The Cord March 27, 2019

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 59 ISSUE 25 • MARCH 27, 2019

LRT ON TRACK A progress check on Waterloo Region’s newest transit system News, page 3

FUNDS FOR FEMALES

DIALING IN

PROTECTING THE PLANET

GROWING CLASSROOMS

WUCK FESTERN

CIBC donates to Laurier business school

Investigating students’ screen time

Eco-friendly feminine products

Government gets rid of class size caps

What makes the purple rivalry thrive

News, page 5

Feature, page 8

Arts & Life, page 10

Opinion, page 13

Sports, page 15

2 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

VOCAL CORD What’s your best tip for doing taxes as a student?

@cordnews

The Cord

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

“Ask someone who knows what to do.”

–Preeti Gill, second-year psychology

“Go to H&R Block and keep all your receipts.”

–Lily Koleva, third-year english SAFINA HUSEIN/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Creative Director Sadman Sakib Rahman and our EIC went on an hour-long LRT Chase to shoot this week’s cover - we finally found it at the Seagram stop

“Ask your parents and know the deadlines.”

–Jan Siva, second-year psychology

“Ask for advice.”

–Chelsea Murray, thirdyear kinesiology

Compiled by Margaret Russell Photos by Jackie Vang NEXT ISSUE APRIL 3, 2019

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Emily Waitson arts@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

OPINION EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino opinion@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Safina Husein editor@thecord.ca

SPORTS EDITOR Pranav Desai sports@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sadman Sakib Rahman creative@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Kashyap Patel graphics@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Garrison Oosterhof online@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Eva Ou photos@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Hayley McGoldrick news@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Katherine Weber online@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR Aaron Hagey news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR Sarah Tyler video@thecord.ca

FEATURES EDITOR Vacant features@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER Margaret Russell news@thecord.ca

LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Abdulhamid Ibrahim sports@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Jackie Vang photos@thecord.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Isaak Wong photos@thecord.ca SENIOR COPY EDITOR Sara Burgess copyeditor@thecord.ca SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Vacant editor@thecord.ca CORDCAST PRODUCER Brielle Huang cordcast@thecord.ca

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Tyler Currie Jade Hosack Emma McVicar Yitian Cai Rachel Burns Victoria Marshall Caitlyn Lourenco Jennifer Webb Olivia Jones Hamzah Raza

CIBS announces $200,000 donation to business school by Hayley McGoldrick

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Care Lucas at care.lucas@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.

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Quote of the week: “I layed out page 14 but it’s kind of ugly.”

- Opinion Editor Alyssa Di Sabatino to Editor-in-Chief Safina Husein on Tuesday production night.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

News

• 3 NEWS EDITOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR AARON HAGEY news@thecord.ca

TRANSPORTATION

Spring anticipates beginning of LRT service in Region AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

With Spring finally approaching, so too does the expected launch of service for the ION light rail transit (LRT) system currently in testing across the Region of Waterloo, following a series of unforeseen delays.

The original budget for the LRT project was $818 million This was divided amongst the three levels of government, with the Government of Ontario providing $300 million, the Government of Canada providing $265 million and the Region of Waterloo providing $253 million.

The Region’s justification behind this expenditure, as stated in “The ION Story,” released in Fall 2016, was that without the system, “500 new land kilometres of roadways [would be] needed to accommodate [city] growth,” which would instead cost Regional taxpayers, exclusively, approximately $1.4 billion.

That budget grew by $50 million, to a total of $868 million, due to a series of delays in vehicle delivery

by Bombardier, meaning its arrival in the Region is anxiously anticipated.

“Right now, Bombardier and GrandLinq continue to make prog-

YITIAN CAI/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

ress on their work on the alignment and we continue to target the Spring 2019 opening date,” said Brendon Simon, senior project engineer for the Region of Waterloo’s rapid transit project.

Following the delivery of the vehicles, the next obstacle that the Region has encountered was making sure that they were “service ready.”

“That means that, for a passenger perspective, you have a vehicle

that can get you where you need to go, from [point] ‘A’ to [point] ‘B’ in a reliable manner,” Simon said.

On April 18, 2018, the Region released an update about the LRT construction, system testing, vehicle delivery and service launch.

The report states that all the vehicles must obtain a Preliminary Acceptance Certification (PAC) and Final Acceptance Certification (FAC) before operation can occur.

“All 14 ION vehicles are required

to complete “burn-in” testing, with each vehicle being required to complete 600 kilometres of reliable travel before the vehicle is issued a final acceptance certificate (FAC) by the Region,” the ION update report said.

During the testing period, the Region has experienced a series of minor glitches and technical issues with the vehicles, which has caused unexpected setbacks for the project’s official launch.

“Bombardier has been working on those issues and getting through a modification upgrade program to get those reliable — [it takes] about 50 to 100 hours per vehicle,” Simon said.

Once the LRT system officially launches, following a report that will be presented to the Region, the LRT network will fall under the jurisdiction of GRT. “Everything will be under the GRT brand — and [the] GRT website, GRT customer service phone number, and all those fares are under our GRT EasyGO fare system. Your student card can get on both the LRT and our regular bus network as well,” Simon said.

As far as the impact this will have on OneCard-related fees, that will be negotiated on an ongoing basis with GRT, as the Region is not directly involved in that process.

The ultimate goal behind the Region’s nearly eight-year project has been to create what they call “a unified transit network.”

“That means that the LRT is complementary to our conventional buses; so a student can go anywhere in the Region, whether it’s via bus or train — and that’s what we’re trying to do, is create more options for moving around the Region,” Simon said.

MEMORIAL

Laurier holds Christchurch vigil MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER

On Friday, Mar. 22, Wilfrid Laurier University students and faculty participated in a vigil to honour and show solidarity for the victims and families affected by the recent act of terrorism in Christchurch, New Zealand.

This act consisted of two consecutive mass shootings which took place at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre on Mar. 15. The shootings were performed by an alt-right white supremacist and targeted the Muslim community through radicalized Islamophobia. There were a total of 50 fatalities as a result and approximately 50 more injuries.

News of these events have shaken the Muslim community across the globe and within the week, many Muslim communities and allies have joined together in camaraderie to promote peace and the protection of vulnerable Muslim people.

Selda Sezen, Laurier’s Muslim chaplin at the Martin Luther University College, alongside the Muslim Chaplaincy of Laurier team, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the Multi Faith Resource Team and the Muslim Student Association organized the vigil, which invited

students and community members to pay their respects and show their support.

During the vigil, many emotional and courageous speeches were shared in the Martin Luther Peace Garden.

“As a member of the faith com-

As a member of the faith community it is very hard to believe that the places of peace and worship shattered by fear and terrorist violence ...

-Selda Sezen, Muslim chaplin at Martin Luther University College

munity, it is very hard to believe for me that the places of peace and worship shattered by fear and terrorist violence in Christchurch. As [a] Muslim community in Canada, we have been just recovering from the latest mosque attack in Quebec City and last Friday woke up to the news of tens of lives violently taken in New Zealand,” Sezen said in an address during the vigil.

“May Allah grant the victims with paradise and grant their fami-

lies and the loved ones with serenity and patience. We are thinking of them and grieving with them.”

A student chaplaincy team member recited “The Call for Prayer” or “Adhan,” an Islamic call to worship and symbolizes the commencement of prayers; another student recited unity and peace verses from the Qur’an.

Lutheran Pastor Anne Anderson and Tenille Bonoguore, councillor for ward seven, were also in attendance to give their addresses in sympathy and support.

“Such massacres spread fear and hate that has no place among us and has to be defeated by our unity. It is wonderful to see all the communities are gathered to build one united community after every single tragic event that targeted our multi-faith and multicultural cohesion,” Sezen said.

“We are grateful to be a part of supportive Laurier and Luther communities … We will continue promote peace, solidarity, tolerance, dialogue, unconditional love for one another and interfaith exchanges in our diverse community.”

Following the vigil, participants were invited into the Martin Luther building’s “Grace Space” common area, where soup and bread was served over conversation and companionship.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

MENTAL HEALTH

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Bridging the Gap hosts its final “Speak Up” event for this year HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

On Wednesday, Mar. 20, Bridging the Gap hosted their final “Speak Up” series event of the year, an event that advocates for mental health initiatives to continue throughout the year — and not just on national campaign days.

The event concludes a year-long event, where Bridging the Gap gathered students and mental professionals to talk about their experiences and struggles with

mental health, as well as listen to stories from other students that may inspire them.

“We’ve been hosting these events for the past three years, we usually have two or three a semester; it’s in a classroom, so it’s really informal and students are invited to speak about their experience with mental health,” said Ashley Siegel, president of Bridging the Gap. “Some people go up and speak about their experience with diagnoses and what it’s like living with

depression or anxiety, some people go up and ask questions because they have a friend who is struggling and want to help, it’s just a way for students to feel like they have a place to know their experiences aren’t happening in isolation.”

The aim of the event is to create a safe space for students to be able to share their stories or even just listen to others to know they are not going through their struggles alone.

Students may attend just to listen to others, but many who attend

the series consistently find their courage to speak near the end of the semester.

“We always have a mental health professional that is there, so if anyone is triggered or anything like that, they can just give a thumbs down and walk out of the room, so that way we can make sure everyone is okay,” Siegel said.

Siegel was motivated to make a difference after she attended Queen’s University in her firstyear of undergraduate studies, but transferred to Laurier due to her struggles with mental health.

“I had a lot of my own mental health problems and I didn’t find the support or resources I needed at Queen’s. It wasn’t something that was talked about a lot so when I came to Laurier I wanted to get involved with something that could help other first year students,” Siegel said.

“The impact it would’ve had when I was in first year if someone had come up to me and told me it was okay to feel anxiety or my mental health struggles would be substantial, so I wanted to talk about it. There’s never a reason to suffer in silence.”

The series of talks aims to continue the conversation about mental health, as many people keep their struggles internal, or only speak up about them on social media when campaigns like “Bell Let’s Talk” come up once a year.

“There’s always something to say for the fact it’s become a social media day, some people are going to share it without really looking into what it’s about, there’s a lot of controversies about it but a lot of

people share their stories for the first time on those days,” Siegel said.

“It can be inspiring for a lot of people, and for Bridging the Gap we want to take that and continue it, like last year we had an event called ‘Let’s Keep Talking’ right after — and it encouraged students.”

Bridging the Gap also puts on formal events throughout the year with mental health professionals or events that give away mental health support kits, but the aim of Speak Up is for students to feel comfortable and have an accessible way to cope with their struggles.

“It’s amazing seeing students who have gotten the courage and slowly work their way up to being able to talk about their struggles or feeling enabled to get the help they need and have a safe community for all of us to show support,” Siegel said.

“We work with Leanne Holland Brown a lot. She really cares about the students. She’ll meet with us and get feedback about how students are feeling about services like the Wellness Centre and how Laurier is doing in support of their students’ wellbeing.”

The event was the final event for Bridging the Gap for the year, and Siegel’s final event as president of the club, but the impact their events have on student wellbeing will continue on campus.

“It’s nice to see the progression how people are becoming more open to talk about these things as the world becomes a little more accepting of mental illness as well,” Siegel said.

BUSINESS

Lokal sees growth Competition leads to increase in sales HAMZAH RAZA CORD NEWS

In 2016, when Waterloo Taxi lost the battle to keep Uber out of the city, it seemed the 72-year-old company was destined for failure.

With little regulation to keep Uber from straying from its business model, the stage was set for an all too familiar story. Instead, a different narrative emerged.

“We felt it was very important that we did not do what the rest of the industry was doing and whine and complain and ask regulators to ban and or keep Uber out or competition out. We thought it made sense for us to compete and the only way to compete was to provide an alternative.” said Tony Rodriguez, director of marketing for Waterloo Taxi.

Lokal, the alternative app created by Waterloo Taxi, provides the same core functionality as its popular counterpart with the option to pay in app for rides, monitor a cab’s approach and rate drivers after trips.

The service has steadily increased in use since its launch, now with 20 per cent of the company trips coming from the app.

For those concerned about the practices of large contentious firms

like Uber, Lokal makes it easier to support local business and families.

We are local. We’re here… We respond in 24 hours … You put all of that together, you get a truly complete service.

-Tony Rodriguez, director of marketing for Waterloo Taxi

“A third of our driver pool drive[s] full-time … they support their families by doing this on a full-time basis,” Rodriguez said.

However, the app’s customers are not limited to objectors of big business. For the less empathetic, Lokal is a competitor that will earn market share from Uber.

“We are the only company in Canada that has mandated cameras,” Rodriguez said.

Encrypted cameras provide customers an added sense of security, as do drivers that Rodriguez says

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Lokal, Waterloo Taxi’s newest alternative business model, accounts for 20 per cent of the company’s total trips.

receive comprehensive training.

Rodriguez also spoke of the advantage of being located in the city.

“We are local. We’re here … We respond in 24 hours … You put all of that together, you get a truly complete service,” Rodriguez said.

There is no sense, when using

the service, that a sacrifice is being made to support local business.

The app is easy to use, summons vehicles quickly and charges a competitive fare.

The taxi company’s parry against Uber has been an early success for the business.

Whether they can overcome the popular giant in the long run will be determined by the everyday decisions made by people of Waterloo.

“The numbers are growing every day, it’s quite extraordinary,” he said.

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 EDUCATION

CIBC announces $200,000 donation to business school Partnership hopes to enhance female representation in finance, creates opportunity for students HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

CIBC recently announced that they are committing to donating $200,000 to the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics over a four-year period to enhance the business school and help create scholarships for women in finance.

The funding is split up into multiple different sectors of the school, with $25,000 a year being donated to the Integrated Case Exercise (ICE) week that happens once in the winter semester and once in the spring semester. “$100,000 goes to the ICE competition and the operating of that program, starting with the one that is happening currently at the school. The other $100,000 goes towards scholarships — that will be five $1,000 scholarships per year,” said Sandra Palmaro, interim vice president of advancement and external relations at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Third-year business students compete in the ICE week competition, that presents students with a problem from a real-world business as they attempt to solve the case with what they have learned in areas of business such as marketing, finance and accounting.

“When students look back on their time at Laurier, one of the highlights we often hear alumni

talk about is the ICE competition in terms of how exciting it was and great it was in terms of them helping determine what their future interests would be with hands on experience as part of a team,” Palmaro said.

“Being able to see what the future world might look like once they’re out there gives people a great sense of the real-world environment and the competition itself helps make students real world ready.”

The scholarships are being geared towards women in the finance field, as CIBC has made it a mission in their company to ensure there is equality in all aspects of business — and find women are underrepresented in finance.

“We have a lot of alumni who run financial services companies and one of the issues raised is that they need to develop more diversity in their hiring, they found there just weren’t enough women taking degrees in finance,” said Micheál J. Kelly, dean of the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics.

“When we looked across the school, that’s probably the one area where women are not as represented. There’s a huge interest in bringing women into finance positions and that’s a main reason CIBC was interested in providing scholarships.”

This funding comes a few

CRIME

St. Patty’s Day stats HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

As the Ezra Avenue St. Patrick’s Day street party continually grows each year, so does the number of charges laid by the Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) as students partake in the unsanctioned street party.

According to a press release from WRPS, “Preliminary results indicate that Waterloo Regional Police responded to 205 calls for service and generated 809 occurrences related to the St. Patrick’s Day gathering. Officers laid 514 charges for Liquor Licence Act (376), Highway Traffic Act (110), By-Law (16), Criminal Code (6), Trespass to Property Act (2), Cannabis Act (2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1) and Other (1) offences. Eighteen individuals were arrested.”

The attendance on Ezra hit a peak at over 33,000 people this year, but as the number of people partying grows, so do the law infractions.

Last year, WRPS laid 495 charges, and this year 514 charges were laid. The offences included assault, mischief, impairment and resisting arrest charges among others as many intoxicated students participated in illegal activities during the weekend.

“While this unsanctioned event started years ago with local univer-

sity students gathering to celebrate the end of an academic year, it has grown into unlawful and unsafe gatherings that take place on St. Patrick’s Day and during Homecoming,” said Bryan Larkin, Chief of Police in the press release.

While unsanctioned event started years ago with local university students gathering to celebrate the end of an academic year ...

-Bryan Larkin, chief of WRPS in a press release.

Paramedic services saw a total of 52 patients due to their involvement on Ezra, hospitals had 78 patients from St. Patrick’s Day causes and 11 paramedic crews were added from the previous year to try and combat any serious injuries or health problems that occurred.

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Special Constables also issued 127 charges of their own for issues such as trespassing, liquor license violations and by-law offenses, as the holiday is not affiliated with the university.

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

CIBC has announced they have comitted to funding $200,000 to ICE week and women in finance at Lazaridis.

months after RBC had already donated $450,000 to the Lazaridis School for multiple projects, including the RBC Venture Launch programs, which provides funding to allow student entrepreneurs to work on their business instead of taking a co-op term.

“The way that we work with our

donors and our corporate partners as well as working internally with faculty to identify the areas where donors can make the greatest impact and really enhance the student experience are the opportunities that donors are interested in,” Palmaro said.

“Obviously, those are the oppor-

tunities that are going to have the biggest impact for students, which is what everyone at the university wants to achieve, so I think we’ve got some really great examples where it’s a demonstration of the university and these donors working together for the interests of students.”

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

CONSERVATION

World Water Day 2019 at Laurier “leaves no one behind” AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

Between Mar. 21 to Mar. 22, Wilfrid Laurier University celebrated the internationally-recognized “World Water Day” with a series of on-campus events, plenary talks and panel discussions aimed at targeting various water-related issues in our community.

Each year, United Nations Water (UN-Water), an organization dedicated to the coordination of dealing with international water issues, presents a theme that highlights specific aspects of freshwater they would like to focalize that year.

This year’s theme was “leaving no one behind,” in reference to water rights — especially those concerning Indigenous water quality and water use rights.

Since 2010, the Laurier Institute for Water Science (LIWS) has hosted events at Laurier in collaboration with the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute, students of the Water Institute-Graduate Section (SWIGS) and Centre for Cold Regions and Water Interdisciplinary Network of Students (CCRWINS).

With Laurier’s research interests located regionally, as well as in the Northwest Territories, the event began with a plenary talk, “David Livingston: It’s all about Water.

Water stewardship in the NWT,” on Thursday evening, which addressed water issues in the north.

The event on World Water Day (Mar. 22) included two sessions.

The first was a panel talk related to Waterloo Region water use, hosted by Robert Case from the

University of Waterloo and Eric Hodgins, manager of hydrogeology and source water for the Region of Waterloo.

In Canada, we’re blessed with an abundance of water.

But still, with this abundance, we still have water issues ...

-Jonathan Mark Wilson, associate professor of biology at Laurier

The second panel discussed Indigenous water issues, hosted

by Makasa Looking Horse, a youth from Six Nations and Mary Anne Caibaiosai, an Anishinaabe elder.

In between the panels was a poster presentation with research from approximately 17 Laurier students.

Jonathan Mark Wilson, an associate professor of Biology at Laurier, noted that they were “pleasantly surprised” by the event’s turnout.

“We had approximately 80 people registered, which was good — we also had the high school students from Grand River Collegiate Institute participating, which is a first, and something we hope to continue into the future,” Wilson said.

Unfortunately, this was the first year that the LIWS has organized the event without the University of Waterloo. Typically, they co-host a

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

Laurier’s Centre for Cold Regions and Water Science is home to the Laurier Institute for Water Science (LIWS).

joint event; this year, each university held separate events.

“They wanted to use the event as a branding occasion with the Institute of Water, and that was up to them,” Wilson said.

“That was on the UW side, that’s not what we want[ed] to promote with the event.” “[But] we were fine with that.

The University of Waterloo, they held their World Water Day event and we held our own with a focus on the research done at Laurier — and then involving Laurier

students. I think we did quite well,” he said The goal of events like those held during World Water Day is to give up to date information and bring these issues to the attention of not only the student population but the community as well.

“In Canada, we’re blessed with an abundance of water. But still, with this abundance, we still have water issues: contaminated wells, there was a talk on road salt and changing the conductivity of the water and potentially those effects,

water rights,” Wilson said.

“I think the way that the event ended was on this sort of high note, in that just being enlightened to the importance of water and how we can integrate it into our thinking and then that makes us more environmentally aware as well — and just being better all over.”

The LIWS will continue to host seminars periodically throughout the year, where speakers will be brought in to educate students and discuss water-related issues, with a focus on research.

COMPETITION

Three Minute Thesis challenges students for chance at honour MARGARET RUSSELL NEWS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University’s annual Three Minute Thesis student competition is welcoming back a fresh crop of bright minds and this year, Laurier has opened the internationally recognized academic competition’s floor to undergraduate students for the first time.

The premise of the competition is to challenge graduate and PhD students to give a three-minute pitch to a panel of non-specialist judges, displaying their own primary research for a chance to win a cash prize and honourable recognition for their work. Competitors are provided with a short amount of time and a very limited disposal of resources – no notes, no props and no more than one slide.

Laurier has been participating in the Three Minute Thesis since 2012, following after the University of Queensland, Australia, which first establish the competition in 2008.

This year’s competition will be taking place on the morning Wednesday, Mar. 27 at the Senate

and Board Chamber. Beginning with the Undergraduate division at 9:00 a.m. and proceeding with the graduate, doctoral division, all Laurier students, faculty, friends and family are welcome to spectate.

The competition allows them to prove all sorts of skills — communication skills, presentation skills and network with other academics.

-Alayna Frey, communications coordinator for Laurier’s TMT

Alayna Frey, communications coordinator for Laurier’s Three Minute Thesis competition, said that the competition this year is fierce as the competition continues to grow on our campus.

There are 10 undergraduate

students and 20 graduate and PhD students competing this year, a substantially larger competition compared to last year which hosted only three graduate and PhD students.

“The competition allows them to prove all sorts of skills – communication skills, presentation skills and network with other academics,” Frey said.

“Our first prize winner, at the graduate and doctoral level, is $1,000; runner-up is $500 and we also have our honourable mention, who the judges pick, who receives $250. There’s also the participants’ choice, who is chosen by fellow competitors.”

The winner of the graduate student competition will also be given the opportunity to attend the provincial competition being hosted by McMaster University on April 17, at which representatives from 16 graduate schools will assemble to compete.

The expert, layperson panel of judges come from a wide variety of fields including journalism, administration, business and education. The criteria for their

ISAAK WONG/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

Graduate and PhD students at WLU compete for a chance at recognition.

judgments are based upon the competitors’ ability to engage with the audience, communication and overall comprehension.

“We’ve selected the judges based on people we thought that the students may recognize or sort of stakeholders in the community,”

Frey said.

Some of the judges asked to contribute are Catherine Thompson from the Waterloo Region Record; Shelley Martin, CEO of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre; as well as Tristan Long, associate professor of biology at Laurier.

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

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 Thai Express, My absolute favourite thing about your vegetable pad thai is the mini corns. They’re a nice crunchy surprise.

Sincerely, A yummy for this tummy Dear Life, All I want is a booty so great that it makes people cry. Is that too much to ask?

Sincerely, Gains

Dear Life, Wtf am I going to do on Tuesdays without Meltwich runs with my fav crew??? I’ll be lost after next week.

Sincerely, Upset

Dear Hafina, Stop trying to pit Chelsea and I against each other. We like each other more than either of us like u.

Sincerely, Hillmanator101

Dear Adidas, Pls sponsor me so I can wear your clothes, become an Instagram influencer and fuck off from my responsibilities.

Sincerely, Desperate

Dear Meltwich Staff, As lovely and courteous as you guys are, when u recognize me around other people u expose how much of a fatass I really am. Just keep it on the down low next time I beg of u.

Sincerely, PoutineQueen

Dear Life, Do you ever just want to drink an entire bottle of wine, cry a little, eat some chocolate and then pet some puppies? No? Just me then.

Sincerely, Stressed Mess

Dear News King, Thank you for being the hardest working person I know. Remember when you were supposed to be lead reporter and not an editor?

The paper wouldn’t survive without you. WLUSP is so lucky to have you as their president next year.

Sincerely, News Peasant

SUDOKU

Dear Summer, I AM SO EXCITED TO GO TO EVERY CONCERT AVAILABLE!!!

PEOPLE KEEP ANNOUNCING TOURS AND TAKE ALL MY MONEY I WANNA SING ALONG TO ALL MY FAV SONGS. Sincerely, Ticket Tommy Dear Life, I don’t want to graduate I don’t want to not live with my roommates I don’t want to grow up this year has gone by too fast fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Sincerely, Slowdownnn Dear Sakib, Thank you for sharing your photography skills and capturing my best side. You rock, boo.

Sincerely, Sorority Queen Dear Parnav, Why are you wearing apple bottom jeans?

Sincerely, Brother

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APRIL

UMBRELLA

SPRING

RAIN

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BIRDS

WEATHER

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FLOWERS

BLOOM

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MARCH

GEESE

THECORD.CA

8 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/VACANT/FEATURES@THECORD.CA

DIALING IN ON PHONE USAGE Video Editor, Sarah Tyler, investigates students and their screen time ell phones have impacted the way we connect with people, places and things in our world today. They impact the way in which we move through our environment and have restructured the relationships people have with others and machines themselves.

I spoke with Neil Balan, a professor teaching at Laurier within communication studies, global studies and cultural studies, who partly focuses on biopolitics and discourses of security in his research, Zhenfeng Ma, associate professor of marketing and Josephine McMurray, associate professor in business technology management. I also had twelve students of various ages from a variety of university-level programs contribute their weekly screen time statistics to take a look at what their usage is like over a seven-day period. This is only a sample of students all within the City Waterloo, so this specificity should be considered when understanding the data.

Laurier Student Poll also released a survey over social media to collect feedback from current students.

For myself, I got my first cell phone in 2007, when I was in grade seven. I would have been around twelve years old. For the past twelve years since then, I have constantly had my phone in close proximity.

Getting a cell phone was not only for safety but also for status. I remember complaining to my parents that I needed a phone because other kids had them and, ‘what if I need a ride from a friend’s house,’ or ‘I need you while at dance class or another activity.’

As I became more mobile and independent, I wanted my own phone; I wanted to feel like a responsible adult.

This seems to be the similar social experience for Balan’s own 10-year old son in the sense that there is this status of being mature and deemed more “adult” when you have a cell phone.

Realistically wherever I went there would have already been either a house phone or pay phone, something now that many people have not used in years or possibly ever in their lives. Our mobile phone use has changed what else is available and created the consistent attachment we have to these small electronic machines.

The term usage is also something we need to evaluate. If someone is using their phone, does that mean they’re pressing buttons and looking at the turned-on screen or does it include having it turned on and in one’s pocket? The screen time recorded by Apple on iPhones tracts the pickups, notifications, and active time on applications, however, as I’ll soon unpack, there is an expectation of always being on-call.

When asked if they had tracked their phone usage, each professor had a different response.

Balan, on one hand, questioned the meaning of the term usage and how it can mean different things to different people.

“I don’t formally track my usage,” Ma said.

He describes checking the billing for expense differences between months. McMurray said, “I probably wouldn’t want to because I would be horrified.”

She noted the use of likely over 40 applications for various tasks, both personal and for work purposes. From notetaking, scheduling, calling, messaging, searching the internet andconnecting on social media, our phones are used for a variety of purposes across dozens of applications.

The average weekly total number screen time hours from across the sample students was 28 hours per week. That means we spend over one full day per week on social media or over 55 days’ worth of screen time annually. One might question what else we could do within that time instead.

Now, this is not to say that the screen time we spend on our phones is simply a waste, many people stay connected to friends, family members and perform work tasks on their mobile devices.

Over the course of the day, the sample of students received an “I notice the phenomenon that students are increasingly active on social media, which I would say is a good thing,” Ma average of 196 notifications per day, and actually picked up their phones an average of 120 times. said.

Whether ignoring the notifications in class or paying atten“Students can stay in touch with each other and stay intion to other happenings, these students still may have looked formed by their peers and universities. Through social media over as their screen lit up. interaction they also gain a lot of knowledge… I view this as a This results in at least 120 times that these students are being positive.” distracted from their non-cell phone life every day.

One of the concerns people have is the expectation there is to As a professor, Balan noted that harnessing students’ attenbe consistently accessible. I remember getting calls from my tion can be difficult, but also suggests there is a benefit to part-time job and almost guilt-tripped when I didn’t answer my phone or said that no, I couldn’t come in. I wasn’t respon- having phones in a classroom setting.

McMurray describes the use of technology as a whole in the sible for that shift someone else could no longer make, but I classroom as an “interesting dichotomy”. was often left feeling guilty if I didn’t respond, especially in a “We use it ourselves and yet we don’t always allow our stupositive way. dents to use it in the classroom,” said McMurray.

While on vacation, people put answering machine messages The students in this select study used their phones for an avthat say if there’s an emergency to contact their cell phone erage of 17 per cent of their total time within a day, excluding number. We can never truly escape and fully relax.

From Facebook groups to Slack channels there are a variety of approximately 6 hours of sleep (even lower than the suggested amount) this results in 23 per cent of waking hours being ways people demand our attention through the use of mobile spent actively using a handheld phone. The most of that devices.

“I know I am not physically on my phone all the time and I try screen time was also spent on social media or entertainment.

Instead of visiting a movie theatre with friends, each person to keep it tucked away in my pocket but inevitably it’s always might be watching a different show on with me and it’s probably always on,” Netflix or YouTube on Balan said. an individual basis. An interesting comparBalan described how full-time emison is the survey approximate submissions ployment or a career would have been alongside the tracked sample data. When a way of controlling people. approximating on the survey, students Now it is the cellular device and partsubmitted numbers close to the real results time and here-there-everywhere odd which demonstrates that students realise contract jobs where you need to be at how much they are on their phones. Also, the beck and call of someone who can “There is so much 86.2 per cent of poll respondents identified reach you by said cell phone that dicpressure and so that they do not limit their screen time. tate who has the power over people. many different We use our phones for work and play and “You really have to think about how forces, powers and the lines between the two seem to keep having to have this thing on and being interests that are blurring more as time goes on. McMurray obliged to use it all the time really pushing people identified that her cellphone is the phone kind of creates a new form of control towards increasused for both work and personal matters. and regulation,” said Balan. ingly living their “If I have a problem in the classroom, that There is the demand for people to lives tethered to is the phone I use to call technical services consistently have their phones turned these devices and to bring people into the classroom,” said on at all hours to receive contact I think everyone McMurray. from work, schools or even just kind of knows “How does [the phone] allow you to do friends. Thinking “wow! They haven’t that.” things, but also how does it anchor you, responded yet” in an aggravated state tether you and kind of constrain you even meanwhile its 11:30pm and they - Neil Balan, prothough it is premised on something that is might be sleeping, is quite normalfessor at Laurier supposed to enable you and make your life ized. way easier,” asked Balan. “The will to comBoth Ma and McMurray commented municate all the time is pretty debilitating,” on their use of their cell phones to said Balan. deal with research projects each of Throughout the tracked students’ week, which do not have a strict working the day with the most overall usage was schedule. Colleagues and students on Thursday for five out of 12 participants. alike contact Ma and he described The day with the most pickups however that it is in “the nature of the professor was Wednesday. This might suggest that in a school or work to not stick to a strict nine to five” work day. week, they have more free time to remain on their phones McMurray said that texting students for research was comwithout having separate pickups on Thursdays and later on mon practice and these conversations have resulted in a in the week instead of the academic and work demands of blending between what would be considered after-hours and hump day and earlier in the week where the phone is put working hours. down and picked up more often.

“There is so much pressure and so many different forcAlthough 83 per cent of the LSP poll respondents said they es, powers and interests that are pushing people towards use their phone in class for non-course purposes, only half increasingly living their lives tethered to these devices and I said it affected their ability to pay attention. think everyone kind of knows that. It seems like we’re really unable to sort of figure out how to decouple or uncouple from In conclusion, I am aware that my phone is heavily integrated into my own lifestyle and other than the potential risks from them because they just sort of subsumed us into their own chemicals and airwave signals, I am actually okay with it. I logics and so far as these logics are based on ISP providers and big companies like Google to phone manufacturers,” said think it is important to disconnect sometimes for my eyes sake but use my phone primarily to contact other people I am Balan. not physically in the room with.

Our phones are often by our side every moment of the day Balan concluded with the following statement: unless we make a conscious decision to put it down and “These devices, because of how quickly they change and how away, or potentially in another room for overnight charging. many different things go into them, are just super remarkable.

When we wake up many people, including Balan, check the As an object of study they are really fascinating and mean so news or the weather while having a morning coffee and/or many different things to so many different people.” eating breakfast.

The more time that passes, the more integrated mobile Balan commented on his belief in the importance of phones seem to be in many people’s lives, especially the recognizing “that the light and just the energy and vibration younger generations as they grow up surrounded by digital from it really impacts your sleep”. technology. I would suggest to others to take a break and pay At the end of the day when it is theoretically time to unplug, attention to how these devices can either help or hinder our I keep my phone on my window sill or night table while personal lifestyle goals. Maybe I should reflect and take my charging. In fact, the only time I generally turn my notificaown advice too. tion sound on is when I am sleeping in order to wake me up.

“These devices are designed to pull your attentions away and scatter them in different directions,” said Balan.

URES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 • 9

79.6%

USED INSTAGRAM THE MOST.

53.9%

USED FACEBOOK THE MOST.

94%

KEEP THEIR PHONE ON AT NIGHT. 28% KEEP THEIR PHONE IN THEIR BED.

86% USE THEIR PHONE IN CLASS FOR TESTING, SOCIAL MEDIA, GAMES, ETC.

7I%

29.6% USE THEIR PHONE FOR FOUR HOURS DAILY.

DO NOT THINK A CELL PHONE BAN IN UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS WOULD HELP STUDENTS ACADEMICIALLY.

LAYOUT BY SAFINA HUSEIN/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, GRAPHICS BY KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

10 •

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 2019

Arts & Life

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR EMILY WAITSON arts@thecord.ca

SUSTAINABILITY

PERIOD PRODUCTS THAT PROTECT THE PLANET JENNIFER WEBB/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

ALYSSA DI SABATINO OPINION EDITOR

On Mar. 21, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and LSPIRG hosted “Bleed Red, Go Green: Exploring Sustainable Menstruation.”

This workshop, which was open to all menstruating people regardless of gender, allowed student attendees to learn about menstruation and its relationship to the environment.

The event featured presentations from DivaCup, SHORE Centre in Kitchener-Waterloo and LSPIRG. The goal wasto provide knowledge and information for those in attendance about the sustainable, accessible and environmental implications regarding menstrual products.

Brooke Dietrich, a diversity and equity advisor at Wilfrid Laurier University, planned the event with funding from the Sustainable Hawk Fund, which allows students to implement sustainability projects at Laurier.

“Menstruation is not really something that’s talked about in society, but menstrual equality is incredibly important,” Dietrich said.

The event was created with the intention of encouraging students to start menstruating sustainably.

The first presentation, held by a DivaCup representative, gave insight on how their product works.

Menstruation is not really something that’s talked about in society, but menstrual equality is incredibly important.

-Brooke Dietrich, diversity and equity advisor at WLU

These small, reusable, silicone cups can be inserted like a tampon.

When inserted, it creates a seal that collects the flow of menses.

The DivaCup’s reusable quality is also much more sustainable than disposable products, which produce a lot of plastic and water waste yearly. While DivaCups may seem like a hefty investment, it’s worth noting that each menstrual

cup can be used for upwards of a year before replacing it is recommended.

On average, a menstruating person may use around 240 disposable period products in a year, compared to the DivaCup, which is a one-time purchase.

The following presentation was

by Kitchener-Waterloo’s sexual health centre, SHORE Centre.

Everyone in attendance was encouraged to think of how period products become accessible or inaccessible, based on the privileges that are either afforded or refused to some people.

For example, the idea of gender equity in relation to period products was discussed. Because of the misconception that only women can get their periods, not every bathroom provides period products, leaving many people without access.The concept of period poverty where not everyone is able to afford period products was explored as well.

“This event is also really important because it’s providing undergraduate students with an opportunity to select their style of alternative menstrual product, and give it a go without having to [make] the investment,” Dietrich

said.

At the end of the event, everyone in attendance was able to pick up their sustainable period product that they chose with their ticket purchase.

“All of the products that were given out, except for the reusable pad, is upwards of 45 to 50 dollars for one product, and that’s unfortunately not an option that a lot of students have,” Dietrich said.

The event enabled all in attendance to try their hand at sustainable menstruation without having to pay out of pocket.

Oftentimes, menstruation is considered a taboo topic — but the goal of the event was to remove the stigma and shame surrounding periods.

“As people who menstruate, we are taught to keep it “hush-hush” and that it’s not something that you should talk about in polite society,” Dietrich said.

The discourse around menstruation often paints it as inherently negative. While you don’t have to love your period — some people experience extreme pain or discomfort — the way periods are talked about sets people up to hate them before determining their own feelings towards their periods.

The closing presentation was created by LSPIRG, Laurier Student’s Public Interest Research Group.

The idea of “zero waste” was discussed, wherein people aim to live sustainably, with as little impact on the environment as possible.

With period products comes a lot of wasted plastic. For example, the external packaging of period products is often made with plastic, as well as tampon applicators, and even the period product itself, which is often made with cotton.

While cotton is natural, it uses a lot of water resources during its production.

Some “zero waste” alternatives for period products include reusable pads, THINX period underwear, and of course, the DivaCup. While perceptions around menstruation have changed, there is still more that needs to be done.

Many harmful misconceptions still exist, and periods are often considered inappropriate or taboo.

With events like this one, the hope is that the dialogue surrounding menstruation will become more mainstream.

After all, talking about periods should be as normal as having them.

LOCAL NON-PROFIT

KW Humane Society hosts purr-fect awareness event AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday, Mar. 14, 2019, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., the Princess Twin Cinema, in collaboration with the Kitchener Humane Society, held their latest “CatVideoFest.”

An event where cat and animal lovers alike could watch compilations of submitted cat videos and other funny videos, as well as more educational pieces.

This is the third event that the two groups have done — hosting similar festivals in 2015 and 2016.

10 per cent of the proceeds during the event goes to the Humane Society.

“It worked a little bit backwards.

When we did it in 2015, and then we did it again in 2016, the two events generated a lot of interest in what we do here, especially in spaying and neutering unowned cats,” said Cristina Lopes, events

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

coordinator for the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society.

“From there, it started to become more of a chance for us to also showcase the importance and awareness that is the cat population. It gives us a chance to share

what we do.”

The motivation behind these events came from their low-cost spay and neuter clinic for unowned cats, which began in Fall 2014 and ended in July of last year.

During this period, they were able

to perform over 4000 spays and neuters.

“Seeing the change that made got us thinking about how many unowned cats are really in the Waterloo Region, and approximately [at this point] we’re looking at over

100,000. Any bit helps to make that difference,” Lopes said.

Events such as these give greater awareness to the types of services that organizations like the Humane Society offer, are an outlet for finding new clientele and provides further education for animal lovers.

“It lets us share awareness to people who have the same views that we do — we’re all cat lovers, we’re all animal lovers and we want what’s best for the pets — but do they know what other services we provide in order to help those cats and help those other animals?” Lopes said.

Beyond this event, their latest partnership with PetSmart Charities of Canada has provided them with a $35,000 grant for spaying and neutering unowned cats.

This will be an exceptional resource in their ongoing effort to control the growing colony cat populations in the area.

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 FINANCES

No tax skills? No problem

Although adulthood has been categorized as a milestone you reach when you turn 18, for many people the responsibilities that are expected and associated with that title aren’t defined and learned until you’re much older.

As a student in university, I’m surrounded by other people who consistently have similar difficulties with adult tasks.

There’s a reason why there have been memes created about millennials who become overjoyed from successfully “adulting”.

When we’re not taught how to do seemingly everyday tasks but are simultaneously expected to know how to accomplish them, it becomes difficult to navigate the real world effectively.

And with tax season upon us, I have yet to talk to someone my age who does their taxes on their own and doesn’t have some sort of assistance when they do them.

I even know people who just ignore or routinely procrastinate the looming threat of tax-return day and don’t consider it a necessary task to accomplish because it stresses them out so much — and when there’s that level of anxiety surrounding an annoying, yet fundamental life responsibility, it needs to be addressed more constructively.

I’m fortunate enough to have a

father who does my taxes for me and routinely shows me what I need to do know and what certain things mean. But if I was left to my own devices, I would likely be lost.

The anxieties surrounding tax season are incredibly common though, and “tax anxiety” is especially prevalent with millennials and Generation Z-ers. Worries about owing money, making mistakes and the dread that’s associated with it can vastly impede students and their ability to do their taxes in a timely manner.

Tackling taxes from a realistic standpoint, however, is one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself. Luckily, there are resources that are available for students who need assistance.

On both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, Laurier offers “Taxes 101” information sessions through Laurier’s money management program, which is designed to help students decrease their financial stress — “Dollars and Sense: Money Management” — and works in partnership with a tax specialist to educate students about their taxes. These sessions are held in early March, which is why proactive planning and being mindful of dates is important.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website also has information specifically targeted towards students and provides videos to help people learn how to file their own income taxes. And while most people are aware that H&R Block exists, they aren’t sure how to fully utilize the resources that they have available.

Their website is useful in guiding

people to the options that suit them best — whether that’s filing them personally, meeting with a tax expert or using their drop off system. There’s an H&R Block located in Conestoga Mall, which is accessible to students who are looking to get advice, information and guidance with their taxes.

The event featured the orchestra performing the award-winning John Williams score alongside the movie being projected on-screen.

With the energy of a live performance combined with the classic blockbuster from 1982, the concert was both a visual and auditory feast.

“Probably the most impressive part in the film is when everybody is trying to catch those kids and then there’s one moment that there’s no other option, and E.T. makes everybody fly,” Feher said.

“It’s a very difficult part for the orchestra and for me as well

because the timing has to be so perfect. Everybody must be at the right place, at the right moment, doing the right things. So that’s probably one of the best moments [of the concert]”.

With the growing popularity of nostalgic media, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony’s performance no doubt scratches the itch of those looking to relive this beloved cinematic gem in a new way.

“It’s almost spiritual because it’s an entire group of people living the same experience,” Feher said.

“I feel more and more that today

we need to find moments of doing nothing. You know, just sit there for two hours and enjoy what’s there. No phones, no texting, no nothing. Just to enjoy something and have a nice moment with everybody in the audience.”

If you’re longing for a throwback experience, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra is planning to perform the Back to the Future soundtrack as their next foray into the world of nostalgia.

Keep those eyes and ears open if you’re keen on experiencing the magic of beloved film scores from the past.

EMILY WAITSON ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Tackling taxes from a realistic standpoint, however, is one of the most helpful things you can do for yourself.

It’s also worthy to note that with tax season comes tax scammers, many of whom are specifically looking to target students and young people who are attempting to file their taxes for the first time.

Skepticism is necessary in these instances, and applying it to any emails, phone calls or texts that you receive where the information they are requesting/providing seems suspicious, never respond.

And remember, if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed during this time of the year, you aren’t alone.

Being aware of the resources in place that are designed to help students during tax season is important in making the process as painless and error-free as possible.

ORCHESTRA

Experiencing movies through live music TYLER CURRIE STAFF WRITER

A musical score is one of the most important aspects of a film. It adds to the overall feel of the story, and if the soundtrack is strong enough, it can transform a good movie into a cinematic masterpiece.

It’s no wonder that live performances of movie soundtracks are growing in popularity around Canada and the United States.

Orchestras performing the scores of Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park and other blockbuster soundtracks often yield high ticket sales from enthusiastic fans ready to re-experience music from their childhoods.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra is the latest group to adopt this growing trend.

For two shows only, on Mar. 22 and 23, the orchestra tackled the masterpiece soundtrack of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, led by musical director and conductor, Andrei Feher.

The live orchestra and film

combination is far different than a typical night at the movies or concert hall.

“I think it’s so powerful to see an entire group of people playing because you can see the bows, the strings, all playing music that everybody knows,” Feher said.

“You can see the percussion, the brass players, and you can feel that, so I think it makes a huge difference just being there.”

As the show date drew closer, Mr. Feher’s schedule became more and more hectic — rehearsals, meetings, dinners with generous donors and the planning of future events filled up his days leading to the major performance. But all the effort was worth it when the audience experienced the final product.

“There’s so many childhood memories that go with this kind of experience,” Feher said.

“Remembering sitting with your parents, or your siblings, or any kind of family, and the music is so powerful that it stays in your mind.

You feel very connected to it.”

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

12 •

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s Note: March 27 Moving Forward best time at Laurier, looking into the future, I don’t want to close myself off and be stuck holding on to my experiences as an undergrad at Laurier.

These experiences at Laurier have taught me so much about who I am and who I want to be.

The Cord was my home and my place at Laurier. This paper and the people I work with made me feel like I belonged somewhere.

As scary as it is, I’m excited to move away and start fresh. I hope that I get to experience things as amazing as my time here at The Cord and at Laurier.

As much as The Cord and Waterloo in general will always be a part of me and an extremely significant portion of my life, I want to be able to cherish the memories I’ve made here while accepting that it’s time to move on to what is next for me.

I want to be able to open myself to new experiences, friends and more instead of dwelling on things that currently bring me comfort.

In fact, my current mentality has allowed me to appreciate the little time that I have left here at The Cord and at Laurier. Instead of resenting the fact that I have to leave, I’m focusing on cherishing the time I still do have here and knowing that the friends I have made here will be life-long and I will always have memories to look back on.

In the wise words of my favourite dude (and my all-time favourite quote), “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Indeed, you can still cherish the past and memories while allowing yourself to move on — and that’s what I hope to embody as I move on to all that my next chapter has to offer.

SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With the end of each school year comes a sense of catharsis. The weight of exams and school is lifted and the short break between the winter term and the start of either summer jobs or the summer semesters allows us to catch up on the things we’ve put on the back burner.

For me, this year-end feels very different than past ones. After this term, I’ll be graduating from Laurier, saying goodbye to The Cord and, in September, moving to London for grad-school.

As a result of all these big changes, I can’t help but reflect on the last time I experienced a “big” change.

When I graduated from high school, I was hesitant to let go of all the things that I thought made me who I was. Leaving high school included leaving behind my involvement in student council, my group of friends, etc.

But even when you think you’re not ready for the next chapter in your life, some chapters inevitably close on their own and force you into the next.

When I came to Laurier, I was closed off to a lot of staple experiences because I was still wishing I was back in high school and hanging on to my old self. I realize now that, in a way, I didn’t allow myself to be open to everything that Laurier had to offer.

Although looking back I have no regrets and I have truly had the

EDITORIAL CARTOON

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Between belief and disbelief KASHYAP PATEL GRAPHICS EDITOR

THE CORD IS PUBLISHED BY WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 205 REGINA ST. N., WATERLOO

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne

CHAIR Terrence Mroz

DIRECTOR H.G. Watson

VICE-CHAIR Shyenne MacDonald

TREASURER Garrison Oosterhof

DIRECTOR Maiya Mistry DIRECTOR Aaron Hagey

PRESIDENT Terrence Mroz president@wlusp.com FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com ADVERTISING MANAGER Care Lucas care.lucas@wlusp. com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp. com HR MANAGER Paige Bush hr@wlusp.com CORPORATE SECRETARY Maiya Mistry

You are about to read something hypocritical. I’m going to try to convince you that a belief I hold dearly is true, but if at the end you believe it, I will have failed.

I want to write it regardless, because it changed my outlook on life. If I wasn’t against clichés, I would claim that it made me the man I am today.

Let me start with how this belief came about.

I was taught the curriculum approved version of how airplanes stay up. You’ve probably been taught this too: the curvature of the wing makes air flow faster over it and slower under it, resulting in high pressure underneath the wing and low pressure over it.

And that contributes to it, sure.

But the fact that plane wings have to be at an angle to the airflow, and force air downward, was completely left out, even though it’s a huge component.

I didn’t learn that until I researched it for myself, out of curiosity.

High school taught me about

gravity — Newton’s model of it.

No mention of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity and its explanation of gravity, which had been scientifically accepted for decades already.

Yes, it’s complex, but it would have been nice if it had at least been mentioned. Again, I learned that myself.

But by that point, I had learned a much more important lesson.

It’s a lesson that I can’t forget even if I try, because the evidence is inescapable.

We don’t actually know anything.

Yeah, most other people roll their eyes too. Try it, though. Think of any statement you know is true, and prove it. Done? Now list every assumption you made in proving it and prove them all, too. Repeat the process for every statement you prove, and you will eventually get to a statement it’s not possible to prove — a statement you don’t know is true.

Our world views are built on what we think are firm, indestructible pillars of truth, and held together by what we believe to be a continuous, rigid frame of logic.

Dig deep enough though, and we find that those pillars don’t have a solid base. Peel back the superstructure, and we see that that frame has more holes than a moth-eaten duvet — it bends and

stretches with the slightest touch of emotion.

It’s both a freeing and restricting thought. Freeing, because you realize that the universe is open to interpretation. Restricting, because if you accept it, you will spend the rest of your life wondering how far from the truth your version of reality is.

You see, now comes the great hypocrisy. How can I preach that nobody knows the absolute truth, and then ask anyone to accept that to be true?

The ideal position, I think, is the area between belief and disbelief: making assumptions. You can behave as if something is true while knowing it may not be, because it makes life simpler.

We do it all the time, whether we realize it or not. I made the assumption when I stepped out the door this morning that I wouldn’t get pooped on by a pigeon.

Was I right? Yes. But I may not have been.

You can make the assumption that reality is, in fact, real. You can assume that the laws of physics work everywhere (classical-quantum gap aside).

You can assume that what you’re learning in your courses will still be relevant a decade from now, or that the sun will rise tomorrow. You’re probably right.

You just might not be.

•

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

Opinion

13

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

How media bias can effect reader perception TYLER CURRIE STAFF WRITER

A dog sneezes, causing him to fall down the stairs.

The way this tragic event is reported in the news affects the way it’s perceived by the public, which has direct real-world consequences.

Maybe the story is framed blaming the owners of the tumblin’ dog, with the headline: ‘Where Were the Owners? Terrible Masters Leave Dog Unattended, Resulting in Injury.’

Communities would hunt down the dog owner’s social media pages and make them infamous.

Some would contact the owner’s employers and demand that they be punished or fired. Animal rights organizations would respond with vitriol in reaction to the owner’s negligence, and they would be condemned in the court of public opinion.

Other dog owners would witness this public shaming and be extra careful, putting their dogs on hypothetically and literally tighter leashes.

However, a completely different

approach to the story could shift the blame from the owners to the sneeze itself: ‘Is a New Illness Epidemic for Our Pets on the Horizon?’

Suddenly, pet owners would be flocking to the stores to buy doggy face masks and medicines. Firms would fill this demand and create need for even more products — while you’re at it, you might as well buy dog sanitizer, soap and immune building food, too!

Propitious pet companies would attempt to continue the ‘dog illness epidemic’ narrative by lobbying politicians to make it a central issue and placing guileful, well-meaning warning ads on billboards and city buses to keep the fearful spending train chugging.

The population would soon fear even touching a dog for worry of contracting a disease.

Perhaps the story is framed blaming the dog himself: ‘Dogs are Clumsy; Do High Vet Bills Make for an Expensive Pet?’ This perspective could cause a decline in the demand for dogs.

Those who were considering buying a dog might decide on a cat or hamster instead. Dog food and pet toy companies would see their sales decline in correlation, as would individual breeders. The ‘pet market’ would take a massive hit because of one clumsy fur boy.

What if instead of blaming the

owners, an illness or the dog, reporters were to blame the stairs as the perpetrator? ‘Stairs are Dangerous and Must Be Outlawed!’

The ramp industry would jump a few points overnight. Affordable, hand cranked elevators would be installed in every house containing a beloved pet, and those who didn’t go through the trouble would be publicly shamed for being so careless.

Stair building service companies would go bankrupt, slashing thousands of jobs. In the future, houses would be built as simple bungalows, as the cost of stair alternatives would send prices far too high to be worth the investment. Within only a few decades of a dog falling down some steps, the very architecture we know today could be changed forever.

The goal of any reputable news source is to inform citizens while attempting to remain objective. After all, the news frames the issues in our world, and these issues influence the way we vote. Therefore, the media is the most important political tool in modern times.

Yet the media is under constant threat of bias. Considering the producers, writers and reporters of each news story are human beings with individual political perspectives, it’s important for the citizens of a democracy to form critical thinking skills.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Ford is removing class size caps ALYSSA DI SABATINO OPINION EDITOR

Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently announced the possibility of removing caps on classroom sizes for kindergarten and primary grades.

The education consultations that

took place brought into question whether caps on kindergarten and grades one to three should continue or not.

The research in defence of the removing of class size caps questions whether class size has a significant enough impact on student success. Some also suggest that if funding is used to develop curriculum and hire better teachers, then class size doesn’t matter.

The current cap on kindergarten classes is 29 students, and 23 students for the primary grades.

A lot of fear has been expressed by educators, as removing classroom size caps seems to be another sign of Doug Ford’s cuts to education funding in Ontario.

This follows the cuts to post-secondary campus funding across Ontario by Ford in October. Laurier’s Milton satellite campus was among the three schools to stop receiving funding.

The notion that hiring better teachers will balance the larger class sizes seems to be contradicting what the Ford government is

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Understanding the possible motives, biases and reasoning behind every reported event is just as important as learning about the event itself. With this information, an individual can piece together what an issue means to them, and view the world accordingly.

In a society filled with an over-

whelming amount of available information, it’s difficult to narrow down the objective truth. However, the effort must be made to avoid a society prone to fear-mongering or radicalization from politicians trying to persuade you into giving them your vote.

By the way, the dog was okay.

currently asking schools to do.

At the same time that they are proposing class size caps be removed, the Ford government has also made an announcement warning schools against hiring for the upcoming school year.

Deputy education minister Nancy Naylor commented on the upcoming budget changes, and warned schools that they should “exercise prudence in making hiring decisions.” She added that schools should refrain from filling roles for retirements and teacher leaves.

The suggestion that schools should refrain from hiring is only temporary while the education consultations get sorted out, but realistically, if teacher roles aren’t being filled for long-term, this could easily lead to teacher burnout and poorer classroom experiences for students.

It almost doesn’t seem worth it to me to mention that if students — especially in primary grades — don’t receive enough focused and individualized educations, then their success will suffer.

Success in children’s formative years is often an indicator of success later on. Ford’s cuts seem short-sighted, and there’s no denying that a lot of his motivation for removing class size caps is for economic gain.

I remember my fourth grade year, our school was over capacity and the school had no choice but to over-fill the classes.

I was in a class of 35 students,

give or take. The teacher, who up until that year had been a resource teacher, was overwhelmed by our class every day. On more than one occasion she cried in class, as she had little authority over me and my classmates.

I even remember getting detention multiple times that year; something that had never happened before, and shouldn’t have happened either. But my teacher was feeling challenged by the 35 kids in her class, and resorted to exiling anyone that acted out.

I didn’t realize at the time but looking back it’s clear to me that much of the issues that year were a result of the class size, not the teacher. Obviously this is my own experience, but I’m sure lots of other students have been and will be experiencing this in the coming years.

I feel like student safety is also being overlooked in this situation.

One teacher can’t realistically have eyes on 23 or more students at once. The lifting of class size caps will only work to put students in jeopardy more than before.

There’s a reason small class sizes are a benefit of private schools.

Although they cost a lot of money, people put their children in them because they feel as though the individualized learning will help them in the long run.

The only argument against smaller class sizes is based on financial grounds. Sacrificing student success for budget cuts just doesn’t seem worth it to me.

14 •

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Is Trump’s proposal to end HIV medically sound?

JADE HOSICK OPINION COLUMNIST

During his State of the Union address, President Trump announced his plan to end HIV/AIDS in America, but his budget does not provide an adequate amount to reduce the rate of infection by 2030.

With a request of $291 million, Trump plans to cut down the rate of new infections by 90 per cent, while other administrations in the past were striving for 40 per cent, making his plan the most ambitious one yet.

America was first introduced to the AIDS/HIV virus in 1981, when young gay men were reportedly becoming infected with rare types of cancer as well as pneumonia.

Only at the end of that year was there seen to be a correlation between injection drug users and the infection as well.

In 1990, it was stated that 8 to 10 million people were estimated to be infected worldwide, making HIV/AIDS the fourth largest cause of death.

As of right now, AIDS has no cure, only a medication that will slow down or suppress the disease from moving through the body faster.

This is a tremendous step forward from the 80’s where the disease was automatically seen as a death sentence.

Although there are many people living in America with this infection, there is still a huge stigma around it, one that calls for people to be educated on the disease as well as time to combat the bad thoughts associated with it.

In a recent opinion piece published on Feb. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), federal health leaders had brought forth a statement that describe the four areas of the new HIV plan.

These include diagnosing all individuals as quickly as possible, treating the infection rapidly to achieve suppression and prevent at-risk individuals from contracting the infection using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), as well as

detecting and responding to HIV hotspots to decrease new infections.

This plan will be focusing on 48 counties around America that are hotspots, where more than 50 per cent of all new diagnoses occur.

Although many HIV experts acknowledge that Trump’s plan is medically sound, there are other issues impacting his plan, including finding all Americans who have or are at risk of contracting AIDS and putting each of these individuals on antiretroviral drugs.

The cost of completing his plan is unsettling as 1.1 million Americans are currently infected while 1 million are at risk.

The cost of funding and treatment could add another $25 billion onto the $20 billion that is spent on HIV treatment by the federal government each year.

Ultimately, drugs are costly and private insurers will not cover the cost alone.

Trump’s budget is requesting to give the Ryan White program another $120 million within the next year, but his budget is also cutting government programs like Medicare by $2 trillion over the next decade.

An analysis done by experts at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2017 concluded that to reduce new infections it would cost a total of $120 billon over two decades and the new infections would only drop by 40 per cent in that time.

Trump’s plan is to cut infections by 90 per cent within the next decade and he plans to do this by protecting the uninfected by using PrEP. Comparatively, the Obama administrations plan was to use condoms to stop the spread.

But a typical treatment plan could cost up to $50,000 a year, and Truvada, the pill approved for HIV prevention, is $20,000 a year. Considering these prices and the 2.1 million people that the Trump plan wishes to cover, the cost would be $75 billion a year.

As of right now this plan seems as though it is something to be celebrated, but when taking a step back and looking historically at everything this administration has done, it is clear to see that this plan might not be successful.

The administration is targeting people in communities that are most at risk for contracting HIV,

including those in the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, African Americans and the list continues. As well as cutting funding to planned parenthood, the administration seems to be taking one step forward while simultaneously taking twelve steps back.

If one plans to work to ultimately

eliminate an infection all together, all aspects need to be thought of, not just careless cutting and spending.

If there needs to be testing done, why are there budget cuts to places in which these tests can happen?

If the medication cost so much money, why is there a budget cut

to Medicare?

It’ll be interesting in the coming weeks to see how Trump’s plan unfolds and exactly what gets done regarding this epidemic.

This plan could be one that either brings Trump closer to the communities affected, or just pushes him further away.

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• 15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR PRANAV DESAI sports@thecord.ca

HISTORY

Analyzing the historic Laurier-Western rivalry PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR

Wilfrid Laurier University’s rivalry with Western is something that brings all the Laurier students together.

If you ask Laurier students, they’ll state numerous reasons for why they don’t like Western and why the rivalry exists. For starters, Laurier was affiliated with Western until 1960.

The school’s colours, purple and gold, are an extension of the affiliation with Western. Our original colours were maroon and gold, and purple replaced maroon as a sign of honouring the link with Western, as their colours are purple and white.

Laurier students like to joke that the purple and gold is superior to the purple and white since the white in Western’s colours looks like silver. With gold medals being seen as superior to silver medals, Golden Hawks never miss an opportunity to remind Western students about who is superior.

Another big reason behind Western hatred is the extensive ‘party culture’ in both schools. Laurier and Western are seen as the social pinnacle of Canadian universities and this in itself has added fuel to the fire in terms of the rivalry between the two schools.

Above all though, it is perhaps the rich football history between the two schools that makes the rivalry bigger every year. The football rivalry has extended to all the different sports and the games

between the two schools have become must-watch material every year.

“Our teams always circled the game against Western. Western, to their credit, has been one of the top schools in the country in a variety of different sports. You always want to do your best against the best competition. Our teams definitely get up when we play Western,” said Peter Baxter, director of athletics and recreation at Laurier.

One of the biggest sports moments for Laurier in their athletic history came in 2012, when the varsity women’s hockey team defeated Western in London to win the OUA championship.

At the time, that was the Hawks’ eighth OUA title in nine years and to do it in Western’s stadium made it that much more special.

“It’s been a respectful rivalry.

When we beat Western for the OUA championship in London for women’s hockey a few years ago, I was asked to hand out the gold medals. It just so happened to be that my daughter [Haley Baxter] was on the team so that was sweet,” Peter Baxter said.

Although all the sports games against Western are exciting, it is without a doubt the football games that make the rivalry special.

The Golden Hawks’ football team has played in 23 OUA championship games and won seven times. They have defeated the Mustangs for four of those seven titles.

The two schools have met 15 times in the OUA championship and even though Western has held

TANZEEL SAYANI/FILE PHOTO

the historical advantage, that does not stop the Laurier fans from supporting their team as shown by their die hard support for the team no matter where they are playing.

“We’ve always travelled well. We can make a lot of noise in other people’s building. Everybody at Laurier has an affinity to the Golden Hawk brand. Whether you’re a part of the Students’ Union, Resident Life, everybody wears the Golden Hawk. There’s a sense of pride and an emotional tie. That transfers when your fans are making the effort to travel,” Baxter said.

Most Laurier students today remember the magnificent 2016 OUA championship comeback win over Western. The Hawks mounted a massive fourth quarter comeback

to overcome a 40-19 deficit to win the 2016 Yates Cup in London.

Of course most fans don’t like to remember what happened next year, as the Mustangs destroyed the Hawks in the 2017 Yates Cup final by a score of 75-32.

“A few years ago, I hired a guy who used to be the man at Western, Michael Faulds. He was their quarterback and set records for them. There were a few eyebrows raised amongst our own fans when we announced that hiring. I remember talking with Michael at the time and he mentioned how much he respect he had for our program. He remembered coming into our stadium and being a target for our fans,” Baxter added.

Coach Faulds has been instru-

mental in improving Laurier’s varsity football program and even though he used to play for Western, he has garnered the respect of every Golden Hawk at Laurier.

The rivalry between Laurier and Western extends to more than just football and it’s something that brings the Laurier community together.

The Golden Hawks football team opens their 2019-20 season against the Mustangs at University Stadium here in Waterloo and every single Laurier fan would love nothing more than to beat the Mustangs on opening day.

No matter the result, that day will add another page to the historical Laurier-Western rivalry which is getting bigger every single year.

performance before the CFL Draft Day on May 2.

Golden Hawks receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr., and defensive lineman Robbie Smith scored direct invitations to participate at the National Combine. Both athletes had strong showings throughout the weekend that will only add to their already impressive football resumé, including winning the 2016 Men’s OUA Football Championship.

Gittens Jr. and Smith, who are both fourth-year athletes, had enormous seasons since joining the Golden Hawks in 2015. Their season stats do nothing but prove why they are top prospects for the CFL. Alongside Gittens Jr. and Smith were eight other members of the Golden Hawks men’s football team who were invited to participate at the Regional Combine Thursday night, but unfortunately did not get to move on to participate at the national level.

The CFL National Combine consists of measurements and medicals of each player followed by two days of athletic performance testing. On Saturday the athletes perform the vertical jump, and bench press at the Goldring Centre for High Performance in Sport. Then

on Sunday they engaged in the 40-metre dash, shuttle, three-cone drill, broad jump, and finished off the day with individual drills and one-on-ones at the Varsity Stadium bubble.

Gittens Jr. and Smith both put up impressive numbers and had their own standout moments throughout the weekend. Gittens Jr.’s 40-metre dash time of 4.62 seconds was third among all participants in attendance, and Smith’s 36-inch vertical jump was the best for a defensive lineman since Stefan Charles back in 2013. Smith also hit an impressive 23 reps in the bench press.

Smith has been compared to the likes of former Golden Hawk Kwaku Boateng, who is now a defensive end for the Edmonton Eskimo’s, and has also been linked to Laurier alum Ese Mrabure, now defensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders. Smith is projected to be a first round draft pick this year.

Both Gittens Jr. and Smith have done all they can to prove why they deserve to step off the University Stadium field and onto the professional stage. With their final impressions given the only thing left to do is to wait to see what happens on Draft Day.

FOOTBALL

GARRISON OOSTERHOF/FILE PHOTO

Competing at the Combine OLIVIA JONES STAFF WRITER

As you may know, first impressions are important. Naturally as humans we size-up someone based on a number of factors that we then attach to our initial impressions of that person. In football we

do the same. Height, weight, speed, stamina, strength, agility. But at the 2019 CFL National Combine it’s the final impression that is of upmost importance. The impression that the prospects want CFL scouts to remember them by.

On Mar. 22-24, two Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawk men’s

football players had a chance to give their final impression for the CFL talent evaluators at the Canadian Football League (CFL) 2019 National Combine in Toronto. This event is the final chance for the nation’s top amateur football prospects to showcase their dynamic skills, dauntless power and refined

16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

ISAAK WONG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

A look at Chuder Teny’s transformation into a leader PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR

Before being interviewed, Wilfrid Laurier University’s basketball star Chuder Teny told me to come over to his house sometime so that he can beat me in FIFA. Although it was said in jest, this comment gave me a glimpse into Teny’s competitive nature.

Chuder Teny has made a massive impact on the Laurier men’s basketball program throughout his five years at the school and now that he has played his last game for the Hawks, his presence will be missed.

“I’ve become a better leader.

Throughout my first year, we didn’t really have an impactful leader and I wasn’t a guy that would speak up and give guys directions on what to do. But throughout my years, my coaches have taught me how to become a better leader. I never took on that leadership role

because I’m more laid back, but both coach Campbell and coach Serresse made me a better leader,” Teny said when asked how his experience with Laurier basketball has changed him.

Not only did Teny become a better leader year after year, his level of play also increased on an annual basis.

Although he didn’t put up tons of points every year, the Kitchener native became a staple on the team for his hustle and energy, something that every good team needs.

Peter Campbell was the head coach of the men’s basketball team during Teny’s first two years with the Hawks.

Teny gave a lot of credit to coach Campbell and coach Serresse for improving his game and making him a better player.

“During coach Serresse’s first year, he made me a leader right off the bat by naming me one of the captains. So I’ve been able to im-

pact the guys vocally and through my hard work which has definitely made me a better leader,” he said.

Under coach Serresse’s guidance for a third year now, this Hawks team exceeded all expectations by making it to the OUA semi-finals.

Although the Hawks’ immense success this year shocked many Laurier students and fans, it was something that the team always knew they could accomplish.

“I remember when coach Serresse first came in. During his second month with the team, he told me that by the time I leave, we would host a playoff game and we would make the semi-finals [of the OUA championships]. Obviously we accomplished both of those goals this year. Hopefully, the team can make the OUA finals next year,” Teny said.

Teny was a big reason behind the Hawks going as far as they did this year.

With a roster that is extremely

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young, leadership is a necessity and Teny was one of the veterans that was able to guide the youngsters.

Just come in with a good attitude, work hard and be coachable. Coach plays the guys that work the hardest ...

-Chuder Teny, Laurier varsity men’s basketball player

With Teny’s departure, it will now be up to the rest of the team to fill that leadership void.

“Coach [Serresse] is always preaching about hard work. You have to be coachable and trust the

process. Everything will work out.

Just come in with a good attitude, work hard and be coachable.

Coach plays the guys that work the hardest and demonstrate the best attitude. Just believe in the process,” Teny said.

Even though Teny will not play another game for the Hawks, he plans on staying involved with the team, at least in the near future.

“I’m back in the fall because I had a concussion last year so I’m a semester behind right now.

I’ll definitely be helping out with Laurier basketball regardless. As of right now that’s the plan, to help the team in the fall,” he said.

Chuder Teny’s presence is essential for the Hawks and having him help the team as a coach, even if it’s just for a few months, will be very helpful. Teny left his mark on the Laurier men’s basketball program during his five years with the team and his influence will be crucial for the rest of the Hawks.

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