Issue 14 - March 12, 2014

sputnik

the

Wednesday, March 12, 2014 - Issue 14 // www.thesputnik.ca

News

2

On Campus

4

Features

6

A&E

8

Sports

10

Opinion

12

The Addiction Issue Partnership with Laurier likely page 3

St. Patrick’s at Laurier Brantford page 5

What’s the deal with addiction? page 7

How sports can battle addiction page 11

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

NEWS

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

CRTC asks for more Canadian porn 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 Brittany Bennett, On Campus Dillon Giancola, Features Amber Richardson, A&E Kyle Morrison, Sports Cody Groat, Opinion

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Adesina Taylor Berzins Kathleen Binder Stevan Bodrozic Jaclyn Brown Brian Holland Chris Pimentel Priscilla Popp Kristen Rodgers

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FRONT PAGE PHOTO CREDITS: Main: Christina Manocchio Left: Cody Hoffman Centre: Rebecca Duce Right: Staff of Phoenix Multisport

Taylor Berzins Staff

According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission [CRTC], it is time that Toronto-based porn-network Channel Zero rise to the challenge, and start presenting its audience with more Canadian material.

On March 5, the CRTC announced a hearing to review an application to change Channel Zero’s ownership structure, but along with the considerations to ownership, the CRTC is also looking to address the pornographic network’s non-compliance with television broadcasting regulations.

Channel Zero, which runs three television stations; AOV Adult Movie Channel, AOV XXX Action Clips and AOV Maleflixxx, is facing heat from the CRTC, and failure to comply with standards could result in a cancellation of the network altogether.

According to the commission, Channel Zero’s three stations are not up to par with national broadcast standards. The issues lie in shows being accused of offering less than

the standardized 90 per cent close captioned daytime programming, and an apparent sub-par display of Canadian made content.

In turn, the CRTC requires its television licensees to broadcast a minimum of 35 per cent Canadiana; even if said content is bonafide pornography.

In their mission statement, the Commission says that they are “dedicated to ensuring that the needs and interests of Canadians are at the centre of the system that provides those services,” promising Canadians the ability to participate and contribute to the content being broadcast nationally.

The CRTC has invited citizens to chime into the discussion surrounding the networks fate, and whether or not the primal moans of Channel Zero should be close captioned, and the crotch-shots more Canadian. The CRTC will be accepting comment until April 4, and then they will proceed to host a hearing on April 28.

This broadcast regulation spanking comes hot on the heels of an article published in February by Dr. David Ley for the journal

“Current Sexual Health Reports”. The article is spurring controversy over its outright contest of the legitimacy of porn addictions.

As stated by the study, science behind porn addicts, “fails to meet standards of addiction”. The article cites porn as a “large, lucrative industry”, implying the porn community manipulates the hyper-real concept of porn addictions to profit from quasi-treatments.

People are better off in basing their sexual satisfaction on real experiences, according to Robert Tansley, MSW. “Porn is not real.

It takes a week to make a 20 minute porn video,” said Tansley, “ It objectifies women, or men in such a way that your expectations of real people, become unrealistic.”

In regards to addictions, Tansley claims addiction lies in a substance or activities ability to control you. “The danger in not seeing the potential for not seeing a porn addiction is that you have no treatment strategy.”

Ontario creates business ties with the Middle East Kathleen Binder Staff

Business ties with the Middle East are being strengthened to create jobs in Ontario.

On Mar. 4, Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment, ended a successful “business mission” to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The mission was a part of Going Global: Ontario’s Trade Strategy. It focused on possible opportunities for Ontario firms that specialize in large infrastructure projects, whilst promoting Ontario as a location for investment by Gulf region organizations.

“Ontario companies are exceptionally well-regarded in the Gulf region as longterm partners in development and business projects,” said Hoskins. “The Middle East mission was an opportunity to showcase the province’s innovation and expertise and I’m optimistic it will lead to further

opportunities for Ontario businesses.”

The mission covered meeting with Qatar government officials to explore how Ontario companies can participate in the nation’s plan for economic, social and environmental development, Qatar National Vision 2030; visiting Dubai’s Tim Hortons location [the Ontario-based company that has numerous locations within the Gulf recently announced their plan to add an additional approximate 220 franchises in the region]; meeting with the International Petroleum Investment Company [IPIC] to seek future investments

by Nova Chemicals, which has three major production facilities near Sarnia and while in Abu Dhabi, the regional airline Falcon Aviation announced the future plans to purchase two Bombardier CS300 aircrafts.

Falcon Aviation intends on training their pilots at the FlyCanadian pilot training school in Lindsay, Ontario. Falcon Aviation also purchased two Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop aircrafts in February that will be built in the Bombardier facility

in Downsview, Ontario.

“We’re delighted to incorporate Ontario products and services into Falcon Aviation’s business model as we continually enhance our capabilities as a leader in Gulf-region air travel,” said Mahmoud Ismael, Chief operating officer and captain of Falcon Aviation Services. “The foundation of our company is quality, safety and customer service, and Bombardier and FlyCanadian are innovative partners in furthering these goals” The government’s economic plan assists companies to access new global markets under the consensus of creating jobs for today and tomorrow.

Ontario’s exported goods to Qatar has increased almost 30 per cent between 2008 and 2012; exported goods valued at $260 million in 2012 alone. According to the Conference Board of Canada, for every $100 million increase in exports there are approximately 1,000 new jobs created.

Death could just be a sip or puff away for Brant Kathleen Binder Staff

Due to smoking and alcohol alone, life expectancy in the county of Brant has gone down an average of 2.1 years.

If no person in Brant smoked, life expectancy would go up by 2.7 years from 81.7 years to 84.4 years. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Canada.

When asked about addiction in Brantford, Brad Kidder, a community support facilitator from the Grand River Community Health Centre, said, “I’m sure [addiction] is no different from any other community here in Ontario. One thing that may be different is Brantford’s close proximity to inexpensive tobacco products.”

In Brant, according to the Brant County Health Unit, 17.3 per cent of females and 31.1 per cent of males smoke on a daily basis; the highest rates are among the age groups of 20-44, and 45-65— approximately 34 per cent each.

Some of Brant population consumes alcohol in excess of Canada’s low risk alcohol drinking guidelines; 19.2 per cent of females and 44.4 per cent of males consume alcohol in excess. According to Brant County Health Unit, if Brant residents did not exceed the low risk drinking guidelines when consuming alcohol, the life expectancy in the area would increase by up to 1.5 years.

The low risk drinking guidelines include daily and weekly limits for men, no more

than three alcoholic beverages per day, track and women, no more than two alcoholic • Pace yourself, sip slowly beverages per day; limits for special • For every drink of alcohol, have one occasions and situations when zero alcohol non-alcoholic drink such as water or soda is best.

• Instead of alcoholic drinks try a Immediate health risks of excessive delicious Mocktail alcohol use include: • Have something to eat before and • Traffic injuries while you drink • Falls • Avoid triggers; if certain people or • Drownings places make you drink, avoid those things • Violence, including intimate Facilities such as the Brant County partner violence and child maltreatment Health Unit offer information and support • Risky sexual behaviours to community groups and schools in regards • Alcohol poisoning to the prevention of substance abuse among Long-term health risks of excessive Brant County youth, adults and seniors, as alcohol use include: well as the soon-to-be opened residential • Neurological problems such as withdrawal management and addiction dementia and stroke treatment centre for those who may need it.

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4

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

ON CAMPUS Brittany Bennett // features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

A cultural angle of celebrating International Women’s Day Brittany Bennett On Campus Editor

Laurier Brantford held two unique events on campus in recognition of women’s empowerment this past week.

International Women’s Day was celebrated on Mar. 8 and Laurier Brantford showed its support with two very different events. This past Wednesday, approximately 120 students and members of the public attended a speech in Laurier’s Research and Academic Center. Speakers Jeanne Shenandoah and Sally Wagner shared the influence of Haudenosaunee women on the American feminist movement. That following day a booth was stationed in the Odeon foyer to promote the awareness of the effect fair trade has on women in developing countries, and to show off our first female refugee student.

Laurier Brantford’s Aboriginal Student Support Co-ordinator, Bonnie Whitlow, organized Wednesday’s event with the help of Health Studies Professor, Kate Rossiter. Following the speech, navajo tacos and desserts were served at the Aboriginal Student House, compliments of the aboriginal student leadership team.

“I think it’s a story that people don’t really know, I think it’s one that’s very important for people to have the chance to listen to and consider,” said Whitlow. She defined the speech as transmitting and eye opening.

One of the speakers, Shenandoah, is a traditional home birth midwife and member of the Eel Clan Onon-

daga. Wagner, the other speaker, is a women’s rights historian, and the author of “Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early Feminists”.

“You can get a PhD and it really does mean just piled high and deeper, because you know nothing about your own history in terms of native history,” said Wagner. She explained how she was blown away by her lack of knowledge on aboriginal peoples, just as Shenandoah said she too was blown away but by quite the opposite: her lack of knowledge on the suppression of American women. They both agreed that their friendship helped them put the pieces together of how American women were influenced within their feminism movement, and it was from their aboriginal neighbours.

Shenandoah explained the traditional equality that her community has; women are treated just the same as men and always have been. “People like to hear about power … I don’t like to use that word because it’s not power, it’s equal, we are all equal here,” said Shenandoah. After Shenandoah shared these ideas with Wagner early in their friendship, Wagner did a lot of research to find that this equality is what helped influence early American feminists to speak up.

Fourth year student and member of the aboriginal student leadership team, Charity Nevert helped prepare the navajo tacos after the speech. “You

can just tell their spirits are connected,” said Nevert. She defined the speech as amazing because it let her see such different perspectives in regards to female roles. Nevert comes from the Cayuga Wolf Clan. She too could not wrap her head around the inequality that Wagner spoke of from the female suppression.

“I really like the native culture because they focus on equality, not just women, but for people in general,” said first year student, D’Angelo Thomas. Thomas is a student from Professor Rossiter’s Social Determinants of Health class that was asked to join the event. He said he was very intrigued with the native man and woman leadership roles that Shenandoah spoke of, and stayed after the speech to talk with Shenandoah and Wagner while enjoying navajo tacos.

That following day, Laurier Brantford’s World University Service of Canada (WUSC) group stationed a booth in the Odeon foyer to also remind people of International Women’s Day. WUSC president Alex Carson informed passerby’s of the effect fair trade has on women in developing countries while giving out Fair Trade chocolates. She was also promoting their shine-a-light campaign that helps support refugee students in bettering their education.

Laurier Brantford’s first female refugee student attended the event to tell of her personal gain from the

Celebrating International Women’s Day. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

shine-a-light campaign. “It has given me life,” said Dammee Jacob. Jacob was born in Ethiopia, and began as a refugee student in Kenya. She is now studying human rights here at Laurier Brantford.

“I think there would be a huge interest if people first of all knew about it, and second of all put a face to the refugees,” said Carson. Every student pays $4 a year that goes towards shine-a-light directly deposited from their tuition fees. Carson said that students are shocked when they find that out, and very happy to know exactly where their money is going and that it is for a great cause.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

ON CAMPUS

Britany Bennett // oncampus@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikoncampus

St. Patrick’s plans at Laurier Brantford Brian Holland Staff

This Saturday, Blueprint 22 will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day event that is expected to draw in hundreds. Blueprint 22 is a group of students who, for the past two years, have been organizing big events like the one this Saturday. It will be the second “party” or event that Blueprint has hosted this year, and the second year in a row that they will follow the St. Patrick’s Day theme. Blueprint’s Homecoming event earlier in the year drew in over 600 students and alumni throughout the course of the day.

Co-organizer Matt Wright said he enjoys bringing students together for one big event. “I like to have everybody together rather than have people split up and do their own thing,” said Wright.

Due to the amount of people expected, the Blueprint organizers have hired security guards for the party. The event is said to most likely be held at their previous location, the two adjoining houses of 118 and 120 on George Street. Police will be monitoring the front yard and sidewalks to ensure the party stays within the back yard of the houses. Wright is aware of both the importance of keeping students safe and the struggles with an event of this size.

“Safety is the biggest issue with a party this big. We try our best but we can’t be watching everyone at the same time.

We just want everyone to have a good time— no drama,” said Wright.

Laurier Brantford prepares for St. Patrick’s Day. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

With the masses of people come mixed opinions and Blueprint has not been able to please everyone who has attended their events in the past. Verbal attacks were written on Facebook following an event from last year. Organizers choose to look at the negative feedback with positivity.

“At first, the problem was finding the right beer,” Wright explained. “We had complaints about the beer, and that’s understandable. You just have to take that as constructive criticism and move on.”

Blueprint hopes to have fixed any problems relating to alcohol. They are

planning on having nine Molson Canadian kegs and four Texas mickeys for this Saturday. Wright specified that these numbers could change and are subject to increase at any time.

“Then it was that we didn’t sell enough tickets,” Wright explained their second major issue in the past.

“For Homecoming, I walked into RCW with 100 tickets and they were gone in three minutes. I had people trying to kill me because we didn’t sell enough tickets,” he said with a laugh. “In the end, we try to give people as much time as we can to get tickets.”

Despite the critics, Blueprint still

has a solid fan base that is willing to come back again. Nicole Mikkelsen, a Laurier-turned-Mohawk student, has attended every event hosted by Blueprint and said that she enjoys the company of other students. “It’s great, it brings everyone together,” she said.

“It’s one spot where everyone can go and you see most people from campus.”

Blueprint has some new activities planned for the event, though many depend on the weather, such as carnival games, including a water slide and a dunk tank. DJs and bands will be performing throughout the event as well.

“The weather is very unpredictable and it can ruin your party experience,” said Wright. “It hasn’t been good the past two years and so that’s one of my main worries.”

Wright and the other organizers are pleased with their preparations leading up to the event, though as Wright explains, they are aware that there is a certain degree of futility in trying to please everyone. “Now, we’re trying to do everything so there really are no complaints,” said Wright. “At the end of the day, no matter what you do, there are going to be people who love it, people who hate it and people who don’t care. You can only do so much to please people. They take what you give them and they can decide if they like it or not.”

Social work week event unites Brantford’s community, students Sylvia Hernandez-Rassavong Web Editor

Community members and students gathered in the Odeon building last Thursday for a conference on poverty and inequality, with keynote speaker Trish Hennessy.

Hennessy is a former journalist, and currently Ontario director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Her work is focused on inequality and the growing gap between rich and poor.

“The reason I’m here is career related,” said Jennifer Spivey, a Conestoga student of the Career Development Practitioner post-graduate program. “I previously heard the presenter speak and I knew the quality of the presentation would be exceptional.”

Hennessy presented facts and data on income inequality. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion with: Hennessy, Rev. Barry Pridham from Sydenham United Church, Sherry Lewis, manager of community programs at Brant Native Housing, Dr. Janet McLaughlin, assistant professor of Health Studies at Laurier Brantford, and Dr. Robert Basso, Chair of the Research Ethics Board and associate professor for Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at Laurier Brantford.

“I think change starts through having conversations like this; it starts with this,” said Hennessy at the end of the panel discussion.

“I think it was one of the best events I ever attended at Laurier Brantford. I did my undergrad here and now I’m doing my master’s,” said Alex Denon-

Trish Hennessy. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

ville, a student of Laurier Brantford’s Social Justice and Community Engagement (SJCE) master’s program.

Denonville said he thought there was a good mix of people. “It was a really good representation of all the different facets and those who can speak about inequality and the impact it has,” said Denonville.

He also said he agreed with many points Hennessy raised and he became more convinced about inequality. “Like [Hennessy] said, inequality is one of the biggest problems of our time.”

“People who were there, were saying ‘I’m in poverty and this is what I

Matt Mente

deal with.’ You hear that it has nothing to do with people being lazy or not wanting to work,” said Denonville. “People want to work but there’s structural reasons why we have such a gap between the rich and the poor.”

Denonville said community conversations like these are important because it clarifies stigmas. “I think there’s a stigma that students have of ‘Brantford locals’ and that can be really damaging if it’s commonly held.”

Another student of Laurier Brantford’s SJCE master’s program, Seema Allahdini said she enjoyed the presentation and was surprised at the turnout.

“It’s encouraging to have everybody

on the same page, working towards a goal which has a positive outcome for everybody involved,” said Allahdini.

The public event was organized by Marc Laferriere, Laurier Brantford’s BSW practicum co-ordinator and coowner of Brant Advocate. The event was in celebration of Social Work Week.

“The campus is part of the community and when we do community events, I think it’s important to let the community know that the space isn’t just for staff and students, it’s for the greater community good,” said Laferriere.

Laferriere said a university setting is ideal to bring all members of the community together to discuss social issues, such as poverty. Laferriere said this is because “there are solutions that can be cultivated from a variety of areas including lived experience, academia, research, and policy.”

Laferriere said it was good to hear students’ thoughts about the issue.

“Some of the concerns were very personal not just academic, around poverty and equity in a broader sense.”

He also thinks the event is the first of many community events to come that are hosted by the BSW program for Laurier Brantford students and the Brantford community.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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

Addiction hurts us all, even social workers Stevan Bodrozic Staff Drugs and alcohol are the most common types of vices that are associated with addiction. Addiction doesn’t just hurt the user, the effects of addiction extend far beyond one person, to family, friends, colleagues and even social services workers.

While a person can become addicted to anything, from drugs and alcohol to gambling and video games, these vices all share something in common: they change people into a shell of their former selves and place an enormous amount of stress on those around them.

Addiction often leads to friends and family members enabling the addict.

Shows like Intervention show just how far a person’s family will go to not lose them entirely. In the long term, actions by family and friends shield the addict from negative consequences and almost always end up doing more harm than good. The person who lends the addict money so they don’t have to steal just ends up enabling that addiction.

It’s a slippery slope and it often puts the family and friends of addicts in a difficult position: do they lend money and make excuses for the addict’s behaviour, or do they risk losing that person?

There is a strong correlation between addiction and abuse. An article published

by Forbes in 2012 found that 80 per cent of cases of child abuse and neglect are associ-

ated with substance abuse. So not only do family and friends risk losing the user or succumbing to the financial burden, but children of users are almost certain to be abused or neglected. And it’s not like the effects of abuse and neglect will go away, children will carry the memories throughout life.

The effects of addiction don’t just affect friends and family. People that provide social services, such as addictions counselling, are often faced with similar consequences. Addictions counsellors work with addicts to provide therapy, support and a treatment plan. But much to the dismay of addictions counsellors, addicts are very likely to relapse and return to their destructive behaviour.

Abusers of hard drugs, like heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine have some of the highest relapse rates. Users of heroin have the highest relapse rate at around 87 per cent, while users of crack cocaine and methamphetamine have relapse rates of 84 per cent and 56 per cent. Additionally, of those suffering from alcoholism, 90 per cent will relapse at least once after treatment.

With such a high number of users returning to old habits, it’s easy to see how some addictions counsellors can end up feeling as if they failed the user. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of

treatment that the counsellors provide: how successful were they if such a large number of people went back to old habits?

Guilt, depression and apathy are common among addiction counsellors. In fact, careers in social services, like social workers and mental health and addiction counsellors, have high rates of on the job depression.

Sherry O’Neill worked as an addictions counsellor for nearly 10 years before she decided to make a career change. During her time working with users, she saw countless people at their lowest, but most were eager to turn their lives around.

“It’s really draining emotionally. You try to help these people and push them in the right direction, but so many can’t seem to get it together, even with the help,” says O’Neill.

“After a while it gets to the point where you feel like you can’t do your job properly.

How can I feel successful and competent in my work if so many just end up back in their own ways? Especially the ones that really want to change, the ones that have been in and out of counselling a handful of times. Some of them just can’t get it together, and I end up feeling like I failed them”, she adds.

No addiction has positive results, only varying degrees of negative consequences.

While the user is destroying their life, be it

with drugs, alcohol, gambling or even video games, they are also destroying the lives of those around them.

Addictions of all forms have nasty consequences that can tear families apart and emotionally and physically scar people for life. To friends and family, the user is just a distant memory, hardly recognizable. Families get torn apart, with the addiction taking priority over loved ones and children being abused and neglected.

“I’ve seen a lot of broken families and ruined relationships as a result of addictions. But sometimes I think it might be for the best if the user isn’t willing to make the changes he or she needs to make. Why be a part of a toxic relationship?” O’Neill asks.

The people that dedicate their lives to helping those who cannot help themselves, the addictions counsellors and mental health workers, are filled with guilt and suffer from depression.

“Me personally, I can’t do it anymore.

I can’t go home upset because I feel like I failed. As hard as you try, you do get emotionally invested, and when it doesn’t work out, it hurts,” she says. “But those counsellors that stick around and do it for the long haul, they’re stronger than most. Maybe even stronger than the people who have kicked their addiction.”

An adrenaline addiction might just be a good thing Brittany Bennett On Campus Editor

Thirty year old Chad Michael Gowing of Cambridge is a people pleaser in a way that he can no longer control. Gowing is addicted to wrestling, in specific, the adrenaline he gets from it. “Getting in front of a crowd of people that have no clue who you are, and they cheer you or boo you, that’s what’s addictive,” explains Gowing.

Gowing has been perusing his love for wrestling since he was 17 years old. He is the founder of Deathproof Fight Club, a fight club that performs not only wrestling, but everything else to show that it is “death proof” to the crowd. The items used in their shows can range from barbed wire or a staple gun to a running weed whacker. It is a bloody and gory version of the usual wrestling.

Gowing admits that he lacked attention throughout his childhood because of his parent’s divorce, and thinks that is why he gets such a high off of the attention his fans give him when he is on stage.

When Gowing is in the ring, he is a completely different person, he is Warhed.

Gowing defines Warhed as outgoing and confident, but out of the ring he explains he is normally very sheltered. Gowing says that Warhed will say and do things that Gowing never would when he is not doing a show.

“I feel like a superhero; I feel popular.

I was never a popular kid in school, but once I throw on the makeup and come out and, you know, fight, everyone loves me,” Gowing says with a smile.

Gowing suffers with depression and says wrestling is his release from it. Actually, Deathproof all began as a therapy for his depression. He had no idea it would turn into the successful and popular company it is today.

Chad Michael Gowing performing as Warhed at a Deathproof Fight Club show. (Photo courtesy of independent professional wrestler photographer, Tabercil)

Gowing’s fiancée, Alexandra Spicer, is the first girl in Gowing’s life that has not let the wrestling come between them. “I don’t mind it because I know it’s something that is positive in his life, but at the same time the injuries aren’t always fun to deal with,” says Spicer reluctantly. She admits that she worries all the time, but is more comfortable going to his shows now that she can tell if he is actually injured or if it is just a part of the show.

“I don’t think he’ll ever fully stop. I know eventually he’ll stop the physical part of it, and probably continue to promote, but I don’t think he’ll ever completely be out of wrestling,” says Spicer.

She says she is completely fine with that, and will always support him.

Gowing has less faith in himself of giving up his addiction. Death is the only thing that could stop Gowing from wres-

tling in his opinion. The longest he has gone without wrestling was eight months.

“The grown up in me says, ‘hey, it’s time to give this up because you’re injured, you hurt every single day,’” Gowing explains.

“But I can’t … It’s just, to be someone else and have people actually like me.”

More than one older and experienced wrestler has told Gowing that wrestling is harder to quit than heroin. “Or they say that being in wrestling’s like being in the mafia, once you’re in you can never get out,” Gowing recalls.

But Gowing does truly believe wrestling is beneficial in his life because it gives him a sense of accomplishment and makes him feel loved. On the other hand, Gowing has suffered from many injuries.

He has had 12 concussions; dislocated his thumb, hip and both shoulders; popped all the ligaments in the back of his neck

and cracked his heel throughout his wrestling career.

“At first it was just the wrestling part,” Gowing explains, “but now that I’m running my own show I get to see my own ideas come to life in front of me, and that’s even more addictive.”

But with Gowing’s wrestling career, comes a lot of drama and hatred. “I’m the most hated wrestler amongst Ontario Indy because a lot of wrestlers say I’m untrained, I don’t know how to wrestle, hard core is stupid, I’m just a backyard wrestler— which is like the biggest insult,” says Gowing with a chuckle. Although he used to let it get to him, he says he knows that his company has a better following than all these “haters’” attempts at fight clubs, so the evidence backs him up.

The negativity also makes Gowing want to train harder to prove himself against these people. A few of the many wrestling schools Gowing has trained at are Wrestleplex, Heart Brothers School of Wrestling (which has since closed down), Squared Circle and Hamilton Fight Factory.

Although doctors have been telling Gowing he needs to stop wrestling since he pretty much began, no injury has stopped him yet. He admits there are a lot of negatives that go with his addiction, such as injuries, finances and drama, but the good outweigh them every time.

Wrestling gives Gowing a kind of high unlike any other, one that lasts for days after his matches. “All throughout my life, I’ve always been the loner, never been the popular one, but when I put on the makeup and I’m Warhed, it’s the guy I’ve always wanted to be. No regrets,” says Gowing with a grin.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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

What’s

the Dillon Giancola Features Editor

When we think of the word addiction, our thoughts go to all sorts of different places. Some people think of loved one’s that struggle with substance abuse, others think of alcoholism or gambling problems and others attribute the word to less traditional things, like too much time spent on Facebook or shopping.

While it is such a prevalent word in our society, it also fair to say that it is really not that well understood. Questions like ‘is addiction just a negative thing’, ‘what types of people are more likely to become addicted to something’ and just ‘what happens to the mind and brain when you develop an addiction’ are things we all think we know a little bit about, but do not really understand fully.

Kirk Elliott, a therapist at Vanier Children’s Services in London, Ontario, is the first to point out how much there is that we still do not know, and how complicated it is. But in the fields of neuroscience psychology and scientific research, breakthroughs are being made every day, and a lot of information on the subject is available that we may not be aware of.

“The truth is, there are certain areas that are being activated in the brain in all sorts of addiction, like pathological gambling, illicit drug use, eating disorders and whatever else,” Elliott says. He described mental health as a continuum, and said compulsive shopping would be at one end, and stuff like heavy drug abuse would be on the opposite end.

“Everybody is susceptible to addiction of some kind.”

In terms of how people become addicted and what influences them, Eliott says there are two big factors.

The first is genetics. While it is common knowledge that your genes can influence your likelihood of certain addictions or disorders, there is really no found set of genes that explain addiction, but studies have shown that there is indeed a heritable component. This is the study of epigenetics. “Our environment can explain our gene expression— which genes are blocked, and which are activated. So psychologists are thinking, if an individual uses drugs or addictive behaviour, that can change their genes, and pass it to their offspring,” explains

Elliott, adding that the research is in motion, and new revelations are discovered regularly.

The other factor is what promotes and drives people to addictive behaviour. It can be to self-medicate, or the result of positive or negative reinforcement. Elliott uses the “wanting and liking theory” to explain this. In a basic, non-technical explanation, the idea is that when you start using a drug or engage in a behaviour, a part of the brain is activated, which is the opioid system and represents the wanting part of the theory. It has a relaxing effect on our body and is responsible for endorphin rushes. The pleasure circuit is also activated, which involves dopamine, and this reinforces our behaviour to continue to use it, that is, the wanting part of the theory. Regardless of the drug or addictive behaviour, they are all in common in that they activate the dopamine system.

More relatable to the average person’s experience is the ideas of negative reinforcement. “With addictions, especially to drugs, you become tolerant and need more, and when you stop and try to break the addiction, we experience withdrawal symptoms. They are negative and not pleasurable, so people use other drugs or addictive behaviour to take away those negative feelings,” says Elliott. It is basically just replacing one bad thing with another. It can also be using drugs or behaviours to take away the pain of the past, or anxiety and depression.

Rae-anna Haugan, who works at a homeless shelter in inner-city Edmonton, sees this behaviour in many of the shelter’s occupants. “Most of the women that stay here have experienced some type of trauma or abuse and major loss, and resort to self-medicating,” Haugan says. Many of the women have trauma stemming from intergenerational issues with Indian Residential Schools.

“If somebody is in pain, they want to avoid that. What stops people from recovering from the addiction is whatever need the addiction is filling. Without getting the support for that emotional pain, there will always be a need for something to distract them from that,” says Haugan.

deal w i t h addiction

?

Another part that keeps the women Haugan works with and people with addictive behaviour addicted is the shame they may feel in what they are doing.

Addiction has such a strong negative connotation that a lot of effort is needed to show someone that they do not have to be ashamed of what they do and where they are in their journey. That is the kind of help that Haugan and her coworkers provide at the shelter. They try to provide a type of freedom and grace to the women, to show them that when they are ready to move forward in their recovery, the staff will be there to support them without any judgement.

Haugan is quick to point out that there is no rule that says what you can and cannot be addicted to. One of her heroes in the field, Dr. Gabor Mate, often uses as an example the fact that he has an addiction to classical music. “This may not be seen as harmful, but its effect on the brain is similar to any addiction,” Haugan says. “By comparing our habits to determine which is good or bad we further stigmatize and shame those who need help. Those of us, for example, that may not smoke crack, but need a cup of coffee to start the day, have more in

common with each other than we may realize.” This kind of message can go a long way in curtailing the negative preconception of addiction and, eventually, help people that are dealing with addictive behaviour.

Dr. Chris Alksnis, a psychology professor at Laurier Brantford, sometimes teaches a class regarding the reward centres linked to certain drugs, and the link between substance abuse and the overarching psychological issues. She uses marijuana as an example. “In the past, it was thought of as just a gateway drug, but now there does seem to be the case that evidence suggests it is not a great recreational drug for people of that age range, particularly if you have any kind of family history with psychological issues,” Alksnis says. She also mentions that the brain is most vulnerable during the university years.

“In a course like that where I’m talking to people of a certain age that are vulnerable to a specific drug, I feel it’s my responsibility to say that ‘hey this might not be the right one for you to take,’” says Alksnis.

Art by Rebecca Duce.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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

Suffering from the Flappy Bird flu Jaclyn Brown Staff You slowly sink your teeth into your bottom lip, the quickening pace of your index finger violently tapping the screen cramps your hand, and your elevated heart rate is causing small beads of nervous sweat to collect on your brow. You have been enslaved to a tiny, poorly animated bird. The swooshing sound of those bopping wings echo in your head and the rewarding ding you hear when you fatefully make it to the next level gives you short-lived high. There is no pill or vaccine for this growing epidemic. Flappy Bird Flu is plaguing thousands across the globe, and with no cure in sight the diagnosis rate is skyrocketing. Experts are attempting to educate the population on safe mobile device use, but for some it is already too late.

Symptoms include spurts of violent rage,

mood swings, shortened attention span, muscle spasms of the fingers and wrists, uncontrollable bursts of profanity, lowered grades, phone destruction, diminished sex drive, impotency, vomiting, nausea and, in some rare cases, death.

Flappy bird flu has afflicted a variety of demographics in an unfathomable amount of time and individuals displaying symptoms are encouraged to seek immediate attention and avoid using mobile devices. As the creator of the app Dong Nyugen deleted the original version from the app store almost a month ago, many may dwell within false ignorant bliss. Do not be fooled, hundreds of clone versions of the game have flooded the app store and many experts fear that the masses still remain vulnerable to imitators.

Forbes Magazine online contributor, Paul Tassi reported that approximately 60 Flappy Bird clones are uploaded daily to Apple’s iOS app store, meaning one Flappy Bird imitator is uploaded every 24 minutes.

This further identifies the detrimental impact the game has on mental health.

Even app developers inherently suffer from the mental symptoms, engulfed with the obsession to recreate the high of the original.

Flying Cyrus is a disturbing imitator designed to satiate those who have contracted the Flappy Bird Flu. This imitator alternatively uses the head of Miley Cyrus, as her infamous tongue flies her through an obstacle course of wrecking balls. The bombardment of the app store with knock-offs only further enables those

suffering from the disease. Other clones use animated versions of Drake, Iron Man, Justin Bieber and an assortment of animals to copy the original.

If you or someone you love has contracted Flappy Bird Flu, it is not too late. In an attempt to ease the symptoms alternative forms of communication are highly encouraged such as email, Facebook and landline phone use to aid those affected by eliminating tempting mobile platforms. Rehabilitative methods such as human interaction, reading books and leaving your house have been shown to dramatically improve symptoms of those affected. Together we can spread awareness for this devastating disease and hopefully reignite faith in humanity.

The 27 Club: Stars who have left us too soon Priscilla Popp Staff Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain. Besides each of these people being popular musicians, they have another similarity that is both eerie and not immediately obvious: all of them died at the age of 27. These musicians, in addition to a plethora of others, have formed what has become known as “The 27 Club,” comprising of a list of stars gone way too early and with so much more talent left to share with the world.

The young deaths of these musicians and the many others included in the list are almost always supremely tragic, often resulting from suicide, murder or drug overdose. Take the examples of Winehouse,

who falls under the latter category, and Hendrix, who died from asphyxiation.

Other bizarre circumstances and causes, including a plane crash and carbon monoxide poisoning, also haunt the list with their presence.

Seeing the number of names that belong to this unfortunate club can make one wonder how so many people could not only die so young but also in such terribly unnecessary ways. Perhaps the reasoning is really just the obvious – a lifestyle that becomes all about partying, drugs and alcohol, and a lot less about music. Somewhat twistedly, the music and talent is oftentimes what puts the star in the

position of obtaining limitless substances in the first place. Back alley concert venues and meeting not-so-innocent other stars can become easy in one’s rise to the top of the charts.

Perhaps the most devastating fact is that once substance addictions do develop, it becomes a tragedy not only for the person and their loved ones, but for the fans who became admirers when they were still new to the scene and only riding high on the wave of making it big. Those who lose sense of their first passion – whether it be music or something entirely different – at the same time also lose the very thing that at one time made them stand out from

everyone else. Sadly, now in the 27 Club, these people belong to one group for a very unfortunate reason. Most people have heard the expression “gone too soon” and all of those who are in the club seem to put a face to this phrase. One only needs to look at what age 27 means for most other people to fully realize this point. For many, their mid-twenties are about landing a dream job, getting married or even having kids. However, for these unforgotten stars, the number seems to represent something different altogether, a tragic ending to a once seemingly promising life.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12 2014

A&E

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

with Amber Richardson

with Amber Richardson Craig Cardiff. (Photo by Cody Groat)

with Amber Richardson

Craig Cardiff is a Canadian folk musician, who is celebrated from coast to coast. Cardiff’s smooth vocals and acoustic guitar landed him two nominations in 2012, for a Juno and Canadian Folk Music award. For the past few years, Cardiff has been collecting inspiration in a unique way at his shows—The Book of Truths. At every show, audience members write down their secrets about life, love, sex and everything in between. If it’s juicy enough, he might write a song about it. Craig Cardiff is not only a busy musician at the studio, but he also travels across the country delivering workshops at various schools and camps. Not only does he embrace his talent as a Canadian musician, as he is always releasing new content, but he shares it with others as well. Craig Cardiff is a dynamic musician, who is always challenging himself and gracefully accepting challenges from others. He has graced the Canadian music scene with his presence for years, and is showing no signs of slowing.

I read that you recorded an album entirely on an iPod touch, is this true?

How did you make that happen?

True.

I recorded the album Mistletoe using the most obtuse recording program available for the iPod and was strict about using the white headphone mic. There but for

: Chatting with Craig Cardiff the grace of duct tape and over dubs did the album occur.

You mentioned that producers push you creatively, do you like giving up creative control? Or are you still a bit resistant when it comes to changing your sound?

No one likes giving up creative control - I’m trying to do it more gracefully with each project. [A]lways surround yourself with good, creative types who won’t let something just be good, but will push it until its great.

Please talk a little bit about The Book of Truths. Is the audience ok with you turning their stories into songs? How much of Craig are we getting in the songs and how much is stories from strangers?

I have no idea if people are OK with me turning bits from the books into songs - the truth is that there are often so many people talking about similar hard / joyful things that I can claim creative license to a degree.

It’s a fascinating conversation - audience talking to anonymous audience, traveling from city to city, province to province – I feel more like a curator of the whole thing - I’m hoping other artists will start doing it too.

You put out an album every year or so, how do you produce so much content?

Do you feel pressured to release an album every year?

I don’t feel any pressure at all. Just lucky to have people coming to shows, and buying the music, to help keep the wheels on the wagon.

What kind of help have you gotten throughout your musical career?

Grants? Pledge campaigns?

I’ve been lucky to get all types of help - all the kinds you mentioned. The most valuable, bar none, is always the person in a city I’ve never heard of who writes and says, “I like your music, I want you to play here,” and we end up working on a show together.

Love is Louder (Than All This Noise) was a two parter that pushed out of your usual routine. Is this something you would be willing to do again?

Would you mix an album with full band songs and acoustic songs?

Certainly. Songs are breathing living creatures - they deserve to be dressed differently.

Humanity is a job description. Our job is to keep each other alive. Our job is to keep each other awake to the world, and to keep ourselves awake to the world, even when it hurts terribly, or you’re worried you’ll be burst from the joy of it.

How do your shows differ across the country? Are your shows in Newfoundland different from shows in BC? Why? The boxes that hold the shows change, but the people are always lovely. Especially the singeralongers.

Musically and artistically, who is inspiring you right now?

Katy Perry, because my daughter plays her so much.

How does living in Arnprior, an 8000 population town, affect or inspire your music?

I feel lucky to live there - lots of great people, amazing neighbours, close to Ottawa. Every place is as good or as terrible as we see it to be - I think Arnprior is pretty great.

Your songs shed light on the human condition. What is humanity to you?

What is it that separates human beings from menial animalism?

Addicted to the ink Kristen Rodgers Staff Can you become addicted to tattoos?

The word addiction is often tossed around when talking about tattoos. There are several physiological and psychological reasons why people believe it is possible to become addicted to this growing trend.

“They can be very addictive. Once people get passed the initial fear, they realize it is not that bad and then one tattoo can turn into a full sleeve, it happened with me,” Taylor Leslie, Cambridge tattoo artist, explained. “The reason why people get addicted can be because it is a form of expression. They feel good, excited and want to talk about it. We always ask ‘should we book your next appointment now’, because we know they will come back.

People think they will just get one and then one more and then one more, until they become addicted without realizing.”

Many people believe that tattoo addiction can be a form of attention seeking. While there are comparable forms of expression such as facial piercings and coloured hair, the permanent and painful nature of the tattoo puts them in a different category. Whether the attention is positive or negative, they may feel addicted to the tattoos for the attention the tattoos bring them.

The adrenaline rush a person receives while getting a tattoo may attract them to get another one. While the reasons for getting tattoos may vary from person to person; the process the body undergoes during the tattoo is relatively the same. The sympathetic nervous system is the part of the human body responsible for triggering the fight-or-flight response.

According to Science Daily, the response

prepares the body to either fight or flee from the threat. The body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated by a sudden release of hormones. As a response, the sympathetic nervous system releases the adrenaline in response to the pain. It takes the body approximately 20-60 minutes to return to its pre-arousal levels.

Someone can be considered addicted to tattoos when they go from having zero to little tattoos to being heavily tattooed in a short period of time.

“The guy I’m dealing with right now he got one [tattoo] and then he wanted his daughters’ names tattooed and then he wanted something symbolic to represent his two Rottweiler’s that had recently passed away. Then he came back and I did three in one night, a Canadian flag, a Toronto maple leaf and roman numerals, they all

had something to do with his family and where he comes from,” Leslie said. “They think it is trendy and they like the artwork, especially when they have meaning. They don’t all have meaning; a lot of them have to do with life experience.”

Many clients recognize the fact that if you can get through the pain of one tattoo then they can get great artwork on themselves for the rest of their life.

Tattoos are becoming increasingly popular in today’s society. The form of art is becoming more acceptable within the community however; some managers and employers still see tattoos as unprofessional because of the rebellious and adventurous image they have once portrayed.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

SPORTS

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

Sports gambling: More serious than you think Dillon Giancola Features Editor Few things enhance the thrill of watching sports like having money on a game. True fans know the feeling when their favourite teams are in the playoffs, or even the championship. For the betting man, this can be their reality every week.

Whether you are at the track, getting caught up in the atmosphere and betting on horses you know nothing about; at a casino in Vegas, telling yourself youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just trying it for the experience; or at home following the games on your Pro-Line ticket after a hard day at work, you are contributing to the huge industry that is sports gambling. But just how huge is it and how many people are actually addicted?

Reuters, a news agency who has done extensive research on the subject, estimate that over one trillion dollars are bet on sports each year, worldwide. Yes, you read that right - trillion! With an amount that high, you would certainly think that it is the most pressing concern facing us, in terms of addiction. Yet, if you ask around to your friends and family if they or anyone they know are addicted to sports gambling, you would be hard-pressed to find any and it is even rarer that someone will admit to being a sports-gambling addict. Writing this article has only enhanced my awareness that people simply do not consider their sports-gambling habits a serious problem.

We have all heard of people losing loved ones and relationships due to excessive betting, or betting huge chunks of their life savings for one last desperate effort to make some money back. These

Sports gambling is a serious addiction. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

are certainly prevalent in movies and even while I worked at a warehouse you would occasionally see one guy cross the line bet a paycheque or other large sums of money.

But as university students, the majority of us are not in that deep and most likely do not have that kind of money to wager anyway. It certainly does not seem like an issue that is relevant to us.

That high annual number has to come from somewhere, however. The late teens and early twenties is the time when people get sucked in to sports gambling.

Just beginning to live on their own and maybe for the first time having disposable income, it becomes an easy and fun way to try and make a couple extra bucks. Fullfledged problems may not develop until later, but it is crucial that students are wary of their habits and bet responsibly, if at all.

Problemgambling.ca released a report last year listing the state of sports gambling in Ontario. A table showing the frequency of males 18 and over in Ontario has 7.8 per cent betting on sport select and 7.2 per cent participating in sports pools. Furthermore,

participation in these particular activities is highest in ages 18 to 24. Perhaps not as surprising, males are seven times more likely to bet on sports than females. However, what is a shock is that 21.3 per cent of males from grades 7 to 12 are involved in sports pools and 36 per cent take part in sports lotteries. These are much higher numbers than we might originally expect, yet on further thought, it starts to make sense. In this digital age there are more opportunities to bet on sports than ever before and more ways to gain sports knowledge and feel compelled to bet. Whether it is a friendly wager with friends, the Canadian staple of playoff hockey pools, or the ever increasing popularity of the fantasy sports league, it is now very common to bet on sports without ever going to the casino or visiting your closest 7-Eleven.

If you cannot get enough of sports and are always itching for the next game and setting your fantasy line-ups in class, then you are certainly not alone on campus. But it is very important that you are responsible with your money. Do not bet money that you do not have and maybe use that money on groceries instead. If you are feeling that you need to take a break, or the bank account is too low, it is more than okay to tell the guys that you have to sit this one out, or that you are just watching the game for the fun of it. And if you still want the thrill that sports betting brings, just cheer for the Leafs. Trust me, you will often feel as if you just lost a hundred dollars.

Laurier soccer team ends season in disappointment Chris Pimentel Staff

Wilfrid Laurierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s co-ed soccer team ended their season on a disappointing note at the University of Toronto-

Mississauga. Overall this team fought all season through player changes but the team refused to use that as an

excuse for the shortcomings.

The Golden Hawks started their first game with more of a defensive mindset, thinking that they can defend well and try to score on the counter attack.

Unfortunately for the Golden Hawks the game plan did not work. A couple bounces went the wrong way and this meant that Laurier went down two goals early. The Golden Hawks dropped their first game of the tournament 2-1.

The second game wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much better for them; they had a disaster start allowing three quick Graduate Certificate Programs: goals within the first , Business Ventures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Small Business Ventures five minutes of the , Career Development Practitioner game. Laurier tried to , Community and Social Service Management regroup and cut the , Event Management lead to 3-1. This forced , Financial Planning Services Laurier to start taking , Global Business Management more chances and they , Green Management - Sustainability couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t capitalize, , Human Resources Management (May and Sept. start) resulting in Laurier , Professional Accounting Practice dropping their second , Project Management (May and Sept. start) game 4-1. , Social Media Marketing After the game the team came together and had a discussion about how to regroup and try to salvage their final tournament.

They wanted to focus on playing smarter

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and more as team. In the third game everything started to come together nicely for the team. Passes were making their mark, they were communicating on defense and they knew when to take their chances offensively. When all of that came together the Laurier team responded with a 5-0 win.

This was too little too late for the Golden Hawks because they were eliminated from the championship bracket. Chris Caldaroni talked about doing more earlier on in the tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish we played like that in our second game to give us more of a chance to advance, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take away from how we played in our third game.â&#x20AC;?

Laurier had to play one more game but the energy was drained from the team and they fell 2-1 as the banged up squad fought through minor injuries.

Owen Drake did a great job stepping into the lineup as a call up for the tournament playing well.

Looking forward to next year, the team agreed that preparation was important in order to be successful next year and the team felt that nothing should be taken away from how the team played this year.

Caldaroni feels that this year was a good stepping stone because it helped establish a good foundation for soccer at Laurier Brantford. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This team was very talented but I still think that we were snake bitten at times. It seemed like we never had bounces or calls go our way this year,â&#x20AC;? Chris Caldaroni says.

11

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

SPORTS

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

Turning severe alcoholism into an athletic passion Rourke Weaver’s story of triumph over addiction Kyle Morrison Sports Editor

Today’s athletes and the sports they play are constantly portraying a poor image, only garnering negative press.

Whether it is the fact that sports are now unsafe and too violent because of the concussions they constantly cause, the multiple occurrences of homophobia and racism in locker rooms, or the exorbitant amounts of money players make that no one feels they deserve, the positive impacts they can have on someone’s life is lost in the shuffle.

There are a lot more to sports than what everyone sees on TV. They are one of the most positive outlets for people to change how they feel about themselves and sports are a way for friendships and powerful communities to bond. Nobody embodies this more than Boulder, Colorado native, Rourke Weaver.

Weaver’s life has changed drastically because of sports like rock climbing, snowboarding, boxing and Brazilian Ju-jitsu and without them, he might not have been alive to share the dark story of his addiction to alcohol and the toll it had taken on his life.

The first time he remembers being drunk was at the age of 12, going upstairs and drinking out of the liquor cabinet with a couple of his friends.

Something clicked, Weaver says, that he could not shake. “I remember thinking ‘this is what it was all about,’” he reminisces.

However, getting caught by his parents, accompanied with the punishment and anger that followed, scared him out of drinking again until his sophomore year of high school, which was the turning point into when his alcohol use and life spiralled out of control, being charged with a DUI (driving under the influence) and three times with an MIP (minor in possession) all before barely graduating.

He got accepted into a small community college in that Weaver feels he had no right being enrolled in, in a small Colorado ski town called Steamboat. The three years in which he lived there, his alcoholism completely took over his life. Nothing was going to stop him from getting that next drink to stay on his alcoholfuelled high, not even court-ordered daily breathalysers. Like clockwork, he’d get up every single day and get drunk. “Maybe a couple days over the next three years [in Steamboat] I was actually sober,” Weaver recalls. “It made me sleep better because I started having withdrawals … So, I’d have a couple more drinks to sleep a little better.”

By the end of his time in Steamboat, the toll on his body from his alcoholism began to show: his hands shrivelled up, he had multiple withdrawal seizures while working, leading to him losing his job, and he had constant auditory hallucinations. None of this discouraged him from drinking. “[My hands] just wouldn’t work,” he says. “I was 20 at the time, going on 21 … and the most humiliating thing was that I’d go into this bar, be poured a doubleshot into a glass and drink it through a straw because I couldn’t pick it up – my hands were shaking so bad.”

He couldn’t handle sinking this low

and the pity and sorrow it caused his friends to see, so he tried to quit, but it caused him the strongest withdrawal symptoms yet, being accompanied not only by auditory hallucinations, but visual ones as well. He simply wanted to die.

A friend found him in his dilapidated apartment and took him to a hospital where he was strapped down and kept in the ICU for four days before being awoken to doctors, police officers and his parents – not being sober was no longer an option.

He promised his mother that he didn’t have a problem and that he could go at least a month without touching any alcohol, but he never got that far. After what he thought was a month of sobriety, he went out and celebrated with his friends, got drunk and returned home to find his mother catching him. She was so upset that he didn’t keep his promise even though Weaver assured her that it had been a month. “My mom pointed at the calendar and it had only been two weeks,” Weaver said. His mind tricked him into thinking that he had gone a month without alcohol just so he could drink again.

His alcoholism finally sunk in when he was driving drunk to pick up his brother from high school to see his grandfather on his deathbed. The disappointment on all of his family’s faces was too much to bear. His mother took him outside and couldn’t take it.

“It’s an important thing for parents to realize that they can’t save their kid,” Weaver says. “I was given everything in the world [from my parents], all the love they could give me, but I was still an alcoholic. And [my mom] finally set some boundaries.”

Weaver checked into a detox clinic and went through an IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program), a 90-day monitored program. He lasted 28 days before St. Patrick’s Day rolled around and relapsed. This was the end of the line for his parents, and they kicked him out of the house for good. “There’s nothing I can equate to putting the one who loved you and raised you through that kind of hell,” Weaver says. “To make a person look at her child and tell them they’re not welcome anymore. It is pain I can’t even explain.”

A homeless Weaver couch-surfed for a while, and at the lowest point of his life, asked his best friend for five dollars to buy a sandwich instead buying alcohol. “It’s difficult to explain, but there were only two options in my head,” Weaver explained. “Either drink this 40 or blow my brains out.

I was ready to go.” At that moment, he feared being sober so much that he would rather kill himself than try and go through with it. But a few phone calls from a friend made a lightning bolt of realization strike him. He knew that he had to do whatever it took to get sober and it will be seven years ago from that day on April 12 that he will have not touched a single drink.

But it was through a second IOP program and the 12-step process of sobriety that lead him to Phoenix Multisport – without it, he wasn’t sure if he could’ve kept up his treatment. Phoenix Multisport is a free

Rourke Weaver outside the Denver Phoenix Multisport Facility which he opened in 2012. Phoenix gave him the opportunity to get involved in sports like rock climbing and snowboarding, which gave him the confidence and strength to stay sober. Before Phoenix, Weaver was on the verge of killing himself due to severe alcoholism. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Multisport staff)

athletic organization that encourages recovering alcoholics and other substance abusers to use sports to develop the confidence and strength necessary to stay sober. He was approached by founder Scott Strode, a former substance abuser himself, to check out the program.

Phoenix took advantage of one of Colorado’s best features, the Rockies, with their main offerings being rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking.

With Weaver being a native Coloradan, these were all things he grew up with and were so important because it allowed him to reconnect him with one of the only other things that he knew that wasn’t alcohol. He fell in love with rock climbing, something that was once so familiar to him. He now wanted to be sober so he could continue to improve his strength as a rock climber.

“There weren’t a lot of wins in my life … to go up and climb and then come back down was the smallest piece of ‘Hey, you can succeed at something.’

And to see your skill level rise, that was a little message that you can be successful,” Weaver says. “I took that in my own recovery and changed my mindset … it showed me how to have a relationship with my family, how to get a job, how to pay rent … A lot of it came from that encouragement on the rock wall.”

And he certainly did become successful. After only two years of sobriety and climbing, he was able to climb 18,000 feet in the air on Mt.

Illimani in Bolivia with his newfound great friend Strode by his side. “I was a complete wreck two years ago – my life was over and I was about to kill myself and here I am in Bolivia climbing major peaks, hanging out with a great friend of mine,” Weaver recalls.

But Weaver feels his greatest athletic achievement was in Brazilian Ju-jitsu three years ago in which he captured gold in a tournament in Las Vegas. “I won this competition that I just didn’t even believe was possible,” Weaver says. “I just didn’t want to get kicked out first round.”

Sports gave Weaver something to look forward to – he turned alcohol, the addiction that controlled him so fully that he couldn’t live without, into a passion that allowed him to grow as a person. Each day he is a little better and staying sober is a little easier because there is a new wall to climb or a new challenge that he loves to try and accomplish.

He is now sharing his athletic outlet with others, after opening up a Denver chapter of Phoenix Multisport in 2012, with the hope of showing people struggling with alcohol and substance abuse that the fight is never over. “It feels like the walls have closed in around you and that there’s nothing left,” Weaver says. “That cloud, that sadness, that gut-wrenching feeling and that panic will not last forever.

Things seem so dark, but the other side is unbelievable.”

12

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 12, 2014

OPINION

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

Blame it on the alcohol?

Josh Adesina Staff A large majority, if not all, of university students remember their Orientation Week.

The promising events that take place for first-year students during the first week of university are of great importance and have lasting effects for years to come. Partying and making new friends are a must in the experience of university life. Unfortunately, where there are students having fun, there seems to also be the involvement of heaving drinking – most of the time. The reasoning behind the drinking habits of Canadian students are a subject that the students themselves may question. As hard working students attending post-secondary institutions in Canada, you would think grades and doing well would be a student’s only addiction, but seemingly not.

According to University Affairs, up to 90 per cent of Canadian students drink alcohol and 32 per cent of students have been involved in binge drinking on a monthly basis, which makes you question if education really is the priority. If I know anything about alcohol, it is that it can bring out that worst in anyone. Let’s face it, there are no pleasant outcomes that come out of binge drinking, especially when it comes to abusing alcohol. The intention of wanting to have a good time can quickly turn into spending a night in a hospital bed, or worse.

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching

and although we want to enjoy ourselves, we have to be responsible about how much alcohol we consume to avoid unnecessary altercations and accidents.

Drinking is nothing new to first-year students, as 83 per cent of Grade 12 students in Ontario steadily consume alcohol. University parties are essentially an upgraded version of high-school parties, so high school seniors are entering universities prepared to take their habits to the next level. As enjoyable as drinking can be for students, universities are not finding it enjoyable at all because of some of the scenarios that students get themselves caught up in. Universities such as Guelph, Western and Queen’s are cracking down on students drinking in their dorms – especially during the orientation week. Rules are in place at Laurier Brantford too; underage drinking is strictly prohibited in residences and open alcohol (by anyone) seen leaving a dorm room can lead to strict penalties, even eventual removal from residence.

Alcohol consumption seems to be very common amongst the Canadian youth for obvious reasons. Peer pressure, classroom anxiety and acceptance are common factors that influence students to turn to alcohol. As well as doing well in university, students want to enjoy themselves outside of the lecture hall. On several occasions, parties and social gatherings, on and off

campus, will involve the use of drugs and alcohol. A lot of students will do whatever they can to fit in, even if it involves pressuring themselves to drink. It’s an issue that a lot of us have to deal with. Students want to take advantage of the freedom they have from their authority figures.

A large majority of university students do not see anything wrong with binge drinking which is a problem in itself. I’m sure you’ve seen what happens when people consume too much alcohol in one night, it isn’t a pretty sight at all. The St. Patrick’s Day riots that took place in 2010 in London, Ontario, are a perfect example of what can become of alcohol abuse. Bottles, bricks and all types of debris were thrown at vehicles as police battled students under the influence of alcohol. Funny enough, the outbreak was a result of a party in Fanshawe College, according to t h e Toronto Star. You can now imagine what kind of precautions the police down there are now going to take for St. Patrick’s Day this year.

The problems that students are having with alcohol addiction are severe. Students will

only be students for a few years but it is still necessary for them to understand the dangers of binge drinking, and the benefits of responsible drinking. Drunkenness can be a threat to your health, and there is no need to be threatening your health at such a young age. You have a whole life in front of you, so why not ease up on the red cup?

Think about it.

Blame it on the alcohol?(Art by Rebecca Duce)

Losing a plane in the 21st century Cody Groat Opinion Editor After Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was reported missing at 2:40 MST (Malaysia Standard Time), I feel I asked myself the same question thousands of others around the world did as well. How, in 2014, can we simply lose a 63.7 m (209 ft) airplane? At the time of writing this, all 227 passengers and 12 crew members, including two Canadian citizens and two infants, are unaccounted for. The plane is simply missing, with not a single confirmed shard of it found by the various countries who are part of the search. To me, such a concept is unfathomable, yet as it were, not unique.

The Malaysia flight (referred to as Flight MH370) departed the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, at 12:41a.m. MST, on March. Six hours later, it was scheduled to land in Beijing, China. It never made it.

At 1:22 a.m. MST, the flight lost all contact with the Malaysian based Subang Air Traffic Control Centre. It’s fate is a mystery.

Although searches and investigations are currently being conducted by the United States, Australia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, no leads have been discov-

ered, except the hint of one, in the form of two passports. It was noted that although passengers 63 and 101 had both boarded the plane with legal passports, the original passport owners and apparent ticket purchasers (Christian Kozel from Austria and Luigi Maraldi from Italy) had not boarded and were in fact safe and well. Both Kozel and Maraldi have stated that their passports had been stolen in recent years. It is unknown as of yet how two stolen passports (listed on the website of the international policing body INTERPOL) could of made it onto a plane without any interactions with airport security. Unconfirmed, two unknown individuals boarding with stolen passports are leading several to believe that the fate of flight MH370 may have in fact been the result of a terrorist action.

As stated, although the concept of a lost plane seems unfathomable, it’s not unique, as seen with the fateful Air France Flight 447. On June 1, 2009, captain Marc Dubois departed from Galeao International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil heading towards Charles de Gaulle International Airport in France. The plane never made it, crashing

into the South Atlantic Ocean, killing everyone on board. After searching five days, major parts of the plane were discovered.

After fifteen days, 50 of the plane’s 228 passengers were pulled from the water. The tragedy was enhanced when parts of the plane (including the black boxes to know what went wrong) and some of the passengers weren’t discovered until nearly two years later. Fear is obvious that this most recent air disaster may have faced a similar fate.

How, though, can a plane just disappear? It seems like a horror movie plot line or a dime fiction sci-fi novel one grabs in a hurry. We have the technology to track a book being shipped from overseas and to know at any given moment where it is.

Surely if we can do that, we can track a whole airplane, right? That’s where people are mistaken. We can locate those items while they’re in the air, or on the land and while all the technology associated with providing those location services are operational. If they’re shut down, if they’re damaged, you’d have no idea where in the massive earth that package has made it too,

even if a planned route was mapped out.

That may seem like an obvious concept, yet for some reason it’s not being drawn towards Flight MH370. Planes, on average, fly nearly 10,000 ft in the air and can fly at top speeds of 950 kilometers per hour (km/h).

If a plane were to fall from that height, at that speed, even an intended flight plan would prove useless. The search radius and potential crash site would be massive and nearly two years to search for a plane in the depths of the South China Sea (where they believe the plane may have landed) may be what it takes, mirroring the Air France disaster. The belief that this search should be an immediate discovery, that a plane shouldn’t just disappear in the 21st century, is uneducated. The South China Sea encompasses an area around 3,500,000 sq. km, and our missing airliner is only 63.7 m. What ever the fate of the 227 passengers and 12 crew members may be, an immediate result shouldn’t be expected.