The Weal - March 10, 2014 by The Weal, SAITSA's student run publication

REVEALING SAIT’S DEEPEST, DARKEST SECRETS SINCE 1926

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WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE SAIT STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 88 ISSUE 21

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Long-time VP Academic leaves SAIT Page 2 Hula hoop your way to fitness Page 11 Sochi Olympics a surprising success Page 15

March 10, 2014

March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com NEWS EDITOR

THE VICE-PRESIDENT HAS LEFT THE BUILdING

A&E EDITOR

Dr. Gord Nixon leaves SAIT in wake of new five-year strategic plan

Crystal Schick

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

PHOTO EDITOR Brent Calver

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Evan Buhler

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Mikaela MacKenzie

ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Susan Kim

LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR Patricia Rye

LAYOUT & GRAPHICS EDITOR Alannah Pohran

BY CRYSTAL SCHICK NEWS EDITOR

SAIT announced on Feb. 18, that the longtime SAIT employee and Vice-president of Academic, Dr. Gordon Nixon, would no longer be employed at the school, effective immediately. The abrupt change was made in an effort to keep SAIT aligned with the its new strategic plan, which SAIT President and CEO Dr. David Ross talked about the planning of at the second annual president’s town hall meeting on Feb. 4. While keeping students’ success at the forefront, the new five-year strategic plan, among other goals, aims to increase SAIT’s global involvement by bringing SAIT’s students, ideas and modernizations to the world and vice versa, while continuing to innovate locally. “These organizational [leadership] changes will enable SAIT to better respond to emerging opportunities in new markets, areas of learning, and applied research,” said SAIT media relations specialist Melanie Simmons concerning Nixon’s departure. Lee Haldeman has been appointed as interim vice president of academic and there is cur-

On Feb. 18, SAIT announced that effectively immediately, former Vice-president Academic Dr. Gordon Nixon was no longer an employee of the institution. Nixon is a SAIT alumnus and held the position of VP Academic since 2001.

CRYSTAL SCHICK PHOTO

rently no set date or timeline to select a permanent replacement for the position. Kenneth Taylor, SAITSA vicepresident external, said that this change “came as a bit of a surprise to [SAITSA], but the timing seems right.” Nixon had been with the institution for over 33 years and did a tremendous job, Taylor said, but with the “re-visioning” of the institution, the time was right to “hand the torch over to someone

else.” Taylor would like to see students have a voice in the appointment of Nixon’s successor, “if not as decision-makers, at least as consultants.” Nixon’s departure is not the only leadership and organizational structure change that has occurred due to the new strategic plan. Dr. Alex Zahavich has been appointed to a newly created role as interim vice president

from SAIT property for a period of three years. At approximately 6:00 a.m., Security escorted the individual off campus.

ill in the Senator Burns building. Security located the contractor who was not coherent or responsive. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) assistance was requested. At approximately 9:55 p.m., the contractor stopped breathing and had no pulse. Security immediately began administering CPR and was able to revive the contractor. At 10 p.m., EMS arrived on-site, followed by the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) one minute later. EMS assessed the contractor who was breathing but unconscious, and prepared her for transport. At approximately 10:14 p.m., EMS was off-site and en route to an undisclosed medical facility. CFD was offsite at 10:15 p.m.

of corporate development and applied research, Maureen MacDonald has been appointed to another new postion as associate vice-president of communications and marketing, and Wayne King’s title has changed from CFO and vice president of corporate services to CFO and senior vice-president of SAIT. SAIT media relations was unable to provide comment on if Nixon’s departure was a resignation.

WEB MASTER Jennifer Poon

FACT CHECKER Evan Whitmore

SOCIAL MEDIA GURU Jordyn Thomson

COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Crystal Schick

CONTRIBUTORS

Amanda Siebert, Carys Richards, Lacey Pilgrim, Yasmin Mayne, Andrew Crossett

CORRECTION

Re: ACAD Alumni featured in the school’s latest exhibit, Feb. 24 The alumni featured in this exhibit are from the fine art and craft areas. The curator has not been chosen for the next shows. The Visual Arts Department at the Banff Centre runs the Walter Phillips Gallery. Diana Sherlock is an instructor in the School of Critical and Creative Studies. As well, several paraphrased statements attributed to Sherlock were misrepresented as direct quotes. Direct letters, questions and concerns to:

PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Giselle Wedemire ph. 284-8458 / fax 210-4216

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

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 5:50 a.m., an individual visited the Security office to inquire about a missing backpack. The individual, who was intoxicated, has a history with Campus Security for sleeping on campus. Upon recognition by Security, he was banned

At approximately 9:53 p.m., Security received a call from a contractor supervisor reporting that one of her employees was

At 2:40 a.m., Security received a call from an East Hall community assistant reporting an unwanted guest in the building. Security located the unwanted guest in East Hall. The guest was visiting a friend in the building while recovering from the effects of alcohol consumption. At approximately 3:03 a.m., Security met with the guest’s friend, a SAIT student and a resident, in a room on another floor of the building and left the guest in the student’s care.

At approximately 8:25 a.m., Security received a call from EMS informing that they were en route to a medical emergency in the Campus Centre. At 8:32 a.m., Security located EMS attending an injured SAIT guest. The guest was lying on the floor, conscious but incoherent. EMS moved the guest to the ambulance for further evaluation. At approximately 9:03 a.m., EMS left SAIT with the guest en route to an undisclosed medical facility.

At 1:58 a.m., Security received notification of a fire alarm going off in the East Hall Residence. Security met the CFD at the 16th Avenue and 11th Street campus entrance and escorted them to the East Hall. At approximately 2:08 a.m., extra security personnel arrived to assist with crowd control. At approximately 2:27 a.m., CFD determined that a smoke detector had been activated when a fire extinguisher was discharged on the building’s fifth floor. CFD gave the “all clear” and at approximately 2:50 a.m., Security resumed regular duties. The incident remains under investigation.

theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

$5 million donation to SAIT makes Canadian history BY AMANDA SIEBERT WEAL WRITER

On Feb. 26, investment manager David Bissett made a sizeable donation towards SAIT Polytechnic’s scholarship and bursary program. SAIT Students’ Association (SAITSA) President Tegan Cochrane made the announcement of Bissett’s $5 million donation in the Irene Lewis Atrium. “Scholarships that support students through education are extremely important,” said Cochrane to a large crowd filled with SAIT students and faculty, community members, secondary school students, and media. “Financial support for students is one of the biggest things we can provide and it’s definitely a struggle for many,” she said. The hefty donation, which is the largest scholarship donation given to any college or polytechnic in Canadian history, will be directed towards a bursary program geared to well-rounded high school graduates that are in financial need. Bissett, a well-known philanthropist and the name behind Mount Royal’s Bissett School of Business, has contributed to a number of Canadian organizations over the years. He has also donated to SAIT’s infrastructure development in the past. “We have a real mismatch between kids’ skills and the needs of the marketplace,” said Bissett, who also said he would like to see more high school students pursuing post-secondary education in the trades and technology industries. “This donation is not only good for the individuals, but good for the Alberta economy.” David Ross, SAIT President and CEO, was in attendance and thanked Bissett for his significant financial contribution. “It will change the lives of students and their families for generations to come,” said Ross, who emphasized the

SAIT President David Ross, SAITSA President Tegan Cochrane, and philanthropist David Bissett posed for the media with a group of SAIT’s future prospective students on Feb. 26 in the Irene Lewis Atrium after Cochrane announced Bissett’s $5 million donation to SAIT’s scholarship and bursary program. AMANDA SIEBERT PHOTO

lasting impact the donation would have on both students and society. “It will allow SAIT to build a legacy of success.” Sabrena Stauffer, a secondyear marketing student, said that the donation would be great for the future of the

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March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com

SAIT’s deepest secret revealed hidden passages on campus are right under your nose (and feet)

Sig Zoller, manager of maintenance grounds and renovation services, stands in one of the underground tunnels that connect all main campus buildings together under SAIT. While these underground passages may seem like a great way to get around campus in the winter, these tunnels are home to pipes containing various utilities and are not safe for student usage. CRYSTAL SCHICK PHOTO

CRYSTAL SCHICK NEWS EDITOR

Rumours about the existence of a complex system of warm, interconnecting tunnels located under the cold, wintry exterior campus of SAIT are true after all. These underground tunnels, which are built to route different utility piping from building to building, have multiplied over the years to keep up with the campus’ growth, and successfully connect to each building. However, the dark, dank, hot, steamy and narrow maintenance tunnels were not built to accommodate SAIT student body’s cold, wintery, building-to-building commuting. The long passageways are

a mere three to four feet wide after accommodating huge piping, which runs along either side of the tunnels’ concrete walls and can run as deep as 20 feet below ground level. “They’re dangerous [for students] and weren’t built with them in mind,” said Sig Zoller, manager of maintenance, grounds and renovations services, as he explained why students aren’t allowed to use the tunnel system. “If they were ever to do a tunnel system for students, they would look way different than [these tunnels].” They would, for example, be wider, temperature controlled, and not filled with hazardous exposed piping. The tunnels’ various pipes are each filled with differing

utilities, such as water, plumbing, electrical wiring or burning hot steam, which is why the tunnels are dangerous for students and why the tunnels’ average temperature is around 25 C. The secret tunnels have an access point in every building on campus, which are generally located in mechanical rooms. Building operators and other maintenance crews use the tunnels as a simplified way to travel from mechanical room to mechanical room across campus. “The whole power for each building is controlled here,” Zoller said of the mechanical rooms. “One [flick] of a switch will—BOOM—turn the power off for the whole building.” While the idea of student-

friendly tunnels is alluring for any students sick of commuting in the cold between classes, the expense of such a venture would be too high to be considered practical. Zoller said the cost of building tunnels for student usage, in conjunction with the utility tunnels “would be crazy” and refurbishing the current tunnels is unrealistic, as there are too many logistically impossible changes and safety measures to take. Most students questioned had no idea that these tunnels existed, but thought that they would be great for cold wintery campus commuting. “It would be handy for when it’s [-30 C] outside,” said Amanda Stanley, first-year business accounting student. Stanley pointed out though,

that it is a small campus and getting from building to building is generally a short distance. Therefore, if money were put towards tunnel usage, it should not be at the detriment of other areas of funding. Cory Allen, electrical basics continued education student, agreed that the tunnels shouldn’t come at a cost, but said, “If they were easy to access, I would use them in the winter months, not the summer though.” Zoller suggests if folks are too cold walking outside, they can easily make their way across campus by going from building to building with little time spent outside. “We’re Calgarians, we have thick skin in the wintertime,” he said.

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theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

SAIT Baking and Pastry Arts student Amanda Schafer engaged with students like Bruce Wang, left, and Justin Mulrain and wore a pink shirt to support Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying initiative, in Campus Centre on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Pink Shirt Day occurs in schools across the country to encourage students to take a stand against bullying. SARAH COLLINS PHOTO

Studdys Canada helps students fund dreams of higher education BY KRISTA CONRAD LIFESTYLE WRITER

Students at SAIT who are planning to further their education post-graduation can tap into the Studdys Canada database to unearth funding sources. Sisters Sarah and Maggie Lortie launched the Ontariobased online source after they had a difficult time tracking down scholarships and grant opportunities for their graduate programs at Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo, respectively. Studdys allows students to discover funding for graduate and doctorate degree work. “We realized the hard way that the existing information [on student funding] is disjointed and sometimes inaccurate, and there doesn’t appear to be one centralized source of all the existing information,” Sarah Lortie said. “So we decided to create it.” The main objective of Studdys is to help post-graduate students find shortcuts in their search for funding, and to provide information and advice to those entangled in the difficult process of finding and attaining scholarships and other funding opportunities. Studdys has compiled funding information at Studdys. com into four main categories to ensure that information is straightforward and easily attainable. Students using the site can search comprehensive lists under the headings of graduate fellowships, graduate

scholarships, admission packages, and a unique category entitled ‘follow-the-stars.’ “We consider the stars as the leaders in the research community who seek assistance with their research work and have funds to conduct it in their area of expertise,” said Sarah Lortie. The website also lists available scholarships by their specific location, degree level, and field of study, in addition to funding offered by particular universities and research or teaching job postings that can help students fund their education. “We see ourselves as a dooropener for students to scholarship, fellowships and other funding information,” said Sarah Lortie. Many companies and research facilities will provide financing to students in their areas of study, and the federal and provincial governments offer more field-specific grants for post-graduate students than at the undergraduate level. Undergraduate awards tend to be offered on a more general basis, often with financial need or status as the main criteria, whereas most postgraduate awards are reserved for students in specific fields and are often in the form of fellowships and grants. Studdys is a derivative of the word “studies,” but the founders purposely spelled it differently to make it more recognizable and distinctive online.

“It’s unique and people remember it because it seems counterintuitive,” said Sarah Lortie. Students can register with Studdys.com at any time and there is no fee for using the resources that Studdys Canada has to offer. Registration with the service guarantees that students receive regular updates on available funding opportunities in their field of study, and access to informational programs to learn more about the process of funding their education.

“The informational sessions are a new and exciting addition to Studdys,” said Sarah Lortie. “They will take place in the form of webinars, podcasts, and online seminars and coaching, and should be running by the spring of 2014.” While there is no deadline to register with the website, Sarah Lortie recommends signing up as soon as possible, and at least six months prior to the beginning of a program. Registering as early as possible allows students to have

all the documents, letters and materials requested in their applications ready to submit for specific grants, scholarships, and bursaries. With their website, Studdys Canada hopes that making funding opportunities more accessible will make graduate or doctorate school more attainable for students. “Our ultimate goal is to make funding easier to find, so that students will pursue their education without being afraid of debt,” Sarah Lortie said.

March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com

SPORTS NEWS AND VIEWS FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY

Trojans hockey coach puts his career on ice BY BRENT CALVER PHOTO EDITOR

SAIT Trojans women’s hockey coach Terry Larson finished coaching his last game on Feb. 8. Larson, who has been coaching Trojans hockey for six years, has decided to hang up the whistle for good to enjoy the spoils of retirement. His departure has had a profound effect on his team, and he will be missed dearly by players and fans alike for his personality and coaching technique. Retiring from Telus after 36 years of installing high-speed and fibre optic lines, he felt it was time to leave the ice for good and enjoy life after work, spend more time renovating his house and travelling with his wife. Having coached hockey for about 24 years, Larson started out by coaching girl’s hockey, working his way up to Midget AAA for nine seasons before

Trojans women's hockey coach Terry Larson bade farewell to longtime Trojan Bret Howe in a pre-game ceremony before the final Trojan's home game o the season on February 8. This season, Howe reached her fifth and final year of eligibility after 85 games with the Trojans. Coach Larson announced two days later that he was also hanging his skates up and retiring. ANDREW CROSSETT PHOTO

leading the team at SAIT. During this time, Larson also coached fast-pitch softball. In his time at SAIT, Larson has seen his team through some

ups and downs. In the team’s earlier years, the Trojans were strong, but in recent years, they’ve struggled for championships and with recruitment

because “with a lot of two year programs, it’s hard to get that [level of] experience,” he said. “We’ve been rebuilding [the team] the last couple years,” Lar-

son continued. Bret Howe, captain of the Trojans women’s hockey team and fifth-year business administration student, had been on the team for a year when Larson signed on in 2009. “He brought a different light, like a different coaching perspective than what a lot of girls are used to,” she said. “He’s a really easy person to talk to.” During Larson’s final game on Feb. 8, Howe said that you could see the emotion in her teammates’ eyes when he announced that that game would be his last. No one on the team wanted to see him go. “I think that alone speaks for itself,” said Howe. Annette Jensen, the team’s assistant coach, worked with Larson for the first time this year and she was also sad to see him go. “It was hard to hear, because I think we both started to come to a common ground and really get to know each other and how we both coach,” Jensen said.

theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

Some Trojans left battling, some left reeling

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The Trojans finished their season with a record of 12 wins in 18 regular season games played, earning backto-back medal years after finishing bronze this season and silver the year before.

BY CARYS RICHARDS WEAL WRITER

After yet another grueling weekend of competition, only two of SAIT’s athletic teams remain in the hunt for an Alberta College Athletics Conference (ACAC) championship after the weekend of Feb 23-26. The men’s volleyball season concluded on Feb. 23 with a 3-0 shutout against the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings, earning a bronze medal to show for their effort. The three-game playoff series included games on Feb. 21 and 22. The Trojans beat the Keyano Huskies 61-53 the first night and dropped a 3-1 decision against the Grant MacEwan Griffins the second. The Trojans finished their season with a record of 12 wins in 18 regular season games played, earning back-

to-back medal years after finishing bronze this season and silver last year. “I’m very proud… of our efforts as a team, proud of all our individuals, proud of our coaching staff and proud of the result,” said head coach Dan Gilbert. The women’s basketball squad secured a spot in the post season after beating the Keyano Huskies 61-53 at home on Feb. 21, and the Concordia Thunder 53-42 on the road the next evening. The men’s hockey team also concluded their regular season with a pair of wins, pushing their season’s record to 24 wins, six losses, and two ties in 32 games played, making them good enough for second seed in the standings. The Trojans hockey squad finished their season on a high note, defeating the Grant

MacEwan Griffins twice. First in a dominating 6-2 victory on Friday, Feb. 21, and then again by a score of 5-2 the next evening. Finishing in the top two gives the Trojans a bye into the second round of the playoffs, which means the team now faces a break until the ACAC semi-final round begins on March 14. The extended break between games doesn’t concern head coach Ken Babey, who knows his team will be ready when they hit the ice again. “We’re going to have to practice hard and well and keep sharp,” he said. “It will be good because we can get prepared for whoever we play. We should be full of energy when that time comes.”

March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com

theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

Beesley: Instructor by day, announcer by night BY ANDREW HALIPCHUK SPORTS WRITER

BRENT CALVER PHOTO

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If you find that you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life.

tions throughout the entire game. Beesley first started with the team in 1996 when he received a call from the Flames’ thencurrent announcer and CTV anchor Russ Peake, informing him that Peake was considering retiring and he thought Beesley should apply for the job of in-house announcer. Peake told Beesley to go down to the Saddledome and tryout for the position.

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You cannot go to a Calgary Flames game without hearing the unmistakable voice of announcer Beesley, and what he does during the day may surprise you. Asking to be referred to by his radio name of 30 years, the man simply known as Beesley is currently in his third year of teaching in the radio television broadcasting news (RTBN) program as SAIT’s lead instructor for radio announcing. Focusing on the radio broadcasting portion of the program, Beesley teaches aspiring radio broadcasters the ability to speak in front of mass audiences as well as how to deliver content. “What we try to push is the facts that, if you’re going to be in our industry, there is going to be a mic live in front of you, and we want you to communicate a message… in an animated way,” Beesley said. Beesley said the presentation class he teaches informs students on how they can give their on-air reads personality, instead of reading the script’s words verbatim. “We don’t want to create machines, we want to create people that are real,” he said. In order to help students achieve this ability and to give their voice a personality, Beesley said that RTBN students must do adlib and improv classes to bring out their personalities. Finding a broadcaster’s onair personality will help them build their repertoire and make them more appealing to radio stations. Variety is also an important quality for any broadcaster. “In radio we are always looking for someone who is versatile,” said Beesley. “If you just read and love music, you’re not going to be very successful in the industry.” According to Beesley, radio broadcast skills don’t happen overnight. Rather, it takes years of practice to hone these skills. When he isn’t teaching at SAIT, Beesley can be heard at every Flames game down at the Scotiabank Saddledome, announcing goals, assists, penalties, and team promo-

There were about 20 people auditioning for the position, and at the audition, all Beesley had to do was pick up a microphone and call out his favourite player in a goal situation. He roared, “Goal scored by number 14, Theoren Fleury,” and after the audition and days of waiting, Beesley finally heard back from the Flames and they informed him that it was narrowed down to two contenders.

His competition eventually pulled out of the running days before they were going to start callbacks because the gig wasn’t offering enough money. “I thought to myself, ‘You’re crazy, you’re going to give up an opportunity to work in the National Hockey League, saying it’s not enough money?” Beesley recalled. “I love the game and maybe that’s what made me more attracted to it [the position] than

anyone else.” Beesley has been with the Flames since 1996, starting his tenure the same year as Flames former captain and all-star, Jarome Iginla, or ‘Iggy’ as Beesley calls him. “Iggy and I literally grew together. It’s kind of cool.” Being in the industry for 30 years often leads to the question of how much longer Beesley intends to announce at Flames games, and he said he will continue to do both jobs until he no longer feels fulfilled by them. “If you find that you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life.”

March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com

Lifestyle YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Travelling tech-savvy BY LACEY PILGRIM WEAL WRITER

Reasons to Explore

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF VECTOR-MAGZ.COM

The experience of travelling is an adventure that is meant to be contagious, not contained. Technology can help you share your knowledge and adventures while travelling. Sharing your experiences may seem difficult when you are away travelling because of possible circumstances such as no Internet, computer or cell phone. However, these forms of technology may be less expensive than you think, and there are some great ways to overcome these potential obstacles that may get in the way of sharing your experiences. Keeping a journal of some sort can help you remember the finer details of your trips, such as the names of people you have met along your journeys, the small moments that made you laugh, or the unique foods you’ve tasted. All of these memories can be easily forgotten, especially when travelling for a long period of time, if not recorded in some way. Online blogs or journals allow you to upload and caption your photos with your daily travel logs. Since these are online, they

understandably require the use of the Internet, which in some circumstances will require a portion of your budgeted money. However, there are many places that offer free Wi-Fi, such as restaurants you may be eating at or businesses where you have been a previous customer. If there is no Internet in the area you are travelling, you can always get around this by writing your thoughts and experiences in a separate document that can be saved on your computer and uploaded to the Internet at a later date. If logging your experiences in a journal format isn’t for you, a great way to share these experiences is through Facebook or Instagram. Uploading pictures or statuses are a great way to share and enlighten your friends and family about the places you have been to and the cultures you have gotten to know. Whichever form of technology you choose, I’ve found there’s always a way to make it backpacker-budget friendly. My loved ones always appreciate the exciting stories and fun-filled pictures I provide them with while I’m away.

theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

It can be easy being green BY KRISTA CONRAD LIFESTYLE WRITER

With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, many have turned their sights toward unleashing their Celtic pride by wearing green, drinking beer, and donning shamrocks or leprechaun hats. However, where most of these traditions came from remains a mystery to many. For instance, according to Jennie Cohen, writer for History.com, the original colour associated with St. Patrick and his knights was blue and the introduction of green is fabled to have begun in the 18th century, when green was worn by Irish

PATRICIA RYE ILLUSTRATION

independence supporters. Cohen wrote that the shamrock originates from St. Patrick and his Catholic teachings in Ireland, where he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity of the Catholic tradition. According to History.com, leprechauns, in their more rough, angry, greedy, mean and drunken depiction, were popular in Celtic folklore to explain the workings of evil and ill will, but tales of leprechauns turned into myth and legend with the introduction and adoption of Catholicism. As with the symbols of the shamrock and the colour green, the leprechaun became

a loveable character of Ireland when Irish-Americans introduced celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day in North America in the mid-19th century. Wearing green has now become one of the most popular annual traditions, mostly due to the fear of physical harm. “I try to wear green every year, because there are a lot of jerks out there and I don’t want to get pinched,” said Mitch Brayley, second-year electrician engineering technology student. Legend states that leprechauns, sneaky beasts that they are, linger about and can be anywhere, and that they will pinch—hard, and without guilt—those who do not wear

green in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. “I wear green when I go out on St. Patty’s Day, but not at school,” said second-year legal assistant student Demi McKercher. “It’s out of festivity, I guess, and also because you get pinched if you don’t.” These days, it is easy for students to pull off the St. Patrick’s Day green tradition, whether at school or at the local pub. “Green is an easy colour for anyone to wear, with any skin tone, for either sex,” said Crystal McKenzie, a Calgarybased fashion stylist. “You can go for a subtle look, or go all out with a fun green top or even pants.”

For the understated green touch that’s just obvious enough to keep you from getting pinched, McKenzie suggested opting for emerald-hued accessories. For women, McKenzie recommends green scarves, jewelry, headbands, and nail polish. Guys can accessorize with visibly green socks, ties, hats, undershirts, or watches. “Green is one of the easiest colours to wear, because it always looks good on everyone,” she said. So don’t be afraid to show your Irish pride this St. Patrick’s Day and wear a little green to avoid the pinching fingers of the leprechaun.

Hula hooping for fitness the source of hoopla for some BY YASMIN MAYNE WEAL WRITER

Hula hooping—or ‘hooping’—is gaining popularity in Calgary as a different and fun way to stay fit. The childhood pastime has recently become the fitness trend du jour thanks to its enjoyable methods of working up a sweat. “The benefits of hooping are endless. You get awesome cardio, it builds rhythm, [and] improves your hand-eye coordination and your reflexes,” said Ashely Kieran, one of the founding members of Hoop Troop, a Calgary based hula hooping company. Kieran has been hooping for about two years now, and she’s been hooked on it from the moment Melissa Kostiuck, a friend and one of the co-founders

of Hoop Troop, showed her a hooping video. The topic of hooping came up casually when both Kieran and Kostiuck were working at the Tudor Rose pub in Calgary’s Northwest back in 2012. When Kostiuck told Kieran she was into hooping, Kieran thought she just meant hula hooping around the waist, like what most people do when they are children. However, Kostiuck said, “No, I can do a lot with a hula hoop,” and when Kieran saw the video of Kostiuck hooping, she was mesmerized. “It blew my mind, I was so impressed. She was doing jumpthroughs and weaving the hoop through the air with her hands,” Kieran said. After that moment, Kieran, Kostiuck and another friend,

Ashley Kieran is a co-founder of local hula hooping fitness company Hoop Troop. Kieran said hooping is a great exercise as it provides a cardio workout imrproved rhythm, and sharpened reflexes.. YASMIN MAYNE PHOTO

Abby Willett, would head down to Riley Park to practice hooping in the summer. However, it wasn’t long before a crowd would gather and ask these hooping ladies to teach them some moves and tricks. “People were really interested and they kept asking us, “What’s going to happen when it gets cold out?’” Kieran said. It was then that Kieran and her friends realized that there was a big market in Calgary for hooping. The Hoop Troop company was then established in 2012 by Kieran, Kostiuck, and Willett, all three of whom are SAIT alumni. Hoop Troop offers beginner classes every Sunday from 12 to 1 p.m. at the West Hillhurst Community Centre.

Each one-hour class begins with a warm-up to get the body moving and to familiarize oneself with the hula hoop. After the warm-up, instructors teach two to four basic hooping techniques or tricks, depending on how easily the class picks up the moves. The class ends with a cool-down, and participants are encouraged to come in on Wednesdays from 11 to 12 p.m. to practice what they have learned. The biggest challenge for Hoop Troop right now is spreading the word and enthusiasm for hooping classes. “I think a lot of people don’t realize how much there is to [hooping] until they try it. The challenge is getting people to

challenge themselves,” Kieran said. Alexandra MacKay, a firstyear EMT student, is a perfect example of this. When asked whether she would be interested in participating in a hooping class, MacKay said. “It sounds interesting, but I am uncoordinated, so I don’t think it’s for me.” However, Kieran is on a mission to convert people like Mackay. “Hooping is for everybody. All it takes is a little bit of dedication,” she said. For more information about hooping, contact Ashley Kieran at hoop.troop@yahoo.ca or check out the Facebook page Hoop Troop.

March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com

Using social media to study has its perks BY YASHICA ANANDANI LIFESTYLE EDITOR

If you’re a student who longs for a helping hand in completing assignments, mixing education with social media may just be your fix. With CoopLearn.com—a social networking website for students worldwide—students can now connect and share their school-related thoughts, and collaboratively come up with solutions to academic doubts. According to CoopLearn founder Bassil Eid, the website was officially launched on Jan. 7, and is still being improved. For Eid, the inspiration to create this online platform came from his own contrasting experiences of not having anyone to help him power through his first year at the University of Ottawa, and then having a group of friends to work with during his second year. “I just saw the benefits of having that support group and having those classmates always be around for you. That kind of fellowship really allowed me to learn the actual

BRENT CALVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

content [and] material being taught,” he said. “I really wanted to mimic that environment and I thought the best way to do that was to

actually have it up online [and] have that pressure being taken away from you.” By signing up for free on CoopLearn.com, Eid explained,

students get to create study rooms that can be made private—where the student who created that study room gets to choose whom to invite—or

public, where anyone on the website can join. Kevin Smith, first-year academic upgrading student at SAIT, found out about the website through a classmate and has been using it for his math class ever since the beginning of February. With a handful of classmates now a part of his study room, Smith said assignments are often uploaded and possible answers for the assignment are discussed as a group. “At first, we didn’t really know what to expect. But as soon as we jumped into it, we got pretty familiar with how to use things,” Smith said. “The website guides you along the functionality, so you get familiar with it pretty fast, and we realized [that] we could use it for our benefits.” SAIT Centre for Academic Learner Services mathematics instructor Janice Rey believes CoopLearn is a good way for fellow classmates to interact and help each other out because it helps students to “actually learn by teaching.” “So I think as far as cooperative learning goes, it’s a good idea,” she said.

Make the best impression at first glance BY HOPE AQUINO-CHIEN INTERROBANG (LONDON)

As much as we would like to believe otherwise, appearances really can make or break your interview.

Yes, what is on the “inside” does count, but your first impression begins as soon as you come into contact, when your potential employer only knows you by your resume. Whether it is right or wrong, in many instances

an interview is when you will be judged on how you present yourself and stand out from others. While body language conveys a lot about you, your physical appearance also creates an initial perception of you that people will remember. Therefore it is crucial to dress your best – and that means slightly overdressing. In First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You, authors Ann Demaris and Valerie White explain that the first information people get about something influences how they process any information received afterward. This means that you can generally expect people to believe what they first hear or see as an indicator of the truth. Do not give anyone a chance to misjudge or misread you on something so easily manipulated. Act and dress to impress!

eye contact can convey a lot of expression that people pick up on.

Facial

Attire

Expressions Make sure you are aware of your facial expressions, even while you are listening to someone else speak! Your ‘resting’ face can tell an interviewer a lot about how attentive you can be when receiving information.

Energy

Level

No matter whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you should still maintain a good energy level to show that you are eager and ready for challenges.

Eye

Posture

Nothing can convey confidence like making strong eye contact. This doesn’t mean staring the interviewer down, but making

Good posture gives off a better impression than going through an interview with slumped shoulders. Body language is definitely observed by interviewers

Contact

and noted in how you will represent their organization.

One of the most obvious factors in giving a first impression; there is a lot you can do to dress right. Keep in mind the weather and dress appropriately, do research and know the standard of dressing for the organization and it is always safe to be a bit more dressed for business than casual. To increase your chance of the best outcome possible, keep in mind that these are things you should think of while prepping for your interview. A lot of times candidates will all appear similar based on qualifications, and so what interviewers look for are the qualities that make you an individual, how you will fit into their corporate culture and how well you will represent their company. When you create a good impression right off the bat, the interviewer will look for more specific information to support their belief in you, and that’s when you get a chance to shine! ALANNAH POHRAN ILLUSTRATIONS

theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

CULTURE FOR THE SAIT COMMUNITY

Dark play gives students the opportunity to shine BY INONGE CHIMWASO A&E EDITOR

Every year the first-year radio, television and broadcast news (RTBN) students organize a play that is not only meant to engage the audience, but also to give them invaluable handson experience. This year, on Feb. 24-27, first-year RTBN students took to the stage at The Presentation Theatre in the Senator Burns building to put on a theatrical rendition of 1984. Based on George Orwell’s novel of the same name, director Greg Spielman said “the play is very dark,” and it reflects a time when the world was under the watchful eye of an unknown, omniscient ruler called Big Brother. In 1984, history was rewritten to align with the teachings of the mysterious ruler in an attempt to manipulate the world, and those who spoke against Big Brother were punished. Despite Orwell’s novel being written in 1949, Spielman said the plot is still very relatable to today’s social climate. “One would surmise that 1984 is dated, but if you look past the cultural references from that era and sort of put it into present day, it’s very appropriate to tell you the truth,” he said. While the play tells a dramatic tale, Spielman admitted that putting on a theatrical version of 1984 isn’t so much about how well the students act, but instead about the applicable skills they gained from putting on the play. “It’s not about any one function within [the play]. It’s about pulling everyone together to gel, to make sure things fly at the end of the day.” With students being assigned roles such as the cameraman, audio person, switcher, foreman or publicist, Spielman said these roles allowed students to learn the technical side of radio, television and broadcast news. This also allowed them to work as a team. While the students gained skills they can use in their future broadcasting careers, Spielman said organizing the play was no small feat. According to Spielman, professional actors can spend up to six days a week for roughly three weeks and nearly 144 hours rehearsing for a play, as well as a week of preview performances. The first-year RTBN students, however, only met with Spielman twice a week for a period of six weeks and a total of 56 hours to prepare for 1984. This gave students “a third of the time,” compared to the amount of time professionals in the theatrical industry spends on organizing,

promoting, rehearsing and perfecting a play. Spielman said staging the play every year is “really a huge experience” that is best suited to first-year RTBN students in their second semesters because during the first semester, first-

year students are taught the fundamentals of the different areas of radio, television and broadcast news. During the following semester, students get an opportunity to put those fundamentals to use through organizing a play.

ALANNAH POHRAN ILLUSTRATION

March 10, 2014 | theWeal.com

dancing with blueprints Student’s passions intertwine as an architectural technologies student and dancer BY YASMIN MAYNE WEAL WRITER

Latin dancing and architectural technology studies do not normally go hand-in-hand, but for Natalie Melara Cisneros, both these activities feed her love for art and design. Cisneros is a first-year architectural technologies student at SAIT, but she is also a samba performer for local samba dance company Estrela’s Do Samba. “I love dancing, and I love architectural technologies,” she said. “Both are my passion.” Cisneros intends to pursue a career in architecture, hopefully becoming a designer for an architectural firm in Calgary. As for dance, she intends to keep it a hobby and only participate in local performances and regional dance conferences. Cisneros is not a green-eyed college freshman straight out of high school, but a seasoned Canada Post mail carrier, who after six years in the business, realized she wanted a profession where she could explore her passion for design. “I have always loved design, but it was hard to find any employment in the industry,” she said. “I started looking at SAIT and saw the architectural

technologies program, and that’s the one that called out to me right away.” Cisneros has design experience in retail doing alterations, but she wanted to explore design on a much grander scale, and that was the main appeal of the architectural technologies program. SAIT’s high graduate employment rate also influenced her decision to enrol. “SAIT gets me in the door into the industry right away. That way I can see if I really have a passion for [architectural design], and if I do, then I can always go back for higher education,” she said. However, balancing her dancing activities with her studies has not been easy. Her first year at SAIT has been so busy with projects and assignments that she has “had to put dancing on the backburner for a little bit,” just to keep up with her course work. Cisneros has loved Latin dancing all her life, which comes naturally for her as her parents are originally from San Salvador, El Salvador, where Latin dancing is hugely popular and very much a part of the cultural fabric. However, she had never had any formal training until 2010, when she signed up for classes

at the Havana Cuban Dance Studio on Fourth St. S.W. Marcos Ravelo, the owner of Havana Cuban Dance Studio, is a good friend of Cisneros, and his dancing inspired her to take his classes. “[The way he danced] looked so beautiful, that one day I said ‘forget it, I’m going,’ and I signed up for classes,” she said. Cisneros progressed very quickly as a dancer but does not intend to become a professional dancer any time soon. For her, “dancing is just for fun” right now. “I used to think that maybe I would like to perform professionally, but it’s very intense and is a full-time career,” she said. “My goal right now is to start my career in architecture, but I will not let dancing go,” she said, “I love to perform.” However, Cisneros does find ways to share her dancing passion with her classmates at SAIT. At the end of last semester, she invited her new friends out to Rio Bar and Grill for the restaurant’s Latin Night, and a good number of architectural technology students put in an appearance. “We had a great time. A lot of my classmates are very creative and always ready to try something new.”

Natalie Melara Cisneros is in the first year of the architectural technologies program. She balances her life as a student with a career as a performing samba dancer with Estrela’s Do Samba Company, where she often performs at live events around the city. AMANDA SIEBERT PHOTO

theWeal.com | March 10, 2014

Sochi Winter Games a success despite worries of failure BY STEVE SUCHA SPORTS EDITOR

The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics have come to an end, some dreams were realized, while some were crushed. However, the proverbial hammer that was said to be dangling over the Sochi Winter Games never seemed to fall. Before the city of Sochi even had a chance to strut their stuff, before the first song echoed through the Olympic stadium for the opening ceremonies, media outlets were ablaze with stories of unfinished hotel rooms, stray dogs running around and being shot, and thoughts of what most considered to be the inevitable

controversy over Russia’s antigay propaganda law, which basically forced gay athletes to hide their sexual preferences. Now that the Games are finished, it seems that the very same media outlets that were once predicting an Olympics filled with controversy and hate have changed their tune. An article from TorontoStar. com commented that, “The Sochi Olympics provided some of the best moments in Canadian Olympic history.” Of course, with any mass spectacle of sport, there will always be some controversy or incidents that follow. The Sochi Winter Games were no different. The Russians managed to

steal a number of figure skating medals, which according to some figuring skating experts, were securely in the hands of the Canadians and the Americans. However, it is important to remember that the sport of figure skating has been shrouded in controversy for some time now, based on the subjectivity of its judging system and previous judging scandals that have been proven to cheat athletes out of medals. According to several articles ranging from the Moscow Times and an article in the Detroit Free Press, the opening ceremonies were very successful despite the minor glitch of

the last Olympic ring not lighting up. It turned out that like Ryan Seacrest owning the gay jokes people make about him, Sochi owned their mistake, creating shirts worn by the Olympic organizers, depicting the Olympic Rings minus the one that failed to light up during the ceremonies. The important thing to remember about the Olympic games, especially with the next destination for the Winter Games being South Korea, is that these athletes are not competing because of the accommodations and they are not competing because they are looking for political gains.

They are competing because they have dedicated their lives to a sport and strive to be the best in their field while representing their country. For the two weeks that the Olympic Games take place, these athletes put aside their religious beliefs, their political stances, and their thoughts on gay rights no matter what those might be for the brief moment they get to succeed. Despite controversy that hinted that possibility of politics interfering with the competition, the Winter Games transpired smoothly and left Canada proud of every one of its participating athletes.

Neknominations bring out all that’s wrong with society BY MONICA HENDERSON OPINIONS EDITOR

Internet trends come and go, and though some may be annoying, you don’t expect to come by any that can physically harm people. Neknominations have overcome Facebook like a virus, and if they haven’t hit your friend list yet, they probably will soon. Neknomination is an onlinedrinking game with only a couple of requirements: the first being, you have to post a video of yourself drinking, usually either an outlandish beverage like blended cheeseburger with vodka, or in outlandish circumstances, such as outside your house in -30°C weather wearing nothing but a bikini. Or both. The second rule is that you have to challenge two more people with a neknomination of their own, thus causing the trend to grow exponentially. When you argue that you are strongly against neknominations, the strongest argument you hear from the other side of

the story is that, “It’s not harmful, it’s funny.” However, the damage neknomiations cause outweighs any giggles they evoke. Regardless of how responsible you may be with your drinking by only taking maybe one or two shots on camera, if you neknominate two of your friends who in turn neknominate two of their friends each, the game is sure to eventually reach somebody who will take it way too far. And what exactly is too far? In The Canadian Press on Feb. 27, an article was published concerning two teens in Ontario being charged based on activity they were doing in a neknomination video. One was charged with failure to wear a helmet and improper tow attachment and the other was charged with underaged drinking and failure to wear a helmet. Who knows what these boys were actually doing, but it’s safe to say it was pretty stupid. Plus one of them was underage, showing that whoever challenged them was showing no

discrimination over the legalities of who they neknominated. The same cop who dealt with the two teens travelled to their high school to address their fellow students about the dangers of the game. Another case of going too far with this trend is the underage boy in the UK who drank so much that he passed out and puked all over himself. His mother took a picture and posted it online in an attempt to spread awareness about the dangers of the neknomination game. Perhaps not A+ parenting skills, but her intentions were in the right place. Even worse? Neknomination videos exist wherein people are starting to eat small animals like hamsters or baby chicks that are killed on or off camera and then eaten raw. On top of all that, at least two people have died from accidents related to irresponsible drinking caused by filming a neknomination video. Sure, if you accept a neknomination and post a harmless

SUSAN KIM ILLUSTRATION

video, it seems harmless at the time. That is, until somewhere down the line, one of the people nominated by your own nominee seriously hurts themselves or someone else. The giggles and the chance to shamelessly post a video of

yourself drunk online don’t justify the possible dangers that come with a neknomination. Simply put, neknominations are everything wrong with society, highlighting the atrocity of peer pressure, irresponsible drinking and social media vanity.

Staff photographer Mikaela MacKenzie and photo editor Brent Calver ask the SAIT campus:

“How do you like to spend St. Patty’s Day?”

“Me and a couple [of] people

“Having a few drinks with some

were talking about eating green

firends since my birthday is a few

“Pretending I’m Irish.”

“Gettin’ rowdy!”

“Dress up in green, I guess.”

“I’ll go out somewhere with

food and watching Troll 2.”

days later.”

Jeff Robertson, second-year radio

Shawn Norris, second-year radio

Amy Irving, second-year radio

Chris Beringer, second-year travel

Nesrine Najmeddine, first-year

Karlee Izik, first-year business

and television broadcast news

and tourism student

dental assistant student

administration student

student

friends, probably to a bar.”