Volume 17, Issue 6 – November 22, 2017
The Sputnik, We Orbit Around you News pg. 5
Features, pg. 6
TEDX SPEAKERS HOLLYWOOD COME TO WLU CRISIS
Meet the speakers who took Brantford’s attention
Arts and Culture, pg. 8
TRANSGENDER REMEMBRANCE
Sports, pg. 10
Opinion, pg. 12
WLU WEEKEND OF SPORTS
Will there be change in the Flag raising at City Hall a Hockey and basketball way we hear survivors? first for Brantford took the weekend by storm
TAYLOR SWIFT’S REPUTATION
A big fan gives their opinion on the new album
Cross-Country Nationals
The men’s and women’s teams showed Brantford spirit in Quebec Sports, page 10
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY COLLEGE LIONEL GROULX
THE SPUTNIK
02
WWW.THESPUTNIK.CA
SPUTNIK_NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
THE.SPUTNIK
/THESPUTNIKNEWS
THE SPUTNIK STAFF EDITORINCHIEF Taylor Burt eic@thesputnik.ca
SPORTS EDITOR Jessa Braun sports@thesputnik.ca
DESIGN MANAGER Jamaal Owusu-Ansah design@thesputnik.ca
GRAPHICS EDITOR Adrienne Hoe graphics@thesputnik.ca
NEWS EDITOR Shreya Shah news@thesputnik.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Bryce James photography@thesputnik.ca
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Avery McIsaac assistantnews@thesputnik.ca
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Vivian Yan leadphotographer@thesputnik.ca
FEATURES EDITOR Jennany Thillairajan features@thesputnk.ca
WEB EDITOR Ben Cooke web@thesputnik.ca
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Alexandria Clement arts@thesputnik.ca
VIDEO EDITOR Alex Vialette video@thesputnik.ca
OPINION EDITOR Meghan Gauvin opinion@thesputnik.ca
SENIOR COPY EDITOR Kina Ferrante copyeditor@thesputnik.ca
What are you most excited for this holiday season?
WLUSP ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com
BRANTFORD MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Dellesia Noah manager@wlusp.com
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Andreas Patsiaouros president@wlusp.com
HR MANAGER Paige Bush hr@wlusp.com
FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks.com
CORPORATE SECRETARY Noa Salamon
ADVERTISING MANAGER Care Lucas advertising@wlusp.com
WEB MANAGER Sam Nabi samnabi@wlusp.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Snow!”
“Going home for Christmas.”
CHAIR Andreas Patsiaouros
–Katherine Timon, 2, Psychology
–Matthew Cooke, 3, Criminology
“Not working on school.”
“Going to the Light Festival in the distillery district.”
Hayley H.G. Watson DIRECTOR/CORPORATE SECRETARY Noa Salamon
VICECHAIR Lisa Irimescu
DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne
DIRECTOR Alan Li
TREASURER John Pehar
DIRECTOR Benjamin Cooke DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTORS Hyrra Chughtai Christopher Kunkel Tasha Oneil Laura Bannier
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
–Taylor Sands, 4, Criminolgy
–Kim Rodgers, 4, Criminology
All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Lucas at advertising@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.
THE SPUTNIK IS PUBLISHED BY WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 205 Regina ST. N., Waterloo WLUSP Brantford 206-171 Colborne St. Brantford, ON N3T 2C9 (519) 756-8228 ext. 5948 COLOPHON The Sputnik is a bi-weekly campus newspaper intended to engage and inform the community. Started in 1999, the Sputnik is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within the Sputnik are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, The Sputnik, WLUSP, WLU or Centra Web Printing. All content appearing in the Sputnik bears the copyrightexpressly to their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Sputnik’s primary font is Fira. We also use Utopia, Crimson and Aileron. The Sputnik is a member of the National NewsMedia Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981. The Sputnik circulates bi-weekly. Normal circulation is 1,000. The Sputnik has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through the Sputnik’s contact with the community. The Sputnik will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither reprecussion, nor retalliation. The purpose
“Some time with family and a break from the work of school.” –Ross McIntyre, Master’s, SJCE
“Time off of school.” –SarahTorelli, 3, Criminology
THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
03 NEWS EDITOR SHREYA SHAH news@thesputnik.ca
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR AVERY MCISAAC assistantnews@thesputnik.ca
DOWNTOWN
The Bent King: cheap, delicious & fun AVERY MCISAAC ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
If you’re looking for somewhere to hang out that is cheap and fun, The Bent King board game Cafe is the place for you. Co-owners Adam Dexter and Patrick Huxley opened the Boardgame Cafe on Market Street in April of 2017 and have been serving quality, delicious food ever since. The Cafe offers a variety of baked goods, desserts including edible cookie dough, and meals including gourmet grilled cheese, wraps and nachos.
Quality is before anything else to us. We want to do quality, local, delicious food.
-Patrick Huxley, Part Owner
The Bent King makes all of their food in house, all the way down to making fresh nacho chips daily. “Quality is before anything else to us. We want to do quality, local, delicious food, so that’s what we’ve been doing,” Huxley explained. One of the best things about The Bent King is their cheap table rate. They charge three dollars a person and you can play board games for as long as you want. Alternatively to this, if you buy any food item for over three dollars, bring a donation for the
BRYCE JAMES/PHOTO EDITOR
THE BENT KING BOARD GAME CAFE IS LOCATED ON MARKET STREET AND OFFERS GAMES OF ALL KINDS AS WELL AS FOOD
Brantford Food Bank, or bring and present your Laurier One Card, your personal table fee is waved. “It’s a way to be a little more inclusive. It’s not just for people in the Game Design program, it’s for everybody that goes to Laurier so they can come here and know they don’t have to spend the table fee to get a coffee and study or do whatever.,” Dexter explained. In addition to their food menu, The Bent King offers a variety of loose leaf teas, Balzac’s coffee, mochas, hot chocolate, and a few soft drinks. In fact, they’re the only coffee shop in Brantford the brews Balzac’s coffee and one of few places that sells the beans. They also offer local, unpasteurized honey to add to your drinks. Along with housing the board game cafe, the seventeen-year-old
comic book store Alternate Icons is located in the same building. They sell comic books, figures, art books and graphic novels. They’re also selling board games for the holiday season. The Bent King is also in the final stages of obtaining their liquor license. Very soon they’ll be offering locally brewed beers and local wines. They’ll be offering beers such as Big Rig Brew from Ottawa, Beau’s from Kingston, Grand River, Bell City and Mash Paddle from Brantford, Abe Erb from Kitchener, and Barncat from Cambridge. They’re also going to offer Frisky Beaver wine which comes from Port Dover, and once Gretzky Estates starts producing in Toronto, that will be offered as well.
Dexter, who also works in the kitchen explained what inspired the menu, “I’ve worked in restaurants for about 20 years now, when you work in a restaurant, you have what you like to eat because you’ve tried everything and you know what’s the best. So I’ve tailored recipes for over ten years to make it exactly what I like and then I put that on the menu. So it’s a culmination of what I’ve experienced, and the best things I’ve encountered. That’s how I look at it.” Continuing on Dexters point, Huxley explained, “One of the things we hear most from our guests is, this is great quality for what the price is. A lot of that comes down to the knowledge Dexter has available to bring low cost items that still bring that
great flavour and that hit the spot. Sometimes all you need is a cheesecake smothered in Reeses Pieces and chocolate.” The Bent King is also very involved in the community. Huxley explained, “We’ve been involved with a lot of local initiatives, things like Scare in the Square, Downtown Detour, and we’re doing the to drive for Brantford General Hospital and Nova Vita right now. We also do catering for a lot of events for not for profit groups like Lansdowne Children’s Centre, the Brantford Symphony Orchestra, and stuff like that. Dexter also discussed the future plans for The Bent King. “I’m really trying to bring the fun things that we had as a kid in Brantford back. We lost Jumbo Video, so we want to get a big popcorn machine, and I’ll put my old membership card on it and whenever someone comes in the door they can have a little bag of popcorn and that’ll be our little kick to bring it back.” They’re also planning on bringing in some old school arcade games. “Another key thing that we’re doing is working with the PC Museum and Canada’s Video Game Museum. We’re trying to bring back some of the old arcade machines that we grew up with. We’ve two lines on a police trainer, like the old ones cops used that was at The Brantford Mall in the Cineplex Odeon Arcade. We also have a line on an original Area 51 which made its way around Brantford a long time ago. Sid at the PC museum has an old table top Pac-Man. We’ll sort of be rotating them out. That’s kind of the next little step to bringing the fun here.,” Dexter said.
THE SPUTNIK
04
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
CAMPUS
Together we are stronger - SJMF club
HYRRA CHUGHTAI STAFF WRITER
Simpre juntos mas fuertes (SJMF), meaning together we are stronger, is a club on campus which raises money through fundraisers in order to be able to travel to the Dominican Republic to build homes for the less fortunate. SJMF is a charity which they help build homes for families in the Dominican Republic. The expedition lasts usually one to two weeks of May in the communities in the mountains. The groups are usually integrated within the community, allowing volunteers to bond and relate with the culture. Kayla Spielmacher and Magen Wydeven are two students who are volunteering their time to SJMF as their co-op project and are just a two of the members of the club. “I think in our first year we had about twelve volunteers and this year we only have about five or six. It depends on how many people are willing to go on the trip to be honest, to go down with us, but in moments we have to have six to go down. Our team on campus is a little bit bigger, there's ten of us, because you don't have to be in the club and go on the trip. You can just come to meeting and help fundraise and those who want to go, those are the people that go down” said Spielmacher. The group is primarily funded through fund raisers occurring during the school year. “What we do is starting the
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY SHMF
school year, as a club on campus at Laurier we do different fundraisers for the year and we try to raise as much money as we can in order to send our team down and the remainder we don't raise, our team members pay for their own” said Wydeven. The projects each year vary depending on the size of the team and how much funds they can get. “It all depends on how many
The good thing about a co-op project, which is unique about than other trips, we actually live around the locals.
Dominican three times in the past three years and each time we have had different experiences, which is really cool. While we are funding a house sometimes we are finishing up a project that has already been started and we have to finish that house or sometimes we start from scratch, it all just depends on the need when we are there” said Spielmacher. Although only one to two weeks long the group have an everlasting memory of the experience, Spielmacher and Wydeven enjoying it three times. “We fly down to Santo Domingo and we get on a bus and we get brought down to a co-op, … so we have a clubhouse there where we will stay on bunk beds and
an apartment style building and so usually we will stay there and meet people… or we go down to the city and go to the pool and the beach. So that usually happens on the weekends, during the week we'll take a truck up to wherever we are going in the mountains to build a house. We will bring all of the supplies up … then while there you get to meet [people]” said Wydeven. The experience is not alike to others, rather it has unique qualities to it that other foundations do not, such as being integrated into the local communities and living in the same environment. “The good thing about a co-op project, which is unique about than other trips, we actually live around the locals, like we will live in a community centre... but we actually get to experience the culture because when we are there we are emerged completely. We eat almost the same food that they do, we live with no running water, barely any electricity and we get to play with all the kids and you get to know the locals …” said Wyndeven. The group has many fundraisers throughout the year before May, to achieve their goals as close as they can, following two events happening in Nov, including a Boston Pizza fundraiser and a holiday fundraiser. “What we do is sell tickets to Laurier students and club members can sell them to their friends and family outside of Laurier and then the tickets have
a cost and Boston Pizza takes a portion of them and then we take the rest of that cost and that's how we fund raise money for that... every year that we have been involved with co-op we have done this and I think they have done it in previous years before Magen and I started volunteering” said Spielmacher.
During the week we’ll take a truck up to wherever we are going in the mountains to build a house. -Magen Wyndeven Volunteer
Following the Boston Pizza event, on the 27th is a holiday fundraiser. “We will be doing is selling holiday baked goods and hot chocolate... our group member came together and bought a bunch of old books that we have, so we are going to wrap them up and put little descriptions on them and we are going to sell them. So when [people] go to buy the books, they are already wrapped up so you’re not going to know what the book actually is…” said Wyndeven.
-Magen Wyndeven Volunteer
houses... it depends on how big your team is because a house costs 5 grand Canadian so it's really expensive to build a house, so often times our team will only build one house in a year” said Spielmacher. During the time the group is there, their experience may be different each time. Having a new project or an already existing one to finish. “The home is usually for one family, typically it is usually one family. Magen and I got to go to the
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY SJMF
Filmmakers Photo Contest MITCHELL ONYEDIKACHI STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY LAURIER INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKERS
Laurier International Filmakers are calling all photographers. The chance to win $100 cash is reason enough to enter yourself in the contest that runs until Nov. 30. Contests like this serve as a platform for people to share their pictures and their story. It’s a chance for people to inspire and get inspired and learn from those around them. There are many beautiful and astonishing things going on around us and photography is a tool that helps us capture moments and tell stories. This is one of the main goals of Laurier International Filmmakers Guild - to create and tell a story. People do this by taking photos and making videos. This contest mainly focused on
photographs, however. Photos can be taken on whatever device people are comfortable with. It could be phones, tablets or point-and-shoot cameras which takes away most of the technicality and makes it a whole lot easier. All skill levels are welcome. The first place prize is $100 cash, second bveing a $75 gift card and third being a $50 gift card. Themes are suggested for the contest - nature, candid, architectural and more, but are not necessarily having to be kept to. Photography is an art and the thing with art is that its beautiful and is meant to be shared and enjoyed. Photos are to be submitted to lifilmmakers@gmail.com with a name an a brief description attached. They are excited to see the talent Laurier has.
THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
NEWS
05
You’ve met the Laurier Brantford team that made this event possible. Now meet the featured speakers MEET: Janice Quigg TOPIC: Community Building Navigating Intricate Industries to Build Dreams JOB/POSITION: Lawyer, Author, Business Strategist, and Mediator Janice has been a lawyer for over 22 years, practicing in the field of construction law. She has been a member of the Ontario Bar Association and a Construction Law Executive since 2001 and frequently speaks to the legal community and industry groups about construction law and leadership issues. She has co-authored best selling books with Sir Richard Branson and Jack Canfield and has appeared in Success Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. MEET: Dharmendra Singh TOPIC: The Political - Individual Empowerment for the Pursuit of “Public” in Policy JOB/POSITION: Public Policy/ Political Analyst and Co-Founder myGoverNEXT Dharmendra is a Public Policy/ Political Analyst AND Co-Founder of myGoverNEXT, with over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, public policy and election campaign management. He is a global ambassador for “Thought for Food” and completed a social-entrepreneurship course at University of California, Berkeley. Dharmedra has done research on public healthcare in Ontario and has developed and populated a
central resource of research materials related to building a culture of entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia. Dharmendra is passionate about people, peace, policy, and politics, and loves to explore different ways to serve the community by leveraging technology. MEET: Nicole Norris TOPIC: Social Innovation - The Artist Raised By the Accountant JOB/POSITION: Community Impact Projects Liaison, Centre For Social Innovation at Georgian College Nicole is currently working on her Masters in Strategic Foresight & Innovation at OCADU, a creative director and an instructor at the Georgian College Centre for Social Innovation’s Community Impact Lab on the Human Services campus in Orillia. Previously, as Creative Director in her firm The AGENCY Inc, she spent her career on the creative side of marketing, leading design strategies for clients starting ventures in the technology and digital market spaces. She has spent an ample amount of time working with interesting people on the most interesting projects. MEET: Michael Etherington TOPIC: Modern Reconciliation - A Novel Approach to Community Healing JOB/Position: Cultural Program Manager - Native Canadian Centre of Toronto
Michael is currently the Cultural Program Manager at the Native Canadian Centre in Toronto. He has both national and international experience participating in various forums and has been an active participant in educating audiences on historical narratives of Indigenous peoples in Canada while being a participant within reconciliation. Michael is looking forward to providing insight on establishing a foundational awareness of relationship building with your community and will focus on promoting dialogue, exchanging views, and moving beyond rhetoric with regards to reconciliation in Canada. He wishes to distill conversation of reconciliation on a day-to-day basis, highlighting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. He will encourage the audience to utilize sensitivity to move towards a meaningful relationship based on respect and recognition between both parties. MEET: Dave Carrol TOPIC: Brantford’s Identity - How Little Drops of Kindness Can Change Everything JOB/POSITION: Pastor and “Captain Kindness” Dave is a passionate communicator, storyteller and transformational agent. He has worked in the broadcasting industry for over 20 years, winning the 2013 Silver Crystal Award for writing the 2nd best radio campaign across Canada. Now, Dave is one of the Pastors of Freedom House Church in Brant-
ford that, for 15 years, has be acting an instigator for city transformation both in Canada and abroad. As the Director of The Kindness Project and playing the role of “Captain Kindness” Dave was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to the nation. After a trip to Africa in 2000, Dave was struck by the culture of kindness that he experienced and realized that Canadians need to be in each other’s lives on purpose. Dave and a group of others founded Freedom House Church in downtown Brantford and started “The Kindness Project” as a way to use kindness as a transformational tool. He says “we’ve invented “The Kindness Campaign” where we canvas neighbourhoods asking neighbours to be kind to one another, we also run Frosty Fest (Brantford’s Winter Carnival), but the topper was the invention of “Captain Kindness” who has become one of Brantford’s most well-know figures”. Brantford’s Downtown is a much different place than it was 17 years ago, and kindness is a big reason. MEET: Rob Simmons TOPIC: Future Drops - The Power of Volunteerism JOB/POSITION: Owner/Founder at Cozzmic Communications and Volii Rob is a lifetime technology guy who started messing with computers 35 years ago. In the past 12 years, he has launched 4 technology companies.
The most recent company, named Volii, is focused on volunteering solutions based on his experience as a very active volunteer in Brantford, primarily with Braemar House School and the Lansdowne Children’s Centre. Rob has always enjoyed helping people and can’t seem to stop. MEET: Janet McLaughlin TOPIC: Community Healthcare - Responding to the Needs of Migrant Workers JOB/POSITION: Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University Janet is an Associate Professor of Health Studies and Research Associate with the International Migration Research Centre, who is based at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus. Janet’s research has focused on health and human rights issues facing migrant agricultural workers, primarily from Mexico and Jamaica, who labour in Ontario agriculture. She is co-founder and director of the Migrant Worker Health Project, www.migrantworkerhealth.ca, which promotes accessible health care for migrant workers. Meet: Tyler McGregor A sledge hockey player for Team Canada, was an additional featured speaker. All information contributed by TEDx WLUBrantford Facebook page. To find more details about this event, please refer to the event page.
TEDx WLU Brantford Comes to Town
BRYCE JAMES/PHOTO EDITOR
BRYCE JAMES/PHOTO EDITOR
BRYCE JAMES/PHOTO EDITOR
06
FEATURESTHESPUTNIK.CA
THE SPUTNIK
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
H ollywood has always been the place where dreamers go. The place to see your name up in lights.
Home of the world’s great American cinema. Hollywood has had many in awe since the classical Hollywood cinema age some ninety years ago. But the Hollywood lights may be dimming. Windows are opening into casting calls and throwing light over their eponymous couches. Many of the Hollywood film industry’s most powerful, wealthy residents are standing in a decidedly unflattering light. We can begin with Harvey Weinstein. The events that unfolded this month and the last were set into motion when the New York Times published a piece by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Among the story’s details, several allegations against Weinstein included actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan. Weinstein issued an apology, acknowledging that he’s “caused a lot of pain”. Five days later, the New Yorker published a piece by NBC News correspondent Ronan Farrow. More than 13 women’s allegations against Weinstein are brought to light in the piece. Three of these were rape allegations. Weinstein now denies these accusations. Weinstein was fired by the board of his company. His wife left him. Four days after Farrow’s article is published by the New Yorker, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the organization behind the Oscars – expels Weinstein, though still counts Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski among its esteemed members. A host of other accusations and cases have come forward in light of the Weinstein stories. A plethora of other powerful Hollywood men now have their fair share of explaining to do. The tipping point that opened the floodgates for survivors to come forward about their assault and harassment experiences in Hollywood has been called the “Weinstein effect”. “Everything happening in Hollywood is really reflective of what is happening in reality in the lives of everyday people,” said Taylor Berzins co-founder of Advocates for a Students Culture of Consent (ASCC), on the Laurier Brantford campus. A lawmaker in the state of California is calling for a ban on secret settlements in sexual assault cases, something that Farrow spoke about with Stephen Colbert on Nov. 3. A secret settlement is the ability to buy silence from victims with non-disclosure agreements. It is a part of the culture that allows for powerful and wealthy men to go forth untouched after sexually abusing others. Ronan Farrow in 2016 called the PR behind The New Yorker’s piece about Weinstein, published online on Oct. 10, and featured in the Oct. 23 issue of the magazine, was written by Ronan Farrow – Woody Allen’s son. Farrow also published a piece in Hollywood Reporter on May 11, 2016, describing the public’s response to the alleged sexual abuse of his sister Dylan by their father Woody Allen, and the media’s failure to adhere to their journalistic duty – to ask the questions and publish the stories. This is a very real issue, that happens everywhere, not only in Hollywood. “Women, children, people of colour, trans people, queer people, two-spirit people and Indigenous peoples are all affected by this, and we need to make sure they are given our support,” said Berzins. Farrow says most newspapers and news outlets would not touch a story about Woody Allen’s alleged abuse, never mind one written by Dylan Farrow. The New York Times eventually published her piece: just under a thousand words, online. They later gave Woody Allen twice the word count, in print. Dozens of well-known actors continue to work with him today. He has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, and has won one. Casey Affleck - last year’s Best Actor Oscar winner - settled two cases with private settlements in 2010. More than 60 women have accused Bill Cosby, and in 2016 a judge ruled that there was enough evidence to take him to trial. Roman Polanski pled guilty to sexual intercourse with a minor (13) in 1977, and, after spending time behind bars, fled the United States to avoid sentencing. He has avoided extradition to the States since then and in 2003 was awarded Best Director for The Pianist by the same Academy that expelled Weinstein. The following is part of the Motion Picture Academy’s statement following the expulsion of Weinstein: “We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of
07
willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over.” Following the Weinstein allegations and the following allegations against many other Hollywood producers and actors, the #MeToo campaign began on Twitter, with millions of people using the hashtag to come forward with their own stories of sexual abuse and assault, or even just the phrase. These tweets include Ellen DeGeneres, Viola Davis, and many more. House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey has also had allegations against him shared, particularly by Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp. Louis CK has confirmed allegations of his sexual misconduct with women and issued an apology. Both have had their current projects cancelled. Berzins explained that “cohersion and power dynamics” were not just present in Hollywood, but happen everywhere. Further stating that we are noticing it now in Hollywood because it’s being widely broadcasted. The area between Hollywood hearing survivors and lauding sexual abusers is not just thin, it’s fuzzy and confusing. The Academy expelled Weinstein, but, though his sentencing has been public knowledge for 40 years, awarded Roman Polanski a Best Director award at a ceremony he could not even attend. The secret (or not so secret) predators that hung around in Hollywood’s dark corners are nothing new. The Wizard of Oz’s beloved Judy Garland faced predatory producers in her time, particularly Louis B. Mayer. She discussed his abuse in her unfinished autobiography – she wrote that he repeatedly groped and molested her, beginning when she was just 16 years old. Shirley Temple wrote that she attended a meeting with a producer who exposed himself to her when she was 12 years old. Both of these, and many more allegations (including many by Marilyn Monroe), have been public information for years. Much of this behavior was not hidden, but rather an “open secret”. Yet the exposure these kinds of men are facing in Hollywood now has only just begun. Perhaps this shows a shift in the system, a turning of the tides in Hollywood. Dozens of women and men in Hollywood are now coming forward with their stories of sexual assault and harassment by powerful executives, producers, and actors. Ellen Page, in her statement regarding X-Men producer Brett Ratner, addresses the homophobia that exists alongside it in many cases as well. Cara Delevingne mentions this as well. Supposedly beloved actors are having their shady pasts examined, and behavior that has long been deemed acceptable and unavoidable in the industry since its inception is hopefully coming to an end. The world has long been an unwelcome place for survivors of sexual assault to discuss what happened to them. This culture doesn’t end in Hollywood – men and women of all walks of life struggle to see an environment in which their word is taken at face value. But this could be changing. In changing assumptions and behaviors about sexual abuse, an environment is created in which survivors are heard. But by defending abusers and allowing this behavior to happen underneath our noses, we foster a dangerous world in which women and men can be freely abused and harassed by those with power. We are living in a period that will be marked in history in which the culture of abuse, and of silencing survivors, could be coming to an end. Another Laurier Brantford club, Consent is Golden, has started an “Unsilenced” campaign to help survivors heal. The campaign allows survivors and supports to make art pieces that can be donated to an exhibit.They hope this helps individuals to come forward and know they have support. If we follow the “Weinstein effect” to its end, do we see a future where this behavior is publicly unacceptable, where the “open secrets” of this abuse come to an end? Do we stop defending abusers when survivors are trying to tell their stories? Do these secret settlements, in which powerful predators are allowed to buy the silence of the abused, become a disturbing relic of the past? At the end of all this, survivors may be looking forward into a more open space in which they are no longer silenced. The machine that hid these men, and hid them well, has a wrench in its gears, and its efforts to spin forward could be in vain. For resources on campus, call The Sexual Assault Centre of Brant at (519) 751-1164 or the 24/7 crisis phone support at (519) 751 3471. JAMAAL OWUSU-ANSAH/DESIGN MANAGER
THE SPUTNIK
08
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR ALEXANDRIA CLEMENT arts@thesputnik.ca
BRANTFORD
Brantford Comedian Graham Chittenden
Graham Chittenden, who just filmed his CraveTV comedy special in Toronto, speaks about his comedy MILES SMITH STAFF WRITER
Coming off of the filming of his recent CraveTV special, comedy isn’t all chuckles for Brantford-raised comedian Graham Chittenden. Graham was a runner up in Sirius XM Top Comic. I got the chance to sit down and pick Graham’s brain about Brantford, his first gig, and all things comedy. What can you tell me about your CraveTV special, because you just filmed it, right? Yeah. We just filmed it as part of JFL42. Well, we filmed it during JFL42 - Just For Laughs in cross promotion with Bell. And they shot it at the Berkeley Church, an event space on Queen St East in Toronto. I had about a month’s notice, then the heat was on to compile my best hour and decide what I wanted to do. So I prepped as much as I could, and I filled the room and recorded it and I feel good about it. I think I was a little bit nervous, but I’m more excited because there’s a freedom to it. Because it wasn’t an eight minute set, there was no real time restriction. So it was kind of like, go for it, do whatever you want. Which was kind of nice, because it’s the first time I’ve been able to lay out all of my stuff in the order of my choosing and the length of my choosing, record it all and get it all down in one space. So I was really excited about it. I wasn’t unsure of what material to do; more of the order, because the nature of TV is a little different than a live show. When you’re watching a Netflix or a new CraveTV show, that show has a few minutes before you flick it off, so there’s a little more pressure to maybe front-load a TV special with your punchier stuff off the top, as opposed to a live show where you can kind of ease into it. When did you first know you wanted to be a comedian? Well, it took some time, but I always knew. You know, in a movie with a guy who is out there looking for his soul mate, and she’s in the first scene of the movie, and you know that, but the guy doesn’t?
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Well, comedy was a little bit like that for me. I always liked comedy. I’ve been watching comedy since I was young, and my story lines up with other people’s stories about
It’s the only art form you have to learn in front of people... I think you just have to start doing it. -GRAHAM CHITTENDEN
sort of learning and memorizing stand-up and then retelling it at school for your friends. So sometime halfway through film school, when I realized I liked performing rather than recording,
I think that was around the time when I realized I wanted to give it a go.
sweaty. So I think all told, after the cost of the rental car, I probably made like $15 that day.
Do you remember what your first professional paid gig was like? My first real corporate, out on my own, in the world gig… I bombed pretty good. I did a corporate at a golf course. Which are common gigs, after a sales meeting or a group day where they golf all day. So the attendees, I would say in most cases, there are 90 to 100 percent men that just get hammered on the golf course all day. And then in the middle of the afternoon, they gather them in the clubhouse and hope, for some reason, that they will pay attention to some 20-year-old who is as unsure of his own jokes as they are. So the first one, I didn’t make much money and it was the middle of the summer. My car didn’t have air conditioning so I rented a car to make sure I didn’t show up all
Do you think that Branford has had any effect on what type of comedian you’ve become? I think it’s had an effect on the kind of person I’ve become, so naturally it has an effect on the type of comedian I’ve become. I think definitely so… working here and bartending here, and growing up here with my brothers, you know, just making fun of each other constantly. I grew up in a time where Brantford had a very downtrodden view of itself. Where it was, you know, sort of before the downtown was refurbished, before commerce was coming here. But we still enjoyed it. So I think sort of this idea that things are rough … things actually just sometimes outright suck, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. So I think my comedy comes from a bit of that.
Do you have any advice you want to give to any budding Brantford comedians? Yeah, I think the biggest thing is, it’s the only art form that you have to learn in front of people. So I think you just have to start doing it. Do the jokes you want to do at the risk of bombing. You’ll see guys who you probably would consider hacks, but they get a lot of laughs very easily. I would say, resist that. The more you struggle early on the better the result will be the end. I was never really a flash in the pan. There was no big story that broke my name to the world. There was no early hype. I would go anywhere, I would do any show, and it seems to have paid off along the longer way. For more details about Graham’s upcoming shows, or to see videos of his previous performances, please visit http://www.grahamchit.com
TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBERANCE
International Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 20th, 2017 marked the 18th annual day to memorialize those lost to transphobic violence ALEXANDRIA CLEMENT ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
TASHA ONEIL/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Transgender Day of Remembrance took place on Monday November 20th. Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to memorialize the lives of those lost to transphobic violence. The day was founded by trans woman Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999 to memorialize the murder of trans woman Rita Hester. In 2010, Trans Day of Remembrance was observed in over 185 cities internationally. Laurier Brantford observed the day with a memorial event at The Bent King on Market St. in Brantford. The evening saw a full house at the space, and even
had to bring in extra seats for the large audience. The event had several speakers, including elected trustee on the Grand Erie District School Board, Alex Felsky, who told attendees to “keep fighting” and spoke of the importance of understanding difference in our school systems. “We need to understand the difference between equality and equity.” Said Felsky. “What people need to feel safe and comfortable may not always be the same.” The event also featured a poemreading by young poet, artist and activist Taylor Violet Rose. A candlelight vigil began at 7:20pm. Volunteers were asked to read off individual names of the victims, and were able to light candles
around the room for each victim. Members of Laurier Brantford’s Queer Sphere pinned hearts onto a map for each location these lives were lost. Laurier’s Queer Sphere also partnered with the Brantford Advocacy Transgender Alliance to kick off the city’s first Transgender Awareness Week, with a flag raising ceremony at City Hall on Nov.13. A screening of the film “Transgender Life In Slovenia” was held on Nov. 15. The day reported that 325 trans and gender-diverse people were killed in the past 12 months. Goups across Canada continue to work hard to honor those lives that were lost due to the violence stemming from transphobia.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
THE SPUTNIK
ARTS & CULTURE
09
LAURIER
International Education Week in full swing Laurier’s international and exchange students are dedicated to spreading cultural awareness and having fun Both international students and exchange students helped throw the event, which made it even more fun, according to ISAB executives. Rajsigl explained that they sent two ISAB executives, who are from China, to an Asian supermarket to grab snacks for the event, to make it inclusive. Food ranged from hot to cold to desserts.
TAYLOR BURT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Laurier’s International Education Week took place Nov. 13-17 and many clubs on campus – one in particular – took part in celebrating. “As the Intercultural Student Association of Brantford (ISAB), we felt like we really needed to be involved and we wanted to make it fun,” said Julia Rajsigl, event planner for ISAB. “There’s a lot of
panels going on, info sessions, that kind of stuff, but we wanted it to be more casual, but still learning about different cultures. And because we are such a diverse group we have access to different types or games and different types of art and all these different languages, so, we thought it would be best to put them all together on one night in RCW where people can just walk in and out.” The three-hour event brought students and faculty to the
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY ISAB
Research and Academic Center lobby on Nov. 13. The event featured various stations that allowed individuals to wander around different aspects of several cultures. “We had a little language booth where people rotated through teaching different languages like Korean, Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, French,” said Rajsigl. Games from other cultures, such as Chinese chess, were also taught and learned.
“We had a whole bunch of different international foods,” she said. “Canadian, we had pancakes and maple syrup and apple crisp.” All the food was gone at the end of the event, said Rajsigl. One of the more popular stations was the photo booth. Flags of different countries made it a little homier for those from out of town. ISAB and Laurier International do many events throughout the year to bring the Laurier community closer together. The Multicultural Gala is thrown every year in the winter term. Even though purchasing tickets is required, the thought behind it remains the same – celebrate cultures and bring everyone closer together. The gala usually involves a fashion show where traditional dress is shown and everyone gets to be proud of where they came from. “I think ISAB is important because it brings domestic students and international students together in a fun way,”
I think ISAB is important because it brings domestic students and international students together in a fun way. -Julia Rajsigl Event planner
said Rajsigl. ““If you’re thinking of doing anything international at Laurier, just poke your head in the door. It’s voluntary, it’s pretty low maintenance, but still a lot of fun and you get to know a lot of people.” Wednesday’s event brought out approximately 75 people to the RCW lobby. 10 Volunteers helped run the events as people were sucked in by the excitement of learning about other cultures. ISAB hopes to make this an annual event, as they saw it reached a lot of the Laurier Brantford community. “This whole week is dedicated to multiculturalism and creating cultural awareness,” said Rajsigl. “We want everyone at this campus to feel included and to have fun. That’s what ISAB does, that’s what Laurier International does.”
THE SPUTNIK
10
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017 SPORTS EDITOR JESSA BRAUN sports@thesputnik.ca
EXTRAMURALS AND CLUBS
Laurier Brantford’s weekend full of sports JESSA BRAUN SPORTS EDITOR
Doug Cooper and Eric Collins coach the team.
Laurier Brantford experienced an eventful weekend full of sports. Three extramural teams played in tournaments on Friday and a club team competed in an exhibition game Saturday evening.
Women’s Hockey Led by the same coaching team as the men, the women’s extramural hockey team also played a tournament at Humber North on Friday. The ladies weren’t able to record a win, however, that isn’t to say the day was a blowout. In their game against UTM they had a 14-player shootout. The Golden Hawks were faced with another shootout later on against George Brown. In the third game the Golden Hawks lost 3-0 to Durham.
Men’s Hockey The men’s extramural hockey team played in a tournament on Friday at Humber North. The team came out victorious in one of the three games they played. Their win was 4-1 versus the Centennial Colts. The Golden Hawks weren’t so lucky in their other two games, losing 4-1 to University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and 2-1 to Seneca College in a shootout. This was the Golden Hawks’ first tournament together and only had one practice leading up to it.
Men’s Basketball It wasn’t just the hockey teams who played tournaments on Friday. The men’s extramural basketball team competed at UTM. The team played games against
University of Toronto Scarborough, Humber North and Seneca College. Laurier Brantford lost all three games, and although they had an unlucky day the men didn’t let it get to their heads. Coached by Ethan Mcinnes, the Golden Hawks were awarded the tournament’s Fair Play Award. Humber North took the tournament title and Humber Lakeshore finished as finalists. Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer club kicked off their year Saturday night at Syl Apps Arena in Paris, Ont. The ladies had their first exhibition game against the U18 Brantford Galaxy girls’ team. With a turnout of 20 players sporting the purple and gold, Laurier Brantford won the 90-minute game 5-3. There will be a rematch scheduled in the near future.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The men’s hockey team celebrates after scoring a goal at their tournament.
STUDENT LIFE
Weekly sports night for LB students LAURA BANNIER SPORTS WRITER
Laurier Brantford international students come together for a sports night every Friday. It’s a new program running this year and organized by Laurier International. Every week a Laurier International Peer Mentor (IPM) gives international students the chance to try a new sport. Basketball, pingpong or volleyball -- lots of sports are offered. On Nov. 10, Bo Sun taught a group of seven students how to play dodgeball. “International students don’t go home during the weekend, they probably don’t do anything and stay in their residences,” explained IPM Bo Sun. Once they learned how to play, the students were welcomed to play by themselves. “It was fun, and I met new
It was fun, and I met new people. Dodgeball is a sport I play back home so it’s cool that people here know how to play it too. -Aravinth Mohan
LAURA BANNIER/SPORTS WRITER
NATALIE LU, AN INTERNATIONAL PEER MENTOR, TEACHES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PING PONG IN WILKES GYMNASIUM
people,” said Aravinth Mohan, a first-year international student from California. “Dodgeball is a sport that I play back home so it’s cool that people here know how to play it too.”
During the winter semester, IPM wants to form an international sports team to play intramural sports. The sport nights will, however, still go on for the whole year.
Domestic students are welcome to join international students during sport night. “All the students are welcome to come and play,” said Sun. “It’s a good opportunity for interna-
tional students to meet domestic students.” Megan Kleinert is a third-year domestic student in Society Culture and Environment. “It’s fun, I like to play sports, but I don’t do it very often,” she said. Students can join international students at Wilkes Gym from 6 to 8 this Friday to play badminton. No registration is needed.
VARSITY
Cross country makes national debut TAYLOR BURT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Nov. 11 was a memorable day for the Laurier Brantford’s cross-country team. With it only being their second year as a varsity team, Laurier Brantford was able to make an appearance at the country’s most competitive college cross country race. Seven individuals from the team participated in the national championship race, held in Laval, Que. The event spanned over four
days, allowing teams the opportunity to settle in. The teams arrived on Nov. 9. They were able to get team photos taken and walk the course on Nov. 10. On Saturday morning the athletes readied themselves 45 minutes before the race. The women’s race started at 11:30 and the men followed an hour later at 12:30. The men’s team, consisting of Ahad Naim, Simon Crowley, Drew Horner, Craig Van Manen and Jerrett Putt, placed 17out of a total of
21 teams. Naim finished as Laurier Brantford’s top male runner in 45th place out of 130 in the 8 km run. The Laurier Brantford women did not qualify for nationals as a team, however, Jessa Braun and Sarah Maier were able to represent Laurier Brantford in Quebec as individuals after each placing in Ontario’s top 25 at provincial championships. They finished in 79thand 105th, respectfully, out of 128 women in the 6-km run. The male and female individual
winners of the national championship were Matthew Travaglini, of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Veronika Fagan, of Univeristy of British Columbia Okanagan, with times of 24:18 and 21:42. Ontario held its own, though, with its top runners finishing with time of 22:21 and 26:07. Janelle Hanna, of Fanshawe College in London, placed 6th in the women’s race and Tyler Jones, of St. Clair College in Windsor, finished 7th in the men’s. The team gold medals went to
College Lionel-Groulx’s women and Sherbrooke College’s men. A banquet closed the evening at the Sheraton Hotel. Teams packed themselves up and departed the next morning. Next year’s national championship is to be held right here in Ontario at Seneca College’s King campus. In the two years of being a team, Laurier Brantford has aready run the Seneca course three times. The location of the 2018 provincial championship is yet to be determined.
THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
11 OPINION EDITOR MEGHAN GAUVIN opinion@thesputnik.ca
Taylor Swift’s new album ‘Reputation’ The good, the bad and the horrible. What to expect when tuning in to the new T-Swift, and more JESSA BRAUN SPORTS EDITOR
Taylor, when I think “Tim McGraw” I don’t think of that song that was once your favourite. Happiness doesn’t make me think of that little black dress, your head on his chest or your old faded blue jeans. When I think of Tim McGraw I don’t think of you anymore. No longer are you the curlyhaired girl in the sparkly dress and the country boots. You’ve done a complete 180 and I hate it. Hate’s a strong word, but in this context, it is nothing more than a gross understatement.
That’s when I realized Rebutation isn’t all that bad - it’s a good album.
However, this isn’t my life. This is your life, and because of that, I support you and your new album, Reputation. You do you, girl. Don’t get me wrong; it took me a while to get into this mindset. If I had no knowledge a new Swift album was coming out, and if the front cover didn’t say, “Taylor Swift” written plain and clear then
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
I probably would have jammed out to the music with no hesitation. Unfortunately, this was not the case. With every name, especially a famous one like your own, comes a certain level of expectation. For me, your name became synonymous with the county girl music I loved so much, and anything different was a letdown. When the clock struck midnight on Nov. 10, I didn’t have a dance party. Instead, I used the time to sit there and judge how much you’ve “gone south” as an artist: the way you try to be “cool” and how “Look What You Made Me Do” is something my dog could have written. For now, I’ll give you a pass with
“Look What You Made Me Do.” You do this to the world every time. You release the first, crappy single of your new album and everyone’s like, “Is this a joke?” It happened with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” from your album Red and then again with “Shake It Off ” from your album 1989 . . . and now this whole “Look What You Made Me Do” mess. I’m not sure why I expected anything different. Nevertheless, every single time the rest of the albums always turn out to be the BOMB.COM. This leads me to say that the truth is you haven’t entirely gone south. A week and a half after listening
to the album for the first time, I sat down and listened to it again. This time I went in with an open mind, telling myself to pretend the singer was just some random artist and someone who wasn’t necessarily you. That’s when I realized Reputation isn’t all that bad – it’s a good album. Like all your previous albums, the lyrics are a work of art and the melodies are catchy. There are fast-paced songs that make me want to dance, there are tracks with a wee bit of rap and there are some slower, more meaningful tunes. Ed Sheeran even features in the second track, “End Game.” I identified my favourite songs
on the album to be “Getaway Car” and “King of My Heart.” I admire that you continue to leave the swearing out of your work. It gives me hope that you still wish to present yourself as a positive influence. You were a strong role model for me while I was growing up and I hope that young girls today can have the same experience. So, with all that being said, I’d like to apologize. I’m sorry for not accepting who you’ve grown to become. I’m regretful that I denied your talent because I was bitter about your short, straight hair replacing the curly, country locks. The world always tells people to be themselves but I can imagine how difficult that probably is when there are folks like me who expect you to be someone else. I feel like famous people experience this pressure all the time, but I don’t think a celebrity should waste his or her life trying to be who the public wants them to be. A celebrity is a living, breathing human who carries a head and heart full of emotions, ambitions and an identity, just like any ordinary person. I need to let evolving celebrities like you take time to find themselves. I can fall in love with who they are but also should be accepting of who they become. At this point, I accept that your work now lies in the world of pop. The country days were the time of my life. Although the party’s over now, I’ll still stick around and “I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day.”
Flush don’t rush MEGHAN GAUVIN OPINION EDITOR
We all have that one school day that is jam-packed with classes. On days like these, as I’m sure many of you are fimiliar, my schedule leaves me with little to no time to do human things like eating and using the washroom. The other day, I was in one such predicament. It was a rainy Wednesday afternoon in between my second and third class of the day. I took this small break as an opportunity to stretch my legs, eat some lunch and then find a washroom. I was able to check two of these items off my list of ‘to-dos’ when I wandered into the Carnegie building to use the restroom. I opened up the first stall and, to my horror, found a quite unpleasant site. I’m sure everyone has found themselves in a situation like this. As annoying as it is that someone was unable to find the time to flush the toilet after using the washroom, I rolled my eyes and moved on. This is when things get really unbearable. I then went on to find all three stalls were in the same unfortunate position. Now, either Laurier needs to do something about their plumbing in the Carnegie building or people
need to slow down and flush the toilet. However, I am led to believe that it is the latter. After consulting a number of people I found that this is not the first offense. Apparently, students have been experiencing this horrid situation more commonly than I ever realized. So now I’m confused. This is a simple action that shouldn’t take more than half a second. Trust me, we can all do it! In fact, it should probably already be programmed into most of our brains to do this without thinking. So what is going on here? If this is too time-consuming then I am extremely worried about the number of people who leave without washing their hands. I am vaguely reminded of my high school summer job as a camp counselor. Every day I would lecture young children on the importance of washing your hands and flushing the toilet after using the washroom. Even then I was surprised that this wasn’t common knowledge even among kids. Never did I expect that this bad habit might continue on this late in life. So please, everyone, try to remember, flush before you rush.
THE SPUTNIK
12
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2017
Are the winter blues getting you down? Seasonal depression is a big issue for many this time of year. Learn how to counteract these blues CHRISTOPHER KUNKEL STAFF WRITER
Winter is known for many things: icy roads, a copious amount of shoveling, canceled classes and being a nearly impossible season for fashion. However, the most sinister result of this time of year is the winter blues.
The winter blues is a mental state brought on by the inconvenient changes of the season
Mental health has become a paramount topic today – both in the general public and academia – and it can be affected by numerous factors. Nothing can replace trained, professional guidance and therapy, but it is also important to prepare
ourselves and take precautions before the snow falls. However, we are not told this by our teachers, community leaders and – often – parents, and winter blues are a sort of accident that befalls unsuspecting individuals. Sometimes, they are brought on by a tendency to stay indoors during cold spells; remaining in an enclosed space is inhuman and has horrendous effects on our minds. Other times, we begin to miss activities we are passionate about but are difficult to engage in when snow and ice dominate our surroundings. People also die during the winter, and it is ingrained in us to fear it. Previous generations would go to huge lengths to prepare for winter, but we tend to just stumble into it. You can get a leg up on winter by reflecting on how your life was impacted in previous years. I reccomend doing this sooner rather than later. Do you know that your first reaction to adversity is to withdraw? Ask those around you to encourage you to go out, or write notes to remind yourself. Will you be missing out on one of your passions because of the
ADRIENNE HOE/GRAPHICS EDITOR
change in weather? Look into similar indoor activities to keep your mind and body occupied until it can be unleashed again. Do you hate the cold? Prepare your wardrobe in advance and budget more time before lectures to ensure you are protected from the elements. If you cannot afford better winter gear, it is far better to show up for class with a blanket than to stop showing up entirely. The winter blues is a mental state
brought on by the inconvenient changes of the season. They can cause long-lasting and debilitating health conditions. The best defense when blue turns to black – that of the big black dog that clinical depression is often linked to – is seeking medical help. There is no shame in this, and Laurier’s Wellness Centre has exceptional team that is prepared to help you fight this battle. You are not alone. But if you do have a leg up on
this upcoming season and know you will be fine, consider lending a hand to one of your peers. As a community, it is our responsibility to think of others. This notion of selflessness is critical when life grows dormant, energy is literally sucked from you and our environment becomes dangerous. This season, please prepare yourself or be open to helping others. In either case, you could be saving a life.
TV consumption is good for society Our support and dedication to favourite entertainment platforms could mean media is the next religion CHRISTOPHER KUNKEL STAFF WRITER
Some might argue that TV is bad for you. However, today, I would like you to celebrate your passion for television without falter. TV, movies, video games and many other kinds of media entertainment are the future’s religion. This may seem extreme and perhaps offensive to some. However, it is a thought that needs to be entertained during a time where faith in organized religions is at an all-time low. Take Christianity as an example;
the spread of it throughout the Roman Empire allowed subjugated slaves and peoples a sense of greater worth and – more importantly – involvement. The spread of Jesus’ word and its associated teachings provided a sense of community to those who felt lost.And the media does the exact same thing today. When friends meet up or strangers attempt to find common ground, one of the first topics is what medium of media they enjoy and the various subsections within it that they prefer, and conversation and connection ensues. Often times, this sort of connec-
tion can result in the start of a new friendship. Individuals start to become a community in person and online, and they feel accepted as they share in the experience of their favourite TV hero overcoming adversity or their movie sweetheart charming his or her way out of situations.They will even engage in pilgrimage to events such as FanExpo and ComicCon – sometimes even travelling significant distances to attend these temporary points of mass congregation. As with historical religions, wars are also fought over the future’s pseudo-religions – albeit with
words and ridicule as the weapon of choice. The internet is a hive of anger and disagreeance that showcases the profound belief and devotion individuals have for what they follow. However, religion is not all about intolerance, and today’s media also has the cathartic and charitable impact on the world that many religions celebrate. The Bible, Quran, Torah, Tao Te Ching, and other religious texts do not literally help raise money for causes though, and the same goes for churches. Instead, it is the congregation – fuelled by their passion
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
I dare you to look into your favourite shows, movies, games, songs, broadcast sports or any other medium of entertainment and decide whether you could enrich your life through further dedication.
for their worshipped ideology – that takes up initiatives, interprets stories for meaning and preaches it to the world. In the case of Supernatural, a long-standing TV series featuring two brothers fighting threats to Earth, the actors and fans of the series have raised thousands of dollars toward charities across the globe and have promoted mentalhealth awareness. I dare you to look into your favourite shows, movies, games, songs, broadcasted sports or any other medium of entertainment and decide whether you could enrich your life through further dedication to it. In today’s day and age, where finding belonging and stimulation in society can seem daunting or impossible, it is nice to have an outlet that has others with similar interests and beliefs – even if your involvement is not devout in nature. But should you decide to revere the characters and actors portraying them as deities, that is your choice and you have every right to do so. In fact, I admire you for it. So continue your love of TV, movies and so on. It is better for you than people think.