The Cord October 9, 2019

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 60 ISSUE 8 • OCTOBER 9, 2019

HILARITY FOR CHARITY Students’ Union execs get pied to raise money for Shinerama.

Arts and Life, page 12

FOUR YEARS OF SATISFACTION

LAURIER IS THRIVING

GIDDY UP GOLDEN HAWKS

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

HITTING IT OUT OF THE PARK

Maclean’s Magazine ranks Laurier No. 1

Wellness efforts aimed at students

There’s a new country BBQ in town

Fast fashion chain faces closures

Women’s softball finishes season, 14-1

News, page 3

News, page 5

Arts & Life, page 13

Opinion, page 15

Sports, page 16 PHOTO BY BRIT KOVACS

2 •

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

VOCAL CORD What are your plans for Reading Week?

@cordnews

The Cord

@thecord.ca

CordNews THIS DAY IN HISTORY: OCTOBER 9

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

1470: Henry VI of England restored to the throne.

1824: Slavery is abolished in Costa Rica.

1888: The Washington Monument—a marble-faced granite obelisk that honours the first U.S. president, George Washington—opened to the public in Washington, D.C.

“I'm in charge of the turkey for the family and we always have a huge gathering. I'm going to ride my clydesdale horse and go on a bike ride through the country.”

1915: Woodrow Wilson becomes first US President to attend a World Series game.

1916: Babe Ruth begins 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings.

1926: NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) forms.

– David McMurray, vice president of student affairs

1936: Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles.

1940: John Lennon, English singer-songwriter, musician, producer and member of The Beatles, is born.

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN RANKED NO. 1 IN STUDENT SATISFACTION FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW

“For reading week, there’s an annual fair in my hometown, so I’m really excited about that: [there’s a] demolition derby, concerts on Friday night, so that’s my main thing for reading week … there’s lots of fun things to do”

1941: US President Franklin D. Roosevelt approves an atomic program that would become the Manhattan Project.

1949: Harvard Law School begins admitting women.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

1953: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill aproves Guyanese Constitution.

1966: Rolling Stones 1st LP recorded "Got Live if you Want It."

– Hayley Smyth, 2nd year Kinesiology

1979: Howard Stern begins broadcasting on WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut.

1973: Elvis & Priscilla Presley divorce after 6 years.

1974: German businessman Oskar Schindler, credited with saving 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust, dies at the age of 66.

"Eat some turkey, and then read some books” – Kelvin Singer, 3rd year General BA Compiled by Hayley McGoldrick and Aaron Waitson Photos by Hayley McGoldrick Aaron Waitson NEXT ISSUE

FILE PHOTO Fred Nichols' answer to The Cord Weekly's "Question of the Week" in 1986: How are you spending your Thanksgiving weekend?

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Sydney Macdonald photos@thecord.ca

CORD STAFF

SPORTS EDITOR Matt Cascagnette sports@thecord.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Victoria Marshall copyeditor@thecord.ca

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Waitson editor@thecord.ca

GRAPHICS EDITOR Jamie Mere graphics@thecord.ca

CORDCAST PRODUCER Jade Hosick cordcast@thecord.ca

CREATIVE DIRECTOR VACANT creative@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Darien Funk photos@thecord.ca

WEB DIRECTOR Kashyap Patel online@thecord.ca

PHOTO EDITOR Brit Kovacs photos@thecord.ca

NEWS DIRECTOR Hayley McGoldrick news@thecord.ca

ONLINE EDITOR Kathleen McCullough online@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR sophia Cole news@thecord.ca

VIDEO EDITOR VACANT video@thecord.ca

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Alyssa Di Sabatino arts@thecord.ca

LEAD REPORTER VACANT news@thecord.ca

OCTOBER 23, 2019

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Matt Sneath Josh Goeree Amichai Abraham Jana Ibrahim Lauren Symbolik Laura Thompson

“Brantford remembers missing and murdered Indigenous women” - Sophia Cole

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES All advertising inquiries can be directed to Kurtis Rideout at kurtis.rideout@wlusp.com or 519-884-0710 ext. 3560.

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

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Opinions expressed within The Cord are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of the editorial board, The Cord, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. All content appearing in The Cord bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

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PREAMBLE The Cord will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly.

The Cord believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a matter of controversy.

The staff of The Cord shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly.

When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to

1986: "Phantom of the Opera" premieres in London, written

by Andrew Lloyd Webber and starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman.

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.

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Quote of the week: “I don't like meats that take too much effort to chew. I have a small mouth!”

- News Director, Hayley McGoldrick after being asked if she liked steak.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

News

• 3 NEWS DIRECTOR HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK news@thecord.ca

NEWS EDITOR SOPHIA COLE news@thecord.ca

CAMPUS

LAURIER GETS NUMBER ONE IN STUDENT SATISFACTION

DARIEN FUNK/PHOTO EDITOR

HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR

For a fourth year in a row, Wilfrid Laurier University has been ranked number one in student satisfaction in the Maclean’s magazine rankings of Canadian universities, as well as the categories of course instructors, student life staff, extracurricular activities, residence Living, and administrative staff.

Laurier also ranked second in academic advising as well as experiential learning.

“I think the first thing overall is that you’ve got to have a vision of who you want to be, personally and same for your university and Laurier has an intentional aspiration to be who they are and the rankings are something that affirms that from the most important dimension of Laurier and that’s the students,” said David McMurray, vice president of student affairs at Laurier.

“If the students love Laurier and stay golden, then the rewards associated with that are tremendous.

Whether that’s their academic degree which is the number one reason why they are here or at any school, it’s so much more than that here. I’ve been a proponent of this year since I was a student here and my whole life working in student affairs.”

In the “comprehensive” university category, Laurier holds the number six spot among the 15 schools in the category. Laurier also ranks third in student services and in the top five for faculty awards and social sciences and humanities grants.

“It is holistic, when people ask what that means it’s academic excellence as well as commitment to development, their experiences in and beyond the classroom. We work really hard at that, the brand “Inspiring Lives”, the word lives itself means everything you do in your life and who you are, what you’re going to become and your impact on the world,” McMurray said.

I think the first thing overall is that you’ve got to have a vision of who you want to be, personally and same for your university...

-David McMurray, vice president of student affairs at Laurier

“Laurier students, in my experience, there’s this very special culture that attracts students of that kind, students who want an excellent degree but also want to learn and grow as an individual, being highly regarded along the way. You look at those categories, how they’re treated by staff, experiences in residence, course instruction.”

With many extra-curricular opportunities ranging from faculty specific clubs, sports teams, research groups, residence life and ambassador programs among

others, many students have chosen Laurier for the small, community feel and continue to feel welcome on campus which increases their satisfaction in their choice.

“Laurier is all about making a commitment to each and every student that’s here. You can never be perfect, but four years in a row is a strong indication that you’re doing things well. It’s hard to be number one and stay there, doing thing on purpose you have to look ahead and that’s what we’re doing right now in looking into future readiness,” McMurray said.

“When I look at those rankings and I look at other campuses, it makes me wonder about students who aren’t pleased with their experience and why the same response isn’t present here. There are all kind of challenges universities have with resources, but we’re planning ahead in every possible unit that we have. It’s all about wellness, that’s not new, but how we continue to advance the successes that have taken place in terms of student success, you constantly strive for improvement.”

Laurier has also ranked number one in other rankings including being the number one sustainable campus in Ontario, as well as one of the top accounting schools in the country.

“Students should take interest in themselves, their intellectual opportunities, looking at personal and developmental aspects.

Student-athletes will tell you that being a student-athlete is an incredible part of their life, they still have to go to school, and they graduate at extremely high levels,”

McMurray said.

“Look at someone who’s associated with music, someone who wants to be an entrepreneur and wants to do something different, they can flourish here, choosing Laurier can provide all of that but the most important aspect is the fit and finding your way, that’s why we continually rank highly in student satisfaction. There’s no surprises, you know about Laurier before you get here.”

The University of Guelph was just behind Laurier in the rankings of student satisfaction coming in at number two, while Carleton University was ranked third, with Brock University taking the fourth spot.

“Students often discover who they are once they get here, they have a wonderful sense of the campus and how friendly it is, they have no idea what they want to do but they choose a program, they belong to a club, then suddenly the excitement of discovery and finding out those things comes in, experiential learning is something we’ve expanded in so many courses and opportunities,” McMurray said.

“We want students to excel academically, but belonging to something you feel is a great cause ore excites you beyond your academic pursuits, think of what that might look like for the rest of your life. Hopefully, you’ll be involved in making the world a better place and I think there’s a lot of Laurier in that aspiration.”

Laurier’s alumni association is comprised of over 100,000 graduates from the school, not only

showcasing the success of Laurier while one is a current student at the school but shows that the breadth of student satisfaction reaches far beyond inside the classroom and many students want to give back to a school they feel gave to them.

If students love Laurier, and stay golden, then the awards associated with that are tremendous.

-David McMurray, vice president of student affairs at Laurier

“I’ve been in this job my whole life, I love it because every morning there’s something new and exciting that impacts students. It’s usually positive, but if it’s not we roll our sleeves up to fix it. If students are ranking the student life staff number one, that tells me that everybody else is trying hard to provide for students too,” McMurray said.

“I am deeply grateful to our students for expressing how they feel about Laurier, it just makes my life around here. When I see it happening, when I read it or hear about it, it happens often because Laurier students aren’t shy and I see this “Stay Golden” identity that’s developed, it’s awesome.”

4 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

FEMALE LEADERS

New series elevates female leadership HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR

HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS DIRECTOR

Laurier Alumni is hosting both past, present and future generations of female leaders in their Elevating Laurier Leaders series, with the first installation of the series, “Mentorship”, having taken place on Oct. 8 at THEMUSEUM in Kitchener.

The series consists of four different developmental elements that contribute to leadership, including entrepreneurship, self-care and tackling imposter syndrome that will take place up until May 2020.

The mentorship event consisted of a panel moderated by Susan Cranston, BA alumni from the class of 1988.

The panel also consisted of alumni from the fields of business administration, social work and organizational behaviour, with graduates ranging from bachelor’s, master’s and PhD. “I think it was amazing, we had a full house which was incredible to see so many Laurier alumni, community members, students, staff come together to support one another,” said Brittany Russell, alumni relations officer for chapters and regional programming.

The event began with a speech from Laurier’s president and vice-chancellor Deborah MacLatchy, whose own mentor she spoke on was her father and a driving force behind her passion for science as a woman.

The next session is on self-care, Sarah has spoken several times at staff development days, she is incredible and will really give the community tangeable takeaways ...

-Brittany Russell, alumni relations officer for chapters

The panelists all spoke on mentors they have had in their lifetime, both male and female as well as old and young, plus their own experiences being a mentor versus being a mentee to help the audience gage which approaches to use when on either side of the relationship.

Dave Whitside, the only male panelist in the group, also spoke on how his invitation to the event was a hesitant acceptance at

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first but as an ally it is important to show his support, as Naudia Banton also spoke how there is no conversation of women in leadership without the men who strive to better women every day.

“We had hosted this same series in Toronto in the spring of 2019, it had seen really great success, and after the success of the International Women’s Day luncheon that happens every year in March we wanted to see if our Waterloo

I think it was amazing, we had a full house which was incredible to see so many Laurier alumni, community members, students, staff come together together to support one another.

-Brittany Russell, alumni relations officer for chapters

Laurier community was interested in being able to go further into conversation about these types of topics,” Russell said.

“We did survey our community and they did say yes we would like to learn more, so we came up with these four topics that really resonated with everyone based on the questions that we had asked.”

The next installation in the series will also take place at THEMUSEUM on Nov. 26, with Sarah Syrett, a graduate in the master of social work program leading a talk about self-care beyond bubble baths and face masks like the internet may lead some to believe will cure deeper rooted issues.

“The next session is on self-care, Sarah has spoken several times at staff development days, she is incredible and will really give the community tangible takeaways that are so much more beneficial than what you might see on social media about how to care for yourself and give yourself the time you need to rejuvenate and put yourself as the number one priority,” Russell said.

The last two sessions in the series will take place in April and May of 2020, with the panel on imposter syndrome taking place on Apr. 16, followed by the final panel on entrepreneurship taking place on May 22.

Participation in all four events will qualify participants for a women in leadership certificate from Laurier.

NEWS • 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 MENTAL HEALTH

Thrive week brings students mental health resources HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR

Laurier’s bi-annual Thrive Week is taking place for the fall semester this week, beginning Oct. 7 and finishing on Oct. 11.

There will be events and giveaways all week long to bring awareness to the resources available to students on campus who are struggling with their mental health.

Events are happening throughout the week and range from multiple different athletic and group exercise classes like Zumba, yoga, dance classes and rock climbing to thrive kit giveaways, workshop events and even a kickoff pancake breakfast that happened on Monday.

Starting in 2017, the Wellness Education Centre has hosted a thrive week twice a year, once in October and then again in January to ensure students are aware not only of the resources they can utilize to deal with mental health issues but also of their presence on campus that is always available to them.

We’re putting skills and strategies in students to help each other in addition to also helping themselves and getting them to find the help we can provide them as well.

-Nathan Reeve, wellness education coordinator

HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS DIRECTOR

“Part of my job is to be the chair for our thrive committee, which is a subsidiary of the mental health advisory committee, what we do is take feedback from the previous thrive and then see what went well and didn’t go well, on that committee we have residence life, the students’ union, the graduate students’ association and athletics and recreation, we come up with the ideas from that subcommittee as well as the peer wellness educators who give a student’s voice for ideas,” said Nathan Reeve, wellness education coordinator for the Student Wellness Centre.

“We’re putting skills and strategies in students to help each other out in addition to also helping themselves and getting them to find the help we can provide them as well.”

Each day also hosts a free thrive kit giveaway, in a different location each day.

There are kits including different elements to self-soothe by using the five senses, containing items like stress balls, ear plugs, eye masks, herbal teas and passes for group exercise classes among others.

“We found that last year there wasn’t a kickoff event so yesterday we spent time in the concourse

and gave out over 400 pancakes, we tried to get students to recognize thrive and understand what it is, we have a lot of yoga because we know students love it so we have six opportunities,” Reeve said.

We know that students have a lot of anxiety and it’s the number one reason they come to the Wellness Centre ...

-Nathan Reeve, wellness education coordinator

“A theme that we’re really trying to build this year is community care, so a lot of our events are based on social connection, trying to get students together like a walking group and group exercise and on Thursday we have helping a friend with their mental health which is based on listening and validating your friends as well as helping them help themselves.”

Thrive week will take place once again in January, but the Wellness Education Centre is also dedicating each month to a different sense of wellness, with November’s theme being financial literacy and financial wellness as many students may struggle with money and budgeting in school which causes further stress.

“We know that students have a lot of anxiety and it’s the number one reason they come to the wellness centre, we try and do as many things as we can to reach students but really something that we’ve done this year is outreach, that’s something that we’re trying to do, but what we really want to do is educate students on what works best for them,” Reeve said.

A theme that we’re trying to build this year is community care, so a lot of our events are based on social connection, trying to get students together ...

-Nathan Reeve, wellness education coordinator

“It’s knowing what works for them because we know we can’t just do one thing and that’s what’s going to work for every single student because that’s just not the reality.”

“What we’re trying to do is give a diverse selection of events and strategies so that way students can find what works for them in exploring that,” Reeve said.

6 • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

ART

Laurier showcases impactful exhibit at Nuit Blanche SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 5, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Toronto office participated in the Nuit Blanche Festival for the third year in a row.

Nuit Blanche is a festival of the arts which takes place annually in downtown Toronto, as well as other neighbourhoods in the city. Artists create unique and interactive installations across the city which coincide with the festivals theme, this years being “Continuum.”

“It was so wonderful; Nuit Blache is such an incredible festival. It seems as though you see everyone in Toronto. Everyone comes out to support, you have families, you have young people, every demographic seems to be represented and as a result it’s such an exciting festival,” said Carolyn Hawthorn, manager of advancement and external relations at Laurier Toronto.

This year, Laurier hosted an interactive art exhibit curated by Iranian-Canadian artist Zahra Saleki who is based in Toronto.

The installation was titled Call My Name and was dedicated to the many children who have lost their lives and legacies to war in the Middle East, inspiring viewers to contemplate the calamitous impacts of war.

“The artist has the most work involved of course. They’re responsi-

the futures that they could have had,” said Hawthorn.

“People were very engaged and spent a lot of time thinking about what those stories could have been and what the names of those children could have been. I do think that people were very moved by the installation and there was a lot of conversation as a result of it.”

Prior to Nuit Blache, Laurier Toronto hosted a private sneak-peak event on Oct. 3 where people could enjoy food and drink while going through the installation prior to the festival debut.

Laurier faculty members Kim Rygiel, Bree Akesson and Alison Mountz attended to provide insight on the installation.

On the night of the Nuit Blanche festival, the Laurier Toronto Office was transformed once again into an artistic space, this time open to all festival attendees, including some Laurier alumni. The event turnout was everything they had hoped for. “[Approximately] 5000 people were able to come through or experience the space, which is absolutely incredible. Our artist Zahra was thrilled as well,” Hawthorn said.

“Call My Name was a thought provoking, heart rendering installation that used striking visual images to remind us of the tragedy of war and the plight of refugee children. The event was artistically executed, and the editorial conversation provided an opportunity for a greater understanding of how we can create solutions to the serious issues of migration and the plight of children,” Said Sybil Allen, Laurier alumna.

“A fruitful engagement, Bravo for highlighting such an important social issue.”

institution like Wilfrid Laurier, stand up and hold these people up and hold those stories up means that the Canadian state has to be accountable because its institutions like these that have the power to make significant change,” said Whitlow.

“We need the institution’s like this to take those stories on and to

stand as allies to the Indigenous communities. Especially in light of the fact that all of the Laurier university sites are on the Haldimand Tract, they are on Indigenous land.

And so having them recognize that fact and then stand as allies in reconciliation and indigenization and doing that kind of work, I mean it’s vital.”

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

ble for ensuring that their installation comes to life,” Hawthorn said.

“We work very hard to support our artist to make sure that she is feeling supported.”

The Call My Name display consisted of photographs of children representing those who have lost their lives to war and a large illuminated globe in the centre of

the exhibit. Viewer were able to interact with the installation by writing names and stories for these children on lanterns surrounding the globe.

“There was a large globe and individuals were able to write messages and the stories of the children that didn’t get to live those stories. They were creating

BRANTFORD CAMPUS

Brantford remembers missing and murdered Indigenous women SOPHIA COLE NEWS EDITOR

On Oct. 4, Wilfrid Laurier Universities Brantford campus hosted an event in remembrance of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Remembrance event consisted of a public speaker component and a traditional Indigenous meal served afterwards at the Indigenous student centre. The event was organized by the office of Indigenous initiatives and was free for anyone who wished to attend.

Michèle Audette, commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG inquiry), attended the event and spoke on her experiences in this role. “[Michèle] was very conscious and intentional about how she reached out to the families and how she worked with them,” said Bonnie Whitlow, Indigenous special projects officer.

“She never ever imposed her communities practices or protocols, she went out of her way to

find out the processes and protocols from each community and then she followed that practice as she went into the communities.”

“That’s a really really important part about how the Indigenous initiatives tries to teach non-indigienous people who want to work in indigenous communities, that’s what we try to teach them. So she provided a very clear example of that.”

Audette, in addition to serving as the commissioner for the MMIWG inquiry, has served as president of the Quebec Native Women’s Association and Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Associate Deputy Minister for the Status of Women in the Government of Quebec.

“She shared how taxing it was on her emotionally to sit with the families and listen to all of those stories and how much healing she has had to go through as a result of holding that space for them and for raising up their voices so that their messages could be heard on a national level” The event saw a turnout of about 80 people, including many

students, faculty and community members.

“That was really nice to see so much support from the campus.

We’ve seen a lot of student engagement and a lot of faculty engagement from different departments and a lot of staff engagement so we were very happy to feel that amount of support and that her voice was heard by so many,” Whitlow said.

“To have that many people who are faculty members show their interest and attend so that they can then take those stories with them and give them a louder voice, that’s important.”

The event provided a platform to tell the stories of people who have historically been undermined and silence by the Government of Canada, bringing to light the injustices which many Indigenous people still face today.

“Historically the Canadian state has oppressed and suppressed and silenced Indigenous people. They don’t want to hear the stories of Indigenous people and Indigenous lands and territories so to have an institution, especially a colonial

HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK/NEWS DIRECTOR

GAMES • 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 SUDOKU

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.

Dear Life, I’m too tired to function, reading week cannot come fast enough.

Sincerely, I’m over it

Dear Life, Dear Life, I’m so grateful that I get to do this every week. As much as it’s stressful, I really do enjoy it.

Sincerely, Happy Camper Dear Life,

COLOURING

EASY PUMPKIN SPICE MUG CAKE Ingredients: 4 tbsp all purpose flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp granulated white sugar 2 tbsp fat free milk 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp pumpkin puree 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice Combine all ingredients into an oversized microwave-safe mug.

Mix ingredients with a small whisk until batter is smooth.

Cook in microwave for approximately 1 minute and 15 seconds. Cake is best consumed within a few hours of it being cooked.

I was not expecting to meet another Laurier grad while studying at the central New York Public Library hall! Welcome to the city!

Sincerely, A Goldenhawk studying abroad

Why do people think it’s appropriate to serve scalloped potatoes on Thanksgiving when I have been waiting to fuck up some mashed taters for months? u can’t put gravy on scalloped potatoes that will fuck with the bechamel.

Dear Life,

Sincerely, Pissed Potato Princess

Sincerely, Desperately in need of a Tylenol

Do you get a headache that feels like someone is driving an ice pick through your eye? It’s not a fun feeling early in the week to deal with.

Thanksgiving foods ranked from best to worst 4. Stuffing was a hotly debated food in our office.

While some argued that it’s one of the best Thanksgiving sides and a standout overall, others disagreed and said that it’s nothing but overhyped, soggy bread. Regardless, we think this spot on the list is just right for a seasonal staple and wonderful excuse to eat a pile of warm bread with your meal and get away with it.

1. Potatoes, specifically mashed or in some sort of casserole form, are top-tier Thanksgiving foods. Not only are potatoes the most versatile carb out there, they pack a big punch of flavour without a lot of effort or fuss. Who doesn’t love a heaping side of mashed goodness with some butter melted on top? And because they’re so simple, it’s hard to get sick of them. It’s for these reasons that potatoes are the clear winner.

5. Turkey is a given if you’re a meat-eating Thanksgiving connoiseur and it has the potential to be pretty underwhleming in terms of holiday meal foods. Is it nice? Sure. But does it wow us — not really. Most notably when it’s consumed at an extended relative’s house for dinner, it has the potential to be overcooked and dry, and usually needs the other foods on the plate to compensate for its relatively boring performance. For the main event, it’s not that exciting.

2. Gravy is the underrated backbone of Thanksgiving. It carries the meal and makes it go from good to great with just a simple pour. For a liquid that doesn’t look like much, it truly prevails in upping the game of all the food at the table — especially turkey. Turkey would be NOTHING without gravy and that’s just straight facts.

3. Pie is the best Thanksgiving dessert. Whether you like pumpkin, apple, pecan or any other flavour, it doesn’t dissapoint. Who doesn’t love finishing their meal with a build- 6. Cranberry sauce is a cruel invention designed to sit able dessert that you can add on a plate in the middle of the table and remain unice cream and whip cream on touched for the duration of dinner with the exemption top of without any judgement? of an aunt or a grandparent spooning it on the side of Truly a blessing. their food pretending that they actually enjoy something that’s still the shape of the can it came out of. And even if it’s the fancy make-it-yourself cranberry sauce that Gordon Ramsay creates, it’s not that much better.

Who wants tart fruit with their turkey? No thanks.

LATE NIGHT SNACKING AT SWEET LOU’S Editor-in-Chief Emily Waitson breaks down Kitchener-Waterloo’s newest sweet tooth fix

Have you ever craved a snack late at night and the food in your cupboard just won’t cut it?

Well you’re in luck — Sweet Lou’s Cookies proves to be the ideal snacking solution that Kitchener-Waterloo is looking for.

Delivered to people’s homes through Skip the Dishes, Uber Eats and DoorDash, residents of KW are able to order a variety of different cookies straight to their doorstep.

Jack of all trades and owner of Sweet Lou’s Cookies, Lou Gazzola, opened the business with his family in Kitchener back in August 2018 to provide local residents with a different kind of baked good experience.

“Sweet Lou’s Cookies delivers artisanal cookies late at night: we’ve turned cookies into what I would call ‘fine dining,’ and we’ve created these amazing cookies … and updated it with some super amazing ingredients. We have organic vanilla, organic sugar, unprocessed sugar, and we only use the very best ingredients,” Gazzola said.

“We take all those flavors, the very best ingredients — we have callebaut chocolate, which is from a Belgian chocolate maker — and we put that into the cookies, and create these wonderful creations that are just awesome.”

As well as being made with high-quality ingredients, the cookies are baked fresh to order when customers are likely to be craving

them the most — at night.

“Sweet Lou’s Cookies is also revolutionizing the bakery industry: we’re turning the bakery industry on its head because we’re open late at night. We open at 7:30 at night, and now we’re open until 3:00 a.m., and we deliver cookies when people want them; as opposed to having to go to a bakery, we’re delivering them to your door, freshbaked — so there’s nothing old or anything like that,” Gazzola said.

Gazzola was inspired to start Sweet Lou’s Cookies after his experiences taste-testing other cookies while travelling, and realizing that better cookies still had the potential to be made.

“One of the things that inspired me is my family and I, [when] we’d be travelling — we love cookies — we made it our mission to find the very best cookie in Canada and the United States.

So wherever we went, we’d stop and have a cookie, and then we’d go: ‘eh, we can do better!

This is good, but we can do better.’ And it’s one of those things that sits with you, and as I thought about it I said, “you know what? I can do better,” and created a business plan and model, because I didn’t want to just do a better cookie — I wanted to do something really transformative,” Gazzola said.

“This whole area is all about transformation, high

tech and doing new things, and really that’s what I wanted to do … we thought about staying open late at night and delivering it to your doors — and that’s the best way of doing it.”

The delicious cookies that you can get delivered from Sweet Lou’s have been created with a lot of science behind them and dedication to just the right taste in mind, and that’s a large piece of what sets them apart from other bakeries. “... the science behind them: we do everything to the math. We do everything from brown the butter and re-create the butters … to put it back into the cookies, we drizzle chocolate on fresh-baked cookies, and it’s extremely hard — because chocolate needs to be tempered, and it can’t go on hot cookies,” Gazzola said.

“We figured out all these things to create these wonderful creations where it’s not just fresh-baked, but there’s some interesting things [going on]: like a potato chip on top, or a raspberry on top with drizzled chocolate. It’s something that’s very unique, that you will not find anywhere in the world. You will not find a raspberry-topped, cayenne pepper cookie [anywhere else] …”

One of the unique standout options to order from their menu is the delicious bottled milk from Eby Farmstead.

Their chocolate milk in particular is compared

to taste like a “chocolate milkshake” or a “liquid chocolate bar,” which is a very apt way to describe it.

This is something that Sweet Lou’s wants to focus on — high-quality products that reflect the standards of their business.

“One of the things that’s very important to us is the very best quality: we didn’t want to just have milk and cookies. We found Eby Farm and they get milk from these Guernsey cows — and it’s a special breed of cows that produce this super amazing milk — and I thought that we just gotta have it; and it’s also packaged in a nice glass bottle, it’s a throwback to older days when times were simpler, and it’s also recyclable. All that is important to us, so we partnered with the best, and Eby’s one of them … Vincenzo’s … we just get all the best ingredients …”

As well as individual cookies, people can order ice cream sandwiches with ice cream made from a popular local creamery.

“We make ice cream sandwiches with Four All ice cream, and they’re actually located right next to use, and they use milk from Eby Farms to make their ice cream; so it was just a beautiful partnership to work with Four All and get their ice cream into our sandwiches, and it was just amazing. We tested out a whole bunch of ice creams, and when we got to Four All, we couldn’t stop eating

it, ” Gazzola said.

As for future plans and the potential for expansion, the prospect is looking promising for Sweet Lou’s Cookies. “[We’re] very excited [about expansion]: right now we’re renting a kitchen, next to Four All, and it’s actually where Four All got started, and we’re looking for a location right now in the heart of where our main customer base is — which is students — and we gotta keep our fingers crossed, we’re [hoping to] find one at Columbia and Weber. So the plan is to get that full location, and then expand into the corporate [side] … in the morning, and then be open during the day for the students and everyone during the day, but it’s going to be a 24-hour operation,” Gazzola said.

“There’s only one problem, when I built this business plan: I’ve got all these things working, like people want the corporate deliveries, and they want the other deliveries — and I forgot about sleep. So we’ve had to scale back a little bit, so that I can sleep, and once we find the full location we can increase our sales and start hiring on more staff and then be open 24 hours a day, so looking forward to that” Whether you’re in need of something sweet to help get you through a late-night study session or a treat to eat after a late-night out, Sweet Lou’s Cookies has you covered.

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE /LOU GAZZOLA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

10 •

Arts & Life

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ALYSSA DI SABATINO arts@thecord.ca

LOCAL PERFORMANCE

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

Appreciating heavy metal music MATT SNEATH ARTS AND LIFE CONTRIBUTOR

If you’ve ever found yourself up at 4 a.m, clicking your way down the musical rabbit hole that is YouTube, you’re not alone.

Chances are, you’ve come across an artist or two whose work never got the attention it deserved.

Maybe they didn’t market themselves right. Maybe they were ahead of their time.

Maybe they just never aspired to stand center stage and feel the electricity in the smoky air of a venue packed wall to wall and hear the crowd scream their own words

back at them.

Or maybe, they pushed their stylistic boundaries into territory where most pop culture consumers dare not follow.

The Black Dahlia Murder are four words most people would be shocked to see in someone’s browser history, let alone on their Spotify playlist.

But if you find yourself inclined towards the darker, heavier end of the musical spectrum, those four words are something special.

Last week, Kitchener was offered the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Michigan-based metal band when they took the

stage at Elements alongside guitar legend Zakk Wylde’s band, Black Label Society.

To local metalheads, Elements became hallowed ground for a few short hours, graced by the presence of some of the most accomplished and globally revered artists in the genre.

But for most of the Tri-City area, it was just another quiet Monday night.

Metal isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. For all the artistry and skill involved in writing, recording and performing it, it can be difficult for the average listener to get past the sonic ferocity characteristic of

what many refer to as heavy music, screamo, or metal.

But metal is a broad concept. It can’t be defined by a single sound or artist.

Since its genesis in the late 1960’s with the emergence of bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, metal has maintained a fluid yet distinct character, identified by sound, attitude and aesthetic style.

Its elements and culture have evolved and worked their way into other genres of like hardcore, punk and progressive music. To the unseasoned or unwilling ear, however, it’s all the same.

Metal is polarizing. The vocals are often a combination of a singer’s raw emotion and natural voice driven to its breaking point. The guitar tones are low and distorted, creating a sound with more in common with a chainsaw than a musical instrument.

The drums are played at blistering speed with an aggression not often seen in a heavyweight boxing match. When these combine, they give way to a sound unlike any other.

The result scares away mainstream consumers with the same wildness that attracts the die-hard fans who pay hard-earned money to risk life and limb in the mosh pit just to spend a few precious minutes basking in its aura.

For those of you who don’t know what a mosh pit is, imagine Hollywood’s take on Medieval war, minus the weapons, armor and horses.

The pit is the physical manifestation of the music being played.

While the tamer fans gather around the edges of the room, the space in the middle becomes a battleground of flying bodies feeding off the artist’s energy.

Flailing elbows meet unsuspecting faces. Sometimes you’re the elbow. Others, you’re the face.

This is accepted by fans as par for the course, but so is the unwritten rule that when you go down, someone will always pick you up and dust you off before diving back into the fray.

It’s a raw expression of self, brought on by a sound that is unbound by the expectations of mainstream society, and upheld by a unique sense of community and belonging most metalheads will only ever feel at a show.

This is what everyone who lined up on King Street came to Elements in search of, and they got what they were looking for.

Metal is hard and heavy. It’s what you won’t find at a country concert.

It’s being different and loving it.

It’s the band that gets up to play a show to 10 kids while 200 more went to see the pop show next door.

It’s the kid posting the picture of them with that same underpaid and underplayed band, knowing it’s not worth anything to anyone else, and being stoked anyway.

The artists don’t do it for the money, and the fans don’t do it for the social currency. There’s none of either in metal anyway. And they would all turn up to venues like Elements every night of the week just for the chance to do it all over again.

RESTAURANTS

Kentucky Bourbon brings Southern food to KW ALYSSA DI SABATINO ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Kentucky Bourbon & BBQ is the newest addition to the Uptown Waterloo restaurant scene.

Soft launched on Sept 20, the official grand opening happened this past weekend on Oct. 4.

The modern country-themed bourbon and barbecue restaurant specializes in southern comfort food, and has a respectably-sized menu.

“Right now we’ve got 25 bourbons, we’ve got a pretty significant smoker menu, we’ve got brisket, pulled pork, fried chicken, smoked chicken wings. We do smoked chicken, and our fries are made in house,” said Adam Cole, operator at Kentucky Bourbon & BBQ. “The food comes with two sides, which a lot of places aren’t doing.

So you’re never sitting at the menu, looking at it and going, ‘I want the

potato salad but I also want the cajun corn,’ you can do that here and it’s included in the price,” said Cole.

Located at 103 King St N., the restaurant, which formerly housed Kentucky Variety and Empress of India, has an upper and lower level patio and approximately 6500 square feet of space.

“We’ve been crazy busy, slammed for Friday and Saturday night dinners — any time after 5 o’clock. Our lunches have been great as well, so we’ve been enjoying some pretty good success so far,” Cole said.

The restaurant space is light, bright and sleek. Porch lights line the front entrance to the L-shaped building, along with stacks of firewood and brewery barrels, immediately setting the stage for the classy yet country theme.

A concrete bar top lines the wall opposite to the front door.

Long, wooden tables are arranged around the space for patrons, and there is a brightly lit “Kentucky” LED sign opposite to the floor-toceiling windows.

“It’s a little more trendy, there’s

a lot of “Instagrammble” elements, like the feature wall — the Kentucky sign, there’s selfie mirrors in (the washrooms). There’s a couple other things that are going to come too and it’s just a clean, crisp environment,” said Cole.

The restaurant has received positive ratings online and on social media, from the community and students alike.

“We’ve had a lot of students, but it hasn’t been exclusively students. If you’re a third, fourth year student, this is a great place for you because you’re still mingling with people who are (aged) 25-35, and you can honestly meet people who are real estate agents, people who are doctors — they’re in here too, but they want to have a good time as much as any of the students,” Cole said.

“It’s kind of a melting pot where you can go and be an adult without feeling like a student — it’s kind of different.”

The large restaurant space is ideal for accommodating the substantial weekend crowd, and they’ve been doing a good job of getting people in the doors.

SIDNEY MACDONALD/LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER

“You can usually get in with your ten friends. You don’t have to wait in a huge line, so it’s good,” said Cole.

Their food menu is accompanied by a drink menu, consisting of 25 bourbons, 12 on-tap beers, and an extensive liquor list. They also have

$3 PBRs and $3 Jagers daily.

“It’s pretty cheap for students,” said Cole.

“We definitely want to see the students out, but not just on Friday and Saturday night. This is a great spot to eat, hang out with your friends and watch the game.”

ARTS & LIFE • 11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 2019 FILM

Strange movies that are a must watch AMICHAI ABRAHAM ARTS AND LIFE CONTRIBUTOR

Movies provide us with a form of escapism rarely seen elsewhere.

We sit down in front of a screen and we are transported to a world of interesting characters, settings, and stories.

Most of these movies are cleancut and easy to understand, then there are outliers. It is sometimes the case that weird films don’t get much love or appreciation often due to their abstract nature.

Here are three very good, strange movies that are definitely worth your time.

Eraserhead (1977) Written and Directed by David Lynch Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart

CONTRIBUTED IMAGES

Eraserhead is a surreal film that is extremely difficult to explain.

This movie feels like you’re watching someone’s nightmare, more so than any other horror movie that I have seen.

The ‘plot’ (quotation marks being very intentional) follows a young man named Henry (Jack Nance) who exists in an industrially dominated world, he himself living in a small apartment.

Through what can only be described as either the best or worst dinner in cinematic history (it’s unexplainable).

Henry is told by his girlfriend’s (Charlotte Stewart) parents that his girlfriend is pregnant with a horrifying mutant baby that they both must care for now.

Technically there are more plot-related scenes after this but you will likely be too busy trying to comprehend everything else going

on to notice.

Aside from being insanely weird and having horrifying visuals, the movie is full of deeper meanings and ideas that the writer and director David Lynch have never commented on leaving the whole movie up to interpretation.

Additionally, this black and white flick has well-done cinematography, eerie special effects and there’s even odd black comedy to add to the mix. Watch this movie if you want to experience horror at it’s most strange and if you’re ok with having your brain melt out of your ears.

John Malkovich, often when others are using the portal. This unique tale has a very impressive cast and forms a very interesting, confusing in all the right ways, kind of narrative.

I recommend this movie to all, especially if you’re into offbeat movies or if you’re just a huge John Malkovich fan.

Being John Malkovich (1999) [available on netflix] Written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Spike Jonze Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich, Cathrine Keener

Taking place in a somewhat dystopian world our story follows David (Colin Farrell).

David’s wife has just left him after 11 years of marriage and so David decides to sign up for a couples hotel.

At this hotel, you are fully accommodated with a lavish lifestyle and you are given 45 days to find someone who you have something in common with, and to become partners with them.

All of this on the condition that you follow all the hotel’s rules (not doing such would result in serious often physical punishment).

And with the caveat that if you don’t find love in those 45 days, you are transformed into an animal of your choosing.

This beautifully shot, award-winning film facetiously tackles ideas of modern dating and personal identity with Collin Farrell’s character being the only one actually presented with a name. Sprinkled in with some comedy and violence as well this movie has a little bit of everything for its strange setup.

You won’t regret watching it and I could not recommend it more.

Being John Malkovich is a story about a man named Craig Schwartz (John Cusack), a struggling puppeteer who gets an office job. His fiance Lotte (Cameron Diaz) works at a pet store meaning that their small apartment is very often filled with animals.

Craig begins to fall for another woman he meets at work named Maxine (Catherine Kener) but she shows very little interest in pursuing a relationship.

Out of seemingly nowhere, one day on the job, Craig discovers a portal that allows you to go into the body of actor John Malkovich (playing himself ) for about ten minutes. Being John Malkovich has something of a euphoric effect on anyone who goes in, naturally, Craig and Maxine start charging people to use the portal.

Eventually, Maxine begins dating

The Lobster (2015) Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou, directed

by Yorgos Lanthimos Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

12 • ARTS & LIFE FUNDRAISING

Shinerama raises money with pies and good fun HAYLEY MCGOLDRICK NEWS DIRECTOR

Laurier’s Shinerama team held their annual pie in the face event in the concourse on Oct. 2 from 10am to 4pm to raise money for cystic fibrosis, their first event of the fall semester other than their change drive during orientation week.

I think it’s incredible to be part of a national movement, it’s the largest post-secondary fundraiser in Canada, it’s cool to be a part of that ...

-Twan Dieker, vice president of programming and services

The campaign sold one pie for $2 or three pies for $5 to raise money for the organization and buyers could choose to pie a member of their orientation week team or coordinator, with the students’ union president Zemar Hakim and vice president of programming and services Twan Dieker also eligible to be pied by participants.

“This event has been happening for years, the Shinerama team invites the coordinator team, the orientation team as well as the students’ union president and some

of the vice presidents, so that’s why Zemar and I were there for an hour,” said Twan Dieker, vice president of programming and services for the students’ union.

Laurier raises over $100,000 ever year for Shinerama, raising the most money per capita as well as being the highest fundraisers out of all post-secondary institutions in 2016.

“I think it’s incredible to be part of a national movement, it’s the largest post-secondary fundraiser in Canada, it’s cool to be a part of that while it’s also deeply rooted in the Laurier community as it started in the Laurier community over 55 years ago, it’s cool that we get to be part of something big but know that it’s such a big part because it started here,” Dieker said.

When the Shinerama campaign first started at Laurier, the life expectancy of somebody living with cystic fibrosis was just four years, but thanks to fundraising campaigns and advances in research is now well over 50 years.

“I definitely think there was a lot of excitement from our volunteers who got to pie their coordinators or some of their orientation leaders.

I think it was kind of fun for them to come back and connect over that, I saw a lot of smiles and laughs through getting to pie their leaders of committees so that was definitely a big win for us,” Dieker said.

The Shinerama team also held another event on Sunday, Oct. 6 to continue their fundraising,

partnering with A-Team at Laurier as well as the students’ union once again to present a country concert at Wilf’s where all proceeds went to Shinerama among other fundraisers.

I definitely think there was a lot of excitement from our volunteers who got to pie their coordinators or some of their orientation leaders.

-Twan Dieker, vice president of programming and services

“Our Moonshine Country Night is turning Wilf’s into a country bar where country artist Manny Blu, he’s putting out his first album so we’ll be having him play a set as well as alternating that with a country DJ, we’re working with Murphy’s Law distillery who will be giving out some samples as well as signature drinks with their moonshine products,” Dieker said.

“It’s a very fun night, but otherwise, we’re doing a bingo on Oct. 22.,” Dieker said.

“There’s going to be fun ways to get involved there as well as popcorn fundraisers and Krispy Kreme fundraisers, all that kind of fun stuff.”

BRIT KOVACS/PHOTO EDITOR

13 •

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Editorial

OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

Editor’s note: Treating yourself with kindness EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As we approach the fall Reading Week, I’ve been starting to think more and more about the ways that I can begin cramming as many productive hours and simultaneous chunks of relaxation time into my schedule as humanly possible.

I’m the kind of person who can’t stand the possibility of “wasting” my precious week off from my full course load — either by doing too much or not doing enough.

I’ve always been a planner, and I feel the need to be organized, with every aspect of my day-to-day life, no matter what.

It’s become a tiring series of trying to do everything just right — meal prepping healthy lunches to avoid ordering Skip the Dishes (yet again), going to the gym even when I’m exhausted, forcing myself to stay on top of my classes in the midst of putting this paper together each week — all while attempting to retain some semblance of a social life and make memories that I can look back on and be thankful for.

I place a huge amount of pressure on myself to be the ultimate picture of balance and busyness, and amidst my efforts to have every detail of the day jotted down in its own pre-planned time slot, I forget to breathe. I stress myself out, lose countless hours of sleep and end up burnt out because of it.

My time as Editor-in-Chief is flying by quicker than I ever expected it to, and I keep questioning whether or not I’m doing this job justice — am I putting everything I can into it each week? Am I giving enough to my staff and volunteers to help them succeed? It’s been a constant barrage of doubt and desperate attempts to make sure that I’m always doing what’s best.

For all of my griping and worrying and endless amounts of planning, I’m quickly learning that I can feel fulfilled doing some or most of the things on my to-do lists — but fulfillment doesn’t neces-

sarily have to be reached doing absolutely every task that I have written out in one of my ten Indigo notebooks stacked on my bedside table.

While there’s always going to be room for some sort of improvement in my life, I have the tendency to punish myself for personal infractions like eating McDonald’s when it’s not my “cheat” day or for seeing an error in the newspaper that I know is my fault — I deny myself the little things I enjoy or I consider to be acts of over-indulgent self-care because I don’t think I deserve them if I’m not being completely perfect.

My time as Editor-in-Chief is flying by quicker than I ever expected it to, and I keep questioning whether or not I’m doing this job justice.

I’ve had to work myself up to booking a haircut for the first time in months and finally did it the other day.

I added in a nail appointment with my mom too, just because I felt like it.

These are the things that make me feel good about myself, revive my confidence and wellbeing, just a little bit, so why should I be wasting so much of my time thinking that I need to use them as rewards and markers for reaching the sometimes ridiculous “ideal” standards that I’ve set for myself?

Reading Week should be the time where I catch up on what I need to, but also step back and unwind, even if that just means reading a book that isn’t on a syllabus, watching Netflix without feeling any guilt or visiting my best friend that I don’t get to see everyday.

So, I hope that I, and everyone else, can use this break to do whatever would make us feel the most satisfied with the time we have off from school.

THE CORD IS PUBLISHED BY WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DIRECTOR Emily Crump

CHAIR Aaron Hagey

TREASURER Kashyap Patel

VICE-CHAIR Alyssa Di Sabatino DIRECTOR Arshy Mann DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne

PRESIDENT Aaron Waitson president@wlusp.com

EDITORIAL CARTOON

FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore randy@rcmbrooks. com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp. com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Kurtis Rideout kurtis.rideout@wlusp. com

HR MANAGER Maneesha Suresh hr@wlusp.com

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

Editorial: Trusting your decisions KATHLEEN MCCULLOUGH ONLINE EDITOR

In a world full of contradicting ideas, it is hard to clearly identify what you believe in and what is best for yourself.

Whether it be personal ideas or the style to try and keep up with, as it is difficult to always differ if you’re aiming to please yourself or others.

I find I’m constantly going through my own identity crisis. It is probably once every semester I question if the current degree I’m in is right for me.

Does this interest me? How is this degree going to make me at least six figures in five years’ time?

Was university the right path for me to take?

I’m a third-year communication studies student and still trying to piece together if university was the right choice for me and the right path to take my life.

As maybe I was rushed into it as that was what all my friends were doing in high school.

After thoughts like that I remember that when I’m not stressed with

university, I’m usually having a good time.

As I aim to do things on a scale that will attempt to make me happy in simplest terms.

With the upcoming election, it is also difficult when looking at different party’s platforms and comparing what they promise and how that reflects my interests.

As this decision could be great for our country as a whole or it could have little effect on what is best for me in the long run.

Along with election decisions, I contemplate what everyday decisions on what will benefit me.

Yet, I hate thinking what is best for me might affect others as well.

As I try to be a people pleaser. I like to please people as I hate being disliked.

So, then decisions influenced by others may not always be the best decisions for me.

Decision making can be tough, especially decisions that are big and important.

Sometimes it is easier for me to just put things off and wait until I have the maximum information about something.

The things is, it is time to trust my intuition more along with informational reasoning in how something is going to be good for me.

As flipping a coin is not fitting in

most cases to allow me to excel in whichever way necessary.

I find myself constantly going through my own idenity crisis —it is probably once every semester I question if the current degree I’m in is right for me.

I have slightly tried to put myself first in decision making that affects me first hand.

That is what my parents have taught as they believe you should always do what is best for and what will make yourself proud.

Sometimes there are going to be times in your life were things are hard to accept and you are going to have to go out on a whim on what is the best for you or not.

I think by now we all know life isn’t perfect and there are bigger issues to worry about, but we must remember the balance of putting each other and ourselves first when it comes to decision making.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Opinion

• 14 OPINION EDITOR Jade Hosick opinion@thecord.ca

which begins as soon as the claimant learns about the offense.

Some people believe that what Harry is doing is a tactic to get the press to understand that they cannot walk over him or the people that he cares about. And to a certain degree, I agree.

I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person.

-Prince Harry

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

British royals against the press?

JADE HOSICK OPINION EDITOR

Last week, Prince Harry announced that himself and Meghan

Markle would be taking legal action against The Sun and The Daily Mirror for allegedly spreading lies and “relentless propaganda” about Meghan Markle.

The legal action that Harry is taking is the British press hacking phones, Buckingham palace has also confirmed these claims regarding alleged interception of

voicemail messages.

This action comes following separate legal action that was filed by the Duchess towards the Mail on Sunday as they unlawfully published a letter which she sent to her father.

At this time, we do not know when the hacking occurred; but there is a six-year limit on claims,

Prince Harry was just becoming a teenager when his mother, Princess Diana, passed away.

She was torn apart by the press, and there is not a single doubt in my mind that Harry saw how much it hurt his mother and he could not do much about it as he was a boy.

Although currently Diana and Meghan have different circumstances surrounding the press, my guess is that Harry is trying to stop it from getting to the point where Diana was.

Although her death has been said to not have actually been because of paparazzi, the fact that it was originally believed to have been, as reporters were following

her car, says something.

He now can come out and say what he wants to say and protect who he wants to protect. He does not have to be silent about that issue.

During the couple’s royal tour of South Africa, Harry stated “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and a royal biographer, believes that Harry’s stand was pushed

by Meghan because Americans tend to be more “argumentative”.

Seward also claimed that “we do it differently, especially members of the royal family who historically have very seldomly sued because it’s just more attention on them.

And it drags up dirty washing” But I personally believe that they should not be leaving it alone.

I understand the idea of not reading what people say about you and things of that nature when you are a celebrity or a part of a royal family, but it should not be that way.

Private messages being published, and phones being hacked to harm another person (whether directly or indirectly) should not be something that the royal family or anyone just stands by and idly watches. By letting it slide I can see it happening repeatedly and that is not ok! In no way do I think that this is ok!

Being grateful for the privileges you have EMILY WAITSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As I get older, the more I’m realizing just how much of a sentimental person I really am.

And to acknowledge that I’m becoming even more of a sap is truly saying something — I regularly cry over innocuously trivial things like holiday commercials and videos of baby sloths — so aging into my mid-twenties has clearly started to take its emotional toll on me.

I have been incredibly lucky to have been blessed with two parents who have done nothing but support me, and I am fortunate to be able to honestly call my mom my best friend and my dad my biggest supporter.

I still live with them, and as I plan for a future that doesn’t involve living under the same roof together, I’ve started to get extremely attached to the time I get to spend with them.

I’m a person who doesn’t enjoy dealing with change, and altering a dynamic that’s remained relatively unshifted and constant for most of my life won’t be easy.

And while I’m excited to move forward and tackle new things, I know that I’m going to desperately miss coming home to both of them each day when I’m not there anymore. They are twin pillars of strength and guidance for me, and they have shaped my life in the best way possible.

They welcomed my boyfriend into their home over four years ago, and since then, they have embraced him into our family with unending acceptance and support.

I’ve had the chance to do what many young adults my age don’t get to do — take the time to save money and focus on classes with the added comfort of living at home while I do it.

I look back at my — now going on five — years at Laurier with the belief that I’ve experienced university in a way that I’ve always wanted to and I’ve been very privileged to have had it work out the

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way that it did.

I go out, I have fun, I tackle the aspects of independence that school makes you confront regardless of your living situation, and I’ve been able to come back to the place I’ve called home for the past 15 years, to the same two people each time, and I wouldn’t change it for a second.

I’ve always been nostalgic about

what were once arbitrary moments from the past, and I’m doing my best to appreciate the routine I’ve fallen into, the place that I’m familiar with, as mundane as they may seem in the moment, before things eventually begin to change after I graduate.

I know that no matter where I end up living, my mom will always be a phone call away to answer any

of my endless day-to-day questions or listen to me vent about a particular problem, and my dad will continue to be the person who makes me laugh more than anyone else and cooks my favourite meals without me asking him to — but it’s important for me to remember just how lucky I am to have enjoyed this level of comfort and encouragement for as long as I have.

15 • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

JOSH GOEREE CORD ALUM

What would happen if your every interaction, positive or negative, was being tracked? All of your favourite hobbies, shopping habits, political preferences, social media posts, and social interactions were monitored by the government and you were giving a score to deem whether you were trustworthy?

If it sounds like something out of Black Mirror to you, you’re right.

The episode “Nosedive” takes a hard look at this reality and is one of the scariest episodes from the series because of how real it hits home for a generation constantly online. It is also happening in China right now. In 2014, the Chinese government issued a new social credit system in certain parts of the country. This new system looks at things like shopping habits, alcohol consumption, social interactions, and other daily activities to determine how responsible and trustworthy a person is. As a CBC report put it, “it’s like your Facebook profile and your credit score combined.”

The scores range from 350 to 950, an NBC News report from June reported. People can increase their social score by doing prosocial activities like volunteering, donating blood, or being kind to others. Credit can be lowered by committing acts that may be seen as negative to the government:

JAMIE MERE/GRAPHICS EDITOR

spreading rumors, jaywalking, drinking too much, playing too many video games, or political activism against the Communist Party. It is monitored with over two million high tech surveillance cameras.

Public shaming of those who commit unacceptable acts are shown on the local news every night and are plastered on video screens all over the place. There are also “information collectors” that go around neighbourhoods collecting information on citizens to report back and adjust scores.

People with good scores can get benefits like better discounts and jobs. Meanwhile, those with lower

scores are publicly shamed and lose privileges. A CBC report noted 17.5 million people in 2018 were “blacklisted” from buying plane tickets due to having a lower social credit score. And being blacklisted means more than just losing a plane seat. It could prevent you from getting a job or getting your child into a decent school.

The objective of a society like this is to produce good, law-abiding citizens so the world can be easier to live in.

But at the same time, it strips people of their individuality and turns human beings from social creatures into robots.

Implementing an idea like this

in North America would be detrimental, especially with the toxic political climate right now with Donald Trump.

We judge ourselves on social media enough already. Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr already allow us to judge others on their appearance. This kind of a society would just add a number to it and would include our personality, preferences, habits and beliefs.

It would force us to conform to the majority in order to survive instead of letting humans be themselves.

Interactions with others and acts of generosity would become fake and pointless since most people

would do it to fit in. And if someone strays away from the zeitgeist, social and political climate of the time, they could lose everything just by being themselves.

In a social credit society, the mentality to turn against those who are a lower rating than us to fit in with the bigger group will take over. Having a higher rating means fitting in and being lower means becoming ostracized from everyone else. Looking for higher ratings will take away any real contact with people because everyone will be acting faking around others to seem pleasant to get their ratings up. Watching that episode of Black Mirror is hard enough, let alone living it for real with an actual social credit society.

And this idea isn’t going anywhere soon. A report from VICE news in December 2018 reported that the Chinese government hopes to have this system up and running around the country for all citizens by 2020.

Can a social credit society reduce antisocial behaviour produce good civilians and rehabilitate people considered to be bad? Of course.

Just like social media can be used to catch up with others and we can see what they are up to in life. But it also has a bad side.

Like how social media makes people feel lonelier and more isolated. The point of life goes from being yourself into conforming to the majority to survive and to be liked.

A society where people are desperate to be liked is a society that will doom itself in its own selfish reflective image.

Forever 21 and the death of fast fashion retailers VICTORIA MARSHALL SENIOR COPY EDITOR

Last week, fast fashion giant Forever 21 announced that it would begin closing all of its Canadian locations effective immediately. 44 locations in all will be closing their doors as a result of the company’s bankruptcy, and thank goodness for that.

Although hundreds (if not thousands) of jobs will be lost, as our society moves towards becoming more environmentally conscious, I think it’s extremely important that the very concept of fast fashion comes to an end.

And while the closure of one chain of stores doesn’t seem like it would make a difference, think about how much less waste will be generated since we, the youth demographic, will now be forced to take our business elsewhere.

I truly believe that the movement towards thrifting that has gained popularity with today’s youth is what’s helping cancel the culture of cheap and unsustainable consumption.

Personally, I would rather have five thrifted or vintage t-shirts that are made to last than have 10

cheaply-made new ones. Whenever I’ve done the math on the price difference between buying vintage or thrifted versus new, the differences are often negligible.

Oftentimes, buying vintage or secondhand saves you money – at least that’s usually been the case for me. And even if a thrifted garment works out to be the same price as something new, I would certainly prefer to spend $30 on a pair of mom jeans that perfectly fit my curves than look like an encased sausage in a pair of spandex pants passed off as “denim.”

Really, it’s about time that we learn again to live without our clothes being mass-produced and shipped to our doorstep with the click of a mouse. When our parents were our age, and our grandparents, for that matter, clothing was more expensive. Having to spend more than $20 on a sweater or pair of shoes meant that whoever made them was paid a fair wage, and that it supported the domestic economy rather than solely the one per cent.

Hopefully by continuing to recognize Forever 21’s closure as a step forward, we can also take that sustainable mindset we’re trying so hard to develop and put it back into small business. After all, they’re the backbone of our economy – and by supporting those over sweatshops, we can send the message to the fast fashion world’s

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corporate leaders that their masking ofunsustainable practices isn’t fooling us anymore.

Some companies have attempted to cover their tracks by implementing sustainable initiatives within their stores. Switching to paper bags, using wooden hangers, and, as H&M has done, implementing in-store textile recycling programs are some now-popular examples. These may seem like great steps forward, and they are; but it’s not enough. In order to make a meaningful impact, we need to completely change our habits as consumers.

The good news is that we’re already halfway there. By continuing to be resourceful with our fashion choices, we’re sending signals to the current market that what they’re selling us won’t work for long.

As for the jobs being lost because of Forever 21’s closures, it’s an absolute shame that retail workers, who are already exploited at the expense of corporations’ successes, will be the ones put out of work.

In Canada, however, their mass layoffs aren’t necessarily the end of the story. Similar layoffs made by

Sears Canada upon its bankruptcy closures ended with a lawsuit against the company so long-time employees were given the severance and benefits promised previously.

Overall, what can we take away from this? Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that instead of buying shirts that say “I love tacos” on the back, we can learn to work with what wardrobe staples we already have, be more resourceful when acquiring things we need, and consider putting our money into corporations with a focus on sustainable initiatives.

16 •

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR MARK CASCAGNETTE sports@thecord.ca

FASTPITCH

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Women’s softball team ends season on a high AARON WAITSON PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Wilfrid Laurier University’s women’s softball team is heading into the national championships with a new hunger for a national title, following an incredible 14-1 season this year.

The championships will be hosted by Laurier University, from Oct. 11 to 13 at Budd Park in Kitchener, and will feature the top eight collegiate softball teams in Canada.

Their regular season finished on Sept. 27, with a win, 12-5 — and their first loss of the season, 3-4 — to the McMaster Marauders,

as they headed into the season playoffs last weekend as the number two seed in the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association (OIWFA) West Division championships, hosted by McMaster University. Unfortunately, the team was not able to place during the provincial championships.

“We had a really successful regular season … finished second overall in the league, and many informal polls across the country were ranked — and still are ranked — number two in the country,” said Matt Allen, head coach for Laurier Women’s Softball.

“We had a really veteran squad, so they were really committed right from the get-go of finishing strong and it was not the end result we wanted last weekend, but we’re really trying to turn the tide and focus on this weekend and winning the national title.”

In the first round of the championship, Laurier faced an early defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Gee-Gees, 2-6, and were forced into the losers bracket to fight for a shot at the bronze.

In the first round of the losers bracket, they fought their way back to the top against the Queens Gaels, finishing with an impressive 10-2 victory for the team.

In the second round, Laurier continued its pursuit for redemption, beating the Brock Badgers — the number one seed and pre-playoff favorites, at 15-1 — in a crushing 7-1 victory.

Unfortunately, in the third round, Laurier was beat out in a second loss to the Marauders, 2-12, taking their opportunity for third

place in the provincial championship.

“It wasn’t the result that we wanted — we went in with the mindset of coming out provincial champions, and lost an early game Saturday morning to have to fight a long way back and lost a pretty emotional and deflating game on Sunday morning that beat us just out of the bronze medal games. So, yeah, it was a tough weekend for us overall,” Allen said.

I think they really play for each orher, and the bond that they have off the field is something that we share on the field.

-Matt Allen, head women’s softball coach

Despite last weekend’s lessthan-ideal outcome, the team is fired up for the coming championships — and are ready to bring it all.

“I’ve talked to a few of the athletes this morning and I think they’ve got an edge ... you’ll see that this weekend,” Allen said.

“They’re really hungry, they’re really disappointed, because we’ve been so close for five years and that wasn’t the finish that we wanted.

So, for a lot of them — we’ve got a really veteran squad — they want

to end their university career on a high note, and I think the best way to sum it up is [that] they’re hungry for a title.”

With six of the team’s players in their final year of university, a number of these athletes have been playing together since their first year. For many of them, this weekend marks the culmination of their efforts, and they will be looking to prove it on home turf.

“We’ve said [that] since day one, this season especially, [that] this is kind of like our second family at Laurier,” Allen said.

“I think they really play for each other, and the bond that they have off the field is something that we share on the field, and I think improves our results — because they all want to play for each other — and a lot of the athletes are going through some personal things, and that’s what made yesterday’s defeat so emotional for them.”

Despite last weekend’s defeats, the athletes have not allowed themselves to be demoralized, and will be playing hard to represent Laurier in the days to come.

“For me it was a really proud moment for us as a staff because, at the end, when we got beat out, they all picked each other up and, to me, that’s what this program is all about — it’s about creating better people off the field and people who have each other’s backs,” Allen said.

“It’s a really tight-knit group: they’ve worked really, really hard, especially this season. They’ve just got so much drive and passion to represent the school, themselves and our alumni with pride.”

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