SPOKEMonday, March 9, 2015 conestoga college, Kitchener, ont. www.sPoKeonline.coM 46th year — no. 8

students to pitch products, services to cBc’s wekerle.Page 9

Dealing with a dragon

a l e a r n i n g n e w s r o o M f o r j o u r n a l i s M s t u d e n t s

2,500 attendKitchenercomic con.Page 7

Residents get their geek on

Conestoga students fight cancerBy ALEX RIESE

On March 20 and 21, students at Conestoga College will par-ticipate in a Relay for Life to aid in the fight against cancer.

The event is part of the 2015 Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life activi-ties hosted by students living in residency across Ontario. Collectively, $45,000 has been raised to date by seven col-leges in the province. Krista Young, a Conestoga student who lives in residence, is the local event’s primary orga-nizer. She hopes to replicate the accomplishments of these other colleges.

“I really wanted to see some-thing happen at Conestoga that the college could do every year,” she said.

Participants will be running laps in teams of up to 10 around the indoor track at the college’s rec centre. They will also participate in mean-ingful ceremonies, enjoy food, festivities and entertainment, connect with cancer survivors and learn about cancer pre-vention. The event will run from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Young has set a goal of getting 100 participants involved while raising a total of $20,000. Donations are accepted in cash, by pledging or by donating online.

Interested parties can sign up until the first day of the event at www.relayforlife.ca/conestogacollege. There is no cost to sign up, but the onus will be on individual runners to raise money for the initiative.

Josée Dupee, also a Conestoga student and the event co-chair, has been involved with vari-ous Relay for Life activities for five years. She has a personal reason for getting involved with the cause.

“Both my grandparents have passed away from can-cer, and my dad is currently battling it,” she said.

The first Relay for Life occurred in 1985, when Dr. Gordy Platt walked and ran around a track for 24 hours in Tacoma, Wash. He raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. Fourteen years later, the first Canadian Relay for Life raised $85,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. The event has been held ever since.

PHOTO By ALEX RIESEKrista Young (left) and Josée Dupee are organizing Conestoga’s first Relay for Life. Together, they hope to make a difference in the fight against cancer

Rocking 4 The KiDs

PHOTO By RACHEL ROyMolly Bloom’s irish Pub held a ‘Rock 4 the Kids’ benefit concert on Feb. 28 with nine bands perform-ing. All donations from door prizes, silent auctions and the entrance fee went to the hospital for sick Children in Toronto. Above, The shananigans perform at the event.

By MATT HOWELL

Students might be see-ing a few extra bucks added onto their student fees come September.

The increase would be either $5 or $7, and would be used to cover services that have been added over the past year. Conestoga Students Inc’s board of directors dis-cussed the possible increase at their meeting on Feb. 23. There was no increase last year due to a budget sur-plus. The fee hike might not seem like much, but it would bring in between $11,000 and $13,000.

“My suggestion was a $5 increase, because I didn’t want an increase in the first place,” said CSI president Jeff Scherer. “Five dollars is still below what the cost of living is, which is projected at 2.4 per cent.”

The board will be mak-ing their final decision after looking at their budget line, and after health and College Student Alliance fees come in. March 15 is the cutoff for them to have their budget submitted.

In other business the board discussed advertising at KOI Musical Festival. Students who are thinking of attend-ing the annual event in September will not be seeing the CSI logo on any media or advertisements for the event. At the meeting the board decided that the monetary request ($65,000 was given by last year’s board) is too high, and in past years they have not received the bang for their buck that they were hoping.

“The board just wasn’t see-ing the value in what they were getting out of it.”

CSI considering raising fees

continued on Page 2

Page 2 s SPOKE Monday, March 9, 2015NEWs

Now deep thoughts... with Conestoga College

Random questions answered by random studentsWhat is the strangest thing

you have in your room?

“ A Nazi coin.”

samantha Ramirez,first-year

biotechnology technician

“Hampster treats, because I don’t have a hampster.”

Hayley George,first-year

early childhood education

“A Nintendo 64.”

Gabby Mellen,second-year

social service worker

“A wooden puppet of Pinocchio.”

Mara Lang,second-year

social service worker

“Weird stuff in the backof my closet.”

Josh Martin,second-year

registered practical nurse

“A pillow shaped like a character from Super Mario.”

Alex Hack,first-year

visual merchandising arts

Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!

FILBERT CARTOONS

BY CARsON DEsHEVY-RENOUF

The topic of sexual assault can often be difficult to address, considering its sensi-tivity. However, Ontario col-leges haven’t shied away from it. In fact, they are implement-ing a new policy in colleges provincewide, which clearly outline resources to assist vic-tims of sexual assault.

All 24 publicly-funded Ontario colleges, including Conestoga, will be subject to this new, 14-page policy that aims to refine systems that are currently in place to assist victims of sexual assault.

Ontario colleges have had policies, but nearly every one of them has one pitfall or another in regards to ease-of-access. The new policy sets out to provide victims with a clear assessment of their available options and an upfront explanation of which path they should take given their circumstances.

Conestoga is among the few colleges that have some major policies already in place to protect students and staff. The Student Code of Conduct and the human rights policy both provide pathways for students to report incidents, and also outline the strict rules surrounding any levels of harassment and assault. Even with these in effect, however, there has not been a

policy dedicated specifically to sexual assault.

“I think it is a good thing that we are getting even more refined, and having a more specific sexual assault policy,” said Shawna Bernard, a coun-sellor at Conestoga. “And I also think that it is a good thing that (the policy) is going to be posted on the school website at the end of March.”

Bernard, who, like others at the college, received a copy of the policy’s rough framework recently, said the policy and the information therein will be available on March 31 for stu-dents and staff alike to view freely on Conestoga’s website.

Specific information from the policy could not be shared by anyone involved in its creation, nor by faculty and staff as the plan has not been finalized.

According to a Feb. 2 article in the Hamilton Spectator, “The … policy includes defini-tions, points of contact, prom-ises of support and academic accommodations and respon-sibilities for staff.”

What is most certain to come from this, however, is that at every college, not just Conestoga, it will be signifi-cantly easier for victims to get the help that they need in an easily communicated and convenient manner.

As it stands, there are mul-tiple support services current-ly available at Conestoga for

anyone who may be a victim of sexual assault. Security Services, Counselling Services, and Health Services are all gateways to seeking help.

“We would like Counselling Services to be the main point of contact,” Bernard said.

Additionally, Security Services offers a free mobile app called Conestoga Mobile Safety that allows students to contact Security Services instantly. There are also local support gateways in the Kitchener area, such as St. Mary’s General Hospital, that offer counselling and treat-ment for victims.

“What I think this policy will do is just create more awareness, more education and more direct information so that if this happens to you, it is (clear that it is) not OK, that it is not your fault, and that there is help available,” Bernard said.

Even following the imple-mentation of this new policy, the support systems will still be the same as they are now.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, you are encouraged to seek help from whichev-er department or venue you feel is best suited. The reality of the crime is that it takes away power and security from victims, and this policy’s cre-ation hopes to make it much easier to gain that power back.

Ontario colleges gettingnew sexual assault policy

“This year they were ask-ing for $60,000 pretty much to smack our logo on some things,” Scherer said.

Also discussed was an ear plug station for the Library Resource Centre to help stu-dents who are trying to focus on their studies. The cost will be around $500 to order the machine that dispenses the ear plugs, and 450 pairs of ear plugs. Board member Alice

Lee introduced the proposal saying that this would be a good time to have the library quieter.

“Mid-terms are coming up and I noticed that the quiet study zone is not quiet, and when people get in a group they talk loudly, which causes complaints,” Lee said.

The upcoming election for a new board of directors was also on the agenda. The board wants to remind all students that election nomination

packages are due by March 13 by noon in Rm. 2A106. Students wishing to run must have a 70 per cent average as of Dec. 31, 100 student signatures of support, be 18 and a full-time student, and be returning as a full-time student in 2015-2016. Anyone interested in running and looking for more information should contact board member and primary electoral officer Alfred Karathra at akarath-ra@conestogac.on.ca.

CONTINUED FrOM PAgE 1

Election of new CSI board looms

Monday, March 9, 2015 SPOKE s Page 3NEWs

BY CARMEN PONCIANO

It is nice to know that Kitchener city council has at least one member who is looking out for Conestoga students. Ward 4 councillor Yvonne Fernandes plans on bettering student housing and transportation and further aiding international students.

Fernandes, who is also a Conestoga alumnus, started to work on the student hous-ing issue a few years ago after receiving complaints from students about their land-lords and living conditions.

“This is my second term as a city councillor and what I was first working on was mak-ing sure that there was safe, healthy and clean housing for students, especially in the lower Doon area,” Fernandes said.

Though she had brought forward a student rental licensing bylaw, after a stu-dent house with eight resi-dents caught fire, it was turned down by city coun-cil, including Mayor Berry Vrbanovic who used to be a council member at the time. Student living conditions are

just part of the issue sur-rounding student housing. Over the last couple of years, Fernandes has been working on different strategies which would see landlords be held accountable for the bad condi-tion the houses are in. The fire department implemented voluntary guidelines but they didn’t get as much attention as they had hoped. Although there is a small handful of landlords working together to improve things, Fernandes admits the situation is still pretty bad as some landlords have done renovations in the past without proper building permits resulting in unsafe conditions. There is also the matter of the long-term resi-dents who have complained about the number of parties, noise and mess left by stu-dents.

“We have to make sure that students understand that they are living with people, fami-lies, who have lived here their entire lives,” Fernandes said.

As a result, Fernandes met with the mayor, bylaw officers, planning develop-ers and the fire department to come up with strategies

similar to those that other cities with college residenc-es have implemented in the past. Some of her solutions lie around re-introducing the student rental licensing bylaw, enforcing an inspec-tion by the fire department of every house that is rented, zoning specific areas for stu-dent purpose housing com-plexes and determining what role Conestoga College can play.

“Can the college partner with a private developer to build a student housing com-plex?” Fernandes asked. “I see

it more like stack townhouses or what the universities have called ‘pods,’ with four to five houses together and someone managing the behaviour. That’s how I see us moving forward.”

Fernandes is also looking to improve the transportation system as well as find a way to incorporate the student bus pass into student tuition like the universities. Though she is still waiting on Grand River Transit (GRT) and Conestoga College to provide her with more information, she thinks the students who heavily rely on transit should not be pay-ing “extra” for transportation. She said if the cost was incor-porated into tuition, OSAP would cover it rather than students paying it on the side.

“What the college has told me is that 70 per cent of the students who come to Conestoga College drive. Sure we have the 13 parking lots to prove it but what are we doing to reduce the number of cars coming here,” she said.

She hopes by partnering with GRT and having buses run more frequently, that there will be a change in students’ mentality.

Further aiding the inter-

national students is also on the councillor’s agenda since she’s been working with two international students who have given her some insight on things that could be improved. One is providing proper hous-ing when students arrive in Canada. Conestoga is actively recruiting international stu-dents, however, currently upon arrival they are given a list of two or three landlords who they can get in contact with to find housing which can be a challenge for them, something Fernandes finds unacceptable.

“There seems to be a gap between the international student department and the needs of the international students,” Fernandes said.

She plans to meet with the resource staff of Doon Pioneer Parks Community Centre, which is five min-utes away from the plaza where CSI’s shuttle service drops students off for gro-ceries, sometime in March to talk about potential pro-grams that could be put in place to benefit international students, specifically on how to navigate the Canadian system.

City councillor’s initiatives would benefit students

BY CAssIE TULECKI

It’s almost unanimous; if you are part of the Net Generation (1980-1989) or iGeneration (1990-1999) and own a smart-phone, you are probably addict-ed to social media. It is every-where and accessible on just about everything.

“I’m probably on my phone way too often, probably half an hour out of every hour,” said Sydney Thain, a second-year biotechnology technician student.

Technology is taking over the younger generation’s lives, but is this a bad thing? With so many platforms, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers, it’s hard not to be sucked into the social media world.

“I’m on Facebook and Instagram maybe three hours a day if it’s a school day,” said Ashlyn Thompson, a second-year community and justice services student.

Speaking with students on Conestoga College’s Doon campus it is clear that access-ing social media sites on their phones throughout the day is a priority. Many say they can’t go for even an hour with-out checking in with their favourite site.

“Honestly … I spend about 50 per cent of my day on my phone, sometimes more,” said Elise Hummel, a third-year educa-tional assistant student. “I open Facebook on my phone over 100

times a day, and Instagram about 40 times a day.”

The most popular sites students use are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with Snapchat coming in fourth. Many claim to be on at least one of these sites through-out class and on breaks. Any spare moment they have is used to update statuses, check for “likes,” comment on other’s photos or upload the very popular “selfie” shot.

“I check my phone every minute of the day when I have free time, kind of sad really,” said Matthew O’Loan, a first-year electrical construction maintenance student.

Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, wrote an article titled Our Social Media Obsession. In it he said, “It appears that peo-ple are using their technology for a combination of gaining some pleasure and from avoiding anx-iety about not knowing what is going on at every moment on every electronic communica-tion platform including social media.”

People who use social media sites such as Facebook tend to find themselves getting anx-ious when they do not receive enough “likes” on something they have posted. When you get “likes” on a new profile picture you upload to your profile, you receive an instant feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

The reverse side of not

receiving “likes” or comments makes the poster feel almost depressed and challenges them to post something that will attract more attention. This becomes a vicious circle that is hard to break.

“Just watch people in the world around you,” Rosen said. “If you are watching a young person who is not look-ing at his or her phone keep watching. Soon that phone will come out of the pocket or purse, most likely without

having gotten an alert or noti-fication but being driven by a combination of pleasure and anxiety.”

The physical act of taking your phone out during the day and checking what’s hap-pening in the social media world gives users a sense of calm and routine. It makes you feel connected and lets you know what’s happening around you at every hour of the day. But when does it become an obsession? How

long can you survive without checking Facebook?

“I can’t, it’s so bad,” Hummel said. “Yesterday I went with-out it for seven hours. Seven hours! I went kind of crazy.”

Being connected through social media sites can be a great tool for staying in touch with friends, family and the community. But, there’s a point when it takes over users’ lives, becoming an obsession. When this happens counsel-ling is recommended.

students are addicted to social media

PHOTO BY CAssIE TULECKIMatthew O’Loan, a first-year electrical construction maintenance student, checks out the very popular and addictive social media site, Facebook.

PHOTO BY CARMEN PONCIANOKitchener Councillor Yvonne Fernandes has various initiatives in the works to help students.

Page 4 s SPOKE Monday, March 9, 2015COMMENTARY

The last thing you want to worry about after you come home after a long day at work, is if you’ll be able to pay your bills this month.

Working is always going to guarantee that you get paid, but if you’re a female, your paycheque may be less then what you expected.

Because of the speech by actress Patricia Arquette at the Oscars Feb, 22, this issue is once again front and centre.

Women in the crowd all applauded and the video has gone viral.

It isn’t a secret that women are treated unfairly in the workforce. Although it is much better than it used to be, it still has a long way to go.

In Ontario alone, Statistics Canada data (2011) shows that the gen-der wage gap is 26 per cent for a full-time employee. This means that for every $1 earned by a male employee, a female employ-ee is only making 74 cents.

This is frustrating and unjust, and leads many to

think we need more female leaders in government.

In 1987 the Pay Equity Act, equal pay for work of equal value, was passed. That year the gender wage gap was at 36 per cent; it has been slowly decreasing ever since. However, that is not good enough.

There are many reasons why women make less money than men such as women needing to leave work due to family, lower levels of education, dis-crimination in hiring, and only being offered under-valued and low-paying jobs.

Statisticians estimate that 10 to 15 per cent of the gender wage gap is due to discrimination.

Women have a right to work alongside men wheth-er it is in politics, trades, productions or education. We have a right to be inde-pendent and financially stable.

According to Stats Canada, in 2008 there were 70,226 divorces in Canada. This left thousands of women to fend for them-selves financially.

This is one more reason why women must be paid equally. But, looking at the bigger picture, women deserve it.

As Arquette said, “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all.”

Women still paid less than men

MPs must think before tweeting

BY COdY MudgE

Stupidity is bipartisan. There are terrible ideas, stupid arguments and inept parliamentarians on all sides of the political aisles in this country. In late February a pair of Canadian politicians looked particularly buffoonish.

First, Ontario Conservative MPP Rick Nicholls wasn’t content with just heckling the education minister during a presentation on the new sex-ed curriculum. No, Nicholls doubled down on dumb by later remarking that opting out of the teaching of evolution in science class was “not a bad idea.”

Nicholls then, perhaps poetically, received a fair amount of heckling for his denial of evolution. Enter B.C. Conservative MP James Lunney. Lunney took to Twitter and said, “(Just) stop calling #evolution fact!” He also went on to say that he had no problem with it being a “theory.” And here’s where the real trouble starts.

A Google search, something that can be completed in a matter of seconds, will immediately yield to even the most uninitiated, why there is an important distinction to be made when using the word “theory” in everyday language than in scientific endeavours. A scientific theory acts as an explanation for a process, aspect or phenomenon in the natural world. As a rule, if something becomes a scientific theory it has undergone the most scrutinizing process we have ever created for vetting information. What Lunney and Nicholls fail to understand is evolution is a fact in the same way that water is wet. You can say that it isn’t and in the country we live in you’re entitled to that opinion, and that expression, however, that doesn’t make reality conform to your statement. Those who would tell you that water is dry, or that they don’t believe in evolution can, and should, be challenged on their statements.

As much as the two men may wish to say that their beliefs are “personal,” that goes out the window when you are tasked with the governance of an entire nation or province. Consider that Nicholls and Lunney have the ability to speak for thousands of constituents, and cast a vote on anything from what to teach in public schools to a declaration of war. Having a difference of opinion is fine, MPs cannot hope to perfectly represent the residents of their riding, but disputing known facts, like saying that water isn’t wet, simply isn’t a valid opinion to have and thus will not be respected.

And if future MPs seek to disbelieve in a scientific theo-ry perhaps they will test the theory of gravity.

The views herein represent the position of the newspa-per, not necessarily the author.

Rachel RoyOpinion

Spoke welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be signed and include the name and telephone number of the writer. Writers will be contact-ed for verification.No unsigned letters will be published.Letters should be no longer

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Pay equity makes headlines after the Oscars.

Editor: Nataleigh McCallumAssignment Editors: Kali Caudle, jordan johnstoneAdvertising Managers: beth Crouse, justin fordSpoke Online Editors: Matt howell, Nicole

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STATISTICS ON gENdER pAY

� The gender wage gap is 26 per cent for full-time employees.

� For every $1 earned by a male employee, a female employee is only earning 74 cents.

� 10 to 15 per cent of the gender wage gap is due to discrimination.

Monday, March 9, 2015 SPOKE s Page 5NEWS

By NicolE NEmEth

Cambridge is being captured by its community as part of the new artist-in-residence’s year-long program.

This year’s artist-in-res-idence at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts is Judee Richardson-Schofield. Each year a new artist is select-ed in a different medium. Richardson-Schofield is the first photographer to be named artist-in-residence since the program began in 2003.

Over the next year Richardson-Schofield will be hosting a variety of programs and events aimed at inspiring and encouraging Cambridge residents to capture the city’s beauty in her year-long event series, Capturing Cambridge.

“I don’t care if you have a cellphone or you have a top of the line SLR, the same prin-ciples can be applied all the way through,” she said.

To kick off Capturing Cambridge a meet and greet was held on Feb. 22 at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts where guests had the chance to not only find out what’s happening, but were also able to meet Richardson-Schofield and view some of her photographs at the exhi-bition.

The next event is an in-stu-dio workshop called Lights, Camera, Action! which will be held on Tuesday, March 17, from 6:30 until 9 p.m. Participants will learn how to photograph subjects in a real studio with expert pho-tographers from Henry’s and Rowan Photography.

“We’re going to get them

behind the camera and in front of the camera, so it allows them to get the feel, get the vibe, get the experi-ence because as soon as you get people in a studio with lights and you’re behind the camera, even if you don’t know anything, all of a sud-den there’s a confidence that happens, a little mini confi-dence, and I’m hoping that will rub off on the people who come to the Lights, Camera, Action! event,” Richardson-Schofield said.

There will also be scavenger hunts in each core area of Cambridge, each with a differ-ent focus: Galt Architecture on May 9, Preston Street Life on July 11 and Hespeler Outdoor Green Space on Sept. 12.

“I have three other pho-tographers who are special-ized in street, architecture and landscape who are going to assist me with the walk-about. So we’re going to do the walkabout, set the route, and we’re going to do some pre-snapshots, so, you have to find what we found, along with finding all of the other things on your list.”

Along with the planned events and workshops are ongoing initiatives.

“We want you to capture anything and everything under the sun that means something to you in regards to what Cambridge is, what’s beautiful about Cambridge, what’s interesting about Cambridge, it doesn’t matter,” Richardson-Schofield said.

Throughout the year, Cambridge residents are encouraged to submit pho-tos taken around the city: at

events, in public places, and images that portray how they see their city, and submit them to Richardson-Schofield through a variety of different ways. Along with Photo Share is the Pose, Snap, Post initia-tive where participants are encouraged to take striking and original selfies.

Photographs can be submit-ted directly onto the Facebook group Artist in Residence – Capturing Cambridge – Judee Richardson-Schofield, by emailing them directly to judee77@rogers.com, using the hashtag #CaptureCambridge on Instagram or by dropping off hard copy 4x6 prints at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, 60 Dickson St.,

Cambridge.There are also “secret pho-

tographers” who are vol-unteers in charge of tak-ing candid photos of people and handing out “I’ve Been Captured” buttons as part of the Random Acts of Candid Captures initiative.

There will be more events announced as the year unfolds, all leading up to The Grand Finale.

“The goal at the end is called The Grand Finale, and basi-cally I want to have at least 10,000 images from the com-munity to put in this. It’s called Amaze Cambridge and it’s going to be a maze through the Cambridge Centre for the Arts of all the photographs

that were submitted for the year. So, good, bad, or other-wise, you get to be showcased if you submit to the selfie, or you submit to the scavenger hunt or Capture Cambridge.”

Richardson-Schofield said that at the end of the year she will select the 12 most creative photos which will be judged by the community. The top three photographers will win a cash prize of $100, $75 and $50. All 12 entries will win a framed and matted print.

“If you can hold a camera, if you can point and click, I don’t care if you’re two or a 102, we’ll figure out a way for you to participate in the event.”

Photo By NicolE NEmEthJudee Richardson-Schofield, artist-in-residence at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, has many events and workshops planned for her year-long event series, Capturing Cambridge.

Residents urged to ‘capture cambridge’

FIFTH ANNUAL POW-WOW HELD At BINGEMANS

At left, Cliff Standingready, also know by his spirit name, Standing Buffalo Warrior, and Britney Chordash, a second-year office administration student, were participants at Conestoga’s Aboriginal Services’ fifth annual Pow-wow, held on Feb. 28 at Bingemans in Kitchener to cel-ebrate aboriginal culture.

Right, Cheyanne Herder was one of the performers during a jingle dress dance.

PhotoS By Kali caudlE

Page 6 s SPOKE Monday, March 9, 2015

Monday, March 9, 2015 SPOKE s Page 7entertainment

By HeatHer StanLey

For those who wanted to see all of their favourite superhe-roes and villains in one place, Kitchener City Hall was the place to be.

The city embraced its inner “geek” on Feb. 28 by hold-ing its first-ever comic con at City Hall. Around 2,500 attended the free event that ran from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The convention was comprised of clubs from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University as well as groups from around the region.

Comic book fans of all ages visited the various booths and tables filled with items to satisfy their comic wants and needs. Vendors sold keychains, mini fig-ures, sweaters and artwork in addition to comics. There was even an upstairs gaming section where tired attend-ees could rest their feet and battle against their friends.

Although comic cons are perceived as male dominated, lots of women frequent these events. A Facebook study on the number of general comic book fans in the U.S. was completed in February 2014. The number of self-identified fans was 24 million. Women accounted for 46 per cent of that number.

Kitchener Comic Con fea-tured a multitude of guests, including the creator of the comic Captain Canuck, Richard Comely. According to comic con’s website, Comely’s book in 1975 “was the only full-color, self-published book distributed to the mass mar-ket.” The hero from the comic, Captain Canuck, was fea-tured on Canada Post stamps

in 1995 and on the cover of Time Magazine in 1997.

Another big guest who attend-ed was Bradie Whetham, a Canadian-born actor, musician and convention personality who guest starred in R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. The show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year which sparked a mini reunion at the event.

According to comic book seller Dave Warren, the big-gest comic out right now is The Walking Dead. “When it first started out they printed 8,000 copies,” said Warren. “Now with the television show and that they’re printing over 100,000 copies every month. It’s gone way through the roof.”

Other popular comics are Marvel’s Star Wars and DC’s Batman.

Aside from the collection of vendors, a large attraction was the vast number of cosplayers who dressed up as different characters from comics and video games. These included Thor, Batman, Deadpool and Rosalina.

“I just love seeing people who cosplay,” said Katt Foxx, who was dressed as a ver-sion of Impa from the Legend of Zelda series. “It makes me excited and happy. I’ve cosplayed at three conven-tions now. I went to Anime North one year and Fan Expo for two years.”

Two other exhibits featured

were Dick Grayson’s Robin and the Union Jack British-built Austin Mini from the movie trilogy Austin Powers. Along with this, a moving Dalek from Doctor Who could be seen scoot-ing around City Hall.

“We’re nerds, you know,” said Andria Dremo, who was dressed as Yang from Rooster Teeth’s RWBY. “It’s cool to see that our small little city is finally getting into the spirit of cosplay and geek culture.”

For those who wanted some

discounts and bonuses, a year-ly VIP membership pass could be bought for $5 for Kitchener Comic Con. Discounts includ-ed $5 off clothing at Roany’s Video Game Collectibles and 10 per cent off all purchases at Gifts for Geeks. For each online membership sold, 50 cents was donated to Lou Gehrig’s disease. For each pass sold at the event, a dol-lar was donated.

Kitchener Comic Con will be held again next year for two days on March 5 and 6.

Superheroes and villains come to life

PHOtO By HeatHer StanLeyBrian Connor cosplays as Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, from the popular Marvel comic books.

bollywood dance clubgIveS enCore perforManCe

Conestoga’s Bollywood Dance fitness Club performed during Cultural Diversity Week, and were drawn out for an encore after the opening ceremony. for video, go to www.spokeon-line.com.

PHOtO By natHan BrOWn

PHOtO By HeatHer StanLeyCosplayers andria Dremo and Katt foxx pose in their costumes as Yang from rooster Teeth’s RWBY and as Impa from The Legend of Zelda in front of Kitchener City Hall on feb. 28.

NEWsPage 8 s SPOKE Monday, March 9, 2015

CULTURAL diveRsiTy week offers food, free facts

PHOTO BY NaTHaN BrOWNrepresenting Germany during cultural diversity Week, Kassandra Grady, alicia Larelle and Karolen Najjar gave interesting facts and beer nuts to students. for video story, see www.spokeonline.com.

ART GALLeRy uNderstaNds coNtext

PHOTO BY jack ParkiNsONcrystal Mowry, senior curator at the Kitchener-Waterloo art Gallery, spoke about the duty of the gallery to focus on both good art and the context it is presented in. to find out more, see video at www.spokeonline.com.

Csi BoARd of diReCToRs Meet

PHOTO BY jusTiN fOrdcsI board members get ready to start their council meeting on feb. 25. for video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.

exTReme CoLd causes schooL cLosure

PHOTO BY BETH crOusEextreme cold weather caused the cancellation of schools in february. for video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.

ReAdinG week Is every WeeK

PHOTO BY MarYssa McfaddENreading Week is over but some students, like police foundations student ryan Macdonald, are still reading.

Monday, March 9, 2015 SPOKE s Page 9NEWS

Pitch perfect

BY KALI CAUDLE

Conestoga students will be venturing into the Dragon’s lair on March. 24.

From 4 to 8 p.m. students will share their product or ser-vice ideas with CBC’s Michael Wekerle of Dragon’s Den and other judges in hopes they turn into something bigger. The Pitch Day, as it is being called, is being held by Conestoga’s Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Cambridge campus in the lower atrium.

Students will share their product or service ideas with business leaders, entrepre-neurs and investors as well as Wekerle, who will also be the guest speaker.

“We are just very excited to have our students who are a part of the Centre for Entrepreneurship here at the college to have an opportunity to showcase their skills and what they have learned,” said Jennifer Fletcher, program

manager of entrepreneur and applied r e s e a r c h . “I think it’s i m p o r t a n t they have an opportunity like this to shine and be

able to show people what it is that they can bring to the table,” she said.

Up to $13,000 in cash prizes as well as door prizes will be available to be won at the event.

“I’m excited to hear about the innovative products and services created by Conestoga students and to see them transform their ideas into real business opportunities that will forge their futures,” said Barbara Fennessy, executive dean for entrepreneurship and applied research.

Each group or individual will only have three minutes to make their pitch, which will be followed by a Q and A session with the judges.

Spectators are welcome but space is limited. Tickets cost $15 for guests and $10 for Conestoga College students (students must show their student ID cards). For more information contact Jennifer Fletcher at 519-748-5220, ext. 2622.

Duffy trial will hurt ConservativesBY JORDAN JOHNSTONE

The federal election is set for October of this year, however, Prime Minster Stephen Harper can call one at anytime and if you listen to radio or watch Hockey Night in Canada you can see the campaign ads are already being run. With the NDP and Liberals being on the wrong side of public opinion on issues such as dealing with ISIS or Bill C-51, Harper’s new anti-terror bill, it might be a good time for him to call an election.

Harper has been leading the charge, or at least, being the loudest critic of alleged Russian aggression in Ukraine. He has also turned some heads inter-nationally with his staunch support of Israel and his oppo-sition to a Palestine state.

Although Harper may flaunt his foreign policies achieve-ments, that may not be where many Canadians’ concerns lie when it comes time to head to the ballot box.

“Foreign affairs and nation-

al security issues have his-torically never played much prominence when it comes to elections in Canada. That may change depending on what ISIS does or the situation in Ukraine, but it is not a big concern for most Canadians,” said Dr. Anna Esselment, assistant professor of politi-cal science at the University of Waterloo who specializes in Canadian politics, campaigns and elections.

Despite all the chaos going on in the world Canadians are more concerned with issues close to home.

“Only 18 per cent of Canadians have national security and for-eign affairs as top issues when it comes to voting. Health care and the economy are issues that concern Canadians when it comes time to vote,” Dr. Esselment said.

With the provinces strug-gling with health care, which is the single biggest growing cost in their budgets, it will be a target issue for the opposi-

tion parties. The economy is usually

an area Conservatives do well in, however, with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), lead by Saudi Arabia, cut-ting the price of oil, Canada’s economic growth has been hampered. That unexpect-ed twist has devastated the economies in Newfoundland and Harper’s home province of Alberta and threatens his promise to balance the bud-get. The Conservatives could be in a tight spot on that issue having plunged our economy into “Dutch disease” were the exportation of oil has lead to a sharp increase in coun-tries investing in Canadian oil. Also, when the loonie was soaring, there was a sharp drop in manufacturing jobs and less exports to America from Canadian companies. These jobs have not come back.

Given the current state of the economy, Harper may do

well to stay clear and focus on his foreign policies and secu-rity issues, especially to the core Conservative base.

“Eighteen per cent of Canadians have national secu-rity as a top issue, however, a recent Abacus poll found that 25 per cent of Conservatives consider it a top issue so it appeals to his voter base,” Esselment said.

With Conservatives usually getting an automatic 25 per cent of votes in federal elections, thanks to core Conservatives, and the remaining 35 per cent being split between them and the rest of the parties, (assuming only 60 per cent of Canadians vote), the Conservatives will win another majority.

Harper seems prime to also promote his foreign affairs achievements to certain groups of Canadians.

“He may try to promote his stance of Ukraine to the large population of Ukrainian descent in Canada and the same can be said for his sup-

port of Israel and promoting it to the Jewish community in Canada,” Esselment said.

The most interesting and game-changing issue for this election will be the Mike Duffy trial – how the situation with Nigel Wright unfolds and if or when Harper gets called to testify in the trial of the dis-graced senator. If the media chooses to focus on this trial during the election it can real-ly affect Harpers chances at re-election.

“The Duffy trial is a wild card for the Conservatives. Was it bribery, who said what and the whole thing really flies in the face of core Conservative values and could be very dam-aging to the Harper govern-ment in the coming election,” Esselment said.

Duffy’s trial could become the Achilles heel of the Conservative government; scandals are hard to over-come, just look at Watergate or the federal Liberals spon-sorship scandal.

“I’m excited to hear about the innovative prod-

ucts and services ...” — Barbara Fennessy

Students will try and impress the newest Dragon

Wekerle

Page 10 s SPOKE Monday, March 9, 2015fun & games

AriesMarch 21 -

April 19

AquariusJanuary 20 - February 18

TaurusApril 20 - May 20

LibraSeptember 23 -

October 22

GeminiMay 21 - June 21

ScorpioOctober 23 - November 21

CapricornDecember 22 -

January 19

SagittariusNovember 22 - December 21

CancerJune 22 - July 22

LeoJuly 23 -

August 22

VirgoAugust 23 -

September 22

PiscesFebruary 19 -

March 20

You have been filled to the top with cool ideas. Stop hiding them and pitch them somewhere.

Stop holding yourself back, you know that crazy out of the blue idea you had last week? Yeah. Do it.

You have been surround-ed by people lately and this has been making you uncomfortable. Step back and take a night for your-self.

You have been forced to act as leader; don’t fear it, embrace it and make a dif-ference.

You have been feeling very nervous lately, doing things without thinking. Take a step back and react accord-ingly.

Working and school assign-ments have been leaving you dull and bored. Try mak-ing plans for your future. Summer is almost here you know.

You have been going over the details for weeks now…stop fussing and dive into it.

Whispering Waters wishes you waves of fortune.

Horoscope Week of March 9, 2015

This last week has been dif-ficult for you, relax and con-tinue being optimistic and things will turn out alright.

You’ve been wondering about a special someone. Maybe it’s time to be their hero. Try something different and sweep them off their feet.

You have held a short leash for many things in your life. It is now time to let go and be free.

Your gut has been trying to tell you something but you haven’t been listen-ing. Turn your attention to what you want instead of what everyone else wants.

You have been hiding on the sidelines with a lot of your issues. Take the bull by the horns and go for it.

Useless FactsOh Cliff!

Sudoku Puzzle

Word Search

Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box accommo-dates the digits 1-9, with-out repeating any.

A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

The mask used by Michael Myers in the original Halloween was a Captain Kirk mask paint-ed white.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from cry-ing.

The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from public libraries.

Monday, March 9, 2015 SPOKE Page 11NEWSNEW POLICY LIMITS STUDENT DRINKING

PHOTO BY NATALEIGH MCCALLUMTurner Hettrick, a second-year police foundations student, is more than pleased that the Sanctuary Pub Days will resume tomorrow. However, new policies have been implemented, including a three-drink maximum. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.

WINTER WARM-UP SALE HAD GREAT DEALS

PHOTO BY JOSH KENNEDYAmy Martinell, a retail services specialist at the Conestoga Bookstore, shows off one of the deals offered at their winter warm-up sale Feb. 23. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.

Page 12 s SPOKE Monday, March 9, 2015