Volume 18, Issue 3 - Oct. 3, 2018

Volume 18 Issue 3 – October 3, 2018

The Sputnik, We Orbit Around You. News, pg. 3

ICLICKERS: ARE THEY NEEDED?

What students have to say about the costly device

Features, pg. 6

A HOME FAR FAR AWAY

A Laurier student and his cultural assimilation

Arts pg. 8

BLACKOUT FESTIVAL COMING

The 12th year for the metal and punk festival

Sports, pg. 7

LE’VEON WORTH MORE

The Pittsburgh running back needs a better deal

Opinion, pg. 12

BRANTFORD IS BEAUTIFUL

How a student came to see the beauty in Brantford

The impending quarter life crisis We all fear the ticking of the clock and what the next couple years have in store for us.

Features pg. 7

SID KAPAHI/DESIGN MANAGER

02

THE SPUTNIK

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SPUTNIK_NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

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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 Message him on our facebook page!

What’s your favourite thanksgiving food?

SPORTS EDITOR Jessa Braun sports@thesputnik.ca

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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

“Gravy and mashed potatoes” - Pilar Vergara-King, 3 , Psychology

“Mac and cheese” - Alexandrea Blendeman, 3 , Law & Society

“pumpkin pie” - Dominique DeGrasse, 2 , Social Work

“Stuffing” - Ryan Beckett, 3 , Criminology

“Mashed potatoes” - Kaela Koundakjan, 2 , Game Development and Design

“Turkey” - Aiden Wassenaar, 1 , Criminology

DIRECTOR Hayley H.G. Watson

CONTRIBUTORS Firstname lastname Firstname lastname Firstname lastname

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THE SPUTNIK

WENDSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

03 NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING news@thesputnik.ca

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR NOW HIRING assistantnews@thesputnik.ca

CAMPUS

Are iclickers really necessary to have?

Although iclickers are a mandatory purchase, students bring up many valid concerns with the costly tool

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

Although professors make it a mandatory purchase for some course, the iclicker still has many operational problems..

FIONA ROWAT STAFF WRITER

ing technology into the classroom for years.

Wilfrid Laurier University has used iClickers as a way of bring-

Technology – and the role it plays in education – is ever-changing. The iClickers are meant to

combat this by being used as a way to take attendance, give participation grades, administer quizzes and surveys, and better connect technology to learning.

Despite their many uses, students have differing opinions on the usefulness of the devices.

“Since we’re in the digital age now, I feel like we should be a lot more advanced when it comes to clickers,” said Sam Beltran, a firstyear Youth and Children Studies student.

“Even though it seems like a very simple device to use, people are still confused on how to use it.”

Confusion isn’t the only barrier in implemting this tech into teaching. The iClickers themselves often do not work.

“Last week there was already technical difficulties,” Beltran said.

Often times, the app doesn’t connect properly, or the system will freeze. This makes it hard to tell who gets participation grades and who doesn’t.

Practicality is also a concern: “I like the idea of them, but it’s the way they’re implemented,” said Quinn Dougan, a fourth-year student in the social work program.

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“There’s better technology you can use for participation.” Most students already bring their laptop, phones, or tablets to class, and an iClicker remote is an extra.

“Is it really necessary to have a $75 remote control when there

Often times, the app doesn’t connect properly, or the system will freeze. This makes it hard to tell who gets participation grades and who doesn’t.

-Sam Beltran, First Year Youth and Children’s Studies Student

could be something online we can do on our computers, rather than getting an electronic remote?” asked Beltran.

Affordability is the main concern. University costs are high enough without the added amount of the iClicker. The clicker itself

costs $60-75, and the app costs $10-15 for a one year subscription, but the app fails to work more often than not. Many upper-year students are eager to let their iClickers go, but know that even if they sell it, they’ll lose funds.

“It loses 60 [to] 70 per cent of its value as soon as you tap your debit card,” Dougan said. Dougan bought his iClicker four years ago for one class in his first year. He hasn’t used it since, but still hasn’t sold because he is concerned that he’ll have to spend the money to buy a new one again.

“Students don’t get a refund: they’re stuck. Even if they can resell it, it’s at half the price,” he added. iClickers can be useful – in many cases they are – but that differs from student to student. How often a student will use an iClicker is entirely dependant on their programs and electives.

Some have many classes where they will use and need them, and the cost will be worth it. For others, like Dougan, the iClickers won’t be worth the hole burned in their pockets.

THE SPUTNIK

04

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

CAMPUS

New students not a problem for city

Laurier and Conestoga have seen an influx of students but the downtown sector is prepared for growth ALEX VIALETTE WEB DIRECTOR

The growing student population in Brantford has made downtown a hotspot for student housing, but Laurier, Conestoga and the city are all ready to bring more in.

“At this time last year we had about 125 students, all domestic, and this year we have 498 students,” Conestoga associate vice-president of marketing and community relations Paul Osborne said.

Conestoga College welcomed roughly 350 international students through their introduction of new programs in Brantford.

Although the number of students looking for off-campus apartments rose dramatically this semester, neither Laurier or Conestoga heard issues of students finding apartments in the city.

“We do not have any residence at this point,” Osborne said, “but what we do have is a full-time employee here at 50 Wellington that helps students with housing”.

“We’ve worked with the landowners association, the real estate association and mining all the possibilities that we can online,” said Osborne.

“Some students are in apartments, some are in individual homes—the people of Brantford have been great to open their homes to the students—so it’s kind of a mixed bag right now,” he said.

“The city’s been fantastic working with us and people have opened their doors, but we worked hard to find spaces for all the students.”

We of course want students to have nice, comfortable places to live and with the growth of the downtown there are those spaces available.

-Paul Osborne, VP of Marketing and Community Relations

“We’re very excited that Conestoga is here,” said Laurier Brantford dean of students Adam Lawrence.

“What we do is we work with the city to keep informing them ‘this is what our population currently is, this where growth may occur’,” Lawrence said, “and encouraging Conestoga to also connect with the city to make sure there is plans for the continued growth in the

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

Many Brantford residents have opened up their homes and properties to new students at both Laurier and Conestoga.

downtown”.

“Of course we want our students to have appropriate housing. If they want to be within walking distance or on a bus route, those are all huge positives for us,” he said.

“We want to make sure landlords are providing a good environment for students, that students understand the bylaws and the rules associated with it and that students have a safe way of getting to their off-campus residences.”

This surge in students has attracted building developers to the downtown. Brantford was named “Canada’s top city to buy real es-

tate in” this year by MoneySense— a Rogers business and economic publication that releases real estate rankings every year.

MoneySense wrote that diversified industry in the city – naming the Ferrero plant just off of the 403 specifically – and the revitalization of the downtown through both Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga has made Brantford the “city to beat” in Canada.

“Generally we try not to get into the student housing business,” Osborne said, “but I do know that there are some private developers who are looking at that as a

possibility to come in and build some more student housing—so you know more of a highrise level which would be great, that would allow Conestoga I think to expand even more”.

One example of these highrise complexes includes the One Wellington development on the corner of West St. and Darling St..

Construction on the site is slated to begin soon, as demolition of the previous buildings on the block wrapped up this month. The complex will hold 140 ”urban style” condo units, which may increase the number of apartments avail-

able for students studying in the city as of next year.

“That’s exciting,” Lawrence said.

“I think this is a positive thing.”

“More and more—you know, I’m going into my sixth year here— it seems like we’re seeing more and more small apartment buildings and smaller condo buildings go up,” he said. “We of course want students to have nice, comfortable places to live and with the growth of the downtown, there are those spaces available.”

PHOTO FEATURE

Second year for taco fest DELLESIA NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

This past Sunday, Brantford held its second annual taco fest in the heart of downtown. Residents were gathered in the square as early as 11 a.m. ready to eat tacos from local businesses. Businesses that were featured were Burrito Broth-

ers’ on Dalhousie, Maria’s Pizza on Colborne West, and Mercasa on Henry Street. Residents could pay five dollars to get in and sample tacos from each business then later cast their vote on which business had the best tacos. After 3 hours of taco sampling Maria’s Pizza was declared the winner.

ALEX VIALETTE/WEB DIRECTOR

Hundreds of Brantford residents came through Harmony Square to smaple tacos.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

NEWS

05

BRANTFORD

New gym facility opens in Brantford

Alpha power and performance training gym focuses on addressing the fear around strength training DELLESI NOAH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Michael Parsons has taken his home garage gym and turned it into an expanded facility located at Wayne Gretzky Parkway.

The doors of Alpha Power and Performance Training, run by Parsons and his team, officially opened on Monday, September 24.

Before the operational opening, Parsons ran a small home gym out of his garage.

Parson described the transition from home gym to a big facility as a “very exciting move”.

“It was exciting to see everything set up the way I want it to be, also to have the room and expand and to make sure my clients are being taken care of the best that I possibly can,” said Parsons.

Due to the commitment Parsons put into his own gym, he was able to keep and transition all his clients from the old garage gym into his new facility.

“Early on when I was looking for commercial property, I was trying to get clients to come into my home gym in my garage; it was accelerator storage facility that told me ‘hey, we have this space for you if you want it’ and I said ‘oh, okay’.

It made me realize, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m getting pretty busy. I need to expand’,” Parsons said.

Parsons described the turnover as a “really quick process”; it only took three weeks to get the gym fully operational.

“Before you knew it, we were getting a truck, a power lifting team and some clients together; ‘we’re moving the gym guys’,” continued Parsons.

Laura Duguid and her husband Lucas were originally contracted to create Parson’s branding and logo for the new gym, but they then also became clients of Parsons’. Duguid described herself as “getting hooked” after just the first session.

“We were working out at the time and had gone from a circuittype workout style to a more strength training style and were really enjoying it. Mike suggested we come out for a free session and he could have a look at our technique.

He wanted to make sure we were lifting safe and effectively,” Duguid said. “It was radically different than anything we had done before and we saw immediate benefit to our strength gains. Mike’s attitude was also very different as a trainer; he was more engaged and passionate about the sport.”

I’ve always felt that the level of service Mike provides to his clients has been superior to any other big box gym or group training facility.

-Laura Duguid, OctupusRed Marketing Team Member

Duguid said that she felt as though people didn’t really get to see the gym for what it was and what it could be when Parsons was first working out of his garage.

“I’ve always felt that the level of service Mike provides to his clients has been superior to any other big box gym or group training facility. His philosophy of putting his clients first has never slowed him

MICHAEL PARSONS /CONTRIBUTOR

Top: Old gym space running out of Parsons’ home garage. Bottom: New gym facility located at Wayne Gretzky Parkway.

down,” Duguid said.

Parsons has a background in competitive weight lifting and says that the goal of his gym is to help people recognize that strength isn’t a bad thing: “[We] try to help bring out strength training to the masses and show them it’s not as intimidating as they think it is”.

Parsons acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges that he may face with his new facility is recreating the old sense of

intimacy that he had with his old garage gym.

“It was a really nice small area, we could close the door and have a real private, intimate atmosphere, and trying to keep that feeling in a larger open space and really keep that space on point and on message ‘that we’re training to have fun and to be excited [about what we do]’,” Parsons said.

Parsons also wants his future clients to know that the gym aims

to be an inclusive space.

“It’s one of those sports that is completely inclusive to any gender and it’s totally non-exclusive, everybody is welcome and it’s one of the few times that I have ever been able to work side to side with women and men and we’re all supporting each other, whether were in direct competition with one another or not, we want to see someone else succeed,” Parsons said.

Parson’s training also tries to balance the negative body image that people sometimes suffer from.

“We have a squad of teen girl lifters who have suffered with low body image for far too long and they are learning the value of their strength and genetic attributes and that is 100% based on how Mike trains,” said Duguid.

Parsons plans to hold an open house ceremony in about a month for the gym.

06

THE SPUTNIK

FEATURES EDITOR/NOW HIRING

A home far far away

A closer look at the process of assimilation for many students KOYAL VYAS STAFF WRITER

Imagine stepping off a plane into a brand new place.

Within minutes you realize how different it is from your home country; the weather is not the same as home and you start to miss the warm breeze you've grown up with; the people are not the same and you start to miss the familiar faces. Even the food is different from home, and all of a sudden you miss the places you grew up eating in.

You start to realize then that it’s not how different the new country is, but how different you are. You keep thinking to yourself: “I don’t speak like them and I don’t act like them,” suddenly becoming insecure and having a need to fit in and learn the ways and norms of your new home.

This is the case for Daniyal Irfan, a first-year international student at Laurier in the business technology management program. According to Statistics Canada, he is one of 4,555 student immigrants to come to Canada from 2016 to present day.

Irfan was born in Karachi, Pakistan and then moved to Dubai, UAE where he went completed his elementary and high school education. When it came to his university education, he had to make a decision: “It was either Canada or Dubai and honestly

they have a good education system but the quality of education is not as high as Canada’s so this was a better choice,” said Irfan.

Irfan also praises how helpful Laurier was with the process: "Laurier’s International Week was very helpful as it informed us about the norms here and gave us time to adapt to our new surroundings”.

“Laurier’s International Week was very helpful as it informed us about the norms here and gave us time to adapt to our new surrondings.

-Daniyal Irfan, First Year International Student

Laurier’s international student program is full of students and staff that are trained to make the transition as easy as possible for the students.

Someone who has stood out – not only in Irfan’s eyes but also in the eyes of all the international students – is Teeba Alsafar. Alsafar is a international student advisor with a Master of Education degree in Counselling Psychology, and her main interests lie in assessing the

impact of on-campus integration programs and watching students develop and learn about crosscultural issues.

She loves to see international students become leaders on campus and support incoming international students in following years.

One way that they help international students like Irfan is by inviting them to come a week earlier than the rest of the first-year students.

By letting them come early, international students have more time to get used to the environment, because Laurier understands that they are not just changing schools but they are also changing lifestyles.

This made it so that when Irfan and the other students went through the process of assimilation, it was voluntary rather than forced, and they chose to become a part of a larger group of people.

Another way that Laurier helped students like Irfan get used to Canada is by holding different information sessions about topics that would interest them.

Some examples of these topics are about health insurance in Canada, student visas (whether or not international students are allowed to work), and safety in Brantford.

This gave them a way to become informed and meet people who are in the same boat as them.

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

07

A quarter life crises hangs over us all

Laurier students spill all on how their quarter life crises have impacted their own personal experiences JESSA BRAUN SPORTS EDITOR

Maybe it was when you spontaneously bought a dog in second year.

Perhaps it was when you changed your major for the fifth time. It could’ve been when you tried out for the varsity cross-country team even though you hated running.

I don’t know . . . at some point in your late teens or early 20s, it’ll probably hit you that you’re at a messy and uncertain time in your life, and you’ll try to take control of it in random ways like the ones just mentioned.

Young adulthood is a rapid transition where over the course of just a few short years we have to figure out what the heck we’re going to do with our lives and learn how to adult. It causes a lot of people to panic, and results in a very real state of mind called a quarter-life crisis (QLC).

Dictionary.com describes a QLC as “a crisis that may be experienced in one’s 20s, involving anxiety over the direction and quality of one’s life.”

Some sort of QLC -- big or small -- is something most people experience around their early 20s, and it definitely comes with side effects. Whether those side effects are as impactful as switching to a school halfway around the globe just because, or as minor as developing an addiction to knitting, they are a result of us feeling out of control of our own lives and trying to regain a grasp in some way.

QLCs are something a lot of people are scared to talk about, as it feels like everyone around us has life all figured out. Truth is, almost none of us do. We’re all lost on some kind of path. Me? I’m a journalist who dreams of being a firefighter but is currently completing a degree in Community Health.

Everyone’s QLC is different, and everyone has different ways of dealing with it. The beautiful thing is that sometimes a QLC changes us for the better, toughening us up and equipping us with the wisdom we need to get us through life . . . well, until we hit our midlife crisis, but let’s worry about that one later.

Some people on campus were brave enough to share their own QLC stories.

A Laurier Brantford student, Katie, experienced depression, selfdoubt, anxiety, isolation and fear right after high school. It started when she was in a relationship and found out her boyfriend of two years had been dating someone else for the duration of his and Katie’s relationship.

She noticed something was off when her boyfriend became distant. She decided to phone him one night and that’s when he told her he needed to come and tell her what was going on.

She says that was the pivotal moment when she started to question everything about her life.

“I started asking myself, ‘What did I do wrong? Why did this happen to me?’” Katie said. “I became very depressed, had lots of selfesteem issues.”

But despite the tough battle, Katie says the experience changed her for the better.

“I started to slowly become myself,” she said. “I lot of my interests and things I wanted to go to school for evolved.”

Katie then attended Conestoga College for construction. But when the strike happened, she re-evaluated her life yet again and started working full time instead.

It didn’t take long before she

decided to return back to Conestoga, this time for the Foundations program. Halfway through that program, she decided she wanted to try going to university. Before her relationship, Katie had always had a dream of attending university. “[This time] I realized it was time to live out my own dreams and live my own life instead of having someone live it for me,” she said.

Katie met her current boyfriend in the midst of all her program changing. She says he played an important role in her decisionmaking.

“He looked at me and said, ‘What do you want to do?’ That was the point when I realized I need to stop trying to make everyone else happy.”

Katie believes a QLC is important for people to have to experience in their young adulthood.

“I can stand firmer in my beliefs now and what I feel and how I believe,” she said. “I don’t have much of a problem speaking what I want now.”

Jess, another Laurier Brantford student, says her QLC began with issues going on at her mother’s place. For Jess, getting along with her mom was difficult.

“Her willingness to be a mother was clearly not there,” Jess said, noting her mother’s unhealthy relationships, bad habits and “teenage” tendencies.

Jess had to navigate her own way to adulthood with little guidance.

For a while she wasn’t sure which way she wanted to direct her life.

After spontaneously quitting her job as a supervisor at Tim Horton’s, she worked three other jobs.

Eventually Jess moved to her dad’s house instead, but she said there she became depressed.

In March of her 12th grade year, Jess impulsively booked a trip to Cuba with a friend three days before they left. While in Cuba, her relationship of three years came to an end and she also survived an experience that she wishes to not be discussed in this article.

“When I got back from Cuba I had to push myself to pick myself back up,” Jess said. “I had to focus on creating my own happiness, which is something I’ve struggled with my whole life.”

I started asking myself, ‘what did I do wrong?

Why did this happen to me?’ I became very depressed, had lots of self-esteem issues.

-Katie, Student

It was coming to Laurier that brought Jess’ QLC close to an end.

“When I came to Laurier I came to terms that this was my life now,” she said. “It was like, ‘Wow, your life is actually starting now.’ I felt like my life had been put on pause while I was going through my crisis.”

As she looks back, Jess remains positive about some of the obstacles she had to overcome.

“I’m so much stronger in so many different ways – resiliency, picking myself up, picking others up, not getting discouraged when things go wrong.”

The QLC isn’t entirely over, as Jess isn’t sure what she wants to do

after school.

“I love this program and I love the opportunity to live in Europe, but I don’t know if I want to be a lawyer,” she said.

And that’s totally okay. What would life even be if it were just a straight, predictable line? You’d

develop no backbone. I don’t wish QLCs upon anyone, but inevitably, they’re going to happen . . . we might as well embrace it.

Not everyone’s QLC will be as long or as intense as others’. Some people might not even experience the random, impulsive decisions

SIDHANT KAPAHI/DESIGN MANAGER

as side effects. Your QLC could be so small you don’t realize you’re having one. Everyone’s QLC experience will be different, but what’s the same is that most people will go through one. You’ve just got to be ready to conquer it.

THE SPUTNIK

08

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR HYRRA CHUGHTAI arts@thesputnik.ca

MUSIC

Blackout festival returns to Brantford

Over the past twelve years, the punk rock and metal festival has grown to include bands across Canada

JAMIE MITTENDORF/COORDONATOR

HYRRA CHUGHTAI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

The 12th annual Blackout Fest in Brantford is slowly approaching. With the lineup having been announced in July, fans were able to prepare themselves for another great year.

Featuring “Run” by Jamie Mittendorf, the music ranges from pop punk to punk, and has headliners such as Living with Lions, Such Gold, and Dead Tired.

The event this year will be taking place on October 12 and 13 at Club NV, but for the first time the festival will expanding into Club Scorpio as well, showcasing the everexpanding interest for the music and festival.

The festival has come a long way since it first started 12 years ago: it has grown grown from having eight bands in one venue over one day, to 65 bands playing three venues over two days. As more interest grew for the festival, artists from all over Canada and the US have joined too, playing different genres of music.

“Blackout Fest is a punk rock festival. Now, over the years I’ve had everything from metal, to hard rock, to pop punk to ska, and a bunch of punk rock. Everything from the music to our DIY work ethic can all be defined as a punk rock music festival,” said Mittendorf, festival organizer.

Mittendorf, who was in charge of organizing the festival and getting it up and running, the public has gradually developed an interest in the event.

Deciding to run a music festival in Brantford was a challenge in and of itself, he says.

But the need for a music influence in this small town was the perfect reason to start the journey.

“I started Blackout Fest in 2007

at a venue called The Ford Plant, RIP. At that time, there were a lot of these types of festivals all around southern Ontario, and I thought to myself, why not Brantford? I had already been running local concerts and events since 2004, so I already knew a lot of bands and had the connections to make this happen on a small scale,” said Mittendorf.

Mittendorf has been in the music game for a long time. Calling up bands to play at venues and seeking out new artists that would interest the public is what he’s known to do. With that in mind, it wasn’t very hard for him to gather a few artists. With a love of punk rock music, he set out to start a festival that would soon become bigger than what he had anticipated.

“I knew a lot of Brantford and area bands since I had started running local concerts in 2004. There wasn’t many punk rock and metal shows at the time, but there were a lot of bands. I started renting out a local music venue every other Friday or Saturday night and the shows were great. Word got out, and I started running three- four shows a month. The rest is history,” said Mittendorf.

But it always hasn’t been easy for Mittendorf; even with all the connections he had, the public’s interest wasn’t always evident. It took a lot of advertising and word of mouth for people to start taking an interest in these shows.

But with one problem in the past, new ones have surfaced, and people’s interests in events today isn’t always the easiest thing to obtain.

“There’s definitely less Brantford and area bands [than] there once were. When we first started, most of the support bands we had were within the immediate Brant-

ford area, and now we are pulling in many bands from Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo, London and Toronto. It’s also tougher to get people out these days. This isn’t just a problem in Brantford, it’s a problem all throughout North America,” said Mittendorf. “People aren’t supporting live music the way they used to, even 10 years ago. Music is evolving. Most of the top 40 music doesn’t include any instruments played. The big artists these days are rap and hip-hop artists, not rock bands. Also, with the way our current economy is sitting, a lot of people don’t have disposable income they once had,” he said.

There wasn’t many rock and metal shows at the time, but there were a lot of bands. I started renting out a local music venue every other Friday or Saturday night -Jamie Mittendorf, Blackout Fest Coordinator

With the few hiccups in the music industry, there is no doubt there is an exponential growth of the festival. With such growth comes bigger acts, and Mittendorf has had the chance to see and meet some of his favourite artists and bands.

“I’ve literally had some of my favourite bands of all time play this festival. Ohio’s Hawthorne Heights, Pennsylvania’s Texas In July, and this year, Vancouver’s Living With Lions. Aside from the festival, I’ve had the chance of hosting some incredible artists and comedy acts

in Brantford including Randy & Lahey of Trailer Park Boys, Jackass, DJ Yella of NWA, Faber Drive, Classified, and many others,” said Mittendorf.

This year, one of the headlining acts is Dead Tired, a Canadian band fronted by George Pettit of Alexisonfire.

This will be their first year at Blackout Fest, in which they are playing on the 12th. Every show played is a different experience but the ritual to getting prepared for playing a show remains the same, said Pettit.

“We will have a couple band practices to get sharp. Probably rent a trailer. Then we will load the trailer. Drive to the concert.

Maybe have a couple drinks and a nice meal. That’s our ritual. Call us superstitious but we do that before every show we play,” said Pettit.

Brantford doesn’t have huge venues to play at, aside from the Sanderson Centre, but even that doesn’t compare to the Scotiabank Centre in Toronto. Small venues create a different impact on fans; they provide a more intimate feeling. As for the artist, it can create a whole different performance.

“Both are good, I get the same kick out of small shows that I get out of big ones. I enjoy a good hot sweaty club show. It’s a little more hands on than a big huge show with a crowd barrier” said Pettit when asked about the comparison on Alexisonfire shows with Dead Tired.

But with all the fun the various artists bring, it all comes at a cost for organizers: the extensive planning process. Having to create an atmosphere where the artists and the fans can connect and enjoy may seem like an easy thing to achieve, but it takes up most of Mittendorf’s time, and his plans begin very early on in the year.

“I start planning as early as I can

without being too ahead of myself.

I spend a lot of my free time designing artwork for the festival, answering and sending out calls and emails, and promoting the festival in general. I also need to keep up to date with what bands are doing well in the southern Ontario music scene. As much as I’d like to book my favourite bands all the time, I need to listen to what the fans want to hear. Knowing what bands people want to see is crucial to creating a successful music festival,” said Mittendorf.

Planning the event isn’t the only thing that has drastically changed from 2004: the budget now has changed drastically, which has all the reason to, when it comes to booking bigger bands.

“When I first started, I think the budget was around $1000. I am now working with a $20,000 budget. I have only recently began securing sponsorships to help cover costs, but most of the initial budget is paid out of my own pocket,” said Mittendorf.

“I’ve accomplished many goals I set out to hit when I first started this festival. A big goal for me was to hit over 1000 tickets sold, and I did the last two years. Another goal was to build it into a multi-venue festival, and this year is the first out of 12 years that I am using more than one venue for the festival.

It’s always a little nerve-wracking when you start expanding, because you never truly know how well it will go. Every year the festival turns over a profit, so we must be doing something right,” said Mittendorf.

Blackout Fest can only move forward from here. It is growing each year, and Mittendorf has already reached his personal goals with the festival. Going forward, he only looks to make more people happy and to have the music scene strive in Brantford.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

THE SPUTNIK

ARTS & CULTURE

09

ALBUM REVIEW

Sweater weather time Our review on the The Neighbourhood’s seasonal album FIONA ROWAT STAFF WRITER

It’s autumn -- the leaves are falling, the days are shorter, and it’s time to pull on our sweaters.

Almost all of us probably remember when “Sweater Weather” by the Neighbourhood came out in 2012; it was a simpler time.

Since then, The Neighbourhood has come out with three fulllength albums. Their most recent, self-titled, was released this past March.

It’s full of the same slow beats and calm tones as the band’s first album, “I Love You”. The lead single of the album,“Scary Love”, has a slightly darker feel than something like “Sweater Weather”,

with lyrics focusing on not being good enough for the one you care about.

The whole album creates this feeling -- sad lyrics that emote a cold day at the beach. In a way, “The Neighbourhood” is a comingof-age album: it’s about everything that comes from growing up that doesn’t have the feel-good message that most movies and tv shows try to portray.

It’s about what it can feel like on the inside, the loneliness, the change, and the adjustments. An example is “Nervous”, the third track off the album.

In the first verse, lead singer Jesse Rutherford, sings “Last year I fell flat on my face/And last month I knew something should change/

Last week I started over again,” with just enough emotion that you know he’s really felt it.

Much like “Nervous”, the album’s 10th track, “Reflections”, is also centred around looking back: “I tried to put it out for you to get/Could've, should've but you never did”. It’s a mix of something old and something new -- the nostalgia that comes with moving forward.

For many, fall is a time of change; it’s full of looking back and looking forward. The Neighbouhood encompases this well in this record, and it’s something many of us may be able to relate to right now as we newly enter autumn.

SPIN.COM

ART

Laurier to present art at nuit blanche

Laurier’s art exhibit celebrates and highlights the themes of humanitarianism, community and diversity HYRRA CHUGHTAI ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

One of the biggest art exhibits comes to Toronto every year to put on an extensive all-night display.

From 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Nuit Blanche offers art lovers a chance to be awestruck by all the talent various artists have to offer.

The theme this year is “You are Here”, and Laurier had another chance to take part in the event at their Toronto location at 130 King St. W. Carolyn Hawthorn, the University Relations Manager for Laurier Toronto, explained Laurier’s contribution: “One of them has a very close connection to Laurier. One of them is called ‘From Toronto, with Love’, and it is curated by an organization called Not Just Tourists, and we've actually worked with them before,” said Hawthorn.

“We've done suitcase drives for the organization. They are an organization that collects suitcases and medical supplies and volunteers pack the suitcases when they travel - they pick up those suitcases and drop them off at a pre-determined medical centre or hospital,” she said. “One of the directors at the Toronto chapter is a Laurier alumni and works with Not Just Tourists.

That's a great opportunity for us to work with someone we have a great connection with.”

“From Toronto, With Love” has had great connections working with Not Just Tourists (NJT), and creating an exhibit in partnership with them seemed like a great bonus alongside its connections with Laurier.

“Not Just Tourists Toronto program director Avi D’Souza is a Laurier alumnus, and through him we have a special relationship with Laurier,” said Julia Selinger, curator of “From Toronto, with Love” and exhibiting artist. “They have been so supportive, running suitcase drives for NJT and now generously hosting ‘From Toronto, with Love’.

I know that Laurier takes great pride in celebrating the themes of humanitarianism, community and diversity which are embodied in our project,” said Selinger.

The exhibit held a first look on September 27 for Laurier faculty and students to have a sneak peek at the artwork before the public

JULIA SELINGER/CONTRIBUTOR

Laurier’s project consisted of suitcases that were filled with objects that represented each artists’ personal mesagge and commentary on the working themes.

had the chance. The work had been designed to offer a sense of the diversity in the Laurier community and the importance of different backgrounds.

“We have 24 unique works of art from individual artists using many different mediums, and each one has special meaning for me,” said Selinger. “All the artwork was created specifically for this project.

I wanted to provoke thought in many directions and have curated works from a diverse group of artists representing a wide array of experiences and perspectives, cultures, and age groups. Some of the stories they tell will make you smile and some of them will break your heart,” she said.

The artwork has an even greater connection with Laurier: with the involvement of the international student body, Laurier alumni have also taken part in this exhibit to share their stories of how Laurier has created a safe environment for

them to stay in The suitcases have personal meaning to each alumnus, and some even touch upon Indigenous rights and the ongoing problem involving murdered and missing Indigenous women.

We have 24 unique works of art from individual artists using many different mediums, and each one has a special meaning for me.

-Julia Selinger, Curator for “From Toronto With Love”

“We also have two suitcases within that instillation that have been designed by people from the Laurier community,” said

Hawthorne. “C. Elizabeth Best is a graduate student from Laurier and she designed an absolutely amazing suitcase and it's titled ‘my fear of going missing’, and it's her take on the murdered Indigenous women…Some insight, the ‘my fear of going missing’ installation is a tribute and it reflects Elizabeth's fear of going missing and her response,” said Hawthorne.

Laurier provides the artists the space for free, and most of their funding comes from bursaries and grants to allow them full artistic freedom.

Along with the “From Toronto, with Love”, Laurier has taken on another exhibit called “Three Chapters of Solitude”. This exhibit takes a very different approach in its presentation; short videos, created by Henry Heng Lu, are presented with his take on his journey as a “culturally displaced person”.

“Nuit Blanche is very supportive of the independent artists, and

they want their projects to succeed,” said Selinger.

“The application process and all the deadlines may seem a bit daunting, but it is a great way to start to self produce your work, with guidelines and timelines to help you get there - so submit your ideas. Laurier chooses from the successful applicants suggested to them by Nuit Blanche. We are so grateful to have them as our venue host! I am certain we couldn’t have gotten luckier,” she said.

Nuit Blanche is a widely appreciated exhibition and the various ideas to come out of the artwork are great examples of the hard work of the very talented artists.

Every year the planning for each exhibition is extensive, but Laurier and the organization are always looking for great artists who have experiences to share to contribute and be a part of such a great night.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 20118

10 SPORTS EDITOR JESSA BRAUN sports@thesputnik.ca

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Where do the Blue Jays go from here?

After putting themselves in an awkward position in the standings, the Jays have to enter rebuild mode.

JOSEPH MARINUCCI STAFF WRITER

The Toronto Blue Jays season is over, and it has been for quite a while.

Missing the playoffs and finishing with a record below .500 both for the second straight season, the Jays have put themselves in an awkward position.

In a season where teams like the Baltimore Orioles were, simply put, awful, and the powerhouse teams such as the Red Sox ran away with the American League, the Jays have put themselves in a situation where they are nowhere near bad enough to be one of the

SAI GNANAHARAN/CONTRIBUTOR

worst teams in the league, but they are nowhere near good enough to be in playoff contention. So that begs the question: what now?

The worst position for any sports team to be in is below average, where you are not able to compete for a playoff position and you’re not in contention for a top pick in the MLB draft. This is where the Jays find themselves: below average, with no big name talent on their roster.

Gone are the days of 2015 and 2016 where the Jays were competing for the World Series and were amongst one of the top teams in all of baseball.

What was once the scariest

lineup in baseball -- power all over the lineup, players that could get on base, and a young but consistent starting rotation with potential -- has been replaced with a lineup that struggles to hit and an inconsistent starting rotation that can’t stay healthy.

With limited offense and a struggling pitching core, the Jays were forced to enter one of the worst things in all of sports: rebuild mode.

The Jays made many trades throughout the season, including J.A. Happ, Seunghwan Oh, Roberto Osuna, Aaron Loup, Steve Pearce, John Axford, Curtis Granderson and of course, former MVP Josh Donaldson.

While no big name players or top prospects were added in return for these players, the Jays were able to receive some players that would fill out all the missing holes in the roster, and some mid-level prospects that were added all throughout an already deep farm system.

In addition to the trades, the Jays created a favourable situation for themselves in terms of free agency.

The Jays created an abundance of salary cap space for themselves in the next few years.

Because of the inconsistency within the roster, the Jays can sign players to team-friendly contracts and potentially re-sign players for less than they could be worth.

Luckily, much of the roster will be going up against arbitration, and because of the inconsistency, they may not get as much as they are potentially worth.

While they have contracts that are near impossible to move because of their size, particularly Troy Tulowitzki’s and Russell Martin’s, the length of these contracts is manageable, as they both expire within the next three seasons.

Both Martin and Tulowitzki’s contracts can be eaten up and because of their age, it is all but safe to assume that they would both be moving on from the team when their contracts expire, which frees up positions for the best aspect of the entire Jays organization: the farm.

The Toronto Blue Jays have built one of the top farm systems

With limited offense and a struggling pitching core, the Jays were forced to enter one of the worst things in all of sports: rebuild mode.

-Joseph Marinucci, Staff Writer

in all of baseball, producing five players within the top 100 MLB prospects, two top 10 prospects and the number one prospect in all of baseball.

Current number nine prospect Bo Bichette is a shortstop that has many tools both offensively and defensively. He is a contact hitter

with a knack for stealing bases and a consistent fielder.

Bichette has put himself in a favourable position to take Tulowitzki’s job within a few years.

The Josh Donaldson trade frees Toronto’s third base position for next season, and though it may be too early for Guerrero Jr., it is ultimately his job to lose.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., currently the top prospect in all of baseball, is an offensive monster, hitting home runs for fun, and his offensive potential is where his home runs land – out of the stadium.

To go along with their top prospects, the Jays farm system is deep, with talent all over.

They may not have as many top-tier prospects as a top farm system should have, but with the amount of potential and depth all throughout the organization, the Jays should have no issues filling out positions within the next few years.

A full-on rebuild is needed for the organization.

Although it is much easier said than done, the Blue Jays have slowly put themselves in a position where they can easily accelerate the rebuild.

Between the up-and-coming talent within the organization, the aging roster, and all the salary cap room they potentially could have, the Jays are in an admirable position and could be competing with the Yankees and Red Sox much sooner rather than later.

INTERNATIONAL

Canada announces roster for CONCACAF

The Canadian women’s soccer team prepares for tournament HANNAH KASTEIN STAFF WRITER

The women’s Concacaf (The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) tournament is almost here and Canada has announced their 20-women roster.

The Concacaf is the qualifying tournament for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. The tournament will be from October 4-17 with Canada’s first game on October 5th against Jamaica.

The roster features eight National Women’s Soccer League players, including Lindsay Agnew, Allysha Chapman, Shelina Zadorsky, Rebecca Quinn, Diana Matheson, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, and captain Christine Sinclair.

Desiree Scott, who was supposed to play, will miss the tournament due to a foot injury.

Jordyn Huitema, from British Columbia, will be the youngest player on the team at only 17 years old. She finished as the top scorer earlier this year at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship with five goals.

Christine Sinclair is the all-

time leader in appearances (269) and goals (173) for the Canadian women’s team.

Sinclair is the second-highest goal scorer in the history of international women’s soccer.

She is 11 goals away from passing the current record holder, Abby Wambach, who played for Team USA. Sinclair is one of four players on the roster with over 100 games played for Canada.

Canada is ranked fifth in the world and is expected to make it through group stages. Other teams in their group include Costa Rica (ranked 33rd), Jamaica (ranked 71st), and Cuba (ranked 85th).

The other group feathers Trinidad, Tobago, Panama, Mexico, and the USA. The U.S is currently ranked first in the world and are the favourites to win the tournament. However, Canada will most likely make it to the final as well because the teams that ranked higher than them in the world -- Germany, England, and France -- are not participating in this tournament.

The roster is down from 23 players, which is three less than what would be on the roster for the

World Cup next summer.

The top three teams in the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2019 World Cup and the fourth-place finisher will head to a home-and-away playoff with Argentina for a spot. Canada plays their first game on October 5th at H-E-B Park in Edinburg, Texas at 8:30 p.m. ET. Here is Canada’s full roster: Forwards: Jorden Huitema, Adriana Leon, Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose, Christine Sinclair, Janine Beckie Midfielders: Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, Diana Matheson, Sophie Schmidt, Gabrielle Carle Defenders: Lindsay Agnew, Allysha Chapman, Ashley Lawrence, Emma Regan, Kadeisha Buchanan, Shelina Zadorsky, Rebecca Quinn Goalkeepers: Stephanie Labbe and Erin McLeod

CANADA SOCCER/TWITTER

Canadian star Jessie Fleming explodes up the field at the 2017 Algarve Cup.

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

11 SPORTS EDITOR JESSA BRAUN sports@thesputnik.ca

NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE

Courage win 2018 NWSL championship

North Carolina finishes the year with record-breaking season

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

JESSA BRAUN SPORTS EDITOR

North Carolina Courage beat the defending champions, Portland Thorns FC, in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) final last Saturday.

The 3-0 victory led the Courage to being the first NWSL team to win both the championship title and the NWSL shield in the same season.

The Courage also set league records for most wins (17), most

regular-season points (57), most regular season goals (53), and least goals against.

The match drew in a sell-out crowd of 21,144 – the largest audience at a professional women’s soccer game in American history.

The Thorns have a strong roster that holds well-known players such as Christine Sinclair (captain of Team Canada), Lindsey Horan (Team USA) and Tobin Heath (Team USA). The Courage roster includes star players as well, such as Sam Mewis, McCall Zerboni, Lynn Williams, Abby Dahlkem-

per (all from Team USA), and Abby Erceg (Team New Zealand).

However, North Carolina’s main advantage is their team is powerful as a unit and they really know how to connect as a team.

Two of the Courage’s goals were all thanks to Jess McDonald, who was named Championship MVP. She led the league in assists and scored 10 goals this season.

Being a mother while taking on life as a professional soccer player makes her accomplishments even more impressive.

“I think her commitment to putting soccer first has been really admirable,” Mewis told NWSL reporters. “Jess has a family, she has a lot of other things going on in her life, and for her to be performing this well is incredible. The rest of us, this is our number one priority, and she’s like, FaceTiming her kid on the bus. And I think that for her to be able to do both is such a huge accomplishment, and it’s a sign that anyone can do anything, and I think we all really admire her commitment to the team and her commitment to her family as well.”

Combined, the Courage and Thorns swept up a number of the major league awards.

Most Valuable Player: Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns) Club officials, players, media and fans voted on giving the title to Lindsey Horan. Over the course of 22 regular-season games this year, Horan played 1,980 minutes, scored 13 goals, and led the league in total touches (1,852) and duels won (297). Horan is the first MVP to have not won the Golden Boot in the same season – Sam Kerr was given that title.

The Courage also set league records for most wins (17), most regular season points (57), most regular season goals (53), and least goals against.

-Jessa Braun, Sports Editor

Defender of the Year: Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage) Abby Erceg was one of five

NWSL players to play every minute of the season. She played a crucial role in helping the Courage set the league record for fewest goals allowed in a season. The captain made 110 clearances, won 19 tackles and won 116 duels. She even headed in a couple goals and made two assists.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns) This is the second straight year Adrianna Franch has been titled Goalkeeper of the Year. She had to miss nine games this season due to injury, but nevertheless came back to help her team jump into a second-place finish after having a slow start to the season.

Coach of the Year: Paul Riley (North Carolina Courage) After leading a team that broke countless league records in one season and went unbeaten on the road for the entire year, there was no other coach more fitting for the award. Voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players and media, Riley has now won the award two years in a row.

NFL

Le’Veon Bell believes he’s worth more Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back wants more than the $14.5 million that his contract currently offers.

RYAN PRAUGHT STAFF WRITER

As the NFL season moves past week four, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell still has not returned to the team and as a result, has missed all four games his team has played.

Bell still has not signed the $14.5 million franchise tag the Steelers placed on him that prevented Bell from becoming a free agent.

James Conner has filled in for Bell and does quite well for himself running behind the Steelers offensive line.

In fact, the Steelers offense as a whole has looked much better than expected. Many sports analysts predicted the Steelers offense would struggle while Bell sat out, due to the dynamic and effective style Bell plays with.

Bell doesn’t believe $14.5 million properly represents his worth to the team, as he has demanded a salary closer to $17 million.

-Ryan Praught, Staff Writer

With the Steelers offense doing just fine and the running back

ANUJ KAPAHI/GRAPHICS EDITOR

position not looking like an area of weakness for Pittsburgh, the question has to be asked: Is Bell really worth the money he is demanding?

For many, $14.5 million is enough, especially as a running back in the NFL. Last season the highest-paid running back was Bell, making $12 million while playing on the franchise tag, much like this season.

Bell doesn’t believe $14.5 million properly represents his worth to the team, as he has demanded a salary closer to $17 million. He

wants to be paid as a number-one running back and a number-two receiver, largely in part because of his pass-catching abilities. The Steelers are not willing to pay him that much money, and their rationale would not be unjustified.

Le’Veon Bell is a tremendous football player and he is arguably the best running back in the NFL. The Steelers have benefited from having him around due to his talents, but maybe he has become an overrated player instead of an underrated one.

The Steelers offense has many weapons at their disposal, including the best receiver in the NFL in Antonio Brown, a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, as well as one of the best offensive lines in all of football. In other words, this offense can be a nightmare for opposing defenses with or without Bell. Many people overlook this when talking about Bell’s abilities, and if he were to play for another team – say the Cleveland Browns, a team that won their first game in over a year

in week three – he would be the primary focus. Bell would most definitely struggle without the aid of the rest of the Steelers superstars to take pressure off of him.

James Conner’s success suggests the Steelers can make anybody look good.

For instance, in week one, Conner had 31 carries for 135 yards and two rushing touchdowns, as well as five catches for 57 yards.

This was a better performance than anything Le’Veon Bell did in the entire 2017 season. Conner was a third-round pick in the 2017 draft and spent all of last season as Bell’s backup, but he has impressed people through the first four weeks of the 2018 season filling in for the absent Bell.

The most troubling thing for Bell is he can’t seem to stay on the field, making many wonder if he is worth more than $1 million per game. In his five-year career, Bell has played all games in the regular season and the playoffs just once.

He has had injuries, but he has also missed games for drug-related reasons, and so his dependability has been called into question.

Is a player of his calibre worth the risk that comes with spending $17 million on him? For the Pittsburgh Steelers, with an alternative such as James Conner, a survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a local player and fan favourite who works hard and has gained the respect of his teammates, the answer may very well be no.

THE SPUTNIK

12

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

CAMPUS

Brantford is more than just ‘tolerable’

The city that everyone complains about can be beautiful if you are willing to change your perspective EMILY ERNST STAFF WRITER

“Brantford” and “beautiful”: two words that are never used in the same sentence, as I learned very quickly as a first-year.

Coming from a small town surrounded by rolling hills and quaint villages, I found myself fitting right in with the hordes of first-year students complaining religiously about the - for lack of a better word - ugliness that is the Laurier Brantford campus.

As I moved through O-week, walking back and forth from Expo to RCW, I would listen to conversations around me that primarily revolved around phrases like: “Oh god, I’m gonna be mugged,” or: “How is everything here so gross,” and of course the sarcastic sigh of: “Ahhh we just love Brantford,” always followed by a nervous laugh or dramatic eye roll.

I will admit I joined in on these conversations, each time feeling increasingly sorry for myself and my choice of campus. But then one afternoon, something changed.

I was walking home from RCW. I had done up all the buttons on my coat and pulled my beret far down, attempting to shield my ears from the crisp fall wind. My eyes were watching my feet and my music was blocking out all contact with the outside world.

Suddenly, a car horn screamed, sending my heart racing down Dalhousie and causing my eyes to rocket up from their current fixation on the pavement.

As I was attempting to calm myself down, I found myself stuck in a state of shock. My eyes had landed on quite possibly the most beautiful of sunsets.

A pink sun was sitting delicately upon peach and cherry clouds - radiating the most bewitching of golden glows that I could see ghosting over every building ahead.

I was stunned, mystified. It was in that moment that I came to the conclusion…Brantford is beautiful.

A contemporary project created by Brandon Stanton, author, photographer, and videographer, broadcasts the most touching and raw examples of beauty in the scary, hard and cold streets of New York City.

In a series of photos, Stanton proved to the world that beauty can be found in even the darkest of places, the dirtiest of streets, if only you chose to look.

I recently travelled around campus asking students to spit out the first word that came to mind when I said beautiful.

I got responses of architecture, smiles, home-cooked meals, love, fall, singing, and even Euler’s Equation.

Not one person said the same thing; meaning beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Brantford is beautiful.

The thing I love most about beauty is that it is one of the most subjective things on this planet.

Beauty can be found anywhere or mean anything to anyone.

So I ask you, why is it that we are

EMILY ERNST/STAFF WRITER

A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET IN DOWNTOWN BRANTFORD

allowing ourselves to be comfortable in this Brantford loathing?

We are all dedicated, passionate and hardworking students, whose imaginations and minds are being opened and educated here.

We all know, or at least can feel the electricity that flows from the unknown. So I implore you, get out into our little town.

Explore this diamond in the rough.

Fall in love with the charm of the old, run-down buildings.

Let yourself be romanced by the sunsets and swoon in the presence of newly discovered cafes and trails - which are everywhere.

There is a certain intimacy in the aged atmosphere here. I assure

you that once you open yourself up, slap on those rose-coloured glasses and attempt to view Brantford through their deliciously tinted lenses, you will find that we are truly living in a jewel of a city.

It’s imperative to make the most of what we’ve got.

Brantford is beautiful.

NETFLIX

The Mindy Project was disappointing

If you haven’t watched the show and still want to, don’t read this article. There are a ton of spolilers ahead

AVERY MCISAAC OPINION EDITOR

A few weeks ago, I finally finished watching “The Mindy Project”.

Before you even ask, yes I know the series finale aired almost a year ago. I was just too busy watching “The Office” for the thousandth

IMDB

time to get around to it.

The premise of the show didn’t seem appealing to me at first, but I love Mindy Kaling so I was willing to give it shot.

To my surprise, I loved the show pretty much up until season five.

After growing attached to Mindy’s character because of her

humour and strength, I, like many others, was relieved she finally left Danny in season four.

In my head I knew this wouldn’t be the end of romance for her character, but I was at least hoping she would continue on this path of independence.

Her independence did continue

into season five when Mindy chose herself instead of getting back together with Danny, or allowing Jody the misogynist to woo her with expensive gifts.

I really did think at this point Mindy would finally realize she doesn’t need someone else to make her happy.

Season five seems to be where people started to have different opinions.

Some people loved the ‘Nurse Ben’ storyline. To a point I liked it too, but I think Kimberly Roots, who writes for TVLine, explained it best by saying: “He’s kind, loving, normal… and totally forgettable in the pantheon of Lahiri’s kooky loves.”

Things became more infuriating to me in season six. To be fair, I did enjoy the side stories in the season.

I was especially thrilled that Morgan and Tamra got back together.

I thought things might be turning around for the show, until Danny Castellano had to show up yet again and ruin things.

I thought it had been cleared up a million times through the series that Mindy and Danny just did not work as a couple. They had very little in common with each other; they constantly fought, and rarely agreed on what was best for their son.

Danny spent multiple episodes guilt-tripping Mindy for trying to start her own fertility practice instead of becoming a stay-at-home mom.

Danny expected Mindy to put her career on hold for their child, but refused to do the same. He literally refused to treat Mindy as

an equal in their relationship.

Danny has probably contributed two good things throughout the entire show: he and Mindy had their son Leo, which is great for both characters, and he invests in Mindy’s fertility practice when Jody pulls out. Other than that, he’s just caused frustration for most viewers.

With all of this in mind, it makes almost no sense to me that Mindy has an epiphany that Danny is “the one” in the last episode.

Sure, he invested in the practice.

Sure, he had some kind of moment where he realized he was wrong.

But that doesn’t undo all of the horrible things he’s said and done throughout the show.

Even in the very last scene, they start arguing, and Mindy defuses the argument by saying something along the lines of: “can’t we just watch TV?” Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, who writes for AV Club, said: “ Danny has hardly been in the season enough for us to have seen any real personal growth.” I have to say I agree, especially because of the last scene where they start to argue.

I personally don’t see how things between them are any different from how they were when the couple broke up the first time.

To me, the ending seemed like a total cop-out for what could have lead up to a strong female lead prioritizing herself.

I’ll always love Mindy Kaling as an actual person, but I was definitely disappointed with how she chose to end the series for her onscreen character.