WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017 ISSUE 11 WWW.THESPUTNIK.CA @SPUTNIK_NEWS THE SPUTNIK
STANDING UP FOR DIVERSITY 3
PROFESSIONAL DOMINATRIX 6
IMPROVEMENT IN MEN’S SOCCER 11
Sex issue
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THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8 ,2017
The importance of self-love
THE SPUTNIK TEAM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christina Manocchio eic@thesputnik.ca PHOTO EDITOR Kathleen Binder photography@thesputnik.ca LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Mike Rykov leadphotographer@thesputnik.ca GRAPHIC EDITOR Sai Gnanaharan visual@thesputnik.ca WEB EDITOR Kurtis Rideout web@thesputnik.ca NEWS EDITOR Shreya Shah news@thesputnik.ca ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Taylor Burt FEATURES EDITOR Dellesia Noah features@thesputnik.ca ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Matthew Burley arts@thesputnik.ca SPORTS EDITOR Devon Momy-Gamache sports@thesputnik.ca OPINION EDITOR
Josh Adesina opinion@thesputnik.ca
THE SPUTNIK ADMIN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Meghan Roach (519) 884-0710 ext. 3565 president@wlusp.com ADVERTISING Care Schummer (519) 884-0719 ext. 3560 care.schummer@wlusp.com MANAGER OF OPERATIONS Jamaal Owusu-Ansah manager@thesputnik.ca EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Treasurer John Pehar Vice-Chair Abdiasis Issa Director Mynt Marsellus Director Maddy Cutts Director Matthew Burley The Sputnik is a bi-weekly campus newspaper intended to engage and inform the community. Started in 1999, the Sputnik is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Opinions expressed within the Sputnik are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, The Sputnik, WLUSP, WLU or Canweb Printing. All content appearing in the Sputnik bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. The Sputnik is created using Macintosh computers running Mac OS X Yosemite using Adobe Creative Cloud. Canon cameras are used for principal photography. The Sputnik’s primary font is Abril Text, an open source font created by Adobe Typekit Fonts. We also use Adelle PE and Mueso Slab. The Sputnik is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981. The Sputnik circulates bi-weekly. Normal circulation is 1,000. The Sputnik 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 Sputnik’s contact with the community. The Sputnik will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.
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Respecting yourself is vital as a student. Christina Manocchio /The Sputnik
Jennany Thillairajan Staff Writer
The concept of self-love always seemed a little foolish to me. I felt that it held no purpose. I felt that it was just another reason for girls to post a million selfies on a daily basis and have a reasonable, or in other words, acceptable excuse behind it. Harsh, right? I think it’s almost because this society is convinced that the meaning of self-worth is knowing you’re pretty, or knowing you’re intelligent. Those are definitely factors of understanding self-worth but it holds a much more in-depth meaning.
It wasn’t until I had a broken heart that I realized how much I love and adore myself. I admire the way I handle situations, the way I write and the way I admire people. Self-love, in my understanding, is the moment you realize that you are more important than anyone or anything else in comparison. I have gone all my life putting people above me and so many people do the same. In certain situations you need to be able to be selfish, and walk away from certain situations when you know it’s not good for you. This is what self-love means to me. It means knowing when it’s time to walk away from a situation,
knowing you have had enough and knowing when you deserve better. Self-love isn’t only limited to relationships, but to broader aspects within your life that can teach important lessons that we should all yearn to obtain. We should master our self-love in our day to day lives, in things like school, work and many others. This is a problem I’ve encountered while just having simple conversations with people on a daily basis. We often forget that we are so young. We have a whole life full of accomplishments, failures, and experiences, and we forget that these little
things are not going to hold purpose in our bright futures. It is almost as though this society is allowing us to believe that without the acceptance of others we are not whole; we are not enough. In some cases, it may even be the ones close to us that make us feel that way, and that’s exactly what you need to walk away from. If you don’t walk away, at least have strength to understand your value and worth. Do not let the perception of a relationship control you, especially this Valentine’s day. Do not let being alone this year get you down. Ignore the memes and love yourself.
Mainstream influence controlling music Josh Adesina Opinion Editor Am I the only one that feels as though all genres of music are becoming more popular? Over the past few years, there have been several artists that have had mega hit singles, but in the present day of music, particular hit singles are becoming really popular, really fast. In addition to the growing popularity of music, it is worth wondering what makes songs become so popular to begin with. Rap and hip-hop music has always been quite popular, but for some reason I feel like it has become even more popular recently. There were rap artists that I listened to that I thought would never last. One of them was the rap group Rae Sremmurd. The group consists of two rap artists from Atlanta; Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi. Their first hit single was called “No Flex Zone” which I liked a lot, and has since gone platinum according to the Recording Association of America. After that, they put out a few singles that didn’t do as well, and I assumed they would disappear. A few years later, they released a song called “Black Beatles” featuring Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane and it became the number one song on the Billboard 100, according to Pigeons and Planes. I’m sure you are wondering how this song could become popular so fast. “Black Beatles”
became wildly popular because it was the unofficial soundtrack for the Mannequin Challenge. This strategic internet marketing was orchestrated by Stoveman and Hobin from Pizzaslime, a popular internet brand, alongside Gunner Safron from Interscope Records (Rae Sremmurd’s record label), according to Pigeons and Planes. Mike “Mike WiLL Made-It” Will was responsible for producing Black Beatles along with other hits such as Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop”and Rihanna’s “Pour It Up”. Another rap group that has
become increasingly popular are an Atlanta rap group called Migos. The group consists of three members: Quavo, Takeoff and Offset. Their newest single “Bad and Boujee” has become quite popular. American actor and rapper Donald Glover, also known as ‘Childish Gambino’ mentioned how much he liked the song at the Golden Globes this year, according to Noisey and as a result, “Bad and Boujee” quickly became an undoubtedly popular song, and later went platinum. Although hip-hop music has been getting its share of the
limelight, we can’t forget about electronic dance music. EDM makes hip-hop look like a puppy when you compare their popularities. CNN recognizes EDM as a $6.2 billion industry with its top ten artists making $268 million combined in 2014. I really do feel like hip-hop has been outshining EDM recently, but the numbers bring me back down to earth. Regardless of the fact that CDs are less popular, that hasn’t stopped the massive popularity and success these genres have been having.
Music is proving to be a lucrative industry for popular artists. Sai Gnanaharan /The Sputnik
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017
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NEWS Brantford unifies for diversity SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Ben Cooke Video Editor Taylor Burt Asisstant News Editor
The Muslim Student Association (MSA), the local Brantford Mosque and Laurier all joined together for a vigil in honour of the victims of the shooting in Quebec City on Feb. 1, 2017. Six individuals were killed and 19 others were injured in a terrorist attack Jan. 29. The individuals were praying with their backs to the shooter. Around 8 p.m. the shooter took 6 lives in the Islamic Cultural Centre de Quebec City. The six victims were between the ages of 39 and 60 years old. The suspected shooter, Alexandre Bissonette, 27, has been charged with six counts of first degree murder. The attack was called a terrorist attack by Justin Trudeau. However, Bissonette was only charged with murder and not terrorism. The vigil began at 7:30 p.m. and ran until 9 p.m. Many showed up in attendance to show their support and solidarity with the Muslim community. The event began with the lighting of candles in the courtyard of the Research and Academic Center West of Laurier Brantford. Abu Noman Mohammed Tarek, Imam at the Brantford Mosque, spoke at the vigil and led the group in prayer. As people made their way back inside to take their seats, Tarek spoke about the act and how he and his family reacted to the news. “It was hard to control the tears,” said Tarek. “It was an indescribable feeling.” Tarek went on to explain that he and his family did not suffer alone, that he had a lot of support behind him. “But what we experienced after the news, the same night, around 9:30 or so, was an email from our local councillor, sending his words of comfort and ensuring that ‘we are with you’. That was a different experience,” said Tarek. Many others throughout the night spoke up and showed their support. Jaydene Lavallie, an Indigenous woman who works with Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG), stated that as an Indigenous woman, she can understand what the Muslim community must be going through. There is a lot of hate in the world and fear of being different, so people must fight towards the common good. “Knowledge, knowledge, knowledge,” said Tarek in reference to how racism and fear of differences can be overcome. “Communicate with one another [and] talk to one another. We don’t know what will happen [the] next day.” There was also an incident in 2016 during Ramadan. The
Top: Brantford members take to the streets to stand in solidarity with the Muslim Community. Ben Cooke/The Sputnik Bottom: Laurier Brantford hosts a vigil for the lost lives in Quebec City. Christina Manocchio/The Sputnik
mosque received a pig’s head on the front step and it was labelled a hate crime. Most of Quebec City’s immigration population is French-speaking. Quebec City has a very low crime rates, so it was a huge shock to the residents of the community when this attack on the mosque occurred. The message continuing into the weekend was to spread love, not hate. The chant echoed throughout Victoria Park on Saturday as nearly 400 hundred Brantford citizens gathered around the Joseph Brant statue. The air was cold, but warmth was provided by the tone of solidarity that was set for the Brantford Friendship Walk. JoAnne Dubois, community developer at the Grand River Community Health Centre, and her friend Sara Dover, a lawyer, planned the event last Monday after the recent shooting in a
Quebec City Mosque. As well, the walk was meant to show that Brantford stands against U.S President Donald Trump’s immigration ban, which left people from seven Middle-Eastern countries with no way to get home. “The friendship walk is a way to counter the hate with love and friendship,” said Dubois. “We felt we needed to do something. We felt compelled to make a statement.” Dubois and Dover were unsure of what to do with the emotion and anxiety they were left with after the recent events. “I think a lot of people felt a growing sense of anxiety about the negativity with diversity and the intense racialization of people... myself and others felt it was time to move away from the negativity and come together in a spirit of positivity and solidarity with all the amazing diversity
in Brantford,” said Dover. Members stood silent to listen to each speaker as the event began at 2 p.m. Organizer Lauren Burrows introduced Tehakanere Henny Jack, who led a First Nations prayer. Attendees listened while Abu Noman Tarek, Iman of the Brantford Mosque; Ava Hill, Chief of the Elected Council of the Six Nations of the Grand River; Anwar Dost, president of the Muslim Association of Brantford; Mayor John Sless; Brenda Blancher, Grand Erie District School Board Director of Education; and Police Chief Geoff Nelson gave their remarks on the incredible outpour of support. “We are a peaceful nation and diversity is our strength,” said Tarek. “Brantford is a community, one where we share everyone’s pain and we enjoy and celebrate in everyone’s achieve-
ment. Chief Hill expressed gratitude toward people coming together and celebrating inclusiveness, love, kindness and peace. “It’s refreshing and heartening to know that here in our little corner of the world, that we’re standing in solidarity with many people and many groups across the world who are coming together.” “Spread love, not hate,” continued to be chanted as attendees left the park to walk down Darling Street, where they proceeded on Clarence Street around to Laurier’s Research and Academic Centre on Dalhousie. The building was filled by the hundreds to enjoy discussion, hot chocolate, musical performances and a sense of community filled with solidarity to one another.
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NEWS Coming together at the One Love Gala SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Keyana Smith Staff Writer On Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Student Centre’s multipurpose room, Laurier students hosted their third annual One Love event to acknowledge and celebrate their diversity. The event was hosted by Laurier Brantford’s Amnesty International club and co-hosted by Laurier’s Human Rights and Diversity Students Association (HRHDSA). The event included a special guest from the Laurier Brantford Women’s Centre. One Love is a celebration of diversity that brings a sense of community to the campus. Amnesty International is a student-run club that “works alongside Amnesty International to try and inspire change through active involvement,” said Dominique Bendetti and Sinthu Vimaladasan, presidents of Amnesty International Laurier Brantford. Amnesty International hosts many campaigns throughout the year, one example being the My Body My rights campaign, which was co-hosted by the women’s centre and Sexual Assault Centre of Brant. These events shine a light upon and spread awareness of global issues. A lot of Amnesty’s campaigns focus on petitions and campaigns that are serious in nature. It is the opinion of many that it is very important to acknowledge that we are all human. Amnesty International spent months planning and organizing this year’s third annual One Love Gala. With the focus in mind of providing students the opportunity to display their diversity on campus through different forms
of artwork, photograph, spoken word, speeches, opinions and mashups. Feb. 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month, and there is no better time to celebrate unity and diversity. With inspiration being drawn from political figure and activist Bob Marley, one love continues to grow exponentially. “Bob Marley is more than just a musician. He is a political figure with no restraints, That’s what Amnesty is about: having like-minded human rights activists fight for what is right.” Headed by Dominique Bendetti and Sinthu Vimaladasan, Amnesty International Laurier Brantford aims to create “a support system, a safe outlet to go to. We just need to support each other and all be here for each other throughout these troubling times!” Decorated in black and yellow, Amnesty International Brantford brought together students of all backgrounds to celebrate and unite. Through the use of art, photography, music and spoken word, students from all walks of life came together with the hopes of educating, sharing and acknowledging our differences. Some performances included Eddie Lartey, Emma Ruetz, Chandler Berardi and Rawan Shannak. Eddie Lartey is a spoken word poet, currently working with Hamilton Youth Poets, who performed a series of pieces addressing systemic racism, global injustice and racial inequalities. The series aims to remind students that “Love is one of the best investments we can make … and love is the only weapon we have against times right now.”
Chandler Berardi and Emma Ruetz perform at Amnesty’s One Love event. Anna Principato/The Sputnik
Rawan Shannak, a fourth year psychology and criminology student, delivered a powerful speech on diversity, incorporating Jane Elliot’s lifetime lesson on racial prejudice. Emma Ruetz, a concurrent education student, and Chandler Berardi, a digital media and journalism student, took the stage to perform a fusion of Sean Paul’s Temperature and Ed Sheeran’s Don’t. Demonstrating that although there are differences in skin colour, sexual orientation and physical appearance, there are things in life that can unify us. We sat down with one of Amnesty International Laurier Brantford club presidents, Sinthu Vimaladasan. to discuss more about diversity at Laurier Brantford. “We all have a social respon-
sibility to address or at least understand the issues that other people have to face and deal with. All of our events try to raise global issues outside of the Western perspective, just seeing our diversity as something positive, and not a bad thing. It is okay to acknowledge that we are different, it is completely okay, it’s actually better [than not doing so]. Acknowledging that we are all different comes with certain responsibilities. As university students we need to be educated about this,” said Vimaladasan. Students can expect to see much more diversity-related events around campus within the next two months. On Feb. 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Market Square, Laurier SOUL will be hosting a Black History Month gala. On March 7 at 10 a.m., Lau-
rier Brantford’s human Rights and Human Diversity Student Association will be hosting its annual human rights conference with guest speakers and prizes. Students are encouraged to come out and get involved. Students can get involved by contacting members of HRHDSA, Amnesty Brantford or Laurier SOUL. “The constant generalizations of people are not acceptable, One Love and Amnesty International Laurier Brantford wants to break down stereotypes, gender norms and all gender assignment society forces upon us. Africa is not a country,” said Vimaladasan, who encourages students to do more with their university education and degrees, to create change, acknowledge differences and support one another.
Sexual Assault support for Laurier Meghan Slotegraaf
Staff Writer In September, a position was created at Laurier to provide support to students who have experienced sexual violence. Sarah Scanlon is Laurier’s sexual support advocate and counsellor. Scanlon is available one day a week on the Brantford Campus. Laurier created this position because the university recognizes that sexual violence is a very serious issue and acknowledges the ways in which it can disempower and alienate survivors. One in five women will experience sexual violence while in university, and this statistic is probably much higher as many cases go unreported. Scanlon is here to support all survivors of sexual assault, including men, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people who are providing support for a survivor, and individuals who have caused sexual
violence. She’s also available to provide support to people who have historic experiences of sexual violence. It’s never too late to seek help. “Students cannot learn in an atmosphere where they do not feel safe,” said Scanlon. “[Victims of gendered violence] need support and they need to be heard and believed. You don’t have to do this alone. There are people here, like myself, that can provide support in a non-judgemental way.” Scanlon has over a decade of experience with both people who have experienced sexual violence and perpetrators of sexual violence. She has worked in a variety of settings including women’s shelters, universities and correctional facilities. Scanlon is available to help with any of the following: safety planning, referrals to counselling and medical services, understanding the on and off-campus complaint options available, academic and campus accommo-
dations, navigating systems and resources within the university and the broader community, and supporting communications between survivors and the university. Through a partnership with the Sexual Assault Centre of Brant, Laurier Brantford students can also receive support from sexual violence counsellor and advocate Hayley Moody. She is available thirty hours per week and can provide one-onone or group counselling, as well as accompaniment to community agencies and assistance in navigating university processes and policies. She strongly emphasizes that students will never be pressured to take a particular course of action. The Sexual Assault Centre of Brant also offers a 24/7 crisis and support line for people in need of support outside of office hours. Trained professionals will answer your call if you are in a time of crisis or just need someone to talk to.
To further combat the issue of sexual violence, a group of Laurier students created an organization called Advocates for a Student Culture of Consent. Taylor Berzins, who is HR for WLUSP, Brittany Bennett, Karly Rath, and Neha Soni, all survivors of sexual violence, created this organization to speak out about rape culture on campus, which includes victim-blaming,
a very real problem in our society. On the Feb. 13, Advocates for a Student Culture of Consent will be handing out consentcentric, non-heteronormative, and self-love themed DIY valentine’s, alongside their consent resources, some Valentine’s Day treats, condoms, and dental dams in their second annual Crushin’ Booth.
There’s help for sexual violence. Laura Gorza/The Sputnik
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NEWS
SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Women march for equal rights Avery McIsaac Staff Writer On Jan. 21, millions of people inOn Jan. 21, millions of people in the United States and all over the world held a peaceful protest in honor of equal rights for all. The protests were held in response to President Donald Trump and his administration planning to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, but this was just one amongst many other concerns. Planned Parenthood provides a variety of medical services and educational tools to men and women. Planned Parenthood also provides a safe place for women to have abortions. A big concern for many is that by removing funding from Planned Parenthood, Trump’s administration is taking away a safe place for women to make decisions regarding their bodies. The official website of the Women’s March on Washington explained their mission: “The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse re-
ligious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault-and our communities are hurting and scared. We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear. In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.” Although it is hard to get a definite number, it’s estimated that 470,000 people attended the march in Washington alone. Both Hamilton and Toronto also held Women’s Marches to show solidarity with those marching in the United States. The march in Toronto started in Queen’s Park, marched past the
Protestors supporting imagration. Mike Rykov/The Sputnik
U.S. consulate, and ended in Nathan Phillips Square. Organizers of the event estimated more than 50,000 people attended the march. In Hamilton, over 1,000 people gathered at Hamilton’s City Hall. Rather than marching, a two-hour rally was held. At the hundreds of marches
around the world, the intent appeared to be consistent. People of all genders, ages, races, and walks of life attended these events to peacefully voice their distaste for Donald Trump, his administration, and his behavior. One of the core messages of the marches was ‘Love Trumps
Hate’, a phrase that almost everyone can get behind. Though it is unclear how President Trump will take these protests into consideration when making future decisions, it is apparent that his negative actions have united millions of people.
Inquiring into missing and murdered Indigenous women Hyrra Chughtai Staff Writer The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women has been a popular topic of discussion for the past two years. It has spread all over Canada and has tragically put a horrible image on our country. Kandice Baptiste is the manager for the office of Aboriginal Initiatives at Laurier Brantford and is also a member the Mohawk tribe. “It’s a nationwide issue. Indigenous women have a higher chance of going missing or being murdered. It’s a big problem, so families and survivors have been pushing for an inquiry for years. The Liberals last year called a nationwide inquiry that will get at the root causes for this happening in Canada and why Indigenous women are being targeted,” said Baptiste. Not only has this issue become known in recent years, but it has occurred for a long time with minimal media coverage. “The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women [has] gotten a lot of play in the media in the last two years I would say. It kind of raised consciousness about Indigenous issues at the time, probably between 2013 and 2014. [It] became part of the discussion around the election - the federal election at the time. The Liberals put it in their platform, [and] the NDP as well have an inquiry for missing and murdered Indigenous women. The last year of the Conservative leadership in
Canada, [it] was a thing that was being pushed for, so it was getting more play in the media and it became an election issue. It’s been going on since then,” said Baptiste. In the Laurier community, Baptiste says she would like to see more communication about the topic, for people to make it more acceptable to talk and have a discussion about. “There was a Pink Feather Society. I am not sure if that is still going on. It was last year and a student-run group, but there is nothing specific that is for raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women ... We do have an Indigenous Student Association here … the Indigenous Studies program here does talk about it.” Students in Brantford should also acknowledge their surroundings and the problems that may occur around them without them noticing. “I don’t think there are any specific hearings that will be held [in Brantford]. I’m not sure, but I mean, with Brantford being so close to Six Nations and New Credit and with the high urban Indigenous population, it’s not like this doesn’t happen here, so it’s a local issue as well,” said Baptiste.
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FEATURES
DELLESIA NOAH | FEATURES@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Get your kink on... with a pro-domme
Lady Azelle sitting on the custom made Slave Bed in Studio Ludus. Christina Manocchio/The Sputnik
Christina Manocchio
Editor-in-Chief Bondage and discipline (BD), dominance and submission (DS) and sadism and masochism (SM) makes up the world of BDSM. For many, their understanding of BDSM comes from the unrealistic story in the novel/ film Fifty Shades of Grey. Lady Azelle Lanista is a professional dominatrix based in Toronto. Before becoming a professional dominatrix, she had a career in social work in the mental health sector. After working in the industry for 15 years, she was burnt out. BDSM was a part of her personal life at the time, but she made it a part of her professional life. She started a website and quit social work six months into her new career. Her skills in social work came in use for running a pro-domme business. She uses the same format of notetaking in social work for her current clients. Both industries require people skills and helping people with their problems. So what does a professional dominatrix actually do? “I promote myself in being an authentic dominant. What that means is I’m not here to indulge in their fantasy, they’re here to please me. A session looks like anything I want it to, I have a client who I have seen every single month for four years. We have a very amazing relationship and honestly I set that time aside for him once a month. If that time means I just need a neck rub and a foot rub because I’m exhausted, then that’s what he does. He’s thankful just to please me in that way. If I just had a fight with my boyfriend and I need to whip the shit out of him, that’s what I do,” explained Lady Azelle. There can be misconceptions about what a professional dominatrix actually does. Lady Azelle
does not offer any nudity or sexual services at all. “I do allow men to release in session, I’d say about maybe 20 per cent of the time. It is very, very rare and is only if I feel like it’s something that is a part of the scene and something that is fun for me. There never is any obligation for me to provide a release. That’s not what seeing a pro-domme is about.” According to Lady Azelle, it is common for professional dominatrixes to be confused with fetish escorts. The difference is escorts accompany the client to events and usually provide sexual services. “I’ve grown professionally where I know instantly whether or not someone is serious about the service that I offer. If someone on the online session request form says they’re a first timer and they want overnight, they’re jerking off in fantasy land. They are not looking for a professional domination experience.” “I am very selective about who I session with. I have no problem deleting people and blacklisting people who are not worth my time.” Going to a professional domme isn’t just for a good time. Some clients need it for their own physical and personal needs. “I have one slave who has chronic pain. He just needs me to do impact play so his body releases the endorphins, and [he] needs the adrenalin to cope with his pain.” Lady Azelle also has a line of BDSM chocolates, Dominantly Delicious, which are molded from her lips and toes. She says that clients don’t deserve her lips so the only way they can ever have them is in form of a chocolate. She also explained that some wives want to learn to be domi-
nant with their partners. Every couple has different reasons to see her. She has dominated a husband and a wife together, and has even had men sent to her as a reward. Everyone has their limits when it comes to pleasing others. Even professionals in the industry say no to others’ desires. “I don’t know if they are limits as much as personal interests. I don’t enjoy age play; I don’t enjoy adult baby. There are dommes who are well suited for that. It’s just not something I enjoy […] for me it’s outside of my personal interests.” Scat play is something that she doesn’t really do. Scat is arousal through human feces, so shitting on someone or making them eat it. “There is an inherent health risk associated with that. I don’t do anything I’m not trained to do.” Some of the services are listed openly on her booking request form online, which include ball busting, electrical play, foot worship, hair pulling, and tickle torture. Potential clients state whether the activity is a hard limit (a hard no), soft limit (a maybe), or an interest. Lady Azelle said she is open-minded and will take suggestions. Liability is a factor when it comes to running a BDSM business. Many of the activities involved can lead to injuries. Lady Azelle has taken precaution against being sued and now makes clients sign a waiver before a session to avoid any legal disputes. “I’ve broken bones accidentally, it happens. People are suspended, they’re wiggling, you can tear a rotator cuff and be off of work for six months. There is an increased risk for some activities.” The industry standard is a 40 per cent client no-show rate,
while Lady Azelle has never had someone not show up due to her session booking process. Clients pay a cancellation fee if they provide less than 24 hours’ notice. If you need some help getting into shape, fem domme gyms can help you with that. Lady Azelle’s long term goal is to open one, and she is almost finished her certification. “Men are motivated by strong dominant women.” “All my clients [say] ‘I want to lose 10 pounds, I want to be a better husband, I want to quit drinking, I want to quit watching porn so often, I want to stop smoking.’ They come to me for assistance with that. Chastity is a very effective way to motivate a man, so that’s a means I use often [...] They have to earn their way out of their chastity device, so that is something I’m planning on incorporating. “Fem domme gym has been done, but it hasn’t been done here.” “It has been done in L.A and in New York. I think it was tried in Toronto but I don’t think it was done properly. The way they are doing it in L.A is not the way I’m going to be doing it. I’m not going to be making men squat with weights hanging on their balls, that’s not safe.” The plans for her future gym space are also to use the space as a dungeon and to throw fetish parties. A fetish party is where individuals with similar interests in kinks and fetishes can gather together. BDSM in everyday lives is becoming more common as well. Jane Doe* explained how BDSM became an interest in her relationship in an email. “As a person diagnosed with a chronic pain disorder, depression, anxiety disorder and panic disorder, I’m very on edge at all times. The simplest things set me off and I can lose control
very easily. I’ve also been raised in a very co-dependent family. I’m a person who has many things to take care of. I like to be in control of as much as possible. There are so many things going on around me that I have to tend to or take care of, that I feel overwhelmed. BDSM is an escape from all of that […] it’s the one place I don’t feel I need to control, and also the one place where control is not given to me. Surprisingly, BDSM also lets me come to terms with a bad experience I had in the past. About two months before I started dating my current boyfriend, I lost my virginity from rape. It still bothers me to this day, but BDSM actually helps me slowly get past it. Yes, I may be “forced” or “told” to do something by my boyfriend, which can trigger bad memories, but I can use my safe word to stop and I can escape the current situation. BDSM lets me relive the experience on my own terms so that I can get past it and accept it.” The movie Fifty Shade of Grey was released in 2015. Searches on Pornhub for BDSM increased by 88 per cent the same year. There has been some criticism over the storyline within the movie. “Most people in the industry think it’s shit. Some of the reasons are that it does not portray the communication and negotiation integral to a domme’s relationship, and because it suggests that interest in BDSM is a result of being abused. BDSM relationships require a high level of communication, self-awareness and trust,” said Lady Azelle. She also stated that she will be watching the second movie in theaters, shamelessly. You can catch more of Lady Azelle on Viceland soon. *Sources wished to remain anonymous.
THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017
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FEATURES
DELLESIA NOAH| FEATURES@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
A week with... Jelena Vulić Staff Writer I got Tinder back in October 2016, when all of my friends were constantly chatting about all of the cute boys and girls that matched with them. I hopped onto the bandwagon; went to Google Play, downloaded the app, put up the six photos that made me look hella fine and started swiping away. It didn’t hold my interest for very long though; after too many awkward, boring, and/or distasteful conversations, I figured that Tinder just wasn’t for me. I stopped using it actively within a month after downloading it. Then last week happened. There I am, sitting with my features editor, with an idea for my next article. I didn’t take into account was that this week’s issue had a theme, which basically tossed my Lunar New Year article right out the window. Then a fellow writer, suggested that one of us write an article about our experience with Tinder if we tried to go out on as many Tinder dates as possible for a week. Now, as a university student who was planning to go home to celebrate Lunar New Year with her family, on top of incoming mid-terms, I didn’t think I’d have too much time to spare, but I took the challenge anyways. I managed to meet up with three boys within the span of the week. This is what I thought of them. DATE # 1: SATURDAY JAN. 28, 1 a.m. I had just gotten back to my parents’ home about an hour ago from my Lunar New Year family event. One of the guys I matched with messaged me over Tinder asking if I was free. I wasn’t ready to hit the hay yet, so I said yes. We set up a time and place to meet up, and I snuck out of my house shortly afterwards, despite how cold it was outside. My date got lost and somehow managed to confuse where my neighbourhood was; I lived in an area known as Clarkson in Mississauga, and he thought that was close to an area called Meadowvale, which was literally on the opposite side of the city. When he did manage to find me, I was freezing. I hopped into his car and we drove around for a bit talking as I warmed up. Things at this point were fine in my opinion. It’s what happened afterwards that really landed this date the rating that it got. Personally, I have no issues with anything sexual happening on the first date, and regardless of when it happens, you’d think it would be common courtesy for both sides of the parties to please each other equally; whatever it is that you may be doing. Well, in my case, that didn’t hap-
pen. We found a high school parking lot in a quiet area of town. The foreplay was fine, great even, but it all went downhill from there. Seriously, this guy was barely even touching me when things started to go down. I thought at first that maybe we’d be taking turns, which again, was fine by me, but after seeing how hard it was to convince him to do anything with me, I gave up. I was just so disappointed that anyone, never mind a good-looking guy like him, could be so bad at this. He even used a lame excuse, saying that multiple cop cars were driving by the high school. I played stupid because at this point I wanted nothing to do with him, and I’m pretty sure he believed that I was that dumb. The joke was on him though. We were supposed to meet up for brunch. I never showed up. OVERALL RATING:
1/10
DATE # 2: SATURDAY JAN. 28, 3 p.m. After such a disappointing night, I was really hoping that my luck would turn around for this next date. We met up at Square One Shopping Centre’s food court. I was hoping that we would have specified near which restaurant before we got
Tinder
there, but we still managed to find each other. Things got a bit awkward from there. We lined up at Starbucks to get drinks. Now, I wasn’t expecting my date to buy my drink, but at least an offer would have been nice. In fact, I was the one that had offered to pay for his drink, but he ended up refusing and we paid for our own drinks. We then began walking about and talking, mostly about surface things like university and our lives on campus. As the day went on, with my introverted self having to find things to talk about, I figured out why my date seemed awkward. He was an international student from India, and wasn’t familiar with the area. In fact, most of his life in Canada revolved around UTM’s campus, which I lived nearby. The most disappointing things about the date was probably that he had not made any real plans past meeting up with me, which in this circumstance, was perfectly understandable, but at the same time, it forced me to come up with something on the spot. We had been walking for about an hour at this point, and since I had plans to go back to Brantford that same night, I only had an extra half hour to spare. We ended up going into a nearby movie theatre to play in their arcade. We both paid for 15 tokens each, spending
most of it on air hockey. Overall, he was a really sweet guy, but the date just felt like I was hanging out with a friend rather than a potential significant other. OVERALL RATING
5/10
:
DATE #3: MONDAY JAN. 30, 2 PM Now, disclaimer here, this final date was definitely more of a hook-up than a date, but I felt like it was worth mentioning because this guy just did it right -for the most part anyways. I’d been chatting with this guy on Tinder for a few days before we finally figured out a day we could meet up. This date, like the first one, had gotten lost too, but at least he wasn’t as wildly off; in fact, I just had to cross the parkade near Grand River Hall to find him. We went up to my apartment so that I could eat, since I hadn’t had food at all that day. I offered him some, but he kindly refused. We talked for at least an hour or two. He seemed like a really nice guy, though I felt bad at one point for him because my roommate walked in and I spent a lot of time talking with her. It was funny though because she played George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” just after she left
Alex Vialette / The Sputnik
us alone, which got us laughing really hard and talking to each other again. I still apologised to him, but he didn’t seem to mind it at all. I found out he had about an hour left to spare before he had to leave for some evening classes, and me, in a moment of mischief, started to really hit on him. He was the best looking guy out of my three dates, so I really couldn’t help myself. My actions landed us in the bedroom, which I didn’t mind. He took really good care of me, which was just the best way for me to end my week-long endeavours with Tinder. My only issue however was that he kind of led me on. After we were done, he had to leave, and kissed me, telling me that he’d message me later. I found out two hours later that he unmatched me on Tinder. Look, I totally would have not minded if he had been honest with me and said that this was just going to be a one-time thing. I really wouldn’t have. The fact that he did that though was why I rated this overall experience lower than I would have liked to. OVERALL RATING:
7/10
I have started to take the use of Tinder a bit more seriously than I had before. I went out on more dates than I had in awhile, which makes this makes the app successful in that regard. One thing is for sure though, and that is that I wouldn’t recommend relying on Tinder to find someone to date, especially not if you’re looking to eventually get yourself into a relationship. A lot of people on there are not looking for anything serious. That doesn’t mean that finding Mister / Miss Right is impossible though; I already know a few people who have met their significant others through Tinder. If anything, Tinder should be used to enhance the dating experience; it has definitely opened up some windows for struggling singles such as myself.
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THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017
ARTS & CULTURE MATTHEW BURLEY | ARTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Netflix and Chillabit Alex Vialette Staff Writer Although there are hundreds of options, Laurier favours Chillabit for posting their nudes. After kicking Yik Yak out of its throne by offering university exclusive social networking, Chillabit has earned a reputation for users posting their nudes every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. The app offers a forum devoted for body positivity, which has since been repurposed for showing off what the gene pool has given to the Canadian postsecondary community. “Everyone has their own thoughts of their own body,” said Phyl Nie*, a former Laurier Brantford student. “You kind of want to see what other people think and the anonymity kind of helps with that.” Nie started posting nudes to the forum last semester. After posting a couple of nudes showing off his abs, he has since stopped. Even though Nie was attending Laurier during the popularity of “LaurierUniSnaps”, a once popular Snapchat account for nudes, he never sub-
mitted a photo to them. “I was tempted to [send a nude in] but I didn’t want it attached to my snapchat account,” said Bernadette Tindall*, another Laurier Brantford student. “I didn’t know who was running it so I didn’t want it to be someone I knew and then have them recognize my snapchat.” Tindall keeps the pictures she has taken for Body Positivity locked and password-protected on her phone. She prefers the degree of anonymity Chillabit gives along with a few other features. She said that if Body Positivity were Laurier exclusive she would have been less likely to post any pictures of herself. While LaurierUniSnaps did have nudes shared, there was less of a disconnect between the users and their audience. Tindall states that she posts to Body Positivity just for that reason, body positivity. “As bad as it is,” she said, “the upvotes make you feel good and then the comments are always nice.” These upvotes and comments were something LaurierUniSnaps would not have been able to compete with even if it were
still alive. Robi Kenobi*, another Laurier Brantford student, posts usually once a week on Body Positivity. When asked why she never posted on LaurierUniSnaps, she identified two factors: the fact she had a boyfriend at the time, and that there was a different vibe about it. “They weren’t as nice. This one has a bunch of different universities and it’s harder to be recognized. [LaurierUniSnaps] seemed like it was just a bunch of grimy guys. [Chillabit] is an actual app.” In general, it seems as though the Chillabit body positivity phenomenon seems focused on the atmosphere of the app. It’s all like-minded individuals and it carries certain standards. As Kenobi, Tindall, and Nie all said, the anonymity makes it a lot easier to post as compared to other venues like LaurierUniSnaps or even larger communities like Reddit. In addition, it’s a bit more tame than either of those two, as there are rules against posting pictures of “D’s and V’s”. *Sources wished to remain anonymous.
How to get an anime boyfriend Stephan Reilly Staff Writer Mystic Messenger is a South Korean visual novel aimed at female players. It puts players in the role of a single woman who you name, making her your avatar. The interface is a chat app not too far off from what we use on smartphones today. In an age of Snapchat and Tinder, it’s a format that many will find familiar, seeing as players are talking to people who aren’t real but sometimes it’s hard to tell. “I first heard about Mystic Messenger through social media, it was one of the recommendations,” said Torri Jacobs, a second-year criminology student at Laurier Brantford. “I later talked to my friend about the game and she told me that it was pretty good so I decided to give it a try.” Players text and occasionally call the characters in the game and learn more about them. They choose from different prewritten responses like in other visual novels and build relationships with the characters over time. Sometimes they have to make choices between two of the characters, a choice resulting in one becoming their boyfriend. “Maybe it’s time you settled down. You should find a nice person, get married and share your life with someone,” says V, one of the characters in Mystic Messenger. A lot of the characters in the game will flirt with the player and there are different endings depending on how effectively the player can flirt back.
Jacobs started playing Mystic Messenger last October and has uninstalled and reinstalled it, curious to see what the other anime boys have to say to her. She asked her boyfriend what he thought about her playing the digital dating app and he said “he was okay with it at long as it didn’t take time away from him.” “The characters become more sensitive and affectionate, you have to help them work through their problems and maintain a healthy relationship or you will get a bad ending,” explained Jacobs. “You have a list of answers you can choose from and depending on if you help them and have a healthy relationship with them, if you choose to be unsupportive and mean then you get a bad ending.” There are over a dozen characters in Mystic Messenger, from geeky gamer Yoosung to the restrained and distant V. Each character has their own quirks and charms, like real people. That’s probably why the game is so popular. “I play it for fun but someone
else could play it for a different reason, like they want a dating option,” said Jacobs. “It’s kind of fun to experience the gameplay and the character development throughout the game. It’s the most well-done dating simulator I have ever played.” Mystic Messenger is incredibly popular with five stars on the iOS store, which is all but unheard of in mobile game scores. This is in no small part due to how much people seem to love the characters. There’s a whole fandom that’s evolved online around the different datable anime boys. Fanart of different characters is quite popular online, sometimes provocative, and even literotica about what dating the different boys would be like. “I went for: Yoosung, Zen, Seayoung and 707. 707 was by far the best route. 11/10 would recommend!” When asked about whether she ever got emotionally invested in the different boys, Jacobs said “I mean I felt bad for them at times but I also know that they are not real.”
Would you ever date an anime character? Mystic Messenger breaks the barriers of who can be dated... Adrienne Hoe/The Sputnik
Chillabit has dethroned Yik Yak as the preferred social media platform for nudes. Alex Vialette/The Sputnik
Emergency sex playlist Claudia Marmol Staff Writer Whether it’s during Netflix and chill, or coming home after a successful date, we all know that steamy moment when it transitions from a teen rated make-out to a run, no, sprint to home base. The path there can be tricky, with interruptions from curious pets, roommates knocking on the door inquiring about that bed squeaking sound or even the unforgiving awkward silence. Here is a remedy to combat against all of those unwanted situations. Listen to these tunes to play to help you and your partner get in the mood. 1) “Make it Wit Chu” - Queens of the Stone Age Okay, this song is a classic sex song. With a simple mention of intention to score, Josh Homme’s soft voice whispering lyrics like, “I wanna make it wit chu, anytime, anywhere” is sure to get hearts racing. Genre: Alternative Rock 2) “Redbone” - Childish Gambino Gambino made a comeback with “Awaken, My Love!” Its current stance is a hybrid of Prince vocals with Funkadelic’s aura.
“Redbone” is the sixth song off the album and oozes sex appeal. Genre: R&B, Soul, Funk 3) “My Boo-Flume” (feat. Vince Staple, Kucka, Ngaiire) This is more of an upbeat song however, it’s lyrically sweet and needed a mention. This is a cover of the “My Boo” by Ghost Town Dj’s. However, this version brings a refreshing sound to the timeless song. Genre: Electronic, Pop 4) “Foldin’ Clothes”- J. Cole Another sweet tune from J. Cole’s latest album, 4 Your Eyez Only. Its groovy and gets the atmosphere just right. Genre: Hip-Hop 5) “Pony” - Ginuwine This one had to be added in, it is a classic. No matter how many times it has been overplayed, its very direct lyrics are not shy. If it isn’t the lyrics that get the setting steamy, girls and guys will be thinking of Magic Mike as soon as this tune plays, which is plus. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Genre: R&B, Oldies So, when in doubt put on any of these songs and enjoy the ride.
THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017
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ARTS & CULTURE Clerks: Love Shop MATTHEW BURLEY| ARTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Brantford’s downtown is home to a wide variety of shops and small businesses. These businesses define Brantford, but what defines the businesses? This is the inspiration behind “Clerks”; getting to know those who know us so well. From our shoe size to our favourite item on the menu, these business owners make us feel more like family than customers. With that being said, let us shine the spotlight on Adam Rizzotto of the Love Shop. Matt Burley A&C Editor
patterns, depending on which city I’m working in.
How long has the Love Shop been in Brantford? This is actually the second location we’ve had in Brantford. We used to have a location on Charing Cross Street. In total the Love Shop has in active in Brantford for about 10 years now.
Valentine’s Day is coming up, what is the Love Shop doing to celebrate? All of the We-Vibe products are 20 per cent off, usually we can’t discount those at all. We’re going to be having Valentine’s Day gift bags. We’re about to paint the wall upstairs red to get a fresh coat in and just in time for Valentine’s Day. Discounts on lingerie will be happening. Ask us if we can discount stuff and we’ll tell you what we can do. We don’t often advertise the discounts so it’s always good to ask.
How’s the student demographic? The student demographic is upwards of 15 per cent. A lot of them don’t know that they have student discounts, but we can tell that they are younger so we will ask if they have student cards. So there’s probably more than we even realize that are coming through here. What’s the craziest story you have from working here? Just a couple weeks ago I had a guy down (in the basement) with his girlfriend and the whole time he was walking around he had his dick out. He then goes in front of the camera and starts smiling and wagging it around. Then they went around the corner, they started making out for a bit, he pulled out her breast and starts licking it up. The whole time I’m upstairs laughing my ass off, looking at the camera thinking, ‘thank God there’s no one down there.’ What’s the most popular item in the store? That’s really tricky with this location in particular because we sell a little bit of everything. It depends on price range too. Overall, our most popular item with customer satisfaction is our PalmPower. It’s a really heavy duty vibrator; a wand-type vibrator. If that can’t get her off, absolutely nothing will. There’s a medical issue at that point. That’s mainly for couples and women. What are some of the trends that you’ve noticed while working in Brantford? Brantford in particular is big on fetishes and the more the merrier. Even as far as the movies go, it’s all about the orgy and bi-sexual is really big in Brantford as well. Compared to other locations where it’s mainly been anal or lesbian. I see different
At The Sputnik we like to promote safe sex. What’s the best condom on the market these days? Best condom on the market right now is the Hex condom by Lelo. Lelo is a premium vibrator line which is Swedish made. They literally have little hexagons throughout the entire thing. So say if a hole is poked anywhere on it, the whole condom is not going to rip apart. The condom fits perfectly to a penis, it contours exactly how it should, whereas other condoms can feel a little too snug sometimes. The Hex condoms allow to completely contour and avoids any possibility of ripping. So Hex condoms are the best condoms on the market right now. How have dating apps like Tinder affected the shop? I would say that they’ve helped because people are meeting more of a variety of people than they would have in the past. Every once and awhile you end up hooking up with someone that might be a little more freaky. We get a lot of people that are on their third or fourth dates and they’re already here in the Love Shop buying stuff because one or the other already wants to play around with toys. So the apps help a lot. How do you feel about virtual reality porn? Do you see the Love Shop carrying it in the future? To an extent, it’s been on the market longer than people actually think it has. I’ve got some fairly older movies that to an extent are virtual reality; you can
With about 10 years experience in the city, the Love Shop is comfortable with Brantford’s oddest requests. (Left to right, Kayla Farmer, Adam Rizzotto) Mike Rykov/The Sputnik
control the scenarios that are happening within the movies. As far as virtual reality goes, if the price point is right it’s something that we would end up carrying. We’ll also want to make sure that they’ve fixed all their little issues. As with all new toys they come out and they want them on the market way too fast and there tends to be a lot of issues. Plus they are expensive. So if the price point is right and the technology’s there for it, it’s something we’ll be carrying in the future. Already a lot of our
toys are app controlled. People are looking for more technologically advanced toys. Where do you see the future of the adult entertainment industry going? Definitely more integrated with technology. App-based is the new biggest thing. A lot of our toys are exclusively appbased. You cannot control it any way other than through an app. Plus lots of people are liking the whole wireless factor of the toys. They can go out to a din-
ner, to a movie (particularly the Fifty Shades of Grey movies, that when we sell a lot of wireless toys). Wireless, app-based and things based on Bluetooth are big sellers right now. And by the looks of it, that’s where it’s going to keep going. Also, people are getting into much more quality toys. The cheap toys don’t really fly these days like they used to. People are looking for things that are well built and if it’s appcontrolled or anything wireless, people are all over that.
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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017
SPORTS
DEVON MOMY-GAMACHE | SPORTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Gender inequality still exists in sports Scott Maxwell Staff Writer Regardless of what you may think, gender inequality still exists. While women have come a long way, there’s still a long way to go, especially when it comes to the world of sport. Since the idea of athletic competition came around, sports have always been viewed as a “manly activity”, that you must be strong and muscular to compete and do well. This is what began the belief that men were superior to women at sport, even though gender has no effect on an individual’s athletic skills. While we’ve seen significant progression, it’s still far from over. In late December, when Penny Oleksiak was given the Lou Marsh award for Best Canadian athlete, there was an outcry from a noticeably male audience about how Sidney Crosby should have won the award. While Crosby had a good calendar year in 2016, Oleksiak was far more accomplished with her success in the Rio Summer Olympics. On Jan. 14, during Hayley Wickenheiser’s retirement ceremony, Wayne Gretzky referred to her as the female Gordie Howe. While I’d imagine
that the Great One meant well with that comment, this goes towards the issue of inequality in sport: Gretzky doesn’t think of her as the most dominant female hockey player, he thinks of her as the female version of the most dominant male hockey player. We aren’t even getting to the entitlement factor of male athletes, some who think that they can get whoever they want because they’re good at sports. Evander Kane was accused of sexual assault in late 2015/early 2016, with his counterclaim being that it was an attempt to defame him. There has been some progress in how athletes who beat their spouses have been dealt with, but the fact that it took this long, goes to show how it probably shouldn’t be called progress. In March 2014, Ray Rice was suspended only two games for domestic violence charges. The NFL barely batted an eye at it until TMZ released video footage of him committing the crime in an elevator. Due to the controversy, the NFL caved and suspended him indefinitely, and he was cut by the Baltimore Ravens. This action saw its impact in other sports. In October 2014, Slava Voynov was arrested, suspended, and
later deported for his domestic violence charges, even if the Los Angeles Kings held onto him as long as possible. The NHL wouldn’t even let him participate in the World Cup when team Russia tried to sneak him in. This doesn’t just apply to players either. Several organizations still struggle to handle athletes who have domestic abuse problems. Take the Chicago Blackhawks, for example. The star
they currently market the most, Patrick Kane, is not even two years removed from a sexual assault case. Also, Bobby Hull, who they market as one of the greatest Blackhawks ever, and have him come to events showing the franchise’s history, has had several domestic violence incidents himself. This includes beating his second wife, threatening her with a shotgun when she filed for divorce, and beating his third wife. Not exactly the
best role models for the Blackhawks. We’ve still gone a long way to go for gender equality in sports, and it’s certainly trending there. Female athletes such as Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and Christine Sinclair have all shown that they can dominate sports just as well as men can, and eventually we’ll hit the point where female athletes will garner as much fame and fortune as male athletes.
Women continue to strive for equal respect as men in the sporting world. Sai Gnanahran /The Sputnik
The Argonauts are a sinking ship Adam Stocker Staff Writer “The ship be sinking,” was the famous quote Michael Ray Richardson gave to reporters as the 1981-82 New York Knicks’ season collapsed. Yet 35 years later, the quote can perfectly be applied to the dysfunctional Toronto Argonauts. The Boatmen’s ship is sinking faster than the titanic after a self-destructive off-season. Following a 5-13 season, the
Argos decided to fire their longtime general manager Jim Barker. The team’s poor record was justification for that decision. The only problem was how poorly the Argos executed their decision. The Argos were eliminated from the playoffs on Oct. 22. The decision to fire Barker was made on Jan. 24. The Argos decided to fire Barker three months after the team had been eliminated from the playoffs. The only question anyone can
ask is, what took so long? For three months, Barker was in charge and able to make personnel decisions as he had for the previous six seasons. Barker was able to sign quarterback Drew Willy and pass rusher Shawn Lemon to contract extensions. Now the team sits, without a general manager just weeks before free agency opens Feb. 14. Argos President and CEO Michael Copeland made the deci-
The Toronto Argonaut’s offseason has been full of turmoil as the their ship continues to sink. Laura Gorza / The Sputnik
sion to part ways with Barker and replace him with head coach Scott Milanovich and assistant general manager Spencer Zimmerman. The solution is nothing more than a stop gap. The unexplainable delayed decision to fire Barker has disrupted the entire structure of the organization. Two days after firing Barker, Milanovich resigned as head coach to accept the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback coaching job. Within a span of 72 hours the Argos were left without a head coach and general manager. The Argos window to interview candidates on other teams’ coaching staff closes Jan. 31. The Argos will be interviewing candidates without being able to offer any structure or job security to whoever they talk to. One of the reasons Milanovich left was because of the lack of job security. Milanovich was smart enough to realize the situation he was in. Whoever accepts the Argos general manager job will want to start fresh with their own head coaching hire. Knowing that he was in a no-win situation, Milanovich bolted. Everyone who the Argos interview knows that they will be in the same situation that Milanovich was in until the Argos figure out their front office structure. “The ship be sinking,” Richardson quote was echoed by
current Argos defensive back Jermaine Gabriel. Gabriel tweeted “I need a sinking ship emoji.” For Argos fans, there is little reason to be optimistic. The organization is a mess, and the team appears headed for another disastrous season. The Argos hired Copeland in July 2015, after nearly a decade serving as the CFL’s CEO. But he could be next on the Argos firing line. Copeland failed to get fans in the seats in the Argos first season in BMO field. Good luck getting people to buy tickets this year, after the team’s awful offseason. He failed to properly judge the market for the Grey Cup. The team overpriced tickets, forcing them to drop ticket prices and paper most of the stadium for the CFL’s showcase game. The CFL needs Toronto to be a strong market but Toronto has never figured out how to build a successful organization. Instead, the team has constantly made excuses. BMO field was supposed to be the solution to the team’s problems. But now Toronto is learning that the Argos’ problems run deeper than the stadium. The problems are everywhere and it’s time for Toronto to stop making excuses and start coming up with creative solutions.
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SPORTS
DEVON MOMY-GAMACHE | SPORTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
Brantford soccer team continues to improve
Jerrett Putt played a major role in defence for Laurier, locking down the opposition most of the afternoon. Mike Rykov/The Sputnik Devon Momy-Gamache
Sports Editor A humbling 5-0 loss to George Brown eliminated Laurier Brantford’s men’s soccer team, but the team still advanced further than ever before. The Golden Hawks advanced to the quarterfinals when they visited George Brown for a tournament on Feb. 2. The defeat left Laurier in a two-way tie for fifth out of the nine participating teams. A rough start against the Huskies resulted in Laurier allowing a goal in the opening moment after some nice ball movement. After some strong play on both ends it looked like Laurier would have the chance at pulling off the upset before a goal off a turnover gave George Brown a 2-0 lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. After the half, the Huskies scored a third goal on a controversial call as a player appeared to jump on the Laurier keeper Pasquale Centritto’s back to head in a goal. With 90 seconds left in the game the Golden Hawks gave up two more goals making the final score 5-0, as the final margin was not revealing how of close the game was. Although the team was eliminated, Head Coach Murphy Wiredu has his sights set on the larger picture, “We’ve gotten better from the last tournament, we’ve advanced to the quarters. […] All of this is just a stage, getting ready for regionals is what we are building towards. I’m very happy today for us to be where we are”. To advance to the quarters Laurier first had to beat St. Lawrence College (Cornwall) after failing to win their group and
earn the bye that came with it. Laurier dominated possession and find the back of the net often, winning the game 5-0. Three goals in under four minutes gave Laurier an early lead. Junior Tyler Botelho opened the scoring after a nice pass from fellow Junior Jerrett Putt. Botelho would follow by setting up Sophomore Denziel Henry who walked in and scored on a nice finish. The third goal was the result of a sensational solo effort by Sophomore Isaiah Ojo as he walked around a few defenders before scoring. In the second half Henry scored his second after stepping around his defender and cutting in from the sideline to make it 4-0 with over 11 minutes remaining. The final goal was the result of Ojo playing the role of playmaker this time as he set up Putt for a goal with five minutes left. The game was the second shutout of the tournament for Centritto, but he refused to accept all the credit, “Shutout’s a team effort to me, I had a couple of saves to make but nothing crazy, it was all the guys at the back playing the system”. Laurier began the tournament in a three-team pool along with St. Lawrence (Kingston) and Fanshawe. Laurier entered with a clear plan, “The word of the game is focus, let’s frustrate the hell out of them.” Said Wiredu in the locker room before the game. In their first game against St. Lawrence Laurier got a nice save from Centritto early before getting their chances. The early chances were highlighted by a shot by Botelho that hit the crossbar. Moments later another Botelho shot was saved but Henry took advantage to score a goal
in his first game of the year. On making his debut Henry said, “It feels like I came to the team and was effective and helped out,” as he scored three goals in four games. Although they had the early lead, Laurier was almost caught sleeping in the final seconds as a sideline play resulted in St. Lawrence hitting the post with two seconds left. The second half saw Laurier hold their defensive form, including killing off a Botelho penalty with eight minutes left. Botelho discussed the team’s efforts late in the game, “we were scrapping for the win, we were doing anything we could to get the win. […] With our defence, Martin especially, holding us down and winning the tackles we got to give credit to him. Without him and Jerrett at
the back, and Pasquale in net, I don’t know what we would have done”. A 1-0 loss to Fanshawe left Laurier in second place in their group leading to their playoff path. Although the team performed better than their previous tournament, Assistant Coach Jessi Asiedu knows where he wants the team to improve, “Getting better offensively, little more intensity, I feel that would help. Become a little more physical and we deliver the hard tackles before we get hit, that may help us save our legs too”. Notes: In his first tournament, Henry scored three goals to take the team lead in goals… Botelho and Putt are also tied for the team lead in points with three each, both have one goal and two assist… Centritto now has four shutouts’ in eight
games… Levi Furber missed most of the tournament due to a hamstring injury as a preventative measure… Laurier has scored nine goals and allowed nine goals in eight games this year… the 5-0 win was the most goals scored in a game and largest margin of victory in school history…. The 5-0 loss was the most goals allowed in a game and largest margin of defeat in school history… Wiredu is still attempting to expand the roster, “We’re having fun and the guys are loving it, we are calling out to anybody that wants to come join the movement, we have started a good brotherhood here.” he can be contacted at mwiredu@wlu. ca … Laurier will next play on Feb. 18 at Redeemer in theri final tournament of the season before regionals...
The Golden Hawks traveled to Toronto hoping to improve on their 10th place finish from their first tournament. Mike Rykov/The Sputnik
12
THE SPUTNIK
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2017
OPINION
JOSH ADESINA | OPINION@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS
How to fully enjoy Valentine’s Day What’s going down? Josh Adesina Opinion Editor The real question is who is going down? Generally, females seem to be fine with going down on their partners. It seems to be perfectly fine for a female to give her partners oral pleasures. However, males seem to be a lot pickier about returning the favours. I think this is ludicrous. It’s an atrocity. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not implying that both partners should expect that from each other. I just feel like males that refuse to go down on their partners, and still demand it from their female partners are completely in the wrong. Although, if those are the rules that are set for a couple, then so be it. Females, just know that you are being deceived. Reciprocation in a relationship is vital. Both partners should receive the same amounts of pleasure inside the
bedroom. I’m not having a rant about male partners. I’m just stating that I’ve heard a lot more males talk about refusing to give their partners oral, than I have females. Personally, I don’t approve of this. If you are a female, I advise you to have this conversation with your male partner. Especially if he asks you for pleasures that he will not give you. We can’t sit here and pretend that this isn’t another reinforcement of male supremacy. The typical ‘I’m a man so do what I say’ vibe is dying out. You shouldn’t bring that attitude into the bedroom. Try to do things differently this Valentine’s Day. Chocolates and flowers are nice, but strengthening the connection with your partner is just as important. There is another rose that is worth appreciating. You’re really missing out if you haven’t been down there.
Gove your best to your partner this Valentines Day. Adrienne Hoe /The Sputnik
Tristan Wright Staff Writer Valentine’s Day is a lot like Christmas, you need to be in the spirit of things. You can be a Scrooge if you’re single and ignore the day. I’ve done that many times myself. But if you’re in a relationship it can be a good idea to try to enjoy the spirit of things, and spoil your significant other. How do you spoil your significant other? Forget everything modernity has taught you about relationships. Be old fashioned. Hold open the restaurant door, pull out her chair for her and for the love of Saint Valentine make sure you pay for dinner. Better yet, make dinner. If you’re on the other end of the equation, as a woman be gra-
cious and accept these things from your man. Don’t make a scene because he’s trying to be nice, and to spoil you. If you really don’t like it, talk to him afterwards in private, but remember he was doing it all for you. Enjoy him while he’s still trying, before he gets fat and never takes you out anymore. You should of course, buy your partner chocolates. Get their favourite flavor, and get them flowers. If you don’t know, just ask! Even if you’re a woman, because personally I love getting chocolates. All of my male friends don’t mind either. Make sure to skip on the cards though, make your own. You should also, and this goes for everyone, make your significant other something. Write them some poetry
about their personality or their looks, depending on which they’d rather hear. Mail them a letter, send those flowers directly to their home on Valentines. I can give you some personal examples. For Christmas, I made my girlfriend a list of my favourite texts she had sent over the course of the year. For this Valentines, I’m making her a list of the reasons why I like her. Cheesy, yes, long, yes, but she’ll love them. Think of what your partner likes and take the risk. Think outside the box, and in the box. Be creative with your gifts, and make sure to buy some chocolate just in case. Chocolate is always a good backup. Be bold with Valentines, and be old fashioned, it only comes once a year.
It’s clit! So go down on your [artner. Alex Vialette / The Sputnik
What’s wrong with being single? Avril De Silva Staff Writer
Alex Vialette / The Sputnik
As the most romantic day of the year approaches, we should ask ourselves a question. What is wrong with being single? Many find themselves being pressured into unwanted relationships that may be toxic. If you are in a relationship, it is important to enjoy a happy, safe and content relationship with your partner. On the other hand, if we are single, we need to remind ourselves that we are still special. This can sometimes be hard in the midst of couples hugging and kissing each other. I asked a few people around campus a couple of questions regarding the pressures of Valentine’s Day. The answers put me in shock. Tess Hunter, a Criminology student spoke gave her opinion about being single on Valentine’s day, and why she thinks people are anticipate Valentine’s Day.
“I don’t really care at all. It’s like a weird attempt so that people don’t look desperate or something,” said Hunter. Gurkiran Singh, a Law and Society student spoke about the pressure Valentine’s Day brings females. “They see all of their friends and acquaintances going out with people. They don’t want to be the only one at home and not doing anything,” said Singh. Émilie Audet a Society, Culture and Environment student spoke about the pressure that both male and female partners experience during Valentine’s day. “Guys are expected to have something extravagant ready for the girl. They have to have surprises and flowers. They have to make sure everything is right. ” said Audet. “Females are pressured to look good. They feel as though they have to have someone on Valentine’s Day.” The idea of having some-
one on this overrated day puts many people in uncomfortable positions. Many feel useless and lonely. Nonetheless, there is absolutely nothing wrong in being single and focusing on your life and your career. As a student. It is easy to get carried away, and assume that being in a relationship is a good idea. Relationships are never simple. There is normally some type of complication when you are involved with someone. I’ll assume that the goal is for you to have a successful career towards the completion of your studies. A relationship can distract you from your goals, if you pursue one for the wrong reason. It doesn’t matter how many of your friends are getting engaged, learn to understand, value and enjoy yourself. Understand that your life has value and others will too.