Volume 18, Issue 12 - March 13, 2019

Volume 18, Issue 12– March 13, 2019

The Sputnik, We Orbit Around You. News, pg. 5

Features, pg. 6

Arts pg. 9

LAUNCHPAD PUTS THE SPUTNIK’S A VIEW OF THE ON HACKATHON YEAR IN REVIEW OPIOD CRISIS

Students designed solutions A look back at some of our Jeff Bierk trys to make a to the city’s biggest problems greatest stories and visuals positive impact in the city

Sports, pg. 10

Opinion, pg. 11

WHO RUN THE WORLD? GIRLS!

SLACKTIVISM OR ACTIVISM?

A look at the awesome women How our devices make us think that run LB athletics dept. we’re making a difference

Laurier celebrates New Year in Sikh calendar News pg. 3

MITCH EMMANUEL-KALU/LEAD PHOTO

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THE SPUTNIK

WWW.THESPUTNIK.CA

SPUTNIK_NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

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THE SPUTNIK STAFF EDITORINCHIEF Dellesia Noah eic@thesputnik.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Anuj Kapahi graphics@thesputnik.ca

DESIGN MANAGER Sidhant Kapahi design@thesputnik.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Madelin Moses photography@thesputnik.ca

NEWS EDITOR Now Hiring news@thesputnik.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Mitchell Emmanuel-Kalu leadphotographer@thesputnik.ca

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Now Hiring assistantnews@thesputnik.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Alex Vialette web@thesputnik.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Olivia McLachlan features@thesputnk.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Jason Morgan video@thesputnik.ca

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Hyrra Chughtai arts@thesputnik.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Gabrielle Lantaigne copyeditor@thesputnik.ca

OPINION EDITOR Avery Mclssac opinion@thesputnik.ca

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Stephan Reilly Message him on our facebook page!

What are your best study tips for final exams?

SPORTS EDITOR Jessa Braun sports@thesputnik.ca

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“Write the most important subjects, then highlighting the most in different colours...” - Bryanne Madden, 1st Year, Social Work

“Going over the PowerPoint slides on MyLearningSpace” - Andrew Chachulski, 4th Year, Business Tech Management

“Use cue cards” - Casey Kok, 2nd Year, History

“Do the assignments at the beginning so there isn’t a lot you have to do” - Christian Smith, 1st Year, Social Work

“To spread it over time, try not to do it all once” - Abigail Young, 1st Year, Community Health

“Turn off your phone, find a quiet area, and make small goals” - Sukhjit Lall, 3rd Year, DMJ

SECRETARY Maiya Mistry

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THE SPUTNIK

WENDSDAY, MARCH 13, 2019

03 NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING news@thesputnik.ca

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING assistantnews@thesputnik.ca

EVENT

Vaisakhi celebration comes to Laurier Coordinators Abijheet Bawa and Deepak Saine were inspired to host this event for all Laurier students DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On Wednesday, March 6, students came decked out in their best for the first Vaisakhi event to celebrate the New Year in the Sikh religion.

Students from both Laurier and Conestoga stepped into the convention centre to celebrate the traditional holiday at an event put on by Laurier students.

We are trying to bring that multiculturalism into Laurier, so we want everyone to experience what we experience, how we celebrate it and why we celebrate it.

-Gurleen Lall, President of Laurier Punjabi Association

“Vaisakhi is celebrated throughout the state and it’s looked at how we would look at Thanksgiving here. It’s harvest time, harvesting of the crops,” said Abjheet Bawa, one of the co-ordinators for the event.

Vaisakhi commemorates major events in the history of Sikhism that occurred in the Punjab region.

The festival marks the birth of a Sikh order started after the persecution and execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur for refusing to convert to Islam.

“Vaisakhi is like a community holiday rather than a personal or family holiday; we look at it as the whole community gets together and gets to celebrate together,” said Bawa.

Bawa’s partner in planning the event, Deepak Saine, agreed that Vaisakhi is a huge community celebration that has a big party vibe that they wanted to bring to Laurier.

The night was filled with dancing and performances from singers and dancers for students to enjoy.

Conestoga students Gragan Dadra and Komalpreet Kaur said that they were both there to enjoy an evening of dancing with friends, similar to what they would do back home.

“We are trying to bring that multiculturalism into Laurier, so we want everyone to experience what we experience, how we celebrate it and why we celebrate it,” said Gurleen Lall, president of the Laurier Punjabi Association (LPA).

Inderpreet Lall, another student at the event, said that Vaisakhi is a way to commemorate the injustices that happened in the past. “It’s about being able to express that Sikh is an actual culture and religion; that we can freely celebrate as opposed how things were for our ancestors.”

“It was the day our religion first began, it was the day the first Sikh got baptized, so it’s really important to us,” Anahit Singh, a student and attendee.

Many of the organizers for the Vaisakhi celebration acknowledged that this event was put on in part to reach out to the increasing number of international students from South Asia at both Conestoga and Laurier Brantford.

Lall said that the event was partially held as an initiative to

welcome international students from South Asia and make them feel like they had a community at Laurier Brantford.

“I know that with nights like this it’s just a matter of experiencing that community,” said Inderpreet Lall.

“I find it a great way for people to know that there are already communities set in Brantford of so many people that are just like them, and it is a way to meet new people and understand that there are people out there that have the same values as you to be able to make new friends on campus, it’s a way to build a community,” she said.

When it came to organization, there was quick turnaround between the idea of planning the event and the actual work it took to put it together.

Co-ordinators Bawa and Saine came up with the idea in January and managed to pull off the planning in just two months.

[...] it is a way to meet new people and understand that there are people out there that have the same values as you [...] it’s a way to build a community.

-Inderpreet Lall, Student

“We reached out to as many departments at Laurier and Conestoga that we could to get all of their inputs in and their sponsors to make this event what it’s going to be tonight,” said Bawa before the start of the night.

Bawa and Saine described the event as not belonging to one specific group or department on campus, but rather a community initiative to pool together money and resources to pull the event off.

Lall said that Vaisakhi was one of two major events that they wanted to assist in hosting for the year – the other being Diwali – which was a huge success.

“What I did was help them out in getting all the supplies that they needed and I let them take the reins on it. I knew that they knew what they were doing and I was going to support them no matter what,” said Lall.

We reached out to as many departments at Laurier and Conestoga that we could to get all of their inputs in and their sponsors [...]

-Abijeet Bawa, Coordinator

Saine and Bawa both hope that after the success of the first Vaisakhi event at Laurier it will be an event that continues on the campus for years to come.

MITCH EMMANUEL-KALU/LEAD PHOTO

Students from both Lauriier and Conestogo celebrated Vaisakhi at the Brantford Convention Centre.

THE SPUTNIK

04

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019

ADVOCACY

Laurier hosts panel on refugees and migrants Faculty presented their research and work done in the field DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

How do we aid refugees and migrant individuals in their turbulent experiences?

That’s what the Laurier community was invited to discuss at the resiliency of refugees panel.

Tuesday, March 5, as part research week at Laurier Brantford, the Laurier community was invited to discuss the circumstances that refugees and migrant individuals have to overcome to piece together better lives for themselves and deal with the trauma they are still experiencing.

On the panel was associate professor Bree Akesson, Professor Kristina Montero, Nora MelaraLopez, Stacey Wilson-Fonsberg and Christopher Kynakides. They all spoke of the research or ground work they’ve done with refugees and migrant individuals.

A common theme among all the presenters was the sharing of personal accounts of having worked with refugees and migrant individuals or having been in those situations themselves.

Nora Melara-Lopez – a social worker and the North Hamilton Community Health Centre – said that her own experience as a refugee coming to Canada helped her in her line of work to support other refugees. Melara-Lopez detailed

the long journey it takes to get any type of status, such as a permanent residence card, to be able to access more resources in Canada.

“I have a client that has been waiting for 16 years. It’s hard not being able to put down roots in this country,” said Melara-Lopez.

Stacey Wilson-Forsberg spoke about hearing trauma stories in an educational setting and establishing trust first between these individuals in order to receive such stories.

It’s an understanding that refugees don’t come with the mindset of trying to take and burden but to gain a better life for their future.

-Olivier Lopez, Attendee

helped address a certain misconception and narrative that refugees are here to take and not to contribute more.

“I think the presentation … gives people an understanding of what refugees need here when they come upon arrival. It’s an understanding that refugees don't come with the mindset of trying to take and burden but to gain a better life for their future,” said Lopez.

In the question and answer period of the panel discussion, one audience member asked how the scope of the work has changed for their field or research into refugees and migrant workers.

Professor Montero detailed the difficulty of separating people from the refugee label. “If you move away from that label maybe they won’t get enough resources,” she said.

Others spoke on the struggle to not feel hopeless under the circumstances of the refugees and the migrant individuals that they work with and continuing to support and aide them under difficult circumstance the best that they can.

“We don’t go fishing for trauma stories...we listen empathetically,” said Wilson-Forsberg.

Olivier Lopez – an attendee at the panel discussion – came to Canada as a refugee back in 1985.

Lopez felt that the discussion

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS

CAMPUS

State of journalism discussed at Laurier Journalists from the Toronto Star and The Discourse disscussed topics effecting news media in Canada OLIVIA MCLACHLAN FEATURES EDITOR

On March 6, Laurier Brantford hosted a panel discussion about the state of Canadian journalism.

The impressive panel was made up of Kathy English, public editor of the Toronto Star; San Grewal, director and founder of The Pointer; and Erin Millar, CEO and co-founder of The Discourse.

Professor and co-ordinator of the digital media nad journalism program Bruce Gillespie stood in as moderator of the discussion.

The panel, called “The State of Journalism in Canada”, focused on topics like “fake news,” political bias in reporting and the changing environment of journalism.

Panelists also discussed the difficulty of getting and keeping readers’ attention, the subscription model and internships.

I think there’s a huge opportunity right now in Canada to better serve people’s voices and perspectives that have been left out of media.

-Erin Millar, Co-founder of The Discourse

While all Laurier Brantford students and faculty were welcome to attend this event, there was a

particularly strong turnout among Brantford locals.Attendees ranged from people simply interested in the subject matter to entrepreneurs and journalists eager to learn more from industry professionals.

“We’re dealing with a couple of crises in journalism,” said English.

“One is a trust crisis. Levels of trust in journalism overall and media overall are at all-time lows. And a business model crisis in which news organizations...are cutting back their staff because the advertising revenues have dropped, so coverage of local communities is at risk.”

Millar commented on the financial struggle as well. “I think we’re seeing a huge disruption of the old models as advertising is going more and more to Google and Facebook. We’re seeing newspapers and broadcasters shut down...

It really hurts communities and local democracy.”

Millar also talked about giving a voice to those who have had to fight to use theirs.

“I think that there’s a huge opportunity right now in Canada to better serve people’s voices and perspectives that have been left out of media.”

“I think there is a moral imperative to be doing more diverse media, but really there is also a huge business strategy,” said Millar.

“If we can just have an ecosystem that’s more reflective, I think that’s really important,” she said.

Grewal also spoke on the business end of things. “It’s definitely a financially challenging time,” he

MADELIN MOSES/PHOTO EDITOR

Industry professionels from the Toronto Star and The discourse stopped by Laurier to discuss the state of journalism.

said.

However, Grewal remained hopeful about these challenges.

“The opportunities that come out of it could be even just as significant”.

Grewal also talked about the younger generation's effect on journalism.

He says “the social media push for pulling the curtain aside” is

pushing the industry in the right direction.

“Journalists and journalism demands transparency from the individuals and institutions that it holds accountable. Now, the public is saying ‘we sort of demand the same of you’,” he said.

Many believe that journalism and reporting have improved in recent years thanks to growing

demand for honesty and ethical reporting techniques.

“Social [media] has become a bit of a watchdog over traditional media. And anyone who has accountability placed upon them ends up performing better,” said _____.

Millar shared an optimistic outlook on journalism. “I see a lot of hope at this moment but we have a ways to go,” she said.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019

NEWS

05

CAMPUS

Launchpad puts on first hackathon event

Students were encouraged to create ideas that could solve social issues that effect the city of Brantford DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Laurier Brantford kicked off the month by hosting its very first criminology hackathon.

Students gathered during the first weekend in March to participate in Launchpad Brantford’s inaugural criminovation challenge.

The event was meant to make students think critically of social issues and create designs and solutions that could best serve these issues.

“The Criminnovation Challenge was meant to allow students to explore social issues that they were passionate about,” wrote John Lam, program co-ordinator at Launchpad Brantford.

Lam said that the purpose of the criminovation challenge was to connect students to faculty and municipal representatives that would act as mentors during the hackathon and give them direction and purpose for their design solutions.

The general topics students were encouraged to tackle were homelessness, the City of Brantford’s drug strategy, media and communication of crime, mental health, and crime prevention through early education.

“I let the students drive the conversation and the design. The solutions that each group came up with are uniquely their own,” said Erin Dej, one of the mentors at the criminovation challenge.

Dej and the other mentors provided students with information

hand,” said Dej. “They had keen awareness of the challenges to implementing this kind of system and designed creative ways to navigate these challenges. They also showed passion, creativity, and independent thinking - incredible skills that will take them far.”

Cole said that winning the challenge was a humbling experience and that all teams there had great potential to carry out their designs.

Both Lam and Dej agree that all the teams could continue working out their ideas that would solve social issues.

They also showed passion, creativity, and independent thinking - incredible skills that will take them far.

-Erin Dej, Mentor

CONTRIBUTED BY JOHN LAM

Homelessness, drug strategy, mental health and crime prevention were some of the topics studnetd created designs for.

that they knew on any of the given social issues; they pointed out barrier that students would encounter along the way and encouraged them to try, fail and try again.

“With this group of students the mentoring was easy - they already had the passion and the drive, we just helped them harness it into something concrete,” wrote Dej. The event was meant to inspire and showcase a variety of social

SUPPORT

design ideas that the students were passionate about.

“Our solution is to create an interconnected system for all of the social services within the community so that they can share information with one another regarding the citizens they are helping,” wrote Jacqueline Cole, participant and one of the winners of Criminovation of the Year.

“Ultimately our inspiration was

to make these services more efficient in the way they function and communicate with each other,” she said.

Neither Cole nor her partner Nithin Elbin came from a criminology background, but she said the event gave them the tools to think critically about social issues in finer detail.

“The winning students demonstrated a firm grasp of the issue at

“The winning team tapped into an issue that those working with people who are experiencing homelessness are grappling with right now, across the country,” said Dej. “With the support of the Launch Pad, they can tap into that and contribute to that conversation.”

SAC hosts healing and crafting workshop A zine was made to show support of sexual assualt survivors DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The sexual assault centre (SAC) hosted a healing and craft workshop to create a collaborative art for sexual assault survivors.

When I got the zine last year I loved it, so I came out and it was fantastic, it was really cool to see all the artwork in it so I was like I had to come back and be a part of it.

-Alexa Stuck, student

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS

On Monday, March 4 Laurier students gathered in the basement of the Carnegie building to create artwork as a medium for healing from sexual assault.

This is the third year that the SAC has hosted this workshop in an effort to create zines – short for magazines – artwork and messages to self-publish on the Laurier campus as love letters to sexual assault survivors.

“When I got the zine last year I loved it, so I came out and it was fantastic it was really cool to see

all that artwork in it so it was like I had to come back and be a part of it,” said Alexa Stuck, a student at Laurier Brantford.

“It’s really fun I have all these ideas to make creations so I’m really excited,” Stuck said.

Emily Stauffer, another Laurier Brantford student, said she came out for an opportunity to create cool art and support a friend.

Hayley Moody, a sexual advice counsellor and advocate for the SAC on the Brantford campus, believes that the healing and craft workshop is great a way for students to connect with one another.

“It’s for students to tell other students who are survivors that are going through some hard stuff ; some gendered violence or you know whatever is going on in their life just to write messages of love and support for others on the Laurier Brantford campus,” said Moody.

Although Laurier Brantford has taken the initiative to provide SAC counsellors on campus, SACs remain underfunded and limited in their resources.

The CBC has reported that the sexual assault centre for the Waterloo region has been waiting more than a year for funding from the province. Their waiting list is sitting at 176 people, said executive director Sara Casselman.

Lack of funding for SAC pro-

grams is seen across Canada, according to the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre. “Funding for sexual assault services has not kept up with the demand. Sexual assault centres such as ours do not receive core funding for our services and must fundraise to sustain critical programs,” said a representative from the centre.

It’s for students to tell other students who are survivors that are going through some hard stuff [...] messages of love and support [...].

-Hayley Moody, SAC Counsellor

Despite the lack of funding and resources for SACs across Canada, the SAC on the Brantford campus has seen small victories.

“I think SAC is doing relatively well. We’ve had this contract for three and a half years now and it means that students don’t have to wait long times at the Sexual Assault Centre,” said Moody.

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THE SPUTNIK

FEATURES EDITOR/OLIVIA MCLACHLAN

EDITORIAL

The Sputnik: Our fave stories this year As we the year comes to an end, we look back at seven of out greatest stories we got to publish OLIVIA MCLACHLAN FEATURES EDITOR

Being that this is the last print issue of the year, The Sputnik wants to reflect on the great content our team has produced.

The 2018-2019 school year was eventful to say the least and The Sputnik was privileged to report on all sorts of news and events as they happened.

Our editors did great things with their respective sections and often

lent their talents to other sections to gather as much expertise and different perspectives as we could.

Writers covered very interesting stories ranging from love in non heteronormative relationships in a Valentine’s Day article on bisexuality, student activism in stories about Doug Ford’s OSAP changes and a community coming together in the face of hardship in an article about a local Mosque being vandalized.

Our writers were always enthu-

siastic, hard-working and ready to write.

Our editorial team always put in long gruelling hours every other Monday and Tuesday right here in the Sputty office --take my word for it.

And our Editor-in-Chief gave so many late nights to The Sputnik, dedicated personal time to reporting and helping fellow staff members with their stories.

Through it all, we all dealt with the struggles of putting together

a biweekly paper on top of our loaded schedules as students --with class and a great attitude I might add. So, cheers to us.

Not in any particular order, this editorial celebrates our top seven stories of the year and the visuals that accompanied them.

With this issue, we wish to reflect on our past work while boldly stepping towards our future.

With most of our staff graduating this year and changes on the horizon it’s a bitter-sweet moment

for many of us.

We do not know what the next school year will bring for The Sputnik but we are certainly excited to explore new opportunities to continue being Laurier Brantford’s independent student newspaper.

1. Who gets to say the word ‘survivor’?

Written by: Avery McIsaac Opinion Editor Visual by: Anuj Kapahi Opinion Editor, Avery McIsaac wrote a reactionary piece to Christie Blatchford and her opinions on who gets to call themselves a survivor.

Blatchford believes that a person who accuses someone of sexual assault should not continue to do so if a court has found the accused not guilty.

McIsaac takes no exact side on this debate, instead opting to hear out both sides and give her thoughts.

This piece shines a light on the even more difficult parts of this debate Read more in the September 19, 2018 issue

2. Mosque holds solidarity event for city Written by: Dellesia Noah Editor-in-Chief Visual by: Mitch Emmanuel Editor-in-Chief Dellesia Noah gives readers a look at the hardships that those of a different religion face.

A Brantford Mosque was vandalized with very harsh messages directed to Muslim individuals.

These messages were fuelled by ignorance in the form of hate and fear.

But those who attend the Mosque were not going to just accept this injustice.

The Mosque hosted an event in solidarity of those affected by the vandalism and in support of anyone who has faced prejudice in their life.

Read more in the Oct 31, 2018 issue.

3. Injuries cause more than just physical pain Written by: Jessa Braun Courtesy of: Laurier Brantford Athletics In this article, sports editor, Jessa Braun wrote on sports injuries and how much it can affect a person’s life -- even outside of sports, as many young athletes build their lives around athletics and fitness.

Braun states that major injuries notably take a toll on one’s mental health and identity.

When a player is off the field, ice or court to recover for an extended period of time, they can experience almost a loss of who they are.

This article sympathizes with anyone who has sustained an injury doing something they love and reminds us that all symptoms and side effects of different injuries are valid. Read more in the Nov 14, 2018 issue.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13,2019

07

4. Laurier protests Ford’s OSAP Changes Written by: Dellesia Noah Editorin-chief, Stephan Reilly Visual by: Anuj Kapahi The Sputnik was fortunate enough to cover the protest led by Students Against Ford’s Cuts.

This was an opportunity to see activism come to life in a our small community.

Students were able to make their voices heard on during the protest with speeches and chants. They even took the fight to their local MP. University has a rich history of changing what students cannot accept and we were honoured to have been invited.

We hope to be invited to more events of activism as this story continues to develop.

Read more in the Jan 30, 2019 issue.

5. Throw away bi-erasure this Valentine’s Day Written by: Olivia McLachlan Features Editor Visual by: Anuj Kapahi In the history of news media, voices that come from queer communities have often been stifled.

As a student publication, The Sputnik takes responsibility and recognizes our part in how we can uplift and represent queer narratives on campus.

We are try to frequently include queer narratives and accurately present them whenever possible.

In this vein, Features Editor Olivia McLachlan, spoke to two individuals who identify as bisexual and share their stories about how being bisexual affects their personal relationships.

Read more in the February 13, 2019 issue.

6. Chocolate scams in a heartshaped box Written by: Emily Ernst Visual by: Emily Ernst This opinion article by staff writer Emily Ernst gives her take on Valentine’s Day and why it can be so easy to fall into a money-grabbing trap.

Ernst poses the question, “how do we truly show our love?” She relates to readers as a fellow student and a busy person overall who does not always have the means to buy a big display of emotion in the form of giant teddy bears and bouquets of roses.

Rather, she suggests, take back the day of love and make it your own. This is a tongue-and-cheek look at a capitalist venture that proved itself an instant favourite among students.

Read more in the Feb 22, 2019 issue.

7. A how-to survival guide on university Written by: Hyrra Chughtai Visual by: Anuj Kapahi In this Arts and Culture piece, section Editor Hyrra Chughtai delves into the stresses that first-year university often deal with. Instead of simply writing her thoughts on the matter, she surveyed Laurier Brantford students to hear what advice they had on topics such as roommates, healthy eating and balancing school work with a social life. The article ran in our O-Week issue and the visual graces our front cover. We all know how challenging school can be, especially navigating a satelitte campus like Laurier Brantford. Read more in the Sept 4, 2018 issue.

THE SPUTNIK

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR HYRRA CHUGHTAI arts@thesputnik.ca

CULTURE

Artwork speaks to opiod crises in city Jeff Bierk discusses his work on the opiod crisis in Brantford and how he tries to show to show its impact FIONA ROWAT STAFF WRITER

It’s as simple as contacting a city councilor with concerns, voting in favour of change for the next election and even donating time or money to local organizations such as the food bank, the Why Not Youth centre, the Rosewood

Over the past few years artist and photographer, Jeff Bierk has worked on creating a photo series entitled “Behind the Curtain”.

His series tells the true story of addiction and what it feels like to be in the shoes of someone who is struggling.

Strategically, the more stabilizing factors you can add to anyone in crisis or at a risk of crisis [...] it helps.

We're in a crisis, let's treat this like a crisis [...] I think we have to look at policy. I think we have to do the practical things to respond to this.

-Becca McLellan, Director of Why Not Youth Centre

-Tom Phillip, Director of Rosewood House

MADELIN MOSES/PHOTO EDITOR

Jeff Bierek ecplains his work on the opiod crises in Brantford and wants to make an impact through his photography.

His artwork has been on display at the Glenhyrst Museum for a few months now, and the message Bierk’s art communicates is one Brantford knows all too well.

In order to push the discussion forward, the Glenhyrst and the Freedom House hosted a panel last Wednesday where experts in our community sat alongside Bierk and discussed pressing issues such as opioid addiction and the rise of fentanyl – issues that many of us try to ignore in order to sleep at night. What many are easily able to ignore, though, is the daily life of someone we walk past on the

street.

“They have the same wants and needs just like everybody else, and they want acceptance just like everybody else,” said Tim Phillip, the director of the Rosewood House, a local shelter.

The truth is, Brantford is one of the top three cities in all of Canada for opioid poisoning rates, and fentanyl is no stranger to this area, yet there is still so much that isn’t being done. Brantford does not have a single safe injection site.

“We’re in a crisis, let’s treat this like a crisis,” Bierk said. “I think we have to look at policy, I think we have to do the practical thing to respond to a crisis like this. Where

I’m from, in Toronto and Peterborough people are dying daily.

The response should be what can we do immediately to make sure people aren’t dying.”

This is an issue that affects us all, and it’s an issue that we, the students, have a say in.

“You’ve got to choose between being powerless and doing something,” Dave Carrol, pastor and staff at the Freedom House, said.

Currently, municipal funding does little to support the local opioid and fentanyl crisis, and without any action, this problem isn’t going to go away.

As legal adults currently residing in Brantford, students can make an

active change.

You've got to choose between being powerless and doing something.

-Dave Carrol, Pastor at Freedom House

House, and The Kindness Project – all local initiatives dedicated to making a difference in our community.

If you or someone you know uses opioids, be sure to use safely and to be prepared for a possible overdose.

Local organizations and even local pharmacies are all locations where naloxone kits are available and in many cases are even free.

Additionally, if needed, the Rosewood House and the Why Not Youth centre are both places where you can find food and shelter.

“Strategically, the more stabilizing factors you can add to anyone in crisis or at risk of crisis,” said Becca McLellan, director of the Why Not Youth centre. “It helps.”

COMMUNITY

Pebble mosaic looks to help Brantford

The Red Dress Productions work with Brantford to help raise awarness for victims of sexual violence the cause and the project.

The workshops will explore the project and visuals and will include many creative activities for people to get more into their artistic abilities. The team will also outline the themes in the piece and the design process.

“We are talking about some of the themes in the earlier projects and the work will be really located in Brantford and the people who

We wanted to create a monument that recognized survivors of sexual violence ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

HYRRA CHUGHTAI ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Red Dress Productions and the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant are making a monument dedicated to the people that have experienced sexual violence and want you to come out and join in on the creation.

Red Dress Productions, co-founded by Anna Camilleri in 2005, is a non-profit based in Toronto that

helps create art with a meaning.

Having done many projects in multiple communities, they have helped communities engage with one another and create conversation in areas like Eganville, Pikwakanagan First Nation, Pembroke, and Killaloe, Ontario.

“We wanted to create a monument that recognized survivors of sexual violence,” said Camilleri.

She also said her organization aims to “continue to grow conversations and connections between

communities with monuments”.

The public art project in Brantford is being done with the goal of helping the community create conversation about sexual violence and to diminish the stigma.

It’s not only about coming together once the artwork is built, but also building it together.

Members of the community are invited to come out from March 21 to 23 for a multi-day workshop.

There will be presentations about

-Anna Camilleri, Co-founder of Red Dress Productions

gathered to work on this, and we actually build it together,” said Camilleri.

The themes in the past have varied, but Camilleri really hopes that the people of Brantford create a piece that means something to them but can also be open to interpretation.

The goal is for anyone to be able to look at the piece and connect with it.

Pebble mosaics are an original concept, but Red Dress Productions are very familiar with working with delicate tools and materials.

They created their first pebble mosaic in 2015.

“The form can be totally environmentally integrated. It's not something that you look at on a wall, it's something that lives in a public space that you can gather around... [It’s a] non-toxic friendly medium,” said Camilleri.

Where the piece will go has yet to be decided, but that was the least of the team’s worries. This past summer a new provincial government was sworn into office.

Most of the funding for the project comes from sponsors and from the provincial government.

The Liberal government had dedicated some funds to the cause, but when the Conservatives took over the project had to come to a halt.

Luckily for Camilleri, the funding continued and the piece will be unveiled sometime in May.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019

THE SPUTNIK

ARTS & CULTURE

09

CULTURE

People make history with Rohingya film The documentary will take a look at genocide and survivors RYLEE WOLFKAMP STAFF WRITER

As part of Wilfrid Laurier’s People Make History guest speaker series, Laurier alumni and film director Yusuf Zine will showcase his film “I Am Rohingya: Staging a Genocide” on March 20 in RCW 002.

This film tells the story of 14 Rohingya youth refugees and their experiences in Burma through military violence, their escape from refugee camps in Bangladesh and their re-settlement in Canada.

After, there will be a panel and Q&A with the director, producer and cast members to discuss the film.

relate the to our students and to people in the Brantford and surrounding community. We think that it’s a highly effective way of engaging people in history.”

There is a long and conflicted history of the Rohingya people in Myanmar (or Burma).

One of the central ambitions with this lecture series is to bring in people who have experienced important historial experiences....

also raped and abused Rohingya women and girls.

The Myanmar government has been called to show a commitment to end the violence and displacement and to improve the conditions for the Rakhine state, but the country’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been heavily critiqued for being unsympathetic to the Rohingya people.

He has also faced criticism for prosecuting journalists and activists using colonial-era laws.

According to UNICEF, as a result, over 730,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh as of January 2019. Over half of them are children.

-Dr. Robert Kristofferson, Organizer

...A rare opertunity for a university student to hear from people first hand who have experienced a major crisis- a genocide -Dr. Robert Kristofferson, Organizer

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Dr. Robert Kristofferson, one of the organizers of the event, said in a phone call: “…one of the central ambitions with this lecture series is to bring in people who have experienced important historical experiences first hand and can

After many waves of refugees had made the harrowing journey out of Myanmar to flee communal and military violence, the latest wave of attacks began on August 25, 2017 after Rohingya Arsa militants executed deadly attacks on more than 30 police posts.

In response, the military burned their villages to the ground, attacking and killing civilians in the process.

According to BBC, at least 6,700 Rohingya, including at least 730 children under the age of five, were killed in the month after the violence began. Amnesty International says the Myanmar military

This a chance to meet some people and hear their experiences that is a rare opportunity for a university student to hear from people first hand [...]

-Dr. Robert Kristofferson, Organizer

Dr. Kristofferson said: “This is a chance to meet some people and hear about their experiences that is a rare opportunity for a university student to hear from people first hand who have experience a major crisis —a genocide.”

ART

Students relax and destress with paints The French club host a Bob Ross paint night in the basement of MPR for students to unwind and create HYRRA CHUGHTAI ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

tern in the video, students laughed at their own art ended in varying degrees of success.

I too tried my best to re-create the tutorial’s galaxy, but with the constant pattering against the canvas, I was causing my hands to stress rather than de-stress. The freedom to incorporate different colours into my vision of a galaxy allowed me to be as creative as I wanted.

“Creating the galaxy was difficult at first but I definitely think watching the tutorial at the same time made it easier to do while also letting you do your own thing,” says Di Natale.

On March 6, Le Club Français gathered students and challenged them to unleash their inner Bob Ross in a paint night.

As the year comes closer to the end, the French club decided to hop on the trend of following along with a Bob Ross tutorial and challenge students in a fun, creative way.

It's something positive and relaxing and encourages people to try something new...

-Nicole Di Natale, Student

In a room with tables covered with plastic sheets and multiple paint bottles available to use, students were very excited to get their Ross on.

If you’ve watched enough YouTubers fail at the tutorial, you know that you’ll need liquid white on your blank canvas to do as Ross did. As students, we love making things work on a budget, so the French club opted to have the

MARENA SILLIE/PHOTOGRAPHER

Students use sponges and their make-shift palettes to create a galaxy on their canvases.

students follow a galaxy tutorial instead.

“I think the Bob Ross tutorial trend is a great thing! It’s something positive and relaxing and encourages people to try something new even if they don't consider themselves an artist,” says Nicole Di Natale a third-year law and society student.

Although Bob Ross has nothing to do with France, the culture of art does, says Abby Myles, the head of executive outreach and mentorship for the club.

“Trying to find ways to de-stress and paint and then incorporate [enjoyment] and appreciation of French…there’s a lot of art connection with French culture and

a lot of the art is prevalent in their culture,” says Myles.

There was a decent turnout for the event.

Two tables were filled with students enjoying themselves while trying to accurately follow the tutorial to create a decent looking galaxy.

Using sponges to create the pat-

Sometimes with events like these people aren’t too pleased with their work and leave it behind to be thrown away, but on this night, no one was looking to trash their artwork.

Every student ended up with an original piece and was proud of what they created.

The French club doesn’t want this to be their last relaxation event. Myles says the club will be making self-care kits as the stress of exams creeps closer, as well as a social media photo challenge coming up soon.

“All I’m saying is get your berets ready!” says Myles.

THE SPUTNIK

10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 SPORTS EDITOR JESSA BRAUN sports@thesputnik.ca

SOCCER

LB soccer season ends in disappointment

The men’s and women’s teams played their regional finals HANNAH KASTEIN SPORTS WRITER

Laurier Brantford’s first-ever women’s soccer team ended their season with a heartbreaking loss in a do-or-die game on Wednesday at the regional championships. The tournament took place at Seneca College in Toronto where they were two points short from moving on to provincials.

The women needed a win against the Mohawk Mountaineers in their final game, a team they played against in two other tournaments this year, which were close games. However, a short bench

made it hard to the Golden Hawks to catch a break and they lost the game 6-1. Kara was the lone scorer for Laurier after dribbling up the side and taking a shot from out wide.

The girls also played against the Durham Lords, the Fanshawe Falcons and the St. Laurence Vikings.

They lost their first game 4-0 to the Lords. However, they were able to pull of a 0-0 tie against the national finalists, the Fanshawe Falcons.

They were able to hold them off while playing a very new and defensive system.

In their third game Laurier pulled off a 4-0 victory against the

St. Lawrence Vikings. They were able to score 4 goals by first years Kara Hughes, and 4th Jessa Braun who got two. They pulled off a 4-0 victory against the St. Lawrence Vikings.

The men’s soccer team was also at regionals on the Thursday. The men’s third ever regionals took place at Lakehead University in Orillia on March 7th. The men’s team also missed out on provincials and were forced to end their season early.

The men’s team suffered some hard loses against the Sheridan Bruins, Centennial Colts and the St. Clair Saints. However the were

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIER BRANTFORD ATHLETICS AND RECREATION

Phil Catarino of Laurier Brantford battles races for the ball against UTM player

able to pull off a 3-0 win in their last game against the Lakehead Orillia. The Laurier scorers were Matt Keigley, Phil Catarino and Daniel Scott.

This was a disappointing per-

formance from the Laurier boys as they were able to compete equally with the teams the faced all season leading up to the championships.

BASKETBALL

Laurier Brantford hosts tournament The men’s and women’s basketball teams both played their last tournaments of the season at YMCA RYAN PRAUGHT SPORTS WRITER

Laurier Brantford hosted a men’s and women’s basketball tournament last Friday that featured 12 teams – four women’s and eight men’s – squaring off against each other. It was a hard-fought tournament that saw the men and women of Laurier work hard and do their best. Unfortunately, both teams fell short and couldn’t win the tournament, but there was still plenty to be proud of.

Laurier vs. Humber North (Men)

RYLEE WOLFKAMP/PHOTOGRAPHER

Laurier Brantford men’s and women’s basketball played in a home tournament at the Laurier Brantford YMCA on Friday.

The first matchup of the day was between the Laurier men’s team and Humber North. It was very clear that these two teams were not fond of each other, so much so that the two teams continued to argue and push each other after the whistles were blown. Laurier fell behind by as many as 31 points and despite a solid effort, especially on the defensive end, the team ultimately lost the matchup 48-21.

Laurier vs. Humber North (Women) Laurier women also played their first game against Humber North. Their game started off with plenty of scoring before both teams started missing some shots and they both went cold from the court. Humber was originally down early but they clawed their way back to tie and eventually take the lead. The highlight of the game (and maybe even the tournament) was when Laurier’s Alexa Stucke blocked a shot attempt from a Humber player, grabbed the rebound and went coast to coast to finish the play with a layup.

Despite their efforts however, Laurier fell to Humber 29-20 – a low-scoring game for sure.

Laurier vs. Lakehead Orillia (Men) The Laurier men squared off against Lakehead Orillia in their second game and played much

better in this one. They were very aggressive on defense, forcing many turnovers and even sometimes committing fouls due to their approach. Much like the first game, it was very hostile, and the two would have engaged in some fisticuffs had some of the Laurier and Lakehead teammates not broken it up. This game was very quick and fast, and another highlight reel play occurred when Laurier’s Galio Fortunato broke a Lakehead defender’s ankles with a sweet dribble move, but he couldn’t hit the ensuing layup. After falling behind, the Golden Hawks fought back, but the comeback bid fell short and they lost 42-28.

Laurier vs. Fleming (Women) The Laurier women won their second game against Fleming College 28-20. They played well enough to keep up in their first game, so it wasn’t at all surprising to see them fight hard and win their second game.

Laurier vs. Seneca Newnham (Men) The men played well in their first two games as well, especially on the defensive end, so it wasn’t ridiculous to assume they could win their third game. However, Seneca Newnham ultimately won the game 49-28 and the Laurier men were done for the day.

Laurier vs. Lakehead Orillia (Women) The Laurier women’s final game was against Lakehead Orillia and with a win they could make their way into the final. Lakehead Orillia only had seven players and their coach appeared to be absent, but they were relentless nonetheless.

Despite working incredibly hard and leaving it all on the court, Laurier couldn’t prevail and keep their tournament hopes alive despite great plays from Chelsea Duckworth and Anita Asiama who led the way. They lost 46-33 and their tournament run ended.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019

SPORTS

11

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Women run the show at LB Athletics Laurier Brantford Athletics and Recreation department is primarily led by a strong force of women JESSA BRAUN SPORTS EDITOR

Who run the world? Girls! Especially at Laurier Brantford Athletics and Recreation.

Despite being on a continent where 80 per cent of athletic directors are men, Laurier Brantford beat the odds and currently carries a leadership team that is 80 per cent female.

Megan Jacklin, Madlynn Palmer, Sai Gnanaharan, Rachel Dobbs and Jonathan Knowles are the five leaders who make everything happen in Laurier Brantford’s athletic and recreation department.

Every day the small but mighty team organizes the chaos of varsity teams, extramurals, intramurals, sport clubs, social media, athletes, tournaments, games . . . essentially anything and everything that goes on within Laurier Brantford Athletics.

“Everyone’s very passionate and a strong leader within themselves,” Dobbs said of her coworkers.

The team seems to be everything an employee could ever want in a workplace family. The dynamic carries a satisfying balance between work and fun.

“It’s a very positive and engaging work environment,” said Dobbs.

“There’s always something to talk about. It’s a connection within Laurier that isn’t just showing up, doing your job and leaving. It’s giving you those personal connections too.”

As Manager of Interuniversity Sport Programs, Megan Jacklin spearheads the team. Confident, knowledgeable, productive and friendly, Jacklin is the unstoppable force behind the purple and gold.

“Jack of all trades,” said Gnanaharan. “She literally kicks butt at everything she does.”

It’s a connection within Laurier that isn’t just showing up, doing your job and leaving. It’s giving you those personal connections too.

-Rachel Dobbs, student leader

Jacklin was heavily involved in athletics throughout her university career and leading up to her fulltime position. The Laurier alumna was involved as a fitness instructor, student leader, athlete and active gym-goer. Her various roles and dedication to the department made her more than qualified to jump into the full-time role she’s in now.

Since stepping up to the position, Jacklin has helped Laurier Brantford move in to the new YMCA, kick-started Laurier Brantford’s varsity programs, restructured hiring processes and provided better access to conferences for her coworkers.

To many, the task of running an athletics department for an entire university might seem like a daunting task, but Jacklin handles the constant pressure with ease.

Dobbs noted Jacklin’s organization makes carrying out responsibilities a smooth process.

“Meg is the queen of organization and planning,” said Dobbs. “If

PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURIER BRANTFORD ATHLETICS AND RECREATION

LB Athletics’ leadership team from left to right: Megan Jacklin, Rachel Dobbs, Sai Gnanaharan and Madlynn Palmer.

you ever want anything done in the most meticulous fashion you could ever find, Meg’s your girl.”

In the desk across from Jacklin is Madlynn Palmer, who oversees extramurals, sport clubs and the department’s social media presence. Palmer is the newest Golden Hawk on the team, having attended school at University of Waterloo and coming into her position with Laurier Brantford Athletics just this school year. But purple definitely seems to be her colour.

“Really throwing herself all in has been her biggest superpower,” said Jacklin.

One of Palmer’s initiatives this year was the Pink Strong campaign that raised money for cancer.

According to her coworkers, it took off with flying colours. She is known to be a bold and driven member within athletics.

“I think it’s probably one of her strong qualities,” said Gnanaharan.

“You get to know what she means and who she is pretty quickly and you get to know how to work alongside her.”

Palmer is also an encouraging leader among her coworkers.

“Mady embodies the ‘got-yourback’ perspective,” said Dobbs.

“She’s always coming back with positive reinforcement and saying, ‘You did this really well; I’m proud of you.’”

Palmer was actively involved in athletics during her time as an undergraduate student. She represented University of Waterloo as a varsity swimmer, worked in the student success office, was constantly volunteering time to do community outreach programs, and started the Rise Up program – a peer mentorship program in which first year student athletes get paired with upper-year student athletes.

Jacklin and Palmer are the only two full-time staff within Laurier Brantford Athletics and Recreation. The dynamic duo spends all day every day together, but they’re not sick of each other yet.

“Meg and I work really well

together,” said Palmer. “I enjoy coming into work probably mainly because of her.”

One door down the hall is the student leaders’ office. Rachel Dobbs, Sai Gnanaharan and Jonathan Knowles are upper-year students who work for the athletics department part time in coordinator roles.

“The student leaders we have this year are amazing; they’re really strong,” said Palmer.

This year, Rachel Dobbs took on the role of sport clubs coordinator.

Dominating her role while also balancing everything else she’s involved in on campus has blown minds along the way.

“She’s involved in everything I feel like,” said Palmer.

“There’s a lot of random things she does on campus but she knows exactly how everything is happening and when,” said Gnanaharan Dobbs originally didn’t even consider applying for the position.

But last year’s sport clubs coordinator, Kayla Babcock, couldn’t help but notice Dobbs was the perfect fit for the position. Dobbs has competed for Laurier Brantford as varsity athlete, worked at the Hawk Desk and led Residence Athletic Council. The leadership skills, knowledge and commitment were all there.

Dobbs’ coworkers noted she’s organized and a strong leader, and even though the fifth-year concurrent education student has got a lot going on in her life beyond her coordinator role, she puts highquality effort into every task she’s given.

“She’s really able to fine-tune and detail things,” said Jacklin.

In the desk beside Dobbs is Sai Gnanaharan. The fifth-year concurrent education student has always been heavily involved in Laurier Brantford Athletics and Recreation. After participating in intramurals, running on the varsity cross-country team, volunteering for Relay for Life, working at the Hawk Desk and working as the social media and events coordinator,

Gnanaharan was more than ready to take on recreation program coordinator.

“If you give her a task, it’s going to be done,” said Dobbs. “It’s going to be done really, really well.”

Gnanaharan is one of those students who seems to know everyone, which has been beneficial to the athletics department in many ways.

“She’s a social butterfly,” said Jacklin. “She knows all the athletes, whether she’s played with them, or has worked with them, or knows them in general through campus.

She has great relationship-building abilities. That helps her in her role because athletes feel comfortable working with her.”

Working alongside the girl power in the department is Jonathan Knowles, Gnanaharan’s fellow recreation program coordinator.

Especially on a campus that has the ratio of women that it does, it’s important to have [female] representation at a high level.

-Jonathan Knowles, student leader

Knowles previously worked with Dobbs and Gnanaharan at the Hawk Desk, and currently plays on the men’s extramural hockey team.

“It’s always great when your coworker ends up being your good friend,” said Gnanaharan. “As my partner in crime, we work alongside each other and so I’d like to say I know him pretty well. He is the most easy going and relaxed man I know, which makes working with him a breeze.”

“Jon is very easy to work with,” agreed Dobbs. “He is super helpful when it comes to getting down to

the nitty and gritty of a task. He’s detail oriented and efficient but keeps the mood light.”

Full of a lot of love for Laurier Brantford Athletics and his leadership team, Knowles supports the female-dominated department.

“Especially in a campus that has the ratio of women that it does, it’s important to have [female] representation at a high level,” he said.

There’s no doubt there is no better fit for the Laurier Brantford athletic leadership positions than the people who are currently in them.

“When people at Laurier see us in our positions, nobody questions us,” said Dobbs. “Nobody looks at us and asks, ‘Why is it them?’ They know we’re here for a reason.’”

Wilfrid Laurier University has been a supportive environment for women in athletics, and the fortunately the support extends even beyond just the campuses. The Ontario College Athletics Association (OCAA) carries almost an even balance of men and women in athletic director positions. Jacklin said usually about half the women she sits with at the OCAA athletic director roundtables are women.

“It’s really humbling to know the membership we’re affiliated with is so welcoming of women leadership in athletics and are respected in those roles,” said Jacklin.

Unfortunately not all leagues, universities and post-secondary institutions have reached the same level of equality yet, but all the leaders in Laurier Brantford Athletics and Recreation agreed the future for women in athletics is positive.

“It comes down to advocacy and awareness,” said Dobbs. “There’s no reason there should be gender segregation in these roles. If you have a skillset, you should be able to fulfill that skillset.”

“I don’t see a difference between a man or a woman being in power or in charge,” said Gnanaharan.

“I have great experiences working with very strong and independent women.”

Every single one of the leaders in the athletic department is passionate about their role and athletics.

The team works hard to foster a friendly and welcoming space for everyone. Because the team is so small, personalities are able to really jive and the group becomes close-knit.

“We’re able to bounce ideas off each other and share stories,” said Dobbs. “Office hours turn into just hanging out. We still get everything done, but it’s an opportunity to regroup and see each other.”

It is also a common goal among the leaders to extend the sense of community past the walls of their offices. The Athletics and Recreation department is home to an entire population of students and the leaders recognize it’s part of their jobs to make sure those students feel welcome too.

“We really try to make everybody feel comfortable and find their place within Athletics and Rec,” said Jacklin.

The transition from the old Wilkes building to the Laurier Brantford YMCA has been an adjustment, but the feeling of Laurier Brantford community is still going strong. After all, home is where the heart is.

Thanks to a talented and unstoppable team of leaders, Laurier Brantford Athletics and Recreation has become a place of family, fun and familiarity to students across campus.

THE SPUTNIK

12

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 OPINION EDITOR AVERY MCISAAC opinion@thesputnik.ca

GRADUATION

Leaving will be harder than expected

Being faced with the end of my undergrad has made me far more sentimental than I expected to be AVERY MCISAAC OPINION EDITOR

I started this school year reflecting on how university has been the best and worst time of my life. Now that the school year and my undergraduate career are almost over, I want to reflect on my last four years on campus.

In just over a month I’ll have finished my last undergraduate classes and exams. For a lot of people, this is a really exciting time. It is for me too, but I’m also having a bit of a hard time coming to terms with how fast the last four years went by.

As much as I’m ready to be done with the endless hours of readings, writing papers and studying, part of me isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to Laurier or Brantford yet.

Maybe I’m struggling because I grew up here, or because of the thousands of good memories I’ve created over the past four years. All I know is that by the end of April I will never have to come back to Brantford if I don’t want to, which kind of sucks.

Being at Laurier has given the opportunity to meet some of my best friends, work for a student paper that has paid me to write about my feelings or what’s happening

MADELINE MOSES/PHOTO EDITOR

on campus, and learn about topics that will influence my choices for the rest of my life. It might sound dramatic, but I owe the person I am right now to the past four years on this campus.

I’m sure a lot of people will disagree with me on this, but

I’m actually going to miss being downtown.

Honestly, nothing is funnier than explaining the mix of people I interact with on a daily basis to strangers. I met a guy at my boyfriend’s Christmas party that went to Laurier Brantford and we

immediately bonded over the craziness we’d both seen downtown.

It’s almost like a right of passage when you go to this campus.

That being said, being downtown is also really nice sometimes.

In the winter when everything’s covered in snow and all of the

Christmas lights are up, or in the spring when all of the flowers are planted, Victoria Park is beautiful.

After a crappy class or stressful day, walking through there always made me feel better. It’s weird knowing that’s not something I’ll be doing on a regular basis anymore.

It’s completely possible that by September I’ll feel differently, but it’s hard not to be sentimental right now.

I’m going to miss living so close to my friends. I’m going to miss impromptu social gatherings, going out even though it’s the middle of the week, and knowing that if anything was wrong I could just walk down the hall or down the street and I’d have someone to talk to. I’m going to miss being able to bounce ideas and questions off professors that are passionate about a subject. Most of all, I’m going to miss the familiarity and comfort I’ve come to know over the past four years.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you. To all of my friends, most of my professors, and Laurier Brantford as a whole, thanks for being exactly what I needed over the past four years. I truly don’t know where I’d be – or who I’d be – without you.

ACTIVISM

The epidemic of social media reposting

Social media has changed the way we view activism. But is sharing a picture to your story really helping?

EMILY ERNST STAFF WRITER

Hello Snapchatters, Instagrammers, round the clock texters and the other screen slaves who were not addressed in the previous three titles. I am here today to tell you about a social epidemic that has plagued social media platforms. Yes, I am talking about the act of re-posting. A simple function that our media platforms have decided to award much more value and prestige to than it has ever deserved.

Think back to late November 2018: Everywhere you looked – every Instagram story, every other post – Rhinos were being hunted for their tusks. It seemed that you couldn’t turn anywhere without seeing the thumbnail of the video depicting the tragedy occurring oceans away.

Now I am a pretty patient and understanding person, but this really started to bother me. I began asking the question: do these people really care? Or are they just re-posting to feel better about themselves? Our social media culture today is one of validation, meaning we center our media decisions and actions around what will get us the most positive attention and feedback in the quickest way possible. Reposting a video to your Instagram story takes under 30 seconds. It’s still less than a minute if you want to add a small gif or a string of crying emojis.

I’m sure some people are staring at this article right now wondering where the problem is. If it hasn’t already jumped out at you, I will provide it plainly. Re-posting a photo does nothing but raise

awareness amongst peers. While raising awareness is an important step in social movements, it is no longer enough. Awareness is just the first move. Watching Instagram explode for 24 hours with the same video that will then be nowhere to be found in two days time is a pathetic mask for the fact that we are not doing anything to actually help. We’re just using the act of re-posting to make ourselves feel better about it.

Come on people, we all know exactly what is happening in this world today. We just make the conscious decision to re-post, forget, ignore and move on. Is re-posting a photo on your Instagram story enough to end world hunger, enough to stop the tragedies occurring to the rhinoceros populations, enough to bring clean water to Flint Michigan, enough to decrease poverty levels in developing countries?

No. So why do we continue to do it? Because it makes us look and feel good. We appear worldly and up to date on the latest global news. When we repost a video of activists screaming for freedom from oppression we give off the impression that we are social warriors ourselves, and we love how dynamic that makes us look to our followers.

Newsflash: real change will never happen if we continue to hide behind our screens. Do the people starving in a third world country know that a video featuring their community went viral for 24 hours? No. Would they care?

Absolutely not. Want to know why?

Because nothing was done to help them from it. We simply felt sorry and moved on. You cannot eat

ANNA PRINCIPATO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

sympathy shared through a screen.

I understand you may feel as though re-posting is the only thing you can do at this point in your life and you’d rather do that than nothing, but if everyone had this attitude then nothing would ever get done.

The harsh reality is that you can always do more. Social media has taken the power out of real action, taken away all its value and then fed it back to us in the form of posting a photo. So I urge you to break your tie to this social media disease. See the power in your actions and your vocalized words. Do not feed into the scam that sharing a photo is enough, that awareness through a video can change the

world. Instead of re-populating Instagram with a picture, put down your phone and do something about it. If you truly care like you claim you do by taking 30 seconds to repost, then you should be willing to spend 30 minutes making a donation – however small – attending a rally – whatever the weather – or getting out into the community groups advocating for real change – no matter your age.

But hey, if you want to re-post a photo to feel better about yourself and your place in the social media parade of arrogance and selfimportance then be my guest. But know this: women didn’t win the vote by sharing pamphlets for one day. SeaWorld and Marineland

didn’t decide to stop housing Orcas because one tweet went viral.

Slavery wasn’t abolished because a small group of people decided to share one story for 24 hours.

Real, vital and viable change occurred through human action.

Even though we have moved into a technology era, some things will never change. Call on all humans, re-discover your own humanity and disconnect from the screens that have burned their presence in your back pocket and retinas.

The box of awareness has been checked. It’s time to move on from it and gain the courage, free from social media, to take the next steps toward changing the world. And not just for likes on Instagram.