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WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE SAIT STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
VOLUME 88 ISSUE 17
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February 3, 2014
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February 3, 2014 | theWeal.com NEWS EDITOR
Wellness Centre woes
Crystal Schick
NEWS WRITER Position available
Campus gym sees increased attendance in January A&E EDITOR Inonge Chimwaso
A&E WRITER
BY STEVE SUCHA SPORTS EDITOR
Husson Zaman
LIFESTYLE EDITOR Yashica Anandani
LIFESTYLE WRITER Krista Conrad
OPINIONS EDITOR Monica Henderson
SPORTS EDITOR Steve Sucha
SPORTS WRITER Andrew Halipchuk
PHOTO EDITOR Brent Calver
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Evan Buhler
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
If you are a regular patron of the SAIT Wellness Centre, you may have noticed the sea of new faces that has washed over the weight room. The fear of not having access to a treadmill or bumping elbows with the person next to you while you try to pump iron will soon be at an end. According to Patrick Gauvreau, SAIT Wellness Centre supervisor, the influx of newbies will soon draw to a close. Gauvreau said that throughout the month of January, the Wellness Centre saw around a 10 per cent increase in average attendance. Adding to that increase, the week of Jan. 13-20, the Wellness Centre also offered their yearly Fitness Week, which Gauvreau explained, is a free week of
classes for students, public and alumni members. Anyone from off the street can come in and try out a class that the Wellness Centre offers. “That week we saw attendance jump 30 per cent on top of the ten per cent increase from the New Year’s resolution crowd,” he said. With the free Fitness Week over and the New Year resolution-keeping crowd seemingly disappearing, the Centre, according to Gauvreau, will soon return to its regularly scheduled classes and attendance level. During the busy months of January and September, the Centre sees an average of 1000 to 1,300 patrons per weekday, while non-peak months will see around 800 to 1,000 visitors from Monday to Friday. Weekends are more relaxed all year because, Gauvreau said, “students are usually doing
other things and the facility is more open in terms of space.” However, Gauvreau explained that when the weight room becomes flooded with people during busier times, regular attendees generally direct their attention to the less populated areas such as the basketball court or the swimming pool. Gauvreau added that while the Wellness Centre hasn’t yet been forced to turn away patrons due to the weight room reaching the maximum occupancy of 80, he has seen cases of patrons recognizing a full weight room and either returning later in the day, or sometimes on another day entirely. Curtis Pelletier, first-year energy asset management and regular patron of the Centre, said that he has noticed the increase of activity in January, but is not discouraged by it. The way he sees it, if you are
leaving the gym because it is too busy, you are only making excuses for yourself. “You are at the gym to work out,” Pelletier said. “If the weights are being used, you can bike. If the bike is being used, you can stretch. You can always find other exercises to do.” As for Pelletier’s thoughts on the January crowd, he feels that it is a good thing to see and that problems with attendance increasing in January is a problem at every gym. “I don’t mind if it is busy. It sucks that the gym is packed, but it is good that people are getting in [the gym].” With SAIT becoming a larger campus with more buildings, space, and students, Gauvreau said, “we might get to the point where we have to prevent people from entering, but we haven’t gotten there yet.”
to shower. His locker was in sight, but unlocked, as he showered. At approximately 8:15 a.m., he returned to his locker and retrieved his personal effects. Approximately 15 minutes later, he noticed cash was missing from his wallet. Later, at approximately 12:30 p.m., two SAIT students reported thefts from their lockers in Campus Centre. One student locked his locker
at approximately 8:05 a.m., went to the gym and returned to his locker at approximately 9:05 a.m. He left his locker unlocked while he showered. At approximately 9:36 a.m., he returned from the shower and noticed cash missing from his locker. The second student entered the locker room at approximately 7:50 a.m., locked his belongings in a locker and went to the gym. At approximately 9:15 a.m., he returned and went to shower, leaving his locker unlocked. When he returned at approximately 10:30 a.m., he noticed he was missing some cash and personal items.
Calls for service
Trespassing
At approximately 7:41 p.m., Security received a telephone call from a SAIT student reporting the theft of his personal belongings from his locker in the Campus Centre. The student said he put his belongings in a locker and locked it. When he returned at approximately 7:30 p.m., he noticed that his wallet was missing. The student’s empty wallet was later located in the locker room.
Mikaela MacKenzie
ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Susan Kim
LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR Patricia Rye
LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR Alannah Pohran
WEB MASTER Jennifer Poon
FACT CHECKER
Theft (private property)
Evan Whitmore
SOCIAL MEDIA GURU Jordyn Thomson
COVER ILLUSTRATION Susan Kim
CONTRIBUTORS
Amanda Siebert, Carys Richards, Lacey Pilgrim, Yasmin Mayne, Sheldon Smith, Thomas Strangward, Robyn Hertz, Tegan Cochrane
CORRECTION In the ‘Instructor will shave head for donations” story in the Jan. 27, 2014 issue of The Weal, Aubri Andre’s name was mistakenly printed as Aubrey. Direct letters, questions and concerns to:
PUBLICATIONS EDITOR 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.
Canadian University Press
At approximately 12:01 p.m., a SAIT student reported his personal property was stolen from a locker in a Campus Centre locker room. The student said he locked up his belongings at approximately 7 a.m., and returned at around 8 a.m.
At 5:43 p.m., Security saw three skateboarders doing stunts in the second level atrium of the P6 Parkade. The three individuals refused to produce identification and at 5:52 p.m., Security verbally banned two of the individuals for 30 days for engaging in stunts on SAIT property. After the trespassing warning, the individuals left P6 quickly without further issue.
At approximately 1:11 a.m., Security received a radio communication from a custodial supervisor reporting that a man was sleeping in a women’s washroom in Campus Centre. Security escorted the individual out of the building, towards the LRT station. At 1:30 a.m., the individual left the LRT station and was last seen at the 14th Street & 14th Avenue N.W. intersection.
Theft (private property)
All Incidents Are Provided Courtesy of Paladin Security’s Daily Log Book
theWeal.com | February 3, 2014
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Restrictions result in group tutoring takeover for SAIT’s PAL program BY AMANDA SIEBERT WEAL WRITER
Budget restraints to SAIT’s peer tutoring program have resulted in changes that are affecting both tutors and students alike. The Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) program let go of approximately half of their paid peer tutors because the budget for the program was exceeded in the Fall 2013 Semester, according to Shan Robertson, manager of SAIT’s learning success services. “Our [peer-tutoring] budget has tripled in the last three years, but this fall, demand ballooned. I don’t have an unlimited budget, but I wish I did,” said Robertson, who credits part of last semester’s rise in demand to an increased need for math tutoring. In addition to letting go of a number of peer tutors, the PAL program has made the transition from one-on-one tutoring to small group tutoring, which Robertson said was a decision made “not only based on budget” but on research which shows that small group tutoring is actually more effective. These group sessions,
which are operated on a dropin basis, are offered for specific programs and courses that experience high failure rates, like statistics and accounting. “We are simply realigning our resources. [PAL] is not an employment service—it’s a service to help support students in their learning.” Although there are fewer peer tutors available, SAIT’s learning success services has recently received additional funding that has been allocated to hiring professional tutors. According to Robertson, SAIT’s free peer tutoring services have increased significantly over the last three years, and as of the Winter 2013 Semester, it began offering students one hour of tutoring per course per week, instead of the previous one hour of tutoring per week in total. “I’m still confident we offer the best tutoring in the province,” said Robertson, who also noted that SAIT has an edge over other institutions like NAIT and University of Calgary because neither offers peer-tutoring programs. Shyamili Velmurugan, a second-year petroleum engineer-
Craig Sprung is a tutor with SAIT’s PAL program during the winter semester. He tutors architectural technology students two days a week.
AMANDA SIEBERT PHOTO
ing technology student was a PAL tutor last semester but was let go as a result of the cuts. “All my tutees from last semester are disappointed that they can’t get any extra help this semester,” she said. “Even though I direct them to the tutoring department, they are not satisfied with the services offered, like the drop-in math and communications labs.”
Velmurugan, who is also an international student, still tutors some of her former PAL tutees for free, but said that it’s much more difficult than last semester as she can’t find more free time aside from her own school work and the new job that she has had to find since being let go from the PAL program. Craig Sprung, a second-year architectural technology stu-
dent, is still a tutor with the program two days a week, and prefers group sessions to the one-on-one tutoring. “I like it a bit better because it’s more relaxing, but nobody’s coming because nobody knows about it,” said Sprung. “Most of the time, I end up tutoring peers from my own class because not many people are aware of the changes.”
STUDENT WINS FREE PARKING on campus BY CRYSTAL SCHICK NEWS EDITOR
Free on-campus parking is the dream for any SAIT student who drives to school, and is the reality of one lucky do-gooder. Joshwa Narayan, a first-year business administration student, decided to buy raffle tickets for a free parking pass in November, because the money collected in the raffle was being donated to the United Way charity. “I figured, why not? Even if I didn’t win, the cause was worth it,” Narayan said. Tickets were $2 each. Narayan said he happened to have $5 in his pocket, so he “got two tickets and donated the change.” This was the third consecutive year in which a free parking pass was offered as a raffle prize at the United Gateway Fundraiser Event. This event is planned in conjunction with SAITSA’s The Gateway to help raise money for the charity. Mary Beth Denholme, international business development manager and member of the SAIT United Way campaign committee, said that this campaign has been happening for more than 10 years, but that this is only the third year with The Gateway’s participation and the parking
pass raffle. “The parking spot was offered as a prize as a way to incorporate students,” said Denholme. Enthusiasm for this prize has increased over the past three years. According to Denholme, last year the parking raffle raised a mere $475, while this year it raised a whopping $1,920. The actual event and draw took place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2013 at The Gateway. United Way representatives attended the event to answer questions anyone had about the organization and its works. Narayan was not at the event because he “wasn’t really expecting to win.” He was contacted after the draw and informed by a member of SAIT’s staff that he was the proud owner of a free parking spot in the reserved area on level one of the P6 parkade from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2014. Narayan will be able to simply access this highly coveted space under the soccer field via a special entry key card. A busy, hard-working student, Narayan’s first thought upon finding out he had won the highly coveted free parking for a year was, “When will I have time to go to the school to
even get the free parking?” While Narayan now has the luxury of no parking worries, some students can still only dream of a world where they need not worry about parking on campus. “It would be nice [to have free
parking],” said Dan Kerr, firstyear energy asset management student. Kerr, who drives to school everyday, says that the biggest parking problems he has to contend with are the price, and the “wankers” in big trucks
that take up more than one of the limited, valuable parking spaces. If Kerr had his choice of any spot at the school, “I would pick a spot right in front,” he said, closest to the buildings he has class in.
DEPARTMENT LEAD
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February 3, 2014 | theWeal.com
Lifestyle YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Go for the gold (or silver or bronze) How to wear the Olympic medal colours BY KRISTA CONRAD LIFESTYLE WRITER
With the 2014 Sochi Olympics beginning this week, many people may be looking for ways to support Team Canada in the colours and clothing that they wear. A unique way of supporting our Olympic team this year is to wear the colours of the Olympic medals —gold, silver, and bronze. According to Calgary fashion stylist Crystal McKenzie, anyone can pull off wearing these flashy hues if it is done carefully and tastefully.
“It’s too easy to be gaudy with these colours,” McKenzie said. “So you really have to be careful about how you pull it off.” ‘Pulling it off’ isn’t too difficult or expensive for students at this time of year because, as McKenzie noted, many stores carry gold, silver, and bronze colours during the holidays, and those products are marked down for clearance in the New Year. McKenzie offered advice to anyone who wants to don the Olympic medal colours this February in support of our Canadian team.
GOLD The trick with wearing gold lies in its range of shades, because not every skin tone suits every shade of gold. “Some gold is really yellow, so it can only really work with dark or olive skin tones,” she said. “But soft and light gold tones are beautiful on pale complexions.” If you’ve got a lighter skin tone, try to steer yourself away from dark and yellow golds, and stick with lighter shades. According to McKenzie, this isn’t
difficult to do with clothing and accessories, since many clothing lines offer tops and shoes in shimmery pale gold shades. Those with darker complexions can help themselves to any shade of gold they prefer. “They’re the lucky ones,” McKenzie said. “They can wear anything.” Gold jewellery and accessories are always a safe bet, but McKenzie warns against going too flashy because the look may come off as cheap and garish.
SILVER According to McKenzie, anyone can wear silver because “it works with every skin tone and every season.” According to the stylist, silver is much easier to wear than gold, because it does not range in tones that can vary in attractiveness depending on a person’s complexion. “You can find jewellery, tops, and accessories that look great on everyone,” she said. “And silver shoes can make a nice accent to almost any evening outfit.” There is no shortage of silver in stores these days, so those who want to boast this colour in honour of the Olympics should not have any trouble finding pieces to wear.
BRONZE Like silver, McKenzie said that anyone can pull off the bronze look, which is attractive on every skin tone and body type. Like silver, bronze is far easier to wear than gold, as it is not shade-dependent. “Bronze accessories work well with almost every outfit,” she said. “Just pick your pieces carefully, and make sure they work with the colours you’re wearing and your eye makeup.” Bronze tops shine against any complexion, and can be worn in any season. “It’s such a rich colour,” McKenzie said. “Bronze can add can really add depth to a person’s look.”
Makeup to go with the medal colours While Crystal McKenzie, Calgary fashion stylist, promises that anyone can wear gold, silver, and bronze, she also warns against pairing these colours with the wrong makeup. “Makeup should be toned down a little because you’re already wearing a shiny and fabulous colour,” McKenzie said. Be wary of wearing too much or going overboard with bright colours, she advised, which can detract from your gold, silver, or bronze look. Here are her recommendations for lip and eye makeup to suit every shade of the Olympic medals.
GOLD Those who choose to don gold clothing and accessories in support of the Olympics should try for darker eyes and lighter lips. McKenzie suggests a smoky brown eye with gold highlights in the corners, and a nude or soft brown lip to counteract the bright tone of the gold.
SILVER With silver, McKenzie recommends going for a light, pearlcoloured eye, or another light shade that is not silver to play up the flashy colour. Going with a colour too close to silver brings your overall look close to the overkill zone. To warm up the look, add a fuchsia, orange, or red lip.
BRONZE Bronze is the easiest colour to coordinate with your makeup. McKenzie suggests a smoky black or brown eye to play up the deeper tones of a bronze outfit. Add a nude lip with your darker eyeshadows, and allow the colour of your outfit to shine against the contrasting makeup.
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theWeal.com | February 3, 2014
ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF VECTOR-MAGZ.COM
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Become well-versed in the
Olympic lingo BY YASHICA ANANDANI LIFESTYLE EDITOR
With the Sochi 2014 Olympics all set to take place on Feb. 7, it’s about time to start catching up on some of the sporty terminology involved. While simply knowing the Games exist may not make you a pro at Olympic lingo, taking a shortcut with these handy terms will help you B.S. your way through any Olympics-related small talk you may encounter this month.
OMEGA AND KRIESEL These two words may be uttered quite often by the diehard Bobsledding fan. Findings in an article by Bill Ward on StarTribune.com refer to Omega as “a [bobsled’s] turn from 180 to 270 degrees”, and Kriesel as “a turn of 270-plus degrees.”
Reasons to Explore ‘Reasons to Explore’ is a bi-weekly travel column written by first-year travel and tourism student, Lacey Pilgrim, with tips and tricks for student travellers on how to get the most out of traveling on a tight budget.
A primer on travel BY LACEY PILGRIM WEAL WRITER
RINK For the many Canadians and hockey fans, a rink is the playing area of a hockey team. However, don’t be fooled by this common Olympic expression which, according to Steve Rushen’s article on the Sports Illustrated website, is also used to describe a team of curlers. The platform used by Olympic curlers, as explained in the article, is known as a sheet, which “is composed—depending on conditions—of ‘heavy ice,’ ‘straight ice’ or ‘swingy ice’.”
SWINGY ICE As a fellow student with a passion for travel, my love for globetrotting—and why I consider it an opportunity for every young adult to experience—can be a challenge to express. Why? Well, let’s start with the obvious: travel is exciting, fun, and something you will remember for the rest of your life. It offers a once-in-alifetime opportunity of feeling carefree that opens new doors of experiences that you never thought you were capable of accomplishing before. When travelling, you develop the feeling that you can do anything you set your mind to. Another reason to travel, which is the most important reason for me, is that it allows you to soul-search. Travelling can remove you from your comfort zone and enlighten your perspective on the world. It can also bring like-minded people together in one place, even if they come from opposite ends of the globe. Furthermore, the friends that you meet while travelling could
become some of the greatest friends you will ever make. And who knows? Maybe one day you will travel to a new friend’s country and take them up as your local tour guide. Travelling does not necessarily mean travelling to an exotic place—although, if you have that opportunity, take it! It can also mean exploring different areas within Canada. We are fortunate enough to live close to the Rocky Mountains, which is an area that offers plenty to travellers. It may not be a tropical island in Fiji, but it still allows a beautiful and scenic escape from your everyday life and can help refresh your mind. A great tip I have learned during my travels is that ‘home’ does not typically change. The concept of home refers to the idea that people will still go on with their lives while you are away. Many people fear that if they choose to travel, they will miss out on the life events that will happen at home and to the people around them while they
are away. Although this is true, when you are travelling you have the chance to experience other life events that could potentially be more profound than you could have imagined. Once you start experiencing life as a traveller, you may realize you would not give up those experiences you have had travelling for the ones you could have had at home. You truly appreciate the opportunities you were able to have. Generally speaking, your true friends will still be there when you get back from your travels, and your family will be waiting with open arms to hear all of your stories. Be the inspiring person who elicits the sense of adventure in others. Be the person with the memorable moments and the one-of-a-kind stories. And most of all, remember that experiences don’t expire. The experiences and memories you acquire from traveling become a permanent part of your identity, and that’s what means the most.
Often utilized in curling terminology, the World Curling
Federation’s ‘A-Z of Curling Terminology’ defines swingy ice as “the condition of the ice or stones causing the stones to have excessive curl.”
EGG POSITION For those casually tuning in to Olympic ski-jumping, there is a set of complicated words to master, one of which is the egg position. According to Bill Ward’s article on StarTribune. com, this term refers to a ski jumper’s pre-takeoff stance of being “crunched with the head lower than the back.” An after-effect from the egg position is the ‘airfoil position’, which, according to the same article, refers to a jumper’s motionless stance of his torso nearly touching the skies.
WICKY WACKY WOO Who said the Olympic-dictionary can’t have a few “wacky” words thrown in? Bill Ward’s article on StarTribune.com defines the wicky wacky woo as “a [curling] shot that bounces off two or more stones and comes to rest in a very advantageous position.”
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February 3, 2014 | theWeal.com
Sports SPORTS NEWS AND VIEWS FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY
Trojan of the
MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO
BY CARYS RICHARDS WEAL WRITER
*ASK US ABOUT THE STUDENT NETWORK PLAN DR. JOHNNY CHUN # 170 1402 8th Ave NW Calgary, AB P: 403.262.3447 E: info@oradentalcalgary.com www.oradentalcalgary.com Located in the Riley Park Medical Centre (previously Grace Hospital) one block south of SAIT C-Train station.
Free reserved parking available for your visits. Located in the monthly lot. Look for ORA Dental signs facing south on 8th Ave.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON!
The Weal’s Trojan of the Month for February is Emma Malsbury, who has stepped up to take on a leadership role and has been an offensive contributor on the women’s hockey team. In her second season playing with the Trojans, Malsbury’s offensive production has resulted in a team-leading five goals and 11 points in the first 14 games of the season. “[The pucks] just seem to be going in the net,” she said, in regards to her success. Malsbury also leads the team as an assistant captain, and plays alongside Captain Bret Howe. “I play on a line with Bret, so she and I do a good job of leading on the ice and trying to pick up people on the bench as much as we can.” Wearing a letter and leading the team in scoring is a fitting reward for the time Malsbury previously spent on the fourth line as a rookie. In her first season with the Trojans, she started at the bottom of the team and has since played her way into contention as being one of the most valuable players on the ice for the Trojans. Malsbury plays left wing for the women of Troy, which is the position she’s played throughout her hockey career. Growing up in Red Deer, Alta., Malsbury was inspired by her older cousin, who played as a member of the Red Deer Rebels. She played co-ed hockey until switching over to a girls’ league once she reached the peewee level for ages 11-12. After four years of peewee
hockey, Malsbury graduated to the top level in minor hockey’s AAA league. Two years ago, she met Terry Larson, who coaches the Trojans women’s hockey squad at SAIT, and he encouraged her to try out for the team. Malsbury made the team on her first try, and has been playing at SAIT ever since. As a member of the Trojans, Malsbury has found the time commitment to be challenging compared to her time that was previously spent playing midget hockey. As a midget player, Malsbury trained four times a week. Now, as a Trojan, she practices up to six times a week while trying to maintain good grades in a tough second year of her respiratory therapy course. “I think hockey keeps me sane,” said Malsbury. “It’s a big stress reliever.” The women’s hockey team faced adversity last year, winning just three games. After a difficult start to this season, the women of Troy have won four games and have tied once in their last seven games. “Last year, I was a rookie, and there were lots of [firstyear players] so we had a lot of growing up to do,” she said. “I think that’s why we started off rough this season, too. We had a lot of rookies and they didn’t know what to expect.” Malsbury believes her team has finally come together and is playing a strong enough brand of hockey to win the remainder of their games, which they’ll need to do to qualify for the Alberta College Athletics Conference playoffs. As an assistant captain, Malsbury has tried to help her team’s first-year players through
the hardships of the season by keeping an open door policy for any teammates that want to talk about problems they may be facing on the ice. “If you’re positive in the dressing room and practices during the week, then it definitely reflects on the weekend. But when you have those negative times, that’s when us leaders have to step in and throw that negative stuff out the window.” With forward Becca Glakin out of the lineup due to a broken collarbone and the team poised for a final push for playoff contention, Malsbury’s primary focus is playing hockey. Next year, Malsbury will return to Red Deer for a practicum, making this her final season as a Trojan, and as a result, she wants to make the most of her remaining time at SAIT. “I won’t be able to play hockey, which sucks,” she said. “I’ll definitely miss it.”
Emma Malsbury, the assistant captain of the Trojans women’s hockey team, is our Trojan of the Month. MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO
theWeal.com | February 3, 2014
Bonds built in sports create team unity BY ANDREW HALIPCHUK SPORTS WRITER
Team unity has always been a key part to success in the world of sports, and Trojans hockey is no different. A team’s bond is built on trust, respect, and a player’s willingness to put the team before oneself. “I cannot relate the bond of hockey teammates to other sports, but I know that it takes a warrior to play the sport,” said Trojans men’s hockey forward, Brad Drobot. “If you don’t have a family that has your back, you will not last long on the ice.” The family mentality that the Trojans have in their
locker room has led to life-long friendships, not just for the 10 months they are teammates during the school year. “Once you play with a teammate a full season, a bond is built,” Drobot said. “The friendship is life-long and you still keep in contact after the season ends.” Being a polytechnic institute, SAIT has a diverse group of students, from welding apprentices, to business students, to first-year academic upgraders. With the Trojans, this level of diversity is no different, but they manage to form a close team despite their differences. Trojans head coach Ken Babey understands the importance of team unity,
SAIT Trojans Push Toward Playoffs Many Teams Eyeing Championships BY THOMAS STRANGWARD WEAL WRITER
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) season is winding down and the SAIT Trojans are pushing towards the playoffs on both the hard court and the ice. The Trojans are looking to contend for ACAC championships and the winter semester is the perfect time to refine game plans and finish strong. In basketball, the men and women of Troy played host to the Medicine Hat College Rattlers on Jan. 27–28. The women kicked off the four-game melee on the Jan. 27 with a game where their momentum was being constantly changed. After being named the female student athlete of the week, Trojans guard Kaitie Beard— alongside team newcomers Devon Kendall and Anne Mercer—pulled off a thrilling fourth quarter comeback. Finishing the game on a 13–2 run led to a final score of 53–47 over the Medicine Hat College Rattlers. The Saturday rematch was an even stronger showing as the Trojans women’s basketball squad sent the Rattlers home rattled, winning 78–42. The pair of wins brought the women of Troy to a record of 8–8. The men’s team was not as successful against the Rattlers, though. Splitting the two games, the Trojan men could
not find a way to build off their 77–71 win on Jan. 27 and fell 83–74 the next day. The men are now 4–12 on the year but put forth two strong efforts that weekend. As for volleyball action, the Trojans men and women were storm chasers as they swept the Concordia University College of Alberta Thunder in both games up in Edmonton. The men won both games 3–0 while the women quelled the Thunder 3–0 and 3–1. The undefeated weekend gave both teams 10 win records, with the women sitting at 10–6 while the men are 10–4. The premier matchup of the weekend saw the top two men’s hockey teams face off in the Battle of the Polytechnics as the Trojans and NAIT Ooks played in a home-and-home series. Whoever came out on top would be the sole holder of first place in the ACAC. Unfortunately for the Trojans, they failed to tally a goal as the Ooks embarrassed them 7–0 on home ice before shutting them out once again in Edmonton with a score of 2–0. Though his Trojans are no longer at top of the conference, head coach Mike Babey was focused after the disappointing games. “It’s always nice to be first, but that’s the way it is,” offered Babey after the losses. “We don’t want to be in second at the end of the year; that’s what the main goal is.”
especially in a school as diverse as SAIT where each player comes from different situations in life, such as age variances, and families. “Although our situations are very different, we make the best of our time together and form a strong family that way,” Drobot said. The Trojans men’s hockey team tries to avoid having cliques within their family, but that has not always been the case on all sports teams. “Some [hockey] teams I have played on in the past have been filled with cliques, but championship teams find ways to find those small groups and eliminate them,” he said. In the National Hockey League (NHL), team-building
is a big part of a team’s offseason training. For instance, the Minnesota Wild have a weekend dedicated to creating strong bonds with each other wherein they head out to a cottage for a retreat and play paintball to build team character, trust and reliance on one another. The Calgary Flames do a similar camp experience for their rookies, where they send them to Penticton, B.C. for a weeklong tournament that includes four other NHL teams. The reason for this camp is to help acquaint the team’s rookies with one another so they do not feel like they’re on their own when the do crack the Flames’ roster in the future. Although it seems the family
ties formed in the dressing room may last forever, that is not always the case when former teammates play against one another on the ice. When that happens, players have to put their past friendships aside and put their current team’s bond first. “I’ve played former teammates and friends in the past and though this may sound cliché, there is no such thing as ‘friends’ on the other team,” says Drobot. “After the season, sure, they can be your friend. But if they are not a part of your family for that particular season, then, unfortunately, they’re against you.”
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February 3, 2014 | theWeal.com
Arts & Entertainment
CULTURE FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY
Kingsland hopes to land their music in the hands of all
First-year business administration student Malcolm Strasdin is the guitarist and secondary vocalist in the local alternative rock band Kingsland. Before the group takes off for Europe this summer, you can catch them live at the Queensland Community Centre on Feb. 8. MIKAELA MACKENZIE PHOTO
BY INONGE CHIMWASO A&E EDITOR
Calgary-based alternative rock band Kingsland hopes to progress in both the national and
international music scenes. And first-year business administration student and Kingsland guitarist Malcolm Strasdin is determined to help the band achieve this goal. “My dream is play Japan one
day,” he said. “To get off this continent and take a tour through Europe.” While this goal may seem somewhat unattainable for a small, local band, Kingsland is in the process of scheduling a Eu-
ropean tour this summer. With Europe nearly crossed off their bucket list, recording and releasing their second extended play (EP) is next on their checklist. According to Strasdin, while producing quality music is important, so is being able to promote it. Strasdin, however, admits that the band often fails to promote themselves online, though touring has played a big part in gaining Kingsland exposure. With four cross-Canada tours now under their belt, the band is determined to leave a footprint in the Canadian music scene. In the meantime, Kingsland has been using creative ways to promote their music. On Jan. 18, Kingsland started making videos as part of their One Take Covers. Each cover of a song is recorded once, and that first take is uploaded, unedited with all the mistakes, to their Facebook page. YouTube artists that lip-sync over professionally recorded and polished tracks of their voice inspired Kingsland to make this move. This led them to want to display their actual sound without any alterations because “musicians get washed away in people’s production,” said Strasdin.
the
Kingsland’s lead vocalist, Ruel Gauld, is “always fighting towards using our real sound,” said Strasdin, because pitch corrections often sound obvious in tracks. Creating One Take Covers is only one of the unconventional promotional methods the band is using. On Nov. 24, 2013, Kingsland invited those who would be attending their show that evening to participate in helping make their ‘From the Valley’ music video. Attendees were asked to bring any recording device to film the show while the band performed. Those who uploaded their video onto the band’s laptop that evening received a discount on Kingsland merchandise. “People do genuinely appreciate that next level of effort of do-it-yourself projects,” said Strasdin. Kingsland’s next show will be on Feb. 8, at Queensland Community Centre, and on March 18, the band will head down to Winnipeg to play alongside Torontobased metalcore band Abandon All Ships and Hamilton-based metal band Skynet. To find out more about Kingsland, visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/wearekingsland.
WEAL
Your student newspaper needs YOU. If you are a returning full-time student for the 2014/15 academic year, please apply by February 24. We have writing, photography, editing and layout positions. Employment begins mid-March 2014 and lasts until March 2015. Please email giselle.wedemire@sait.ca for an application.
theWeal.com | February 3, 2014
Romeo, art thou an electrician? SAIT student an electrifying actor BY YASMIN MAYNE WEAL WRITER
SAIT student James Cowley wears two masks in Calgary: during the day he is an electrician, but at night and on weekends, he is an actor. Cowley has always loved acting, but in order to finance his passion, Cowley needed a profession that would provide steady work. According to Cowley, “it was pretty commonplace in my mind that I would choose to become an electrician,” since his brother is an electrician and sold him on the benefits of the profession— primarily the fact that it is a sturdy trade that always has work. Cowley is currently in his third-year of SAIT’s electrician apprenticeship program and expects to graduate in December. Throughout his academic career, Cowley has acted in six productions in Calgary with a variety of companies including the Pumphouse Theatre and the Shakespeare Company. Cowley’s love for acting began from an early age. “My mom always tells me that since I was little, I loved Back to the Future and was reciting the script word for word at the age of three.” However, Cowley would never have made it onto the stage if his younger sister, Sophia Cowley, had not given him the push he needed. After graduating high school in 2009, Cowley was unsure of whether or not he wanted to pursue acting seriously when Sophia asked him, “James you’re not doing anything with acting, why not.” When Cowley did not answer, Sophia said, “James, there are people out there on the roads driving past you, and they don’t even know you’re James Cowley because you’re not doing anything with your acting.” Those words hit home with Cowley and in October 2010, he joined the Summerstock Theatre Company, where he got his start. Cowley has never had any formal acting training, except for a six-week course at the Company
of Rogues Actor’s Studio on 17 Avenue, which he took during his first year at SAIT. However, such limited training did not hold Cowley back, and through a lot of hard work and networking, he has begun to make a name for himself in the Calgary acting community. It hasn’t been easy for Cowley to balance his work as an apprentice electrician and an actor, so much so that he once was unable to complete a production with the Summerstock Theatre Company because he could not simultaneously attend the required rehearsals and complete all his work at SAIT. However, Cowley’s family is very supportive and they encourage him to pursue both his passions to the best of his abilities. Cowley’s colleagues in the electrician trade are also supportive of his acting career. “I was actually a little bit nervous to tell the first couple of guys that I was working with that I was an actor, because you don’t often hear of a tradesman pursuing acting and I was unsure how they would react,” said Cowley. When he finally did tell them, though, his colleagues were surprisingly supportive. Now, Cowley is completely confident in telling anyone that he is both an electrician and an actor. Cowley’s dream is to take his acting career as far as it will go and to begin acting in productions with more renowned companies in the Calgary area, like Stage West Calgary and Theatre Calgary. Cowley will continue to work as an electrician for the foreseeable future, not just to support his acting dreams, but because he enjoys the work. “The content of electrical is incredible and it surprises me daily. I would love to stick around and be a part of this technology as it continues to advance very quickly into the future.” If you are an aspiring actor and want a mentor or friend to help you get started in the industry, contact James Cowley at cowley.j@live.ca.
is hiring! Third-year electrician apprentice James Cowley has been acting in local productions for the last two years and hopes to pursue a career in theatre.
AMANDA SIEBERT PHOTO
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February 3, 2014 | theWeal.com
Opinions ANTI-GAY LAWS ‘PUTIN’ POLItICS ON THE PODIUM BY MONICA HENDERSON OPINIONS EDITOR
rights have made over recent years. And while Putin assures the With the Olympics approach- world that the law is specifically ing, one of the biggest questions geared towards the ban of homostill on minds worldwide is how sexual propaganda for minors, Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws and not a law against homowill affect the competition. sexual relationships, visitors to Russia has reassured the In- Russia have witnessed first-hand ternational Olympic Commit- that the law affects anyone who tee (IOC) multiple times that demonstrates “non-traditional” everyone will be welcome to sexual orientation. the Games despite their sexual Elton John stated in the Naorientation, and that the Russian tional Post that when talking to hosts will honour the rules of the gay and lesbian Russians while Olympics by not making any po- in Russia in December, that, “Evlitical statements. eryone shared stories of verbal “We will do our best, and our and physical abuse—at work, athletes and fans will do their in bars and restaurants or in best too, so that both participants the street—since the legislation and guests feel themselves com- came into force last June.” fortable at [the] Sochi Olympics John also stated that HIV preregardless of their ethnicity, race vention information was labelled or sexual orientation,” Putin said as “homosexual propaganda” in an article published on NYDai- and has been shut down. lyNews.com. Boycotting the games was Even though political displays determined out of the question will be exempt from the Games, because, well, it’s the Olympics, one begs the question why there and athletes train and dream should even be a controversy in their entire lives to compete in the first place. them. It seems unbelievable, that However, mini-protests are Russia could pass such a law happening everywhere, one of and seem to take an enormous the most interesting being Presistep backwards, given the ad- dent Barack Obama’s decision to vancements lesbian, gay, bi- be absent from the games, and sexual and transgender (LGBT) sending openly gay, former ath-
letes in his place as the U.S. delegation for the Games instead. Most would call it gutsy, based on everything that’s going on, but one Italian IOC member called it “absurd.” “It’s absurd that a country like [the U.S.] sends four lesbians to Russia just to demonstrate that in their country gay rights have [been established],” Mario Pescante said in an Italian Olympic Committee meeting, quoted by NYDailyNews.com. “The games should not be an occasion and a stage to promote rights that sports supports daily.” Pescante went on to say that he had nothing against gays, but it’s not surprising that no one believes him and he’s got everyone in an uproar. The truth is, the Olympics aren’t supposed to be a political event, but this year they will be, and Russia brought this upon itself by passing its anti-gay law the summer before the Olympics came to town. Though he promises that politics will not interfere with the Games, Putin can’t escape the world’s inevitable scrutiny after making a law that has outraged people worldwide. A word to the wise, Putin: If you don’t want your Olympics to become a political event, per-
Though the Olympics aren’t meant to be a political event, the new law banning “anti-gay propaganda” in Russia has turned into a political nightmare for Vladimir Putin and the IOC. SUSAN KIM ILLUSTRATION
haps don’t make a ridiculous law that discriminates against millions of people, includ-
ing athletes travelling halfway around the world to participate in them.
theWeal.com | February 3, 2014
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Canadian men’s Olympic team unveiled BY SHELDON SMITH WEAL WRITER
Amidst much speculation, Steve Yzerman, in his second tour of duty as Canada’s executive director of Team Canada, released Canada’s 25-man hockey roster for the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. While Yzerman has one of the easiest jobs in Canada—selecting a team of 25 NHL superstars—it’s also one of the hardest. There were a few notable players whose omission from the Olympic team had the country abuzz, and a few players who happened to fly under the radar and make the team. The most difficult selection for Yzerman, without any doubt, was Martin St. Louis, of the Tampa Bay Lightning. St. Louis, after all, is the reigning Art Ross trophy winner, and in the midst
of another excellent season with 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points, he’s good enough to be tenth in scoring so far. Based on St.Louis’ numbers, and the fact he’s played the majority of the year with superstar centre Steven Stamkos, it was a surprising cut. A respected veteran, St. Louis was more than deserving of a spot on Team Canada’s roster. The Pittsburgh Penguins had two wingers in Chris Kunitz and James Neal, who sparked quite the debate in whether or not they’d be on the Olympic team. Kunitz, of course, is Sidney Crosby’s main man and most trusted winger. As of press time, Kunitz has 53 points this year, to place sixth in the NHL and Yzerman made it clear that Kunitz deserved to be on the team, regardless of if he’s Crosby’s winger or not.
“[Kunitz] plays with Crosby. He’s been a great contributor to that line and his team,” Yzerman said, in an article published by the Toronto Star on Tuesday, Jan. 7. “The question a lot of people have asked is, had Chris Kunitz been helped by Crosby? They help each other. On his own, does he belong on this team? Our answer is yes.” While Kunitz merits a spot on the team, many people in Canada felt a more heralded player should’ve been on the Olympic roster. What those other players wouldn’t have with Crosby that Kunitz has, though, is chemistry. There’s no one else Crosby wants flanking him. To date, James Neal has had a bit of a disjointed season, which could be why he wasn’t included in the Olympic team. His statis-
tics, though, say otherwise. Neal has scored 77 goals—that’s more than any Canadian winger has scored during the past three NHL seasons. At 1.05 points per game (PPG), Neal also has the highest PPG of Canadian-born wingers in the last three years, as well as the highest goals per game with 0.53. Neal also has spent time on Crosby’s line, and has a shot that’s comparable to that of Stamkos’ shot. Clearly, Neal would’ve brought a lot to the team had he not been omitted from the roster. Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers was another surprising omission of Team Canada as he has the third most points in the NHL since 2011 with 187 points. Are there really 14 forwards in the NHL who possess a Canadian birth certificate that are
better at hockey than Mr. Giroux? Doubt it. On paper, Canada is in the weakest division in the Games, with Norway, Austria and Finland joining them in Group B. Getting out of their group will be a breeze for Team Canada, but like in Vancouver in 2010, getting the gold medal isn’t easy. At the Team Canada orientation camp in August 2013, Mike Babcock, Team Canada’s returning head coach from the Vancouver Games, said that there was tons of time to prepare the team for Sochi. Only time will tell if Yzerman and his braintrust will either be hailed as heroes, or be vilified for these omissions to the team, and we’ll be watching the Games to see what the verdict on Yzerman’s roster eventually is.
The Executive Corner The hunt is over
BY TEGAN COCHRANE SAITSA PRESIDENT
Job hunting can be a daunting task for a new graduate. Finding an employer who will allow you to be creative and implement meaningful initiatives may seem impractical. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not. The SAIT Students’
Association gives you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students, by empowering them to reach their full potential and helping them enjoy their post-secondary experience. As a SAITSA Student Executive you have the opportunity to travel the country, develop your professional and personal skills, and represent the SAIT student body. You will have the support of an amazing team which includes several departments such as: Marketing and Communications, Food and Beverage, Events and Programming, as well as a General Manager and over 190 volunteers. All of these supports are dedicated to helping you realize your term objectives. You will be exposed to the inner workings of a major organization by being involved
and providing input on various committees. You learn how to work as an effective team player, how to strategically execute ideas and how to research, write and speak effectively. There are four executive positions available which include President, VP External, VP Academic and VP Student Life. Let’s hear from each executive what their role includes: “My job is to deal with government and media relations on behalf of the students. I get to work with administrators and students across the country to improve the experience for all SAIT students.” –Kenneth Taylor VP External “I take care of all academic concerns at an administrative level. I protect and guide stu-
dents through troubling times” –Thomas Cruickshank VP Academic “I have fun while educating and engaging students through awareness events and activities.” –Amanda Hanna VP Student Life Finally, as your President I am responsible for overseeing all SAITSA operations and finances. I also represent the student body on the SAIT Board of Governors, ensuring that the student perspective is considered at all levels of administration. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable the experience of being a student executive has been. I hope that you decide to take a risk and to seize an opportunity that doesn’t come by very often. If you are up for a challenge with a high reward, I
would encourage you to run for a position on the Student Executive Council. Election nomination periods run from February 3rd to February 28th. Nomination packages will be available online, at MC107 and V204 as of 8:30am Monday February 3rd, 2014. If you are interested in learning more about this incredible opportunity, please feel free to e-mail me at saitsa.president@ edu.sait.ca or visit our website at www.saitsa.com. Cheers, Tegan Cochrane SAITSA President 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.
First-year journalism student Robyn Hertz asks the SAIT campus:
“What will you be watching during the Olympics?”
“Hockey and snowboarding.”
“Hockey.”
“Hockey, skiing and curling.”
Shayne Stumpf, first-year web
Alex Bean, first-year architectural
Joe Babey, fourth-year business
development
technologies
student
“Hockey and skeleton.”
“Ski jumping and mogul [skiing].”
“Ski jumping and ski races.”
Ryan Nummi, first-year civil
Danika Ferguson, first-year
Brett Bolin, second-year construc-
engineering technology student
business administration student
tion project management student
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February 3, 2014 | theWeal.com