Thursday, September 12, 2013

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Beating the Books Students start textbook buyback service >> pg. 3

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Thursday, September 12, 2013

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Volume 107, issue 6

Brain pathway uncovered Students look to Discovery could help treat opiate addiction

say ‘see ya’ to CFS Aaron Zaltzman Associate Editor

Logan Ly Gazette

Megan Devlin News Editor Western researchers have uncovered how memory-forming biochemical pathways in the brain change with chronic opiate use in addicts. The research, led by Steven Lavoilette of the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, may have applications in the treatment of addiction.

“The most exciting part of this research is uncovering the fact that there’s a different mechanism for how memories are controlled in the addicted state and in the non-addicted state,” Laura Rosen, a graduate student on the research team, said.

“People who haven’t had any exposure to drugs will process these potent drug memories using different molecules than those who are already addicted,” Rosen continued.

The potent, euphoric memories formed when using opiate drugs are processed by the basal amygdala. In the rat model used by the researchers, it was found that the chemical mechanism used when recording these memories switched when rats were opiate-dependent.

When non-dependent rats were

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exposed to heroin they formed their drug-induced memories using a molecule called extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK).

However, when rats addicted to the opiate were exposed to heroin, they formed their memories using a different chemical pathway that involved calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMII).

“It’s a fundamental change in brain signaling between people who are not addicted and those who are,” Rosen said.

Rosen explained these molecules are involved in memory and learning and are usually present in the brain, but it is not known currently why or after how long the switch from ERK to CaMII occurs in opiate users.

“Hopefully [this research] brings to light that [drug users] actually have molecular and cellular changes going on in their brains which control their behavior and it’s not necessarily criminal negligence or some sort of upbringing that drives these people to drugs,” Jordan Zunder, another graduate student on the research team, said.

The researchers speculated that with the new knowledge of

these memory-forming pathways, new pharmaceuticals could be developed to help treat addiction.

Perhaps by blocking part of these memory-forming pathways, an opiate-dependent person would be less likely to go back to drug use.

“I think it’s an incredibly useful piece of the puzzle around helping to treat people with addiction issues,” Pamela Hill, director of clinical services with Addiction Services of Thames Valley, said of the scientific discovery.

However, she also stressed that addiction has psychological and social dimensions as well, such as poverty and homelessness that may be either precursors of the addiction or caused by the addiction.

“Typically people have focused on the reward part of addiction at the neuro-biological level but there also has to be a way that really powerful experiences like drug use get remembered, and so it looks like these researchers have been able to articulate how memory processes occur in the brain related to opiate use,” Wayne Skinner, deputy clinical director addictions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said.

The Canadian Federation of Students’ general assembly may not need as many nametags next year, as a group of students is attempting to lead a mass exodus from the lobby group.

According to a press release from the student leaders spearheading the campaign, their goal is to “end the Canadian Federation of Students’ control over local campus affairs, [and] to begin discussions about alternatives for provincial and national organizing that keep decision-making power in the hands of students.”

“Initially we identified that CFS is a largely ineffective organization,” Ashleigh Ingle, a student from the University of Toronto and one of the leaders of the initiative, said.

“Whether it is lobbying efforts or mobilizing students, they were not doing a very good job.”

“What was more distressing to us was that when we tried to get more involved in order to positively affect the rest of the organization, we found a lack of financial transparency and democratic procedures that were questionable and highly controlled by long term staff,” Ingle said. “That is what made us decide that the best course of action was to leave.”

Brent Farrington, internal coordinator for CFS, argued against this characterization, arguing the students simply disagreed with the majority opinion in the organization.

“The membership voted a number of times on proposals from these individuals, and did not give them majority support,” Farrington said.

“If that’s not a democratic process I don’t know what is. There is a difference between democracy and getting your way.”

Leaving the federation would require each school attempting to leave to complete a lengthy process,

Whether it is lobbying efforts or mobilizing students, they were not doing a very good job.

— Ashleigh Ingle,

student leader

which begins with a petition signed by 20 per cent of the student body and a subsequent successful vote on the issue.

“My hope is that through this process of ‘defederation’ people begin to think about the alternatives they want to see [and] we can begin a conversation on those alternatives,” Ingle explained.

This would not be the first instance of a large exodus from CFS. In 1995, five student unions, including Western’s University Students’ Council, left the CFS and set up the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

“A lot of us don’t see CASA as an alternative, which is why we decided to create a new organization,” Ingle said. “Many students have asked us about alternatives, and I think that will have to be a longer conversation.”

Farrington said the organization is trying to focus on its lobbying efforts and not the “defederation” initiative.

“As a membership-based organization we stand by the actions that our members have adopted as priorities,” he said. “We’re building an affordable and accessible system for post-secondary education and that is our priority and will continue to be our focus.”

2•

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

Caught on Camera

Midori Kuwahara GAZETTE

Crossword By Eugene Sheffer

SLEEP OFF THE HEAT. As temperatures soared to 32 degrees C, students found creative spaces to avoid the sun’s rays — and later to avoid torrential rain.

News Briefs

Canada 6th happiest country, UN report says Canada has ranked sixth in happiness globally in a recent report published by the United Nations Sustainable Solutions Network.

Although Canada remains as one of the top nations on the list, Switzerland has leaped into the fifth rank occupied by Canada in 2012.

The metrics used to measure happiness in the report include gross domestic product per capita, life expectancy, having someone

to count on, freedom to make life choices, generosity and freedom from corruption.

Although the scale focuses on economic factors such as GDP, Dr. John Helliwell, the co-editor of the report, explained how the report incorporates other factors.

“For example, education is an instrumental role and it helps the people achieve better health and wealth, which are included into the main six,” he said.

Around the world, Denmark and Norway remain at the top of the rankings while Benin and Togo round out the bottom. Countries in the Middle East and South America are gaining momentum in happiness despite the political unrest reported in the news — the top gainers this year include Angola, Albania, and Ecuador.

—Emory Liu

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In the latest QS World University Rankings, most Canadian universities have risen, with McMaster University and Waterloo University rising at least 12 spots.

Unfor tunately Wester n University suffered a setback and dropped 26 spots. According to Alan Weedon, vice-provost faculty, planning and policy of the university, the rankings are mostly dependent on reputation.

“One of the things about these rankings is that a large component of them is determined by reputation surveys, and so what you end up with in the rankings is a reflection of how we are seen rather than how we really are,” he said.

The rankings depend on academic reputation but also on research.

“As a matter of policy, we have facilitated the organization of international conferences at Western, and it will bring in scholars from all over the world to Western and they

will see what Western is really like — and that sort of thing can really raise our reputation,” Weedon said.

The University of Toronto beat McGill University and the University of British Columbia for the top Canadian spot, while Queen’s University also suffered a drop in the rankings by 14 spots.

“The initiative to build research clusters on campus are also designed to raise our profile so that if we are known across the world for having a wonderful research cluster in a particular area, then that raises our reputation and everybody benefits.”

Weedon said.

—Hamza Tariq

Female enrollment increasing in Canada In its 2013 First-Year University Survey, the Canadian University Survey Consortium reported that women make up 67 per cent of Canada’s first-year university students.

Past CUSC President Dan Pletzer sees the trend as a sign of how gender role shifts and equity laws have created opportunities for women.

“Consequently,” he explained, “they see the university degree as being part of their overall career plan.”

In 1971, the Canadian Census reported 68 per cent of surveyed 25 to 29-year-old graduates were male. In contrast, the CUSC found Canada’s first-year student population remained about two-thirds female over the past 12 years.

Different researchers link this imbalance to trends of faster childhood development, superior academic performance, and more focused work habits among girls.

Current CUSC president Michael O’Sullivan, however, advises caution when drawing connections.

“I’ve heard suggestions about the causes [...] but I don’t know if they’re anything more than speculation,” he stated.

—Justin Toh

Solution to puzzle on page 8

The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. © 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.

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•3

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

Report angers councillors City councillors accused of illegal meeting

York U looks to hire teaching-only faculty Richard Raycraft News Editor

Kelly Samuel Gazette

Jeremiah Rodriguez News Editor A lunch back in February is still drawing the aggravation of six city councillors and the mayor as one government watchdog report is coming out hinting at misconduct from city council.

By tomorrow Ontario’s watchdog of elected officials, Ombudsman André Marin, will have sent each of the councillors a report of the incident, with it becoming public later this month.

The report set out to discover whether the politicians actively met outside of council to discuss policy agendas without the full council being present and on public record.

On February 23, six councillors and Mayor Joe Fontana shared a side room at Billy T’s Bar and Grill — one short of a quorum of full council. But four councillors of the six-member investment and economic prosperity committee were present and therein lies the problem — for a committee, that constitutes quorum.

According to the Municipal Act, if the majority 15-member city council or a majority of a smaller committee is present, it creates a quorum — and that’s illegal if it’s outside of council chambers.

The ombudsman is a non-profit watchdog for elected officials for all of Ontario and he’s tasked with policing the Act’s restrictions against secret meetings of councils and committees.

The incident drew ire from Twitter and led to at least 35 complaints, and those complaints led the Ombudsman to choose to investigate whether something illegal happened.

The Ombudsman’s office has been working on the report for at least six months and the report seeks to determine if the meet-up was coincidence.

“Everything he’s going to say is based on speculation not fact. And based on what actually happened and the facts, there was no wrongdoing on anybody’s part. We just sat down and had lunch. We didn’t intend to have seven people there,”

Bud Polhill, councillor for Ward 1, said.

“I think [Marin] has an issue with elected people and he’s trying to nail somebody to the wall,” Polhill said.

“He’s got a bit of an ego, he’s trying to show off.”

Councillor Stephen Orser of Ward 4 said the Ombudsman is simply acting as “judge, jury and executioner — he’s using this as a political weapon against us.”

Orser expects the report will clear the councillors of wrongdoing. “[Marin] being the expert of brinksmanship and Hollywoodizing issues, he’ll scold us because he has an irrational fear that politicians that have din-din together are up to something no good,” he said.

However, Harold Usher, councillor for Ward 12, doesn’t expect any big bomb to drop here.

“I’m not so sure that he’s going to find a whole lot to say they did break the law,” he said. “But he might find something that makes you say, ‘you shouldn’t have done that type of thing.’”

Students struggling with the cost of textbooks required for their classes are finding online alternatives to the campus book store.

According to the American Enterprise Institute, textbook prices have shot up 812 per cent since 1978 — more than triple the rate of inflation. Students have been forced to find alternatives to buying new books every semester, and with the rise of the digital age it is proving easier than ever before.

Western students Olivia Kitevski and Bryan Gold, both media and information studies students, and Josh Martow, a medical sciences student, decided to come up with an environmentally friendly solution to the problem. Together they have co-founded Textbook Forest, a used textbook buyback service specifically for Western students.

“It’s a used book service. We buy books from students and in exchange we plant a tree and we give them a stipend of $5-$25,” explained Kitevski.

“We’re a response to the fact

that most students are holding onto all their books and just buying their books new and that’s directly resulted in the fact that the used book store got closed by the Book Store,” said Martow. “So we want to provide a way for students to get rid of their old books in exchange for a stipend as well as for us to plant trees in exchange for these books.

We plant up to 10 trees per book given to us in London.”

Forest Textbooks will have four locations in London ­at Chobani’s, Double Double’s, King Richie’s, and Richie’s Family Restaurant. When students drop off their textbooks at one of these locations, they will also receive a discount on that business’ products.

Kijiji is another alternative students are using to hawk their books. The free, local classifieds website has proven to be a popular avenue for selling textbooks, with over 800 ads currently listed for used textbooks. According to Kyla Kryski, a consultant for Environics Communications, Kijiji has seen a 93 per cent spike in textbook listings in the past month.

Clearly, with tuition and living

Really what it is is cheap labour.

— James Turk,

executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers

education quality at universities.

“In the short run it doesn’t matter because standards and expectations are so low in many courses and universities that it doesn’t matter who teaches them (which is an implicit rationale for doing this on the part of administrations),” he said in an e-mail.

“In the long run, it is bad for students who want to be taught by people doing cutting-edge research, and bad for Canadian universities as they continue their slide into becoming the equivalent of ‘junior colleges’,” Côté continued.

With the budget cuts on the horizon for post-secondary institutions, universities are looking for ways to cut costs, including contract and sessional faculty positions.

Turk believes that similar intentions motivated the York hiring changes, and that the result may be lower-quality education for students.

“Really what it is is cheap labour,” he explained. “It has nothing to do with commitment to teaching or to provide students with quality teachers or anything, it’s a way of getting cheap labour.”

“I think the effect of this, in my view in a broad sense, would be lower quality education,” he said.

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Bookstore alternatives Iain Boekhoff News Editor

Most students are aware that an extensive amount of their professors’ time goes to research in addition to their teaching duties. York University, however, has become the first university in Canada to announce extensive hiring of teaching-only professors, who will focus on teaching almost exclusively while doing little or no research.

Though almost all Canadian universities have some faculty who teach exclusively, York is the first to hire them on a large scale.

James Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, spoke out against the hiring.

“It’s our view that what distinguishes a university is that people are both teachers and scholars,” he explained. “What they’re trying to bring in under the guise of teaching is teaching-only appointments, where you can’t do research [that’s supported by the university].”

Representatives from York University could not be reached for comment.

Turk explained that York already has both “alternate” and “professional” streams for its faculty, with those in the alternate stream focusing primarily on teaching, while still having the ability to engage in university-supported research.

“So they already have a provision for those who want to have a greater emphasis on teaching,” he commented.

James Côté, a professor of sociology at Western and co-author with Anton Allahar of Ivory Tower Blues and Lowering Higher Education expressed his belief that the hiring is symbolic of an overall decline in

Everyone gets ripped off and there’s no good way to buy and sell used books, so we want to make a good way to do it plus have an environmental benefit to it.

Olivia Kitevski,

Forest Textbooks co-founder

costs for students higher than ever, students have been looking for new ways to avoid the campus book store — so starting Forest Textbooks seemed obvious to Kitevski. “[We want to] solve the textbook problem. Everyone gets ripped off and there’s no good way to buy and sell used books, so we want to make a good way to do it plus have an environmental benefit to it,” Kitevski said.

The University of Waterloo offers the only co-operative education Pharmacy program in Canada. The rich benefits of co-op include practical paid work experience, exposure to different practise settings and opportunities to establish pharmacy career path connections.

We are seeking applicants who: ~ have leadership qualities and experience ~ communicate effectively and enjoy working in a team ~ are genuinely motivated to help others as a health professional ~ enjoy life sciences and mathematics ~ want to be a trailblazer in an innovative Pharmacy program Applications for Jan 2015 admission will be open until Jan 6, 2014 Highly qualified applicants may be considered for early admission in Jan 2014. Deadline to apply is Oct 24, 2013.

For further information: www.pharmacy.uwaterloo.ca 519-888-4848 or pharmacy@uwaterloo.ca The Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo has been awarded the status of Conditional Accreditation by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs for the three year term 2012-2015.

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4•

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

Arts&Life

saywhat?

A haiku is just like a normal American poem except it doesn’t rhyme and it’s totally stupid.

— Mr. Garrison

Wild Domestic signs up to support musicians Kevin Heslop Gazette Staff London-based band Wild Domestic will be bringing their experimental music to Museum London on September 13 along with Digits and Ark Analogue for what promises to be a dynamic and involving night.

Wild Domestic will be performing as a part of Steam Whistle Unsigned, a concert series that started in Toronto five years ago and has featured bands including The Rural Alberta Advantage, Austria and Hooded Fang. 100 per cent of the profits from the event are given back to the community through Music Ontario.

“This show on Friday is going to be with Steam Whistle Unsigned, who has a big reputation for having bigger shows in bigger markets like Calgary and Toronto,” says Nathan Lamb, one of the two drummers for Wild Domestic. “It’s really cool that they’re involving London the way they are and they’re bringing the cool Toronto bands.”

For Lamb, it’s not just about the music. Adam Sturgeon, of Wild Domestic’s label, Out of Sound Records, began a community outreach campaign on a First Nations reserve in Northern Quebec. “[He] essentially had a whole bunch of kids intern for him and

helped them out with a bunch of silk-screening and stuff, so all the record covers for that seven inch — the latest Wild Domestic release — were silk screened by this youth program. Part of the proceeds from [our] online sales will go back to that program,” Lamb says.

This equitable, democratic sensibility extends to the band’s writing process as well, helping to avoid an ego war. The collaborative pieces mature organically during practices and performances over a period of months, until all members of the band are satisfied.

“We never think there’s a bad idea, we just think there could be better ideas. And it’s quite a fun process. It keeps us from getting on each other’s nerves, but it also keeps it fresh enough that everyone’s really interested. We’re always critical of each other, but were always critical with the best intentions,” remarked Lamb with a chuckle.

The result is a gripping, groundbreaking combination of digitized and acoustic sounds, which are sure to excite. Wild Domestic doesn’t intend to stop there, as the sounds of electronic drums can be heard in future.

“We got as weird as we could with just acoustic drums, so now we’re trying to figure out what elements we can introduce with this electronic flavour of percussion,” Lamb comments.

With influences ranging from jazz to Hendrix and Pink Floyd to

Courtesy of Savanah Sewell

BORN TO BE WILD. Wild Domestic will be playing Museum London as part of Steam Whistle Unsigned — a concert series that has gone to major urban centres across the country including Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary.

such instrumental post-rock groups as Maguay and Explosions in the Sky, Wild Domestic fuses a number of musical elements to create their unique sound.

The track “Universally Known/ Already Forgotten” presents an upbeat voyage through an experimental soundscape of hooks and

carefully crafted percussion parts. In tracks like “Cowboy Boots + Casual Suits” the gritty precision of Tom Waits and an eerie sensibility are contained within Wild Domestic’s characteristic wordless vocalizing.

“The only reason we have a record is so that we have something to give people at the show. We’re just

in the business of sharing our art with people we think would like to hear it,” Lamb says.

Wild Domestic will be performing at the Steam Whistle Unsigned show at Museum London on September 13.

Tickets are available for $5. Doors open at 8:00 p.m.

✁ Gazette Tested: maple syrup squash

Election (1999) With a stiff and slight smile, Tracy Flick roams the halls of her highschool with a superficially peppy love for democracy. Election centers on Tracy and her swift determination to rope in each and every one of her peers in a quest to become student council president.

Adding to the humour is the intense realism of it all. Student council elections happened in virtually every highs chool — they still happen at university. There are few characters in film history that both make your skin crawl and make you cackle with delight, and Tracy Flick is one of them. We all know someone like her — a friend, a fellow classmate, or maybe a noted politician (Hillary Clinton circa 2008.)

The movie makes for a remarkably entertaining re-watch as it’s always relatable. Dealing with that constant competitiveness that so

frequently engulfs some segments of university is tough, so it’s great to see that attitude lampooned with such flair.

While the viewer wants to root for the politics teacher who tries to take Tracy down, his personal flaws make him human. We question whether it’s ethical for him to actually crusade against one of his students — a student who is mostly innocent, except for her thirst for power.

Election is ridiculously entertaining but it also subtly makes us begin to question how we view others. It’s not a life lesson by any means and it’s not preachy, but nevertheless, the way the film affects audiences provokes thought.

As you throwback to Election, you’ll laugh at its clever script and smart performances and may even rethink how you view those pesky folks in your tutorial.

— Bradley Metlin

I love you. Plz. respond

UCC 263

September is squash season.

For students looking for a quick and filling meal, a single acorn squash can provide enough leftovers for even the hungriest university student.

Ingredients: • 1 acorn squash • ½ cup – 1 cup maple syrup to taste • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 tbsp butter • 1 container of walnuts

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Cut acorn squash in half vertically on a cutting board. A sharp and heavy knife will be necessary to get a good cut. Removing the stem before cutting may make a vertical cut easier.

3. Using a large spoon, empty the seeds from the inside of

the squash. Make sure to get all of the seeds out of the squash before continuing.

4. Bake squash in oven for 30 minutes on baking sheet or in pan — a large pan is advisable as it is easier to balance the squash for later. Place squash with the flat end against the pan.

5. Remove squash from oven and flip both halves over so the hollowed out squash can be filled up. Do not turn off oven 6. Spread butter around the squash. Sprinkle brown sugar and nuts in and around the hole where the seeds were formerly.

7. Pour in the desired amount of maple syrup into the hollowed out squash.

8. Return to oven for 20-30 more minutes.

9. Enjoy your dinner! Be sure to scrape against the skin of the squash to get as much out of it as you can.

—Brent Holmes

•5

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

It’s going to be a board game blitz

Toews is jazzing up a genre Western student creates unique hip-hop Cam Smith Deputy Editor

Bill Wang Gazette

Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor It’s time to roll the dice. Next Saturday, The Great Canadian Board Game Blitz, a board game tournament that runs a national circuit, comes back to London. The event started in Kingston in 2009. Since then, it has expanded to travel across the country. Next Saturday will be the second time the event comes to London.

“It’s a tournament format that’s held at conventions and stores all across the country. Basically, people play in groups of four [and] they play a wide variety of board games and strategy games,” Chris McInnis, organizer for the event, says. “They play five rounds a game over a course of eight hours and accumulate points, and someone comes out on top and wins a bunch of prizes.”

The event will be held at Chaucer’s Pub (122 Carling Street) in downtown London and will feature a wide selection of games ranging from the classic strategy games like The Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride, as well as Stone Age, Power Grid, and Carcassonne.

This year, McInnis hopes to topple the Canadian record. The largest record for a Canadian Board Game Blitz involved 48 people playing simultaneously. McInnis hopes to get 60 gamers throwing dice, drawing cards, making plans, and having fun.

“We are trying to make it bigger and better,” McInnis comments.

“Last time we had about 30 people.

This time, we are aiming to beat the Canadian record. The Canadian Record is 48 and we’re hoping for at least 50, but hopefully 60.”

The event is being hosted in support of Project Play a volunteer driven community event held annually.

“All proceeds from the event go to buy gaming bundles for charities,” McInnis explains. “For last year, [we were playing for] the women’s community house and other shelters.

This year, it’s different community centres.”

McInnis believes that providing games for community centres is very important for the lives of the kids who frequent them.

“Kids who might not otherwise have a chance [to play these games] have something fun to do,” adds McInnis. “Also, for these charities, games and toys are sometimes the last thing on their budget list. It just helps them be able to provide a better environment for the kids.”

McInnis hopes to see a great turnout from the community and Western students. Admission for the tournament is only $10 and tickets can be purchased online, via Facebook, or at the door on Saturday morning. Anyone is welcome to come and settle Catan, construct castles, or build a railway.

The Great Canadian Board Game Blitz will be coming to London on Saturday, September 21. The games will begin at Chaucer’s Pub at 11:00 a.m. and run to 7:00 p.m.

ON DISC

GGGFF Tim Hus Western Star Stony Plain Records On his latest album, Western Star, Tim Hus channels country legends such as Tim McGraw, Johnny Cash and Stompin’ Tom Connors into his own self-described style of ‘Canadiana Cowboy Music.’

Even though Hus displays his own unique flair when it comes to his singing and songwriting, Western Star brings country music back to basics with a clean acoustic base and folk influence.

This upbeat album combines

fast fiddles and classic bluegrass rhythms, while focusing the lyrics on Canadian cities and traditions. Hus’ strong vocals make this an easy and entertaining listen, perfect for a cross-Canada road trip. Canada’s contributions to country music have been significant but largely overshadowed, and Hus attempts to correct this by incorporating specific regional styles into the organization and performance of each track.

Western Star loses steam on slower tracks like “Forgotten Sailor,” which noticeably lacks the drive and energy of the album’s stronger songs such as the title track and “Wild Rose Waltz.” The emotional depth of most of the songs is limited, a fact that is easier to ignore when getting lost in the high-spirited country beat and Hus’ colourful voice.

Tim Hus reclaims the country music genre for Canada on Western Star, and while this style of music has a specific niche audience, this album could easily accompany some drinks on a patio or make it into the regular song rotation at Cowboys. ­— Emily McWilliams

Sporting his blonde hair tucked in to a backwards cap, old-school wayfarers, and a vast arm tattoo, Luc Toews is the picture of laidback cool as he steps into my office to talk about his latest hip-hop album Life Under Construction — a play on his first name.

A third-year Western student in Urban Development originally from the Greater Toronto Area, Toews’ upbringing bears little in common with stereotypical up-and-coming hip-hop artists. Yet, despite this, Toews says the style of his new album channels an older kind of rap.

“It’s a bunch of tracks I’ve been sitting on for the summer. It’s really influenced by old-school hip-hop like old Kanye West and J-Dilla.

Except for four tracks, I produced it all myself,” he explains.

Further rejecting convention, Toews also notes his album is quite personal and lyrically driven — a far cry from other contemporary artists.

The jazz flute and intricate instrumentals that appear on the album further distinguish his sound.

“It’s very personal. I’ve always been making music, so it’s kind of like a story about where I started to where I am now,” he says. “I try to avoid doing just party tracks — I feel like every white rapper is doing that right now like Macklemore and Mac Miller. I’ve got nothing against those guys, I listen to them too sometimes.

But I try to do more intricate lyricism, not just rapping about partying and drinking.”

Toews notes that a lot of his inspiration comes from his family, and reminiscing about growing up in the lower-middle class. He is quick to add Life Under Construction is not all seriousness and introspection — the album will contain a few party

Courtesy of Luc Toews

tracks for those who like to dance.

Another unique aspect about Toews’ music is his live performance. Working with band members from an older side project, all the music performed behind his rapping is done live.

“When I play shows, it’s always with the band, I never use a DJ or anything like that […] it’s very jazz infused. It’s different, but it’s still upbeat and interesting. It’s very organic and fun,” he explains.

Despite being the frontman, Toews remains extremely modest,

giving credit to the band providing the music for his lyrics.

“It’s truly humbling to work with these guys. They’re at another level than me. I’m just the white kid rapping. These guys are going to school, playing jazz drums.”

Despite attending university and intending to finish his degree, music is the driving passion for Toews — something more than a hobby.

“Really, school is just plan B at the moment,” he says. “I’ve always been doing music and I definitely want to pursue it as a career.”

6•

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

Opinions

Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never.

If you’re going through Hell, keep going.

— Sir Winston Churchill

Remembering Noah New Day, Newnham

Caitlin Martin Newnham Sports Editor I dedicated three years of my life to a beautiful experience: Welcoming in new Science students to Western. As a Science soph, I waited nervously for my interview, attended bonding events, cheered for a week straight, gave up hours of sleep and hopefully managed to affect the lives of a few people throughout the year. I did this for three years.

It wasn’t until my last year of sophing that I understood why we do this. Why it is so important to support the people coming into Western — something that we need to remember.

I had the pleasure of sophing for a special floor: 3 Upper in Saugeen. They started out like the other floors I had sophed for, but I knew they were different. Yes, they complained about the Saugeen food every once in a while, had some wild parties, hosted friends from different floors constantly, stressed about their courses and exams. However, they were unique. They didn’t just live on the same floor as each other; they accepted each other as family. This was something that we sophs work hard to do with our teams each year. But instead of working at it, that dynamic came naturally to this floor.

Tara, their RA, was the anchor. She held them together like glue, and when I visited the floor her door was always open with frosh flying in and out. I would also often find several frosh gathered in one room laughing. At this point, I realized that I did not only have science frosh, I had a floor full of first-years that could not be separated.

This is why Noah’s death on Monday, March 18 was so devastating for me.

Noah was my frosh and a beloved friend — no, brother — to the 3 Upper family.

He was that person who always had people laughing, and his confusing jokes were embedded in his personality. If he walked past someone he knew he always said hello, even if he hadn’t spoken to him or her in weeks. He was selflessly kind and a natural entertainer. He just wanted to make people smile.

No one can know why Noah took his own life earlier this year, and no one could have prevented it. However, I felt intense guilt over what happened. I started my year thinking I was one of the people first year students could rely on, helping them succeed in what I knew was going to be a tough year for them, as first year is for every student. So when Noah went missing, I had a sinking feeling that I had failed him.

No one knew where Noah was, so we, the 3 Upper family, waited for him together. After being updated about the

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Volume 107, Issue 6 www.westerngazette.ca

Julian Uzielli Editor-In-Chief Cameron M. Smith Deputy Editor Jason Sinukoff Managing Editor

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Ian Greaves, Manager Maja Anjoli-Bilic

Dear Life, Why are the Spoke smoothies so expensive?

about why mental health is such a huge issue, and advertising the resources

Dear Life, Why was Chris Hadfield only speaking to Ivey students?

that are available, can prevent deaths”

police search, we waited some more.

Finally, we were told in the tired-looking 3 Unit common room that Noah was found in a parking garage sitting in his car. He had committed suicide. Some people had to leave the room, some were paralyzed. Every heart broke.

The 3 Upper floor had an incredibly difficult time moving on after Noah passed, but we honoured him in ways we knew he would love. Noah taught us all to be kind without expecting anything in return and to laugh constantly.

From Noah, I learned for the first time why I sophed, why people volunteer for anything, and why mental health programs are so important. First year can be incredibly stressful and, although I know this was not the sole reason Noah took his life, I know that the stress contributed to his pain.

I know too many people in university with anxiety and depression, and I also know it can break you down, bit by bit, until you are physically and mentally drained.

That is why building new families and communities — whether they are on your floor, through one of the many clubs, or through volunteering — is so important.

Simply educating people about why mental health is such a huge issue and advertising resources that are available can prevent deaths like Noah’s.

I wish I could tell him he is loved. I wish I could tell him university isn’t as important as society has made it seem.

University is not worth your life. I wish I could tell him that he has options and people to talk to about his worries. But no one saw the signs.

Since I missed the chance to tell him, I want to tell everyone else through The Gazette. You are loved, you have support, and you are never alone. Reach out if you need help; you have nothing to lose.

If you are seeking mental health support, visit the Peer Support Centre in UCC rm.

38 or call the Peer Phone Line at 519661-DIAL. This article was originally published in The Current on September 11 and appears in abridged form.

Diana Watson

Gazette Staff 2012-2013

Danielle Bozinoff, Jaclyn Carbone, Jonathan Dunn, Andrew Evans, Chelsey Gauthier, Ross Hamilton, Danny Huang, Amanda Law, Jared MacAdam, Sarah Mai Chitty, Sarah Manning, Kaitlyn Oh, Sarah Prince, Chen Rao, Herb Richardson, Nathan Robbins-Kanter, Lily Robinson, Katie Roseman, Jasleen Sembhi, Nathan TeBokkel, Jacqueline Ting, Caroline Wang, Kate Wilkinson, Zoe Woods, Usman Zahid, Mason Zimmer

News Richard Raycraft Megan Devlin Iain Boekhoff Jeremiah Rodriguez Arts & Life Brent Holmes Mary Ann Ciosk Bradley Metlin Sports Daniel Weryha Nusaiba Al-Azem Caitlin Martin Newnham Opinions Kevin Hurren

Your anonymous letters to life Dear Life, Why won’t UWO mail work with Chrome!

“Simply educating people

Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising

Dear Life

Dear Life, Why do flying insects constantly bash into the same spot? Can’t they learn?

Dear Life, I can’t figure out if I like olives.

Dear Life, Why do we sing “God Save The Queen” when she’s not in any danger?

Dear Life, The best thing about revolving doors is that you never have to awkwardly hold the door open.

Dear Life, Is it wrong to judge someone with a mullet?

Dear Life, That awkward moment when you realize your karaoke song has a twominute musical interlude.

Dear Life, Why is it so difficult to eat a banana?

Dear Life, But seriously, can we fix the UWO mail to work with Chrome.

wgaz.ca/dearlife

CORRECTION In yesterday’s front-page story “Project LEARN tickets silence student lifestyle,” The Gazette reported that Will Sheridan received a $250 ticket from police. The fine was actually $215. The Gazette regrets the error.

Associate Kaitlyn McGrath Aaron Zaltzman Photography Logan Ly Bill Wang Kelly Samuel Graphics Naira Ahmed Illustrations Christopher Miszczak John Prata Online Jesica Hurst Graphics/Video Mike Laine

• Please recycle this newspaper •

•7

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

Sports

tweetoftheweek Happy to be with the leafs for the next couple of years, looking forward to camp #leafnation #bestnation

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri) on his recently signed two-year contract.

Rundown >> The Western Mustangs football team started the season with three powerful wins against Toronto, Carleton and McMaster > The next game will be on Saturday, September 14 against Ottawa at Western’s TD Stadium | The Mustangs women’s rugby team opened the season with a crippling 43–5 win over Waterloo last weekend.

Mustangs dominate York Tournament Field Hockey goes 3–0–1 at Cassie Campbell Centre Nusaiba Al-Azem Sports Editor Hockey does not need ice to shine — just take a look at the women’s field hockey team. The Mustangs shone this past weekend in a preseason tournament hosted by York University. Both individual players as well as the team as a whole played exceptionally well, resulting in three wins and one draw heading into the season.

On Saturday the Mustangs started off strongly against the Waterloo Warriors, with Mustangs Jennifer Chisnall and Katelynn Roganowicz giving Western a 2–1 victory. Chisnall scored off the rebound early on in the game, while Roganowicz potted a flashy goal — potting the ball between her legs to score and give the Mustangs the game-winning goal. Sunday’s game went just as successfully with an impressive 7–0 domination over the McMaster Marauders. Western played York University alumni on Sunday morning to earn another 6–0 victory.

The fourth and final match of the weekend provided the Mustangs with a more challenging game.

The Mustangs played the Queen’s Gaels, and although they controlled the offensive game, Western tied Queen’s to finish off the weekend.

The tournament this weekend used Ontario’s first ever water-based field at Cassie Campbell Community Center in Brampton, Ontario, as opposed to the artificial turf to which the Mustangs are accustomed. Artificial turf is the surface on which most teams play. Waterbased turfs, on the other hand, are rarely used in Ontario and lead to a faster paced game.

Though the team is not as familiar with the water-based surface, Mustangs head coach, Jeff Pacheco, did not find it too cumbersome and also indicated advantages to the situation.

“This sport as a whole is

Courtesy of Jeff Pacheco

Game faces all around. The Western Mustangs field hockey team slid to three convincing victories in this past weekend’s pre-season tournament. The team had three shutouts and finished the tournament with 15 points for, and only a single point against. Their dominant performance at the Cassie Campbell Community Center is a promising start to their season.

better seen on water-base. The speed increases and the overall play is much better,” he explained. “The message going in to last weekend [at the tournament] was to not play to the turf, stick to our system, which is a field turf hard-hitting style. At the end of the weekend, the turf helped improve the team’s confidence and ability.”

With a different turf and other changes, preparation for this season differed from previous preseason preparations as well.

“This year we focused on blending as a team strictly on the turf so that we would be able to read off each other and work as a team,” Roganowicz said on the different training techniques. “In preparing for this tournament, we worked on

Our biggest obstacle will be not trying to get ahead of ourselves. We need to be working at all times and constantly take a hardworking mentality into each game.

— Jeff Pacheco,

Mustangs field hockey coach on the upcoming season

systems, off-ball movement and simple basics.”

Although the University of Toronto and Guelph are the top seeded teams from last season, followed by Western in third place, the Queen’s Gaels seem to be one of the Mustangs’ strongest contenders this year. Queen’s was the only team the Mustangs did not win against over the weekend.

Mustangs defender Megan Duffy remains optimistic about the team’s upcoming season.

“I believe that our team is more prepared for this season than we have been throughout my four years as a member of this team,” she asserted. “Everything being considered, I believe that our biggest obstacle for this upcoming season is

going to be proper mental preparation before every game.”

Her statements were echoed by coach Pacheco.

“Our biggest obstacle will be not trying to get ahead of ourselves. We need our basics to be working at all time and constantly take a hard working mentality into each game.”

The field hockey team will play their first game of the season this weekend in Waterloo. Be sure to follow the Mustangs as they once again take on Queen’s to see who will establish themselves in the rankings and to determine whether or not the Mustangs can maintain their undefeated streak.

Courtesy of Jeff Pacheco

8•

thegazette • Thursday, September 12, 2013

Homecoming Colour Run

th

Sunday, September 29 2013 9:00am TD Stadium

$5 Student Discount Code: PURPLE

_

www.westernhomecoming5k.com

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To place your classifed ad, please contact us at adoffice@uwo.ca

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UPCOMING EVENTS CLUBS WEEK COMING! From September 16th to 20th, almost 200 clubs will gather together to recruit members for the upcoming year. Clubs Week provides ample opportunities for students to get involved with campus life. Come to the UCC next week and find your niche!

LAIRD LECTURE (Department of Physics and Astronomy Annual Lecture), Nobel Laureate Dr. Klaus von Klitzing will speak about “The Quantum Hall Effect \endash Physics and Application”, Thursday 19th September 2013, 5:30pm, Paul Davenport Theatre (Talbot College). All are welcome.

PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

For solution, turn to page 2

CLUBS WEEK is

COMING MONDAY Sept. 16th to FRIDAY SEPT. 20th

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