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R:f)cemly the media have focused n various negative viewpoints as Waterloo residents anticipate the return of the university population. 1, for one, have always enjoyed watching the students trickle in at the end of August. _ One can almost feel the energy in the air around the universities. Recently I was contacted by the volunteer coâ€"ordinator at Wilfrid Laurier University, Anita Abraham. She was arranging volunteer placements for scores of returning students. As principal of an elementary school, I could think of lots of tasks to help get ready for the new school year. On Aug. 29 a team of six Laurier students, all residence dons, arrived at the school. They rolled up their sleeves and tackled our outdoor naturalized area, pulling up a formidable patch of weeds that had flourished over the summer. They toiled for over three Students bring a lot to the community Let me ask you a question. The provincial election is underway. Do you even care? Does it matter anymore? Over the next four weeks or so, we will hear about billions of dollars of announcements, we will read and hear and see advertisements extalling the virtues of one party or candidate, and the absolute hell of the others. Do you care? Does it matter? 1 don‘t blame anyone for thinking the es entire political process is a waste of time. P We‘ve been subjected to years of promisâ€" PI es made, but commitments unkept. M Hours and hours of condescending talk, selfâ€"serving announcements and constant spin in an effort to make one side look good, and the other look like the worst possible situation. Billions of dollars thrown at problems with very little progress. _ I truly believe most people get involved in politics, at any level, because they want to make a difference. They want to improve our society. I also believe, in mast cases, the sysâ€" tem proves such a barrier that some of that zeal and energy is sucked out of them very quickly. It‘s draining to constantly swim in against the current. The bureaucracy at the federal, provincial and municipal level is so entrenched that it‘s not easy to change direction. And all of us, I think, have been in situations where it‘s just a whole lot easâ€" ier, after a while, to go with the flow. So I understand that to some degree. Maybe, if we are lucky 60 per cent of us will vote on Oct. 10. And I wonder what proportion of that number is voting only because they feel it‘s their duty. And in this vote, we will also have a chance to decide on a possible change to the electoral system. That‘s all part of an effort to address the general malaise among the voting public. I think they are treating the symptom, and not the disease. Changing our electoral system, the way we vote for people, won‘t make any difference in the way many of us feel. 1 betieve voter turnout would improve dramati cally if we had candidates and parties who told us Time to demand more from politicos hours in temperatures exceeding 32 _ year ago. The director told me that degrees, filling bag after bag with there were thousands of stored items weeds. that should/could be displayed if They were polite, cheerful and they had space for them. They were polite, cheerful and very hardâ€"working. They asked quesâ€" tions about our school and our comâ€" munity, and expressed interest in participating in the life of our school throughout the year. They were hoping that their volâ€" unteer hours would help them feel more connected to the region and to its residents. As a resident of Waterl00, 1 feel lucky to benefit from the energy and vibrancy that such young people bring to our community. If they should consider working and living here when their studies are complete, Waterloo would be the richer. Better ways to preserve locafilistory attended an awards ceremony at the Doon Pioneer Village about a BRIAN BOURKE Gwen McCutcheon Waterloo COMMENT the truth, who treated us with respect and who folâ€" lowed through on the promises they ma@e. And if by chance they had to backtrack on those commitments I can deal with that. But only if the backtracking is handled in a responsible and adult way. 0_ â€" â€" o s Don‘t blame the previous government. Stand up, admit you‘ve made a mistake and try to fix it. I believe more people would vote if we had a nppmememes . selection of candidates who truly | â€" reflected the diversity of the people in 2OF this province. And I don‘t just mean (€C3 diversity in the way it‘s often trotted out J â€" these days ... in a racial or religious conâ€" Where are the policemen, the real AN estate agents, the RIM workers â€" or RKE any one of the hundreds of other everyâ€" day workers? Do they not have someâ€" thing to offer? Of course, none of this will happen. It would take someone of tremendous courage, and stamina, to change the behemoth which is our political system now. It lumbers along, year after year, sweeping everything which stands up against it into its own field of gravity. Essentially it would mean having someone in a position of power who would be prepared to risk that position for the benefit of the entire province. And that, my friends, is not going to happen. The leaders we have in place now are not about to dismantle a system which has benefited them to such a large ~But, perhaps bit by bit we can change it. We can demand the truth. We can demand respect. We can demand accountability. Brian Bourke, a member of the 105.3 KOOL FM morning crew, can be reached by email at bbourke@koolfm.com. It seems the vast majority of candiâ€" dates now fit into a few occupations. Lawyers, teachers, some business ownâ€" ers and, of course, people who have worked their way through municipal offices and are now reaching for higher goals seem to dominate the list. _ Oreven worse, in my mind, the longtime party worker. There were about 150 people at the ceremony â€" 75 per cent of them drove home immediately after the event. The displayed items attracted surprisingly few people. I was very displeased to see the old steam locomotive rusting away in the village yard. As little as a thin coat of used oil twice a year would preserve it. How can the politicians assign $20 million of taxpayers‘ money on a building to house the stored artifacts? I suggested to the director that four or five large metal Quonset buildings, costing about $25,000 each, would serve his purpose. They would fit in with the surroundings, could be moved easily if necessary and could be in place by this fall. If they were well insulated with foamed insulation, they could be heated and cooled easily and be "green" buildings. Waterloo A tip of the hat to the classic fedora Fedoras are hip once again, and it‘s a trend I‘m happy to see I‘ve always thought it takes an eccentric spirit to wear a dress hat, since baseball caps seem to be the prevalent headâ€" dresses of our era. It‘s refreshing to see men and women of all ages topping off their attire with a more classical look these days. _ This past weekend, I saw a stylish young girl, maybe 10 years old, riding a bicycle while wearing a burgundy straw fedora. '"fibâ€"hsidering trading in my green military cadet cap, made famous by Fidel Castro, for maybe a brown felt fedora, I spoke recently with Eric Lynes, president of Guelphâ€"based Biltmore Hats. "(The fedora represents) an era of classic styling that can be enjoyed today with the right attitude and appreciation of laokâ€" ing good or dressing up," said Lynes. "The ‘50s had the Rat Pack guys and glamourous women like Marilyn Monroe, while today you have guys like Usher or Justin (Timberlake}, and girls like Britney (Spears)}, Paris (Hilton) and Alicia Keys." For me, the fedora, distinguished by at least a twoâ€"inch brim with a centre crease in the tOp Of _ mmz the crown and a pinch on both sides e at the front, reminds me of a more \]“\\I lt mannerâ€"conscious era when gentleâ€" TN S men tipped their hats to ladies. ' ‘ L especially love the gangsterâ€"influâ€" enced felt fedoras of the 1930s, when thieves wore business suits featuring wider stripes, pronounced shoulders, wide trouser bottoms and boid colourful ties. Now worn with sneakâ€" ers and gold chains, hipâ€"hop and rap artists like Snoop Dogg and Kid Rock are sporting the gangster fedora look. Since the days of Greta Garbo, who wore several felt hats in her movies, to MARSHALL the fedoraâ€"sporting action hero Indiâ€" WARD ana Jones, the fedora has seen several revivals over the last century. Today, every celebrity in Los Angeles, from Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp to Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson, seems to be wearing one. 1 even wore a black felt fedora for a while in my early teens, inspired by the Michael Jackson video for the 1983 hit Billy Jean (I had a Michael Jackson glitterâ€"glove as well, but let‘s keep that between us}. Not knowing how to care for my fedora, the crown lost its shape and the felt split. _ "You should always handle a hat by the brim," advises Lynes. "And it should always rest on the crown, not the brim, so that the brim doesn‘t flatten out." o i Ly;ws also said hats with a threeâ€"inch or greater brim are good for your health. O véa;el’);ll!caps usually don‘t shield the back of the neck, the ears or the cheeks, areas where skin cancers often appear," Lynes states on his wepsite www.biltmorehats.com. Eon e on "Hats with a threeâ€"inch or greater brim, which provide reaâ€" sonable protection around the nose, cheeks and back of the neck are recommended." â€" â€" "Two in three of all skin cancers appear on the vulnerable head and neck region and almost all of these tumours are caused by too much sun over the years," Lynes adds. "A large proportion of the more than 60,000 skin cancer cases expected this year will be on the face, ears and neck â€" areas that could have been protected by wearing an effective sun â€"hat." And though Lynes doubts dress hats will ever become a widespread accessory again, as they were at the turn of the 20th century, he does believe that men and women will conâ€" tinue the current trend of wearing hats as they increasingly realize the practical function and fashion enhancement they provide. _ So for those considering a fedora, Lynes says they say a lot about a person: "It says: I am confident and unafraid to be an individual â€" to be different." _‘ Lynes will be sharing the history of the fedora, and tips on how to wear and care for these hats as part of the free One Book, One Community book series (the fedora is featured prominently on the cover of Elizabeth Ruth‘s book, Smoke) at the Kitchener public library on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Marshall Ward is an artist and independent filmmaker. Email is welcome at marshall_ward@hotmail.com. WATERLOO CHRONICLE « Wednesday, September 12 2, 2007 * 9