radix MEDIA STUDIES • UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH-HUMBER

MARCH 2014

RADIXONLINE.CA

“My anxiety started to get really bad when I was 16…after the thing that happened at Subway.”

Twenty-year-old marketing student at Sheridan College, Jessica Capra remembers that day like it was yesterday.

“I was held at gun point and robbed. There was only one other girl working with me and it wasn’t even dark out. It happened at 7:45 p.m.”

She knew from then on that she would be living with this for the rest of her life.

Sonja Embree, the assistant program head of psychology at Guelph-Humber said it’s not uncom-mon for people to be diagnosed with both anxiety and depression.

“We all have experiences with depression and anxiety. To live in this world and be chippy and cheery all the time would actually be abnor-mal,” she said.

Embree described the signs of

Facing anxiety and depression head-on

BY SAMANTHA KNIGHT

Security guards patrol the halls in eye-catching yellow jackets, but there is another type of security that goes unnoticed. They roam the campus in their inconspicuous red vests that don the Campus Walk logo and name. They are the volun-teers of Campus Walk, and they are here to keep students safe.

Yet it seems many students are unaware of Campus Walk and what it has to offer. According to Campus Walk co-ordinator Christopher Duvall, Campus Walk “is all about providing safety and security and peace of mind to both students and

faculty.”“We’re just a bunch of volunteers

hoping to promote a safe environ-ment on campus,” he says.

It’s not just about added security; Campus Walk also offers students the ability to request the assis-tance of volunteers to walk with them if they don’t feel safe walking on campus by themselves at night. Media Studies student Lora-Lyn Slama made use of the program for just that. “I live on residence and was out late one night. My friend

and I were nervous about walking back alone [so] we called Campus Walk to meet us at the road,” she said, adding that students can really benefit from the program as it can help students feel safer.

Campus Walk volunteer Regan Cuthbert explains that volunteers act as an extra pair of eyes for secu-rity guards and even assist students with simple tasks like locating their classroom.

“We’re sort of the eyes and ears of the security office themselves

in terms of where they can’t be at a specific time, we sort of watch over everything and make sure there’s no shenanigans going on,” he said, “And we help people find class-rooms, stuff like that, I just feel like we’re helpers of the school.”

Students can also find Campus Walk volunteers helping out at Linx Pub on Thursday nights to help make sure things don’t get out of hand. “Normally we’ll have two or three volunteers stationed down by the ATMs, down by Linx and we’ll usually block off the hallway so students aren’t going into the school unescorted when it’s closed,” said Cuthbert.

It’s security efforts like this that Campus Walk volunteers are involved with every day. “Monday to Friday, every time slot availa-ble, we have a full roster of volun-teers going around campus,” said Cuthbert. He added that the easiest way for students to get in touch with Campus Walk is through the new Humber Guardian app. “It’s got every number you’re ever going to need in terms of public safety, secu-rity, [and] it’s got the Campus Walk number in there,” he said.

College student threatened at gun point shares her story

Why every student should know about Campus Walk

depression as changes in eating, a lowered mood, irritability, with-drawal from social events and inabil-ity to concentrate.

Anxiety can have many simi-lar symptoms, but is characterized as a constant worry and feeling of nervousness.

Richard Amaral, the owner of Psychology for Growth said depres-sion can affect a person in three main ways, “a disinterest in the things they used to be interested in, a hopeless feeling about their future, and sleep.”

Capra said she sleeps too much, she’s often late for class and has trou-ble driving. A big disappointment is that she stopped doing the things she enjoyed.

“The biggest thing I noticed is that I didn’t want to go to shows anymore. It’s scary to have something that I loved turn into something that I didn’t want to do.”

Andrew Tibbetts, from Humber Counselling Services said that 80 to 90 per cent of his caseload is students suffering from anxiety or depression. He said three things that work for these struggles include “medication,

psychotherapy and exercise”. Capra has a plan that covers two of

those coping mechanisms. “I went to my family doctor and he

prescribed me anti-depressants. He also gave me a therapist’s card, but I haven’t gone yet. I do plan on going though.”

Capra said she goes to the gym often, as a way to distract herself.

It’s important for students suffer-ing from depression and anxiety to know there are natural alternatives to taking medication.

Embree shared that a moderate intake of coffee and chocolate can

positively alter serotonin levels in the brain, which help a person feel better.

Embree said it’s important for people to seek help when they are experiencing depression and anxiety.

“It’s better to address early on. Not only because you’ll feel better, but also because you can acquire different knowledge and tools to help you navi-gate situations,” Embree said.

In Capra’s situation, she said all of these points ring true.

“I knew I would have to seek help for so long. Your anxiety and depres-sion tells you don’t do it, but you have to help yourself.”

All it takes is a tap of the screen, early Nintendo-styled graphics and a f lapping bird to take a mobile culture by storm.

Flappy Bird, the App Store and Google Play craze that achieved at least 50 million downloads over its eight-month life according to The Verge, places users in control of an oddly shaped bird to f ly through obstacles.

The game’s mechanics are simple; a quick tap of the smartphone screen forces the bird to f ly higher, where the time between taps leaves the bird plummeting downward.

Though the app has been availa-ble since May 2013, a huge spike in downloads came only after the New Year. The overwhelming success proved too much for the creator to handle and forced him discontinue the app.

“Just wanting to beat the people that you can compete against in the game center, mainly friends,” is why 21-year-old Flappy Bird user Akailah Wilson is addicted to the app.

Zalmay Karimi, program-ming director for a personal startup company Zed Development, knows first-hand how important social media is as they have built apps for many businesses across the GTA.

“Most apps are built with a lot of thought being put into how sticky the app is for a user. The most addict-ing apps either have a strong correla-tion to the social atmosphere or are games,” said Karimi.

However, the simplicity behind the mechanics does not ref lect the actual difficulty of the game.

“I would play for 30 minutes at a time but would get extremely angry. I would stop playing then always get the urge to play again,” she said.

With all the success that Flappy Bird has had with its users, many have been left confused after the game’s creator, Dong Nguyen, decided to take it down. The decision came hours after Nguyen tweeted that his personal life was being affected.

Karimi congratulates the devel-oper for a feat that “so many corpora-tions are willing to pay more than half a million dollars to replicate.”

“Flappy Bird is the app that made developers f lip the table. It proved that the app stores are still vola-tile…I suppose the brilliance is in the simplicity.”

Simple app soars with retro concept

BY JESSE ESPANA

Flappy Bird sets the standard for mobile apps

PHOTO: JENNA DEABREU

PHOTO: MEAGHAN RITOLA

PHOTO: JESSE ESPANA

To live in this world and be chippy and cheery all the time would actually be abnormal.“ ”

BY MEAGHAN RITOLA

Coffee and chocolate can offer a natural pick-me-up when you’re feeling down.

Underused volunteer service looking to create safety and promote awareness

For more information on Campus Walk,

you can visit https://www.humber.ca/

publicsafety/campus-walk

“ ”We’re just a bunch of volunteers hoping to promote a safe

environment on campus.

Many of the workers he deals with are older, single men without fami-lies or significant others. He says that for some, “this is the only life they know.”

To help combat the loneliness, Kennedy holds weekly chapel services and a movie-viewing, morality discussion group called Soul Survivor. Most recently, the group of about 15 attend-ees watched and discussed the Oscar-nominated film, “Captain Phillips.”

“If you can’t sit through one of our chapel services, you can’t make it through any [others]. We’re the most laid back chapel service in the world,” says Kennedy, a former atheist in high school. “Seriously, we have nothing but fun.”

“For a church, everything is focused on one day and that’s Sunday, but for us, our chapel [services] are just one tiny blip on the radar because we’re all part of it. We’re a workplace ministry and we’re in here everyday.”

Kennedy has some goals and changes for the next decade with the track workers.

“If there’s one constant thing in the Bible, it’s change,” says Kennedy. “I think for us [at Wood-bine] it’s to recognize it and prepare for what’s next.”

HANDLING EDITORS

Jesse Espana

WRITERS

Michael BrownJesse EspanaJennifer King

Samantha KnightMeaghan RitolaKate Schreiter

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Michael BrownLaura DeAbreuJesse EspanaJennifer King

Meaghan Ritola

FACULTY ADVISOR

Stephanie Matteis

TECHNICAL ADVISOR, PRINT

Jasmine Kabiling

TECHNICAL ADVISOR, ONLINE

Marc Tavares

CONTACTRadix

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Blvd.Toronto, ON

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RADIX • UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH-HUMBER MARCH 2014

Have you ever taken a trip to the convenience store, stared into the many beverage fridges and wondered ‘what would it be like if beer was sold here?’

For many years, Ontario residents have pushed for the concept of alcohol being sold in corner stores, but Kath-leen Wynne says she has no plans to pursue this and has support from the NDP on the issue.

Mojib Kazimi, a second-year business student at the Univer-sity of Guelph-Humber, thinks the issue stopping the government from moving forward with this idea is underage drinking.

“Teenagers will definitely have easier access to purchasing drinks,” he said.

Kazimi also predicts “break-ins and violence” occurring if the govern-ment changes the laws.

Samantha Napolitano, a second-year early childhood education student at Guelph-Humber, thinks the government fears losing “the control of how and when people are buying alcohol” if they were to privatize.

According to the LCBO’s website,

radix

Students voice their concerns over alcohol distribution

It’s far too easy to continu-ally swipe a debit or credit card when you don’t even see the money exchanging hands. So many people have a rude awakening when they go to pay for it at the end of the month.

Assistant Vice-Provost and Program Head of Business at the University of Guelph-Humber, George Bragues said that self-con-trol is critical when it comes to budgeting, especially for students.

“A budget is always good, no matter how much income one is earning as it helps maintain disci-pline over your spending and ensures that you allocate your money to what truly serves your needs. But it is especially impor-tant for students as they are typi-cally at a stage in their lives where their income is relatively limited.”

A budget is a simple calcula-tion of total earnings minus total expenses. When used correctly, they allow people to plan their spending and saving habits accordingly.

“When you got less coming into pocket, you have to be a lot more careful about how it leaves your pocket,” said Bragues.

Get organized and think about where you spend your money. CIBC Financial Advisor Cal Aboona has these tips:

First, determine your net income. This refers to how much money you bring home after taxes and total deductions. Look at a pay stub to find that.

Next, make your budget accord-ing to how often you get paid: weekly or biweekly. Make it a goal to save a little money with every paycheck.

Now figure out your fixed costs. These are costs that do not change: such as rent, monthly car insur-ance, and phone bills. Create a spreadsheet to organize them. Add these monthly fees together, and then divide them by your same payment schedule (i.e. divide these costs by two if you get paid biweekly).

Next are variable costs. These are costs that can f luctuate month-to-month: such as food, entertain-ment, and clothing. Since they change, take a rough estimate of the last few months and average the cost.

Add all of your costs and subtract them from your ‘take home pay.’ From here, you can determine what expenses you need to keep and which ones you can do without. Happy saving!

Chaplain helps track workers to combat loneliness and substance abuse

Woodbine Race Track may seem like a strange place to find a ministry, but to Chaplain Shawn Kennedy, it makes perfect sense.

If you’re asking yourself, “Does a chaplain at a race track console the gamblers who have just lost their money?” The answer is no, and yes he’s heard that one before. Many times.

Kennedy has been chaplain at Woodbine for more than 10 years, serving the community of up to 2,000 racetrack workers who are

the essential cogs in the intricate horse racing machine.

Many of the workers live in dormitories behind the racetrack, with 200-300 staff living there year round. They live in a gated community, one that Kennedy says has the potential to be known for gambling, drugs and alcohol.

Kennedy says that the pres-ence of a chaplain at a racetrack plays a particularly important role in reducing these activi-ties. “Anywhere there’s a chaplain placed on a track, the instances of

violence, vandalism, whatever you want to call it have dropped,” he says, speaking about studies on the subject.

“I always thought that [those studies were] kind of boosting the numbers,” he says. But after speak-ing with a local police officer at an event last summer, Kennedy thinks differently.

“[The officer] didn’t know I was a chaplain and he said ‘We used to go to Woodbine almost every day and now we’re lucky to go there once a month.’ From that statistical point of view, [the chaplaincy] had an impact on the track,” he says.

Many of the workers can become isolated and mostly remain inside the Woodbine complex. As Kennedy says, “they really have no reason to leave the track; they can work here, cash their cheque here, do their laundry here. And so after a while it becomes that they’re either working or they’re in their room.”

This leads to one of the top needs the chaplaincy serves: “The number one issue for people is that they’re alone,” says Kennedy.

Rabble-rousing religion at the racetrack

BY JENNIFER KING

PHOTO: MICHAEL BROWN

A budget is always good, no matter how much

income one is earning.“

”

BY MICHAEL BROWN

Chaplain Shawn Kennedy says becoming a racetrack chaplain “came naturally.”

”We’re the most laid-back

chapel service in the world.“

Selling spirits in the corner store

they have controlled alcohol sales in the province since 1927.

It originally began as a response to Prohibition in Canada, as alco-hol consumption in the province was banned until the LCBO’s creation.

Lee Kuhnle, a political science professor at the University of Guelph-Humber, said Prohibition in the country stemmed from a national temperance movement where Protes-tants wanted bars shut down, as they viewed alcohol responsible for socie-ties problems.

Kuhnle believes Canada’s history of Protestantism relates to its stance on alcohol.

“Protestants tended to be quite ‘radical’ in their views,” said Kuhnle.

“Some Protestant theology says that you need to set an exam-ple for the lower order because they will not be able to control their own desires. They believe pleasure derived

from using substances is morally reprehensive.”

Kuhnle believes there is sharp contrast to drinking culture in Ontario in comparison to Quebec.

“In Quebec, which is Catholic, it’s entirely fine. You can go to the depanneur (convenience store) and buy yourself a bottle of wine or beer,” he said.

He added that Canada’s Protestant history could always stand in the way of moving towards alcohol privatiza-tion in Ontario.

“There are deep religious roots in English speaking Canada that are preventing them from going forward with this.”

However, Kuhnle believes with the recent political movement to legalize marijuana, a political “rethink” could be possible. He sees the potential for Ontario becoming similar to Quebec in allowing only beer and wine to be sold in a corner store.

“It would be a hard sell to say mari-juana is decriminalized, but you can’t get a beer from a convenience store,” he said.

Keep track of your money and save

BY KATE SCHREITER

A how-to guide for a student’s first budget

PHOTO: JENNIFER KING

Teenagers will definitely have easier access to

purchasing drinks.”“