PUCKERING UP SINCE 1926
the
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE SAIT STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 88 ISSUE 18
EVERY MONDAY THEWEAL.COM
Anatomy of
a student
bride’s costs
February 10, 2014
Makeup and hair = one month’s rent at SAIT’s Begin Tower
Outfit = half a semester’s tuition at SAIT
- more on page 6
Sandals = one month’s groceries at Bridal jewelry = a semester’s worth of textbooks at SAIT
Costco
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February 10, 2014 | theWeal.com NEWS EDITOR Crystal Schick
A Reading break from the cold
NEWS WRITER Position available
A&E EDITOR Inonge Chimwaso
A&E WRITER Husson Zaman
LIFESTYLE EDITOR Yashica Anandani
LIFESTYLE WRITER Krista Conrad
OPINIONS EDITOR Monica Henderson
SPORTS EDITOR Steve Sucha
SPORTS WRITER Andrew Halipchuk
Reading week offers escape to students sick of winter BY CRYSTAL SCHICK NEWS EDITOR
With Reading week right around the corner, some SAIT students are planning to duck out of Canada and head south for more tepid temperatures. Destinations—SAIT’s studentoperated travel centre—has been busy taking bookings and replying to inquiries for the upcoming Feb. 17-21 reading break for the past few weeks now. “People like to go places [that are] warmer,” said Stephanie Mercredi, travel and tourism instructor, about why students don’t tend to stay in Canada if they are spending the money
and time to travel. Mercredi and her staff of second-year travel and tourism students at Destinations said that of their bookings for this year’s break, Las Vegas and the west coast of Mexico are the most popular spring break destinations for students for several reasons. The first reason is because these are both “party places,” and that tends to be what students are looking to do during their relaxing days off from classes. The second reason, Mercredi said, is because these destinations are “generally less expensive” because of the shorter flight times required to
reach these hot spots. Shorter flight times are often a deciding factor for students trying to get away during Reading week because the less time students have to spend travelling to and from their destinations, the more time they have to enjoy their break. A direct flight from Calgary to Las Vegas is under three hours in length, and a flight to the west coast of Mexico is around four to five hours long. Destinations advertises great, all-inclusive reading break deals outside its office, but students have to act fast since these limited time deals sometimes only last hours. Apart from being quite busy
dealing with many large student groups and family vacation bookings, Destinations has organized spring break trips for six individuals to Mexico and for four to Las Vegas. “That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for us it is,” said Mercredi, who explained that their typical booking pace is more like one every two weeks. Travel inquiries can be made at the Destinations travel office at room NN121 on the main floor of the Senator Burns building, by calling 403.284.8455, or by emailing destinations@sait.ca.
PHOTO EDITOR Brent Calver
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Evan Buhler
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Mikaela MacKenzie
ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR
Phantom pooper returns? Crappy news at The Weal
Susan Kim
LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR
BY CRYSTAL SCHICK NEWS EDITOR
Patricia Rye
LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR Alannah Pohran
WEB MASTER Jennifer Poon
FACT CHECKER Evan Whitmore
SOCIAL MEDIA GURU Jordyn Thomson
COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Brent Calver, Patricia Rye, Alannah Pohran
CONTRIBUTORS
Amanda Siebert, Carys Richards, Yasmin Mayne, Thomas Strangward, Kenneth Taylor, Alanna Philips, Joseph MacAlpine Direct letters, questions and concerns to:
PUBLICATIONS EDITOR
“I’ve got a news scoop for you, or a news “poop,” if you will,” said Jenn Pierce in an instant message the evening of Mon. Feb. 3. Pierce, a second-year journalism student and The Weal’s paper deliverer, had just finished her paper route around the SAIT campus and had returned to the Campus Centre office. She was then confronted by a ‘crappy’ situation on the floor outside The Weal’s door in the form of feces. According to Pierce, the dirty deed was done sometime between 5 p.m., when she left the office to do her paper
delivery route, and 6:45 p.m., when she returned. She informed a custodian of the mess as she left the school, and Security was made aware of the incident at 9:28 p.m. that same evening and video footage of the area was reviewed. “As far as leads go, we have our suspicions,” said Clarke Gay, site security manager for Paladin Security at SAIT. Gay said Security is “actively monitoring the area where the incident occurred” in an attempt to expose the individual or individuals, and will take appropriate actions upon identification of a suspect.” He also added that the reasons behind incidents
such as these “could be a combination of circumstances.” Todd Gregory, the Alberta operations manager at SAIT’s custodian team Best Service Pros, said that after lasts year’s “Phantom Pooper” story reported by The Weal, the incidents of human droppings being found around campus had dropped off. Although the frequency at which excrement is being found around campus has decreased since The Weal’s last report in March 2013, they do still occur on an occasional basis. “We don’t really keep track. We don’t really want to think about it, so we just go [clean it up] and get it over with,” he said.
Student assaulted by unknown attacker On Jan. 28, a SAIT student exited a C-Train at the SAIT/ ACAD station and brushed shoulders with an unknown male who was boarding the train. The man then tackled the student to the ground from behind near the north exterior entrance to Campus Centre, stating that the student “had to fight him.” The student was not willing to fight and ascertained that the unknown male was a SAIT student, and the attacker was ignored until he eventually fled. The victim reported the assault to Security, though he did not file a report with Calgary Police Service. Security confirmed that the victim was not hurt.
Giselle Wedemire ph. 284-8458 / fax 210-4216
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Heather Setka, Publications Manager ph. 284-8077 / fax 210-4216 Advertising deadlines Bookings Monday @ noon Published every Monday during the academic year by SAITSA (SAIT Students’ Association). The Weal V219, 1301-16 Ave. N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2M 0L4 Fax: 403-210-4216 The Weal serves the SAIT community by promoting student activities, presenting news of interest to its members, and by fostering a learning environment in which members may participate; the newspaper is supported by student fees. The Weal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Canadian University Press. Contents do not reflect the views of SAIT or SAITSA. Printed direct-to-plate Adobe Acrobat International Web exPress.
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theWeal.com | February 10, 2014
3
Kisses can win Kindles BY ALANNA PHILLIPS WEAL WRITER
Get those lips limbered up, SAIT students, because the second annual Kiss a Kindle event is right around the corner. The event will be held at noon in the middle of the bookstore on Friday, Feb. 14, and pairs of students will have the opportunity to compete in the big event by holding a Kindle box between the two of them, using only their lips. “After a while, perspiration sets in and the lip lock gives way to slipping and sliding,” Alan Beesley, an instructor for the radio, television and broadcast news program. According to Beesley, who will be reprising his role as the event’s emcee for the second consecutive year, the best part about the competition last year was watching those who thought the contest would be easy.
PATRICIA RYE ILLUSTRATION
The students who were able to sweat it out the longest last year —respiratory therapy students Jesse Graff and Rachel Esau—managed to keep the Kindle box aloft for 40 long minutes, and walked away the proud owners of their own brand new Kindles.
The pair beat out seven other couples for their prizes. This was due to a pair of tricks up their sleeves that helped them secure the win. These tricks, Graff said, included picking a friend just as stubborn as he was, adding that, “not wearing Chapstick
or lip gloss like half the other couples was a bonus.” Graff, who is currently on his practicum, is hoping to compete in this year’s event because, he said, “someone’s got to make it interesting.” This year’s prize is a pair of Kindle Fire tablets, each valued
at $149, which will be supplied by the bookstore itself. The Kindles are equipped with Wi-Fi, cloud storage, and access to Amazon’s library of over 140,000 books, all of which are available to borrow for free and with no due dates. The Kiss a Kindle contest is open to all SAIT students, who have until Valentine’s Day at 11:45 a.m. to sign up. However, there is only room for 10 couples to compete. While the main focus will be on the event’s participants, that doesn’t mean the spectators are left out of the fun. With music, big bookstore sales, and three SAITSwipe cards hidden throughout the store, there will be plenty of opportunities for fun and prizes beyond the main event. To sign up, or to find out more, drop in to the bookstore or send them an email at bookstore@sait.ca.
New SLC members appointed after three members step down BY AMANDA SIEBERT WEAL WRITER
On Jan. 27, SAIT Students’ Association’s (SAITSA) student legislative and executive councils appointed three new legislative council members. The new members were appointed at the Student Legislative Council (SLC) meeting after an open application was held for two weeks. Out of nine candidates, Kaitlyn Harris, Israel Maya, and Suzanna Ngo Likaa were chosen after a vote was held. Kaitlyn Harris, a firstyear student in the travel and tourism program, applied for the position because she wanted to make a difference in student life at SAIT, especially for students with disabilities. Harris suffers from a mobility issue and constant chronic pain as a result of a tumor in her ankle and multiple surgeries. “My primary goal is to improve accessibility at SAIT, and raise awareness for people with disabilities that feel invisible,” said Harris, who wanted to apply for a position earlier in the year but wasn’t able to due to her disability. Israel Maya is an international student from Mexico and a firstyear business administration student who already works for
SAITSA in two capacities: as a student service representative at SAITSA’s health and dental services, and as an assistant administrator at the new Student Support Centre. “For me, it’s about helping and getting involved. I’d like to help students know and utilize all of SAITSA’s resources,” Maya said. First-year network systems student Suzanne Ngo Likaa ran for SLC because she has a passion for helping others and a “burning desire to make positive changes” in people’s lives. “As a Canadian immigrant, I understand some of the challenges students can be confronted with. My vision is that in joining the SLC, we could together make a positive impact on SAIT students,” said Likaa, who lived in the Northwest Territories prior to moving to Calgary to attend SAIT. Harris, Maya, and Likaa were appointed in place of three students who decided to step down due to an increased academic workload this semester. The three new members will be on council until the end of this academic term, unless they decide to run for summer SLC, in which case their positions will extend to Fall 2014.
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February 10, 2014 | theWeal.com
Goings on The Executive Corner The hunt is over
BY KENNETH TAYLOR VP EXTERNAL
SAITSA’s elections are here and so is your chance to get involved. If you are interested in developing personally and professionally while working towards altruistic ends, look no further than a commitment to the SAIT Students’ Association. Students come to SAIT
because they want to grow. For some that means learning the skills employers want, for others that means building an expansive network of contacts and for others still, growing means building up a portfolio of extracurricular involvement. I say, why not find the perfect synthesis of all types of growth? This is why I pursued student government, and so should you. In 2011 I graduated from the University of Calgary with an undergraduate degree in History. After graduation I did my best to find work in my field. I ran educational camps for K-12 students with a curricula focused on Calgary’s beginnings. I worked in the collections of Fort Calgary, and applied for all manner of entry-level office positions. Nothing panned out. Like many other Arts Grads – notably those who hate math – I doggedly pursued Law School.
In 2011 I was wait-listed by 3 law schools, but was ultimately accepted by none. At about the same time as the rejection letters poured forth, I got my first “big boy” job offer; Papa John’s Pizza offered to make me a corporate trainer for its Western Canadvian holdings. But slinging pizza wasn’t ever my dream, so I looked elsewhere for opportunity, and SAIT was it. SAIT allowed me the chance to get as close to law as I could. As an added benefit, SAIT’s Legal Assistant program came with the assurance that all SAIT programs come with: employability. However, I could also benefit from one-on-one interactions with the instructors, many of whom are lawyers. Furthermore, to capitalize on my newfound opportunities, I chose to dive into on-campus extracurriculars. At first I started small, volunteering with Safe-
walk, but soon I was running in my first SLC election and, to my surprise, I got in. Next thing I knew I was a fully-fledged member of a board whose sole purpose was to benefit students; I became enamored with student government. With a few words of encouragement, I was ready to go after an Executive position during the following election. In May 2013, I took over as the VP External. This year, I was accepted to law school, I became the VP of an organization that represents 12,000 students, and I chair a Provincial lobby group that represents 180,000 students. Quite a change from slinging dough for Papa John’s while worrying about my future. Ultimately, I declined my law school acceptance to take up this gig for a year (I’ve already reapplied), and I couldn’t have made a better choice.
The job is amazing! I get to work with MLAs, MPs, Councilors, administrators, and students from across Canada with one singular goal: improve the lives of students in whatever way I can. Yeah, there are long hours and it takes commitment, but a job with SAITSA is life-changing. See for yourself, run today. Kenneth Taylor VP External
The Executive Corner is a weekly column series written and submitted by members of the SAITSA Students’ Executive Council. This content is unedited by The Weal’s staff.
The doctor is in Sleep helps memory and attractiveness BY DR. JOSEPH MACALPINE, DC SAIT CAMPUS CHIROPRACTIC
Who doesn’t enjoy a good night’s rest, excellent performance on exams at school, and looking good? For over a century, we have known that sleep and memory are directly related, although exactly how and what the mechanisms are have not been clearly agreed upon. The research into sleep, memory consolidation and protein synthesis for memory has provided only changing underlying concepts. Yet, this is not to say that there is no agreement that sleep or the lack thereof takes a toll on your
performance with respect to tasks involving memory. Sleep deprivation has been of extreme importance to militaries all over the world and many have performed borderline ethical experiments on ‘volunteer’ soldiers. These experiments have confirmed that not only memory but task performance is greatly diminished as we become more sleep deprived. One of my favourite professors used to say that when it’s time for finals, we all do the opposite of what our brains need to excel: we sleep less, eat worse, and exercise less, all in the name of spending more time studying. Research demonstrates that sleep plays an important
role in learning and then in making permanent all that new information, so you can recall what you have learnt. Inadequate sleep affects not just memory but your mood, as well. Further, sleep deprivation clouds our judgment and perception of an event as it occurs. Although we do not fully understand the exact mechanisms of sleep, we are clear that both the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on how we learn, how we recall what we have learned, and how we look to others. Several studies have compared before and after pictures of sleep deprived participants and asked them to rank their pictures by
attractiveness. In virtually every study, the tired picture of the exact same person was ranked as significantly less attractive than the rested picture of the same person. We live in a world where people do, unfortunately, judge us by how we look and ascribe performance characteristics such as lazy or energetic. It pays both socially and performance-wise to get enough sleep and also to increase the quality of your sleep. Here are a few simple tips. No caffeine after 3 p.m., and eat your last heavy meal of the day at least three hours before your planned bedtime. The bedroom is only for sleeping and intimate activities—gaming
is not an intimate activity. If you can help it, avoid artificial light from screens such as phones and televisions at least an hour before bed, and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. I know for a student this is difficult, but it does work. Good luck on sleeping regularly and deeply, excelling academically, and looking your best. The SAIT Campus Clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Nurses can be consulted on a walk-in basis, and the family doctors and chiropractor require an appointment. Dr. Mac Alpine provides Chiropractic Services from Monday to Thursday and Friday mornings.
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YOU DON’T PAY UP FRONT FOR COVERED SERVICES. WE DIRECT BILL MOST INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR YOU. SAIT students enrolled in the SAITSA health and dental plan are covered:
Exams, first cleanings & fillings: 100%Root canals: 70% Additional cleanings: 70%
MON-FRI: 8AM-9 P.M., SAT: 8AM-6P.M.3630 BRENTWOOD ROAD NW 403-210-5050 Conveniently located in the Brentwood Village Mall close to Brentwood and University train stations
theWeal.com | February 10, 2014
Lifestyle
5
YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Fitness app brings weight loss goals to life
Fitness app + pic
The MyFitnessPal app helps users track their diet and fitness goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle, potentially making it a great addition to a busy student’s workout regimen. MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
BY KRISTA CONRAD LIFESTYLE WRITER
In today’s app-abundant technological world, a new fitness and health trend is on the rise. With one click of a button, anyone with a smartphone or tablet can use the free MyFitnessPal app, which includes a calorie counter as well as food and exercise diaries. According to MyFitnessPal. com, the application delivers tools to help track eating and exercising habits and manage weight loss, providing users with accountability to their dietary and fitness goals and the motivation needed to achieve them.
In addition, the site offers over 40 supplementary free apps, providing unique and customized workouts and challenges related to specific activities like biking, swimming, or running, and tools such as scales and pedometers. Shannon Hawthorne, firstyear legal assistant student at SAIT, uses MyFitnessPal regularly to manage her diet and fitness goals. To learn more about the app and how beneficial it is, The Weal asked Hawthorne a few questions. The Weal: How long have you been using MyFitnessPal? Shannon Hawthorne: I’ve only been using it for a few weeks now, because it started out like a New Year’s
resolution, but I’m really liking it. TW: How did you find out about the app? Hawthorne: I found out about it through Instagram, actually, through a link on someone’s profile. I thought it looked interesting enough to try, especially [since it was] for free. The Weal: What is your primary use for MyFitnessPal? Hawthorne: I basically use it to count my calorie intake and keep track of the exercising I’m doing. TW: Do you use any of the free additional apps MyFitnessPal offers? Hawthorne: Not the ones directly from MyFitnessPal, but I do use others like the Nike
DEPARTMENT LEAD
Training app and the 7-Minute Workout app, and I track all my activity in MyFitnessPal. TW: How has MyFitnessPal changed your workout routines? Hawthorne: It’s making me go to the gym more often and do more workouts every day, instead of a workout here and there during the week like it was before. I’m more motivated than I was before because I can see my progress. TW: Do you find the calorie counter effective for maintaining your diet goals? Hawthorne: I find it very effective. It calculates your height and weight and bases it on your gender, then gives you a set calorie count per day. And when you enter exercise [times
and intensities], you are able to use more calories. It changes how I eat, like more fruit and veggies and less junk food. TW: Will you continue using MyFitnessPal in the long term? Hawthorne: Yes, I believe it’s very helpful for my longterm goal, which is to be better toned and have more muscle than body fat. TW: Although it’s available to everyone, what do you see as the main benefits of MyFitnessPal and its apps for students? Hawthorne: I think it’s creating a healthier lifestyle. You’re eating better, drinking more water, and exercising more often, which keeps energy up for school, which is always good.
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February 10, 2014 | theWeal.com
Here comes the grad
Esha Dhatt, owner of Indian Bridal Boutique, gives us a low-down on the costs involved in planning for an Indian wedding.
Wedding dress and veil:
preparing for graduation and a wedding can be an emotional roller-coaster BY YASHICA ANANDANI LIFESTYLE EDITOR
As a student in her final semester of studies, finishing school is a hard feat for me, but the stresses I’ve been facing this past year go way beyond academics. Since my boyfriend popped the question last July, I’ve gone through various levels of emotional turmoil, first as an excited and brand new fiancée, then as a busy final-year student, and eventually as an inexperienced bride-to-be. Huda Moghal, a SUNCOR human resource analyst, also planned her wedding a year and a half ago while completing her last year of study at the University of Toronto. For her, the overall experience of juggling wedding planning and school was a rollercoaster of emotions “because there are too many feelings going around at the time.” “You want to do well in school because you know it’s your last year, so you want to end off on a positive note, but at the same time you’re just as exhausted and you’re struggling to stay motivated,” she explained. Hearing about Moghal’s challenges of trying to find the right balance between her studies, her social life, her fiancé and her wedding plans reassured me that my sanity levels were
still intact, because I wasn’t the only one getting stuck in a rut all the time. In her experience, the best way to deal with this stress was by keeping an agenda and organizing everything in her life to stay on top of it all. That was a start at solving my problems, but while I would’ve liked to think my burdens would end at organizing my life and dealing with my stressors myself, Joyce Tai, event planner from Urban Vogue Weddings Calgary, stressed the importance of getting the right guidance by discussing my vision with an external source, even if it’s just a brief consultation with a wedding planner. Rightly enough, talking to Tai definitely did me some good by reinforcing the real reasons that got me this far and keeps me going through it all, every day. Somewhere in this big whirlwind of wedding preparations and assignment due dates, I’d forgotten that I had a fiancé who was patiently waiting for me to step back and enjoy the ride that was eventually supposed to take us to marital bliss. I smiled as Tai appropriately put it all together for me and advised me to “nurture your relationship, go on date nights [because] your wedding will be just one day of your life, whereas your marriage will be for the rest of your life.”
$1000–$1500
Bridal jewelry:
$200–$500 Bridal sandals:
$100–$150
Makeup and hair:
$200–$500
Pre-bridal prep:
$250–$300
ALANNAH POHRAN ILLUSTRATION
how to juggle the stresses of school and planning a wedding BY YASHICA ANANDANI LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Dealing with the added stresses of planning a wedding while being a fulltime college student can be nerve-racking for many grooms- and brides-to-be. If it’s hard for you to keep your head straight amidst everything going on in your life, here are some tips from former student bride Huda Moghal and event expert Joyce Tai to help you stay calm.
1
Make a list of what is important and what you can do without, and stick to it. As a bride/groom-tobe, you may get carried away by different vendors
and wedding essentials to splurge on, but don’t let your wedding-related temptations get the best of you.
2
Use online resources like Google docs and Dropbox to keep wedding details like costs, vendors, and outfits all in one place for easy access.
3
Set aside some ‘me’ time for yourself so you can enjoy your time leading up to both your graduation and wedding days.
4
Do not leave anything pertaining to school or wedding to the last minute. The more you plan in advance, the more stressfree you will be later on.
theWeal.com | February 10, 2014
Sports
7
SPORTS NEWS AND VIEWS FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY
Venezuelan Student Learns Canada’s Game BY THOMAS STRANGWARD WEAL WRITER
Venezuelan SAIT student Gustavo Rojas is learning Canada’s game firsthand. Currently in his first year of English Language Foundations with an aim to enter the applied petroleum technology program, the native Venezuelan has become fascinated with the sport of hockey while volunteering as a scorekeeper during intramural games. He has been doing this despite not having seen snow his entire life. If Canada was a tapestry, hockey would be the stitching that kept the Pacific coast connected to the Atlantic coast. It makes sense then that newcomers like Rojas are united by the sport of hockey. “Intramurals [hockey] is an opportunity for me to meet new people, make friends, work and improve my English,” Rojas said. Rojas got his first taste of hockey and snow—Canada’s other unifying identity trait—in Montreal. He was initially hesitant about coming to Canada, as many people told him that the weather was terrible. This
Gustavo Rojas is an international student who has taken to scorekeeping for intramurals hockey at SAIT, an activity that allows him to meet new people and better understand Canadian culture. MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO
did not turn him away from the idea of coming to Canada. In fact, snow and colder temperatures may have played a part in his decision to stay in Canada and move to Calgary. “Where I come from, the weather is just the opposite. You would find 45 to 49 degrees [Celsius] every single day,” he said.
“I really like the snow, despite everyone’s complaints!” Rojas decided to come to Montreal during the winter of 2012–2013 to check the weather and see if he was up to the task of braving the Canadian cold. Rojas’ personal philosophy is that if you like a country’s worst weather, you’ll also like its best weather, which
meant he ended up loving Montreal. Rojas has a lifelong love of sports, so volunteering for SAIT intramurals is as much a labour of love for him as it is an opportunity to learn about the country he now lives in. “I love sports, I love learning new things and even more so when I am involved in some-
thing that I am interested [in].” Hockey grabbed Rojas’ attention almost immediately in Montreal. The natural comparisons to soccer, a sport with massive support in South America, initially drew him to it. Even though it is just intramural hockey he volunteers for, the passion of the players and natural intensity of a hockey game fascinate him. “Even though [the athletes] are playing for the intramurals, not a championship, they play like [it is] the last game. The passion of the players shows,” he said. For Rojas, hockey is something that will help him settle down in Canada after his schooling is done. He feels that by coming to understand the game, he will better understand Canadian culture and who Canadians are as a people. Even at the intramural level, hockey still operates as a great unifier for all Canadians, old and new. “I would like to live in Canada. Actually, I am still trying to understand the rules [of hockey] and everything, but I may be able to be a referee to my future kids when they play.”
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February 10, 2014 | theWeal.com
Red hot Trojans make a push for the playoffs BY ANDREW HALIPCHUK SPORTS WRITER
As the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) playoffs approach, there may be no hotter team than the SAIT Trojans women’s volleyball team. The women of Troy are fighting for one of the six guaranteed spots in ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship in hopes of finally making the cut for the championship. The women’s team won their first and only ACAC Championship 49 years ago, during the 1964-65 season. Currently, the Trojan women are tied with the Olds College Broncos for the sixth and final guaranteed spot. “I believe that a deep playoff run is in store for us [the Trojans,]” said third-year Trojan middle, Ellen Grundy. “We are a very passionate group of women, and we can compete with every team in our league.” Should the Trojans not finish in the top six in the ACAC standings, they will have to play in a four-team weekend series, known as the Championship Qualifier, for the final two
spots in the Women’s Volleyball Championship. “The playoffs are a new season. Anyone can win,” said Grundy. The Red and White have guaranteed at least one spot in the Championship Qualifier, after an impressive run in the second half of the season, and the Trojans have won 10 of their last 11 matches. With the long winning streak, the Women of Troy currently sit at a record of 11 wins and seven losses. “If I had to pick one moment [that turned our season around], I think it would have been our first win [of the season] against Briercrest College in November,” says fourth-year libero, Carlee Harrison. “It was a massive weight off our [team’s] shoulders. It gave the team proof that we were good enough to win important games.” The women of Troy initially struggled at the start of the season on Oct 25, 2013, winning only one of their first six matches, and starting the season with five consecutive matches lost. “Playoffs were definitely still an aspiration for us [the team]
after the rough start to the season,” said Grundy. The SAIT women’s volleyball team has just four players with three or more years of ACAC experience. “We recognized that we were a young team and there was room for improvement,” said Harrison. “We continued to work hard and I suppose it has played out in our favour.” During their 10-match winning streak, the Trojans handed the ACAC’s top team, the Red Deer College Queens, their first loss of the season on Jan. 31, ending the Queens’ winning streak at 16 matches. Harrison said that beating a team like Red Deer is a “big confidence boost.” “It gave us hope that we could compete with and beat the top teams in the ACAC,” she said. The Trojans’ winning streak came to an end the very next night at the hands of Red Deer College, losing in three straight games. “Losing was a huge reality check. It let us know that we weren’t unstoppable and we have to keep working,” said Harrison.
SAIT Trojans indoor track runner Kenton Sportak took the lead in the 800-metre, coming in first place with a time of 1:58:72 at the New Balance Trojans Invitational at the Talisman Centre in Calgary on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014. The invitational was the first-ever ACAC-sanctioned indoor track event in history, after efforts by SAIT Trojans coach Jamie Grant to bring the sport into Alberta colleges.
BRENT CALVER PHOTO
theWeal.com | February 10, 2014
Arts & Entertainment
9
CULTURE FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY
Calgary community unites to care for kids BY HUSSON ZAMAN A&E WRITER
and Girls Clubs of Calgary, is working directly on the project and urged community Citizens of Calgary and members to get excited about Canadian musicians alike will what’s scheduled. gather at Flames Central for a “The event includes great benefit concert to raise money artists who will be performing for our city’s homeless youths. some amazing music. On top The fifth annual Musicians of attending a fun evening, Care for Kids event will take everyone who buys tickets place on Feb.12, and the Boys will also be helping Calgary’s and Girls Clubs of Calgary homeless youth population,” is looking to continue their he said. fundraising momentum for According to an annual the Avenue 15 program, which survey conducted by provides homeless Calgarian CalgaryHomeless.com, youth youths aged 12–17 with basic homelessness continues to be needs and support. a problem in the city. Musicians Care for Kids is an The program raised over annual fundraiser organized by $82,000 last year for the Jeff Parry and Ralph Schmidtke. Calgary Boys and Girls Clubs, Andy Tse, manager of fund and it has raised over $142,000 development of the Boys for the organization since 2011.
While Musicians Care for Kids has been organized for the past five years, only the money collected from the past three years’ events has gone towards the Avenue 15 program of Calgary’s Boys and Girls Club. “We help Calgary’s homeless kids by giving them the resources they need to leave life on the streets permanently,” said Tse. Some of the benefits provided by the program include reuniting with family, counseling, education, and employment. Tse explained that the funds brought in by the Boys and Girls Clubs is acquired through word of mouth and acquiring sponsorships and donations.
“We support this event by spreading awareness to our supporters and asking them to become involved by making donations or purchasing tickets.” Tickets to the event are $49.50, and are on sale now up until the day of the event itself and there will be no dress code in effect. The host of this year’s event is Russell Broom, a multitalented musician who has taken home awards at the JUNO and SOCAN awards. The featured performers for the night will include Jason McCoy of The Road Hammers, Shaun Verreault of Wide Mouth Mason, Greg Godovitz of Goddo, and a special guest performance from Paul Dean
of Loverboy. This talented group of musicians will surely make for an exciting night for Calgarians and music fans alike. Tse also advised community members to visit the event’s Facebook page to get more information about contests that will be taking place before the event is held. “There will be Facebook contests going on for people who want the opportunity to sing or jam with the artists that evening.” To find out more about the event, community members and music fans are urged to visit Flamescentral.com, BoysAndGirlsClubsofCalgary. ca and Facebook.com/ MusiciansCare.
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FIND BALANCE Monday – Yoga for Backs 12:00pm Monday – Yin Yoga 5:00pm Tuesday – Heated Yoga 5:00pm Wednesday – Raja Yoga 12:00pm Thursday – Heated Yoga 5:00pm
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February 10, 2014 | theWeal.com
SAIT instructor Dan Stephenson is a Magic man BY YASMIN MAYNE WEAL WRITER
SAIT instructor and magician Dan Stephenson shows his love for both magic tricks and the new media production and design program. YASMIN MAYNE PHOTO
fit in your pocket. TW: Have you had any formal training? Stephenson: Not really. Magic is kind of interesting in that way, there are not a lot of places where you can go to get formally trained. It really is just picking up the right learning materials from a magic shop and exploring what it is you love to explore. TW: What do you love about being a magician? Stephenson: The part about
being a magician that I love is being able to put a smile on people’s faces. Just having that ability to show them something they have never seen before is what drives me to continue to learn and practice magic. TW: You are clearly passionate about magic -- what made you choose to become a new media production and design instructor at SAIT? Stephenson: Well, I have always wanted to be a web developer, ever since I first got
on the Internet. So after high school I went to SAIT for new media production and design. I graduated in 2006 and have worked in the industry in web development and computer programming. However, I have been doing contract work with SAIT since I graduated, and last year they asked me to come back and teach fulltime and I agreed. TW: Do you tell your colleagues and students at SAIT that you are a semi-professional
HOCKEY
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SAIT’s new media production and design instructor Dan Stephenson is a wizard with web development and computer programming, but his magical talents don’t stop there. He’s also a talented magician. Calgary’s second annual Wowfest Magic Arts Festival is coming up and is set to take place from Feb. 17–March 1, with Stephenson performing in the Calgary Magic Circle Group Show. Stephenson has been a semiprofessional, or part-time, magician for about eight years and The Weal sat down with him to find out what inspired him to become a magician. The Weal: How did you get your start in magic? Dan Stephenson: As a kid, I always loved magic and would do tricks, but I never really had the patience for it. However, in the spring of 2006, I was with my family at the Heritage Flea market and there was a guy there with a little magic shop, and just seeing some of the stuff he was doing amazed me so much that I wanted to start doing it again. TW: What kind of magic do you specialize in? Stephenson: I specialize in close-up magic, like playing cards, coins, and sponge balls— pretty much anything you can
BASKETBALL vs. Olds Fri. Feb. 14 Women - 6pm Men - 8pm
magician? Stephenson: I do. It is one of those interesting hobbies that nobody else has—in a way it’s almost a conversation starter. I perform individually for people within the department, as well as at department parties. In the classroom I do tricks once in a while, but not too often, because I don’t want it to become a gimmick in my classroom. So far the students have been enjoying it, and it is a great way to connect with them on a different level. TW: The second annual WowFest Magic Arts Festival is taking place from Feb. 17March 1 at the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts, what can spectators expect from the festival? Stephenson: Spectators can expect to be amazed. There is a variety of shows at the festival, so everyone can find something they like. The two shows that I am looking forward to are Brush with Death, which is a macabre/horror show and Suitcase of Wonders, which is a comedy. Stephenson will be performing in the Calgary Magic Circle Group Show on Thursday, Feb. 20 at the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets can be bought online for $12 at Wowfestmagic.com. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT THEWEAL.COM
MEN’S HOCKEY vs. Concordia Sat. Feb. 15 - 7pm
ALL HOME GAMES AT SAIT CAMPUS CENTRE • $10 GENERAL ADMISSION • $2 SAIT STUDENTS • KIDS 12 & UNDER FREE
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theWeal.com | February 10, 2014
Opinions
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Bring out the love this Valentine’s
“Valentine’s Day is not just supposed to be a celebration of two partners. It is a celebration of love, and love can be found anywhere or with anyone in your life.” - Yashica Anandani, Lifestyle editor
BY YASHICA ANANDANI LIFESTYLE EDITOR
For as long as I can remember, I have been an emotional fool, obsessed with the idea of romantic sentiments. So it comes as no surprise that the mere mention of Valentine’s Day sends me off into an imaginary tangent of red hearts and chocolate-covered strawberries. While the much hyped day may not have made it to national holiday status, one can’t deny how this day has the ability to create a wave of emotions in practically everyone. Fans and haters alike, no one has been spared of having
an opinion about V-Day, and in my experience, even the haters have once celebrated the idea of being hopelessly in love. Statistics Canada’s website is swarmed with stats relating to Valentine’s Day, and according to the same website, Canadian manufacturers of chocolate and confectionaries made a total of $1.44 billion in 2011, while $8.4 million rose stems were produced in 2012. All these numbers suggest that a majority of Canadians are just as pro V-Day as me, which I think is great. Love is an emotion that I hope everyone has experienced at some point in their
lives. Be it from a parent, a sibling, a life partner or even a pet, it’s hard to escape the force of selfless and unconditional affection. I don’t love Valentine’s Day just because of the fact that I’m in a relationship—I loved it way before I got into one and would’ve continued to regardless of my relationship status. That’s where I feel some may go wrong in their perception of this commercialized holiday—Valentine’s Day is not just supposed to be a celebration of two partners. It is a celebration of love, and love can be found anywhere or with anyone in your life.
Valentine’s day is about Buying Love BY INONGE CHIMWASO A&E EDITOR
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SUSAN KIM ILLUSTRATION
“It’s slightly mind-boggling and ridiculous that people feel the need to fork out so much money because of an international holiday that prompts couples to celebrate their love.” - Inonge Chimwaso, A&E editor
Valentine’s Day is an overly commercialized holiday that fishes for large amounts of money from the consumer’s pocket, all in the name of love. But, despite the fact that people spend a lot more money on Valentine’s Day gifts than on any other holiday except for Christmas, it also lacks that genuine holiday spirit. According to an article on Business.Time.com, people only partake in this romantic holiday to spare the feelings of their loved ones. “Many people in relationships aren’t inspired to participate in the holiday because of romance, but simply because they feel they must,” the article reads. The article went on to say that while most women don’t find it necessary for their significant other to purchase anything for them for Valentine’s Day, they appreciate the gesture—a
gesture that still puts a lot of pressure on men to meet. But is this pressure put on by their partners, or by the consumer market? Days after New Year’s Day, store shelves are stocked with pink and red goodies that create the illusion that love is in the air. Consumers then feel obligated to purchase cards with cheeky sayings, flowers that will die within days, and candies that will add unwanted calories. Restaurants are also known to hike up their prices just for that one special day because their service is in high demand come Feb. 14. Despite the fact that some people are aware that the consumer market takes advantage of a holiday that most people are content not to celebrate, society still buys into this marketing ploy. According to a study done by the National Retail
Federation in 2013, the average American was said to have spent approximately $131 on Valentine’s gifts, candy and cards. This brought the total spending cost to an estimated $18.6 billion. As high as this number is, it doesn’t reflect the amount of money women spend on the new outfits, shoes, nails, and hair and makeup services for an evening of romance. It’s slightly mind-boggling and ridiculous that people feel the need to fork out so much money because of an international holiday that prompts couples to celebrate their love. People shouldn’t be subjected to feel the need to show appreciation for their loved ones simply because the calendar reads February 14. Love should be celebrated throughout the year. But as disingenuous as Valentine’s Day may be, at least it does a little good for the economy.
Photo editor Brent Calver asks the SAIT campus:
“Do you have any travel plans for Reading week?”
“Going home to Banff. I grew up
“I’m going to Hawaii with my
“My family is going to Palm
“I was going to go back home to
“I don’t actually get Reading
“No, I’ll be catching up on
there.”
parents.”
Springs.”
Elk Point, but I have to stay and
week off from my program.”
studying and learning more about
study for mid-terms.”
applications in my program.”
Glenn Pastor, first-year travel and
Stephanie Speltz, first-year archi-
Aaron Vanderveen, first-year
Meghan Des Roches-Fenton,
Evan Dahms, non-destructive
Mia Ostere, first-year graphic
tourism student
tectural technologies student
business administration student
first-year library information
testing foundations student
communications and print
technology student
technology student
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February 10, 2014 | theWeal.com