Volume 22, Issue 1 - September 2022

The Sputnik,We Orbit Around You. News, pg. 3

O-WEEK EXPECTATIONS

Features, pg. 6-7

LB STUDY SPACES

First-year’s guide to O-Week The best places to get your study on

Volume 22, Issue 1 - Sept 1, 2022 Arts & Culture, pg. 5

BETTER CALL SAUL

A look at how tv shows changed summer viewing

Opinion, pg. 11

NOBODY IS SELFMADE

Why striving for wealth shouldn’t be your only goal

Sports, pg. 12

LOOKING FORWARD

What’s next for LB men’s X-Country

BACK AND BETTER The O-Week Issue

JEREMY VYN / PHOTO EDITOR

02

THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 2022

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Editor’s Note: Welcome to campus SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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WLUSP ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kurtis Rideout ed@wlusp.com

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Abigail Heckbert

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COMMUNITY DIRECTOR Rosalind Horne

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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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It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Each September, I can’t help but sing myself the classic Christmas tune co-opted by Staples’ back-to-school marketing. This may be controversial, but I truly do love back-toschool season.

The Sputnik’s primary font is Fira. We also use Utopia, Crimson and Aileron.

The Sputnik is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981.

The Sputnik circulates monthly and virtually on a weekly basis.

The Sputnik has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through the Sputnik’s contact with the community. The Sputnik will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither reprecussion, nor retalliation.

The purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our newspaper.

There’s something so exhilarating about the first day of school.

Whether it’s the first day of kindergarten, high school or your

SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE PHOTO

WELCOME HOME LAURIER BANNERS OUTSIDE OF CARNEGIE BUILDING

first year in university, it’s a new chapter in your life and should fill you with excitement, not dread.

Of course, first-day (let’s be real, firstmonth) jitters are totally normal and to be expected. Here are some of my favourite spots around campus, hopefully they’ll help you feel more at home here. You are a Golden Hawk, after all.

If you’re looking for a quick, affordable and delicious bite to eat, stop by Lonnie’s on Market St. Prepare to be amazed at their extensive menu of poutines and deepfried snacks. Open until 3 a.m., it’s a great spot to treat yourself after a long night of studying.

The commuter lounge in the basement of Carnegie Building

is usually pretty quiet and is a hub for off-campus students.

If you’re looking for somewhere to warm up your lunch or a locker to store your belongings on campus, the commuter lounge has got you covered.

We are extremely lucky here at Laurier Brantford to have a new Games Lounge located on the first floor of One Market.

The lounge is fully equipped with PlayStations, Nintendo Switches, Xboxes and more. Hangout with friends after class or drop-in to any of the weekly events taking place in the lounge.

Whether you’re an incoming first-year or a returning student, welcome to Laurier Brantford! Here’s to an amazing school year.

THE SPUTNIK · NEWS

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

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Shinerama season is back for another year of fundraising This O-Week tradition continues to be a integral part of every first-year’s community involvement experience SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fourth-year social work student and Shinerama executive for O-Week Bailey Arnold has been working hard all summer preparing for orientation.

Shinerama is Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. What started out as a simple, shoe-shining fundraiser during orientation week has transformed into one with over 20,000 volunteers across 36 universities.

As published on the Shinerama website, cystic fibrosis is the one of the most common fatal genetic diseases affecting Canadian children and young adults, and a child born with cystic fibrosis only has a 50 per cent chance of living to the age of 54. More than 4,000 Canadians have attended specialized clinics for cystic fibrosis, but there is no cure at present.

Cystic fibrosis mainly affects the lungs and digestive system. Damage to the lungs due to ongoing infections is often the cause of death for those with cystic fibrosis.

During move-in day on Sunday, Sept. 4, Arnold has planned for a Shine speaker, someone living with cystic fibrosis, to visit campus. She said she recommends all first-years try to attend this event.

“Listening to individuals who are going through something like

this is extremely important,” said Arnold. “It kind of sets the tone for the week.”

The next event and fundraising opportunity planned for the week is the Shine barbecue on Monday, Sept. 5, where students can pay $3 to ride a mechanical bull. It is followed by Shine dodgeball on Sept.

7, for which it costs $2 per person to sign up with a team.

Throughout the week at nighttime events, Shinerama volunteers will sell Kernels Popcorn for $3 per bag. First-years can add to the Shineboard to complete challenges with the volunteers and icebreakers for various donation amounts.

Students can look forward to entering to win one of three gift baskets being raffled off throughout the week.

The final and most anticipated event of the week will be Shine Day on Saturday, Sept. 10. Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., volunteers will be in the FreshCo (on Market St.) and the Students’ Union parking lots cheering, making posters, spreading awareness and washing cars for donations. First-years are encouraged to attend.

“It’s our one O-Week event that’s more geared toward the public,” said Arnold. “So, we encourage students and first-years to come because we think it’s a really good cause.”

Shinerama volunteers on campus already started accepting

BAILEY ARNOLD/CONTRIBUTER

STUDENTS GATHER OUTSIDE OF LAURIER BRANTFORD TO RAISE MONEY FOR SHINERAMA

donations through their online fundraising page. Since they began at the start of August, they’ve raised around $2,700. Their goal for the end of O-Week is to hit $5,000, up $1,000 from the previous year.

“I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot so far, we can reach it,” said Arnold. “Anything above that

would be amazing.”

Funds raised for Shinerama go to Cystic Fibrosis Canada whose mission is to end cystic fibrosis by pushing for improved health outcomes, supporting improved access to life-saving medications, advancing research efforts and more.

“Definitely come and actively listen to our speakers, participate in our Shinerama events, donate what you can,” said Arnold, “and if you’re really eager, sign up for Shinerama throughout the school year.”

An orientation tell all O-Week staff talk about what makes this year different for students SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KOYAL VYAS/CONTRIBUTER

WELCOME HOME LAURIER BANNERS OUTSIDE OF CARNEGIE BUILDING

As Wilfrid Laurier University welcomes the class of 2027 to the Brantford campus, the Students’ Union has a jam-packed Orientation Week planned.

Between academic programing, socials, campus connection events and being the first fully in-person

orientation week since the beginning of the pandemic, the class of 2027 has a lot to look forward to this O-Week.

Some of the events and sessions on schedule for O-Week include “How to make the most of O-Week”, “How not to fail univer-

sity”, Get Involved and Info fairs.

There’s also the Room Burn and the Mayor’s Lunch, where Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis will make an appearance.

Sarah Verburg, Laurier Brantford’s orientation program facilitator, said she is most looking forward to the headphone disco, carnival and Taste of Downtown.

“I feel like I can pick something from almost every single day that I’m looking forward to,” Verburg said. She also said she’s excited to provide dinners to first-years throughout the week with the help of local food vendors.

In planning for O-Week 2022, some minor changes were made from previous years. Move-in day will now happen on the Sunday before O-Week, followed by the Laurier Off-Campus University Students’ Kickoff.

The classic colour teams have

been swapped out for residence building and LOCUS teams which “allows for incoming students to be able to connect with those within their community, not just their floor,” said Verburg.

There are several events throughout the week run in partnership with Shinerama, Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser in support of cystic fibrosis.

Students can grab a bite to eat, play dodgeball and on Shine Day (Saturday, Sept. 10), participate in a car wash fundraiser.

As Laurier Brantford is a smaller campus with many more commuter students compared to the Waterloo campus, accommodating for this, especially during O-Week, is important.

“We may not have all the exact same events, but we still like to have it the same in terms of engagement and entertainment,” said Verburg.

Although O-Week programming is tailored to suit each campus,

the Welcome Back Concert with DJ Loud Luxury taking place on the Waterloo campus is a ticketed event and open to Brantford students. Transportation between campuses will not be provided.

Planning for O-Week is a lengthy process with many moving parts, but it all starts with the volunteers. Throughout the pandemic, volunteer numbers and engagement dropped significantly. This O-Week, volunteer and staff engagement is back around pre-pandemic levels.

Verburg said she recognizes that the first few days on campus can be overwhelming for some students.

“Overall, the entire week is just an amazing experience,” Verburg said. “You have all the icebreakers there and upper-year students to support you through that as well, you definitely aren’t alone.”

Follow @campuslife_brantford on Instagram for more updates from the Students’ Union.

THE SPUTNIK · NEWS

04

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

Laurier Students for Literacy offers tutoring programs for local kids University students offer after school help in local community library to young learners new to the Brantford area

SPUTNIK PHOTOGRAPHER/ FILE PHOTO

EXTERIOR OF THE BRANTFORD LIBRARY SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Laurier Students for Literacy and the Brantford Public Library continue their years-long partnership to offer after-school programs for local kids.

LSFL volunteers prepare to host homework and reading clubs for elementary school-aged students once again this fall. Volunteers decide for themselves if their sessions will be held in-person at the Brantford Public Library or virtually.

LSFL tries their best to make their programs accessible to students of all backgrounds.

“We’ve had a lot of kids who speak English as their second

language,” said Megan Buccioni, the LSFL President and fifth-year youth and children’s studies student.

“Their parents either don’t speak any English or they’re also learning,” said Buccioni. “They just moved here during the pandemic, so they didn’t have that opportunity to go out and practice with other English speakers.”

Being one of the few free tutoring programs in the area, LSFL volunteers often work with children from lower-income families.

“I have a lot of people reach out to me saying their children have some kind of learning disability, but they don’t have the money to [hire] a professional tutor,” said

Buccioni. “Anything we have to offer, they’ll take advantage of, so that’s a really great impact that we get to have in the community.”

The Brantford Public Library has run their free summer reading program, Read On, for more than 30 years. The manager of programming and partnerships at the library, Zile Ozols, said she isn’t aware of many more free programs.

“Because of Laurier Students for Literacy, we’re able to offer them out of the library [almost] yearround,” said Ozols.

Literacy is the “cornerstone of lifelong learning,” said Ozols. Without it, it’s hard to succeed in school and later in life, work.

“It’s important to offer these

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the cord

a child for a one-on-one reading session and runs Mondays through Thursdays. Reading Club is for students in Grades 6 to 8 and is held twice on Fridays to allow as many kids as possible to participate.

Both Book Buddies and Reading Club already have waitlists for the fall term. LSFL expects around 70 kids to enroll in their programs.

“With the pandemic, so many kids are falling behind and their parents are desperate to help them catch up,” said Buccioni.

Due to the rise in enrollment, LSFL is recruiting new volunteers.

Interested students can email lsflclub@gmail.com.

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kinds of programs for kids to build their literacy early and then be able to continue building throughout their lives,” said Ozols.

This is especially important in Brantford, where the Graduate Brantford Strategy reports that around 17 per cent of adults aged 25 to 64 do not have a high school certificate. That’s between three to five per cent higher than the rest of Ontario and Canada.

LSFL will host three different tutoring and reading programs throughout the year.

Homework Help is a drop-in program running three times a week - once in French - for children in Grades 3 to 8. Book Buddies pairs an LSFL volunteer with

the keystone

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WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED...

You’ll get to share your passion and talents by commemorating student life in 2021/2022 while gaining transferable skills and some pals along the way

application: submit cover letter, portfolio and/or resume to president@wlusp.com

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

BACK-TO-CAMPUS PLAYLIST

THE SPUTNIK · GAMES

05

Sudoku

THE PERFECT MIX FOR THE START OF CLASSES

BAD HABIT // STEVE LACY HELL N BACK // BAKAR MOVIN’ OUT (ANTHONY’S SONG) // BILLY JOEL AS IT WAS // HARRY STYLES DREAMIN OF THE PAST // PUSHA T, KANYE WEST INTIMIDATED (FEAT. H.E.R) // KAYTRANADA, H.E.R EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD // TEARS FOR FEARS SILK CHIFFON // MUNA, PHOEBE BRIDGERS FAMILY TIES (WITH KENDRICK LAMAR) // BABY KEEP, KENDRICK LAMAR SOFTCORE // THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Colouring Page

GOODIE BAG // STILL WOOZY TEK IT // CAFUNÉ BROKEN CLOCKS // SZA IT WAS A GOOD DAY // ICE CUBE LESS THAN ZERO // THE WEEKND PINK + WHITE // FRANK OCEAN BULLET PROOF SOUL // SADE I WANNA BE YOURS // ARCTIC MONKEYS HOLD ON, WE’RE GOING HOME // DRAKE, MAJID JORDAN GIRL ON FIRE // ALICIA KEYS RED BONE // CHILDISH GAMBINO SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE // MUSE

Don’t be caught unprepared.

sign up for the wlusp newsletter for updates & info.

THE SPUTNIK · FEATURES

06

SEPTEMBER 2022 · 07

CAMPUS

Laurier Brantford’s best study spaces Pull up a chair and get comfy, it’s time to hit the books

Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) The multi-purpose room located on Darling St., in the Students’ Union Building basement is exactly as the name suggest, a room with multiple purposes. This room can aslo be booked for events by clubs and associations on campus, so be sure to have a backup study space, just in case.

JEREMY VYN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR SERENA AUSTIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Market Place

Students’ Union Building

Market Place is Laurier Brantford’s most recently renovated building. Since undergoing renovations, a new spacious study area has been opened up, equipped with enough seating to accommodate your whole study group. The basement floor has gone through a significant makeover and has seen the addition of the Level One Lounge, another great study and hangout space.

If you were planning on studying in MPR, but found the room to be occupied, you won’t have to go far to find somewhere else to study.

The upper floor of the Students’ Union building has space for you to hunker down. If you find youself in need of a distraction, you’ll find plenty of windows here, great for people watching.

Research & Academic Centre - West (RCW) Being one of the biggest buildings on campus and home to our two biggest lecture halls, you’ll often find students studying here. If you don’t mind distractions and appreciate the hustle and bustle of campus, RCW is the perfect spot for some quick in-between-lecture studying.

THE SPUTNIK · ARTS & CULTURE

08

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

REVIEW

The Seasons of Our Lives: Television

Refecting on two different television shows and how they influenced a summer of content consumtion

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

BETTER CALL SAUL SCREENCAP

MARISA CERASOLI LEAD ARTS & CULTURE WRITER

Like all good things, this precious season must come to an end.

But before we move forward into the depths of academia, I think a look at some of the art that’s graced our small screens these past few months is an apt way to remember this time by. Consider this article a solemn farewell to the life-changing seasons of television that have marked the summer of 2022 in my mind forever.

BETTER CALL SAUL (2015 to 2022); created by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould.

I’m going to restrain myself from monopolizing this entire article with a Better Call Saul tangent. To put it simply, I would say this was probably the greatest series on network television during its run and is definitely in the running as one of the most exquisite TV dramas ever made.

Much to my sorrow, thwe series wrapped up this past month with a beautifully shot black-and-white finale that suited the emotional journey of our central characters, the same journey the audience has been along for the ride for the past six years.

After the ending for Breaking Bad in 2013, if you had tried to tell fans of the show that Saul Goodman – the goofy, corrupt lawyer full of colourful metaphor - would go on to be written as one of the most complex TV protagonists ever and become the true main character of the Gilligan cinematic universe, they would have told you to pitch that absurdity to the Ripley’s Museum. If you told them the Saul Goodman they’d become familiar with would also be written

as one-half of an all-time grand romance in a love story rivaling those of the Old Hollywood classics, they would have figured you for a legitimately insane person.

It’s a testament to the writing and production prowess of Gilligan and Gould that they could create a spin-off of a series that is widely considered to be the best of all time and have many critics and fans alike consider it to be even more expertly crafted than the original series. It’s the type of defiance of the whole lightning-won’tstrike-the-same-spot-twice notion that has only ever really been seen before in the likes of Cheers and its arguably more proficient spin-off, Frasier.

Perhaps part of that success is how different in tone and purpose the two series are, despite utilizing nearly the exact same crew and writing-production teams. Beyond that, watching Better Call Saul is in a lot of ways, more devastating than the emotionally-scarring Breaking Bad, where Walter White becomes nearly impossible to root for by the series’ end, (though many well-adjusted, morally upright individuals would probably have deemed him irredeemable by season three). Saul Goodman is loveable, fundamentally admirable and redeemable through his profound love for his lady, Kim Wexler.

To add insult to injury, since the series serves as a prequel story to Breaking Bad, we already know our protagonist isn’t going to die in the end. We’re watching the show knowing that his fate is that of a morally bankrupt, comic relief lawyer. Nothing more than a one-di-

mensional caricature, the worst version of himself and that is a fate I would say is worse than death.

I’ll leave it at this - Better Call Saul executes every component of television with more expertise than almost any other show does the one thing they’re best at. Heart-wrenching dramatic performances, in-depth character exploration, cinematography that rivals some of the most visually memorable films I’ve ever seen, you name it – it’s all combined into one near-perfect piece of work.

Do yourself a favour and watch Breaking Bad if you haven’t, but what you really need to do is watch Better Call Saul, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

SEVERENCE (2021 to present); directed by Ben Stiller, Aoife McArdle.

When I think of wholly original and intriguing premises for stories, the likes of The Truman Show, The Purge, that one episode of Black Mirror where the British Prime Minister is blackmailed into having intercourse with a literal pig, The Sixth Sense and Groundhog Day are a few that come to mind. In an era of remakes, reboots and boring plot premises succeeding due to skillfully executed character studies, I truly believe there is a lost art in coming up with unique, what-ifthis-was-a-real-thing plots.

When I think about most of my favourite shows, the general premises aren’t particularly unique or fascinating in and of themselves, they’re just delivered exceptionally well. Severance is a beautiful example where both are true. I present to you director Ben Stiller’s

greatest artistic achievement post-Zoolander.

Here’s the gist - a company, Lumon, offers its employees an operation that completely and permanently separates their work and personal memories.

Severance is helmed by a capable team resulting in a series that exceeded the high expectations I had from the moment I first saw its opening theme sequence (which is undoubtedly the most chilling and visually stunning theme sequence I have ever gazed upon; it would be sacrilege to skip it).

Apart from the countless moral questions raised by the notion of such an operation, the more interesting points lie in the motivations behind why anyone would undergo the severance procedure to begin with and why, for the love of Pete, do some of our central characters keep going back to work every day.

Like good art tends to do, Severance asks more questions than it answers. The series manages to comment on the soullessness of capitalism, make some not-sosubtle allusions to how we slave ourselves away to our jobs, despite some part of ourselves begging us not to and above everything else, it really makes you question what it means to be human. In turn, it reminds us that part of the crappy deal of being human is having to deal with travesty, grief and immense pain – there’s no way to run from it.

It works so well because despite the tug-of-war between the work and real versions of each employee, you feel so profoundly bad for

both of them. The pain on either side of the Lumon door doesn’t disappear.

At its core, Severance is about humanity and our constant quest for meaning, for connection and ultimately, for happiness. I suppose that old Jurassic Park adage – “life finds a way” – is a recurring theme throughout the show. Similar to Steven Spielberg’s dinos, Lumon can’t really suppress humanity no matter how hard they try. So, for anyone out there who’s planning to adopt Lumon’s business model (I’m looking at you Jeff Bezos), I would consider the fact that that would be a terrible idea. It makes for great television though.

I guess all of this is to say that if anyone loves long-form storytelling as much as I do or even if you don’t, these are two of my own recommendations I feel will go down in history and that have captured my imagination this past summer.

I feel extremely lucky I can turn to long-form storytelling whenever I feel like it. I believe television to truly be one of the most enriching art forms, especially now with all the possibilities of streaming and the creative renaissance that the small screen has been undergoing.

My advice to you is to sit down and really enjoy these complex, yearsin-the-making stories whenever you get the chance to. Seasons of any given television series come and go with the seasons of the year and some of my favourite summer nights have been spent kicking back and losing myself in a Monday-night premier of a Better Call Saul episode.

Want to get invovled?

Find out how here

THE SPUTNIK · OPINION

10

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

SOCIAL MEDIA

ANDREW TATE IN HIS FINAL MESSAGE TO SUPPORTERS SHARED TO ON VIMEO AUG. 23

The Irony of the Alpha Bro Influencer banned from social media platforms after weeks of online outrage VINCE MASSON OPINIONS LEAD REPORTER

On Aug. 25, 2022, internet personality Andrew Tate went onto Tucker Carlson’s show to discuss his ban from almost all social media platforms.

“They banned me simply because I had a large swath of the population agreeing to traditional masculine values,” Tate said. “I have fast cars, a big house, a lot of money and a beautiful girlfriend.”

Tate suggested these reasons made him a prime victim for cancellation by “Liberal degenerates”. The truth is much simpler – what he spews is hate masquerading as wisdom.

Let’s be clear about something – Tate’s popularity doesn’t come from the wisdom of his words, it comes from the controversy those words produce. He’s not saying anything particularly wise or

interesting.

People aren’t debating the validity of his statements, they’re simply reeling in shock from them. Shock is entertainment and people love entertainment. It’s a classic Alpha Bro strategy – spew nonsense, then cry wolf when people get tired of hearing it.

“I think that men’s issues are largely overlooked...,” Tate said.

I waited for him to go into a spiel about how suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 45 in his native Britain, but no such explanation came. I was waiting for the part when he said he’s so concerned about the state of men’s mental health, in fact, that he’s offering free kickboxing lessons to anyone who wants them rather than a pathetic online

course that will get you nowhere.

But he didn’t because he doesn’t actually care about men or their mental health. He cares about followers. He cares about himself.

He’s right that there is an issue among men, though it’s their obsession with turning greedy morons like him into prophets of wisdom.

Tate was a kickboxer for many years. That’s an activity that involves gambling big. You spend months preparing for a fight that could end via knockout in five seconds flat. Lose enough matches in a row and it’s all over for you. It’s an all-or-nothing game. You either win or you lose. That’s the kind of psychology Tate deals in. No in-between exists for these bros. There is no grey area. You are rich or you are poor. You are successful or you are a loser. You have a big house or

you have a small one.

Anyone capable of critical thought, however, understands the real truth that a middle ground does exist. That success is subjective.

That all human beings have an intrinsic value that supersedes a bank balance or a paycheck. That it’s OK to make mistakes because life is hard and no one has a crystal ball to see the future.

What kind of nuggets of wisdom will we be spared, now that Tate has been banned from Twitter?

Maybe something like his 2017 tweet about depression.

“Depression isn’t real. You feel sad, you move on. You will always be depressed if your life is depressing.

Change it. Thread,” wrote Tate.

The irony? I can’t think of a life

more depressing than living for pleasure and roping cash-strapped young men into a “Hustler’s University” that teaches them how to be greedy and manipulative. The other irony? That depression hits the hardest when you’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted and are left with the sad reality that you’re still empty on the inside. I suppose Tate will have to wait for that day.

THE SPUTNIK · OPINION

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

11

WEALTH

Myth: The self-made billionare Rihanna named Forbes’ youngest self-made billionaire VINCE MASSON LEAD OPINIONS REPORTER

To say making music is a team effort would be the understatement of the year. Rihanna would not have a single track if it weren’t for audio mixers, engineers and record labels. The truth is so many people have helped make Rihanna who she is, I would need 10 pages just to list them all. There’s a reason why award shows go on for so long – the winners take a lot of time to acknowledge the help they got.

Yet, Forbes’ 2022 list released this July claims that aside from Oprah, Rihanna is the youngest self-made billionaire in the world. Why do we continue to think of success in such a narrow, selfish and narcissistic way? We should recognize this bluster for what it is - a convenient, yet completely misleading explanation for why some people are successful and others are not.

Did Rihanna grow her own food?

Did she sew her own clothing? Did she look after herself while her parents were at work? Oh, right.

That’s not what Forbes meant by “self-made”. They mean the kind of “self-made” where I exploit a team of underlings by paying them poverty-level wages so that I, and I alone, benefit. They mean the kind of “self-made” where I monopolize a product by ruthlessly denigrating and exploiting the competition.

How people can consider help from other people to be “selfmade” is beyond my comprehension.

It’s like what George Carlin said about self- help books, “That’s not self-help, that’s help.”

Why do we continue to focus on money as a measure of personal success when study after study suggests that above a certain level, it makes no difference to your happiness? It’s an ego war designed to make you feel insecure and inadequate, to make you feel guilty for any time spent not making money. It makes you feel like a failure for being okay with a stable, middle-class life.

We expect our children to grow up and stop believing in Santa Claus, while expecting them to believe in something equally strange - the myth of the exception to the rule.

The myth that they’ll beat the odds one day and make billions, even though they have a better chance of being struck by lightning while being attacked by a shark. Our culture perpetuates the idea that if we personally work hard enough, we too can be as rich as those on the Forbes list.

Our businesses will take off and we’ll be rich (self-made, no less).

We’ll be great artists who’ll leave

JEREMY VYN /PHOTO EDITOR

Canadian $20, $50 and $100 bills fanned out on a spread of coins

our peers in the dust as we soar to new heights of fame and fortune.

We will, in other words, be special.

Of course, for most of us, it’s not possible. But hey, who bothers with those nasty details anymore?

And why do we pursue this kind of “success”? To make the world a better place for our children? No, so we can enrich ourselves and flee from the very people that helped us get there.

Why do we deny that we live in a society that works in tandem together for everyone’s benefit and instead believe we’re all Robinson Crusoe’s on our little personal island of wealth? It makes no sense

and it’s borderline destructive.

I’m sure you don’t need a reminder of how well the whole everyone-for-themselves model of thinking is going, but I’ll give you one anyway. The planet is currently on track to surpass the 1.5 degrees limit that the World Meteorological Association said was the key to keeping the planet livable. Because we are so obsessed with ourselves and everyone is out to prove that they are “self- made”, we’re ignoring this problem and watching it get worse. We can no longer exercise the muscles of generosity and empathy because we’ve let them go limp and unused for so long.

I’d like to propose something radical – maybe there are worse things in life than not being a “selfmade” billionaire. As a matter of fact, there’s more integrity in being a responsible, honest member of your community. I have been involved in community theatre for the last 10 years. We spend months rehearsing a show only to put on two performances that, due to the nature of theatre, will never be seen again.

All that work for a very fleeting moment of glory that reaps no financial profits. And yet, there’s something very beautiful and pow-

erful about the idea that there are people in your community who are not just looking for another harebrained money-making scheme, but real people who enjoy doing things because it’s fun.

Being self-made is fake and overrated, I say.

THE SPUTNIK · SPORTS

12

THURSDAY SEPT. 1, 2022

VARSITY

What’s next for Laurier Brantford cross-country?

A look to the future for the team after a succesful season JACKSON RICE SPORTS LEAD REPORTER

MICHEAL P. HALL/CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

PHOTO FROM THE 2021/22 LB CROSS COUNTRY TEAM PHOTOSHOOT

After a strong performance last year, Laurier Brantford’s cross-country team aims for another competitive year for their 2022 fall season.

Coming off an impressive season where the girls team captured bronze at provincials qualifying them for nationals, as well team members qualifying as individuals on the men’s side. It was their first time back competing after almost two years of no competition due to COVID-19 shutting down all school competitions.

“It was a challenge for sure keeping everyone motivated during the pandemic because we didn’t know when races would start up again but setting short realistic goals to keep them active and fit was key for everyone.” said Cory Currie, head coach for Laurier Brantford cross-country team.

A new season is always exciting for any sport. It’s a fresh start for

everyone and it shows if athletes have been putting in the work over the offseason.

“I’m excited for OCAA, it’s going to be in Thunder Bay and super hilly. My favorite kind of races because speed isn’t the only thing that matters, endurance does too,” said Chiara Carinci, team captain for Laurier Brantford women’s cross-country team. “Hills will separate the ones that are putting in the work from those who aren’t.”

I’m excited for OCAA, it’s going to be in Thunder Bay and super hilly. My favourite kind of races because speed itsn’t the only thing that matters..

-Chiara Carinci, team captain

A lot of eyes will be put on this team this year.

With new faces comes new challenges, not just on the individual but on the team as well. During the off-season, the team brought in a couple of new runners that they hope will help them improve for the upcoming 2022/23 season.

“This season we lost some of our women to graduation. We have 4 strong women and 2 new coming

in. They will have to work hard as a team and battle it out on the course, but I feel like we can make another appearance to the national stage again,” said Currie. “On our guys side, we have two new freshman coming in that will make an immediate impact for our men’s side to help them make a national berth since 2018,” he added.

The women’s team is ready to get

back in action and seek to achieve higher accomplishments this season, while the men hope to qualify as a team this year.

“Definitely getting to nationals would be a dream scenario in my rookie year.” said Kirby Blackman, a first-year runner in this upcoming season. “I feel I can bring a never-give-up attitude to the team.”

If the men’s team reach nationals this year, it will be the second time in school history.

A never-give-up attitude is an important part of a sport like cross-country. There are many challenges runners go through during and after the season. The most important is being fit and healthy.

“Last season we barely had any races, and everyone came off a year-long break,” said Carinci Having a good mindset after

missing nearly two years of physical activity is difficult but after last year’s performance, the team proved their ability.

Definitely getting to nationals would be a dream scenario in my rookie year

-Kirby Blackman, rookie

The Golden Hawks kick off their season on Sept. 23, 2022, at Seneca College.