encourage anyone to move somewhere new, somewhere outside of their comfort zone,” says Carr. “It may not work out, but it’s an experience that will change you.” A lot of students live away from home, and it’s during these years that we’ll make some of the best memories. The memories many of us have made living away from home will stay with us forever, and I’m sure most of us would do it all over again if we had the chance. “So why not give yourself that chance?” Carr asks.

Where did you travel from to go to school? Email eic@thesputnik.ca with a brief summary of your trip to attend school!

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8

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A&E Amber Richardson // arts@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikarts

All aboard the Hamilton ARTbus Kristen Rodgers Staff The Hamilton ARTbus is one bus you will not want to miss! Throughout the past 7 years it has become one of Hamilton’s visual art scene icons. The Hamilton ARTbus continues to deliver art lovers to the door step of local emerging art galleries and various studios. Now let’s admit it, we’ve all walked around an art museum and it is not that entertaining when you do have artistic knowledge or an interest in the specific type of art. The ARTbus changes that. This service gives the community the opportunity to enjoy an interactive experience including watching demonstrations, artist talks and it gives exposure to special media nights such as photography, pottery, graffiti, fine art and glass. The community can listen to the

artists speak about their art, ask questions and can sit in on demonstrations and it’s on ARTbus… what’s cooler than that? What can you expect to see on the ARTbus? I’ll tell you. The bus visits established galleries but continues to find new spaces and studios each month. One of the stops from the past is at photographer Joseph Hartman’s studio. At his studio, Hartman was present to speak about his work as a photographer and why he uses the city of Hamilton as his inspiration for his work. He often features various different scenes of Hamilton in his work. Next, the ARTbus may stop at the “New Works” by Peter Kirkland. This exhibition consists of many paintings and drawings.

Kirkland is a Canadian abstract artist and his work has been exhibited throughout southern Ontario. His paintings are oil on wood and his drawings are mixed media on paper. The tour has also stopped at the Borton Street studio where participants have had the opportunity to see glass jewelry and they can also take part in the demonstration of bead making. Just last week the ARTbus took eager art enthusiasts to visit the shops of James North. One in specific is Humblepie. It is a collection of pure, sustainable and local creativity from the people of Hamilton. Humblepie contains a little bit of everything; it is a retail store, a creative workshop and design studio and art gallery

all in one place. The participants will be able to taste decorative arts and participate in a demonstration of paint products. A participant of the ARTbus has commented that the art bus is “good for anyone new to Hamilton, good for anyone who’s always lived in Hamilton, and good for anyone even vaguely interested in art!” The Hamilton ARTbus meets at the Pearl Company, 16 Steven Street Hamilton, at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Friday of each month. It is sure to give to a sophisticated and fun evening of learning about community and local artists. Now do the one of many things you never wanted to do as a child but always listened to your parents when they said “Don’t miss the bus!”

sexuality standards at the cost of her mental and physical health. After an emotional requiem to a life of hiding and suppression, Page explained, “I am here today because I am gay,” to the thunderous reception of conference goers. “Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and social responsibility,” said Page. Coming out isn’t something society shrouds anymore, but the way that Page acknowledged the debilitating stereotypes and pressures Hollywood manufactures regarding genres of sexuality was exhilarating and profound. I completely commend Ellen and I can only imagine her relief and invigoration post-conference. However, I can’t help but to sit here and

wish that in the near future, “coming out” stories of celebrities no longer grace the likes of the news. The essence of the matter still boils down to the shock value society places on sexual diversity, that somehow straying from the inherent norm of “straightness” identifies an intrinsic and noteworthy difference. No other actress or actor has felt particularly compelled to tell the world they are straight. This video is still well worth the search on YouTube, as she sheds light on an array of issues facing LGBTQ youth and the eloquent fervour of Page’s speech is enough to draw tears. Maybe one day, being gay won’t be so newsworthy.

Coming out: Ellen Page Jaclyn Brown Staff I freakin’ love the movie Juno, I wish there was a classier way to express my particular sentiments for the film, but that exact word “freakin’” sums it up perfectly. Canadian born actress Ellen Page flawlessly embodied the starring character of Juno, a quirky pregnant teen with a knack for the unusual. The movie somehow managed to instil in me an inexplicable longing for effortless eccentricity, along with an insatiable desire to acquire a hamburger phone. The bottom line is that Ellen Page made the movie, and post-Juno she continued on in spurts of unusual roles debuting in the movies Whip It and Inception, along with the raunchy series Trailer Park Boys. On screen and off, Ellen Page is intriguingly relatable; something

about her helps you coax out that inner weirdo that seems to only come out after the fifth date or a few shots of tequila. This year, at the 2014 Time to Thrive conference, Page was presented with an opportunity unmatched by her roles on the silver-screen that has profoundly impacted her life, and the lives of LGBTQ youth across the country. The Time to Thrive conference presents a unique chance for advocates and youth professionals to learn and create opportunities to further the safety, equality and well-being of LGBTQ youth. As a guest speaker at this year’s conference on Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas, Page explained to the audience the context of living the Hollywood lifestyle, often submitting herself to beauty and

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A&E

Amber Richardson // arts@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikarts

with withAmber Amber Richardson Richardson

What do you get when you mix quirky introvert Ashley “Ash Boo-Shultz” Buccholz with over-the-top extrovert Jason “Human Kebab” Parsons? Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, also lovingly known as USS. USS have been riding the Canadian airwaves since 2008, after their debut EP Welding the C:/ was released. The duo have won awards garnering them clout within the music industry, but they aren’t doing it for the awards or recognition, they’re doing it for the fans. USS started as a happy accident when Ash and Kebab met at their summer job at a golf course. The self-proclaimed opposites have been creating music since 2004 and have since worked their way to the top of the Canadian music ladder. USS have toured Europe with with Amber Richardson Walk Off The Earth and have even helped on other Canadian artist’s albums, such as Light’s Siberia. I had a chance to talk with Jason Parsons, or “Human Kebab”, about everything from hockey to Justin Bieber, wedding songs to working the pipeline Riddled throughout our chat was evidence of a grateful and transparent artist who is not only talented, but genuine as well and always striving to put fans first. Why are you called the Human Kebab? Not even Wiki can answer that. My alias came from a combination of a funny joke, doing stand up comedy, rapping and studying Vlad the Impaler in first year of university. Vlad the Impaler would impale his foes outside of his castle to scare off potentially warring tribes in Transylvania in Romania, back in the 15th century. I was so intrigued that his thing was to scare his opponents, so the Human Kebab came out of that. When I got my first performing rap gig, I got asked to open for this rap group in Peterborough when I was going to Trent. [The promoter] asked me what I was going to call myself, and I said “Human Kebab” and he was like “oh, that’s funny”, so then the name stuck. When Ash and I took off in 2008 on The Edge, it was just a natural fit to stay as Human Kebab. For me to have a handle, an alter-ego in alternative rock in Canada, there’s not many people who have a handle. It’s just a reflection of who I am as a person. What did you go to university for? What program did Ash drop out of? I went to school for business and Ash was in a musical prodigy program at Seneca in North York. He went there and got cheesed out because he’d go to a classroom and it was like “Learn to be a star in music,” and you can’t really learn these things, you just have to be it and hope that the world wants to embrace you while you’re trying to be it. It’s so funny though too, I finished university and I had stars in my eyes and I was like “I’m going to do it, I’m going to get the great job and I’m going to be set.” And then it was interview, interview, interview, “Oh I have no experience, well I’m going to go back to my old golf course job doing logistics and inventory.” And then Ash drops out of college, broke up, like, his 10th band, didn’t even finish the program and ends up at the golf course for totally different reasons and, as fate would have it, we met. I was told about this huge weirdo in the golf club and he was told about this crazy hyper guy and then we met and I said, “Let’s do a song and see what happens.” When you went out West to work on the pipeline, did you give up on your music career? Neither one of us gave up. The thing is, with music in Canada in particular, to me, you can only go so far. At the same time, you have to live your life, you have to survive. I mean, if you live in Toronto you’re paying some of the highest rent in

: USS the country. Surviving in the city is tough as it is, and then trying to be a self-employed musician, you have to carry a job. I had a connection in the oil fields, and it was so inspiring because to go to Western Canada and to be the odd man out, everyone was like “What are you doing here, what’s your deal?” You come back to Toronto, when you’ve removed yourself from the scene and you have this new bounce in your step, because you’re confident and comfortable financially. And then you have time to reflect on, “Ok what are we really doing here? How much do I really love the music? Have we actually gone forth 111%? Ok, no, no and no. So yeah, let’s go, let’s do this.” Ash had enough time to reorganize artistically, think about what he wanted, write down some ideas, put together our initial EP and basically he asked me, “I really wanna go for this, do you want to join me?” And I was like “Yeah, I’m in!” It’s just one of those things that would’ve been a shame if we didn’t go through with it. You frequently wear a hockey jersey representing the city that you’re in. Who is actually your favourite team? First of all, I’m a Toronto Maple Leafs fan until the day that I die, and this is the most exciting time for the Maple Leafs because we are absolutely kicking ass. Going into the Olympic break, huge win over Vancouver, couldn’t be more proud of the Leafs. My closet other Canadian team is the Edmonton Oilers. I put that jersey on at SonicBoom in Edmonton this September, it was wicked. When I came out with that Edmonton Oilers jersey on, 10,000 people were losing it. The Edmonton Oilers actually tweeted me about it. It’s so funny when you think of an organization tweeting you, cause it’s like you think the entire team is sitting together, “Oh, this Human Kebab guy from USS...Thanks for wearing our jersey, pal!” But really it’s just some administrative person sitting at a computer. But you will never catch me wearing another jersey, like Habs, or Canucks, or Flames. No other jerseys. If you had to create a 5 track EP with any of your songs, which songs would they be? This is the Best, Pornostartrek, Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole, Anti-Venom, Yo Hello Hooray. I could say other songs, but Yo Hello Hooray makes people happy. The general consensus that we’ve seen is that people like that song because it makes them feel good. So in its own way it’s like medicine for the soul for some people. Anti-Venom is the hardest we went in the direction of rock and roll and drum and bass and people have lyrics from it tattooed on their bodies, so that song clearly worked. That song is also a mosh pit, crowd surfing, dance party song for us. This is the Best is our biggest song to date. This is the song that opened up a whole new world for us outside of Canada and it’s our highest charting song ever in Canada. It’s also the quickest song we ever wrote in our career. It was us going in a direction we always knew was possible, but we just did it without even thinking of it, we just wrote a song. It became the hallmark of Advanced Basics. Pornostartrek is the song that we based our wedding package on our pledge campaign around. We’ve probably had almost as many requests to play people’s weddings, to play Pornostartrek, as we’ve had to actually play shows. Last night, here in Quebec, I had a girl told me that when her sister got married, Pornostartrek was their first dance. That is a wedding song for a lot of people. Hollow Point [Sniper Hyperbole] because it was the first song Ash and I took a chance on and spent money to record, in hopes that people would actually like our music, and apparently we did a good enough job,

“We haven’t made it yet. Wherever we end up, we’re still trying.” - Human Kebab (Photo courtesy of musiccanada.com)

because 102.1 The Edge made it the single on our first record and they put it into heavy rotation when I was on the oil fields. What’s your favourite venue to play? Festivals, grungy little bars? It’s funny, because obviously on a maximum output level, the festivals, especially the festivals where we’re known, or trying to win a group of people over, are so rewarding in the long run, because you can actually quantify, “Ok, we just played to 20,000 people.” And you then you go on Facebook and Twitter the next day and the numbers have jumped a couple hundred numbers. People are saying, “saw you here, saw you here, saw you here.” Cool, 20 people actually took time out of their day to go on Facebook and write us and saying that they saw us at EdgeFest or something. But like I said at the start of this interview, when we played The Alex in Brantford, that show was absolutely like... I remember for a time Ash said that was his favourite USS show ever, because it was like a greasy, punk-rock throw-down, where the audience was falling into our equipment, and people are crawling on each other to crowd surf, and everyone’s yelling the lyrics. Just pandemonium. Glasses are getting smashed, people are yelling, collars are getting stretched. And like that’s equally as powerful, if not more powerful than getting 20,000 people to jump at a giant Rock ‘n Roll festival. One’s in your face and the other one there’s a barricade with 50 security guards blocking you from it. On award shows... Music cheeses me out, like I get really cheesed out when we’re at award shows. It really bothers me that we’re put on a pedestal and we’re supposed to be holier than thou, and greater than everyone else. When in actuality, it’s like, I love the Monster Truck album, those guys are wicked, give them the award and let’s go drink beer. Other than that, who cares about all the rest of it. Let’s get on stage and try to make as many people as we can build this circle pit, like that’s way more exciting to me than all the accolades and the bullshit. What accomplishments in your musical career are you most proud of? ...When you come and play a show, and you meet two people from the Canadian military who are huge fans, that are based in Fredericton, and it’s like, “Wow. I didn’t see that one coming.” Or you meet some couple that had to move there for school,

and they were huge fans in Victoria, and they can’t believe that they’re talking to you, in the bar in Fredericton. When I’m sitting there thinking like, “ I just can’t believe you came out to the show, while you just easily be at home doing something, and now you’re buying the t-shirt. And you’re gushing cause you couldn’t talk to me in Victoria cause there were two thousand people at the show.” When I’m still like, “Wow I can’t believe you actually bought a ticket and came out to support us in Fredericton, by way of Victoria.” Yeah, may be that’s our biggest achievement. We connected with people. Ash talked about your last albums being “orange and yellow and red” and the new one being “blue, and purple and green”, how were your experiences in creating these albums different? What influenced that contrast? To be completely honest, Welding the C :/ was like, “You have your whole life to make your first record”, so that’s what happened there and that’s great. Questimation was a continuation of that, except we learned a lot more, we sort of knew what worked for us and we went a little bit further in the rock directionand the branding, the lightning bolt, was just a really attractive image at the time. We used our logo, because we believe it’s so impactful. Approved was back to the basics, because when we made the record we were in such a weird spot as a group because we started working with a new producer/ songwriter for us and he was a big shot in the music industry. So we sort of had to surrender our creative control, insofar as we were opening a new chapter to the start of USS. We were so immersed in the song writing and production that we weren’t really so concerned about the branding because we didn’t know where we wanted to go next, we just went with it and it was like “maybe the songs will take us this time,” instead of just everything else being crazy. It’s really interesting because after that experiment, going into Advanced Basics, it was a combo of “We’ve got the songs, now we’re going back to some of the sounds that made us who we were in the beginning, bring it around full circle.” You know, “Who are we now and can we marry everything that we’ve experienced at this point, with where we want to go?” And the answer to us was yes. We absolutely maintained our own integrity on this record, it sort of feels like we’re starting up for the first time, all over again. It’s taken us nine years to get here and this is actually us arriving.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

11

The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

SPORTS

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

The Olympics are over, but the feeling will live on in upcoming tournaments Kyle Morrison Sports Editor

With the Olympics now over (and Team Canada winning back-to-back gold medals in men and women’s hockey!) it is time to reflect on the events that have transpired over the past 16 days. Although Canada didn’t quite reach Vancouver-level heights in terms of medal count, finishing with 25 medals and ten gold, good enough for third overall behind host country Russia (33 medals, 13 gold) and Norway (26 medals, 11 gold) there was no shortage of great pride Canada has exhibited throughout for its athletes. Many moments made it as special to watch for many Canadians - and Americans - as Vancouver was. Ryad Bacchus, fourth year student at York University, originally from Medina, Ohio and now having lived in Canada off and on for nine years, can’t help but cheer on his adopted home. “I grew up in both countries, so at times it is hard and I would like to root for both [countries] … In the back of my mind I will always be American, but I do root for Canada and like to see them

succeed,” he says. And succeed most of all in hockey. “I like to see Canadians win at their sport. They deserve it. The NHL is 60% Canadian – I’m rooting for Canada in hockey.” He’ll never forget Sidney Crosby’s “Golden Goal” in Vancouver in 2010, forever being his favourite Olympic moment. “That was an awesome moment for Canadians and I felt proud to have Canadian citizenship,” he says. Laurier Brantford third year student, Courtney Sitzes favourite moment in Sochi was also on the ice, but in figure skating. “[My favourite moment] was watching Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue skate their hearts out … watching how proud they were after their skates.” These moments at the games that she’s loved the most give her a great feeling, knowing that she’s watching Canada’s athletes perform at their best. “I love to feel like my cheering has a little impact on their outcome,” she says. No athlete gets that gold medal around their neck without the help of

so many others. One person’s cheering may not have any impact, but the entire country, from coast to coast has been behind Canada’s athletes. Because you never only hear “O Canada” played after a medal is won – it is sung along to by Canadians everywhere. Hockey gold is always great, but how the country comes together during the Olympics is what will always be my favourite moment. So many Canadians have woken up at midnight and 3 a.m. to watch everything from snowboarding to biathlon to skiing and bobsledding, curling, hockey and everything in between, all to catch a glimpse of the amazing talent in a wide array of sports that this country has been able to produce. Not every event was successful or will be something forever remembered. But for those that will be embedded in the minds of Canadians and cement their place as a part of Olympic lore will outweigh the bad and make me appreciate being Canadian. These are moments that I’ve shared with the rest

of my country. It is never only be the one out there with tears of joy or tears of crushing defeat, it is the entirety of Canada that embody these athletics that transcend simply these sixteen days in 2014, but will continue to live on as a part of Canada’s fierce love of sport and their country.

The Olympics have a way of uniting Canadians across the country to cheer their athletes. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

Canada finishes Olympics dominating the gold medal final in men’s hockey Chris Pimentel Staff

As the nation rejoices after backto-back gold medal victories in the Olympics, Canada might have to wonder whether this is one of the best defensive teams ever assembled. They didn’t score as many goals as they did in Vancouver but they were able to suffocate any offense the opposing teams had. Yes, Crosby only had three points in the tournament but that was the standard for this team. Stats will never tell the full story but you have to look at some of them and just shake your head in disbelief at how dominant a team can be against the world’s best players. The team only allowed three goals in the entire tournament. They were never out shot in a game. But they saved the best game for their last; the most impressive stat had to be only allowing three shots in the final period against the Swedish team that had to score at least two goals just to force the game into overtime. Incredibly, they allowed the same number of shots in a full period as they allowed goals in the entire tournament. This tournament was pure dominance from Canada. They shut down the tournament’s hottest offense in the United States in the semi finals, out shot a below average Latvia team 57-16. Every game they played they seemed to control the play. Stats don’t tell the whole story and you cannot over look how much the forwards had a hand in this dominant defense. Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews and Jeff Carter all seemed to take pride in turning great defensive plays into offensive opportunities. You won’t see any of those plays on a stat sheet, but they bought into Mike Babcock’s heavy puck possession strong defensive system that allows the defense to pinch because the forwards are always

Canadian hockey fans celebrating the men’s Olympic gold medal win at Yonge and Dundas, Toronto. (Photo courtesy of Dan Cronin/flickr.com)

supporting the defense. But the unsung hero that doesn’t get talked about has to be former Edmonton Oiler’s head coach, Ralph Krueger, who Coach Babcock reached out to before the Olympics to show him how teams can defend on big ice. Something that Krueger had success with as the head coach of Switzerland was beating the Canadians in 2006 and pushing them to a shootout in 2010. When you combine the strong defensive system of Kruger, the heavy puck possession of Babcock’s system and NHL talent at your disposal you

get what you saw in Sochi. A complete team effort from top to bottom, the defensive pairings were phenomenal, too. Drew Doughty was a star in this tournament, Weber did what he did best and play strong on the power play. Alex Pieterangelo and Jay Bouwmeester played as if they were still in St. Louis playing against a lowly team like the Florida Panthers. There was a lot of talk about how strong the goaltending was going to be; well it didn’t matter when your defense plays like a brick wall in front of you – although there has to be credit

given to Carey Price for holding down the net during the United States surge in the first ten minutes of the semis. The most valuable player for this team would be Drew Doughty who seemed to take over games when it mattered the most. But a case can be made for a lot of the players and that’s what makes this team perfect. Each game it seemed a new player stepped up and played their best game and that’s what you expect out of championship caliber teams. Not one person but the entire team dominated.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, February 26, 2014

OPINION Cody Groat // opinion@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikopinion

Who’s afraid of the big, bad feminist? Hannah Brunsdon Staff I have never been the kind of person who is afraid to stand up for a cause because of the fear of backlash or rejection from others. After knowing that, it probably won’t come as a surprise that I am a proud feminist, and I have no problem shouting it to the world. Sing it from the tree tops to the depths of the ocean, loud and proud, I am a feminist! Unfortunately, not all of my friends agree with my enthusiasm. They claim they are all for equal rights, but they’re “humanists,” not “feminists.” I like to remind them that the core of feminism is driven by the want for equal rights and opportunities for people of all genders. Their response? We are equal; there’s no need for feminism. This is usually when I take in a big breath in order to spew out my memorized facts and figures about how, according to Catalyst.org, only 4.2 per cent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and, according to canadianwomen.org, 80 percent of victims of dating violence are female. Then I move towards the prude/ slut conundrum that too many of my female friends are struggling with— if you are sexually active, you are a slut, however, if you are not, you are a prude. Most of my male friends don’t have to worry about the negative repercussions of being intimate with their partner, or a random one night stand, because if they get laid, they are “the man” or “a player who’s gotta play.” This is usually when my friends just shake their heads and mutter “crazy feminist.” I can handle being reduced to a “crazy feminist” because at least they were listening to what I had to say, however, when the feminist jokes start to fly, I get a wee bit frustrated. I’ll usually play along, laugh and tell them that the reason I’m doing the dishes is not because I’m a woman, it’s because they need to get done. Or that I understand that

they think I belong in the kitchen, but the reason I’m not going to sit on the couch and protest their sexist humour is because if I did, we would have to eat Kraft Dinner for the third night in a row. I can also laugh and shake my head at their weak idea of a joke (the punch line? Women’s rights. You’d think at an establishment for higher learning people could come up with more sophisticated humour, but I digress). However, these jokes and their reasons for why we don’t need feminism anymore just fuels my fire because when they make jokes about feminism, they dismiss it, and reduce it to a chicken who has crossed the road far too many times. What they don’t understand is the history, the struggle and the constant battle women have fought and continue to fight just to be equal to men. “The Famous Five,” an early group of female Canadian activists consisting of Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards dedicated their lives to improving the status of women in Canada because women weren’t viewed as ‘persons’ under the law. This happened under 90 years ago, and I personally can’t imagine being denied the right to call myself a person under the law. Women protested, were thrown in jail, went on hunger strikes and were brutally force-fed by their prison guards, just to be considered a human being. Some women lost their lives for their cause. Reducing the feminist cause to a joke is personally insulting because without feminism I would not be allowed to go to Laurier and get an education. Women were not legally allowed to get a higher education until approximately 1880, but women didn’t typically go to post secondary because they were needed at home to take care of their families. Therefore, telling me to go back into the kitchen

The big, bad feminist wolf. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

where I belong is pretty much you saying that I don’t belong at university, which, if you think about it, is very insulting. It also shows that you would rather be living in the late 1800s, when electricity wasn’t widely available and cell phones didn’t exist, so texting that comment to me was not very well thought out on your part either. Being a feminist on campus comes with its challenges mostly because when people hear that word, they automatically think of the burning-the-bra-hating-men-radical feminism, which is ridiculous because most feminists don’t subscribe to that kind of be-

haviour or belief system. The jokes are a little annoying, but I’m sure I’ll eventually get used to them. Either that or I’ll eventually come up with a better comeback than, “You are such a product of patriarchy and I find your misogyny oppressive.” It doesn’t usually work because they usually don’t know the definition of patriarchy, misogyny or even oppressive. So, to wrap it all up, I think we all need a little more feminism in our lives to counterbalance the people who insist on having a backwards and uneducated idea of what their world is, and what it could and should be.

Attack of the eReaders: Why print books are superior Cody Groat Opinion Editor I couldn’t tell you the difference between a Kobo or a Kindle, and to be quite honest I hope I never need to. All that matters to me is the difference between “paperback” and “hard copy”. As to me, all that will ever matter is a physical, ink-on-paper copy of the newest Ken Follett or Douglas Coupland, not some downloaded version on a piece of technology I don’t think I’d even know how to turn on. They do make me worry though. I’m not alone when I say that wandering aimlessly through Chapters or down the corridors of a library is thrilling. Grabbing something that piques your interest (judging a book by its cover, as it were), and entering a brand new, unexpected journey. To Hogwarts, to Middle Earth, even to Utah for all I know. The journey is there, in that stack of three hundred pages glued together and spread open by your two hands. To me, eReaders are posing a major threat to those tech-free journeys I love. It’s safe to say that an eReader will never win me over, but that doesn’t mean the rest of Canada feels the same. Kobo, which by the middle of 2013 controlled 45% of the Canadian eReader Market, reached an estimated 12 million registered users according a Globe and Mail report. That means as of almost a year ago, if the average Canadian Kobo owner only purchased two books, that would be a startling 24 million copy decline in print books. One has to wonder, with individuals purchasing more and more virtual books, and this statistic only representing 45% of the total market, just how many less physical books reached shelves around the nation in the span of 2013? Some preach how eReaders ‘read just like a book’, can mark your spot for you, lighten the screen for reading in the dark,

The physical art of a book is lost through an eReader. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

allow for you to highlight certain passages to go back to and due to their one GB of storage, a 7.2 x 4.4 x 0.4 inch device can replace the monstrous hold 1000 books would have on a room in your house, a library or a bookstore. But what people don’t realize is what it takes away from the experience. Sure, right now as I’m working away on a 934 page biography about Queen Elizabeth’s mother, a smaller object to grasp wouldn’t be hated on. But getting to hold something so finite, the final result of an author’s hours of labour makes it worth-

while. As an aspiring author, being able to see your final product brought to life like a cartoonist on television or a director at a debut is more powerful than simple convenience. That doesn’t even consider the art of the matter. For me, a book is a piece of art. Sure, you can see the cover design when you purchase a book from the eReader stores, but it’s not the same. You can’t (carefully) extend the cover of the book and look at how the image carries on from one side of the spine to the author. You can’t see how

the jacket contrasts to the simplicity of the actual book’s hardcover, you can’t see if the publishing house chose straight edges or frayed ones, making the work look older than it may be. You don’t have the chance to delicately flick through the pages of an ancient text and wonder about all who owned this very copy before you, and you can’t look up and see how the spines of a book series or individual works play together on a shelf. Words do not a book make, there’s simply so much more to it. The eReader is killing that. With an environmentalist sigh, I do need to point to their benefit. As eReaders may be destroying the art I love so much, books are in part destroying another thing I hold dear: our nature. As of June 2011, over 450 million copies of works from the Harry Potter series alone were published. These were guaranteed to be in paper copies (as they weren’t available as eBooks until March 2012), which makes me shiver. If one book series alone had 450 million printed books, it can be guaranteed that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of trees were destroyed in printing. Granted, J.K. Rowling has assured that the majority of books are printed on recycled material, but this is after all only one series. It’s estimated that the sacred biblical texts in Judaism and Christianity alone have been printed over six billion times since the original, making a massive impact on environment. In that regard, eReaders may bring down one of my interests yet help save another, acting as a curse and a blessing. I may be heavily romanticizing printcopy books, but I feel their power to be colossal. I know one thing’s for sure, eReaders are slowly attacking my printed copies, and I sure as hell won’t aid their takeover.

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