Issue 15 - March 26, 2014

sputnik

the

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - Issue 15 // www.thesputnik.ca

News

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On Campus

4

Features

6

A&E

8

Sports

10

Opinion

12

Partnership with Laurier likely page 3

Humans of Brantford: Page 6

Ruining classical music page 8

Vegans vs. meat-eaters page 12

Take course evaluations seriously page 5

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

NEWS

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

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

“BE FLOOD AWARE” warns a City of Brantford mobilesign. (Photo by Nathanael Lewis)

Grand River likely to flood

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 Kathleen Binder Stevan Bodrozic Jaclyn Brown Hannah Brunsdon Chris Pimentel Kristen Rodgers Oren Weiner

WLUSP BRANTFORD 202-171 Colborne St. N3T 2C9 (519) 756-8228 ext.5948 MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Jessica Lalonde manager@thesputnik.ca

Taylor Berzins Staff With each spring comes a season full of decision-making. Should one opt for a coat or sweater? Is it really necessary to tote an umbrella?

Despite the variety-packed nature of the season, according to authorities, one choice to make this spring should be painstakingly obvious: stay away from the Grand River.

Police were called late Thursday afternoon when three youths were spotted walking on the river near the Lorne Bridge. The group managed to cross the ice safely, but police are urging citizens to recognize that the river is dangerous and unpredictable.

Similarly, an emergency response team from Haldimand, Six Nations and Brant were called to the Grand River near Caledonia on Thursday evening upon reports of a woman walking her dog near two holes on the ice.

Zodiac boats and rescue material were on site as authorities canvased the area, finding that the woman had safely returned to her home.

“Unlike ponds, where ice can freeze consistently, river ice thickness can vary

ADVERTISING Angela Taylor (519)884-0710 ext. 3560 angela.taylor@wlusp.com

The Sputnik is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981.

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 & Christina Manocchio Left: Rebecca Duce Centre: Cody Hoffman Right: Rebecca Duce

This past winter’s cold temperatures, above average snowfall and lack of mid-winter thaw have generated a substantial snowpack in the Grand River’s watershed, “In some areas it is close to record high levels” according to the City of Brantford.

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) is asking that the public stay informed about the status of the river, and not to go near the banks until the area stabilizes.

“Resist the urge to tour flooded areas.

You may be putting your own life at risk and could interfere with the work of emergency responders,” GRCA officials said in a statement about flood preparedness.

The homepage of the GRCA website has a community flood indicator, a tool to help the public monitor flood status along the river.

In the case of imminent flooding, the GRCA wants to remind the public to follow the instructions of emergency response officials, be prepared for possible evacuation and to ensure that pets are not left alone.

Bill C-23, an election act deemed to be fair

WLUSP OFFICE 205 Regina Street Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5 PRESIDENT Allison Leonard (519) 884-0710 ext.3565 allison.leonard@wlusp.com

significantly due to the underlying currents,” police said in Friday’s public safety report, “should you fall through the ice on a river there is the possibility that the current can sweep you under other ice.”

This time of year, the risky landscape of the river goes beyond the issue of thin ice. It is a season in which the temperature highs and lows have juxtaposed the water’s temperament between that of freezing and flooding.

Flooding this time of year is a particular risk for low-lying neighbourhoods like WestBrant, Eagle Place and Homedale.

For the first time, the city of Brantford has taken to using mobile road signs as a means to warn citizens about the potential for floods.

The signs, which read “Be Flood Aware”, are meant to help warn and prepare people who do not typically access media or the city website.

“We know that there is more snow in the watershed this year. Although the dykes protect the city, we do not want to be complacent,” said Inspector Scott Easto of the Brantford Police Service.

Swathy Sooriyakumar Staff Conservative Bill C-23 may ultimately affect only students, the elderly and Aboriginals. Introduced by the Minister of Justice, the initial reason for Bill C-23 was to strengthen election rules.

Bill C-23, first presented by the Conservative party in 2006, prohibits the use of vouching and voter information cards for identification when voting. The prohibition is to help prevent voter fraud; an adverse effect is that the bill will now prevent students, seniors and Aboriginal people from voting using the vouching system.

“Their main challenge is not in proving who they are,” said Chief Electoral Officer, Marc Mayrand. “But in providing documentary proof of their current residential address.”Adding to those who are denied to

vote are the 120,000 Canadians who had a neighbour vouch for them in the last federal election.

With the increase of political donations, it is easier for insiders to play money politics.

In that case, candidates would be able to give $5000 to their own campaign, while it gets tougher for everyday Canadians. Stand up for Canadian Democracy, a petition on ndp.ca, highlights party objections to Bill C-23.

According to the NDP, the bill will prevent many thousands of Canadians from voting, including low-income Canadians, students, seniors and Aboriginals who may not have the necessary proof of address. It also denies Elections Canada from speaking publicly about democracy or the importance of voting, including engaging with Canadians through

Student Vote.

One of many issues taken with the bill is the absence of a clause providing Elections Canada any investigative powers it may need to find electoral fraud, such as the robo-call fraud from the 2011 elections.

The list of reforms from the Conservative party aimed at modernizing Elections Canada and Canada’s whole electoral system was first read in the House of Commons. Many political figures have taken issue with the bill, including Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party.

“I am baffled and appalled and deeply shocked and troubled by this bill,” said May. “The things in it that are good could have been so much better, but the things that are bad are unforgivable in a democracy.”

Unemployment on the rise in Niagara Region Kathleen Binder Staff The closing of Big Lots and Myers Industries paired with severe winter conditions may be the cause in an unemployment spike.

The spike was announced in March after February numbers were officially released. ”Two factors during the last month likely impacted the increased rate locally— the closures of Big Lots and Myers Industries, resulting in an estimated 400 job losses, and the impact of severe winter weather on different types of businesses,” stated Jill Halyk, executive director of the Workforce Planning

Board of Grand Erie, in an interview with a Brant News reporter.

Brantford’s unemployment rate has risen above the national average after maintaining a lower average for several months.

The Brantford area’s unemployment rate rests at 7.1 per cent, which is higher than the national rate in Canada. The national unemployment rate remains at 7.0 per cent with little employment growth since August of 2013.

Unemployment in the region has risen in

the last month, but are an improvement from last year’s numbers. Despite the rise, Brantford remains below their 7.7 per cent average for unemployment from last February. The city also remains below the provincial rate; Ontario is currently idling at 7.5 per cent.

Brantford has higher employment rates than Hamilton, St. Catharine’s and London.

Brantford hit the lowest rate seen in five years during November with 4.1 per cent, most likely due to the seasonal work seen after the opening of several box stores.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

ON CAMPUS

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

Students oblivious to power of course evaluations Brittany Bennett On Campus Editor

Hey students, do you recall those annoying evaluation things you have to do at the end of each course that take up a whole, what, five minutes of your time?

Have you ever considered where those papers disappear to after that one students drops them off in the magical dean mailbox? Well get this, that whole five minutes of your time can largely affect your professor’s future.

Those evaluations end up in each and every professors’ official file, and stay there for the rest of their career. For part-time professors, these evaluations take a large part in determining if they can even get rehired for the same courses they normally teach. Over half of Laurier Brantford’s faculty of professors are currently part-time. For the full-time professors that are hired on a contract, these evaluations play a large role in determining if they should be hired on for tenure (a permanent full-time position).

Laurier Brantford’s Inter-faculty Associate Dean, Dr. Kathryn Carter voices that, “Those evaluations are really, really, really important and I think students just do it out of a sense of, ‘oh well, we have to do this.’”

Carter explains that if a professor is not doing their job properly, these evaluations are the only real tool the administrators have to not rehire someone again.

When students come to Carter complaining about professors, all she can tell them is to fill out the evaluations honestly, and guess what? Very few do.

“I know from our hiring processes that students don’t generally use them in the way that they say they’re going to,” explains Carter. She has looked back on the evaluations of specific professors that she had gotten complaints about, and they are fine! There is nothing she can do about the complaints with no evidence to support it.

But on the other hand, Carter knows many exceptional part-time professors that may not be getting recognized for their hard work to the degree that they deserve.

Course evaluations. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

Carter does admit that Laurier’s evaluations affect the part-time professors a great deal more than the full-time professors. Once a professor is at a tenure position, the evaluations almost do not affect them at all. If they get all sixes and above (the second highest ranking), they will get a congratulatory letter from the dean.

If the tenured professor is consistently getting lower rankings, they will get a letter of suggestion from the dean to take advantage of Laurier’s workshops that help improve teaching abilities. But for the part-timers, their jobs rely on these evaluations to a certain extent. “There’s a whole structural inequity around parttime instructors that won’t be answered by fixing the evaluations. But that is the nature of that contract employment, and it stinks. But most of us have been there, right?” says Carter.

“Professors have a very deep commitment to providing quality education,”

explains Associate Professor of Society, Culture and Environment/ History, Dr. Robert Kristofferson. “So they do look personally to those teaching evaluations to gain an understanding of how their teaching is going, and therefore what adjustments they might need to make to improve their teaching.”

But many have brought up the issue that the current evaluations are not structured well enough for the professors to be able to know what to improve on.

Kristofferson says that it has been recognized by not just the faculty, but the entire university that there are better ways of doing the evaluations. Carter admits, “I think a lot of people find them kind of a clumsy instrument for measuring what happens in the classroom.” She believes the students do not have the opportunity to say what they need to on the current evaluations.

Some professors even create their

own evaluations in order to gain a better understanding of how they are doing.

This requires approval and does not stay in their permanent file like the current evaluations do. It is just for personal purposes, but goes to show that the current evaluations must be lacking if that option is necessary.

Dr. Antony Christensen, an assistant professor in criminology has been working with a committee to implement a new evaluation form that will be used online instead of in classrooms. Christensen explains that he does not hate the current evaluation, and admits that may be because he receives all rankings of six and above, but he does believe it could be better. “It’s so vague, and too broad that it is difficult to know what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong,” explains Christensen.

“The post-secondary classroom has changed so significantly that there’s probably a real push to think of new ways to evaluate what happens under that big umbrella of learning,” says Carter. She explains that the process of changing the current evaluations will be very long as it will require input from so many different areas.

The revised evaluation has been approved for piloting, and is currently being reviewed through student and faculty focus groups on both the Waterloo and Brantford campus. The committee has implemented around 10-15 student focus groups between the two campuses, some of which have had no turns outs.

The revised evaluation is hoped to be put into place by the wintertime of 2015. But many wonder if the revised evaluation will make much of a difference if students still do not take it seriously.

“If there’s one message we can get out, it would be great if students understood that these really are important evaluations,” says Carter.

Charitable offer symbolizes bridging of campus and community Oren Weiner Staff

In an effort to support the Laurier Brantford YMCA Athletics and Recreation complex plans, Edith and Roger Davis, founders of the Davis Fuels distribution company, donated $1 million to the cause of its construction. The formal announcement of the donation was made on Mar. 18.

“We are very grateful for the generosity from the Davis family,” said the vice president of the Hamilton/Burlington/ Brantford regional YMCAs, Bryan Webber. “They’ve made a significant investment in the future health of the Brantford and Brant County communities.”

The donation is one of many that the Davis family has made to the community. They have made donations in the past to support various groups, organizations and institutions in the county, a list that includes the Brant Sports Complex, the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, Brant United Way, Brant Waterways Foundation and even the Brantford Charity Airshow. The couple has also donated to Laurier as part of their continued support for the growing campus, and its effect on the community. In honour of

their contributions, the aquatic centre at the facility shall bear their family name, an addition to the annex passageway between the Research Academic Centre East and West that is named after the family’s company.

“The gift from the Davis family is a significant donation for a project that will have a major impact on the Brantford campus. It will bring more athletics and recreation for the campus and downtown,” commented Brian Rosborough, the campus’ Senior Executive Officer.

The family’s donation comes in a continued support from the local community of a growing campus that is said to be revitalizing a downtown that was once suffering from economic hardship. Laurier’s incursion into downtown Brantford, at first, was perceived as invasive by some of the downtown residents, due to the increase of property value and resulting in partial gentrification. Douglas Blackie, a resident of the community, explained that many were opposed to the effects of the university’s growth at first, but soon learned to accept the progress the campus was bringing. Now, it has

Matt Mente

become a point of embrace, rather than resentment.

“Laurier has had a transformational effect on the community, and this project will further enhance our impact on the downtown,” said Rosborough.

Regarding the complex, set to undergo initial construction this summer, Blackie spoke on how he believes the downtown’s residents feel about it, “Eighty per cent of the people I talk to said they were all for.”

Rosborough noted that the university has not met any resistance from local residents to its plans to build the complex, and believes that it is a symbol of integration between the university and the community. Funding for the $58.4 million cost has come from federal, provincial and municipal parties, as well as the Student Union, the university itself and donations like the Davis’ in support of the YMCA and university’s co-operation in the complex.

“One of the reasons I think it’s been so well supported is because of the nature of the collaboration with two key institutions—the YMCA and Laurier—

to bring a new important resource to the downtown,” Rosborough stated. “We feel we’ve been well supported.”

Rosborough explicated that the YMCA’s partnership should function as an integration agent that should bridge the university and downtown together.

The 130,000 sq. foot facility will serve both the students and the local community. Rosborough again emphasized the importance of the YMCA partnership, noting that the YMCA will distribute its membership fees for families with lower incomes that might otherwise be unable to afford the costs. He added that the university should also become a more accessible place for local residents, even for those “who might otherwise not be destined for university.”

With the plans in place to upgrade the athletics and recreation facilities in the Brantford downtown, the YMCA and university are optimistic in what can be achieved in the community. Construction is expected to be completed in 2016.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

FEATURES

Humans of Brantford: Dillon Giancola// features@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikfeatures

A collaborative project by Brittany Bennett and Dillon Giancola

Aresh Shojayi “I just like the cleanliness of the city.They take a lot of care, especially in the summer. The thing I dislike is parking. They are just on the hunt to get you.”

Faias Malak

Kassi Mead

“There’s just very nice people here. They like to help, in Toronto they don’t want to talk to you, but here it’s different.”

“I like that it’s smaller. I like most of the people, with any town you have certain creepy people, but it’s good to have the student population.”

Jaquie Daniel In Brantford for 25 years Jaquie Daniel has loved her life in Brantford for about 25 years now, and currently works at Grand Erie District School Board’s Careerlink in Market Square. “I remember when they were announcing that Laurier was coming to Brantford. I said ‘wow, wouldn’t it be great if my daughter could go to a local university?’ And then I remember the day, we were just downstairs right here at her graduation ceremony,” Daniel recalled as she stood in Market square. “Or at least the after party. And that was a really great memory.” Daniel said that it is rare to see someone start something like that and actually finish it, and she was very happy to be able to watch Chris Friel follow through with the Laurier plans even though he dropped out of office for a while in between. “I love it. I will never move anywhere else. I know you should never say never, but I love my Brantford,” said Daniel with a grin.

Ted Hoogsteen In Brantford for 9 years Ted Hoogsteen has lived in Brantford for about nine years now. He sat behind the information desk in Market Square as he explained, “My wife and I were living in Welland and my children said we want you to come closer to where we are. We put our house up for sale, within two weeks, put the last signature on the deed, and we were moving.” He now works as a security guard in Market Square.

Hoogsteen has lived in many places throughout his life such as Europe, Michigan, and California, but said Brantford is his favourite of them all, it is his home. But there is one area that Hoogsteen thinks Brantford can improve. “We need a vision, started by the mayor, that will draw people, bring some excitement to the place.”

Brandon Sears In Brantford for 16 years

Brandon Sears has lived in Brantford for 16 years, moving here from St. Catherines when he was six.

He still loves it here after all this time. “People take care of each other, but there are a lot of crazy drama situations. I myself am a hermit. I don’t like to get out in the scene much a lot, and like to stay to myself.” Sears works at Crazy Bills, and enjoys the adventure that is working in downtown Brantford. “I love working in customer service. Especially in a convenience store because we get all types and walks of people. It can get a little crazy.” He contributes a lot of Brantford’s rebirth to Laurier’s presence, and the work that they have been doing in restoring the buildings and building new ones.

“The general consensus is that the school coming to town brought Brantford back. A lot of people were skeptics when they tore the buildings down but now they can see that hey, it’s actually pretty nice.”

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

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FEATURES

Giving the city a face

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

Photos by Cody Hoffman and Christina Manocchio

Paul Bray “I’ve gone around the world and never left Brantford... I’ve been here 55 years and I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

Telly Kehoe

Wuppie Hoffman

“It’s tough here because everybody knows everybody. Hard when you want to get away from certain things. But with the school it has really helped, they are really fixing it up.”

“When our kids were small, I liked that all the sports activities were so close. Like Wayne Gretzky Centre and the parks.”

Harvander Gill

Steve Dungey

“I like it. I like the people, I like the business. I like everything in Brantford, I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’ve always been here.”

“The more partners the university gets the more downtown is busier and cleans up and generates business. It’s good for everyone.”

Mark Dubrosky “Well, see, I don’t drive... because I’m on disability, but I like the fact that the bus service is pretty good. They are friendly, the bus drivers are very nice.”

Brantford: The rebirth of a community Stevan Bodrozic Staff A growing university and a revitalized downtown core have worked to create a sense of community that Brantford hasn’t seen in almost 20 years. The economic recession in the early 1990s and the loss of the city’s main industry left countless people without jobs and shelter and placed financial strain on many others. It was the manufacturing sector that brought thousands of people together and created a sense of familiarity and community: everyone was brought together based on where they worked. Once the manufacturing sector left, the sense of community and pride disappeared.

Brantford, the downtown core in particular, fell apart as some left for better opportunities and others struggled to make ends meet. The opening of the Brantford campus of Wilfrid Laurier University has lead to numerous revitalization efforts by the city and residents of the downtown. Now, over 10 years later, the city has a downtown to be proud of.

A public square, countless community events and a rise in new small businesses gives people a reason to come downtown, and as a result, become involved in their

community.

Similar to how the manufacturing industry drew people together and brought in people from outside of the city, Laurier and the new downtown have been able to create a sense of pride in the local community. No longer is the city simply known for its poverty in the 1990s, drug abuse or being the birthplace of Wayne Gretzky. It is now known as a hub for education, with two universities and a college in the downtown, as well as being a cultural hub that attracts students from around the world.

The city has used this development to promote a sense of community and pride.

Annual events like the Jazz Fest and Scare in the Square all draw people into the downtown. Harmony Square has been used for a number of other events throughout the year, encouraging people to embrace the redeveloped downtown. These events draw in countless people and give them the opportunity to interact with people they might not otherwise interact with.

It has really helped foster a sense of community because people have something to be proud of.

Everyone has their own reason for coming to Brantford, be it for work, education or even to be closer to family. While everyone has their own reasons for choosing to

call the city home, each person contributes to the growing sense of pride and community within the city. Attending an event, volunteering or supporting local businesses are all ways that people strengthen the community relationships that have made Brantford so successful in the past.

Lee Hiscock, owner of Brown Dog Coffee Shoppe on Dalhousie Street lived in the downtown 15 years ago, right around the time the city’s unemployment rate and poverty peaked. Hiscock has seen first hand how the city has transformed itself from an economically depressed city with little opportunity to a bustling and growing city with a bright future.

Hiscock and Brown Dog are one of many small, locally owned businesses to open up in recent years. Others like Burrito Brothers, the Pantry Café, The Works and Rockling’s have all seen considerable success. Coupled with the numerous events, like the Jazz Festival that draws around 28,000 people, it is easy to see the success of Brantford’s downtown.

“It [has] really turned around from what it used to be,” says resident Paul Jamieson. “No one had a reason to go downtown, and no one really cared about the city all that much.”

“I guess once the city started giving

people a reason to go downtown again, with the redevelopment and all, everyone started seeing that there was some good to the city. People are starting to become proud of how far we’ve come.”

There are many other cities that have stories similar to Brantford. Countless “Rust Belt” cities in the United States, like Buffalo and Detroit, lost a considerable part of their economy due to the loss of manufacturing. However, like Brantford, these cities have seen considerable revitalization and have given people communities to be proud of.

“When I used to work for one of the farming companies, we were all kind of family. Most people knew each other and it just seemed like a nice community because we all had so much in common. But that changed, and I think as the city has redeveloped a bit, we’ve kind of got that sense of community back,” Jamieson added.

“When there’s a big festival downtown or something, people from all over the city go and it’s just nice seeing people smiling, having fun and you know, talking and laughing with their neighbours. It’s good to see, especially after everything the city has been through.”

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

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

Ruining an art form: Using classical music to keep people away Kristen Rodgers Staff

As local citizens walk down Colborne Street, they are able to listen to classical music as they pass by the Brantford Public Library. The music is very enjoyable for some people walking by; however, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not playing to entertain pedestrians. Some businesses play classical music outside of their establishment because it has the ability to disperse loitering teenagers.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it, most teenagers do not listen to opera and classical music on a regular basis and it has a reputation of appealing to a more mature audience.

The classical music acts as a repellent to teenagers. Therefore, unfortunately, with classical music playing instead of the new BeyoncĂŠ, people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; especially teenagers, are less likely to stop in front of the library or another business to â&#x20AC;&#x153;hang outâ&#x20AC;?. This may be an effective way to discourage people from loitering or busking in front of the library. There are no busking permits in Brantford, so people can potentially set up where ever they wish.

The Brantford Public Library and Brant Stereo on Market Street are two of few places in Brantford that play music outside their facility. Brant Stereo has been playing music outside of their store since October 1973 for enjoyment purposes, playing a variety of music, including playlists for holidays like Christmas or, more recently, St Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, genrespecific tunes like classical, jazz, Raggae and Motown, and even artist-specific

Ruining classical music. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

like Jimmy Buffet and Johnny Cash. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Beatles by far get the most comments from every age group,â&#x20AC;? John Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill of Brantford Stereo said.

Brant Stereo installed a system at the Brantford Public Library a number of years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They had trouble with people standing in front of their door, they have an overhang so people would be there for a number of reasons, weather and such

but they were blocking the door and I believe their intention was to keep the door way clear,â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they have background music playing, maybe the busking will move down the street a little bit.â&#x20AC;?

The library often plays classical music outside. There are many different views towards this action. Some people believe it is insulting towards classical musicians

and fans.

Ballet Dancer, Sierra Maraj from George Brown College, says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is insulting. Classical music is beautiful to listen to and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a shame people have it playing to keep people from loitering, when the composer worked so hard on their work.â&#x20AC;? Maraj spends a lot of time dancing to classical music.

Classical music is known to be a type of music that acts as a soothing agent that creates a peaceful environment.

However, first year student at Laurier Brantford thinks otherwise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do not think there is a correlation to the library playing classical music and loitering,â&#x20AC;? Amber Barnett stated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I personally believe that if people want to hang out outside the library, even if there is music, they will, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not insulting to classical music. People like what they like.â&#x20AC;?

The music being played outside local facilities can be enjoyable to some, especially on a sunny day. Some businesses play it for enjoyment, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the leading reason. Many businesses around the world use classical music to prevent crime and loitering. Using classical music to keep business fronts clear might be a smart and cheap option, but playing classical music as a deterrent can be insulting to not only composers, but to classical music fans as well.

Cultivating local music, Brown Dog style Jaclyn Brown Staff

The first rain of spring was spitting on the sidewalk and my hair as I entered Brown Dog Bootleg CafĂŠ last Wednesday night. As I walked in the door I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but notice how the raindrops softly struck the windowpane, rhythmically

accompanying the soulful acoustic guitar in the most serendipitous way.

The alluring aroma of apple fritters and earthy espresso sparked my drowsy senses after a long day of end of semester procrastination.

Every Wednesday the Brown Dog hosts an open mic night, giving students and locals a creative outlet and an escape from the daily grind. Peppered with the ambient glow of yellow light, the venue is truly a marvel and a comfort making it the perfect place to study.

Matcha latte in hand, I surrendered to the sensory indulgence of a haunting and raspy rendition of Toxic by Britney Spears performed by 18-year-old Chandler Berardi. Berardi is a regular performer at the Brown Dog and was one of the original accomplices for the open mic idea.

After hearing about the music interests of manager Lee Hiscock through a friend, Berardi teamed up with him to bring open mic night at the Brown Dog to life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I originally got in here on Saturday Graduate Certificate Programs: nights doing live , Business Ventures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Small Business Ventures music, then Lee , Career Development Practitioner brought the idea to me. , Community and Social Service Management So I said, how about , Event Management this: I will let you use , Financial Planning Services my gear if you let me , Global Business Management host. It just worked, , Green Management - Sustainability we clicked and it grew , Human Resources Management (May and Sept. start) from there,â&#x20AC;? explained , Professional Accounting Practice Berardi, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have our , Project Management (May and Sept. start) slow nights, but one , Social Media Marketing night we even had 17 performers. We always have somebody new.â&#x20AC;?

Veteran Brown Dog performer and Laurier student, Keyena Smith

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uses open mic night as a creative outlet despite a hectic school schedule. As fourth year Concurrent Education student, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been performing with friends since last summer and reigniting her love of music from high school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just all about the atmosphere,â&#x20AC;? said Smith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to find cute little hipster places around campus. I feel like its one of Brantfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-kept secrets and Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to be able to get together with some friends and just jam.â&#x20AC;?

Manager Lee Hiscock can attest to the influence the atmosphere has on the artists. He explained how the acoustics that the open concept fosters truly keeps both listeners and musicians coming back for more. He also explained that open mic night is unique to the Brown Dog in Brantford, but other locations are hoping to catch on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted a place that had live music, there is a lot of live music in Brantford, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a lot of live music in an open space like this,â&#x20AC;? said Hiscock, describing how open night mic welcomes performers of all ages and musical disciplines.

At the end of the night it was apparent that such a raw and intimate atmosphere is rare, and we often forget the musical love affair we used to indulge in throughout our teens. Why not reacquaint yourself with a memory or two? The Brown Dog uses open mic night in a way that creates the perfect study atmosphere, and the perfect chance to perform, ultimately cultivating the innermost musical artist we all suppress during the school year.

Along with open mic Wednesdays, the Brown Dog also features live music on Friday nights. If you are interested in performing stop by the cafĂŠ on 53 Dalhousie or, better yet, sacrifice one night for the sake of your senses and listen to the sounds of Brantfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best kept secret.

9

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

A&E

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

with Amber Richardson

with Amber Richardson

Sons of Revelry. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

: Sons of Revelry

with Amber Richardson

Sons of Revelry is an infant band in the music industry, but in the past 10 months as a group, they have been making waves in the North American music scene. The group started by complete happenstance last May and has evolved to include lead singer Toby Black, bassist Arron James, guitarist Corey Brouwer and drummer Sean Boyle, who has won a Hamilton music award. The quartet have since landed a recording gig at NRG studios in Hollywood, whose client list has grown to include such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Beck and a whole whack load of other brandname musicians. Listening to their music, it is not even slightly apparent that this is a new band. Their sound is sophisticated and established, something that usually takes years to accomplish. Thankfully, I got the opportunity to chat with Toby and Arron about everything from fatherhood to Hollywood, and learned along the way that Brantford’s music scene is much more active than I had previously believed.

Sons of Revelry is an extremely young band, how and when did you guys all get together and make this happen?

Toby: We’ve been together since May, I think. May as Arron and myself, and Sean, the drummer, joined probably within our first month of being together. We recorded our first demo EP after being together for like a month.

Arron: Yeah, that was on your birthday right?

Toby: Yeah, June 10th. And then Corey, who is the guitar player and backing vocals, he joined us about 4 months ago. So yeah, in the grand scheme of bands and musicians, we are extremely young. And it’s kind of serendipitous how it came about. I was just starting to write music again… and we were in our local music school here in Brantford, and I was telling the owner that I wanted to start a band and we needed a bass player, and Arron works with UPS as a driver and just as I was saying this and telling the owner I needed a bass player, he was like, “Hey this guy plays bass.” And then we connected and we jammed, and it was awesome.

Arron: Yeah, that happened exactly as I was walking in the door, which was pretty rad.

Toby: Yeah, he was just delivering a package and it was pretty crazy. Sean had another local band that he was playing in for a long time. Then he just got fed up, burnt out, whatever happened. And then Arron messaged him to see if he’d like to come jam, and he actually came and jammed. I

think it was once, twice maybe…

Toby: That’s it. Well said, brother.

every night of the week…

Arron: Just once.

You said your sound is like a 60’s music festival. Are you inspired about this era, if so why?

Arron: It’s the hub for people expressing themselves. It’s terrific that they provide the venue for people to come in and do what they want to do.

Toby: Just once. And then we went into the studio and recorded a 3 track EP. And then Corey was actually playing in another band for 3 or 4 years in Hamilton and he was getting fed up with that. He saw our band and he reached out to us and said, “Hey, I know you guys are looking for a guitar player, let me come and jam with you guys, I know I can bring something to the table.”

And he did.

So you’re heading to Hollywood, how did you land that? How did you score a recording gig at NRG? Toby: There was a competition, a Battle of the Bands partnered with Uproar Music Festival and it’s a big Battle of the Bands, it’s international. The publicist we were working with at the time mentioned it to us that we should apply, and we did.

We were so lucky to have support from everyone here in Brantford and Toronto voting for us everyday. And they pick the best hundred, and they then chose one band to perform at the local market. There were like 30-something stops across North America and they chose one band from the competition to play each stop for the competition. We won that, so we got to play the Molson Amphitheatre in August.

Then I got phone call in November, saying that we had won the whole thing. It was pretty surreal.

Toby: I think people were on a different wavelength back then, especially in the music world. It was all about experimenting and doing things spontaneously. It was a lot of feeling, a lot of psychedelics, a lot of good things that you could use to alter states of mind. So when you brought that into an art form like music, it just created such epic experiences for people. And today’s music, everything being so compressed and cookie cutter, we don’t want that. Music isn’t about being perfect. Beauty is in imperfections.

Are you trying to alter people’s minds with your music?

Toby: We don’t try to do anything. We just do. We just let out whatever is going on in our heads, in our minds, our hearts, and our lives and our souls. When we come together we just play, and whatever happens, happens.

Arron: It would be cool if we were on the radio and we were the soundtrack for someone’s experience, like a psychedelic experience.

I’ve found some similarities between your music and other popular Canadian rock music, do you have any particular Canadian influences? Who are your musical influences?

What kind of fundraising are you doing?

Toby: Once we found out that we won, we lined up shows and we’re saving for it that way. We’re all making sacrifices in our life so we can have extra money that we can go down there with. Luckily the studio time was paid for and the tour that they have us on from the beginning of August until the first week in October, it’s a paid tour, so we’ll get funding for that. But basically, we’re trying to work our ass off as a band, trying to get as much money together as we possibly can… and then hopefully get some funding from one of the Canadian government agencies.

Toby, you have a wife and baby… are other band members married with kids?

How do you balance fatherhood with rock stardom?

Arron: It’s a delicate balance. I’m a married man with a kid too and a 50-hour-a-week job. It’s just about making the right choices and being passionate about what you really want to do.

Toby: It’s not like Hamilton, where they have a few spots where they are really eagerly promoting the local music scene.

Brantford has the talent, musician-wise, but it seems it doesn’t have the support through writers, or wannabe writers, or bloggers, or promoters, or other people in the industry who are important for making a scene a scene… Brantford definitely has the talent; they don’t get the exposure they deserve.

If you could tour with any musicians or bands, dead or alive, whom would this magical tour include?

Toby: Hands down, without a doubt, it would for sure be Jimi Hendrix.

Just you and Jimi Hendrix, that’s it?

Arron: No way, you need to get Frank Zappa on the bill, Pink Floyd, the original Led Zeppelin, you know, The Doors, fuckin’ eh.

So 60’s musical festival and Sons of Revelry, basically.

Toby: Arctic Monkeys, that would be pretty rad too.

What comes next for you guys?

Arron: Well I know Sean is heavily into Canadian bands. If you ride in his car, you’re bound to listen to things you may not like, but it’s going to be 100% Canadian content.

Toby: Like Celine Dion, The Band Perry, Justin Bieber….

Arron: But the Sheepdogs and the Trews, they’re pretty rad. You picked out all the bad ones first!

Arron: No, we were just fucking around.

Toby: Hollerado, Monster Truck, Sheepdogs, Ascot Royals are pretty rad.

Is the Brantford music scene more live than I think it is?

Arron: I think Brantford is swimming with talent. Half the time it’s winter, so people are inside playing their instruments.

Toby: Two Doors Down has live music

Arron: We’re just going to keep working hard everyday. We’re gonna practice our instruments and then through the summer we have this great opportunity to travel through the United States. It’s kinda like we’re training for the Olympics… as soon as we get back from Hollywood, we’re just going to continue doing that and writing and progressing. Whatever comes, comes.

We get to play on the Vans Warped Tour for a couple dates, so that’s pretty cool.

Toby: The company that puts on Uproar Music Festival is the same promoter that puts on Warped Tour, so the festivals are pretty huge.

10

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

SPORTS

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

Women’s hockey team falls in semi-finals at Seneca Kyle Morrison Sports Editor

It has been an up and down season for Laurier’s women’s ice hockey team; they’ve been tournament champs this year, mixed in with early tournament eliminations. At Seneca College, the Golden Hawks failed to regain their winning ways. The women lost in the semifinals to Humber College in a shootout 1-0, resulting in a sixth place finish in the league – just outside of Challenge Cup qualification. This comes as a step backward for the team, after the women narrowly lost out on winning a bronze medal at the 2013 Challenge Cup. Since winning a tournament at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus at the end of January, the Golden Hawks have struggled. In their next tournament in February, they were knocked out after finishing with a 1-2 record and similar play carried over at Seneca. In the team’s opening game, Laurier lost in a shootout to St. Lawrence College, but bounced back with a 1-0 win against Fleming College.

Their play was certainly improved and the women made it to the semifinals, but it was a “win and you’re in” scenario, so that wasn’t good enough.

It’s hard to go into a tournament knowing that that’s what you’re going to have to do to make up ground and buy yourself a ticket to the Challenge Cup in Orillia. There was no denying that Golden Hawks were feeling some of this pressure, right winger Katrina Moczerad says.

“There was definitely some added pressure this past tournament as we were one spot out of qualifying for challenge cup.” They tried their best to use it as a positive to

bring their play to the next level, something Moczerad feels was successful, but two shootout losses killed them.

Shootouts are a difficult way to lose taking away the team’s ability to win and putting it on one or two players. One or two bounces that stop the pucks from going in can seal the game in a hurry. And overall the team wasn’t able to capitalize on their goal scoring opportunities and they were playing tired with the quarterfinals and semifinals happening back-to-back. “We played the semi-final game right after the [quarterfinal] we previously played. We were tired but still played with heart and tried our best to keep our legs moving and get some points up on the board,” Moczerad says.

But Moczerad and the women’s ice hockey team aren’t making any excuses.

She feels that even if they beat Humber, made it to the finals and won to qualify for the season’s final tournament Moczerad wasn’t convinced that the team was prepared enough to beat the top women’s ice hockey teams in the OCCR and become champions. “I think it is a good thing that we did not make Challenge Cup this year as we would not have been able to take home the gold,” she says. “I think next year will be the year for the girl’s team as the team requires more bonding and ice time together to improve… As a team we are stronger this year but the bounces just did not go our way this season.”

Even though the bounces didn’t go their way, there was still a lot to be proud of. “My message to the girls was to keep

Shannen Head and company’s loss ensures they will not play in this year’s Challenge Cup. (Photo courtesy of WLU Athletics and Recreation)

our heads held high as that was some of the best hockey I have seen us play all season,” she says. “Again I think we will only continue to get better as we won a tournament this year and will continue to work hard and grow.”

Moczerad hopes to have more ice time together next season in order to build more chemistry, something she can’t stress enough. These are always hard things to come by on Laurier’s Brantford campus with limited facilities, but when there isn’t much turnover you take away how each

other plays from season to season.

But chemistry is something that she thinks the women can learn from the men’s team. “The men’s team is a close knit group and the girl’s team lacks that special bond.”

However, the women will have to do it without team captain Amy De Silva and a couple of other seniors next season, which is a pretty big blow to the team. Moczerad definitely realizes this, but she’s positive there will be some good first years coming up that will help to fill the roster spots.

11

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

SPORTS

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

Men’s hockey team fails to defend Challenge Cup on home ice Chris Pimentel Staff

Every great team has to go through hardship at some point; disappointments and heartbreak provide great teams with motivation and things to learn for next year. Some grow from those moments like the NHL’s Boston Bruins who won the Stanley Cup the year after they blew a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in game seven the year before that. And some don’t; see the Leafs who are currently getting out shot at the same pace as last year. The Wilfrid Laurier men’s extramural team had their moment during this year’s Challenge Cup on home ice at the Wayne Gretzky Centre.

In their quarterfinal game against Georgian College, the Golden Hawks were leading 2-1 with 4.4 seconds left in the third period. Earlier in the tournament, the Golden Hawks got out played by Georgian and looked lost as a team, but in the quarterfinals they played great.

Normally in this situation, you want to tie the other player up off the faceoff circle and try to fall on the puck to waste time, but Georgian won the draw cleanly and got the puck to the point. Their defensemen fired a shot through one of the Laurier player’s legs and the puck got tipped on the way to the net. Ben Brunner got a piece of the puck, but not enough as the puck crossed the goal line with 0.1 seconds left. Laurier would end up losing the game in a shootout and the defending champs were eliminated.

This loss is as bad as it gets. Players were in disbelief after the game thinking how close they were and how well they played as a team, only to lose a game like that. But this team has come a far way and has shown that they can change and adapt in the short and long term and learn from their mistakes. When Laurier played their exhibition game against McMaster earlier in the year the team had a

lot of firepower but could not defend. This was a trend throughout the year but in the final tournament of the season, they were able to start playing well as a team and come together defensively.

At the start of the tournament, the team played well structurally but could not get the puck in the net. Part of the problem was that they faced a goalie that stood on his head in their first game. Laurier played Trent University and pushed the pace and controlled the play in the offensive zone. Laurier took shot after shot but the Trent goalie would continue to stand on his head. With two minutes left in the game Trent put in the go ahead goal and won the game 1-0.

Laurier then had to play Georgian College in their second game. Earlier in the year they played Georgian and lost in a back and forth game. But this game was much worse. Laurier had four power plays throughout the game including a five-minute major, but they could only muster one goal. They had problems structurally entering the offensive zone and leaving the defensive zone. The breakouts were messy in the neutral zone. Laurier ended up dropping the game 4-2 and they were forced to have a lower seed in the final bracket.

“We started off the first power play with an umbrella formation and thought we’d get more chances shooting. But obviously that didn’t work,” Coach Kelan Herr talked about the teams systems after the game. “We have a bunch of guys in the locker room that we can bounce ideas off of and we can take it from there.”

The second day was a win or go home day and Laurier was facing the University of Toronto Scarborough. Laurier looked like a different team in the game. Their breakouts

Dave Howe takes a shot from the slot against Trent University. Laurier lost the game 1-0. (Photo courtesy of WLU Athletics and Recreation)

out of the offensive zone were more organized and they were able to move the puck in the offensive zone with ease. Laurier let in an early goal but that didn’t mean it was time to panic.

Laurier continued to play within their system and drew a penalty within the last five minutes of the game. Laurier was finally able to score thanks to a back door pass to Blake Dionne and Laurier tied the game up at one. After that Laurier added another to put themselves up 2-1 and they were able to hold the lead and advance to the quarterfinals.

“We actually had a 24 hour rule; we didn’t talk about the tournament the night before and drew up different breakouts before the games today and just focused on having fun,” Coach Herr says about his team adjusting in day two of the tournament.

In the quarterfinals Laurier lost to Georgian College in a heart breaking fashion, but they grew as a team throughout the year and the tournament. They learned how to play a defensive system to help give their goalie some support and they showed a willingness

to adapt to change mid way through a tournament.

“From where we started we did not think that we could make it this far but we came together as a team,” David Howe says after the game. Looking forward captain Howe says that next year he hopes to get the team together more often and that should help with the overall communication.

Howe says that the one player that improved throughout the year was second year player Kevin Lamplough. “That kid goes all out every single shift and I don’t know how he does it. He is huge on the penalty kill and the guy just does everything.”

Part of becoming great is fighting through adversity and learning from it. This team learned how to play defense throughout the year and learned to change their system to give them the best chance at winning the Challenge Cup. Next year this team should grow and have a decent shot at reclaiming the Challenge Cup.

12

The Sputnik // Wednesday, March 26, 2014

OPINION

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

Vegans vs. meat-eaters: The argument for keeping carnivorous Josh Adesina Staff People could argue that meat is mandatory for a healthy diet and most of us would agree that this is because of the nutrition our bodies receive from meat consumption. Although, meat has been proven to be very healthy for the human body, there are several of us that have decided to only consume vegan-based products or the vegetarian diet that are doing just fine without it.

Those that consume meat on a regular basis may often argue that there are components in meat that help our body function properly. On the other hand, vegans are able to find nutrition from other products which defy the idea of meat consumption. We also need to consider the morality of eating animals along with animal cruelty, before we fight to push the meat agenda.

Before a lot of us were teenagers, we would consume whatever our parents and schools gave to us. Now that we are a little older, we have an idea of what we are eating and how it affects our bodies. According to Earth Day Canada, Canadians eat about 137 lbs of meat annually. That is a lot of meat consumption. If you consider the advantages of eating meat, it would be understandable as to why Canadians are eating so much of it. For example, raw ground beef contains vitamins such as B12 and Iron. According to Authority Nutrition, B12 is a vitamin that can only be produced by bacterial symbiosis, leading it to be found naturally as a side effect in some animals, along with Creatine and Carnosine. These vitamins are vital for proper functioning and nourishment of the human body. The preparation of meat in Canada is also im-

Vegans vs. meat-eaters. (Photo by Christina Manocchio)

portant. With so much meat consumption, farm workers play a big part in making sure our meat is healthy enough to eat. A video that was published by the Canadian Press showing animal cruelty of turkeys suggests otherwise. This video showed workers that work for Hybrid Turkeys - a North American turkey producing company - carelessly abusing turkeys on a hybrid plant in Bright, Ontario. The health conditions of the turkeys on the plant were sickening. According to the Canadian Press, 21 million turkeys are used for food every year in Canada. The video is very disturbing considering the fact that Hybrid Turkeys are responsible for the production of 60 per cent of these turkeys. Canadians that enjoy turkey meat should be aware of how it is produced. Consumption of turkeys that have been kept in poor conditions can severely damage your health.

In comparison to meat-eaters in Can-

ada, the vegetarian population is not as popular. According to an article from the Toronto Star, 4 per cent of the Canadian population is vegan. There are quite a number of reasons as to why some Canadians have embraced going meatless.

Health concerns and animal cruelty are common reasons that I’m sure you could have guessed. According to the Adventist Health Study, vegetarians are less likely to suffer from heart diseases and other common illnesses. Cholesterol and fat levels are high in animal foods and are not found in plant foods. Does being a vegetarian mean that you cannot enjoy a balanced diet? Not really. There are vegetarian products such as meatless ribs and sausages that vegans and vegetarians alike can enjoy.

Personally, I would recommend meat consumption to anyone in search of a balanced and healthy diet. I don’t have anything against vegans or vegetarians, but

meat is just too important to ignore. I also think that the meat producers in Canada do a much better job of producing clean meat for the masses than other nations. Canadian meat producers are usually earnest about what is inside our food. Last year, there were several stories about horsemeat being sold in supermarkets across Europe.

According to The Guardian, British supermarkets such as Tesco were found to have ground beef that contained horsemeat. At this time, there were a lot of talks in the United Kingdom about horsemeat being contaminated and unhealthy. Several supermarkets across the UK had to apologize to customers because their strange predicament. Vegans and vegetarians were probably laughing their way to the produce section while this was happening. Meat is great but when things like this happen, it definitely makes you consider changing your ways.

Animal foods go through a lot of processing before they hit supermarkets. Even after they hit the shelves, it isn’t always certain that they are not contaminated. We still have to be cautious and watch out for any obvious signs of contamination in meat.

Although, the consumption of meat is important to a lot of us, we also ought to consider how our meat is produced. It may be hard to believe, but at times, animal cruelty does take place at some processing factories as seen with the turkeys in Bright. Regardless of whether or not you think meat consumption is humane, the demand for it will always exist. It looks like we’ll have to be keeping a closer eye on meat production companies, but that in no way means they’ll ever go away.

The honest truth about the locals of Brantford Hannah Brunsdon Staff Since coming to Brantford, I’ve heard a lot about “the locals”. How someone pulled a knife at 2 a.m. on one of my friends, how someone started a fight at local nightclub NV, just because one of my friends made eye contact with him and, while walking past Vegas, someone called me “Short Legs”. The common theme is that the “someone” in these stories were all Brantford locals, meaning, people from the local downtown area. But I challenge anyone to walk in downtown Toronto, or my hometown of Ottawa, at 2 a.m. and not have some kind of issue, or walk by a bar and not get hit on, or have someone who was intoxicated at a club not start something.

I don’t think that it’s just Brantford locals who participate in this behaviour, I think many students at Laurier Brantford are viewing the people in our surroundings in a typical small town “us” and “them” mentality. The students here seem to think that the local people here in Brantford hate us

and the residents seem to share these same feelings.

The unemployment rate in Brantford was 8.8 per cent in 2012 and the unemployment rate in Toronto is 7.8 per cent this year. Canada’s unemployment rate is 7.0 per cent. So, Brantford is almost 2 per cent above the national average, but we have a lot less homeless people that I thought, given the statistics. Don’t get me wrong, homelessness is a big deal, especially in Brantford. Housing is the top issue outlined in the Community Needs Assessment on Homelessness Issues in Brantford. In 2007, approximately 316 individuals were living on the streets, 213 were living in transitional housing and 35 were at risk of being homeless, according to The Homeless Hub. The population in 2006 was 124 607, which means the homelessness rate in Brantford was 0.4 per cent, which is a lot lower than I had initially percieved.

Brantford also has a lower police-reported violent crime severity index than the Canadian average, which is 81.4, Brantford being around 60. This means there are less violent crimes in Brantford on average

than all of Canada. So, the myth that Brantford locals are “dangerous” is far from true, at least not as dangerous as the Canadian average. I’ve heard people mention that it is the car theft capital of Canada (it’s not anymore), has the highest crime rate in Canada per capita, along with a collection of other things which simply aren’t true.

I looked up Brantford on satirical Urban Dictionary, just to see what people had to say. It is full of these stereotypes.Some of the things that were mentioned were that you could buy crystal meth on the street.

Once again, I’d like to mention that you could probably walk down the streets of Toronto or any downtown city and find a place to buy drugs. These social issues are not unique to Brantford, I just think that people associate these negative things with our city exclusively.

While I have felt unsafe before, for example, walking home after dark by myself, I’ve never actually had a negative experience that would cause me to feel this way.

I think the main reason why I feel nervous or scared is because I’ve heard so many rumours and been told that I should be afraid.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be careful when going out at night. In any city you should make sure that you are being safe. I always make sure that I am walking home with a friend or I call Foot Patrol.

I think that we need to stop having this “us” and “them” mentality because it is causing more harm than the locals are. It’s breaking our community into two groups - the people who belong to Laurier Brantford and the people who do not. Since this is such a small university and Brantford is a small town, perpetuating these stereotypes just makes a greater divide between the two groups, when we should really be coming together to help each other make Brantford a greater place to live. There’s no denying that it was once a sketchy town (trust me, I’ve heard the stories), but it really is different now, and it can only get better. Once we stop breaking off into two teams, maybe we can finally get somewhere and start appreciating the town for what it is. Like it or not, it’s our home and we need to start treating it that way.