BETTER CALL SAUL
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Why striving for wealth shouldn’t be your only goal
First-year’s guide to O-Week
Sports, pg. 12
Volume 22, Issue 1 - Sept 1, 2022Sputnik,We Orbit Around You.
The best places to get your study on
JEREMY VYN PHOTO EDITOR
BACK AND BETTER
LB STUDY SPACES
A look at how tv shows changed summer viewing
Opinion, pg. 11
News, pg. 3
Arts & Culture, pg. 5
NOBODY IS SELFMADE
The O-Week Issue
LOOKING FORWARD
EXPECTATIONSO-WEEK
e
Features, pg. 6-7
What’s next for LB men’s X-Country
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rst year in university, it’s a new chapter in your life and should ll you with excitement, not dread.
e lounge is fully equipped with PlayStations, year.anBrantford!welcomeaincomingWhetherplaceweeklydrop-infriendsmore.Switches,NintendoXboxesandHangoutwithafterclassortoanyoftheeventstakinginthelounge.you’reanrst-yearorreturningstudent,toLaurierHere’stoamazingschool
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Of course, rst-day (let’s be real, rstmonth) jitters are totally normal and to be expected. Here are some of my favourite spots around campus, hopefully they’ll help you feel more at home here. You are a Golden Hawk, after all.
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If you’re looking for a quick, a ordable and delicious bite to eat, stop by Lonnie’s on Market St. Prepare to be amazed at their extensive menu of poutines and deepfried snacks. Open until 3 a.m., it’s a great spot to treat yourself after a long night of studying.ecommuter lounge in the basement of Carnegie Building
Each September, I can’t help but sing myself the classic Christmas tune co-opted by Staples’ bemarketing.back-to-schoolismaycontroversial,but I truly do love back-toschool season.
is usually pretty quiet and is a hub for o -campus students.
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
If you’re looking for somewhere to warm up your lunch or a locker to store your belongings on campus, the commuter lounge has got you locatednewBrantfordluckyWecovered.areextremelyhereatLauriertohaveaGamesLoungeontherstoorofOneMarket.
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ere’s something so exhilarating about the rst day of school. Whether it’s the rst day of kindergarten, high school or your
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the Welcome Back Concert with DJ Loud Luxury taking place on the Waterloo campus is a ticketed event and open to Brantford students. Transportation between campuses will not be provided.
been swapped out for residence building and LOCUS teams which “allows for incoming students to be able to connect with those within their community, not just their oor,” said Verburg.
“De nitely come and actively listen to our speakers, participate in our Shinerama events, donate what you can,” said Arnold, “and if you’re really eager, sign up for Shinerama throughout the school year.”
“I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot so far, we can reach it,” said Arnold. “Anything above that would be amazing.”
This O-Week tradition continues to be a integral part of every fi rst-year’s community involvement experience
“I feel like I can pick something from almost every single day that I’m looking forward to,” Verburg said. She also said she’s excited to provide dinners to rst-years throughout the week with the help of local food vendors.
As Wilfrid Laurier University welcomes the class of 2027 to the Brantford campus, the Students’ Union has a jam-packed Orientation Week Betweenplanned.academic programing, socials, campus connection events and being the rst fully in-person
SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
roughout the week at nighttime events, Shinerama volunteers will sell Kernels Popcorn for $3 per bag. First-years can add to the Shineboard to complete challenges with the volunteers and icebreakers for various donation amounts.
Shinerama season is back for another year of fundraising
BAILEY ARNOLD/CONTRIBUTER
THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022 03THE SPUTNIK · NEWS
SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“Listening to individuals who are going through something like
“It’s our one O-Week event that’s more geared toward the public,” said Arnold. “So, we encourage students and rst-years to come because we think it’s a really good cause.”Shinerama volunteers on campus already started accepting
As Laurier Brantford is a smaller campus with many more commuter students compared to the Waterloo campus, accommodating for this, especially during O-Week, is important.“Wemaynot have all the exact same events, but we still like to have it the same in terms of engagement and entertainment,” said Verburg.Although O-Week programming is tailored to suit each campus,
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Students can look forward to entering to win one of three gift baskets being ra ed o throughout the week.
e nal and most anticipated event of the week will be Shine Day on Saturday, Sept. 10. Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., volunteers will be in the FreshCo (on Market St.) and the Students’ Union parking lots cheering, making posters, spreading awareness and washing cars for donations. First-years are encouraged to attend.
Funds raised for Shinerama go to Cystic Fibrosis Canada whose mission is to end cystic brosis by pushing for improved health outcomes, supporting improved access to life-saving medications, advancing research e orts and more.
“Overall, the entire week is just an amazing experience,” Verburg said. “You have all the icebreakers there and upper-year students to support you through that as well, you de nitely aren’t alone.”
Follow @campuslife_brantford on Instagram for more updates from the Students’ Union.
O-Week staff talk about what makes this year different for students
Fourth-year social work student and Shinerama executive for O-Week Bailey Arnold has been working hard all summer preparing for Shineramaorientation.isCanada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. What started out as a simple, shoe-shining fundraiser during orientation week has transformed into one with over 20,000 volunteers across 36 universities.
During move-in day on Sunday, Sept. 4, Arnold has planned for a Shine speaker, someone living with cystic brosis, to visit campus. She said she recommends all rst-years try to attend this event.
STUDENTS GATHER OUTSIDE OF LAURIER BRANTFORD TO RAISE MONEY FOR SHINERAMA
An orientation tell all
Planning for O-Week is a lengthy process with many moving parts, but it all starts with the volunteers. roughout the pandemic, volunteer numbers and engagement dropped signi cantly. is O-Week, volunteer and sta engagement is back around pre-pandemicVerburglevels.said she recognizes that the rst few days on campus can be overwhelming for some students.
orientation week since the beginning of the pandemic, the class of 2027 has a lot to look forward to thisSomeO-Week.ofthe events and sessions on schedule for O-Week include “How to make the most of O-Week”, “How not to fail univer-
ere are several events throughout the week run in partnership with Shinerama, Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser in support of cystic brosis. Students can grab a bite to eat, play dodgeball and on Shine Day (Saturday, Sept. 10), participate in a car wash fundraiser.
In planning for O-Week 2022, some minor changes were made from previous years. Move-in day will now happen on the Sunday before O-Week, followed by the Laurier O -Campus University Students’ Kicko . e classic colour teams have
this is extremely important,” said Arnold. “It kind of sets the tone for the week.”enext event and fundraising opportunity planned for the week is the Shine barbecue on Monday, Sept. 5, where students can pay $3 to ride a mechanical bull. It is followed by Shine dodgeball on Sept. 7, for which it costs $2 per person to sign up with a team.
sity”, Get Involved and Info fairs. ere’s also the Room Burn and the Mayor’s Lunch, where Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis will make anSarahappearance.Verburg, Laurier Brantford’s orientation program facilitator, said she is most looking forward to the headphone disco, carnival and Taste of Downtown.
donations through their online fundraising page. Since they began at the start of August, they’ve raised around $2,700. eir goal for the end of O-Week is to hit $5,000, up $1,000 from the previous year.
WELCOME HOME LAURIER BANNERS OUTSIDE OF CARNEGIE BUILDING KOYAL VYAS/CONTRIBUTER
As published on the Shinerama website, cystic brosis is the one of the most common fatal genetic diseases a ecting Canadian children and young adults, and a child born with cystic brosis only has a 50 per cent chance of living to the age of 54. More than 4,000 Canadians have attended specialized clinics for cystic brosis, but there is no cure at Cysticpresent.brosis mainly a ects the lungs and digestive system. Damage to the lungs due to ongoing infections is often the cause of death for those with cystic brosis.
kinds of programs for kids to build their literacy early and then be able to continue building throughout their lives,” said Ozols.
EXTERIOR OF THE BRANTFORD LIBRARY SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHER/ FILE PHOTO
“Because of Laurier Students for Literacy, we’re able to o er them out of the library [almost] yearround,” said Ozols.
is is especially important in Brantford, where the Graduate Brantford Strategy reports that around 17 per cent of adults aged 25 to 64 do not have a high school certi cate. at’s between three to ve per cent higher than the rest of Ontario and Canada.
Buccioni. “Anything we have to o er, they’ll take advantage of, so that’s a really great impact that we get to have in the community.”
PUBLICATION OF
CHOICE radio laurier the cord the keystone
“I have a lot of people reach out to me saying their children have some kind of learning disability, but they don’t have the money to [hire] a professional tutor,” said
You’ll get to share your passion and talents by commemorating student life in 2021/2022 while gaining transferable skills and some pals along the way application: submit cover letter, portfolio and/or resume to president@wlusp.com
POSITION
“With the pandemic, so many kids are falling behind and their parents are desperate to help them catch up,” said Buccioni. Due to the rise in enrollment, LSFL is recruiting new volunteers. Interested students can email ls club@gmail.com.
e Brantford Public Library has run their free summer reading program, Read On, for more than 30 years. e manager of programming and partnerships at the library, Zile Ozols, said she isn’t aware of many more free programs.
Literacy is the “cornerstone of lifelong learning,” said Ozols. Without it, it’s hard to succeed in school and later in life, work.
04 THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022THE SPUTNIK · NEWS
WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED...
LSFL volunteers prepare to host homework and reading clubs for elementary school-aged students once again this fall. Volunteers decide for themselves if their sessions will be held in-person at the Brantford Public Library or virtually.
Laurier Students for Literacy and the Brantford Public Library continue their years-long partnership to o er after-school programs for local kids.
Laurier Students for Literacy o ers tutoring programs for local kids
“We’ve had a lot of kids who speak English as their second
Both Book Buddies and Reading Club already have waitlists for the fall term. LSFL expects around 70 kids to enroll in their programs.
language,” said Megan Buccioni, the LSFL President and fth-year youth and children’s studies student.“eir parents either don’t speak any English or they’re also learning,” said Buccioni. “ ey just moved here during the pandemic, so they didn’t have that opportunity to go out and practice with other EnglishBeingspeakers.”oneofthe few free tutoring programs in the area, LSFL volunteers often work with children from lower-income families.
LSFL tries their best to make their programs accessible to students of all backgrounds.
Editor-in-Chief
LSFL will host three di erent tutoring and reading programs throughout the year.
WRITINGWRITING CAMPUS LIFEPHOTOGRAPHY
Homework Help is a drop-in program running three times a week - once in French - for children in Grades 3 to 8. Book Buddies pairs an LSFL volunteer with
University students offer after school help in local community library to young learners new to the Brantford area
a child for a one-on-one reading session and runs Mondays through ursdays. Reading Club is for students in Grades 6 to 8 and is held twice on Fridays to allow as many kids as possible to participate.
“It’s important to o er these
WLUSP hiringIS
SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
IT WAS A GOOD DAY // ICE CUBE
PINK + WHITE // FRANK OCEAN
LESS THAN ZERO // THE WEEKND
EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD // TEARS FOR FEARS
GOODIE BAG // STILL WOOZY
AS IT WAS // HARRY STYLES
BAD HABIT // STEVE LACY
DREAMIN OF THE PAST // PUSHA T, KANYE WEST INTIMIDATED (FEAT. H.E.R) // KAYTRANADA, H.E.R
SILK CHIFFON // MUNA, PHOEBE BRIDGERS
HOLD ON, WE’RE GOING HOME // DRAKE, MAJID JORDAN GIRL ON FIRE // ALICIA KEYS
RED BONE // CHILDISH GAMBINO SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE // MUSE
BROKEN CLOCKS // SZA
MOVIN’ OUT (ANTHONY’S SONG) // BILLY JOEL
I WANNA BE YOURS // ARCTIC MONKEYS
ColouringSudoku
HELL N BACK // BAKAR
BULLET PROOF SOUL // SADE
THE PERFECT MIX FOR THE START OF CLASSES
Don’t be unprepared.caught
THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022 05THE SPUTNIK · GAMES
PLAYLISTBACK-TO-CAMPUS
Page
FAMILY TIES (WITH KENDRICK LAMAR) // BABY KEEP, KENDRICK LAMAR SOFTCORE // THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
TEK IT // CAFUNÉ
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06 SEPTEMBER 2022 · 07THE SPUTNIK · FEATURES CAMPUS
If you were planning on studying in MPR, but found the room to be occupied, you won’t have to go far to find somewhere else to study. The upper floor of the Students’ Union building has space for you to hunker down. If you find youself in need of a distraction, you’ll find plenty of windows here, great for people watching.
The multi-purpose room located on Darling St., in the Students’ Union Building basement is exactly as the name suggest, a room with multiple purposes. This room can aslo be booked for events by clubs and associations on campus, so be sure to have a backup study space, just in case.
Research & Academic Centre - West (RCW)
Market Place
Being one of the biggest buildings on campus and home to our two biggest lecture halls, you’ll often find students studying here. If you don’t mind distractions and appreciate the hustle and bustle of campus, RCW is the perfect spot for some quick in-between-lecture studying.
Multi-Purpose Room (MPR)
JEREMY VYN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Laurier Brantford’s best study spaces
Market Place is Laurier Brant ford’s most recently renovated building. Since undergoing reno vations, a new spacious study area has been opened up, equipped with enough seating to accommo date your whole study group. The basement floor has gone through a significant makeover and has seen the addition of the Level One Lounge, another great study and hangout space.
Pull up a chair and get comfy, it’s time to hit the books
Students’ Union Building
08 THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022THE SPUTNIK · ARTS & CULTURE
BETTER CALL SAUL SCREENCAP CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Like all good things, this pre cious season must come to an end. But before we move forward into the depths of academia, I think a look at some of the art that’s graced our small screens these past few months is an apt way to remember this time by. Consider this article a solemn farewell to the life-chang ing seasons of television that have marked the summer of 2022 in my mind
I’ll leave it at this - Better Call Saul executes every component of television with more exper tise than almost any other show does the one thing they’re best at. Heart-wrenching dramatic performances, in-depth character exploration, cinematography that rivals some of the most visually memorable films I’ve ever seen, you name it – it’s all combined into one near-perfect piece of work. Do yourself a favour and watch Breaking Bad if you haven’t, but what you really need to do is watch Better Call Saul, it’s the gift that keeps on SEVERENCEgiving.(2021 to pres ent); directed by Ben Stiller, Aoife McArdle.WhenI think of wholly original and intriguing premises for stories, the likes of The Truman Show, The Purge, that one episode of Black Mirror where the British Prime Minister is blackmailed into having intercourse with a literal pig, The Sixth Sense and Groundhog Day are a few that come to mind. In an era of remakes, reboots and boring plot premises succeeding due to skillfully executed character stud ies, I truly believe there is a lost art in coming up with unique, what-ifthis-was-a-real-thing plots.
MARISA CERASOLI LEAD ARTS & CULTURE WRITER
It’s a testament to the writing and production prowess of Gilligan and Gould that they could create a spin-off of a series that is widely considered to be the best of all time and have many critics and fans alike consider it to be even more expertly crafted than the original series. It’s the type of defi ance of the whole yer.morallyknowingtheourBreakingseriesfoundandloveable,byhaverightmanyrootbecomesBreakingthaninthat,writing-productionnearlythehowFrasier.arguablybeforethatstrike-the-same-spot-twicelightning-won’t-notionhasonlyeverreallybeenseeninthelikesofCheersanditsmoreproficientspin-off,Perhapspartofthatsuccessisdifferentintoneandpurposetwoseriesare,despiteutilizingtheexactsamecrewandteams.BeyondwatchingBetterCallSaulisalotofways,moredevastatingtheemotionally-scarringBad,whereWalterWhitenearlyimpossibletoforbytheseries’end,(thoughwell-adjusted,morallyupindividualswouldprobablydeemedhimirredeemableseasonthree).SaulGoodmanisfundamentallyadmirableredeemablethroughhisproloveforhislady,KimWexler.Toaddinsulttoinjury,sincetheservesasaprequelstorytoBad,wealreadyknowprotagonistisn’tgoingtodieinend.We’rewatchingtheshowthathisfateisthatofabankrupt,comicrelieflawNothingmorethanaone-di
both of them. The pain on either side of the Lumon door doesn’t
When I think about most of my favourite shows, the general premises aren’t particularly unique or fascinating in and of themselves, they’re just delivered exception ally well. Severance is a beautiful example where both are true. I present to you director Ben Stiller’s
mensional caricature, the worst version of himself and that is a fate I would say is worse than death.
The Seasons of Our Lives: Television
BETTERforever.CALL SAUL (2015 to 2022); created by Vince Gilligan, PeterI’mGould.goingto restrain myself from monopolizing this entire article with a Better Call Saul tangent. To put it simply, I would say this was probably the greatest series on net work television during its run and is definitely in the running as one of the most exquisite TV dramas everMuchmade.to my sorrow, thwe series wrapped up this past month with a beautifully shot black-and-white finale that suited the emotional journey of our central characters, the same journey the audience has been along for the ride for the past sixAfteryears.the ending for Breaking Bad in 2013, if you had tried to tell fans of the show that Saul Good man – the goofy, corrupt lawyer full of colourful metaphor - would go on to be written as one of the most complex TV protagonists ever and become the true main character of the Gilligan cinematic universe, they would have told you to pitch that absurdity to the Ripley’s Museum. If you told them the Saul Goodman they’d become familiar with would also be written
disappear.Atitscore, Severance is about humanity and our constant quest for meaning, for connection and ultimately, for happiness. I suppose that old Jurassic Park adage – “life finds a way” – is a recurring theme throughout the show. Similar to Steven Spielberg’s dinos, Lumon can’t really suppress humanity no matter how hard they try. So, for anyone out there who’s planning to adopt Lumon’s busi ness model (I’m looking at you Jeff Bezos), I would consider the fact that that would be a terrible idea. It makes for great television though.
I guess all of this is to say that if anyone loves long-form storytell ing as much as I do or even if you don’t, these are two of my own rec ommendations I feel will go down in history and that have captured my imagination this past summer.
I feel extremely lucky I can turn to long-form storytelling whenever I feel like it. I believe television to truly be one of the most enriching art forms, especially now with all the possibilities of streaming and the creative renaissance that the small screen has been undergoing. My advice to you is to sit down and really enjoy these complex, yearsin-the-making stories whenever you get the chance to. Seasons of any given television series come and go with the seasons of the year and some of my favourite summer nights have been spent kicking back and losing myself in a Mon day-night premier of a Better Call Saul episode.
REVIEW
as one-half of an all-time grand ro mance in a love story rivaling those of the Old Hollywood classics, they would have figured you for a legitimately insane person.
greatest artistic ee,andtherunimmensetodealremindsititnotsomeourselvessubtlecapitalism,commentiteranceeverycharactersoftoundergovationsinterestingofquestionssacrilegeIvisuallyundoubtedlyopeninghadexceededbleandpermanentlyoperationLumon,post-Zoolander.achievementHere’sthegist-acompany,offersitsemployeesanthatcompletelyandseparatestheirworkpersonalmemories.SeveranceishelmedbyacapateamresultinginaseriesthatthehighexpectationsIfromthemomentIfirstsawitsthemesequence(whichisthemostchillingandstunningthemesequencehaveevergazedupon;itwouldbetoskipit).Apartfromthecountlessmoralraisedbythenotionsuchanoperation,themorepointslieinthemotibehindwhyanyonewouldtheseveranceprocedurebeginwithandwhy,forthelovePete,dosomeofourcentralkeepgoingbacktoworkday.Likegoodarttendstodo,Sevasksmorequestionsthananswers.Theseriesmanagestoonthesoullessnessofmakesomenot-so-allusionstohowweslaveawaytoourjobs,despitepartofourselvesbeggingustoandaboveeverythingelse,reallymakesyouquestionwhatmeanstobehuman.Inturn,itusthatpartofthecrappyofbeinghumanishavingdealwithtravesty,griefandpain–there’snowaytofromit.Itworkssowellbecausedespitetug-of-warbetweentheworkrealversionsofeachemployyoufeelsoprofoundlybadfor
Refecting on two different television shows and how they influenced a summer of content consumtion
Want to get invovled?Findout how here
Anyone capable of critical thought, however, understands the real truth that a middle ground does exist. That success is subjective. That all human beings have an intrinsic value that supersedes a bank balance or a paycheck. That it’s OK to make mistakes because life is hard and no one has a crystal ball to see the future.
VINCE MASSON OPINIONS LEAD REPORTER
SOCIAL MEDIA
On Aug. 25, 2022, internet person ality Andrew Tate went onto Tucker Carlson’s show to discuss his ban from almost all social media
Let’s be clear about something – Tate’s popularity doesn’t come from the wisdom of his words, it comes from the controversy those words produce. He’s not saying anything particularly wise or
Tatewisdom.was a kickboxer for many years. That’s an activity that involves gambling big. You spend months preparing for a fight that could end via knockout in five seconds flat. Lose enough matches in a row and it’s all over for you. It’s an all-or-nothing game. You either win or you lose. That’s the kind of psychology Tate deals in. No in-be tween exists for these bros. There is no grey area. You are rich or you are poor. You are successful or you are a loser. You have a big house or
10 THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022THE SPUTNIK · OPINION
you have a small one.
What kind of nuggets of wisdom will we be spared, now that Tate has been banned from Twitter? Maybe something like his 2017 tweet about “Depressiondepression.isn’treal.You feel sad, you move on. You will always be depressed if your life is depressing. Change it. Thread,” wrote Tate.
The irony? I can’t think of a life
more depressing than living for pleasure and roping cash-strapped young men into a “Hustler’s Uni versity” that teaches them how to be greedy and manipulative. The other irony? That depression hits the hardest when you’ve got every thing you’ve ever wanted and are left with the sad reality that you’re still empty on the inside. I suppose Tate will have to wait for that day.
course that will get you nowhere. But he didn’t because he doesn’t actually care about men or their mental health. He cares about followers. He cares about himself. He’s right that there is an issue among men, though it’s their obsession with turning greedy morons like him into prophets of
I waited for him to go into a spiel about how suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 45 in his native Britain, but no such explanation came. I was waiting for the part when he said he’s so concerned about the state of men’s mental health, in fact, that he’s offering free kickboxing lessons to anyone who wants them rather than a pathetic online
“Theyplatforms.banned me simply because I had a large swath of the population agreeing to traditional masculine values,” Tate said. “I have fast cars, a big house, a lot of money and a beautiful girlfriend.”
ANDREW TATE IN HIS FINAL MESSAGE TO SUPPORTERS SHARED TO ON VIMEO AUG. 23
Peopleinteresting.aren’t
Tate suggested these reasons made him a prime victim for cancellation by “Liberal degenerates”. The truth is much simpler – what he spews is hate masquerading as wisdom.
“I think that men’s issues are large ly overlooked...,” Tate said.
debating the validity of his statements, they’re simply reeling in shock from them. Shock is entertainment and people love entertainment. It’s a classic Alpha Bro strategy – spew nonsense, then cry wolf when people get tired of hearing it.
Influencer banned from social media platforms after weeks of online outrage
CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
The Irony of the Alpha Bro
WEALTH
what George Carlin said about self- help books, “That’s not self-help, that’s help.”
Yet, Forbes’ 2022 list released this July claims that aside from Oprah, Rihanna is the youngest self-made billionaire in the world. Why do we continue to think of success in such a narrow, selfish and narcis sistic way? We should recognize this bluster for what it is - a conve nient, yet completely misleading explanation for why some people are successful and others are not.
Did Rihanna grow her own food? Did she sew her own clothing? Did she look after herself while her parents were at work? Oh, right. That’s not what Forbes meant by “self-made”. They mean the kind of “self-made” where I exploit a team of underlings by paying them poverty-level wages so that I, and I alone, benefit. They mean the kind of “self-made” where I monopolize a product by ruthlessly denigrating and exploiting the competition.
our peers in the dust as we soar to new heights of fame and fortune. We will, in other words, be special. Of course, for most of us, it’s not possible. But hey, who bothers with those nasty details anymore? And why do we pursue this kind of “success”? To make the world a better place for our children? No, so we can enrich ourselves and flee from the very people that helped us get there.
and it’s borderline destructive.
Why do we deny that we live in a society that works in tandem together for everyone’s benefit and instead believe we’re all Robinson Crusoe’s on our little personal island of wealth? It makes no sense
VINCE MASSON LEAD OPINIONS REPORTER
To say making music is a team ef fort would be the understatement of the year. Rihanna would not have a single track if it weren’t for audio mixers, engineers and record labels. The truth is so many people have helped make Rihanna who she is, I would need 10 pages just to list them all. There’s a reason why award shows go on for so long – the winners take a lot of time to acknowledge the help they got.
Why do we continue to focus on money as a measure of personal success when study after study suggests that above a certain level, it makes no difference to your hap piness? It’s an ego war designed to make you feel insecure and inadequate, to make you feel guilty for any time spent not making money. It makes you feel like a failure for being okay with a stable, middle-class life.
THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022 11THE SPUTNIK · OPINION
Our businesses will take off and we’ll be rich (self-made, no less). We’ll be great artists who’ll leave
I’d like to propose something radical – maybe there are worse things in life than not being a “selfmade” billionaire. As a matter of fact, there’s more integrity in being a responsible, honest member of your community. I have been involved in community theatre for the last 10 years. We spend months rehearsing a show only to put on two performances that, due to the nature of theatre, will never be seen again.
All that work for a very fleeting moment of glory that reaps no financial profits. And yet, there’s something very beautiful and pow
erful about the idea that there are people in your community who are not just looking for another harebrained money-making scheme, but real people who enjoy doing things because it’s fun.
Being self-made is fake and over rated, I say.
We expect our children to grow up and stop believing in Santa Claus, while expecting them to believe in something equally strange - the myth of the exception to the rule. The myth that they’ll beat the odds one day and make billions, even though they have a better chance of being struck by lightning while being attacked by a shark. Our culture perpetuates the idea that if we personally work hard enough, we too can be as rich as those on the Forbes list.
JEREMY VYN /PHOTO EDITOR Canadian $20, $50 and $100 bills fanned out on a spread of coins
How people can consider help from other people to be “selfmade” is beyond my comprehen sion.It’slike
I’m sure you don’t need a re minder of how well the everyone-for-themselveswholemodel of thinking is going, but I’ll give you one anyway. The planet is currently on track to surpass the 1.5 degrees limit that the World Meteorological Association said was the key to keeping the planet livable. Because we are so obsessed with ourselves and everyone is out to prove that they are “self- made”, we’re ignor ing this problem and watching it get worse. We can no longer exer cise the muscles of generosity and empathy because we’ve let them go limp and unused for so long.
Myth: The self-made billionare
Rihanna named Forbes’ youngest self-made billionaire
A new season is always exciting for any sport. It’s a fresh start for
12 THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022THE SPUTNIK · SPORTS
“It was a challenge for sure keeping everyone motivated during the pandemic because we didn’t know when races would start up again but setting short realistic goals to keep them active and t was key for everyone.” said Cory Currie, head coach for Laurier Brantford cross-country team.
“I’mseason.excited for OCAA, it’s going to be in under Bay and super hilly. My favorite kind of races because speed isn’t the only thing that matters, endurance does too,” said Chiara Carinci, team captain for Laurier Brantford women’s cross-country team. “Hills will separate the ones that are putting in the work from those who aren’t.”
What’s next for Laurier Brantford cross-country?
everyone and it shows if athletes have been putting in the work over the o
Comingseason.o an impressive season where the girls team captured bronze at provincials qualifying them for nationals, as well team members qualifying as individuals on the men’s side. It was their rst time back competing after almost two years of no competition due to COVID-19 shutting down all school competitions.
A lot of eyes will be put on this team this year.
e women’s team is ready to get
missing nearly two years of physical activity is di cult but after last year’s performance, the team proved their ability.
Definitely getting to nationals would be a dream scenario in my rookie year
in. ey will have to work hard as a team and battle it out on the course, but I feel like we can make another appearance to the national stage again,” said Currie. “On our guys side, we have two new freshman coming in that will make an immediate impact for our men’s side to help them make a national berth since 2018,” he added.
I’m excited for OCAA, it’s going to be in Thunder Bay and super hilly. My favourite kind of races because speed itsn’t the only thing that matters..
A look to the future for the team after a succesful season
e Golden Hawks kick o their season on Sept. 23, 2022, at Seneca College.
With new faces comes new challenges, not just on the individual but on the team as well. During the o -season, the team brought in a couple of new runners that they hope will help them improve for the upcoming 2022/23 season.
JACKSON RICE SPORTS LEAD REPORTER
Chiara Carinci, team captain
MICHEAL P. HALL/CONTRIBUTED IMAGE PHOTO FROM THE 2021/22 LB CROSS COUNTRY TEAM PHOTOSHOOT
VARSITY
“ is season we lost some of our women to graduation. We have 4 strong women and 2 new coming
After a strong performance last year, Laurier Brantford’s cross-country team aims for another competitive year for their 2022 fall
“De nitely getting to nationals would be a dream scenario in my rookie year.” said Kirby Blackman, a rst-year runner in this upcoming season. “I feel I can bring a never-give-up attitude to the team.”Ifthe men’s team reach nationals this year, it will be the second time in school history.
A never-give-up attitude is an important part of a sport like cross-country. ere are many challenges runners go through during and after the season. e most important is being t and healthy.“Lastseason we barely had any races, and everyone came o a year-long break,” said Carinci
back in action and seek to achieve higher accomplishments this season, while the men hope to qualify as a team this year.
Kirby Blackman, rookie
Having a good mindset after