THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 1 • MAY 18, 2016
STEALING SUMMER WITH MLSB Exploring the ins and outs of the popular softball league
Arts & Life, page 9
VAN HERZELE’S FIRST WEEK
THE ROCK CLOCK
PRIDE FESTIVAL HITS K-W
TRUMP IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A CHANGE OF SCENERY
Checking in with the Sudents’ Union
Dwayne Johnson will pull you out of bed
Tri-Pride offers many exciting events
Is he the first politician to act out?
Nyhof and Smith enter new roles off the field
News, page 4
Features, pages 6-7
Arts & Life, page 9
Opinion, page 11
Sports, page 12 WILL HUANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
2 •
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
VOCAL CORD What is closed on campus over the summer that you wish were open?
The Cord
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@cordwlusp
CordNews
Editor’s note: I want you
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“The Terrace.” –Michael Oliveri, second-year film studies
“The gym on weekends.” –Isabella Gambin, fourth-year communications
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
Ten-week-old puppy, Jax, tours Wilfrid Laurier University with his owner, an incoming Laurier student.
Need a job this summer? “Union Market.” –Sonja Kosarac, fourthyear business and administration
“Tim Hortons in the Peters Building.” –Dylan Clarke, fourthyear business and administration
Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications is hiring. www.wlusp.com/summer-staff-hiring
Compiled by Bethany Bowles Photos by Paige Bush
NEXT ISSUE: JUNE 15, 2016
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Maddy Cutts news@thecord.ca
CORD STAFF
FEATURES EDITOR Mitchell Consky features@thecord.ca
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bethany Bowles editor@thecord.ca
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Manjot Bhullar arts@thecord.ca
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Will Huang creative@thecord.ca
OPINION EDITOR Vancant editor@thecord.ca
WEB DIRECTOR Brian Phillips online@thecord.ca
SPORTS EDITOR Arman Aryapour sports@thecord.ca
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Severin news@thecord.ca
GRAPHICS EDITOR Fani Hsieh graphics@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR Emilia Curcic news@thecord.ca
PHOTO EDITOR Paige Bush photos@thecord.ca
ONLINE EDITOR Andreas Patsiaouros online@thecord.ca VIDEO EDITOR Vacant video@thecord.ca LEAD REPORTER Safina Husein news@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Marco Pedri photos@thecord.ca
CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR’S CHOICE: COLOPHON
Victoria Panacci Josh Peters Mynt Marsellus Josh Hortaleza Kamil Ahmed
The Cord is the official student “Running to newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier THEMUSEUM’s Terry Fox University community. exhibit” by Kaitlyn Severin Started in 1926 as the College
EDITOR’S CHOICE ONLINE: “Waking up with Dwayne Johnson” by Mitchell Consky
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Kira Gelbard photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Christian Paron copyeditor@thecord.ca
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Brittany Ditizio socialmedia@thecord.ca
All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Schummer at care.schummer@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.
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. 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 OS X 10.10 using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography. The Cord has been a proud member of the Ontario Press Council since 2006. Any unsatisfied complaints can be sent to the council at info@ontpress.com.
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PREAMBLE 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
While most Laurier students are spending the beginning of their summer vacations sitting on patios drinking beer, the student volunteers and staff at The Cord have been hard at work to bring you the first issue of the year. In case you didn’t know, Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications (WLUSP) operates with a new year beginning on May 1. That means that, on April 30, we said goodbye to old staff and said hello to the new new staff, like myself. Shelby Blackley, the Editor-in-Chief before me, set the bar pretty high. She challenged her team to experiement with layouts and content. Together, we made changes that were necessary for us to remain up to date and reputable as a studnet publication. We have a great newspaper and our website is the best it’s been in a long time. A lot of that credit goes to Shelby and our team last year. I came into the position confident that nothing was broken. My vision for this year, however, includes a great deal of volunteer engagement. Every year, The Cord offers Laurier students several opportunities and experiences that you can’t gain in the classroom. We help writers to become better writers, show photographers how to take better photos and challenge artists to produce better images. But we aren’t just limited to writing, photography and drawing. Our web and social media team is expanding and we need all the help we can get. The Cord is not an exclusive group of know-it-all journalists. We’re students, just like you and we found a place in the Laurier community to call home. We’re best friends. We’re a family. Families are better when there are more people and I want you to join my family. If you don’t have any experience, that’s okay. None of us had experience when we started. We’ll help you. We’ll teach you. We need you.
impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. 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 Kitchener-Waterloo, 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 fulfilled 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: “Andy working out.” - Creative Director Will Huang in response to Editor-in-Chief Bethany Bowles asking for someone to, “say something funny.”
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
News
• 3 SENIOR NEWS EDITOR KAITLYN SEVERIN news@thecord.ca
NEWS EDITOR EMILIA CURCIC news@thecord.ca
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR MADDY CUTTS news@thecord.ca
DEMONSTRATION
Running to THEMUSEUM’s Terry Fox exhibit Terry Fox — Running to the Heart of Canada exhibition to display Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
On April 8, THEMUSEUM in Kitchener revealed an exhibition called Terry Fox — Running to the Heart of Canada, which explores the Canadian hero’s 143 day, 5,373 kilometer journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Visitors to THEMUSEUM now have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the exhibit’s array of materials from Fox’s journey, including his journal, artificial leg, media interviews and press clippings. The Terry Fox exhibit originally started at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, which displayed artifacts that were contributed from the Fox family. According to David Marskell, chief executive officer of THEMUSEUM, the Canadian Museum had not originally planned on touring the exhibit, but after working with them, the exhibit was moved to THEMUSEUM. “It’s open here. We’re the first to have it and then it goes to Winnipeg and then it’ll go for a tour of several cities,” said Marskell. Darrell Fox, younger brother of Terry Fox and senior advisor to The Terry Fox Research Institute, who also travelled with Terry on the
“I mean, it’s a real Canadian artifact if you will and it’s such an amazing thing to see.”
-David Marskell, CEO of THEMUSEUM
VICTORIA PANACCI/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY
Terry Fox’s iconic Marathon of Hope van is currently being display at Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall until June 16.
Marathon of Hope tour, was invited to open the exhibit to the public. “The first day it opened with Darrell Fox, we had several hundred people come to that opening and it is doing very well in attendance and we’re getting a lot of school groups booking it and just regular visitors and families and so on,” said Marskell.
As a special feature of the exhibit, Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope van, a Ford E250 Econoline which travelled with Fox, is now on display at Waterloo’s Conestoga Mall The van was originally going to be on display until the end of May. According to Marskell, the positive response from the community allowed THEMUSEUM to extend
their exhibition of the van. “Now that we’ve got [the van] up and open and we’ve seen the response from the community, we very quickly, after three or four days, began talking about extending it and keeping it there, so it’s a coincidence with the closing of the actual exhibit on June 16.” According to Marskell, plac-
ing the Marathon of Hope van in Conestoga Mall gave THEMUSEUM a huge opportunity to become more involved with the community, as thousands of individuals will be able to witness the iconic artifact and trail it back to the main exhibit at THEMUSEUM. “It’s free at the mall. People can go and see it at no cost and it’s really cool,” said Marskell. “I mean, it’s a real Canadian artifact if you will and it’s such an amazing thing to see.” The Fox family also secured Mile Marker 3339, a highway sign that resided along the TransCanada Highway for over 30 years. The sign marked the end of Terry’s Marathon of Hope and will be on display at THEMUSEUM next week. Both the Running to the Heart of Canada exhibit and the Marathon of Hope van will be open to the public until June 16.
PROJECTS
Integrating sustainability culture at Laurier MADDY CUTTS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University unveiled a bike sharing station on its Waterloo campus on May 13, just one of numerous recent projects Laurier has recently launched in its bid to develop itself as an increasingly environmentally friendly institution. The station is part of the Community Access Bikeshare program, run by The Working Centre, and includes seven other stations throughout the uptown Waterloo and downtown Kitchener areas, at which members can borrow and return bicycles. “We’re the first educational institution in the region to have a bike share station on campus,” said Claire Bennett, manager of the Sustainability Office. “[They] connect to other bike share stations in the region; so there’s a couple uptown, there’s a couple downtown, so it helps connect students.” The bike share station, along with Laurier’s work with the region’s TravelWise program, which helps provide bus passes and facilitate other eco-friendly commuting options to staff and
faculty, all contributed to Laurier winning the TravelWise leadership and innovation award at Sustainable Waterloo Region’s seventh annual Evening of Recognition. Laurier was additionally awarded with the very first environmental awareness award for its efforts to promote sustainability within the community. All of this work is made possible by the university’s sustainability office, which has worked to integrate a culture of sustainability into all aspects of Laurier, from compost bins to community gardens, moveout waste reduction projects to classroom engagement. One such partnership has led to the implementation of a sustainable energy management initiative, a multiyear project which will commence over the coming spring term. “We actually had an MBA team do an independent study on the feasibility of ESCO [Energy Service Company], which was fantastic, and then they presented it to the vice-president of administration and finance, which went over very well,” said Bennett. The project is funded through a unique pay-back model in which
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
Wilfrid Laurier University has recently unveiled numerous projects, including a bike sharing station on campus.
utilities savings cover the cost of the renovations over the course of an extended period of time; in Laurier’s case, 20 years. This will include an energy audit of all main buildings, to be followed by recommendations on energy conservation measures. This will be paired with solar panels placed on the exterior of Brantford campus’s Grand River Hall, as well as the Library and Bricker Residence in Waterloo.
“Hopefully it’s going to make us a more resilient university, so we’re not actually putting money into utilities. That frees up money that we would be paying just for heating and cooling the university to student programs, student facilities,” said Bennett. “That money can go to improve more research and academic facilities rather than paying for the utilities.” The Sustainability Office hopes that they will continue to make
strides in improving the sustainability of Laurier as an institution and that the movement will grow to appear more on students, staff, and faculties’ radars. “I kind of like the solar-wall because not only does it make sense in terms of energy savings, it’s highly visible,” said Bennett. “And students, I think, are really starting to value more and more doing sustainable projects, because they’ll actually be able to see it.”
4 • NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
STUDENTS’ UNION
UNION
New president steps into office
CUPE’s message to Blouw
2016-17 Students’ Union instated SAFINA HUSEIN LEAD REPORTER
Tyler Van Herzele, the new Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union president and the Students’ Union staff team, officially took office as of May 1, 2016. Van Herzele explained that in the first week, the Students’ Union had a chance to participate in an office orientation with both Brantford and Waterloo staff, organize administrative tasks and attend meetings, among many other things. The second half of their first week was spent on a staff retreat — giving the staff team the opportunity to get to know one another and partake in team bonding exercises and activities. “It’s been a really productive and enjoyable first week. As for what we’re doing, we’re just getting comfortable,” said Van Herzele. Ensuring that each individual feels comfortable in their jobs is something that Van Herzele puts a large personal emphasis on. He
believes that the success of the team often coincides with the presence of a strong, positive team atmosphere. Van Herzele also explained how the next few months will be spent focusing on a variety of important aspects. Throughout the summer, a big focus for everyone will be on orientation week in September. “A big focus of ours is how we can engage the students now that they’re back on campus — not only in first-year, but in upper years, too.” As well, he plans to revamp and finalize many of the initiatives he brought forth during the campaign period. Specifically, creating strong campus-partner relationships, along with Laurier’s community relationships. “One of the biggest parts of my job would be communicating to the university the students’ voice. Making sure everyone’s being heard along the decision making process,” he said. In regards to big changes,
Bus ad targets president KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
KAMIL AHMED/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
As of May 1, Tyler Van Herzele is at the head of the Students’ Union table.
Van Herzele intends to continue building on the work the Students’ Union accomplished in the previous year. “The natural progression of the Students’ Union calls for big changes; that’s sort of what we do.” In addition, he plans on reaching out to the membership to ensure that students know why the Students’ Union is doing what they are doing. “It’s a lot easier to understand the Students’ Union if you understand why we’re doing things.” To attain this goal, Van Herzele hopes to implement more feedback mechanisms.
“How am I able to represent you, if I can’t hear you?” said Van Herzele, explaining his hopes to interact with the Laurier community on a daily basis. This will also allow the membership to feel informed about the Students’ Union. If a student is interested in reaching out to the Students’ Union, Van Herzele wants to ensure they have a clear path to voice their opinions. “It’s going to be a number of weeks of prep, luckily we have the summer for that.Then, hopefully, when September rolls around, we’ll have our game plans in order.”
On the corner of Hemlock Street and University Avenue, the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 926 released a message to Max Blouw, Wilfrid Laurier University president, in the form of a bus shelter sign. The message read,“Replacing good jobs with contract work for poverty wages hurts families and our community. But that’s what Laurier is doing. We expect better from our universities. Instead of betraying workers, Laurier should stand up for good jobs and better lives. It’s time to stop contracting out.”
“Replacing good jobs with contract work for poverty wages hurts families and our community.”
-CUPE 926 signage
TECHNOLOGY
IT conference descends on WLU 44th annual Ontario Universities Computing Conference held May 8-10 KAITLYN SEVERIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
From May 8-10, Wilfrid Laurier University welcomed over 250 attendees for the Ontario Universities Computing Conference (OUCC). The 44th annual conference brought together numerous computer technology professionals from all over Ontario. Since 1970, the conference has given IT professionals a chance to share and facilitate ideas surrounding IT initiatives in higher education.This year’s theme, ‘IT @ a Crossroads,’ was decided after realizing that many academic institutions, including Laurier, encounter many of the same challenges that education IT departments face in modern society. “We really are at a crossroad; enrolment is shrinking. The numbers are not helping us. Government funding is not a staple anymore.
“We really are at a crossroad; enrolment is shrinking. The numbers are not helping us.”
-Andres Diaz, ICT projects manager
“We jumped at the chance to host the conference since we thought it’d be really nice to showcase what Laurier did.” -Allison Dias, ICT project and administrative coordinator
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Technologies are changing very, very rapidly,” said Andres Diaz, manager of ICT projects at Laurier and member of the organizing committee. Over 250 individuals attended the conference, a higher number than the average attendance rate. “We’re fortunate because we got Waterloo up the street, Guelph close by, all the Toronto schools, Western, so we’re pretty well-situated to get pretty much everybody,” said Nela Petkovic, Laurier’s chief information officer in ICT and one of the organizers of this year’s OUCC. The conference featured IT experts from Laurier and other academic institutions in Ontario, along with faculty members and
chief information officers, among many others. “It was a really wide range presentation of IT professionals from all universities,” said Diaz. OUCC featured several keynote speakers, including opening speaker Ken Steels, a PSE futurist at Eduvation who explored the trends that are reshaping politics, policies and priorities. Closing keynote speaker Jaime Leal, an entrepreneur and humanitarian relief volunteer, used his experience of being kidnapped to teach others about connecting with people and how to react in difficult situations. The conference also featured 28 sessions that related back to the evolving culture surrounding IT.
According to Allison Dias, ICT project and administrative coordinator and member of the organizing committee, OUCC was hosted at Laurier as a way to showcase the university’s leadership in audio-visual and information technology. “We jumped at the offer to host the conference since we thought it’d be really nice to showcase what Laurier did,” she said. So far the organizers have received positive testimonials from several universities on the success of the conference. “It was a fantastic conference and you and the other organizers deserve kudos for arranging everything so well,” said Scott Gallimore, an assistant professor and undergraduate advisor at Laurier. Since the Canadian Higher Education Information Technology Conference (CANHEIT) will be coming to Ontario next year, the next OUCC conference will be held at Laurentian University in 2018.
The message was signed off by CUPE 926 and ended with their website, stopcontractingout.ca, which tells people to send an email to Blouw: “Help us defend good jobs at Laurier by sending an email to President and Vice-Chancellor Max Blouw.” On their website, CUPE explains how Laurier wants to outsource itscleaning work and replace decently paid custodial jobs with low-pay wages. According to CUPE, the move will increase inequality at Laurier and cut good jobs in the Waterloo region. The university later issued a statement in response to CUPE’s message. According to the statement, Laurier is facing significant productivity and absenteeism issues with custodial services and has consistently advised CUPE that they are willing to consider alternatives to contracting out. CUPE, however has refused. The university claims that no custodians will be laid off and contractors will only be used when custodial positions become vacant. “The University provided the Union with an offer for settlement on Jan. 28, 2016. It was rejected by the Union bargaining team. The University remains optimistic that the parties can reach a deal and is available to meet with the Union at any time to discuss the University’s offer for settlement,” read the statement. Over the past year, CUPE has hoped to raise support for their custodial staff while they are in the middle of contract negotiations with the university. The Cord reached out to CUPE, but has yet to receive a statement. More to come.
NEWS • 5
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016 SOCIAL INNOVATION
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
Laurier supports social entrepreneurship Schlegel Centre renamed to Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation EMILIA CURCIC NEWS EDITOR
After becoming the second university in Canada to receive the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus designation in March, Wilfrid Laurier University continues to encourage the development of social entrepreneurship and innovation on campus. The recent name change of the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship to the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation reflects this development. Joanne Benham Rennick, director of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, emphasizes the importance of a focus on entrepreneurship and social change, spanning across all faculties on
campus. “The vision, now, is that it will simply be a home — a central area that everyone can acknowledge and recognize the various entrepreneurial activities that are happening across Laurier,” said Benham Rennick. While the social entrepreneurship option exists under the faculty of arts, students across all faculties are encouraged to throw themselves into it. The option has been offered at Laurier since September of 2014. Emily Barrieau, a third-year communications student, said that the reason she chose to pursue the option was the importance she believed social innovation has on the future of business. “Social innovation and entre-
preneurship is something that is going to gain popularity, especially as younger generations age and realize the possible benefits and
“The most effective and transformative projects happen at the grassroots level.”
-Joanne Benham Rennick, director of social innovation and social entrepreneurship
as traditional businesses make the shift to socially mindful businesses,” said Barrieau.
The vision for the Schlegel Centre includes further development to academics, programming and spaces on campus that are used to encourage collaboration and idea generation among students. One such location is the Purpose Lab, which was officially opened during the 2015-16 school year. Located on the first floor of the Dr. Alvin Woods Building, the lab offers a space for groups of students to come together and work on ideas that could spur positive social change. “The purpose lab was a way to create a space [where you can] come and actually think about things that matter to you and work with others that have similar interests and we’ll help you find ways to flesh those ideas out, to expand
them, to let them grow and foster them so that at some point you can build on that,” says Benham Rennick. Benham Rennick’s experience in international development and academics has fostered her own passion for social entrepreneurship. “The most effect and transformative projects happen at the grassroots level — by people who lived in the community and understood the complexity of the issues they were dealing with,” said Benham Rennick. “When those people had access to tools and resources and methods, like entrepreneurship, they were able to engage and overcome those problems far far more effectively.”
we’re able to offer to the graduates and seeing what we can do to close some of the gaps in ways that haven’t been done before,” said Jessica Siegel, vice-president of student development. “Really looking critically at what the needs of our graduate population are and keeping in mind that the graduate population is so diverse.” This diversity is reflected not solely in the GSA’s membership population, but also within its management team members.
rate services. “So I wanted to get more involved with [the GSA] and do some things for other graduate students that come here, especially other international students.” Along with representing a diverse group of students, the graduate student population is additionally split between faculties, programs and locales. All of these factors can render central planning difficult, a fault the GSA plans on combatting through increased mobility and visibility across all of Laurier’s campuses. “We’re in the midst of restructuring our strategic plans this year and so that has been one of our main focuses in developing the plan … we understand that there’s different needs across campuses and it’s not just about offering different campuses to come to Waterloo for events that we’re having,” said Natalie Gleba, vice-president of student experience. “They don’t want to be coming to our campus, they don’t want to feel like Waterloo is the central campus. So we’re going to try focusing on campus focused events and holding different campus events for those different departments and kind of making it their own.” The GSA has chosen to postpone the hiring of Brantford and Kitchener assistant vice-presidents in efforts to avoid the trend of hires leaving their respective campuses and are awaiting September’s new cohort of students before marketing the positions.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
“We’re in the midst of restructuring our strategic plans this year and so that has been one of our main focuses ...” PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
GSA starts new office term MADDY CUTTS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
The 2016-17 management team has been announced for the Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association. Following the election of current president Samantha Deeming in February, vice-president positions were opened to candidates. The process included an online application, where candidates
submitted a resume and cover letter, explaining their vision for the GSA in the upcoming year and culminated in an interview process involving Deeming, Ian Muller, the outgoing president and Ellen Menage, the GSA’s executive director. “I was looking for people to fill where my strengths aren’t, so where my weaknesses are,” said Deeming. “I’m looking at what skills they can provide to each position and
how does that help me be successful in the role of bettering the graduate student experience.” The new team is starting off the year with a focus on small, incremental projects — certain to be achievable — rather than pushing themselves to accomplish massive projects. “In terms of the graduate population, we’re looking at addressing gaps in the services that we currently offer and the value that
-Natalie Gleba, vice-president of student experience
This has allowed the association to gain insight into the needs and desires of a myriad of students, all in an attempt to improve the graduate experience for as many of its members as possible — an effort which has not gone unnoticed. “I am an international student, specifically. I had a pretty good experience in orientation week and all of the reservations and nervousness that I had coming into a new country from India, from so far … the whole experience was pretty wonderful,” said Debashish Mondal, vice-president of corpo-
FEATU
FEATURES EDITOR/MITCHELL CONSKY/FEATURES@THECORD.CA
“
I found that when I wake up early I’m more productive throughout the day.
–Kanwar Brar, third-year political science student
What was my solution going into a new semester this summer? This big, bald, insane dude known as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. “The Rock Clock” — the official alarm clock app of Dwayne Johnson — was recently released to motivate people to wake up earlier and, as Johnson always says, “chase their greatness.” As most would expect, coming from the living freight train of muscle and inspirational enthusiasm, none of it is any scientifically ground-breaking technology; the app simply consists of a project calendar for setting goals and being reminded of them with a memo every morning, a variety of hilarious and irritable alarm ringtones with no snooze button and a daily broadcasted message from Dwayne himself giving a piece of “silverback” motivation. The bravest, or most stupid, of users may choose to select “Rock Time,” where they are blessed with the horrifying task of rising the same hour as the movie star/Wrestle Mania champion himself. This is often at the ripe time of 4:45 a.m., with the exception of different time zones leading to a lack of true synchronization. Before accepting Dwayne Johnson as my official wake up caller, I decided to talk to a community of users at Wilfrid Laurier University. “The ring tone and the message motivated me to get out of bed,” said Kanwar Brar, a third-year Political Science student who recently began using the app to spark some early morning motivation. “I found that when I wake up early
I’m more productive throughout the day. I have so much else going on — there’s always stuff to do. If I wake up well before my class, my only goal is not just to make it to class. I can have breakfast, do readings, read the paper. I feel more productive. And even after that’s done I feel more energized.” Some opinions, however, oppose the potential benefits of the app. “To be honest, I was still completely exhausted,” said Lisa Kurolap, a third-year business and administration student who also decided to give the Rock Clock a whirl. “Sure it got me out of bed, but it takes a little more than a massive muscle head with a nice smile to give me the boost I needed. Chugging coffee works better.” “It’s really an interesting marketing scheme,” said Albert Azagury, a third-year business and administration student who was impressed with the promotional standpoint of the app. “They are cleverly exploiting the brand of The Rock — an influential figure who people are willing to listen to and get out of bed for. It’s not like he’s an obese gamer eating Cheetos on his couch; he seems to have his life together fairly nicely. His accomplishments lead to encouragement.” But beyond the benefits, the irrelevance and the marketing strategy, the app also seems to support a potentially problematic insinuation that has become a common mentality within working society — particularly for students fighting the battle of their degrees: minimal sleep and maximum work. “Our bodies have a natural cycle that’s always better to not be disturbed,” said Julie Gamble, mental health nurse at Laurier. “When we’re looking at getting up earlier, there’s a lot of research behind what would be considered the best amount of sleep for a person. We know that changes with age. It changes with activity. It changes with the health of a person.” Gamble continued to say that maybe Johnson isn’t the most relatable role model for students. “When we are looking at someone such as Dwayne Johnson who has such a physical lifestyle, we need to understand that his requirements are very different than a student who may spend the majority of the day sitting,” she said. “I don’t think the Rock spends a lot of time sitting. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy that sits for very long.” Sleep deprivation can become equally as counter-productive as sleeping in past noon. And though students prefer grinding after hours and minimizing their hours of sleep during night time, they are not benefiting their overall development.
“Sometimes, it’s more important to sleep during the right hours than it is to sleep for the right amount of hours,” said Gamble. “If you go to sleep late, it’s better to wake up, be tired throughout the day and then reset with going to bed at an earlier time. Sleeping in is not the best option for getting back on track. There’s a lot of health benefits for not
“
Our bodies have a natural cycle that’s always better to not be disturbed.
“
Last semester, with my earliest class starting at 11:30 a.m., getting my ass out of bed before 11 had somehow become a foreign concept. Like many students doomed to the injurious habits of university life, my sleeping pattern wasn’t normal. I’d hit the hay around three or four a.m., wake up seven hours later and weasel my way to class with eyes half closed and a feeling of sluggish cramping in the pit of my unfed stomach. Exhaustion and me had an intimate relationship that was near impossible to break off.
“
6 •
-Julie Gamble, mental health nurse
only sleeping at night but also getting the right amount of daylight during the day.” If I wanted to break some old habits, alongside Dwayne Johnson, I had to put up with being a little tired. What was my reason? Finding more time and saving myself from the swallowing black hole of my covers. After downloading the app, I went to bed around midnight on Sunday, but my eyes refused to flutter shut. After tossing and turning, not falling asleep until 2:00 a.m., my subconscious knew I was in for a rough awakening.
URES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016 • 7
I had changed the ringtone to a softer option of Dwayne singing while playing guitar, but I still wanted to throw my phone out the window. It took me a little less time this morning for my blurry vision to focus. After splashing water on my face, I wolfed down another breakfast bar, plugged in my earphones and blasted some pumpup music while jogging out the door. That workout was even better than the last. Afterwards, with plenty of time to spare, I did some extra readings before class. I felt strangely revitalized, as if I was looking through clearer eyes, as if the chains of my tiredness had been cut, as if I had broken up with exhaustion once and for all and my mind was finally a single man buzzing with the freedom of energized clarity. Was this what it feels like to be well rested? I was into it.
thursday: 4:45 a.m. (rock time) The applause of a massive crowd snaps me out of my slumber, along with an echoing chant. “THE ROCK! THE ROCK! THE ROCK!” I inhaled a shuddered breath and jumped out of bed. After watching the broadcast message of Dwayne in the gym he called his ‘Iron Paradise,’ I threw a sweater on and headed outside into the cold air beneath the purple sky before sunrise. I must’ve ran about 25 minutes before my insanity cleared because I found myself back in bed, snoozing until 10:45. I must’ve forgotten that I’m not the Rock.
friday: 7:30 a.m. Another blast of an electric guitar greeted me, another motivational broadcast, another breakfast bar and I was on my way. I was early for class, well fed and surging with a feeling of fulfillment. I survived an entire school week and that glorious energy had finally returned full force. Time management, organization and information retention seemed to be fully operational that day.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m.
“Ring ring,” he said, softly. The gentle voice slightly stirred me out of my subconscious depths. “Ring, ring!” he said again, louder. “Ring Ring!!” I became aware of the irritable ringtone I had chosen. My mind settled into consciousness but exhaustion kept me paralyzed. My phone was strategically left on the table across the room. “RING RING!” Dwayne shouted. Fuck me. “RING RING!!” His booming and authoritative voice thundered through my bedroom. I threw my covers off and stumbled towards the phone through blurred vision. On my screen I saw my written project: “GET MY ASS UP AND HIT THE GYM!” Then I watched a little video clip of Dwayne Johnson telling me to chase my greatness and be the hardest worker in the room. After inhaling a breakfast bar, I tied up my gym shoes and headed out the door. My workout was pretty great, except for feeling so nauseous I thought I was going to vomit afterwards. Later, I was ready for class early and completely alert. I went to sleep at 10:00 p.m. after a productive day.
tuesday: 7:30 a.m. “Good morning sunshine, yeeeeeah that’s what the Rock just said! Open your eyes up, get your candy ass out of bed!”
An electric guitar squealed. “Bring it!” shouted Dwayne. “BOOM! This is Dwayne Johnson and I approve of this message!” I wasn’t into it. I got up, saw my project note and watched the morning broadcast of Dwayne driving his pickup truck and giving me more words of motivational wisdom. Was I still tired? Absolutely. Did I care? Damn right. I officially hated this app. I grabbed my breakfast bar to go and tortured my muscles in another gruelling workout, with my ex-partner exhaustion begging for me back. With not much else to do that day, I admittedly went back to sleep for another three hours. Later I did some schoolwork, read recreationally and played some basketball. That night I was feeling confident.
“
... it takes a little more than a massive muscle head with a nice smile to give me the boost I needed.
“
MONDAY: 7:30 a.m.
–Lisa Kuralap, third-year business and administration student
final thoughts Sleep is important, but the most important part is consistency. Everybody’s body requires a different quantity and quality of sleep and sticking to those requirements is crucial for feeling well rested and cutting the chains of exhaustion. Does waking up early help? Sure does. Setting goals and giving yourself more time to accomplish them is something the Rock Clock can help deliver, but it’s up to you to throw those covers off and take on the challenge. If you’re going to chase greatness, get some shut-eye first.
GRAPHICS BY WILL HUANG/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
8 • GAMES
SUDOKU
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
Dear Life 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, Even during the summer I still loathe WLUSU. More like, WLEWW-SU. Sincerely, Eww, WLUSU.
Dear Life, YO WHASSUP SUMMER CORD PRODUCTION TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAM? Sincerely, yo mama
Dear Life, John Snow is in fact alive - WE HAVE CONFIRMATION. Sincerely, I’d sit on his throne any day
Dear Vans, I like you, but I don’t want to wear socks with you. Sincerely, Perpetually smelly summer feet
Radio Laurier still has shows over the summer. Listen at radiolaurier. com
We’re hiring a video editor. Email editor@thecord.ca for more info. STEEL RAILS IS COMING JUNE 24 COMMUNITYEDITION.CA
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
Arts & Life
• 9 ARTS & LIFE EDITOR MANJOT BHULLAR arts@thecord.ca
MLSB
PRIDE FESTIVAL
Homerun for summer students
Tri-Pride in K-W
Students in Waterloo for the summer rejoice in social scene savior, MLSB MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
Spending a summer in school at Wilfrid Laurier University can put a damper on some of our plans, however there are plenty of things summer students can do to enjoy the great weather. A long-standing tradition of Laurier business and administration students in the summer has been major league summer baseball, also referred to as MLSB. Many students, however, don’t know what it is. “It began in 1992, when a group of business co-op students were looking for something to do in the summer,” said Sarah Dibblee. Dibblee, a third-year student, is a first time participant in the Laurier tradition. “However, I am positive that I will return to the league for my fourth-year,” she said. Although heavily based here at Laurier, MLSB is surprisingly not associated with the university. It
acts as a separate entity operating through community sponsors and enlists a number of coordinators to tackle the logistics, many of which are Laurier students. Despite many business students participating, realistically, anyone can join. Sundy Zheng, a captain for one of this season’s teams, explained that third-year business students are assigned to teams based on their summer core classes, each making up two teams each, while fourth-year students have the choice of their own. Students from other faculties have also made their own teams in previous years and even members of surrounding post-secondary institutions have participated. In a way, MLSB is as Laurier as it gets: fostering community through student leadership. Zheng mentioned that the league is further divided into two groups: one, which plays Mondays and Wednesdays and the other on Tuesdays and Thursdays with
MANJOT BHULLAR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
“With games twice a week and exciting events planned through the weekend, there is never a dull moment.” -Sarah Dibblee, third-year student
games being played at Waterloo Park. At times, MLSB can feel like a semester long O-Week, with the teams’ coordinated t-shirts and all the activities planned. “With games twice a week and
exciting events through the weekend, there is never a dull moment,” says Dibblee. Organizers plan weekend events, a Beerfest, an all-star tournament, a rafting excursion in mid-summer and their very own pub-crawl.To top things off, MLSB hosts their own, self-explanatory, Summerween. MLSB provides students with a very unique way of meeting everyone in your classes and it’s unfortunate, there isn’t a similar engaging activity during fall or winter semester. MSLB is proof that Waterloo definitely is not a ghost town during the summer semester.
TELEVISION
Women in comedy are no joke Networks and streaming services pass the torch to hilarious, diverse women BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Move over men, women might just be funnier than you. Female comedic leads in television are taking over and viewers seem to be pretty okay with it. Netflix and Hulu have recently been launching shows with hilarious women at the forefront. There seems to be a notion that guys can’t enjoy comedy performed by a woman, but I beg to differ. The shows below can be enjoyed by everyone and are perfect for bingeing this summer while your course load is a little lighter.
fan of The Office, a show that gave birth to several female comedians, I was really excited to see Ellie Kemper as the star of her own series. This show is silly, heartwarming and wildly unpredictable. In the second season, which recently came out on Netflix, mother of female comedy Tina Fey has a fairly large role as an alcoholic psychiatrist. Believe me, it’s great.
Mindy Kaling also caught her big break in The Office. Her character on The Office, Kelly, is similar to the character she plays in The Mindy Project: self-entitled, narcissistic and yet strangely loveable. The Mindy Project shows the multi-dimensionality of femininity. Mindy is a doctor, which proves her to be both smart and hard working, as
Orange is the New Black
Jane The Virgin
The Mindy Project
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
This show is ridiculous, but Kimmy and Titus are so loveable. As a huge
well as a mother, but also hilariously strong-willed and stubborn. She is stubborn to the point where she finds herself in the strangest of situations.
This show takes the mistaken identity trope to a whole new level. Jane, who has vowed to stay a virgin until marriage, is artificially inseminated by mistake. Her gynecologist mixes up the rooms. Realistic, right? This show plays with both family and personal morals, while offering viewers a chance to watch women deal with a situation that would never actually happen. Gina Rodriguez, like Mindy Kaling, is one of the few women of colour to star in her own series.
This show, one of Netflix’s most popular series, mixes comedy and drama in a nearly flawless fashion. In a cast of almost entirely women, Orange is the New Black tells several different stories, some hilarious while some heart wrenching, of women in prison. Though this show doesn’t necessarily have one single female comedian at the forefront, it highlights several different female actors from different backgrounds, like Laverne Cox, who is not only a outstanding actress, but a spokesperson for the LGBTQ community. If you haven’t seen the new trailer for season four, which will air in June, you should probably do that now. CONTRIBUTED IMAGES
Summer after summer we watch many cities gather to celebrate LGBTQ communities around the world. This year there is a pride festival coming to Kitchener-Waterloo, also known as the tri-cities. Alex Chunaco, the coordinator of this weeklong festival, expressed how meaningful this event is for our communities. “Since 1995, pride festivals have had traditions of being held in the area,” said Chunaco. Tri-Pride, however, seems to be one of the most elaborate and engaging, yet. “[Differing from other pride festivals] which are more grassroots and community focused, ours has a more regional focus.” Chunaco continued to elaborate on the desire to highlight the history of the LGBTQ folk in our community and to bring them together to share their common stories. The festival spans almost two weeks from May 24- June 5. There are many events that Laurier students can attend and celebrate. Chunaco highlighted a few key events that he is most looking forward to and those that the public could get the most out of. On May 28, there will be a flag raising ceremony at the Cambridge City Hall. This event will make a bold statement and will feature speeches from community leaders. On June 5, there will be a picnic in the park. This alcohol-free event will be taking place at Roos Island, Victoria Park in Kitchener. Finally, there will be a Pride March following the picnic that begins at Roos Island. As of late, there seems to have been an increase in the prominence of LGBTQ inclusivity, with many events being held throughout the year. Also, with The Order, a LGBT bar located in uptown Waterloo, just around the corner, Waterloo is slowly becoming a corner stone in the the LGBT social scene. There is, however, always room for improvement. “It is getting [better], but it is only as strong as the community leaders that step up,” said Chunaco. With a growing population, predominately younger generations, the tri-cities are appropriately evolving, bringing in a new wave of inclusivity. Tri-Pride plays a key role in allowing the LGBTQ folk to increase visibility, celebrate their triumphs and further their sense of community. In addition to celebrating the diverse communities, Laurier students also get the opportunity to explore the world outside the university bubble. So, between binge watching Netflix or cramming for those spring midterms, why not get outside and celebrate Tri-Pride?
10 •
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
Editorial
OPINION EDITOR VACANT editor@thecord.ca
Discussing Laurier’s efforts to be sustainable is this energy efficient, but cost efficient, as well. While Laurier is obviously trying its best to be sustainable, there are other areas that could be improved upon. The Terrace generates an alarming amount of garbage daily. At the end of the day, food that isn’t consumed is thrown out, as opposed to repurposed or donated. Another issue is left over meals at the end of each year. Students who buy meal plans leave school without the ability to roll over left over funds to the next year, meaning the meals purchased in advance aren’t being eaten. The money is spent, but nothing is being given to the student in return. It seems that the university is aware of ways to save money when it comes to power and energy costs. Strides are being made to become more sustainable and cost efficient for themselves, but not necessarily for their students.
With thousands of students and staff coming and going every day, Wilfrid Laurier University consumes tons of power and generates loads of garbage. With this in mind, it’s comforting to know that Laurier is being cognisant of the amount of waste and pollution that it generates. Laurier recently won two awards from Sustainable Waterloo Region: one for their approach to public transportation and the other praising Laurier’s involvement with the bike share program. There are several initiatives that the university is taking to make the campus more sustainable. Examples of this include the water bottle refill stations on campus, the reusable containers at Wilf’s and the compost bins available in residences. The university has plans to put solar panels on two buildings at the Waterloo campus: Bricker residence and the library. Not only
The obsession with online fame still buy them. The ultimate question is: why are university aged people so eager to spend more money on products that are endorsed by famous people? Is it that we want to be them? Is it that we want the attention that comes with owning expensive things? Or is it that we genuinely believe that these products are better than their less expensive counterparts. On social media, the obsession with how many ‘likes’ we can get on a photo is getting a little outrageous. Right now, fame is the most accessible it has ever been. Justin Bieber, once just an average kid living in Southern Ontario, was discovered through social media. Are we so obsessed with being ‘Instagram famous’ that we’ll spend big bucks on products just to prove to everyone else that we own them?
Every day, it seems that more and more companies are plastering celebrity faces on their products as a marketing scheme. What’s more troubling, however, is that it’s working. Millennials love buying things that are associated with someone famous. ‘The Rock Clock’ app, for example, is way more successful as an app associated with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, as opposed to just a regular alarm clock app. Other products, like the Kylie Jenner, lipstick can sell for outrageous prices, while other cheaper products are the exact same thing, just without Jenner’s face on it. What it all comes down to is social media. Celebrities advertise products on social media and as a result, consumers give in. We’re all very aware that buying these products will not automatically make us exactly like the celebrity that they’re associated with, yet we
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 205 REGINA ST. N., WATERLOO
WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DIRECTOR Matt Burley
CHAIR Meghan Roach
DIRECTOR Fred Kuntz
VICE-CHAIR Abdiasis Issa
DIRECTOR Gary Doyle
DIRECTOR Maddy Cutts DIRECTOR Mynt Marsellus
PRESIDENT Meghan Roach president@wlusp.com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Caroline Schummer care.schummer@ wlusp.com
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp. com HR MANAGER/CORPORATE SECRETARY Taylor Berzins hr@wlusp.com
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Living without benefits BETHANY BOWLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
For the first time in my life, I don’t have health benefits. While my current job sets aside a very small amount of money to go towards health-related costs for the year, it is maybe enough for one teeth cleaning at the dentist. I know I shouldn’t be complaining, something is better than nothing, but this is the first time that I’ve ever had to be cognisant of my health costs. Growing up, some of my best friends didn’t have benefits. A lot of their parents worked part-time or were self-employed, so they didn’t have access to a drug plan. I remember not understanding why it was so hard for my friends to get their teeth cleaned, pay for glasses or even access birth control as we got were older. When I was sick, my parents paid five dollars for antibiotics. In high school, my birth control pill was only three dollars a month. I didn’t understand why people couldn’t just get a job that had
health benefits for their families. Now, however, I realize this level of ignorance, because I’m only now finding myself in this predicament. As a recent grad, the health benefits I had with my parents expired the second I became a Laurier alumna. I now find myself having to factor health costs into my budget. I have a prescription that needs to be filled roughly every three months that costs approximately $200. Dental hygiene is very important to me and one teeth cleaning costs approximately $150. I also have an eyeglass prescription. Let’s pray that my eyes don’t change and that the glasses I have now last me a while. The costs above are all ones that I’m prepared for, but what about the ones I’m not prepared for? What if I need antibiotics? What if I need surgery that requires pain killers? What if I break a bone and need physiotherapy? All of these are issues that I hope won’t affect me, but they very well could. These issues are also affecting recent university grads that are in the same boat. Many grads find themselves taking on jobs right out of university with low pay and no benefits. If we get sick, we aren’t offered any sort of protection from
I didn’t understand why people couldn’t just get a job that had health benefits for their families.
the outrageous costs of pharmaceuticals. We’re put in a tough situation — choose between groceries for the week, or antibiotics for the strep throat we’re fighting. Ultimately, I feel unprepared. I’m now realizing how sheltered and privileged I have been without even realizing it. Just finding a job with benefits isn’t easy for recent grads. Hell, it’s not easy for anyone. It is easy, however, to protest the price of health-related necessities that aren’t seen as necessities in the eyes of the government, but we know that those prices will never change. Selling pharmaceuticals is a business and a very profitable one at that. The only solution I see fit is to start using that piggybank that has been collecting dust in the corner. Loose change adds up, right?
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016
Opinion
• 11 OPINION EDITOR VACANT editor@thecord.ca
When ideologies overshadow integrity Exploring Donald Trump and the history of rebellious politicians consuming the media
MYNT MARSELLUS OPINION COLUMNIST
How did we get to Donald Trump? That seems to be the question so many of us have been asking ourselves over the past 10 months. Even that seems odd to say. Donald Trump announced his bid for presidency in June of last year and a month in he was already a clear front runner in the polls. Every newscaster and their brother expressed surprise and shock at his continued successes through the primary process, and now here we are. Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for President of the United States. But, really, how did we get here? We Canadians had our own Donald Trump for a while in former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Not to trample on a man’s grave, but the successes of Donald Trump and Rob Ford’s ability to ignore the controversies he created seem born of the same political
A moment that defamed, dishonoured and demystified a powerful political office.
mindset. I remember watching his infamous, “I’ve got more than enough to eat at home,” moment and thinking to myself that it was an unprecedented moment of unabashed, unapologetic, explicit honesty in politics. A moment that defamed, dishonoured and demystified a powerful political office. But was it really the first of its kind? How different is Rob Ford from Patrick Brazeau, the suspended Conservative senator who was convicted of assault and cocaine possession? Between the brash reputation and the drugs, I can’t help but see a similarity. Perhaps there’s also a similarity to other recent political events like Bev Oda’s $12 glass of orange juice paid by the tax payer’s dime,
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
or Stephen Harper’s Conservative government being found in contempt of Parliament and going on to win an election anyways. Those conservatives, so unashamed of their deceitful behaviour. But wait, what about Justin Trudeau smoking pot as an MP? Our current Prime Minister broke
the law while he was an elected official and we gave him a majority government. Or how about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky? Bill first denied the scandal in January of 1998 and even after an impeachment train and subsequent acquittal, he remained president for the last two years of
his term. Maybe Liberals aren’t so innocent, either. Let’s go back even earlier. What about the Iran-Contra scandal with Ronald Reagan? That was a huge breach of the law and the trust of the American people and Reagan never faced any consequences for that. Or how about the grand-daddy of all political scandals. The one time an American president did resign from office. Recall Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. Does anyone really think that if Donald Trump was caught in any one of the scandals I’ve mentioned that he would apologize, let alone resign? Not a snowball’s chance in hell. Donald Trump is able to campaign the way he has because over the past 50 years, politicians have time and time again diluted the esteem of their offices. And over time we’ve just stopped holding them accountable for it. The Republican Party is not responsible for the rise of Donald Trump and neither is the Tea Party. It’s not the media’s fault for giving free air time to him and his opponents who couldn’t stand up to him. It’s our fault — voters of all stripes who have let ideology overshadow integrity.
Laughter is the best educator With the absence of modern philosophy, are comedians the new Plato?
JOSH HORTALEZA OPINION COLUMNIST
FANI HSIEH/GRAPHICS EDITOR
Can anyone who has not studied philosophy name any philosopher other than Plato, Aristotle, or Socrates? And could those who do know them discuss the beliefs that those philosophers put forward? Probably not, which is fine. Philosophy doesn’t pay the bills, or ease the pressure of debts, so it’s not an absolute essential skill to learn for today’s modern individual. However, ask a person to name five comedians and what they talk about and more often than not, they could tell you. Luckily for us, it’s not like these comedians are spewing mindless drivel from their mouths. They are talking about very real issues that the public should be well informed of. Whether it be John Oliver talking about the student loan crisis, or Ellen DeGeneres countering homophobic bigotry with her wit, this
is the new medium of common intellectual discussion. It is not through philosophers, but comedians and their unique style that have made getting points across very effective. One of the biggest concerns that the young, university aged demographic has is the potential election of Donald Trump and, by extension, the Republican Party. Whether or not this concern is valid is debatable (but will not be discussed here). That being said, Donald Trump’s approval ratings for young people is remarkably low. With such a low approval rating, who better to roast Donald Trump than a comedian? John Oliver did just that on his late night television show. The YouTube video of the Donald Trump segment has over 25 million views and counting. While being hilarious in his commentary about Trump, he raises very valid points against his campaign. What’s fortunate is that Oliver’s humor allowed him to get his views out to an enormous audience and, as a result of that, we are now able to think more critically about what Donald Trump, and by extension, any politician has to say.
Another great example is Ellen DeGeneres and her responses to homophobic beliefs and, most recently, her critique of Mississippi’s controversial law regarding LGBTQ people. Her commentary, which recieved millions of views, pointed out problems in this law and gave a voice to many LGBTQ people who felt marginalized as a result. There are countless other comedians who have had s positive influence on their listeners, but late-night comedians who have their own shows are the most popular, due to the fact that they have a large online presence. While this is great to see, there are other comedians share who are a bit more obscure than the Jimmy Fallon’s of the world. I highly recommend Bill Burr, George Carlin, Bill Hicks and Louis CK. To conclude, I shall share a joke by Bill Hicks: “Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here’s Tom with the weather.” Keep laughing and keep thinking.
12 •
Sports
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016 SPORTS EDITOR ARMAN ARYAPOUR sports@thecord.ca
COACHING
From the football field to the weight room
Laurier football alumni welcomed to Golden Hawk staff JOSH PETERS STAFF WRITER
For the last four years, Greg Nyhof and Taylor Smith have charged out onto Knight Newbrough field, ready to prove themselves after a long, grueling offseason. This year, the newly appointed strength and conditioning coaches for Laurier’s Athletics & Recreation Department, will find themselves watching from the sidelines, rooting their team on. For Nyhof, it’s something that may take some getting used to. “I think it’s easy for us to say no, not a big deal, but there is nothing that will replace that feeling.” He said. After the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, the Golden Hawks former strength and conditioning coach, Alena Luciani, moved on from the position leaving the door open for Nyhof and Smith. “As I got into my later years, strength and conditioning became the route I wanted to take. The op-
“We are both extremely thankful for everything.”
-Greg Nyhof, conditioning coach
portunity was there and I was pretty thankful for that,” said Smith. For Nyhof, it was his personal experience, training for the men’s football team that drove him towards the position. “I think I developed an appreciation for the importance of strength and conditioning, what that did to my game and how much it meant to me,” he said. As training camp starts to ramp up, Nyhof, a former standout wide-receiver, is still trying to find out the best way to connect with the younger athletes, attempting to
put himself back in their shoes to help them build a strong foundation. “I think the biggest challenge is trying to be able to relate. I keep thinking back to what was important to me when I was in my first year,” he said. Smith believes that the strength training the athletes go through each year not only helps them physically, but is a large contributor to the mental aspect of the game. “If we can teach them to master the fundamentals, there is nothing you can’t do with a strong base,” said Smith. “I think back to all of my years here and the biggest thing was mental toughness,” he said. “Off the field, we need to push them really hard because, on the field, at 18 years old, these guys will come in and get hit in the face with a lot at once, which can be overwhelming.” Nyhof believes that the role he and Smith have, is a great way to give back to a program and
PAIGE BUSH/PHOTO EDITOR
New conditioning coaches Taylor Smith [left] and Greg Nyhof [right].
department that has given so much to them throughout their athletic careers. “We are both extremely thankful for everything; not only football, but the athletics department as a whole … this is just our chance for us to leave our mark and give something back.” The two whole-heartedly agree that the first game of the season is
something they are both looking forward to, even if they won’t be bursting through the tunnel with their teammates. “I think it would be harder to be in the stands and not be involved,” said Nyhof, “but because we are still so involved and we still have a stake in how they do, I think it will be easier to see some good work come to light.”
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Laurier to accept six recruits Coach Rick Osborne carries plenty of promise to 2016-17 season WILL HUANG/FILE PHOTO
ARMAN ARYAPOUR SPORTS EDITOR
The announcement of the Wilfrid Laurier women’s hockey recruiting class has kept many on the edge of their seats. Coach Rick Osborne wisely sought the new addition of the committed six players to the Golden Hawks for the upcoming 2016-17 season. With a smaller coaching staff than in previous years, coach Osborne has been unyielding on his recruiting process. Joining the Hawk’s ice next year will be forwards Carly AuCoin of Cambridge, Ont., Emily Woodhouse of St. Mary’s, Ont., Whitby, Ont. natives Jaden Head and Julia Talman, Aynsley Harrison of Corunna, Ont., along with defenceman Jamie Watson of Georgetown, Ont.
In the last five years, coach Osborne has been able to lead the women’s hockey team to two Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championship runs, along side three Ontario University Athletics semifinals and two OUA Championship appearances. Osborne is continuously looking to create the greatest team that Laurier has ever seen, following a “reload versus rebuild strategy,” and is always thinking of the longevity of the team and how prospects plan on representing the Laurier brand. “I take a look at the person, I take a look at the passion they might have and then I take a look at who’s leaving and how we need to replace them,” said Osborne. Incoming recruit, Emily Woodhouse, is the former assistant-captain of the Rivulettes who found
herself a spot on the Laurier roster. Woodhouse recorded a teamhigh of 14 goals and added eight assists to finish her season with the Rivulettes. Head and Talman, both former members of the Durham West Lightning, were key members of a team that finished in first place in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League regular season. “Jaden Head and Emily Woodhouse are both top scorers,” Osborne said. “Jaden was number three on the best team in the league and Woodhouse was the top scorer on her Cambridge junior team.” Complementing the 2016-17 class is captain and defenceman Jamie Watson, from the Burlington Barracudas. Watson recorded three goals and 12 assists in her most recent season.
“Watson had a dozen points or so as a defence person, so she quarterbacks, allowing us to generate an offence from the backend,” Osborne said.
“I take a look at the person, I take a look at the passion they might have ...”
-Rick Osborne, head coach
Alongside her former teammate, Woodhouse, is Carly AuCoin who will be joining the Golden Hawks, as she finished her year with five goals, while serving 12
assists. Head, an undersized forward, compensated by her skills, finished the season third in scoring as she tallied up 12 goals and 11 assists. Talman complimented the team, finding herself on the season stat sheet with three goals and seven points. “Carly Aucoin and Julia Talman, they are going to be those worker B type players that will grind down the opposition,” explained Osborne. The fifth addition to the Hawks is Harrison, a 5-7 forward who previously played for the London Devilettes, finishing her season with five goals and seven assists to help her team. “I believe in the rookies we have this year, and the rookies we had last year,” Osborne said. “I’m pretty positive and pretty confident.”