The Cord Oct. 31, 2018

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 59 ISSUE 9 • OCTOBER 31, 2018

RUGBY KICKS OFF Sports, page 16

THE MEANING OF MOVEMBER

SEARCHING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

LOVE LETTERS TO FEMINISM

WHO AFFECTS THE CLIMATE?

BASKETBALL BEGINS

The meaning behind the campaign

Hints and tips when looking past undergrad

DEO hosts inclusive event on campus

Environmental impacts on a macro scale

Hawks split opening games on weekend

News, page 3

Feature, page 8

Arts & Life, page 11

Opinion, page 13

Sports, page 15 GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

2 •

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

VOCAL CORD What is your best thrift store find?

The Cord

@cordnews

@thecord.ca

CordNews

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

“A vintage New York Knicks Jacket.”

–Genom Jibrin, fourth-

“A genuine, vintage, NASA souvenir T-shirt.”

–Julia Lemieux, second-year political science GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

Laurier men’s rugby won their first game in the OUA playoffs against the McMaster Marauders with a score of 31-13.

Letter to the Editor: Honouring lost lives

“A tourquoise blue Tommy Hilfiger crewneck.”

On Saturday, October 27th, a gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and opened fire on a group of Jewish worshipers participating in the weekly Shabbat service.

He murdered 11 innocent people after proclaiming “all Jews must die.” In 2018, in America, these people died for one sole reason: they were Jewish.

As young Jews living in a country that celebrates diversity, it’s easy to focus on the good, but it’s time to acknowledge that Antisemitism is not a relic of the past.

For as long as there have been Jews, there has been Antisemitism.

The massacre that took place on Saturday was a horrifying reminder of this reality.

But we are also reminded of our resilience. In the Jewish tradition, when a person passes away, we

–Kenny Udeagbala, second-year political science

“A red genuine leather jacket.”

–Chandni Bhatt, second-year global studies

Compiled by Margaret Russell Photos by Jackie Vang NEXT ISSUE NOVEMBER 7, 2018

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 Madeline McInnis 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 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

Jacob Arand Yana Manevska Rachel Burns Victoria Marshall Bobby Plax John McMorran Eliza Moratz

We need LGBTQ+ representation on the small screen by Madeline McInnis

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

COLOPHON The Cord is the official student newspaper of the Wilfrid Laurier University community.

Started in 1926 as the College Cord, The Cord is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.

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.

The Cord’s circulation for a normal Wednesday issue is 4,500 copies and enjoys a readership of over 10,000. Cord subscription rates are $20.00 per term for addresses within Canada.

The Cord has been a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP) since 2004.

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

attach to their name [to a phrase] which means, “may their memory be a blessing.”

Moving forward, with the memories of the victims in our hearts, our blessing is that we will continue to educate ourselves and others, that we will believe in a future that is better than our past, and that we will never let hatred win.

As we approach Holocaust Education Week, we, as a Laurier community of Jews and non-Jews, must renew our commitment to fighting bigotry and ignorance.

Let us learn from the atrocities of the distant and not-so-distant past, and let us unite with a common goal of honouring those who lost their lives at the hands of hatred.

- Rachel and Laura Goldfarb Executive Members, Hillel Waterloo and Hillel Ontario

reply at the earliest time possible.

Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff.

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: “I can’t fall asleep without watching how mashed potatoes are made.”

- News Editor Hayley McGoldrick

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

News

• 3 NEWS EDITOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR AARON HAGEY news@thecord.ca

ADVOCACY

Movember: a hairy history and what to expect AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

For the entire month of November, the annual event of “Movember” asks its community members to come together to discuss and increase awareness for men’s prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men’s mental health issues — and especially suicide.

Both The Movember Foundation of Canada and clubs at Wilfrid Laurier University, like the Lazaridis Students’ Society — or LazSoc — will be hosting charity events throughout the month.

LazSoc will be hosting Movember for the fifth time and is the first year it has an official committee dedicated to planning events.

On Nov. 1, this Thursday, LazSoc is going to be opening the festivities with their kick-off event, “Shave the Date,” in Lazaridis Hall.

At 7 p.m., join them in the Clubs’ Office, where they will be explaining what will be happening and when for the rest of the month.

“We’re going to have food, games, a photo booth. People are gonna be able to sign up their teams and music” said Zack Hijazi, President of the Movember committee.

If you aren’t able to make the event, there will be an online Movember sign up page to provide your information so they can send you updates throughout the month.

Movember as a movement offers

Ambing.

Their next focus was on testicular cancer, the highest diagnosed-cancer in men, between the ages of 15 and 39. Especially for younger men, general health is not often a priority.

“There’s 100 different things that run through a young guys mind.

Often — and unfortunately — [testicular] health isn’t one of them,” Ambing said.

Ambing notes that continuing the conversation surrounding men’s health and mental wellness, especially regarding suicide, is crucial.

“Men in today’s day and age, we

grow up in a society that tends to personify the typical male as that stoic, quiet, strong-willed individual,” Ambing said.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2009 there were approximately 3,890 deaths attributed to suicides: 2,989 were male and 901 were female.

“What we’re really trying to do is bring suicide out of the dark, out of the shadows and into the light … talking can be live-saving,” Ambing said.

In 15 years of annual operation, the Movember Foundation has had a total of over five million “Mo Bro’s and Sistas”: the affectionate title they use to refer to their community.

“We’ve raised 924 million dollars Canadian globally — and what’s really, really incredible is we’ve been able to fund over 1200 projects worldwide and they all surround our three main causes,” Ambing said.

“For us, it’s all about helping stop men from dying too young.

We want men to live happier, longer lives.”

There will be a number of opportunities throughout the month to get involved with Movember, either by growing out a moustache in support, hosting events, donating to the cause or simply showing your support online.

“At the end of the day it’s a very important cause. [It’s] something that’s near and dear to our hearts,” Hijazi said.

ment to work to see this campus become a reality,” Dubenofsky added. “Members of the community are anxiously waiting Laurier’s arrival.”

“We are starting to regroup now,” Krantz said. “Moving forward I will make sure that there is a campus here in Milton.”

However, before there can be

talk of a Laurier and Conestoga campus in Milton once again, Laurier, Milton and its partners will need to go back to the drawing board and find a way over this hurdle.

“In the absence of the provincial funding, Laurier will need to pause and reflect and reset,” Dubenofsky said.

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

a chance for people to share their stories, connect with others and spread recognition for a number of under-discussed and often socially inappropriate topics.

“I am a testicular cancer survivor, so that is why I wanted to get involved. I’ve been through that whole experience and I understand how tough it is and the importance of raising awareness,” Hijazi said.

“Personally, when I found out about this committee … I wanted to take on a bigger role. It’s just a very important cause to me, [one] that I know I have the opportunity to do great things with, so that’s

why I wanted to take on the role.”

This contagious social campaign began in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia. Following the decision and subsequent growth in popularity to use the moustache as the face of their movement, their research led them to their first cause.

“We started with prostate cancer and that’s because [of ] the numbers,” said Travis Ambing, development manager, community for the Movember Foundation.

In the way that breast cancer support has their pink ribbon, so too does prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s health now has their “hairy ribbon,” according to

CAMPUS

Milton cancellation update MARGARET RUSSELL LEAD REPORTER

Last week, the Progressive Conservative government of Ontario announced its termination of funding for the construction of three post-secondary institutions across the province. The project was approved by the former provincial government in 2015, but planning has been in the works for nearly a decade.

After years of preparation and anticipation, Wilfrid Laurier University’s joint Milton campus with Conestoga College will have to wait, along with Ryerson University and Sheridan College’s campus in Brampton, as well as York University and Seneca College’s campus in Markham.

This cut for funding is saving the provincial government over 300-million dollars and was an abrupt decision made mainly in response to a “fiscal deficit.”

“We were given no signals that the withdrawal of provincial funding was imminent,” said Deborah Dubenofsky, vice-president of finance and administration at

Wilfrid Laurier University.

Wilfrid Laurier University, as well as the town of Milton, condemn this decision based on the massive opportunity this campus would have presented to expand educational resources for existing and new programs, as well as making Laurier University and Conestoga College more accessible to students in the GTA. “We’re of course very disappointed by the withdrawal of the Provincial funding,” Dubenofsky said.

“We’ve been working with the town of Milton and community partners for over 10 years to improve access to post-secondary education.”

Milton’s mayor, Gordon Krantz, stated that overwhelming disappointment is “an understatement.”

The town of Milton has been working with Laurier and developing plans for the Milton Education Village since March of 2008.

This village will be an approximately 400-450 acre development which is anticipated to include not only a Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College campus,

but an abundance of educational resources for students.

“The previous government had indicated its preference for the Milton campus to focus on S.T.E.A.M: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics,” Dubenofsky said.

“Laurier, in concert with Conestoga College, put together a proposal [to facilitate] about 2,500 students in the S.T.E.A.M program.”

The introduction of engineering programs at Laurier would be a welcomed addition to Laurier’s range of educational options and would be “a differentiator from what we do in both Waterloo and Brantford,” Dubenofsky said, “That is — and remains — a priority.”

Although this prospective campus will have to be implemented without assistance from the provincial government at this time, there remains a large degree of commitment from both Wilfrid Laurier University and the town of Milton, in collaboration with many community partners.

“There’s a real interest in proceeding … all of the partners remain steadfast in their commit-

GARRISON OOSTERHOF/FILE PHOTO

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

LGBTQ+

Trans allyship event offers safe, supportive space HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday, Oct. 25, the WLU Rainbow Centre hosted part one their annual Trans Allyship workshop series, taking place at the Paul Martin Centre.

The workshop was facilitated by trans community organizers to give participants the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to practice allyship with trans students within our community.

“Trans Allyship is a workshop that was created by the Rainbow Centre volunteers, a coordinator from a couple years ago, and it’s updated every year, but the purpose is to sort of help bring that basic knowledge into the wider community, especially when you’re in this space [The Rainbow Centre] all the time, it’s really easy to just assume everyone knows things,” said Milas Hewson, administrator for the Rainbow Centre, part of Laurier’s Diversity & Equity Office.

The Rainbow Centre is a safe space on the Waterloo campus for students, faculty, staff, administrators and visitors who are LGBTQ+ identified, queer-friendly or allies, with their Brantford counterpart being the Queer Sphere.

“The second part is more interactive where you’re talking about privilege in small groups and bringing it to larger conversations and giving more concrete examples as to what a person can actually do to promote allyship in their own lives and their own spaces and their own communities.”

The Rainbow Centre is part of the Diversity & Equity office,

which works with many different centres and associations on campus that aim to cultivate an inclusive culture on campus where students can feel equal and safe, as they provide not only support for students who are feeling marginalized, but also provide education to all students to ensure people on campus are treating each other with respect.

“I think especially within academic communities like this, sometimes marginalized voices tend to have the hardest time, and that’s compounded on layers of marginalization; there’s trans folks, and then there’s trans folks of colour, and then there’s trans women of colour. I think it brings a bit more basic knowledge into the community, it invites people to have these conversations and just be aware. A lot of people don’t think about these things from day to day, and just seeing that there’s a poster for trans allyship, people think ‘Oh! Trans people on campus, that’s a thing that exists,” Hewson said.

“I think a lot of times some people forget that, and once you start the conversation to give people concrete ways in which they can do better, I think that’s also really important.”

heart of Waterloo, it’s that beating vibrancy that we have a cool vibe going on here; the shops, the restaurants, all the businesses here, a lot of them are unique and different from going to the mall or

wherever else where you just get the regular, trendy stores and that kind of thing,” Van Kalsbeek said.

“Everything here is unique and it’s very cool. I believe that uptown is the beating heart of Waterloo.”

“It’s basically a workshop where we sort of start with a bit of an explanation of what some of the terms are, what some of it means, just to help educate on what trans people face, what it’s like as much as it can be.”

I think especially within academic communities like this, sometimes marginalized voices tend to have the hardest time.

-Milas Hewson, administrator for the Rainbow Centre

SADMAN SAKIB RAHMAN/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

The Rainbow Centre runs many programs like events such as these workshops, hosting speakers, having open discussion forums and other resources to bring research, awareness training and education to students on campus.

“Even just the number of times

I’m surprised by people not knowing something that I think is common knowledge, I think that’s what makes trans allyship so valuable, it gives us an opportunity to give that basic education and put it out there, invite people into the conversation,” Hewson said.

UPTOWN

Let there be lights! Waterloo’s “Waterluminate” LED lighting HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 24, 2018, the UpTown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA) and the city of Waterloo released an official statement about the “Waterluminate LED lighting” that lines uptown Waterloo’s King Street, from Waterloo Public Square up to Bridgeport Road, with the final construction leading all the way up to Central Street.

The lights are structured up along the trees that currently line King Street, with metal fixtures that will not inhibit the growth of the trees, but protect their bases and are programmable with over 16 million different colour options.

They are being used for holidays and celebrations within the city and can be rented out by different organizations for a fee of $50 for 30 minutes, to display colours to raise awareness for charities or events.

“So basically, kind of like Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower or the CN Tower, there’s an ability to put in a request to illuminate the lights in a specific colour that is in support of a specific cause,” said Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director of the UpTown Waterloo BIA. “It’s just to help them bring more awareness to their initiative.”

The lights are part of a greater scheme to beautify uptown, as much of King Street in the uptown core had been under construction from February of 2016 until December of 2017.

The addition of these lights along with bike lanes and rainbow crosswalks are all efforts to emphasize the uniqueness of uptown.

The lights were also put in to replace the upkeep and look of old seasonal lighting — as these fixtures costs mere dollars a day to run.

The lights are also not run 24 hours a day, as they are switched off from 1:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. every day to conserve energy as a main focus with these fixtures is to also protect the environment, as the structures keep tree health in mind.

The whole inspiration behind them is all around place-making and making uptown Waterloo a place you have to be ...

-Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director, Uptown Waterloo BIA

“The whole inspiration behind them is all around place-making and making uptown Waterloo a place you have to be and a place you have to see and experience.

I know that the inspiration for it came from the Champs-Élysées in

Paris, which is the city of light.” Van Kalsbeek said.

I think uptown Waterloo is the heart of Waterloo, it’s that beating vibrancy that we have a cool vibe going on here.

-Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director, Uptown Waterloo BIA

“If you ever look at that street, they have lighting in the trees all up that street and that’s where the inspiration was taken from.”

The cost of the project was just over $659,000, but 16 per cent of the cost was covered by a provincial Main Street Revitalization Grant, 32 per cent was covered by the City of Waterloo, and the UpTown Waterloo BIA covered the remaining 52 per cent.

Uptown Waterloo is forever growing and changing, with new shops, restaurants, boutiques and bars moving into the city constantly. A hub for people not only in Waterloo to come together but visitors from all over, these lights are an addition to further enhance uptown’s core.

“I think uptown Waterloo is the

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 BUSINESS

Waterloo Night Market: a place to eat, a place to meet AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

JACKIE VANG/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

On Nov. 27 starting at 8 p.m., SE300 social entrepreneurship students from Wilfrid Laurier’s C3 Innovation Labs will be hosting their first ever “Night Market” for people to come together and enjoy a healthy social atmosphere with a number of other local businesses.

According to their HAWKstarter page, the goal of the Night Market is “to bring together local food vendors, live music and booths for local artisans to display and sell their work” and help create a feeling of community well-being and cohesion.

For this upcoming event, C3 Innovation Labs hosted a “soft launch” of their experiment on Oct. 21, “Waterloo Night Bites,” which gave them experience towards hosting the Night Market, as well as feedback in finding their M.V.P. — Minimum Viable Product.

Tristan Stephen, one of the hosts and participants in the Night Market, says that the purpose of the Nov. 27 Night Market will be to “provide students an opportunity to de-stress outside of the bar and classroom” and “engage relationships between the Laurier University and the local Waterloo residents.”

With 13,000 members currently interested in the Night Market, as

well as nearly 50 applicants for vendors, support for this event has grown tremendously in the past few weeks. The location for the event is currently tentative, but Waterloo Park is the site in mind.

We saw this as an opportunity to provide Laurier students ... with an opportunity to ... re-engage those relationships outside of the classroom.

-Tristan Stephen, host of the Waterloo Night Market

They will be accepting donations on their HAWKstarter page, as well as vendor applications, until the date of the event.

With regard to donations, the event is non-profit with all proceeds covering the cost to be able to “keep [the] event kindling and going on throughout the years,” Stephen said.

“The goal is around 30 vendors.

So different tents set up, vendors have products from homemade and unique Christmas gifts, to bath and body works, skin-care works,

to activities and games.”

“We’re currently setting up live entertainment; so some single individual artists, as well as maybe some more different, unique types of entertainment, such as circus [performers] and that kind of thing. Toward the end, the finale would be a proper band … [as well as] some interactive games ... like giant Jenga and things like that,” he said.

Their hope for the event is to engage the Laurier community with the local Waterloo residents so that a Waterloo Night Market can become a recurring, bi-weekly or monthly event that can persist into the future.

“We saw this as an opportunity to provide Laurier students — any students, Waterloo or high school students — with an opportunity to re-bond, reform and re-engage those relationships outside of the classroom,” Stephen said.

“We find that unfortunately around the Laurier and Waterloo campuses, there’s not many activities or excursions you can go [to] ... besides the bar and not everyone necessarily wants to go to the bar.”

“We thought that the Night Market would be a perfect opportunity and it provides [for] the Waterloo community … giving back and providing services and creating and endorsing businesses through that as well,” he said.

STUDENTS’ UNION

Presidential Sponsorship Program creates opportunities HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS EDITOR

The Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union president Tarique Plummer has announced a new initiative along with his executive team called the Students’ Union Presidential Sponsorship Program, where student groups can apply for funding to travel to cases and conferences that can be used to better enhance their club or association.

“During the campaign season one of the promises I made, a part of my 15-point platform, was to provide funding for competitive groups. Now I made that commitment based on speaking to numerous groups, with the understanding that when groups want to go and compete, there is limited funding opportunities available for them, and I realized that universities should be supporting student excellence,” said Tarique Plummer, President and CEO of the Students’ Union.

Any club, society, group or association may apply for the funding available on the Students’ Union Website, and the activities available to participate in through the funding include debates, case competitions, conferences, sports, dance competitions and musical competitions.

“There are ways in which we can get our names out there and

JACKIE VANG/FILE PHOTO

we can interest students to have the highest possible experiential learning opportunity there is, and so in order to tackle that issue, we decided from a Students’ Union perspective that it would be important for us to create a sponsorship program called the Presidential Sponsorship Program, that looks at providing subsidies for groups that are going to compete at the provincial, national and international level,” Plummer said.

The funding requires an appli-

cant to identify with a club, fill out their affiliation with said club, and provide documentation and information for the event they will be at to validate their attendance and to ensure the Students’ Union is allocating their funds for students wisely.

“We will provide you with some of the support when it comes down to accommodation and registration, and any other related expenses. We don’t necessarily provide all of the support, but we

want to ensure that its feasible and possible for you to go on that trip, and the program is open on an ongoing basis,” said Plummer.

Though there are some funding opportunities available on campus, many are through certain faculties or associations, whereas the Presidential Sponsorship Program is available to any undergraduate student group, regardless of their degree.

“This project is more so for this particular year, and we’ll see what

happens; if it is a very good year and the Students’ Union recognizes there is significant demand, they will hopefully continue it next year,” Plummer said.

“We want to see if it definitively has value, and one of the main reasons of doing this is to function as a catalyst.”

“Many people make the argument of should the Students’ Union be the ones to do this, well our argument is that students are going to go on these trips, we represent the students and want to support those initiatives.”

With the implementation of this program, Plummer has now accomplished one-third of the points he promised Laurier students in his platform, with others including a Students’ Union ambassador program, sports clubs and the Laurier app among others.

“For this particular year, which is in my budget, I have between 20 and 30 thousand dollars allocated for this project,” “Again, it’s on a trial basis, because we don’t know the demand, so we said hopefully this is a decent amount, but if we recognize the demand is very significant, that presents an opportunity for us as an organization to look in our budget to see if it’s possible to support in other ways, but this is all dependent on how successful the program is.”

6 • GAMES SUDOKU

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

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.

Guy waiting in line Dear Time, I need more of you to make up for my own lack of organization.

Sincerely, Assignment due at midnight Dear Aaron,

Dear Life

You’re the Buster to my Arthur, but, like, if they were a gay couple.

One time I stepped on the hawk and there was poo on my show

Sincerely, An Aardvark

Sincerely, Oops

Dear Life,

Dear Safina The monster mash is the worst Halloween song out there.

Sincerely, Spooky Snoot Dogg Dear Safina Your excitement for the Monster Mash gets my hype.

Sincerely, Lucy

It feels really good this year being part of a community - and such a fun-loving one at that. If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you should get involved, take some advice from me. I have always been a person who has never liked involving myself and meeting other people. This year changed that, and it’s all because I took a chance.

Take that chance.

Sincerely, Making memories (and friends) Dear Big H and M,

Dear Safina

Sincerely, You know who

You’re doing an awesome job, and you should feel great about it.

You work hard every week and we wouldn’t be the same without that effort. We’re rocking it this semester, and I hope we keep it up.

Dear rude boy at the Concourse Starbucks,

Sincerely, Big A

You out to have more respect for service staff, especially when they’re doing the best job they can. Getting angry and pissy and pissy, and demanding that they deliver your shitty coffee to you faster, only serves to piss off the rest of the people waiting patiently for theirs. It’s disrespectful and doesn’t reflect the attitude we want to promote at Laurier. #NotGolden my dude

Dear 205,

I’m so tired of sending you Dear Lifes.

Sincerely,

This is the most I’ve ever heard the Monster Mash, what a banger.

Sincerely, It’s a graveyard smash Dear CH, This has been the best one month and two days of my life.

Sincerely, Here’s to so so many more

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

BACHELOR GRADUATE NETFLIX SABRINA THROWBACK CLIMATE MILTON PHILANTHROPY SCHOLARSHIPS UPTOWN FEMINISM MOVEMBER RUGBY THRIFT WATERLOO

WANT MORE? CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE EXCLUSIVES. WWW.THECORD.CA

fill a gap in your program

GRADUATING IN 2019?

Don’t miss the deadline to be included in the 2019 yearbook & class composite.

Book your graduation photos now at wlusp.com

Athabasca University has over 850 courses to choose from to meet your needs and courses start every month. AU has over 6,600 transfer agreements around the world (including with this institution).

8 •

FEATU

FEATURES EDITOR/MADELINE MCINNIS/FEATURES@THECORD.CA

Catching the cash to send you further Features Editor, Madeline McInnis, talks everything you need to know for receiving internal, external and prestigious scholarships.

I think I speak for a lot of us considering post-graduate education when I say one of the scariest parts is the cost.

After building up debt — and maybe some bad spending habits — throughout our undergraduate degrees, the price tag attached to further education, be it through university or college, is not a small one.

Like everything else in university, no one is holding our hands through any of this. Applying to Laurier, each of us probably had countless tours and orientation sessions, or at least a personal connection at the very least.

Now? Applying for further education and trying to find the money to get there? A lot of the weight is on our shoulders.

“As a current student, we always encourage students to complete our competitive scholarship profile,” said Necia Martins, associate registrar with Wilfrid Laurier University’s student finance and client services.

“We have our general profile as well as our faculty specific profiles, and those do make you eligible for more awards internally, where our donors have signalled that that’s what they’re looking for: someone who’s well-rounded and academic, as well as excelling in other areas outside of academics.”

And that’s nothing to scoff at. At Laurier, Martins stated that there are awards that are worth over $10,000.

From personal experience, I received a pretty hefty renewal scholarship through Laurier in my first year that I didn’t even know existed — all because of my extracurricular involvement in high school. You never know what you might get plopped on your lap if you just fill out the profile.

That goes for other universities as well. If you’re considering graduate school in the next few years, find out about how they administer awards, whether it’s through a profile like Laurier or individual applications.

Some scholarships and awards need more preparation than others, so it’s always good to get ahead.

“We request essays or any sort of written component typically for specific awards,” Martins explained. “Sometimes all the criteria boxes are checked by completing the profile, but in some of them we find we want to understand a bit more about your interests or a bit more about your experiences.”

“We are asking those questions to better understand you.”

If you’re applying to graduate school next year, though, you have the opportunity to apply for plenty of external funding, as well.

“Start early, do some research, talk to faculty, talk to colleagues, talk to the writing tutors,” encouraged Jordana Garbati, writing consultant at the newly re-branded Laurier writing services, formerly the writing centre.

She and her co-worker, fellow writing consultant James Southworth, ran a series of workshops on writing scholarship proposals earlier this year.

“If you’re applying to graduate school, I would definitely apply as well for an external scholarship. These are winnable awards, every university has a certain allotment to give out. It’s a unique type … you’ll be continuing to write these through your graduate career,” Southworth said.

Though most of the deadlines for external awards for current graduate students have passed, the deadlines for undergraduates applying for funding at the graduate level

are still upcoming.

“The biggest thing to focus on is framing your project as opposed to just starting your proposal with what you are going to do. It’s very hard for an assessor of that project to understand that it’s making a contribution to the field, so first take a step back and tell us what’s happening in the field and expose some kind of a research gap,” Southworth said.

The national scholarships, NSERC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council; SSHRC, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; and CIHR, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, make up the tri-council of research grants to scholars and students alike. Make sure to check online and with your program about specific deadlines.

“It can get quite complex, so start early to make sure that you are ticking all of their boxes,” Southworth said.

These external award applications will be assessed by scholars both within your field of study upon your application and from those outside of it. Southworth encouraged having a friend from a different discipline read your proposal to see if it makes sense to them, as well as your faculty specific mentors.

“Here at writing services, we certainly help with the writing of the scholarship proposals, but information about how the funding works and how it’s allotted … the graduate department is able to advise about that,” Garbati said. “There are other places on campus to get support.”

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is another opportunity for students. Though you can only accept a national award or a provincial one, there is no harm in applying for both.

Some other good news is that, when applying from an undergraduate level, you’re not cemented into completing your research proposal to the exact way you submitted it.

“You’re writing a grant proposal, but it’s not a contract,” Southworth said. “Part of the rational there is that when you’re

URES

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 • 9

Start early, do some research, talk to faculty, talk to colleagues, talk to the writing tutors.

-Jordana Garbati

at graduate school, you’re going to be exposed to so many new ideas and projects can take different turns.”

“Research and writing evolves,” Garbati said. “Don’t lie, you’re still hopefully following the same path, but if it gets off track onto a new track in the same area, that’s okay as long as you’re representing your work honestly.”

For those who are considering applying to even more competitive external awards, Martins also oversees the Laurier selection of students for the Rhodes Scholarship. In its essence, the Rhodes scholarship pays for students to attend Oxford University in the United Kingdom for two years at a graduate level.

Two students are selected from Ontario every year, so it is incredibly competitive and Laurier has set up a vetting system to send forward the students they think will be the most competitive.

“If students are interested, they don’t necessarily need to be a student today. They can be a graduate, as long as they meet the other criteria, like the age criteria,” Martins explained.

“The scholarship is based on finding that well-rounded, someone-whowants-to-change-the-world kind of person ... an amazing human that does such incredible things,” she continued.

If this scholarship, arguably the most prestigious in the world, looks at more than just your grades, that should be a good indication that your involvement matters. You can be an amazing scholar, but you can’t just keep your nose buried in a book all the time.

The takeaway from it all? Research early. Get in contact with the program advisor in the subject you want to apply for, even if you’re not planning to apply to Laurier for your education. Get advice from your professors.

And, for the sake of your mental health and for your chances at those big scholarships, do something other than studying. Get involved early so you can make the natural progression up to positions like president that look good on a resume.

“Represent yourself fairly, honestly as best as you can,” Garbati said.

Layout by Sadman Sakib Rahman/Creative Director

10 •

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

Arts & Life

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR EMILY WAITSON arts@thecord.ca

Shopping for the sustainably conscious YITIAN CAI/CORD PHOTOGRAPHY

EMILY WAITSON ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

Thrifting and vintage shopping have turned into a rising trend in a time where sustainable fashion and the ethics surrounding it are becoming more valued in terms of how and where we shop.

Fast fashion dominates a large portion of clothing sales, which multiple large corporations have been revealed to make in order to produce their products at massive rates.

Cheap, low-quality accessories and clothing items that are made by the hands of workers who are paid below minimum-wage, in factories with questionable work environments, are the consequence of the fast fashion shopping world we live in.

The environment also takes a hit when clothes are produced at such high rates in such large quantities.

These short-lived purchases are inevitably thrown away within a year or less because their mediocre

quality can’t withstand longterm wear, with these items ending up in landfills as a result.

This is where thrifting provides a positive alternative to these questionable clothing practices.

Whether you’re new to finding thrift store wear or you’re an esteemed secondhand shopper, the key to finding what you want for the most reasonable price is going to the right stores to do it.

Thrift shopping is often associated with chain stores like Value Village and Talize.

Although these places offer affordable options and some unique finds, they aren’t the only choic-es you can go to and they aren’t necessarily the best if you’re looking for more to buy than your yearly Halloween costume.

White Tiger Vintage Boutique, located on King St. East, is a modest-sized store that operates to the beat of its own drum — marked by its distinct black and white signage out front and eye-catching window displays that alternate depending

on seasonal fashion trends.

Walking inside feels like stepping into a treasured and lovingly organized time capsule, and it’s clear that the store is a work of labour and care to the products they sell.

With busy walls, eclectic decor and a homey setting, White Tiger’s atmosphere is reminiscent of an inviting 1970s living room, its vibe effortlessly cool and relaxed.

White Tiger’s style savvy owner, Miranda Campbell, opened the store back in 2011, having been an avid vintage shopper herself in high school.

“I just really loved vintage clothing, I had a lot of clothes saved up over time from thrifting, so I had a collection. I just had an idea that I wanted to open up a shop like this,” Campbell said.

All of the stock you see in her store has been carefully chosen and has arrived from a variety of places in and out of the country.

“I travel quite a bit, so I’ll go to thrift stores along the way. I was

just in Montreal last weekend, so I picked up a lot of stuff there and I went to the States in the summer.

I like to travel around to get stuff, but I will look around locally and people will bring stuff in for me,” Campbell said.

Coming in here, it’s more selected than going into a thrift shop, because you have to sort through a lot of stuff.

-Miranda Campbell, White Tiger Vintage Boutique owner

Unlike other thrift stores, White Tiger has a selection of clothes that are specifically picked out and cared for before they’re on sale.

“I wash and I clean all of our clothes and we do a lot of repairs.

We put a lot into just putting it onto the floor. Coming in here, it’s more selected than going into a thrift shop, because you have to sort through a lot of stuff,” Campbell said.

“All of this denim and all of this leather is just made so much better than clothes now, so it actual-ly lasts a lot longer,” she said.

The quality is immediately clear just by looking at the clothes, accessories and shoes they have in store. Stacks of Levi jeans look close to brand new and racks of fall-coloured leather coats appear barely worn.

“Fashion always repeats itself.

Every single year, there’s always another era that becomes more strong,” Campbell said.

Secondhand does not mean second best, and it’s apparent with stores like White Tiger Vintage Boutique that you aren’t sacrificing style or quality for a thrifty purchase.

Sabrina bewitches Netflix viewers MADELINE MCINNIS FEATURES EDITOR

On Oct. 26, the long anticipated The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premiered on Netflix. Though it may not be the horror fix you’re looking for, it’s worth the watch whether you’re a fan of the comics or earlier adaptations or not.

If you’re a fan of Riverdale, the highest marketing point of Sabrina as the two shows have the same executive producers and happen in the same universe, it’s not exactly the same.

As a casual fan of both shows, I find Sabrina less annoying than Riverdale. Sabrina has less predictable writing, makes less terrible choices on the ends of the characters, and, well, plot lines that actually keep you engaged instead of frustrated. No side projects or new bands in this one!

What Sabrina does keep from the beloved campy buddy-cop comedy turned romantic horror that is Riverdale, is its appeal to

a wide age group. Though there are certainly some scary sequences that made me jump, they’re nothing compared to Netflix’s smash horror hit this season, The Haunting of Hill House.

Sabrina deals with the occult in every episode — she is a half-witch, after all. However, the majority of the series focuses on her relationships with the witches, warlocks and humans around her.

All things considered, it’s a very progressive show as well. From Sabrina starting a feminist club at her high school, affectionately called WICCA, to several gay characters in different positions throughout the show, representation certainly isn’t lacking.

The character of Ambrose Spellman, a young black man who’s chasing the affections of another man named Luke Chalfant, is a personal favourite of mine.

Ambrose is studious, charming, funny and has many more problems than those you typically see in characters like him.

Aunt Hilda could be seen as the token fat character in the series, but she’s more than that as well.

She’s motherly, sure, but she’s also wildly violent when necessary.

Rather than being reduced to a mother figure, she’s seen as both caring and irresponsible.

One of the best parts of the show is how this mismatched family supports each other, but also has its issues that the characters have to work through together.

Overall, Sabrina is great for anyone who can handle a little horror, but fist pumps when the guy gets the guy or the girl stands up to the man.

It’s charming, pun intended, and you’ll get invested in it in a way that you can’t with Riverdale — you don’t have to preface your love of Sabrina without first mentioning how bad you know it is.

If you’re looking for something to jump and laugh at with your feminist friends at the end of a long midterm season, Sabrina has 10 awesome hours for you to enjoy.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018 The general atmosphere in the establishment was as if a bunch of children had taken over the sound system in a smoking lounge.

The juxtaposition of middle-aged individuals sipping wine and beer while Matt Nathanson’s ‘Laid’ —most famously known as the American Pie song — played was an entertaining sight at the very least.

I don’t want to attack anybody here or disparage any business for trying to get more business with a draw like a themed music night, but I cannot sit here and lie about my experience.

Disregarding the music, I had a pleasant time.

The staff was very welcoming and polite, and they had alcohol, but that’s not why I was there.

The music did pick up a little while later with the inclusion of more recognizable hits from the era that was advertised on the pamphlets, but then it died out as unimpressively and abruptly as it started — the end of a technotronic song marking the end of the evening.

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Throwbacks to the 1990s aren’t doing businesses any favours JACOB ARNAD STAFF WRITER

As I exited the cold exterior of Queen Street and entered the elegant interior of The Walper Hotel, the sound of EMF’s ‘Unbelievable’ flooded my ears.

I walked up to the second floor

lounge and was greeted with the sight of 11 people: A group of five people sitting at a table who appeared to be playing a card game of some sort (upon further inspection they were all just on their phones), three at the bar, two bartenders and a DJ in the corner standing behind a MacBook.

This was The Lokal’s 90s night.

This general vibe continued on into the night with “DJ Good DR” spinning hits that were just 90s enough to appease the crowd who came for this reason.

Unfortunately, that crowd was non-existent.

Although the night was advertised in an attempt to garner more business, there were no more people there than there would have been regularly.

During my time spent at The Lokal, I had a few questions in mind in regards to their themed night.

I was curious as to whether these themed nights were popular, and that answer was given to me

without any mistake as soon as I entered the lounge at the start of my evening.

This general vibe continued on into the night with “DJ Good DR” spinning hits that were just 90s enough to appease the crowd...

Although the night was advertised in an attempt to garner more business, there were no more people there than there would have been during regularly.

These people obviously came to drink in a pseudo-upscale setting with their friends, and the music did not impact their choice one way or another.

But why a 90s night? Obviously, there has to be a reason to use that focus to try and get people to come and drink at your bar instead of any other bar in the city.

I think it boils down to nostalgia, but more importantly the perceived importance of nostalgia in the eyes of businesses.

It’s no secret that looking back at the past with rose-tinted glasses is a favourite past-time of many people on the planet, but businesses have to understand that they need to include substance along with their capitalization on their consumers.

Having a night where you play music that is vaguely 90’s is not going to inspire anyone to visit your business unless they have another reason to be there; like writing an article for the school paper, for example.

Penning love letters to inclusive feminism AARON HAGEY NEWS EDITOR

On Wednesday, Oct. 24, between 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., the Rainbow Centre, the Centre for Women and Trans People and Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG) hosted their “Love Letters to Inclusive Feminism” event at Wilfrid Laurier.

Located within Macdonald House on the Laurier Waterloo campus, the event ultimately offered a chance for individuals to come together, write, craft and participate in an evening of selfcare in an inclusive and supportive environment.

“The event was meant to be a comfortable space for folks to come together [and] get support: we offered active listening, crafts, relaxing activities, button making, opportunities for expression and chances to talk about how feminism and inclusive movements need to also include trans people, gender non-conforming folks and diverse people as well, especially those in marginalized positions,” said Milas Hewson, administrator of the Rainbow Centre and one of the hosts for the event.

“[So] we wanted to provide a space for folks to have a conversation about that, as well as just find a comfortable, safe space to exist in the context of a lot of nastiness in the States. In Canada, it’s a tricky time to try to exist right now,” they said.

The other hosts joining them included Amanda Fitzpatrick, coordinator for the Glow Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity and Karly Rath, volunteer and community engagement director from LSPIRG. One of the main issues they wanted to address was the feeling of loneliness and disconnection from the rest of the community that can often accompany being around the greater area of the campus.

Having these kinds of events offers a safe space to go and meet other people that have similar experiences and that allow open, honest and non-judgemental communication that can precipitate sympathy and empathy from individuals that might have had similar experiences.

“It’s super important, especially with the general environment that’s going on at a lot of university

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

campuses — a lot of people don’t feel super safe. So it’s really important to have these places where you can build community and you can meet other people,” Fitzpatrick said.

Accessing feminist spaces has historically been a sizable obstacle for trans and gender non-conforming people.

“It’s interesting because a lot of the time it’s trans folks who have

sort of lead those movements in the past and there’s a real rise of that sort of exclusionary version of feminism, when really the position of the Rainbow Centre and I believe the other organizations who hosted this, is feminism is a movement that should be for all women.

If your feminism isn’t inclusive, it’s not really feminism,” Hewson said.

“Excluding folks from that movement a) implies they’re not really women or that they’re not experiencing this gender based harm and violence and b) really excludes people who have been vital to that movement and erasing that history that’s so important there.”

With regard to events in the future, as part of “16 days of activism,” the CWT and Rainbow Centre are partnering on an event regarding trans activism and its history in North America, as well as continuing trans allyship workshops and fulfilling the need for supportive spaces.

The Glow Center will also be hosting a Trans Day Remembrance vigil, as well as an event specifically for trans women of colour and will be continuing to advocate for intersectional events across the university campuses.

12 •

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s Note: Finding balance struggle.

After working all day, starting to work on assignments, readings and essays is never an easy choice when I could go home and watch Netflix with my favourite person.

But balancing all the things I love — although some tasks are less fun than some others — is super important.

On some afternoons that are less busy at work, I choose to go to the gym instead of working ahead here at The Cord or finishing an assignment that would relieve a lot of stress for the following week.

And on the weekends, making plans with friends — even though that time could be spent studying — is probably going to help your overall well being in the long run.

For me, I’ve never thrived off the stress of leaving an essay, assignment, or studying until the night before.

I know that I can’t manage to accomplish anything of substance or quality while running off of a few hours or zero sleep.

In this same way, I think it’s pretty universal to say that focusing on school 24/7 is never as productive as we think it should be.

All of this and more was the main message iterated through Thrive Week held at Laurier last week. The initiative was aimed at educating students about how to care for their well being and reminding them to take breaks mentally as well as physically in the form of eating healthy and getting exercise.

Finding a balance between everything you have in your life is a process. During a busy week at school, the things you prioritize might change, leaving more room for studying and preparing.

Despite these busy times, there’s always room to balance other things. Finding the right amount of everything is never an exact science and is always changing.

SAFINA HUSEIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Now that we’ve just passed the midway mark of this fall academic semester, it seems the amount of work we need to finish continues to pile higher and higher.

In the midst of constantly feeling bogged down by classes and school work, it can seem difficult to foster a balanced lifestyle.

It seems that no matter how much time we spend striving to catch up on readings while keeping up with assignments and midterms, it seems impossible to feel 100 per cent caught up.

Every weekend, I tell myself I’m going to use my time wisely and catch up on all the reading I neglected to do during the week. I’m sure I’m not alone in my continued procrastination every weekend after a long week of work and classes.

Although spending all Saturday and Sunday catching up would make you feel immensely less stressed on Monday; leaving yourself feeling exhausted and going without a mental break all week is not conducive to being productive.

For those people who work parttime or full-time jobs and have committed your time to extra-curriculars in addition to school, knowing how to prioritize it all can be a challenge. Especially while attempting to add a social and personal life into the mix.

This year for me, working a full-time job while still in school part-time, it has been a challenge to adapt to and to figure out how to balance all of my commitments.

As I spend most of my time running a publication that I love and am passionate about, finding the time to put my job aside and work on school has been my major

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

EDITORIAL CARTOON

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Marketing often lacks creativity nect to their customers, it makes you wonder if these companies really care or not. It’s not very creative to be using a format you didn’t create over and over again.

SADMAN SAKIB RAHMAN CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Last week I noticed my friend wearing a shirt that said “Netflix and Bills.” Immediately, I pointed how that motto is truly sad and a disappointing way of living.

It made more sense when she turned around and I saw that her shirt was a gift Domus gave. But I was more intrigued by the text at the bottom that clearly visualized a collaboration between a hip marketing company and Domus. The real issue started here.

Firstly, the fact that a housing company had to collaborate to come up with such a simple shirt baffled me.

I couldn’t wrap my head around how out of touch the marketing department could’ve been to have to outsource a job like this. But that’s just one way of looking at things.

There could’ve been a situation where the company truly didn’t have the time or resources to come up with ideas themselves.

We’ve all seen many renditions of the same old “Netflix and Chill,” but when you start seeing it being used so often by companies to con-

Sometimes I look at a particular advertisement and feel inspired, and sometimes I look at ads and just contemplate how I would’ve done something different.

As I said before, that’s just one way of looking at things. My friend, whose shirt got me thinking in the first place, really likes that shirt. So maybe the companies achieved what they really wanted.

This is just one of the many situations where I questioned the creative presence in business.

I cannot keep complaining about the lack of creativity without acknowledging the fact that there’s countless marketing campaigns which exhibited creativity and originality like never seen before.

But just like everything else, the

number of failed ideas due to the lack of originality outnumbers the successful ones. Through careful observation you can clearly see how the industry is heavily saturated with similar ideas and concepts.

This isn’t really an issue for most people but being a creative myself and seeing how hard individuals need to work to get recognized only to have to work creating things that aren’t very eye-catching is disappointing.

A lack of creative freedom definitely exists in various aspects of business, but where would the world be without the generation of original ideas? Sometimes I look at a particular advertisement and feel inspired, and sometimes I look at ads and just contemplate how I would’ve done something different, maybe better.

Here’s where I changed my thinking into a more optimistic one. There’s endless businesses and companies that need help connecting to their customers because the people in charge focus too much on the business aspects giving all of us the impression that maybe there’s truly no place for creativity in business.

There’s a very real opportunity for individuals who want to pursue a career in marketing. Granted, the field is very saturated and competitive but if you truly have ideas that are innovative, you can thrive.

•

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

Opinion

13

OPINION EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO opinion@thecord.ca

Environmentalism is about more than banning straws climate change, even if it means spending a little more money, will have an impact.

ELIZA MORATZ STAFF WRITER

If you have purchased a drink on campus lately, you might have noticed that the plastic straw you are used to has all but been replaced by its paper counterpart.

This change has followed recent discussions about ways to be more environmentally-friendly in our daily lives.

This is fantastic. It is showing that more people are becoming aware of the dangers facing our environment.

However, it can be easy to think that everything can be fixed with a paper straw, but the problem is much bigger.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) latest report announced that the the world only has approximately 12 more years to cut carbon emissions in order to keep the Earth’s temperature from rising above 1.5 Celsius, and bringing catastrophic results with it.

In light of this report, many articles have been published urging consumers to do their part in tackling climate change.

People are encouraged to use their own mug when getting coffee,

Climate change cannot be stopped only by individuals passing on disposable coffee cups or turning off the tap when they brush their teeth.

According to the Carbon Majors Report, 70 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988 have been caused by only 100 companies.

Corporations must act if there is any hope to avoid the fatal effects of climate change. That doesn’t mean there is nothing we can do, however. Individual consumers have the ability to influence the actions of corporations.

We can choose not to purchase something unless we actually need it, and purchasing what we do need second hand, if possible.

If not, supporting companies that are taking a stand against

This is an opportunity for you to vote with your dollars, and endorse corporations that actually care about our planet.

To truly make a difference, we as consumers have to change our lifestyle. Despite what some people might want you to believe, it is not people from developing countries or those living in poverty that are the problem.

It is the over-consumption by wealthy individuals from countries like Canada that abuse our resources (and often place the blame on others).

So, the next time you’re out to eat, remember that you won’t destroy the environment by using a plastic straw. However, we just might if we never think about anything beyond that.

bigotry. So let’s stand for love and kindness and make the world brighter every day.

Thus, by spreading morality and having a responsibility to one another, we can stop the next shooter, not by our sword but by their will.

As a final note, while it is easy to become depressed and dejected from events like these, and justifiably so, there is a time for mourning and a time for action.

As such, I want to say to every Jew, that while this is definitely an

attack on the Jewish people as a whole, and one might feel hurt and scared to be Jewish: by standing strong and proud as a Jew in light of these events means the attacker has failed. It means that as a nation the light shines bright, and no matter what we stand together proud of our heritage and with the promise that when we said “never again” we meant it.

So stand proud of who you are for those who died because of who they were.

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

to keep showers short, turn the lights off when they’re not in the room, reduce their meat and dairy consumption, and other small, easy tasks that people can do to help the environment without even thinking about it.

I believe that is part of the problem: if you do want to help the environment, you have to think about it.

I’ve always been concerned about the environment. My friends are used to me getting on their nerves by forcing them to sort their recycling instead of just throwing everything in the garbage.

I understand the well meaning

behind these acts and can appreciate that people are making an effort to lessen their impact on the environment. They play an important role in keeping our Earth clean, so keep doing them.

But this isn’t enough. People cannot only ask for a straw-free lid and believe that they are saving the planet. Climate change cannot be stopped only by individuals passing on disposable coffee cups or turning off the tap when they brush their teeth.

Sure, that will be helpful in terms of keeping plastic out of the ocean and conserving fresh water, but the issue runs much deeper.

Moving forward after devastation BOBBY PLAX OPINION COLUMNIST

It hasn’t been easy trying to start this article. I must have written pages of introductions but no matter how they start they all end the same, with bullets perpetually ripping through the hearts of every Jewish community.

On Oct. 27, 2018 as Rabbi Jeffrey Meyers spoke to his congregation, with the light of God on his lips, a man with darkness in his soul and evil in his heart began to shoot into the congregation.

By the time the authorities had arrived, the shooter had killed 11 people and had injured six others.

Why? Because they were Jews.

They were guilty of nothing else other than being true to themselves.

However, as the gunman (whom I will not dignify with a name) sits in custody, the real question is what happens now? How do we patch the wounds in us all?

As a Jew who’s lived in Squirrel Hill, this is truly something that hits very close to home, and it should for everyone simply

because we’re human. We share the same earth, lie under the same stars and breathe the same air.

Yet somehow, this numbing divide of virtual space distances us from the ability to mourn with one another: to be able to capture the darkness and transform it into something other than a post on Facebook.

This tragedy cannot simply be forgotten, so in memory and for life, we cannot sit for hatred and bigotry. So let’s stand for love and kindness and make the world brighter every day.

And though the sentiment is incredible, in today’s darkening world we need action, because what happens next is our choice.

To me, the choice is clear; in the face of darkness, light a fire by spreading acts of goodness and kindness.

Utilize the unique qualities in every single one of us, be proud

of our differences, because only through them can we add to this world.

We each have the potential to move mountains. I mean we’ve almost made it to Mars—how crazy would it be to open the door for someone, give charity or simply smile at someone?

There’s a quote by Maimonides that says: “One should see the world and see himself as a scale with an equal balance of good and evil. When he does one good deed the scale is tipped to the good — he and the world is saved. When he does one evil deed the scale is tipped to the bad — he and the world are destroyed.”

Every day we have the ability to save the world by adding something from ourselves to it. In this way we start repairing the world, and as such, the victims of this attack will be able to live on in every act of kindness we achieve.

We all must be proud of who we are and wear our differences (in my case, a Kippah) with pride regardless of anti-Semitism, racism, islamophobia, and so on; because it’s by the very notion that we have different roles in life that allow us to truly live and love each other, by helping one another.

This tragedy cannot simply be forgotten, so in memory and for life, we cannot sit for hatred and

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

14

• OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

We need LGBTQ+ representation on the small screen MADELINE MCINNIS FEATURES EDITOR

The latest hot gossip out of Bachelor Nation isn’t the usual faux-pas with roses, or this season’s villain — it’s one of the contestants going after one of her female housemates instead of the bachelor.

In late September, an episode of The Bachelor: Vietnam aired featuring two contestants, Minh Thu and Truc Nhu, leaving the rose ceremony together after Thu confessed her affections, and the bachelor, Quoc Trung Nguyen, was left behind.

This cultural moment has made international headlines, and LGBTQ+ Asian Advocacy groups have picked up on the women and their story. It’s being called unprecedented and a radical change from the norm.

Honestly, I’m not sure why this hasn’t happened before — or perhaps it’s only happened off camera.

It seems like a natural sort of set up that’s created in The Bachelor where everyone is surrounded by the pressure to find love, and I’m sure that a lot of the contestants’ sexualities are more fluid than viewers are lead to believe.

Especially after a dedicated internet campaign for a lesbian version of The Bachelor, this may just be the last push that the pro-

ducers need to actually make that vision a reality.

On the cynical side of things, I’m sure that the people in charge of Bachelor Nation will see the attention that this event received and what it did for their ratings.

On the positive side, I’m sure they’ll also see that the very vast majority of reports on the event depicted it as a positive change from the norm.

From Survivor to Big Brother, reality competition shows rarely show same-sex couples. Though I don’t doubt that much of this falls on the fact that it’s mostly heterosexual people that are cast in these shows, it certainly can get monotonous as well.

Though reality TV isn’t known for it’s trueto-life content, normalizing and showing positive LGBTQ+ relationships will only benefit other representations in the future.

Representation is the word of the era when it comes to our fictive entertainment. It’s rare to read a review or a criticism that doesn’t talk about representation — or

lack-thereof.

Even in my film studies classes we often read and write papers that analyze the representations of different groups on screen.

This cultural moment has made international headlines, and LGBTQ+ Asian Advocacy groups have picked up on the women and their story.

Perhaps it’s time that the reality TV we consume starts to represent reality as it really is — a diverse array of people from all walks of life.

In an ideal world, I wish I didn’t have to hear about a so-called unprecedented same-sex couple.

I wish that it was just so normal to see that it was considered old news and completely glanced over.

Instead of The Bachelor: Vietnam making international headlines for an unprecedented lesbian relationship, lesbian relationships — any LGBTQ+ relationship, for that matter — should be normalized.

Let’s see shows with diverse casts. Let’s see a bisexual bachelor with contestants of all genders.

Even better, release people of all sexualities and genders into “para-

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Social media is self-serving ALYSSA DI SABATINO OPINION EDITOR

On Feb. 16, 2018, Drake dropped his music video for his single God’s Plan, which depicts him donating his $996 631.90 video budget to Miami residents.

Throughout the video he paid for strangers’ groceries, gave a teenager a new car, personally handed

stacks of money to families on the street, took people on shopping sprees, gifted children with piles of toys, paid university students’ tuition fees and donated large sums of money to the University of Miami, the Miami Fire Department and Lotus Home Women's Shelter.

Drake, who is one of the highest-paid rappers, earned the fifteenth spot for most-liked video on YouTube for God's Plan.

This was his second single of his recently dropped album Scorpion.

God's Plan is reflective of a recent trend in which people record themselves doing good deeds and

then post them online.

One example of this is the #helpinghandchallenge wherein participants are encouraged to post videos of themselves helping homeless people and participating in other acts of generosity.

Something worth noting is that Drake didn’t donate his money out of pocket for God's Plan; he donated the video’s budget.

Drake achieved number one on the billboard charts through this song, and the video received a very positive public reception, arguably bringing his likeability up further through his generosity.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

dise” together.

Not only will it make for great content, it’ll also draw in a whole other audience.

Rather than being the racy exception to the heterosexual rule, let Thu and Nhu be the standard.

The only way that we can normalize and de-stigmatize all sexualities is to see them, not sensationalize them.

I want to see a world where LGBTQ+ literature is integrated into the sections designated for other genres in bookstores, where the characters sexuality is incidental and they go on awesome adventures like heterosexual characters do.

I want to see the day where

LGBTQ+ characters are more than just sidekicks, and if they are in roles that provide them with more screen-time, they have more problems, more that they are fighting against, than a father who doesn’t understand their sexuality.

What we need, then, is to show this as a possibility — a reality — and that starts with seeing these relationships in everyday life.

Though reality TV isn’t known for its true-to-life content, normalizing and showing positive LGBTQ+ relationships will only benefit other representations in the future.

We need to see more diverse relationships, and they shouldn’t be making headlines.

Drake did a good thing. He most definitely changed a lot of lives through his donations.

It’s just that it’s hard to turn away from the initial assumption that people who share their acts of kindness with the world are doing it for any other reason than to paint themselves as a hero.

Social media outlets such as Instagram and YouTube are constructed with the very thought in mind that those who use their platforms are only posting the best, happiest, most generous versions of themselves.

ing up your phone and showcasing it for all your followers to see just doesn’t scream “altruism” to me.

I think it’s safe to say that the homeless man you took an offguard picture of after you handed him some change on the street doesn’t want his picture displayed for the world wide web to see.

Exploiting someone in need so that you can boost your social media likes is less selfless and more selfish.

I’m not saying “don’t be a good person,” but I am saying that your concern for others shouldn’t be immediately followed up by a tweet or a Snapchat video.

And if we’re being totally honest here, is there any form of “true” altruism?

With or without social media, altruism is always connected to a self serving motivation in some way. Social media only amplifies this notion.

This isn’t me saying that Drake isn’t generous or that he should’ve donated more. Regardless of how many photos were taken, or in this case, a music video, a good deed was still done.

But the line between raising awareness for a cause or just humbly bragging about your generosity becomes blurred as soon as you pull out your camera.

Humility is all about letting your actions speak for you.

Whether you are doing good deeds offline or online, the deed still gets done.

But ultimately, feeling good about helping someone should come regardless of how many likes you get on your latest post.

It’s hard to turn away from the initial assumption that people who share their acts of kindness with the world are doing it for any other reason than to paint themselves as a hero.

Whenever someone does something in the name of generosity and then swiftly decides to document it, it takes the good deed and reverses it completely to benefit the person’s reputation and ego.

Doing a good deed in and of itself should be enough.

Giving money to a homeless person, helping someone cross the street or giving a big tip to a service worker and then immediately pick-

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

Sports

• 15 SPORTS EDITOR PRANAV DESAI sports@thecord.ca

BASKETBALL

Basketball season gets under way at Laurier ABDULHAMID IBRAHIM LEAD SPORTS REPORTER

Potential comes with questions and the Laurier Golden Hawks men’s basketball team, with a little bit of a newer look this year, are out to prove something. With a 70-63 win over the Western Mustangs, they showed what they’re capable of.

The game started out being all Laurier. From great ball movement to great shooting, to playing great defence, the Golden Hawks could do no wrong, as they put it all together in the form of a 26-15 first quarter.

The second quarter was much of the same as they pushed their lead going into halftime to 16 with the score being 44-28, behind 62.1 per cent shooting from the field and 63.6 percent from three.

“I liked our ball movement offensively, our confidence. If you’re looking at the first half, offensively, was exactly how we draw as far as a game-plan. We did exactly what we wanted to do. I thought our groove was definitely on; I was happy about that, finally getting back into our style of play,” coach Serresse said.

In addition to great offence came great defence as they also forced the Mustangs into playing a lot of iso-ball in addition to the Mustangs being as cold as could possibly be, especially from 3-point land.

“We got lucky on a few breaks, they missed a lot of open shots.

The other thing, our defence was great again. For once, it’s in our favours, I just think we can still improve defensively, that’s just the

message we had at the end of the game.”

Led by Ali Sow and coach Serresse putting the prowess of the roster available to him, it didn’t seem like anything was changing in the second half.

Contrary to that belief, that’s exactly what happened. Western came out and strapped all the way up on the defensive end, forcing bad turnovers. With guys getting into foul trouble for Laurier, the Mustangs really capitalized with a 19-9 third quarter, bringing the lead down to four at one point and finally hitting a 3-ball after missing about their first 18.

The fourth quarter was a dog fight for both sides. Every time Western got within three or four points, Laurier came back with an answer to push the lead up anywhere from six to nine points. Getting big buckets in big moments is where Laurier found their way into finishing this game out, accompanied by Western’s nightmare-like shooting night.

The Wilfrid Laurier women’s basketball team were looking to make it two straight wins against the Western Mustangs following a 63-51 win in their season opener against the Brock Badgers to kick off the 2018-2019 season. On this night though, the Mustangs were out to show they were better than the 30-point loss they suffered to Guelph, as they came out with the 68-65 win in overtime against the Hawks.

The game was all Western to start as they swiftly jumped out to a 14-4 lead midway through the first quarter. They pressured Laurier on the defensive end and got the

buckets they needed led by Laura Graham and Julia Curran.

After slightly catching up to make it 20-14 to end the first, the Mustangs got back to business making the score 26-16 halfway through the second quarter.

If you’re looking at the first half ... we did exactly what we wanted to do. I thought our groove was definitely on.

-Justin Serresse, Laurier men’s basketball head coach

“First half, our defence started out not very good. We gave up a lot of points in the first quarter — 20 points, which we haven’t been doing a lot of this year. Offensively, we struggled. They put a little bit of pressure on the ball and we had trouble getting into our offence and I think overall, throughout the game, we turned it over too much.

That was probably the biggest problem at the beginning,” coach Falco said.

The second half was as close as could be with plenty of lead changes. Late in the fourth quarter, down 56-53, Julia Curran, not usually a 3-point shooter for Western, hit a 3-ball to tie the game with 10 seconds left and send it to overtime.

“So we had the lead, right down to the end, they made a tough

TANZEEL SAYANI/CORD ALUM

3-point shot out of a person who’s not usually a big 3-point shooter for them. Obviously if that doesn’t go in, we have a good chance of winning the game.”

Laurier held the lead for much of the overtime period until Curran tied the game on a free throw and then followed by a 3-pointer by Emma Johnson to put Western up 66-63 with 1:38 left.

Rachel Woodburn, who led the way for Laurier with 15 points and

nine rebounds, brought the Hawks within one point with a pair of free throws but Laurier could not capitalize on that as Western was able to finish out with the win behind Debora Kamba who made a key steal with no time to spare.

Next up for the women’s and men’s basketball teams will be back-to-back matchups against the reigning national champions, the Carleton Ravens, and Ottawa GeeGees in Ottawa.

16 • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

The importance of mental performance training JOHN MCMORRAN STAFF WRITER

Second place. Runner-up. The first loser. Couldn’t quite cut it. Failed when it mattered most. We reserve harsh sentiments for second place, because unless you’re at the top of the mountain, everyone else is looking upward.

However, the modern approach to athletic development is in a state of flux, and mental performance training is a rapidly-expanding field aimed at improving onfield performance. This season, Laurier’s women’s lacrosse team sacrificed one practice per week in favour of mental performance sessions led by Scott Donald and Melissa Pare. Donald is a graduate student in the faculty of Kinesiology at Wilfrid Laurier University, and former CIS cross-country athlete who captained Saint Francis Xavier’s men’s cross-country team from 2013-2016.

This combination of varsity success and thesis work lends Donald a unique perspective on sport performance, and when interviewed, I asked him just how these Monday sessions came about: “We presented the idea to the (team) and did one or two sessions (with them) and they decided, ‘hey, this is worth something …’ Maybe they (wanted) to transition out of the Monday practices anyways, but it worked well for them ... I think they really enjoyed the time off, and the different sort of training that they truly believed in.”

Overall the Golden Hawks women’s lacrosse team went 133-0, and knocked out Brock (8-4 in the quarterfinals), and Trent (8-7) in the semifinals, before the

unit... what do you tell these athletes when they lose?

“That'll probably be quite easy on my part, I don't think I'll have to re-frame any of those girls' thoughts. I think they're only taking positives out of their performance this past weekend, they came second in the province and competed against a very good team in the finals, and it was their best finish in a long time.”

Laurier fielded its best women’s

Athletes are human beings, and human beings are thinking all the time about how they feel and how ready they are ...

-Scott Donald, women’s lacrosse mental performance coach

KASHYAP PATEL/GRAPHICS ARTIST

championship loss to Queen’s.

From the outside it appears that the mental performance worked; in 2017 the Golden Hawks were 9-3-1 in the regular season, and 1-2 in the playoffs. However, how can mental performance sessions geared toward motivation, breathing and identification of negative anxiety help a team win more games? When asked this question, Donald replied: “Athletes are human beings, and human beings are thinking all the time about how they feel and about how ready they

are, every thought that enters their mind influences the behaviours they have, and to think that sport is predominantly physical is, to me, naive. Everything about training and nutrition, your attitudes and your cognitions essentially lead to how well you're going to adhere to those other aspects of sport. Your attitude toward eating well is going to impact your nutrition, your attitude toward waking up early and going to the gym will affect your training … The brain is pretty much what's powering all of the physical

(processes) inside of us. I think the mental piece is definitely something that can't be overlooked…”

It wasn’t, and all season long the Golden Hawks were a premier team in the OUA. But for such competitive athletes, falling one step short of the championship summit must sting. So I asked Donald, after a season of preparing for gold, of sweat and blood and injuries and exhaustion and long road trips and tired feet and sore limbs and straining and believing in this goal as a single, cohesive

year against Queen’s too. We realized we could compete with those guys,” he said.

“But I do believe there is a mental hurdle there that you still need to clear and I think the boys realize that and they’re ready to do that [this weekend against Guelph].”

The Hawks will now face a familiar foe, the Guelph Gryphons, in the OUA semi-finals. These two teams faced off in the last game of the regular season on Oct. 20 at University Stadium, with the Gryphons coming out on top with a huge 41-10 win.

It will arguably be an even tougher game for the Hawks this time around, considering the fact that the semi-final will be played in Guelph. One of the biggest reasons behind that 41-10 loss against Guelph was the missing presence of Andrew Quattrin.

“Number one we were missing a key cog in our wheel and that was Andrew Quattrin, our captain. He’s the straw that stirs this machine.

It’s tougher on the other guys to execute without him. Everybody plays a little bigger and a little braver when he’s on the field,”

lacrosse team in the past eight seasons, and they stood toe-to-toe with Queen’s, ceding victory only after a hard-fought 11-6 battle.

So Laurier did not bring home gold. But, we have the second-best women’s lacrosse team in Ontario, populated by a roster dedicated to honing its mental performance, and hungry for success in 2019.

But this was 2018. And whether you’re at the top of the mountain a loss is still a loss.

But that’s just not true. These girls aren’t the first losers. These girls are winners.

MEN’S RUGBY

Hawks make final four PRANAV DESAI SPORTS EDITOR

After a record breaking 2017 season, the Wilfrid Laurier men’s rugby team is looking to take the next step towards excellence here in 2018.

The Hawks finished the regular season with an overall record 6-2, with their two losses coming against Guelph and Queen’s, arguably the two best teams in Ontario.

Laurier began their playoff run this past weekend as they took on the McMaster Marauders in the first round of the OUA playoffs.

The Hawks started slow coming out of the gates, trailing the Marauders 13-5 at halftime. It was a difficult situation for the purple and gold, as they didn’t trail on many occasions during the regular season. However, the Hawks were able to flip a switch at halftime and they completely turned the game on its head in the second half.

“We weren’t used to being behind and some of the guys got a little frustrated because of that and it showed on the field a bit. So we just said let’s take a breath, relax and go and play our game because

we’re the better team and if we execute, we’ll win,” head coach Ian McLeod said.

“The senior guys came in and said ‘There’s no way this is going to be our last game’, and they took over from there.”

The veterans put on a show in the second half for Laurier. Led by captain Andrew Quattrin and team leading scorer Matt Fish, the Hawks put on an offensive showcase, scoring 26 points en route to a massive 31-13 victory.

This now marks the second consecutive year that the Hawks have the made the final four of the OUA playoffs. The Golden Hawks won their first playoff game in modern team history last year and they have continued to build momentum since that historic victory.

Coach McLeod mentioned the importance of last year’s success and how much of a confidence boost the 2017 season was for the Hawks.

“We slayed some dragons last year. We beat McMaster and Western and we hadn’t done that before. That gave the guys confidence going forward. We played a decent game in the semi-final last

GARRISON OOSTERHOF/WEB DIRECTOR

coach McLeod said.

“The loss against Guelph wasn’t caused by anything in particular that they did. We gave them opportunities that we usually don’t do.

We made some silly mistakes and some bad tackling, bad decision making,” he added.

The Hawks are definite underdogs going into this game against the Gryphons and this fixture is going to be the Hawks’ toughest test of the season so far.

The semi-final is set for kickoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Varsity Field in Guelph.