The Sputnik - Issue 9

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2016 ISSUE 9 WWW.THESPUTNIK.CA @SPUTNIK_NEWS THE SPUTNIK

BRANTFORD’S GROWTH 3

PLAYING GAMES

WITH THE DEVIL’S BENCH 6

WORLD JUNIORS RECAP 11

ALEX VIALETTE / THE SPUTNIK

2 WLUSP BRANTFORD 206-171 Colborne St. Brantford, ON N3T 2C9 (519) 756-8228 ext. 5948

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.

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11 ,2016

#NASH79 in review Kurtis Rideout Web Editor Members from various student publications recently gathered in Fredericton for the 79th annual NASH conference, organized by the Canadian University Press (CUP).

Representatives from Laurier included various editors and photographers from its respective student publications, including ten from The Cord, one from The Community Edition, and four of us from here at your beloved Sputnik (myself included).

The conference saw students from across Canada gather under one roof for five days of networking, collaboration and at times maybe just a little bit of fun. Drinks were consumed, friendships were made, and most importantly experience and information were shared by both the students and the many brilliant and captivating industry experts who were invited to

speak.

Industry players including journalists and experts from VICE, Buzzfeed, ESPN, CBC and various local organizations shared their perspectives on the issues and opportunities faced by young Canadian media hopefuls entering a quickly changing landscape.

Some highlights included ‘NASH dad’, Chris Jones, a popular sports writer, universally adored for his sharp wit (and lack of filter), Patrick McGuire VICE, who offered some interesting perspectives on the state of journalistic freedom in Canada, and Scaachi Koul, an inspiring and hilarious Buzzfeed writer known for her blunt and, dare I say, savage sense of humor.

Preceding the many panels, sessions, and brilliant keynote speakers, attendees were encouraged to explore the nightlife of Fredericton. Some standouts included a hockey game hosted by the University of New Brunswick, a live concert fea-

Kathleen Binder /The Sputnik

turing several local bands, and a trip to the boom! nightclub in celebration of the JHM awards ceremony.

Student journalists will re-

convene next year for the 80th annual NASH, which is set to be hosted by Ryerson University.

Here’s to another year of compelling student journalism!

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

THE SPUTNIK

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NEWS

SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Brantford expands for the better

Brantford’s Grand River’s water rising, causing a warning to be sent out. Mike Rykov/The Sputnik

Taylor Burt Asaistant News Editor

On Jan. 1, 2017, Brantford expanded its boundaries to include more industrial land. The city’s growth has been in mind for some time.

“

The boundary adjustment is going to bring long-term benefits to the city of Brantford, along with some short term monetary benefits to Brant County.”

- Maria Visocchi “The City of Brantford is one of eight cities located outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) identified under Provincial policy as an Urban Growth Centre, which is where future population growth is projected to occur in the next 30 years. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe 2006 - a provincial document that contains a long-term plan for population growth outside of the GTA projects that the population of the City of Brantford will grow

to 163,000 people and 79,000 jobs by the year 2041,” stated Maria Visocchi, via email. Visocchi is the Manager of Corporate Communications in the office of the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Brantford.

Additional residents wanted to move into Brantford and the Brant County area, but there was not enough residential, commercial or industrial room for everyone, so the city thought it best to expand.

“Approximately 815 new properties (including residential [properties] and businesses) were added to the City as a result of the Boundary Adjustment,” said Visocchi.

The city feels this expansion could be a win-win for the city as well as for growing businesses.

“The boundary adjustment is going to bring long-term benefits to the city of Brantford, along with some short term monetary benefits to Brant County,” emailed Brian Van Tilborg who is Ward Five city councilor.

According to Visocchi, the lands expansions have occurred in three areas. “The first area is

located north of the city between Powerline Road and Governors Road East. The City anticipates that the lands in the vicinity of and west of Golf Road will be for employment (industrial) uses, while the lands to the east of Golf Road are to be developed for residential, and other related uses including schools, parks and local commercial uses.”

“The second area is located east of Garden Avenue, north of Highway 403, and totals 184 hectares. This area is proposed to be developed for employment (industrial) use. And the third area, located on either side of Mount Pleasant Road, is known as Tutela Heights. This area is proposed to be developed for residential use,” said Visocchi.

“City growth became anemic. Just under $1 million in new revenues for 2016, and yet with the influx of people wanting to move from the GTA to Brantford/Brant, there were two distinct problems. The city was landlocked by the county and had little residential/commercial and industrial land whereas the county didn’t have the servicing

capabilities of the city to build the infrastructure such as (sewage and water) required for the new growth. The agreement will allow the city to move forward on planned residential development the county was unable to achieve because of these limitations,” said Visocchi in an email.

Larger employers are attracted to large industrial lands, and now Brantford is able to attract those employers.

“Our communities saw what happened a few years ago, when the city and the county couldn’t agree on joint servicing and we lost a major employer who was set on locating by the Airport.

The boundary agreement provides industrial land so that the city can attract the larger employers. It also has a joint cooperation agreement built in so that should the county land a larger industrial player, the city will be able to provide servicing.

This is a win-win for our communities as a whole, and with proper planning we will be in a position to reap the benefits of this new growth in the future,” Van Tilborg said in an email.

As the city expands, some may be worried about school district boundaries as well as boundaries for emergency services.

“School districts (will) remain under the jurisdiction of existing school boards. Fire Protection services will now be provided by the Brantford Fire Department. Policing services in the expanded boundary area will fall under the jurisdiction of the Brantford Police Department. Ambulance services are a shared service between the city and county and will remain the same,” Visocchi explained.

“The future industrial growth as a result of the boundary agreement will provide jobs in many sectors as technologies continue to progress and all types of personnel are required to meet the demands of these new enterprises,” stated Van Tilborg in an email Mayor Chris Friel was not available for comment.

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2016

NEWS

SHREYA SHAH| NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Global warming meets Grand Rivers watershed Kayana Smith Staff Writer As winter continues, local authorities advise of rising water levels within the Grand River Watershed.

On Jan. 3 2017, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) issued a warning to Brantford residents that warmer temperatures and rain forecast for the first week of January will raise water levels around the local watershed. The forecast called for temperatures that will rise to 4 degrees and will remain high for the remainder of the week. As a result, many of the snow banks near the river will melt, raising the water levels and creating slippery conditions.

Current temperatures fail to reflect the actual time of year.

Many scientists and meteorologists attribute this to global warming. As the earth continues to warm up, many consequences are revealed, including rising water levels.

Global warming has increased sea levels across the world, as seen in the Gulf of Mexico and American East coast where flooding has increased. Local authorities claim that there are extensive amounts of rain coming into the Grand River watershed.

The excessive amounts of rain will continue to fall throughout the week and into the weekend due to the warmer temperatures. GRCA warns Brantford residents to stay clear of the watershed areas and to be very cautious. The fire and police departments do not anticipate any

flooding to occur, but residents are still encouraged to keep safety in mind when around bodies of water.

Tom Rolfe, an emergency coordinator who works closely with the police department, the city, and GRCA has ensured residents that “Brantford has a system that monitors and warns against floods and raising water levels. It’s one of the best in the area”. Along with the monitoring system, there are physical barriers (dikes) put in place to prevent flooding from large bodies of water. Brantford’s dikes, despite being put in place after series of floods in the 1970s, are still working effectively, states Rolfe. All systems in place are constantly monitored on a monthly basis by local authorities including the fire department, city hall and GRCA. Local authorities are continuously monitoring and looking out for any signs of flooding or excessive water rising said GRCA. All local authorities gather together around the spring and fall seasons to discuss and keep up with current situations, and to ensure that proper protocols are meet and residents will be safe in the event of a flood. On Jan. 19 members will meet to discuss plans for upcoming months.

“The community is constantly working together to discuss the possible problems associated with rising water and floods.” stated Rolfe. The goal is making sure residents are safe and prepared. Procedures are made and decided upon by taking into ac-

Brantford’s Grand River’s water rising, causing a warning to be sent out. Mike Rykov/The Sputnik

count the forecast and creating detailed procedures. If a flood were to occur in Brantford, a warning would be issued to the affected areas immediately informing and warning residents of the risk to come. Emergency services such as information nights, shelters, first aid and Red Cross will be readily available to all residents.

The Fire Department’s Emergency Centre advises that “all residents in Brantford follow the city on their various social media outlets to keep informed such as Facebook and twitter. These social media platforms will be used

by the city in case of emergency to broadcast, notify and inform residents,” stated Rolfe.

As the winter months continue, the GRCA and other local authorities warn of the possible mild flooding that frequently occurs on some roads from time to time. As the temperatures drop in preparation for the spring, spring flooding in Brantford does occur and Brantford emergency services make it a priority to make sure that snow left over from the winter season melts properly and can safely flow down the rivers and streams without causing extensive flood-

ing.

As the temperature continues to change, local authorities want to remind residents to stay safe. Exercising extreme caution around bodies of water is extremely important. GRCA specifically encourages residents to“keep their children and pets away from all watercourses and off frozen water bodies, which may be weakened as a result of the warming temperature and slipperiness.”

New year, new resolutions?

Shreya Shah News Editor Rylee Wolfkamp Staff Writer “New year, new me” is a mantra adopted by many people during the month of January. It’s a clean slate full of potential. You can do anything you want, right?

This is where New Year’s resolutions - promises to bring some change into one’s life come into play. Oftentimes, this change involves leaving behind a bad habit, or making room for a new good habit.

Losing 10 pounds. Consuming less alcohol. Making time to go to the gym. Picking up a new hobby. Travelling more. Saving more money. These are some of the most common resolutions adopted by the folks who practice the tradition.

Dr. Anne Wilson is a professor of Psychology at Laurier and a Canadian Research Chair in Social Psychology. She is also a member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Successful Societies program.

“Typically, many of the top New Year’s resolutions all reflect pretty basic, commonly held human needs or desires – health, financial security, love and belonging, emotional well-being.

So, it makes sense that quite a few people would share them, at least at a general level. However, other people may pick one of these cliché’d resolutions because they’re also culturally valued goals in our society so they might feel that they “should” pursue one of them. The resolution may come from what they think they “ought” to do instead of what they really want to do and truly value – those cliché resolutions are probably a lot less likely to stick,” Wilson stated in an email.

Unfortunately, not all resolutions are successful. A running joke in the realm of social media is that most resolutions fail within the first week.

“People who have set resolutions that they are intrinsically motivated to pursue are more likely to succeed than people who are extrinsically motivated.

Also, people who set realistic, achievable goals with specific

steps are more likely to be able to see and measure their progress and stick to it than those who have a vague lofty goal like “this is the year I’ll get my dream job.”

Finally – nearly everyone fails at keeping their goals 100% of the time, so after the New Year, almost everyone will experience occasional setbacks in their goal pursuit. People who interpret setbacks as evidence they can’t achieve the goal after all are likely to give up, but people who accept their setbacks and keep trying are more likely to succeed,” explained Wilson.

An increasing trend noted by dating sites is the phenomenon of “Dating Sunday”. According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, Dating Sunday occurs on the first Sunday after New Year’s as many people make it a point to find their happily ever after.

Dating sites such as Tinder and Match all report a spike in usage. For singles looking to meet someone new, this is a great time to join the online dating community as the number of members significantly increases.

If you haven’t set a resolution up for yourself yet, that’s okay.

Anytime is a good time to start.

“Don’t worry about the time of year! Set goals that are right for you, when they are right for you. If the New Year feels like the right time and psychologically you like the idea of a “fresh start” in a new year, then go for it! if it’s not the right time you don’t have to wait for next year – just set

goals you care about, and develop a specific, achievable plan for accomplishing them, any time at all,” said Wilson.

If you have your resolution all set up, best of luck to you. If you haven’t gotten one yet, it’s never too late. And remember, slow and steady wins the race.

January first is the day for New Year’s resolutions. Laura Gorza/The Sputnik

THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

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NEWS

SHREYA SHAH | NEWS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

The YMCA is working it out

The construction site of the YMCA and also Ontario’s most significant archeological site. Laura Gorza /The Sputnik

Hyrra Chughtai Staff Writer The deadline for the construction of the YMCA was to be the summer of 2017. Due to archeological artifacts being found at the construction site, this deadline has now been pushed to the summer of 2018.

The construction is facilitated by the YMCA and Laurier, and is located on the south side of Colborne Street, between Grand River Hall and the municipal parking walkway.

“This group has overseen the project since the initial planning stages. They continue to oversee the construction phase of the project, and are responsible for coordinating operating policies and procedures to be implemented once the facility is in operation,” said Brian Rosborough, Senior Executive Officer for the Brantford Campus.

“In the beginning it was maybe 1,000 to 2,000 artifacts that were dug up, which turned into about 400,000 artifacts. This affects the timing with the project because [Laurier] have to get it done, approved, and signed off by the Ministry and First Nations, so obviously the delay costs extra money,” stated Dave Levac, a Member of Provincial Parliament for Brantford.

The delay was extensive and has extended to another year for the YMCA to be completely finished and open for public use.

“We look forward to an official opening in mid-2018. That represents a delay of about 18 months from the originally-anticipated completion date,” said

Rosborough.

As for now the construction has resumed and will go through the winter. The foundation of the building is almost complete, and the structural aspect of the building will begin in February.

The cost of the construction has also risen due to the delay.

Laurier has since helped out with the financial problems that the YMCA and the city have run into and raised their contributions to the build as well.

“The city took them through their budget process. Once I saw that was on the table I contacted the ministry officials in three different ministries and the premier’s office to see if somebody could have a meeting with the [YMCA] and Laurier to see the possibility of adding any help and assistance to offset any of the losses, and I haven’t gotten an answer to that yet,” said Levac.

The delay is also due to the budget changing which resulted in the changing of the plans of the build, including the structure of the building. Nothing has changed drastically and the original plans are still top priority.

“They had to modify some of the plans of the build in order to save some of the money that they lost so there won’t be the exact same building that was originally proposed but … they had to change some of the designs to make them more certain but they didn’t lose any of the prime features that the [YMCA] and Laurier needed to make the building. They shrunk the losses from around 8 million dollars to about 3 or 4 million dollars now

so that’s where they’re trying to take out the losses,” said Levac.

The artifacts that were discovered could date back thousands of years and have significant meaning to Brantford and the First Nations community.

“A large number of artifacts played into the Industrial Revolution and First Nations settlements and their growth and his-

tory, so the university has made it a commitment to turn it into a site, a display, to tell stories.

They go back thousands of years actually, they found something from pre-history, recorded history, and modern history,” said Levac. “This includes the old canal system of the buildings that were there, the companies that were there, the show factory

that was there, that kind of stuff all the way from modern history to recorded time.”

“Our archeologists have referred to this as the most significant archeological discovery in Ontario since the construction of the SkyDome,” said Rosborough.

Alex Vialette/The Sputnik

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE Clerks: The Devil’s Bench 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 Alex Kirley, co-owner of The Devil’s Bench.

Matt Burley A&C Editor

What exactly is The Devil’s Bench? It says gaming cafe online but it seems like more.

It’s more of a hobbyshop than a gaming cafe. Have you ever seen Angels in the Outfield? It’s that; if you build it they will come. And that’s what this place is all about.

If you build a house for people, especially in niche communities, that usually get ostracized for participating in those niche communities, as soon as you build a home for them, they’ll come here and they take care of themselves. They just need a place to call their own. And that extends to board games too. Board Games are back in a big, bad way. Producers like Fantasy Flight and Flying Frog have come out with these great titles that are a step above your Monopolies or your Scrabbles, something you can sit down and spend two or three hours doing and still have fun and be very engaged. A lot of people shy away from that though. A lot of people look at those numbers and the content available, whether it’s slaying the dungeon dragon, being the dungeon master or going after the goblin king they immediately hear that, put two and two together and don’t want to do it anymore. Just because it brings along this stigma; everybody hears Dungeons and Dragons and automatically that becomes a trigger word for people and they want to stay away. They don’t want to be associated with that. Here it’s the exact opposite, you come in here and talk about Dungeons and Dragons, we’ll gab for hours. And it’s all about just building a home for those people.

Do you think that Stranger Things has made Dungeons and Dragons more popular recently?

Every once and awhile we’ll get something like that. If a new release comes out in Hollywood and it’s a blockbuster. Right now everyone wants to play Star Wars because Rogue One just came out. Hollywood and media definitely play a part in igniting people’s passions for the different esoteric titles.

When did the shop open up?

April 4, of last year. So this April 4 will be our official two years of being open.

How does it feel to be the first gaming hobby shop in Brantford?

It feels great, but moreso over planting the flag down and saying, “I was the first”, it’s a much better feeling when I see a table of two guys and I see another table of two guys. They give

The Devil’s Bench co-owner Alex Kirley plots his next move on the Warhammer 40,000 board. Mike Rykov /The Sputnik

eachother the eyeball and it’s like a grade eight dance with all the boys on one side and all the girls on the other, and nothing happened until the one pair got together. That happens here all the time. There will be two tables of two, they start to make eyes at eachother for awhile, they’ll end up picking up a game, playing it together. Before you know it, this place closes and they’re off to the bar to get a drink together. New friendships have been forged, that’s what this place is all about.

Where did you get the idea to open up The Devil’s Bench?

I was sick of cutting sheet metal. I went to Mohawk College for television broadcasting.

I graduated with honours, I was a good boy, I did my homework, but I graduated right into the height of the Canadian recession. There was no work in my field and I ended up cutting sheet metal for five years. After a while I was sick of it and decided to pursue my passion. I was in Hamilton at the time and there is so much competition in Hamilton: there’s Black Knight Games, Gameopolis and a couple more board game cafes opening. And they already have “the people” so to go into that market is really, really tough. All my friends lived

in Brantford anyways and I noticed all the hobbyist and niche hobbyists from Brantford would have to travel to Hamilton, Paris or London, to where all the game shops were. Prime location, let’s see if anyone comes out. We now have Magic communities, Dungeons and Dragons communities, Pokémon communities, online communities, it’s awesome, I love it.

How many different gaming communities are there in Brantford?

It’s weird, you’ll have your major groups of gamers: your board gamers, card gamers and tabletop warfare. In each of those it branches out like a tree diagram. For your card players you’ll have: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic, Pokémon, Cardfight!! Vanguard, all of these little subcategories.

For tabletop warfare you’ll have Flames of War, X Wing TIE Fighter, Warhammer 40,000, it just keeps going down the list. So I’d say there’s at least 20 to 25 subcategories of these major niche nerd factions that come in here all the time.

What’s the most popular game that people will play when they come in?

Magic was the biggest when we first opened, it’s been going

since like ‘92 or even earlier. It already has this huge following. As soon as the Magic crowd learned that Magic was here finally in Brantford after being on hiatus for so long, Magic players flooded this place. Right now the war gaming computer is the big push here. On Saturdays and Sundays I set up the big six by four tables and populate it with terrain, roll some dice and have some tactical fun.

What is the most expensive or rare game piece have you had in the shop?

We just gave away a $240 card for a raffle. It was an Expedition Polluted Delta from Magic the Gathering.

What’s the hardest thing about running the Devil’s Bench?

Rules. Oh my goodness. It’s the classic example of the goldfish in the bowl going out into the ocean. In my little bowl of friends, I was the goldfish that knew all the rules to the games, and then I got into all of this and from across the room I’ll hear, “Kirley, what’s the save on a T4 Terminator going into close combat with a plus four wraithknight?” I don’t know! I have no idea! So getting into rules isn’t a bummer, but a challenge.

What’s your favourite tabletop game to play and why?

Warhammer. I’ve been a Warhammer fanatic since grade six.

It’s always been my jam. I love tactical warfare games, moving your tanks up the field, covering your flanks, I’ve always had an eye for that. I love it. It’s great, it helps me relax at the end of the day to just throw on Netflix and paint a model. I love listening to podcasts so that’s great background music. Yeah, I can’t get enough. It’s my joy, it’s my escape.

Last time we spoke it was about The Devil’s Bench podcast. How’s that been going?

They’re doing good. One of the guys, his wife is about to have a kid so they’re about to go on hiatus, but we still get people from all walks of life to either interview about local Brantford businesses or nerd culture. They’re still going strong and they still have smiles on their faces.

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WEDNESDAY JANURARY 11, 2017

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ARTS & CULTURE MATTHEW BURLEY| ARTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Letterkenny brings Canadian stereotypes to new levels

Who says nothing happens in rural Ontario? Letterkenny proves them wrong in their second season. Photo courtesy of Bell Media

Matt Burley A&C Editor “How ya doin’ now? Good n’ you?”, “Texas sized ten-four,”, “Sure as God’s got sandals,”.

These, among many other bits of rural Ontario slang have echoed through T.V. speakers since the release of Letterkenny season two.

Not since Trailer Park Boys or The Red Green Show has a series captured Canadian culture in such a way. By exaggerating typical Canadian stereotypes like farmers and hockey players, Letterkenny is able to show the world a side of Ontario that they have never seen before.

What separates Letterkenny

from other shows available for stream is it’s use of slang. At some points the slang becomes so intricate a translator is almost necessary to keep up. Some of it is common sense like, “bump the breaks” and “bakers dozen”, but it seems like some of them are almost made up: “ferda”, “pheasant”, “donnybrook” and “tenply”. It gives viewers a chance to see the depth of Ontario slang.

The series takes place in the fictional town of Letterkenny, ON (which is based off of a ghost town about 125 km west of Ottawa). The series revolves around the life of Wayne (Jared Keeso) who works on his family farm selling produce with his sis-

ter, Katy (Michelle Mylatt) and his friends, Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Dan (K. Trevor Wilson).

They are occasionally joined by Jonesy (Andrew Herr) and Reilly (Dylan Playfair), two air-headed hockey players who think they are on their way to the NHL. Letterkenny also shines light on a non-traditional Canadian stereotype, the “skid”. These “skids” are socially awkward, breakdance-loving, armed with EpiPens and straight up strange, yet they add a flavour that couldn’t come from anyone else.

While poking fun at Canadian culture, Letterkenny simultaneously makes fun of pop culture, in both big and small ways.

From Justin Trudeau-esque smear campaigns to mock episodes of Dragon’s Den, the show is self-aware and is up-to-date with social issues.

The show also has it’s purely nonsensical moments filled with fast paced, raunchy comedy.

Topics ranged from the noises pornstars make to cupping farts in your hand to what drinks you can make when you’re out of beer and only have blue curaçao.

It’s a Blue Bijou in case you’re curious. One of the longest running jokes on Letterkenny was an argument about how two characters allegedly had sex with an ostrich.

In comparison to the first sea-

son of Letterkenny, the second is a little light on fight scenes. Fear not, because in episode four, “The Native Flu”, the majority of the episode revolves around a brawl behind a local arena which would not be an uncommon scene in Middle-of-nowhere, ON. It’s a breath of fresh air to see something out of Ontario that isn’t based in Toronto. This, along with a solid cast, hilarious slang, and well composed shots is reason enough to give it a try.

Letterkenny is currently available for stream on CraveTV. So as just about anyone in Letterkenny would say, “pitter patter let’s get at ‘er.”

Women in a galaxy far far away Jelena Vulić Staff Writer WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the original trilogy of Star Wars. Continue reading at your own risk.

Star Wars is one of the most recognizable pop culture franchises of our time. From 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope to 2016’s Star Wars: Rogue One, audiences from around the world have been captivated by what Nikki Nileshwar, a first year Laurier student, describes as “[an easy allowance] to get out of reality and into fantasy.” One of the key elements of the Star Wars movies however is the female characters who break down what “a damsel in distress” is. The most important of these female characters, arguably, is the first prominent female character of the franchise: Princess Leia Organa.

From the moment Princess Leia first stepped on screen, it was clear that she was not someone to be silent or pushed around. As she is brought before Darth Vader, Leia does not hesi-

tate to speak up to him, pointing out how his actions could cause uproar within the Senate. Her character from there is seen as bold, unapologetic, and clever. Even when playing as “the damsel in distress,” Leia is the character to take the lead, issuing orders to Han Solo and Luke Skywalker while they are saving her and doing her best to get her team out of sticky situations. She is arguably one of the strongest characters of the franchise. Despite losing her home planet to the Death Star, it is Leia who comforts Luke Skywalker over the loss of his mentor, Ben Kenobi. It is also Leia who keeps pushing the Rebellion forwards, despite her numerous losses.

Audiences of all ages are captivated by her because of this.

Even early audiences of the franchise were not critical of her lack of stereotypical femininity, despite the fact that she was initially advertised as a sexy helpless princess in the first movie posters. Star Wars: A New Hope was one of the first movies to really show that audiences wanted more unique female characters

on screen. “[Princess Leia] did open a window in the industry for herself, and girls have wanted to grow up to be like her,” Nileshwar stated. “She opened that demographic in movies and that’s why now we have many femaleoriented action movies. Carrie Fisher was a big feminist during her time of being Princess Leia, so that probably helped as she has the platform to be vocal.”

Even in Leia’s latest appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the character has not changed one bit, other than having her title changed from Princess Leia to General Organa.

Star Wars’ strong female characters don’t stop with her either.

Padmé Amidala (from the Star Wars prequels), Ahsoka Tano (from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels), Rey (from Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and Jyn Erso (from Star Wars: Rogue One) are all examples of Star Wars heroines with personalities that defy the tranquil, silent and/or seductive nature of female characters in Hollywood. They take the tasks into

their own hands, running in with blasters blazing and voices loud and clear. It’s not like Star Wars recycled personalities from previous characters either; each female character has her own unique way of presenting her strength.

The push that these characters have made for female representation in cinema is incredible, but it’s important to remember that we are still quite far from a satisfactory representation of diverse and unique female characters in cinema. Numerous movies still do not pass various cinematic analysis tests, such as the Bechdel test (which asks whether at least two named female characters talk about something other than men), the sexy lamp test (which asks if replacing female characters with sexy lamps would affect the plot or not) and the Mako Mori test (which asks if there is at least one female character present who gets her own narrative arc that is not about supporting a man’s story).This does not mean that every film with good female representation must pass all

of these tests, but the fact that many movies do not pass any of them is quite alarming.

This is why Star Wars is such an important franchise. It is such clear proof that a diverse and international audience appreciates well-written and unique female characters. It has pushed Hollywood into taking a new look at women in films, and will hopefully continue to pioneer the appeal of strong female characters. This however can only be achieved ultimately with the help of the fans; go and watch movies that present good female characters. Be critical of movies that don’t. Show the industry that representation matters in a good movie, because without that, we’ll just keep getting movies that can easily replace women with vegetables without affecting the movie’s plot.

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

FEATURES

DELLESIA NOAH | FEATURES@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

The Time Capsule: The mark of the Etheringtons Dellesia Noah Features Editor Meet Nathan Etherington. If that last name sounds familiar to you, you’re probably from Paris, ON. The Etherington family first migrated from England to Paris in 1877. Like many other families who have migrated to a new country, there was apprehension and doubt, but most of all there was a hope to make a new life and a new name for themselves.

“They were cabinet-makers and rug-makers,” Etherington said. “Where Southward school is in Paris now, there used to be a carpet factory there.”

The Etherington family worked out of that factory to establish their family business and their family name.

“They also had a little shop at the corner of Washington and highway two. And the building still stands there in Paris.”

Although Paris already had an

excelling textile industry,, the Etheringtons were struggling to maintain their business and personal goals.

“One of the Etherington brothers ended up moving to St. Catherines, where he did end up starting a major factory.”

From there success took off and the Etherington family decided to try their hand in another industry: real estate. The family ended up excelling at it and still dominate the market today.

Another Etherington landmark in that city was the old Salvation Army church built in 1913.

“There was a gas leak in the church and it blew up. There were people in the church when it went off and one those people in the church was eight yearold Earl Etherington. He was crushed to death by all the falling debris. He was the only person to die in that explosion.”

It’s hard to go anywhere in the Parisian region without coming in contact with the name Ether-

ington. Etherington’s greatgrandfather was also the postmaster at the old post office.

Etherington described his family names as “iconic” in Paris. “I don’t know, it’s just pretty well recognized in Paris,” he said. “I was at the Williams cafe the other day and … I told [a woman who worked there] I was an Etherington. She said she knew some of my family so she gave me this pen. This pen belonged to my Grandfather’s brother. When they were cleaning out the house they found it and thought that it should be returned to the family.”

“People just know that we’re all just somehow related to one another.”

Home of the great-grandfather Etherington who was the post master.

Courtesy of Brant Historical Society

Tickets, please

Alex Vialette/The Sputnik

Alex Vialette Staff Writer With scalpers buying tickets online en masse and inflating their prices, going to see a game or concert is getting harder.

Last year when the Tragically Hip went on their Man Machine Poem tour tickets for shows were sold out almost instantaneously. This is not unheard of by any means, event tickets are notorious for scalpers who love to buy tickets in bulk then pricegouge. This method of scalping has been growing in popularity and in general it’s not hard to get

into.

A simple Google search for ticket bots comes up with programs you can buy to bypass security systems in place that prevent this specific practice.

For about $2,000 anyone can get started using ticket bots which run autonomously based on what the user wants purchased.

Knowing how much money that can be made using these quasi-legal programs, one can empathize with why someone might give in to the temptation and buy the hassle-free get-richquick software.

Governments and ticket deal-

ers have begun to respond to this problem. Just last month the Obama administration passed a law that bans the usage of ticket bots nation wide. Canada, on the other hand, has been fiddling with the problem for a pinch longer after the outcry following the Tragically Hip tour. In 2015, the government legalized scalping provided tickets could be verified and the seller’s held accountable. It sounded solid in theory since people were doing this regardless, but it opened the floodgates for the ticket bots.

Now, the Ontario Provincial Government plans to roll out

laws banning this kind of behaviour this spring. In the meantime, websites that sell tickets have implemented rules and systems to limit the effectiveness of ticket bots.

Ticketmaster’s Terms & Services state, “When purchasing tickets on our Site you are limited to a specified number of tickets for each event (also known as a “ticket limit”). This ticket limit is posted during the purchase process and is verified with every transaction. This policy is in effect to discourage unfair ticket buying practices.”

They go on to state that if

they find multiple large order transactions going to the same email address that they can cancel the orders. In other words, Ticketmaster does seem to be aware and concerned with the problem customers face.

Stubhub seems a little less interested in stopping the practice based on its Seller Policies and its statement on price-gouging during the Tragically Hip tour.

“As a free and open marketplace,” they stated in a tweet last year, “Stubhub is committed to ensuring fans have access to buy and sell tickets to the events they want to see…”.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

THE SPUTNIK

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FEATURES Colour me blind? I think not DELLESIA NOAH | FEATURES@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Dellesia Noah Features Editor The doll experiment has been resurrected repeatedly for over the past 80 years.

For those of you not familiar with the doll experiment, here’s a quick run-through. In the 1940s, Kenneth and Mamie Clark – African-American psychologists – became famous for conducting a research experiment on children and their attitudes towards race. They would present children with dolls who were nearly identical except for the fact that one had a lighter skin tone and blonde hair and the other had a darker skin tone and dark hair. They would ask the children “which doll is prettier? Which doll has nicer hair?”

The majority of the time the lighter doll came out on top.

Over 80 years later, so much, yet not enough, has changed.

Colourism is something that has inflicted Black communities from the moment we were colonized by White slave masters.

Tamone Scarlett, a social justice worker who works primarily with Black and Indigenous LGBTQ2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgendered, Queer, two-Spirited) youth, summed it up as the “house slave mentality.”

Scarlett explained stories of colourism affected childhood, “I

have a very distinct memory of my own mother telling me ‘I forbid you to play when the sun is high in the sky. That’s when the sun’s rays are the strongest and that’s when you’ll become the blackest.’ I never really understood why that wasn’t okay.”

“My mother wanted me to be perceived as having the highest worth because [I was] already a Black person and Black people are viewed as subhuman.”

Scarlett, who is of Jamaican descent, acknowledges that colourism saturates the culture.

She explained that many hold the ideology that the closer one can get to whiteness, the more dignity, self-worth, and humanity they will have.

The Jamaican Observer wrote that skin-bleaching has reached “dangerous proportions” and “hardcore bleachers use illegal ointments smuggled into the Caribbean country that contain toxins like mercury.” The issue of colourism is not made any easier when you have hometown artists like Vybz Kartel praising the practice in their music and in interviews.

Scarlett herself has never felt pressured or been pressured into using skin-bleaching products, but her own experience is not a reflection of the reality in Jamaica.

Coloured representation in

The doll experiment revealed how children regarded race. Jamaal Owusu-Ansah /The Sputnik

media has a long and difficult history. There are those who argue that having a Black-centric entertainment company like BET [(Black Entertainment Television]) is unfair.

For those who are still using that argument, I’m here to inform you that you did. It was called the entire history of mainstream entertainment and television was white-centric.

“When I was a kid … it was all white everything except for BET [Black Entertainment Television]. That was the only place where people looked like me, but then again it was a very stereotyped, homogenized experience.” Scarlett said.

Many other people who identify as Black would agree that mainstream entertainment has never really taken the time to explore and tell the stories of black communities that are different from one another.

Above all colourism impacts our youth. Scarlett believes that it will be a while before we see a generational shift. In her line of work, she still observes how the shade of someone’s skin effects their experiences.

“There is this saying that ‘the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice but the blacker the baby the tighter the noose,’” said Scarlett.

“They have a beautiful rhetoric with [role models] like Zendaya

and Amandla Stenberg and other kids their age but there is still this disconnect,” said Scarlett.

She believes that it’s something that’s put upon them from the generation that raised them and that will most likely be put upon the next generation until hopefully it trickles out.

“Sometimes [youth] don’t necessarily understand that race always ends up coming first in terms of identity. Although those experiences [as members of the LGBTQ2S+ community] are very real, they end up erasing their own racialized experiences.”

Affordable wellness for your mental health Taryn Hamlyn Staff Writer It shouldn’t be any secret that a great number of university and college students struggle with their mental health. In 2016, the Ontario Canada Reference Group, reported that 65 per cent of post-secondary students reported experiencing severe levels of anxiety. 40 per cent reported feeling so depressed it was difficult to function.

In general, there are a few things that are well-known to improve mood and lessen stress levels, such as exercising and eating healthy foods. However, this is not always achievable. Since mental wellness is linked with better performance and satisfaction in every aspect of our lives, some turn to “unconventional” methods to compact their various struggles.

In the absence of access to therapy, doctors, and/or medication, one may turn to one or more of these more non-traditional methods.

Acupuncture - used to treat depression, instead of using traditional medications. A traditional Chinese practice, acupuncture targets various pressure points on the hands and feet to improve the production

of the chemical qi, which is the circulating life force, based on many Chinese philosophies.

Hypnosis - The aim is to help the patient achieve a better mood, and in some cases the hypnosis works better than cognitive behavioral therapy.

Marijuana and/or alcohol use - these substances are well known and are often used as an escape and/or pain reliever.

When I asked professionals about this issue, they were unable to comment. There is a stigma attached to using this method to treat or deal with mental illness and legally professionals cannot give any information for the simple fact that not enough formal research has been done here in Canada to conclude whether this is a successful method or not. However, in other studies done by other parts of the world, it has been proven by many sources to only enhance the symptoms of mental illness or stress-related mental turmoil, not help them in the long run. Also, using recreational marijuana is not proven as helpful or harmful the same way prescribed and regulated marijuana could.

Yoga and relaxation techniques - Mindfulness is a big

aspect of traditional and more current practices of yoga. The act of mindfulness involves staying in the moment and being aware of your environment and physical and emotional feelings.

Yoga also releases endorphins which is a proven mood-booster.

(Mindfulness Everyday) While it is important to do whatever one is able to in order to remain mentally well, there are tried and true methods to be successful on your journey to mental wellness. In fact, people who practice unconventional methods often pair these methods with more traditional and tried methods, such as psychotherapy or medication.

Therapy and prescribed medication are two of the most common ways to achieve mental wellness. Although it doesn’t work for everyone, it is relatively safe and researched as successful. However, two of these methods, acupuncture and hypnosis are legal and relatively safe, though maybe not as researched in terms of their success rates.

Generally, although there are steps to take to stay mentally well in university and in life, different methods work for different people and different situations. This is the main reason

why so many different ways of coping are available to the general public, and why there is always more research being done.

Mental wellness should be on a student’s priority list in order to remain successful in univer-

sity and in all other aspects of one’s life.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, there are many resources at Laurier Brantford available to all students.

Appearance is never a clear indicator of mental wellness. Alex Vialette/The Sputnik

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

SPORTS Management fails Blue Jays fans DEVON MOMY-GAMACHE | SPORTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

The Jays had a busy winter losing key contributors. Sai Gnanaharan /The Sputnik

Adam Stocker Staff Writer The Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series window has prematurely closed after years of bad management, and spring training has not even started yet.

The past two seasons, the Blue Jays made the playoffs and advanced to the ALCS, but that is where their playoff run ended. Enjoy the memories of walk off home runs and bat flips Toronto sports fans. It will be a while before you see another playoff game inside the dome.

After winning the American League East two years ago, the Blue Jays elected to move on from General Manager Alex Anthopoulos. New president Mark Shapiro hired his former apprentice Ross Atkins, but the decision to move on from Anthopoulos was the correct decision.

In the last year of his contract, Anthopoulos traded away the future to save himself. Anthopoulos figured if he could make the playoffs he would get a new contract, he guessed wrong.

Despite making the playoffs, the Blue Jays moved on and so has the rest of the Major Leagues. Two years later, Anthopoulos has not landed another general manager job.

In the summer of 2014,

Anthopoulos gambled with every chip he had. He hoped to hit the jackpot in a poker tournament. Ultimately Anthopoulos made it to the final table, but when he pushed his stack of chips to the middle of the table, he was sent home with nothing.

In separate deadline deals, Anthopoulos unloaded highly touted pitching prospects Jeff Hoffman and Daniel Norris, along with others. Initially the gamble proved worth it and the Jays won the AL East for the first time since 1993.

Two years later, the Jays are paying the price for trading away prospects. Instead of having young talented players on relatively cheap contracts, the Jays are stuck paying inflated prices for past-their-prime veterans. Today, all the Jays have to show for in those deadline trades is the albatross contract and declining ability of Troy Tulowitzki on the roster.

Anthopoulos’ biggest blunder came in 2012 when he traded for 38-year-old R.A. Dickey.

In return, Anthopoulos gave up top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard. If the Blue Jays had Syndergaard right now, the window would still be open. It would be wide open because a rotation that features Aaron Sanchez and Syndergaard has two potential pitchers capable

of winning a Cy Young award.

Instead the Blue Jays received four mediocre seasons from Dickey, who the team left off their post-season roster.

The Jays hired Atkins who, in his first year running the franchise, has misjudged the market every step of the way.

As Atkins was hired, sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion entered the final years of their contracts. Every move Atkins made had to be made thinking about improving the club and counting his pennies.

Atkins needed to have the money required to resign two of the team’s most important offensive players, but he did not do that Instead Atkins looked for alternative solutions. Calling them solutions is generous, calling them stopgaps would be friendly. They are just mistakes, and ultimately they lead to Encarnacion signing with Cleveland.

Currently the Blue Jays have 11 players under contract for $126.5 million. Including $20 million each for the .254 hitting Tulowitzki and for Russell Martin who Anthopoulos overpaid, and hit .231 a season ago. For the Jays, both of those players will continue to decline as they get older but both will continue to be paid $20 million until the end of the 2019 season.

Atkins is responsible for acquiring Melvin Upton Jr., Francisco Liriano, Steve Pearce, Kendrys Morales and extending Justin Smoak. Combined, those four players are making over $39 million. Trading for Lirano can be defended because the Jays got prospects in return for absorbing Lirano’s $13.67 million salary. Down the stretch with the Jays, Liriano was one of their best pitchers.

But in the first half of the season with Pittsburgh, the 32year old was awful and no one can be sure which version the Jays will get in 2017.

Upton and Smoak were midseason decisions by Atkins. Upton and his contract were acquired from San Diego for very little. The Padres are paying $11.45 million of Upton’s $16.45 million salary, but 32-year old Upton has been on the decline for four seasons since signing his contract. Upton’s batting averages over the past four seasons, 184, 208, 259 and 238, use whatever advanced metric you want, the player formerly known as B.J. is a replacement level player. At the $5 million the Jays are paying him, it’s a bad decision.

The decision to extend Smoak is just awful. Smoak owns a career 223/308/392 batting line. Like Upton, Smoak is a replacement level player, but a player Atkins is paying $4.125 million dollars for each of the next two seasons.

34-year old Steve Pearce has never been a major league regular. Pearce has been a fourth outfielder for his career. Last season he hit 217. For his career Pearce has an average of 254, but Atkins figuring you can never have enough replacement level players, gave Pearce $12.5 million for the next two seasons.

Combine the contracts the Blue Jays gave to Pearce, Smoak and Upton and the Blue Jays have committed $21.625 million. The Blue Jays gave Morales a three year $33 million dollar contract. Morales solves one problem for the Jays, batting left handed. Morales av-

erages 25 home runs and a 273 average, but he is a downgrade from Encarnacion.

The Blue Jays tendered Encarnacion and Bautista $17.8 million contracts. Both players could accept the one year deal, but it also gave the Jays a first round pick when Encarnacion signed with Cleveland. It also means the team was willing to commit over $36 million to the two players.

Would 42 home run hitter Encarnacion have resigned for a 5-year $110 million dollar contract? We will never know. Reports said the Blue Jays offered $80 million over four seasons.

If they had not signed Pearce they could have given that money to Encarnacion. If the Blue Jays resign Edwin, their window is still open.

If the Jays had not extended Smoak they could have potentially signed Morales for the same contract and signed Bautista. It is not unreasonable to think that the 36-year old Bautista would have accepted a one year contract for $20 million and attempt to rebuild his value and be a free agent next season.

The Jays could have potentially had a lineup as they had a season ago, with Upton replacing Michael Saunders in leftfield and Morales replacing Smoak.

TSN reported the Blue Jays were willing to spend $165 million. According to Baseball Reference the Toronto Blue Jays will have a $141.8 million payroll once all arbitration and pre-arbitration contracts are signed. If you subtract Pearce and Smoak’s $10.375 and add $42 million the Jays sit at $173.425. Still over the reported $165 million, but that includes contracts for Aaron Loup, Ezequiel Carrera and Darwin Barney. If you subtract the $4 million those replacement level players make, and you are closing in on that $165 million payroll. Instead the Blue Jays will be paying over $140 million for a third of fourth place team in the AL East.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

THE SPUTNIK

11

SPORTS

DEVON MOMY-GAMACHE | SPORTS@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

Team USA wins gold in the 2017 World Juniors

The offcial IIHF U-20 World Championships All-Star team selected bu the media. Sai Gnanaharan/The Sputnik

Scott Maxwell Staff Writer With the holiday season coming and going, it also means a lot for sports fans, as it’s the time for the IIHF U20 World Junior Hockey Championships. Every year, it’s always the same story: How will Canada do? Every year, every Canadians’ angst relies on a group of teenagers and young adults. More often than not, at the very least, they fulfill that with a medal, as they did this year. However it’s not the medal that Canadians want.

Going into the tournament, there were already several interesting stories. Whether it was the quality of players who wouldn’t be participating, the fact that team USA was continuing its tradition of not bringing in its best players by cutting Alex DeBrincat, or as always, the high expectations for Canada, it

was very clear that we were in for an exciting tournament.

Once the tournament got underway, it was easy to see that parity would play a huge role in the next couple of weeks.

First, you had the sudden fall of Finland, one year after winning gold in their hometown, they had a very disappointing world juniors. While the losses to the Czech Republic and Sweden weren’t shocking, it was their upset loss against team Denmark that really put Finland in a tough spot. They beat the Swiss on New Year’s Eve, but it wasn’t enough to save them from the relegation round. Even then, they barely snuck past Latvia, scoring late in the third to win the first game, and winning the second game 4-1. They survived, but Finland became the first team to win the World Juniors, and then follow it with a trip to the relegation round.

Speaking of Denmark, they were another surprise in the tournament, as they finished second in their pool this year with a 2-1-1 record. Their upset against the Fins played a huge part of that, as well as a win against the Czech Republic.

However, their Cinderella run came to an abrupt end with a 4-0 loss to the Russians in the quarterfinals, ending an otherwise spectacular tournament for the Danes.

Finally, we saw what may have been the most exciting semifinals and medals games in a long time. First, the Russians and Americans played a fastpaced game that saw overtime and a shootout before the state’s booked their ticket to the gold medal game, thanks to Troy Terry’s three for three performance. Shortly after, the Canadians beat the Swedes, winning 5-2 to advance to the gold medal

games themselves, and set up a historic rivalry for gold, Canada vs USA. First, the bronze medal game, which was a thriller of its own, and saw the Russians come out on top, 2-1 in overtime. This gave the Russians a medal for the seventh straight year, while the Swedes finished fourth for the third straight year.

Finally, the main event: Canada and the United States for gold. It was a very hectic, backand-forth match, which saw the Canadians go up 2-0 and 4-2, and the States come back from those two goal deficits both times. The game went to overtime, and saw some frantic action ensue, but it wouldn’t decide anything, leading to a shootout. Both goalies were near perfect, with Connor Hart allowing just one to Troy Terry, but that would be all that USA would need, as they would win

gold.

With each tournament, we also see some spectacular performances from the players as well. Canada’s Thomas Chabot won the MVP, scoring four goals and 10 points in seven games, while Sweden’s Alex Nylander and Russia’s Kirill Kaprizov lead all players in scoring with 12 points, including Kaprizov scoring nine goals. In the goalie department, Russia’s Ilya Samsonov was tough to beat, with a .934 save percentage.

Another year, and we had another exciting tournament.

While Canadian fans may leave it disappointed, it was thrilling for hockey fans, and it was a sign that the tournament continues to shift towards being a lot more competitive than just the big five.

The final surprise of 2016 Kurtis Rideout Web Editor Five to one odds, a 48 second fight that saw about 24 clean punches to the face, a relatively divided crowd (excited nonetheless), and a fallen champion with a bruised ego...

Doesn’t it always seem like the most happens in the short fights? Ronda Rousey vs Amanda Nunes was the final upset of the year that we all needed.

The fresh-faced blond with a burgeoning career in movies and media was us, and Nunes was 2016, digging its claws into our sides for one final sweet minute of triumph over will, but just like Rousey, we all kind of had to learn some things the hard way last year.

Sometimes we just fool ourselves into thinking the wrong people might win, although nothing comes to mind specifically. We choose our default winner and then act super shocked when we simply failed to size up the competition, or even acknowledge them in any

realistic way.

Nunes was the Republican Party, and her fist was Donald Trump. I guess that makes Rousey the democrats, but she might as well have represented the unsuspecting majority.

Don’t get me wrong, as the defending champion Nunes is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Had I done my research beforehand I would have put my eggs in her basket for sure, but I don’t think anyone was expecting the bludgeoning that ensued mere moments into the fight.

Whether you had your money on Nunes or Rousey you probably couldn’t have predicted the pummeling that took place for the entire 48 seconds of the fight, but I’m not the expert. I just look at the situation as one where the true champion asserted her dominance. As she said at the end of the fight, we need to forget about Ronda Rousey now, at least in the context of a future UFC career.

She may have opened the doors for female fighting, and

probably made Dana White rich for the hundredth time over, but this fight and her career are significant for several different reasons that reach below the service, tapping into some sexist and misogynistic norms that I’m probably not even qualified to talk about.

As someone with a marketing background I do think it was well executed; get the pretty girls in the ring, promote them in posters with their hair and makeup well done, and then a few months later, once everybody is looking, you put her up against a truly terrifying opponent and add it to the title card.

Don’t get me wrong though, Rousey had already accomplished far more than I ever will even before she even stepped inside the octagon, it just boggles my mind that she managed to avoid fighting someone up to Nunes’ caliber for so long. I also just can’t fathom how the odds were so stacked in her favour.

There are a number of questions still looming in light of the outcome of the fight but

the most popular one would definitely have to be what’s next for Rousey as most people speculate a lucrative career in entertainment.

Me, on the other hand, I’m just hoping Nunes gets the attention and appreciation that her skills have afforded her. A fighter with her skill level deserves to be on the title card, even if she isn’t as marketable for movies, film and UFC advertising.

We get it Dana White, you

kicked the doors wide open for female fighters, finally giving them the opportunities and the attention that they deserve.

But now that you’ve made your cake, let’s put the spotlight on some of these young women stepping into the ring, even if they aren’t blond haired, bikini clad white girls with ‘good marketing tactic’ written all over them.

The real fans will watch no matter what.

Nunes connected with Rousy multiple times. Courtesy of Ubisoft Entertainment

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THE SPUTNIK

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11, 2017

OPINION

JOSH ADESINA | OPINION@THESPUTNIK.CA | @SPUTNIK_NEWS

The Chinese Super League is ruining football Josh Adesina Opinion Editor It is no surprise that it has come down to this. The sport of football and all of its players are becoming more concerned about money, rather than the sport itself. Don’t believe me?

Ask the people running the Chinese Super League.

Take a look at the tactics they are using to make football the number one sport in China.

They are sucking the life out of football by offering players stupendous amounts of money.

The type of offers that are hard to turn down. I understand athletes should be paid what they are worth but this is just ridiculous.

The Chinese Super League have caught the attention of football fans once they started offering football players across Europe and England large sums of money. Offers have been made to world class talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan

Ibrahimovic and several more.

A lot of these high profile players have turned down these offers, as they should. Reasons as to why they declined such offers are unclear, but I would like to think they genuinely care about football.

However, there are football players that have accepted eye watering contracts to play football in Shanghai, such as former Chelsea midfielder, Oscar who has signed with Shanghai SIPG for up to £60 million, according to the Evening Standard. Oscar is making change compared to former Manchester United forward, Carlos Tevez who signed a two year contract with Shanghai Shenhua for £72 million, according to the Guardian. Tevez will earn £2,460,000 each month which is almost a $1 million CAD per week!

A football player or player of any sport should be able to sign to any team that they wish.

However, when higher tier players decide to switch teams for whatever reason, their decisions

affect the sport. Imagine the outcome if Messi had signed with Shanghai after they offered him a five year, €500 million contract

by Hebei China Fortune, according to the Sun. Imagine what it would do to football, how upset millions of fans would be worldwide.

The issue I have with the Chinese Super League is that they are being incredibly superficial with their money. Every football player that chooses to play in Shanghai will be doing so for the money. You can argue that professional sports players are motivated by money anyway, but I’m sure they are just as motivated by the love of the sport.

I also understand that the Chinese Super League is trying to progress its economy, and see this as an opportunity to do so, but this doesn’t change the fact that the British Premier League and European football leagues such as La Liga and Serie A will suffer. It is also worth noting that organizations will become crippled if the star players they

The Chinese super league is stealing players in Europe and England. Sai Gnanaharan/The Sputnik

worked hard to sign just left. The number of fans that attend football matches would decrease and agents would lose their jobs. All this would happen across Europe and the United Kingdom in an attempt to make football popular in China. Is this fair? I can’t think of a reason why it

would be.

There are enough greedy football players and agents already. Football fans, along with other sports fans should not have the opportunity of seeing their favourite players play live decreased by greedy people interested only in money.

Are you only book smart?

Read life ecperience will prepare you better than academics. Josh Adesina/ The Sputnik

Jennany Thillairajan Staff Writer Welcome to 2017, where the knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem or the periodic table isn’t necessarily going to ‘cut it’.

When we’re in high school we are convinced that every single thing that we are taught there is going to be a life long lesson, but realistically who has seen half the things if not all the things we’ve learned ever again in our lives as of now? I’ve met so many people who still try to come up with academic conclusions for matters that just need a little bit of common sense. I think that’s where the issue of being only book smart doesn’t necessarily cut it.

Being intelligent in regards to academics is great, but when

you take students who are so involved in school and put them in the real world, they almost have no idea what to do with it. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone lacks common sense, but certain people have so much knowledge in the academic aspects of life where they have no knowledge on how to survive the real world.

It may occur to some that the knowledge of the real world isn’t necessarily important at all but it is almost more important than any skill you will obtain in life.

When left to deal with real life situations, one with the book smart knowledge has a fixed idea of how to solve problems.

They’re usually used to following specific procedures or processes. When they are brought face to face with an issue with

the need of an immediate solution they are often stumped.

Whereas students with the knowledge of common sense or real life experience get much further in life. They tend to have a much better idea on how to adjust and problem solve when given a problem. They look at the bigger picture.

I think that’s the issue with the comparison of being book smart and having real life experience. Students that have knowledge about what it really takes to make in in the real world understand the bigger picture. They’re able to see it and understand it much better and move on with it. While students who are book smart can only solve problems with limited knowledge.

It is interesting to see how

students react to situations with the knowledge and abilities they possess. Having a sound education is important because you don’t only just receive information, but your brain learns how to store information and apply it when need be. However, being book smart isn’t the only thing that will help you succeed in life. If you think your work colleagues are going to be impressed that you were a straight A student, think again.

The world outside of education is tough and it’s important that we learn how to carry ourselves outside of the classroom as well as inside.

Being book smart isn’t a flaw.

I hope none of this portrays it to seem like I’m saying it is one because it really isn’t. It’s just im-

portant to prioritize both senses of intelligence because you need both skills to succeed in life.

Having knowledge about life after school will lead you to a path of life with much more success.

Don’t forget that even if you graduate with honors, you can’t claim to be an expert. You’re going to find loads of students that will not pursue any more education, and that is fine. However, you should remain a student for life. Keep learning about language, culture, people and how different things are around the world. It will force you to become a better person which is what I’ll assume you want to be.