Issue 8 - November 20, 2013

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013 - Issue 8 // www.thesputnik.ca

News

2

On Campus

4

Features

6

A&E

8

Sports

10

Opinion

12

Partnership with Laurier likely page 3

Single Fathers Protest page 3

Don’t lose sight of happiness page 7

Canadian spotlight: Flamingo Báy page 9

Men’s basketball team loses in semis vs. Sheridan page 11

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

NEWS

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

Brantford begins Out of the Cold program again this season Taylor Berzins Staff

As Ontario enters the season of subzero temperatures, Brantford’s Out of the Cold program has begun to open its doors again.

Based out of the basement of Yes Church on West Street, the program is in its eighth year running. The program facilitates daily shelter during the winter season between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. With the growing need for shelter in the Brantford area, Out of the Cold now has the capacity to offer shelter to 39 people each night, including a new room of six beds exclusively for women.

The program is funded primarily through the City of Brantford, but also depends on community volunteers, charitable donations and a small amount of federal funding which will end this April.

According to Executive Shelter Director Rein VandenEden, Out of the Cold exists to provide Brantford’s homeless with sleep and food.

“Most of [the visitors] have lost their ID,” said VandenEden. “Of course that prevents them from getting other services.”

Out of the Cold is a facility for the 19+ community, and hosts a demographic of mostly men between the ages of 25 and 45. According to VandenEden, last season they took in a few people as old as 75.

With over 10 per cent of Brantford families living below the Low Income

Out of the Cold. (Photo by Taylor Berzins)

Cut-Off, the subpar economic climate suggests 2013 could be the busiest year for the program.

“It’s the economy that drives people out, new people losing jobs or people

can’t find work,” said VandenEden.

Brantford’s Community Needs Assessment 2011-2014 states, “Until all employable individuals are appropriately employed and earning a liv-

ing wage and all individuals that are not able to actively participate in the labour market are provided with adequate income support, homelessness will continue to exist.”

“I’ve got a few people here who work. They go to work everyday.

There’s just not enough money to get a first and last together,” said VandenEden.

Alongside the inaccessibility of a living wage, untreated mental health and addiction problems are a prevailing crisis within the homeless community. “Mental health and addiction issues affect over half the people here,” VandenEden said.

According to the Community Needs Assessment, Brantford aims to provide the community with more access to detox facilities, and the ability to obtain diagnoses.

VandenEden plans on extending the Out of The Cold season into a 365day service this year, and plans to begin building beds to replace the 39 mats the facility currently operates upon.

The long-term plan, according to VandenEden, is a more resourceful establishment that would surpass the current program of “sleep and food”.

He plans on growing Out of the Cold into “a year round facility where we could actually hire social workers and psychologists. Whatever it takes to try and deal with people here rather than sending them out to other places.”

Rob Ford has had enough … and gets enough Swathy Sooriyakumar Staff

November 15th, 2013 – TORONTO, ON: Toronto’s Mayor, Rob not only used graphic language but finally cracked and admitted to being “pushed over the line,” while apologizing for his comments towards released police documents.

Early Thursday morning, new allegations we’re released about the mayor’s fluctuating behavior.

Those formerly within Ford’s inner circle have given police detailed interviews about his inappropriate behavior. These sources include Ford’s former Specialist Assistant of Communications, Issac Ransom, Ford’s former Chief of Staff, Mark Towhey, Ford’s former Assistant, Chris Fickel, Ford’s former Events Co-ordinator, Jennifer Dwyer, and Ford’s former Staffer, Nico Fidani.

Evidence presented towards the new allegations was released in a large document, listing connections to Alexander Lisi among the following and many more.

drew his hand back, as if he were to punch him.

Ford also rushed at Barnett and pinned him to a wall, tightening his fist as if he were about to strike a blow .

Racist comments towards a cab driver Ford took a taxi at one point where witnesses insist he called the driver a “paki”, along with other racist slurs, mocking him with fake-Pakistani accent and throwing business cards at him.

Cocaine lines On St. Patrick’s Day in 2012, Ford was given The Merchant Room at the Bier Market, a private room in the back. A waiter insists he witnessed the Mayor snort cocaine when he went to deliver an order of poutine and heard sniffing noises.

Everything from change light bulbs, replace batteries for his kids’ toys, to buying cigarettes, bleach, laundry detergent and diet coke for his wife.

Ford also asked staff member Nico Fidani, to buy and deliver vodka to his home. Ford has also been reported to using young staffers to buy him iceberg vodka.

Suspected escorts and/or prostitutes present in Mayor Ford’s office A young, blond woman by the name of Alana has been alleged to be a prostitute or escort who is “close” to Ford. Alana also, allegedly, had hashish and marijuana that Ford wanted to use on St. Patrick’s Day, 2012.

Smoking marijuana in his basement & joints in Mayor’s desk It has also been reported that Ford had asked former assistant Chris Fickel to fix a computer at his home in October 2012. Fickel saw Ford light up and smoke a joint after offering it to Fickel.

Fickel stands by his remarks, mentioning the smell of marijuana as proof.

Mark Towhey, former chief of staff said a former executive told him he found a joint in the Mayor’s desk – which disappeared four or five days later.

Emotional about father On St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Ford had mood swings after being removed from the Bier Market bar. Documents state that the Mayor also broke down and began crying about his father. Police said they were told that the Mayor has also phoned Kia Nejatian, the Mayor’s Executive Assistant once or twice from his father’s grave, and sounded like he was crying.

Physical altercation with then Deputy Chief of Staff, Earl Provost and former advisor, Brooks Barnett On St. Patrick’s Day 2012, Ford allegedly pushed Provost down and

Treating staff as personal life workers The report also details how Ford would regularly call former assistant Chris Fickel at the last minute to do household work at the Mayors home.

Drinking and driving In a police interview over the phone, detailed in the report, Former Events Co-ordinator, Jennifer Dwyer, said she was a nervous passenger in Ford’s car during an incident of drunk driving. Dwyer further said that Ford once drove her to an event in 2012 while he was impaired, driving so fast that Dwyer was nervous to even be in the vehicle.

Crude sexual remarks The Mayor targeted Olivia Gondek, former Special Assistant, with sexual remarks on the evening of St. Partrick’s Day 2012. At approximately 4 A.M., Ford told a female guard he was going to perform oral sex on her.

Early Thursday morning, November 14th, Ford addressed media outside his office, “it’s unfortunate I have to take legal action.”

Ford continued further, mentioning that he was upset with people calling “Alana a prostitute,” along with naming everyone he felt he must take legal action against. Ford claimed she is a “friend” and “how it makes me sick people are saying this.”

“That is outright lies, that is not true.” Ford said when he remarked on the waiter who claimed Ford had been doing lines of cocaine.

Before closing off, Ford said, “Olivia Gondek, it says that I want to eat her pussy. Olivia Gondek, I’ve never said that in my life to her, I would never do that.” He then continued, “I’m happily married, I’ve got more than enough to eat at home.”

A few hour later, at noon, Ford apologized for his “unforgettable language,” in a professional manner at a news conference.

Ford expressed how the allegations “pushed [him] over the line.”

“I acted on complete impulse in my remarks. When you attack my integrity as a father and a husband, I see red,” he added, asking media to respect his family’s privacy.

Ford then mentioned how he was receiving support from a team of health-care professionals and advice from people with expertise. He left without taking any questions by pushing his way through the crowd, alongside his wife who stood by the public apology.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

NEWS

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

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CONTRIBUTORS Brittany Bennett Taylor Berzins Kathleen Binder Stevan Bodrozic Jaclyn Brown Brian Holland Dran Ngo Chris Pimentel Priscilla Popp Kristen Rodgers Swathy Sooriyakumar

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FRONT PAGE PHOTO CREDITS: Main: Cody Hoffman Left: Rebecca Duce Centre: Amber Richardson Right: Kyle Morrison

Protesters gather at the Single Fathers Protest on Nov. 15. (Photo by Cody Hoffman)

Brantford men fight for equal parenting rights Taylor Berzins Staff A measure, which began on Facebook, has snowballed into a growing advocacy campaign for the rights of single fathers in Brantford.

Friday Nov. 15 marked Brantford’s first Single Fathers Protest, an event aimed at raising awareness for prevailing concerns over the representation of men in Canada’s family court system.

The handful of protesters donned bright red t-shirts reading, “Kids need Dads… not visitors!!” and colourful placards. The group’s route marched their demonstration from City Hall past the major courthouses of Brantford’s downtown, prompting applause and head nods from passersby.

“It’s something I believe in; fathers are shut out a lot,” said Jordan Cobb, a protestor at the event in solidarity with the struggle his father is currently facing over custody and limited access.

Although tales of physical violence, misrepresentation and alienation litter the narratives of the Single Fathers Brantford organizers, their mission began as a basic step on social media. “At first the idea was really simple, to have a [Facebook] group for single fathers

about events for the kids,” said group founder Jason Brant.

Promoting dialogue amongst group members by hosting breakfasts, events and helping each other access resources contingent to the struggles of single parenthood, the group began to see its numbers climb. “We’ve got interest from other people, other men, even mothers too, because we’re stepping up to do something that needs to be done,” said Cobb.

As attention surrounding the group grew, and the needs of single fathers remained steadfast, leaders Jason Brant, Trevor Cobb and Michelle DaSilva-Hyrski decided it was high time to start presenting their issues to the public eye. Friday’s demonstration was the group’s first formal protest.

“We need to educate the public that there needs to be equality when it comes to parenting,” said DaSilva-Hyrski. “It’s the children that are going to benefit.”

DaSilva-Hyrski, who was raised by a single father, and is a single mother herself, calls advocacy for fathers’ rights her “passion.” “We’re looking for a bill to be passed for equality. We want judges to see both sides.”

Advocating for community resources for fathers, new legislation surrounding equal parental rights and the abolition of parental alienation for the sake of child development, the group met with MPP Dave Levac earlier this week.

“Something’s got to change here,” said Cobb.

Single Fathers Brantford is not the only group trying to reimagine the framework of fatherhood in Canadian culture. Organizations like the White Ribbon Campaign, based out of Toronto, are gaining traction for advocating to help educate and empower men to reduce gender-based violence while reconstructing the normative narrative of masculinity and fatherhood.

“Our engagement around fatherhood issues tries to recognize that an involved father has tremendous benefits for violence prevention, prevention of child abuse, breaking down gendered stereotypes and benefits families, and for men themselves,” said White Ribbon’s office and media coordinator Clay Jones.

Errors found in The Great One’s statue Kathleen Binder Staff

The errors made on the Gretzky monument have left many offended and hoping that the mistake will soon be fixed.

The sculpture that sits outside the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre at 254 North Park St. was revealed to have inaccurate names inscribed on its Stanley Cup. The names included a variation of names such as Chris Haslam, a Canadian skateboarder, and Muddy Waters, an American Blues musician.

“It’s disappointing. It’s something that the people of the city have done for the city, and someone is trying to make a mockery out of it. It’s awful,” said Walter Gretzky, father of Wayne Gretzky. “We haven’t told him yet, but Wayne would be disappointed just like me.”

Gretzky explained his disappointment when he said, “there’s only one of those exact statues in all of Canada and someone does that?”

Gretzky said that the foreman of the project should gather his employees to ensure that an error of this sort will not happen again and review the consequences. “Work could go to another company instead of them,” said Gretzky. “I hope he has enough sense to get his employees together and talk with them about it.”

The names, excluding the few honorary people involved in the monument’s creation, were not intended to be seen as individual names. An employee of the studio was asked to “Greek” the names on the trophy; this employee wrote actual names with the intention of them never being read closely since the cup is approximately four metres off the ground.

“I regret that I didn’t catch the error. All legible names not intended to be on the cup will be turned into Greek promptly,” said Brad Oldham, the Texan based artist, in an email statement. “We have set new protocols within my studio to ensure this type of mistake does not happen again.”

Oldham mentions that he has hired MST Bronze Limited from Etobicoke, Ont., to “restore the trophy to its initial design.”

Outside of Gretzky and hockey fans, Brantford locals are among those who are offended by the monument’s inaccuracy, as this monument is expected to be a tourist attraction in Brantford.

“What if people come to see this, and they notice the names are wrong? They’re going to go home pretty darn upset too,” said Sandy Matthews, a Brantford native, who was one of the offended citizens.

Matthews said regardless that it was supposed to be “chicken scratch”, it wasn’t.

The names were large enough for the general public to read, and therefore it only made sense that the public would get upset.

“It’s offended many people, especially hockey fans,” said Matthews. “They look at the hockey trophy that means a lot to fans and it has actors, actresses and people who have no affiliation with hockey whatsoever.”

MST Bronze Limited, the company responsible for the sculpture outside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ont., will be correcting the statue outside of the Gretzky Centre.

“The company who is fixing the monument should have been the company who did the whole sculpture in the first place, in my opinion,” added Matthews. “Right now it appears like the artist is handing his problems off to someone else.”

Oldham anticipates a crew from MST Bronze Limited to correct the stature shortly.

Oldham ended his email statement with “I extend my sincere apologies for this oversight.”

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

ON CAMPUS

Oren Weiner // oncampus@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikoncampus

New gym facilities could boost Open House numbers Brian Holland Staff

Laurier Brantford opened its doors to showcase the school to prospective students on Friday, Nov. 8. Students came to tour the campus’ facilities and decide whether Laurier is the right fit for them.

“It was amazing. There were so many people,” said Amy DeSilva, a Wilkes House don.

Based on pre-registration numbers, it was one of the best turnouts yet. The past two years have been the most successful, with last year’s numbers even higher.

Craig Chipps, manager of recruitment services here at Laurier, was pleased with the numbers. There were approximately 700 registered guests, which Chipps figures to be about 300 students. The fall open house is the second biggest event during Chipps’ tenure, second only to the March Break Open House, which generally brings in 1000 guests.

Students who visited last week have either submitted an application, or are considering applying. When March rolls around, however, students have usually received an offer and are deciding if the school is the right fit.

Helping hands were not lacking, as Student Ambassadors, residence dons and student volunteers were there to provide assistance to visitors.

Volunteers tend to be outgoing, energetic people – and that’s exactly what the atmosphere was on Friday.

The recruitment team relies

heavily on volunteers to help get prospective students interested in Laurier Brantford. When asked about recruitment strategies, Chipps pointed directly to student volunteers and the Student Ambassadors.

“We couldn’t run the event without our student volunteers,” said Chipps.

Indeed, the students provided the passion and enthusiasm that information sessions simply could not match.

“With all the positivity surrounding the campus, there was still room for a little more help from volunteers.”

With all the positivity surrounding the campus, there was still room for a little more help from volunteers.

Navigating the downtown area can be tricky, at best, for newcomers. At most universities, visitors have the option to drive around the campus, unlike Laurier Branford’s campus, which is integrated in the downtown scene.

Parking and navigating remain two lingering issues with the open house.

However, Chipps believes that the new Laurier/YMCA gym will solve some of those issues.

“It will be a game changer,” says Chipps. “There are students who are interested in [various programs] that are also very passionate about athletics

“In addition to boosting athletics facilities, the new gym may prove to be a better meeting place for the open house.” and when they see our facilities, they might make the decision that this campus isn’t right for them.”

While the facilities need work, the intramural and extramural sports hardly do, according to Chipps. “[Facilities] are adequate.

Our intramural and extramural sports are awesome. They’re at the same level as any campus in Ontario.”

In addition to boosting athletics facilities, the new gym may prove to be a better meeting place for the open house. The Wilkes house gym is small and less inviting than a big open facility, with multiple gyms, and even a swimming pool. The proposed site for the gym is also conveniently located next to one of the biggest residences and parking lots, at Grand River Hall.

Numbers have been steady for two years now, but could see improvement with better recreational facilities. The best indicator of success would be in the numbers. While numbers have been consistent, Laurier probably won’t see dramatic improvement until the new building is complete.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

ON CAMPUS

Oren Weiner // oncampus@thesputnik.ca | @sputnikoncampus

Freelance investigative journalist discusses journalism, offers advice Oren Weiner On Campus Editor

Following a guest lecture from accomplished freelance investigative journalist Alison Motluk, we had a chance to catch up with her and get her thoughts on the journalism industry and a little advice about how to get started.

Motluk has a long history working in the field, following studying for a bachelor’s degree at the University Toronto in International Relations. The degree took her abroad, to London specifically, where she earned a Master’s of Science in International Relations and Political Economy at the University of London. Although her education may have not directly included a lot of journalism training, Motluk has managed to successfully learn the trade and publish a collection of investigative stories.

Her guest lecture revolved around the life of an investigative journalist, as well as some of the ups and downs of that type of reporting. While she has worked as a staff writer for the Economist and New Scientist, both London, England-based news outlets, she has, since 1999, been a freelance journalist, exactly as she started her journalism career.

Regarding the ever-changing journalism industry, she sees the future moving to the type of work that she does as a freelancer. “My guess is that there is going to be a lot of freelancing. I think newspapers are going to disappear and magazines are going to survive,� says Motluk. “As

much as I’m not happy about it, because I love newspapers, it’s probably going to happen.�

With the journalism industry not only in distress, but also falling more and more under corporate influence, journalists have to succumb to editor’s decisions. Motluk, like other journalists, feels that this is a problem. “I like a free press,� Motluk says.

She adds, “A bigger problem for me is that sometimes I can’t tell the difference between an advertorial, or what they call custom content, and my real news.�

However, Motluk sees being a freelancer as being an advantage, because her type of reporting is free of any immediate corporate influence. A freelancer can avoid such an influence, because the freedom he/she can have from an editor’s preferences, while also having the freedom to manage one’s own time. Motluk points to time management as a crucial distinction between the freelancer and the agendabound journalist. “One advantage is organizing your own time, so you’re not drawn onto other stories, just because your editor says you have to,� she commented. “You can focus when something comes up; you can turn your energy to that.�

For the future journalists that might be considering entering her line of work, she has a little of advice, based on her own experience. She recommends working really hard, because freelancers have to keep

Investigative journalist Alison Motluk. (Photo by Oren Weiner)

writing stories. To her, constantly having work is equally important. “I just work really hard when I have to, and I worry a lot when I don’t have work,� she says. She adds, explaining the issue of money with freelancing,

“You get paid the same rate for an investigative piece as for another piece that you might end up working 10 times less on.�

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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

The Fukujima nuclear disaster: Is our food safe?

Dillon Giancola Features Editor

It has been labeled by www.globalresearch.ca as the “greatest short-term threat to humanity.” With such a powerful statement, we should clearly be alarmed. Yet most people would not be able to guess what it refers to. This statement refers to the fact that the Fukujima nuclear power plant continues to spill radiation into the Pacific Ocean.

More specifically, it is the spent fuel pools, or piles of spent nuclear fuel rods, that has scientists and government officials most worried. It is a story that most people have heard about to some extent, primarily the initial collapse of the plant as a result of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, but the severity of the danger is largely kept under wraps and underreported.

Of more urgent concern is the effect that the radiation leak could have on imported food from the Pacific in our restaurants and grocery stores. But first, some background information about the situation is needed.

The pools, combined with 1,534 spent fuel rods, are just sitting there, waiting to erupt and cause mass devastation at the slightest tremor. In fact, David Suzuki says that if there is an earthquake of seven or above on the Richter scale, the entire building could come down, and the likelihood of an earthquake of that magnitude occurring in the next three years is 95 per cent. If these pools catch fire or collapse, it is thought that radiation could reach North America within days.

It is a vast problem, with so many what-ifs and different things to be cautious about. For the record, the Japanese nuclear agency has

begun the process of safely removing the rods. This is a very fragile and dangerous process, with a very small margin of error. But there is nothing that can be done about it for now. It is just a case of waiting and hoping for the best.

But the safety of our food is of immediate concern. It does not take a nuclear scientist to know that radiation mixed with food equals bad news, and it is important to know that Canadians can be confident in the safety of imported fish and other food.

With a reported 300 tonnes of contaminated water pouring into the sea every day, it is understandable that so many people across the nation are swearing off fish. However, thus far the news from various food safety agencies is that there are no traces of radiation in fish being consumed in North America.

Further-

more, while scientists say that the radiation will reach the west coast of North America by early next year, the World Health Organization has stated that the radiation particles will have a very minimal effect on our health. The WHO has said that concentrations will be below their safety levels. Suzuki, in a report he published in October 2013, says these low levels are the result of complex currents and whirlpools off the Japanese coast continuing to dilute the levels of radiation, and directing the radiation particles back to the coast. He said this pattern should continue for two decades.

This assurance has also been echoed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As of September 2013, the FDA, in a report on their website, have stated that there is no evidence that radiation particles “from the Fukujima incident are present in the U.S. food supply at levels that would pose a public health concern.” This is true for both FDA-regulated food products imported from Japan and U.S. domestic food products, including seafood caught off the coast of the United States. The FDA has ad-

vised consumers not to alter their consumption of sea food.

This does not mean that there is no danger at all, though. Fish off the Japanese coast are found to be infected with cesium-134, a radioactive isotope, and fisheries in Japan remain closed. Add this to the growing concerns about more radiation being released, and there is definitely cause for caution.

However, the WHO and FDA remain adamant that the infected fish are not being brought to North America.

Going forward, Suzuki says a cautious approach should be applied by Canadians: it is ok to keep fish a part of our diet, so long as it is caught locally and sustainably. It is also fair to believe that fish caught from the Pacific West Coast is safe, especially as long as food safety organizations say it is. However, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Radiated food. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

Tips and tricks for finding the perfect place to rent Stevan Bodrozic Staff

A large part of the university experience involves living away from home, whether it’s in residence or off campus.

Many students here at Laurier live off campus at least once during their four or five year stay. Some live in the same house until graduation and some move to a new place each year. For most of us, living in an off campus house is the first time we’re truly on our own. Living on your own, in your own place, is an amazing experience.

You have more freedom than you’ve likely ever had before, but at the same time you also have many more responsibilities. Some of those responsibilities include understanding your rights as a tenant and understanding what you can do if you feel that your rights have been violated. It’s also your responsibility to do your homework in terms of finding a suitable landlord, because they can either make your stay pleasant or absolute hell. As a tenant, you have a number of rights. Some of them are obvious, such as your landlord having to give you at least 24 hours no-

tice prior to entering your house and not being able to charge you a rent deposit, and some of them aren’t as well known, such as a landlord not being able to evict you for having pets. Even if your landlord has a “no pets” rule, you can’t be evicted for it as long as it isn’t damaging your unit and isn’t a dangerous animal. But each year I hear from friends that their landlord threatened to evict them if they brought their pet from home.

If you’re in a position where you feel that your safety is compromised, or even if tenancy just isn’t working out, you have the ability to terminate your lease. Even if you signed an 8 or 12-month lease, you’re allowed to terminate or end that lease as long as you give 60 days notice. Last year, a group of people moved into the vacant house beside mine, and with the police there every few days and receiving vague threats, we decided it would be best to terminate our lease. We did everything we could to reach a compromise, and our landlord worked with us, but

sometimes it’s just best to move on, especially if you don’t feel safe in your own home.

One important thing to take into consideration when searching for a place is the fact that your landlord may not be local. My roommate and I are in a position right now where both my landlord and property manager are out of town, and that means getting little things fixed and getting ahold of someone can become a pain. In my old house, my landlords were local and every issue that came up was fixed within a day, whereas in my new apartment, it took almost two weeks to get a simple heating issue sorted out. When your landlord is local, they become more accountable. It’s understandable that a landlord from Toronto or Mississauga might not make the trip for a minor issue, but when your landlord lives 20 minutes away, there’s no excuse, so it forces them to take action.

The search for a place can be overwhelming; there are so many options and so many questions you need to

ask. Everyone wants a place that they can be comfortable in and call home for the school year. Laurier Brantford’s student affairs website, www. lbstudentaffairs.ca, has an off campus handbook with countless resources to help you understand what you can and cannot do as a tenant, and what your landlord is and is not allowed to charge you for. Additionally, the Landlord and Tenant Board website has an FAQ section that answers a lot of the most common questions ranging from rights and responsibilities to questions about ending a tenancy.

Finding a place to live is never easy, and you are bound to experience highs and lows along the way. But as long as your search is thorough and you learn from past mistakes and problems, you are more likely to have that perfect place and great landlord. And hopefully, it will be one area you do not have to stress out about, so you can be more focused on school and your studies.

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The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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

Don’t lose sight of happiness Brittany Bennett Staff

Through all the stress of upcoming finals and exams, first year Laurier student Hannah Brunsdon takes the time to enjoy pure happiness. She has turned the way she looks at life completely around. Brunsdon was previously diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder in her second year of high school, and has been depression-free for over a year now. She tells that, “Being happy is something I’m really, really proud of, and something that’s really important in my life because I’ve seen the other end.”

Brunsdon is a part of Laurier’s Leadership Program. She realized this was the program for her because of her strong desire to make a difference. After Brunsdon’s diagnosis, she knew she had to do something; she felt the need to share her story and make a difference in people’s lives in any way that she could. She began a group within her high school called Use Your Voice: A Mental Health and Wellness Initiative. They held information sessions that described the different kinds of mental health issues and the steps one could take to get help. They provided coping strategies for these issues and stress in general. One of Brunsdon’s favourite coping strategies was their yoga classes that were held an hour before each exam day, and many students told her they believed this helped them get a better grade. Brunsdon’s younger sister, Sarah, has now taken her place within the group. Brunsdon believes affecting other people’s lives is one of the most important things to do in life. She shrugs as she asks, “How can you not be happy knowing you made someone else be happy?”

Brunsdon is pro-smiling, and she thinks the cliché that smiles are contagious is very true. She explains that people want to be around people that smile, and that smiling is an inviting act to initiate positive contact. Brunsdon has not always enjoyed smiling as much as she does today. She used to avoid it because of her crooked smile, but with the motivation of her friends and family they helped her realize her crooked smile is something that she

Stay happy. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

loves about herself because it makes her different, and she got it from her grandfather and dad. “What’s not to be happy? I’m drinking hot chocolate right now,” Brunsdon brags after she sips the raspberry-coated whip cream off her drink. Brunsdon stresses to enjoy the simple things in life, because they will make you happier than expected, such as her love for cooking, or seeing a penny on the ground knowing that somebody is going to pick that same penny up. Her face lights up and she tells that, “Even small things like seeing a baby. That will keep a permanent smile on my face.”

Laurier Brantford MUSICIANS!

Brunsdon found her happiness by getting rid of the negatives that were dragging her down in life. She sadly admits that she had to break off some friendships because they were negative people that did not want to see the good in the world like she wanted to. She explains her realization that, “You only have one life, so why would you want to spend it sad all the time?”

Brunsdon also had to stop watching sad and dramatic TV shows and listening to sad songs because she felt they put her in a “funk”. She instead surrounded herself with shows and songs she could enjoy and feel happy after

watching or listening to them. Some of her favourite TV shows that make her happy are The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and New Girl. When it comes to romance movies, Brunsdon tells, “You’ve got to have a happy ending; they’ve got to be together, that’s what I’m counting on,” otherwise she cannot handle watching them.

Brunsdon loves Taylor Swift, but tries to only listen to her songs about being in love rather than falling out of love.

Brunsdon explains a few facts about smiling and happiness that she has learned over the years. Smiling is seen as a treatment for depression.

Her previous therapist told her to force herself to smile when she was feeling down because the use of these muscles releases endorphins to your brain that will literally make you feel happier.

Brunsdon explains that being upset is mentally exhausting because it takes up so much more energy than being happy, whereas happiness is energizing. She uses the example of whenever she cries, she has to take a nap after because it is just so tiring. Brunsdon tells of a study on happiness that she learned about in class, in which they found that when someone smiles at another, it is proven that other person will have a better day.

Brunsdon has come a long way with her anxiety disorder, which will be a life-long diagnosis. But that does not stop her. She used to not be able to sleep anywhere else but in her bed, at her home. Even when having sleepovers with her friends at her house, she would sleep in her parent’s room instead of where the other girls slept.

But now she says with confidence, “It makes me super happy and proud that I am able to live by myself.”

Happiness is something Brunsdon thinks people take for granted. She notices that people expect students to be unhappy because of all their studies and homework, or that people expect everyone to be gloomy if it is cold or raining outside. For Brunsdon, these are not excuses to lose sight of your happiness. “Just be happy. Find stuff that make you happy,” Brunsdon stresses with emotion, “and just do it.”

applications due

by Wednesday, October 30th.

8

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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

Where are they now? Life after American Idol Jaclyn Brown Staff

In the fast paced world of Hollywood, stars are chewed up and spat out on a weekly basis, unless you manage to twerk on a foam finger or dangle your infant from a hotel window. American Idol is the addictive show that gives ordinary people a claim to fame. However, some of the winners seem to take the American Idol crown but burn out shortly after their poorly written sentimental single hits iTunes. You’re probably thinking, what happened to them? As predicted, some have soared to international fame, and others have fell of the face of the earth. Here’s the good, bad and the ugly updates of life post-idol.

Season 1 – Kelly Clarkson Kelly is the prodigal child of the American Idol family. This girl has given me some of my favorite shower ballads.

Her powerful voice has produced charttopping albums since 2002, three of them multi-platinum. Kelly is still going strong and is currently teaming up with Maroon 5 for the 2013 Honda Civic tour.

Season 2 – Ruben Studdard We really haven’t heard much from large and in charge Ruben since his Grammy nomination back in ’03. However, if you’ve been missing him, you can find him getting verbally abused by Jillain Michaels on this season of the reality weight loss show, Biggest Loser. Run, Ruben, run!

Season 3 – Fantasia Barrino Although her R&B tones didn’t debut on the pop charts, Fantasia has received 8 Grammy nominations. She hit broadway post-win to perform in The Color Purple and is guest starring this year in the broadway production After Midnight.

Season 4 – Carrie Underwood Another wonderful gift given to the world by American Idol, Carrie has been topping the country charts since her win in 2005. Recently wrapping up her 2013 Blown Away tour in June, this year Carrie will be taking on the role of Maria in the classic musical, The Sound of Music, airing on NBC December 5.

Season 5 – Taylor Hicks We all loved his Clooney-esque look and those funky dance moves. Memorable?

Yes. Sustainable? Not quite. His bluesy tunes never quite made mainstream charts and after a few times on and off Broadway, good old Hicks settled for a comfortable spot performing at Paris in Vegas in January 2013.

Season 10 - Scotty McCreary Baby lock them doors and turn the light down low! Scotty McCreary, one of my personal Idol faves, has been using those deep country chords to top charts as his first album went platinum in 2011.

After touring with Brad Paisley in 2012, he’s currently headlining his own tour, Weekend Roadtrip.

Season 6 – Jordin Sparks This beauty sang out some of my favorite high school heart break songs. If you say you’ve never sung No Air into a hairbrush at some point, you’re lying. Sparks has managed to stay in the spotlight through her adorable relationship with pop star Jason Derulo. She also announced this year that after a 4-year hiatus, she will be returning to the industry. She released her latest pop single in August 2013 called Skipping a Beat, now available on iTunes.

Season 11- Phillip Phillps That adorable face and raspy voice made his post idol single, Home, a phenomenal hit. The song managed to be the theme for a variety of commercials, including promotions for the Olympics. He is nominated for the 2013 New Artist of the Year at the upcoming American Music Awards. Currently touring as the opening act for John Mayer,

Phillip Phillips is still maintaining his stardom.

Season 12 – Candice Glover Power to this girl, after 2 previous unsuccessful auditions she managed to finally obtain Idol glory. Celebrity judges, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, managed to steal her spotlight last season but she’s been holding her own lately. Her album Music Speaks hit #4 on iTunes, even beating out Drake’s Nothing was the Same.

Heading into the show’s 13th season, you can catch American Idol in January 2014.

Season 7 – David Cook I literally had to rack my brains to remember this guy. However, I quickly recalled the memory of bawling my eyes out after David Archuleta (drool) lost to him.

He managed to tour for a bit, then signed an endorsement deal with the shoe company, Sketchers, in 2009. He released a mediocre rock single in April 2013 called Laying Me Low. At least he has nice shoes.

Season 8 - Kris Allen Kris Who? Oh yeah, that guy that won instead of Adam Lambert! He released a generic pop single last year, but that’s about it for Kris. Sorry dude, at least you got your 15 minutes. Maybe call Adam Lambert and see if he needs an opening act.

Season 9 – Lee DeWyze Another forgettable winner, even as I googled his image I still struggled to recall him. Living the old-news and burn out lifestyle, he toured a bit and managed to pump out a new singer-songwriter album called Frames in August 2013.

American Idol. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

A guide to the perfect gift Priscilla Popp Staff

“We make a living by what we get.

We make a life by what we give.”

These are the wise words of Winston Churchill and, especially around the holiday season, they can hold special meaning. Many of us have heard – and found – that there is no better feeling than giving something special to someone we care about. As we grow older and define our priorities, this sentiment can start to hold a deeper meaning. Waking up on Christmas morning and opening a box that holds the computer you wanted inside will likely make you smile, maybe even jump up and down. But shopping, listening to Christmas music and tying a bow on a present you hand picked can bring a whole new kind of happiness – one that could have you smiling all the way into the New Year. Here is your shopping list this holiday season for the different types of people you may be buying for, items that will make this Christmas full of wonderful memories and a heart completely full of love.

For the outdoor adventurist: People who are always looking for adventure need to at least know how to find it. A new GPS system will allow your outdoorsy friend or family member to explore the world with some directions.

There are several types of GPS systems you can research before you make the decision to buy. For outdoor friends, a handheld device is the obvious choice.

Walmart offers a range of brands and systems with different features. Make sure to check the one you like best is waterproof and can withstand various weather conditions.

For the entertainment enthusiast: Electronics are among the most popular group of items bought this time of year, including recent release CDs and movies.

Instead of buying the actual CD or DVD, consider gifting a tablet. This technology will allow the person you are buying for to watch movies anytime and anywhere – a guaranteed hit for someone who loves to be constantly entertained. Check Future Shop, Best Buy and Staples for a

variety of types your friend will enjoy.

For the activist and volunteer: Sometimes the most meaningful gift you can give someone is not even for them.

If you have a friend who is any type of activist, consider thinking of their volunteer interests when brainstorming gift ideas. If you have a roommate who volunteers at an animal shelter every week, they would likely be thrilled at the idea of you donating some supplies on their behalf. The same is true for people involved with charities. Whether you volunteer your time or make a donation in your friend’s name, giving something that matters to them is a thoughtful way to give a gift that shows you care.

For the fabulous fashionista: New clothing is an obvious gift choice for the fashion-savvy people in our lives.

If you know of an item your friend has been eyeing, then buying a gift will be easy. However sometimes buying clothes for someone other than yourself can be difficult if you are not sure of the

person’s taste or size. That is why I am recommending you go a different route this year and plan a fun shopping day with your fashionista-friend. Treat them to a few items they find at the mall; you will be happy knowing you are buying a gift they love and no gift receipt needed.

For the stressed out student: During the school year, it is easy to get so focused on writing papers, reading textbooks and studying for exams, that you can forget to indulge in a little R&R. Setting up a day at the spa for a stressed out friend could provide the relaxation they need to pass through next term with straight A’s. Whether you arrange a facial, manicure or massage, you will feel good knowing that you gave someone the invaluable gift of leisure. There are several local spas around town that offer a variety of spa services, so be sure to call or look up websites to pick the perfect one for your friend.

9

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

A&E

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

with Amber Richardson

with Amber Richardson

Flamingo Báy, from left to right: Dillon Henningson, Vince Rankin, and Kris Gies. (Photo by Amber Richardson)

with Amber Richardson

Flamingo Báy is a trio based in Hamilton, consisting of Kris Gies on bass and vocals, Vince Rankin on drums and vocals and Dillon Henningson on guitar and vocals. The band doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles like synths, extra percussions and keys, but they do play “Rock and Roll in its purest form,” something that can’t be said of most bands out there today. They play covers and originals, adding their own special touch to each tune. While playing live, they seem to tailor their performances directly to the audience and venue. I saw them live at a small bar in Mississauga and it’s really easy to over-perform in a place like that. Instead, they stayed mellow and performed with the exact amount of enthusiasm needed for that particular crowd. Flamingo Báy is sure to impress any crowd, at any location.

All answers below were answered by bassist Kris Gies.

: Flamingo Báy How did you come up with the name “Flamingo Báy”? What’s the deal with the accent?

We’re still trying to figure that out.

How did you guys meet?

Dillon and I met playing hockey... he sticked me in the corner so we had to battle for a bit but eventually cooler heads prevailed. We are originally from Edmonton, Alberta. So when we travelled out here in January 2012, we placed ads online for drummers. Vince answered one of them and away we went.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

We all had a common favorite that we realized at our first jam and that is Matt Mays. I’d also say Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, The Band, Stone Temple Pilots and Queens of the Stone Age. What are your day jobs?

I work at a warehouse that imports and distributes British Grocery and Candy.

I call myself an importer/exporter hoping to one day work for Vandelay Industries. Vince is an educational assistant working with disabled kids, [he’s] a good guy. Dillon is a plumber and loves it.

How has the Hammer helped or hindered your musical career?

It’s definitely helped. When Dill and I first decided to move out East our goal was Toronto. We ended up in Hamilton and with it being a smaller city it was a bit easier to break in to the scene.

What are your favourite pre and post show rituals?

Pre-show, we all like to relax and have a few beers. Perhaps one of those “left handed” cigarettes. Post show is gametime. After shows I always feel like sitting in a hockey dressing room with half of my gear still on and a cooler full

of beers next to me, but unfortunately we haven’t been able to pull that off just yet.

What vehicle do you use to get yourselves and your gear from point A to point B? These days we use Vince’s Dodge pickup. Before all he had was a little CRV (go-kart) so if we had to take all the drums and everything I would usually have to drive my Grand-Am as well... aka Jean Claude Grand Am. What is the worst pet name you’ve ever gotten? (Presumably from your mom or partner) I dunno, my mom calls me Stink. I never really questioned it, maybe I should. Vince is known as Wolverine to his real friends.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Mariah Carey

What to put on your exam playlist Kristen Rodgers Staff What kind of music should you listen to while studying? It is not an easy question to answer, mostly because it does not necessarily mean one type of music over another, but more or less deals with the person you are and what experiences you have. Are you male or female? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up? What musical experiences do you have? Where are you from? These are the questions to be asking in terms of what kind of music you should be listening to while studying.

“One of the greatest things about music is that it is a personal topic for everybody,” Dr. John Vitale explains. Vitale is a music professor at Nipissing University. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder while music is in the ear of the beholder. What works for me in terms of what I like to study with may not work for you.”

In general, there are music recommendations that could potentially benefit studying. Classical music is known to be one of the most harmonious

and peaceful types of music to listen to, especially while working on math and sciences. Research shows that classical music promotes a lot of brain simulation.

Vilate explains, “If you’re listening to Mozart or classical music, it can actually help the neurones in the brain connect a bit better [and] a bit faster, which can help you answer questions in a little bit more detail and better.”

Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself on the beach. The waves are crashing against the shore, the wind is blowing through your hair and birds are chirping in the distance. Are you relaxed?

Listening to nature generally allows you to go into a meditative state that gives you the opportunity to gain better clarity and it gives you motivation to achieve your goals. Music that is easy to meditate to allows for deeper thinking. Depending on what subject you are studying, having nature sounds in the background could highly benefit your thinking.

Listening to music with lyrics is also

an option although sometimes it is not as efficient. “I would suggest music that is easily understandable, like Frank Sinatra, for example. He has a calm, soothing voice and you can clearly understand what he is saying, opposed to heavy metal (music) where there is a bit more screaming involved,” Vitale explains. “You’re not really understanding what the person is saying, so subconsciously you tune into that music a little bit more to try and understand what they are saying, which takes focus away from your studying.”

In order to keep your brain from wandering away from your notes, listening to songs your brain is familiar with is a suitable choice since the music you are comfortable with, whether it be classical, pop, country or rock, will become background music. This could allow you to study more effectively, as opposed to listening to music you are not familiar with.

Below is a playlist of mixed songs for everyone. What style suits you?

Classical suggestions: 1.

Postcards From the Sky by Marjan Mozetich 2.

Piano Concerto No. 21 Mozart 3.

2nd Movement of Beethoven Sonata Pathetique 4.

Chopin piano prelude No. 15 5.

Comptine D’un Autre ete by Yann Tiersen Nature sounds: 6.

Ocean Waves 7.

Spring Rain 8.

Rainforest Lyrical suggestions: 9.

Pumped up Kicks by Foster the People 10.

Mirrors by Justin Timberlake 11.

We Can’t Stop by Miley Cyrus 12.

Roar (Acoustic Cover) by Tyler Ward and Two Worlds 13.

Royals by Lorde 14.

Sure Be Cool If You Did by Blake Shelton 15.

The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra

10

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

SPORTS

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

Laurier’s defense needs to improve after 6-6 tie vs. McMaster Chris Pimentel Staff

“You should never tie a game or lose a game when you put up six,” says Michael Bondy of the Laurier Brantford extramural hockey team. But that was the story for Laurier as the team showcased their powerful offense in an exhibition game vs. McMaster University that ended in a 6-6 tie.

The offense picked up right away in the first period with teams trading chances. Laurier kicked off the game with a two-on-one that was broken up by the McMaster defensemen, followed by another one with the shot going over the shoulder of the goalie.

Laurier was able to score in the first period, though, when they put a goal in off of a rebound.

That goal was followed by some confusion mid-way though the first period when McMaster thought they scored a goal, but the referees allowed the play to continue. A couple minutes after the play was allowed to continue, Laurier appeared to score to put themselves up two-nothing. But the referees gathered and consulted with each other, ruling that McMaster did score and the clock was reset and the game ended up being tied 1-1.

McMaster then took a cross checking

penalty in what was very eventful first period. Laurier then capitalized on the power play with a quick shot from the slot to put them up 2-1. McMaster would then respond to tie the game at two. But with the period winding down, McMaster tripped Blake Dionne who was on a breakaway and Laurier was awarded a penalty shot with six seconds left in the period. Dionne would then score on the penalty shot and put Laurier up 3-2, with the first period winding down. Laurier was able to maintain good possession throughout the eventful first period.

The second period picked up right where the first left off: McMaster scored early in the period to tie the game back up at three. Then they would follow that up with another goal that beat the goalie high shoulder. McMaster would then give away the puck in the slot and Laurier was able to take advantage of the giveaway to tie the game up. About a minute after that Laurier goal they followed up with another one to put themselves up 5-4.

After that goal, action started to settle down, but, with five minutes left, Laurier added to their lead and scored to put themselves up 6-5. McMaster

then would add another goal late in the second. A shot from just inside the blue line was able to beat the Laurier goalie five-hole. The second period ended with Laurier up six to five.

The third period didn’t feature the same amount of scoring as the first two periods, but had plenty of action throughout. Laurier was able to keep up their offensive pressure throughout the period and had a good three-ontwo chance, but the McMaster goalie was able to make the save and keep them in the game. McMaster would then add a goal that would tie the game up at six. They would then take a cross checking penalty and give Laurier a great chance to take back the lead.

However, Laurier wasn’t able to turn that power play into anything.

They struggled to get setup in the offensive zone for a majority of the power play and their one good chance was turned away by the McMaster goalie. Laurier after the power play continued their offensive pressure and pressed McMaster, but nothing came of it.

Laurier took a hooking penalty late in the third period, but McMaster wasn’t able to turn that chance into

anything and the game ended in a 6-6 tie.

From an offensive standpoint Laurier was a juggernaut, but if they were to have the same success as last year they would have to play better from a defensive standpoint. After the game captain Dave Howe talked about tightening things up defensively. “We have a new group of guys out there and it’s just a matter of getting used to each other out there, but I think once everyone gets out there together and starts communicating that will clean things up.”

Defense will be the hardest thing for this group to work on. This year they have more forwards than defensemen meaning that some of the players are going to have to step back and play defense, which is tough transition for any player at any level to make. “We have a lot of guys out there that aren’t naturals at the positions so it’s going to take some time,” says Bondy, who is one of the players who moved back to defense. There is a clear indication that this team needs to tighten things up defensively in order to repeat the success they had last year.

Co-ed soccer team still finding their stride after tournament Chris Pimentel Staff

The Laurier Brantford co-ed soccer team had a disappointing tournament at Humber Lakeshore on Friday, November 15. The team finished the day with one win, one loss and a tie, and was on the outside looking in when it came to the playoffs. As it is in most tournament formats, a lot of the games don’t leave a lot of room for error and the team couldn’t get going early enough so they could move onto the next round.

Captain Kamden Holder talked about this issue after the tournament, “It took us a while to start scoring in the tournament, we had plenty of chances throughout the day and didn’t capitalize as many as we could have.”

But the tournament wasn’t all doom and gloom for the team. Holder

still feels that all three of those games were very winnable, “Despite for the excellent overall effort a lot of the games came down to lapses both offensively and defensively.” One of the tactical errors that hurt the Golden Hawks defensively was that they had left their last man back by himself with the goalie as his only support and that creates too many high percentage chances for the other team.

This is only the first tournament for the team this year and a couple of people on the team felt that they improved in each of the games of the tournament. The way the Golden Hawks played throughout the day supports that theory due to the fact they lost their first game, tied their second and won their third one.

In the one game that the Golden Hawks won, they came out and played a very aggressive style of play. They pushed the tempo on offense and stayed true to their responsibilities on defense. If they played that way throughout the tournament, who knows what kind of success they could have had. Usually, with the final game of any tournament, fatigue starts to set in; the players legs start to get heavier and that’s where mental mistakes start to happen because you aren’t thinking about your responsibilities, only about how tired you are. But this team was able to pull through when they should have been tired and that shows that the talent is there and the team is close to pulling it together.

Communication and developing

team chemistry still seems like a work in progress, and the team has confidence that this will come along eventually with more practice time. As Chris Caldaroni says, “The skill and tactical abilities are there we just need to build chemistry in practice.”

This team shares the attitude that what they are practicing is the way to win and doesn’t appear to jump ship anytime soon. As it does for any team in sports, sometimes the details are the things that hurt you the most. That seems to be the case with this team and there is a saying in sports when you take care of the details, everything else just falls into place.

Co-ed volleyball team places second at Redeemer Kyle Morrison Sports Editor

After a dominant showing leading up to the co-ed extramural volleyball team’s showdown in the finals against Humber College, the Golden Hawks couldn’t defeat the Humber Hawks.

Laurier won all of their games in round robin play to start the tournament, en route to a first place finish in their pool and by into the semifinals, which they won. Laurier then gave all they could in the final against the Hawks. After losing the first game 25-21, they won the second game handily, 25-18, to force a third tiebreaking game, but lost 15-12.

This result is not something new

for the co-ed volleyball team, who were handed the same fate in the tournament at Redeemer last year; something Co-captain Brian Kloet says is very frustrating and all that stood between them and victory was better defensive play. “They have just as good or better hitters than us, so if we out defend them, then we will win,” Kloet explains. “Which is exactly how we beat them in the second set and then in the third we were winning until our defense broke down.”

Although this was not the result to start the year Kloet and the team wanted, there are many positives pointing them in the right direction.

He and the team pride themselves on their offensive abilities, something

most of the squads there can’t match.

“One of the keys to our success was having a diverse offence,” Kloet says.

“A lot of other teams have one or two people that could hit well, but on our team we have five hitting options so it just worked a lot better.”

Not only are they quality options, but they are also five hitting options that have played together before.

“Being a pretty closely knit team both help a lot. Wouldn’t say we are a veteran group, but we are all quite comfortable playing together, as most of us have been playing together for two or three years now.”

This camaraderie goes deeper than just being able to play well together on the court; every player on the co-ed

volleyball team has a strong desire to win and Dave Porebski wasn’t going to let a foot injury stop him. Kloet and co-captain, Tiffany Gallant, were both impressed with his play throughout the tournament.

Even after the final points were lost, leaving Redeemer with silver and an unblemished record heading into the final match to start off the year is promising. The Golden Hawks were only a few more defensive holds away from the gold. The team, currently, is preparing to enter another tournament in January and hopefully another rematch with Humber College.

11

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

SPORTS

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

Women’s canoeing. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Fighting for equal opportunity: Women’s canoeing looking for support Gary Balaganthan The Fulcrum

OTTAWA (CUP) — 40 years after the United States Senate approved Title IX — an act proposing systemic sex-related and gender equity — the Olympics have hinted at cutting men’s canoe to maintain said equity.

Funding can be the biggest obstacle facing athletes seeking to compete on the national and international level, steps necessary to reach the Olympics.

In Canada, the recognition of Sport Canada continues to be an essential part of achieving success in any sport.

2013 marked the tenth anniversary of the first-ever Women’s Canoe Exhibition event at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Championships.

Sprint canoe consists of four disciplines: men’s and women’s canoe and

men’s and women’s kayak.

“All sprint canoeing is represented at the Olympic level except for the women’s canoe,” explained fourthyear communications U of O student Taylor Potts.

Canoe, which is undertaken by either one or two athletes, respectively called C-1 and C-2, is performed on one knee paddling on one side of the canoe with a single oar.

Fifth-year McGill University English student Maria Halavrezos, Potts’ partner in C-2 competitions, is also involved in the women’s canoe scene.

She said between 2009, when she competed at an exhibition event in Nova Scotia, and this year, participation in women’s canoe had grown drastically.

“Where there were less than nine lanes filled before and Canada would sweep events, now there are more than 12 and Canada is struggling to get to

the podium,” she said.

Potts and Halavrezos fundraise in order to compete at their competitions despite their continued success reaching the podium. The women’s canoe campaign, which began in August, was able to reach 270 per cent of its campaign goal within a week of its launch, largely due to community support.

Internationally, a proposed solution to solving gender inequality in canoeing at the Olympics is to terminate the sport altogether.

“Some countries have stopped practising canoeing altogether as a response,” said Potts.

This consequence seems contrary to the very function of the Olympics — to highlight athletic excellence. It also leaves more than just women’s canoeing in the dark. Canada not supporting women’s canoe seems like a missed chance to not only create more oppor-

tunity for women at large, but also to acquire more gold medals at the Olympics.

There are about 36 countries currently competing and developing women’s canoe, but progression has stalled due to the threat of cuts at the Olympic level in the men’s division, a blow that would be catastrophic to the sport’s progression. Until women’s canoe achieves Olympic status, women canoeists will be denied the environment for success that their teammates enjoy.

“I think women’s canoeing should be an Olympic sport because that would present a real challenge for women,” said Halavrezos. “I think that if women want that challenge, they should also have the opportunity.”

Men’s basketball team loses in semis vs. Sheridan Kyle Morrison Staff

It was the same story for the Laurier Golden Hawks men’s extramural basketball team in their tournament at UTM on Friday, as they were ousted in the semifinals again, this time at the hands of the Sheridan College Bruins 58-37.

After losing their opener 77-38 to the host team, the Golden Hawks bounced back with a 54-31 against Fanshawe College, securing second place in their pool and a by into the semifinals.

With a two and a half hour layoff in between the team’s final round robin game and the quarterfinal against Seneca-York, the rust showed. Laurier committed costly turnovers and shots simply weren’t falling and because of this, the Golden Hawks were down 2320 at the half.

The team came out much more energized in the second half, led by centre Daniel Kandalis. Kandalis was sharp from the perimeter, nailing key three pointers to put the team ahead and this opened up his ability to penetrate in the paint. Laurier would pull away and by midway through the half, put up a double-digit lead, something they would keep until the final whistle, winning 44-33.

Taking the confidence from their quarterfinal victory into Laurier’s semifinal matchup with Sheridan College, there was the making for a much tighter game, after losing terribly 50-23 in last year’s tournament at UTM. But Laurier still couldn’t quite

find their stride, starting the game off on the wrong end of a 10-2 run. The Golden Hawks would keep it close, going into halftime only down by nine.

They would stay hovering around that number throughout the game, being out-rebounded and not capitalizing on second-chance shot opportunities. Cocaptain Matthew Wright and Daniel Kandalis both drained three-pointers late to keep it close, but the team ran out of gas and the Bruins pulled away with less than five minutes to play and never looked back.

“I wouldn’t say it was lopsided, it just kind of slipped away,” head coach Syed Hussain says. “Everybody stepped up and played good and showed good heart. We just have to learn from our mistakes.”

Mistakes that mostly were in the offensive zone, co-captain Wright says. “Rebounding was a big problem,” he explains. “I think there are a lot of positives, but we need to work on our offensive game and we need to have energy from the get go.”

And these are mistakes that need to be worked on quickly with the team’s next tournament taking place in two weeks at Redeemer University College in Ancaster. But Wright doesn’t see this as a problem at all. “We’re getting back on track tomorrow. Ready to go, with hell to pay.”

And they’ve had success at Redeemer before, so they should be good to get back out there and be poised to win it all.

Centre Daniel Kandalis wins the tip-off to start the semifinal game against Sheridan College. The Golden Hawks would ultimately lose the game 5837. (Photo by Kyle Morrison)

12

The Sputnik // Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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

@TheBrazman gets away: My special distaste for Senator Patrick Brazeau Cody Groat Opinion Editor

To start, last week, suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau criticized a reporter for asking if he drank the previous night, leading him to ask if that was her view on native people. In my opinion, that comment was in no way one directed to his ethnicity, but for the sake of that argument, I’m also native. With that in mind, if there’s anything that could be found offensive to himself from the perspective of a selfidentifying First Nations individual, it would only be offensive to myself, as well. No need to think I’m pulling the race card, Brazeau.

On November 5, 2013, Canadian Senators Pamela Wallin, Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau were suspended until, as CBC politics has reported on Nov. 5, the next federal election which is slated to be on or before October 19, 2015. The Senators have been stripped of the rights their position holds, their pay and their benefits (with the exception of keeping their health and life insurance benefits). CBC has also reported that Wallin was suspended with 52 yeas, 27 nays and 12 abstentions; Duffy was suspended with 52 yeas, 28 nays and 11 abstentions; and the vote to suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau concluding with a result of 50 yeas, 29 nays and 13 abstentions. In the Upper Chamber, there is a mandatory retirement age of 75 years old. With that in mind, by 2015, the three would be eligible into their old roles with their then ages being around 62, 69 and 41 respectively. During this whole scandal, with an unprecedented 83 per cent of Canadians following the story either closely or somewhat closely (CBC Politics, Nov. 1), one Senator was facing other controversies as well (as opposed to simply the spending scandal that the punishment stemmed from).

In fact, this Senator has been involved

Political scandals. (Art by Rebecca Duce)

in multiple issues in the span of his nearly four years in the Senate. That would be the youngest current Canadian Senator Patrick Brazeau, appointed to the role on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in December of 2008. At this time, Brazeau (former national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples) was 34 years old, a rather sharp contrast to the “Senate Age Average” of 64.5 years old as of February 15, 2013 (according to the Parliament of Canada website).

In my opinion, suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau should of been suspended long before this instance and I face shocking disbelief that he has not only remained in the Senate so long when considering his previous controversies, but that he in fact was suspended with the least amount of “yeas” and highest amount of “nays”. The Senate, it seems, has let me down. In my eyes, Brazeau, or “@The-

Brazman” as he rather unprofessionally has as his Twitter handle, should of been under harsher punishment or investigation for calling Canadian Press journalist Jennifer Ditchburn a “bitch” over his official twitter account in response to her writing about his poor attendance record in Senate or committee sittings. More importantly, for being charged on Feb. 7, 2013, for the assault and sexual assault of his wife, Ms. Sunshine Tenasco-Brazeau, which included allegedly hitting her, grabbing her throat and then pushing her down the stairs. Brazeau was given a $1000 bail and the notice to keep further than 150 meters of Ms. Brazeau’s home and work. Harsh language towards a reporter from an official social media account and shoving his spouse down the stairs by the throat. These two events lead to his removal from the Conservative caucus in the Senate (therefore making The Brazman an in-

dependent). With that in mind, it took the expense scandal of all things to get him out of his position? Not only that: he’s received the same punishment as Duffy and Wallin, in fact, with less Senators agreeing to his punishment than of the other two, even with his previous trouble making? That, quite frankly, disgusts me. The Brazman it seems has gotten away.

It leads one to wonder, does Brazeau even understand he has the possibility of coming back to office? That he’s only suspended and not expelled? On Nov. 13, 2013, suspended Senator Brazeau posted the following from his official twitter account, “Anyone interested in knowing about the #cpc/ caucus mtgs/ PMO control, I’m officially for hire.” In this instance, “#cpc” stands for the Conservative Party of Canada, “caucus mtgs” refers to caucus meetings (of which Ms. Ditchburn reminds us that he had a habit of not attending on a regular basis) and “PMO control” is in reference to the Prime Minister of Canada’s office. Quite frankly, it seems an immature move from a public official. After all the allegations posed during his time in office, he’s only been suspended. To me, it seems a light punishment compared to what could of happened in regards to his career.

In response, the unelected politician decided it would be in the best interest to sell his knowledge regarding the inner workings of the Canadian political system (“sell” from the definition of the word “hire”) to the public.

As a Canadian Senator, even as a suspended one, Patrick Brazeau is entitled the style of “The Honourable” in front of his name for the rest of his life.

With everything said and done, the only thing I can do is question that.

Happy “Winter-Whatever-Holiday” Day: What to call this time of year Dran Ngo Staff

Christmas: the best holiday ever.

You wake up to gifts that you are so excited to open, you laugh with your family members in front of a fireplace and outside it’s white as a ghost because of the snow that fell on Christmas Eve. In the evening, you have the biggest feast that you have ever seen, with family

“This issue was raised parent and people who think they are representing the benefit of students by saying Merry Christmas does not represent all cultures.” members that you haven’t seen since this time last year. At this time, your long lost relatives bring even more presents and you pretend you like the ugly outfit that they bought you. After your meal, you go door-to-door singing Christmas carols so you can work off the turkey and mashed potatoes you ate, and wished all the families you met that night a Merry Christmas.

Sounds like a pretty typical Christmas special you’re watching after you open a your gifts. In my views, celebrating this is something wonderful, it’s spectacular.

Now, if you were to tell this story in a school with different ethnic cultures, let’s say a grade 7 class, you would be scrutinized by teachers. Why? It’s because we have to say, happy holidays instead of saying the typical “Merry Christmas” that you usually said the past 15- plus years of your life. This issue was raised by parents and people who think they are representing the benefit of students by saying Merry Christmas does not represent all cultures, instead limiting the cheer only to the people who celebrate Christ-

“If you don’t want me to say such things, take away Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day.” mas, which is the celebration of birth of Christ. But really, do you think the students care? I sure don’t.

Take this into perspective; I am a

Vietnamese person who follows the faith of Buddhism. I have been raised into this religion my entire life and I have beliefs in many of the teachings

“When I went to school ... I didn’t expect the entire school population to recognize my holiday and celebrate it.” and values dedicated to it. When I was growing up, I was never offended when people said “Merry Christmas, Dran”, I said it right back to them. Back then, students knew that this was a time to spend with your families anyway, no matter what you called it.

I have one question to the people who have such uproar with the saying of “Merry Christmas”: what in the world is a festive tree? It sounds like a tree that has been stripped of all it’s needles or leafs and was used as a decoration that no one looks at during a high school party. Put me under fire as you will, but, realistically, I don’t think changing the name of a Christmas tree

to a festive tree is really going to cause an issue to the development of children. I turned out fine.

It makes me so mad that we have to pull back on so many exciting holidays that we generally celebrate in life while we are at school, because we’re at a public school. When I went to school, I didn’t even care if students knew when Vietnamese or Chinese New Year was.

I didn’t expect the entire school population to recognize my holiday and celebrate it. One thing that I liked about the Christmas season was how excited everyone was for school to end and to go to their families and live that typical Chistmas dream. It made me happy to know they were happy. People who think they have the positive foot in front of children are wrong, step back and realize that no one cares. Let them say Merry Christmas. If you don’t want me to say such things, take away Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day and replace it with a name that is just as ridiculous, that no one will like. Tell me if you would like that. Happy Weird Name Holiday Day. Or, Merry Christmas.