Adventure Time
Features, page 12
THE The tie that binds Wilfrid Laurier University since 1926 Volume 53, Issue 27
thecord.ca
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
2011 project gets SLL funds ELIZABETH DICESARE CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
The 2012 to 2013 Student Life Levy (SLL) fund, which collected $1,039,515.49 from students, gave $88,000 to the 2-4 Lounge renovations that happened in the 2011-12 year, because the project had yet to be fully paid for. At the time of the renovation project, the majority of the money came from the 2011-12 SLL, and the remaining $88,000 was covered by the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union operating budget. The money taken from this year’s SLL is essentially being given back to WLUSU’s operating budget to make up for the costs. Rob Donelson, the vice-president of development and alumni relations at Laurier, explained that the SLL funds are allocated based on which projects will have stronger impacts on students. “What we try to do is weigh projects all together to see which ones would have the greatest impact on students, and so the amount that they get is dependent on how much money we have available and comparing the request to other requests
Beards, Boats! and the best of CMW The Cord reports from Canadian Music Week Arts, page 14
Campus, page 6
Inside
Beating the odds Sports Editor Shelby Blackley gets perspective on a leukemia patient’s road to recovery In Depth, page 10
Bike share in K-W
Life is meant for living
Two separate bicycle-sharing programs could be starting up soon in Waterloo Region
Videographer Jeremy Enns encourages you to reconnect with your sense of adventure
Local, page 7
Editorial, page 18
Hockey captain honoured Fiona Lester named Outstanding Woman of Laurier at annual luncheon Sports, page 24
Regional police crack down on jaywalking Area around university sees increase in tickets issued ASHLEY DENUZZO STAFF WRITER
In the lives of many Laurier students, jaywalking has become something of a daily routine. However, Waterloo Regional Police officers see it as a risky act and a ticketable traffic violation — a $50 traffic ticket to be exact. As part of a 2013 Traffic Enforcement and Road Safety Education Plan, the Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) are conducting an initiative during the month of March that focuses on road safety for pedestrians. This month’s initiative used the results of a study by the WRPS, which looked at the collision patterns at busy intersections. Police found that the biggest contributors to traffic collisions were pedestrians not using crosswalks, disobeying traffic signals and drivers failing to yield to pedestrians. Waterloo Regional Police discussed the results in a media release issued last month.
Staff Sergeant Scott Diefenbaker explained that the community would see an “enhanced police presence at intersections” during the month of March. This would also include areas with a “higher frequency of pedestrian-related incidents.” Basically, this means that Waterloo police are “cracking down” on jaywalkers and traffic violators. “There’s always been jaywalking,” said Chris Hancocks, operations manager for Laurier Special Constable Services. “Always.” Hancocks, who has been working with Special Constables for the past 16 years, has noticed that jaywalking becomes more common when there are high levels of construction. This now includes King St., University Ave., and respective side streets. However, Hancock fears that students are not taking the idea of jaywalking as seriously as they should, referencing to the number of collision incidences involving a pedestrian as evidence of this.
“[Jaywalking] is like playing chicken with a 400-pound vehicle.”
—Chris Hancocks, SCS operations manager
Local, page 7
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
Editor-in-Chief Justin Fauteux jfauteux@thecord.ca
Editor’s choice Recovering against all odds
Editor’s choice online CMW in photos
In Depth, page 10
thecord.ca
Inside
On the web
News ………………………3 Campus ……………… 4 Local ……………………7 National ……………… 9 In Depth ……………… 10 Features ……………… 12 Arts ……………………… 14 Life ……………………… 16 Editorial ……………… 18 Opinion ……………… 19 Classifieds …………… 21 Sports ………………… 22
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E-mail: editor@thecord.ca
Canadian Music Week 2013
Vocal Cord Welcomes the 2013-14 editorial board and senior staff Editor-in-Chief: Justin Smirlies Senior News Editor: Lindsay Purchase Visual Director: Kate Turner Campus News Editor: Marissa Evans Life Editor: Alanna Fairey Arts Editor: Cristina Almudevar Opinion Editor: Dani Saad Sports Editor: Shelby Blackley Graphics Editor: Lena Yang Video Editor: Henry Goddard Photography Managers: Heather Davidson & Ryan Hueglin Lead Reporters: Laura Buck & Ashley Denuzzo Lead Photographer: Jody Waardenburg Copy Editing Manager: Kaylee Grootjen
presented by
Did you participate in Earth Hour?
“Yes, we had to turn off everything.” –Harpreet Sidhu second-year biology
Applications are still open for the following positions: Local and National Editor, Features Editor, In Depth Editor, Web Editor. E-mail 2013-14 Editor-in-Chief Justin Smirlies (jsmirlies@thecord.ca) for more info.
This Week in quotes
“Yes, I was at my friends at the time.” –Yvonne Gin second-year, business
“So call it consultation if you want, but to me it’s just bogus.”
This Week Around Laurier —Mark Whaley, city councilor for Ward 5, re: online public consultation for a potential casino in Waterloo
“No, but I didn’t have anything on anyways.” –Daniel Novak third-year, political science
“I’m going to get these minutes framed.” –WLUSU director Scott Fleming after he and fellow director Matt Casselman were recorded on the same motion “The youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow. It is critical that we create a community for future generations to enjoy, and I believe we are on the right track to making this happen.” –Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran at the state of the city address on March 22 “There is a lot going on at this intersection. When you add in the fact that students are distracted when they’re walking across these roads, it’s a recipe for disaster.” –Waterloo city councillor Mark Whaley re: pedestrian safety
“I guess, I was sleeping at the time”.” –Megan Asotra second-year, psychology
“Stay positive and stay strong.” –Leukimia survivor Nick Roma “But [Niagara Falls] has been really amazing. The support, and people who can’t donate money have done other things.” –Karen Roma, mother of leukimia survivor Nick Roma re: the support her son received “Yesterday we only had until about the 30 [yard line] of actual green turf.” –Laurier football head coach Michael Faulds re: the weather at the start of the Golden Hawks’ spring training camp
The tie that binds Wilfrid Laurier University since 1926
Editorial Board
Senior Staff
Colophon
Editor-in-Chief. ............................. Justin Fauteux
Lead Reporter ............................... Katelyn Cullum Lead Reporter ..................................Marissa Evans Lead Reporter .................................... Alanna Fairey Lead Videographer ........................... Jeremy Enns Lead Photographer ................. Cristina Rucchetta Copy Editing Manager .....................Gillian Lopes
The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community.
jfauteux@thecord.ca
News Director............................... Justin Smirlies
jsmirlies@thecord.ca
75 University Ave. W Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564
Visual Director ....................... Wade Thompson
MARCH 27, 2013 Volume 53, Issue 27 Next issue: April 3, 2013
Advertising All advertising inquiries should be directed to Angela Endicott at 519-884-0710 x3560 angela.taylor@wlusp.com In 2011 the Canadian Community Newspaper Association awarded The Cord second place in the CANADIAN campus community newspaper COMMUNITY category. NEWSPAPER AWARD 2011
wthompson@thecord.ca Campus News Editor............ Elizabeth DiCesare edicesare@thecord.ca Local and National Editor ....... Lindsay Purchase lpurchase@thecord.ca In Depth Editor. .............................................Vacant editor@thecord.ca Features Editor ........................ Colleen Connolly cconnolly@thecord.ca Life Editor..............................................Carly Basch cbasch@thecord.ca Arts Editors..............................Cristina Almudevar calmudevar@thecord.ca Opinion Editor...................................Devon Butler dbutler@thecord.ca Sports Editor .................................Shelby Blackley sblackley@thecord.ca Graphics Editor ........................Stephanie Truong struong@thecord.ca Photography Manager .................Nick Lachance nlachance@thecord.ca Photography Manager ........................ Kate Turner kturner@thecord.ca Web Editor.....................................................Vacant editor@thecord.ca
Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.
Ryan Hueglin Brad Kleinstuber Alissa MacDonald Don Morgenson Kaitlyn Oosterink Adele Palmquist Julia Pollock Alex Reinhart Erin Sheehan James Shin
Rebecca Silver Dana Silvestri Wesley Taylor Eric Thompson Jody Waardenburg HG Watson Lena Yang Erika Ymana
WLUSP administration President and Publisher.................................................. Emily Frost Executive Director ....................................................Bryn Ossington Advertising Manager .............................................. Angela Endicott Treasurer..................................................................... Tom Paddock Vice-Chair .........................................................................Jon Pryce Director...................................................................... Kayla Darrach Director.................................................... Joseph McNinch-Pazzano Corporate Secretary ...................................................... Allie Hincks Distribution Manager ............................................. Angela Endicott Web Developer ........................................................ Adam Lazzarato
Preamble to The Cord constitution The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy. The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly. When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff.
Contributors Brieanne Berry Kelly Burwash Mitchell Cheeseman Kylie Conner Chantel Conway Heather Davidson Leah DeJong Ashley Denuzzo Kaylee Grootjen Mike Hajmasy
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Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Cord is created using Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5 using Adobe Creative Suite 4. Canon cameras are used for principal photography. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfi ed complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com. The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 8,000 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada. The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP)since 2004. Campus Plus is The Cord’s national advertising agency.
The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so The Cord will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on Wilfrid Laurier University, and the community of KitchenerWaterloo, and with a special ear to the concerns of the students of Wilfrid Laurier University. Ultimately, The Cord will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate. The Cord has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfi lled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through The Cord’s contact with the student body. The Cord will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of the student press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.
Quote of the week: “Everybody looks Caucasian from the back!” –Graphics Editor Stephanie Truong
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
News
News Director Justin Smirlies jsmirlies@thecord.ca
heather davidson StAff pHotogRApHER
Between 2007 and 2012, 121 pedestrian incidents occurred at King Street and University Avenue, 55 more than the total projected by the city of Waterloo.
King and University to get overhaul Rise in incidents signal movement toward a re-structuring of the busy intersection as a safety measure lindsay purchase loCAl AND NAtioNAl EDitoR
In recognition of the danger the high volume intersection has posed to pedestrians, the Region of Waterloo is now taking steps to implement safety measures at the King St. and University Ave. crosswalks. Pedestrian countdown signals have already been installed, while improved lighting, painting ladder crosswalks onto existing walkways and implementing setback crosswalks, which are situated five-to seven metres back from the corners of the intersection, will be also be implemented. Sean Strickland, a regional councillor representing Waterloo, requested to have regional staff look into safety measures at the intersection last year. “It’s currently ranked sixth out of the worst ten intersections in the region. Pedestrian safety was a paramount concern so I asked staff to
have a look to see what we could do,” said Strickland. The King and University intersection is identified as the busiest in the Region, with an estimated 40,000 cars and 6,000 pedestrians passing through on a daily basis. Between September 2007 and September 2012, a total of 12 pedestrian collisions occurred. Including nonpedestrian related incidents, 121 collisions occurred during this time frame compared to an expected 66. Strickland expects that the new measures will generate positive change. “I think the recommendations are quite good,” he said. “As a total package, I think you’re going to see improved pedestrian-vehicle safety at that corner.” City of Waterloo councillor Mark Whaley believes that changes are “going in the right direction,” but that they aren’t taking into consideration a huge part of the problem — pedestrians.
“There is a lot going on at this intersection,” Whaley commented. “When you add in the fact that students are distracted when they’re walking across these roads, it’s a recipe for disaster.” He continued, “This is one of the highest intersections for pedestrian accidents in this region. I believe that vehicles play a smaller role in that. Distracted pedestrians play a larger role. All the work that the Region has been doing hasn’t taken this into account.” He identified that phones and other electronic devices distract people from focusing on the road when crossing at the busy intersection, something which he believes to be a recent phenomenon. Strickland added, “I encourage pedestrians and motorists to take caution, of course, when they’re driving or crossing at all times, but in particular at this intersection. That might mean for drivers and pedestrians when you’re crossing the
road to look at the traffic and not at your cell phone.” Whaley believes that this is an opportunity for local government to collaborate with the universities to conduct research on distracted pedestrians and ways to reduce this hazard. One of the measures considered by staff that was not recommended for implementation is a pedestrian scramble, in which all lights are turned red simultaneously to allow pedestrians to cross in all directions. Staff identified in their report increasing pedestrian and vehicle delays and lack of coordination with other signals as potential detriments. “The pedestrian scramble I think is something that could still be considered in the future if these measures that are currently being taken don’t work,” said Strickland, According to Strickland, the success of the new safety measures will be evaluated in a year’s time.
“I think you’re going to see improved pedestrian-vehicle safety at that corner.”
—Sean Strickland, regional councillor for Waterloo Region
Taking ‘60’ for sustainability Justin smirlies NEWS DiRECtoR
With dimly lit candles covering the Quad, students from the EcoHawks gathered together Saturday night to celebrate the sixth annual Earth Hour to boost sustainable and environmental awareness. The EcoHawks worked with the university to dim or shut of various lights around campus. Wilf’s, in particular, held a candle-lit dinner service from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for the Earth Hour festivities. “It’s one of the biggest movements in the world for environmental sustainability and I think it’s great how many people are participating in it, we’re happy to do it as well,” explained Erin O’Neill, a fourth-year environmental studies student and the events coordinator for the Eco Hawks. In the middle of the Quad candles were formed into the shape of a 60, the number the World Wildlife Fund uses to symbolize Earth Hour.
“It’s sort of the big symbol of Earth hour, turning your energy off for 60 minutes and then going beyond that and trying to be more energy efficient for the whole year,” she added. “Wilf’s is currently doing a candle-lit dinner for us right now, so we gave them a little tea light and they have turned their lights off,” she continued. “They didn’t want to turn off the hockey game, but that’s understandable.” For the past couple of years, the EcoHawks have been putting on Earth Hour events on campus with the consistent theme of using candles. Claire Bennett, the sustainability coordinator at Laurier, applauded the campus group on their efforts in advocating for Earth Hour. “The sustainability office is super happy to see the out reach of events taking place because these events need to be done visible for the public, because we can be doing a ton behind the scenes,” Bennett explained.
Justin smirlies NEWS DiRECtoR
The EcoHawks gathered in the Quad and placed candles to advocate for the sixth annual Earth Hour.
“I’m really proud of the Eco Hawks for being such a presence on campus because that really works to help the behavioural side of things.” She added, “And behavioural changes are just as important or if not more important than operational changes.” While some residences were involved in dimming their lights, not
every building’s lights were shut off due to safety reasons. “Obviously they can’t turn all of the lights off, especially the emergency ones, and they have been promoting it in residences so first-year students know that it’s Earth Hour,” added O’Neill. In terms of sustainability outside of Earth Hour, however, O’Neill
thinks strides can still be made to increase awareness on campus. “I think we can definitely do better. We’ve come a long way as a school, especially now that we have the sustainability office up and running and that there is a strong leader in there now, things are happening, things are improving,” she concluded.
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
CAMPUS
Campus News Editor Elizabeth DiCesare edicesare@thecord.ca
Thomas King visits WLU A third-year English class read his book, then heard him speak KATELYN CULLUM LEAD REPORTER
KOSTADIN KOLEV STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
King discussed his new book, as well as writing skills, last Thursday.
Over 200 students, recreational book club members and community members from local reserves gathered in the Senate and Board of Chambers room at Wilfrid Laurier University last Thursday evening to listen to Thomas King discuss his most recent book, The Inconvenient Indian. In the third-year English course, titled “The Working Canadian Writer,” students are visited by the authors of the books they have studied. Michael Ackerman, this class’s professor, worked with Denojia Kankesan, the coordinator for general book and faculty relations, and Melissa Ireland, the Aboriginal student support coordinator for the office of aboriginal initiatives, to bring Thomas King to the Laurier campus. “We couldn’t hold him to ourselves,” expressed Ackerman. Normally, the authors visit the classroom, but because of King’s popularity and success, they decided to open the event to the public. “Looking at the content of the book, the rise of the movement, the importance of the political landscape and the rarity of getting him here, it made sense,” said Ackerman. The drum group from the office of
aboriginal initiatives opened up the event with a performance of a traditional song. King opened up his discussion with reading two sections of his book and then concluding with a question and answer period. His first reading discussed the residential schools and the complications and obstacles that Aboriginal people faced. King then went on to discuss Alcatraz, the island that was occupied at the end of 1969 by a group of Aboriginal peoples who were participating in the national wave of Native activism. King also took questions that focused specifically on a writer’s career and explained how he developed his drafts, how many pages he writes a day and why he liked writing fiction better. “[In non-fiction], you are trapped by these things we call facts,” King expressed. It took him six years to write The Inconvenient Indian, which broadly defines the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada. King deciphers the truth behind famous myths such as the Indian massacre that occurred in 1861, as well as discusses the significance of historical characters such as
Pocahontas and John Smith. “It was an overwhelming success,” Ireland said. “I think we raised awareness to the broader Laurier population.” Sarah Sebele, a fourth-year student who is in the Working Canadian Writer class said that she enjoyed the event. “He knows exactly what he wants to say and he says it,” she said. “He knows the issues and what he is talking about.” An overwhelming applause and a backed up line for a book signing signaled that the crowd enjoyed what King had to say. When asked about the Idle No More movement, an ongoing protest amongst Aboriginals and their nonAboriginal supporters against the threat of their treaties, King replied that he liked the idea of the protest, but didn’t think it was enough. “Right now is the worst period we’ve faced as people,” he expressed. King raised his hope that one day, someone will stand above the fray and lead both Aboriginals and nonAboriginals to their rights and privileges, comparing this said leader to Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. He humorously concluded that he would not be that leader. “I haven’t got the stamina, and I haven’t got the smarts,” King said.
Coleman wins in tight race MARISSA EVANS LEAD REPORTER
Ashley Coleman was elected president and CEO of the Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) yesterday for the 2013-14 term. “I feel like I’m still in shock,” said Coleman following her win. “Already I’m starting to get all these ideas in my head about how to make the campaign platform issues that I have been talking about in the last two weeks happen and how to bring those to fruition.” She explained that the first issue she will be tackling will be mental health on campus, a large aspect of her campaign. “There aren’t a lot of relevant supports for graduate students,” she explained. “A lot of it is geared towards undergraduates.” Of her campaign, Coleman said she had a “lot of support from [her] faculty and from [her] connections with the board of directors.” She is currently a student in the masters of social work program in Kitchener and was chair of the board of directors for the GSA. She explained that being based on the Kitchener campus presented a challenge in her campaign as it made it difficult to be visible on the Waterloo, Toronto and Brantford campuses. One way she will be combatting this disconnect between campuses in the upcoming year will be by having rotating board meetings. “We haven’t had a lot of involvement by Brantford students and by the students in Toronto. It’s unfortunate, but I don’t blame them,” she said. Natalie Hancock was the runnerup for the position, who prior to the election expressed that she is looking forward to working with Coleman regardless of the results. Sean Madden, the WLUGSA chief
“I feel like I’m still in shock.”
—Ashley Coleman, GSA president
DANA SILVESTRI STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Last Wednesday, Cauchon engaged with students at Wilf’s and discussed the importance of politics.
returning officer, expressed his excitement at having a race at the graduate level for the presidential position as the past several years have been acclamations. “We’ve had a pretty good response from the membership actually,” he continued.“The Facebook group is pretty active and the events have been pretty active. So it’s really nice to see that kind of enthusiasm.” Laleh Samarbakhsh, the current president and CEO, in foresight highlighted her hopes for the president-elect. “I hope that they can deliver the vision that they have right now as a candidate,” she said. “Sometimes you start running a campaign with a full vision of what you want to achieve and then once in the position you’re going to see how things work out in the functional way.” Coleman will be shadowing Samarbakhsh for the next month until her term begins on May 1st. Samarbakhsh congratulated both candidates for having the courage to run. “We at the GSA office are very proud of both ladies. Highly skilled, highly capable and knowledgeable about the organization and I wish both of them success.”
‘We need your ideas’ Liberal leadership candidate, Martin Cauchon, speaks at Wilf’s MARISSA EVANS LEAD REPORTER
With the election for the 2013 Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) Leadership just around the corner in early April, candidate Martin Cauchon extended his campaign to visit students and young Liberals in Waterloo. Wilfrid Laurier University hosted the meet and greet with Cauchon in Wilf’s on the evening of March 20. Jazz Clement, a director on the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union board, invited Cauchon to visit Laurier after meeting him at the Ontario Liberal Convention. “I think he’s running a really good campaign right now, and I figured why not assist with getting him involved in the community here,” she explained. “Students are the future of tomorrow.” While all were welcome to drop by, Clement specifically invited the University of Waterloo Federals, the Kitchener-Waterloo Federal Liberal Association and the WLU Young
Liberals. “It’s not often students do get the opportunity to talk to a federal Liberal leader candidate,” she continued. Cauchon also emphasized the importance of reaching out to students. “The way to rebuild a party is to be able to attract members of the new generation,” he said. “Those people are going to give you new ideas and that way you’ll be able to build a platform that will again inspire people.” Cauchon went on to explain that in order to carry out the vision that he has for Canada, he needs the involvement of the next generation. Kyle Proulx, who attended the event and is vice-president of the WLU Young Liberals, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to be able to speak with Cauchon in person. He explained that, though he has been following the debates, it is different to be able to “see that more personal side that you might not [otherwise be privy to].”
Proulx reiterated his appreciation for Cauchon making students a priority during his campaign. “Being able to know that our Leader candidates really look at us with that respect,” he said. “As well as having the ability to come down and speak with us. To hear us in a very casual open-question setting shows a lot of respect to us which, in turn, we would show towards him.” The Liberal Party is currently starting a reconstruction process, and so, according to Cauchon, now is the best time to join the party. “We need you, we need your views, we need your ideas as well,” he said. As part of his message to students, Cauchon encouraged them to get involved with politics. In his words, politics is still the best way to change society. “My main message is that we live in a fantastic democracy whereby there is a way to change society,” he said. “So don’t look at politics like it’s something that’s meaningless. It’s exactly the opposite.”
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
CAMPUS
• 5
Going local on food systems JAMES SHIN STAFF WRITER
JODY WAARDENBURG STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Attendees were able to learn about issues facing water supplies both in Canada and worldwide.
Discussing the policies behind water supplies ERIKA YMANA CORD NEWS
On March 22, the fourth annual World Water Day event, co-hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Waterloo, presented both Gail Krantzberg and Bruce Pardy, two eye-opening, yet debatable keynote speakers who spoke about the world’s most important finite resource — water. While the tone of both speakers was completely different, the topic that stayed prevalent in both lectures was the role of public policy in water. Krantzberg specializes in the great lakes and is earnestly waiting for the government to take revised action for the current state of them. Unfortunately, the previous policy, also known as the Boundary Waters Treaty, signed in 1909, does not cover enough information to deal with issues that have recently appeared. Such issues include climate change, which is lowering lake levels and urban sprawl, which is contributing to pollution. However, after many years of delegation, as of March 2013, the newly revised policy resulted in the Water Quality Agreement. At the end of the lecture, Krantzberg explained her plan of action to continue advocating on behalf of the great lakes.
“They [water rights] are simplistic, they don’t make sense.”
—Bruce Pardy, professor at Queen’s University
Some of these plans included sustainable communities, engaged youths and being held accountable for your own actions. But most importantly, according to Krantzberg, “We must challenge political leaders,” as they are the key role in making a permanent change in the Canadian great lakes. While Krantzberg focused on public policy that governs the stewardship of water, Pardy took a different approach in speaking about water rights. Instead of taking a spin at empowerment, his lecture focused more on water rights. Pardy introduced his lecture by explaining that having a right to
water is “simple, straightforward and wrong.” Similar to Krantzberg, he also added that the current water rights do not solve problems such as pollution, depletion, market prices and the presence of monopoly. Moreover, these rights are usually misinterpreted because it does not give us any indication of what they mean. Writing through rights doesn’t entrench the right to water, because there is still work to be done. The first step needed to create change is to develop a system of rights that are free from misinterpretation. Water rights do not solve the current problems we face because they do not compel society to change. “They [water rights] are simplistic, they don’t make sense,” said Pardy. “They make the problem worse. They fit well into speeches, and slogans, and advocacy work. But they’re not nitty-gritty real, they’re not nuanced, they make no sense.” Some of the improved water rights that Pardy suggested refer to drawing water from natural resources and the riparian right — to be free from water pollution and depletion. The lecture concluded with questions, and when asked about how Canada is doing in terms of its water rights, Pardy replied with “not very well.”
Behind the plates that get served at our tables every day, there are intricate infrastructures and economies that control how and where food is produced, processed and distributed. According to Alison Blay-Palmer, an associate professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, this current food system may not be the most favourable for our local communities. The issue lies within the fact that the majority of food is imported from external sources. Blay-Palmer estimates that $4.3 billion dollars in food is brought into Ontario every year, and this food could be produced or processed within Ontario itself. This brings about missed economic, environmental and health opportunities. “The food system is not ideal right now. It’s not optimal,” said Blay-Palmer. “We have farmers who can’t make a good living farming. We have people who suffer from diet related diseases. We have people that can’t get access to healthy foods. And we have communities that are buying food from very far away — and this is food we could be producing locally.” Thus, Blay-Palmer pushes for locally driven food systems through her involvement in the research group, Nourishing Ontario, which addresses policy issues related to alternative food systems in Ontario. Nourishing Ontario also works and communicates with other regions of Canada, as well as notable international collaborators, such as the European Union and the United Nations. “The goal is to build more
sustainable food communities in Ontario and share that information with people in our international and national network,” explained Blay-Palmer. One example of a problem the group has been examining is the apparent lack of food processing in food distribution facilities across southwestern Ontario. “If we have more of those processing facilities and distribution opportunities for farmers in our local communities, more money stays in our local communities,” said Blay-Palmer. “There is more of a closed-loop kind of economic development than if we send the vegetables somewhere else to be processed or buy processed vegetables from somewhere else.” Blay-Palmer and her associates are working to figure out the barriers that are preventing food processing from being integrated and help to facilitate the necessary infrastructure to overcome these barriers. After 15 years in this field, BlayPalmer is hopeful and excited about the direction that food systems and awareness about food systems is going. “There’s a lot of different groups working on national food policies,” she explained. “There’s also a local food act that’s being worked on at the provincial level.” Blay-Palmer noted that WLU is also part of this movement by offering several different courses on sustainability and sustainable food systems. The sustainability office on campus has also grown a medicinal garden sponsored by the school. As a last note to the students of WLU, Blay-Palmer suggested, “Think about what you’re eating. And also about [your] communities. Go visit a farmers’ market.”
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
CAMPUS
Renovation project repaid —cover
PHOTO COURTESY OF TESSA MILLER
In order to compete in the Kin Games, the group of students had to raise $10,000 to pay for the trip.
Kin students battle it out ERIC THOMPSON STAFF WRITER
Wilfrid Laurier University kinesiology students ventured out west this weekend to take part in the 13th annual Kin Games hosted by the University of Calgary. The competition pits faculties of 31 universities against each other in athletic, academic and spirit contests in a battle for Canada-wide supremacy. “It’s definitely the best we’ve done in my four years here,” said Emma Lang, a Kin Games captain from Laurier. “We finished top ten in the dance, made the semis in lacrosse and top four in the academic challenge.” Laurier sent 24 students to the three-day competition. While there, schools took part in a tournament for two of four possible sports. Laurier ended up playing lacrosse and belly-baseball, a variation of the
school-yard-favourite kickball. Another fourth comes from the academic challenge, which required four members of each team to apply kinesiology-based knowledge towards questions to earn their team points. However, this year’s challenge saw a different take than past years. “[University of] Calgary completely revamped the academic challenge,” said George Hall, another Kin Games captain from Laurier. “This year they did a three round system at the track, rock wall and swimming pool.” The challenge incorporated questions into obstacle courses, which ran at three venues. Laurier’s team made the final round of six. Along the way, Glassford and Kanmacher had the fastest time in the rock wall portion of the challenge. For the dance contest portion, Laurier’s team dressed as rodeo
clowns and performed an almost three minute routine they created themselves. “We basically killed it,” said Lang about the team’s dance. The final 25 per cent of the team’s score is based on spirit, which explains why most of the returning participants are having trouble speaking. “The entire time everyone’s cheering, like our whole team doesn’t have their voice right now,” said Hall. For the most part, according to Lang and Hall, the event is a weekend-long party. But having a good time isn’t the only result of the Kin Games. “It’s a great way to bring the community together,” said Lang. “You get to make hundreds of new friends and expand your network. It’s also a great way to check out other school’s facilities and learn about grad programs.”
that we have,” he said. According to Michael Onabolu, the current president and CEO of WLUSU as well as one of the SLL committee members, the amount of SLL funds given to the renovation project when it first started “wasn’t enough to actually account for the full cost of the project, so we just went back to saying can we recoup the rest of what this project was actually intended to pay for, so that was the whole purpose there.” He explained that the money from this year’s SLL is — when looked at on paper — being given back to WLUSU. “That’s essentially what it works out to,” he added. Onabolu also explained that the $88,000 needed to be paid back to WLUSU’s operating budget because it was directly related to the roughly $6-million debt that WLUSU is currently facing. “Now, being completely transparent, part of that money that would have paid for the renovation obviously would have come in the form of debt financing, so since we already have debt, it can go against that debt,” he said. “A lot of that debt was [from] capital projects, and this would have been a capital project.” He further explained that WLUSU’s operating budget is not intended for the same type of projects that the SLL advocates for, and the SLL is strictly for projects that will directly benefit students. According to Onabolu, the SLL committee decided to allocate this money back to the renovation project in order to cover the rest of the cost so that WLUSU wasn’t footing the bill for a project it didn’t put
“It’s truly the best way for us to utilize our dollars that are provided to us by students.”
—Michael Onabolu, president and CEO of WLUSU
forward. With the $88,000 being given back, the full cost for the renovation project will now be paid off. While Onabolu was not entirely sure as to why WLUSU footed the rest of the renovation bill at the time, he expressed that he expected that money to be repaid from the SLL funds. “It’s truly the best way for us to utilize our dollars that are provided to us by students, is to do the things that are expected by us, which is to advocate on their behalf and to get more study space if possible,” he said. Donelson echoed these sentiments and explained that many students on the SLL committee were adamant to give money back to the renovation project because it is a popular space that is commonly used by many students. “I think it was seen to be a really important project by the students and it was a project that a lot of students benefit from, and it seemed to be of great value to a lot of students,” he concluded.
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• 7
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
LOCAL Bike share enters Region Local Editor Lindsay Purchase lpurchase@thecord.ca
Park to see big upgrade
HG WATSON CCE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Waterloo Region may soon be home to not just one, but two bicyclesharing programs. Both Grand River Public Bike Sharing (GRPBS) and The Working Centre are in the midst of rolling out systems that would allow residents of Waterloo and Kitchener, respectively, to rent bikes from docking stations for as long as the rider needs. At the Sustainability Fair at the University of Waterloo last week, Bianca Popescu, a volunteer with Active Community Transportation, explained to interested onlookers exactly how bike-sharing works and who needs it. “I think because Waterloo has so many university students this would be a great system for students to use,” she explained. Community members can buy a membership for up to a year, or as little as 24 hours. Once purchased, they have access to branded cycles that can be driven from station to station, where they are docked after use. It’s a system that has become popular throughout Europe and is making headway in North America. In Canada, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal have programs operated in part, in some cases, by Bixi. Closer to home, Hamilton’s city council recently approved a bike-sharing program. GRPBS and The Working Centre have both gotten the support of various proponents of alternative forms of transit in the region. “We find generally that public bike systems encourage more people to try cycling on a more regular basis,” said Norma Moores, the project manager of the draft of Region of Waterloo’s Active Transportation Plan. It could also encourage demand for better cycling infrastructure in the region. “[The two] kind of tag team each other.” The GRPBS program will be similar to Bixi’s. However, The Working Centre’s plan will see the bikes operating on a different type of
ALANNA FAIREY LEAD REPORTER
HG WATSON CCE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Grand River Public Bike Share and the Working Centre are both looking to implement bike share.
docking system. “The way that we generally designed the system is that the station will have a bike rack and it’ll also have somewhere where the keys are stored,” said Adrian Underhill, who leads the bike-sharing program for the centre. While the two systems aren’t integrated due to the different technology that they use, Underhill did say that he is in talks with GRPBS to determine how the two programs could work together. Bike-sharing programs have come under fire for being a financial burden to municipalities. In 2011, Montreal’s city council approved a $108 million bailout to Bixi after the service found itself deep in debt. Unlike the programs in other Canadian cities, GRPBS plans on being 100 per cent self-funded. “We don’t want to rely on tax dollars,” says Prasad Samarakoon, one of the founders of GRPBS. “We want to build a sustainable model.” GRPBS needs to wait to get
funding from sponsorships and from people signing up for memberships ahead of the launch. “We need to meet a minimum of 800 members before the launch,” said Samarakoon. They’re also waiting for additional final approvals from the Region of Waterloo and the City of Waterloo before they can set the date for their official launch. The Working Centre was granted $15,000 for its program from the Community Environmental Fund according to James Lapointe, a transportation demand manager and planner with the Region of Waterloo. However, the Working Centre notes on its website that it plans to cut costs by about two thirds by not using the same technology as Bixi sharing systems. They expect to have their stations operational sometime between May and June. Underhill hopes that a yearly membership to the Working
Centre’s program will cost $40. A regular annual fee for GRPBS will cost $78 ($70 for students). However, GRPBS has also reduced yearly fees in hopes of reaching their 800 member goal by the end of the month. Cycling enthusiasts are hopeful that the two systems can integrate to provide complete service to residents. Mike Boos is a member of the Cycling Advisory Committee in Kitchener and an advocate with TriTAG. “I would say in TriTAG’s perspective we would really like to see good cooperation between the two providers,” he noted. “It would be great if they could operate on the same technology and be entirely interoperable.” The benefits for the region of both bike-sharing programs could be a positive boost to cycling culture in the region. “It’s eco-friendly, healthier and very economical mode of transportation,” said Samarakoon.
Intersections get extra attention —cover
CRISTINA RUCCHETTA LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
Jaywalking, a common practice, can result in a $50 fine.
Last weekend, a car struck a 22-year-old Waterloo woman who was jaywalking at night. She is now facing life-threatening injuries at a Hamilton hospital. “[Jaywalking] puts not only the students in danger but also the motorists,” Hancocks said. “We’re really just trying to educate the students to use the crosswalks and lights as they are supposed to be used.” A jaywalking ticket, according to Hancocks, is presumably meant to be an educative warning for the perpetrator, teaching them the importance of following traffic laws. He expressed the Special Constable’s support in the Waterloo police’s road safety initiative. “[Jaywalking] is like playing chicken with a 400-pound vehicle,” Hancocks emphasized. “Not everyone goes the speed limit, so that’s a big piece of metal hurdling at you.” However, in response to the amount of tickets being handed out to jaywalkers, some pedestrians feel that a $50 fine is unnecessary for something that may be unavoidable. “I live on Noecker [Street] and in order to get to campus I have to
cross King [St] at the lights by Marshall,” explained Liz Kararincic, a fourth-year student at Wilfrid Laurier University. “Most of the time I am unable to get to that light without jaywalking because of the construction. I either have to walk on the road to avoid the traffic on King or I need to cross the street before the light.” “This is extremely annoying and unsafe,” she added. Along with that, some Laurier students expressed their concern through Twitter. One tweet acknowledged that they jaywalk because crosswalks and intersections are too “out of the way” for their route. “Rather than walking the extra 30 feet to the cross walk or intersection, you figure you can run across,” Hancocks admitted when considering students’ logic. “But you know that’s never a good idea. That extra 30 feet can save you a month in the hospital.” The debate over the issue of jaywalking is one that will likely never be resolved. However, in Waterloo, officers are doing everything they can to prevent jaywalking and reduce the number of “preventable incidents.”
After months of negotiations and planning, Waterloo city councilors have signed off on several changes that will be made to Waterloo Park, expected for 2014. Waterloo mayor Brenda Halloran addressed the Region’s plans to move forward with these changes in her City of the State address last Friday, where she revealed that the federal government had given its approval. “A favourite destination for our Waterloo residents is Waterloo Park,” Halloran said. “Thanks to a federal government grant, this jewel of our city will undergo upgrades in the near future.” The plans that will be made to the park include restoring an old wooden playground, establishing new trails that will lead directly into the recreational area, enhancements to the parking lot and the integration of fibre optic cables as well as Wi-Fi expediency. Eckhard Pastrik, the landscape architect for Waterloo Park, shared that the master plan regarding the changes made for Waterloo Park had been completed four years before. The need to improve the quality of the park has remained a priority of the project components that councilors had wanted to implement. “One of the major issues we found when we did the master plan was the park had limited visibility on roadways around it,” Pastrik explained. “This is our opportunity to give it a front.” One concern that the committee and the public hoped to fix for the park was the playground that is currently located in the west side of the park. According to Pastrik, this playground has come to the end of its useful life. Once the changes are made to the west side park, Waterloo residents will notice that this recreational area will be much different than others found in other local parks. “We’re looking to replace that with this new accessible playground,” Pastrik said. “This playground will focus on a sort of passive play instead of the traditional playground that is used elsewhere.” Discussions to implement these changes to the park began late last year. The park began with a concept development stage where they sought public input. Through this, individuals were able to express what they would like to see changed about the park. “We’ve met with committees of council who have a particular interest in this project. We then had a public information center back in November of last year at the end of that conceptual stage,” Pastrik said of the process. “We’ve been fortunate to find out that we were given the grant money, so we have moved into the general design stage so we’re refining it to the next level. We’ll be ready for construction in mid-to-late June of this year.” The committee is hoping to complete the designs for the park changes by the end of April, where they will then put the designs out for public approval. Once these designs have been completed, the committee will start looking for contractors who will then close the project.
8 •
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
LOCAL
K–W in brief Cambridge crash leaves woman with life-threatening injuries
A collision that took place at approximately 3 p.m. on Tuesday has resulted in a 62-year-old woman being airlifted to a Hamilton hospital. The woman was driving a Honda SUV on Kossuth Road, when a man driving a Cadillac sedan in the eastbound lane crossed into the westbound lane and hit her car head-on. The 67-year-old man was hospitalized with serious, but not lifethreatening injuries. Police have not determined the cause of the crash, but upon first analysis did not believe road and weather conditions or speed were factors. KATE TURNER PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER
Mayor Brenda Holloran gave her annual State of the City address during a fundraising event last Friday morning at RIM Park.
Waterloo ‘on the right track’ Mayor Brenda Halloran discusses Waterloo’s strengths in State of the City address ALANNA FAIREY LEAD REPORTER
Mayor Brenda Halloran addressed the city of Waterloo last Friday, acknowledging the city’s strengths in what she called a “pillar” of success. Waterloo residents, city councilors and other upstanding members of the community gathered at RIM Park for the annual State of the City address, with the proceeds from the event going towards KidsAbility, a regional not-for-profit association that helps to empower children and youth with various learning disabilities. Before Halloran made her address, Josh Bechtel, a fifth grade N.A. MacEachern Public School student, who was the winner of this year’s Mayor for a Day contest, introduced Halloran with his winning
creative video. “The youth of today are our leaders of tomorrow,” Halloran expressed. “It is critical that we create a community for future generations to enjoy, and I believe we are on the right track to making this happen.” After assuring Bechtel that he will one day make a “great mayor,” Halloran complimented the community’s low unemployment rate and the impressive breakthroughs in providing stable housing to those in need. Halloran analyzed the city’s strengths based on the “pillars” she viewed as Waterloo’s greatest stepping-stones to success. She focused her address on technology, knowledge and education, finance, manufacturing, opportunities and culture. “I believe the strength of our city
lies within the pillars of our economic vitality,” Halloran said in her address. “These pillars empower us to weather financial storms, retain our current population, attract newcomers and grow a city worthy of global recognition.” Halloran guaranteed the crowd that as mayor, she will continue her work to make certain that Waterloo remains appealing to its residents and those who visit the area. With the promise that Waterloo’s relationship with China is stronger than ever, Halloran is also working closely with Canada’s Technology Triangle (CTT) to follow up on various business ventures. As her address came to a conclusion, Halloran took the opportunity to express the love and pride she felt for the Region of Waterloo. She credited the residents of the city for
the role they have played in Waterloo’s increasing and much anticipated achievements. “We all play an important role in making Waterloo the great city it has become, each and every one of us,” Halloran said. “It is a city with a treasured past, a dynamic present and a bright future. It is a city that has strategic plans for the future.” Halloran concluded her address by assuring Bechtel that he will one day make a magnificent mayor to a city full of prosperous growth. Before exiting the stage at the end of her speech, Halloran’s husband, Fred Brandenburg, came on stage and presented her with an honourary Rotarian pin to thank her for her fervor and dedication to the city of Waterloo.
Maxwell’s looks to new location
Paul Maxwell, the owner of Maxwell’s Music House, presented to city councilors on Monday a proposal to change locations from 220 King St. N. to 35 University Ave. E. The move will require a zoning change, which will be evaluated in a formal public meeting. The new venue would have a capacity for 1,200 people.
Murder charges laid after assault
Barry Warren Foy, the victim of an assault early Sunday morning, has died. He was discovered by police with severe head injuries and placed on life support at hospital, where he died on Monday. A man and his son have been charged with second-degree murder, which is upgraded from initial charges of aggravated assault. Police found the 44-year-old man at an Allen Street East home in Waterloo. A homicide investigation is ongoing.
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Waterloo City Council voted in favour of bringing the discussion of a potential casino in Waterloo Region to the public Monday night by establishing the creation of a public consultation forum online. The controversial casino plans have sparked much debate about whether or not a casino has a place in Waterloo or the region as a whole. The city council voted 6-2 to move forward with the online consultations. Unlike Kitchener, however, the city of Waterloo doesn’t plan on holding any public meetings on the potential casino. “I think it’s the right thing to do. It’s a really big public issue that can potentially change the nature of our community,” explained Karen Scian, the city councilor for Ward 2 who voted in favour of the motion. Similarly to how it has been happening in Toronto, the casino in Waterloo Region — which could be placed somewhere near Woolwich Township — has gathered much opposition for ethical and social reasons. While supportive of the motion to hold online public consultations, Scian noted that a casino in Waterloo might not be the best option for the community. “I really don’t see how a casino fits into our community,” continued Scian. “We’ve worked really hard to create a high-tech, education-based, knowledge economy. I think we need to have a really strong understanding of what a casino city is, and whether or not we want Waterloo to be a casino city.” Kitchener, also on Monday night,
voted to have public consultations on the casino, but these will be in the form of public meetings. The reason why Waterloo and Kitchener — Cambridge opted out of the discussion back in November — have been discussing a possible casino is because of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming corporation’s (OLG) goal to build five new casinos in Ontario. Mark Whaley, the Waterloo city councilor for Ward 5, voted against the motion because he felt the process that the city has adopted is not effective. To him, the process should have included public meetings rather than it being solely online. “We have directed people to comment on a website and that’s all we’ve really done, and you call that a public consultation?” said Whaley, adding that he’s not entirely opposed to a casino in Waterloo Region. “So call it consultation if you want, but to me it’s just bogus,” he added. According to Scian, the feedback about a potential casino that she has received so far on social media networks has been negative – the citizens of Waterloo appear to be opposed to the idea. “They are overwhelmingly expressing a negative opinion about having a casino,” she said. “I think for the most part people just kind of sit back and watch things happen, but asking people to express their opinion about important topics is part of my job.” The online public consultation for Waterloo begins at the end of the week and will continue until the end of April on the city of Waterloo’s website.
• 9
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
NATIONAL Federal budget comes under fire National Editor Lindsay Purchase lpurchase@thecord.ca
Since its release by the government last week, the budget has faced strong criticism JANE LYTVYNENKO CUP OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF
OTTAWA (CUP) — Wearing brand new budget shoes, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced the Economic Action Plan 2013 on March 21. Titled “Jobs, Growth, and Economic Prosperity,” the budget introduces market-oriented skills training, job creation measures and aims to balance the books by 2015. However, the opposition is not optimistic the Tories can keep their budget promises. “These predictions are wrong,” said Thomas Mulcair, leader of the New Democratic Party. “That’s what we’ve constantly seen.” Toronto MP Bob Rae also disliked the budget, calling it “the same old propaganda.” “It has very unlikely targets as to where the revenue picture is going to go over the next couple of years,” said Rae. “It’s a rhetorical document, it’s an excursive of political relic.” One of the main features of the budget is the Canada Jobs Grant. The program would provide job seekers with $5,000 for skills training, which the federal government hopes would be matched by an additional $10,000 from provincial governments and employers. The grant will create opportunities for apprentices and provide support to underrepresented groups, such as youth and Aboriginals, to help them find employment. However, Rae said the government could do more for unemployed Canadians. “There’s no new money, it’s money that’s going to be delayed for several years, it’s money that now requires an equal amount from provinces and employers,” he said. “It’s actually a whole lot less when you consider the size and extent of employment.” Businesses who can provide skills training — such as community and career colleges — will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 dollars per person of that grant. The businesses’ and provinces’ contributions will have to match the federal government. The program will be finalized after renewal negotiations of the
“It has very unlikely targets as to where the revenue picture is going to go over the next couple of years.” —Bob Rae, MP for Toronto Centre
JANE LYTVYNENKO CANADIAN UNIVERSITY PRESS
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced the federal budget.
Labour Market Development Agreements in 2014–15 with the provinces and territories. Flaherty said he can’t guarantee all provinces will sign off on the grant, but remains optimistic about the plan. “[The Conservatives] listen to businesses and persons who are unemployed,” said Flaherty. “We have a problem and we have to fix it. I think the provincial governments will listen to … employers.” Adam Awad, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, said while the grant is a step in the right direction it’s not enough for students. He was disappointed with the budget and felt the government could do more to address student issues. “It’s definitely disappointing; it doesn’t do much for students at all,” said Awad. “It doesn’t address the main issues of debt and access to
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education.” “Canadian businesses are ... failing to provide this training regardless; it’s not the government’s responsibility to pay businesses to do their own job. It would have been much better to provide that funding directly into the education system.” In addition to the Canada Jobs Grant, the government announced promotion of education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and skilled trades, all of which are considered high-demand. As a part of the grant, $19 million over two years will be reallocated to informing youth about those fields of study and the career opportunities stemming from them. The budget does not provide details of where the funding will be reallocated from. A total of $70 million over three years will be invested in 5,000 paid internships for recent post-secondary graduates. They will be added
on to the 3,000 internships already created with Economic Action Plan 2012. The Canadian Youth Business Foundation will receive $18 million over two years if the foundation can raise $15 million to match the federal funding. The non-profit organization works with young entrepreneurs develop their businesses by providing mentorship, advice and other resources. The government hopes this will help the foundation become self-sustainable. Awad said the funds to help youth gain employment are not “addressing the main concern.” The government has also allocated money for research, which will involve undergraduate students. Research funding will see $37 million per year to support partnerships with industry though the granting councils, including an additional $12 million annually for the College and Community Innovation Program (CCIP). The granting councils will expand eligibility for their undergraduate and industrial internships and scholarships to students who are enrolled in college bachelor programs. Awad added that the primary issue is student debt as students are “unable to take risks” once they graduate because of the money they owe. “While the money for the apprenticeship programs and grants are better than nothing, it’s nowhere near what needs to happen,” said Awad.
Canada in brief Abandoned bear cubs rescued
Three bear cubs were discovered in a snowbank on a roadside ouside of Fredericton. A blanket and basket was also discovered near the cubs, leading provincial officials to believe that they may have been dropped off there. A couple discovered the cubs, two male and one female, while driving to their Springfield home. They notified the Department of Natural Resources. The cubs are currently being held at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre. They will be held there until they can be released into the wild.
Student hazing incident generates strong backlash
Ryerson University engineering students were found last week to be engaging in hazing rituals. Students who wanted to be orientation leaders for the following year were filmed in their underwear crawling through ice and slush. The incident has been highly condemned by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Ryerson President Sheldon Levy. The university has since decided that no action will be taken after discussions were held with the Ryerson Engineering Students Society.
Greyhound bus sex assault results in charges
A woman was allegedly assaulted by the passenger beside her on a Greyhound bus while travelling to Ottawa last Sunday. The victim was sleeping, and woke at around 9 p.m. to find the person beside her touching her in a sexual manner. The suspect, a foreign university student studying engineering, is named Taimoor Najam and was detained by police after the bus arrived in Ottawa. He has been charged with sexual assault. Other people on the bus came to help the woman after she began screaming that she was being assaulted. At the time, the bus was travelling between Carleton Place and Ottawa.
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, mArch 27, 2012
In Depth
In Depth Editor Vacant editor@thecord.ca
Recovering against all odds In 2011, Karen Roma didn’t expect to be spending Christmas Eve in McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ont., sitting beside her son’s bed waiting for his blood work to come back from Harvard University. She didn’t expect to be sitting there, surrounded by her family — which included her other 15-year-old son — waiting to find out if her child had leukemia. “I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it. How could this be? He basically was a healthy kid. As a mom, you don’t think you’re going to hear that your kid has cancer, right? “Then maybe I thought it was a mistake, but it wasn’t.” Nick Roma was only 17 years old and was a high school senior at Saint Paul Catholic High School in Niagara Falls when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). While most typical cases undergo 25 months of chemotherapy treatment and therapy, Nick was an irregular case. His journey was filled with complications and even his mother said he’s lucky to be alive today. He’s considered a “miracle” by family and friends, and it all began with a tired feeling.
The beginning
Nick had been feeling tired in the beginning of December 2011, but he wasn’t sick often and rarely complained about pain. But in the coming weeks, things started to change. “He started getting pain in his jaw, so I took him to the dentist and they told me it was his wisdom teeth. [But] when the dentist cleaned his teeth, [they were] covered in blood,” Karen said. “The dentist said, ‘I think he needs to floss better,’ but it wasn’t that at all.” The next day at school, Nick was in so much pain that he could barely stand up. “Kids took pictures of him lying on the ground and thinking he was joking, thinking he wanted to get out of working. They were moving desks from one place to another and he couldn’t do it,” Karen said. That night, Nick went home and slept for hours. His father, John, noticed something wrong and took him to the walk-in clinic to be checked. But when the clinic told the Romas to come back in the morning for Nick to do blood work, he fainted. “I felt very weak, tired and sore,” Nick said. “I had no motivation to do anything at anytime.” The clinic didn’t have a doctor, so Nick was sent to Greater Niagara General Hospital (GNGH). According to Karen, Nick’s blood work indicated incredibly low numbers. His platelets, which are the blood cells that clot blood and stop bleeding, were at a level of 11, when they are typically between 250 and 400. His hemoglobin, a protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood, was at a level of 27, which are typically 150. “I left work, I rushed to the hospital and he’s all hooked up to IVs and had blood transfusions and was on his third transfusion by the time I go there,” Karen said. Nick went through immediate blood transfusions at GNGH before being transferred to McMaster on Dec 23. He went through a blood marrow biopsy before having his results sent to Harvard to be evaluated. Christmas Eve, the Romas — and Nick’s girlfriend, Kara Brown — were given the news that Nick was diagnosed with ALL and would have to undergo immediate chemotherapy. “They wanted to start chemotherapy right away because it was acute and he was very close to dying at that point,” Karen said. “When he was first diagnosed I didn’t know what to expect,” said Brown, who has stuck with Nick through the entirety of his diagnosis. “The word ‘cancer’ had many things running through my mind.”
Living with Leukemia
Generally, cancer is not very common in children. According to Carol Portwine, a pediatric hematologist oncologist with Hamilton Health Science (HHS) and associate professor with McMaster, only about 14 to 15 people in a 100,000 population are diagnosed with leukemia, a form of cancer that affects the white blood cell count in a person’s body. Acute leukemia makes up about one third of all cases of cancer in children, and while it’s not very common, it is the most common type of cancer in children. “Leukemia in a general statement is kind of a chameleon,” Portwine said. “People can present very, very well .... Or, they can present very, very ill .... The presentation is not duplicated in any individuals. It’s really a vast array of how any individual will present with an acute leukemia.” ALL is more common in children, while the other form of acute leukemia, acute myleoblastic leukemia (AML), is more common in adults. To diagnose leukemia, a blood test is taken and evaluated based on if the leukemia cells are already in the blood stream. However, a bone marrow test must also be done in order to properly observe the cancer. “The bone marrow is really a factory, where all the baby cells are made,” Portwine said. “So we want to see how the factory is doing because the factory with leukemia is producing a lot of bad cells and a lot of leukemia cells.” According to Portwine, there are many tests that are done to see what type of leukemia the patient has, if there are any specific genetic changes to the cells and if it could be a more favourable, or “better” prognosis, or a bad prognosis. Treatment with leukemia, and specifically with ALL, is predominantly chemotherapy. Portwine said that it can include radiation depending on the severity, but everyone will receive chemotherapy. “People often ask if transplant is also part of the treatment and it’s not part of the upfront therapy,” Portwine confirmed. “So we’d never be discussing a transplant except for very exceptional cases when based on certain tests it shows that it’s a very resistant form of ALL. But for the vast majority, it’s chemotherapy, plus or minus radiation.” In Nick’s case, he received treatment immediately following his diagnosis. Portwine said his treatment — from time of diagnosis — runs for two years and a month. The initial month is an aggressive induction of chemotherapy to get rid of all “apparent evidence” of the disease, and then a normal induction of therapy for the following two years.
Bright times
After a few months of treatment, Nick seemed to be doing well. He was considered an inpatient at McMaster for about six weeks in December before being allowed to live at home. He had to go to Hamilton every Thursday for chemotherapy, and received schooling from home in order to graduate on time, which was the upcoming June. He suffered hair loss from the chemotherapy and other common symptoms, but his cancer was in remission in time for the final months of his high school career. Nick was able to attend prom with his girlfriend of over three and a half years, Brown, where the two were named prom king and queen. Just three weeks later, and six months after being diagnosed, Nick walked across the stage at his graduation with no help, an orange ribbon on his graduation robe for leukemia awareness, and received a standing ovation from his classmates and parents at Saint Paul. “It made me feel like I can accomplish anything no matter what the obstacle is,” Nick said. “It was a big thing for me.” “To see him walk across the stage at grad meant so much to me,” Brown echoed. “I was so proud to be there and witness everyone giving him a standing ovation. I was so happy he was able to attend prom with me and we were able to put everything aside for a moment and just have fun.”
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012
IN DEPTH
• 11
By speaking with leukemia patient Nick Roma and his family and friends, Sports Editor Shelby Blackley gets perspective on the challenges presented on the road to recovery The summer
Despite Nick’s progress, things took a turn in July 2012. While Karen was in Croatia with her fiancé to see his father, who was having open-heart surgery, Nick suffered a blood clot in his leg. He was taken to GNGH, but as the day went on, the prognosis got worse. Nick went through a serious infection and severe septic shock. He was transferred to McMaster to be taken care of by the same doctors that helped him seven months earlier. “The news got really grim,” Karen said. “I got a message from my ex-husband saying get here quick. We called the hospital ... but they wouldn’t tell me much. When I finally got to McMaster, I couldn’t believe what I saw. I couldn’t believe that this was my child, lying there on life support. It was hell for me.” Nick had died three times — once in his father’s arms — and had to be resuscitated every time. Originally, he weighed 160 lbs., but because his organs were shutting down, he had to be pumped full of fluids, weighing in at 190 lbs. His fingers and toes were black. He slipped into a coma for six weeks. “I didn’t even recognize him,” Karen said. The doctors at McMaster did everything possible to mend Nick’s hands and feet, which were now losing full circulation and were beginning to die. The infection caused blood clots throughout his body, in his leg, lung, heart and brain. He had his first stroke. He had a fever of over 40 degrees due to the infection. “When we give chemotherapy, it knocks out all of the cells that are dividing, which include the good cells in the bone marrow,” Portwine explained. “So not only will the leukemia cause the number of good cells to be lower, but the chemotherapy provided will [also] certainly bring the number of good cells down. So anybody receiving chemotherapy will be at risk of infection. “So it’s all part of what Nick went through when he got his infection. It wasn’t just the leukemia that gave him [the infection], but it was also the chemotherapy that we gave him because that brings his counts down and makes him more susceptible to infection.” The infection forced Nick and his family to make a tough decision. His hands and feet were too far-gone and if the doctors didn’t amputate them, they would amputate themselves. Before that would happen, the infection would kill him. “I knew it,” Karen said. “But I wasn’t prepared when they said they’d have to come up just below the elbow and just below the knee.” Karen explained that the logic came down to “life over limb.” If the doctors didn’t amputate his limbs, Nick would die. Portwine was one of the doctors in on the discussion, along with the intensive care doctors, the orthopedic surgeons, the infectious disease doctors and the plastic surgeons. “When you have an infection that is festering in a limb that you can’t get control of, sometimes you have to do something drastic to eliminate the infection,” Portwine said. “His limbs were very badly damaged and were not going to recover and his best chance for overall survival and recovery was to do the amputation.” The doctors amputated his hands and feet. Everything was successful. But that wasn’t the end of the complications. A week after the amputation, the doctors sat Karen down to express their concern about a blood clot in Nick’s head that caused a seven-millimetre aneurysm. The aneurysm, which is a bulge in the artery, has the potential to burst anywhere between seven to 12 months. “If that bursts, then he will either be paralyzed or it will kill him or make him mentally challenged,” Karen said. “So I said, ‘okay, what are my options?’” Karen’s options were limited immediately. Because Nick hadn’t received chemotherapy during the infection, the doctors were unsure where the cancer treatment was at and if came back aggressively. So, they had to wait. Once the doctors had confirmed that Nick’s cancer was still in remission, they waited a month before performing the surgery. But not without complications. The surgery required that a wire go up Nick’s groin, up his arteries, all the way to the brain and coil the aneurysm, pulling it out. There was a 20 per cent chance
that he could get worse. He could become paralyzed, or it could possibly kill him. “It was successful, the only thing was that it gave him another small stroke that affected the left side of his body. But you can never tell,” Karen said. By the end of the entire procedure, Nick had suffered two strokes, a brain aneurysm, went through septic shock and lost all of his limbs due to infection. “So when that was done, I was like, ‘okay, is that it?’” Karen, relieved, said, laughing. Brown echoed Karen. “Honestly words cannot describe how I felt this past summer with everything going on, it is something I would not wish upon anyone. It was a nightmare.”
The recovery
March 21 became one of the Romas favourite days of the year. Fifteen months after being diagnosed with leukemia and nine months after battling an infection, Nick was discharged from Hamilton General Hospital and walked out on his prosthetic legs. “Since [the summer], it’s been smooth sailing,” Karen said. “Once they realized his cancer was still in remission, they said, ‘okay, there’s hope.’ And they did everything they could, the doctors were amazing, at Mac and Hamilton General.” Nick has undergone intensive rehabilitation to learn how to use prosthetic arms and legs to do things normal people take for granted. With the help of his parents, his family, his girlfriend, Brown, and his brother, Jamie, he’s been able to focus on the recovery. “I have to go to physio twice a day, where I learn how to do things that most people take for granted,” Nick said. “Like walking, holding things, picking things up. It’s all new again.” “The therapy that Nick is in right now is actual the maintenance part of his therapy, which means he sees us in our clinic once a week for outpatient chemotherapy,” Portwine explained. “He takes pills at home, but he comes once a week for intravenous medication and what we call lumber punctures. Because we want to keep the fluid around his brain and spinal cord free of disease. “So periodically we give him chemotherapy into the area that surrounds his brain and spinal cord. He doesn’t come to us all that often anymore, it’s really all outpatient therapy unless he runs into a complication he needs admission for.” “It is honestly amazing,” Brown said of his progress. “It’s crazy to see how far he has come from where he was back in July, seeing him and his smile each time I go up to see him [in Hamilton] just reminds me of how something bad can turn into something so good, he is such a strong person.” The initial estimated cost of Nick’s prosthetic legs and the revamping of his Niagara-based homes to accommodate his needs was $500,000. According to Karen, so far $230,000 has been raised towards the cost, which is almost halfway to the amount they wanted to raise. The prosthetic arms cost approximately $60,000 each and only last five or six years before they have to be replaced. While Nick’s journey through his diagnosis has been full of complications, Portwine stressed that not all leukemia patients go through the same experience. “Nick has been an exceptional patient,” she said. “I don’t want to leave the impression that this is the norm for individuals with ALL. Yes, they can become very sick and I think Nick is an example of how sick they can become, but it isn’t the norm. If you came into our clinic [at McMaster] and saw the kids running around and playing ... you wouldn’t even know they had cancer. “So, I don’t want to leave the impression that all kids get as sick as this, but certainly they can. And Nick’s an example of that.”
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAREN ROMA
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Features Editor
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Colleen Connolly
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cconnolly@thecord.ca
Endurance sports and road races have taken Sally Heath to Virginia, Sean Roper to Tasmania, and Bob Miller to Abu Dhabi. They’ve spent nights mountain biking, days trekking, hour upon hour canoeing and have done their fair share of horseback riding, ropes courses, rock climbing and every discipline in between. Maybe this summer you’re looking forward to four months of pounding kilometers out on the pavement on your daily road run. Or maybe it’s another summer of work, or just you and the couch. That’s no different for Heath Roper, and Miller, but when it’s time for a change of pace they are nowhere near the road, or a couch, or civilization for that matter. They’re adventure racing. “It’s kind of like a camping trip on steroids,” explained Miller, who is the president of the Canadian Adventure Racing Association (CARA) and an international adventure racer. Unlike marathons and triathlons, which are uniform in definition and regulations, adventure racing is a fairly new sport and loosely defined. Races are generally comprised of three disciplines: mountain biking, trekking or hiking and canoeing or kayaking. However, as Miller noted, “each [race] has its own flavour” with the possibility of a variety of other disciplines. Unleashed into the wilderness, teams must have the ability to navigate with a map and compass to work their way along the race course. Once again, each course is set up differently and regulated by the race director. Miller explained that CARA is working on developing standardized rules and regulations, but he finds that there are three main classifications for races based on length. Entry-level races are shorter and range from three to eight hours. Overnight races are the next step, which are usually 24 hours or two days. After this point they become expedition races which could last from three to ten days. The multi-faceted nature of adventure races means that they require a different skill set then your typical endurance sport or obstacle course race. “Adventure racing, they say, is a very mental sport because once you’re going for days on end, not necessarily the fittest athlete is going to come out on top,” said Miller. “There’s a big teamwork and mental aspect to racing that I find really interesting as well. Not to mention the navigation.” Heath, who is the manager of academic program development and review at Wilfrid Laurier University and has been adventure racing for ten years, emphasized the importance of navigation and the strategy it entails. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the fastest runner in the world if you don’t know how to take a bearing to a checkpoint,” she said. “You can get away with being a crappy paddler, but you need to know where you’re going.” Both Miller’s and Heath’s interest in adventure racing was piqued by Eco-Challenge, a popular television series which ran from 1995 to 2002. The show featured a 300-mile expedition race held in various locations around the world and inspired many people to get involved with the sport on a more local level. It was around this time, Miller explained, that adventure racing began in Canada. One of the first was the Frontier Adventure Racing series in British Columbia, created by Dave Zietsma who was an EcoChallenge participant. Roper’s experience with adventure racing began in British Columbia, where he organized a small scale event for a college project. He
FEATU
NOT YOUR TREK IN TH
Requiring a unique combination skills, adventure racing stan competitions. Lead Reporter M what it gives and what
also volunteered at a larger scale event that was a two day stage race. “I thought the format and concept was great, but I thought that what was needed was a means to get your feet wet,” he said. “Which is where the Storm the Trent concept came from. It always offered a short-range course, mid-range course, and an advanced-level course. There’s something for everyone.” Storm the Trent is the event Roper founded when he moved back to Ontario. He is now the race director of Storm Racing which features a four-race series, including the Peterborough-based Storm the Trent. “We’re just trying to make it more accessible and more appealing to more people,” he continued. “The likeliness of getting hundreds and hundreds of people drawn to an overnight 24-hour race … is pretty unlikely because that’s just not for everyone. But if you give everyone a taste of it with a smaller scale version it’s much more achievable.” He admitted there are some barriers to the sport, as it can get expensive with gear, entry fees and more remote locations, but that they try “to do what [they] can do break that down”. Even so, since the cancellation of Eco-Challenge — which had played an important role in attracting people to the sport — adventure racing has plateaued in committed participants. “It’s not growing new members in the way that it used to,” said Roper. “But people who are involved in the community have probably
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R TYPICAL HE WOODS
n of endurance and navigational nds apart from most fitness Marissa Evans sets out to discover t it takes to get involved
been involved for ten years. There is definitely a very tightknit community.” Miller speculated that the average age of competitors is between 25 and 40. As well, three of largest demographics for jobs are teachers, engineers and emergency service personnel. “People tend to have more unconventional jobs,” noted Heath. “And may or may not have traditional family structures. I don’t have kids, so it makes it easier for me to go to races in B.C. or in Maine, too.” As an avid adventure racer, Heath splits her time racing in Canada and the United States. “I have a lifetime goal of racing in every state and province in Canada and the U.S.,” she said. “Now not just adventure races, because I also run ultra-marathons and do mountain bike racing and orienteering. So far I’ve knocked off four provinces and eight or nine states.” According to Heath’s experiences, there is a distinct different between racing in Canada and the U.S. The latter’s races are generally in state parks, and often run through towns. “There was one adventure race we did where we had a spaghetti dinner in the middle of the race,” she recalled. Canada, however, is more wilderness-oriented. “You’re trekking through woods that people might not have walked through in 50 or 100 years,” she said. “Paddling on all these tiny little
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 • 13
lakes that there’s no other access to … and that you would never see if you weren’t in that adventure race. That’s a pretty cool experience.” Roper similarly commented on the draw exploring new areas has for people, which is where his own love for the sport stems from. “It’s when you get to a place in the middle of Tasmania and it’s three in the morning and you’re in a swamp in a place that’s probably been travelled to by only a few people in the world. You have that moment where you think, wow this is really cool,” he explained. For Miller, what drew him in was the fact that the sport offers a combination of his passions, as he grew up doing sports and going on camping and canoe trips. After university, he also participated in endurance sports like marathons and triathlons. “It’s something about the draw of the wilderness, the teamwork component and the having to strategize,” said Heath. “If we have one checkpoint here on a map and the other one three kilometres away, and you stick 20 teams out there, they might take 18 different routes to get there. And that’s really cool, too. That you have to use your knowledge of the terrain and of your team’s strengths.” The strategy aspect is largely what separated adventure racing from obstacle course races which have been growing in popularity over the past few years. Races such as Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash involve a set race course scattered with man-made obstacles. As such, they are mono-disciplined and don’t require navigation. Miller explained that some obstacle course races have been calling themselves adventure races as well although they do not meet the credentials. “At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “I mean, people are getting outside and being healthy and active and that’s kind of the best part of it all.” Heath mentioned that the emerging popularity of obstacle course races might cause a resurgence of participants in adventure racing as this could be the next step for someone after doing an event like Tough Mudder. Jonathan Gascho, a fourth-year business student at Wilfrid Laurier University and member of the Golden Hawks cross-country team, did Tough Mudder and World’s Toughest Mudder last year. “It’s a challenge that you don’t normally put yourself through and you just want to see if you’re capable of completing it. And then once you know that you’re capable of completing it, it’s how much better can I get,” Gascho said of the elevated challenge of obstacle courses. He is considering participating in an adventure race in Pennsylvania next year. “The best way to get involved with the sport is either to volunteer with an event … or come out to some of the clinics,” Miller explained. He also recommended just grabbing some friends and trying out an entry-level race. “Give it a shot,” Roper encouraged. “If any of those elements — paddling, mountain biking, trail running, navigation, team work — are at all appealing to you, by all means give it a shot because it’s much more achievable than you might think.” In closing, Heath imparted a theory she and other racers have formed. “I think you can learn a lot of useful life skills,” she said. “Like whenever I am confronted with a problem it’s compared to: hey, remember that time I was stuck on that mountain? Or, remember that time I trekked for forty hours and my feet were raw? I’d like to say adventure racing has made me a better human being.”
GRAPHICS BY STEPHANIE TRUONG GRAPHICS EDITOR
PHOTOS COURTESY OF STORM RACING
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Arts
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 Arts Editor Cristina Almudevar calmudevar@thecord.ca
We like to rock: Canadian Music Week Day One: Wednesday March 20 The Annex Wreck Room, located on Bathurst Street, is generally unassuming both from the outside and inside. After walking up the stairs, you suddenly enter a dark room with an illuminated stage. The spotlight is currently on 2 Live Drew, a dance group that is self-described as a “Grade eight graduation dance from 1989.” This description could not be more accurate. 2 Live Drew takes classic hip-hop and rap from the 90s and remixes it with various sounds and live guitar and drums. However, to see them before they begin to play is jarring in comparison to their performance. If anything, 2 Live Drew look more like the guys who would work in an IT department than DJs working with 90s rap. Easily one of the best moments of the set was when one of the members, who are both named Andrew,
performed a spoken word of the classic “California Love” by Tupac Shakur. 2 Live Drew were a surprisingly good band and put on one of the most entertaining performances of the night. Next, in the same venue, was King Dylan. This prompted many questions such as, “Is there a guy named King Dylan?” and “Will he be wearing a crown?” Sadly he did not, but rather wore an oversized leather jacket to stand out from the crowd. King Dylan stood out from the entirety of the performances of the night but not in a positive manner. While the concept of a rap/rock band is still not completely common, it is tough to accomplish and King Dylan did not succeed. His rapping was strong and had excellent rhythm but the singing is where the king fell. His voice was pitchy and too over confident in his
talent. Over at El Mocambo on Spadina Avenue, Halifax natives The Stogies brought the audience back to the days of classic rock with their unique sound. Heavy on bass and guitar, The Stogies made the ground shake and the audience loved it. Lead singer Blake Johnston was charismatic and knew how to work the growing crowd. It was entrancing to watch his giant afro move back and forth as he jumped around the stage like an Amish hippie. They sounded like a psychedelic funk band had an illegitimate love child with a heavy metal band: loud guitars, heavy bass but with very rhythmic singing and drums. The performance was standard: a bunch of guys rocking out to some great music. Upstairs at El Mocambo resembled more of a performance art
piece rather than the set up for a concert. Following a trail of cut-out paper feathers up the stage lead the way to Australian band Ginger and the Ghost. The stage was easily the most visually stunning of all performances. They set the stage with textured rugs and sheets, a backdrop of fireworks and various garlands. It gave the impression that everyone was under water. Melissa Gilbert, lead singer of Ginger and the Ghost, looked otherworldy in her blue sequined jumpsuit and her white robe, which looked like she skinned Falkor the Luckdragon from The Neverending Story and sprinkled feathers and glitter throughout the performance. Her performance was full of watery reverb and a sense of etherealness. However, the reverb did not work in her favour. It got to the point
where the audience could tell she had a lot of talent, but it was difficult to hear her voice under the reverb. Despite the reverb, the songs were extremely catchy and everyone enjoyed themselves. The last stop of the night was to Clinton Tavern to catch the tail end of their “Ode to Japan” night. Unsure of what to expect, it was assumed that it would be featuring J-Rock bands. Four Minutes to Midnight, sadly, was not the J-Rock band of our dreams. To add on top of this crushing blow, Four Minutes to Midnight fell a little short. Eli Taylor, the lead singer, pantomimed throughout his performance which distracted from his average singing. The energy and chemistry between the band was intense and could be felt through the audience.
the amount of pure noise BOATS! made. You wouldn’t be able to tell if they were actually talented or just really good at playing really loud music. In between the quest for the best band of the night, an elderly bearded man made an interesting suggestion outside of the Bovine Sex Club. “Hey! You guys heard of The Beards?” The Beards are an Australian band who sing about beards and only beards. There didn’t seem to be a lot to lose from taking in their set. At least if it was bad, it’d be amusing. They turned out to be the best performance of the week. Bovine Sex Club was completely packed; it was rumoured this was the only show that day to be 100 per cent sold out. Playing their first Canadian show
since 2009, The Beards were an experience not to be missed. Their songs, while all about beards, did not fully rely on the novelty of their concept to gain new fans. They were legitimately talented — most members could sing and rocked the hell out of their instruments. The rhythm was on time and together. Eventually the show evolved into a giant beard orgy. The band was leaning out to have the audience touch their beards while simultaneously touching the audience’s numerous beards as well. Though it seems like the songs would be idiotic, there is a lot of subject matter on beards. Songs included, “I’m in the Mood for Beards” and “You Should Consider Having Sex with a Bearded Man.” They also have three full length albums dedicated to beards.
If The Beards were the best performance of the night, then German band Boy were the most talented. Picture what it would sound like if Feist suddenly became a German duo. That’s Boy. They sounded sweet and slightly ethereal; their vocal power wasn’t the strongest but the talent behind it made up for their soft singing. Despite the minor technical difficulty at the beginning of their set, it was flawless. They interacted with the crowd awkwardly but it only added to their charm. They finished the night with a cover of The Black Key’s popular song “Lonely Boy.” If the audience didn’t know that this was a cover you’d never be able to tell; they took it and made it their own. Once they left the stage, the large crowd immediately starting calling out for an encore.
Day Two: Saturday March 23 After the mildly lackluster performances of the first day, the expectations for the second day were low. This was not made better by the first band of the night, Levon. The only impressive aspect of Levon’s set was the club they performed at. The Bovine Sex Club was a small, intimate venue curiously almost solely filled with large bearded men. Brightly lit Christmas lights covered the entire ceiling with the occasional cow skull or bone also hanging. Levon seems like they would be the go-to band for people looking for a 1970s classic rock influenced band with their guitar and heavy bass sound. The guitars were too overwhelming and appeared to sound out of tune at times. While the rhythm was decent and easy to follow, thanks to the talented drummer, everything
else sounded like a mash up of sound. The wails emitted from what appeared to be everyone but the drummer were painful. They were extremely off-key and out of sync with each other. They tried to be Jim Morrison, but instead. came off as immature stoner rock as they made awkward jokes about British Columbia having great dope. At the Velvet Underground, Sacramento based punk band BOATS! played to a mostly empty club. They had certainly taken strong influence from 1970s punk band The Buzzcocks with their short, catchy songs with no build-up or fade out. They started strong and ended loud. It was refreshing to watch a band that was completely unpretentious. However, this created both positives and negatives. It was hard to hear lead singer Matt Leonardo over
In Review: Who the F*** is Arthur Fogel?
Spotlight: Stuck on Planet Earth
Despite it’s name, Canadian Music Week does not just focus on music. Screening films from March 21 to March 23 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, movies ranged from a preview of Spring Breakers to The History of Future Folk. The chosen film was Who The F*** is Arthur Fogel? a documentary focusing on the man behind the name. To discover that a Canadian boy from Ottawa is responsible for seven out of the ten highest grossing tours in history is enough to raise your Tim Horton’s coffee with pride. An intensely private man, Arthur Fogel doesn’t have a Wikipedia page and Google searches constantly prove to be fruitless. Director and longtime colleague of Fogel, Ron Chapman echoed this sentiment in his opening speech at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, “I was amazed to discover when I started looking for information on Arthur, there was next to nothing. How did he get so under the radar?” Fogel is currently the Chairman of Global Music and the CEO of Global Touring for Live Nation. He has been referred to as the most important person in live music by almost everyone from U2 frontman Bono to Chapman. Who the F*** is Arthur Fogel? aims to answer the question who is this guy and why do we care? Neither of those questions are properly answered. At no point in
Stuck on Planet Earth (SOPE) are moving up in the music world. “Usually you have to apply [to be a part of Canadian Music Week] through a website called SonicBids … I believe there was a $35 entrance this year to get into CMW,” lead singer Al Capo said. “This year we knew someone in the event, so we got asked to perform … we got lucky.” Typically the more buzzworthy bands get invited to perform. This is one of the many recent successes SOPE have experienced in their six years together as a band. Starting in 2007, SOPE was never what one could consider “conventional.” They created what they deemed a “backpack tour”— they would show up at various high schools while the kids were leaving for the day and just play their songs. “We made a lot of fans that way, but we also got kicked out of the schools. We had cops follow us, we had snowballs thrown at us … it was pretty ballsy,” Capo reminisced. “We did that for six to eight months. We put up videos of us doing this and got a lot of fans that way.” SOPE has put out four EPs with five songs on each but have no plans to put out an album yet. “We’re completely independent and I just think not enough people care. Music is super disposable …
the 93-minute film does anyone stop to explain what Fogel’s role exactly entails. Instead we are treated to various celebrities and industry big-shots telling the interviewer how great Fogel is and how revolutionary he is. The “who” is answered thoroughly but the “why” is almost completely ignored. That aside, it is an interesting documentary. The story detailing his early years was infinitely more engaging than the story of the present. Fogel began his career as a drummer for a local Toronto band. He befriended Chapman who owned a club called The Edge who then hired Fogel as a night manager. From there, he became a road manager, going on the tours with various bands and then worked his way up to where he is today. The documentary has some extremely positive notes. Instead of giving a straight biography of Fogel, Chapman ties in relevant events in music to the actions of Fogel. Towards the end of the film, the story turns to the ever-relevant decline of the recording industry with the surge in downloadable music. They use this to tie over to Fogel’s extensive work in the touring industry to try to combat the declining record sales. Overall, this was a solidly developed documentary, but don’t expect it to answer your questions.
it’s hard enough to get people to listen to five songs.” With people’s shortening attention spans, SOPE is going back to some “old-school” techniques to get their music across. They are constantly touring to get and keep themselves in everyone’s faces while simultaneously putting out music videos for recently released singles. The most decidedly old-school technique they’ve employed recently is OFFLINE, their zine. “Back in the 90’s, a lot of bands had fan zines, before the Internet existed,” said Capo. “We were approached and given the idea and thought it was a really cool idea.” “It’s gone really well, we’ve had 25 subscribers already … the idea behind OFFLINE was to put out content that our hardcore fans can’t get online.” In terms of recent growth, they’ve recently charted on the iTunes Alternative Rock Charts, coming in at number 32. This is an incredible accomplishment for a completely independent band — they charted alongside the Black Keys and Bon Iver. If this growth continues at the same speed it’s been occuring, they certainly won’t be stuck to the Canadian Indie music scene much longer.
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
Arts
• 15
Canadian Music Week (CMW) is exactly what it sounds like: a week to celebrate underground and upand-coming Canadian music. Over the course of one week, over 1,000 artists are featured in 60 Toronto venues. Arts Editor Cristina Almudevar and Photography Manager Nick Lachance capture the memorable moments and highlights of CMW
FROM TOP LEFT, CLOCKWISE: Ginger and the Ghost, The Beards, The Stogies, King Dylan, Boy, The Stogies, BOATS!. All photos by Nick Lachance.
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
LIFE A shift in finding sources Life Editor Carly Basch cbasch@thecord.ca
The library used to be the place for research but the switch to digital has altered students’ idea of going to the library
MIKE HAJMASY STAFF WRITER
For the first time in my four years at Laurier, I signed out a book from the library. I was unable to find the online version of a specific book and was left with no choice but to obtain the soon-to-be obsolete physical copy. This quest for knowledge was no simple feat. In addition to the walk from my house to the library, I had to actually search the bookshelves, only to be let down when I realized this book was already taken. In a last-ditch effort to find what I was after, I made the trip down the street to the University of Waterloo’s Dana Porter library, where I eventually found the book. All in all, this was a 45-minute ordeal to get a hold of a book that would normally have taken me a matter of seconds to access online. Once upon a time walking to the library and signing out books was a daily task in the life of a student. Today, in the age of personal computers and widespread Internet connection, the majority of the researching we do takes place online. According to Luke Bentham, a fifth-year psychology major, the last time he remembers signing out actual books was in his first year. “I signed out a stack of books for an essay on Winston Churchill,” Bentham recalled. The university itself has acknowledged this by setting up an online library where students can search for books and journal articles, many of which can be read right on the screen. “When starting an assignment, my first choice would be to access the online databases,” said Karleigh Buist, a fourth-year communication studies major. “I like the fact that
many of the online databases, like EBSCO host search a variety of different databases at once.” Alexandra Boutros, a communication studies professor at Laurier, is no stranger to this student preference. “Students absolutely do engage with printed material; they read novels, they read newspapers, and magazines, they may also read hard copies of textbooks,” she said. “When it comes to scholarly research beyond the textbook, however, my experience is that they very seldom read hard copies of scholarly material. Most of their research is conducted exclusively online.” In echo of Dr. Boutros’ comments, library communications officer, Nick Dinka, said that in his experience students interact with both physical and digital texts, but with a growing preference for the online resources. “As the trend towards digital continues, we’re looking at ways to free up more of our floor space for student study and interaction space,” he said. If the consensus is that most students favour online resources compared to their physical counterparts, it may be worth considering what role the physical library plays in the life of today’s Internet savvy student. After posing this question to Dinka, he expressed his belief that the function of the library is twofold. “The library is in many ways the intellectual nerve-center of the university.” he said. “Just as importantly, we are a physical space where students can study and conduct research, meet with one another, share ideas, and participate in workshops, readings, concerts and other events. As you know, study space is at a premium at Laurier and the library has a crucial
“As the trend towards digital continues, we’re looking at ways to free up our floor space for student study and interaction space.” —Nick Dinka, library communications officer
role to play in meeting the need for that space.” For Buist, the library has become her go to place to get work done instead of a place to find resources. “Since the dining hall has been blocked off over the past year, I have found myself going to the library more often for group work and individual studying purposes,” Buist noted. Bentham sees similar value in the traditional knowledge house. “Even if you’re not utilizing the resources per se, I find the environment fosters more productivity.” Ultimately, the slower and more traditional act of signing out library books has become less common in the age of instantaneous access to online databases. Instead, the library itself has become prime real estate for students on the hunt for a quiet place to crank out the final pages of their end of term papers. “It’s an exciting, dynamic place to be. You can feel the energy as you walk into the building, it’s absolutely filled with students finishing up their coursework and preparing for final exams,” Dinka concluded.
RYAN HUEGLIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
STEPHANIE TRUONG GRAPHICS EDITOR
The go-getter CARLY BASCH LIFE EDITOR
ERIN SHEEHAN STAFF WRITER
The song “Call Me Maybe” runs deeper than just being a trendy pop sensation. A girl, interested in a boy decides to go against the norms of waiting around and ends up asking him out. Although this may seem startling to some, it is more common and, in fact, a way better experience than most think. Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a new breed of girls in town and they’re called the go-getters. The go-getters are the ones who don’t let a good opportunity pass by. After eyeing that guy and realizing that either the connection is good and they should hang out or they may not see each other again, instead of wishing and hoping that the multiple eye flutters and hair flips will do the trick of having them walk over, they go in for the kill. Maybe they ask the guy for their number, hint the idea that the two of them hanging out was fun or they just simply ask “Hey, we should go out.” Despite the approach, being a gogetter is the most exciting experience to go after what you really want instead of having it pass by. So ladies, why aren’t we all marching up to guys asking them to call us (maybe)? Because it’s scary. The idea of rejection isn’t fun. The idea of being humiliated is even worse. Telling someone they’re cute and that you should go out isn’t most people’s cup of tea. It’s easier to sit back and cross your fingers that the
guy can read our mind and do all the work when it comes to asking out. As much as we like to think that we’re from two different planets, guys are exactly the same. Asking girls out, approaching them and putting themselves in a vulnerable position is equally terrifying. Looking back at my relationships I have realized that, although I am shy and insecure in many ways, I have always been a go-getter. The biggest success of meeting someone interesting was when the person I came into contact with was sought out, not waiting around and hoping for someone cute to roll around. The opportunity was gained through the act of taking charge and going up to something that you liked. And that’s the same with life, the best things gained are the ones that take effort and reaching out. You can’t gain anything if you don’t go out and get it. Do not feel ashamed for going after what you want and do not be scared to do so. The worst thing that could happen is that they do not respond or they say no. This is the 21st century. If chivalry is dead and all we are left with is grinding at a club, then women might as well take advantage of these equal rights that have been given to us. So go put on your Claudette Colbert confidence, hike up your skirt and stop traffic by asking for what you want. As you start to recognize your confidence you begin to see that you can go up to anyone anywhere. So the next time you see someone cute, just say “fuck it” and go over to them. All you have to start with is “hi.”
• 17
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MArch 27, 2013
Fads that should never re-surface Everyone is guilty of having a fashion faux-pas here and there, but there are some trends so hideous, it’s hard to tell why they were popular in the first place
4. Gold Lame leggings
brieanne berry Mitch chEESEMAN grAphicS ArtiSt
Where did my money go? kylie conner StAff WritEr
Money is a strange thing. Perhaps this is because everyone wants it in order to feel secure or that everything in the world revolves around it or the fact that even our most simple tasks revolve around the products we have to purchase. I find it strange because I don’t see the dividing line of what I “should” be spending money on and what I “shouldn’t.” Throughout my university career, which is now coming to an end, I’ve made some decisions with my money that weren’t the best or financially conscious. Yet, they made great memories that I’ll be able to look back on in the future. We’ll start from the beginning. In first year, I lived in residence where I had a meal plan. This meant that my food, housing and electricity, was all paid for. There was no excuse to be wasteful with the money that was saved in the bank. But did I empty my bank account at least once every month or two? Yes. Where did it go? The scattered cans of cold shots and wine bottles that would appear after a weekend of forgettable social moments could explain it. Moving into a house for second and third year takes a turn as shameless spending results in bigger consequences. Suddenly money is being shelled out for rent, bills, groceries, toiletries and social outings. Draining the bank account appeared to be the only job that was maintained throughout the years. Budgeting can be the hardest task for a student who is trying to balance it all. In this world, it’s not hard to run out of money. Rent is reasonable but students forget that using a lot of hot water and leaving the lights on 24/7 results in high hydro bills. Streaming online which might seem free at the time cuts into cable usage and again, things get expensive. Our favourite meals back at home contain ingredients that are expensive. A night out with your best friends with booze, transportation, drinks at the venue and late night meals can total in dropping almost a hundred dollars within the span of six hours. Money just doesn’t grow on trees and if it did, those trees aren’t growing in Waterloo. But despite the moths that consistently fly out of my pocket, the poor budgeting goes hand in hand with some of the best memories gained. Will I remember the countless nights when my roommates and I sat in the basement watching hours of TV and not leaving the house to avoid spending money? At least not as vividly as the nights when we had to spend a little bit to gain a lot of fun. Those are the memories that I’ll revisit years after I’m gone. The town, the school and the roommates will be missed but I’m certainly not going to miss the money I spent creating memories with them.
Two words: Camel toe. I don’t know if it’s the material or the fact that leggings are a hard topic to address because of the pants versus not-pants debate, but every time I see a pair of gold leggings outside of a costume party I shudder inside. They draw attention to any small dimple or ripple in your lower body. I applaud those with the guts to try, but realistically, this should be reserved for Homecoming when that one guy decides to wear leggings and nothing else to show his school spirit.
fAShioN coluMNiSt
Spring trends have hit stores in full force and with any luck we will soon be able to enjoy a mildly warm day outside without the fear of a random snowstorm. In regards to spring 2013, some of the trends we’ve seen before are returning for another season: statement sunglasses, Bermuda shorts, leather and bold stripes. Fashion works in a cycle and it is constantly re-using and re-inventing styles from the past into a more wearable and hopefully, more fashionable trend. While some styles can make a successful comeback, such as leggings or printed pants, others can crash and burn. I decided to take a trip down memory lane and narrow down, in no particular order, the top five trends that should never make a comeback.
5. Embellished jeans
1. Designer trucker hats
Remember when Von Dutch was a thing? Worn by Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher and even Justin Timberlake, this brand was everywhere between 2003 and 2005. In fact, they were doing so well that sales hit $55 million in 2004. Luckily, Von Dutch got too popular too fast and has since, faded away into minor obscurity. I never understood the hype, but I do know that I’m glad it’s gone.
2. Velour sweat pants
Popularized by Juicy Couture, this was the student uniform of the early 2000s. And why wouldn’t it be? Matching jackets and bottoms
adele palmquist corD iNtErN
used to be at the height of fashion and who didn’t love having “JUICY” spread right across their butt cheeks? Never mind the fact that these over-priced velour sweat suits were glorified towels that opened the gateway to TNA pants, Lululemons and “designer” sweatpants as real clothing — and this is coming from a girl who had three different colours to wear in her arsenal. Here is my philosophy: If you
look like you’re heading to the gym instead of class, there is a problem.
3. Ed Hardy
When I think Ed Hardy, I think of old Snooki’s “ideal man”: a juicehead with too much hair gel, too many muscles and a tattoo-inspired ensemble that involves an excessive use of skulls, roses, hearts and the like. It’s almost mind boggling that someone would spend that much money on an Ed Hardy shirt.
The last time it was acceptable to have rhinestones, beads and/or thick threads used to display designs prominently on denim, you were probably 14 and still thought that J-14 or YM was the mecca for fashion advice. There is nothing flattering about a grown woman wearing a pair of jeans that have a diamond butterfly glittering up the side of her leg. There is nothing wrong with big prints or big ideas in fashion, but for the sake of us that live in the real world, please refrain from wasting money on jeans that you could make yourself just by using a hot-glue gun. I think the motto should be clear here: less is more. While this list is short, I’m sure there are several more trends that we can look back on and wonder how we ever thought it was cool. I’m sure in another ten years I’ll be wondering why I insisted on buying a pair of mint green jeans or why the crop top managed to stick around for more than one season. Until then, let’s just pretend we’re only getting trendier by the year.
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18 •
Editorial
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 Opinion Editor Devon Butler dbutler@thecord.ca
Pedestrian safety a serious concern Most of us forget that jaywalking is not only illegal, but can also be a very dangerous habit. In a world of technological distractions where patience is a rarity, it seems almost nonsensical to wait at a crosswalk until that little man lights up and gives you the right to walk safely. Similarly, venturing out of your way to ensure you cross directly at a set of lights can be a burden, especially in the cold winter months. As such, it should be no surprise that jaywalking has become an entirely acceptable practice. For students, it often seems like a way of life. Long lights, impatience and heavy traffic are common causes, but the most dangerous one is the belief that we are invincible. There are numerous cases of pedestrians being hit, especially around the university. Just recently a 22-year-old woman was hit at the intersection of King Street and Young Street in Uptown Waterloo and is now facing life-threatening injuries. In an effort to diminish other tragic stories from occurring, the Waterloo Regional Police have initiated a pedestrian safety campaign, part of the 2013 Traffic Enforcement and Road Safety Education Plan, which seeks to educate citizens and bring awareness to these highly preventable accidents. A portion of this new campaign is the initiation of a $50 ticket to those caught jaywalking. While in theory this is a commendable idea, the reality is that people will pay the fine and continue to jaywalk. It has become such an engrained part of our daily lives that no amount of police measures will realistically prevent people from doing it. While pedestrians certainly need to become more aware of their surroundings, police should concentrate their energy on more serious crimes. —The Cord Editorial Board
Earth Hour needs to refocus campaign On Saturday, March 23, houses and businesses worldwide were encouraged to turn off all non-essential lights and appliances for one hour. The Earth Hour campaign, which seeks to cut down on electricity while simultaneously bringing awareness to our extreme use of power, and is a highly valuable action. It becomes difficult to engage in this campaign however, when many citizens are not aware of when Earth Hour occurred. When it originated in 2007, Earth Hour marketed itself globally and became a successful way to establish environmental awareness. This year, however, it seemed apparent that many people didn’t even realize it was Earth Hour until after it had already passed. This could be the reason as to why Ontario reported a less than 2.7 per cent drop in power usage in this hour. While it is often argued that Earth Hour does quite little for actually saving the earth—and there is truth to this argument—the majority of its proponents maintain it functions more as a way to promote people to become more environmentally conscious. There is certainly some credence to this argument as a grand gesture. An entire town or city going dark for an hour has the potential to get a lot of people’s attention. However, the general interest in the campaign appears to be dwindling and if this trend continues, Earth Hour is neither saving much actual energy, nor is it raising awareness. A likely failing of this year’s campaign is perhaps that after many years of success, the campaign’s social media presence was lacking. Perhaps it is time the Earth Hour campaign finds additional, more effective streams of reaching out to the public; brainstorming new ways to raise awareness will help the event refocus and re-evaluate better ways to market themselves. The Earth Hour campaign certainly has some potential and in its short history, it has seen some success. However, the campaign needs to find new and more effective ways of getting the public interested. —The Cord Editorial Board These unsigned editorials are based off informal discussions and then agreed upon by the majority of The Cord’s editorial board, including the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor. The arguments made may reference any facts that have been made available through interviews, documents or other sources. The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of The Cord’s volunteers, staff or WLUSP. The Cord is published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications. Contact Emily Frost, WLUSP President and Publisher 75 University Ave.W, Waterloo ON N2L 3C5
LENA YANG GRAPHICS ARTIST
Reconnect with adventure Taking time to explore the world around us is a valuable experience
JEREMY ENNS LEAD VIDEOGRAPHER
With the school year coming to a close and graduation drawing nearer, nostalgia hits us with full force. Now is the time to look back at how the decisions we made have brought us to where we are today. Thankfully, I am able to look back on my time at university with many fond memories of great people and experiences. One experience two years ago, was a road trip with my five best friends that changed the way that I see the world, make decisions and handle uncertainty. We coined the trip “The Open Road Project” and set off for the great West Coast of Canada in our 1979 GMC RV we called Lily. We have made subsequent trips to the East Coast and the Northeastern United States any time we could afford to. I learned many things while on the road and one thing that has stuck with me is how many of us have lost our sense of adventure. We know the model well; there is pressure to succeed at school, to make money during the summer to pay for school and to find a job once we are done school. Therein lies a nasty trend: many of us are working towards something we
Many of us are working towards something we don’t really know if we want, but rather, have been told we need.
don’t really know if we want, but rather, have been told we need. I don’t believe we need to have every last detail of our future figured out, but should view our lives as a grand adventure and consciously seize opportunities to try new things. We should engage in activities that challenge our thinking and allow us to make dynamic and informed decisions. My experiences on the open road have helped me take these insights and apply them to my everyday life. Even the mundane and routine experience of school can be rife with lessons and opportunities to grow. For example, how different is failing the BU111 midterm from being stuck in Calgary with a broken transmission on your RV? You don’t know how you will recover,
but with some hard work, you pass the course, and have a fun story to tell. Similarly, compare winning $1,000 in a bull running competition with being accepted as a don after multiple years spent applying. Sometimes you have to risk your ego (and your life) in order to reach your goals. How about having to decide which city to visit next with an ailing alternator, differing opinions, and a dwindling bank account? There has been no better experience than situations like this to help me to get along with my roommates or make decisions that favour others’ interests too. With student debt piled high and the demands of life always knocking on our door, it’s no wonder we are trapped as observers instead of people who experience life in its absolute fullness. It’s time to not only turn everyday life into more of an adventure, but also, to begin saying yes to new experiences. Take a weekend off to go hiking at Elora Gorge with your friends or steal a weekend away to visit a friend at another university. Now is the time to explore other cultures, faiths, and schools of thought. We have so much to learn from each other and new perspectives on our complex world are valuable. How we spend our time today enormously impacts the rest of our time here on earth. So as the year ends and the memories of another year gone by are fresh in our minds, let’s look ahead with excitement and make the most of this journey we are on. letters@thecord.ca
• 19
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
OPINION
Opinion Editor Devon Butler dbutler@thecord.ca
Ontario liquor laws need overhaul The Firehall’s lost liquor licence a symbol of larger problems with Ontario’s alcohol regulations
BRAD KLEINSTUBER OPINION COLUMNIST
Just last week, the popular student club, The Firehall had its liquor license revoked. Though ostensibly for selling alcohol to minors, The Firehall’s arbitrary inability to sell liquor is just another manifestation of government puritanism and protectionism. Ontario has always had pretty tough alcohol laws, going back to the institution of prohibition in 1916. Though prohibition in Ontario ended in 1927, the alcohol industry, particularly concerning spirits, has always been a heavily regulated one in Ontario. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario, more popularly known as the LCBO, was established in 1927 to control the sale of wine and other alcohol. Though a nearly omnipresent institution in Ontario, its retail operations and the total monopoly it enjoys means the LCBO is not as friendly as it seems. The LCBO is the only retail chain licensed to sell liquor in Ontario. Nobody else is allowed to even enter the market, much less compete; it’s an absolute monopoly. The process of competition for consumers under normal market conditions is totally removed from the LCBO, who operate without anyone trying to win over their customers through superior service or prices. Normal market incentives simply do not apply. The LCBO artificially inflates its prices to serve the repressive urge in government in order to curb “excessive” drinking. Price floors—minimum prices that the LCBO will not go under— protect major brands that do not have to worry about price competition from newer firms. The LCBO is not a gentle
monopoly; it supports entrenched manufacturers through totally artificial price fixing. The LCBO also price-promotes less alcoholic beverages, light beer especially, creating an obvious disturbance in buying patterns that just leads to more light beer. The Firehall may have served minors, however such allegations remain largely unproven to the public. But the LCBO has a massive and institutional problem with selling to those who are underage. A 2011 study found the LCBO served alcohol to one in four minors. In comparison, normal convenience stores sold tobacco to an average of one in eight minors. In other words, it is easier to buy alcohol underage from a government corporation than it is to buy tobacco from the corner store. If anyone needs their ability to serve questioned, it’s the LCBO. The Beer Store is even worse. Labbatt, Coors and Sleeman own Brewers Retail, essentially controlling Ontario’s retail beer industry. It’s an almost complete legal monopoly owned and operated by private corporations. The only significant competition in retail is of course, the LCBO. Though committed to selling domestic, craft and imported beers equally, the Beer Store maintains a number of policies that strengthen the position of existing brands. Brick Brewery of Kitchener criticized the store in 2007 for discriminatory policies they claimed significantly reduced their profits that year, with no good response given. Ontario Craft Brewers, a trade association for small provincial breweries, has repeatedly asked the Ontario government to allow them to purchase shares in Brewers Retail or to set up a competing chain, and has been flatly denied each and every time. The Beer Store isn’t any better than the LCBO for selling to minors with the study showing one in five minors could buy alcohol there. Private businesses like convenience stores, menaced by the law as they are, have great incentive to
Letters to the Editor Re: “Everyone is entitled to express their opinion”
Dear Editor, After reading this editorial, I was greatly concerned about the message that the article was sending to the public. You express your desire for free speech in the article, yet casually dismiss the fact that if one desires to dress in a vagina costume in order to express their opinion, it ‘overshadows’ the topic. Do not dictate that people deserve to have free speech, and then take that right away for someone who desires to dress as a vagina. –Sarah Clarke
Re: Where is the value in my arts degree?
Dear Editor, I am here to tell you that value is gold, if you choose to mine it effectively. My Laurier Arts degree in English and Communications played (and continues to play) a significant and powerful role in my magazine publishing and financial services marketing career. It taught me how to be a powerful communicator, to organize my thoughts effectively and to present my views in a creative and compelling way to influence outcomes. It made me a solid journalist,
editor and publisher of national business magazines, and now, a successful Chief Marketing Officer of one of Canada’s largest financial services organizations. As far as careers for arts grads, I have successfully hired more arts grads than any other discipline because they are open, thoughtful, creative, flexible, teachable and wonderful communicators. My advice is to immerse yourself in the “art” of the “arts degree” ...not just master how to hand in the minimum word count required. If you need to hone your personal marketing capabilities, by all means consider a college course. Then start networking in your chosen field. I think you’ll find that at the end of the day, your passion for learning and your superior communications skills will shine through. After 25 years in business, the best hires I’ve ever made were based on passion and that sparkle in the eye. Arts grads have that in spades. –Lori Landry Letter policy Letters must not exceed 250 words. Include your full name and telephone number. Letters must be received by Monday via e-mail to letters@thecord.ca. The Cord reserves the right to edit for length and clarity or to reject any letter.
KATE TURNER PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER
Popular club The Firehall closed down after their liquor license was revoked from serving minors.
comply while the provincial monopoly fails to enforce even basic standards. Privatization of the LCBO and the Beer Store has come up several times and has never been seriously considered by the Ontario government. In 2005, while undertaking a report on the alcohol system in Ontario, former Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said any option but privatization would be considered. This failure to meaningfully act
for consumers shouldn’t be surprising. The alcohol monopolies generate vast amounts of revenue, well in the billions, and any attempts at privatization or monopoly removal would destroy these precious provincial revenues. The government has a long record of restricting the consumption of alcohol for some nebulous public good, from prohibition to monopolization. The Firehall’s license removal is just a symptom of this paternalistic
impulse to control. The Ontario government’s attitude towards alcohol is a harmful throwback to prohibition and moral furor over alcohol. The licensed dealers like The Beer Store and LCBO, are unfair monopolies squashing competition in an area where there is ample evidence such treatment is not needed. The liquor licensing system is arbitrary and brings out the worst in the government. letters@thecord.ca
Write your own story Our lives are the biggest story we will ever experience. LEAH DEJONG OPINION COLUMNIST
Everyone loves a good story. Whether they read a book, watch a movie, see a play or simply hear the tale, stories are everywhere. They cross cultures and break barriers and the story is universal. What is it about stories that make us want to watch one more episode or read just one more chapter? Simple. Our lives are the biggest story we will ever experience. As the school year draws to an end and moves us closer to the “real world,” we can’t afford to forget the importance of our own stories and those around us. Reality is best explained through the factors of fiction. We are the narrator of our own story. We are not necessarily the hero, but we will always be the narrator. We choose our own actions, dictate the roles we’ll play and decide how characters we encounter will play a part in our tale. The world
consistently tries to push us from our stage; threshold guardians will try to deter us from our quests and villains will endeavour to trip us up in any way possible. Sometimes, characters in our stories will attempt to break the fourth wall and muscle us out of narrating our own stories. They’ll start instructing us on how the story should go and we may even listen. We may no longer be in control of our stories and might become slaves to the supporting players in our life’s story. You may choose to be the hero of your story or you may even decide that your place should be one as a sidekick who stands firm when the
heroes falter. Perhaps you’ll be the mentor who picks up the pieces, but the important thing is that you make active life choices. In life we often make the mistake of saying “someday” or “tomorrow” and consequently waste our time with “if only” and “I should have.” We also tend to forget that while we are in our own stories we are also the sidekick in dozens of others. Do we really want to be the villain in somebody else’s life? So many of our stories are interconnected and it is important to realize that we play a part in every piece of it, whether directly or indirectly. Choose to write an epic tale. Write a story that gives you the opportunity to confront the villain and fail, the one that might dump you into the depths of the pit. Then, and here’s the key, continue to write the epic. Don’t let the story plateau and certainly do not let the story stop. Stories cross cultures and pull us in because they’re parts of many stories. The stories we hear can change us, inspire us and warn us. You are the narrator of your own story, so make it one you believe is worth telling. letters@thecord.ca
20 •
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
OPINION
The stigma situation Mental health prejudice still prevalent despite efforts to reduce it
DON MORGENSON COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR
Severe mental illnesses cut with a double-edged sword. On one edge are the biological and social factors that affect the course, which can lead to psychotic symptoms, diminished social competences and depleted social networks. The other edge of the sword is the stigma, leading to prejudice and discrimination. Such a stigma may be as damaging as the direct effects of the disorder. In one study, 75 per cent of a group of family members interviewed believed the stigma of mental illness decreased their children’s self-esteem, hindered their ability to make friends and undermined their success in gaining employment. Within the stigma are three significant misconceptions regarding the mentally ill: persons with severe mental illness are feared and as such, should be kept out of most communities. People with severe mental illnesses are irresponsible and their life decisions must be made by others or persons with severe mental illnesses are childlike and need to be cared for by others. As with Bell’s recent laudable “Let’s Talk” campaign, there have been many gallant efforts to reduce the stigma and the malignant stereotypes of the mentally ill with protest campaigns, public education programs and on-going contact with the mentally ill. The National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill, the National Stigma Clearinghouse and the Canadian Mental Health Association have all worked tirelessly to raise consciousness about psychiatric illnesses and protest the negative images promulgated through the media, now solidly fixed in the public conscious. There is however, very little evidence suggesting that protest campaigns succeed in changing peoples’ prejudicial attitudes toward those who are mentally ill. Some people worry that attempts to suppress negative stereotypes about mental illness may actually contribute to the “sticky” stigma. The second approach to reducing the stigma of mental illness involves providing information contradicting the stereotypes and prejudiced views. Books, videos, films and other audiovisual aids as well as vigorous ad campaigns have been used to highlight false and hurtful assumptions about the mentally ill. For example, the assumption that people with mental illnesses are prone to act with violent behaviour. While such efforts are well intentioned and praiseworthy, providing sufficient information to counter the stigma is difficult in brief programs and often reach those individuals who already agree with the messages communicated. From the results of many studies, the most effective way to remove or mitigate the effects of the stigma is by encouraging contact and interactions between the general public and those who are known to have mental health issues. In established forums—where dialogue between persons with mental health issues and mental health professions with the public attending—can address differing
perspectives about mental illness and challenge many of the stigmatizing attitudes held by the public. What appears to be most effective is providing contact with persons with mental illness and is definitely associated with improved attitudes toward those with such difficulties. Further, it has been found that such contact programs are more successful in reducing the stigma when participants can work together, all cooperating on work tasks. In such contexts, people with difficulties are viewed as competent and can bring needed skills, abilities and energy to the work tasks. From my interactions with those who have worked with people with mental health issues, the significant insight they gain from working with such people is the discovery that these people with so-called “abnormal” thoughts and behaviour, represent distortions and exaggerations of normal patterns of behaviour. “Abnormal” attitudes and behaviours are always cut from a “normal” cloth. Such stigmatized people are not suddenly transformed by some malignant force, but rather they retain a humanity common to us all. Communities everywhere can begin to provide the contexts necessary for easy interaction of the public and those afflicted with psychological difficulties. In such ways, bridges can not only reduce the stigma of mental illness, but provide our communities with a committed and valued group of people who are able to help build local resources, facilities and community support. Don Morgenson is a professor of psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University
STEPHANIE TRUONG GRAPHICS ARTIST
letters@thecord.ca
North Korean threat an American creation U.S. government and media driving global fear of North Korea The threat of the DPRK is largely imagined. From project management to public finance, this program offers the unique skills you will need to launch your career as a communications officer, program officer, policy analyst, business analyst and many other exciting career options.
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ALEX REINHART OPINION COLUMNIST
It would appear the damn “commies” are at it again! Yes, this is sarcasm. Over the past two weeks, The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) has been in the news virtually every day. If you have listened to the news, you would think we were in the midst of the cold war, or on the brink of nuclear disaster. Before everyone decides to purchase their own personal fallout shelters, people should take a step back and examine the entirety of the situation in North Korea; the threat of the nation is largely constructed. Last year, shortly after the death of Kim Jong-Il, it became evident that the west knows very little about North Korea. This remains true today. Despite a great deal of time and a new leader, the West has failed to create new relations with the nation, and continues to remain ignorant. Although we know basically nothing about the nation, everyone knows one thing: North Korea is the world’s biggest threat to democracy — or so the United States of America would like to have us all believe. I would suggest, however, that
this is far from true. While North Korea has had nuclear capabilities for many years now, they have yet to actually use them as weapons of mass destruction. Despite this, when it was first discovered that the DPRK possessed nuclear weapons it was suggested they would use them immediately. Likewise, some would suggest that the ending of the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War is akin to a declaration of war. While North Korea stated that the nation “is not restrained by the North-South declaration on nonaggression,” it does not mean they will attack immediately. Rather, the nation is simply withdrawing from a resolution that punished the DPRK. It has become a guarantee that any time North Korea takes any action, whether it be foreign relations
with virtually any nation or military mobilization, the American media will blow such an event out of proportion. The U.S is attempting to create another Soviet Union, a nation that people will fear without question. Perhaps this constructed threat was most readily apparent early last week after a number of computer networks failed within South Korea and North Korea was immediately suspected. Despite issuing no statement of intent or taking responsibility for the “cyber-attacks,” fingers were pointed to the north. While it is entirely possible that North Korea was behind the supposed attack, to suggest so immediately and with no evidence, suggests that the U. S and South Korea simply wish to construct an enemy. It is unclear whether the media or the government is responsible for creating the image of North Korea as a threat. Regardless, it is not constructive. Attempting to convince the entire world that we are continually on the brink of nuclear war has already been done. If the U. S hopes to create an apocalyptic scenario again, they could at least come up with an original plot. Maybe I am simply a Communist sympathizer. Perhaps Joseph McCarthy would have added me to his list. But, much like McCarthy, the threat of the DPRK is largely imagined. letters@thecord.ca
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
CLASSIFIEDS DearLIFE Dear Life is your opportunity to write a letter to your life, allowing you to vent your anger with life’s little frustrations in a completely public forum. All submissions to Dear Life are anonymous, should be no longer than 100 words and must be addressed to your life. Submissions can be sent to dearlife@ thecord.ca no later than Monday at noon each week. Dear Life, Can you lend me a couple grand for ADHD evaluations? I’m finding it difficult to stay on top and I think I need some — Eww, that girl’s lunch smells like farts and onions. I wonder if I should buy some onions. No, I bought them yesterday. Did I? Yes. No? I need to go shopping anyway. Maybe I’ll get some new shoes or play with the iPads at the Apple store for a while. Why must it be snowing right now? It’s almost spring, dammit! Sincerely, This is my brain on no drugs whatsoever. Any questions? Dear Life, Thank you for that article on OCD. I feel like more people need to be informed about this issue. Mostly because I’m tired of people telling me to not think about it. I cannot control it. Does it look like I’m having fun?! Sincerely, A girl with OCD Dear Life, Show me exactly how winning Roll up the Rim is one in six odds and in return, I’ll show you how to skin a unicorn. Sincerely, Winning less than our rugby teams (Cheap shot?) Dear Life, Save Farris… Euler is pronounced “eye-lur” Sincerely, Torolove Dear Life, To the girl who helped me up after I walked past you, and then fell down in front of you … thanks. You’re right, it was that kind of day. Sincerely, That could have been far more embarrassing Dear Life, WLUSU, you’re willing to send your staff to Paris one week and BC the next? My free trip must have gotten lost in the mail. Good thing they’re going to be around next year to apply everything they learned at these “necessary” conferences. Oh, wait… Sincerely, Confused stakeholder
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Dear Life, All I want to do is gain some experience in my field this summer. Is it too much to ask for a measly interview? Sincerely, An unemployed communications student competing with biz kids Dear Life, By this point in the semester, when my TA shows up to our lab 15 minutes late, unprepared, claiming “I keep forgetting what time this lab is at!” You can’t expect me to take her seriously. Sincerely, You do your job, and I’ll do mine Dear Life, To The Cord Editorial Board: Your comments shaming pro-choice activists for interrupting Stephen Woodworth were absolutely abhorrent. Attacking the people who are lobbying for human rights, as opposed to those who are invested in taking them away, is shameful and cowardly. I am tremendously embarrassed to be affiliated with Laurier and I will no longer be reading The Cord. It’s a shame there’s no one you have to answer to for your appalling actions, or for the reputation that the Cord is developing for itself as misogynistic and vile. Everyone involved with that article should lose their jobs instantly. Sincerely, It’s 2013, not 1950
it is frustrating to read articles like this, then continue to train anyways. Why do we dedicated countless hours of training only to get ignored or bashed by our school publications? Go to at least one race/ game for EVERY varsity sport and then you can legitimize your article (baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, curling, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, indoor middle distance, rugby, soccer, swimming). I know you’ve never been to one of mine. Sincerely, I am going to join the cupcake club instead Dear Life, What do you call the owner of a nightclub that only gives VIP access to their cousins? Sincerely, Like, seriously wtf is up with that Dear Life, Can we please get an update, and sketch on the Global Exchange Building? Oh, why did we tear down St. Mike’s YEARS too early? Sincerely, Tired of class in 202 Regina
Sincerely, Not ready for exams, like at all Dear Life, I think Laurier would win the award for crappiest career website. Where are all the jobs? UW and Uguelph and UT have far more job listings. Sincerely, Jobhunting, no thanks to Laurier Career website
Last week’s sudoku solution
Dear Life, I have discovered a secret spot on campus of which only few have set foot. I can, not only study in peace and quiet, but have ample space and the opportunity to occasionally eavesdrop on people’s conversations without being noticed. I call it, the cove of solitude. Sincerely, Cove dweller Dear Life, Every time I’m done class for the day I have this sudden uncontrollable urge to poop. However, due to my germophobia I am forced to retreat home to unleash the beast within. Sincerely, Famished from the pressure
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Dear Life, Where has the semester gone?
Dear Life, After reading other Dear Life posts in the Dear Life column of The Cord, I feel compelled to write my own to further my procrastination in school work. Sincerely, Not so clutch Dear Life, I would like to thank Adrienne Luft for all the amazing work she has done this past year. Having her at Laurier has helped me out so much this year, advocating on my behalf to less than cooperative profs. She has helped me build confidence in myself that I am able to finish my degree. Thank you Adrienne, I wouldn’t be here without you. Sincerely, The little engine that could Dear Life, I am in love with my best friend. I’m pretty sure she feels it too, but I’m too chickenshit to do what I should. The “friend-zone” is f*cking b.s. Sincerely, Passive-aggressive lover Dear Life, I’ve tried to ignore it, but the article “Bannerless Year for Laurier” keeps creeping into my facebook feed and conversations. As an athlete
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SPORTS
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 Sports Editor Shelby Blackley sblackley@thecord.ca
KATE TURNER PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER
Two Hawks run through drills during Tuesday evening’s practice. Men’s football has moved their spring camp outside onto the field for the remainder of the season.
Football Hawks kick off spring camp Laurier’s men’s football team begins their spring training back at University Stadium despite the snow SHELBY BLACKLEY SPORTS EDITOR
It’s still early, but Laurier men’s football head coach Michael Faulds already sees positive things coming out of his new team. Starting spring camp this week, the Hawks made their way out to the snow-covered University Stadium to run drills and scrimmages. After spending the last two months at RIM Park, the team moved outside to get a different feel. “It’s going well,” Faulds said on the sidelines while his team ran plays. “Yesterday we only had until about the 30 [yard line] of actual turf
so hopefully the weather will continue to get better.” Spring camp will run until April 7, ending with the spring game that day at 1 p.m., open to students. The Hawks will be practicing on the field for four days this week before breaking for Easter. When the players return, Faulds will have them back out on the field for more training and drills. Faulds mentioned that there are a few complications with the players’ night classes, however he doesn’t mind as the students have been putting more emphasis on their academics. “It’s been a bit of a challenge in terms of guys coming and going, but
everyone’s getting better with every rep they take,” he said. Despite starting five months before the season even begins, Faulds says the reaction from the team has been nothing but positive. “The only questions they ask is ‘how to do it,’ not whether they want to do it,” he said. “In terms of being eager to work hard and really get after it, they’ve been accepting that role quite well.” Faulds put a major emphasis on the progression of the team. While he knows it’s going to take the Hawks time to become a solid unit, he has confidence that the team will come together. “Hopefully the weather warms
up a bit, but I see us gelling a little more everyday. Yesterday was our first practice and I told the guys ‘that was the first quarter and today we’re going to have to switch gears and be that much better heading in to half time.’” Training camp for the season typically starts in August. With the season starting a week earlier than usual, the Hawks will be on the road on Aug. 25 to face the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Yates Cup finalists, the Guelph Gryphons. This will be Faulds’ debut as both a head coach and a Golden Hawk. Laurier’s first home game will be against Toronto on Sept. 2.
“I told the guys ‘that was the first quarter and today we’re going to have to switch gears be that much better heading into half time.’” —Michael Faulds, men’s football head coach
Laurier vets impress at CFL draft combine JUSTIN FAUTEUX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Over the weekend, Laurier football veterans Alex Anthony and Isaac Dell had a chance to improve their shot at playing professional football. The two fourth years were the only two members of the Golden Hawks football team invited to the annual CFL combine; and both posted some impressive numbers. Dell, a 6’1, 218-pound fullback, turned heads in the broad jump, leaping ten feet, three inches, which was the best among running backs at the combine, and third overall. The Niagara Falls native was also impressive in the three-cone drill, where his time of 6.962 seconds once again put him first among running backs and third overall. Dell also finished second among running backs in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.755 and third in the bench press, putting up 22 reps. Anthony’s best event was the 40-yard dash, where he finished third among receivers with a time of 4.623 seconds and eighth overall.
The 6’2, 205-pound Victoria, B.C. native also finished third among receivers in the shuttle run, finishing in 4.101 seconds. “They both did a phenomenal job,” said Laurier head coach Michael Faulds, who kept in touch with Dell and Anthony via text message during the combine. “Both of them did really well within their positions and tested well.” Last year, Laurier’s Shamawd Chambers put up the best 40-yard dash time at the combine, amplifying his considerable pre-draft hype. Chambers ended up being drafted sixth-overall by the Edmonton Eskimos, which was actually slightly lower than most expected. Neither Dell nor Anthony are generating quite the buzz that Chambers did, but Faulds wouldn’t be surprised at all if one, or both, of them got the call during the May 6 CFL draft. “Every week I’m getting calls from CFL coaches asking about their characters,” he said. “They’re the hardest working guys. There’s
“Hopefully they get a shot in the CFL, but if not we’d obviously love to have them for a fifth year here.” —Michael Faulds, men’s football head coach
a clear reason why they’re here for their fourth year and they’re both doing well academically and have played in the CIS all-star game. “Hopefully they get a shot in the CFL, but if not we’d obviously love to have them for a fifth year here.” – With files from Shelby Blackley
PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF CHAN
Receiver Alex Anthony runs the 40-yard dash at the CFL Combine.
THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
SPORTS
The CIS needs Carleton SHELBY BLACKLEY SPORTS EDITOR
The Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Final Four Wilson Cup at the beginning of March displayed some of the best men’s basketball in the province, and arguably in the country. The Carleton Ravens came out on top, and went on to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s basketball championship to defeat fellow OUA team, the Lakehead Thunderwolves in the final. The last OUA-qualifying team — the Ottawa Gee-Gees — captured the national bronze medal. And now that the men’s basketball season has come to an end in a way that nearly everyone predicted, the same argument becomes more prevalent around the university basketball world. Should the Carleton Ravens leave the Canadian university ranks and join the NCAA? It’s not the first time this argument has been thrown around. It’s been on the discussion table for a few years now. But with Carleton’s men’s basketball team winning their record-setting ninth national championship this year, it’s hard not to add in an opinion. First let me start off by saying that the Carleton Ravens are by far the best men’s basketball team that has touched the OUA - and evidently the CIS - in modern-day history. They have done everything possible to make their mark in Canada, and rightfully deserve the credit they have been given. But do I think they should join the NCAA? Probably not. It’s not that I don’t think they’d compete. In 2011, Simon Fraser University in B.C, became the first institution outside of the United States to be officially admitted into the program. Their soccer team has
ELLI GARLIN FILE PHOTO
always excelled, and this year, SFU’s women’s swimming team, women’s indoor track and field team and men’s wrestling team won national championships. Despite what many likely think, Canadian institutions can compete with their southern partners. But the issue goes far beyond whether or not the Ravens would actually be able to excel. It comes down to what they do for Canadian sport. The CIS has had enough trouble keeping Canadian student athletes in Canada. There have been endless amounts of athletes recruited to schools down south because of the reputation given to the NCAA. Consequently, you see much of Canada’s talent run away as well. With a team like the Ravens’ men’s basketball team, Canadian institutions can be seen as competitive at a high calibre of sport. Recruitment becomes easier and it can
mirror the facets that the CIS has to offer. Put simply, Canadian university sport needs the Carleton Ravens. Canadian sport needs more teams like the Ravens. The more institutions that fund more programs and put the effort into becoming more competitive, the more reputable sport will become and therefore can give Canada more credit for its emphasis on university sport. Take this year, for instance. There was growing competition across the country in multiple sports. The Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference swept the national men’s hockey final, with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds defeating the Saint Mary’s Huskies to take home their fourth University Cup in seven years. In women’s hockey, the OUA final featured the Queen’s Gaels and the Western Mustangs — a growing competition against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, who, before this year, had won the provincial championship eight times in nine years. Out west, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds shocked the Calgary Dinos in the Canada West final to be named champions. And Québec’s own, Montréal Carabins, shocked the nation when they won their first national title since the resurgence of their program in 1995. Pierre Lafontaine was named the new CEO of the CIS in January. The first thing placed on his to-do list was addressing the growing merge of the CIS and the NCAA. He says there needs to be emphasis on the building of the CIS brand before considering any moves of mixing the CIS and NCAA. Teams like the Carleton men’s basketball help the CIS grow a solid foundation where Canadian university sport has a strong, reputable program throughout the nation. Teams like the Ravens help prove that Canadian institutions are equally capable of producing top tier athletes. If we keep sending our best teams to the NCAA, how will we ever be proud to be part of Canadian sport?
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Sports in brief Brantford extramural team wins title
On March 22, the extramural men’s hockey team at Laurier Brantford won the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) championship. The Laurier squad sealed the title win with a 3-0 win over Seneca College. The extramural championship is a level between intramural and varsity, featuring teams from Ontario colleges and universities. In their five total games, the Hawks surrendered just four goals, scoring 15.
Damon Allen to speak at football dinner
This year’s Friends of Golden Hawk Football Dinner, hosted annually by the men’s football team, will feature a keynote address from CFL great Damon Allen. Allen, who passed for the secondmost yards in professional football history, will not only be giving a keynote address, but will also hold a question and answer period with Laurier head coach Michael Faulds. The event will be held April 25 at the Waterloo Inn. Tickets are $150 each and can be purchased at www. laurierathletics.com/footballdinner.
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THE CORD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013
SPORTS
Laurier’s ‘Outstanding’ woman Women’s hockey captain finishes off stellar career with Outstanding Women of Laurier Award SHELBY BLACKLEY SPORTS EDITOR
HEATHER DAVIDSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Fiona Lester was named the Oustanding Women of Laurier (OWL) Award recipient on Thursday.
Olympian and TV personality Kelly Vanderbeek stood in front of nearly 250 people March 21 with one main message. Be bold, use your community and don’t be afraid to fail. At this year’s annual Outstanding Women of Laurier (OWL) Award luncheon, Vanderbeek delivered the keynote speech on the importance of utilizing the community surrounding people striving for success. This came moments before the OWL winner was announced at Waterloo Inn Conference Hotel. Fourth-year women’s hockey captain and math and biology major Fiona Lester was the recipient of the OWL award, which recognizes a female athlete at Laurier with athletic and academic achievement while displaying leadership and commitment to the community. “It’s really exciting,” Lester said Thursday afternoon. “It’s still just sinking in to be completely honest. To be named OWL this year is crazy. There are so many great female athletes out there, so many that I’m friends with, that it’s just awesome and a great honour.” Lester has spent the last four years as a member of the women’s hockey team. She has been an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champion twice, while being named an OUA first-team all-star twice and a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) academic all-Canadian three times. In 2012, Lester was one of two Canadian student-athletes to be named to the Capital One Academic All-America College Division first team, while also being awarded the Luke Fusco Academic Athletic Achievement Award at WLU. During the summer, Lester spends her time working with the Laurier girls’ hockey camp as a counselor and instructor, and has worked as a supervisor with the Ontario Ranger Program. “Like I said, it’s kind of surreal,” Lester said. “I remember being in
“There are so many great female athletes out there, so many that I’m friends with, that it’s just awesome and a great honour.” —Fiona Lester, OWL recipient
first year and hearing about this award because [then teammate] Liz Knox was up for it and ended up winning and just thinking, ‘wow how did she do that?’ To be able to be in that position now is really exciting.” Lester was one of three finalists out of seven female student athletes, alongside fourth-year women’s rugby captain Carmen Baker and thirdyear women’s basketball forward Doreen Bonsu. “In terms of Carmen and Doreen, they’ve done so much for their team and with their things in the community and everything they do,” Lester said. “They’re both really into their academic success as well.” The OWL award began in 2006 to acknowledge female athletes in the Laurier community. This year, the event raised approximately $18,000 to help fund women’s athletics initiatives, scholarships and mentoring programs at WLU. Lester also commended Laurier’s efforts to promote female athletics. “I think that it’s a great event that we have here at Laurier,” she said. “It’s exciting that we have something like this to specifically promote female athletics and it goes along with how Laurier has such support for their female athletes. “I think this is just another way that we show that.” Lester is finishing up her final year at WLU and says that she plans to travel in the next year before heading to grad school.
Mazerolle earns honours Ex-Laurier point guard Felicia Mazerolle named CCAA academic all-Canadian this year with the Fanshawe Falcons WESLEY TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
Ex-Laurier point guard Felicia Mazerolle made a smooth transition to the Fanshawe Falcons of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) in 2012-2013. The former Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Rookie of the Year spent two seasons with the Golden Hawks women’s basketball team before transferring due to academic reasons to Fanshawe College in London, Ont. Mazerolle departed less than four months after being named the team’s Most Valuable Player for the 2011-12 season under head coach Paul Falco last April. Averaging 15.2 points, 3.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, she led the Falcons to a first-place finish in the OCAA West Division. In addition, Mazerolle led the OCAA with 73 steals and was named the OCAA Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-star. “In the OUA, you are matched up with very talented and competitive guards, but the number of them increases a lot in the OCAA,” Mazerolle said. The 5’3 Elliot Lake, Ont., native played in 17 of 18 regular
season games as a newcomer on the Falcons. “Although we had established captains, my coach gave me the opportunity to be a leader,” Mazerolle said. “I used my experience as a tool to be successful both on and off the court.” The Falcons held opponents to 51.6 points per game en route to a 16-2 regular season record. Despite losing 74-42 to Algonquin College in the OCAA gold medal game, the Falcons earned a berth in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) women’s basketball championship. Fanshawe finished the season ranked eighth in the CCAA and were eliminated after a first-round loss to St. Thomas University. “We want to win our provincial championship and improve our impact at nationals [in 2013-2014],” said Mazerolle. Previously, Mazerolle pursued a bachelor of arts (BA) in sociology at Laurier and switched to an Ontario College Diploma (OCD) in business and insurance upon transferring to Fanshawe this year. After having to transfer at the end of the 2011-12 season due to academic reasons and being ineligible
to play with the Hawks, Mazerolle was named a CCAA academic allCanadian with Fanshawe this year. The award is the most prestigious student-athlete honour for the CCAA, where it puts forth commitment to academic success and athletic achievement. The award is typically given to a student-athlete that attains academic honours at their institution while achieving a conference award. However, she does give credit to her former university. “Laurier provided me the opportunity to succeed both athletically and academically,” expressed Mazerolle. “I learned to always work harder, don’t be afraid to open up and seek help, and persevere at even the toughest of times.” “The transition from Laurier to Fanshawe was definitely easier than from [Elliot Lake Secondary School] to Laurier,” she continued. “The homesick feeling was completely gone, allowing me to focus and excel athletically and academically.” Mazerolle has two remaining years of player eligibility in the OCAA. “Being a Golden Hawk was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” said Mazerolle.
NICK LACHANCE FILE PHOTO
Felicia Mazerolle was named an OUA Rookie of the Year and the team’s Most Valuable Player before transferring to Fanshawe.
