Volume 18, Issue 4 - October 17, 2018

Volume 18 Issue 4 – October 17, 2018

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

Features, pg. 7

POKE RESTAURANT OPENS

A tiny takeout spot to enjoy Hawaiian cusine

RACING TO THE FINISH LINES

One Laurier student shares her peculiar hobby

Arts pg. 8

Sports, pg. 10

LIVING WITH LI- SOLID START IN ONS EXCLUSIVE LEAFS SEASON

Vocalist shares on personal The NHL team sits at the experiences with the band top of the atlantic division

Opinion, pg. 12

FOCUSING IN LONG CLASSES

How to make it to the end of a three hour lecture

Legalization: A long time coming Not that we’ve been counting the days...

News pg. 3

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

02

THE SPUTNIK

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SPUTNIK_NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

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/THESPUTNIKNEWS

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

GRAPHICS EDITOR Adrienne Hoe graphics@thesputnik.ca

DESIGN MANAGER Sidhant Kapahi design@thesputnik.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Madelin Moses photography@thesputnik.ca

NEWS EDITOR Shreya Shah news@thesputnik.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Mitchell Emmanuel-Kalu leadphotographer@thesputnik.ca

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Avery McIsaac assistantnews@thesputnik.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Alex Vialette web@thesputnik.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Jennany Thillairajan 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 copyeditor@thesputnik.ca

How do you manage to relieve stress during midterms?

SPORTS EDITOR Jessa Braun sports@thesputnik.ca

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com

BRANTFORD MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Maiya Mistry manager@wlusp.com

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Terrence Mroz president@wlusp.com

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Terrence Mroz

DIRECTOR/CORPORATE SECRETARY Maiya Mistry

VICECHAIR Shyenne Mcdonald

DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne

DIRECTOR Maiya Mistry

TREASURER Garrison Oosterhof

“Go to the gym or any kind of physical activity” - Adam Rizzarto, 4 , Criminology

“Drink tea and watch netflix” Andja Milos, 4 , Crimonolgy

“Go out with friends and try to relax” - Tisha Winter, 4 , Crimonology

“Pet my dog, listen to white noise and go to the gym” - Daniel Montoya, 1 , Crimonolgy

DIRECTOR Hayley H.G. Watson

CONTRIBUTORS Jamie Mittendorf Firstname lastname Firstname lastname

Rylee Wolfkamp Firstname lastname Firstname lastname

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WENDSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

03 NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING news@thesputnik.ca

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING assistantnews@thesputnik.ca

ONTARIO

Cannabis now legal across the nation How cannabis consumption will work on a federal, provincial and municipal level now that it is legal

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

Laurier has created and Interim Cannabis Policy that details how students and staff can safely partake in cannabis oncampus grounds.

ALEX VIALETTE WEB DIRECTOR

1093 days after being elected and 473 days after hoping to have legislation is place, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has legalized recreational cannabis in Canada.

Trudeau declared that cannabis legalization would be a top priority if his liberal party was elected in 2015. The Liberal Government had originally hope to have legislation passed and in place for recreational use to be legal by July 1, 2017– just in time for Canada 150–but fell short of that goal.

As of Oct. 17, cannabis is now legal to buy, sell and use in Canada’s nine provinces and three territories. However, some provinces are leading the way in terms of accessibility to the now provincially controlled drug.

Newfoundland and Labrador is leading the charge in terms of availability, with 24 stores opening across the province. Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government had planned to open 29 stores in Ontario, but this plan fell through after Doug Ford was elected as Premiere.

Ford promised to push legislation that would allow cannabis dispensaries to be privately owned and operated, scrapping Wynne’s plan to use existing infrastructure through the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Brantford, Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph and Hamilton were all selected to have an Ontario Cannabis Store open in time for legalization.

Instead, Ontario will not have any stores available to legally sell cannabis and will use an online store instead.

This leaves Ontario tied for last in cannabis store count with Nunavut, who will also be selling the substance online and opened their first beer and wine store last year.

Ford plans to legalize privately operated stores in April 2019.

All university employees, students, contractors and volunteers are expected to be responsible with their consumption of cannabis...

-Wilfrid Laurier University’s Interim Cannabis Policy

Ontario Cannabis will sell cannabis oil, as well as dried and fresh bud–the flowers of a female plant which contain psychoactive and medicinal properties.

Edibles will not be legal to sell, but consumers may cook their own and share with anyone who is of legal age. Consumers will also be able to grow their own cannabis, with a limit of four plants per household.

The Liberal Government has set base laws for the substance, but allowed provinces and municipalities to create their own laws and bylaws. Federal laws are basic, some of which are: - Possessing a maximum of 30 dried grams in public - Selling cannabis through self serve kiosks or vending machines - Providing cannabis to anyone aged 18 or younger The Ontario government chose

to make the legal age to consume cannabis 19 as a way to ensure it is consumed responsibly, raising any penalties associated with youth charges to 18.

The Cannabis Act created two new criminal offenses for giving or selling cannabis to anyone under the provincial minimum legal age and using youth to commit cannabis related crimes. The maximum penalty for a conviction of either crime is 14 years in prison.

The province has also set regulations for where cannabis can be smoked or vaped. Consumers will be allowed to consume the substance in: - Private residences - Public on sidewalks and parks, for example - Designated rooms in hotels - Residential vehicles like houseboats and motorhomes (that meet provincial criteria) While some motorhomes are legal to consume the substance in, it will be illegal to consume it and operate motor vehicles.

Brantford and neighbouring communities have created bylaws which will add further restrictions to cannabis. Brantford’s city council voted to forbid the sale of cannabis at storefront locations.

While this will not affect the city now, it will restrict any future private dispensaries if Ford’s legislation is passed next year. Changing this bylaw would require an amendment from city council.

Brantford launched an awareness campaign to educate the public on how to safely consume cannabis, writing “if you choose to use, lower your risk”. Their website recommends: - To buy from legally from Ontario Cannabis

- Those under 25 limit usage as their brain is still developing - Choose edibles or vaping over smoking to avoid lung damage - Avoid driving for six hours after consumption - Avoid consumption if users are already at risk for mental health issues, are pregnant or responsible for others.

“Just because it’s legal,” reads the Brantford Cannabis Legalization web page, “doesn’t make it good for you.”

Wilfrid Laurier University approved an Interim Cannabis Policy that sets rules to follow in terms of cannabis consumption and possession on campus. The policy reads that “use and preparation of Cannabis (indoors and out-of-

doors) on University Facilities or in University Vehicles is prohibited”, except where it is explicitly allowed. The policy also reads that: “All university employees, students, contractors and volunteers are expected to be responsible with their consumption of cannabis and ensure they are able to engage in their activities related to the university in a manner which does not threaten the safety or health of themselves or others.”

The interim policy will be used while Wilfrid Laurier collaborates with local municipalities, the government, university community and other universities to create an official cannabis policy.

GRADUATING IN 2019?

Don’t miss the deadline to be included in the 2019 yearbook & class composite.

Appointments open in mid-October for sittings in November at wlusp.com

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04

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

DOWNTOWN BRANTFORD

Poke restaurant opens in Brantford

Reel+Raw Poke adds to the already various selections of ethnic cuisine that can be found downtown ALEX VIALETTE WED DIRECTOR

Reel+Raw Poke held their grand opening on Monday, adding another restaurant to the downtown food scene.

“We’re getting really positive feedback on social media,” coowner Lee DaCosta said. “Word of mouth is really powerful and it seems to be doing the trick so far.”

Reel+Raw is a take-out window that specializes in poke, a Hawaiian dish that is similar in spirit to sushi. The dish was created by Hawaiian fishermen who seasoned spare bits of their catch to eat as a snack.

We’re probably going to get into some warmer things come the colder months, we’re going to start playing with some broths and some soups.

-Lee DaCosta, Co-founder of Reel+Raw Poke

Poke today uses better cuts of fish, which are served raw and marinated over rice and other vegetables. Generally ahi tuna is the go-to fish, but salmon and shrimp are common as well.

“The best way to describe [poke]

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

(Left) Harrison Miles and (right) Lee DCosta stand outside their new takeout spot Reel+Raw Poke.

and bring it down for people who aren’t familiar with it in layman’s terms, is describing it as a sushi bowl,” DaCosta said.

Reel+Raw opened up shop in a small corner of the same building that holds the bars Brandos and Two Doors Down. The restaurant’s window is a little inconspicuous

at first glance, but a bunch of poke themed graffiti and a small sign hanging along Chatham Street serve as Reel+Raw’s beacon for hungry stomachs downtown.

DaCosta and co-owner chef Harrison Miles soft-opened Reel+Raw on Oct. 10, relying on social media to promote their

newborn restaurant and draw customers in.

“Wednesday at 11 a.m. is when we slammed our first bowl,” said DaCosta.

“We’ve had a really pleasant response, we’ve sold 100 bowls in two days, 10 pounds of tuna, so it’s been really good.

“I think the delivery is really going to come into play for us, with SkipTheDishes and Uber Eats, so we’re really hoping that’ll pick up.

We’re also going to be aiming at students and offices, maybe getting some standing orders and we’ll just do the deliveries ourselves.

“We’re just ironing out the kinks man, that’s what a soft open is all about.”

Though the dropping temperature might drive foodies indoors for hot food and central heating, DaCosta and Miles aren’t sweating. They hope a change in menu, online ordering and delivery will keep customers coming.

“Being a take-out window, I think we’re going to run into some curveballs and work some stuff out,” said DaCosta. “We’re probably going to get into some warmer things come the colder months, we’re going to start playing with some broths and some soups.”

In the meantime, Reel+Raw is celebrating their grand opening with a special promotion. The restaurant is offering a free upgrade to a large bowl if customers promote them on social media.

“Like I said, word of mouth and social media is pretty much going to be all we’re doing for promotion,” DaCosta said. “It’ll make or break us.”

“Anyone that gives us [a] like, share or any kind of mention, we’ll upgrade their bowl for them.”

PHOTO FEATURE

Scare in the square returns downtown

DELLESIA NOAH/EDITOR IN CHIEF

Young children in the square showed up in costumes to participate in the local costume contest for categories such as ‘Best homemade’.

DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Downtown Brantford got a whole lot spookier with the arrival of its annual Halloween celebration.

On October 5 and 6, Harmony Square acted as the central loca-

tion for the city’s annual Halloween celebrations: Scare in the Square. The weekend held an abundance of attractions for local residents to enjoy.

The city has held this event every year for the past ten years – with this making it the eleventh – and

could not be run without the support of its sponsors and volunteers.

Tammy Bryce, a volunteer with the city of Brantford, said she spent the entirety of her day handing out Halloween bags to the children that came through Harmony Square with their parents.

“We actually provided the free fair attractions as well as sponsoring the entire event,” said Sophia Dasilva, a representative of Brant Taxi.

Over the two days, residents could partake in various activities located throughout the downtown

core, like costume contests, escape rooms and a haunted house – located in Laurier Brantford’s student union building.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

NEWS

05

LAURIER

Thanksgiving shared at LB international

International students from across the world took part in how Canadians like to spend thanksgiving KIKI AFOLABI STAFF WRITER

Canadian Thanksgiving became an international event this season due to the efforts of Laurier International.

Laurier International hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner – for the first time in collaboration with Conestoga College – at The Sherwood restaurant in Brantford on Thursday, October 4.

The dinner was held to give international students that attend both Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus and Conestoga College the chance to experience the holiday.

“It is part of our socio-cultural programming and we want to introduce international students to some of the celebrations in Canada,” said Jenna McClymonty, International Programs Assistant at Laurier Brantford. “We also celebrate other countries’ holidays as well.”

“Hosting such events helps with sharing Canadian culture with newcomers and for International students to learn about Canada, as well as to connect with their friends and people that are now their community,” said Teeba Alsafar, International Student Advisor at Laurier International.

Students at both institutions

were excited about the event. For some students, Thanksgiving looks a little different, while for others Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated at all.

Either way, it was an experience that allowed the sharing of Canadian traditions with a global audience. “It’s good to experience this Canadian culture because in France, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving,” said Pablo, an exchange student from France studying journalism.

“Thanksgiving means to me, celebrating my first year in Canada,” said Shashant, a first-year project management student at Conestoga College.

It is part of our sociocultural programming and we want to introduce international students to some of the celebrations in Canada.

KIKI AFOLABI/STAFF WRITER

International Students got a variety of traditonal Thankgiving food like turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy

“When I celebrate Thanksgiving back home, it is a lot smaller.”

“Everyone is here to celebrate and it’s so fantastic!” said Alsafar.

The dinner consisted of foods eaten at a traditional Canadian Thanksgiving table: turkey; stuffing; gravy; mashed potatoes; vegetables and cranberry sauce were among the selections.

There was an abundance of food, and The Sherwood restaurant was able to provide options for people with dietary restrictions.

-Jenna McClymonty, International Programs Assistant

“We get to try something new,” said Julia, who is in her second year of user experience design.

When asked what their favourite part of the dinner was, Siddhart, a first-year project management student at Conestoga said, “the cheesecake was the best”.

“The chocolate one as well,” added Rasika, a community and social service management student at Conestoga College. “Turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy,” added Alsafar.

“That’s why I'm here,” she joked. “Can’t go without dessert on Thanksgiving. Who can’t go

without apple crumble?” said Ella, an international peer mentor, who gave a speech during the event on explaining the background of Thanksgiving. “I got the chance to talk about my culture,” she said.

Laurier International has hosted this event four years in a row at The Sherwood.

The event was open to everyone and tickets were sold at the Laurier Brantford International office for ten dollars.

BRANT COUNTY

Butter tart festival brings out many

Thousands of tart lovers came by the festival to indulge their tastebuds in this classic Canadian treat

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

Joan of Joannie’s Pastries took home third place after only having opened her shop a couple of months prior to the festival.

ALEX VIALETTE WEB DIRECTOR

The second Great Canadian Butter Tart Festival brought hordes of pastry lovers to the Paris Fairgrounds on Oct. 13.

“It’s awesome,” said owner of Joannie’s Pastries Joan Hepburn with an enormous smile, “this is my very first one.”

Hepburn opened her gluten-free bakery three months ago outside of London, Ont. and took home third place for her tarts.

“I just loved it when I had a lady come by and she said she had tried so many samples here but mine was hands down the best pastry she had tried,” Hepburn said.

“That’s a real compliment.”

“I’ve already applied for the festival in Midland,” she said, “my goal is to go to every butter tart festival that’s around.”

The touring festival brought upwards of 5,000 people to Paris, Ont. from all across southern Ontario and beyond.

Event goers from as far as New York state checked-in to the event on Facebook with photos of them and the “Great Canadian Butter Tart Tour” sign at the entrance of the fairgrounds.

The festival contacted 900 bakers to make sure that there would be enough tarts to feed the droves of people hoping to get their fix of this national cuisine. By the end

of the day, over 155,000 tarts were sold.

Some bakeries came prepared, while others had lines so long that they sold out quickly after the festival began.

Award-winning Doo Doo’s Bakery from Bailieboro was one of the first bakeries to sell out, having brought 175 dozen butter tarts.

“We weren’t sure this morning when we pulled in, it was so cold and there was so many vendors,” said Doo Doo’s owner Diane Rogers.

“We’re just kind of blown away, we never stopped from the time they opened the doors and we’re sold out in two hours.

“It’s always good not to bring

anything back home.”

We’re just kind of blown away, we never stopped from the time we opened the doors and we’re sold out in two hours.

-Diane Rogers, Owner of Doo Doo’s Bakery

Rogers, who has already won

awards for best butter tart in show and best plain butter tart, hoped to bring home another award from Paris, but lost to Lourenço’s Bakery.

“It would be nice,” she laughed.

“We’ve never been here before so they don’t really know us or our tarts.”

Though butter tarts are the focus of the festival, they were not the only family fun available. Food trucks, live music, vendors selling all sorts of goods and refreshments – including a butter tart beer from Sawdust City Brewing Co. in Gravenhurst, Ont. – were all available.

06

THE SPUTNIK

FEATURES EDITOR/NOW HIRING

WHAT’S YOUR THING?

Hurricane Hannah always first place

How the Laurier student took her interest in go karting and turned it into a passion for sprint racing KOYAL VYAS STAFF WRITER

Sprint cars: or in other words, go-karts on steroids; these highpowered race cars are designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks and can be heard even before stepping onto the racetrack.

Sprint cars have 900 horsepower, which is stronger than any other supercar. The sprint car can reach up 9000 revs per minute, which is more than any regular car.

The sight of these sprint cars can be even more engaging than the sound. These sprint cars are built with the sole purpose of being enjoyable to both watch and listen to as they speed down a dirt track, with their sleek design, wings and variety of colours.

As these cars zoom around the track, they can reach up to 320 kilometers per hour.

Hannah Ferrell, a first-year criminology student, doesn’t just enjoy watching sprint car races; she spends a majority of her free time between May and September repairing and racing her very own sprint car.

“I started racing sprint cars in 2015 after racing go-karts since 2008… it is something that my dad and cousins also grew up doing which is why I wanted to try it,” said Ferrell. “It’s a very family-oriented environment, even besides your family being there. A lot of people you meet end up becoming close like family,” said Ferrell.

Even though Ferrell describes the environment as family-oriented, most people would probably think before getting into a car that powerful. However, in Ferrell’s case, she craves it more and more every time she goes for a race.

“Racing itself is awesome, I love going fast and just the feeling of doing a perfect lap feels great…. when I’m doing really good in the race and contending for a podium spot I tend to get quite nervous though, definitely get the shakes,” said Ferrell.

As a girl it feels pretty cool to be in this sport because it opens a lot of eyes. Usually my class has over 30 entries per night and only two of us are girls.

-Hannah Ferrel, Sprint Car Racer

One of the biggest things that sets Ferrell apart from other competitors is her gender, and she realizes every day that she is challenging the norms of sprint car racing.

“As a girl it feels pretty cool to be in this sport because it opens a lot of eyes. Usually my class has over 30 entries per night and only two of us are girls,” said Ferrell. But despite

HANNAH FERRELL/CONTRIBUTOR

Hannah Ferrel has been go karting since 2008 and moved to sprint racing in 2014, since she has taken first place in the open class races three years running.

these statistics, she continues to race and prove that there is no reason to stereotype genders when it comes to sprint car racing.

There are two different types of sprint cars that can be raced.

Ferrell drives a winged sprint car, which is a more advanced and safer version than the original sprint car.

According to uksprintcars. co.uk the added wings increase the downward force on the car and they work hand-in-hand with the opposite direction of the sideboards in helping to turn the car around corners. The increased traction makes the car faster and

easier to control.

Ferrell drives for her team Bar Motor Sports about twice a week.

This sprint car weighs about 1400 pounds, which calls for a very high power-to-weight ratio. Cost amount to approximately $20,000 for the chasse and motor for her personal car.

On top of the original price, Ferrell has to factor in entry costs to all of her races, race fuel and gas that transports her from race to race. This adds up to around $250 every night she has a race. “When I first started racing, my parents helped out a lot because I was young… Now I have the help of a

lot of sponsors such as car dealerships, auto repair shops and many others in the automotive industry,” said Ferrell.

Another factor that Ferrell has learnt to manage is her time. For five months of the year she races twice a week -- races can go late into the night -- as well as spending plenty of hours on her sprint car making adjustments and making sure the car is reaching the racing and safety standards before it is taken out on the track.

“In years before I have spent so much time on my car but for the 2018 - 2019 year I got lucky because a lot of repairs did not

need to be made,” said Ferrell.

“The one good thing about racing any car but sprint cars in particular is that you do not need to and are not allowed to practice with your car…. You can only practice at the beginning of the night on the track for a lap or two,” she said.

Laurier Brantford currently does not have any kind of sprint car racing team or club and according to Ferrell: “It would be really tricky to have a team or club just because of the overall costs and the interest…. it is more of a family or community event but I am glad to share my hobby with Laurier.”

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

07

THE SPUTNIK

08

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR HYRRA CHUGHTAI arts@thesputnik.ca

EXCLUSIVE

Exclusive living with lions interview Chase Brenneman, member of the band shares stories on what it’s like to perform and create an album

JAMIE MITTENDORF/BLACKOUT FEST COORDINATOR

Living with Lions performing live at annual Blackout Festival.

RYLEE WOLFKAMP CONTRIBUTOR

The 12th annual Blackout Fest in Brantford ran October 12th and 13th and welcomed many alternative, punk, and rock bands, including Dead Tired; Lawless Sons; Seaway; Such Gold; The Good Depression; This is a Crisis Zero Fire; We Were Sharks and more. Another band attending the festival is Living with Lions, a Canadian punk rock band formed in Vancouver. This week, I had

a chance to email with Chase Brenneman, the vocalist for Living with Lions, about the festival and their new album “Island”.

Have you played in Brantford before Blackout Fest? What lead your band to be playing at Blackout Fest?

“We haven’t, but we’re stoked to. James [Mittendorf ] reached out to us earlier this year and we knew our record would be coming out around this time, so it made sense to do it."

Are there any bands coming to

Blackout Fest that you’re excited to meet and share the stage with?

“Yeah! Such Gold are some our best buds, so we’re always stoked to play with them. Youth Fountain are from the same city as us, so stoked for that as well.”

Do you have a favourite band to play with?

“Such Gold, but it’s been a while for us. [We] also have a lot of fun with Seaway… those guys are so sick.”

You’ve just released your album “Island”; how have you

found the reaction to that? How has the creation process and the release of this album been different from “Holy S**t”? Is there a message lyrically that you want listeners to take away from the album?

“We spent so much time on this record, more than ever before. I’m not really sure how it’s been received. I don’t really pay too much attention to that, but people seem to enjoy it. Most of the lyrical content has to do with personal relationships I’ve had with people and experiences I’ve gone through over the last couple years.”

We spent so much time on this record, more than ever before. I’m not really sure how it’s been recieved. I don’t really pay too much attention to that.

-Chase Brenneman, Vocalist for Living with Lions

Q: The music video for “Tidal Wave” is hand-made by your band; what was the creative process for that like?

“It was challenging. We had to hand draw on over 2000 pages… it took forever. Luckily, we had some

super talented friends that helped us; Stu Ross, Allan Harding, Tyler Shwindt all contributed and our friend Justin Bungag edited the final product.”

Have you found that streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have changed the way people discover your music? Do you find these services are helpful or hurtful for up-and-coming bands?

“Yeah, absolutely! I used to discover music by going to shows… now it’s so much easier. I think the only downside would be [that] going to shows to discover new music was so much more fun than looking at Spotify.”

Who are your major influences? Have they changed from “Make Your Mark” to “Island”?

“Our main influences have remained pretty true to what they were when we started. Obviously, I’ve gotten into different music over the years and I’m sure that’s influenced bits, but when I write Living With Lions stuff I’m usually looking at Saves the Day or Hot Water Music —stuff in that realm.”

What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

“Just do it. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate. Just go for it full on and play as many shows as you can… and more important than anything, have fun and don’t take it for granted.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

THE SPUTNIK

ARTS & CULTURE

09

MUSIC

Tokyo Police Club celebrates ten years

The Canadian band decided to give their fourth studio album ‘TPC’ another try after almost not releasing HYRRA CHUGHTAI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Four years since their last studio album, Tokyo Police Club have released their fourth album. The album, called “TPC”, was produced with Dine Alone Records and was released on October 5.

The album was almost not to be, but the Canadian band rejoiced together after their 10th anniversary tour and gave it another chance.

The album incorporates melodic tunes with some fast-paced alternative tracks, and creates a unique vibe compared to their previous album, “Forcefield”.

The little tweaks and change of sound could be due to the nearing end of Tokyo Police Club. After more than ten years of playing music and going on tour, Graham Wright, the keyboardist, felt like it may have been time to hang up the gear.

“We have been doing it for more than ten years and we had certain expectations on how it was supposed to work and how we wanted it to work, that comes from the people we worked with, and the experiences we've had and the time we have worked in the industry.

By a lot of the standards it just felt like it wasn't succeeding too wildly and that in terms sort of forced the question of how much longer are we going to do this?

Aside from that I also think it was years of insecurity of go, go, go and all of it sort of came together, 10 years is a nice number... and it just felt like a TV show, this is probably how you wanted to end it,” said Wright.

Dave Monks, the band’s vocalist and bassist, didn’t feel the same way. Monks implored his bandmates to give Tokyo Police Club another shot. This eventually led to an agreement between everyone,

TOKYOPOLICECLUB.COM

and soon after, they started to work on the album.

Since releasing their last studio album “Forcefield” in 2014, the band had only put out a 10th anniversary edition of their 2006 EP. “A Lesson in Crime”. Since then, the band had only been performing touring concerts, including one at Laurier Brantford’s 2018 O-week.

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to go see Tokyo Police Club play, but from a few people I talked to here on campus and from seeing YouTube videos of live performances, the band has a calm presence that matches Monks’ vocals. However, the crowd can still get into the music and dance along.

The idea of making the album self-titled came to the band while they were spitballing ideas, and it just felt right. Wright says it was one of those things that came up early in the process. Monks had thrown out the idea to the

members and they all conclusively agreed on the name.

We have been doing it for more than ten years and we had certain expectations on how it was supposed to work and how we wanted it to work.

-Graham Wright, Keyboardist of Tokyo Police Club

“TPC” gives a new beginning to the band and also brings with it a new vibe. The album includes more rock riffs within the tracks, such as on “Edgy”, which displays a fast-paced beat by Greg Alsop on the drums and vocals provided by

Monk. The song provides a motivated Monks with some personal lyrics to the track, claiming, “They wanna build you up and make you a national treasure/ They wanna tear you apart and baby, you’re feeling the pressure/ Well shake me alright”. This leaves a lot open to interpretation by the listener.

The music doesn’t always give a loud sound, however. “Ready to Win” gives a slow and soft tune to a personal journey the band and Monks have gone through.

Although sung in a low, mellow voice, there is no doubt the words hit the listener hard.

The song does pick up towards the fourth verse with a silencing sound from the guitar provided by Josh Hook.

Rob Schnapf, who has worked with artists such as Joyce Manor, FIDLAR, Beck and Elliot Smith, had also previously produced “Champs” by Tokyo Police Club.

The band quickly realized that Schnapf was the person they wanted to help them kickstart this new beginning and produce “TPC”.

“Another one of those things where it was a gut thing,” said Wright. “We had plans of making it in Nashville and thought we had something locked in and it fell through really suddenly. We were at this restaurant in Ottawa having dinner and were like ‘we have to come up with a whole new plan of attack here’...and Dave was like 'what about Rob?' and we were like 'yeah let’s just do it with Rob' and then we didn't think about it again.

[Rob’s] really no [bull], he isn't into the... weird Zen head stuff that I think people can get trapped in the creative process.

Rob is a lot more straight forward. We go in and play a song in the studio like three times and be like ‘should we change nine minuscule things?’, ‘Rob what do you think?’ And he's like ‘I think it sounds good. Like right oh right, it's a good song, we should stop freaking out…’” said Wright.

The album provides a very nostalgic feeling for the listener, almost as if you had grown up listening to this band or some of the songs on the album.

Listening to the album from top to bottom a few times still had the same impact on me from when I first listened to it; all the while I was catching new things within the tunes. Not overthinking the sound and album was very beneficial to the band, allowing more of the simplicity of the sound to shine through rather than the instruments or vocals being overcrowded and taking away from the little things. With that being said, I think this is a very solid comeback for Tokyo Police Club and if you have a chance for a quick listen, this is something you should give a chance.

TV

Season three of Riverdale returns to CW

*Spoilers*This season picks up with Archie and the gang getting through the trial of his murder charge DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I feel like everyone deserves to ‘stan’ a cringey, made-for-easyconsumption type of media and trust me, I’ve gone through my phases. In high school I would binge historical romance novels, but today, my poison is Riverdale.

Thursday, Oct. 11, Riverdale returned for its third season on both the CW and Netflix, and I’ll give the writers this, the characters have stayed consistently stupid and the dialogue consistently cringeworthy.

It’s hard to say which moment was the stupidest or the most cringeworthy because there’s more than a few, but here are my top three picks (in order of which they appeared in the season premiere): 1. Why was Archie’s lawyer his own mother?

Just to catch you up on the mess that was last season, Archie was arrested for the murder of Cassidy Bullock, a minor player in the overall storyline of season two. Season three picked up at the trial of this charge, and who do we see as his counsel but Archie’s very own

mother. I mean that can’t be ethical, right? Why wouldn’t they just have former mayor McCoy – who is also a lawyer – be his lead counsel?

I don’t get it.

2. “A serpent queen is a warrior queen” There was so many things wrong with that scene, but that line uttered by Lili Reinhart (who plays Betty Cooper) is right there at the top. It made a shiver run down my spine with how bad it was. We all know Betty is no gangster, just a suburban girl with some deepseated daddy issues.

3. Why did Archie take the deal and plead guilty?

By the end of the trial, it was a hung jury split six to six, and instead of waiting on a retrial, Archie pleads guilty. I honestly just had to shake my head. Out of every character on Riverdale, he is the one with the least amount of critical or logical thinking.

Honourable mention: Almost everything Veronica did this episode, between pitching to plant the murder weapon on somebody else and trying to tamper with the jury.

IMDB.COM

THE SPUTNIK

10

INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018

Canada secures spot at 2019 World Cup The national women’s soccer team qualifies for world stage JESSA BRAUN SPORTS EDITOR

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Canada’s national women’s soccer team secured their spot in the 2019 FIFA World Cup with a 7-0 win over Panama on Sunday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. Canada got their important win in the semi-final match of the CONCACAF, which is the qualifying tournament for teams across North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The top three teams advance to the World Cup, which is being held in France next year.

Christine Sinclair scored two goals in the semi-final, bringing her international goal count to 177.

She now ranks second in the world and is seven goals away from beating the women’s record, which is 184 and held by Abby Wambach.

But Sinclair has publicly stated she is not concerned about her personal goal count. Her sights are set on the World Cup. Canada’s other semi-final goals were scored by Janine Beckie, Rebecca Quinn, Adriana Leon (2) and Jessie Fleming.

Coached by Kenneth HeinerMøller, Canada has gone undefeat-

ed for the duration of the tournament. Before playing Panama, Canada faced Jamaica, Costa Rica and Cuba.

It’s massive for us. It was obviously our goal coming into this tournament. It’s getting more and more difficult qualifying out of CONCACAF.

-Christine Sinclair, Captain

“It’s massive for us,” Sinclair said. “It was obviously our goal coming into this tournament. It’s getting more and more difficult qualifying out of CONCACAF, you see different teams making it the semifinals, with Panama and Jamaica making it.”

Canada’s winning streak in this tournament will be tested when they face the United States in the championship match on Oct. 17 at Toyota Stadium.

The United States, the defending World Cup champions, defeated Jamaica 6-0 in their semifinal on Sunday night.

The USA, who won the 215 World Cup with a 5-2 win over Japan, has won seven of the nine CONCACAF tournaments. Canada has won two and has finished runner-up four times.

Panama and Jamaica will compete in the consolation match on Wednesday where the winner will get a berth to the World Cup. The other team will face Argentina for a final chance at going to France in 2019.

France, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Italy, China, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Australia have already qualified for the 24-team World Cup. Currently, Canada is ranked No. 5 in the world. At the 2015 World Cup in Canada, they lost 2-1 to England in the quarterfinal.

The 2019 World Cup, which runs from June 7 to July 7 in France, will be Canada’s seventh consecutive and overall appearance at the event. Their only absence was in 1991, the first women’s World Cup.

BASEBALL

Rivals bring on an action-packed series The Yankees didn’t quite manage to knock Boston’s Red Sox off, and the exciting series didn’t disappoint RYAN PRAUGHT STAFF WRITER

the lead and the final score was a much closer five-four game.

The greatest rivalry in all of sports added a new chapter to its story when the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees met in the American League Division Series for the first time ever.

A rivalry with this much history, hatred and heartbreak meant high expectations for an actionpacked series. It’s safe to say that it did not disappoint, with many highlights and lowlights to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Game Two Winner: Yankees Score: 6-2 Game two started similarly to the first game when a second first inning home run was hit, this time by the Yankees Aaron Judge hitting his second homer of the series to put the Yankees up one-nothing.

The second inning saw Yankee catcher Gary Sanchez hit his first of two home runs in the game to put the Yankees up two-zero, and they wouldn’t look back. They stole one of two games at the historic Fenway Park and tied the best-offive series at one game apiece.

In this game, we saw some tempers flare when Red Sox relief pitcher Ryan Brasier told Gary Sanchez to “get in the box,” minus a few coarse words, after Sanchez called time-out for the second time at bat. Brasier would strike him out, but Sanchez would seal the game with a three-run homer in his next turn at bat.

Game One Winner: Red Sox Score: 5-4 The game started off with a bang when J.D. Martinez took J.A. Happ deep for a three-run homerun that gave the Red Sox a threezero lead after the first inning.

A rivalry with this much history, hatred and heartbreak meant high expecations for an action-packed series.

It’s safe to say it did not disappoint....”

-Ryan Praught, Staff Writer

The Red Sox added two more runs in the third inning. This built a five-nothing lead that would prove to be unbeatable when Craig Kimbrel struck out Luke Voit to end the game. Even then, the Yankees were able to chip away at

Game Three Winner: Red Sox Score: 16-1 Game three was played at Yankee Stadium in New York, where the crowd was expected to play a large role in the game by providing a loud atmosphere – something a much smaller and older Fenway Park failed to do.

However, the Red Sox quieted the Yankee crowd when they forced Yankee starter Luis Severino to exit the game after only three innings. The Red Sox proceeded to score three runs. The Red Sox would only get better from there, as they continued to score runs.

Brock Holt, the Red Sox’s second baseman, would become the first-ever player to hit for the cycle in the playoffs. He hit a tworun home run in the ninth inning and made history by producing a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.

Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi was brilliant, pitching seven innings and only surrendering one run while his offense gave him 16 runs to work with. The Red Sox won the game 16 to one to take a two-games-to-one series lead.

Game Four Winner: Red Sox Score: 4-3 Game four was a do-or-die situation for the Yankees, because if they lost, their season would be over.

Again playing at home in Yankee Stadium, the Yankees watched as the Red Sox jumped out to an early three-nothing lead. After three innings, Ian Kinsler doubled to drive in a run and would also come around to score.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora made the questionable decision to bench Brock Holt after his stellar performance in game three. This was in favour of Kinsler, and it paid off. Christian Vazquez homered-off Zach Britton to extend the Red Sox lead to four-zero, but the Yankees were not dead yet.

Heading into the ninth with the all-star closer Craig Kimbrel back on the mound, the Yankees mounted a comeback to pull within one run.

With two outs and a runner on first and second, Gleyber Torres hit a chopper towards third where Eduardo Nunez made an incredible play to throw him out and win

COURTESY OF BOSTON RED SOX TWITTER ACCOUNT

Rick Porcello of the Boston Red Sox, celebrates a win against the NY Yankees.

the series for the Red Sox. The final score was four-three and three games to one.

The Red Sox now play the Houston Astros for the right to

play in the World Series, while the Yankees head home until next year.

Let’s hope the ALCS is as entertaining as this series was.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017

11 SPORTS EDITOR JESSA BRAUN sports@thesputnik.ca

HOCKEY

The Leafs: An early-season analysis The Toronto Maple Leafs are two weeks into their season and are already off to a solid beginning

JOSEPH MARINUCCI STAFF WRITER

It may be early in the NHL season, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a flying start.

Currently sitting atop of the Atlantic division and the Eastern conference, it is way too soon to already be planning the parade, but it is not hard to see why this Leafs team has fans excited.

After the off-season – one in which the Toronto Marlies had won the Calder Cup with a team comprising of mainly Leafs prospects, Kyle Dubas being named general manager, and of course, the signing of John Tavares – all signs were pointing towards a suc-

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

cessful 2018-19 season. And so far, so good (for now).

The early season in the NHL is a tricky one, with teams and players slowly getting back into form and coaches experimenting with lines to try and find what works.

But considering players continue to train over the summer to better their game, players are expected to find their form sooner rather than later.

Mike Babcock continues to experiment with his lines, but it is only a matter of time until they are set. With Auston Matthews and John Tavares enjoying early season success, the bright spots on the team are blinding.

The offence on the Leafs is,

to put it simply, frightening. Last season, the offence finished fourth in goals with 270, and finished second in the league in power play percentage, converting on 25 per cent of opportunities. Adding John Tavares to an already potent offence and power play has already proven rewarding, with the Leafs leading the league in goals and tied for first in power play percentage.

In addition, Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, John Tavares and Mitch Marner are at the top of NHL scoring. It is unrealistic for these four to remain at the top of the scoring league, and it is unsustainable for them to remain as hot as they have been, but if they can continue their strong play throughout the course of the season the Leafs offence will have no issues going forward.

The strongest component of the Leafs offence has been the power play, especially their top line. Consisting of Nazem Kadri, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, the Leafs are icing a near all-star team on the man advantage. Their top player play unit makes it a nightmare for anyone to take a penalty against the Leafs, and as the top line gets more and more used to playing together and builds up chemistry, the early season dominance could realistically continue.

Among the early season surprises for the Leafs, including both Travis Dermott and Kasperi Kapanen, none has been more of a surprise than Morgan Rielly. After a career year last season in which he scored 52 points, including 46 assists, Morgan Rielly has seemed to take steps in the right direction.

He is still only 24 years-old, and most NHL level defenceman enter their prime during their mid-tolate 20s. Morgan Rielly has room to grow, and has the experience of an NHL veteran. Entering his sixth

NHL season, expectations were not high on Rielly. Being the best defenceman on a bad defensive team, Rielly was expected to just be a consistent contributor and to try and shore up a shaky defence.

While always being considered as an offensive defenceman, Rielly has also taken steps in being a much better pure defender. Lacking the physical tools to be a true shutdown defenceman, Rielly’s defensive instincts and awareness have helped him in his early season success.

For all the hype and scoring power the Leafs have, the biggest problem they continue to encounter, which has carried over season after season, is their defence. Outside of Morgan Rielly – and to an extent Travis Dermott – the Leafs’

Currently sitting atop of the Atlantic division and the Eastern conference, it is way too soon to be planning the parade, but it is not hard to see why this Leafs team has fans excited.

-Joseph Marinucci

defence has been poor. Currently tied for the league lead in goals against, the Leafs still have issues in finding consistency on the back end. Nikita Zaitsev, after an extremely bad 2017-18 season, looks to bounce back, but has not shown the same level of consistency he had shown during his rookie season. Jake Gardiner has struggled

in the early season; he continues to make risky decisions and has yet to make an impact defensively for the team. Igor Ozhiganov and Martin Marincin have split time as the sixth defenceman on the roster, and neither have made an impact.

Ozhiganov has been the better of the two, and while he has used his size to his advantage, he needs to find consistency.

Ron Hainsey has been the biggest disappointment so far.

During the 2017-18 season, Ron Hainsey had been a consistent defenceman paired with Morgan Rielly. He had been solid, but then the all-star break happened, and post-break Ron Hainsey was poor.

His form has carried over into the 2018-19 season. His lack of speed has shown, and considering he is 37 years-old and in his 17th NHL season, Hainsey has lost steps in his game. In a league where speed is a must-have and youth shines, he is out-dated.

Frederik Andersen has struggled early on in the season.

While he has always been a slow starter, typically taking a few weeks to finally find his form, Andersen needs to find some consistency in order for the Leafs to succeed. He has always been an inconsistent goalie, and the offence can only hide his inconsistency for so long.

The Toronto Maple Leafs has proven to be one of the NHL’s best offensive teams. The way they seem to be winning games during the early portion of the season has been to just outscore everyone.

The Leafs have been fun to watch, and considering that William Nylander has yet to be signed, the Leafs offence will only get better if and when he signs. The defensive holes will be an issue and will continue to be an issue until they are addressed. But for now, the NHL’s best offensive team shows no signs of slowing down.

VARSITY

Varsity XC places second

Women’s team continues to have strong showings at meets HANNAH KASTEIN STAFF WRITER

The Laurier Brantford women’s cross-country team had yet another great showing at their meet on Saturday at the Centennial College Invitational.

The women’s team placed second, with Vanessa Brown leading the team and coming in 12th overall.

There were over 70 runners competing and all of Laurier’s female runners finished in the top half, with Kara Hughes in 14th, Chiara Carinci in 27th and Jessa Braun fishing in 29th.

It was a tough run with cold and rainy conditions on top of an already challenging course, but it was nothing the Golden Hawks couldn’t handle.

The girls have placed in the top three at all of their invitationals they have attended this season.

The Laurier Brantford male runners didn’t have enough men to field a team, however, Ahad Naim and Anas Abutaha had

strong individual showings with Ahad leading the Laurier boys with a 13th place finish overall.

The Laurier cross-country team’s coach, Cory Currie, was very happy with the team’s performance, commenting that the team continues to show that they can be

The women’s team placed second, with Vanessa Brown leading the team and coming in 12th overall.

-Hannah Kastein, Staff Writer

a contender in the OCAA system.

“They seem to all really pull together when it comes to race day. If they continue to do this into the next two weeks then I think the

girls have a great chance to make nationals and be a top team,” said Cory.

The next race for the crosscountry team will be the Ontario Championships at University of Toronto-Mississauga.

The girls will be looking for a silver medal but will have to beat their biggest rival this year, Mohawk College, who they’ve been fighting all season for second place.

Fanshawe has sealed their position in first place after having three of their runners finishing in the top four individual rankings at Centennial.

Humber will also be looking to finish in the top three rankings, but they still have not beaten Laurier or Mohawk yet.

The Golden Hawks have certainly been putting their work in. They run six days a week, plus 6:20am weight circuits and evening swims at the Laurier Brantford YMCA. SAI GNANAHARAN/CONTRIBUTOR

Laurier Brantford’s Vanessa Brown races for the finish line, finishing in 12th.

THE SPUTNIK

12

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018 OPINION EDITOR AVERY MCISSAC opinion@thesputnik.ca

CAMPUS

How long is too long?

Three hour lectures seem to be a struggle for most students AVERY MCISSAC OPINION EDITOR

I’m sure most students have experienced three-hour lectures sometime throughout their career at Laurier, since they seem impossible to avoid.

I personally cannot stand them.

I find myself mentally checking out after the first hour. Maybe I just have bad luck since I seem to end up in lectures that start at 8:30 in the morning, or the dreaded 7-to9:50 night classes.

Regardless of what time the class starts or what the lecture is about, I think most people find it hard to stay focused on any subject for three hours.

Now I can see the initial appeal of three-hour lectures. You only have to go to that class once a week, which hopefully gives you the opportunity to have a day off through the week.

In the case of seminar classes, three-hour lectures actually pass pretty quickly since you’re engaged in a conversation with your peers about various topics.

You should also get a break somewhere in the middle of the class, which is supposed to give you a chance to relax, even if it’s only for 10-15 minutes.

However, in a traditional lecture setting where the professor is talking at the front of the room with a slideshow and students just listen and take notes, three-hour lectures can feel like an eternity.

I clearly can’t be the only one who feels this way, since if you Google “three-hour lectures” almost every search result on the first page involves how-to guides on surviving and staying focused.

In case you were wondering, the Queen’s University Her Campus webpage suggests that if you want to survive a three-hour lecture you

should: bring snacks, bring coffee or tea, utilize your breaks, eat before class, try to make a friend, dress comfortably, be wary of laptops and bring your laptop charger.

I can personally vouch for bringing some kind of food and dressing comfortably; nothing is worse than being 45 minutes into a lecture and realizing you’re hungry or starting to feel uncomfortable.

Like the Her Campus article mentioned, I think staying focused can be even harder when you use your laptop to take notes. The temptation to talk to friends or check Twitter almost always wins, especially when the lecture isn’t particularly interesting. If you truly want to pay attention and can avoid using a laptop, I would recommend doing it.

I’m sure there are some people who have no issue getting through three-hour lectures, and some may even prefer them. If you fall

into that category, good for you; I wish I had your attention span and dedication.

I’m sure your preference has a lot to do with what type of learner

DEBORAH WHYTE/CONTRIBUTOR

you are. But for me personally, I would recommend avoiding them if you can.

If you can’t, do yourself a favour and show up prepared.

BRANTFORD

No, catcalling is not flattering or nice

It would be nice if everyone could walk down the street without having someone be vulgar toward them

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

AVERY MCISSAC OPINION EDITOR

I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone when I say I have been catcalled more times than I can count.

Now that I’m in my fourth year at Laurier Brantford, the catcalling I experience walking around downtown infuriates me more than it scares me.

Catcalling is a general term that covers many categories of street harassment.

According to the website Stop Street Harassment, this includes leering, honking, whistling, sexist comments, vulgar gestures, sexually explicit comments, kissing noises, following, blocking someone's path, touching or grabbing, masturbating or assaulting.

It doesn’t seem to matter what time of day, where on campus, or what I’m wearing; men seem to find it appropriate to yell gross things or make gestures at me.

None of the factors I just mentioned should even matter.

I should be able to walk down the street in whatever I want whenever I want without someone making me uncomfortable, but that’s clearly not the case.

I also want to make it clear that I’m not saying all men are horrible, or that men don’t get catcalled or yelled at by people.

However, I can only speak from my own experiences, which have been as a woman being yelled at by men.I have experienced everything from cars honking at me, men yelling things about my body or what they’d do to me, random

men telling me to smile and even a guy in his car at a stop sign putting his fingers up to his mouth and imitating licking a vagina.

That one was especially gross to me. Sometimes I retaliate, but most of the time I don’t.

One incident in particular inspired me to write this article. It happened a couple weeks ago.

I was walking to my 11:30 a.m. class, waiting to cross the street, when a man old enough to be my dad yelled: “Hey sexy mama there are a lot of things I’d like to do to you!” on his way by.

The incident infuriated me and I immediately wanted to yell something at him, but I had to stop myself because I realized if he turned around and got mad I was alone and probably couldn’t defend myself.

How sad is that? The realization of my thought process left a bad taste in my mouth and I spent the rest of my day in a bad mood.

Stop Street Harassment conducted anonymous online surveys about the harassment women experience in the U.S. Of the 1,141 participants – which did include some men – almost every single participant had experienced some sort of street harassment.

According to the study, nearly 95 per cent of female participants had been honked at, 94 per cent had been whistled at, 82 per cent had someone make vulgar gestures at them and 81 per cent had sexually explicit comments made toward them.

It makes me incredibly sad I even need to write this article, because it seems so obvious that

yelling creepy or gross things at a stranger isn’t okay.

Women and men should feel comfortable walking down the street – especially around campus – without having to worry about strangers harassing them.

If you think it’s funny or makes you cool, or if you think it should be seen as flattering, sorry but you’re wrong. All you’re doing is making people uncomfortable and making yourself look like a total creep.

France recently introduced a bill that criminalizes gender-based harassment on the streets and public transit. This bill allows people to be fined up to $875 depending on the incident. Although it may seem like wishful thinking, I would love to see Canada introduce something similar.