Volume 19, Issue 3 – November 2019
The Sputnik, We Orbit Around You.
A NEW BREW
Veritas Cafe opens in Market Square News, pg. 5
News, pg. 3
BDOT PROGRAM IN DOWNTOWN
Laurier professor working to evaluate program
Opinion, pg. 6
Opinion pg. 6
Arts, pg. 7
MANAGING YOUR FINDING YOUR KEEP STRESS OFF YOUR BACK TIME BETTER OWN SPACE
Techniques to use to not let Learn tips to keep your stress get you down schedule balanced
New in town? Try some of these spaces
Sports, pg. 8
LAURIER MENS RUGBY WINS
Team will be playing for fifth at the Consolidation Final
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
SPUTNIK FILE PHOTO
DARRIEN FUNK | PHOTO EDITOR, THE CORD
Brantford program takes new approach to social outreach Brantford Downtown Outreach Team is a pilot program that works to connect with those living with street issues SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR, THE CORD
The Brantford Downtown Outreach Team, otherwise known as BDOT, is a pilot program implemented in July of 2019 with a focus on reaching out to people struggling with addiction, homelessness and other challenges. The idea for the BDOT was born out of a need for a new approach to working with vulnerable populations, such as those experiencing homelessness in Brantford. It was modeled after similar programs across the country which have been successful. The BDOT makes an impact on the downtown core of Brantford in a number of ways, including connecting individuals with access to health services, providing food and supplies, giving housing support and helping highlight the needs of street-involved people to the city of Brantford. “One of the important points of their actions is to connect individuals with medical services. So, one of the challenges to accessing medical services is there is often some pretty significant gatekeepers to getting into the system, for instance not having a fixed address can really limit your access to services,” said James Popham, assistant professor and leader of the BDOT evaluation team. “On top of doing that, it’s been a lot of working with the community so it’s become a visible component of the city and it’s initiatives to try and work with the different communities within Brantford to try to address the concerns and needs through visable and proactive measures so people can become aware of what’s happening and that the city is making an effort.” The evaluation of the BDOT team is being funded through the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, allowing the BDOT to receive valuable feedback which they may not have otherwise been able to afford. “I’m doing something that would normally be quite expensive,” Popham said. “Working in sort of a consultant position. So I‘m helping agencies who might not have the funds or means by which they could hire an expensive consultant, providing them with that level of expertise which will help them with their program.”
One of the challenges to accessing medical services is there is often some pretty significant gatekeepers to getting into the system. - James Popham, evaluation director for the BDOT
At the moment, Popham is the sole evaluator on the project but he is looking to hire a student with evaluation experience to assist him in his work. The evaluation will measure a number of different factors, including a look at the influence the BDOT has had on concurrent services, such as the Brantford Police Service and the Grand River Community Health Care Centre. “First we’re going to be looking at, I guess, the nuts and bolts of the program itself, so the number of people served, the types of services they’re receiving, the types of accounts and numbers of supplies being provided from the BDOT to the community, as well as looking at changes in policing; so whether or not there has been a drop in
calls for social disturbances or public disorder calls,” Popham said. “We’re also going to be looking at changes in things like emergency calls to the fire department or ambulance just to get a sense of how the presence of the BDOT has affected those.” In addition to measuring the effects of the BDOT team in numeric sense, the evaluation will examine how the BDOT is helping people on an individual level. “A second thing that we’re going to be looking more closely at is the impact; and part of this is going to be done by working with people who have worked with the BDOT, so street involved or homeless individuals, and hearing their stories and their experiences with the BDOT and hopefully including those in the evaluation to sort of summarize how it impacts individuals,” said Popham. The evaluation of the BDOT team will help fine-tune and streamline their services by pointing out areas which can be improved upon and giving them valuable information about the program. “A third arm is going to be talking to the team, as well as the organizing committee, and getting a sense of what sort of barriers they’ve experienced, successes they’ve enjoyed and how those sorts of things can be used to improve the mandate of the BDOT and streamline its operations,” Popham said. “Evaluation research, particularly when it’s done on behalf of an organization or an academic group, it really helps to empower the organizations that we’re working with. It gives them information that can be used to pursue further funding to ensure that the programs or initiatives they’re piloting can be successful. It also provides a means by which the organizations can improve their services and service delivery
so for instance identifying some of the challenges that might not normally come up in day to day conversations” The evaluation will give a more holistic perspective on how the program is working within the greater community to facilitate positive change. The BDOT helps to dispell myths surrounding the homeless populations and highlights the often hidden struggles they experience by listening to the experiences and needs of streetinvolved individuals and bringing this knowledge to light.
Many, if not most of the people that they work with are not currently in an addicted or dependecy sort of situation. - James Popham, evaluation director for the BDOT
“There’s a misconception that homeless people want to be homeless and that they’re satisfied with what they’re doing but the reality that we’re encountering is that a lot of the people that the BDOT is working with, they’re unable to get access to housing.” Popham said. “Brantford has a shelter shortage right now, they have limited social housing and the supports just aren’t there to get people indoors so that’s one of the challenges that they’re encountering.” Another common misconception is that the majority of the people struggle with addiction, or that they are homeless due to an addiction. However, the BDOT has found that this to be far from the truth.
“From my conversations with the BDOT team, they say that many, if not most, of the people that they work with are not currently in an addicted or dependency sort of situation, they may have been in the past but many of the people are just living their lives,” Popham said. “There’s again an assumption that many of the homeless or street-involved individuals who we encounter are there because of drugs or drug dependency and the reality is that many of the people aren’t. And through a number of different social circumstances in the past they’ve come into the situation that they’re in now.” People often fail to emphasize with the homeless population due to a lack of knowledge or experience in what they go through. Through their work, the BDOT hopes to spread the word on the physical and mental tolls of homelessness. “These people haven’t got the means to take even public transportation between different locations which are spread out across the city, so they’re often walking continuously throughout the day,” said Popham. “At night, they’re physically exhausted and rather than having a comfortable bed to go to they’re living wherever they’re living, so whether it’s in a tent or a place where they feel secure; and even in the evening there is a major security concern. People are never actually getting a proper nights rest because they’re constantly worried about people stealing their stuff or assaulting them.” The BDOT team is always grateful for any form of donation, whether that be financial support or tangible goods such as nonperishable foods or warm clothing, to help them in their endeavors to support the Brantford community. This article was originally published in The Cord on October 30, 2019.
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VERITAS CAFE OPENS DOORS
The Laurier cafe takes over the space that used to be Wiliams Cafe SABREEN RAI CONTRIBUTOR
The once abandoned mall is now a vibrant atmosphere for members of the Laurier community, as well as others in the downtown core of Brantford. The new Veritas Cafe is largely responsible for this. The coffee shop opened this September in the space that formerly housed Williams. Veritas is open 8 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday to Friday, and is located in 1 Market, a building which now houses a number of lecture spaces. Though Veritas is new to the Brantford campus, it is not the first of its kind. The cafe’s first location is at the Laurier Waterloo campus, where it opened 12 years ago. However, in 2015 the Laurier Graduate Students Association decided to formally manage it themselves, and have been operating Veritas ever since. Speaking of the differences between the Waterloo and Brantford locations, Patrick
McMahon, operations manager of both Veritas locations said “Brantford is a different campus and we want to cater to Brantford specifically. It’s a city campus, it’s not a compact campus, so we want to cater to all the different things that go on here.”
Brantford is a different campus and we want to cater to Brantford specifically. It’s a city campus, it’s not a compact campus. - Patrick McMahon operations manager, Veritas
Veritas Café’s mission is “to provide the freshest food possible.” said McMahon. According to McMahon, the café
pays their employees a living wage. Additionally, the coffee beans are roasted locally by the Baden Coffee Company, which ensures the growers of the South American beans are paid as well as cared for. The café accommodates many dietary restrictions, as both their beef and chicken have Halal options available. The menu also rotates frequently, allowing a bit of variety and options to diners. Although the initial public reception has been promising, the difficulty lies in “getting the word out there.” said McMahon. To help with reaching students, Veritas has partnered with the Laurier dean of students office. This partnership will provide Laurier students with affordable soup options that can be purchased for 3 dollars, throughout the winter months. Veritas is meant to establish more of a presence in the Laurier community. As the Brantford campus continues to grow, the Cafe hopes to do the same.
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DE-STRESS
TIPS TO HELP YOU DE-STRESS CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Being a student is stressful and anxiety-inducing, so here are a few ways that you can tackle university life MATHEW SACKRIDER SPUTNIK OPINION
As we approach the end of the Fall term here at Laurier, students tend to share some common anxieties across the campus: with exams coming up, tests, essays and etc., it can be nerve-racking and stressful. Outside of school, we may have to balance our education pressures with the demands of romance, family and finances as well. Everyone handles these demands differently; some keep it together more often than others, but from time to time, even the most levelheaded and cool-minded of us can slip-up. Anxiety, spiraling, worrying and depression can catch up to us when we’re feeling overwhelmed, so what are a few ways that we can address these stressors and regain our composure?
EXERCISE
Physical activity reduces stress by increasing the brain’s production of endorphins; these can make us feel nice and relaxed, as well as feeling happier. Exercise can also help to stimulate cognitive function and focus, which might just help you tackle those school assignments more efficiently afterwards. While exercise makes us feel good mentally in the short-term, it will also improve the physical health of our body in the longterm. So, consider it doing your future-self favour as well! Two birds with one stone.
MEDITATION
Meditation is another great way to calm yourself and refocus when feeling stressed out or under pressure. In a few minutes, one can achieve a meditative state feeling
calm, relaxed and re-centered. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and becoming grounded in reality by drawing yourself away from your thoughts and into your physical body. We shift our focus onto our physical sensations; breathing, touch and sound. When a thought comes into the mind, we allow it to pass back out without judgement, and focus again on our immediate presence. Find a quiet and comfortable spot, put on some zen music and give it a try.
TALK TO SOMEONE
It’s alright to take a break here and there to improve your sense of personal well-being. Although many of us may be getting the majority of our human interaction through the screen of a cell phone or laptop, it’s a good idea to physically speak to others at times!
Call up a friend, a family member or even visit the Wellness Center to talk to a therapist if you feel the need and things are difficult. They’re there to help you, and their services are covered in the cost of your tuition. Don’t be afraid to make friends either: we’re all in this together.
MUSIC
Some background music can help ease our tensions while we study or work away. Try swapping out your usual playlist for something softer to help change the mood. Streaming services, like Spotify and Youtube, give us all access to an incredibly expansive database of relaxing ambient tunes. Piano, nature sounds, classical and even soft electronica can be nice to unwind to. Discover your zen music and play it as often as you can!
KEEP A JOURNAL
Sometimes when we’re feeling overwhelmed, we just need to release the floodgates on a whole lot of accumulating emotions or ruminating thoughts. Keeping a journal to track our thoughts, release our worries and even to practice beneficial positive selftalk can go along ways towards improving our daily moods. Sometimes the person that we need to speak with the most is actually ourselves! Hopefully, some of these tips will be able to help you out in a pinch. Life is stressful and university life can at times can double that stress. But it’s important that we never forget that we are not powerless, and when we fall, we can always pick ourselves back up.
ORGANIZATION
Time management: how to get more out of your studying DHRUVI MODI SPUTNIK OPINION
Do you ever feel like 24 hours in a day are simply not enough? There’s just so much to do, and so little time. Whether you live at home or by yourself, there’s never enough time to get everything accomplished. And if you’re anything like me, you end up skipping class to catch up on class. Sometimes, I’m just so caught up in making sure I submit my assignments on time, that I forget to take care of myself. I eat after I get all my work done, which is really late at night — and at that point, I’m just so tired I go to bed or I stress eat too much. And don’t even get me started on midterm season: it’s like I don’t even exist during midterms. I’m always in my room studying or completing assignments. If only there was a way to get good grades and maintain a healthy lifestyle. My study habits aren’t perfect — but they’re getting better. Now that I’ve leaned to manage my time more, I am able to spare a couple minutes for myself throughout the day. Some of my top tried and tested strategies include the following:
WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN
(ORGANIZE): I’ve started to write down everything on my calendar — and when I say everything, I mean everything. I write down what weekends I’m going home, and how realistic getting work done at home is going to be. I even write down when I’ll be able to go visit my friends. That way, I have every day of the month accounted for, and I know where to spend how much time. I know it sounds crazy and straight out of a movie, but I plan ahead and schedule. It makes my life a lot less hectic, and then I know I can say “no” when there’s too much on my plate.
KEEP UP WITH CLASS (PRIORITIZE): Allocating time to work on each class every day is an essential part of not falling behind — even working on a little bit at a time. That’s right – I work on something from each of my classes, daily. That way, I’m not doing any of my assignments last minute — or at least, not all of it. For example, let’s say I’m super busy one day and don’t have time to study for all my classes. I will still allocate 15 minutes per
class. 15 minutes is better than nothing. Sometimes I don’t get much done in 15 minutes, but at least I’ve started to think about it and eventually it will lead me somewhere.
STUDY WITH A FRIEND (OPTIMIZE): Have a study buddy: studying can get boring real fast, and let’s be honest — I’d rather watch cat videos on YouTube than study Machiavelli and his rationality theory. But this is when a study buddy comes in handy. I meet up with my friend or facetime them, and we can keep each other focused. There are times when we get distracted and start talking to each other, and that is considered as our break. If we see the other person smiling at their laptop screen instead of typing, we know they’re not doing school work, and so we hold each other accountable. Obviously everyone is different, but these are just some of the strategies that work for me and have helped me maintain my sanity during midterm season. Hopefully, with finals season quickly approaching — too quickly if you ask me — you might find some value in these strategies too. CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
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Hiakus and coffee
EN272 Introduction to Creative Writing is on Laurier’s Brantford campus for the first time Working with their professor, David Lee, students in EN272 wrote haikus about a downtown Brantford coffee chain. Here is a selection of those pieces submitted to The Sputnik.
Two dollar coffee An unlucky history The price of a life. Sarah R. VandenBerg Third Year English
Old coffee cups lie, Next to lost forgotten souls, Living high but low. Mathew Sackrider First year English
The smell of coffee People try to feel better They are just like me. Jessica Lorch Third year Forensic Psych/English
Look at its impact A teardrop inked on his cheek Everything happens Craig van Manen Third year English
the pain of today avoided by injection temporarily Wesley Strassburger Second year English
Don’t go to that Tim’s It is filled with rough people People who need help Kaylyn Heine Second year Social Work
You’ll find some strange cats not the beggars but elites holes where hearts should be Moyia Misner-Pellow Second year Social Work
Hollow, paper cups. I curdle in quicksand, Rankling regret. Monica Van Ittersum Second year English --------------------------------------Timmy boy come home The cents don’t make the dollar It’s now time to rest Marcus Wolfe Third year English
These creative pieces are works of fiction and are not necessarily representative of the business it describes nor of the opinions of the writers, The Sputnik or WLUSP.
HIRZE E ZEHRA TALPUR | SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHER
SARA SHEIKH | SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHER
On finding your own spaces when you are new in town RASHIDA POWANKUMAR CONTRIBUTOR
I am ready for a new chapter! Wait, we all heard that one before — what a cliché. Yes, not original at all! Let me be more authentic — I need more. I can do more, and will do more! I will never forget the day I extended my hand out and applied for more. It was in the late afternoon of April. I had been sitting in an artistic school in the east end of Toronto, and thinking, wow! I just completed three-years of a journalism program. Now, what — I thought as I smirked with a deep sensation of satisfaction — what on earth will I do? Yup — that’s it — I’ll apply for an English program in a different city and continue my studies. I do not regret the decision, one bit. I arrived to Laurier Brantford in August and quickly met people who welcomed me and showed me around town. Yes, from a tourist perspective, it is small compared to Toronto. However, my new friends showed me how much Brantford has to offer and how you can discover unique spots that fit you. These are now my go-to Hot Spots. I’d love for you to check them out, consider what spaces you love to frequent, or try somewhere new!
HARMONY SQUARE
In August when I had arrived in Brantford the weather was hot and humid. I could not sit at home and read the novel that I had been enjoying. Instead, I ventured outside to where it beautiful and nature was flourishing with flowers. I found myself in Harmony Square. I plopped down on a brown bench in the centre of the square and indulged in my reading. Harmony Square is open and inviting. You can do the same the Square is open year-round.
BRANTFORD WRITERS CIRCLE
If you are writing for pleasure or simply writing essays which plays a big role at university then check out the Brantford Writers’ Circle. This monthly group meets to inspire and collaborate each other and offer writing activities. Come out and meet like-minded writers who are ready to mingle.
BRANDO’S BEACH HOUSE
The fun and vibrant bar is the perfect spot for mature students who are looking to kick back and unwind. School can be overwhelming especially around exam time. To study for one class after the next is not easy and is mentally exhausting.
Brando’s is located in downtown Brantford. It fully emodies the beach house vibe with a signature Hawaiian theme. It will create an illusion–a vacation-like theme that will wash your mental exhaustion away.
LEGENDS BILLIARD & LOUNGE
“I would love for you to see it, we are hoping to provide some good alternative for students and we will be offering discounts to students for sure. Growing up I spent time in places like this and it is a good place to pass time,” said owner of Legends, Don Leone. Stop by 20 Dalahousie and enjoy an escape from school.
GRACE GALLERY
A local art gallery located at 29 Nelson Street. It features over 22 local, national and international artists. It is a wonderful place to come and spend your time with events such as First Friday’s and GG-PSN! You will also have access to networking events. GG-PSN, works as the equivalent as a job fair with flare - for educational purposes to learn and grow a business.
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RUGBY
Golden Hawks beat McMaster Marauders in OUA playoffs The men’s rugby team has had a mixed season, but has advanced to the Consolidation Final at a chance at fifth MARK CASCAGNETTE SPORTS EDITOR, THE CORD
Following a 38-19 victory this past weekend against the McMaster Marauders, the Golden Hawks men’s Rugby Team has advanced to the Consolidation Final to play for a fifth place finish in the OUA.
FILE PHOTO | GARRISON OOSTERHOFF
Did you know Laurier has a campus radio station? Tune in now at RadioLaurier.com
An overall dominating team performance highlighted by Laurier prop, Owen McLean Lavado has the Golden Hawks on a two-game win streak and ensures that they will have a chance at winning the consolidation side of the OUA’s new playoff structure. After a very strong 2018 season, which saw the Golden Hawks win the bronze medal game and finish 3rd place in the OUA, the expectations this season were high. However, Laurier started slow this year losing two games in the first couple of weekends against Trent and Queens. Blowout wins in the next two games against talented teams in Brock and Western, was thought to have turned the season around for the Hawks. With a .500 record and sitting at 2-2 through their first four games, the Golden Hawks believed that they would be on the championship side of the bracket. After the two wins and a bye week, Laurier had control of their destiny, though two crushingly close losses in back to back weeks against Guelph and Waterloo had sealed their fate. At a final record of 2-4, they finished the regular season fourth place in the West and narrowly missed the medal side of the bracket, meaning they would not be able to compete for a top three spot. On Sunday in Hamilton, the Golden Hawks looked like they
did in 2018, as they completely dominated the game from start to finish, having a 19-0 lead heading into halftime and not slowing down after that.
An overall dominating team performance ... has the Golden Hawks on a two-game win streak and ensures that they will have a chance at winning the consolidation ...
The Hawks relied on a great performance from third-year sociology major Owen McLean Lavado who scored a pair of tries, as well as hometown players Matt Fish (Waterloo) and Tyler Farrow (Cambridge) who each added singles, on route to the Golden Hawks doubling up the Marauders 38-19. Lavado has had a great year for the team and was awarded for his performance against the Marauders, as he was named Laurier’s athletic male of the week, the first time he has achieved that feat. The Golden Hawks will finish the 2019 season at home this Saturday against the RMC Paladins. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00pm in Waterloo at University Stadium. With a win, Laurier will have earned an OUA top five-finish for a third consecutive season. This story was originally published in The Cord on Nov. 9, 2019.