Volume 22, Issue 6 - February 2023

The Sputnik,We Orbit Around You.

Volume 22, Issue 6, February 2, 2023

News, pg. 3

Features, pg. 6-7

Arts & Culture, pg. 8

Opinion, pg. 10

Sports, pg. 12

WLUSU ELECTIONS

SNOWED-IN

AI & THE ARTIST

A reflection on the winter season through photos

What does AI created art mean for humans

WHAT THE WEATHER?

INDOOR SOCCER KICKS OFF

What can we expect from the SU next year?

What do we do in the face of climate change?

Laurier Brantford plays in nvitationals

WE LOVE LOVE VALENTINE’S DAY ISSUE

JEREMY VYN/PHOTGRAPHY EDITOR

02

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

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THE SPUTNIK STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Serena Austin eic@thesputnik.ca

OPINION EDITOR Meagan Hodgetts opinion@thesputnik.ca

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Maryka Van Wyngaarden arts@thesputnik.ca

SENIOR COPY EDITOR Umaymah Suhail copyeditor@thesputnik.ca

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jeremy Vyn photography@thesputnik.ca

LEAD ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER Marisa Cerasoli LEAD SPORTS REPORTER Jackson Rice

SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB EDITOR Jessica King web@thesputnik.ca INFINITUM EDITOR Thando Bhebhe infinitum@thesputnik.ca

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Waitson ed@wlusp.com

HR MANAGER Emily Waitson hr@wlusp.com

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Abigail Heckbert president@wlusp.com

CORPORATE SECRETARY Grace Corriero

What do you love about Valentine’s Day?

WEB MANAGER Sam Nabi web@wlusp.com

FINANCE MANAGER Randy Moore finance@wlusp.com

BRANTFORD MANAGER OF OPERATIONS VACANT

ADVERTISING MANAGER Kurtis Rideout ads@wlusp.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Abigail Heckbert

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR VACANT

VICE-CHAIR Jacob Segal Rice

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR VACANT

STUDENT DIRECTOR Jack Vrolyk

SECRETARY Grace Corriero

COMMUNITY DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne

TREASURER Kashyap Patel

“It’s a time celebrate all things cutesy, cheesy and romantic.”

–Serena Austin, Editor-in-Chief

“That it’s a chance to tell people you love them!”

–Maryka Van Wyngaarden, A&C Editor

CONTRIBUTORS Serena Anagbe Ayse Aras Sienna Bilancia Victoria Blagdon Micaiah “Ahlex” Etti-Balogun

Elisha Felician Karen Savoy Nida Shanar

“It provides a day of intentionality for couples.”

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

–Jeremy Vyn, Photography Editor

“How it’s about showing love for people that matter in your life, whether they be your significant other or your friends.”

–Umaymah Suhail, Senior Copy Editor

PHOTO OF THE MONTH THE SPUTNIK IS PUBLISHED BY WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 205 Regina ST. N., Waterloo COLOPHON Started in 1999, the Sputnik is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital.

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THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

THE SPUTNIK · NEWS

03

CAMPUS

2023 WLUSU Election Results Students’ Union held election for president, board and faculty associations ELISHA FELICIAN CONTRIBUTOR

Wilfrid Laurier University held its annual Students’ Union election this month.

The presidential campaign took place on Jan. 23 while voting days were from Jan. 24 until Jan. 26. This year, students were allowed to elect a number of executive positions. This included president, chief executive officer, board of directors, any student representatives on the Laurier Senate and any student representatives on the Laurier Board of Governors.

Results were announced at Wilfs restaurant and bar on the Waterloo campus on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Megan Spenler was elected as president and CEO for the upcoming school year. Ninety-two per cent of voters agreed with her campaign.

There were nine rounds held to elect the Board of Directors.

Emerging victorious were Madison Tsoutsoulas, Josh Hamilton, Colton Phillips, Haile Ellis, Amir Noori and Jack Sloan.

Many Students’ Societies and Associations were seeking new

leaders.

On the Brantford campus, Maham Wyne held on to her position as president of Human and Social Science Association (HASSA).

The Faculty of Liberal Arts Students’ Society (FLASS) gained a new president, Amy Che. For the Bachelor of Social Work Students’ Association (BSWSA), Sayak Sneddon-Ghosal became president.

The Business Technology Management Students’ Association (BTMSA) elected both their president and vice president, Pery Au and Joshua Shiman, respectively.

The Students’ Union offered prizes to encourage voter turnout. The prizes included an Apple TV 4K, a Kobo, one lululemon Everywhere Bag and a massage gun.

The winners of the giveaway will be announced the week of Jan. 30.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ YOURSTUDENTSUNION.CA

Megan Spenler, WLUSU President elect

04

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

THE SPUTNIK · NEWS

EVENTS

UX Design for Change Challenge Program hosts challenge to create solutions for those experiencing homelessness SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

NIDA SHANAR/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

Registration for the Design for Change challenge hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford User Experience Design program is open until Friday, Feb. 10.

The challenge is open to students across Canada in any program of study with an interest in developing human-centred solutions for people experiencing homelessness. Students can participate in the challenge on their own or in teams of up to five.

Human-centred design is an approach that takes the user’s individual wants and needs into consideration throughout the whole process. The Design for Change challenge is based

on the concept and definition of human-centred design from IDEO. org.

“We’re discussing how to make homelessness rare, brief and non-reoccurring,” said Taniya Khangura, a user experience design student and research assistant to Abby Goodrum, user experience design coordinator.

With the cost of housing, inflation and interest rates on the rise, homelessness and access to affordable and stable housing are pressing issues nationwide. According to Statistics Canada data, anywhere between 25,000 and 35,000 people may be experiencing homelessness in Canada on any

given night.

Based on the 2021 Brantford Brant Point-in-Time Count Report, there are around 238 people experiencing homelessness in the area.

Through this challenge, Goodrum and the team behind the challenge hope to be able to address the stigma and stereotypes around homelessness, said Khangura.

“People think a certain way about what [homelessness] is and why it happens,” she said. “We want people to know that there isn’t a one size fits all solution to this. It’s one size fits one.”

To accommodate par-

ticipants from across the country, the challenge will be held virtually. Submissions will be judged based on effectiveness and impact, approach and research, innovation and presentation on March 28.

The top three winning teams will take home $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 per team member respectively.

The challenge is supported by various community partners such as the City of Toronto, the Brantford Library, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association and Harvest House Atlantic.

Because the challenge is open to students with all types of educational backgrounds, a wide

variety in the type of submissions is expected — from policy work to physical products. The Design for Change challenge’s website offers some ideas of where and how to start thinking about solutions.

For students interested in registering for the Design for Change challenge, they can do so at challenges.hackworks.com/ event/design-for-change-2023. The website also offers resources on human-centred design, homelessness and frequently asked questions.

EVENTS

Laurier celebrates Lunar New Year Celebration hosted by Laurier International SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On Jan. 18, Laurier International hosted a Lunar New Year celebration in the One Market atrium.

Lunar New Year is celebrated by many East Asian cultures to celebrate the first new moon of the year. Lunar New Year is based off the Lunisolar calendar in which months follow the cycle of the moon.

The event was Laurier International’s first time celebrating Lunar New Year in-person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students who attended painted their own paper lanterns, watched a traditional lion dance performance, were treated to a special dinner and heard the Chinese Grand River Symphony play.

“We wanted to welcome students back to campus, to celebrating and getting together,” said Jane Desmond, an international student advisor on the Brantford

campus.

ence.

“We have a strong group of international student leaders that put their heads together, created the menu and decided on the activities and presentations,” said Desmond.

Laurier International tries its best to cater to a wide range of dietary needs, said Desmond.

“When a student comes to our events here at Laurier International, they can be sure that if they eat halal food, we’re going to have it,” she said. “If they’re vegan or vegetarian, we’ll make sure we have that for them.”

Offering more inclusive food options is one of the items included in Laurier’s Strategic Plan for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion that was approved in late 2022, and for Aqsa Shafi, a second-year business technology management student, it makes quite a differ-

“I really like International events because they’re halal,” said Shafi, who had never celebrated Lunar New Year before. “I can just eat whatever I want as long as it’s not bacon.”

The event drew the attention of several students who likely wouldn’t have celebrated Lunar New Year otherwise.

“This is my first time,” said Max Landry, a second-year business technology management student. “I’ve received a red pocket before, but I’ve never known anything about it.”

Around Lunar New Year, it’s tradition to gift others red envelopes filled with money to symbolize good luck for the year ahead. In Chinese culture especially, red is seen as a lucky colour.

This year, Lunar New Year fell on Sunday, Jan. 22.

SERENA ANAGBE/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

Dancers during the lion dance

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

THE SPUTNIK · NEWS

05

EVENTS

Winter’s a Drag returns

Sanderson Centre drag show returns to campus AYSE ARAS CONTRIBUTOR

JEREMY VYN/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

AYSE ARAS/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

This year’s lively Winter’s a Drag show was hosted at Brantford’s Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts once again on Jan. 24.

Vision Drag artists performed live for Wilfrid Laurier University students and others from the community. Hundreds filled the Sanderson Centre auditorium for an evening full of colourful lights and sparkling outfits, adding life to a cold winter day.

The five artists, Makayla Couture, Tiffany Boxx, Manny Dingo, Tash Riot and XtacyLove, put on impressive performances.

The spectacular and free event included a meet-and-greet that started at 7:15 p.m. where fans got the chance to meet the drag artists on stage. Other delights at the event included a photo booth and free gifts. The show began at 8 p.m., inviting a diverse audience of people to have fun and express themselves.

The event was hosted by Laurier Brantford’s Senior Executive Office and Campus Experience Coordinator Beth Sanders, and

sponsored by the Students’ Union and other university associations.

The drag artists danced animatedly to music by pop singers everyone enjoys, including Lady Gaga and One Direction. Tash Riot gave a charming performance of the “Wednesday Dance”, which trended on TikTok in late November last year after the release of the Netflix show, Wednesday. Each artist performed in their own unique, magnificent way.

Between their dances, the drag artists gave speeches about the importance of self-expression and voiced their passion for their art.

“C stands for two of my favourite things,” said Boxx during her speech. “One, courage—that means y’all are here tonight, you are being courageous.”

During the second portion of the show, two enthusiastic individuals were selected from the audience for a dance contest, both of whom executed the challenge wonderfully and with humour.

The event was met with continuous cheers and enthusiasm, creating a memorable night that was just as exciting as last year’s Winter’s a Drag show.

“It was lots of fun, incredible music choice,” said Julia Kalicki, a Laurier student who attended the show. “I really hope this event comes back next year because it’s an event nobody should miss out on.”

Joining this occasion was an entertaining way for students to spend an otherwise uneventful winter evening. Judging from the excitement shown from the roaring crowd at the Sanderson Centre, Brantford residents and Laurier students would no doubt welcome another return of Winter’s a Drag next year.

AYSE ARAS/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

JEREMY VYN/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

THE SPUTNIK · FEATURES

06

Snowed-In: Winter Has Finally Arrived in Brantford JEREMY VYN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR NIDA SHANAR PHOTOGRAPHER

Winter took its “jolly-ol-time” arriving this year. In fact, every year winter seems to be getting shorter and shorter (it seems appropriate here to refer you to the article in this issue that discusses this very concern). In spite of this growing concern, there is still a lot of beauty in Winter. A lot of us like to complain about the cold, but we often forget to appreciate the beauty that comes along with it. I cannot imagine a world without snow, as snow brings with it a type of unimaginable beauty that cannot be holistically remembered through photos. Given this, we present this photo gallery in humility, knowing that our photos do nothing to properly capture the beauty present around us.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023 · 07

THE SPUTNIK · A&C

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THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

TECHNOLOGY

How AI impacts art A look at what artificial intelligence means for visual artists MARISA CERASOLI LEAD ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

JEREMY VYN/ PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

AI-generated art

From language patterns to 3D protein structure remodelling, artificial intelligence has made some significant strides in the past few years.

One stride that has been the source of major debate as of late is the use of AI for artistic creation. On one side, we have the supporters: those of the opinion that AI art brings something beautiful and genuine to the table— something comparable to the art that humans can produce.

On the other hand, we have the unbelievers: the larger subset of people who see AI art as fundamentally fake (and often ugly) and completely lacking in the very sense of purpose that drives humans to create and cherish art in the first place. I would generally label myself as a member of the latter group.

It’s worth pointing out

that the actual practice of using AI for artistic purposes is still in its infancy. You can spot an AI rendered “artwork” from a mile away because nothing looks quite right (e.g., human subjects inexplicably have six fingers on each hand and a hundred teeth in their mouths— they look like Sims in the creepiest way possible). Nonetheless, the recent popularization of artificial intelligence to create art begs two major questions: one, what is art, and two, is AI art ethical.

In regard to that first question, I could go on a long-winded tangent about the countless hours of hard work, practice and determination humans put themselves through for the rarely satisfying, generally excruciating endeavour of being artists. I could go on about how that is one of those universal human experiences artificial intelligence cannot

genuinely reproduce and thus, can’t reproduce a genuine product either.

That being said, I can think of several reasons AI can be a cool tool that real artists can leverage to enhance their work or to conjure up something different entirely. A digital artist, for example, might use AI to generate a landscape background for a piece they’re working on, while deploying their own artistic talents to perfect the subject.

When someone generates images through AI, how should we label that involvement?

“Artist” isn’t the right word. “Creator” or “designer” are still far too generous. Anything implying there was actual creative labour and artistic skill required in conjuring up the final product is completely disingenuous, as nothing that was involved in the making of that im-

age is actually theirs. The AI should be credited, but the human giving the prompt can’t be discounted entirely. As things presently stand, the attempt to define what constitutes an artist in the realm of AI generation is just one jumbled mess.

But I digress. The technological age forces us all to re-examine how we define art, both personally and as a culture. Personal definitions aside, there is a real practical issue with AI art, and that lies in the ethics of its creation.

Take DALL-E 2 and Midjourney for example, the two most popular AI art generators out there. These AIs receive a human prompt, then spit out a corresponding generated image in under a minute.

The primary problem though, is that the end products are generated using data within databases containing copious

amounts of copyrighted images.

And many of these copyrighted images belong to the very artists that AI would be putting out of a job should its art career really take off.

Not exactly what I’d call “fair use.”

Still, as it currently stands, there is no legislation prohibiting the use of artists’ work in AI generation.

My takeaway is that the proliferation of AI art is unlike any other creative medium that has ever existed before, so there’s not really any precedent for how to frame these images, legally or artistically speaking. There needs to be a whole new set of rules and definitions put in place before we can really tackle the dilemmas of AI art.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

THE SPUTNIK · A&C

09

STUDENT LIFE

LB students’ goals for 2023 Why resolutions are out, bingo cards are in MARYKA VAN WYNGAARDEN ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

SERENA ANAGBE/SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHY

List of goals on a whiteboard

The new year can be a great time for self-reflection and goal setting.

Every January, that fresh first page of the calendar year inspires all kinds of resolutions and personal commitments. But when, for most of us, our pacts-with-self don’t make it past March, it’s curious that the tradition persists.

Laurier Brantford students are fairly divided on the mat-

ter of resolutions, but many still have goals of some sort for 2023. “[Resolutions] are like the oldest trend out there that somehow everyone falls for every year,” says Rachel Gerrits, a fourth-year youth and children’s studies major.

“It’s great to want to change a habit or try a new lifestyle, but I believe you’ll be more successful with those goals if you

do it on your own terms, and not because you feel like you need to have a goal to achieve.”

Instead of resolutions, Gerrits and her roommates made 2023 bingo prediction cards, which she says replaced some of the pressure of resolutions with humour and fun.

Others, like Aliya Kooistra, fourth-year Indigenous studies and youth and children’s studies major, still see the value in making resolutions. “[The new year is] a good time to start a new chapter, reflect on your life and certain habits that you have,” says Kooistra, “but it takes dedication.”

Kooistra says her key word for the year is balance.

Balance between work, school and having a social life, between eating healthy and enjoying foods she likes, and between doing things for herself and helping others.

“Our society in general is becoming so individualistic, and a lot of the time it’s like ‘me, me, me,’ so I just think that’s something I want to be cautious of—that bal-

ance of doing things for yourself, cause self-care is important, but also helping other people in need.”

Kooistra adds, though, that some resolutions are easier said than done.

“Ones that I always think about but never do [are to] exercise more and eat better.”

For Mohammad AbuRshaid, fourth-year forensic psychology student, the key to maintaining resolutions is to focus on broad goals rather than specific objectives. He suggests making “strategic goals with the intent of operationalizing it afterwards, without judgement.”

“You want to be kind to yourself, you want to be realistic, and you have to acknowledge that you may not reach perfection, and that perfection isn’t the goal,” says Abu-Rshaid.

One of Abu-Rshaid’s resolutions this year is simply to have more fun.

“Because of how busy my life is trying to achieve my own personal goals like graduating university and having good grades,

et cetera, I noticed that I wasn’t having enough fun—I didn’t plan well enough to be able to have time for fun.”

It’s a goal that he says goes hand-in-hand with his other goal of putting himself out there more, especially after two and a half years of remote learning.

“When you make [your goals] complementary, you’re more likely to achieve not only one, but the combo,” says AbuRshaid.

His final word of advice: “Don’t judge yourself for not meeting your goal exactly. The point, in my perspective, of these goals is to improve—the journey is the goal, not the end stage itself.”

MOVIES

The 25th anniversary rerelease ofTitanic Looking back on the iconic action-romance film ahead of its rerelease AYSE ARAS CONTRIBUTOR

The 90’s movie Titanic will return to theatres on Feb. 10 for the film’s 25th anniversary.

If you have ever wanted the chance to see Titanic at the movie theatre, 2023 is the year. A remastered version of one of the greatest action romance films of all time will be rereleased globally this February after 25 years. The iconic movie directed by James Cameron is considered monumental even today. It can be predicted that theatres will be as full for Titanic remastered as they were on the film’s opening night in 1997.

Titanic is an award-winning historical fiction movie about the sinking of the “unsinkable” ship called the Titanic after colliding with an iceberg. It revolves around the fictional romance of Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Rose Dewitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet.

According to Box Office

Mojo, Titanic made more than $28 million in its opening weekend and over $1 billion after its worldwide release on Dec.19, 1997. The movie gradually became a huge success and today, is undoubtedly considered one of the best classic romance films of all time.

More exciting news is that National Geographic will soon release a documentary, Titanic: 25 Years Later, investigating (spoilers ahead!) whether Jack, the beloved main character of Titanic, might have been able to survive the shipwreck, a long-lived debate about this film. National Geographic uses scientific research and experiments to evaluate the chances of Jack surviving if he had followed Rose onto the floating door after the ship sank.

Whether or not the evidence presented in the documentary is convincing, fans will continue to mourn the future

that Jack and Rose could have had, which is what makes Titanic such an affecting film. However, Cameron explains that Jack and Rose are not the only storyline that makes the movie emotional. The representation of a tragic historical event is an integral part as well.

“Now I look at the whole thing from a perspective of loss and grief—what the people went through, [who] survived and lived with survivor’s guilt,” Cameron said in a recent interview with SiriusXM, looking back on the movie he directed 25 years ago.

DiCaprio and Winslet both portray their characters perfectly in Titanic and are very loved for the film to this day. Though both actors have starred in many other movies since, their respective roles in Titanic will always be career-defining.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Commemorative pin of the Titanic ship

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

THE SPUTNIK · OPINION

10

CLIMATE CHANGE

What the winter?

We need cooperation from corporations to make change.

MEAGAN HODGETTS OPINIONS EDITOR

It doesn’t take a meteorologist or scientist to know that something is having a big impact on our weather. With record high winter temperatures across the globe, all signs are pointing to climate change catching up with us.

With the earth getting warmer, it leaves our generation to wonder, can we do anything to stop it? We’ve all read enough articles about electric vehicles and reducing our carbon footprint, but can we really have an impact on saving our planet?

Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, said in a recent interview with CTV News that global warming is in fact to blame. Our polar vortexes are destabilizing, which is causing our usual weather “extremes” to be disrupted and in this case, not be so extreme.

So, we really have reached the point where climate change and global warming is at

our doorsteps and can no longer be ignored. So, can we slow down, stop or reverse climate change?

The general idea is no.

The leading causes of climate change are the use of fossil fuels for generating power, manufacturing goods like electronics, clothes, plastics, deforestation, powering buildings, transportation and consumption.

Most students feel like with that list and all the articles over the years saying, “Do this to save the Earth!” no matter what our generation does, it won’t be enough.

“We need global cooperation and that includes the rich, the corporate world and scientists,” says Leia Langridge, a third-year digital media and journalism student here at Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford.

With all the known impacts to climate change, many of them are made worse by the decisions of big corporations on how

they produce products, what they allow their emissions to look like.

“Corporations have a bigger responsibility as they are the ones who affect the climate the most,” said Tusharika Tyagi, also a third-year digital media and journalism student here on campus.

“We people can only do so much but if corporations don’t start becoming more climate friendly, climate change is not going to stop.”

While making an effort to reduce our carbon footprint is an important effort and something we should all be aware of in our daily lives, if we really want to see change and save our planet, responsibility needs to be demanded of those with the biggest impact.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

ENTERTAINMENT

Extra-curriculars & What They Have to Offer After having limited access to extra-curriculars, now’s time to make the most of them SIENNA BILANCIA CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Extra-curricular involvement is a part of almost all school communities from pre-k to college or university. A way to be a part of the school community that is a little better than classes sometime.

These activities give students chances to try new things.

They give us the opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills and of course make memories. I know many people that have met their best friends and have some of their favourite memories while participating in extra-curricular activities.

There are many benefits that come with being a part of extra-curricular activities such as creating a bond with other people outside of your program. It creates a community, and it can help you

to become a part of the school community.

Sports brings people together. There are those who play the sports and those who cheer at the sports. As well there are clubs that people can join and events that are hosted and meeting everyone who gets to attend them. You get to create a place for everyone to feel included and belong.

Participating in extra-curricular activities can help people socially as well as academically.

It has been proven that being a part of school clubs or sports or anything extra-curricular can help you academically.

It helps to give people a break from studying. It is a break and for your mental health.

It can teach you many

things, time management, selfcare, and how to multi-task. The list goes on and on.

Sadly, the pandemic took away our chances of participating in such activities for a few years.

Some happy news is that now that restrictions have lessened, we have the chance to join clubs and sports again.

There was so much that we missed out on but now we can participate again. We have clubs and extramural as well as intramural sports. You can find a list of clubs and other extra-curriculars on the Laurier or Student Union websites.

I encourage you all to give it a try. Join a club or try out for a sport or even join the school paper, the Sputnik.

THURDAY, FEB. 3, 2023

INFINITUM

11

THE SPUTNIK · INFINITUM

SHORT STORIES

Astoria’s Story Episode Two - Only The Beginning KAREN SAVOY CONTRIBUTER

KAREN SAVOY/CONTRIBUTER

Moments after Astoria realizes what Octavia has done, they began to run up to people they once called friends. One by one, Astoria received the same reaction of confusion. The place Astoria once called home no longer remembers them. With tears running down their face, Astoria rushed out of the village. Once at the end of the bridge that connects the village to the mainland, they dropped to their knees in sadness.

“No one remembers… will they ever?” Astoria mutters under their breath.

As they were going through all the different emotions, they began to get up slowly. When finally steady on their feet, they looked up to see something move in the shadows of the forest.

“Who’s there?” Astoria yelled, pausing to hear a response and not receiving one they shouted, “I saw you; you can’t hide now.”

When no one appeared, Astoria cautiously drew their sword and approached into the woods.

Hours later…

With no luck, Astoria began to truly believe whether they saw

Happy Valentine’s Day To a different kind of love....

MICAIAH ‘‘AHLEX” ETTI-BALOGUN CONTRIBUTER

The flowers he picked floated mutely in the bowl, sparkling water warm from the window’s light. Their petals were soft as velvet, as stark as ink on paper.

Our son lay curled between us, dead asleep from Valentine’s Day pancakes. He ate my many hearts and felt thrice the love of an ordinary day.

“What will you do today?” You asked.

“Probably nothing.”

“You should think of something,” The mattress groans, the floorboards creak.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, but don’t wait up.”

“I’ll be asleep if you get back, but don’t worry.” I said.

You shot me a narrowed look, the corners of your mouth furrowing, but you still closed the door gently on your way out.

something or not. As they were leaving the forest, they stumbled across a campsite. In the campsite was a hooded figure.

“Who are you?” Astoria ushered with their sword to the hooded figure.

The hooded figure turns quickly, trying to strike Astoria, but Astoria does not back down.

Disarming the figure, they ask again, “Who are you? I will not ask again.” This time with the sword pointed at the stranger.

Finally, the hooded figure spoke, though not the words Astoria wanted.

“Listen, I am not going to tell you my name, I am not the enemy those things are. What your friend did to your village… they are the enemy,” said the stranger.

Astoria, shocked that this person knew what happened, blurted out, “How do you know what happened in my village?”

With no hesitation, she remembered and followed up with, “YOU! You were the thing in the forest that I saw when I crossed the bridge.”

“Fine… I’ll refer to you as Oak,” Astoria said.

“Refer to me however you want, but it is getting dark, it’s not safe.

There is a village not far, you passed it to get here. Go there, they have an inn you could stay in with a tavern for a meal,” Oak said to Astoria.

“If it’s not safe, then why do you stay out here?” Astoria responded.

With a large sigh, Oak explains, “It’s not important. Please just go before it’s too dark.”

Even though Astoria can be stubborn, they said, “Fine. I’ll go but I will be coming back tomorrow.”

“Well, you know where to find me,” Oak said.

With that, Astoria began to head to the village. Not far from Oak’s campground was the small village of Dellus. This village was built with a beautiful stone. Through the streets of the village, Astoria could hear mutters of people talking about the hooded man in the forest. The villagers talk about him as if he is the village’s protector. Astoria made their way to the inn and settled in their room for the night.

12

THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2023

THE SPUTNIK · SPORTS

VARSITY

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / LAURIER ATHLETICS

Varisty indoor soccer season off to strong start Men’s & women’s teams play in George Brown invitational JACKSON RICE SPORTS LEAD REPORTER

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LAURIER ATHLETICS

LB men’s varsity indoor soccer team

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LAURIER ATHLETICS

LB women’s varsity indoor soccer team

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford Golden Hawks kicked off their season after competing at their first tournament of the year.

Both the men’s and women’s team looked forward to competing and were excited to start their season.

The women’s team is coming off a spectacular season last year after qualifying for provincials for the first time in Laurier Brantford’s history. With a lot of their players graduating, the women’s team is now in their rebuilding stage with only a few returning players from last season.

The women’s team started their season against the Conestoga College Condors. The Condors qualified for provincials last season and are a talented team. The Golden Hawks held their own against them, but it wasn’t enough. The Golden Hawks fell short after a last minute goal by the Condors, losing 3-2.

The second game was against Centennial College. A back-and-forth game left the two teams tied 1-1 after the final whistle.

Their final game of the group stage was against Toronto

Metropolitan University. The women’s team left it all out on the field and came up short, losing 2-0 to a strong TMU team. The women’s team, which is filled with a lot of rookies, played like the team was filled with veterans.

“For a rookie team rebuilding, I believe we performed and stepped up to the plate and made our school name heard against teams who have had many years playing with each other,” said Nia Maidens, a first-year student athlete for Laurier Brantford.

On the other hand, the men’s team was back in action after a disappointing season last year. They kicked off the tournament against a strong St. Clair College side. The boys fell short and lost 3-0. The second game was against Centennial College.

Another back-and-forth game led to a 1-1 draw after the final whistle.

The men’s team rounded off the group stage against a tough Seneca College side, losing 4-0.

The men’s side is also in a rebuilding stage with only a few returning players. This tournament was an insight for the rookies in how this season will be.

“As a rookie it was cer-

tainly challenging,” said Camden Smida, a first-year student athlete for Laurier Brantford. “As a new arrival to this year’s squad, it was difficult to adapt to a new system, however, overall I had a positive experience being alongside my teammates out on the pitch and giving it our all.”

It was not the tournament both teams had in mind, however, it was a step in the right direction for regionals.

“Next steps for this team definitely resolves around transitioning from defence to offence as well as looking to improve our defensive structure and be more disciplined when defending,” said Emmanuel Nwankwo, a second-year student athlete for Laurier Brantford.

The Golden Hawks look to improve on their season and are preparing for regionals on Feb. 27 at the Ontario Soccer Centre.