JANUARY 13, 2015 ▐ thelambda.ca Volume 53, Issue 8 Masquerade ball returns this month p. 7 IN THIS ISSUE OF LAMBDA Women’s hockey team wins two of 14 games p. 12 Serge Demers says students ‘should not worry’ about new grading scheme p. 4 Women’s track breaks OUA standard p. 7 LU student creates ‘Laurentian Apps’ p. 5 thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 2 Lambda Staff Ian Telfer Kayla Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF [email protected] My top ten mining mistakes Gabriel Rodrigues ASSISTANT EDITOR Goodman School of Mines [email protected] Luncheon Lecture Series presents V. A. Stranges Ian Telfer GENERAL MANAGER [email protected] Chairman Zara Golafshani Goldcorp Inc. HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Contributors Friday, January 16, 2015 Daniel Melchior Vanessa Di Feo 12:00 p.m. Oliver Wilmot Kaitlynn Zigmont Alumni Hall Jessica Robinson Danish Alla Laurentian University Taylor Squires Jesse Smith (Parking in Lot A and Lot 1) Tina Siegel Board of Directors Industry legend Reserve your seat today: Johnny Humphrey Ashley Thomson laurentian.ca/lecture 2015 Canadian Mining Hall Ernst Gerhardt Janis Goldie of Fame inductee Erik White $40/ticket or $300 for table of 8 Chloe Mirfield Chairman of the world’s third Lambda Publications is the bi- largest gold producer weekly student newspaper of, by and for the students of Laurentian University. Lambda is funded Ian Telfer, Chairman of Goldcorp Inc., will speak on through a direct student levy by invaluable lessons learned from his career missteps members of the Students’ General as part of the Goodman School of Mines Lecture Associaton/Association Generale Series. A compelling storyteller with a self-deprecating des Etudiantes, yet remains sense of humour, Ian will entertain and inspire at this autonomous from all university special luncheon event. organizations, both student and administrative. thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 3 Editorial: New Year’s Resolutions and the pressure to succeed can be important, you shouldn’t that change does absolutely not yourself, you can work to better your feel pressured to magically make happen over night, and nor should university, family, or community. a change overnight. it. If you’re among the die-hard According to the University of Then, if and when we do not resolution planners, keep in mind Scranton’s Journal of Clinic immediately achieve our that Jan. 1 does not have to be the Psychology, 45 percent of people resolutions, we tend to start the say you make a change: as the usually make resolutions, while year off feeling like a failure – an saying goes, if at first you don’t 38 percent absolutely never undoubtedly counterproductive succeed, try again, and perhaps make resolutions, and 17 percent measure. aim for a new month, new week, or As we all know too well, with a New infrequently do so. So, whether you chose to make a every new day resolution. Year comes the pressure to create Of the 45 percent that do make resolution this year or not, don’t feel a New Year’s Resolution. resolutions, however, only 49 pressured to change immediately, Kayla Perry These resolutions are typically percent succeed in achieving their but rather allow change at your Editor-in-Chief positive, and more often than not, resolutions. own pace. selfish: we want to lose weight, eat The notion of picking January 1 as Furthermore, if you do decide to healthier, save more money, and the day that your life will change make a resolution, feel free to so on. puts pressure not only on the day, make a less selfish resolution And although bettering yourself but on yourself as well: we all know this new year: rather than work on THE STUDENT THEATRE ASSOCIATION PRESENTS S a t u r d a y J a n u a r y 3 1 2 0 1 5 a t T h o r n e l o e T h e a t re TICKETS in advance (V-Desk) $15 at the door $20 Follow us on Facebook: 2015 Masquerade Ball thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 4 #LUnews / Students ‘should not worry’ about grading scheme: Demers For calculating averages year at Laurentian will not see level playing field for bursaries for academic steps such as any difference”. and awards. It will also place graduation, these letter grades Given the new grading scheme, students entering graduate are then converted into a point professors now have the option studies at an equal level to those scale. to enter grades as a letter or as from other universities who use Registrar and Secretary a number from 0-100. The new the letter grade as well. of Senate, Serge Demers, system then converts that value For students who are anxious explained that those applying for into a letter grade, which appears about the new grading scheme scholarships at Laurentian and on the official transcript and on Demers explains, “some students other grad schools will not be Webadvisor. have come to see me to say that negatively affected because the For returning students in the their 95% will not be different Kaitlynn Zygmont scholarship structure has been transition period, the transcript from the 91% someone else had. For The Lambda adjusted for next year (95%, 90%, and Webadvisor will show a Apart from the measurement 85%, and 80%) in order to reflect combination of numbers (before error argument identified earlier, the new GPA calculations which Sept. 2014) and the new letter the important part to remember With a new semester comes a new are based on the letter grade and grades. is that the grading scheme is grading system at Laurentian, the 10 point GPA. First years and future incoming applied at the course level. and, as has been made clear on “During the transition period students will only have the letter The GPA is only the average campus and on social media, (where students have letter grades. of the 0 to 10 points obtained there have been many questions and number grades) we will be With the new system in place, for each course. In that sense, and much confusion surrounding manually verifying borderline students will see a difference in students should not worry about the new system. cases for graduation purposes terms of failed courses because differentiation at the course The grading scheme, which that involve the overall GPA failures did not count in the level, but rather maintain the high was implemented at Laurentian (cum. laude, honours, C grade overall GPA in the previous years, performance for all courses over University in September 2014, to graduate, etc.),” said Demers. although, students in the A+ all the years of study so that their is not new to Canadian schools: “My office wants to ensure range will benefit from the new overall GPA is then as high as many universities, such as the that the conversion from old grading scheme because it will possible.” University of Ottawa, no longer cumulative GPA to new GPA level out the 90-100 range of use a 100 point scale, but now does not negatively impact grades. [email protected] use letter grades. students. Students in their first This will put those students on a 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. u. o u ld h a p p e n t o y o c It Be prepared for surprises. Make healthy choices. thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 5 Student launches Laurentian Apps the App Store for free. app in that the former focuses can’t really search for books,” said “It started as kind of a hobby – I on the whole of the city, whereas Pytyl. take the bus a lot, and its always the Laurentian Bus app takes In the Book Sale App, students can annoying checking the site when users directly to busses leaving either post that they are selling a the bus comes so I kind of just and approaching the university book or search for a specific book made the app for myself, and it took campus. simply by entering the textbooks off from there,” said Pytyl. “I was The most popular of the apps ISBN, which is found typically on interested in app development, so far is the Sudbury Bus app, the inside cover. and they don’t teach that in school with 1,150 downloads; that app Although Laurentian University Kaya Perry, so I went out of my way to learn followed by the Laurentian Bus does not currently recognize Pytyl, Editor-in-Chief it…. I’m trying to expand my more app, with 727 downloads. he says it is something he would recent apps (including the book Pytyl is presently trying to promote like to try in the future. sale app) to other schools, but the both the Book Sale App, which is “The big plan is to eventually have With five apps created thus far, bus app, for example, is just for currently available to students of the apps get popular at multiple including the Laurentian Dining Sudbury.” Laurentian University, Cambrian schools – then I can start putting App and Laurentian Book Sale In total, Pytyl has created the College, and College Boreal, and my own ads on there, to promote App, Logan Pytyl has spent Laurentian Bus app, the Dining the LU Dining App, where Pytyl the other aps and eventually start almost three months creating App, the LU Navigator, the Sudbury uploads the Great Hall dining menu a business.” his entrepreneurial company, Bus, and Squealz, a social media every day. For more information, contact Laurentian Apps. site. All are compatible with iOS “Right now for Laurentian [email protected], or A third year Laurentian University and Android. students there’s the book sell find all apps in the App Store. Computer Science student, Pytyl Pytyl said the Laurentian Bus Facebook page, but I find that a bit is sole designer and owner of all [email protected] app differs from the Sudbury Bus disorganized because students apps, although all are available in Screenshots of the various apps display on iOS products. Photos supplied. thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 6 #LUsports / Women’s hockey team wins two out of first 14 games only 1.36 goals per game. ods, and find a way to put pucks Laurentian’s defensive side of to the net to generate some of- the puck has suffered also, as it fense.” has the third worst goals against Laurentian is currently eight with 42 allowing an average 3.07 points out of the last playoff spot, goals per game. however with 10 games remain- At home, the Voyageurs have so ing in the season, Colarossi is far posted a 1-1-3 record and optimistic with her team’s chanc- on the road Laurentian has only es to salvage points. managed one win out of nine “We are still gunning for the play- games (1-8) with the single victo- offs,” said Colarossi. “We are at ry coming against Brock on Nov. home which will work in our fa- 29. vour. We play better on our ice, but Although Laurentian’s record we need to take care of teams says otherwise, the Voyageurs, like York, Brock, Waterloo, Ryer- according to Colarossi, are not son, U of T and Nipissing, who are a team to be taken lightly, as all trying to fight for those same they’ve proven they can play spots. If we keep our pace and hockey with some of the best take care of details, the wins will teams in the OUA with their only come.” home win coming in a shootout Julie Hebert, Laurentian’s cap- at home against the CIS fifth tain and current leading scorer ranked Queen’s Gaels (10-2-2). after 14 games with 10 points, However, what raises questions six goals and four assists, hopes of concern for Colarossi is the her teammates can bounce back fact her squad can’t close out from their start and finally be the games, as seen with their final team to “come out on top.” home game before the New Year “We need to figure out how to against the York Lions on Nov. 16, play for 60 minutes,” said He- when Laurentian was up by two bert. “We’ve had a lot of games goals in the third period, but lost against the upper end teams 3-2 in overtime. where we are bringing them into Members of the women’s Voyageurs hockey team celebrate after Colarossi said her team had trou- overtime or a shootout. We need scoring a goal. Photo by Gabriel Rodrigues. ble sustaining and closing out to start executing and pay atten- Gabriel Rodrigues, games during the first half of the tion to the little details our coach- losses out of the scenario, we Assistant Editor season, but is certain after the es are stressing. Hopefully from are making strides from where work her squad has put in during now on, we can execute and get we were at the start of the sea- the break, the Voyageurs will be wins.” Despite only managing two wins son.” “locked and loaded” and ready to The Voyageurs begin the open- out of its first 14 games of the After the first 14 games before compete for a playoff spot. ing games of the New Year on the 2014-15 OUA campaign, Lau- the holiday break, the Voyageurs’ “This is a game of inches,” said road, but Laurentian’s next home rentian’s women’s hockey coach record was 2-9-3, which placed Colarossi. “We need to learn to games will be on Jan. 17 and 18 believes her squad is learning Laurentian second last with sev- be ready to play in every shift. when they host Waterloo Satur- valuable lessons and “maturing en points in the OUA standings, We play outstanding at times, but day at 7:20 p.m. and Laurier on as a team.” just ahead of the Brock Badgers once we get that lead, some of Sunday at 1:50 p.m. at the Gerry “We have a lot of work to do,” (1-9-3). our youthful players gear away McCrory Countryside Sports said Stacey Colarossi. “This is Statistically, the Voyageurs are from the game plan. We need to Complex. not where we had hoped to be at the lowest scoring team in the make sure we don’t give the other For updated standings and sta- this point, but if we take wins and OUA with 19 goals for averaging team momentum going into peri- tistics, visit www.oua.ca. thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 7 Women’s track has ‘good start’: Moss Laurentian’s strongest individual Invitational held in Boston, MA on Championships, and said he race, as Sudbury native Katie Feb. 13 and the Hal Brown Last doesn’t leave out the possibility Wismer took home the gold with Chance on Feb. 20. of having athletes qualify for the a personal best time of 4:42.87, With already four athletes CIS Championships either. breaking the OUA standard by 12 qualifying for the OUA’s in the “On an individual basis, it’s very seconds. 1500m, Moss hopes to have as difficult to qualify for nationals,” Also, within that race, three other many competitors qualify for the said Moss. “The standards get athletes qualified for the OUA’s, Championships with the next faster every year and very few which includes Marissa Lobert, upcoming events. qualify. We’ve had athletes very Michelle Kennedy and Emily “The next two meets at the close in several events over the Marcolini, who finished third, University of Toronto and York past five years and it often comes fourth and fifth place respectively. help the girls calibrate their down to fractions of a second. The Voyageurs weren’t done optimal race paces and are a This year, we’ll just keep working there, as Laurentian’s Samantha good lead-up to the Valentine hard and see what happens.” Edwards, Marcolini, Kennedy and Invitational in Boston,” said The Voyageurs next test in order Katie Wismer, LU women’s indoor Wismer posted a first place finish Moss. “The Valentine is on a fast to gain OUA qualification spots track team member. Photo sup- within the 4 x 800m rally with a track in an exciting atmosphere will be the Fred Foot Invitational plied. combined time of 10:08. and that’s where we hit a lot of at the University of Toronto on Laurentian pentathlete Alicia qualifying times.” Saturday, Jan.17. Violin posted a personal best in Moss expects to compete within the shot put, finishing first with a every invitational tournament [email protected] result of 9.58m, and also second leading up to the OUA in the high jump, fourth in the long jump and fifth 60m hurdles. Despite some Laurentian Become a athletes missing out on medals, Moss believes personal best Gabriel Rodrigues, true leader performances are “the name of Assistant Editor the game” for his team, as eight in just two Voyageurs athletes all posted On Jan. 3, Laurentian’s women’s their personal bests at the semesters! indoor track team kicked off the Sharon Anderson Open, which 2015 season at the University of includes Wismer (1500m), Violin Toronto’s Sharon Anderson Open, (shot put), Kennedy (1500m), Study Organization and according to their coach, this Marcolini (1500m), Jenna Management and leverage competition was a “good start” to Thornber (1000m), Nicole Rich your existing educational and career experiences to become their OUA campaign. (300m and 600m), Lyndsay a manager. With courses “With our athletes spread all over Greasley (1500m) and Maddy available online and in class, it’s never been easier to the place during the holidays, Bak (1500m). enhance your employability. it really showed how fit and “The goal is to keep improving dedicated they were in doing throughout the season and hit our their workouts during exams and peak at the OUA Championships,” the holidays,” said Dick Moss. said Moss. “Every runner has Not only did the Voyageurs return individual goals they want to home with five medals throughout achieve, and it’s different for the opening competition of every athlete.” the season, but managed to The Voyageurs will be competing achieve four OUA qualifying in four other invitational meets Apply now! performances within the 1500m before the OUA Championships race, eight personal bests and in late February, which includes cambriancollege.ca/organizationmanagement 11 top-six finishes. the Fred Foot Classic on Jan. 17, The 1500m event turned out to be York Open on Jan. 31, Valentine thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 8 Masquerade Ball “stepping it up” for people who did not get their tickets in time. There were two hundred people there last year, and they were able to enjoy a cash bar, free food, and music of their choice.” Starting at 8 p.m. on January 31, the ball will held at the Ernie Checkeris Theatre at Thorneloe Daniel Melchior, University. The Masquerade Ball For The Lambda is held annually, and features a dance floor, professional lighting Although last year’s Masquerade and sound technicians. Ball was deemed to be “extremely Tickets can be purchased for $15 successful”, Student Theatre in advance at the V-Desk, and any Association (STA) President, tickets left by January 31 will be Vanessa Di Feo, said the sold at the door for $20. association is “stepping things up” For more information, contact this year. Vanessa Di Feo at vdifeo@ According to Di Feo, this year two laurentian.ca. hundred and twenty people will be able to get tickets, and the [email protected] association will sell masks for $5 at the door for the first people who arrive. Furthermore, a cash bar will offer a wide variety of cocktails, rather than the limited wine and beer that was available in previous years. Di Feo said that, last year, the association “actually had a waitlist Students attend the Masquerade Ball in 2014. Photos by Lambda staff. thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 9 #LUabroad / Squires: A final reflection on a semester abroad Interested in joining the global workplace? University grads can get a certificate in International Business Management in just one year! Learn to manage an organization’s global business activities through real-world experience, including an eight-week work placement. Apply now! the blink of eye. Although there cambriancollege.ca/interbus was a part of me that knew that, I didn’t exactly want to believe it. When I first returned home to Canada, I mostly told funny sto- I think the one thing that people strong disposition and that I can ries about all of the crazy things tend to forget about spending get myself out of any sticky situa- that happened to me while I was time abroad is that it is an invest- tion (bed bugs in Stockholm, hav- abroad, and mentioned a few ment. There is a quote by an un- ing my wallet stolen in Russia and things about school here and known author that says: “Travel practically getting hypothermia in Taylor Squires, there as I gave out souvenirs. is the only thing you buy that Germany, just to name a few). For The Lambda Now, I want to take the time to makes you richer.” This could not Exposing yourself to new cultures talk a little bit about what I’ve be more accurate. is also extremely important. To gone through personally in the Before I start writing columns I’ve had a multitude of amazing put it simply: the world does not last couple of months. I feel like concerning anything else, I’d first experiences over the past five revolve around you or your Ins- it could provide some insight to like to write one last piece about months and I could not be more tagram account. Travelling the those who are thinking of partici- my semester abroad. grateful: my time aboard has world will show you this and you’ll pating in an exchange program Even as I type this out, the fact enabled me to grow in so many be happy that it did. or maybe to those who plan on that my exchange has come to ways. I’d now much more mod- So if you are waiting for a sign, spending a significant amount of an end is such a bizarre feeling to est, I’ve learned how to be more this is it. Take a road trip, book a time abroad. me; it seriously feels like I landed understanding, and I’ve come to flight, study abroad, do whatever I’ll start by saying this: do it. Se- in Sweden yesterday. realize that in the past, I wasn’t you want to do. Life is short and riously. Don’t over-think it, don’t I remember my mom sitting in the as appreciative as I should have there is a lot to see. worry about how much money it’s kitchen and telling me that five been. going to cost, just go. [email protected] and half months would pass in I’ve also learnt that I have a thelambda.ca JANUARY 13, 2015 █ 10 #LUent / Fashion Focus: Welcome to Sudbury, where it is cold in January Even without a background in IT, earn a graduate certificate in IT Business Analysis. In three semesters, business professionals get rigorous training for the business analyst role. A work placement in the third semester will give you the hands-on experience industry demands. Apply now! cambriancollege.ca/itanalysis up. Please have a warm jacket Program: History and a reliable pair of boots or What are you wearing? Burgundy shoes. jacket from Forever 21, floral When I say reliable, I actually print dress from Forever 21, Sudbury in January. mean warm and thick; we don’t black ankle boots from Charlotte If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s cold! want any toes freezing do we? Russe, lace tights, and velvet When it gets to a point where Speaking of digits, get mitts head wrap. your glasses develop a layer of or gloves; they should be wool Who is your style/fashion icon? frost as you wait at the bus stop, or some other equally thick Of course, my favourite is Stevie that’s your clue that you need to material. A hat will help a lot as Nicks. get bundled up. well, and if you’re one of those Any style advice? Dress as the Maybe you are from Southern people who don’t like ruining your person you want to be. Ontario, or you are visiting us hair (cough, cough, like me) find What is something everyone Daniel Melchior, as an exchange student from yourself some earmuffs. Stay should have in their closets? For The Lambda another country – regardless, I warm, and good luck. Bench jackets, yoga pants, and hope someone told you: it’s a lot UGG boots (I’m disappointed). Whoever first spoke the phrase colder here than you may have Name: Jennifer Labelle “when hell freezes over”, was thought. Year: Fourth [email protected] without a doubt referring to This means you have to bundle