A student sacrifices academic dream in search for gold
By Amy Minsky
The Concordian (Concordia University)
MONTREAL (CUP) – She sits in a coffee shop staring at her Université de Montréal textbooks, wondering whether law was her true passion or if she had simply pushed herself too far off-course.
“It’s hard, you know. For the past eight years, I’ve had a clear path. I knew what I wanted to do. It was go to the Olympics,” says Andréanne Morin.
Morin made it to the games twice within those eight years, but she hasn’t reached her ultimate dream of winning an Olympic medal in rowing.
The thought of one day feeling the weight of an Olympic medal around her neck kept Morin going through 12 years of arduous training and an agonizing injury.
Prior to rowing, Morin was a competitive skier, and for a short time, the two overlapped.
“She definitely wanted to compete in both these sports,” says her friend Dalia Kachef, recalling a conversation they had when they were 15 years-olds. “But she had to choose one. She wasn’t doing well enough in skiing to move to the next level of competition.”
“So we talked about her options, and soon after she retired from competitive skiing and embarked on her rowing career.”
As soon as she started rowing, Morin set the bar high, aiming for an Olympic medal.
“That was Plan A, and there was only a Plan A,” Morin says.
Now, Morin might have to be content with being a two-time Olympian.
“I wouldn’t change my experience for anything, but part of me knows, if I did have a medal, it would mean the end,” she says.
In Beijing this summer, Morin, along with seven other oarsmen, and their coxswain made it to the final rowing event as part of Canada’s Olympic team.
This was Morin’s second time rowing in an Olympic final; her boat placed seventh during the 2004 games.
During this time in Beijing, any thoughts of defeat were far from her mind. Calm and focused in their ready positions, waiting for the go signal, Morin and her teammates were set to fight for a position on the podium.
When their boat crossed the finish line, Morin’s team placed fourth, 0.7 seconds out of second place.
Darcy Marquardt, who was also in the women’s eight in Beijing, met Morin in the summer of 2001.
“When we first met, I got the impression right away that if she really wanted something, she would go after it with all her heart until she succeeded,” Marquardt says.
Now Morin is left weighing the consequences of her athletic career. Prior to the 2004 games, Morin was an undergrad at Princeton University. When she found out classes would still be in session when selection for the Olympic team was happening, she had to make a decision.
Leaving her graduating class and her Princeton rowing team behind were two sacrifices she would have to make to try out for the Athens team.
“To give up my Class of ’04 and graduate Class of ’06 was a risk,” she says. “It was a gamble, not knowing whether or not I would make the Olympic team, whether or not we would qualify.”
Morin ended up making the team and her boat qualified to go to the games, but she didn’t get her medal.
“I was very shook up after Athens,” Morin says. “But I had other things to go back to. I had school, I had my friends. I was young.”
Morin returned to Princeton and graduated with a 3.5 Grade Point Average.
With a degree in one hand and still hoping for Olympic victory, Morin had to make another decision: get a job, or row full-time to make the Beijing team. She felt she had a valid shot at a medal, so she decided to stick to rowing.
“Looking back,” she says, “you realize it’s one of those decisions that makes your life take a different course. Who knows what I would have by now if I hadn’t gone to Beijing. I could own a car, have a career, own a condo.”
Morin’s overwhelming hunger for a medal has left her with little but a feeling of loss which will follow her around until she accomplishes her goal.
“I don’t know if my life would be different if I had a medal, but I’m certain I would say I’m retired now if I had one.”
Morin still hasn’t made up her mind about the 2012 games. In order to keep her options open, she started taking courses in law at the Université de Montréal.
“I’ll wait to see what happens in the next two years,” she says. “But I’m not ready to stop.”
30.1.09
Got your back
How to escape your cell-phone contract
By Amy Minsky
The Concordian (Concordia University)
MONTREAL (CUP) – We will all endure a handful of hardships throughout our lifetime, but it’s almost certain that nothing will be harder than trying to get out of a cell-phone contract.
Companies get your attention with fun advertisements and fancy new handsets at discounted prices. Then they suck you into two- and three-year contracts.
Lots of students have a hard time committing to anything for three weeks, let alone three years. Whether you’ve had your phone for a few weeks, months, or more, you’ve probably thought about getting out of your contract at least once.
The straightforward way out of a contract is basically allowing the provider sticking their hands far, far into your pockets.
Fido and Bell charge the greater of $100, or $20 per month, left on your contract, to a maximum of $400 for early termination of a contract.
Comparatively, Rogers is a little better; they charge $20 per month remaining, to a maximum of $200.
Here’s the good news: there are cheap ways out, if you have some time on your hands.
Here are a few:
- Watch out for changes to the service agreement: A provider reserves the right to change the service agreement (the contract) at any time. Even if a change is advantageous (e.g. extra text or picture messages), it is contestable – nobody is obliged to accept changes to a contract.
The provider might be sneaky though. The changes can be cited in fine print on the bill, via a text message from the company, or on one of those shiny inserts that everybody throws away without looking at.
If a Bell, Fido, or Rogers subscriber "does not accept" the changes they have 30 days to end the contract.
You'll probably have to speak to a manager if you try to break your contract this way. Be sure you tell the representative you’re speaking with that the changes are having a negative effect.
Some providers require written notice received before 30 days have passed. Check the terms and conditions of your provider so they don't take you by surprise.
- Play dead: providers will cancel a contract if you die. Be sure the company doesn’t ask for a death certificate, though (Fido doesn’t). But faking your own death might have consequences down the road. You definitely have an easy out if the contract is under the name of someone who has recently died.
- Go online: It’s true; the Internet has everything – even a way to get you out of your contract. There’s a service online that arranges “cell swap” between you and someone else who’s equally disappointed with their plan.
First you enter the details of your current contract. Then you indicate the minutes, cost, and length of your ideal plan.
The information goes through a database and finds a match. There’s no fee until the swap is complete.
Something to consider: if you hate your current contract, there’s a good chance you’ll hate another. Cell-phone companies invest hundreds of dollars in each customer through advertising and free handsets. Getting the customer to sign a 36-month contract is a way of ensuring they make their money back.
As with most major companies, it’s in their best interest to keep you satisfied. Complaining and threatening might at least get you an upgrade.
By Amy Minsky
The Concordian (Concordia University)
MONTREAL (CUP) – We will all endure a handful of hardships throughout our lifetime, but it’s almost certain that nothing will be harder than trying to get out of a cell-phone contract.
Companies get your attention with fun advertisements and fancy new handsets at discounted prices. Then they suck you into two- and three-year contracts.
Lots of students have a hard time committing to anything for three weeks, let alone three years. Whether you’ve had your phone for a few weeks, months, or more, you’ve probably thought about getting out of your contract at least once.
The straightforward way out of a contract is basically allowing the provider sticking their hands far, far into your pockets.
Fido and Bell charge the greater of $100, or $20 per month, left on your contract, to a maximum of $400 for early termination of a contract.
Comparatively, Rogers is a little better; they charge $20 per month remaining, to a maximum of $200.
Here’s the good news: there are cheap ways out, if you have some time on your hands.
Here are a few:
- Watch out for changes to the service agreement: A provider reserves the right to change the service agreement (the contract) at any time. Even if a change is advantageous (e.g. extra text or picture messages), it is contestable – nobody is obliged to accept changes to a contract.
The provider might be sneaky though. The changes can be cited in fine print on the bill, via a text message from the company, or on one of those shiny inserts that everybody throws away without looking at.
If a Bell, Fido, or Rogers subscriber "does not accept" the changes they have 30 days to end the contract.
You'll probably have to speak to a manager if you try to break your contract this way. Be sure you tell the representative you’re speaking with that the changes are having a negative effect.
Some providers require written notice received before 30 days have passed. Check the terms and conditions of your provider so they don't take you by surprise.
- Play dead: providers will cancel a contract if you die. Be sure the company doesn’t ask for a death certificate, though (Fido doesn’t). But faking your own death might have consequences down the road. You definitely have an easy out if the contract is under the name of someone who has recently died.
- Go online: It’s true; the Internet has everything – even a way to get you out of your contract. There’s a service online that arranges “cell swap” between you and someone else who’s equally disappointed with their plan.
First you enter the details of your current contract. Then you indicate the minutes, cost, and length of your ideal plan.
The information goes through a database and finds a match. There’s no fee until the swap is complete.
Something to consider: if you hate your current contract, there’s a good chance you’ll hate another. Cell-phone companies invest hundreds of dollars in each customer through advertising and free handsets. Getting the customer to sign a 36-month contract is a way of ensuring they make their money back.
As with most major companies, it’s in their best interest to keep you satisfied. Complaining and threatening might at least get you an upgrade.
28.1.09
$13 billion and counting
Student debt reaches unprecedented level; continues to rise
Amy Minsky
Assistant News Editor
The Concordian (Concordia University)
Amy Minsky
Assistant News Editor
The Concordian (Concordia University)
MONTREAL - Canadians who have borrowed money from the federal government to continue their studies at the post-secondary level now owe over $13 billion according to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).
The country's largest student lobby group disclosed the number last Wednesday, less than one week before the federal government released the 2009 budget.
"We didn't time it," said government relations coordinator for CFS Ian Boyko. "But it's handy, with the budget coming out, to help draw attention to it."
The amount of debt, which is increasing by $1.2 million per day according to CFS, is owed to the Canada Student Loan Program, a federal program that lends money to students with a demonstrated financial need.
The national student debt is actually much higher than what CFS announced, according to Concordia Student Union VP external Colin Goldfinch. "This is just money owed to the Canadian Student Loans Program," he said. "It doesn't even take into account provincial loans or personal debt."
Even though Quebec has its own loan programs for Quebec residents, student advocates say those studying in the province should still be wary.
"Premier Jean Charest wants to model Quebec universities after those in other provinces," Boyko said, referring to tuition increases that have been taking place across the country over the past several years.
Undergraduate tuition fees for Canadian full-time students increased 3.6 per cent year-over-year from the 2007-2008 school year according to Statistics Canada.
Tuition fees didn't change in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador; the highest fees are still found in Nova Scotia, despite a 2.9 per cent decrease.
According to Statistics Canada, the national average increase for 2008-2009 is 4.4 per cent over the amount paid in 1998-1999. In contrast, inflation increased at an average annual rate of 2.3 per cent.
Quebec represented the province with the most significant change in 2008-2009. Tuition fees here increased 5.4 per cent over the last academic year.
We should take this as a warning sign," Goldfinch said. "We want to keep our tuition low." Goldfinch said current low tuition rates encourage more Québécois to pursue post-secondary education in the province. "It's beneficial to our economy," he said.
Student lobby groups are looking for the federal government to take action to help curb the increasing debt, which has had a negative impact on enrolment and completion rates.
"The government needs to take steps," said Zach Churchill, national director for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), the nation's second-largest student lobby group. "They can start by lowering the interest rates on loans," he said. "It would make the system more fair."
One of the changes CFS and CASA would both like to see is increased payments from the feds to the provinces. This, they say, would fill any funding gaps and prevent any perceived need to increase tuition fees.
They are also calling on the government to increase grants that are based on financial needs. Churchill said people living in rural and northern areas, aboriginals, children from low-income families and students with disabilities are the groups who typically don't pursue post-secondary education. "We can't afford to have this happen any more," he said. "We don't want to have people miss out on a post-secondary education for financial reasons."
Both CFS and CASA said they would like to make post-secondary education available to as many Canadians as possible.
"The best investment this government can make is an investment into post-secondary education," Boyko said. "An educated and debt-free workforce is a strong workforce."
The country's largest student lobby group disclosed the number last Wednesday, less than one week before the federal government released the 2009 budget.
"We didn't time it," said government relations coordinator for CFS Ian Boyko. "But it's handy, with the budget coming out, to help draw attention to it."
The amount of debt, which is increasing by $1.2 million per day according to CFS, is owed to the Canada Student Loan Program, a federal program that lends money to students with a demonstrated financial need.
The national student debt is actually much higher than what CFS announced, according to Concordia Student Union VP external Colin Goldfinch. "This is just money owed to the Canadian Student Loans Program," he said. "It doesn't even take into account provincial loans or personal debt."
Even though Quebec has its own loan programs for Quebec residents, student advocates say those studying in the province should still be wary.
"Premier Jean Charest wants to model Quebec universities after those in other provinces," Boyko said, referring to tuition increases that have been taking place across the country over the past several years.
Undergraduate tuition fees for Canadian full-time students increased 3.6 per cent year-over-year from the 2007-2008 school year according to Statistics Canada.
Tuition fees didn't change in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador; the highest fees are still found in Nova Scotia, despite a 2.9 per cent decrease.
According to Statistics Canada, the national average increase for 2008-2009 is 4.4 per cent over the amount paid in 1998-1999. In contrast, inflation increased at an average annual rate of 2.3 per cent.
Quebec represented the province with the most significant change in 2008-2009. Tuition fees here increased 5.4 per cent over the last academic year.
We should take this as a warning sign," Goldfinch said. "We want to keep our tuition low." Goldfinch said current low tuition rates encourage more Québécois to pursue post-secondary education in the province. "It's beneficial to our economy," he said.
Student lobby groups are looking for the federal government to take action to help curb the increasing debt, which has had a negative impact on enrolment and completion rates.
"The government needs to take steps," said Zach Churchill, national director for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), the nation's second-largest student lobby group. "They can start by lowering the interest rates on loans," he said. "It would make the system more fair."
One of the changes CFS and CASA would both like to see is increased payments from the feds to the provinces. This, they say, would fill any funding gaps and prevent any perceived need to increase tuition fees.
They are also calling on the government to increase grants that are based on financial needs. Churchill said people living in rural and northern areas, aboriginals, children from low-income families and students with disabilities are the groups who typically don't pursue post-secondary education. "We can't afford to have this happen any more," he said. "We don't want to have people miss out on a post-secondary education for financial reasons."
Both CFS and CASA said they would like to make post-secondary education available to as many Canadians as possible.
"The best investment this government can make is an investment into post-secondary education," Boyko said. "An educated and debt-free workforce is a strong workforce."
Got your back
Your mom's a liar
Cold weather won't make you sick, insist experts
By Amy Minsky
The Concordian (Concordia University)
MONTREAL (CUP) - You probably heard this a thousand times each winter while growing up: "Bundle up before you go outside. You'll catch your death of a cold out there."
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but moms are liars - or at least, very ill-informed.
There is absolutely no causative relationship between cold weather and colds, says Dr. Ariel Fenster from McGill University's Office of Science and Society.
"No matter what your mother told you, it's not true," Dr. Fenster recently told his classroom full of students. "There is no indication this is the case."
Yes, more people get more colds during the winter, but it has nothing to do with the bitter cold. People in the Caribbean get more colds during the summer months, which is their rainy season. The wet weather tends to discourage people from going outside.
"This brings this whole notion to why we get more colds in winter," Dr. Fenster said. "We're spending more time indoors, in close contact with one another, which leads to more colds."
If you're around someone who has the virus, being in the cold won't help your chances of fighting it through.
Dr. Joe Schwacz, director of the Office of Science and Society, said cold weather can act as a stress on the body which, in t urn, can compromise the immune system.
But, you still can't catch a cold unless you come into contact with the cold virus.
"You can toll around naked in the snow at the North Pole," Dr. Schwarcz said. "But you'll not catch a cold unless you meet someone who is also rolling around . . . and has a cold."
How people get sick is one thing - how people get better is a more pertinent question.
Dr. Fenster said North Americans spend about $4 billion per year on cold remedies, despite the fact there is no cure for the common cold.
Medications treat the symptoms," he said. "You'll feel less miserable, but they will not shorten the duration of the cold."
Natural remedies like vitamin C and Echinacea don't appear to be much better in curing the cold. Studies carried out at University of Toronto with respect to vitamin C's effect on colds showed no amount of the vitamin can prevent the cold. It can, however, alleviate the symptoms.
Under a double-blind test, the ginseng-based (and NHL player-endorsed) medication Cold-FX didn't prove to be useful in helping fight cold viruses.
What does help, said Dr. Fenster, is chicken soup. He said the broth actually increases the release of mucus from the nasal passages, helping sick people breathe better.
Dr. Schwarcz had a simple recommendation for reducing the chances of getting a cold: wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes and mouth.
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