THE CORD
Sporas to host an event celebrating land News, page 3
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF
Comparing physical & digital books Opinion, page 11 PALESTINIAN LAND DAY
Student clubs provide relief for Turkiye & Syria News, page 4
Exploring
VOCAL CORD
What are your tips for studying?
“Study smart, not hard… but also hard, find the important content/things to study, start well in advance, GO TO OFFICE HOURS! Some profs are a lot more helpful than you think.”
-Dil Dhaliwal, 4th year computer science
“Remember to breathe and take breaks!!!”
-Rebecca Le, 4th year Film Studies
“Make sure you’re taking breaks and eating healthy meals - request a Food Bank parcel if you can’t go grocery shopping!”
-Jie-Soo Park, 3rd year political science
“Plan out a study schedule so that you only spend a few hours each day.”
-Mitchell Brydon, 1st year kinesiology
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
FROM THE ARCHIVES
SADIYA TEEPLE/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
LOCAL
Sporas to host Palestinian Land Day event
YASMEEN ALMOMANI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
On Saturday March 11, at 6:00 p.m., Sporas is hosting Land Day, which is a day for the Waterloo community to celebrate Palestinian heritage through educational speakers, food, music, poetry and folklore.
Sporas was originally started in April 2022 by a fourth-year Laurier student who was completing her major in global studies and social entrepreneurship with a specialization in international development.
“I got the idea to create a community organization that helps Palestinians in the diaspora to get in touch with their culture, get in touch with their roots and their history, and to educate them about where they come from… [and] how they can be proud of where they are from,” the founder of Sporas said.
“I feel like we struggle a lot as Palestinians in the diaspora, or even the majority of Arabs in the diaspora as well, to get in touch with our culture and heritage, that's something that I wanted to focus on so that's what Sporas focuses on.”
e name, Sporas, comes from the word “diaspora” and it is also the meaning of the word in Latin. eir logo, “Sporas Scattered” is also relevant;
“Sporas Scattered is [about] how we got scattered after 1948… that's where my logo comes from… we were blown away and we got scattered throughout the world, so we are in the diaspora now,” she said.
She explained how their upcoming event, Palestinian Land Day, stems back to March 30, 1976, when Israeli forces killed six unarmed Palestinians who were protesting the Israeli government’s decision to expropriate a large property of Palestinian land.
“Ever since that day, Palestinians have focused March 30 as the day for Land Day, because it showcases how we honour our land and how we commemorate our land,” she said.
“What Sporas is doing at our event is we’re going to educate the larger community on why it's important for us to focus on our land, and why land is life to us,” she said.
“For example, our land gives us olive trees, it gives us our fruit, it gives us our vegetables, it gives us our culture, it gives us everything, that’s why we focus on land so much.”
She spoke about how strong one’s connection to their land is, and how seeing things like olive trees in Palestine being destroyed
by the Zionist occupation is deeply hurtful for her community.
“We're going to be educating our community on why it's important to continue speaking up about our land and not to forget why it's important that we focus on Palestinian homeland, and our right of return as well.”
Sporas wants to commemorate Land Day by celebrating the land through traditional music, food, poetry, and folklore, which will all be present at their event.
ere will be speakers, including the founder of Zatoun olive oil (who is a farmer in Palestine), to talk about how farmland is a ected by the occupation. ere will be traditional dessert (kunafa), a sing-
er, and vendors selling traditional olive oil and cultural Palestinian clothing.
“We are going to be having an Indigenous speaker that talks about the connection between Indigenous communities to their land [and] Palestinians connection to their own land,” she said, explaining how this will bring communities together.
Even though the event is focused on Palestinian heritage and land, everyone in the community is welcome to attend.
“I'm hoping […] that people get why it's so important to commemorate Land Day, because our land gives us everything. Without a land, we have nothing to live
for - almost, because without that hope that we will one day return to Palestine, we will always feel like outsiders, we will always feel like we are not where we belong,” she said.
“By giving the KW community a place where we can commemorate Palestinian land, where we can commemorate what it means to be Palestinian and celebrating our culture and traditions, we will be able to bring the community together and understand that there is a Palestinian community here, which is something that I feel I haven’t felt before in a while, or ever.” Registration for the event is now open and tickets can be found on their Instagram @sporasscattered.
Laurier provides food insecurity support
LAURA KAPRIELIAN NEWS INTERN
People all around Canada are feeling the e ects of the growing cost of living and increased food costs. Communities at Wilfrid Laurier University are no di erent. In the circumstance that a student at Laurier experiences food insecurity, they have access to a number of free or low-cost options.
e Student Food Bank at Wilfrid Laurier University is run by the Students' Union and o ers students up to ve free food packages every semester. Canned fruit and vegetables, beans, pasta and sauce, and rice dishes ll bag that can feed a whole family for a week. Care packages of food may be modi ed to accommodate certain diets. Hygiene and period care goods are also sometimes available from the Student Food Bank .
At Laurier's Waterloo location, they also provide a hot meal service for those in need. Credits are added to students' OneCards via the service, which may then be used in the cafeteria. Laurier Food Services and the OneCard O ce collaborate to provide this hot lunch option. In order for students to participate in the emergency hot meal program or get a food box, they must rst ll out an online
request form. As soon as they get a request, they assign it to a group of student volunteers who complete it within two to three business days. When a student's package is available for pickup, an email alert will be sent.
e Students' Union provides nancial support to the Student Food Bank. e SU-Desks in the 2-4 Lounge in Waterloo and the Student Services Building in Brantford are happy to accept donations of nonperishable food items and personal care items.
e Wellness Education Centre (WEC) at P111 in the Peters Building on the Waterloo campus and the Student Wellness Centre (SWC) on the Brantford campus both provide free fresh fruit every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. Up to Mar.31, 2023, Fridays will be Fresh Fruit Fridays.
“Many students face di culties obtaining adequate nutrition due to a lack of resources and the lack of knowledge about how to improve their nancial situation. Helping students in crisis and guiding them toward long-term stability is what we do best, thus we provide a wide range of services to achieve this goal,” Andrew Spring, professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in geography and environmental studies, specializing in
food security,, said.
Two ways to combat these insecurities are to save money and increase their earning potential.
“Despite rising living costs due to in ation and other factors, funding for graduate students has been stagnant for decades.” Spring says.
Students don't often get nancial literacy instruction in high school, and that can sometimes worsen during the transition to university life. As a student, it is helpful to have a nancial plan and be aware of easily accessible
resources and services. A lot of students at Laurier go hungry because they can't a ord to buy food, but nancial literacy specialist Cherish Hwang is here to assist them. Hwang can help with short-term money issues, budgeting, grants and scholarships.
“ is is a symptom of a more systemic problem, particularly with regard to scal planning or the distribution of wealth. Food insecurity, job placement programs, registering for this nancial necessity, collaborating with a research-
er, gaining experience, and earning money are just a few of the options available.” Spring said. Due to the detrimental e ects on physical, emotional and social health as well as the high costs to the healthcare system, food insecurity is a major issue in Canada. ere is no magic solution for this systemic problem, but with Laurier’s initiatives to ght food insecurity, students can make themselves less likely to experience food insecurity.
Student clubs provide relief for Türkiye & Syria
JAMES WINSLOW NEWS EDITOR
On Feb. 6, Türkiye and Syria were devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake followed by a 7.5 magnitude quake and more than 9,000 aftershocks. e death toll has since surpassed 50,000 people and damage reports estimate more than $34 billion USD in direct physical damage.
Halfway across the world, Wilfrid Laurier University students are working to provide relief for survivors. Two clubs are spearheading such e orts: the Middle Eastern Students’ Association (MESA) and Laurier Helps Turkey and Syria (WLUHTS).
According to their Instagram bio, WLUHTS aims “to help victims of the catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey and Syria by fundraising, collecting donations and informing the Laurier community.”
MESA has been operating since before the earthquakes to inform the Laurier community about Middle Eastern culture(s) and the unique challenges the region faces.
LOCAL
“MESA is a club that aims to raise awareness about the … diverse cultures within the Middle East and share that with the broader student body at Laurier and also raise awareness about issues that face the Middle East,” Zeena Kailani, president of MESA, said. Kailani and her clubmates were moved without hesitation when they heard about the earthquakes.
“When I rst heard the news, it was devastating … It was kind of a no-brainer, honestly. Because it hit so close to home … our rst instinct was to just do what we could,” Kailani said.
MESA was able to move swiftly on this instinct: the club had their weekly team meeting on Tuesday after the initial earthquake happened on a Monday. Since setting a fundraising plan in motion, MESA has raised about $3,000 and collected items such as clothes, tents and sleeping bags.
Despite the accomplishments on the donations front, Kailani expressed concern about a media-coverage slowdown and thus a decrease in the public’s awareness about the ongoing struggle in Türkiye and Syria.
“It’s not getting much media coverage anymore … Tragedy in the Middle East is normalized
sometimes and because there’s so much stu that happens [there], people forget how terrible these things are,” Kailani said.
“I just really want to encourage people to still donate whatever they can or at least spread the word and share because, at the end
of the day, these are people just like us and the stu that’s happening is absolutely devastating and horrifying.”
To donate or contact MESA, students, faculty and members of the public can visit their master link: linktr.ee/mesalaurier.
Canada Helps and the Canadian Red Cross, among other organizations, have operational donations pages for Türkiye and Syria. Forbes has also published a review of the most reliable and highest-impact charities for earthquake relief in the impacted regions.
Waterloo encampment can stay, rules Ontario
MADALYN MOSTACCI NEWS INTERN
e region of Waterloo’s application to have a homeless encampment removed from 100 Victoria Street was declined by e Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
“ e rst reaction I had was a sense of relief because it is the middle of winter and forcing people to leave encampments can be a matter of life and death for people who live in those encampments,” Laura Pin, Assistant Professor in the Political Science Deppartment and expert witness for Waterloo Region Community Legal Services in the case, said.
According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, homeless encampments are de ned as an “outdoor location with a visible structure that can take many forms, such as tents, shanties, or shacks, where two or more individuals live.”
Justice M.J Valente declared the encampment was not in violation of the region’s bylaw as the number of homeless persons in the region exceeds the amount of available shelter beds.
“I think what resonated with me about the decision more than anything else was that it is not just about the number of homeless people. One of the main criteria for determining that we can’t evict the residents in these encampments is that the number of homeless people exceeds the number of beds accessible in shelters, but it is not that simple, that is just one of many criteria. e other being the actual accessibility of the shelters,” Han-
nah McGurk, Master of Applied Politics Graduate, said. e case cited the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As illustrated by Pin, “ ey put forward two challenges, one based on Section Seven of e Charter, which is the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the judge found that [Section Seven of e Charter] was violated in terms of trying to enforce an eviction of encampment residences.”
“ ey also put forward a challenge based on Section Fifteen of the Charter, which is the equality rights section. at says all people despite gender, Indigenous status, disability, race ethnicity, have the right to equal bene t from e
Charter. e judge did not nd that there was a Section Fifteen violation,” said Pin.
e decision in itself brings di erent perspectives.
“ e decision re ects a move forward from only regarding whether or not people are violating bylaw into protecting their rights as humans …” Victoria Marshall, Master of Applied Politics Graduate, said.
“From our perspective, I think this was the right decision,” said McGurk. “In the decision I think the controversy or the challenge is the risk encampments can pose to the community and those who are not experiencing unsheltered homelessness. ere are a lot of
people that see them as a health risk and they go through a ton of other issues, like dwelling on public property …”
A discussion surrounding shelter spaces coincides with homeless encampments.
“Moving to evict people living in an encampment would be a short term solution because it does not do anything to provide those people with housing,” said Pin. “ e way that human right’s norms identify the right to housing, it is not a shelter space, it is not temporary accommodations because shelters, they are not homes, they are not permanent housing …”
“It also has to be considered that some residents of encampments
do not want to live in shelters …” said Marshall. “ ere are some people living in encampments because that is where they feel safest not just because there are no shelters available.”
“People experiencing homelessness are often dealing with a variety of physical and mental disabilities, often experiencing substance use, may have histories of trauma so just the existence of shelter spaces is not su cient,” said Pin. “ Even if the region were to increase the number of shelter spaces, the court ruling in this case found that they would need to prove that they are accessible and low barrier for folks.”
“If the region is able to enhance that accessibility [referring to safety, eligibility, who can reside in a shelter, when they are able to come in, sobriety restrictions] I think these are all things that went into the decision and it wasn’t just about the number of homeless people living in the region at the time,” said McGurk.
“I think we should have shelters, we need them, but the way the current shelter system is constituted, it is not able to address all of the needs of the people experiencing homelessness,” said Pin. e full decision can be found on the CBC’s website.
“Now that this ruling is out there at the provincial level, any court cases about this that are seen in the future will need to take this decision as precedent … ” said Marshall.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ EU CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID ON FLICKR
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / MATTHEW VIVEEN
Influential Women in History
Rosalind Franklin, a British chemist, made crucial discoveries in biology and in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. She discovered the density of DNA and established that it exists in a helical shape, which laid the foundation for Wat- son and Crick’s DNA discoveries and made great strides in the eld of virology.
Audra Lorde was an American writer and poet who referred to herself as “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.” She was a civil rights activist who dedicated her life and writing to challenging racism, sexism and homophobia; she was critical of 1960s feminists who focused on experiences of white middle-class women and confronted these injustices through her poetry, which she is to be remembered by.
Lillian Dyck is the rst female First Nations senator and rst Canadian-born senator of Chinese descent. She is known for advocating for equity in education and employment of women, Chinese Canadians, and Indigenous people. Dyck is wellknown for her work in the senate on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada, and she has won many accolades throughout her lifetime.
Barbara Smith was the founder of the Combahee River Collective, an anti-capitalist revolutionary organization founded by radical Black lesbian feminists in 1974. She argued that everyone’s identities (faith, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality) in uence our politics and our experiences in the world. She is a prominent Black feminist who encourages people to question oppressive power structures and reject the greed of capitalism.
Born into slavery, Ida B Wells-Barnett grew up to be a prominent investigative journalist and activist in the US. She was an anti-lynching and women’s su rage advocate who published many books and articles about the horri c lynching that occurred in the late 19th and early 20th century. She was also a founding member of the National Association of Colored Women, and the Alpha Su rage Club (NAACP).
In the world of architecture, Zaha Hadid is a name to be remembered. She was an Iraqi-British architect who has won many awards in her life, including the 2004 Pritzker Architecture Prize. She was known to be an architect who pushed the boundaries of architecture and urban design, constantly experimenting with spatial concepts. Her designed buildings are all around the world, including at Harvard University, museums around the United States, and cultural centers around Asia.
Journalist Tawakkol Karman is known for her work advocating for the right to democratic processes in Yemen, her home country, for which she won a Nobel Peace Prize for in 2011. She founded the Women Journalists Without Chains group, which advocate for freedom of speech and promote freedom for all, especially women writers. As well as being a journalist, human rights activist, and politician, she is also known as the “Mother of the Revolution,” as she is known as the face of the Yemeni uprising in 2011.
credit: Jind ich Nosek (NoJin), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>,
Marie Curie was the rst woman to win a Nobel Prize, her rst being in Physics, and her second in Chemistry, making impressive strides in both. She coined the term “radio-active” and discovered the elements radium and polonium. Curie is known for her contributions to nding treatments for cancer; her and her husband discovered that radium destroyed diseased cells quicker than healthy cells, which meant that radiation could be used to treat tumours.
Rosalind Franklin
Ida B. Wells-Barnette
Audre Lorde
Zaha Hadid
Lillian Dyck
Tawakkol Karman
Barbara Smith
Marie Curie
Image credit: Original: Mary GarrityRestored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Image credit: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images
Image credit: Dmitry Ternovoy, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons
Image credit: Courtney Markewich/CBC
Image
via Wikimedia Commons
Image credit: Joanna Chattman
Arts & Life
MUSIC
Rock this town: new exhibit highlights KW music history
Newcomers to Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) may be surprised at the town’s rich rock ‘n’ roll history spanning the 1960s and 70s.
In fact, legendary bands such as Led Zeppelin have played the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, and local universities have held intimate shows for rockstars. is includes Neil Young, as well as rock bands KISS and Rush, all of whom have performed at Wilfrid Laurier University in the ‘60s and ‘70s. During this time, the University of Waterloo has also hosted rock icons, from Elton John to Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop.
To celebrate KW’s history of rock and other music genres, the City of Waterloo Museum has unveiled a new exhibit; ‘Rock is Town: Music and Memories’, based on the 2022 documentary of the same name. In collaboration with the producers, they have worked to
bring the documentary to life.
e exhibit features a range of interactives, from a listening station to a section where visitors can test their DJ skills. At a lounge, visitors can spin vinyl on a real record player. A scavenger hunt activity is also available for families or anyone that’s interested.
“Music plays an important part in our daily lives,” said Karen Vandenbrink, Manager of Museum
“We hope there’ll be more students coming to visit us,” said Vandenbrink. “And they’re always amazed at what’s happened here in Waterloo.”
-Karen
Vandenbrink, Manager of Museum and Archival Collections
and Archival Collections. “ e way we consume music now is isolating compared to in the past, and we want to highlight how live music has brought people together in KW.” at message is clear in the exhibit’s tributes to live music in
KW, such as the festivals that have occurred at Waterloo Park.
ere is also information on the history of live music as it pertains to 2SLGBTQIA+ safe spaces in KW.
A large section of the exhibit is dedicated to Juno award-winning rhythm and blues singer Errol Starr, who grew up in Waterloo. He went from playing in a garage band with his high school friends to building a lengthy career padded with accolades.
“We worked closely with him and his family to share his story,” said Vandenbrink.
One of the exhibit’s highlights is a section about the evolution of listening devices, such as speakers and turntables. It takes a comprehensive look at how music was consumed in the region, with a focus on local companies.
Furthermore, visitors can learn about KW’s history in music by exploring a case exhibit of Indigenous drumming artifacts. e City of Waterloo Museum is located near the food court in Conestoga Mall at 550 King St. North, and the ‘Rock is Town’ exhibit will be running until June 2023. e hours are 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays. Admission is free!
Same Artist, New Sound in Let’s Start Here
JACK
O’KEEFFE ARTS CONTRIBUTOR
At the end of last month, Lil Yachty, a rapper not known for his creative endeavours but rather for consecutively producing one or two hits from each of his albums, released what has been titled one of the wildest musical left turns in recent years.
e Atlanta rapper’s last previous albums were all mildly to poorly received. e musical outlet Pitchfork remarked that “he is incapable of tting his outsized personality into his pedestrian bars,” in his 2018 album Lil Boat 2. Since that album’s release, he’s released three more projects (and a deluxe album) which all mixed trap with cloud rap, producing nothing remarkable or worthy of conversation.
His last project, the 2021 mixtape Michigan Boy Boat, sold just under 16K units in its rst week (including only 218 physical copies), 48K units less than his 2018 release Lil Boat 2 (despite featuring 7 more artists).
It appeared that Lil Yachty’s popularity was on a decline, but that all changed whenhe released his single Poland in October of 2022, reaching ve million plays in the rst week. GQ labelled this single as “his weirdest song to date.”
After Poland’s success, Yachty dropped his latest album, Let’s
Start Here, last month. is sparked a wide debate and a newfound appreciation of the artist. Yachty claimed on Twitter that the album only took him six months to make, but he “sat on it for a year and a half almost.”
e new style and vast turn from Lil Yachty’s past sound have created the biggest conversation around the album.
Rather than following in the steps of his past albums and continuing to make the same
cloud-rap songs that led to his decrease in popularity, Let’s Start Here mixes psychedelic rock with funk, taking an evident in uence from artists like Pink Floyd and Tame Impala.
e album steps out of the hip-hop genre by sampling songs such as Pink Floyd’s eleven-minute track Pigs ( ree Di erent Ones) from their album Animals.
It also partially covers Radiohead’s Pyramid Song on the nal track titled REACH THE SUN-
Rather than following in the steps of his past albums and continuing to make the same cloud-rap songs that led to his decrease in popularity, Let’s Start Here mixes psychedelic rock with funk
-Jack O’kee e, arts contributor
SHINE. Yachty’s use of synths, psychedelic vocals and experimentation pay o
It makes Let’s Start Here not only one of the most potent examples of an artist completely changing their style, but also a complete success in branding him as a respectable artist, rather than a SoundCloud rapper ailing for popularity. Let’s Start Here will likely be remarked as one of the greatest albums of 2023, despite it being released in January.
MUSIC
Comparing the Razzies to the Oscars
ere are certainly a lot of awards that lms and people involved with lms can achieve. Of course, the Oscars are the most famous of the awards, but they are not the only ones.
ere are awards to be won at lm festivals such as TIFF, Cannes and Sundance. ere are also smaller and less well-known festivals and award shows with prestigious prizes.
However, not every award is created equally; in fact, there are some that most would prefer not to win. While the media may be swarming about the Academy Awards, many are unaware the night beforehand is host to a celebration of misery.
It is called ‘ e Razzies’ and March 11 of this year will mark the event’s 43rd anniversary.
e Golden Rasberry Awards (more commonly known as the Razzies) are the inverse of the Oscars, awarding the worst that the prior year of cinema had to o er rather than the best. Awards include worst actor and actress,
TV SHOWS
Spotted:
AMNA ALI ARFAN ARTS CONTRIBUTOR
With HBO having announced that its reboot of Gossip Girl was canceled after two seasons, one can’t help but wonder: What went wrong? At rst glance, it seemed to have everything a typical teen drama needs; an in uential clique, the infamous bad boy and a queen bee who had more than what meets the eye.
Yet, that was all it seemed to have. While the original was remembered for giving the average viewer a taste of the lives of the upper east side’s youth, the reboot failed to set itself apart from the original.
e show’s e orts to be more conscious of current societal issues are impressive, such as questioning the ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card the uber wealthy seem to have when faced with their immoral and criminal actions. It also portrayed the characters as still being separate from the general population. is excused their controversial
worst picture and worst director, among other injurious honours. It’s easy to call the event mean-spirited, which it is, but one must also acknowledge the important role it plays in lampooning the Oscars. e Academy Awards have long been criticized for many reasons, be it for excluding de-
serving lms, having controversial members of their academy, or last year’s ‘incident.’
Of course, the lm industry is subject to plenty of ridicule and mockery. It seems in recent years, there are always select lms that are universally panned and turned into widespread memes. e
Razzies serve as a light-hearted reprieve to enjoy lampooning the lm industries and the Oscars.
Despite being a niche award show, the Razzies have seen their fair share of iconic moments. Few of the nominees attend the Razzies, understandably so, considering it’s a show that actively
Gossip Girl a failed reboot
behaviour, leading to a toss and turn over how the characters should be presented; as aware and evolving teenagers while simultaneously making questionable choices.
e choice to emphasize their good character led to the viewer having to envy Gossip Girl’s victims, while also condemning them for their actions.
is lack of consistency in the characters’ morals contributed to the reboot’s downfall, its slim chances of succeeding at its start also explained its inevitable end.
e circumstances of the original Gossip Girl’s arrival bene ted its release, along with their incredible characters and storylines (at the beginning at least). It came at a time when the market for teen drama needed something new, with many of the dominating shows reaching their end. Gossip blogs were also the rave then, though only recently becoming popular, allowing Gossip Girl to take advantage and de ne it.
Best of all, Gossip Girl provid-
ed an escape for the many who were struggling to cope with the current economic state of the 2008 recession.
When competing against this, the Gossip Girl reboot was facing stacked odds before the rst episode was released. Gossip blogs have now become the norm, from TMZ to the DailyMail. Having a blog antagonize the young elite is not rare, and certainly wouldn’t call for as much turmoil as the reboot expected it to. In addition, ‘cancel culture’ has lost any true in uence, with celebrities apologizing left and right only to act like nothing happened the next day. Similarly, the recent economic crises has resulted in people being frugal and demanding change, and less of divulging into shows about rich teenagers with rst world issues.
However, there is one factor that truly set the reboot up for failure: Gossip Girl herself or rather, ‘themselves’, with Gossip Girl being the teachers of the shows’ highschool. Besides the fact that
criticizes their job performance.
Halle Berry showed the world how to properly take a joke when she accepted her worst actress award in person.
Berry ‘won’ the award for her performance in the 2004 op Catwoman. Faking tears and proudly holding up her Oscar, she graciously accepted the Razzie.’ She stated proudly, “My mother told me that if you couldn’t be a good loser, then there’s no way you could be a good winner.”
Last year, LeBron James’ acting in Space Jam: A new legacy cleaned up at the Razzies, as he took home awards for worst actor and for worst couple combined with any animated character he shared the screen with. Worst picture went to the Net ix version of Diana the Musical. is year, there is some intense competition at the Razzies for Worst Picture. Pinocchio, e King’s Daughter, Morbius, Good Morning and Blode all have a shot at the coveted Golden Rasberry. However, when it comes to worst actor I think the result will be a landslide; Jared Leto’s performance in Morbius is sure to be a slam dunk.
All award shows may not be created equally, but when it comes to nding the worst of the worst, few can compare to the Razzies.
having adults harass teenagers is concerning all on its own, the fact that Gossip Girl’s identity is revealed from the pilot takes away any intrigue into discovering the
mastermind, leading to an uninteresting plot.
It seems that the Gossip Girl reboot will only be remembered for what it was: a reboot.
AMICHAI ABRAHAM ARTS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Managing editor’s editorial: beware the winter blues
Tis’ the season where endless grey days feel like they stretch out forever, everyone feels tired and there’s a winter weather warning nearly every day. During this time of the year, it’s hard to feel motivated to keep existing - the warm weather often feels like it won’t ever return.
Now, I don’t have any life changing information that will help you manage these days better. In fact, I’ve found that Winter 2023 has been the worst for me in terms of my mental health.
However, if you can relate, you’re very much not alone.
Studies show that the “winter blues” are incredibly common, and will likely only last a short period. However, with the stress that often comes along with being in the middle of a semester, I argue that it must last longer.
When it comes to managing my own experience with the “winter blues”, I nd that all I can do is know that these days will eventually come to an end. Further, as we get into March, the continued slow progress into sunny days does help with combatting, as I call it, the “big sad”.
In terms of making it day-byday, one of the best things I do is go for a daily walk. While it can be hard if the wind is especially cold that week, it does help. Getting your heart racing and blood pump-
ing is important to the formation of endorphins and going for a brisk walk (especially in the cold) will help. Just make sure you wear a warm coat and pair of boots (I’ve slipped plenty of times this season already).
Further, many people advocate for “light therapy” to help with the winter blues. ese are lamps that can be bought online that simulate sunlight in order to help improve winter depression. While it may sound like a hoax to those who have not heard of these lamps before, many you can buy online have good reviews. While I haven’t tried one personally, I suppose it could work in theory.
Last but very much not least is journaling. When I started therapy last year, journaling was a practice that I was instructed to pick up. While it hasn’t solved all of my problems (unfortunately), it is a healthy way to work out your problems in a constructive manner. You can “freeform” journal, getting your thoughts out in a second by second manner as you navigate through your thoughts. Conversely, you can look up prompts online to help guide you through your thoughts in order to get them down on the page in a more organized way. I often do a mix of both methods, depending on how I feel that particular day.
Overall, don’t let the winter blues get you down - while groundhog day may have resulted in six more weeks of winter, spring will be here soon. After all, I know I have heard birds singing occasionally in the morning.
Hang in there, Golden Hawks. Spring is coming!
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Battle of the books: the physical vs the digital
NATASHA SHANTZ OPINION INTERN
Gone are the days of lugging around your thick textbooks and heavy novels: Audiobooks and eBooks are here to help, with all the convenience that the digital age has to o er.
While the demand for physical books has slowly been decreasing over the past decade, the demand for digital forms of reading has skyrocketed, and the eBook industry seems to be reigning supreme with its $956 million in revenue.
It’s no surprise that in the age of technology many are gravitating towards more convenient forms of literature, but I can’t help but feel a strong loyalty to good old hardcovers and paperbacks.
ere are certainly so many practicalities of the digital book.
I’m eternally thankful for never experiencing university in an era when accessible, online information was not yet a concept, and my shoulders are de nitely reaping the bene ts of only carrying around my little laptop in the midst of this busy semester.
But aside from this bit of usefulness, I hesitate to say that I enjoy using eBooks on a regular basis. I’ve used a Kindle for convenience’s sake when I’ve been travelling, and I have to admit, I did not like coming across as an 18-year-old boomer whenever I awkwardly sat down in a public park with a co ee and my e-reader.
Granted, I could have thought of better reasons for my preference of physical books over anything else, but I think this point ties into a
There are certainly so many practicalities of the digital book.
-Natasha Shantz, Opinion Intern
bigger concern I have about relying too much on technology.
Many people I know, especially the older individuals, are increas-
ingly using their eReaders instead of regular books in a stand for stubborn practicality, a stereotype which is unfortunately all too accurate (my dad is very rm in his decision to only read his exhausting history books on his Kindle).
While I understand that many are moving towards making life easier for themselves, I also don’t like depending so heavily on my devices.Since I was a kid, I have been an avid reader. e joy I found in reading was not only from the stories themselves, but also in the physicality, even the sensuality of a book.
You can’t replace the grounding feeling of the paper as you turn the page, the musty but comforting scent in a good read that’s been
sitting on your shelf for some time.
Feeling the weight of all that transportive writing in your own hand is a vastly di erent experience from holding your cold, heartless iPhone. We’re all familiar with the “iPad kid”, the annoying child who is probably way too young to be unhealthily obsessed with their sticky screen.I don’t think it would be that much of a stretch to call most of us “iPad kids”. Although our addictions to devices have become a kind of inside joke, there are genuine issues to be worried about here. We are a literate society: All of our lives truly revolve around reading.
If we begin to only use digital books, then what separates our online selves from the rest of our
lives? With a risk of being dramatic, while using my laptop to read sometimes hurts my eyes, more frequently, it hurts my soul. Regardless of the content that I’m engaging with online, using technology for absolutely all my pursuits, both work and personal, is draining and can have a larger toll on all of us.
I’m not entirely opposed to reading digital books when it makes sense. But I want my reading for fun to be tangible, and a very separate endeavour from my academic undertakings.
So, I’ll keep my tiny physical book collection, thank you very much, and in the process, prevent technology from consuming yet another aspect of my daily life.
The increased importance of radical publishing
NATASHA SHANTZ
OPINION INTERN
Critiques of ‘mainstream media’ have been consistent and implacable for a signi cant amount of time.
e biases of news outlets perceived as trustworthy seem to become more substantial, with political a liations often siding with major news outlets that favour their party. Elon Musk recently statedafter his takeover of Twitter that he hopes Twitter promotes citizen journalism, which in turn will force mainstream media to attempt to dispel biases in order to stay competitive. Such an approach to criticizing media organizations proves problematic as if one is to learn the news, how could they do so while straying from the subliminal biases of mainstream media while still ensuring the information they consume is accurate and true?
In contrast to staying unbiased –or at least claiming to do so - many organizations have decided to openly embrace their bias, nding a new target demographic.
During the pandemic, a group of left-wing publishers joined together to form a coalition titled e Radical Publishers Alliance.
ough the partnership was created to ensure stability during the unstable pandemic, the ‘alliance’ has seemingly provided its own solution to the supposed problem
of ‘mainstream media.’ e alliance is formed of 25 publishers all publishing works by leftist authors in a variety of formats – some through subscription services, others through more traditional. ough the companies in the ‘alliance’ di er in some respects, all openly aunt the idea that all their work is ‘radically left.’ By openly regarding their biases, they x the problem of biased media.
If the problem with mainstream media is that the biases are subliminal – being that some would watch news sites like CNN or Fox News without being aware of the biases of the presented information – by openly declaring the bias, readers can understand what may and may not be covered in the works.Furthermore, they would understand that they may not be getting a centrist point of view and understand possible inconsistencies in the news they digest. e companies under the alliances also ensure the information presented is from trustable sources/well-regarded gures in their corresponding elds. Notable authors presented through the alliance include Hegelian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, feminist Judith Butler, psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan – even Bernie Sanders. By presenting well-known and notable gures – ones with a degree of expertise, although biased – readers can ensure that the information they are reading at
least comes with some forethought rather than disregarding the mainstream media as irretrievably and incomprehensibly biased. is would work and help to solve the issue of getting your news from @RandomTwitterUser123, as seemingly suggested by Musk. Not only do these publishing companies o er an outlet for ‘radical liberal ideologies’ – though only publishing notable and respected gures – they o er the ability for authors to express more
unique and traditionally liberal/ varying viewpoints.
ough there seems to be no notable contemporary publishing conservative viewpoints, it is likely one will pop up in response to the struggles of ‘mainstream media.’ is would allow for full and truthful expressio through the acknowledgement of one’s own biases.
It isn’t unknown for publishers to terminate deals with authors with contrasting viewpoints (such
as US Senator Josh Hawley). is makes it even more likely that viewpoints not considered ‘mainstream’ will take refuge in these ‘radical publishing houses’. Ie - the outlets popularized through the pandemic, in response to the seemingly endless of mainstream media.
SADIYA TEEPLE/ LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
SADIYA TEEPLE/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
BASKETBALL
Golden hawks best varsity blues in nailbiter game
NATASHA GIANNANTONIO SPORTS EDITOR
After the original match was postponed, the Laurier Golden Hawks men’s basketball team hosted the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in round one of the Wilson Cup playo s.
e last time the teams saw each other was back in November where the Blues won by eight. e Hawks had a score to settle, and a season on the line.
e start was not ideal for both sides as a slew of missed shots kept the score at zeros.
Jahmyah Brown Je ers opened the scoring with a pair of free throws followed by Justin Malnerich draining a three.
Later in the rst quarter, the scores changed hands four times before the Blues led the Hawks by three going into the second.
To start the next frame, Brown Je ers hustled to recover his turnover, and Taye Donald connected to Ethan Passley for a triple to tie the score.
“I just look at it as another day at work. I play this game every day, so anything I do on the court, it’s second nature.”
Passley said about playing in his rst career playo game.
He ended the game with a team-
HOCKEY
high 18 points, shooting 70 per cent from the eld.
However, the Blues went on a 6-0 run where the Hawks missed all ve shots during that span.
Callum Baker of the Blues, the second best scorer in the league averaging just over 21 points per game, had a tough go against the Hawks defense in the rst half as he was limited to seven points, only one point from a free throw in the second quarter.
“It’s not like we played amazing, but we did enough to slow them down.” Head Coach Justin Serresse said.
Donald’s third made three-pointer of the quarter cut the Blues lead to four going into halftime, keeping his side close at 41-37.
e Hawks stayed energized after half with their deep rotation, Serresse opting for an eight-man lineup opposed to Toronto’s six-man line that ultimately paid dividends as the Hawks bench put up 25 points and the team was able to shoot 61 per cent from the eld with six assists.
The hawks had a score to settle, and a season on the line.
plays for everybody, [then] everybody looking to cut and relocate.”
In the third, Brown Je ers used his speed Serresse had praised to score six of his eight points backto-back. is levelled the teams once more.
Even more surprising was Je ers’ second point score before Benhur Gebrekidan’s timely three gave the Hawks the lead.
-Natasha Giannantonio, Sports Editor
A focus for Serresse this match was getting past Toronto’s strong zone defense, which he said would “Start and end with [Donald, Passley, and Brown Je ers] being able to penetrate that zone with their speed, and then from there making
Laurier went up 62-57 to go into the fourth and deciding quarter. e Hawks went up by nine by the nal three minutes, but the Blues kept ghting, going on an 11-5 run, closing the gap to two.
Majok Deng went to the line with under 20 seconds left, making one of two shots, the lead now three points with the Blues carrying the ball the other way.
Deng on the defensive end had the duty of guarding Baker, no small task as the second best scorer was 3-7 from deep,. is demonstrated how the team looked to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Deng came up big to lock Baker down, forcing a three-point shot in the dying seconds, and getting the much needed stop to give the Hawks the victory and send them to the second round.
“Majok at the end of the game, getting that stop, that was big. We needed that length to guard [Baker],” Passley said.
“We ended up establishing our defense at the end of the game. It was all de nitely a team e ort.” e Hawks’ season extends one more game as the team travels to Ottawa to take on the #1 Carleton Ravens.
“ e pressure is on them. ey’re the number one team in the country, they have to defend their home court … Now it’s up to us to come in and show a whole lot of spirit.” Said Serresse.
Let’s go, Golden Hawks! Team spirit is paramount.
Playo s dashed for the Golden Hawks
e Golden Hawks had lost 13 straight games to the Brock Badgers. is losing streak included a harrowing 5-2 defeat in the single elimination playo last season and continued with the Badgers 2-0 victory in Game 1 on February 15.
Luck was with the Golden Hawks ahead of a must-win Game 2 on Saturday night.
Or was it?
Heading into Saturday night’s showdown, the Golden Hawks had won 8 of their last 10 Saturday night contests.
Right o the hop in game 2, Laurier wanted to set the physical tone.
Sullivan Sparkes and Tyler Davis in particular were making their presence felt and played a huge role in Laurier grasping the momentum early in the hockey game.
With their backs against the wall, Laurier was the hungrier team in the opening frame, outshooting the Badgers 11-7 in the period, including a pair of golden scoring chances. With three minutes remaining in the rst, Sparkes redirected a centering pass from Evan Benwell just over the crossbar.
Moments later, Benwell found Sam Rhodes all alone in the slot but was unable to beat Brock goalie Roman Basran.
e teams went into the rst in-
Heading into Saturday night’s showdown, the Golden Hawks had won 8 of their last 10 Saturday night contests.
-Justin
Couto, Sports Contributor
termission even at zeroes.
Early in the second period, Laurier’s goalie took center stage. In the dying seconds of a Brock powerplay, forward Tyler Burnie was the recipient of a friendly bounce giving him what looked to be an open net. Christian Propp sprawled across to ash the leather making one of his best saves in the series.
“Propp’s our star, he makes every save we need, and we wouldn’t be here without him.” Caleb Rich said postgame. Propp has undoubtedly been the Golden Hawks’ MVP all season long, starting an OUA best 24 games and nishing rst in saves with 688.
Later in the period, the Badgers’ pressure nally paid o as Cameron Gaylor redirected a centering pass over the glove of Propp and gave Brock a 1-0 lead.
Seconds later, Nick Giunta
capitalized on yet another perfect pass from Benwell immediately knotting the game at 1. Giunta has been in and out of the lineup since the calendar ipped to 2023 and had not scored since November 26. Head Coach Kevin Forrest had him in the playo lineup given the energy he brings regardless of recording points, and Giunta rewarded him with a timely goal.
e Hawks needed a spark.
In stepped defenceman Jake Payette. “Payette was blocking everything…it was great to see.” Rich said. Payette sacri ced his body to make a pair of huge momentum swinging blocks during the penalty kill igniting roars from the Laurier bench. Right away, the energy around the rink and on the ice made a complete turnaround and Laurier went on the o ensive.
Amidst a mad scramble in front of the Brock net, the puck squirted free to the backdoor where Rich scored the biggest goal of the season for the Hawks, giving them their rst lead of the game and series at 2-1.
“It was a good shot from the point, lots of tra c, and the puck just happened to pop out and I just hit it as fast as I could and it ended up in the net.” Rich said.
Rich has been the hottest Golden Hawk coming into the rst-round matchup, nishing his season with 3 goals in his nal two regular season games, and now has
4 goals in his last 4 games. is comes on the heels of a 12-game pointless streak for Rich during which it seemed like nothing was going his way.
When asked what he’s done to nd his game again Rich said, “Not a whole lot, just sticking with it, getting pucks on net and once that rst one goes in, everything’s easier.” Following the Rich goal, Laurier seized control of the game. With 10:31 remaining, another point shot, this time from the Laurier captain James omson, created a rebound where Matthew Zebedee was the rst to pounce and slide the puck past Basran and handed the Hawks a 3-1 advantage. e goal was Zebedee’s rst career OUA playo goal. Christian Propp stopped 28/29 shots in the game, building on his spectacular rst game where he stopped 38/40. Sparkes added a late empty netter as the Hawks forced a deciding game 3 back in St. Catherines on Sunday night. e win snapped the 5-year losing streak to the Badgers, and marked Coach Forrest’s rst win versus his former team. Game 3 saw Laurier come out of the gates with the same energy witnessed in their game 2 victory the night before. eir rst period dominance culminated with a powerplay goal by Matt McJannet that opened the scoring. Brock tied the game in the second with a powerplay goal of their own as forward Adam Berg
tapped in a backdoor pass from Cole iessen. Berg, one of the best players in the OUA, had been held pointless to this point in the series and he was primed to break out in game 3.
After, Justin Brack scored on a great solo e ort to give Brock a 2-1 lead early in the third period. Laurier began applying pressure, but were continuously stonewalled by Basran. en, with just over two minutes to play, Berg scored a highlight reel goal to make it 3-1 and put Laurier’s playo lives on the line.
A late empty net goal made it 4-1 and with that the Brock Badgers eliminated the Laurier Golden Hawks from the playo s for the second straight season.
e Golden Hawks season once again comes to an end in the rst round of the OUA West playo s. is season does, however, show promise for what is to come next season. After digging themselves into a 0-5-1 hole to start to the season, the Hawks found their stride under new Head Coach Kevin Forrest, snagged the 6th and nal playo spot, and took a strong Brock Badgers team to a deciding game 3.
With one more year of roster continuity and growth under their belt, the Golden Hawks will hope to improve on their 2022-23 campaign next season.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ TIFFANY LUKE
JUSTIN COUTO SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR