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Transcript of AtC April Edition
[AtC]Across the Creek is a crea(ve publica(on funded by the
St. Jerome’s Students’ Union.
[In this Issue]
The AtC Bulletin - You’ve got mail!
(from the SJU administration) [2]
Blue Sneakers - Many Canadians are first generation and have some of the best stories to tell. AtC features Eleonora Mezsaros with
a personal piece on her journey. [5]
Ode to a V6 - So what do you do after your car has been in an accident? Mark
Carter gives us an inside look. [3]
Restaurant Review - Want to try something new in the KW area? Check out Aleena Khan’s 3 recommendations for good
eats! [4]
The Little Things - Reflection on
autumn by Krista Dow [9]
On Constructing a Sorrow - Poetry by
Tabinda Khan [7]
An Assortment of Poems - by St.
Jerome’s’ own Katie Zettel [8]
Wanna Publish? It’s as Easy as AtCSpecial thanks goes out to Eleonora Meszaros for her contributions to the formatting of this issue. If you would like to be a featured artist,
columnist, help to create some of our layouts, or have your work featured as the
cover of an upcoming issue, send an email to [email protected].
Contents
I recently watched a middle-‐aged man puzzle over a
le@er at Tim Horton’s. His brow furrowed, he spent
a while reconsidering his words. I had just given up
people watching when the man rose from his table and approached a dark-‐haired woman
reading the paper. She was physically turned away from the hustle of the shop; soaking in a
few minutes of (me away from the world before it demanded her full a@en(on once more.
Only gathering parts of their exchange, I heard the man ask the woman to proofread his reply
to his daughter’s first-‐grade report card.
You can tell a great deal about a person based on the way they react to an approaching
stranger. I don’t mean to be cynical, but n an age when so much is based on keeping up
appearances, many who feel threatened may glance at surrounding people indica(ng the
guest is not necessarily someone they know or welcome. Some(mes the approached will
feign ignorance to any poten(al ques(ons just to be leL alone, and most (mes it seems the
person has no (me to be interrupted; they’d like to be perceived as too busy or important to
be bothered with poten(ally trivial things.
Instead of any trace of apprehension upon being approached, the woman smiled, her body
language displaying relaxed, and she welcomed the man to sit down.
While many might have seen this as a mundane exercise in politeness, this woman made
remarks about how the care he took that morning was evident, how she could tell he was very
proud of his daughter, and even began asking about her favourite subjects at school.
This woman was in an infamous Canadian coffee shop, surrounded by other immigrants to this
country who sacrifice to see their children succeed, and she was exhibi(ng a kindness I beli
eve
not only characterizes our na(on, but is something we could all do with a li@le more of.
In taking a few moments to help someone with something simple, this lady’s ac(ons and
approachability meant more than any edits and I hope her kindness is as inspiring to you as it
was to me. We can all use a reminder that our everyday interac(ons shape the communi(es in
which we live and the people we share them with.
Ul(mately, be crea(ve when you can, be kind always.
Jen Pepper AtC Editor
[Le3er from the Editor]
Cover Photography by Shamraiz Gul
Shamraiz, a second-year student at UW, watches and makes films in his spare time. For 2 years now he has been a member of the the university`s film creators club. He also enjoys photography, especially the experimental kind, and hopes to one day become a dentist who creates award-winning films.
[AtC] April, 2011
1
I hope you all had a great fall term and enjoyed your holiday break! On behalf of all Students’ Union members I would like to thank you all for a@ending and making Trivia Night and the Parade of Lights a huge success!
Students’ Union has one more amazing event planned for you all on March 25. The St. Jerome’s Gala is an end of year celebra(on to bring the faculty, staff, and students together to build community and celebrate the accomplishments of the year! We look forward to seeing you at the dinner, and dance!
Away from the social events Students’ Union has been working hard to represent you academically. There are many projects on the go right now including Opera(on Go Green, studying how to provide be@er informa(on to students, and an in-‐depth analysis of Students’ Union. We con(nue to appreciate hearing from you and will always work to address issues to make the student experience here at St. Jerome’s the best!
This will be my final (me wri(ng to all of you as Students’ Union President and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support these past two years! It has been a wonderful journey and I sincerely hope that you have all enjoyed your (me at St. Jerome’s as much as I have.
I wish you all the best in the rest of the term and encourage you all to go and change the world!
Andrew LessardStudents’ Union President
The months have flown by since the new academic year began in September. I’ve observed a lot of enthusiasm and energy on campus – you are really engaged in what’s happening at SJU. It’s great to see so many students involved in the many volunteer ac(vi(es and op(onal learning opportuni(es like the Beyond U and Beyond Borders programs. Also going full speed ahead are the many opportuni(es for students in residence to provide service for the larger K-‐W community. The Students’ Union is also visibly engaged in so many ways – like the Parade of Lights that was so successful in December. St. Jerome’s is about educa(ng the whole person – through learning, studying, building friendships, and exploring new interests. This is a place where you can discover a passion for something that will shape your life aLer university. I’m thrilled to see you taking advantage of all SJU has to offer. From my perspec(ve I’m very much enjoying the planning that is going into preparing, for our 150th anniversary in 2015. In a short 4 years St. Jerome’s will be celebra(ng its sesquicentennial – wow, now that’s a mouthful! I’ve enjoyed cha_ng with many of you this year – be sure to say hello next (me our paths cross! Wishing you con(nued success as the rest of the school year unfolds. Dr. David B. PerrinPresident and Vice-‐Chancellor
A Message from the President
Shout out from Students’ Union
You’ve got mail...from the SJU administration!
{AtC Admin Bulletin}[AtC] April, 2011
2
When my parents’ 2002 silver Ford Taurus (SE—not the really nice package with leather and everything, but still nice) broke down for good, it was replaced and forgotten. A shiny new Subaru sat in their driveway, and it festered in the garage for a few weeks. “The AC compressor is broken, you can’t drive that,” the mechanic had said (in response to some strange sounds and even stranger smells). Apparently, air-conditioning, far from being the non-essential part one would think it would be, is completely and intimately built into the engine itself—a broken compressor could at any moment cause the engine to simply forget its lifelong commitment to never being on fire. And so the Taurus sat. I missed it; this was the car I had learned to drive in, the car I had spilled countless cups of coffee in, and the car—let’s face it—whose AC compressor I had probably broken somehow in between long drives and cups of coffee. A hundred kilometers away, I made a proposal—I paid for the repair (okay, I paid to have a dummy AC put in for a third of the price; it wouldn’t condition air, but it would keep the car from catching on fire), and the car was mine. A car owner, at last; free from those miserable GRT buses, at last. When you’re learning to drive, they don’t tell you about what it feels like to walk out of your front door and see that shining hunk of metal, only steps away, whispering “Let’s go! Go buy some groceries—it’ll be fun!”
Of course, there are plenty of other things they never tell you about when you’re learning to drive—even if you pay extra to take a course from some useless driving school or another; some things you just need to figure out as you go along. Like the stop lights on University Ave. going west at the railroad tracks, just before Seagram Drive. For those who have never driven through these lights (or haven’t figured out how to yet), while the lights are only a metre away from the tracks, cars are actually meant to stop at a line about ten metres farther back—don’t worry, there’s a huge sign explaining this that you just can’t miss.
On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at 9:27am, I found myself stopped on that very line ten metres away from those very lights, just a metre away from those railway tracks. The lights were red, and I was alone in the through-‐lane—my Taurus’ trunk was full of empty canvas bags, just waiHng to be filled with groceries (my stomach was similarly empty and waiHng to be filled with those very same groceries). I looked up at the red lights, down to the clock, back to the lights, and then to my rearview mirror. I wish I could say that when I saw the black SUV conspicuously close and obviously not slowing down I had thought something more profound than a deadpan “that car is going to hit my car”, but unfortunately that would be an exaggeraHon.
Think back to your driving lessons—what do you do when you’re hit by another car?
Presumably it’s all anathema; either the car works or it doesn’t—it’s either towed away or driven away. Get their license, insurance, ownership papers, first born, whatever you can. If it’s more than $1000 of damage, call the police. Blah blah blah. In real life,
it’s a liXle less clear-‐cut than what I had thought. Do you know what $1000 worth of damage looks like? I really wasn’t sure if it was enough to bother calling the police about—that aZernoon, I found out it would be a $5000 repair. Can you sHll drive the car? The Taurus ran well enough to get down to the collision reporHng centre half an hour away, and just as well all the way to the Ford dealership for a repair quote; and both the reporHng centre and the dealership just sent me on my way without so much as a “by the way, if you drive that, you’ll get pulled over.” It’s been over a week and I sHll don’t know what to do with it. I’ve erred on the side of cauHon and not driven it; I have no idea what kind of real damage was done, and I have even less of a clue about the legality of driving around in a car that looks like the Terminator with half his face melted away. Will your insurance company fix it? That’s the one answer I got right away, and of course it was a big “no.” Obviously, my car isn’t worth $5000. But what will I get for it? A week later, I sHll have no clue.
I wish I could say I learned a lesson about safe driving, but being stopped at a red light isn’t exactly supposed to be dangerous driving. I guess the best lesson is that you should never get in an accident, ever, even if it isn’t your fault. Do whatever you can to avoid it; open up some kind of riZ in the space-‐Hme conHnuum or drive a monster truck. Whatever I get from the insurance company isn’t going to be enough for a car half as reliable or made in the last decade. And even then, how long will it have taken to seXle everything? I wish I could say I knew what was going on; I wish my insurance company would use some of the hundreds of dollars I give them every year to return my phone calls, or even just check in to tell me what’s going on. Of course, they don’t. The biggest irony is that if I was middle-‐aged and drove a new SUV, I’d probably be paying them a lot less, and they would have fixed my car by now. Maybe there just isn’t room on the road for an ‘89 male driver in an ’02 silver Ford Taurus.
[AtC
] Ap
ril,
2011
3
Ode to a V6 {MARK CARTER
Whenever my parents visit or I'm trying to make plans with friends, I always think, "Waterloo really
needs better restaurants". Being a student and living close to the universities can be limiting but lately, long-term Waterloo residents have really broadened my indulging horizons. When you’re
looking for something different make sure you pay these places a visit. They really make you
appreciate the cozier and specialized restaurants that only a smaller town has to offer.
Burrito Boyz
I love Burrito Boyz. I can’t ever have enough of it and I know that a large populaHon of Waterloo ciHzens agree with me based on the line at lunch Hme. Once I saw the line going out the door and around the corner. Totally worth it! They have huge burritos with fresh veggies and guacamole and any main meat you want (chicken, steak, fish, bean), and their signature (read: killer) hot sauce. I normally want to give up aZer having eaten half of it, but it’s too good so I normally keep trying and then accept my defeat when I’m two thirds of the way through it. The thing is, it’s hard to store a burrito to eat later, so they also have quesadillas which are nice and light, but it’s not on the same level as the burrito. I have tried the chicken, steak, and fish (everyone seems to think that’s a strange thing to put in a burrito, but you try it and then we’ll talk). The small
size is from $6-‐8 and the large $8-‐10. The place is open late and that only means good things, especially if you live nearby or are in the area partying late. They also have a pre-‐ordering opHon so call in advance and you’ll be inhaling that burrito in no Hme.
Village CreperieThis place is in Belmont Village and really does look like a village with the small shops and lamp posts everywhere. The Creperie is really cozy and I believe it is reservaHon-‐only. I went with a group of eight and the staff were incredibly organized. Their hours are a liXle different so they are only open at specific Hmes for lunch and dinner. The menu is unbelievable! It took us all forever to order because everything looked delicious. It’s a short menu, but it includes desserts, appeHzers, and entrée crepes. I got a Chipotle Quesadilla and added chicken to it. The quesadilla was made with a crepe so I figured it would be light. It came with sour cream and salsa and honestly, my mouth waters thinking about it. The others I was with ordered things like the Smokey Texas Chili Crepe and Chimmichuri Chicken. The entrées were huge and the most expensive thing on the menu was about $17. The best part? The service! Our waiter was hilarious and so helpful. If you want to show off the culinary wonders that Waterloo has to offer to an out-‐of-‐towner or just want to try something new, I would definitely recommend Village Creperie.
Yukiko’s (Hometown Eatery)
Located behind Waterloo Town Square in uptown Waterloo, this place looks like a liXle red house. They have a great selecHon of burgers and starters. There’s a few wraps and lighter opHons but my sole focus was on the burgers (I think the menu’s main focus was the burgers as well). The cool part is that you can really customize your burger. They had fun names for the different topping combos and you can choose a chicken burger, beef, fish, or a vegetarian opHon. The names of the toppings made for hilarious lunch conversaHon because some of the toppings had countries or ethniciHes in the name and others had personality traits. I ended up with the “American Billy” (goat cheese, pesto, spinach) and a coworker got a “Flirty Asian”. I have no idea what he had on it, but the name of the burger was worth menHoning. The meal came to about $12 and the service was quick and painless – perfect for the lunch hour. They also had a cake selecHon that I was too full to look at aZer my burger, so keep that in mind when you’re ordering.
[AtC] April, 2011
Aleena Khan -‐ Restaurant critic
Image courtesy of loudlunch.com 4