SPOKEMonday, october 27, 2014 conestoga college, Kitchener, ont. www.sPoKeonline.coM 45th year — no. 21

thrift stores great place to shop.Page 2

Get ready for Halloween

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

woman’s company exceeds expectations.Page 5

Buttons are big business

Pet parade goes to the dogsBY KALI CAUDLE

Many dog owners and their dogs, dressed in costumes, were seen walking as a pack as part of the third annual Howl-o-ween dog parade in Waterloo.

The event is the brainchild of Liz Foley, a dog trainer, founder and CEO of The Dog Haus, a Kitchener-based dog daycare.

The business opened four years ago. According to its website, it is the only day-care in the K-W area to offer a fully cage-free indoor and outdoor facility that allows dogs to interact in a pack-like environment. The Dog Haus’s main focus is to pro-vide dogs with a safe envi-ronment where their needs are fulfilled in socialization, exercise and mental stimula-tion and where they can also receive basic training.

In addition to being known for its focus on dogs’ needs, the daycare also looks for ways to engage their clients through education and special events such as a dog parade.

This year’s parade had a

bigger turnout than in previ-ous years.

“It’s a great way to social-ize the dogs and talk to other owners about issues that are going on,” said dog owner Maria Gagne. “I love it, it’s fun to just come out and hang out with people who are as crazy as us.”

Prizes were awarded for cre-ative costumes in various cat-egories including best group, scariest, best couple and cut-est. The winners from each category received a bag full of treats from Howlistic Hounds Bakery.

Foley enjoyed the costumes from this season’s parade.

“They were hilarious. They were really good. I loved the sharks and obviously the Lion, Scarecrow, Dorothy and Tin Man were the big win-ners. My own dog, she was a hot dog, which was adorable,” she said.

Foley hopes next year’s event will have an even big-ger turnout.

“You always want to go big-ger. Getting more people to come out would be great,” she said.

PHOTO BY KALI CAUDLEEight-year-old Lola won this year’s annual Howl-o-ween parade for best group costume along with another dog and their owners in Waterloo on Oct. 19. See Page 6 for more photos.

PHOTO BY BETH CrOUSEStudents were evacuated from Conestoga College’s Doon campus on Oct. 9. A broken sprinkler head caused the fire alarm to go off. No one was hurt.

BY MArYSSA MCFADDEN

Rumours run rampant in a college setting, which is exactly what happened on Oct. 9 at Conestoga College’s Doon campus.

Around 9:30 on the Thursday morning, fire alarms rang shrilly throughout the school. With fire drills being held each semester, this normally wouldn’t be a cause for con-cern.

However, Conestoga stu-dents knew the biannual fire drill had already taken place days before on Sept. 25. This meant the alarms which sounded on the morning of the ninth had to be the real deal.

Rumours, which circulated amongst the student body, included that the fire alarm had been pulled by a stu-dent, that it was a second precautionary drill, and that a large amount of smoke in the school had set off the fire detectors.

However, a Conestoga secu-rity official put the rumours to rest.

“Renovations to an unoccu-pied room in the 2C area at Doon resulted in a broken sprinkler head. This incident triggered our alarm system, thus necessitating the evac-uation of the main build-ing,” said Kirsty Bradley-McMurtrie, director of Safety and Security Services at Conestoga College.

While everyone hurried out the nearest doors and got away from the building, Safety and Security Services staff had different tasks to complete during this time of confusion.

“Searching the area of con-cern to confirm if the fire is real, ensuring the building is evacuated, traffic control of main roadways for emergency vehicles and escorting emer-

gency personnel to the area,” were just a few of her staff’s roles, Bradley-McMurtrie said.

They are also in charge of overseeing emergency com-munications, monitoring emergency zones, collecting data from fire wardens to ensure the safety of those out-side the building and moni-toring the fire panel.

Bradley-McMurtrie said the safety and security team conduct all kinds of different scenarios when Conestoga’s campuses are vacant on the weekends in order to properly prepare for emergencies.

On Oct. 9 the main build-ing was evacuated in approxi-mately four minutes, a minute slower than when the fire drill was held in late September.

Bradley-McMurtrie said it is important for all Conestoga occupants to evacuate the buildings as quickly as pos-sible whether or not it is rumoured to be a drill.

“Treat every alarm as a real alarm situation and listen closely to all announcements,” she said.

broken sprinkler head sets off fire alarm

“treat every alarm as a real alarm situation.”

— Kirsty bradley-McMurtrie

Page 2 s SPOKE Monday, October 27, 2014NEWs

Now deep thoughts... with Conestoga College

Random questions answered by random studentsIf you had a time machine that would work

only once, what point in the future or in the past would you visit?

“Woodstock 1969.”

Bre Mcfarland,registered practical nursebachelors science bridge

“Back when they were film-ing ‘Dirty Dancing’ to be an extra in the movie.”

samantha schwier,CSI programming

co-ordinator

“Back to ’67, when the Leafs last won the cup.”

Jamie Butterfield,second-year

police foundations

“Back to 18th cen-tury Scotland to meet the Highlanders and see the British occupancy and war.”

Heather sinding,first-year

office administration legal

“Five minutes before this conversation.”

Jay Tremaine,fourth-year

health info science

Aug. 28, 1963 towitness the ‘I have a dream’ speech.”

Lacey Mcintosh,first-year

office administration legal

Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!

The hunt for Halloween costumes doesn’t have to be scary

BY HEaTHEr sTaNLEY

The night of the dark parade of ghastly ghouls, sassy witches and blood-thirsty vampires has almost arrived. Halloween, the ulti-mate international scare day, is only a few days away. However, there’s a bit of a problem. Either a friend has invited you to a themed dance or you just want to dress up to join in the festivities, but you are stuck without a costume. Don’t scare yourself just yet! There’s still time to find an outfit before the big day.

Kyle Patton, of Elmira, is planning on dressing up as a Duck Dynasty character at a church Halloween event. “It’s perfect to be able to do something for the kid’s here. I have a lot of camouflage so I’ll probably dress up and also dress the table.”

Elmira Emmanuel Missionary Church is set-ting up tables on Halloween where volunteers will give candy to trick or treaters. Other themed tables include camping, the ’50s, pirates, Lego and Mario Cart. Ben Dettwiler and Josh Gofton are decorating their table based on a disco theme.

“We’re doing an awesome disco-themed costume,” said Gofton of Elmira. “So, I went to Value Village and picked up some of them ‘funkali-cious’ afros for $13. They were pretty sweet. Then we got some hideous shirts also from Value Village the following

week.” The pair were trying to get

a disco ball to complete their table but did not have any luck.

Many people also take to the Internet to get ideas for costumes. Some sites that show DIY (do it your-self) costumes are Pinterest, Popsugar and Mashable. Buzzfeed also has some ideas and tells you how to pull them off. Suggestions include Bill Cosby, Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family and Fonzie from Happy Days. One costume listed on the site is an outfit modelled after graf-fiti artist Bansky’s Flower Bomber artwork. For this cos-tume, the site says all you need is “a black top, white bottoms, a backwards cap, a bandana and a bouquet.”

Some people don’t want to

put a lot of time and money into their costume. The Internet can help them out as well. One idea is to write “Error 404, costume not found” on a white T-shirt, wear a sign that says “Nudist on Strike” or even go as a grape by dressing in purple balloons.

Of course, the easiest, no hassle way to get a costume is just to buy it. “I recommend people go to thrift stores such as Value Village, MCC, Goodwill, any place that sells discount items,” Gofton said.

“However, if you’re looking for Batman or Bain or some-thing specific, then you will have to go to Party City or someplace that has all that fancy stuff.”

For cheaper costumes, go through thrift store racks. An example of an easy costume that can be made is a Scooby Doo character. Other options include going to Walmart or Target. If you want to wear a sexier costume, the Stag Shop has outfits that sell for $15-$60. Wanting a “fancy” cos-tume? Take the bullet and spend the money to get elegant and scary costumes from plac-es like Party City or online.

For those with a Halloween costume, Conestoga Students Inc. will be hosting their annual Halloween Pub on Oct. 30 at Doon campus. The best costumes will be award-ed prizes. The Guelph campus also has a costume contest on Oct. 31. The best costume will be picked at noon.

PHOTO BY HEaTHEr sTaNLEYJosh Gofton shows off his cos-tume that he bought at mul-tiple thrift stores in Elmira on Oct. 18.

Calling all tEnnIs tablE playErs

PHOTO BY NaTaLEigH MccaLLuMChainsaw’s le shin swah table tennis league is off to a great start since getting underway in august. sahil Dhingra, an avid competi-tor in the league, shows off his shirt before his match.For story, see video at www.spokeonline.com.

Monday, October 27, 2014 SPOKE s Page 3NEWs

By CarsoN DEshEvy-rENouf

People today, living in an age of advancement, are sur-rounded by technology. It has become a way of life to jump on to the next iPhone release, or to make sure we are run-ning on the fastest networks. But what people don’t often consider are the dangers that arise from this technology.

Most technological devices, every iPad, every BlackBerry and every PlayStation, are broadcasters and receivers. They all emit a level of elec-tromagnetic radiation (EMR) within the broadcast fields that they create, levels that some doctors say can cause serious problems.

“(This radiation) can cause male infertility … it increas-es damage done to sperm DNA,” said Dr. Anne Marie Mingiardi, a physician who works part time in Conestoga’s Health Services office.

Mingiardi, alongside many other Canadian doctors, recently attended a lecture highlighting the hidden dan-gers of wireless radiation. It was held by American public health expert and president of Environmental Health Trust, Dr. Devra Davis. It not only informed but prepared doc-tors. Just over a week prior, the Canadian government had announced a $150-mil-lion “technology and learning fund” that will pay for the implementation of wireless devices in classrooms from kindergarten to Grade 12.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Education, the fund is designed to “give kids more opportunities to become tech-nologically savvy with tools such as tablets, netbooks, cameras and software, while preparing them for success in the global economy.” This means that classrooms will begin to be designed to keep up with the ever-changing world and prepare students

for the challenges that new technology brings. However, this will also introduce stu-dents of all ages to wireless networks and devices, fur-ther exposing them to the radiation that the devices produce.

“I’m very concerned … the evidence for harm is grow-ing,” Mingiardi said.

Canadians for Safe Technology (C4ST) is a non-profit organization of volun-teers whose mission is “to edu-cate and inform Canadians and their policy-makers about the dangers of the exposures to unsafe levels of radiation from technology.” Research in the Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure has shown that children, born or not, are

most susceptible to EMR, far more than adults.

An experiment was conduct-ed at Yale University that exposed pregnant mice to EMR by placing a cellphone above their water supply and waiting until they gave birth. The experiment was conduct-ed to see how the radiation would affect the mice’s off-spring. Once the mice had given birth, their offspring were raised to adulthood and then put through a series of tests. The adult offspring were found to be hyperactive, have impaired memory and a decrease in caution. These symptoms almost resembled those attributed to attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

found in humans. The other side of this issue

is backed by Health Canada. In an email, Health Canada media relations officer Sara Lauer insisted that “there is no convincing scientific evi-dence that exposure to low-level radio frequency (RF) energy from Wi-Fi (devices) causes adverse health effects in humans … These conclu-sions are consistent with the findings of other internation-al bodies and regulators (ie. World Health Organization).” Lauer also insisted that “RF energy levels from Wi-Fi equipment in all areas acces-sible to the general public, including school settings, are required to meet Health Canada’s exposure guide-

lines.” This means that all levels of radiation produced from devices introduced to the public must fall within appro-priate and safe limits.

According to Health Canada, no studies have been complet-ed in respect to the effects of long-term exposure of EMR, especially involving children. There have been “an abun-dance of studies that have used frequencies and signal patterns similar to Wi-Fi.” These studies, just as stud-ies done with the radio fre-quencies produced from Wi-Fi devices, do not focus on long-term effects, even though some of them studied the effects on children.

An international, multi-cen-tre study called MOBI-KIDS is currently underway and is looking into the effects of the use of “communications devic-es” and environmental factors on young people and their cen-tral nervous systems (includ-ing the potential of brain can-cer). The research for this study will take place over a five-year period. According to Health Canada, it is one of, if not the only research program dedicated to finding concrete evidence on the subject.

Even though Health Canada insists that you have nothing to worry about, those like Dr. Mingiardi insist that you should reduce your expo-sure to the radio frequen-cies and subsequent radia-tion. Turning off devices, using wires instead of wire-less, turning on your airplane mode and moving yourself away from devices are all ways to reduce your expo-sure.

“If you can’t disconnect the Wi-Fi, distance is your friend,” Mingiardi said.

Lauer said, “Health Canada recognizes the need for long-term studies related to chil-dren and wireless devices, and will continue to monitor scientific literature on this subject.”

Doctor issues wireless radiation warning

PhoTo By CarsoN DEshEvy-rENouf Dr. Anne Marie Mingiardi, a part-time doctor at Conestoga, believes that the electromagnetic radia-tion that wireless devices produce is a serious issue, one that demands attention in light of a new government technology and learning fund.

FLu SeaSon is bACk with

A vengeAnCe

PhoTo By BETh CrousEthe start of cold and flu sea-son can be heard throughout Conestoga College’s Doon cam-pus. tomas Fehr, a first-year business accounting student, suffers from a case of the sniffles. For story, see video at www.spokeonline.com

Page 4 s SPOKE Monday, October 27, 2014COMMENTARY

This is my government. At least insofar as it’s the one

that I voted for in the previous federal election. I’ve learned too much since casting that last ballot to make the same mistake again. We need a respite from the science intol-erance and the tangible excite-ment over finally being able to go to war in Iraq. We need a government that doesn’t bend over for big business and who respects the rights of every individual citizen.

There have been numerous warning signs that we badly need to rein in the rampant powers that have been exer-cised by a government that originally preached integrity above all else.

The zealous march for involvement in an unwin-nable war against ISIS (or ISIL depending on who you’re talking to) should be much more unpopular with Canadians than it is. Despite a lack of support from any of the other parties our gov-ernment is clearly eager to embroil us in an expensive and ambiguous conflict. A look at the history books will show that Harper and the Tories in 2003, then the opposition party, were ada-mant that we should join the United States in their invasion of Iraq. It seems as though they’ve finally gotten their wish.

In the summer of 2012 hundreds of scientists took to the streets of Ottawa to protest the Harper govern-ment’s wanton destruc-tion of the public scientific research community. The Environmental Lakes Area (ELA), one of the world’s most influential freshwater research facilities, plays a critical role in the study of the effects of acid rain and heavy industry on delicate ecosystems, but it nearly disappeared thanks to cuts by the government. It took a third party, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, to save ELA and the crucial work they do.

This is just one of a myriad of cases which could be per-ceived as an attack on sci-ence and knowledge itself in this country. We’ve gone from a world leader in cli-mate and environmental sciences to a global laughing stock, winning Fossil Award after Fossil Award for fall-ing behind on even the most modest targets. This trend continues with the govern-

ment’s promotion of the oil sands project despite massive amounts of evidence from sci-entists proclaiming the dan-gers as well as protests from local residents, especially by the ignored and mistreated indigenous communities.

On the financial front, it seems like Canada made it through the recent economic recession better off than other countries, notably the United States. However, a closer examination of the evidence reveals a prolonged stagnation of wages for a middle class that is increasingly indebted.

Our generation, accord-ing to a recent report by the Conference Board of Canada, is the first to be worse off than our parents. While the gender wage gap between males and females is a constant fight, and one well worth having, we’re also facing a stacked deck where young workers are unable to make the same as their older counterparts.

I’m not here to pitch a certain party but we can-not have more government antics like the ones that have us blindly digging for dirty oil in a world facing climate change, fighting an ideo-logical crusade in the Middle East and whose interests lie with big business and the rest be damned.

It’s time for a change.

It’s time for a new government

Homeless need more help

BY AlEx RiEsE

According to an Oct. 17 article in the Waterloo Region Record, living on the street is more feasible than stay-ing in rooming houses when you’re living off of disabil-ity cheques.

That’s the picture painted by Dan Simpson of Kitchener, who chooses to live in a tent in down-town Kitchener instead of living in a rooming house. Simpson was injured after being hit by an SUV in 2012.

The accident left him with two broken legs, a cracked pelvis and internal bleeding. Since the accident, the former construction worker has been living on disabil-ity cheques that pay $660 per month. There is a bit of a disparity here, considering the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Kitchener is around $750 per month. Therefore, Simpson can only really afford to live in a rooming house, which he doesn’t want to do because he says that “most rooming houses are full of alcoholics and junkies.”

The Ontario Disability Support Program is a social assistance initiative founded by the Ontario govern-ment to ensure that people with permanent disabilities can live a normal life. Its main goal, as stated by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, is to help people with disabilities pay for living expenses like food and housing. Unfortunately, when people like Simpson choose to live on the street because the money he’s getting from disability can’t cover his living expenses, that makes it hard to believe that disability funds really are doing what they’re supposed to.

This is not a new concern. A Feb. 11, 2002 article in the Ottawa Citizen found cases of people living in similar circumstances who had to dip into food money to make monthly rent. According to the article, the Ontario government cut the social assistance rates by over 22 per cent in 1995, while cost of living was steadi-ly rising.

Whether it’s through taxation or better financial man-agement, something more has to be done to assist those with disabilities. Though Simpson is happy living in a tent, he and many others would prefer to be able to afford a safe and clean apartment. They need all the help they can get. And soon.

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

Cody Mudge Opinion

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

than 500 words.Spoke reserves the right to edit

any letter for publication.Email letters to: www.spokeonline.com with the subject line

“Letter to the Editor,” or bring them to Room 1C30 at the Doon campus.

letters are welcome

Watch out for trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

spOkEI S P u b L I S h E D a N D P R O D u C E D W E E K L y b y t h E j O u R N a L I S M S t u D E N t S O f C O N E S t O g a C O L L E g E

the views and opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of Conestoga College. Spoke shall not be liable for any damages arising out of errors in advertising beyond the amount paid for the space. Letters to the editor are subject to acceptance or rejection and should be clearly written or typed; a MS Word file would be helpful. Letters must not contain any libellous statements.

Editor: beth CrouseAssignment Editors: alex Riese, Maryssa McfaddenAdvertising Managers: jack Parkinson, jordan johnstonespoke Online Editors: Carson Deshevy-Renouf, Cody Mudge, Ian Mcbride

production Managers: Cassie tulecki, Carmen Ponciano

photo Editors (print): Nathan brown, Kali Caudle, justin fordphoto Editors (online): josh Kennedy, Nicole Nemeth, heather Stanley

social Media Editor: Nataleigh McCallum, Matt howell

Circulation Manager: Rachel Roy

Faculty supervisor and Adviser: Christina jonas

Spoke’s address is 299 Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ontario, N2g 4M4. Phone: 519-748-5220, ext. 3691, 3692, 3693, 3694fax: 519-748-3534Email: spoke@conestogac.on.caWebsite: www.spokeonline.com

Monday, October 27, 2014 SPOKE s Page 5NEWS

BY NICOLE NEMETH

Back in May 2011 Megan Campbell bought herself a button maker, but what start-ed as a hobby has now turned into a full-fledged business.

Bayleaf Buttons sells a vari-ety of pin-back buttons, mag-nets, key chains, pocket mir-rors and bottle openers. The buttons come in three differ-ent sizes: one inch, 1.5 inches and 2.25 inches.

The company is a one-wom-an act, keeping Campbell busy as its sole employee. She completes every task herself including marketing, prod-uct photography, packaging, shipping, customer service, website maintenance and, of course, creating the buttons.

“I’ve managed to keep a pretty good handle on the workload,” she said.

Although Campbell has a full-time job as well, as a digital press operator, she enjoys working for herself too. “When I get home I’m able to be creative, fill orders and do things virtually on my own schedule.”

Campbell has designed and filled custom orders for a vari-ety of people and business-es all over the world, such as bands, churches, political campaigns, weddings, birth-day parties and fundraisers, to name a few.

One job in particular came to mind as she thought of her most memorable custom order.

“I had a friend of mine who wanted to surprise her family for Thanksgiving to inform them that she was pregnant. So we made a set of but-tons for each relative with

different baby-esque themes. It was really interesting to think that these buttons will be telling them that they are going to be a grandmother or auntie for the first time. Makes you think how some-thing so simple can become very important and memora-ble,” Campbell said.

Now with the holiday season quickly approaching Campbell finds herself busier than ever.

She attends many craft fairs in and around Waterloo Region. Recently she was at the Breslau Craft Show on Oct. 18 and the Etsy Made in Canada pop-up sale in Kitchener on Sept. 27. Campbell said she “was look-ing at one in Winterbourne, Ont. in November and another in Kitchener at some church bazaar,” but nothing is final-ized yet.

“I really like interacting with people and telling them about what I make, find-ing that particular button that will make their friend laugh and discussing custom orders,” Campbell said.

Although she thinks partici-pating in craft fairs is a lot of fun, most of her sales come from Etsy, an online market-place for handmade and vin-tage goods. Currently Bayleaf Buttons has made approxi-mately 2,500 sales on Etsy.

“I would say so far selling on Etsy has been the most profitable. I can easily send anywhere from three to eight orders a week.”

Campbell loves running her small button business. As she says on her website, bayleaf-buttons.com, “I absolutely love making buttons, it is a little addictive!”

Button business keeps her busy

PHOTO BY NICOLE NEMETHBayleaf Buttons owner Megan Campbell makes a variety of pin-back buttons ranging from holiday themes to custom orders. Above, Sidney wears a Halloween-themed button.

PHOTO BY NICOLE NEMETH Crysta Stephensen (left) assists Bayleaf Button owner Megan Campbell at the Etsy Made in Canada sale in Kitchener.

Page 6 s SPOKE Monday, October 27, 2014feature

Robbin Hendel poses with her three-year-old labradoodle, Charlie. The dynamic duo dressed as Robin and Batman, winning this year’s Howl-o-ween parade for best couple.

Nic Gange (left) and Maria Gange are shown with their dogs, Jeffrey (left) and Lola after winning this year’s costume parade for best group costume. They dressed as Wizard of Oz characters.

Lili Romeo (left) poses with her dogs (from left to right) Domino, Sadie and Lady, along with her friend Adrienne Dawson after winning scariest costume at the third annual Howl-o-ween parade.

Halloween hijinks

One-year-old River poses in her fairy costume. The treats, below, were awarded for the best costumes.

Maria Gange (front) and Nic Gange (back) walk their dogs along with many other dog owners during the third annual Howl-o-ween parade in Waterloo on Oct. 19.

Photos by Kali Caudle

Monday, October 27, 2014 SPOKE s Page 7NEWs

We have all been told in the past that education is important. Since we were in kindergarten, we were told you need to apply your-self and achieve the highest marks you can in order to succeed.

High marks will get you a better education and, in turn, a better career so you can have the lifestyle you want.

I’m not arguing against that logic, but what happens when you get through high school with great marks and find out you can’t afford post-secondary education, and your parents can’t help you out.

Many students find them-selves in this position every year. It’s hard enough to be a full-time student when you have a full course load and no time outside of class to support yourself. Even with the potential scholar-ships or some form of sup-

port from family or friends, students are still struggling to get through post-second-ary education.

Tuition continues to increase, costing thousands of dollars.

Many students rely on the Ontario Student Assistance Program to help them achieve that dream job; unfortunately, those stu-dents will be paying that loan off for years to come. When you add on living expenses including rent, food and transportation, it becomes rather daunting.

In my opinion, we should be paid to go to school. It

sounds insane, but if you think about it, the students who know they will not be able to afford a post-second-ary education lose all hope. They accept that they will remain a lower class citizen working a lower paying job.

If they had the chance to continue their education without worrying about payments they would be able to follow their dreams and work hard to better their life.

Everyone deserves a chance to get a post-second-ary education. Most people want a job that they can be proud of; one that they look forward to going to every day.

You will be working the majority of your life so why not work at a job that you’ll be happy at without wor-rying about how you will pay for the education to get that job.

What does your dream job truly cost?

Perfume Direct at Conestoga College

PHOTO BY MarYssa McFaddENBeoja Mittal, an employee for Perfume Direct, sells phone cases and perfume to Conestoga College students on oct. 16 at the Doon campus. Conestoga students Inc. chooses which businesses can come on campus to sell new and popular items to the student body. Perfume Direct will return to Conestoga on nov. 10 and 11 if students would like to do some early Christmas shopping.

Ancient frienDs at theMUseUM

PHOTO BY racHEl rOYZoe McQuinn, a sessional professor at the University of toronto and Wilfrid laurier University and an executive member of the Friends of ancient egypt at the Royal ontario Museum, came to theMUseUM in Kitchener on oct. 19 to speak about the pyramids of egypt including their construction from the most ancient sources to the latest archeological excavations.

PHOTO BY cassiE TulEckialexandra Diaz hernandez, a Conestoga practical nursing student, has to balance getting an education with two part-time jobs.

Cassie Tulecki Opinion

NEWsPage 8 s SPOKE Monday, October 27, 2014

All-day art event showcases need for expressionBy MATT HOWELL

Pencil crayons scribbling, scissors cutting with preci-sion and glue piecing it all together – this is art in its purest form.

All of this was on display at the second annual Drawathon that took place on Oct. 18 at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery. The free event was held from noon until midnight and offered a barrage of art supplies for participants to use, as well as musical perfor-mances in the evening.

The Drawathon was the brainchild of Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, whose mission is to encourage creative expression across Canada.

Flanagan is the executive director of Weird Canada, a website dedicated to pro-moting artistic expression in the community. She is also the founder of Wyrd Arts Initiative. She first saw an all-day art event when she was living in Edmonton. When she moved here two years ago, she decided to try the art-themed event in Kitchener. She smiled from ear-to-ear and spoke with complete admiration and love for everything art.

“Last year we had about 150 people come throughout the day of varying ages. Mainly the 18-32 demographic. I wanted to create a safe and accessible space for people to create,” Flanagan said.

Art galleries can sometimes

seem elitist and unwelcom-ing, which Flanagan is trying to change.

“It’s really nice to take a gal-lery that’s open to it and say let’s let other people come in and make art. Anyone, even people who make art that you might not like, let’s make a space for that,” she said.

A partnership like this is only as strong as the belief by both parties that what they are doing is important and vital to the community. Fortunately Flanagan and Weird Canada found a like-minded entity known as the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery to partner up with.

Nicole Newfield, director of public programs for the gal-lery, was all smiles when dis-cussing the gallery’s involve-ment with the Drawathon.

“It’s been an awesome day with lots of people coming through drawing and sketch-ing. Some people have been here all day,” she said.

Newfield is in complete agreement with Flanagan that art should be as acces-sible as possible.

“This gives everyone a chance to be creative. It’s our second year and it’s been a really great collaboration. Art and music, an easy marriage,” she said.

Michael McCarville, who had been at the event for a few hours, looked intensely at the scene he was creat-ing using a mixture of pencil

crayons and shapes cut out of magazines.

“It’s my first time. I found out about it yesterday. I’m having fun,” he said smiling.

The success of this event showcases the need and want for artistic expression in our

society.“With the Internet, I’m see-

ing more and more bedroom and basement artists distrib-uting their art. Distribution used to be a big issue, now it’s not,” Flanagan said.

“There are waves and waves

of people seeing their peers doing things and think I can do that too,” she added.

Check out Weird Canada to learn more about their mis-sion to bring arts to the mass-es at www.weirdcanada.com.kwag.com.

PHOTO By MATT HOWELLAlex Rolston stares intently while drawing at the second annual Drawathon that took place Oct. 18 at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.

Perfect storm creates hike in price of red meat

By JORDAN JOHNsTONE

Walking down the meat aisle at your local grocery store, looking at the prices of red meat may make you want to become a vegan. The cost of beef has been going up ever since the Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow dis-ease) outbreak in 2003 and 2005.

Now, not only is the cost of beef still on the rise but the other red meat – pork – has been steadily rising this year due to hardship in the United States caused by piglets con-tracting PED, a virus that affects the small intestine in all pigs but is nearly 100 per cent fatal in infant piglets causing a decrease in this year’s herds.

“People are substituting pork now for beef and that has caused a rise in all red meat prices. All of these fac-tors have created a sort of perfect storm in the indus-try,” said retired veterinarian and farmer Dr. Jim Ferrier.

Students with tight budgets are feeling the pain from ris-ing prices, but so are butch-ers, grocery stores and farm-ers.

Global warming contrib-uting to droughts over the past five years in the south-ern United States has put a strain on Canadian exports, which has affected prices at home.

“The drought in the United States, mainly in Texas, but all the southern states, has forced farmers to cull the herds and females which has slowed the growth of herds and decreased exports in nor-mally strong cattle states,” Ferrier said.

Agricultural farmers are also taking a hit after enjoy-ing record prices for corn feed last year. Now it is at a low for the industry because farmers are buying smaller amounts of feed because the herds are smaller.

Even the Russian ban on Canadian food imports has not stopped the rising

cost of red meats at home. Rising Asian economies have opened up markets for Canadian beef exports because the rising middle class there want to eat red meat.

“With India and China’s rising middle classes we’re (Canada) exporting a lot more beef to markets that 10 to 15 years ago wasn’t much of a market for beef. Exports to these market will continue to increase year in and year out,” Ferrier said.

With the loonie falling against the U.S. dollar the last thing the industry and consumers want to add to the storm is increasing red meat prices.

This storm does not appear to be ending anytime soon so consumers may have to tighten their belts or open their wallets a little wider to enjoy red meats, which some believe they still will.

“Some people will still buy red meat no matter the cost,” Ferrier said.

Fall WEaTHER cOntinues this WeeK

PHOTO By ALEX RIEsEProspective conestoga student Grace Li takes in the fall weather near the pond at conestoga college. According to the Weather network, temperatures will hover around a high of 9 with lots of sun for most of the week.

Monday, October 27, 2014 SPOKE s Page 9NEWS

GaminG cafes NEW to kitchENEr

PHOTO BY jack ParkiNSONkate cox and ryan Leantres own the Adventurers Guild, a gaming cafe located in downtown kitchener. the restaurant is one of several gaming cafes which started operating in the region this year. For video, head to www.spokeonline.com.

Zombies TaKe oVeR kitchENEr turF

PHOTO BY juSTiN fOrd kitchener Zombie Walk event co-ordinator, ronald hoppe, puts some finishing touches on prepara-tions for the event. For more, see video at www.spokeonline.com.

SPOKE s Page 10 Monday, October 27, 2014fun & 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 treat people the way you want to be treated, which makes you a likeable individual. You don’t hold anything back when you speak your mind.

You are known to be indepen-dent. You know your capa-bilities and want things done properly the first time. Allow input from others, you might be surprised.

Underneath the detached, unemotional exterior lies a kind-hearted individual who will go out of his or her way to help others around them.

Pisces need a strong, posi-tive friend, in order to make themselves strong. You like adventure and crave new, exciting situations and social events.

Gemini, you are known to be extremely independent. Accept the changes that are headed your way and experi-ence new situations.

Leo, you are known to be encouraging. Focus that energy towards others around you during stressful times, they will appreciate every bit of effort.

Don’t dwell on the past, it will complicate things and may limit your ability to move forward in life. Accept new changes. This week be adaptable.

The stars have spoken.

Horoscope Week of October 27, 2014

Aries, you are known to have an upbeat personal-ity, which will attract others who will follow your lead.

Taurus, you are known to be stubborn. You want things done your way. This week be open-minded and accept other people’s opinions. It may be helpful for you.

Scorpio, you are known to be jealous when it comes to friendships, but on the other hand, you are a very loyal person.

Libra, you are known to be lazy. Tackle one task at a time to ensure everything gets done within a reason-able amount of time.

Other people might find you cold because you only view things your way and avoid emotional situations. You crave attention and comfort from those around you.

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 giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

In France, there’s a place called Y.

One in every four Americans has appeared on televi-sion at least once in their life. In ancient Rome, when a man testified in court he would swear on his testicles.

The average human will shed 40 pounds of skin in a lifetime.

A Virginia law requires all bathtubs to be kept inside the house.

Monday, October 27, 2014 SPOKE s Page 11NEWS

BY RACHEL ROY

Perseverance, dedication and hard work is what two Conestoga students were honoured for when they received the Athlete of the Week award from the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).

Lauren Ruf, an inte-rior decorating student at Conestoga College, is a pitcher for the varsity soft-ball team.

“Being named Athlete of the Week gives me a sense

of pride, not only in myself but in my team. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my stats if I didn’t have my team behind me 100 per cent of the time,” she said.

At the time of the award, Ruf had an amazing OCAA-leading record of nine wins and no losses.

She also struck out six players in a 3-0 win over Humber College on Oct. 2 then, after that, she struck out nine in a 4-3 win over Durham College on Oct. 5.

“I think it’s important to

remember that playing var-sity softball is a choice, we play because we love the game,” she said, “You show up to the diamond ready to play, you wear the Condor jersey proudly and you pre-tend you’re still having fun even when it’s raining and barely 5 degrees Celsius. But at the end of the day, you have to remember it’s just a game and you make it what it is, so you may as well do your best.”

James Innis, a practi-cal nursing student at

Conestoga, is a varsity rugby player.

“When I found out that I was awarded male Athlete of the Week for men’s rugby in OCAA I felt a sense of self accomplishment. It was an honour to receive this acknowledgement,” Innis said.

Innis scored 17 points in Conestoga’s 27-10 victory over Sheridan College on Oct. 4.

Additionally, he helped his team achieve a victory over Mohawk College on Oct. 9.

However, Innis knows what it means to be a team player.

“Being named male Athlete of the Week is an accomplishment for me, but it is not what I set out to achieve each week or year. I set my goals to play,” said Innis, “to give my team the best chance to win and be successful and if I receive acknowledgement for it so be it.”

The Condors, as of press time, were in third place in the West division with a record of 4-2-0.

Conestoga athletes receive provincial honour

PHOTO BY NATHAN BROWNFall reading week was last week for some post-secondary students, and a mid-term recess is being held Oct. 30 and 31 for others. The time off is supposed to help stu-dents cope with stress, and reduce student suicides. But what do Conestoga College students do without a fall break? Devin Mueller, a first-year nursing student, studies for her fall mid-term. For video visit www.spokeonline.com.

Left,Lauren Ruf, a Conestoga College inte-rior decorating student, was named the OCAA female Athlete of the Week for Oct. 6. She is a softball pitcher on Conestoga’s varsity team.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Right,James Innis, a practical nurs-ing student, was named the OCAA male Athlete of the Week for the same week. He is a member of the rugby var-sity team at Conestoga.

PHOTO BY JOSH KENNEDYConestoga Students Inc. has been holding free Food Fridays throughout the semester. CSI president Jeff Scherer is proud that CSI has undertaken this initia-tive. For video, go to www.spokeonline.com.

students love CSI’S FRee FOOD FRIDAySstress and mid-terms DOn’T MIx

Page 12 s SPOKE Monday, October 27, 2014