Letter from the Editor After months of hard work and creative collabo-‐ ration, we are proud to present the first issue of our Lifestyle, Arts, and Fashion magazine, The London Underground. “What does the London Under-‐ ground even mean”, you ask? In the words of leg-‐ endary rap duo, Jay-‐Z and Kanye West, it’s provoca-‐ tive. It gets the people going! That’s what we aim to do. Committed to providing stimulating material and discussing the issues important to our readers, The London Underground is our celebration of the creativity, talents, trends, and culture of the people and city that inspire us daily. As the new publication on the block, we're excited to represent our genera-‐ tion and explore the 'london scene' in our bi-‐annual releases. Working to produce our first issue has truly
Fashion Team Tori Teeple Gillian Berner Haley Allen
Models
Zarina Markova Kate Mercer Christian Ridley Jarrett Cummings Stephanie Bannock Stratton Townley Olivia Bonaldo Geoff Forsdick
opened my eyes to all that London has to offer, and it has become our mission to share this with you. From newly discovered restaurants, to fantastic student bands, to inspiring charities and youth inni-‐ tiatives, this issue is our first step towards showcas-‐ ing the happenings of the city in which we work and play. Through this issue, we hope to take you on a journey with a variety of your talented peers as they venture through Thailand, break into the world of DJ-‐ing, take a stand against cancer, and shed light on such subject matters as our generation's forms of art, and the power of the Occupiers. Happy reading friends!
- Gillian Berner
Brought to you by:
In-‐House Photographers Trevor Whittamore Tom Brown Haley Allen
Art Team
Tom Brown Gillian Berner Matthew Kristo
Marketing & PR Director Matthew Kristo
Editorial Contributors Briana Maguire Julia Macchia Gillian Berner Jessica Adlington Daniel Turcotte Trevor Whittamore Victoria Stone Matthew Kristo Cindy Ma Bianca Sparacino Mike Hokkanen Olivia Bonaldo
The Arrival: February, 2012 4
Arts
Up-‐&-‐coming -‐ The Living Satellites
6 8 9 10
Up-‐&-‐coming -‐ Ted Hunter
12 13 14
The Sheepdogs
The Classiest Ready for the Weeknd Hottest Viral Videos
Lifestyle
30 32 34
Fuck Cancer
38
Doth Thou Protest?
Living With Leukemia Northing Short of Epic From Here On Out
Stop Living, Start Surviving Arts Abroad: Street Art Culture
16 18
Unity
20 26 28
London Through the Lens
A Place to Call Home
The Spot What's Happening, London?
40 42 50 54 56 58
Fashion Winter-‐Wear An Evening Out 1 Item, 4 Ways It's Not Used... It's Vintage! BLOGSblogsBLOGS My Closet
The Living Satellites H aving
only been together since January 2010, The Living Satellites create music with an impressively rich, mature sound. The band includes Jake Barnes on vocals, piano and guitar, Justin Ferrara as lead guitar and backup vocals, Alex Kalb (commonly known as Chops) as the lead bass guitarist, and Ryan Birnberg on drums. These boys have taken London’s music scene by storm after numerous live shows and the release of their first self-‐titled album this past summer. Af-‐ ter winning several Battle of the Bands se-‐ ries in London, The Living Satellites gained studio time in Toronto which inspired their long-‐term commitment to the band. This al-‐ ternative rock band reverberates a knee-‐ bouncing, head-‐bobbing sound that gets any true rock fan moving to their beat. It’s been a busy two years for the band as they have worked to balance school and mu-‐ sic. With one 6-‐track album under their
Arts, 4
belts, they have been playing shows across London and Toronto. Various noteworthy venues include the Toronto Opera House and the London Music Hall, the latter being their favourite show to play due to the in-‐ credible and enthusiastic audience. They are currently recording new tracks to be re-‐ leased in the new year, and looking forward to upcoming shows in Toronto, Waterloo, and Kingston. Though the band is shopping for a label, they agree that they are “not yet at the check-‐out isle yet”, with their focus on creating new music. The Living Satellites have also gained exposure by playing seg-‐ ments on Western and Fanshawe’s radio sta-‐ tions, and playing at the UWO’s Spoke for the Big Purple Couch, which filmed their performances to stream online for their show. A great name is an integral part to the suc-‐
By: Gillian Berner cess of any band, and finding that catchy, memorable name that will resonate with au-‐ diences is no easy feat. After sitting at a burger joint in London for two hours collabo-‐ rating, the band finally stumbled across their unique and appealing name. Inspired by the members’ interest in computer games, technology, and futuristic concepts, along with the important theme and feel of live, authentic performance, The Living Satellites was born. The band’s tracks are composed of 95% orig-‐ inals, and after listening to their music, it’s clear that songwriters Jake Barnes and Justin Ferrera are extraordinarily talented in their composition and lyricism. Jake ex-‐ plains that after the song’s basic structure is presented to the band, “the song changes again and again, because everybody adds their own textures to it, changing it based on
their different influences and styles. It’s never a one man show… always an effort.” After interviewing the band it’s obvious that these musicians absolutely thrive on live performance. They love creating melodic, big sing-‐alongs, and including up-‐beat dance tracks in their performances to raise the crowd’s energy. Jake agrees that “while [we] love doing recordings for the multiple layers and perfection, it’s all about the live shows, the energy and the fun.” They play a few popular covers during each show, often resulting in a sing-‐a-‐long with the entire crowd. They don’t seem to shy away from any genre, as their covers vary from Kid Cu-‐ di, to the Black Keys, to Eminem, to MGMT. The band certainly feeds off of each other’s personalities on stage, and if listening to their music isn’t inspiring enough, their sheer passion certainly is.
Listen to their music and look out for upcoming shows (they're a must!): http://thelivingsatellites.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/thelivingsatellites
TED HUNTER T wo
words: Ted Hunter. You may not have heard of him, but considering his unique and dis-‐ tinct producing abilities, there's no doubt that you will. Twenty year-‐old Toronto native, Daniel Turcotte, is Ted Hunter. Ted began playing around with audio, multitracking, and music pro-‐ duction in 2006 as he worked to accompany his performances as a beatboxer. It wasn’t until early 2011 that Mr. Hunter changed his style and began focusing exclusively on producing music. Within one short year, Ted has released a multitude of hit songs, ranging from house to electro. Ted Hunter defines his sound as Progressive House/ClubDub as he strives to produce amazing music that his audiences can dance to! From his first original release, ‘Be There’, to his remix of
Q: How did you come up with the stage name Ted Hunter? A: ‘Ted was my grandfather’s name; he was one of the strongest men I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Although he was sick for most of my life, he never let that get in the way of family or work. Due to his sheer determination, he taught himself most of what he knew, and my name pays homage entirely to my memory of him. Hunter just fell into place after-‐ wards.’ Q: What inspired you to start making music? A: ‘I’ve always wanted to make music. It started when I was beatboxing and trying to imitate and incorpo-‐ rate all the sounds of a song I could. It progressed to vocal multitracking, where I’d beatbox several layers and then add vocals overtop. Eventually, digital pro-‐ duction just made sense – it gave me the ability to ac-‐
Tiesto’s ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’, Ted has proven his capabilities in this ever-‐changing electronic dance music era. His most recent release, another original, ‘Breathe’, has garnered quite the positive re-‐ sponse. ‘Breathe’ has been featured on two popu-‐ lar EDM YouTube channels, among many other music blogs. It also resulted in one of his greatest musical achievements to date this past December when Ted Hunter took part in TheFirst15 chal-‐ lenge. This music challenge gave the winning par-‐ ticipant the chance to record their track at award-‐ winning studio Girth Music in Toronto along with $5000 to launch their career! Ted received over 1800 votes and placed within the top 10!
tualize the music I’d been trying to recreate with my voice. My parents were supportive enough to help me buy some midi-‐enabled equipment. I started the day I got it, and haven’t stopped since.’ Q: Who are your main influences? A: ‘I absolutely love Deadmau5 and his compositional style and strive for the orchestral voicing characteris-‐ tic of Nero. Sonny Moore revolutionized the way people looked at synth creation, and motivates me to be creative with my synth sounds. Lastly, Avicii tracks always remind me of the beauty of simplicity and a well crafted melody.’ Q: Who are your favourite DJ’s? A: ‘In no particular order: Zeds Dead, Nero, Dead-‐ mau5, Porter Robinson, and Benny Benassi.
Be sure to check out Ted Hunter if you haven’t already. On the brink of an EP release, with a steady rising in fol-‐ lowers, I have no doubts that 2012 will be an amazing year for our favourite up-‐and-‐coming DJ.
Arts, 6
By: Trevor Whittamore
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/TedHunterOFFICIAL Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/tedhunterofficial Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ted-ﾂｭ窶食unter/220080781386326
THe Classiest C anadian hip-‐hop artist, Classified, has been busy this year touring around Canada and pro-‐ moting his latest album, “Handshakes and Mid-‐ dle Fingers”. Luckily for London, he made a stop at The University of Western Ontario’s restaurant and bar, The Wave, to play a very memorable show. The crowd was hyped as Clas-‐ sified rocked the venue with all his hit singles and a lot of great new tracks. Along with copious amounts of beer, a 90’s hip hop throw-‐ back and a little bit of weed thrown in the mix, it proved to be one of the best shows of the year. It is amazing to see how far Classified has come since his first 1995 album, “Time’s Up, Kid”.
By:Julia Macchia 16 years in the industry, he still manages to stay classy. Times have changed in the music indus-‐ try, but Classified remains an artist who still writes his own rhymes and creates his own beats. Not only that, but he also remains an artist who never forgets to thank the fans. After his show in London Classified even stuck around to talk to some fans over a couple of beers. If that ain’t classy, I don’t know what is. As Classified’s popularity has grown over the years, his lyrical content has re-‐ mained level headed and relatable. “Handshakes and Middle Fingers” is filled with his perspective on issues
But the big reason why fans seem to give Classified so much respect, is the fact that after 16 years in the industry, he still manages to stay classy. Starting out as an underground rapper from the East Coast, Classified has now built up a huge fan base and his new album “Handshakes and Middle Fingers” debuted at #7 on the Canadian Albums Chart. But the big reason why fans seem to give Classified so much respect is the fact that after Arts, 8
that most listeners can find common ground with. And of course, Classified never forgets his roots. His loyal nationality is one thing that sep-‐ arates him from other emerging hip-‐hop artists and gives his sound that raw, honest vibe.
Ready for TheWeeknd
By: Bianca Sparacino
“I can’t even describe what I’m
to pin-‐point a duplicate. Every-‐
career.
feeling right now. I never want
one was floored as the boozy,
Rolling Stone have praised the
this to end,” exclaimed one of the
broken hearted anthems floated
rawness of The Weeknd’s voice,
overwhelmed attendees of a
through the air like clouds full of
his single High For This was used
highly anticipated concert by
intoxicated melancholy.
in an ad campaign for Entourage,
cryptic R&B act, The Weeknd.
Both
Pitchfork
and
and he even landed a coveted
The London Music Hall had
Tesfaye’s rise to fame was expo-‐
spot on the Polaris Prize shortlist
housed international DJs just
nential. After self-‐releasing a
-‐ something that had never been
nights earlier for homecoming
mixtape entitled House of Bal-‐
done for a free download before.
weekend, but this show was a lit-‐
loons for free online, The Weeknd
tle more magical, a little more
was supported with a simple
Most people expected the rapidly
tight-‐knit than anything any con-‐
tweet from Drake, which ulti-‐
burning flame that was known as
cert-‐goer had experienced be-‐
mately sent the soloist into what
the Weeknd to burn out just as
fore.
is now an industry changing
quickly as it had been ignited.
The seemingly anonymous twen-‐ ty year old from Toronto, better known as Abel Tesfaye, walked onto stage looking nervous, and since this was only his fourth show no one was expecting what they got. With a live band playing
"The Weeknd opened his mouth to reveal the creamy, yet carnal, vocals that have to this day set him a part from most musical industry heavyweights."
However, after his show in Lon-‐ don it was very clear that Tesfaye is here to stay. Sampling Siouxsie and the Banshees, Beach House and even playing around with Kanye West, the Weeknd takes a different approach to remaster-‐ ing tracks and changing them in-‐
trip-‐hop, and setting the environ-‐
to songs you might like even
ment with electronic beatscapes,
more than the originals. Try to
The Weeknd opened his mouth
get his melodies out of your head,
to reveal the creamy, yet carnal,
I dare you.
vocals that have to this day set him a part from most musical in-‐ dustry heavyweights. In reality if you were to ask someone to rec-‐ ommend to you an artist that makes songs with such emotion, such sexual lyricism packaged within passionately comforting falsettos, they wouldn’t be able
Songs to check out: High for This, Rolling Stone, Loft Music.
Hottest Viral Videos 1
2
“Marry the Night”
3
“We Found Love”
“AKA... What A Life”
-‐ Lady Gaga
-‐ Rihanna Ft. Calvin Harris
-‐ High Flying Birds
Lady Gaga strikes again with her unparalleled artistic genius (or de-‐ batable wackiness) in 'Marry the Night'. Fuelled by Gaga’s quirky personality, creative vision, and passion for fashion, Marry the Night explores her journey of breaking into the music industry. From stunningly graceful ballet sequences, to car explosions and bathing in cheerios, this artist nev-‐ er goes half way. Through her ex-‐ citing and thought-‐provoking video, Gaga reflects on art, fash-‐ ion, and our individual creations of the past, coupled with her eccen-‐ tric humour (only Gaga would make a point of checking out her nurse’s ass). If you haven’t seen it yet, check out this exceptionally produced music video and look out for this pop culture icon’s next masterpiece!
Arguably the most aesthetically pleasing and exciting music video of the year, We Found Love is a thought-‐provoking and captivat-‐ ing watch. Smoking. Drinking. Dancing on tables. Fighting. Raves. Sex. Theft. What doesn’t this video have? In this video Ri-‐ hanna paints a very well rounded representation of drugs, while still managing to wind everything to-‐ gether in a captivating story of a roller coaster relationship that serves as an even more dysfunc-‐ tional enchantment than Eminem & Rihanna's 'Love the Way You Lie'. With trippy effects, split scenes and a hint of real life, Ri-‐ hanna channels Aronofsky’s Re-‐ quiem for a Dream and succeeds with flying colours -‐ literally.
Noah Gallagher’s High Flying Birds -‐ AKA...What a Life is a mash up of Psychedelic Western Film meets Alice in Wonderland meets Russel Brand? I don’t real-‐ ly know what is going on in this video, but I really like it. It also solidifies the motto we have all heard before: Don’t get into a car (in this case a chariot) with a stranger (in this case Russel Brand) because you can’t trust them (in this case that is true, considering he drugs the main character). However, if you do, you’ll end up on a crazy road trip with your own personal photog-‐ rapher and a waterless pool to bathe by before disappearing and reappearing in the trunk of a car. Oh and you’ll seemingly fall in love with your kidnapper. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
32 900 000 views
Arts, 10
122 900 000 views
440 000 views
Courtesy of Bianca Sparacino & Gillian Berner
4
5
“Paradise”
"Sexy & I Know It”
-‐ Coldplay
-‐ LMFAO
Typical Coldplay. Despite being an extremely silly video (one word: Unicycle) the scenes throughout this film fit perfectly with the lyrics of the song itself. There is some sort of, shameful yet comforting, joy that comes from watching such a successful band leap about in plushy suits throughout these scenes. However, the video is beautiful in regards to the point it is ultimately making -‐ that despite how silly they look, they represent how most people in modern day society are caged in one way or an-‐ other, and that we all just want to escape. Typical Coldplay, and I’m not complaining. Did I mention Chris Martin rides a Unicycle?
LMFAO comes out with an extremely racy, yet hilarious, music video that takes an interesting journey into the world of men and spandex speedos. The video is very reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s Beat It, and even the famous fight Scene in West Side Story; however, instead of a knife fight between two gangs, the two crowds in this video just wiggle around in their speedos. A refreshing switch in focus from drooling over women in music videos to oogling & objectifying males and their man-‐ junk. Disclaimer: This video is ex-‐ tremely funny, but it will leave you with a troublesome desire for tear-‐ away pants.
64 000 000 views
203 800 000 views
COLLAB OF THE YEAR Kanye West & Jay Z THAT SHIT KRAY. A song is truly successful when its lyrics permeate our daily conversations and cement themselves in popular culture. Jay-‐Z and Kanye West’s collaborative platinum album ‘Watch the Throne" certainly lived up to the hype as one of the most anticipated album releases of the year. The album debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and held #1 for two weeks on the Canadian Albums Chart. The album’s initial 321 000 downloads lead it to achieve the second highest one-‐week sales tally ever and the biggest digital tally for a rap album, while breaking iTunes Store’s one-‐week sales record in the US. The album features the vocals of Beyonce, Frank Ocean, Mr. Hudson, and Otis Redding and was received as a truly unconventional, dramatic, and progressive album.
the
The Sheepdogs
SHEEPDOGS
By: Julia Macchia
It
felt like a flashback to Woodstock as one of Canada’s biggest new rock bands, The Sheepdogs, took to stage during UWO’s frosh week. Students lay scattered on the grass as the Saska-‐ toon, hippie-‐rock band played tracks from their lat-‐ est album, “Learn and Burn.” The chill atmosphere, groovy guitar solos and retro cloth-‐ ing (including bellbottoms and fringed vests) definitely gave Western a taste of the 60’s. The Sheepdogs got their big break after winning Rolling Stone’s “Choose the Cover” competition in August, 2011. Being the first unsigned act to appear on the cover of Arts, 12
Rolling Stone magazine helped the small town rock band make a name for them-‐ selves. Since then The Sheep-‐ dogs have taken their show on the road and have been touring around Canada and the US promoting their style and sound. The Sheepdogs have inde-‐ pendently released three al-‐ bums, with “Learn and Burn” making it to the top of the charts. Their sound places a great importance on ele-‐ ments of old school rock and roll like hard-‐hitting guitar riffs, soulful harmonies, and straight up groove. “Learn and Burn” is one of those rare albums that you
can listen to beginning to end without skipping a track. Each song brings out a differ-‐ ent sound that is reminiscent of a great classic rock band like CCR, The Doors, and The Allman Brothers Band. Although it is easy to com-‐ pare The Sheepdogs to many great classic rock bands of the past, their sound remains unique and fresh in the indus-‐ try today. If you missed The Sheepdogs’ UWO concert, make it a pri-‐ ority to see them the next time they’re in town. This is a rock and roll revival you don’t want to miss.
Stop Living, Start Surviving By: Julia Macchia
There was no lack of Intimacy as the audience shuffled into the small London theatre to find five young actors lounging in the center of the dimly lit room. As the play begins we quickly find that the group of teenagers are hanging out in a fallout shelter that their parents built after 9/11. Nor-‐ mally the group of friends uses the shelter to play video games, smoke weed, and drink; un-‐ til one day an unknown catastrophe occurs and the doors of the shelter slam shut. The group is then faced with the reality of what happens when you are forced to stop living and start surviving. What makes “Survival Box” so intriguing is the lingering mystery of what lays beyond the fall-‐ out shelter door. The teens are convinced they cannot leave the shelter safely, but the audi-‐ ence is left wondering if they are worried over nothing. By the finale of act one, the cast and audience come to the realization that they may be the only survivors left.
Simplicity played a large role in making “Sur-‐ vival box” such a believable story. The play showcased a small, box style stage surround-‐ ed by the audience on all sides, with only a few props to fill the empty space. The simplistic set was a nice contrast from the intense dia-‐ logue and the actors' wide range of emotions. This raw and intimate approach makes “Sur-‐ vival Box” something truly unique. The play takes a classic, post apocalyptic story and turns it upside down; giving it a fresh, new feel, unlike anything you’ve seen before.
GET YOUR THEATRE FIX! Check out: The London Community Players at the Palace Theatre The ARTS PROJECT London The London Fringe Festival The Grand Theatre
ARTS ABROAD t r A t e Stre By: Bianca Sparacino
When most people think about art they pic-‐ ture museums. Museums with shiny floors made of carrara marble, and exhibits filled to the brim with intricate sculptures that were excavated from an old Renaissance vacation home owned by King Charles VIII. However, when I think about art my mind is enveloped in visions of the New York City subway line. I en-‐ vision Berlin’s East Side Gallery, all 1.3km of its crumbling and historic presence. I think of high rise buildings, exposed brick. I think of street art. Just five years ago street art was considered to be an underground medium, a very rene-‐ gade way of expressing oneself, where the on-‐ ly observers who could appreciate it were the creators of those very pieces themselves. Al-‐ though street art has realistically turned into an established movement, there are still peo-‐ ple who view it as a negative and unworthy offense. Heather MacDonald, a writer for City Journal, even went as far as calling it a cancer
Arts, 14
that destroys cities. MacDonald states that “...the graffiti onslaught marked New York’s seemingly irreversible descent into anarchy.” To MacDonald, graffiti and its amoral sense of entitlement is to blame for New York’s decline in the seventies and eighties, although one should also note that economic bankruptcy and teeming inequality were the true culprits there. In reality there are many citizens who agree with the above statements. They truly believe that street art is vandalism, that it is made up of tags and incomprehensible gang slang. However, the people who hold those ideals are truly just that -‐ idealists who don’t want to acknowledge what street art really is.
Street art is artistic evolution. It has matured over the span of forty years from simple spray painted tags and 1970s mu-‐ rals to a form of art that has an indescribable amount of depth.
Street art is our generation’s voice.
It speaks to the public, but not through cen-‐ sored television shows, edited newspaper ar-‐ ticles or governmental figureheads. Street art uses the city as its canvas, weaving itself within the very fibers of our infrastructure as a community to put forth a medium of expres-‐ sion that adds a different kind of emotional force to every painted statement. Street art provokes. Would the pictures on the Berlin Wall be as impactful if they were perfectly drawn and mounted in an art gallery show-‐ room? Street artists like JR, who runs a project called Inside Out, are putting the streets in the hands, and the minds, of our generation. The Inside Out Project is a large scale participato-‐ ry project that transforms personal identity into pieces of artistic work. By simply upload-‐ ing a picture of yourself to an open source website you have the ability to receive a print of your work and put it up in your own commu-‐ nity. You have the ability to tell your story. No longer are people walking through avenues
full of figures they don’t even know. In the case of JR and the Inside Out Project, people in countries all around the world can look at the weathered foundation of an important building and see...themselves. It may not be their face splashed upon the brick, but there is a name, an age, a smile, a tear -‐ a humanistic echo of someone just like them. In that mo-‐ ment it doesn’t matter how the art was put up, or who was behind it, there is nothing anar-‐ chist about it because it is simply just a mirror reflecting the true society it represents. That is not vandalism, and even if it were -‐ as Mar-‐ shall McLuhan once said, “Art is anything you can get away with.”
UNITY: Urban Non-violent By: Dan Turcotte
“Empowering youth to use artistic self-‐expression to make positive life choices Empathetic. Constructive. Positive.
N ot words we often associate with the Hip-‐Hop lifestyle. However, if you ask UNITY founder Michael Prosserman, he’d explain how Hip-‐Hop influenced his life and gave him positive direction. Born to a mother diagnosed with schizophrenia, Michael was forced to mature at a very young age. Breakdancing be-‐ came a mechanism of expres-‐ sion, a way of saying through action what he couldn’t in words. By the age of sixteen, he realized that he could share his passion for the art-‐form and the skills he had learned throughout his journey that were not traditionally taught in schools. As he aged, he gained immense rapport with the international dance com-‐ munity. He was featured in the major motion picture “Honey” and subsequently competed in Japan, Italy, Holland, Thai-‐ land, California, Hong Kong, New York, Jamaica and the Yukon – and thus UNITY was born. The alternative education pro-‐ gram expanded with the dedi-‐ cation of many youth leaders at York University, and has
Culture, 16
since reached over 30,000 youth across Canada. The flagship program ‘Hip Hop Away From Vio-‐ lence’ targets youth aged 10-‐18 and focuses on sending trained Hip-‐Hop artists in one of the five Hip Hop mediums (Dance, Beatbox, Urban Poet-‐
Initiatives Through Youth leading to more productive citizens, safer schools and healthier communities.” ry, Urban Art and Turntablism) into schools. Through performance and seminar based ses-‐ sions, youth are encouraged to channel their negative emotion through one of the art forms as a means of expression rather than violence or
substance abuse. UNITY has since spread across Canada, and is in its third year of operation in London. UWO UNI-‐ TY provides a stage for aspiring performers, seeks to develop a positive hip-‐ hop student community, and shares the UNITY message through organized events, with all proceeds going towards UNI-‐ TY initiatives. The latest suc-‐ cessful event – The Reintroduc-‐ tion – was a performance-‐based showcase at The Ceeps featur-‐ ing both student and profes-‐ sional talent. In conjunction with the traditional UNITY mes-‐ sage, this dedicated executive council is now planning their largest event yet in an effort to unite all performance based clubs on campus. The Soul Live Arts Movement (SLAM) will be taking place in March and will feature some of the biggest names in Canadian Hip-‐Hop. If you are an aspiring Hip-‐Hop or Performance Artist and would like to participate, please con-‐ tact Dan Turcotte, VP Per-‐ former Relations UWO UNITY, at PerformerRelations.UnityU-‐ WO@Gmail.com for more in-‐ formation.
A
Pl
e c a
By: Matthew Kristo
It’s so easy for our generation to get caught up in the latest trends and purchases, making it simple to forget that some people cannot even afford what we consider to be a given liberty: a decent place to live. We can all agree that safe and affordable housing is considered a basic human right, but you would be surprised how many people are denied this fundamental right as they continue to live in poverty. This is where Habitat For Humanity London steps in to make a difference, one step at a time, by starting within our own community. With their commitment to helping those in need, Habitat works to fulfill their vision of a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live, eventually breaking the detrimental cycle of poverty. Habitat London mobilizes volunteers and finds community partners that can help create living quarters for families that have demonstrated a clear need for affordable housing. The chosen family must also volunteer 500 hours of “sweat equity” – the time they spend towards the creation and maintenance of the new house. What makes this whole process so worthwhile is that they have the ability to slowly pay off an interest-‐free mortgage over an average of 25 years, which just goes towards the creation of another Habitat London home in the future. For UWO students who want to get involved, there is great opportunity available on campus by joining Habitat For Humanity UWO. They started out as a small club of about 20 members in 2007 and that number has risen to over 400 this year, making Habitat UWO one of the largest clubs on campus! The club opens up opportunities for students to volunteer at the local house build, raise awareness around Western, and fundraise for the organization through
Culture, 18
To
Ca
ll
Ho
m
special events and donations. A fascinating initiative known as The Habitat London Youth Project (HLYP) has recently formed a joint venture between Habitat For Humanity London, Habitat For Humanity UWO, and Libro Financial Group. This initiative looks to target the London youth to volunteer and make a difference in their community. The idea is that one house is built per year for three years with the help of Libro Financial. Last year was the first year of the HLYP with Habitat raising $25 000 on their own and receiving $50 000 from Libro. This year Habitat hopes to raise $37 500 along with the $37 500 from Libro. Next year in the final year of the project Habitat’s contribution needs to increase to $50 000 with Libro then contributing $25 000. After three years have passed, Habitat London anticipates that the project will be fully sustainable by the youth. The HLYP is represented through the Square Foot Fundraiser, which is a massive blueprint of that year’s house, divided into 1000 squares with each square worth $75. Once you purchase a square you can have your name recorded on the squares of your choice. This year Libro has bought half the squares with about 181 squares left to be pledged. If you are interested in donating to the HLYP, go to http:// habitatlondon.ca/, select donate, then select “London Youth Build 2011, Square Foot Campaign”. There will be many fundraisers coming this semester organized by Habitat UWO including but not limited to bar nights, UCC Atrium events, and on-‐campus builds! For those of you going home this reading week, please remember the many people in our global community that do not have the option of a place to call home.
e
London
Through the Lens Featuring the photography of Haley Allen, Tom Brown, and Sasha Goldstein
THE SPOT Dinner & a show: Fitz Rays $$ In the mood for some cheap wings, good beer and awesome live music? Check out Fitz Rays on the corner of Dundas and Talbot, located in the heart of downtown London. Sunday through Thursday offers cheap wings nights, where the best wings around are priced at only 5$ a pound! Fitz Rays also offers a daily deal, making your visit worth every buck. (Check out the half-‐priced pizzas and Philly Cheese Tuesdays, only 6 bucks for a full Philly Cheese and side dish!) The atmosphere is comforting, the food is available all night long, and the live music makes for great entertainment. Don’t forget to shoot back some shots of Jager with the bartender while you’re there – the staff are avid jager-‐ drinkers! Best Sushi in Town:
Classy Date Night
Ozen
The Tasting Room
$$$ (or $$$$ if you're ambitious)
$$$
Beside the popular post-‐ bar “hot and ready” pizza spot, lies one of the best and oddest restaurants in London. Ozen, with its quirky décor and ques-‐ tionable music mixes, is often overlooked compared to Green Tea and other competitors. Aux contraire, Ozen’s sushi is unbeatable. The must-‐tries: the vol-‐ cano roll and the classic dynamite roll. The Ko-‐ rean Bulgogi is traditional and authentic, and the many spicy soups offered are just what you need to warm up on a cold winter day. A great place for evening dining, come in for dinner and order some sake (rice wine) and some Tempura, Teriyaki, and rolls to share, all while enjoying watching the sushi master do his best work behind the bar. The only warn-‐ ing for this little hole in the wall: the service isn’t the best. Aside from that, Ozen is a defi-‐ nite 5-‐star sushi location.
$ -‐ meal up to $10 Culture, 26
The Tasting Room is if not the best restaurant in London, definitely among them. The superb ser-‐ vice offered by the staff is only the beginning of your experience. The menu offers an array of ap-‐ petizers that, as the restaurant name suggests, SHOULD all be tasted. More of a tapas style restaurant, the idea here is to come and share or “taste” many appetizers with your group, rather than the traditional style of ordering a full course meal to yourself. The other fun aspect of this unique London experience is the “flights of wine”, a must order along with your selection of appetizers. Instead of ordering a few glasses of the same wine or a bottle to share, enjoy the op-‐ tion of sampling 5 different 2 ounce glasses of different style shirazes, cabernets, sauvignons, etc. The overall tasting style of the meal makes it a both delicious and interactive experience. Must-‐samples when you’re there: the Asian style beef tenderloin tips and the Tomato Bruschetta, by far the best bruschetta in town.
$$ -‐ up to $25 for two course dinner
Reviewed & Written by Olivia Bonaldo Best Pizza Around:
Exotic Hole-‐in-‐the Wall:
Pza Pie $$ If you're looking for gourmet thin-‐crust piz-‐ za rather than the standard 2AM Little Ceasars, look no further than Pza Pie's Neapolitan Pizza. Located conveniently on Richmond St. near Oxford, Pza Pie offers a delicious array of appetizers, salads, sand-‐ wiches, pastas, and signature pizzas. With incredible starters like the Sambuca Skillet Shrimp and Wood Oven Tortilla Rolls, you will leave this cozy spot feeling satisfied be-‐ fore you even begin your main course. With a variety of White or Red-‐sauced pizzas, each signature selection offers a unique and flavourful experience. Make a point of trying out this awesome London gem and treat yourself to a glass of wine and one of our favourites, the smoked chicken pizza, wild mushroom and brie, or Tuscan pizza.
Los Comales $$ When Taco Bell just won’t cut it and you’re craving some authentic Mexican food, head over to Los Comales for some delicious Latin American food. This exotic gem is located in a sketchier part of town, just south of Dundas on Richmond, but it’s definitely worth the trip. The taquitos here are to die for. They offer all types of authentic style Latino food including Colombian or El Salvoradorian. Trying this for the first time? Get yourself a combo one or two, giving you a taste of the classic empanadas, pupusas or flautas and finish up the meal with some delicious churros and ice cream. The Latino music and friendly service will make you feel like you’re right back on that vacation down in the south, enjoying the sun and sipping back cervezas.
Jack-of-all-Trades: Church Key: $$$ Conveniently located on Richmond St. just past Victoria park, Church Key is a local gem that is not soon forgotten. It possesses a relaxed atmosphere with a fancy flair and gourmet food. While the food is pub style, it has just the touch of confit canard and trufflesque ingredients to make it a bit more exotic & exquisite than usual. Have a seat at the bar and chat with Adam, one of the bartenders on staff, or head to the back of the house to lounge by the fireplace. The Church Key offers one of the best burgers in town, with its toppings including tomato jam, arugula, and caramelized onions. Pair this with one of “Pedro’s picks” of wine or beer and you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic meal. Sundays at the Church Key offer a bit of a different experience. With the Sunday brunch menu changing every week, you never know what you will find. Be it tuna tartare or pickerel and potatoes, the options are always exquisite and delicious. Brunch is also offered with a basket of in-‐house baked delicious breakfast pastries, such as croissants, muffins and chocolatines. This restaurant caters to fancy evenings out, late night drinks, and Sunday morning comfort food as you recover from the night before over brunch. A definite 5 star experience and must-‐try!
$$$ -‐ $25 -‐ $50 for two course dinner
$$$$ -‐ $50+
What's Happen Events
JANUARY 28 UWO Charity Ball London @ Convention Center
JANUARY 20-‐ FEBRUARY 5 LondonLicious Festival See www.LondonLicious.ca for participating restaurants!
FEBRUARY 12 Alesso @ London Music Hall
FEBRUARY 13-‐14 UWO PURPLE SHORTS Presents: Hot & Bothered @ The Wave FEBRUARY 10 The Arkells: @ London Music Hall
FEBRUARY 9 Fuck Cancer does Western @ Bucking Bull Saloon
Culture, 28
FEBRUARY 14-‐ MARCH 3 The Great Gatsby @ The Grand Theatre
ing, London?
March 16 CONGOROCK @ Cobra
2012
FEBRUARY 15 City and Colour @ Centennial Hall
MARCH 12-‐MARCH 14 Western Musical: Legally Blonde @ UWO
S d FEBRUARY 16 Rusko @ The London Music Hall
FEBRUARY 29 Hedley @ John Labatt Centre FEBRUARY 23-‐26 Disney On Ice : Treasure Trove @ John Labatt Centre
Fuck Cance r
F aced with earth-‐shattering news, Yael Co-‐ hen had many options when she discovered her beloved mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer; despair, fear, and hopeless-‐ ness are all natural reactions that come to mind. Instead, Yael decided to take action and change the face of fighting Cancer in Generation Y. She decided to stop waiting for tragedy to find us, and begin a pre-‐emptive strike against this pervasive illness. She de-‐ cided, Let’s Fuck Cancer.
more than our parents. But with our constant access to information and ever-‐increasing technological developments, our generation may actually be the first to know more and learn faster than our parents. F Cancer works to harness the responsibility that comes with this rapid information flow and access to edu-‐ cation, while using marketing and humour to tap into the powerful 17-‐35 year old demo-‐ graphic.
Yael explains that Fuck Cancer’s use of un-‐ At 25 years of age, this Vancouver-‐based orthodox language in their campaign “has al-‐ South African has founded an inspiring and lowed [them] to break through an audience transformative movement aimed at the gen-‐ that’s becoming increasingly indifferent to eration that has a chance to take a pro-‐active the noise of media that surrounds them on a stand against Cancer. F Cancer began as a daily basis”. By taking such private, con-‐ simple means of expressing Yael’s feelings cealed words of ‘profanity’ and making them towards her mother’s condition. It grew or-‐ public, the F Cancer movement is successful-‐ ganically as she made T-‐shirts for her mother ly shocking people out of complacency. “Our and herself, reading “Fuck Cancer”. The trend movement opens a door and our language began to spread as the simple garment res-‐ keeps it open for further education,” says onated with so many people that saw the Yael. She has also incorporated the impor-‐ shirts. Uncomfortable with the lack of trans-‐ tance of humor in her organization, as she parency in so many other charities, Yael took truly believes that “if you’ve lost your sense the opportunity to start something new and of humor, you’ve lost it all”. Humor and different. laughter are the first steps The F Cancer movement is successfully F Cancer oper-‐ towards mak-‐ ates around the ing us feel shocking people out of complacency. concept that comfortable early detection with dis-‐ is the best cure cussing un-‐ that we currently have. An astounding 90% of comfortable subject matters, which then cancers are curable if caught during stage translates into action. From her own family’s one, yet over half of the 12 million people di-‐ experience, Yael attests to the fact that agnosed with cancer in 2008 did not survive. “there’s parts of cancer that are weird and According to Yael, our “immediate search is a horrible and awkward and sometimes all you cure for apathy, rather than a cure for can-‐ can do is laugh”. She encourages the public to cer,” as we must strive to “overcome our com-‐ embrace their authentic emotions, and be-‐ placency in favour of much needed action!” lieves that “society has taught [cancer pa-‐ It’s no secret that we all believe we know way tients] to be solemn and wear head scarves to Lifestyle, 30
hide what [they] are going through… but that’s bullshit. We want to inspire an au-‐ thentic response of emotions and encour-‐ age the real process.” F Cancer is striving to make a tangible, immediate difference
"90% of cancers are curable in stage one…That’s our fucking cure".
in the lives of many, and as the youth begin to see our call to action, more and more people are jumping on board with this gen-‐ erational movement. The conversation has been opened to us, and already many celebrities have joined the movement to support Yael’s initiative. Through a series of online videos, the likes of Entourage’s Adrien Grenier, One Tree Hill’s Sophia Bush, Perez Hilton, and Dan Levy, have all participated by describing their unpleas-‐ ant childhood experiences of ‘the sex talk’, and relating it to the importance of turning the tables and having ‘the cancer talk’. Fuck Cancer emphasizes the importance of early detection through knowing your fam-‐ ily history and common risk factors, learn-‐ ing the earliest warning signs, and main-‐ taining an open discussion about your health and concerns. Yael passionately be-‐ lieves that “we are going to flip the switch on how we think about cancer, from some-‐ thing we wait to get, praying there’s a cure, to something we are actively look for and finding when it’s most curable… 90% of cancers are curable in stage one…That’s our fucking cure”.
http://www.facebook.com/letsfcancer
By: Gillian Berner Make sure to check out: http://www.letsfcancer.com/
http://twitter.com/MsFuckCancer
Living With Leukemia By: Jessica Adlington
L arge white hallways, nurses in green, men in
white lab coats, lots of bald children, and the stale air that slowly crept into her nose making her more and more nauseous – this what Rachel Hamilton experienced as a child during her constant hospital treatments for Acute Lym-‐ phoblastic Leukemia. Rachel was diagnosed with leukemia at the young age of seven after complaining about aches and pains in her wrists and ankles. “It’s a very rare symptom, but I remember crying from the pain,” Rachel explains. Since the illness lowers the immune system, Rachel would frequently become ill with flu symptoms. “I got tests done and then all of a sudden I was in and out of the hospital every day. I just knew I was sick, I didn’t know from what exactly,” Rachel remembers. She was unaware of the severity of her sickness at the time. “I learned a lot about my illness from going through treatment for three years,” she explains. A third year student at the University of West-‐ ern, Rachel appears to be a typical 20-‐year-‐old enjoying university life. But Rachel still deals with health issues that stem from her child-‐ hood leukemia. She can’t take birth control or sit for more than two to three hours without getting up to circulate her blood as it is highly susceptible to clotting. The scars that mark her body are a reminder of the three years Rachel spent in Sick Kids Hospi-‐ tal in Toronto, Ontario. She has a two-‐inch scar above her right breast from a metal stint that was implanted to aid in administering her med-‐ ication. “I also have small scars on my back from getting lumbar punctures, and scars on my arms from all the needles,” Rachel recalls. Her early childhood diagnoses required Rachel to miss out on many rights of passage experi-‐ Lifestyle, 32
enced by other kids. However, due to the gen-‐ erosities of various childrens’ foundations, there were numerous other things Rachel was permitted to do instead, like taking a private jet to Disneyland with a few other children bat-‐ tling cancer, courtesy of Frank Stronach, a wealthy Canadian businessman. Rachel was al-‐ so able to make a wish with Starlight Children’s Foundation of Canada. Her original wish was to be the voice of a character in a Disney movie, but she was instead given a week’s vacation to Disneyland with her family. “Going to Disney-‐ land twice – at least I got something good out of it,” she jokes. Rachel upholds an optimistic view of her past. “I got through it and there’s a reason why I’m here and I’ve been trying to figure it out,” she reflects with a half-‐smile. “I’m very lucky – very, very lucky.” January of 2012 will mark 10 years of Rachel being cancer free, and every January she re-‐ flects on the time she spent in and out of the fantastic care she received at Sick Kids Hospi-‐ tal. Her parents will also always remember their daughter having to endure such a trialing time at such a young age. Rachel knows this will always weigh on them, as witnessing one’s young child fighting through a serious illness is not something soon forgotten. Rachel is now studying Health Sciences and has many goals of working in the healthcare field. “My time spent in Sick Kids really made me want to help others the way I was helped,” she reflects. Both the Hamilton and the Cohen families have experienced the life-‐threatening realities of Cancer. By sharing their stories, they have giv-‐ en us the inspiration to look after the health of ourselves and our loved ones, through con-‐ stant awareness and proactive defense against this universal illness.
[Above: Rachel Hamilton]
Nothing Short of Epic “E pic travel alters perspec-‐ tive”; this is the mantra of ad-‐ venture company Free and Easy Traveler, and it’s certain-‐ ly something I discovered for myself last summer. This past May, I embarked on a journey to South-‐East Asia with zero expectations about where I was going, and no idea how my friend even convinced me to join her. Originally, I agreed to backpack Indonesia for a month. Why Indonesia? At that point I couldn’t tell you. To be honest, I couldn’t even point to Indonesia on a map before I bought my plane tick-‐ et there. After some thought I decided to extend my trip and visit Thailand as well; I had heard pretty wild stories and apparently Thailand is known for some of the best parties in South-‐East Asia. I justified my decision by saying “when in the neighborhood”…
beach of a private island. My trip with Free and Easy began in the capital city of Jakarta,
where I met the other 21 mem-‐ bers of the group I would be traveling with. We then made our way down to the island of Java to appreciate the peace-‐ ful black-‐sand beaches of the infamous surf-‐town Pangan-‐ daran, before continuing onto
”A popular tradition is to watch the sunset from either end of the island with a drink in hand, sitting on the beach, listening to a DJ play relaxing tunes... " Indonesia was beyond in-‐ credible. I was able to visit an ancient Buddhist temple at sunrise, scuba dive around an abundance of coral reefs and friendly sea turtles, hike an ac-‐ tive volcano (that last erupted in May 2010), and rent a mili-‐ tary tent to camp out on the Lifestyle, 34
the center of Indonesia’s artis-‐ tic and intellectual heritage, Yogyakarta. My favourite leg of this trip was the time spent on the Island of Lombok, specifically the paradise loca-‐ tion known as Gili Trawangan. Never in my life have I experi-‐ enced or even seen in movies,
From Here on Out anything that could rival the magic of ‘Gili T’, as the locals call it. The vibrant turquoise
water is soothingly warm, and the white-‐sand beaches are lined with a number of scuba shops, hippy-‐looking bunga-‐ low rentals, and tons of allur-‐ ing restaurants and ice cream stands. No motorized vehicles are allowed to disrupt Gili T’s serenity, so the only mode of transportation is by bicycle or horse-‐and-‐buggy, though most people choose to walk— it only takes 45 minutes to cir-‐ cle the entire island by foot. A popular tradition is to watch the sunset from either end of the island with a drink in hand, sitting on the beach, listening to a DJ play relaxing tunes, and conversing with an island full of (what feels like at the time) your life-‐long friends. More-‐ over, there is one main road on Gili T, so come nighttime many travelers find them-‐
selves drawn to one of Gili T’s infamously ‘groovy’ bars to loosen up, drink, and dance barefoot in the sand until the early morning. In short, I found Gili T utterly irre-‐ sistible, enchanting, and diffi-‐ cult to leave, but what is a trip to Indonesia without visiting Bali? The surfing in Bali is world renown; many Australians choose to leave their own shores to surf and party here instead. Bali’s beaches are more populated with tourists than Gili T, but that only means their nightlife is bigger and better. With six-‐story nightclubs, bumping rooftop patios, and bars designed like a pirate ship, there is surely something for everyone. Warning: do not be alarmed if your drink looks a little flores-‐ cent; many establishments will add something called “Ex-‐ tra Joss”, a concentrated ener-‐ gy/electrolyte powder to ‘give you wings’. It’s perfectly legal, but perhaps a wee bit stronger than the average FDA ap-‐ proved energy drink. Lastly, be advised that the hustle and bustle of Bali, a commercial-‐ ized city, sometimes takes away from the relaxing beach experience, so do not make Bali your only Indonesian des-‐ tination. After all, Indonesia does has 17 000 islands, and if you chose to spend only one day on each it would take you 48 years!
After Indonesia I flew to Thailand to meet a new group of backpackers to travel with. Keeping with epic adventure thrills, Thailand lived up to its reputation. Thai-‐ land is known as ‘The land of smiles’, due to the warm hospitality of its citizenry, and it has a very laidback vibe that advocates for frequent hammocks naps and upsizing your party drinks to buckets. Yes, buckets— just like one you would use to build a sand-‐ castle, except with a mickey of alcohol in each. The most popular bucket choice con-‐ sists of: Red Bull, Coke, and Samsung (Thai
"This is one of the most phenomenal parties worldwide, with several Djs playing along the beach, giant fire slides and skipping ropes, and inex-‐ pensive buckets flowing through your system." rum), and is absolutely delicious. Ask your-‐ self if the idea of elephant trekking, visiting Buddhist and tiger temples, river tubing, jungle hiking, or unwinding in one of the most jaw-‐droppingly beautiful locations in the world appeals to you? If so, then you should definitely check out Thailand be-‐ cause there is something truly special about this amazing country. Prepare your heart to fall in love with the Thai people, their beautiful culture, and their incredible landscape. After experiencing Thailand, you will be forever changed. This I swear. My two recommendations, if you do go, are to attend a Full Moon Party and to spend some time in Railey. Koh Phangan is the is-‐ land that hosts a legendary Full Moon Beach Party every full moon. While 90% of the coun-‐ Lifestyle, 36
try practices Buddhism, the Thai people sure know how to throw a raging party. The end of every lunar cycle is celebrated by anywhere from 7000 to 10 000 happy people in Koh Phangan, as travelers from all over the world gather for one night of mind-‐blowing, exhila-‐ rating craziness. This is one of the most phe-‐ nomenal parties worldwide, with several Djs playing along the beach, giant fire slides and skipping ropes, and inexpensive buckets flowing through your system. Memories of this event will replay in your mind for decades to come. All who attend wear fluorescent body-‐paint, colourful clothes, or just their bathing suit, as they party under the light of the full moon until sunrise (a sight you do not want to miss). Time moves much to quickly when your having fun; everyone should expe-‐ rience this party at least once in their life! Railay beach is an incredible spot on the coast of the southern Thailand and is known for its locals’ passion for rock-‐climbing and fire spinning. In Railay, you can spend your tranquil getaway sunning yourself on pristine beaches by the emerald green sea, taking a Thai cooking class, exploring caves, or learn-‐ ing how to tackle the towering limestone cliffs. At night the local bars play a mix of acoustic, top-‐40 dance, dubstep and rock music and entertain guests with an unforget-‐ table fire-‐spinning show. The best decision I ever made was to begin traveling before I graduated. I know a lot of students plan on doing a Euro-‐trip after fourth year, but if you are willing to take the road less travelled, choose South-‐East Asia for a life-‐changing experience. All I can think about is the next time I will have enough money to visit again, and am already plan-‐ ning where to go next. If you are ready to get busy living and want epic adventure travels I invite you to check out Free and Easy Travel-‐ er, they have truly redefined the way I travel, and positively altered my perspective on life. Happy travels friends!
By: Briana Maguire
Doth Thou Protest? The occupiers are upon us. Inasmuch as one agrees with, or denies the international movement against the believed social and economic inequality, protests across the world have been inspired by the cries of those identified as the 99%. The 99% de-‐ scribes themselves as the majority of the common public who collectively believe that they are paying the price for the corrupt mistakes of the top earning 1% minority. However, mainstream media has trouble qualifying the basic tenets of who and what an Occupi-‐ er is. Many feel that the Occupiers are part of the far-‐ left, fueled by misguided anti-‐Capitalist revolutionary
ber, London became the city with the first forced evic-‐ tions in Canada when the police drove out the home-‐ less and protesters from Victoria Park. A letter denying the benefit of the Occupy Movement that was distributed to protesters outside the Chicago Board of Trade gained rapid popularity across social media platforms. The letter claims that the public has found a convenient scapegoat in Wall Street for the damaged market. It affirms that Wall Street’s profit is America’s profit, and that should Wall Street disappear, the highly qualified financial elite would come for the jobs of the 99%. All in all ‘Wall
They see a movement that actively seeks a brighter future. The Internet has given youth a medium to find those with similar ideals and concerns faster and more efficiently than ever before. beliefs. The Occupy movement seems like an excuse for those in the fringe of society to blame the hard working and successful for personal failures. Occupy London, and similar demonstrations across the coun-‐ try, are a hotbed for violent and unruly people willing to exploit the public and defile public spaces. On the home front, London’s Vic-‐ toria Park was flooded with protestors who camped out with tents and signs, taking a stand against the 1%. While many Londoners occupied with legitimate intentions, their efforts were marred by the presence of drug addicts, the homeless, and disorderly citizens who camped out with their own motives, causing other Londoners to feel uncomfort-‐ able in a public part of their own city. In early Novem-‐ Lifestyle, 38
Street’ suggests that the rest of the public should shut up and enjoy the ride. Fuck the ride. The public would be compla-‐ cent if the livelihood of so many had not been lost. While periods of slow growth are a natural and neces-‐ sary part of the business cycle, Main Street’s current turmoil is not. Banks on Wall Street giving credit to ag-‐ gressive mortgage lenders and marketing at-‐risk loans as securities, duping the market of their value fac-‐ tored in creating the reces-‐ sion. For their failure, the banks received a life raft to avoid bankruptcy. The lack of accountability of the elite forms the real core of the Oc-‐ cupy movement. Com-‐ pounding the frustrations of the 99% is the reality of income disparity. A study done by the Congressional
By Michael Hokkanen Budget Office found that the average household income grew by 62% between the years 1979-‐2007. However, the top 1% of the population enjoyed growth of 275% while the bottom 20% saw only 18% growth. Members of the 1% gain disproportionate amounts of the wealth created and are protected better in economic chaos.
The lack of accountability of the elite forms the real core of the Occupy movement. Occupiers also deny that politicians act in good faith for the democratic majority. Congress in the United States has seen disapproval rates of 80% and continues to fail to create jobs. Greater numbers of regular people do not be-‐ lieve that government is helping to solve the issue. Browse the We Are the 99% blog, and countless youthful faces de-‐ clare their solidarity to the99% every day. They seea move-‐ ment that actively seeks a brighter future. The Internet has given youth a medium to find those with similar ideals and concerns faster and more efficiently than ever before. So-‐ cially conscious youth are agreeing that those in the 1% in-‐ habit a reality dissimilar to their own, and inspired by the Arab Spring, Occupiers understand that masses still hold power. Those in the 99% are young educated people, who fear a dim future lacking meaningful employment. They comprehend that the status quo will not give a chance for many of their peers to enjoy the liberty and opportunity they are promised as citizens. They recognize that trans-‐ parency and equality between the financial district, govern-‐ ment, and the public is a right worth fighting for. Incidents like the UC-‐Davis pepper-‐spraying cop solidify idealism among Occupiers. Those in authority do not comprehend the reality of life in the 99%. They do not live paycheck-‐to-‐ paycheck, working hard to ensure they have a reasonable quality of life. Still, the movement has shifted away from physical occupation. Those who previously occupied parks and banks will in time occupy authority. Our generation will be heard. And we plan to make democracy and government accountable once more.
W i n t e
r
W e a r
From Top Left: Charcoal Coat, H&M: $79.95 Fur-trimmed coat, Club Monaco: $351 Women's Black coat, H&M: $350 Black Coat, Calvin Klein: $225 Burberry Scarf: $350
An
Evening
From Left: Black Bandage skirt, Guess: $89 White crop-‐top, American Apparel: $29 Black pin-‐stripe blazer, Banana Republic: $240 White XX T-‐shirt, American Apparel: $26 Red Checkered dress shirt, Banana Republic: $95
Out
From right: Black Jacket, Banana Republic: $217.
White V-‐neck, H&M: $12.95 Black Leggings, American Apparel: $48 Silk Blouse, Aritzia: $145 Lace bodysuit, American Apparel: $44 Corduroy camel skirt, American Apparel: $46 Ladies Blazer, Aritzia: $85
From Left: Denim shirt, H&M: $34.95 Grey knitwear sweater, H&M: $39.95 Blue V-‐neck sweater, Banana Republic: $85 Black Denim Slack, American Apparel: $75
One Item, Four Ways:
1 White Blouse, Aritzia -‐ $115 Leather Watch, American Apparel -‐ $45 Fur Vest, H&M -‐ $34.95 Shoe, ALDO -‐ $27.99
2 White Blouse, Aritzia -‐ $115 Skinny Jeans, J Brand -‐ $175 Ring, H&M -‐ $12.95 Shoe, Aldo -‐ $28
Fashion, 50
The Sheer Blouse
3 White Blouse, Aritzia -‐ $115 Ring, H&M -‐ $9.95 Clutch, ALDO -‐ $39.98 Red lace Bustier, Aerie -‐ $30 Watch, Michael kors -‐ $270 Shoe, ALDO -‐ $120
4 White Blouse, Aritzia -‐ $115 Jean Jacket, Topshop -‐ $40 Gold Bracelet, ALDO -‐ $15 Black Versace Leggings, H&M -‐ $34.95 Boots, ALDO -‐ $31.50
One Item: Four Ways
1 Otadan boots, Aldo -‐ $150 Graphic T-‐shirt, Topman -‐ $18 Jeans, Topman -‐ $42 Grey blazer, H&M -‐ $79.95
2
Otadan boots, Aldo -‐ $150 Dark Port Chinos, Topman -‐ $28 Men's t-‐shirt, H&M -‐ $19.95 Men's watch, Guess -‐ $120
Fashion, 52
DAS BOOT
3 Otadan boots, Aldo -‐ $150 Bronze chinos, Topman -‐ $28 Plaid Shirt, Topman -‐ $30 Gloves, -‐ Cole Haan $70
4 Otadan boots, Aldo -‐ $150 Camel Cardigan, H&M -‐ $39.95 Jeans, Topman -‐ $36 Watch, Emporio Armani -‐ $245
It’s not used. It’s VINTAGE! Ten Tips for Second-Hand Shopping “Oh, I love your shirt where’d you get it?” “Value village… for six dollars.” There are few things more satisfying then getting complimented on an outfit that cost less than an extra-‐value meal at Mcdonalds. How does this happen, you might ask? Three words: Used Clothing Stores.
1
Keep an open mind
Imagine things on, not hanging loosely on a rack. Imagine them accessorized, belted, or even hemmed. Because second hand stores don’t display their clothes on mannequins or in advertisements, it can be hard to imagine them outside a grubby, second-‐hand context. But stay imaginative. Could a long prairie skirt work as a dress? Or shortened? How would the oversized grandpa sweater look with leggings and a belt? You’ll start seeing possibilities everywhere.
2 Don’t try to make a whole outfit
Instead, look for statement pieces that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.
4 Jewelry, bags, and belts If you’re not comfortable wearing used clothes, second-‐hand stores are also great for accessories. Intricate, delicate, and just the right amount of rusted —vintage accessories have a special charm that is hard to find in retail stores. Look out especially for great earrings and costume jewellery.
5 If you love it, buy it
3 Don’t look for name-‐brand clothing There will be, of course, plenty of old American Eagle t-‐ shirts and H&M dresses, but you shouldn’t enter a vintage store with these in mind. Chances are, such items will be worn out or out of season. Instead, look for the gems that were tucked away in the back of a world-‐ traveler’s closet or saved by someone’s grandmother who used to have a wild side. These pieces will make great additions to your wardrobe—not the sweater that your roommate might have donated at the end of grade 11. Fashion, 54
Everything at a used clothing store is one-‐of-‐a-‐kind. If you find a special piece, hold onto it because it may not be there tomorrow.
6 But…don’t buy it if you’ll never wear it 9 Two shoppers are better than one
Once you get the hang of shopping used, it’s easy to become hooked. “I’ll need the sequined zebra-‐print blazer if ever we have an animal-‐themed business party!” you tell yourself. Don’t. If you can’t imagine an occasion where you’ll wear it, don’t buy it.
7
Go with a plan
It can be overwhelming to walk into a second hand store without having a general idea of what you’re looking for. A general list can lessen the initial anxiety of a giant Value Village or Salvation Army. It’ll give you a place to start.
Go with a friend! There is nothing better than finding a ridiculous pair of sequined parachute pants and holding them up for a good laugh. Plus, two pairs of eyes are better than one. Your friend might just find the piece that becomes a staple in your wardrobe. And if your friend makes a great discovery, don’t be jealous; she just might let you borrow it.
10 Have a fashion show
If you think you might want to buy something, ALWAYS try it on. It might be the greatest find you’ve had all day, but if it isn’t flattering, then don’t buy it. It will end up hanging in the back of your closet with your grade 8 grad dress. If you’re shopping with a friend, ask for a second opinion. Many stores don’t allow returns, so make sure you check before making the purchase.
8 Don’t be discouraged...
...if you don’t find anything! Some trips you might come back with a full shopping bag, and other trips you might come home empty-‐handed. Just because you have no luck one day doesn’t mean that you won’t find something great the next time around. Remember, stores get “new arrivals” every day. Looking for some places in London? Here are two of our favourites. 1. Value Village: 4465 Wellington Rd S 2. Talize: 1A-‐1345 Huron St For the first time in your life, you might not mind keeping the tag on your “new” coat. Because, when you come home with a great trench, you’ll want the world to know it only cost $12.99. So grab your best mate and head out to your nearest thrift store. In no time you will be boasting your great savings while not having to worry whether, Heaven forbid, someone else will be wearing the same outfit as you. Happy Hunting! By: Tori Stone & Cindy Ma
BLOGSblogsBLOGS OracleFOX Mandy Shadforth is the epito-‐ me of Bohemian. From pictori-‐ al travel diaries to sunkissed hair and a whole lot of creative patterning, Mandy has been able to transform her blog into a Boho chic haven. Despite be-‐ ing relatively new on the blog scene, Oracle Fox has quick-‐ ly become a favourite among the laid back for-‐ agers of the fashion indus-‐ try. "For me," says Shad-‐ forth, "fashion is something that's constantly evolving– full of experimentation, cre-‐ ativity, light and color– and so is surfing." By taking a love for nature and shaking it around with an inventive approach to fashion, Mandy has been able to create a blog that is both interesting and personal. Her posts re-‐ mind you of the Earth, the
air, the sun, the infinite possi-‐ bilities surrounding you and the itch of wanderlust you’ve never been able to get out of your blood. That is Oracle Fox. The Queensland native is con-‐ stantly updating her blog with things that she finds inspiring,
making it even more of a per-‐ sonal reflection of her lassiez-‐ faire attitude. Shadforth’s dedication to personal growth and simplicity results in a dizzying collection of ocean-‐ side imagery, fashion editori-‐ als, and her very own beach in-‐ spired outfits. We love it be-‐ cause Oracle Fox doesn’t come off as an overly in-‐ tense mash up of hippie chic, which can be over-‐ whelming to most people. Shadforth’s blog is a beauti-‐ ful collection of fringe and bright patterns, slapped against artwork and collab-‐ orative efforts, pinned to travel memoirs and grainy photographs of her surf-‐ board and a glam beach out-‐ fit. Perfect synergy.
THEmanREPELLER Sassy. Pants. Arm Party. Three phrases that probably mean absolutely nothing to the average person when put together. However, to Leandra Medine those three phrases are the foundation of her blog and the reasons for its growing popularity among fashion vi-‐ sionaries worldwide. The Man Repeller is a blog that prides itself on originality. There is no other blog on the internet like this, and when you couple that with Medine’s hilariously over the top personality, it seems impossible to peel your eyes away from her fashion creations and her high-‐spirited banter.
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Medine defines a Man Repelling as “outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.” As you can see her character is overwhelmingly sarcastic, and it adds a very person-‐ able touch to the blog while keeping things light hearted.
By: Bianca Sparacino
HANNELImustaparta Hanneli Mustaparta isn’t ex-‐ actly a name unknown to the fashion industry. The Norwegian model’s blog was named one of the most influential fashion blogs in the world by US Vogue and in just two years of being on the web she has quickly shot to the top of street style vet-‐ erans. With a fan base that admittedly scares the hum-‐ ble fashion star at times, Hanneli brings both a glow-‐ ing personality and an eye for fashion to the vast array of active style bloggers. Hanneli’s signature style is best described as elegant minimalism with a pinch of the unexpected. Whether its a powder blue cashmere sweater or a pair of leather creepers, Mustaparta man-‐
Despite Medine's laid-‐back nature, her closet is adorned with both vintage and up to date designer duds, many of which she got from her grandmother growing up. From Proenza Schouler to Phillip Lim, The Man Repeller takes the most beautifully designed pieces she owns and slates them against each other in a royal rumble of fashion faux pas while making the outfit work. Try not to get addicted to Man Repelling... you've been warned.
ages to make the most diffi-‐ cult trends into timeless pieces that mesh perfectly with her very own timeless elegance. It is that very sense of adventure that sets Hanneli apart from all of the other bloggers who love their tailored blazers or their chic bags.Possessing both elegance and the ability to take chances with things that aren’t classically con-‐ sidered refined is a skill not many bloggers have. On one side of the spectrum you have sophisticated style that focuses on classics, and on the other side you have trend-‐setting style that changes with every season. Somewhere in the middle Hanneli Mustaparta has struck gold.
My Closet
Featuring the season must-‐haves of Fashionista Melissa Evans-‐Lee Melissa Evans-‐Lee is the Marketing Director at Bayview Village, Toronto’s “hautest” shopping centre & fashion hub. As the resident “fashion expert”, she is often found combing the shopping centre for the latest, greatest and hautest. She is also host and executive producer of BVTV, Bayview’s web series (www.youtube.com/BVShops). "Each new season is an opportunity to reinvent yourself from a fashion perspective. Winter, however slushy and bone-‐chilling it may be, is no exception. It may be cold out there but that doesn’t mean your style needs to be put on ice too! Here’s a few of my “must haves” to get you through the next few months in style." -‐ Melissa Evans-‐Lee
THE MAINSTAY Yes, I am advocating buying this for Winter but hear me out! Wear this sizzling sequin tank now under a blazer, wear it in Spring with a light cardigan overtop and wear it in the Summer on its own. Trust me when I say that once this little guy works his way into your closet, he’ll never leave.
[Mono b tank, LEMOR]
THE SPLIT PERSONALITY Don’t you just love items that do double duty? Can’t decide between a long or short coat? With this fabulous coat you don’t have to!
[Franco Mirabelli coat, MIRABELLI]
THE QUEEN OF THE . . . CLOSET
[Leopard booties, NINE WEST]
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Anyone who knows me knows I have a slight addiction to all things leopard. Of course, you too can be Queen of the Jungle with these ultra-‐versatile suede booties. Wear with jeans, skinny pants, leggings . . . you can even wear them with a dress or skirt paired with opaque (red, if you dare) tights. Now, that’s something to roar about!
THE FAIR WEATHER FRIEND Cold Winter days got you down? Perfect time to cuddle up with this furry fair weather friend! Pair with . . . anything!
[Sandro Ferrone fur vest, SANDRO]
THE MASTERS OF DISGUISE Fast forward to February . . . aka the dreariest month of all. Just because everyone else is in full-‐out hibernation mode, doesn’t mean you need to be hiding under the covers too! Don some fabulous accessories and get out there . . . even if it is incognito!
[LAURÈL gloves; Hat Attack hat, MENDOCINO]
THE CARRYALL ‘Tis the season . . . for toting around tons of stuff! Let’s face it: you have to put all those cold weather accoutrements somewhere. (I’m talking about you: hats, gloves and scarves!) With all that and more to carry, now’s the perfect time to “go big or go home”. Select wisely and you’ll even have a place to store your sunscreen and Aviators whenever Old Man Winter decides to make his exit stage left.
[Valentino handbag, DAVIDS]
THE CHAMELEON Snow, slush, mushy mush . . . not to worry, the evils of Winter are no match for these snakeskin beauties. Whatever the circumstances, this adaptable, chameleon-‐like boot will fit right in!
[Browns Couture snakeskin boot, BROWNS]
Credits & Thank-You's Cover: Photography & Design: -‐ Gillian Berner & Tom Brown Letter from The Editor: Photography: -‐ Gillian Berner (Graffiti) -‐ Tom Brown (Fashion Shoot) -‐ Haley Allen (London) Table of Contents: Photography: -‐ Caitlin Simpson & Laura Conning (Living Satellites) -‐ Tom Brown (Fashion Shoot, B&W Dancers) The Living Satellites: Photography: -‐ Caitlin Simpson & Laura Conning Ted Hunter: -‐ Moehre 1992 (Turntable: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NadelAufPlatte.JPG) The Classiest: -‐ Classified (Handshakes and Middle Fingers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ File:Handshakes_and_middle_fingers.jpg) Ready for TheWeeknd: -‐ Shubvirk (The Weeknd: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WeekndOVOFest.jpg) Video Countdown: -‐ Rihanna (We Found Love Collage: http://www.theprophetblog.net/) -‐ Lady Gaga ( Marry The Night: http://www.billboard.com/photos/stylus/1346079-‐marry-‐the-‐night-‐gaga-‐2-‐617-‐409.jpg) -‐ Noel Gallagher (AKA…What a Life: http://stopcryingyourheartoutnews.blogspot.com/2011/09/photos-‐from-‐noel-‐gallagherls-‐aka-‐what.html) -‐ Coldplay (Paradise: http://flash-‐video-‐player.blogspot.com/) -‐ LMFAO (Sexy and I Know It: http://www.sweetslyrics.com/ news-‐2939-‐LMFAO%20premiered%20'Sexy%20and%20I%20know%20It'%20music%20video!.html) -‐ YouTube (Logo: http://www.cryoport.com/Portals/27645/images/icon_youtube_128.png) The Sheepdogs: -‐ Tabercil (The Sheepdogs: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sheepdogs.jpg) Stop Living, Start Surviving: -‐ Theatre in London (Survival Box: http://assets.theatreinlondon.ca/2011/11/survival-‐ box.jpg) Arts Abroad/Street Art: Photography: -‐ Miruna Toma & Model Sarah Bevilacqua (Grafitti) -‐ Inside Out Project (Faces: http://www.insideoutproject.net/#@section=home) Unity: -‐ Unity Charity (Impact & Reach: http://www.unitycharity.com/p/programs/school-‐program/) A Place To Call Home: -‐ Habitat For Humanity London (Builds & Dedications: http://habitatlondon.ca/) London Through The Lens: Photography: -‐ Haley Allen (Overhead Bridge, Lake, Middlesex College, Med-‐Syd Bridge) -‐ Sasha Goldstein/ShutterPoint Stock Photography (Streetview) -‐ Tom Brown (UC Hill) Restaurant Review: -‐ Fitz Rays ( Burger: http://www.fitzrays.com/ ) -‐ Ozen (Sushi: http://ozenlondon.com/ ) -‐ Los Comales (Appetizers: http://www.loscomaleslatinfood.ca/ ) Events Calendar: Photography: -‐ Sasha Goldstein/ShutterPoint Stock Photography (Photographer, Confetti, Waving Hands, DJ Shot) -‐ Trevor Whittamore (Event/Dancing Shots) -‐ Haley Allen (Porter Robinson) Fuck Cancer: Photography: -‐ Samantha Walker (Yael & Mother) -‐ Jamie Lauren (Yael Potraits) Living With Leukemia: Photography: Claire Nicholson Nothing Short of Epic from Here on Out: Photography: -‐ Briana Maguire + Free & Easy and Beach Travellers Doth Thou Protest?: Photography: -‐ Gillian Berner (Victoria Park Protests) -‐ Neil Cummings (Global Democracy Now: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23874985@N07/6250090265) -‐ Brian Sims (Crowd: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ File:Occupy_Oakland_99_Percent_signs.jpg) Winter Wear: Photography: -‐ Trevor Whittamore Evening Wear: Photography: -‐ Tom Brown One Item 4 Ways: -‐ Pictures of items from credited clothing stores (Pg. 52-‐55) It’s Not Used, It’s Vintage!: Photography -‐ Cindy Ma BLOGSblogsBLOGS: -‐ Leandra Medine (Man Repeller: http://www.manrepeller.com/) -‐ Mandy Shadforth (Oracle Fox: http://oraclefox.blogspot.com/) -‐ Hanneli Mustaparta (Hanneli: http://www.hanneli.com/) My Closet: -‐ Courtesy of Bayview Village Credits: B&W Photography: Trevor Whittamore Back Cover: Photography: Tom Brown
Special thanks to Cobra Nightclub and the Barking Frog for use of their venues in photoshoots, and to Jim Bob Rays for hosting the Launch Party.
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