SPOKEMonday, april 13, 2015 Conestoga College, KitChener, ont. www.spoKeonline.CoM 46th year — no. 13

toronto lawyer’s webcomic still going strong.page 11

A spin on everyday life

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

sales of acoustic guitars outpacing electric.page 9

On the decline

By NicOlE NEmEth

While most little girls enjoy pretending to be princesses and playing house, Alissa Gee was drawn to ghouls and mon-sters. Her fascination with all things horror eventually led her to a creative career at Paul Jones Effects Studio Inc. just last year.

“Ever since I was young-er I have been interested in monsters and strange things, which later transitioned into liking horror movies,” Gee said. “My parents bought a video camera and I was always making up stories and filming things with my friends and my cousin, either live with cos-tumes and props, or random action figures bought at thrift stores. I liked to read books on oddities, monsters, witches and vampires, and I liked to read crime stories and watch horror movies even though I wasn’t allowed. My parents didn’t let me watch them until an older age but when I would go to my grandma’s house or visit my aunt I watched what they did: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Tremors, Night of the Living Dead, Evil Dead and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.”

Although Gee was fascinat-ed with the scary, strange and supernatural early in life, her decision to become a special

effects makeup artist didn’t happen until her early 20s.

“I used to buy makeup prod-ucts and play with it at home, turning myself into zombies or making my own terrifying wounds. It was something I did for fun, nothing serious. Then, in June 2013 I went to Niagara Falls Comic Con and checked out Paul Jones’ semi-nar. It sparked an interest in me, that someone could be so passionate and creative about something and do it for a liv-ing. Afterwards I thought to myself, I wish I could do that too,” Gee said.

Paul Jones is an award-winning special effects and makeup artist who found-ed the Paul Jones Effects Studio Inc. in Scarborough, Ont. He has worked on many horror movies over the past few decades includ-ing Hellbound: Hellraiser and Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth, Bride of Chucky, Ginger Snaps, Wrong Turn, Silent Hill and Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, three of the Resident Evil movies and many more including the new hit TV show, Man Seeking Woman with Jay Baruchel.

“I’m happy to say I started my career in 1988,” Jones said. PhOtO cOurtESy Of dANiEl BlANchEr

This mask was created by Alissa Gee in her prosthetic makeup course at CMU College of Makeup Art and Design. The Cambridge native currently works at Paul Jones Effects Studio Inc. in Scarborough.

Hobby now a career

By cArmEN PONciANO

Waterloo regional council may be doing Conestoga stu-dents a favour as they once again consider whether or not to give students here a deeply discounted bus pass. Currently, students at Wilfrid Laurier (WLU) and Waterloo universities (UW) purchase the universal pass for $81 per four-month term.

In 2011 the region had some staff work with Conestoga Student Inc.(CSI) and admin-istrators to see if a college U-Pass was feasible. Student travel surveys were conduct-ed to predict the amount of extra service needed if the pass were to be offered to all the students. However, they found that it was a lot more expensive than the pro-gram at the two universities.

Because both university cam-puses are located along King Street and University and Columbia avenues, there is already a lot of transit there. But in Conestoga’s case, an additional 18,000 service hours and 10 extra Grand River Transit (GRT) buses would be needed. Due to bud-get limitations in 2011, the U-Pass was not introduced at Conestoga College.

“Since the college is situ-ated remotely from the urban areas, this expansion trans-lates into more service hours than it would have had they been located in an urbanized setting,” said Eric Gillespie, Region of Waterloo’s direc-tor of transit services. “It is also very likely that, similar to what occurred at UW and WLU, student use will exceed expectations and that even

more service would have to be added after the program started.”

Conestoga students at the moment have to pay $218 a semester for their bus pass in comparison to the $81 (as of Sept. 1, 2014) that university students pay.

“When you look at Conestoga’s prices compared to those of the universities, it is uncomfortable to know that this gap exists in our region,” said Jeff Scherer, president of Conestoga Students Inc.

However, that could change. Last December Cambridge city council put forward a motion based on a recom-mendation from the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) “to offer Conestoga College students the same rate as universi-ty students for Grand River

Transit passes.”City of Kitchener council

member Yvonne Fernandes, who is also an alumnus of the college, has also been work-ing toward this change as she requested that the same motion come from the City of Kitchener at a council meeting three weeks ago.

If the U-Pass were to be approved by the region, Conestoga College admin-istration and CSI repre-sentative members, along with regional staff, would have to meet and discuss the amount of interest and gather information, as they did in 2011, for the region’s 2016 budget proposal as well as having a student referendum. Scherer said he would also like to see an increase in bus service if the pass were approved.

“The service that is offered at Conestoga, especially for Doon and Cambridge stu-dents, is extremely lacking,” he said, adding that UW stu-dents have multiple buses to choose from, all only 10 to 15 minutes apart, that go to the same destination.

He also raised the point that if students miss their bus, it is normally a half-hour wait for the next bus during regu-lar hours. On the weekend it is an hour wait.

The good news is that there is a lot of local interest in resolving this matter.

“I am hopeful that we will be able to collaborate with the various partners and find an effective solution to present to regional council in order to introduce the U-Pass pro-gram to Conestoga College,” Gillespie said.

Region revisits Conestoga universal bus passContinued on page 6

Page 2 s SPOKE Monday, April 13, 2015NEWs

Now deep thoughts... with Conestoga College

Random questions answered by random studentsWhat is the one thing

you miss about being a kid?

“The amount of time I had to indulge in personal endeavours.”

David Gibson,first-year

broadcast television

“McDonalds’ play park.”

Marlon saravia,first-year

broadcast television

“The freedom.”

Janessa smith,first-year

early childhood education

“No bills to pay.”

Brooke Horsley,first-year

early childhood education

“No responsibilities.”

Roxanna Miller,first-year

bookkeeping

“Being with my family all the time.”

Emily sloetjes,first-year

early childhood education

Smile Conestoga, you could be our next respondent!

FILBERT CARTOONS

Autism is a part of who they areBy NatalEiGH MccalluM

World Autism Day took place on April 2 around the world, but at Conestoga’s Doon campus the day wasn’t just about raising awareness, it was also about members of the A-team being able to tell their stories and give advice.

The event featured games in which students were asked to put a sock on their hand and then try to tie a shoe, inter-active videos of others shar-ing their stories as well as a colourful board display featur-ing information and cartoons of what it feels like to be on the autism spectrum.

Each member of the A-team experiences his or her own difficulties when it comes to being on the autism spec-trum. For Alex Menage, the co-facilitator of the A-team and a third-year computer engineering technology stu-dent, it’s the overwhelming pace of things that he strug-gles most with.

“I have so much to do in life with school, work, my social life and my responsibilities at home. There is just a lot to focus on,” Menage said about his management skills, adding that he finds the conversation-al aspect of life hard as well.

For Becky Hunt, a second-year general arts and science

student, she struggles with social cues the most as well as holding conversations. But with the help of the A-team, she is working on this.

“The A-team helps with all of our struggles. It shows us we’re not alone,” Hunt said.

Vanessa Wojcik, a gradu-ate from the general business program and a member of the A-team, encouraged students who find themselves on the spectrum to join the group.

“Mostly my communication skills and my socialization,” said Wojcik when asked what she struggles most with day to day.

When it comes to Rebecca Schmidt, a second-year early childhood education student, she said it is hard for some people to understand what it’s like to be on the autism spectrum.

“I may be a little slower at learning tasks than other people,” Schmidt said. “Sometimes it just makes me feel different.”

The event gave students the chance to talk to individuals who find themselves on the autism spectrum and it gave these individuals the chance to explain that the autism spec-trum disorder is not a disease.

“I have trouble communi-cating with people. It makes me really shy with making

friends,” said Carly Crooks, a third-year business accounting student, adding that when she first came to Conestoga she didn’t have many friends but thanks to the A-team she does now.

“It makes me feel like I’m not alone,” Crooks said.

Rachel Gagne, a first-year media foundations student, said it is people who do not try and understand and are not patient that upset her the most.

“I really think that it’s important for people to understand what autism is,” she said. “A lot of people say autism is a disease. But it is not, it’s not something that can be cured. It’s just how your brain is wired and it’s not something bad.”

Each member of the aware-ness group told their story to whoever stopped and wished to listen. They raised awareness through their own experiences.

Charlie Matjanec, the co-facilitator of the A-team and an employment adviser at Conestoga, said people are surprised that members of the A-team want to tell their stories since they struggle with communication and social skills.

“Be yourself, it’s all you can do. People will like you for who you are,” Schmidt said.

PHOtO By NatalEiGH MccalluMAlex Menoge (from left), Carly Crooks, Rachel Gagne, Becky Hunt, Rebecca Schmidt and Vanessa Wojcik pose with Charlie Matjaneo, the co-facilitator of the A-Team, and Casey Plumbtree, a counsel-lor, at their annual Autism Awareness event.

Monday, April 13, 2015 SPOKE s Page 3NEWs

BY RACHEL ROY

Students are working hard, finishing last-minute projects, studying for finals and wrap-ping up their last couple of weeks. What better way to celebrate all of this then with free food and drinks.

Conestoga Student Inc. (CSI) put together an end-of-the-year barbecue where they had good music and compli-mentary hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks.

Students lined up behind the Sanctuary from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. waiting patiently to receive their desired food and beverage choice.

“I think it’s great and the weather ended up being per-fect for it too,” said Kelli Leis, a first-year office administra-tive student.

Students were also given free sunglasses in different colours that had the CSI logo on the side, and Cliff, the Condor mascot, made an appearance to promote his Instagram account.

“This is something we start-ed last year,” said Samantha Schwier, programming co-ordinator for CSI. “We kind of wanted to end the year off

with a bang and we thought, with students studying and stuff right now, a turnout for a specific event wouldn’t be so great. So we wanted to just have a free barbecue for some of the students so they can kind of come and go as they please, grab a bite to eat, get a free lunch and hopefully fuel themselves up for the next few weeks of studying.”

Last year Schwier said they planned on feeding around 1,500 to 1,800 students and this year she was hoping to feed closer to 2,000.

Paul Kelly, president of the DJ Club, Essay Michael and Reid DaCosta were the DJs who played upbeat music so students could eat and relax outside in the nice, sunny weather. Other students threw a football around, relax-ing and killing time.

“There is a lot of people out here and everybody seems to be enjoying themselves. Cliff is dancing with the sign, and free food is the best food,” said Felipe Gonzalia, a second-year broadcasting television student.

“It’s a nice way to kick off the end of the year.”

Ending the year with a bang

PHOTO BY RACHEL ROYShowing off his moves, Cliff the Condor, the school mascot, dances to the music while advertising his Instagram account at CSI’s year-end barbecue. Go to www.spokeonline.com for video story and Page 7 for additional photo.

Page 4 s SPOKE Monday, April 13, 2015COMMENTARY

As a long, chilly winter gives way to warmer tem-peratures and sunny skies, most people rejoice in the return of spring. Although retiring heavy coats, boots and mittens is a welcomed notion, the return of walking, honking, aggressive birds is far from ideal.

At Conestoga College’s Doon campus, we proudly boast impressive grounds complete with trees, sprawl-ing lawns and a pond. However, it’s these sprawling lawns and pond that attract the least welcomed visitors to our grounds, Canada geese.

Despite having our coun-try’s name, Canada geese have become notorious for their aggressive, territorial nature and for being a gen-eral nuisance. Not only do these geese walk unimpeded around the campus, the mess they leave behind is gross. These pests are found every-where where water is avail-able which makes Doon cam-pus a frequent home to these two-footed terrors.

With spring flowers comes mating season and soon little goslings will be strutting their new feathers across the side-

walks while their proud par-ents will be on red-alert for any perceived threat.

We could praise these crea-tures for their instincts, but it’s these parental instincts that cause enormous problems.

There have been too many situations where students have been chased indoors and prevented from venturing out for fear of being attacked. Students are forced to main-tain a safe distance from these birds, which are free to roam unchecked across the campus, or else face a fury of feathers

and beaks. If a student does come under

attack and defends himself, he is then publicly reprimanded and faces further, more severe punishment for harming a protected Canadian icon.

Although the birds are protected by federal law, Conestoga College should put its responsibility for students’ safety ahead of its responsi-bility to these webbed-footed pests. Deterrents, such as noise makers, should be put in place to kindly suggest to these migratory birds that their pres-ence is no longer welcomed.

In North America the Canada goose population is on the rise. Conestoga does not have to roll out the welcome mat every spring to these returning fowl. There are plenty of other places these feathered foes can go to nest and set up house. Students shouldn’t be forced to choose between battling a wild goose or enjoying some fresh air on their break.

It’s time to tell these web-footed fiends that enough is enough.

It’s time to start saying “no” to geese and “yes” to free-dom.

Fowl pests pose a problem

New bus pass being considered

– again

BY HEATHER STANLEY

After a long wait, Conestoga College students may finally get discounted bus passes.

According to the Waterloo Region Record, Waterloo regional council is debating whether it is financially feasible to offer Conestoga’s 11,000 full-time students a universal pass in 2016. The U-Pass is currently used by students at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Students at Waterloo and Laurier pay $81 for a semester-long pass that allows them to use GRT buses to travel around Kitchener-Waterloo as well as Cambridge and Elmira. The cost is included in their tuition. Contrasting this, Conestoga students pay $218 for the same privilege. That’s $137 more per term, a cost which many are deeming unfair.

Students at the college have been pushing for cheaper rates for years. Many were disappointed when regional council first denied Conestoga students’ demand for the U-Pass in 2011. In 2013, another proposal was put forth by Conestoga Students Inc. after a student referendum the previous year showed students would use the service, but it went nowhere.

Jeff Scherer, CSI president, said in an interview with the Record that the pass has to go hand-in-hand with extended bus service. Many buses are so overcrowded that students sometimes get left behind, making them late for classes.

Currently buses run every half-hour, excluding rush hour, on half a dozen routes for both the Doon and Cambridge campuses. Students at Conestoga live all across the region, and 70 to 75 per cent of them stay in the region after they graduate, unlike university students.

A U-Pass and more buses would make travelling to the school more accessible and affordable. Also, Conestoga is home to many middle-class and lower-income students whereas those from universities tend to come from higher income families. Not only would the pass create more fair-ness between the post-secondary schools in K-W, but it would make the lives of college students a little easier.

If a U-Pass is offered at Conestoga in 2016, students will pay $162 for the school year, the same as university stu-dents, saving them $274. But the bigger bonus will be more buses and better service.

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

Beth Crouse 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.Address correspondence to: The Editor, Spoke, 299

Doon Valley Dr., Room 1C30, Kitchener, Ont., N2G 4M4

Letters are welcome

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.

A universial bus pass would not only save students money, but reduce the long lines.

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

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“Conestoga College does not have to roll out the welcome mat every spring to the returning

fowl.”

Monday, April 13, 2015 SPOKE s Page 5NEWS

By NicolE NEmEth

For young adults, nothing smells quite like freedom like a new car. But, can most real-ly afford to buy one?

According to Angela Gee, a Bank of Montreal branch manager, it all comes down to the buyer’s debt ratio.

Finding your debt ratio is easier than it sounds. You can easily find a debt ratio calculator online or you can do the calculation yourself. To calculate your debt ratio you first add up all of your monthly payments: rent, credit card bills, loan pay-ments, insurance, cellphone bills, etc. After you come up with a total you divide that number by your total monthly income and that will give you a percentage which is your debt ratio.

“You never want your debt ratio to be over 40 per cent – the lower it is the better,” Gee said.

According to Gee it’s not so

much the price of a new car but the monthly payments that are the most important factor when considering if you can afford it.

“If you have a $20,000 car loan and pay it over five years at five per cent your monthly car payments will be $353 … Most bank sites have calcula-tors you can use to find out your monthly car payment amount,” she said.

When calculating your debt ratio to find out if you can afford your car payments, it’s important to add the estimat-ed amount the monthly car payments will be to the total monthly expenses amount before dividing it with a person’s monthly income to ensure it’s still below the 40 per cent mark.

There other things to consid-er as well during the hunt for a new car such as interest rates.

“Dealerships have better interest rates than banks do because they have to be more competitive. You can get real-

ly low interest rates like three per cent or five per cent, but it can also go up to 13 per cent,” Gee said.

First-time buyers are con-sidered higher risk because they haven’t established a mature credit rating yet and that may affect the interest rate, especially when pur-chasing a used car at a deal-ership through a loan.

According to Gee, “Used car interest rates depend on your credit rating. If you’re a new buyer you would be consid-ered a higher risk and have a higher interest rate.”

Although buying a used car could be a lot cheaper than a new one, buying a used car with a loan can cause other problems.

“If you’re buying a used car and want a bank loan, it (the car) will be held for secu-rity, but we’re not going to take a car that’s 10 years old for security. Therefore, you would want to find a car no older than six years old

when purchasing it used. Otherwise, once the car is old it’s not considered a car loan but a personal loan.”

Buying used has other downsides as well.

Older cars usually require more maintenance and work done to them. While some older cars can continue to run smoothly for a long time, it’s not uncommon for someone who’s purchased a used car to end up paying thousands of dollars in unexpected repairs.

According to Trevor Miller, head mechanic and owner of TTM Motors in Kitchener, there are certain questions every buyer should ask the seller when looking to pur-chase a used car.

“Has it passed a safety and emissions test? How long have you owned the car? Do you know much about the history of the car? Has it been in an accident? Which garage do you take it to? Who worked on it last? Have you made any modifications or upgrades?

What’s the mileage on it?” Miller said.

Gee also recommends that when someone is looking to buy a car that they do not sub-mit an application until they are sure it is the car they want.

“When you go to several dealerships make sure they’re not doing credit checks at every one. It can hurt your credit rating.”

In the end, whether you choose to buy a new car or a used car, there are many things to consider, but the most important factor all comes down to money and what you can afford.

“Really, when purchasing a car, whether it’s used or new, buyers need to under-stand the monthly payments and the commitment that comes with a car. Even if someone does get approved, they should make sure they will continue to be able to afford it for however long the payment plan is for,” Gee said.

K-W’s Got talent at tHEMUSEUM

Photo By iaN mcBridE K-W’s Got talent, which was held at tHEMUSEUM on april 1, showcased some of the area’s most tal-ented performers. above, winner aaron Cornish (second from left) stands with judges CJ allen (left to right), Carlos Benevides and Heather Riemersma. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.

ontario ColleGes

FinalizE SExUal aSSaUlt poliCy

Shawna Bernard, a counsel-lor at Conestoga College, is excited to see the new, prov-incewide sexual assault policy take effect. Since early March, ontario premier Kathleen Wynne has been pushing for colleges to have official proto-col in place for victims of sexu-al assault. For video story, go to www.spokeonline.com.

Photo By carSoN dEShEvy

the ins and outs of buying a car

Grand river roCKs tHE Body and Mind

Photo By JordaN JohNStoNEScotty Hamill is one of the owners of Grand River Rocks, an indoor rock-climbing gym in Kitchener. For video story, go to www.spoke-online.com.

Page 6 s SPOKE Monday, April 13, 2015NEWS

PHOTO cOurTESy Of DANIELLE BLANcHErThis mutant rat, along with its babies, was created by Alissa Gee in her creature design course last year at CMU College of Makeup Art and Design.

PHOTO cOurTESy Of ALISSA GEEGee recently graduated from college and now works for Paul Jones Effects Studio Inc. located in Scarborough.

“Before turning profession-al, makeup effects was my hobby since the age of 12,” Jones added.

Jones started his career in his home country of England, but moved to Toronto while working on a television show for Pinewood Studios. He eventually started free-lance prop building, and then opened his own studio in 1995 so he could create the effects for the TV show F/X The Series.

“My career so far has been quite varied. I have worked on tiny little independent movies, huge Hollywood blockbusters, TV series and many commer-cials ... I would have to say that certainly creating the Pinhead makeup for Hellraiser 3 was the highlight of my career in so much as it is still an iconic makeup in the world of hor-ror. I am also proud of my work on all of my movies and TV series, but most of all my work on both Silent Hill mov-ies and the Resident Evil mov-ies,” Jones said.

Gee grew up in Cambridge, but now lives in Toronto. She spent a large portion of her childhood playing with her cousins while being babysat by their grandmother. Every summer they would go camp-ing, to water parks and do other outdoor activities.

“I was really close to my family growing up, including my parents and sibling,” Gee said.

Her mom worked at a bank and her dad took over the family hardwood flooring business, but the idea of hav-

ing a regular job wasn’t some-thing she wanted for herself.

“At one point I wasn’t sure which direction I was going. I just knew that I didn’t want to have a regular 9 to 5 job and I wanted the option to be creative,” she said.

It was difficult for Gee to realize what her passion was for quite a while. As a young child she dreamed of becom-ing a veterinarian, obsess-ing over reality veterinarian shows and even attending the humane society’s sum-mer camp with her younger sister, but she found math and science too difficult and “eventually let go of that dream.

“It took a while to make a decision. Then I worked at D3 Artworks and there I learned how to express myself artis-tically and with the help of the amazing staff I planned out future goals. I researched schools and sat on it for a few months until I decid-ed to go for it and apply to Complections (now called the CMU College of Makeup Art and Design),” Gee said.

After getting accepted, Gee decided to move to Toronto where she attended the com-plete makeup artist program from January until August 2014.

“My experience there was amazing. I learned a lot from my instructors who are still active within the industry and I made some really great friends there who I still keep in contact with. It was a very fast-paced program and I didn’t want to leave once it was over. My favourite cours-es were prosthetic and crea-

ture design. I was fortunate to have the instructor that I did for those courses because he taught me more than I imag-ined I would learn and had an immense amount of patience,” Gee said.

One of her teachers was also in contact with Jones, and officially introduced them.

Gee would message Jones over Facebook whenever she had a question about the industry, or wanted tips on a class assignment. Shortly after graduation, Jones offered her an internship.

“First and foremost, I look for artistic ability, obviously, but ability is nothing with-out commitment to the craft. With that, I mean the drive to always try to do their best work and the hunger to try new techniques, to always push themselves to be the best artist they can be,” Jones said.

During her internship Gee worked on multiple shows and movies including Man Seeking Woman. After attend-ing the wrap-up party for that movie, Jones asked her to stay on for the next big project.

“It’s surreal. I feel very fortunate that he has given me this opportu-nity. Sometimes the days are long but I enjoy every part of it and I am learn-ing so much from him and the other employees. He is incredibly talented,” Gee said.

Gee is currently one of four staff and is working on sev-eral movies and TV shows in studio and on-set.

“I finally have a job that I look forward to going to every morning.”

PHOTO cOurTESy Of PAuL JONESPaul Jones, owner of Paul Jones Effects Studio Inc., did the spe-cial effects and prosthetic makeup design and application for the iconic horror movie character, Pinhead, in Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 and Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth. Jones said creating the makeup for Pinhead has been a highlight of his career.

Artist creAtes the good, the bAd And the ugly CONTINUED FrOM PAgE 1

Monday, April 13, 2015 SPOKE s Page 7NEWs

cliff promotes important message

PHOTO BY NaTalEigH mccallumadvertising and marketing students held events all over the Doon campus the past two weeks for their year-end projects in their events class. above, adrienne reaburn (from left), Hanna Johnson, steven nguyen, aleksander stevic and Wes gough’s event was based on drunk driving. they had sponsors from maDD and a local company called Drivers seat, which provided free coupons as priz-es. if you are over the alcohol limit, the company will pick you up, take your keys, drive you home and also drive your car home.

PHOTO BY NaTalEigH mccallumCliff the Condor and Wes gough pose together at the annual bar-becue at Doon campus on april 2 which gough ran for one of his classes. the event was about drinking and driving and included simulated tests while wearing “beer goggles.”

keep calm – Don’t Drink anD Drive

easter stories tolD tHrougH musiC

PHOTO BY HEaTHEr sTaNlEYHighview Community Church in kitchener held a live concert called In the Name of Love on april 2 and 3. it featured local artists such as eric Fisher (pictured) who told the easter story through the music of u2.

Spreading the word about Parkinson’s BY JusTiN FOrD

April 11 was World Parkinson Day, and April also marks Parkinson Awareness Month. It’s a time when 100,000 Canadians and six million people worldwide affected by the disease simply ask for our attention.

“My handwriting was get-ting smaller, and because it took a year for a clinical diag-nosis, I was already thinking that it could be Parkinson’s,” said 61-year-old Kitchener native and Conestoga College graduate, Dee Brown. “I wasn’t so surprised with the diagnosis, but when you hear it coming from your doctor – I went into denial a little bit.”

Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurs when dopamine-gen-erating cells in the brain die, but why this happens is unknown. In the early stag-es, the symptoms are usu-ally movement-related. Those affected are usually prone to shaking, slowness of move-ment and have difficulty walk-ing. The disease is much more common in the later stages of life, with the majority of cases occurring in people over the age of 50. Still, there are the rare occasions of early-onset Parkinson’s disease.

“Life changed dramatically for me. I had been driving my car, and that got to be too much,” Brown said. “The car turned into a bicycle, then I couldn’t pedal or balance, and the bike turned into an elec-tric bike. Then, that changed (to being in a wheelchair).”

This April marks the 50th anniversary of Parkinson

Awareness Month. Christopher Haddlesey, com-munications co-ordinator for Parkinson Society Ontario, encourages people to spread the word about PD in any way they can.

“You could join in on Cut-A-Thon, or simply make a post on Facebook, or send out a tweet about how important this month (#ParkinsonAwarenessMonth) is,” Haddlesey said. “Really, it’s as simple as telling as many people as you can. The more people who know, the more support Parkinson’s gets.”

Ten people are diagnosed with PD every single day, and the number of people living with the disease in Canada is expected to double by 2031. PD also has the third highest direct cost of neurological con-ditions annually, with a world-wide financial accumulation of just over $120 million.

“The impact on individu-als and families can be over-whelming,” Joyce Gordon, president and chief executive officer of Parkinson Society Canada, said in a press release.

As PD progresses and begins to firmly take hold of its victim, dopaminergic neu-rons continuously die and the drugs used to treat it even-tually become increasingly ineffective. Rehabilitation and certain diets have been proven to combat PD in some cases, but every person is dif-ferent and there is no specific course of action that is guar-anteed to improve a person’s condition.

“When your world gets

smaller on the outside, I turned inside and I started meditating,” Brown said. “It helps you put things into per-spective and you learn to not take things for granted. It’s not terminal, it’s just debili-tating.”

Brown said she was weary of trying the suggested medi-cation at first, and it took a lot of soul searching and trial and error for her to come to a conclusion of what worked for her. She was diagnosed with PD in 2003, and a com-bination of positive thinking, meditation and medication ultimately led her to be well enough to obtain her driver’s licence again in 2011.

“I do have my licence back – I’m driving my car,” Brown said. “I share my story, to go inward and not take things for granted.”

Brown stressed that there is a tremendous amount of help out there for people liv-ing with PD. The simple act of letting go of pride and attending a support group is something that can go a long way for someone deal-ing with the mental aspect of the disease. It’s about start-ing a dialogue, and during Parkinson Awareness Month, Brown wants the community to open up those channels of communication.

“I think that the best thing that we can do is just to encourage communication, (and) if you have time and money or energy to donate, be active in that,” Brown said.

If you’d like to donate or help in any way, visit www.parkinson.ca.

EntErtainmEntPage 8 s SPOKE Monday, April 13, 2015

BY JOSH KEnnEdY

Students at the University of Waterloo got to see a different side of the Iraq war with a showing of the play, The Widow: a Portrait of Love and Upheaval in Iraq, which played on March 31 at the school’s Theatre of the Arts.

The Widow centres on Nour, a widowed woman liv-ing in Iraq during the 2003 war, who falls in love with Samir, a young outspoken teacher, and soon starts an affair with him. Samir is then forced to flee Iraq after he receives threats from a religious militia group, leaving Nour to deal with all of the consequences on her own. Three months go by and Samir is now a jobless refugee living in Canada who tries to return to Iraq so that he can be with Nour,

despite the warnings from his family. The play was written by Amir Al-Azraki, who is

a lecturer in the Studies in Islam course at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo. He based the play on a story told to him by one of his colleagues back in 2006.

“The play explores a forbidden love story that talks about taboo topics like abortion and young love,” Al-Azraki said. “It also shows that it wasn’t just the invasion from the Americans that caused problems for Iraq and their society.”

The Widow first debuted last summer at Summerworks 2014 in Toronto and received rave reviews. Torontoist Magazine ranked it No. 2 in their “Ten Favourite Things from Summerworks 2014” list. NOW Magazine gave it four stars and

called it, “A gripping, heart-wrenching drama about forbidden love in present day Basra,” and “A badly needed snapshot of the struggles faced by moderate Iraqis.”

“The well-written script by Amir Al-Azarki had me intrigued, in tears and at the edge of my seat. A thought-provoking, powerfully written, well-per-formed play,” said Ashima Suri, a critic for Mooney on Theatre.

Over 50 students attended the play and were moved by how powerful its message was, giving it a standing ovation.

The Widow is an emotional story that shows the hardships people in Iraq must go through every-day and how something as simple as falling in love can be a death sentence.

Play explores a forbidden love storyIt’s a ‘snapshot of the struggles faced by moderate Iraqis’

By Alex Riese

On the corner of Victoria and Park Street in Kitchener, there is a sleepy little plaza tucked out of the way. Within this plaza is a musical haven called The Guitar Corner. Opened by Duane King, the music retail store is the only one in Kitchener that special-izes in guitars. King sells brands that other stores don’t carry, conducts repairs for people who need instruments and equipment fixed in a pinch and makes custom gui-tars for acclaimed recording artists. The Guitar Corner is dedicated to keeping interest in the guitar high.

Unfortunately, the instru-ment’s effect on modern music is slowly dwindling.

According to a March 27, 2015 article on multimillion-dollar marketer Brandon Gaille’s offi-cial website, shipments of elec-tric guitars have declined 4.6 per cent to 1.10 million units in 2014, whereas shipments of acoustic guitars have increased to 1.2 million units over that same time frame. The acous-tics market now has 34.7 per cent of the market share, a full 10 per cent more than the elec-tric market.

Purchases of used guitars are also increasing dramati-cally due to the rising price of new guitars (up 10 per cent in the last decade), coupled with high unemployment rates and changing musical tastes.

In a similar trend, the 2014 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Global Report demonstrates that the

biggest gains in instrument sales were in DJ equipment and synthesizers, the former growing by 15.52 and the lat-ter growing by 13.53 per cent in 2013. Conversely, sales of electric guitars only rose by 4.21 per cent in 2013. This trend can be easily explained

by the rise in electronic dance music’s popularity over the past decade, which also accounts for fewer sales in entry level guitars. In the report’s analysis, authors Larry Morton and Joe Lamond suggested the lower sale rates are simply a phase.

“In the five-plus decades since the guitar has become the world’s most popular instrument, the market has run through a half-dozen booms and busts,” they wrote. “Those old enough to remem-ber the early ’80s would recall

the bleak acoustic guitar sales, the modest electric gui-tar sales and the sense that the best days of the electric guitar market were long past. If the past is any guide, inter-est in the guitar, particularly electrics, will rebound in the not-too-distant future.”

Though interest in the gui-tar has declined from a busi-ness perspective over the past 10 years, it still holds vast cultural significance in the Western music mar-ket. The independent music scene in Waterloo Region fea-

tures many bands that still play guitar-driven music. Local band Jon Knight and Soulstack’s eclectic blend of different Americana music styles would be bleak without the inclusion of the guitar.

“With a keyboard, you have the ability to play notes very quickly, but each note only has one pitch,” said Jon Knight, the band’s lead singer. “With a guitar, you can bend the pitch or modulate it further. It’s the little bends and vibra-tos that add so much to the instrument, and that’s why we love it so much.”

Knight has been a dedicated guitarist since he was a kid. His influences range from country blues guitar player Mississippi Fred McDowell to legendary slide player Derek Trucks.

“He added so many little dif-ferent vibratos and different touches to slide guitar that just opened up how expres-sive the instrument can be,” he said.

Through years of practice, Knight has developed his own approach to playing slide gui-tar.

“I try to make my slide play-ing sound like the whisper of a ghost,” he said. “To do that, I tense up my bicep, take my wrist out of the equation and only apply vibrato after I’ve held the note for a second or a second and a half.”

The guitar’s immense popu-larity is hardly an accident. Local blues picker Gary Cain has been playing the guitar since he was nine years old. After an education in Humber College’s music program, Cain became an expert. He thinks the instrument is among the most versatile instruments in music.

“Aside from the human voice, the guitar is the most expressive instrument I can think of,” he said.

Monday, April 13, 2015 SPOKE s Page 9NeWs

Carved wood and wound nickelHas the electric guitar’s final chord been played?

PHOTOs By Alex RieseThe guitar still has its place in independent music. Above, local singer and guitarist Jon Knight warms up on a Cole Clark acoustic guitar before shooting a promotional video for his band’s March 22 show at the Jazz Room. Bottom left, local blues guitarist Gary Cain is one of the most promising up-and-coming players in the region. Bottom right, the Guitar Corner on 165 Victoria St. S. sells a wide array of custom-made guitar gear.

Page 10 s SPOKE Monday, April 13, 2015fun & games

AriesMarch 21 -

April 19

AquariusJanuary 20 - February 18

TaurusApril 20 - May 20

LibraSeptember 23 -

October 22

GeminiMay 21 - June 21

ScorpioOctober 23 - November 21

CapricornDecember 22 -

January 19

SagittariusNovember 22 - December 21

CancerJune 22 - July 22

LeoJuly 23 -

August 22

VirgoAugust 23 -

September 22

PiscesFebruary 19 -

March 20

Something important is coming to an end. Work hard and your efforts will be greatly rewarded.

Soon you will be tempted to trust a complete stranger. Listen to your gut feelings, this may benefit you in the long run.

You have recently expe-rienced the loss of some-one close to you. Look for comfort from those around you and keep a positive outlook.

Don’t stick your nose in your friends’ personal busi-ness. If they want advice, they’ll simply ask for it.

Don’t take your anger out on those around you. Channel the anger and use it for something good.

New changes are ahead. Take the opportunities that will arise and don’t look back. This week, challenge yourself.

Success is just around the corner. Keep doing what you’ve been doing and you’ll get there soon enough. Patience is key.

The Stars have spoken.

Horoscope Week of April 13, 2015

You are determined to move up the ‘ladder’ in your career. Listen carefully to those in authority and work hard. Your efforts will pay off.

Don’t let others tell you that you’re aiming too high for your goals. This week, be determined to prove them wrong.

You are known to be lazy. You need to complete those tasks that you’ve left unfin-ished before moving onto new ones.

Don’t let one defeat bring you down. There’s always another chance. Keep your eyes open and be ready for what’s coming your way.

If you help others now it will benefit you in the near future. Friendships will bring personal satisfaction.

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.

Anteaters prefer termites to ants.

A squirrel cannot contract or carry the rabies virus.

A Czech man, Jan Honza Zampa, holds the record for drinking one litre of beer the fastest – in 4.11 seconds.

If you plant a seed from a certain type of apple, you are almost guaranteed to grow a different type of apple tree.

Chinese-crested dogs can get acne.

Monday, April 13, 2015 SPOKE s Page 11NEWS

Laugh with High Comedic ValueBy CASSIE TULECKI

It’s not often that you find a lawyer who is also a cartoon-ist.

Husein Panju, a criminal lawyer in Toronto, started drawing High Comedic Value, a weekly webcomic that focus-es on issues that people care about, when he was an under-grad at York University. The single image cartoon is struc-tured more like improv com-edy than a comic strip.

“I was flipping through the school newspaper, and saw the comics page and was immediately hooked,” he said.

He really enjoys comedy, mainly stand-up and impro-visation, and thought that comics would be a unique platform to try out. There is always a challenge when coming up with each comic, and he has to do a lot of problem-solving to make his drawings work. He needs to make sure that the punchline fits in with the drawing.

He believes that reading a comic is more of a personal experience than watching someone tell a joke.

“Obviously I liked seeing my name in print, and more specifically, casually pointing out my comic to strangers,” he said.

Panju started out drawing

comics for his school newspa-per, which he did every week for two years. But he had to put it on hold when he went to law school. After he gradu-ated from Queen’s University, he began working as a lawyer, but missed having that cre-ative outlet.

“I decided to revive my comic series and put it in an online format,” he said.

He has been drawing com-ics and posting them online every week since September 2013, usually getting a cou-ple of thousand views weekly through his website, Facebook and Twitter.

Most of his comics feature two main characters who play different roles in various set-tings.

“Most other webcomics are heavily reliant on existing sci-fi or fantasy themes. The majority of my comics are based on everyday life, and put a spin on what’s going on,” he said.

His favourite comics are the ones that say what every-one is thinking, but haven’t been able to put it into words. He gets his ideas from any-where and everywhere. They are often based on something that has happened to him the week before.

“My close friends often find their thoughts and inadver-

tent one-liners on the main page, but such is the price of friendship,” he said.

Panju does not have any art training, but he believes his drawings are OK. He is very proud of how much he has improved compared to when he first began the comic.

“I was terrible in art class in elementary school, and my Grade 7 self would be horri-fied to learn that I was pursu-ing this cartooning hobby so seriously,” he said.

In the past month, Panju has exhibited his comics at conven-tions across Ontario, including at the Kitchener TriCon. He will be at the Ottawa ComiCon this May and Toronto Fan Expo in September.

“While the vibe at these events is way different than what I’m used to, it’s real-ly neat to meet readers in person and to get feedback about what they like about the series,” he said.

Panju plans on publishing a paperback version of his comic in the future that will include his best ones. He also plans to explore deeper themes in the comic that will include short story arcs.

To view his work, visit www.highcomedicvalue.com or the Facebook page titled High Comedic Value or follow Panju on Twitter @legally_brown.

PHOTO By CASSIE TULECKIHusein Panju shows off his online comic series titled High Comedic Value, which focuses on funny, everyday events.

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