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WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE SAIT STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 88 ISSUE 19
ACAD student goes for gold with Canadian bobsled team Page 7
EVERY MONDAY THEWEAL.COM
February 24, 2014
Art gives women a voice Page 5 Curvy or skinny? Good news...it doesn’t matter! Page 11
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NEWS EDITOR Crystal Schick
NEWS WRITER Position available
A&E EDITOR Inonge Chimwaso
A&E WRITER Husson Zaman
LIFESTYLE EDITOR Yashica Anandani
LIFESTYLE WRITER Krista Conrad
OPINIONS EDITOR Monica Henderson
SPORTS EDITOR Steve Sucha
SPORTS WRITER
BY AMANDA HANNA SAITSA VP STUDENT LIFE
Andrew Halipchuk
PHOTO EDITOR Brent Calver
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Evan Buhler
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Mikaela MacKenzie
ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Susan Kim
LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR Patricia Rye
LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR
Elections are in full swing! This Friday, February 28th will be the deadline for all nominations. I am so excited for everyone involved and can’t wait to see the results. I know some candidates have a head-start, but don’t let that stop you. If you think you are the best candidate
for any one of the positions, then get in there and put up a fight! It’s hard to believe how fast my term as VP Student Life at SAITSA has gone. I never expected to run for the position in the first place, but I couldn’t be happier that I did. This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs I have ever held. After graduating from the Business Administration program with a major in Marketing, I was pretty set on just getting out and going into the field to find my “dream” job. A good friend and colleague, Tegan Cochrane (along with a couple of my instructors), told me to consider running for the Students’ Executive Council in the SAITSA Elections. I didn’t think about it very long before deciding to just go for it and see what happened. The perks sounded amazing, and I knew I could rock it. The campaign alone was an experience
and a half; I talked to— and connected with—more students in more programs than I thought possible. Hearing what different people liked and disliked about our campus, as well as what they wanted to see here, made me even more passionate about winning; and winning a campus-wide vote is a pretty incredible feeling! From that moment on it was full-tilt: we travelled the country to seek out best practices from other schools, and met other student leaders who were just as keen about making a difference as we were. I brought everything I learned over the summer to our campus with the hopes of charging up the sense of community and really engaging our students. I knew this wouldn’t be hard since I have such an amazing team to work with who help make everything possible. Getting to
put my marketing knowledge and skills to good use right out of school was perfect and I definitely grew my skill set this year. Although my term isn’t up yet, I am so excited to see the next crew and what they will each bring to the table. This has been an experience I wish every student could have. If (like I did) you are battling with the question of whether or not to run, then just do it! You have absolutely nothing to lose and an amazing, lifechanging experience to gain. Good luck, everyone!v
The Executive Corner is a weekly column series written and submitted by members of the SAITSA Students’ Executive Council. This content is unedited by The Weal’s staff.
IGNITE project encourages discussion among Alberta’s post-secondary students
Alannah Pohran
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BY AMANDA SIEBERT WEAL WRITER
Jennifer Poon
FACT CHECKER Evan Whitmore
SOCIAL MEDIA GURU Jordyn Thomson
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Heather Setka, Publications Manager ph. 284-8077 / fax 210-4216 Advertising deadlines Bookings Monday @ noon Published every Monday during the academic year by SAITSA (SAIT Students’ Association). The Weal V219, 1301-16 Ave. N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2M 0L4 Fax: 403-210-4216 The Weal serves the SAIT community by promoting student activities, presenting news of interest to its members, and by fostering a learning environment in which members may participate; the newspaper is supported by student fees. The Weal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Canadian University Press. Contents do not reflect the views of SAIT or SAITSA. Printed direct-to-plate Adobe Acrobat International Web exPress.
Canadian University Press
On Feb. 5, SAIT hosted a media launch for an initiative lead by post-secovndary umbrella organizations in Alberta called IGNITE: Ideas for Post Secondary Education. The launch, which took place on the third floor of the Johnson-Cobbe Energy Centre, attracted 20 attendees and was hosted by SAIT Students’ Association (SAITSA) Vice President External Kenneth Taylor and University of
Calgary Students’ Union Vice President External Conner Brown. IGNITE: Ideas for Post Secondary Education is a project that began with a two-day conference at the University of Alberta on February 2013. The project—which is led by students from the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS), the Alberta Graduate Council (AGC), and the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC)—aims to engage Alberta’s post-secondary
students in conversation regarding issues that are pertinent to their education. In the fall of 2013, IGNITE offered students two ways to share their feedback on these issues after pairing with Edmonton-based consulting firm Banister Research and Consulting Inc. Banister led focus groups at 22 of Alberta’s 25 credit-granting public postsecondary institutions, and the firm also created an online survey based on information from the conference held last February. “Students want to make sure they’re getting a quality education for their dollar,” said Taylor when discussing the feedback given by students. Calgary Buffalo MLA Kent Hehr attended the event in support of the project, and agreed that students involved in CAUS, AGC, and ASEC were right to start identifying problems through IGNITE. “The quality of education is not declining, but it’s not improving with increased cost,” he said when comparing the cost of post-secondary education during his generation to the dramatic tuition increase we see today. According to IGNITE’s summary of findings, the most frequently mentioned priority brought up in the focus groups after quality of education was accessibility, in terms of both cost and geographic access to courses and programs. Taylor explained that Alberta currently has the lowest post-
secondary enrollment in Canada, and also offers the fewest number of seats to applicants, with an average of one seat available for every 15 eligible students that apply. About half of IGNITE’s focus groups credited Alberta’s economy as the largest driver of the low post-secondary participation rate, especially because of the large number of high-paying jobs available that do not require post-secondary education. An overwhelming 83 per cent of students surveyed said that more grants and bursaries need to be offered in order to reduce debt-load among students. The majority of survey respondents agreed that both the provincial and federal governments need to direct more funding to postsecondary institutions to improve long-term growth in enrollment. IGNITE’s report also covered other topics that survey respondents were concerned with on a lesser level, such as quality of teaching, research, and access to better online tools. According to Brown, the ministry was more than willing to be a fundamental partner with Alberta’s post-secondary umbrella organizations, and they are planning to the expand the program in the future. Students can read more about IGNITE at www.ignitealberta. ca, and any feedback can be sent to info@ignitealberta.ca.
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Seasons cookbook now on sale, get it while it’s hot BY SABRINA SCARPINO WEAL WRITER
SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism’s first ever published cookbook Seasons offers inspiration for seasonal flavours. Released on Thursday, Jan. 30, Seasons features a collection of over 100 recipes from holiday-themed winter recipes to dishes full of the fresh flavours of spring. The idea for the cookbook first came from Tom Bornhorst, the Dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism, and Gord Nixon, the Vice-President of Education at SAIT. Over 30 SAIT faculty members contributed to the cookbook, which took just under a year to produce. Seasons, as the title implies, features recipes geared towards different seasons, and each season features recipes that are made with ingredients available during that season. “It’s something that won’t just sit on a bookshelf,” said Chef Michael Dekker, a culinary instructor at SAIT who worked on the book’s winter recipes. “You can have it out and actively cook with it all
year round.” Dekker, the former executive chef of Calgary’s Rouge restaurant, thinks the cookbook showcases the strengths of SAIT’s culinary faculty. “It’s a collaboration between a very talented faculty coming together to create something that turned out quite beautiful,” he said. The proceeds of the book’s sales will go towards offsetting publishing costs of the book and the “fabulous photography,” according to Dekker. Money will also be put back into the School of Hospitality and Tourism to help develop its various programs. Dekker was unsure of the exact number of sales, but said that “quite a few” copies have been sold so far. Dekker said he enjoys all the recipes in the cookbook because they’re all unique and they appeal to different skill levels. “There’s something to challenge the home cook as well as something that’s really accessible,” he said. Chef Andrew Hewson, a chef instructor from the
SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism has cooked up the Seasons cookbook, comprised of recipes from over 30 members of SAIT faculty. BRENT CALVER PHOTO
Culinary Campus downtown, contributed four recipes to the cookbook. Hewson worked with three other chefs and one pastry chef on the summer recipes. “We were asked to submit recipes for dishes we would cook if we were having family or friends over for a meal during that season,” he said.
Hewson expects the book to be a hit with SAIT students who have gone through the culinary program, as well as the general public and anyone else who has a connection to SAIT. “For [School of Hospitality and Tourism] alumni, it will also make a great keepsake of all the time they spent learning
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from the various chefs in the book,” he said. Hewson is pleased with how the book turned out. “It ranks right up there with any of the top cookbooks on the shelf today,” he said. Seasons can be purchased for $40 at the Marketplace on the main SAIT campus or at the downtown Culinary Campus.
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CULTURE FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY
Different art forms give women a voice BY INONGE CHIMWASO A&E EDITOR
Over the years, Calgary has been recognized for more than just its suits and cowboy hats, since it’s slowly grown into a lively cultural hub. Despite this progress, local artist Adrienne Adams says Calgary still lacks recognition for the feminine gender. “There’s lots of silence in our culture, there’s lots of silence around real experiences of female sexuality,” she said. To help break this silence, this poet and visual artist created Woolf’s Voices, a quarterly event that honours feminine qualities such as “kindness and compassion”. Virginia Woolf, the British writer born in 1882, who advocated modernism and feminism, inspired the name of the event. Woolf wrote an extended essay entitled A Room of One’s Own. And according to Adams, because Woolf’s Voices was created to give women a place to express their femininity, “in a sense Woolf’s Voices is all about creating a room of one’s own.” The performers are also meant to represent a wolf pack
Feeling that women needed a greater voice in Calgary, Adrienne Adams created Woolf’s Voices as a means of expressing femininity. MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO
and the event features “a chorus of Woolf’s voices.” “The purpose is to create a space for women or femaleidentified people to bring their voice and to honour the feminine [side of the world],” she said. While males are more than welcome to fill the audience, Woolf’s Voices is made up of an all-women roster. This certainly doesn’t mean that support of the opposite sex isn’t important. Instead, having
male support at the events is just as crucial to honouring the feminine gender. “We honour a lot of masculine qualities like logic and assertiveness, or qualities that we associate with the masculine,” Adams explained. “And a lot of feminine qualities like kindness and compassion are not actively valued and rewarded in the same way.” Through the use of spoken word poetry, each artist shares experiences that are often
thought provoking while presenting their own definition of feminism. According to Adams, poetry is a form of expression that holds a lot of honesty. This honesty allows the poet to grow, but reciting their poetry has the possibility of enriching those who are listening. “There’s something healing about going up and sharing your own stories and about hearing other people’s stories. It penetrates and emerges into different
forms of our psyche and takes hold and lingers there and takes space in our brains,” said Adams. While the performances are heavily weighted towards poets, music is also a big part of the event. Because “music is like a language and a voice of it’s own,” it has the ability to stimulate the mind while telling a story of its own. According to Adams, music also possesses some feminine qualities—whether it’s found in the tone, softness or melody of a song. Since the event first began on Aug. 28, 2013, at Shelf Life Books, Woolf’s Voices has remained a spoken word and musical event. But on Feb. 26, Adams has decided to add visual art to the event’s itinerary. Because visual art is her primary medium, this ACAD grad is pleased to host the next event in Motions Gallery to bring exposure to some of Calgary’s many visual artists. Beginning at 7 p.m., the night will host an array of talented artists. And while the event is free, people are encouraged to bring a voluntary cover that will go towards the artists.
Art and technology ACAD alumni featured in the school’s latest exhibit BY HUSSON ZAMAN A&E WRITER
Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD)–’s School of Critical and Creative Studies instructor, Diana Sherlock, has teamed up with ACAD design alumni in order to investigate the relationship between contemporary craft and emerging digital media through an exhibit called In The Making. In the Making began on Jan. 16, and it is the first of a series of shows that will be curated by Sherlock, who hopes the exhibit will start to push the boundaries of visual art. “I want to challenge some of the assumptions and stereotypes about disciplinary practice,” she explained. “I am interested in how artists are making things and how this will reflect and
shape the ways we think about our world.” Sherlock was born and raised in Calgary, and embraced the art culture of the city from the beginning. After graduating from the University of Calgary, she went on to work in several artist-run centres in various capacities over the years including Stride Gallery and Banff Centre’s Walter Phillips Gallery. Sherlock has also launched her independent career as a curator working with local galleries and museums. The idea for In the Making arose when Sherlock was asked to be the curator in residence at ACAD for the 2011/2012 school year, and continues to hold this title today. As part of her responsibilities, she was required to put together an alumni show.
Sherlock took the opportunity to go against the grain and put together an alumni show that would stand out against the rest by making art the focus of the show. Emphasizing the art is exactly what In the Making is doing. A series of new media and contemporary craft pieces are now on display, and Sherlock hopes the art will speak for itself. “I don’t think any of these common models of alumni shows ever show the artists’ work to its best advantage,” she said. ”They rarely contribute anything to the dialogue on contemporary art because they are mainly structured to show off the institution, not the art.” She also encourages readers and art enthusiasts alike
Trial II by Hyang Cho, graphite script on Stonehenge paper, extends out into the Illingworth Kerr Gallery. The piece is one of several highlighting the overlay between art and modern materials and techniques. BRENT CALVER PHOTO
to come and discover exactly what the exhibit is doing with craft and media. Sherlock explained that the exhibit is showing good signs of momentum, and hopes this year will be the start to a series of similar alumni shows. “I’m convinced it’s a good
model and that there are several more fantastic shows in the making.” The In the Making exhibit is free admission and will be on display in the Illingworth Kerr Gallery, located in the main hall of ACAD, Tuesdays through Saturdays until March 1.
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A guide to the Oscars BY STEVE SUCHA SPORTS EDITOR
March 2 will mark the 86th annual Academy Awards and The Weal has put together a guide to help Oscar fans sift through all of the year’s nominations. This year, the Academy Awards honours some of the most impressive talents in acting, directing and writing the award show has ever put forward. Listed below are a few of the more popular categories along with: a few notable nominees, our guess as to who is most likely to win the Oscar, and a snake in the grass for each category that could steal the Oscar from the fan favorite. Best Picture According to CBC.ca the fanfavoured American Hustle and the space thriller Gravity are leading the Oscar race for best picture. While the colourful American Hustle can definitely be considered a fan favourite and an acting buffet, Gravity saw an amazing performance from Sandra Bullock. However, neither can compare to a story of slavery. Also up for best picture is 12 years A Slave, which IMDB.com says is “the perfect movie” and is going to win for best picture. The hidden gem in this category is not really a hidden gem at all. The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by filmmaking titan Martin Scorsese, provided audiences with dark laughs and an even darker look at the life of a stockbroker. Don’t be surprised
if you see Scorsese and his cast accepting the Oscar for Best Picture of 2014. Best Actor in a leading role If you look at the listed nominees in this category, you will see the same man who starred in such disasters as How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days or Fools Gold, but your eyes are not deceiving you. Matthew McConaughey is, in fact, nominated for the best actor award for his performance in the bold and surprisingly educational Dallas Buyers Club. While McConaughey may not win this year, don’t be surprised to see him accepting that award sometime in the near future. The winner will be Leonardo DiCaprio for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street—and if it isn’t, the man may just quit acting altogether. DiCaprio has been nominated for an Oscar four times since he has started acting in 1989, and has been snubbed every single year come awards season. It would just be cruel to not give him the award. Best actress in a leading role This category is a perfect example of an industry that is seeing a changing of the guard. With nominees ranging from seasoned vets like Judy Dench and Meryl Streep to newcomers like Amy Adams, it is clear that Hollywood is seeing new stars show up on the Academy’s radar. With Amy Adams being put up against masters like Dench and Streep, the young actress has some tough competition. How-
ever, all three women plus Cate Blanchett will be in trouble come Oscar night because Sandra Bullock took control of the one-woman show that was the movie Gravity and put forth an Oscar-worthy performance. Best actor/actress in a supporting role For the men, look out for Jonah Hill with his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. According to Variety.com, Hill worked for what most actors would consider mere nickels just to be in the movie. Needless to say, his second nomination is a far better performance than the last he was in which was his role opposite of Brad Pitt in Money Ball. Keep an eye on Barkhad Abdi, though, who played the supporting role of muse in the edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting drama Captain Philips. Abdi was a limo driver until he was cast for the role in the movie and he would be damned if he squandered the opportunity. Abdi was not only able to make viewers feel sympathy for a Somali pirate who high-jacked a boat, but his face acting skills are on par with the great George Clooney. Abdi has a serious chance of stealing this award from the other nominees. For the women, look for a win for 12 Years A Slave’s Lupita Nyong’o. But keep an eye on the fan favourite, Jennifer Lawrence, for her performance in American Hustle. She shouldn’t win, but everyone knows that the Oscars are about more than just acting.
ALANNAH POHRAN ILLUSTRATION
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SPORTS NEWS AND VIEWS FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY
Gold Medal Design ACAD Student’s Art on Canadian Bobsleds BY THOMAS STRANGWARD WEAL WRITER
While the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have come to an end, one Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) student is still feeling like she’s on top of the podium. Before the Olympics began, 22-year-old Ruth Lee entered a design contest over the 2013/2014 holiday break, and won the opportunity to have her designs featured on the Canadian Olympic bobsled team’s sled. The design appeared on both men’s and women’s teams for two-man and four-man runs. Lee, a fourth-year ACAD graphic design student who minors in illustration, conceived the idea for her winning entry over the Christmas break. She heard about the contest through an email sent by ACAD faculty to all visual design students and shortly after learnt that out of the 15 submitted entries, her design had won. “I think a lot of people didn’t want to do work over the
break. But I’m really passionate about this and I have never won a competition,” said Lee. It also helps, she said, that she’s “into sports, too.” Lee used elements of the Canadian winter’s natural beauty when coming up with her design. Water, mountains, ice, snow, and glaciers all factored in to what ended up being the design at the top of the podium. “My biggest inspiration came from Canada’s natural beauty. I wanted to make an abstract representation of a true Canadian winter. I’m from Calgary, so the biggest inspiration was from the Rocky Mountains,” she said. The design features a unique use of Canada’s most recognized icon: the red maple leaf. By rearranging several maple leaves, Lee fashioned a makeshift outline of the Rocky Mountains in which eleven points on the iconic maple leaf served as mountain peaks. Once the design was entered, Bobsleigh Canada, Olympic athletes and ACAD instructors
judged the designs after each artist presented their concept. Lee’s design was named the winner, and the experience that followed can only be described as a whirlwind. She was on television in Toronto for a live interview via video screen and publications all over Canada have sought her out for interviews. Because of her success, she has also met Helen Upperton, a silver medalist bobsledder at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, at the Ice House at Canada Olympic Park. This was where Lee got to experience her art in a way she probably never dreamed of, as Upperton took her for a bobsled run in a sled that showcased her winning work. Unfortunately, that’s where Lee’s first-hand experience with her design ended as the bobsleigh was transported to Sochi, Russia without her. By winning the competition, Lee has been given the opportunity to showcase her artistic talents on an international level on the world’s grandest stage: the Olympics.
*ASK US ABOUT THE STUDENT NETWORK PLAN DR. JOHNNY CHUN # 170 1402 8th Ave NW Calgary, AB P: 403.262.3447 E: info@oradentalcalgary.com www.oradentalcalgary.com Located in the Riley Park Medical Centre (previously Grace Hospital) one block south of SAIT C-Train station.
Fourth-year ACAD graphic design student Ruth Lee’s patriotism was on full display at the 2014 Winter Olympics, where her award-winning design graced Team Canada’s Olympic bobsled.
EVAN BUHLER PHOTO
Free reserved parking available for your visits. Located in the monthly lot. Look for ORA Dental signs facing south on 8th Ave.
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Sports lingo for the Trojans playoff push BY ANDREW HALIPCHUK SPORTS WRITER
As the playoffs approach for the SAIT Trojans, people may find themselves lost in the terminology used in some sports. Provided below are some words that should help the untrained fan understand the sport a little more and make them feel like a sports fanatic.
Hockey Dump and Chase A play wherein the attacking team comes down one side of the ice and shoots the puck into the opposition’s zone, allowing the team to put the puck deep into their opponent’s zone instead of carrying it in. This technique could also be used to change lines for the attacking team.
Cherry Picking This occurs when a player, most likely a forward, hangs around centre ice behind the play in his or her own zone, waiting for a pass from his or her teammate for a chance at a breakaway.
Breakaway When a player gets past the last defender of the opposing team and has just the goalie to beat. A breakaway is an exciting play where forwards tend to show their stick handling skills or their perfect accuracy because they are not contested by an opposing player.
Odd-man rush An occurrence where the attacking team has a two-on-one, three-on-two or three-on-one advantage heading into the defending team’s zone. This allows for the attacking team to set up for a shot on goal with quick, crisp passes around the defending team.
Crashing the net
instead of the usual two in basketball.
Foul out Occurs when a player gets more than the allowed amount of fouls in a game, this leads to the player being disqualified from playing the remainder of the game.
Volleyball
A strategy used by the attacking team wherein forwards rush towards the opponent’s net in order to deflect a shot, obstruct a goalies vision or bang in a loose puck.
Bump
Basketball
Kill
Alley-Oop A fancy play in basketball where a player will lob the basketball towards the basket while his or her teammate jumps towards the net, tries to catch the ball mid-air and then slams it into the basket for two points.
Jump Ball Comparable to a face-off in hockey, a jump ball can be called for when two players are fighting for a loose ball. The referee will stop play and will throw the ball up in the air, the players fighting over the ball jump up for the ball trying to knock it towards on of their own teammates.
Free throw Shots awarded to a player who was fouled by an opposing player. A free throw shot is unopposed and is worth one point
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A form of passing the volleyball to one of your teammates where players extend their arms in front of them, allowing the volleyball to bounce off of their forearms.
A term used in volleyball where a player will set the ball up to one of their teammates just
above the net, another teammate will jump up beside the ball and hit it downwards towards the floor on the opposing team’s side of the net. This is the most effective way to score points in volleyball. Also known as a spike.
Dig A technique used to prevent the ball from touching one’s side of the volleyball court where a player will sprawl out and hit the ball towards one of their own teammates. A dig is a way to prevent being scored on and it can help set up an attack of your own.
Libero A position in volleyball for a player who plays better in the
defensive aspect of the game. A libero can be substituted into the game for any player in the back row while the play is not going on. A libero’s substitution does not count towards a team’s substitution total, but for the libero to be substituted out of the game they need to be replaced by the player the libero took off initially. The libero is not allowed to block or attack the ball when it’s above the net. The libero is also required to wear a different jersey from the rest of the team in order to avoid confusion for the referee and opposing team when the libero substitutes.
Trojan vet at the end of her collegiate career BY CARYS RICHARDS WEAL WRITER
After four years of representing the Trojans women’s hockey team, Bret Howe will call collegiate sports quits when she graduates from SAIT this spring. Howe started playing for the Trojans in 2007 as a member of both the women’s hockey and soccer teams. After completing two years of her hospitality program, she transferred to the University of Calgary in 2009 to complete her degree in hotel and resort management. She then returned to SAIT in 2012 as a business student with a major in marketing. “Being a bit older this time around, and now being a captain, I feel like I can shed a lot of light on the girls and impact them for their futures,” said Howe. “That’s been a huge part of this year for me.” With the women’s hockey team failing to qualify for the Alberta College Athletics Conference (ACAC) playoffs, Howe’s career as a Trojan faces an abrupt ending, and even for a player with her skill and experience, there aren’t many opportunities to continue playing professionally after graduation. The Southern Alberta Women’s Hockey Association is a popular landing place for players that have completed their five years of eligibility in postsecondary athletics. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) has a team in Calgary called the Inferno, but Howe’s plans for the near future in-
After a successful four-year career with the SAIT Trojans, Bret Howe will be retiring from the women’s hockey team as team captain at the end of the 2013/14 season. PHOTO COURTESY SAIT TROJANS ATHLETICS
volve moving to Medicine Hat, where neither hockey league has a sports franchise. “There’s not a team like that or a league like that that I know of [in Medicine Hat],” said Howe, who continues to search for options so she can keep playing hockey. Regardless of whether or not Howe continues to play following her graduation, she still wants to remain active in the sport she loves. Her hope is to someday contribute her skill and experience and lead the Trojans hockey team in a different role as a coach in a few years.
For now, however, Howe’s hopes of returning will be put on hold. Recently married, Howe’s husband will start working in Medicine Hat over the summer, and Howe wants to utilize her schooling and work in management at a high-end hotel like the Medicine Hat Lodge. With just a few games left as a Trojan, Howe wants to play out her career to the best of her abilities. “I love my time at SAIT. There’s a reason that I came back,” said Howe. “I decided to play out my last two years here because it is home for me.”
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YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Reasons to Explore
Cultural Dos and Don’ts ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF VECTOR-MAGZ.COM
BY LACEY PILGRIM WEAL WRITER
Around the world, there are a vast variety of customs and cultures that differ from one another. Therefore, understanding a country’s cultural dos and don’ts may spare you from uncomfortable
situations. When planning to travel to another country for the first time, it is wise to educate yourself on what is acceptable and unacceptable in those countries, because even a simple hand gesture can be regarded as a form of disrespect in certain corners of the world if
you’re an uninformed traveller. Just like the middle finger is seen as a sign of disrespect in the Western world, there are small gestures that communicate disrespect in other cultures, though these are also taken somewhat lightly towards tourists if they are ignorant to local customs. In the Buddhist religion of Thailand for instance, the head is considered sacred and the feet are considered ‘dirty’. Therefore, you should never touch the head of a Thai person, especially a monk or even a Buddhist statue. Since they consider the feet to be dirty, you are expected to remove your shoes when entering a Thai home or business. There are also actions that we as Canadians do not practice, and getting used to some of these foreign customs may take some research and contemplation. There are also actions that we as Canadians do not practise. Therefore, getting used to some of these customs may take some research and contemplation.
For example, in countries such as Japan, where tradition is a major characteristic of their culture, you may be expected to greet or say goodbye through bowing rather than giving them a handshake. Another tip for travelling to this area of the world is to learn the proper technique of using chopsticks beforehand. Some methods, such as spearing or scooping your food demonstrate bad manners. Furthermore, ensure you do not leave your chopsticks standing in a bowl of rice, as this is the way it is presented as an offering to a person who has past away and is also considered offensive. Of all of the bad manners and inappropriate behaviors I have personally observed with tourists during my travels to Southeast Asia, the most disrespectful cultural don’t is the clothing, or lack thereof, worn in religious temples or places of worship. I have seen countless groups of tourists meander into a temple while dressed
inappropriately. If you are unsure of the appropriate attire to wear, a safe idea is to bring modest clothes, as it is better to be more modest than uncomfortably under-dressed. Every country have its own unique cultural differences, traditions and expectations. Many of these differences can be easily forgiven, such as a mistaken gesture made by an unknowing tourist. Although there may be no law against it, the gesture may result in you being shunned by the locals. As a traveler you do not want to be caught up in an unpleasant situation because you were unaware of the culture and laws of your destination. A great place to view these laws and cultural differences before setting out on an excursion is Travel.gc.ca. Being prepared for all aspects of your trip means you can indulge in your destination’s culture without encountering any uncomfortable and shameful moments.
DANCE ON WATER
AquaZumba Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:45pm – 5:30pm Don’t forget about the variety of fitness noon hour classes we offer. Find us at sait.ca/recreation Free Drop-In for Full-Time SAIT and ACAD Students
sait.ca/recreation
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Craft your way out of stress is studying it as an art form, it can provide stress relief for others. Taking Salahub’s suggestion, The Weal decided to give SAIT students the chance to put to good use those textbooks that you barely ever use in class. Inspired by Rookiemag.com’s DIY book purse craft, this craft will teach you how to transform an old, overpriced textbook into a unique handbag. TEXTBOOK PURSE You will need: • An old hardcover textbook • Cardboard • A quarter yard of old fabric • Purse handles, cut off an old purse you no longer use • Scissors • X-Acto knife • Extra-strength glue
MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO
BY YASHICA ANANDANI LIFESTYLE EDITOR
For stressed out students, crafts can almost be a blessing in disguise. Temporarily shifting your focus from assignments to building something creative may help enhance your
creative abilities while giving you a break from your studies. In the U.S., March is National Craft Month – an event organized by the Craft and Hobby Association that is dedicated to bringing out everyone’s inner DIY love. While this event is not celebrated in Canada, there’s
no reason why Canadian students should be left out of the crafting fun. Jeniffer Salahub, instructor of Arts History and Crafts History at ACAD, said crafting is an art that means something different to everyone and while craft may bring about some stress for a student who
Take the fabric and cut into equal halves. Now take one piece of the fabric and fold it into quarters, and place the paper on one side of the fabric. Cut along the paper, to get four even pieces of the same shape. Fold the other half of the fabric into two. Now take the book cover, place it on the folded fabric and cut along it. Take the purse straps, put glue on each side, and place them where you want them to go on both the inside seams of the book cover. Let the glue dry for about 30 minutes.
METHOD:
Apply a good amount of glue along the inside edges of the book’s covers, and place the four fabric pieces onto those edges with the fabric’s pattern facing outwards.
Hollow out the textbook with your X-Acto knife by removing all the pages between the book’s covers.
Then cut out a piece of cardboard big enough to fit the spine of the book and place it inside.
Place the hollowed out hard cover of the textbook upright on a piece of paper, and decide how wide you want your bag to be. Once you’ve decided on your bag’s dimensions, trace along the inside of the book with a pencil.
Apply glue to the inside of the book cover and place the last two larger pieces of fabric onto that. Let it all dry and decorate the outside of the bag by using decorative materials of your choice.
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Curvy VS Skinny why the body type debate doesn’t matter to one Weal writer BY JORDYN THOMSON WEAL WRITER
Lately, a common post theme has been cropping up on Facebook’s popular SAIT Confessions page, in the form of women asking whether or not men prefer their bodies curvy or skinny. A quick web search via Google shows that these anonymous posters aren’t the only ones feeling insecure and looking for answers. Hundreds have posed similar questions to various forums, seeking the opinions of strangers on whether or not their body types are desirable. Many have been commenting
on these posts with their own opinions and advice for the anonymous posters, but only a very few have promoted the correct answer to this ridiculous question: Who the hell cares? A woman who feels she is skinny can also feel that she is curvy, and vice versa. How a woman defines herself is not a black or white issue. These poor posters have put themselves on a ridiculous and shallow scale to see how much they appeal to the opposite sex when they should be throwing these ideals out the window and focusing on being happy with themselves. The worst part is that it’s not
even guys putting them on this superficial scale. Women are doing this to themselves. According to eHarmony. com’s advice column published online, men are more interested in a woman’s personality and self-image. “Attitude can make a big difference,” wrote senior director of eHarmony Grant Langston in the column. “If you feel sexy, ladies, you become sexier to your male counterparts.” If a man turns a woman down because she’s too skinny or too curvy, chances are he’s not worth the trouble. This seems like an easy enough solution to an absurd
problem. Unfortunately, women won’t start to accept their bodies until they develop some confidence. One reason why women are so self-conscious may stem from how they treat each other. Technology has made it incredibly easy to unfairly judge someone anonymously—all you have to do is press a few buttons and click a mouse. Instead of working together to build self-confidence, women constantly put each other down for their own personal gain. “Nobody has a right to make you feel bad about yourself, so avoid anyone who brings you down,” suggests an article in Seventeen magazine.
This may seem like simple advice but it can sometimes be hard to shut out the opinions of others. Seventeen has a ridiculously simple solution to this problem too. “Rather than obsessing over things you’d like to change about yourself, focus on the things you do like.” So if a magazine aimed at preteen/teenage girls can spout off this kind of Grade A wisdom, then women in post-secondary should have no problem realizing their self-worth. They shouldn’t need strangers on the internet to tell them they are attractive, or anyone else for that matter.
Engaging students in politics: A former cynic’s point of view BY AMANDA SIEBERT WEAL WRITER
On Jan. 21, Hon. Michelle Rempel, Member of Parliament for Calgary-Centre North and avid Twitter user, visited SAIT for a roundtable discussion with students and members of SAIT’s Student Association (SAITSA). As someone with little trust in government, my interest in attending this event stemmed from the topic up for discussion that evening: How do we successfully engage post-secondary students in politics? After a quick introduction by SAITSA VP external Kenneth Taylor, Rempel introduced herself and told students that her partisan hat would be off for the duration of the discussion. “This is your meeting,” said Rempel to a room full of roughly 20 attendees. Questions began flying around the room, but unlike
Hon. Michelle Rempel took part in a roundtable discussion with students and members of SAITSA on Jan. 21 in the Begin Tower. Rempel discussed how federal politics are relevant to students. AMANDA SIEBERT PHOTO
most political discussions, which are often stuffy, uptight, and indirect, no one seemed to walk on eggshells. Students in attendance asked straightforward questions and Rempel gave straightforward answers. Nothing was off-limits. While many issues were touched on, much of the meeting focused on how politicians should communicate with post-secondary students, and
how students could access information regarding changes to federal policies. “I think it’s important that we come up with strategies for different areas, so that we can speak to what matters to students,” said Tegan Cochrane, president of SAITSA. “It’s easy for people to become cynical,” she continued. Cynical. Now there’s a word I can relate to. My previous
exposure to government didn’t involve much more than a television, and I’ll be the first to say that parliamentary debate isn’t exactly riveting to watch, but something about this discussion changed my opinion. It humanized politicians. Rempel, who has faced scrutiny from other MPs and the media for simply being a young woman in Cabinet, shared her struggles with students and gave us insight into her political journey. “I got here on merit, not on my sex. It devalues my impact when people say that I’m only here because I’m a woman and they need me to meet the gender quota,” said Rempel in regards to quotas set in place that limit the number of each gender in the Cabinet. Hearing Rempel describe her struggles piqued my interest. The simple fact that she took the time out of her schedule to have an off-the-record discussion
with students in her constituency showed those in the room that the thoughts and concerns of our demographic are crucial to the formation of federal policies. “Students don’t know they have a say,” said Rempel, who encouraged attendees to get involved with local riding associations. So what lesson did I take from this discussion? Public sector employees are in place because we put them there. They get paid to answer our questions and deal with our issues. We are the next generation of tax-paying professionals, and political engagement truly makes changes. In the past, this might have meant calling your MP or writing a letter to your local constituency, but today, when you can voice your concern in less than 140 characters, there’s no excuse not to speak up.
First-year journalism student Amanda Siebert asks the SAIT campus:
“How involved are you in politics?”
“I’m very involved in student
“I definitely vote, and make sure
“I definitely vote but that’s about
“I’m just involved in student
“I’m not really involved in gov-
“I’m on the SAITSA council and
government here at SAIT, and I’ve
I’m involved that way. I get emails
it.”
politics because I vote here at
ernment. I researched it but it’s
I like to stay up to date on local
been a part of the Calgary Rotary
from my political party and stay
SAIT. I’m an international student
really hard to decide who to vote
and international political news
Chapter in the past.”
informed.”
so I can’t vote federally or
for and where to align myself.”
as much as I can.”
provincially.” Gurpreet Wraich, second-year
Michelle Sanheim, second-year
Rahul Bali, second-year hospital-
Evangelene Jones, second-year
Rob Smith, first-year civil
exploration information technol-
graphic communications and
Scott Mantle, second-year business
ity and tourism student.
business administration student
technology student
ogy student
print technology student
administration student
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