Volume 22, Issue 8 - April 2023

News, pg. 3

FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS

What you need to know about loan interest

News, pg. 4

KAOS DANCE

SHOWCASE

Team closes out the year with stellar performance

YEAR END REVIEW

Volume 22, Issue 8 - April 6, 2023

Arts & Culture, pg. 9

Opinion, pg. 10

Sports, pg. 12

THE

CLASS OF 2023 SAYS FARWELL

Graduating class reflects on their time at Laurier

MAKING THE MOST OF UNI

4 years is a long time, here’s how to get the most out of it

HOCKEY REGIONALS

Men’s team ends season with tournament in Barrie

JEREMY VYN/PHOTGRAPHY EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Serena Austin eic@thesputnik.ca

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Maryka Van Wyngaarden arts@thesputnik.ca

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Jeremy Vyn photography@thesputnik.ca

SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB EDITOR

Jessica King web@thesputnik.ca

INFINITUM EDITOR

Thando Bhebhe infinitum@thesputnik.ca

WLUSP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Aaron Waitson ed@wlusp.com

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Abigail Heckbert president@wlusp.com

OPINION EDITOR Meagan Hodgetts opinion@thesputnik.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Umaymah Suhail copyeditor@thesputnik.ca

LEAD ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER Marisa Cerasoli

LEAD NEWS REPORTER Lauren Kuivenhoven

LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Jackson Rice

Editor’s Note: My Goodbye

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR

Abigail Heckbert

VICE-CHAIR

Jacob Segal Rice

STUDENT DIRECTOR

Jack Vrolyk

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR

Rosalind Horne

CONTRIBUTORS

Serena Anagbe

Ayse Aras

Sienna Bilancia

Victoria Blagdon

Micaiah “Ahlex” Etti-Balogun

Elisha Felician Mitchell Hartman

ADVERTISING

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR VACANT

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR VACANT

SECRETARY Grace Corriero

TREASURER Kashyap Patel

Karen Savoy Nida Shanar

Olga Steblyk

All advertising inquiries can be directed to Kurtis Rideout at kurtis.rideout@wlusp.com.

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e Sputnik has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. is obligation is best ful lled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through the Sputnik’s contact with the community. e Sputnik will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither reprecussion, nor retalliation. e purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the a airs of our newspaper.

Hello Golden Hawks! Spring has sprung, we’ve made it to the end of the school year, and for that I think we all deserve a pat on the back. is year was the rst “normal” school year for many of us — myself included— and I don’t think I could have imagined a better year to be Editor-in-Chief and wrap up my time at Wilfrid Laurier University. Between hiring our amazing editors, sta and volunteers, learning how to put together the paper, all the unique events and stories we’ve covered, attending a student journalism conference with our team and being able to hold a nished product in my hands each month, it has been a beautifully chaotic ride. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

As I prepare to leave my role at e Sputnik and the Brantford campus, I’m (naturally) feeling a bit sentimental. So, to all of you who will keep this campus and the paper alive, here are a few words: Keep connecting! I don’t know about you all but coming out of remote learning I felt so disconnected from everyone around me. Being on campus, going to meetings and events and simply talking with other students has made a huge di erence for me. I think on this campus we all yearn for connection and community outside of our academic lives,

but it won’t just fall into our laps; we have to create it, so get out there! Slow down, be present. is is de nitely something I’ve struggled with myself. When school and my other commitments get busy or hard, I tell myself “I just need to make it through this assignment,” or day, week, month, term, sometimes my whole degree. It’s not always easy to remember what you have to look forward to or to enjoy the present when everything feels like its closing in on you. But when you think about it, four years

(or however long it takes!) is a signi cant chunk of time of our lives, especially if you started your degree fresh out of high school. I’ve seen myself and my peers grow so much since I’ve known them; from starting out in rst-year clubs trying to nd a community, to being presidents of those clubs, to doing amazing research projects, to completing unique co-ops and internships, to going on to grad and law school, and setting out to nd our places in this world.

I won’t lie, it saddens me a bit to think that I spent so much of this

time wishing for it to be over, and now that it almost is, it feels oddly abrupt. Don’t do what I did.

To e Sputnik’s next Editor-in-Chief, please be nice to yourself! Be nice to yourself when it comes to time management and worklife balance, the worst thing you can do is burn yourself out. is job is incredibly rewarding, but it’s also easy to feel overwhelmed and like you need to solve every problem on your own. e good news is that isn’t true at all, you’ll have your team, your friends and family and you’ll

have me!

Our current President and Publisher, Abigail Heckbert, has been incredibly supportive of me and a reliable source for help on, quite literally, any issue. As incoming President and Publisher I intend to do the very same so, if you need me, I’ll be just a quick message away. Stay golden and have a safe and ful lling summer!

SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Canadian government freezes federal student loan interest

Student borrowers at Wilfrid Laurier University have one less financial concern as the freeze on federal student loan interest becomes permanent beginning April 1, 2023.

The Government of Canada will suspend federal interest on new student loans, apprentice loans and ongoing loan payments. According to Statistics Canada, students will save approximately $410 per year in 2023.

Previous interest on loans will still need to be paid off.

“It really eases my anxieties a bit,” said Homirah Hussaini, a fourth-year criminology student.

She is balancing three jobs to pay for tuition, gas and car insurance.

“If I miss a payment, there’s no interest added onto those monthly payments,” she said.

Fabiana Penagos, a second-year digital media and jour-

nalism student, said the decision is helpful as, “interest creeps out of nowhere.” Students must still pay provincial interest on loans. Hus-

Half of Canadian post-secondary students rely on student loans to pay tuition.

Hussaini has about $8,000 to $9,000 in loans to pay off. She is about to graduate and said her upcoming loan payments hit her “in the back of the head.”

Graduating school means having to “go to work, find somewhere else to live, maybe move away from home,” said HussainHussaini is anticipating paying off her student loans within seven to eight years.

Loans Service Centre and Laurier’s money management program.

“Those are the tools that students should be looking at and leveraging.”

by using my savings.”

Penagos is waiting until she’s done school to pay off her student loans, which have accumulated to $5,000.

Paying off the loans is “going to be one of my biggest priorities because it also affects your credit score,” she said.

saini said she’s nervous about the provincial loan.

“Mine’s around like 20 per cent,” she said.

When handling loan payments “the greatest tool a student can have is to really understand budgeting and understanding how to tackle debt,” said Necia Martins, associate registrar and student finance and client services at Laurier.

To learn about budgeting, Martins recommended programs through the National Student

Penagos had to pause her student loan payments due to the cost of gas and living.

“The way I’m surviving is

This year, the Government of Canada amended the Repayment Assistance Plan to allow people living alone to wait until they’re earning $40,000 a year before paying their student loans. Previously, the plan required Canadians to pay the loans when they made $25,000.

As of April 1, borrowers no longer have to worry about accumulating interest

LAUREN KUIVENHOVEN LEAD NEWS REPORTER

OLGA STEBLYK / SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

The greatest tool a student can have is to really understand budgeting and understanding how to tackle debt.

-Necia

Martins, associate registrar, studet finance and client services

[It’s] going to be one of my biggest priorities because it also affects your credit score.

-Fabiana Penagos, second-year digital media & journalism student

KAOS takes stage with year-end dance showcase

The dance team performed numbers choreographed for their competitions

LAUREN KUIVENHOVEN LEAD NEWS REPORTER

Laurier Brantford’s dance team performed their annual dance showcase on April 1 at the LBYMCA to display their talent and raise money for next year’s dance competitions.

The 16 Kick Ass Onstage dancers did exactly that and provided an entertaining show of jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop and open dances.

Family and friends gathered in the gym to watch a combination of 14 solo and group dances which were performed at the two dance competitions the team participated in this year.

The KAOS showcase raised over $1,000 through admission tickets, raffle prizes and a pie in the face of three dancers.

They finished off the event with an open group dance of all 16 dancers to “Time of Our Lives” by Pitbull.

This year’s team didn’t place in the top 10 among the 28 competing universities at either of the competitions. They still had “the time of our lives,” said Olivia Colborne, a third-year student who is double majoring in psychology and youth and children’s studies.

“We honestly just do it for fun,” Colborne said. She displayed her talent in the open and hip-hop dances.

Max Estabillo, a fourthyear student in social work, was the only KAOS dancer to place 95 and over for his first solo at this year’s competitions.

His energetic hip-hop solo was to the song, “Phone Me” by Che Ecru.

Estabillo had no previous competitive dance experience when he joined KAOS two years ago.

“Anytime I’m at the gym, I’m spending hours at the studio just practicing,” he said.

The team captains, Kara Butler and Iara Weisemberg, bade an emotional farewell speech to the team, as it was their last year on KAOS.

Butler, a third-year social work student, is leaving the team due to her busy schedule. As a team captain, she did a lot of behind the scenes work.

“It’s bittersweet … I’m thankful to have a breather. At the same time, I am going to miss them,” she said.

Butler performed her last solo to the song, “Daddy’s Little Girl” by The Shires. She dedicated the lyrical solo to her supportive Dance Dad.

She is planning on continuing dance as “a side gig or just for fun.” Butler has been dancing since she was three and began competitive dancing at the age of seven.

The team held practice at the LBYMCA every Friday afternoon from 4 to 9 and every Sunday morning from 11 to 12.

CONTRIBUTED BY JAY ZANUTTO The KAOS dancers

Pageantry and liberation: a history

The rise and fall of the Miss Canadian University pageant

On Jan. 30, 1970, Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU), at the time named Waterloo Lutheran University, hosted the annual Miss Canadian University Pageant. That same year, the pageant was shut down as a result of one of the most influential women’s liberation protests in Canada.

Held as a part of the WLU winter carnival, the Miss Canadian University pageant was the largest student pageant in Canada. It was founded in 1963 and hosted at WLU throughout the 1960s.

“[The pageant] was seen as a nationwide, very well respected event on campuses. For the women’s liberation movement to have that platform to go and disrupt it was a really huge deal,” said Megan Blair, PhD Candidate at the University of Waterloo and author of the Miss Canadian University Pageant Controversy and Protest Archive Exhibit.

Representatives from different universities across Canada would send a pageant candidate to represent their school in hopes of being crowned Snow Queen.

A 1964 edition of The Cord stated that the Snow Queen

was chosen “... on the basis of beauty, poise, personality and intelligence.”

Expensive prizes were awarded to the winners of the pageant. Including cars, vacations and clothing.

“People were competing for really big prizes, cash and fancy things. It wasn’t just like you were given the title of Miss Canadian University, you were given impressive stuff,” said Blair. “For the women’s liberation movement, to have women be rewarded for displaying their bodies and what they saw as displaying these antiquated ideas of femininity so I think that was another element of why the protesters wanted to stop it.”

The 1970 pageant saw its first protest candidate and later, an entire student protest, labeling the pageant as a misogynistic event.

“I think [the protest] had a really huge impact,” said Blair.

“The pageant had a ton of huge sponsors from the community and was on a national scale. The fact that these students were successful in bringing attention to the problematic nature of pageants and putting women’s bodies on display

… was really impressive.”

Janiel Jolley, then a twenty-five year-old student from Simon Fraser University, planned to attend the 1970 pageant as a protest candidate. She had support from the Vancouver women’s caucus and the SFU student society. However, the WLU pageant organizers banned Jolley from competing.

With support from over 250 women’s liberation movement advocates, Jolley protested the pageant.

“There was definitely a mixed bag of response to her protest,” said Blair.

“Some of the more feminist newspapers, because there were tons of feminist newspapers at this time across the country, they were all super supportive of her because it was a big deal that she was protesting this pageant and successfully canceled the pageant,” Blair added.

“Local papers were a little more upset with her, because again, this pageant brought a lot of publicity to the Waterloo area and a lot of people to Waterloo so it was obviously very good for business

and publicity. So the fact that they were getting this negative publicity and then ultimately the pageant eventually stopped, so local papers were upset from that angle,” said Blair.

“Student newspapers, like The Cord in the 1970s, had a mixed reaction too. They were also moving with the times and recognizing the women’s liberation movement and the impact of protests. But there were also some undertones, because the paper was male dominated at that time, so a lot of the men were [skeptical],” added Blair.

A 1970 issue of The Cord, released after Jolley’s protest, covered the events saying, “The only unfortunate aspect of this year’s pageant was the protest led by Janiel Jolley.”

The protest resulted in the cancellation of the Miss Canadian University Pageant as financial support depleted after universities began withdrawing from the event.

Also, the women’s liberation movement on university campuses across Canada grew following the 1970 protest.

“I think it was for sure a big step for the women’s movement on campuses,” said Blair. “It made nationwide coverage and by challenging the idea that women were in university to be on display but rather to be equals with their male colleagues on campus was really influential.”

The protest also translates to students today. “This shows the importance of student activism and student protest and the fact that students can have a real voice and a real impact on things,” said Blair. “I think this reiterates the potential for students to initiate change wherever they are on campus.”

For more information on The Miss Canadian University Pageant and the 1970 Protest, visit Blair’s archive exhibit.

“Still today, it is looked at as one of the key protests in the women’s liberation movement in Canada, I think that is really influential and important that it has remained as one of the key events of the women’s movement in Canada in the 1970s and it was this protest at Laurier,” said Blair.

MADALYN MOSTACCI NEWS INTERN - THE CORD

Heavy Hearts and Dark Days: A Photographic Reflection of Depression/Burnout

Broken Social Scene’s weekend in Hamilton

Canadian rock band’s anniversary tour stops in Hamilton for three nights

MARISA CERASOLI LEAD ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

Toronto indie rock collective Broken Social Scene spent last weekend in Hamilton, Ont. for three straight nights of what I can only describe as a love-in of Canadian alt rock ‘n’ roll.

The band’s sophomore album, 2002’s YouForgotItin People, was one of those seminal records in the world of 2000s indie rock – particularly paramount for the outpouring of Canadian indie records in the early part of the decade – and the band has been celebrating 20 years of the classic album with an anniversary tour around North America.

The collective, who describes themselves as “less of a rock band than an embodiment of an ideal of music,” was formed around six core members, and can include up to 19 artists from all walks of the Canadian music scene.

Many of those rotating artists, among other guest acts, were brought onstage at various points in the tour, and Sunday, March 19’s tour-closing show – the third night at Bridgeworks in Hamilton – was no exception.

The who’s who of Canadian indie music (some of

which, including Feist and Emily Haines of Metric, were only able to attend in spirit through the band’s collective reminiscence of their indelible presence left on Broken Social Scene’s catalogue) included frequent collaborator Amy Millan of electropop outfit Stars and Montreal indie pop angel Ariel Engel.

Jill Harris of Toronto rendition group Dwayne Gretzky also made her way to the stage to sing lead and backing vocals throughout the set.

At a particularly notable point in the night, Hamilton’s own Terra Lightfoot took the stage

alongside the incomparable Tom Wilson of the home town heroic 80s rock band Junkhouse, and the pair led a rollicking rendition of Junkhouse’s heavy hitter “Out of My Head” with Lightfoot bringing the house down on lead guitar.

“They’re so damn good that this would usually be where we end the show, but we’re going to play for another hour!” declared de facto Frontman Kevin Drew at 10:30 p.m. after the “Out of My Head” performance.

The group made good on that promise, continuing to perform their seminal album in

full, among other beloved Broken Social Scene tracks.

Naturally, the show wrapped up with performances of the group’s most beloved tunes, “Lovers’ Spit” and “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl,” to which the Sunday night crowd sang along with such fervour that it’s demonstrably clear how important of a record and band we were beholden to that night.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ALII H Broken Social Scene performing in England

Class of ‘23: Fourth-years’ final sentiments

Graduating Golden Hawks reflect on their university experiences

MARISA CERASOLI LEAD ARTS & CULTURE WRITER

hitting her recently.

“I think the COVID years made school fly by. I am going to miss being at Laurier Brantford and will miss its small-community feel!”

Van Ittersum has a lot of great memories from her time as a Golden Hawk, but looks back particularly fondly on many student-run events.

“I loved the FLASS galas and the ESA (English Student Association) events.”

Even some of her experiences that fell into the more academic side of things were really positive memories for the English major.

more academic term to go, admits to a certain bittersweet feeling resounding in his final classes.

“There’s the excitement of what’s next, while also feeling immense sadness knowing I have to say goodbye to the friends I made on campus.”

Vandenberg is not the only BTM student somewhat bemoaning his final Laurier days. Jacob Santos of the BTM program has some genuine uneasiness about life after graduation.

“It’s exciting, but scary knowing we’re about to be out of here. Once you’re done school, you have to work until you die,” he said with a chuckle.

of students who have all become genuine friends.

“But you know us business majors have to call them colleagues,” he adds, further nodding to the contrast of proper adult etiquette that is now expected of us despite our still feeling like a bunch of goofball kids.

That bittersweetness we’re all feeling deep down is part and parcel of having one foot in childhood and one in true adulthood. After all, most of us have been in school for 18 years straight – this is all we really know.

The springtime is here and another academic year is coming to a close. With that, fourth year students are rounding out their last days as Wilfrid Laurier University Brantford Golden Hawks. I connected with a few of them to discuss their feelings

HEALTH & WELLNESS

about their time here coming to an end, and the highlights of their university journey.

Monica Van Ittersum, who will be completing her English degree with a minor in history after her last exam in April, laments the quick passage of time that’s been

“For my one class, we watched a play in Stratford, which was a great time,” said Van Ittersum. “I also loved the small moments like conversations with professors, Brantford-related inside jokes, getting bubble tea and study sessions with friends that weren’t truly study sessions.”

Evan Vandenberg, a fourth year business technology management student with just one

It’s the depressing thought at the back of every to-be-graduate’s mind, including our two fellow BTM students, Matt Takemura and Ian Botelho, who confirmed Santos’ sentiments.

“Yeah, it’s wild that we’re almost done. As for what I’m going to miss most – hanging out with my peers,” Botelho said cheekily, emphasizing the overly formal word, given its obscurity among a cohort

Nonetheless, there’s a demonstrable camaraderie between the BTM colleagues , and I find that same camaraderie evident throughout all corners of Laurier’s Brantford campus.

Whether I’m taking electives in anything from English to history to law & society, there’s a warm tight-knit feel that permeates every inch of our little university. I think that’s what I’m going to miss most of all.

Healthy eating for mental wellness during exam season

Foods to eat to keep your brain functioning at its best

AYSE ARAS

CONTRIBUTOR

With exams and the end of term nearing, students’ stress levels are on the rise once again. There are ways to calm an anxious mind, and one of them is to choose a healthy diet.

Though eating healthy foods is beneficial year-round, exam season is perhaps the most crucial time of the year for students to keep a healthy diet to aid in staying calm and focused on their studying.

According to market research firm Ipsos, 40 per cent of Canadian university students experience high stress during exam periods. Many are also affected by anxiety, difficulty sleeping and exhaustion. A selective diet may ease these issues.

The field of nutritional psychiatry focuses on how diet affects physical and mental well-being, and how healthy eating can be used to treat mental illnesses. There are certain foods that are better for the human body in general and boost concentration and brain functioning.

A healthy mind is vital for good academic performance. Students should prioritize their mental well-being during exams and make sure to treat themselves to nutritious and balanced snacks rather than eating junk food.

The Mental Health Foundation of the UK says that eating a proper balance of healthy fats is necessary for the brain to remain healthy. These fats can be found in foods like olive oil, grapeseed oil, nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, milk and eggs. Many studies say that omega-3 fatty acids, found in seafoods, are an especially beneficial fat for the brain.

It is important to include fruits and vegetables in your diet too, as they contain vitamins necessary for proper brain functioning and keep your gut healthy.

The brain-gut connection is an important area of study in psychiatry and neuroscience since there is a link between mood and gut health, which is dependent on what you eat.

According to Harvard

Health Publishing, 95 per cent of serotonin in the human body, which regulates sleep and mood, is produced in the gastrointestinal tract.

While eating healthy foods will boost your well-being, it’s equally important to cut back on unhealthy snacks as well.

Harvard Health Publishing says that diets high in refined sugars can lead to increased stress and mood disorders such as depression. Studies show that Mediterranean and Japanese diets are linked with a decreased risk of mood disorders and increased physical wellbeing, which may be important to note when choosing study snacks.

If students get the urge to stress-eat this exam season, they should opt for healthy foods that will help relieve their stress and improve the cognitive functions of their brain.

SERENA ANAGBE/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY Two friends high-five with their diplomas

Making the Most of Your University Experience

A goodluck and goodbye reflection from your Opinions Editor

MEAGAN HODGETTS OPINIONS EDITOR

“The best four years of your life” are often referred to as your high school years. Living with less responsibility, the studies weren’t so challenging, you have your whole future to shape ahead of you.

I think that’s wrong; I think university should be what you think of with those four years. You have more freedoms, you are working to build your future, studying what you chose, building new relationships, preparing for your future.

Sure, the excitement of university is kicked off with O-Week and enjoying the nightlife as an adult, but how do you take it further, make the most meaningful memories, during these four years? Take it from me, someone who put the memories on the back-burner just pushing to reach the finish line until I slowed down at the last second to try and grasp onto as many memories as I could.

Attend Class

Yes, attending class is important for academic purposes but it’s also important for building relationships with your profs and your peers. Here at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford, we’re really lucky to have access to smaller class sizes, which gives you a chance to get to know more people than just those in your dorm or house – and people with shared interests. Beyond just making

friendships, trust me, you’ll want peer relationships when you’re completely lost on an assignment the day before it’s due! And these relationships both with classmates and your professors are essentially networking for when you get to step out and build your career. Your profs have the experience in the field that you can learn from, and your peers will be people you get to grow professionally with still cheering each other on years later.

From Campus to Campus

How we could benefit from campus to campus transportation

I have talked about this with my friends, we have also heard it discussed between others as well. The discussion being about the lack of transportation between campuses.

Brantford is a great campus and there are many courses offered here, but it is also a small campus. There are many other courses, options or minors that can be taken on the Waterloo campus.

A student on the Brantford campus, Ben Avetissian, was also saying that there are professors and classes only offered on the Waterloo campus that he would like to take.

I double-checked these facts with academic advising. We are to take most of our classes on the campus our program belongs to, although you can take classes on another campus as well if they fit into your schedule. Academic advising can also assist with enrollment if needed.

Also, there are minors/

options that can be taken on different campuses as well. Some of which would be best to talk to academic advising about.

Wilfrid Laurier University also has a large number of clubs, sports teams and events. There are many things that students can participate in on each campus. There are many activities students want to be a part of, but cannot because of a lack of transportation.

I spoke to Kristin Fernandes, the manager of interuniversity sports and recreation for Brantford. She explained that the varsity sports are different for each campus. The Waterloo campus has more sports and students play at the university level, while Brantford students play at the college level.

Fernandes said there have been a few cases where students from one campus play for the other’s team. But, she said the time it takes to commute between

campuses is more of a factor than the actual transportation.

Avetissian talked about how we hear about a lot of events and the culture from the Waterloo campus, but many of us cannot be a part of this because we cannot make it to the campus.

We are able to join clubs on other campuses as long as the timing of events and everything works. Some things come down on timing rather than actual transportation need.

Many students do not have cars and rely on public transit to get around. To get to the other campus using public transit is a hassle and takes a lot time, especially if you have a few bus transfers.

Those of us on the smaller campus enjoy being a part of our campus, but having the ability to access the other campus would also be beneficial.

Having school transpor-

Get Involved

The one thing I wish I had done sooner. It’s easy to say you don’t have time, you’re prioritizing studies, you don’t want to add anything else to your plate, but just go pick something and get involved. It could be athletics, wellness, you could even start writing for your campus paper – it could be anything. And it doesn’t have to be related at all to what you’re studying.

You will meet people across all different year levels who you can build friendships with and look to as examples or for help. Again, this whole idea of building your network – it doesn’t just start when you start your career, it starts now.

Getting involved not only looks great on experience records for the world after university, but it helps you make memories, build meaningful relationships and feel like you did something more than just be a student.

Ultimately, what you choose to do is up to you, but just make sure that you’ve made the most of your experience as a Golden Hawk and get to leave this school proud of what you did while you were here.

tation to do so would also help with accessibility. Many students rely on bus passes and do not have cars. Even if the bus ran only two or three times a day, that would benefit many Laurier students.

Having transit from campus to campus may help in some situations. Although in some, you can’t help timing and distance.

SERENA ANAGBE/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

Astoria’s Story

Episode Three - Only The Beginning

All night long, Astoria could only think about what Oak said, how it wasn’t safe and how the villagers kept talking about a hooded man who protected them. What did he protect them from? Wondered Astoria. Why did no one know who this hooded man was, what was his name even? The questions kept piling up and as midnight struck,

Astoria grew tired of just laying staring at the ceiling. They got up and went to the tavern in search of a drink, maybe it would help them sleep. In the tavern however, their curiosity won as they began to ask the bartender questions about this hooded man and what he protected everyone from.

The bartender only knew what Astoria already knew, but Astoria wanted to know more; they needed to know more! So, after a few drinks, Astoria set out in search of Oak to find out more about who he was and what and how he protected the Small Village of Dellus.

Astoria, reaching the outside of the dark forest, took a deep breath and pushed forward. The forest was intensely dark to the point where they could hardly see a foot in front of them. It was eerily quiet too, so much so that one could hear the crunching of leaves with each step that Astoria took, the wind whistling.

Astoria spent a few hours wondering around the dark forest. Eventually, Astoria got tired

and as they came across a path in the middle of the forest, they decided to give up looking for Oak, figuring they could take the path back to Dellus. As they retreated on the path, Astoria realized they were lost and they couldn’t find their way back to Dellus, at least not until morning as they circled aimlessly, deep in the forest.

Defeated, Astoria leaned against a tree, resting. Not even a few moments into slumber... Suddenly Astoria heard something. Instinct leapt as they drew their sword in sudden wake.

A shadow in the shape of a man then appeared in front of Astoria, knocking them off their feet. As Astoria hit the ground, their sword fell out of their hand. Astoria had never seen anything like this…

Suddenly, a thought came to mind; was this what the hooded man was protecting the village from?

These things! What are these things?

Out of nowhere, the shadow evaporated into thin air, a green blade slicing through it. Standing in front of Astoria was the very man they were searching for; Oak.

Oak helped Astoria up and then handed them their sword. Oak proceeded to ask Astoria what they were doing and why they left the village inn. Astoria tried defending themselves by explaining what

occurred leading up to Oak slaying that shadow thing, but Oak interjected.

“What are you doing?”

Astoria was speechless from hearing Oak raise his voice at them. Astoria regained composure, their head shaking, they then responded.

“I need answers and you will give them to me!”

“This couldn’t wait till morning?” said Oak.

“No, it can’t. What are those things?”

Oak answered them with wonder, for he was just as oblivious as they were to what those things were. Disappointed, Astoria then pried into who Oak really was and how he encountered these shadows which were trying to kill the living.

Oak was shifty, giving Astoria little information about himself, seemingly just wanting to get them to stop prying; in other words, he gave them nothing. So yet again, Astoria found themselves at square one, nothing but questions in their mind.

KAREN SAVOY CONTRIBUTER

KAREN SAVOY/CONTRIBUTER

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

SERENA ANAGBE CONTRIBUTOR

EXTRAMURALS

Men’s Hockey Team Wraps Up Season in Barrie

Team competes in first-ever RECCup

MITCHELL HARTMAN CONTRIBUTOR

On March 22, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford men’s hockey team competed in the first-ever RECCup. The team qualified for the tournament with a strong 3rdplace finish at the regional tournament in late February hosted here in Brantford.

The team battled hard but ultimately came up short, losing their first two games before falling 3-0 in the quarter-finals. The Golden Hawks lost their opener 2-1 to eventual champions Humber College, 7-1 to MacMaster University and 3-0 to La Cité in the quarter-finals.

“We played better than our record showed,” said Head Coach Eric Collins. “We had some bad luck, we honestly deserved to win in the quarters, but we ran into a hot goalie.”

While the result wasn’t what they hoped for, coaches and players alike were proud of the effort put out by the team.

EVENTS

“We gave [Humber] their best competition that day…just got an unlucky penalty at the end of the game,” said Defenseman Spencer McDowell. “It was a lot of fun and it’s always an honour to wear the team logo on my jersey.”

Even though the RECCup didn’t go the way they wanted, the team was happy with the season as a whole. Fourth-year Forward Marcus Pingue said the season “was a lot of fun, [we had] a great

group of guys…and the coaches were awesome.”

With the hockey season now coming to a close, the Golden Hawks now are looking forward to next season.

“It was awesome making it to the RECCup, I think we can do that again and maybe pull off a couple of wins,” said first-year Defenseman Alex Vessoyan, who looks to continue being a part of the hockey team in his coming

years as a student here at Laurier.

Coach Collins was proud of the seasons of both the men’s and women’s hockey teams. He also gave a big thank you to coaches Doug Cooper, Kyle Chrishop and Shannon MacCulloch. As well as a shout out to Coordinator of Recreation and Student Life, Meghan Jacklin, for her amazing work off the ice.

The Golden Hawks made the school proud this season and are looking forward to next year, where they hope to build on this year’s success.

Brantford’s ninth Annual Athletic Banquet

Laurier

Brantford campus atlhetics & recreation department recognizes student athletes’ hard work

JACKSON RICE LEAD SPORTS REPORTER

On Friday, March 24, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford Golden Hawks hosted their Annual Athletic Banquet to showcase their athletes on an outstanding season.

As the athletic season wraps up, Golden Hawk athletes are being awarded for their individual achievements and team success.

The banquet started off with awards being handed to athletes competing in sport clubs, intramural sports and extramural sports. Awards were handed out to Jamie Kirsch, Liam Hartman and others. These athletes were awarded the most dedicated player to their team.

The second string of awards were handed out to individuals who showed great leader-

ship and responsibility behind the scenes of athletics. Awards were handed out to Maya Vidovich, Olumide Fatukasi, Caitlin Foxton and others. These individuals were rightfully rewarded for their hard work and determination behind the scenes of athletics.

For athletes, awards finished off with varsity sports awards. For cross-country, Ayden Carr and Haley Schulz were awarded Rookie of the Year. After having great seasons, no one else was worthy of these awards than these two athletes. For indoor soccer, Elamparuthi Babu and Isabella Gargano-Lucanie were rightfully awarded Rookie of the Year for their excellent seasons. These two rookies showcased their skill set and were a huge part of their

team’s success. MVP awards are handed out to athletes who are the most valuable to their team and show a great amount of responsibility. For the men’s cross-country team, a returning runner captured his second-straight MVP after a great season. For the women’s side, Faith Nieson captured her second-straight MVP after another outstanding season.

Indoor soccer MVPs were handed out to Godiva Collins for the men’s team and Maya Vidovich for the women’s team. Both athletes led their teams and were selected to be team captains. The two captains played a big role in how their teams succeeded throughout their season and the results of each game.

The final awards of the banquet were given to Kara Hughes for the Coach of the Year and more awards were handed out to individuals who were highlighted for what they did this season.

year and to those who made an impact on how this amazing season turned out to be. Laurier looks forward to another great athletic season next year and wishes all graduating athletes a farewell and a welcome back to those returning.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / LAURIER ATHLETICS