Thursday, November 19, 2015

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SINCE 1906

westerngazette.ca THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 109 ISSUE 20 bring back the flags since 1906

Get to know your new MP Fresh off of a trip to the nation’s capital, Peter Fragiskatos talks about his life, career in politics and what he’ll do for Londoners.

See the story on page 5.

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

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PROFILE DAVID DIBRINA

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David DiBrina knew years ago that he wanted to enrol in Ivey’s business school. But while the 16-year-old David was interested in the money, today’s David — now in HBA1 and the president of his section — knows there are other things that are more important in life.

to really look at these stereotypes that society has placed and re-evaluate them, we are making change,” he says. “Everyone knows someone who has struggled.

Everyone knows someone who has had a hard time in their life.” “ ‘Put yourself in their shoes’ – it’s so true,” he adds. “We always say that but we don’t actually do it. Research, go through things, watch things, watch credible sources, read credible things and really understand what is going on.”

Moving into Alumni House residence in first year was when David, who is gay, encountered an issue with how others acted around him.

With David at the helm, Ally Western has three initiatives for the school year: one, conducting video interviews with people who are breaking stereotypes; two, restructuring its mandate so it’s clear that it focuses on more than just LGBTQ issues; and three, doing profiles with people around campus who are using their ally training for the better.

“The people who were in charge on the residence floor, they were using derogatory words like ‘fag,’ so it made me feel like I needed to stay closeted and keep quiet,” he recalls. “There is a problem right there: feeling like a prisoner in my own home.”

So David did something about it. He got involved with Ally Western, a group aimed at creating a more inclusive and equitable university campus. Last year, David was given the opportunity to give ally training to groups and individuals across campus. This year, he is the coordinator of the group — one of five executive positions.

David explains the reason behind the second goal is to try to alleviate criticism they have received in the past for focusing too heavily on LGBTQ issues.

“Why allyship is so important on this campus is to ensure that everyone... from all sexualities, all races, all religions, feels comfortable to be who they are,” David says. “If I can make sure that one student feels open and free to be who they are, then I’ve made a difference.”

David believes it all comes down to breaking down stereotypes. He wants to challenge how people view the world.

“If we can break down those stereotypes and get people

“I’m not going to be advocating for this one oppressed group,” he says. “Like a tree, we branch out, we touch on everything. I’m using a lot of LGBTQ stuff because I can relate to that and that’s my story, so it’s easier for me to talk about, but we do touch on [other] things.”

Even if students don’t have time to get involved, there’s an easy way to help David and his team.

“It’s just really sitting down, thinking about the stereotypes you believe, the certain prejudices that you hold and evaluating those,” he says. “Just from that, you’re helping us.”

■■NATHAN KANTER

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International Week devoid of flags

It takes courage to be a referee

Smartphone Film Festival aims to see cellular creations

The University Students’ Council acted upon complaints made in past years and posted a generic banner in the atrium of the UCC instead.  PG 4

Students who work as referees often find themselves unappreciated on the court, but they’re an integral part of the game.

Western’s new Smartphone Film Festival challenges students to pick up their phones and create a short film in two weeks in hopes of winning some cash.  PG 12

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All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and cartoons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives.

The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 • 3

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Western Research Parks named one of top business incubators DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE

Student’s death shocks community AMY O’KRUK NEWS EDITOR @AMYATGAZETTE

The death of a Western student this past weekend has reverberated throughout campus.

Craig Sandre was a fourthyear political science student and well-known around campus as a Medway-Sydenham soph and later as a member of the social science soph team.

According to Western associate vice-president student experience Jana Luker, Western received notice of Sandre’s death on Monday morning, with the news quickly spreading throughout the community.

Matt McGrath, a fourth-year BMOS student, and fellow social science soph, said Sandre’s soph team and friends were shocked by the tragedy.

“Everyone was just speechless,” McGrath said. “We couldn’t believe that someone who’s always so happy was gone… Everyone’s come together trying to remember

CRAIG SANDRE MEMORIAL PAGE FACEBOOK

him and share the great memories.

He was the most passionate and enthusiastic person you’ve ever met.”

On Monday afternoon, Sandre’s brother Scott created a Facebook group commemorating his older brother. His cousin, Chris, said Craig’s family is reeling, but touched by the level of support they’ve seen online.

“They’re very shocked and they’re even more shocked by the outpouring of support and emotions [on social media],” Chris Sandre said.

“Just seeing that there’s over 1,100 people on his memorial page is baffling to them. They knew he was such a light-hearted person, but he touched so many lives so quickly.”

A large part of Craig’s time at Western was spent involved in the university’s orientation system. McGrath said during this past O-Week, Sandre became notorious for uniting all the soph teams by creating a cheer about his roommate’s soph name, “McFly.”

“He literally got 5,000 people to chant… wherever he was, it was just energy,” McGrath said. “Even though the cheer didn’t mean anything, his personality and charisma were able to unite all the teams.”

While Luker said on Tuesday that it’s too soon to know what Western will be doing to memorialize Craig Sandre, she’s sure it will be in conjunction with his family and their wishes.

“I know we’ll be involved in helping organize students and staff who wish to celebrate his life,” Luker said.

“I think he really made such an impact on people and this university and will be really really missed.”

Besides Craig’s academic program and soph involvement, Chris said his cousin was passionate about many other things like watching movies and comedy. In the past, Craig participated in humanitarian work and was planning on taking part in a program that would take him to Rwanda, Africa, this summer.

Chris Sandre added Craig’s aspirations to be a teacher were largely based on his experiences at Western.

“Part of the reason he talked about going to education and being a teacher was just based on his experience being a soph and being able to help people,” Sandre said. “When someone broke up with their girlfriend, he was in there giving advice.”

Luker urges students who are struggling with anything to take advantage of campus supports like the Peer Support Centre, Student Health Services and one another.

“Making sure you’re reaching out… because it’s not a sign of weakness.” Luker said. “It’s a sign of involvement and caring to take care of yourself and your friends.”

“It’s really easy to see now how much he was loved,” McGrath said. “he was all high spirits, making jokes and making everyone laugh... he wouldn’t want us to be sad.”

Coming to Western from Oakville, Ontario, Craig Sandre leaves behind his parents and his brother, a first-year student attending the University of Waterloo. n

Follow

What we’re proud of is we have an excellent track record of fostering young business from ideas to a successful commercial enterprise.

PAUL PAOLATTO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WESTERN RESEARCH PARKS

Solution to puzzle on page 11

@NewsAtGazette for breaking news, USC updates and campus news!

We would like to remind you that you must meet with a counsellor at Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in the Student Development Centre, to arrange academic accommodation for your 2015/16 winter courses.

If you have not yet requested accommodation for your courses, and you wish to use accommodation for December 2015 exams, you must meet with a counsellor by Wednesday, November 25th. If requested after this date, accommodation for December 2015 exams cannot be arranged by Exam Services.

To book your appointment please call

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CRAIG SANDRE MEMORIAL PAGE FACEBOOK

Western Research Parks has placed fifth among the top 10 business incubators in North America.

The ranking was done by UBI Global, a Swedish based firm which benchmarks and indexes university incubation programs. It will announce its global rankings on Nov. 25.

Paul Paolatto, executive director at Western Research Parks, would describe business incubators as “a place where the university has an opportunity to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of its students and faculty members and staff.”

Western Research Parks provide a range of commercial and business development services to its tenants, which range from start-ups to large multinational corporations.

“The incubator also plays a role in stimulating small business opportunities for entrepreneurs and the park plays a role in providing not just space but a range of services through some of its partner organizations like TechAlliance and WORLDiscoveries,” Paolatto said.

The park is home to over 200,000 square feet of office space, lab space and industrial grade space. According to Paolatto, there are multiple factors that differentiate Western Research Parks from other incubators — the job output per dollar input is very high and they’ve gotten a lot of success given the limited amount of funds.

“Secondly, we graduate a lot of companies into the marketplace who go on to have successful establishments elsewhere in the city or are acquired by larger entities elsewhere in the country,” he said.

He added that the park does well in attracting capital to the community from outside the region. Western Research Parks is a self funded organization, which is quite unique in North America according to Paolatto. They accomplish this by providing space to larger commercial tenants who cross subsidize the smaller incubatees.

“It allows us to pay for our services without negatively impacting the core mission of Western University,” he said.

To further improve as an incubator, the park seeks to build more capacity for the growing number of business that are seeking to locate in other facilities as they have full occupancy right now.

“What we’re proud of is we have an excellent track record of fostering young business from ideas to a successful commercial enterprise,” Paolatto said. n

www.westerngazette.ca

4 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

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HAIDA LIU GAZETTE TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE THAT’S NOT MY FLAG. For the past few years, students have been greeted by flags from countries around the world on all levels of the UCC atrium. After students complained about not seeing their flag up, the University decided to put up single coloured triangular flags so students wouldn’t feel left out.

Flags no longer displayed for International Week DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE The return of International Week at Western has caused a buzz in the University Community Centre this week with numerous booths, music and colour in the atrium — but no flags from countries around the world.

International Week is a campus-wide celebration which aims to celebrate the international community and diversity on campus and this year there are 70 events on the schedule for this week happening across campus.

Kris Dundas, communications officer with Western International, said International Week is also an opportunity to help students

explore different international opportunities including exchange programs, internships, research-related opportunities and alternative spring break.

However, this year an indicative feature of International Week and its festivities is absent in the UCC – the numerous country flags that would be hanging around the atrium.

“The flags let the whole Western community know it’s International Week. This year a lot of people are just like maybe it’s here for a day and don’t know of the other events,” Alison Cavanagh, a fourth-year MIT student said.

According to Dundas, there are multiple reasons for the lack of flags at this year’s International Week at

Western. The flags were traditionally hung by USC’s Ethnocultural Support Services. Over the years, she said they’ve lost flags, people have stolen them and they’ve become outdated. Dundas also said that in the past couple of years, students felt excluded if their flag wasn’t hung or there were other issues.

During last year’s International Week, the flag display inside UCC stirred up controversy among some students. The presence of the outdated Syrian flag, absence of the Palestinian flag while the Israeli flag was hung, and the fact that the Iraqi flag was hung backwards all caused a few students to speak up.

“This year we chose — also based on the fact we don’t have all

the flags to represent all cultures and nations — that we would hang generic colors instead,” Dundas said.

Students in the UCC atrium taking part in this year’s International Week have expressed fondness over flag displays from previous years.

“I think it brings a sense of community to Western,” said fourthyear kinesiology student Allana Coloine Robertson.

Dundas said they had come up with an alternative for students looking to see their nation represented.

“In place of hanging the flags for students, we’ve allowed them to draw and colour their own flag as part of an exhibit in the atrium this week so students can draw a

flag from the country or culture they’re from, or they can make up their own flag and allow them to contribute to the flag mosaic,” Dundas said.

“We didn’t want to loose the opportunity for people to show their pride in where they come from but we also didn’t want to create so many issues that we’ve created in the past,” she added.

Students also pointed out the benefits of the country flag display to international students at Western.

“I like the flags better, it’s just more physical for people that are coming in, more welcoming and more exciting,” said Brad Ververs, fifth-year science student. n

Student brings 45 second steak to your doorstep JENNIFER REDDON CONTRIBUTOR @NEWSATGAZETTE A fourth-year Ivey business student’s startup company, Kappa Foods Inc., has developed the world’s first instant steak that heats up in 45 seconds.

Founder Bill Zhou felt as though he did not have the time to cook great meals as a busy university student. He wanted an alternative to the unhealthy instant meals many university students resort to.

A class feasibility project presented Zhou with an opportunity to develop a proposal for a healthy high-end alternative to instant meals. Realizing the potential of the product, Zhou took the initiative to make his vision a reality.

“I got a lot of help from a lot of people,” Zhou said.

He teamed up with Nicholo Plaza, a research chef, and the two set out to develop a solution for good food without the hassle. Thanks to different advisers, professors and corporate partners, founders Zhou and Plaza were able to launch their company.

Kappa spent a year researching and developing a cooking technique before testing their instant steaks at

COURTESY OF KAPPA FOODS

TechToronto and Autostrada Forum, two events attended by over 1,000 guests where the product received positive feedback.

Despite the convenience food industry being highly criticized for the use of artificial preservatives, the AAA striploin instant steak is made with all-natural ingredients.

“It contains beef, water, salt and vinegar…. That’s it, there’s nothing [unnatural] in there,” Zhou said.

The product is now available to pre-order on Kickstarter and the steaks stay fresh for up to three

weeks in the fridge upon arrival without freezing. They can be shipped to 48 states in the United States and to major cities in Canada.

“Here in Canada we can cover approximately from Quebec City to Windsor, as well as Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary,” Zhou added.

Zhou says a lot of Western students are supporting his startup on Kickstarter. Students can find more information about the product and order it on the Kickstarter page. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE

W

ith his family behind him, Peter Fragiskatos handily won his first federal race in October and is ready to prove himself in Ottawa.

Born into a vibrant Greek family in London, Ontario, Fragiskatos lived on Egerton Street with his brother and sister, and spent the first seven years in the city before moving to Exeter, a town half an hour north of London.

“As a group we are very close knit family and not just my immediate family — I see my second cousins as my first cousins and first cousins as brothers and sisters. Family is everything for me,” he says.

Fragiskatos credits his grandmothers as playing an essential role in his upbringing. While his maternal grandmother used to live with him, his paternal grandmother would come to Canada every six months to visit her children and grandchildren.

“It’s one of the reasons I’m fluent in Greek, it was the only way to converse with my grandmothers,” he says with a chuckle.

Growing up, Fragiskatos was influenced by leaders such as Lester B. Pearson and Robert Kennedy.

“I read voraciously on those two people. Pearson was so instrumental to Canadian foreign policy,” he says.

“Unfortunately [Kennedy] didn’t get the chance to become president of the United States but I think his message of peace, hope and opportunity still resonate today.”

Fragiskatos returned to London in his late teens to begin his undergraduate education at King’s University College at Western. He studied philosophy, history and sociology, but his main focus was always political science. He fondly remembers his undergraduate days and appreciates the faculty for having a genuine and caring attitude towards students.

Fragiskatos then went on to complete his Master’s degree in international relations at Queen’s University and a PhD, also in international relations, from Cambridge University in England.

At Cambridge, Fragiskatos focused on the problems facing the Kurdish people and looked at the history of Kurdish human rights advocacy from the 1920s to the modern day.

“I had the chance to work with some of the finest minds when it comes to international affairs. I spent about four years there and it’s an experience I’ll never forget,” he says.

Fragiskatos then returned as a faculty member to King’s. He spent half his time teaching and the other half writing for various media organizations.

His works have been published in both national and international outlets including Maclean’s, the Toronto Star, BBC and CNN. He thoroughly enjoyed his time teaching and thinks students genuinely care about the world around them.

“There’s this idea of youth apathy — I think it’s a myth. I really think young people care a great deal about their communities, it’s just a matter of making sure they are able to find pursuits that match their interests,” he says.

It was during his mid-20s when Fragiskatos really started to get interested in politics. He started volunteering for different organizations but the issue closest to his heart was poverty.

He felt that getting involved in the political process was a critical way to make a change in society. Fragiskatos became a member of the local Liberal riding association, then the chair of community outreach and it culminated in him running and winning the nomination for the Liberal Party candidacy for London North Centre.

On August 4, 2015, the campaign officially kicked off for Canada’s 42nd federal election. Fragiskatos, now 34

and his campaign team started knocking on doors and calling voters in the riding. Fragiskatos credits his family and campaign staff for providing him constant support and encouragement on the long campaign trail.

On election night, Fragiskatos watched the results come out with his partner Katy Boychuk, his family and members of his campaign team. It was a euphoric night and Fragiskatos received a hero’s welcome when he arrived at his campaign party at Western Fair. However, Fragiskatos is wary of getting too caught up in celebrations.

“I was very cognizant of the fact that there’s a lot of work to do,” he says. “We have a real responsibility as Members of Parliament to be the voice of our community in Ottawa and that’s why I’m doing this.”

Fragiskatos sees a number of local issues that he wants to advocate for at the federal level. At the top of his agenda is transit.

“London is the only major city in Canada without a rapid transit system and we need to change that,” he says.

Fragiskatos plans to work with the municipal government on transit issues and strongly advocate for the city’s plans in Ottawa. Federally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made infrastructure a central part of his election campaign and Fragiskatos feels transit is central in those plans.

Apart from transit, Fragiskatos feels strongly about economic issues of the middle class and the plight of seniors around the country.

“I’m very concerned about the plight of seniors and the fact that we have an aging population, we have to make sure our healthcare system recognizes that fact and is prepared for it going down the road,” he says.

Fragiskatos has a keen interest in foreign affairs and wants Canada’s voice to be restored on the international stage. He also wants to pay particular attention to Canada-Africa relations. The Canadian government took their focus off of Africa under Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s leadership but Fragiskatos feels that the continent exhibits a substantial potential for growth and business development.

“We should restore the efforts made under [former Prime Minister] Paul Martin and actually engage the African continent and not only on moral basis but because it makes economic sense to do so,” he says.

Fragiskatos condemned the recent terror attacks in Paris and elsewhere in the world.

“These attacks need to condemned — we always have to speak out against terrorism. We have to do that as Members of Parliament, we also have to do as Canadians as well,” he says.

Fragiskatos agrees with Trudeau’s plans to train local forces on the ground such as the Kurdish Peshmerga in the fight against ISIS. He believes in Trudeau’s collaborative leadership style and is excited to work with him.

“I can tell you in our first caucus meeting he was unequivocal,” he says.

“MPs have a primary responsibility and that is to be the voice of their communities and when you have a prime minister who doesn’t only believe that but continually reinforces, that says to me that we have the kind of leader who is going to take the role … seriously.”

Fragiskatos plans on keeping in continual touch with his constituents and other stakeholders in his riding, including student councils, to advocate for their issues in Ottawa.

With the House of Commons reconvening for the first time since the election on December 3, Fragiskatos is hopeful and optimistic for the future of the country under the new Liberal government.

“We are all anxious to get to work,” he says. n

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 • 5

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Fragiskatos driven by family and hope for the future

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

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6 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

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Men’s basketball has tough stretch before break SHANE ROBERTS SPORTS EDITOR @SHANEATGAZETTE The Western Mustangs men’s basketball team opened up the Ontario University Athletics season in a position they are not used to. For the first time in a while, the team started the season ranked in the top 10 in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.

Their top ranking was due to their strong pre-season and the return of a lot of their key players from last season.

So far, the team has had an up and down start. In their season opener, they crushed the Waterloo Warriors but found themselves on the losing end in their next game against the Laurier Golden Hawks.

After their loss to the Golden Hawks, they bounced back with a big victory over the Windsor Lancers in their away game last weekend.

This weekend the team faces a tough matchup against the fifthranked team in the CIS, the Ryerson Rams, on Friday, Nov. 20, at Alumni Hall.

“Ryerson’s an outstanding team

and they shoot an awful lot of three pointers and... a good percentage,” said Western coach Brad Campbell.

“They have an awful lot of talent, so we just have to make sure defensively we’re gonna be able to contest a lot of threes and make sure they’re not getting good high-percentage looks.”

The game will be a statement game for the Mustangs and one that could solidify them as one of the true contenders in the OUA this season. After the Ryerson game, the team plays again at home against the University of Toronto on Sunday, Nov. 22.

Following the games this weekend, the team will head to Ottawa to face off against the Ottawa Gee Gees and the Carleton Ravens next weekend. Coach Campbell spoke of the challenges they face in their upcoming games.

“Our league is absolutely brutal in terms of the high-level quality of teams,” he said. “In our next four games we have Ryerson, who’s in the top 10 in the country, U of T is gonna be a difficult game and then you play

By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

You don’t have to sit in school to stand among greatness.

the top two teams in the country in Ottawa and Carleton the next weekend. We don’t really get any games in our league where you’re gonna say, ‘that’s gonna be [a] win.’ ” Of the top 10 teams in the country, six of them are from the OUA. If Western were to win a couple of the games against Ryerson, Ottawa or Carleton, it would be a good confidence builder for the team.

“We think that our goal is to get [to] the final four of Ontario, [which would give us] a shot to win a game to go to nationals,” said Campbell.

“We’re gonna have to beat some of those teams to get there, so this is a great early season test for us to see where we are.”

If they are going to beat these offensive powerhouses, the Mustangs will need to keep up their strong defensive play. So far, Western has held its opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the OUA. They also need to work on other aspects of their game.

“Our defensive rebounding at times is an issue,” explained Campbell. “We’ve got to continue each game [to] find secondary options and ways to score. Greg Morrow is relied on in our offence to get a lot of points ... and we’ve got to continue to find second and third options that are going to help him out in that regard.”

After the games against Ottawa and Carleton, Western will have a break from OUA competition until January. During this time, the Mustangs will not be resting very much. They will be taking one week off at the start of December and one during Christmas, but the rest of the time they will be in the gym looking to stay in top shape for the new year.

The team opens up 2016 with an exhibition game on Jan. 2 in Buffalo, Ont., against D’Youville College. n

RAINER HILLAND MUSTANG ATHLETICS READY, AIM, FIRE. Mustang forward Greg Morrow prepares to take a free throw in a game against the Waterloo Warriors on Nov. 4 at Alumni Hall.

Men’s volleyball faces number one team in CIS SHANE ROBERTS SPORTS EDITOR @SHANEATGAZETTE

› Thomas Edison: The world’s most extraordinary failure never gave up.

Thank goodness.

open. online. everywhere. go.athabascau.ca/online-courses

The Western Mustangs men’s volleyball team faces their toughest test of the season on Friday night in Hamilton against the McMaster Marauders. The Marauders are currently the number one ranked team in Canadian Interuniversity Sport and have won the Ontario University Athletics championship three years in a row.

In the past few years, the Mustangs have had a decent amount of success against the Marauders. Last October, they kicked off their season by beating the Marauders in Hamilton in a five set thriller. They also upset the Marauders in the CIS semifinal in February 2014. If they hope to bring back some of this magic again this year, they will need to find a way to stop McMaster’s star player.

“We have to find a way to slow down Stephen Maar,” said Mustangs co-captain Mike Choja.

“In my opinion, he’s the best left side in the country right now and is definitely a huge part to their success. If we can find a way to slow him up at McMaster that will be one of our keys to victory.”

The team will also need to play

much better than they did in their last game on Sunday against the Queen’s Golden Gaels. They lost to Queen’s in straight sets in a home matchup they probably should have won.

“Stepping away from that Queen’s match, we definitely need to be more aggressive as servers… we made a lot of serving errors in that Queen’s match,” Choja said.

“And you have to take into account not only the errors but the weaker serves put in by us.”

The bench players will also need to continue to step up and play a role. In past years, the bench has not had much of a presence.

“This year our bench has been a quintessential part of our success… especially with two games in a weekend for some of us older guys… our bodies are breaking down a little bit and to be able to have that little bit of rest time is so big for us,” said Choja.

Following the game against McMaster, the Mustangs will be back on the road Saturday night against the Waterloo Warriors.

The Warriors will pose a challenge with their speedy style of play.

Choja reiterated the importance of strong serving in the game against the Warriors in order to slow down

their fast paced offence. After this weekend on the road, Choja will be happy to return to Alumni Hall to play games against the Ryerson Rams and the Toronto Varsity Blues on November 27 and November 28 before the team gets a break from competition until January.

“Myself being a London guy and growing up watching Western volleyball I really enjoy playing at home... I really enjoy playing in front of all the fans,” said Choja.

“It’s a huge thrill for me to look up especially at that Queen’s game when we got a ton of people out. To see my family and friends there and just see a full stands and everybody getting loud and rowdy.”

After already losing two games early in the season, these games over the next two weekends will be important for the Mustangs to maintain their place in the standings. They can not afford to slip in the standings and risk their chances of making the OUA playoffs and qualifying for the CIS tournament in Hamilton this year. As they proved by upsetting two top teams to win the silver medal in the 2014 CIS tournament, all they need to do is find a way into the tournament to give themselves a shot at a CIS title. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 • 7

insight

Behind the whistle [Players] really dehumanize refs. We’re all students.

We’re all individuals. We’re all human. We have personal lives too.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS SENIOR BASKETBALL REFEREE

AMY WANG GAZETTE CALLING THE SHOTS. Senior intramural basketball referee Michael Williams blows the whistle during a Sunday game at the Western Recreation Centre.

It takes courage — and being able to withstand a lot of abuse — to officiate your peers as they compete in intramurals HALA GHONAIM SPORTS EDITOR @HALAATGAZETTE

Y

ou look up. The scoreboard stares back at you as you wait for the number to increase.

You hear a whistle. A familiar red shirt reading “OFFICIAL” in bold approaches you.

Not again. What now? “[They] swear … and in the end they’ll push and shove and they say that it’s by accident when it’s not,” says Tareq Tayeh, a third-year engineering student at Western.

“It’s normal because it’s all tension. They play their hearts out and when they’re losing, you just expect abuse.”

It’s Tayeh’s first year officiating intramural soccer and futsal.

Before applying last year, he noticed Western’s wide variety of competitive and recreational sports including flag rugby, innertube water polo, dodgeball and even quidditch. Taking part in intramural sports was the best way for him to get involved in campus recreation without jeopardizing his school work.

It takes courage to become a referee. Despite the importance of sportsmanship, an officiating position gives one person power, which often makes the ref the most important person in the game.

However, with control comes manipulation. If Tayeh can’t back up a call every time the whistle is blown, the game’s dynamic can quickly change.

“[The senior referees] are not scared of their players at all,” he says. “They don’t care whether to give a red card in the first second [of the game] or a yellow card and shout at the players. They can control the game easily.... If a player comes and abuses you, you don’t know what to do. But an experienced ref knows what to do.”

All referees have the authority to write up a report on any aggressive athletes regardless of the level of experience they may have. Despite the power officials hold, it’s important to note that they are not experts.

First-year futsal official Malasha D’Souza has to constantly encourage herself to stay confident with her calls. There were many times when she doubted her decision to officiate.

“A female player comes up to me and says, ‘Do you even know how to play this game? Do you know the rules?’ ” D’Souza recalls. “That’s ridiculous. If we weren’t suitable to be here, then we wouldn’t be here.”

Although players can lose their temper in the heat of the game, not all of their morals are lost with them. Male referees have a more dominant presence on the field than female referees, which could lead to power struggles. But D’Souza sees no double standard of sports sexuality at Western, though she did notice something else.

“Male athletes to female referees will be more civilized in comparison to male referees,” she says.

Regardless of gender, new referees are taught to stand their ground so players don’t take advantage of the game. Western Recreation offers extra training sessions to deal with verbal and potentially physically abusive situations. The aim is for both players and referees to walk away from a game without any reports.

D’Souza is always looking for new approaches to officiating, but it gets difficult when some players dehumanize the referees. D’Souza notes that referees sometimes encounter treatment that would be deemed unacceptable elsewhere.

“Think of the word ‘abuse,’ ” she says. “It’s not what one student should be doing to another student. If we’re talking in terms of legality this could be huge. But because we’re on a field … we suck it up.”

Conflict and triumph come with every sport, with some games being more intense than others.

Senior hockey official Sean Fry, however, hasn’t had much trouble on the ice. Once he puts on the uniform, the players respect him as an authority figure.

The biggest difference between ice hockey officials and other intramural referees is in the additional Hockey Canada certification required — and the higher wages.

Although all referees follow the same mandate, Fry links the extra certification to more complex situations on the ice. Nonetheless, he faces the same situations as other referees.

“In every sport, things get said on the ice or field, regardless,” he says. “You have to learn it’s not a personal attack on you. People are in the heat of the moment.”

Throughout his years, Fry has learned to brush off criticisms and focus on the physical activity of the game. The intramural program at Western takes into account

the importance of physical health and student life. It’s a perk you won’t receive at a desk job. An official also learns life skills that are transferable to future work environments, such as making quick decisions and working in pressured environments.

What kept senior basketball referee Michael Williams coming back for six years wasn’t personal progress, however — it was the collective team’s growth. Williams works to improve the dynamic between the ref and the players through his tradition of introducing himself briefly before every game.

“They really dehumanize refs,” he says. “We’re all students. We’re all individuals. We’re all human. We have personal lives too.”

Although he’s been confident in articulating his rulings, Williams understands that every referee’s learning style is different, which is why the intramural referees have convenors to constantly check up on them. With time, good referees learn discipline and organization in order to look past the hardships they face. Honesty is also essential for anyone hoping to win over the trust of the players, similar to the way courage is necessary for dealing with disappointment and anger.

Regardless of the struggle, the end goal is worth every whistle.

“It makes me feel good inside when I see two teams after a hard game,” Williams says. “One accepts losing and one accepts victory and they’ll be able to look each other in the eye and be able to accept hands.

That’s called sportspersonship.”

At the end of the game, don’t keep a grudge over the whistle that called you out. Tayeh, D’Souza, Fry and Williams are students, athletes and teachers. The red shirt is temporary and the referees underneath them are only trying to help.

Let’s appreciate them. n

Think of the word ‘abuse.’ It’s not what one student should be doing to another student. If we’re talking in terms of legality this could be huge. But because we’re on a field … we suck it up.

MALASHA D’SOUZA FUTSAL REFEREE

www.westerngazette.ca

8 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

insight

•

Future of Forest City MOSES MONTERROZA ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @MOSESATGAZETTE

The city of London may be looking at a bright and promising future.

As the millennial generation continues to mature, we are beginning to see how their ambitions, ideals and innovations are imperative to the city’s development.

That’s where individuals like Amir Farahi come in. He’s a young man with ambition that has driven him to lengths uncommon for his age.

The third-year political science and economics student is co-founder of a federal non-profit think tank called the London Institute of Public Policy.

“We basically have a focus on public policy research but we also have a consulting arm that takes the research and uses it as a pool of knowledge that we can then provide our clients,” says Farahi.

The premise is simple: think and do. LIPP focuses on using extensive research with the collaboration of local political, business and communal actors, and implementing it on policy and infrastructural projects that help bolster the city’s environment.

Their mission is to rebuild London and lay out the foundation for a progressive and innovative city.

“We want to focus on branding the city as a place where new ideas, inventions and technologies are produced,” says Farahi.

“We want to focus on building new industries and diversifying our economy by attracting research and development in areas of artificial intelligence, robots and things like machine to machine learning, biology and nano technology; the

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE ON TOP OF THE WORLD. Arthur Gonzales, Amir Farahi and Robert Anderson, co-founders of the think tank London Institute of Public Policy.

sorts of things that really make us a hub for the new economy.”

By taking a multidisciplinary approach, the think tank aims to bring together the minds from engineering and computer programming to social science and the humanities in order to create a much more consolidated city.

Robert Anderson, co-founder and board president of LIPP and financial security advisor, says combing these minds is imperative.

“We want engineering students who understand infrastructure like, for example, bridges, buildings and also technology,” says Anderson.

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“We’re also trying to connect the ideas of both community, business and government, so we need political science students who understand the system,” he adds. “But not only that, we want computer science students as well who will work with data and technological innovation.”

While London has focused on many of these initiatives already, they have had difficulties in implementing and achieving their goals.

For the most part, there is a schism between industries in London that LIPP hopes to break.

“We’re hoping to break down those silos and provide new fresh

ideas and basically have young people take ownership in having a stake in large scale projects,” says Farahi. “We want to provide young people the resources they need and to give them the support services to be able to be successful.”

At the moment, the London Institute is working with Western in the hopes of retaining London talent and bringing in more student involvement. Through the community engaged learning program, the think tank is providing social science students with firsthand experience in research.

Students like Benjamin Charlebois, fourth-year honours

political science student, are directly involved in the CEL program with the LIPP. “It’s a co-op placement type of scenario. I’m currently working a study on the perception of the citizens of London towards various aspects of life in London,” says Charlebois. “I’m trying to figure out what the average person thinks about the economy, environment and academia.”

As of right now, there are high hopes for the future of London — changing its narrative and pushing for the future — but whether or not that happens, only time will tell. n

Come on and slam RICHARD JOSEPH ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @RJATGAZETTE

There’s reading Hamlet’s soliloquies and then there’s seeing Benedict Cumberbatch perform them. The spoken word has always captivated audiences, but poetry today is largely seen as words written on a page.

Luckily, the oral tradition is being revitalized in the form of spoken word poetry. Holly Painter, director of the London Poetry Slam, calls the distinction “page poetry” versus “stage poetry.”

“Spoken word really allows people to be self-expressive,” she explains. “People speak on their own stories and issues affecting them personally… that’s the nature of how engaging spoken word can be, it creates dialogue between the performer and the audience listening.”

The London Poetry Slam holds a performance workshop every month at the London Music Club, with audiences ranging from 100 to 150 people. It is a competition, complete with volunteer judges from the community, but above all it is a space for self-expression. Each performer tells their story and each has a distinctive voice.

“Everyone has their own individual style… [but] you’ll see a similar kind of rhythm sometimes,” Painter explains.

There are certain intonations and styles of delivery that have become

standard, but by and large it is not a medium based on convention.

“What I love about spoken word is when people just don’t worry about the poetry slam — the competitive aspect — and just embrace it as a performance art form,” she continues. “Then people can really sort of explore what they can do with their voice and their poetry.”

Remi Kanazi, a PalestinianAmerican spoken word artist and activist, is a prominent figure in performance poetry. His passion for spoken word started when his siblings took him to see a poetry jam on Broadway.

“It was the first time I saw poets talking about social justice in Palestine, or what was going on in the community. For me, I was just immediately pushed to pick up a pen, get on stage and take to the mic,” he explains.

Kanazi has authored two major collections of poetry and he performs his work all over the world.

In addition, Kanazi focuses on universal issues, namely systems of oppression and injustice.

“Whether that’s the execution of Mike Brown in Ferguson, the uprising in Baltimore, or occupation and apartheid in Palestine, you’re appealing to a lot of people,” he explains.

Spoken word poetry is a unique and humanities-oriented way to play a role in global political issues.

He believes university students can

have a meaningful role in world politics, but not necessarily through politicians.

“The road to freedom… is not through the steps of capitol hill, it’s through the grassroots,” he explains.

“The more coalition building that happens, the more we’re challenging the media and dominant forces, the more we can take back spaces. We won’t have a perfect world, or an ideal world, but we’ll have a better one than we live in today.”

Kanazi was attracted to poetry initially because it had a particular audience — he had written op-eds on the issues in Palestine, but he felt that he was one of thousands doing the same. With performance poetry, he was able to express himself fully and get across to a younger demographic.

With the same aim of communicating with an audience of passionate young people, the London Poetry Slam is hosting an open mic night at Western next week.

“We’re hoping to get some students who are interested in poetry slams but maybe they haven’t been able to get out to the London Poetry Slam events. It’s a great way to get interested and connected with the arts community,” Paonter says.

The open mic night will be at the Spoke on November 27 at 8 p.m. For more information, visit londonpoetryslam.ca. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 • 9

insightopinions

Trudeau offers hope but he’s not perfect Breaking Brad

BRADLEY METLIN OPINIONS EDITOR @BRADATGAZETTE There are probably a handful of Canadians that most people around the world can name: Justin Bieber, Michael J. Fox, Margaret Atwood, Drake. But you can add a new name to the list: Justin Trudeau.

Since his surprise election to a majority government on October 19, Trudeau has quickly developed an international reputation. At first, the attention focused on his good looks which are, to be blunt, a-typical for a politician. Twitter feeds became clogged by those in other countries sending out pictures of Trudeau with heart-eyed emojis.

His handsomeness and increasing profile have now prompted Vogue to mobilize a photographer to Parliament Hill in order capture our now famous prime minister. Indeed, Trudeau’s young charisma has electrified the nation in a way that most likely did not expect. Much like his father, it appears we are in a state of “Trudeaumania” once again; sixty per cent of Canadians say they approve of the job that Trudeau has done while 55 per cent say they would vote for the Liberal Party if there was an election redo.

While his mic drop response of “because it’s 2015” when asked to respond to gender parity in has cabinet was greeted by social media adulation, it’s interesting to note that it wasn’t a spontaneous moment.

When Trudeau invited reporter Peter Mansbridge to shadow him on his first day as prime minister, there was a conversation with his staff where the response was essentially drafted beforehand.

I don’t doubt that Trudeau is genuine about gender parity, but it almost sours some of the bluntness of the moment. In a cabinet that has

been called “one of the deepest in talent in modern history,” I almost wish his response would have been “because they’re qualified.”

Of course, this might just seem like I’m splitting hairs at this point but the larger issue I’m getting at is that Trudeau is not perfect.

Canadians and the world have quickly adopted this image of him as this larger than life figure who will seemingly save us all.

There have been a series of good moves early on, like allowing scientists the ability to speak openly about their research, but these are the early days. Trudeau is getting attention for rolling back the unpopular aspects of the Harper government. The heavy lifting has not yet begun in Ottawa.

The “just not ready” moniker is not yet dead. Once Trudeau makes a misstep on an important issue and no longer is fighting battles that the majority of Canadians can get behind, he will begin to face increased scrutiny.

The attack in Paris may be the first thing that could dent Trudeau’s popularity. Former Liberal cabinet minister Ujjal Dosanjh has come out and said that Canada should not end the mission against ISIS while Trudeau has already said ending the mission is his intention. This will be a crucial moment for Trudeau and how he responds could set the tone for the rest of his time in office.

As someone who was not hoping for a Liberal majority that gave Trudeau keys to the prime minister’s office for four years, I have found myself optimistic about his mandate. I’m strongly considering purchasing the “dreamy Trudeau” sweater, mostly out of novelty, but also because I’m hopeful that Canada can move in a positive direction under the Liberals.

It’s important to remember that he’s far from perfect — he doesn’t actually ride a horse in front of a brightly coloured background — and there will be mistakes along the way. We should judge Trudeau on his decisions and actions, not his image. n

WE GET LETTERS!

Nov. 11 is not about Western Re: “Western’s Contributions to WWI will not be forgotten,” Tuesday November 11, 2014 To the editor: On Remembrance Day we remember the fallen. We thank those who gave their lives and those who continue to give their lives in service of our country.

We preserve a humble message of gratitude thanks so that it may be passed on to our children. I was sorely disappointed that this message was not the one conveyed during Wednesday’s ceremony on our campus.

Remembrance Day is not for boasting about Western’s achievements, nor is it an opportunity for branding. And yet, during Wednesday’s ceremony The Gazette article “Western’s contributions to WWI will not be forgotten” from last year was read almost verbatim.

The article tells the story of how the Great War changed academic life at Western. It spoke of how conscription caused enrolment at Western

to plummet in 1917. It did not speak strongly and clearly about the sacrifice of those who volunteered or those who were forced to join the fight. I do not deny that Western was able to make a unique and important contribution on the home-front. But Wednesday’s ceremony was neither the time nor the place for such self-aggrandizing.

Remembrance Day is also not a platform for glorifying the military. We remember that there are many who voluntarily serve our country today, but at Wednesday’s ceremony, the importance of being grateful to those who serve in our military was sullied by what appeared to be a half-hearted attempt at recruitment to the Canadian Forces.

I applaud the university’s choice to hold a ceremony that tries to connect current students to the memory of the war by placing us in the shoes of the students who came before us. But it seems that, despite the title of that Gazette article, we have forgotten the most important of Western’s contributions to WWI: Not one name of a Western student who made the ultimate sacrifice was read aloud.

HAIDA LIU GAZETTE

No flags is no solution

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

If you walked into the University Community Centre this week, you will have noticed colourful triangle banners adorning the railings in the atrium.

No, it’s not your grandmother’s birthday celebration, nor is it Maritime Awareness Week. It’s International Week. But you probably wouldn’t have guessed that from the decorations this year.

International Week is hosted by Western University and the flags are put up by Ethnocultural Support Services, who are a part of the University Students’ Council. In the past, over 70 flags from different countries around the world would decorate the atrium. Last year, some students complained to the USC because their flag was not displayed, was displayed incorrectly or was an old version of their country’s flag.

The USC apologized to these students and explained that they were unable to find certain flags and that they had limited space to post the flags. Rather than address the issue or find a workaround, this year, the USC decided not to put up any national flags.

It is not unreasonable for a student to ask where their country’s flag is; however, it is unreasonable for the USC to decide not to post any flags at all.

The USC is increasingly subscribing to an overly politically correct nature. They would rather remove all flags, which the vast majority of students look Acknowledgement of those young lives lost was brief, en masse, and made only in passing. We can do better. On November 11th, 2016, and every Remembrance Day that follows, let us remember those who were forced to fight and those who died so institutions like Western could continue to exist.

AVITAL STERNIN MASTERS OF PSYCHOLOGY II

Column did not depict the military fairly Re: “CAF Shouldn’t Pay Tuition for Military Recruits,” Thursday November 12, 2015 To the editor: Jenny Jay’s column on tuition funding from the Canadian Armed Forces is not an accurate depiction of what happens.

The piece is full of misleading

forward to, than potentially offend or explain the reason behind certain flags being omitted. This decision takes the celebration of diversity out of International Week and is more of a cop-out than a solution.

You can’t stop everything because you get a complaint. That’s no way to run an event.

International Week is about appreciating a wide variety of cultures. In past years, students would walk around the atrium and try to find their country’s flag — something special to an international student living in a foreign country.

It is unrealistic to believe that the USC can have every flag of every student who attends Western on hand, but that doesn’t mean no flags is the solution.

The USC should also look to Housing Services, who post every flag of students living in their residences when they come and perhaps they can borrow them for International Week. Alternatively, the USC can have every flag playing on a slideshow on one of their many screens in the UCC or, if they manage to acquire more flags than there is space, possibly rotate flags throughout the week.

While it’s nice to see the USC listening to students, they’re taking a few complaints too far and taking the fun spirit out of International Week. n

information, sweeping generalizations and condescension. That it was timed for publication the day after Remembrance Day is sickening.

Most egregiously, Jay states as fact that “the funding program is not actually helpful for those looking to establish a career beyond the military.” She argues the mandatory years of service will actually damage career prospects following release – it will leave recruits “at a disadvantage in comparison to other individuals in the same streams who are years ahead of them.”

That’s certainly far from the truth.

Let’s take a dentistry student enrolled in the dental officer training plan. They graduate, debt-free, and become a dental officer. They spend six or seven years polishing and fixing up the teeth of personnel and maybe serve overseas. They decommission and leave the Forces.

For Jay, this person would actually lag behind their dental school colleagues after their service. The same apparently goes for medical, legal and bioscience officers, among others in uniform. What’s the reasoning behind this? Jay does not explain.

Jay states, again as fact, that paid tuition “is reflective of young people’s lack of interest in joining the CAF in the first place.” No evidence or even anecdotes are offered, but at this point I’m not surprised.

Enlisting in the Forces was one of the best decisions I ever made – and no my tuition wasn’t paid for.

Anyone who signed up for such “perks” washed out quickly.

If this is the type of “insight” The Gazette is dedicating a whole section of the paper to, I would rather be unenlightened.

RICHARD RAYCRAFT JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION I

Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors or staff. To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Contact.”

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

experience

•

Top 10 tips for happily living alone KATIE LEAR NEWS EDITOR @KATIEATGAZETTE If the idea of living with five of your closest floormates from residence makes you want to run for cover, know that you’re not alone.

Whatever your reason may be — perhaps you’re a strong introvert, or maybe you just really value your 1 a.m. shower concerts — living by yourself can be a great option for students, if you can afford it. As it can be a little daunting striking out on your own, here are 10 tips I’ve assembled after living on my own for the past two years.

1) REMEMBER THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. When looking for a place to live alone, it’s worth paying a little extra for some added security because there will be a time when you’ll hear something go bump in the night and be thankful for it. As well as building security, try to get an apartment high off of street level — this will keep your place from being an obvious target for break-ins. And

finally, test all of the locks on any place you may be considering. If the locks haven’t been changed recently or look flimsy, ask if they can be replaced before you move in.

2) MAKE FRIENDS NEARBY. I don’t care if you have an immune system the gods would be envious of — there will be a day when you’re too sick to get out of bed, let alone buy some groceries.

It’s invaluable to have a few friends nearby who can check in on you on sick days or even come along on grocery trips. But more importantly, it’s nice to have some friends in the building for some social interaction, even if it’s limited to small talk in the laundry room. Don’t be afraid to say hi to your neighbours!

3) KEEP YOUR LANDLORD’S INFORMATION HANDY. The day you move in, add your landlord to your phone contacts, take a photo of their contact information or favourite it – do whatever you need to do, but make sure that information is on hand for when your sink clogs for no earthly reason.

The last thing you want to be doing during a crisis is scrambling for your landlord’s contact information in a pile of mail you haven’t touched in two months — trust me.

4) BE SMART WITH YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING. Buying groceries while living alone is easily one of the most aggravating tasks. While it’s not necessary to own a car to live alone, it definitely makes life a whole lot more convenient and you’ll feel this the strongest when you’re waiting half an hour for the bus to come with your four bags of groceries. But if you keep a few staples on hand, you’ll never be without a nighttime snack. Hey, no one’s judging.

Easy-to-prepare items like cans of soup, beans and tuna can be lifesavers as they’re quick meals you can make when feeling tired.

You’ll also go through a carton of eggs faster than you’ll realize, so keep them handy. These kinds of foods are invaluable for tiding you over between regular shopping trips and help cut down on the weekly

groceries you’ll have to pick up.

5) BACKGROUND NOISE IS KEY. Humans are pretty much programmed to find long periods of silence unnerving. Background noise can keep some of the loneliness at bay and give an added level of psychological security, especially at night. I’ve found apps like Coffitivity invaluable while doing homework. Podcasts are great to fall asleep to as well, especially for the first few weeks while you adjust to this new level of independence.

6) CHART A CLEAN-UP ROUTINE One of the best parts of living alone is that you don’t have to clean up anyone else’s mess. One of the worst parts of living alone is that no one is going to clean up your mess.

The easiest way to avoid living in an absolute pigsty is to establish a routine. Pick a day of the week for laundry and groceries and do a deep clean of your space at least once a month.

Once you have this routine, don’t let excuses get in your way. It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll do everything tomorrow, then the next day, then the next week and before you know it you’ll be pretty sure your dust bunnies have grown sentient. Stick to your routine and for the sake of your guests, don’t let dishes stack up.

7) INVEST IN SOME BASIC FIRST AID SUPPLIES. Keep a well-stocked first aid kit and plan for the worst and weirdest.

Don’t just keep a bottle of painkillers around and hope for the best.

Stock up on Tums, ice packs, ACE bandages, bandaids, aloe; anything you won’t want to be caught without in a worst-case scenario. Sure, your cupboard may end up looking like the nurse’s station at summer camp, but it’s definitely more than worth it.

8) FACE YOUR FEARS. Learn how to kill the metaphorical spider. Regardless of how independent you are, there is always

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Food For Thought ELLIS KOIFMAN GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Tucked away behind Food Island at Wonderland and Oxford is Happy Hotpot & BBQ, one of the few places in London to serve hotpot cuisine.

Upon entering, it looks like a simple restaurant with tables of four and six and a total capacity of about 120. You will quickly notice several built-in hot plates — one for each seat and a large one in the centre of the table.

For those who aren’t aware how hotpot works, you order plates of raw ingredients, ranging from meat and seafood to vegetables, which are thinly sliced and can be cooked in less than a minute. You are either given individual pots of boiling broth or one large pot to share. To order, you write numbers in boxes on the menu with an erasable marker, then hand it to the waiter.

Food comes stacked up on square plates in order to take up little table room.

While staff explained how the restaurant works, they didn’t elaborate until they were asked a few times. They were quick to bring us the plates of food and refill our broth

when necessary.

Sauces and drinks were located in an area at the back, but no hot tea was available. The broth is not included in the all-you-can-eat lunch price even though you need it to eat the meal.

I ordered the weekend hotpot lunch ($14.95) featuring the following items and the traditional soup base ($1.95).

APPETIZERS: Sesame tofu and seaweed salad. Both came cold and one of each was plenty for two people.

MEATS: Pork tenderloin and chicken slices. Beef and lamb were only available as part of the dinner menu for $10 more. Very thin slices. Some of the pork slices had quite a bit of fat or were mostly fat, but that’s to be expected given it is all-you-can-eat.

MIXED MEATBALLS: Beef, fried fish, mixed seafood, zhulun. Small pieces. The beef balls were really good and are a decent way to get around paying the dinner price for beef if you’re on a student budget.

SEAFOOD: Squid tentacle and baby squid. Baby squid was rather mushy and not very flavourful. Squid tentacles were really good albeit more chewy than expected.

VEGETABLES: Lotus root, lettuce, enoki

mushroom, taro. Good variety of options to try. The taro fell apart in the broth rather quickly. Large amounts of enoki mushrooms went great with the broth.

MAIN: Hotpot noodles. Thin glassy noodles. Tasted amazing with sesame sauce.

SAUCES: The peanut sauce was sweet and flavourful, the bean curd sauce was light and creamy and the sesame sauce had a strong taste like salt and vinegar. There were plenty of other options, including spicy sauces.

My personal top five to try were the pork slices, beef balls, udon or hotpot noodles, squid tentacles and sesame sauce.

PRICE: GGGGF: Acceptable price for an AYCE hotpot lunch but soup broth should not have been an additional charge.

ATMOSPHERE: G G G F F : Basic setup. Nothing too special.

SERVICE: GGGFF : Friendly and quick. Wasn’t great at explaining drinks and sauces.

FOOD & DRINK: GGGHF : Could have been a bit better quality but understandable given it is AYCE. No hot tea available.

OVERALL: GGGHF

ELLIS KOIFMAN GAZETTE

going to be one task that you hate doing. For me, it’s pulling shed hair out of the shower drain. But as awesome as living alone can be — hello, peeing with the door open is glorious, I don’t care who says otherwise — this also means that you can’t delegate the unpleasant tasks to anyone else.

Unless you’re willing to live with a couple of freeloading eight-legged roommates, it’s worth it in the long run to take a deep breath and do whatever you’ve been putting off.

It’ll suck in the moment, but once you’ve mastered that task, you can take on any unpleasantness to come.

9) BE CONFIDENT WITH YOUR CHOICE. Know that it’s totally okay to live by yourself. It may feel like you’re missing out on some of the wildest stories that come with living with a houseful of people, but at the end of the day, you’re also missing all of the horror stories of roommates that never clean, don’t pay rent, bring partners home in the middle of the night — you name it.

You may feel like you have to explain why you’ve chosen to live alone to people in case they think you were forced to by a lack of willing roommates, but doing what’s best for you is invaluable and will pay off way more than sticking it out in a situation that makes you stressed and upset.

10) HAVE FUN WITH IT! One of the best parts of living alone is that you’re living alone. And this means that you can be as comfortable as you want. Want to use the washroom with the door open?

Entirely your choice. Want to have a dance party to Taylor Swift? Plug in those speakers — just be considerate of your neighbours! Living alone provides a unique experience for you to find out what makes you the most comfortable, so makethe most of it! n

• www.westerngazette.ca

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 • 11

experience

Smartphones can make films too SAMAH ALI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @SAMAHATGAZETTE Student filmmakers will be delighted to see a new film festival grace Western’s campus in January.

Western’s Smartphone Film Festival will see students shoot video on their smartphones and produce a short film without any high tech equipment. The festival allows students to express their artistic talent and not concern themselves with the financial means needed to make a film.

“We want people to use their smartphones because we want to show that it doesn’t take all this high tech technology to be able to make a film and pursue film,” says Amanda Viveiros, WSFF social media coordinator. “We want to show people it’s more than the technology, it’s about the ideas you have.”

WSFF operates in a different format compared to other film festivals seen on campus. Starting for the first time this year, the festival will have a set theme and limits students to film within a two week time slot. Potential participants must be enrolled in post-secondary education and can register early as November 23 with a $15 registration fee.

Upon receiving the theme, WSFF encourages students to focus on their storytelling. Viveiros explains that this concept prevents students from being intimidated when trying to make a short film and makes them focus on the quality of their plots instead.

“We really want to see people’s creativity when it comes to making the actual film because we’re not just critiquing it on the quality. We’re looking at the storyline, originality, what you do with the theme and all that kind of stuff. We want students to be innovative,” she says.

After shooting on their phones, students are allowed to use any editing program they wish. The executive team will then accept the five-minute short films by January 22.

The film festival will screen the top 10 short films on January 30 in the McKellar Room.

Industry professionals like Dale Sood and Jordan Canning will be attending the festival to offer critique of the films. Viveiros expects that there will an open forum question period for students to learn more about the field.

After the screening, prizes will be awarded to the top three short films in the festival. The first place film will be given $500, second place $250 and third place $100. There will also be an audience choice award distributed at the festival.

Viveiros invites all students enrolled in Canadian universities and colleges but hopes to see a big turn out from Western and Fanshawe student filmmakers in particular. She also encourages anyone with a passion in film to register for the festival since this is an opportunity to branch into the industry.

“I think the future of film is open to anyone and that’s what we’re trying to get out to people,” she says.

“We’re trying to say ‘you can do this!’

People think of the film industry and it’s so overwhelming because it’s such a big industry and a hard one to get into, so we want to show people that it’s really not just equipment, it’s all about your ideas.”

She encourages hesitant students to watch their promotional video, which was filmed on a smartphone. By making a short film on a smartphone, the executive team proves that it is possible to film without high-tech equipment and are looking forward to watching the short films submitted to the festival next year. n

SHACHAR DAHAN GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE So you’re convinced you want an upsized smartphone. The iPhone 6s’ 4.7-inch display just doesn’t cut it and in your mind, it’s 5.7 inches or bust.

If that’s the case, look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Note

COURTESY OF SAMSUNG

5, which is one of the best smartphones on the market today for three main reasons.

SCREEN The Note 5 boasts a Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display, all protected by the super strong Gorilla Glass 4. There isn’t much more to say about the screen.

It’s perhaps the best display on the

market, the exception being Sony’s new Xperia Z5 Premium’s 4k display.

CAMERA The Note 5 comes equipped with a 16 MP rear camera, which is by far the best smartphone camera on the market. The camera features optical image stabilization and takes crisp, crystal-clear pictures that left me in awe each and every time.

S PEN What sets the Note 5 apart from other smartphones is the S Pen. The S Pen is a stylus that is housed in a compartment situated in the lower right side of the phone. During my testing, I still used my finger more than the S Pen, but for the times when I needed to take a quick note, I found it extremely valuable. The Note 5 even has the brilliant feature of allowing you to take a note instantly when the S Pen is removed from the phone while turned off.

CONS While the Note 5 has a ton of things going for it, it can’t be all rainbows and sunshine. The Note 5’s battery comes in at 3,000 mAh, smaller compared to the Note 4’s 3,220 mAh battery. And unlike the Note 4, the Note 5 features no expandable storage. While that is not a problem for everybody, it can definitely be a deal breaker for others.

If you’re looking to buy a largescreen smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is a great choice. The phone runs quickly thanks to 4GB of RAM and is sure to be a top contender for at least two more years.

In the ever-expanding smartphone industry, that’s pretty impressive. n

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UPCOMING EVENTS

DANCE CLASSES AT DANCE STEPS- 275 Colborne St. between York and Horton Accessible by bus. Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop drop in or join a session. www.dancestepslondon.ca or contact us dance_steps@hotmail.com, 519-645-8515.

DECK THE HALLS Holiday Fundraiser - Proceeds to PAIL (Pregnancy and Infant Loss) Network. Ramada Inn 817 Exeter Rd. London. Nov. 29, 10am3pm Vendor shopping, Santa visits/photos, Raffle prizes, Silent Auction and more!*

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GLORIOUS LASHES SALON Eyelash extension specialist Redefine your look with eyelash extensions!

Close to campus

Contact Allison alafayy@gmail.com • 519.200.6622 MOBILE HAIR BY SARAH Make getting your hair done easier, I travel to you! Student highlight special $80. Text, call or email for an appointment. 226-9266474 Beautifulyouhairbysarah@gmail.com PRIVATE GUITAR LESSONS. All styles and levels.

Graduate of McGill and educated at Berkelee, The New School for Jazz. 30, 45, 60 min. lessons. Reasonable rates and flexible scheduling. leschiedguitar@gmail.com. (226) 977-4121.

ANNOUNCEMENTS PSYCHIC READINGS, OVER 22yrs experience!

Rohrig Tarots, Angel Cards, Reiki Master and Colour Healing Energy as well. Check out my website christinewinget.ca! 519-271-0779.

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED 1. Visit banks' websites by typing the URL into the address bar. Phishers use links within emails to direct victims to a fake site. If you suspect an email is bogus, do not follow any embedded links within it.

2. Keep a regular check on your accounts Regularly log into your online accounts, and check your statements. Report any suspicous transactions to your bank or credit card provider

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 3

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE A NOT SO FOREST CITY. London’s skyline has certainly changed over the years, from the once forested area into a concrete jungle

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SUSTAINABLE WARMING TEMPERATURE TRADE

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