In the wake of more incidents of violence affecting students near campus, In Depth Editor Mike Lakusiak explores the issue once again

Walking home on Hazel Street at around three o’clock Friday morning, third-year Laurier student Taylor Stensrud had a similar experience to several others in recent weeks and months. He was mugged of some belongings, including his phone, by a group of individuals whose covered faces... Read more

The Questions: 1. Why did you want to meet here of all places? 2. Aside from wanting to represent students, why are you running for this position? 3. What sets you apart from the other candidates? 4. What is something that students may not know about you? 5. Candidate-specific questions

Nolan Kreis (interviewed in the BRAC West Building, Brantford)

1. To be completely honest, this is what I’d say is my ‘home riding.’ I’m from the Brantford campus and I... Read more

After a difficult year and much criticism, the question remains whether RIM can recover its former share of the market it created

2011 was not the best year Research in Motion has had.

The hometown success story that was only two years ago named the fastest growing company in the world and had quadrupled its workforce in the four years prior, faced a variety of challenges, foremost... Read more

In Depth Editor Mike Lakusiak recaps the year in campus, local, national and world news

Wilf’s has an eventful year

Over a weekend in early January, the wooden sign from outside of Wilf’s in the Fred Nichols Campus Centre was stolen by a group of three individuals who also urinated on the hawk in the floor of the Hall of... Read more

Sports Editor Kevin Campbell talks to former and current Laurier athletes along with a university researcher and deconstructs what concussions do to their victims, what the road to recovery entails, and the reality that for some of these athletes the effects may be irreversible

Jarrett Humphreys drew a blank.

For a split second, the former Wilfrid Laurier University men’s soccer goalie couldn’t for the life of him bring himself to utter the sounds and syllables of his lifelong friend’s name.

“I thought [to myself], ‘I know this person,’” said... Read more

As the protests that began on Wall Street enter Canada, In Depth Editor Mike Lakusiak explores the conditions from which it emerged and Lead Reporter Lindsay Purchase was in Toronto as participants there took to the streets

The Occupy Wall Street movement has grown to prominence in past weeks, to the degree that most people are at least aware of its existence — if they didn’t witness one of the hundreds of marches or occupations of parks and other public spaces in... Read more

In Depth Editor Mike Lakusiak sat down with each of the candidates for Kitchener-Waterloo in the Oct. 6 provincial election — hoping to scratch the surface beyond the party platform and charisma

The questions

1. What, in simple terms, sets you apart from the other candidates?

2. What convinced you to run for MPP?

3. Name one key issue that you feel hasn’t been addressed during this campaign that pertains to this riding. What is your position on it?

... Read more

In Depth Editor Mike Lakusiak spends hours calling every number in the phone book to get past editors’ perspectives on the character of the university over the decades

In the midst of Wilfrid Laurier University’s centennial celebrations, featuring fifty-foot banners and warm feelings surrounding this institution’s century of existence, the humble campus newspaper – published continually since 1926 – has reached a milestone of its own.

Friday Sept. 23 will mark 85 years... Read more

Anything written on financial planning and debt among university students is likely to be riddled with sound bites that seem to be common sense, as though students intelligent enough to enter a post-secondary institution should be able to budget and manage their money wisely and need only intermittent reminders.

Alas, as studies conducted by various prominent Canadian institutions point out, an assortment of factors conspire to complicate how students pay for their education and stay on track throughout their first... Read more

In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu interviews numerous Laurier alumni, asking them about their time at Laurier as well as their road to successful career paths. Each individual shared advice about forming life goals, enjoying what you’re passionate about and making time for yourself and others.

As we near the end of winter term, students who aren’t facing graduation are at the very least starting to think more and more about what they will do after Laurier, as they move one year closer to completing their undergraduate degree.

It’s this mounting... Read more

On Feb. 9 Cord News reported some alarming statistics regarding the academic performance of arts students in first year. Since then, In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu has investigated the issue’s causes.

The problem

After closely monitoring their fall-term data for the first time in recent years, the faculty of arts has discovered an alarming statistic – out of five first-year arts students, approximately two are at a high risk of landing on academic probation or not... Read more

Campus News Editor Mike Lakusiak examines accessibility on campus in terms of the physical and cognitive disabilities many students face daily. Students and Laurier staff members have shared their experiences regarding this issue that often goes unmentioned.

According to Laurier’s Accessible Learning Centre (ALC), there are 830 students currently registered through the office with some form of disability, be it learning, cognitive, visual, sensory, auditory or physical.

That number amounts to approximately 6.2 per cent of the students enrolled on this campus,... Read more

The Cord uncovers what student life would have been like for the Class of 1911, with sources and information from the WLU Archives

In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu with help from the WLU Archives has compiled information, photos and text about what it was like to be a student in the university’s first year of operation. At the time, it was called the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada... Read more

In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu sat down with each of the four presidential candidates in the 2011 Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union (WLUSU) Elections to be held today and tomorrow. Each individual was asked to bring The Cord to the place on campus most representative of their time here as a student and a candidate, and were questioned on important issues ranging from student engagement to WLUSU spending. Read below for their responses on the five topics they were each asked about, as well as several personalized platform-based questions. While each response has been shortened, full-length videos of each interview are available at thecord.ca

The questions:

1. Why did you choose to meet here and how is this spot meaningful to you?

   Aside from the goal of representing and serving students, why do you want to be president?

   How well do you think WLUSU management is operating currently? What... Read more

In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu met with presidential candidates Nick Gibson, Dan La Cute, Aeron Lawrence and Matt Park last week. Each candidate was instructed to bring The Cord to the place of their choosing on campus which has some significance to them. The following 10 questions were posed to each individual.

See also:

Who are you voting for? The Cord profiles your candidates.

Why did you choose to meet here and how is this... Read more

The balancing act of improving and maintaining academic quality in the wake of financial strains

With class sizes growing, enrolment skyrocketing and cuts to staff and programming across Ontario universities, the question of where money should be spent is constantly at the forefront for post-secondary institutions.

Problems relating to poor government funding and high central administrative costs within universities often... Read more

In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu interviews a variety of campus, local and national charitable organizations, investigating the connections between the holidays, spirituality and fundraising in the wake of a recession

During the holidays, it is hard to walk down the street, through a mall or turn on the television without being reminded to give. Whether it’s contributing time, money or blood, the holiday season is a hugely important time for charitable foundations across Canada.

“The... Read more

In Depth Editor Rebecca Vasluianu explores the issue of safety around Northdale in the wake of recent assaults, break-and-enters and thefts in the area, gathering many diverse perspectives on crime in the community. Northdale, part of Ward 6, is the region in and around the perimeter of University Avenue, King Street, Columbia Street and Lester Street and residents include university students and more permanent residents

At a school known for its close-knit community and school spirit, it is often hard to remember that Laurier exists within a city with its own population and its own problems. Among these issues is crime.

While break-ins and assaults have always occurred in the... Read more