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Atrium's Fall 2010 issue!
Transcript of Fall 2010
Fall 2010
2
Contents
Antonietta PetrellaPresident
Design Editor
Aamir MirzaExecutive Vice President
Editor-in-Chief
Gourav SatheManaging Editor
Lauren NealVP Human Resources
Glorien Abbas VP Marketing
Rishi AggarwalMarketing Manager
Braden Polyak Photography
Rosalie EidPhotography
Robb FaragoWriter
Kira BorysWriter
Victoria Craig Writer
Robyn HendersonWriter
Rochelle HeinrichsWriter
Arooba KhanWriter
Alexandra MiljakWriter
Jake SolomonPromotions
Jennifer Waslowski Promotions
The views and opinions shared by some writers do not necessarily represent those
of Atrium Media Group
2
Moving is living. To quote someone famous, “The slower we move, the faster we die”. The world around us is moving at a much more rapid pace than ten or twenty years ago. Everything is a lot more ac-
celerated today from technological innovations to the shelf lives of celebrities. It is crucial today to look to tomorrow more than ever because foresight is a key success factor in the current environment.
In keeping with that theme, a lot of our articles do deal with the idea of “Mov-ing Forward.” This includes the trends in technology from the iPad (page 10) to the idea of digital branding (page 4). Also covered are the steps taken by the people of Rwanda (page 5) and Pakistan (page 12) to move forward after tragic periods. There is also some great advice targeted towards first years to help them get adjusted to university life throughout the issue.
Some of us will be moving on to the professional world after this semester while others will just be moving on to another term. Regardless, before you know where you’re going, you need to know where you started. Laurier will be completing its 100th year soon and it’s staggering to think about how the university has grown from its humble beginnings. Hopefully the next century will be as kind to Laurier and its graduates as the last 100 years but it does seem that the university has a solid plan for moving forward. To sum it up, we’re moving faster than ever which makes it imperative that we keep up and plan ahead.
Contact us at [email protected] and check out our new website www.sbeatrium.com.
Aamir MirzaEditor-in-Chief
From the Editor-in-Chief...
Where has the time gone? The leaves have fallen off the trees, the weather is cold and wet, and it’s almost time for that dreaded “S” word. It feels like we only just came back from summer break, yet
here we are, passed midterms and heading into that joyous season of final assignments and exams. Don’t you just love the university life?
I want you to know that the Atrium Media Group is here for you! When you need a little extra encouragement or just something to read to kill the time,
our “Moving Forward” issue is full of great articles to remind you to push through when times are tough and to look forward to all the great things the future holds.
The future for the Atrium seems bright and promising. In the upcoming semester we are looking to expand our team, hiring layout and web designers. We are launch-ing a cover photo contest for our Winter 2011 magazine and are excited to see the talent of the Laurier Community. We would also like to hear more from our readers and encourage you to visit our website and join our Facebook page.
On behalf of the entire Atrium team I would like to wish you the best of luck in your final exams. We look forward to seeing you in 2011!
Antonietta PetrellaPresident
From the President...
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Contents4 Google Yourself
Robb Farago
5 Red Dust of RwandaRochelle Heinrichs
7 On a Lazy WeekendLauren Neal
6 Emerging MarketsGourav Sathe
14 Living Healthy at LaurierRobyn Henderson
15 Guiding Yourself on the Path to SuccessKira Borys
8 Stepping Back to Surge ForwardVictoria Craig
9 Volunteer OpportunitiesAntonietta Petrella
10 Professional TabletsAlexandra Miljak
The Times they are a Changing”Aamir Mirza
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12 Social EntrepreneurshipArooba Khan
From the Editor-in-Chief...
Atrium Cover Contest
The Atrium Media Group is looking for talented artists and
photographers to take part in our cover contest for our
Winter 2011 Issue.
E-mail questions and photos to [email protected]
by February 1st.
Visit www.sbeatrium.com for more information.
Prizes for First PlaceWinner
4
Admit it, you’ve been there, staring at that oh so familiar logo with its basic colours on an empty field
of white, with that empty box able pro-vide you with direction on where to find knowledge on absolutely anything with just a few keystrokes and a mouse click. You sit in front of your computer, won-dering to yourself “What should I ask the internet about?” The sheer vastness of the World Wide Web at your finger tips, its potential is overwhelming when you think about it. Why you type in what
you do at that moment you are not quite sure. You may do it because you’re curious, maybe you are questioning your own existence, or perhaps you are just plain bored and can’t think of anything else to do. Whatever the reason, you know you’ve done it. In that moment of weakness, looking into the heart of the Google search engine you type your own name. Feeling Lucky? You know you are.
Online reputation is quickly becoming very important for university students. Our lives revolve around the internet and social media and you can bet that most people who know or who have heard about you have Googled you at some point. Anyone can type your name into a search engine and find out more about you then you may be comfortable with. Remember that 8th Grade play where you dressed up as Cupid and you split your heart patterned shorts on stage? Of course you do. Your hometown paper covered the story and your parents cut the article and that embarrass-ing picture out and put it on the fridge. Well it so happens that last year that local paper digitized their archives and uploaded everything to their website. It is now the 3rd item that comes up when your name is entered into Google, be-hind that Facebook profile picture of you chugging a bottle of vodka and that one blog entry you wrote in the middle of the night a few summers ago when you were a little tipsy and emotional.
In this day in age, potentially everything you have ever done in your life can be found on the internet, and the more diligent the search, the more incriminating the findings. All of your activities, successes, failures, comments, pictures, videos, and much more, are out there in cyber space just waiting for someone to find them. Potential employers, friends, secret admirers, can all go through your dirty laundry whenever it is convenient for them. But all is not lost, you can still find a way to manage your online identity. By Googling your own name you have just taken the first step in managing your online reputation.
When you Google yourself, what actually comes up? This is what the entire world sees of you, online you are defined by the first page of a Google search. Most likely it is a random collection of social media profile pages, blogs, and newspa-per articles covering past activities that may or may not ac-tually be you depending on the commonality of your name. The question is what do you want the world to know about you? What do you want those potential employers, friends, secret admirers and others to find when they are curious?Taking control of your online reputation is easier than you may think, you just need to know how search engines work. Although Google would never reveal how their search algo-rithm works, you can bet that the amount of traffic a website gets plays a big role in where the site shows up in a search. This is why most social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn tend to come up first in a search, you access them on almost a daily basis and they are updated with new activity regularly.
The number one way to start managing your online identity is to look at all of your social media profiles. Access your profiles regularly, and keep them up to date. Only provide information you are willing to share with everyone. If you prefer to use some social media sites for more personal ac-tivity, then take a look at privacy settings. For example, if you don’t want random people accessing your Facebook picture albums, then make sure you change your settings accordingly. One caveat however, you can only control your own social media profiles. You can’t stop the world from accessing photos and information posted on other people’s profiles. You may have that embarrassing birthday picture locked away in your profile, but your best friend had a cam-era that night as well and they couldn’t care less about pri-vacy settings.
Other actions to improve your online identity include be-ing more active online by participating on websites that you would like to be affiliated with. Comments on articles and blogs online will show up in searches. The more often you engage in online discussion, the more often your comment will appear in a search. Making poignant and educated com-ments will definitely improve your online image. Consider creating your own blog where you can shout to the world exactly what you would like to. The more posts you make, the more often those posts appear in a search. If you would like to have even more control on you online image, think about developing a personal brand. This is an online iden-tity that is consistent with all online activities, and may in-clude owning your name as a web address, which is highly recommended.
You will never have absolute control over what may come up in a Google Search of your name, however by modify-ing your online activities slightly, you can push all of those embarrassing items further down the results list and have exactly what you want appear in the top results for the en-tire world to see and admire.
Google Yourself
What do you want the world to know about you?“ ”
Robb FaragoWriter
Start managing your online identity.“ ”
This summer I walked the same red, dusty roads as the Genocid-aires sixteen years ago, and I was
awed by the sense of hope and forgive-ness surrounding me. For two weeks my volunteer group and I travelled to the idyllic African gem of Rwanda. We eagerly helped build a mud-brick house from the ground up and met an encouraging number of kind and open-hearted people along the way. It was an incredible experience knowing of the horror that struck the country less than
two decades ago.
In April 1994, when most of us students were only toddlers, a bloody genocide swept across the tiny country of Rwanda, devastating its population and leaving a country completely broken in every sense. Two ethnicities turned on each other, Hutus against their Tutsi neighbours, and a blanket of fear settled in every crease of the mountainous landscape as hatred rung out from the radio waves. The genocide lasted three and a half long months before being driven out of Rwanda. Over 800,000 people had been murdered one-by-one; hundreds of thousands of families were left shattered, friendships left to dry up in the sun.
It was with this knowledge, a few pairs of cargo pants and several litres of sunblock that we arrived in the land of a thousand hills completely unsure of what to expect. Much to our surprise we found a capital city teeming with people, life and energy! There was movement everywhere: cars and people mingled in chaotic harmony. In the rural areas there was always a steady line of men, women and children carry-ing water jugs or bricks on their head. I should have expect-ed all this considering Rwanda is the most densely popu-lated country in Africa, but there was something unexpected
about how everyone seemed to coexist so well. There was a definite sense of community that I can’t say I’ve experienced in many other places. Children were free to scurry about all day as long as they returned in the evening. We would stroll gleefully hand-in-hand with dozens of little children and walk over a kilometre. Once I remarked that if we did this in North America, we would probably be charged with kidnapping. It was by that sense of trust that I was most taken aback. Despite everything that these people had been through, they were able to live as a community: together.There were times when I could still see shadows of what the genocide left behind. The silhouette of a farmer casually holding a machete at his side would have once ignited a nau-seous wave of fear. It was startling to pause and think that every adult we met, had gotten to know and had worked alongside had a story from the genocide. They obviously survived, but how? What family have they lost? The house we built in Kayonza was for a very fragile grandmother and her grandchildren. She was no more than sixty, but had the body of a ninety year-old. Where was she when the rebels crept through the forests of her village?
With this knowledge in mind one can begin to recognize the great progress Rwanda has made at moving forward. There are obviously many underlying conflicts that may never be resolved, but for now these beloved people are moving for-ward in a way unimaginable by most, fulfilling the age-old principle “love thy neighbour as thyself.”
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Rochelle HeinrichsWriter
Red Dust of Rwanda Experiencing the recovery of a nation shocked by Genocide
There was a definite sense of community that I can’t say I’ve experienced in many
other places.
“”
6
With the after-effects of the economic recession reso-nating world-over, emerg-
ing markets are hot destinations for multi-national companies, constituting an enormous consumer market and growth opportunity. As Julian Evans states in the Wall Street Journal, emerg-ing markets are home to over 70% of the world’s population, approximately 46% of global land mass, and yet they currently account for only 31% of the world’s GDP (according to Credit
Suisse’s Global Investment Year Book 2010). With a rising middle-class and consumer buying power in emerging mar-kets increasing, the GDP figures are set to undergo a major increase in coming years.
With the rise of the G20, there is no doubt that the world is witnessing a definite power shift, from the industrialized and developed markets to the emerging markets, such as BRIC Nations. Famously quoted by Jim O’Neill (Goldman Sachs), BRIC is an acronym referring to the markets of Brazil, Rus-sia, India and China- nations which collectively represent a major economic opportunity with their massive GDP boosts and growth in recent years. The Wall Street Journal even notes that some of the world’s biggest companies, such as Axa, the French insurance and wealth management group, are consciously making decisions to move away from devel-oped markets in an aim to capitalize on growth prospects in emerging markets. With the addition of nations such as China, India, Brazil, South Korea, the G20 now represents 85% of world GDP and 75% of world population and as Francis Fukuyama (Johns Hopkins School of Advanced In-ternational Studies) states, this gives the G20 “unchallenged legitimacy” and legitimacy as a powerful “steering commit-tee of the world economy”.
There was a time a few years ago, when emerging markets were perceived to be high risk-prone investments, thus pos-ing a major barrier to entry for multinationals wanting to enter developing markets. However, the situation now has considerably changed. As Jerome Booth, head a UK-based emerging market fund states, “the credit crunch has shown that western markets are just as risky, and just as exposed to risks like weak corporate governance and political interfer-ence.” According to the projections displayed below, China and India, in addition to holding more than half the world’s population, will also account for the largest GDP by 2050.
Despite prospects of large economic growth, what has his-torically deterred investments in developing markets has been the existence of an enormous amount of corruption in political, economic and social affairs leading to lack of trans-parency in operations. Another challenge has been the need to tailor business operations to meet with local laws and regulations. For nations such as China, regulations include partnering up with a local firm or locally established entity to lawfully operate in the country. Although emerging mar-kets such as China will continue to be plagued by corruption and inconsistencies, the massive growth potential can no longer be ignored. For instance, just a couple months back, in August 2010, China reduced to its ownership of US debt to its lowest level in almost a year, by selling $34.8 billion in US Treasury securities. Although the global appetite for US assets remains relatively solid, China’s diminishing appetite for US debt may perhaps be an indicator that the country wants to concentrate on domestic economic investment, without jeopardizing its relationship as the United States’ biggest trade partner.
With a growing middle-class, the emerging markets of BRIC nations represent an opportunity for multi-nations to par-take in extensive growth opportunities. The development of the Nano, the world’s cheapest car by India’s premier au-tomaker, Tata, shows that companies in emerging markets are already beginning to take advantage of a rich and viable consumer market. Wal-Mart is recognized as one of the most successful business models, especially in North America, but found it particularly tough to compete in overseas mar-kets such as China and India, perhaps due to their corporate rigidity. What this means is that multi-national will have to pay close attention to the needs of local environments to en-sure their product is able to come to terms with the biggest issue of the twenty-first century: globalization. “With three of the top five global companies (by market capitalization) headquartered in emerging markets”, it is clear that eco-nomic and political power is shifting to emerging or devel-oped markets.
There is no doubt the world is witnessing a definite power shift.“ ”
Emerging Markets An Emerging Force in the World Economy
Gourav SatheEditor-in-Chief
Though most of us are busy into midterms and papers, sometimes we just need a break and the town
of Waterloo offers great ways to do just that. Whether you’ve lived here for a few years or are incoming this year, there are always new things to try which you may never have experienced. Just getting out of the house can help clear your mind for a more productive day or evening, you could try:
St. Jacobs MarketWaterloo, being rural in its heritage is famous for this year round market. With more than 600 vendors, St. Jacobs is a fantastic place to shop. Not only selling fresh items from all across Ontario, you will also find cheese, furniture, clothing and much more. Open Thursdays and Saturdays, it’s a great way to spend a few hours and find amazing deals.
Shopping UptownUp Town Waterloo is filled with many secret stores which sell unique clothing, trinkets or food items. A walk down King Street, especially on those little side streets prove to be a great way to find these hidden gems.
Waterloo ParkContaining 11 acres of land, Waterloo Park is a great place to wander and discover on the weekends. Filled with picnic areas and sports fields, time will fly as you have fun explor-ing around it. As well, during the wintertime there are many events going on in the park worth checking out. For more information visit http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/Desktop-Default.aspx?tabid=40
Trolley RidesIf you’re feeling like doing something outside the box, con-sider a free horse drawn trolley ride. On December 3rd, 10th, and 17th you can receive a free 30 minute ride around Waterloo. Starting at 5:30pm, free tickets are handed out 15 minutes before your ride. The trolley boards on Willis Way located between King and Caroline Street.
SkatingOnce the cold weather starts, the people of Waterloo Town Square begin work on the ice rink. Located right in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart, a skating break can offer a fun time with friends while making you active at the same time. It is scheduled to re-open in December, weather and mainte-nance permitting.
Hot YogaYoga is a great way to clear your mind and receive a workout at the same time. Moksha Yoga located on Erb Street now offers students an intro-ductory special for $20 for a week of unlimited classes. If you’ve never tried hot yoga, it’s one of those things that should be added to your to-do list. Just remember to bring a towel.
Try a new RestaurantFeeling like you are always going to the same places? There is more to Waterloo than what you see in King and Universi-ty! Try new things like The Rainforest Cafe, Cora’s, Marbles, or The Duke of Wellington. There are also a few restaurants that are new to the Waterloo area like Crabby Joe’s, Wild Wing, or Ish & Chips.
AC classesLaurier’s gym offers a variety of different exercise classes from Cycling to Pilates to Rock climbing. If you don’t have a pass for the semester, they offer class passes for only $7. Grab some friends and try a class you’ve never done for a nice break from the books!
There are many different events and activities held in Wa-terloo every month. Information is available online to those who want to try something different. Try exploring Water-loo and you’ll see all it has to offer!
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Lauren NealHuman Resources
If you’ve never tried hot yoga, it’s one of those
things that should be added to your to-do list.
“”
On a Lazy WeekendHow to pass the time in Waterloo
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Stepping Back to Surge ForwardWhy we need to slow down and reflect to create a
better business future.
Being in business and economics at Laurier comes with a comical sort of biz kid social stigma from the
students in every other faculty. It would seem that we’ve garnered the reputation of being pretty intense, career hungry, and are constantly reminding the arts students that we have that much more work than them. Although we have all come to see it as a standing joke on the Laurier campus, it is the kind of stereo-type that likely had some genuine roots in the first place. So where is it that these
perceptions are really coming from?
Well, whether it is the pressure from profs to do well on ex-ams, the pressure to get into co-op or the pressure to gain the right experiences to put on a resume...undergraduate business programs today are pretty competitive - especially when you consider powerhouse-business schools such as Queen’s, Laurier, Western, and York. So essentially, everyone is doing as much as they can to stand out from the masses. But in doing just that, business students run the risk of just blending into the masses of each other; we are all loading on the extra-curriculars and getting the grades and are ready to make success our number one goal.
So we’re basically faced with two issues here: the issue of standing out in the sea of the competitive masses we find ourselves swimming in, and moving forward and creating a business environment with a strong ethical foundation (in-stead of one based on just moving up in the ranks).
First off, in order to stand out, the first thing we need to look at may be the values we’re carrying with us, which will be-fore long define who we are. It seems that today students are becoming more inclined to volunteer and get involved
in school so those experiences can be slapped on a resume (which we’ve likely all done at some point). Add in Laurier’s recent and numerous run-ins with academic integrity, and it seems that sincerity in our extra-curricular and academic choices may not be quite as strong as we would hope. As a
result we are reminded about the benefits of ethical behav-iour in almost every business class we attend. It’s pretty sad that these days, we need to be taught good ethics in a class-room as opposed to developing them on our own like people used to. Yet in the crazy success oriented-environment we’re living in, should it really come as any surprise that our eth-ics may be strained and that our primary concerns are for
ourselves? So maybe the key to standing out of the biz-kid masses is to step back and re-evaluate our own ethics and values so what we put on our resumes not only comes across as genuine but really is genuine. When we take on extra-curriculars, they should be ones that we’re actually passion-ate about. It’s when you have a passion for something that allows you to make the greatest impact on others and that is something that employers can recognize.
However, it’s not just about being genuine to ourselves and our interests, but also towards others. We are, whether we like to admit it or not, the “me generation” where we are attached to our phones and undeniably self-involved. We should look back to our parents’ values which involved ac-tually writing thank you cards to people and not texting in the middle of a conversation. So, in trying to be more genu-ine in the activities we participate in and in our treatment of others, not only are we separating ourselves from the self-absorbed masses, but we are building the foundation of our personal ethics from the ground-up which leads me to my second point...
We are the business leaders of tomorrow and therefore we are in the midst of outlining the business ethics and percep-tions that will define the business world in the coming years. Therefore, becoming aware of our ethics and values now is crucial before it’s too late. I mean if we cannot even respect a professor enough to turn off our crackberries in class, how can we be sure we will respect the interests of sharehold-ers we have never met when creating financial statements in the future? Sometimes the “university bubble” that we all live in encourages us to think more about our personal interests than anything else, especially in such a competitive school environment. That’s why it’s so important for us to realize that we need to start thinking about why we make the decisions we do and how they affect both ourselves and the people around us. Our generation will soon be making its mark on the business world and we want to be sure we
Victoria CraigWriter
We are the business leaders of tomorrow.“
”
It’s when you have a passion for something that
allows you to make the greatest impact on others.
“”
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are making a positive impact. And it is through the step of defining our passions, goals, and considering our impact on others that we will be able to create that respectful and posi-tive business environment in the future.
So what is the good news out of this? Well despite using Laurier as one example of how self centred students can sometimes be, it’s safe to say our school is full of some of the most passionate and forward thinking students out there!
Just take a look at how happy our icebreakers are to get up at 5:00 am during frosh week to help out their first years; look at how many teams are involved in intramural sports; and think of how many volunteer positions Laurier has to offer that are consistently filled. And recently a group of Laurier Alumni completed a 78 day, 5,600 km bike trek around the southern coast of Australia in support of microfinance for ending poverty. Clearly Laurier deserves to be on the list of business schools well on their way to creating a business world built upon passion, commitment and respect.
While on the most part we all have a strong ethical foun-dation, it can be easy to get caught up in trying to become successful when everyone else is trying to do the very same thing. So maybe all we need to do is slow down and look back at our values so we can move forward and make one hell of a positive impact in the future.
I’ve had some interesting jobs in the past. I’ve been a beer cart girl, waitress, camp counselor, and I’ve even done some telemarketing. As much fun as those jobs were (except the telemarketing!) and as much as I have learned about how to pour
the perfect beer or customer ser-vice with a smile, I’m not sure if these jobs have set me up for the real world or work, or at least not
the field that I’m interested in. And even though I have acquired many skills, they aren’t exactly all of the traits that future employers are looking for in an employee. Sadly, I feel like a lot of students are in the same boat. We look for jobs wherever we can get them, especially in the economy that we have had recently, but these jobs aren’t always the best looking on a resume.
Luckily however, when seeking out little perks that are going to make a good addition to the resume and make you a good candidate for a job interview, students at Laurier don’t have to look too far. Laurier is the host of
over 100 campus clubs, with more than 20 that are part of the SBESS. I know it might sound like a cliché, but there is literally something here for everyone! And if there isn’t, you can round up 19 other people with the same interests and make one of your own!
Joining a club on campus is a great way for you to vol-unteer, get involved, meet new people, and participate in events that surprisingly are usually pretty fun and beneficial. By becoming a member you will be gaining knowledge and experience in different areas that other-wise might not be available to you. You develop neces-sary skills to help you succeed in the workplace. The oth-er great thing is that at the end of the year you can add everything you have done to your co-curricular record.
The real secret is…believe it or not... the clubs at Laurier WANT you to be involved! We want you to come to our events, join our teams, and help make a difference in the Laurier community. So as the winter term begins and many of the clubs do their second semester recruiting, think about getting involved and making a difference at Laurier.
It’s safe to say our school is full of some of the most
passionate and forward thinking students out there.
“”
Taking Advantage of Volunteer Opportunities
Antonietta PetrellaPresident
Technology continually changes and shapes the way we communi-cate. Technological advances have
taken our society from a mode of face-to-face communication and brought us into a mode of computer-mediated com-munication. Recently, tablet computers have been taking over the market; thanks to new developments from Apple and Re-search In Motion (RIM). The iPad and the recently launched BlackBerry Play-
Book are professional grade tablets that have introduced a new, unmatched way communication into our society. They are devices that should be watched and could potentially change the face of business and personal communication.
The tablet however, is not a new concept. The concept of an electronic tablet used for handwriting has been around since the early 1900s. The current professional tablets are extensions of this idea. The iPad, PlayBook and other pro-fessional tablets are complete computers which have been compressed into a small, flat touch screens; leaving the main input device as a fingertip or digital pen.
RIM has recently redefined the possibilities for mobile com-puting with the release of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The PlayBook can be used by large organizations as well as indi-viduals; it has been designed to specifically give users what they want out of mobile computing devices.
“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world’s most robust and flexible operating systems,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompro-mised web browsing and high performance multimedia.”It is apparent that the BlackBerry PlayBook is giving Apple’s iPad a run for their money. A recent news article claimed “the incredibly powerful and innovative BlackBerry Play-Book is truly a game-changing product in the growing tablet marketplace”.
The PlayBook and other professional tablets such as the iPad have numerous consumer friendly features whether or not you are using it for business purposes or personal purposes.
The PlayBook has become a popular tool within the medical world. Since many doctors use BlackBerries, the PlayBook links up effortlessly with their mobile device making transi-tion of information seamless.
As well, the PlayBook has come in useful with patient infor-mation. Doctors can load the medical files of their patients into the PlayBook and call them up whenever needed. Or-
thopaedic surgeons have the ability to design knee replace-ments for their patients’ right on their PlayBooks.
Another important feature of professional tablets is video conference calling; this is crucial for on-the-go business ex-ecutives. These tablets can potentially change the way busi-nesses hold meetings and communicate with each other. RIM and Apple have equipped their professional tablets with numerous apps for every potential user. As the market for these tablets increases and the demand becomes higher, society will begin to see a shift in the way we communicate based on the features of these tablets.
Society is currently always connected through various ways of computer-mediated communication; the tablet opens even more doors for innovative ways of staying connected.
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These tablets can potentially change the way businesses hold
meetings and communicate with each other. ”
“
Professional TabletsThe Future of Business Communication?
Alexandra MiljakWriter
The tablet opens even more doors for innovative ways of
staying connected. ”“
11
The world we live in today is a lot more complicated than the one we inherited. As part of our moving
forward issue, I attempted to make 3 pre-dictions about what I believe will change the next decade of our lives. An abun-dance of data, alternative energy and an even more turbulent world are three things which will help make this decade different from the last.
Smarter EnergyIt seems odd that we have access to some of the most ad-vanced technology in the world, yet our power grids are very much rooted in the last century. Smart grids take into account the supply of electricity and combine it with the de-mand coming from consumers. The result is a grid capable of talking to consumer appliances and turning them off when the demand and price for electricity is high. In addition to the improved infrastructure, smart grids allow for the en-hanced integration of alternative sources of power such as solar and wind. It’s estimated that if half of all American households got on the smart grid, it would be the equivalent of getting 3.3 million cars off the road. The environmental and economic implications of the smart grid are immense and it’s only a matter of time before our electrical grids be-come smarter.
Data, Data, DataFacebook, LinkedIn, Google, FourSquare. From where you went on vacation to what you searched for, it has all been indexed on the Internet. The consequences are staggering – using usage data about the profiles you see, Facebook can predict with a 33% accuracy who you will be dating next. From a business point of view, analyzing a person’s web history is increasingly being seen as the ideal way to target consumers. So, don’t be surprised if you start to see adver-tisements on the web for travellers insurance if you’re going on a vacation. While privacy issues are clearly a concern, it seems inevitable that anonymity on the web is the price we will pay for a lot of internet services in the future.
Globalization in the past decade has connected businesses and financial markets across the world. However, today a 5% fall in the Nikkei will have a bearish effect on the TSX and this interdependence is a harbinger of things to come. The increasing amount of variables in the market will make small market crashes a lot more common than in the last century. Whether, it’s the rise of a dictator in one part of the world or the fall of a government in another, global com-panies such as GE & Wal-Mart will need to keep a closer eye on their external environment. The butterfly effect states that small differences such as the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings can have a chaotic impact over the long run. Well, there are a lot more butterflies in our economic system than there were a decade ago and with this comes the potential for even more earthquakes.
Some predictions are easy, while others such as forecasting the rise of a mop-headed musician from Stratford, Ontario are impossible. While some of my predictions may not seem too bold, I believe that these 3 elements will play a large part in shaping the next decade. One prediction I’m confident about is that the world in a decade will look a lot different from today because as Bob Dylan sang, “the times they are a changin”.
The Times They are a Changing
The world in a decade will look a lot different from today. ”“
If half of all American households got on the smart
grid, it would be the equivalent of getting 3.3 million cars
off the road. ”
“Aamir Mirza
Executive Vice [email protected]
Analyzing a person’s web history is increasingly being seen as the ideal way to target consumers. ”
“
12
As undergraduate students, I am sure we are familiar with the term “entrepreneurship”. En-
trepreneurship is more than just an in-dividual running a personal enterprise. Surely, all owners like to set innovative strategic goals in their organization, but, what is the purpose behind these strategic goals? Is it monetary? Do these owners enjoy the entrepreneurial life-style? Why do they choose to live this life-style? To many owners, achieving these accomplishments is worth more
than just the monetary returns. These valuable returns are priceless. They are based on the continuity of the organiza-tion, and achieving this vision is not only about the revenues. Likewise, “social” entrepreneurs think along the same path.
Social entrepreneurship is the process of creating social val-ue using a combination of unique resources and an opportu-nity. That opportunity along with the anticipation of social returns is the pursuit of social entrepreneurs. It’s when indi-viduals take the stance of creating social value or contributing to a cause that will eventually lead to a social impact. So, are successful social entrepreneurs born with specific traits? Not necessarily. There are many ways to implement innovative
social change. To run a social venture or project, we need to develop a tolerance of ambiguity, an independent mentality, a goal-oriented mind-set and always remember the purpose behind social value. As students enrolled in post-secondary education, we have the tools, access to resources, and ability to initiate a social change in a targeted environment. Now, how do you define your social goal? How can a student like you create social change in a cause you believe in?
The Process of Creating Social ChangeThe creative process is based on two factors: an idea and an opportunity. Many ideas may seem bright, but are not bright enough to be an opportunity. In the global market, opportu-nities occur when supply equals demand. That occurs when the idea targets a specific group or population that connects with our innovative social idea. Once the idea produces a clear vision, the next step is to define the relevant measur-able goals in an appropriate time-frame. Now, we develop a business plan by conducting population market research, and accessing the right resources to initiate the social project. The right resources include delegating roles to specialized people/groups in your social project, and ensuring that each role is clearly defined. Launch the project and anticipate the social change! The measure of success is a journey that social entrepreneurs enjoy experiencing because whereas the rev-enues will eventually arrive, the social impact is much more important. Implementing a social change does not have to mean starting a non-profit organization, but it can start off as a small social project that will perhaps lead to a dynamic global change.
An Inspiring Social EntrepreneurMuhammed Yunis, Nobel Peace Prize Winner of 2006, founder of Graemeen Bank. Social Goal: Fighting poverty in the villages of Bangladesh (one of the world’s poorest countries)
Muhammed Yunis was an econom-ics professor in Bangladesh who recognized an un-met social need in the villages of Bangladesh. He noticed that the rural people were hard-working and he wanted them to utilize their specialized skills
Arooba KhanWriter
Social entrepreneurship is the process of creating social value using a combination of unique resources and an opportunity.
“”
“Social Entrepreneurship” -- MORE than just a BUZZ word
13
more effectively. The issue was that the products made (I.e. baskets made by women) were sold with a significantly high commission to the middle-man. This left the skillful workers with very low returns. Furthermore, this prevented workers from expanding their production because the low monetary returns were not enough to cover the cost of raw materials. In 1983, Yunis founded Graemeen Bank which issued low interest micro financial loans to poor borrowers. He gave the poor borrowers an opportunity to expand their produc-tion, to earn reasonable profits and break through poverty. Initial funds for his project came from interested donors and through his own pocket. Today, Graemeen Bank has over 1500 branches covering nearly 50,000 villages in Bangla-desh. The outcomes of his social change include a dramatic fall in poverty rates in villages, and economic improvements in Bangladesh’s rural areas.
My Personal Experience Social Goal – Raise awareness and implement short-term and long-term development plans for the 21 million flood-stricken victims in Pakistan.
On July 26, 2010, heavy monsoon rains formed overpower-ing floods affecting more than 21 million individuals in all the provinces of Pakistan. The U.N estimates that the floods have caused 43 billion dollars in damages, destroyed more than a million homes. In addition, there have been over 2000 fatalities and 3 million children are believed to be afflicted with water-borne diseases. The number of flood-stricken individuals exceeds the total affected by the Kashmiri earth-quake disaster, Haiti earthquake disaster and Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster.
The founder/director of the Motorsports Club Of Pakistan (a close relative) and I decided to initiate a project to assist the flood victims. The club members collected donations and offered free transportation for the delivery of basic neces-sities (i.e. ration bags, towels and soap) to affected villages. From August to September, M.C.P created camps in Sindh, Pakistan targeting four cities that were neglected and need-ed assistance. So far, over 3500 food ration bags have been distributed. Daily meals were cooked for over 200 starving families. Dr. Amir Qureshi, an active member of M.C.P,
joined the distribution team by opening temporary medical stations from his minivan to tirelessly provide aid to injured individuals. So far, through contributions from friends and running small bake sales I have managed to raise $1000 and have started a campaign, “Making That Change For Paki-stan”. However, a lot of relief work is still required due to the dire circumstances from the flood.
My long term goal is to follow in the footsteps of people like Muhammad Yunis and lead long-term development projects for the affected villages by rebuilding homes and providing education opportunities for unfortunate children. By fol-lowing the creative process outlined above, I am confident that I can achieve this goal and, in doing so, inspire other entrepreneurs to create social value while following their entrepreneurial dreams, be they for-profit or non-profit.
Though implementing dynamic social change takes time, students like us proceeding towards post-secondary educa-tion are capable of spreading social awareness. As hard as it may seem to believe, our post graduate degrees can yield more than just monetary earnings. It gives us the oppor-tunity to create social value in a developing economy that needs assistance and implement business solutions. One of my many undergrad experiences has taught me this. My long term goal is to follow in the footsteps of people like Muhammad Yunis and lead long-term economic develop-ment projects for the affected villages by rebuilding homes and providing education opportunities for unfortunate chil-dren. By following the creative process outlined above, I am confident that achieving my personal social goal is possible and, in doing so, inspire other entrepreneurs to create social value while following their entrepreneurial dreams, be they for-profit or non-profit.
My Campaign Website: http://www.a-khan.com
Our post graduate degrees can yield more than just monetary
earnings.
“”
14
Has the endless freedom, un-healthy choices in the dining hall/terrace, and late night
study food taken its toll? Have you noticed your jeans are a bit tighter than they were when you first arrived to campus two months ago? Ah, these are the mighty affects of the freshman fifteen you were all been warned about in the previous issue of Atrium.
So, how does one go about losing the few pounds gained?
1. Change your eating habits now- even when dining out or eating on campus choose healthy foods. Salads with low fat dressing, lots of fruit and vegetables and grilled food rather than fried. Eat in moderation and aim for six small meals a day to keep your metabolism active and avoid eating past 8pm, the later you eat the harder it becomes for your body to work off the fat. Pay attention to nutritional information provided, and if not provided ask someone!
2. Don’t crash diet- avoid picking a fad diet that you kick to the curb once you’ve lost the weight, not only is it unhealthy for your body but you are less likely to keep the weight off. Remember from our first issue, choosing a healthy life style and making choices that you can stick with over a long pe-riod of time will not only benefit you now, but it makes for a healthier future.
3. Drink less alcohol and more water- alcohol often means beer which is high in calories! Opt for mixed drinks instead and don’t drink too much because it typically triggers un-healthy eating, which is double the calorie intake all in one night. Drinking lots of water through out the day not only helps remove fat from your body but also keeps you hy-drated.
4. Exercise- if you haven’t already made use of the Laurier’s athletic facilities, do so now! The gym is included in your tu-ition and has no extra costs unless you are hoping to sign up for a group fitness program such as cycle fit or yoga. Make use of the treadmills, free weights and machines as work-ing in an hour of physical fitness a day has several benefits. If you have friends who are in the same boat, chances are they too want to work off the added pounds; go on group
walks/hikes, go to the gym with one another and set goals together!
5. Be patient- losing weight takes time and it is unhealthy to lose more than 1-2 pounds in a week. Remember, if needed you can always consult a doctor at health services.
If the endless unhealthy food options, late night snacking and finally having control of your life has spun a little out of control, get back on track now. You can still enjoy your freshman year to the fullest, just in a healthier manner that will help you lose the weight you may have gained and lead to a healthy future.
Living Healthy at LaurierFollow Up: How to Lose the Freshman Fifteen
You can still enjoy your freshman year to the fullest.“
”
Robyn HendersonWriter
15
One of the most important things to keep in mind is creating your own path in life. This is your
chance to become independent and the importance of understanding that and putting it into action is huge. The steps I’m about to mention might seem like common sense but a lot of people dis-regard them and don’t really put them into action. University is all about figur-ing yourself out and believe me, even years after that you will still be in the same process of understanding who
you are as a person.
First, you need to become aware of the process of becom-ing independent, it’s more important than you think. Your university years are your time to actually make something of yourself, you have to realize what YOUR priorities are.
The only opinions that should matter are the ones you have, don’t chase someone else’s dream but instead chase your own. As simple as that is to know, people do get caught up in listening to what other people are doing for the future and become intimidated or feel discouraged by it. If a friend al-ready has a job lined up before they graduate, you’ll feel the stress to be on the same path as them. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that few careers go in a straight line, they instead become very much like zig zags.
Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric wrote a book called ‘Winning’ where he answers a question everyone asks, what does it take to win?
Welch’s advice is to find what you’re passionate about as it will keep you motivated to do better in the things you love. Welch stresses the need to “have a positive attitude and spread it around, never let yourself be a victim and for good-ness sake—have fun”. The power of your ideas and putting them into action will go a long way in the future. You have to accept the fact first that some people have better ideas than others, some are smarter or more experienced or more creative, but everyone learns differently and this is some-thing you have to master in your own way which means
constantly challenging yourself to find out what works for you.
One of the most important things people need to overcome is the fear of failure. My advice, learn to get used to it as this is a valuable lesson you’ll need to understand as you make life decisions. In order to grow up and move on, you’re go-ing to have to fail so you can realize your mistakes. Take for instance Sean Parker, the former founding president of
Facebook who also helped create Napster. Parker had to go through many failures before he got to where he was such as the being pushed off of Napster, getting fired from launch-ing his own internet company in 2001, or shelling out money in an unsuccessful bid to expand a hand-painted-clothing company. The point here is that he didn’t give up; when he believed something would work he went for it and didn’t let his past failures stop him from becoming successful. Parker has two things I mentioned, passion and the ability to not let his past failures stop him. When Parker met Jonathan Abrams a programmer who launched Friendster, he was im-mediately fascinated with it and sensed an opportunity for it to grow. After meeting up with Mark Zuckerberg, another
computer genius who ran the website called ‘Thefacebook’ they immediately bonded. Parker believed passionately in the website’s ability to grow and sensed a promising future for it, more so than Zuckerberg. His belief in Napster and Facebook helped create two of the most successful internet companies in history.
Parker summed it up during a recent interview when he said, “It hasn’t been some kind of fairy tale for me. All of my success has been born of failures. Your childhood dreams are always tales of glory; reality is a lot messier and more dramatic”.
Guiding Yourself on the Path to Success
The power of your ideas and putting them into action will go
a long way in the future.
“”
Your university years are your time to actually make something
of yourself.
“”
Kira Borys Writer
[email protected] Find what you’re passionate about as it will keep you moti-vated to do better in the things
you love.
“”
