Falling flat
Semi-musical film God Help the Girl doesn’t hit all the right notes >> Pg. 5
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WESTERN UNIVERSITY • CANADA’S ONLY DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
USC offers grants for student initiatives
TODAY high 10 low 4
TOMORROW high 5 low -2 VOLUME 108, ISSUE 35
Poloz under fire for youth unemployment comments
Jonathan Hermina GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
Did you know that you could apply for a grant from the University Students’ Council? The grant program, created by the USC, helps students and organizations in funding events and programs. Andrew Lalka, vice-president of finance for the USC and chair of the student-run grant committee, said the purpose of the grant system is to support students and student events. “The grants program allocates approximately $100,000 per year to support various student initiatives based on the grant guidelines,” Lalka said. The fund is separated into monthly allotments, which are given out over the course of the school year until March. To obtain grants, students must submit an application that undergoes a 20-day review process. “Any Western undergraduate student, including affiliate students, are allowed to apply,” Lalka said. “Councils, clubs and other student groups are also encouraged.” Students contribute to the grants program in their ancillary fees, paying $3.79. “The USC gives out these grants in an effort to support student innovation and creativity across campus,” he said. “Any student could have a great idea to make the Western community better and the grants are there to support their vision.” For more information, visit westernu.collegiatelink.net.
Inside
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Study helps students quit smoking
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GOFER writes conversations for you
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Tech for Thursday: Mac OSX Yosemite
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Phone-less is bliss
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Men’s hockey loses to Rams
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Men’s and women’s basketball previews
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Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE
LOOKING DOWN ON THE PLEBS. Western graduate and governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz, shown here on the side of the Social Science Centre, has made news with his comments about youth unemployment. He suggested youths volunteer their time while looking for work, drawing criticism from many people.
Governor suggests youth should work for free Amy O’Kruk NEWS EDITOR @AmyAtGazette
The governor of the Bank of Canada has stirred up controversy following a statement he made about unemployed youth working for free to gain experience. Stephen Poloz, a Western University graduate, made the comments during a speech and press conference in Toronto on Monday and again in the House of Commons on Tuesday. In Monday`s press conference, Poloz said graduates who are out of work should take steps to boost their resume because they’re at a disadvantage to new graduates entering the job market. “Having something unpaid on your CV is very worth it because that’s the one thing you can do to counteract this scarring effect,” Poloz said. “Get some real life experience even though you’re discouraged, even if it’s for free. If
your parents are letting you live in the basement, you might as well go out and do something for free.” On Tuesday, Poloz was asked about the subject again. While he was unspecific about whether youth should seek unpaid internships or volunteer opportunities, Poloz reiterated that out of work graduates should do anything they can to reduce the scarring effect of a gap in employment history. He added it wasn’t his intention to delve deeply into the issue. Currently the Canadian unemployment rate for 15-24 year olds sits at 13.5 per cent, nearly double the national average. Poloz estimated there are around 200,000 under-employed youth in Canada. Mike Moffatt, an assistant professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business, said he was surprised by Poloz’s remarks because they were prepared comments. He said the head of the Bank of Canada usually sticks to discussing monetary policy.
“He does have a point in the sense that it is useful to have more experience and as well that employers tend to frown on large gaps in a resume,” Moffat said. “My concern is that … we want to avoid a situation as a country where jobs only go to the people who can afford to take one or two years off, unpaid.” Moffatt stated the danger of this outlook is the potential shift from a merit based economic model to one where the job goes to whoever has the wealthiest parents. Jen Carter, vice-president external of Western’s University Students’ Council, said that even if unpaid interships and work experience were an option for more students, they still not guaranteed to pay off. “What we do know is that the statistic for unpaid internships is that only 1.8 per cent of students who take unpaid internships have better employment outcomes than their peers,” Carter said. “I think it’s really unfortunate that [Poloz], who’s in a position to stimulate job creation for all Canadians, would really downplay the importance of meaningful employment for university grads.”
In defence of Governor Poloz World of Raycraft Richard Raycraft MANAGING EDITOR @RichAtGazette
The governor of the Bank of Canada Stephen Poloz is finally starting to attract the sort of attention his superstar predecessor Mark Carney used to get. Unfortunately, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Poloz’s advice for young people down on their luck in the labour market has provoked a sour reaction to say the least. >> see POLOZ pg.3
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thegazette • Thursday, November 6, 2014
Caught on Camera
Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CHAKMA. Yesterday afternoon, four high profile community leaders met to have their nails done. Pictured is Amit Chakma, president of Western University, happily assessing his cuticles. The manicures were done in support of the Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign.
CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer
Evaluating student evals Olivia Zollino NEWS EDITOR @uwogazette
A new report released by Academica Group explores the downfalls of student evaluations across educational institutions and the ways in which they can be improved. In conjunction with Centennial College, Conestoga College and Durham College, Academica Group conducted faculty member focus groups, interviews with senior administrators and spoke to student leadership groups. The report revealed that evaluations from students lacked consistency, did not take into account
Solution to puzzle on page 7
empirical research or were useful in providing feedback for faculty and administration. “There’s a lost opportunity here,� Rod Skinkle, Academica Group president, said. As a result, Academica Group created a new instrument meant to improve the evaluation process. The five core dimensions of the instrument to better address the instructor are: organization and clarity; expertise and enthusiasm; group interaction; assessment and grading and rapport. The report also includes such suggestions as moving paper forms to electronic for easier access, as well as creating an evaluation that can be adopted across a variety of disciplines. “This focuses not on satisfaction with the instructor, but it’s focused more on their behavior,� Skinkle said. Western University currently conducts student evaluations near the end of each semester. Students are given both scaled reports of professors and the class, as well as an additional sheet to write commentary and give feedback. “Student evaluations of teaching can be effective, but currently our system is not set up for success,�
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 2014/15 winter courses. If you have not yet requested accommodation for your courses, and you wish to use accommodation for December 2014 exams, you must meet with a counsellor by Friday, November 21st. If requested after this date, accommodation for December 2014 exams cannot be arranged by Exam Services.
To book your appointment please call 141106
519-661-2147
Emily Addison, University Students’ Council vice-president internal, said. Academica suggested that evaluations should be focused more on class instructors, rather than the classes itself. “You need to separate course evaluation,� Skinkle said. “Although one of the dimensions is certainly related to the instructor’s knowledge of content and course content, we’re not evaluating the curriculum itself.� Addison noted that feedback is useless if professors are not properly trained to interpret it. “I think there needs to be more work put in by the university on both ends to better set up students to provide valuable feedback as well as provide professors with the tools they need to take the feedback and use it to evolve their teaching styles and subsequently, their courses.�
News Briefs
Canadians to get increased childcare benefits
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced an increase in Canada’s universal childcare benefits. The current system provides $100 monthly for children up to six-years-old. The boost to the benefits would mean that every child up to six-years-old would now receive $160, while a $60 credit would be provided to children from the age of six to 17. The benefits are slated to go into effect from January 2015, however the government would withhold the payments until July and will then make them retroactive. This would mean that families of children under the age of 18 would receive $420 three months before the next federal elections. The current universal childcare program costs the government $2.5 billion. The NDP also recently purposed a childcare plan that pledges $15-a-day childcare spaces. The proposed plan would cost the federal government $5 billion a year. Some economists have criticized the measure because it provides more money to families that may not need it and not enough to families who might really be in need. • Hamza Tariq
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. Š 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.
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thegazette • Thursday, November 6, 2014
Western study shows you how to butt out Olivia Zollino NEWS EDITOR @OliviaAtGazette
A new study conducted by researchers at Western University found a promising initiative to help smokers kick their habit. The study, conducted in 2012 to 2013, revealed that motivational interviewing is a successful tool in aiding young smokers to quit. The experiment had a 27.5 per cent success rate after a 12-month follow-up with the participants. Tara Mantler, a post-doctorate fellow, is one of five co-authors of the report. “It is a significantly higher [success rate] than most sensation interventions that are being offered,” Mantler said. “The idea is about helping the client envision about their future and then to increase the motivation to help them to achieve it.”
Motivational interviewing beat out other quitting tools, including nicotine gum. Western students were among the participants, who ranged in age from 19 to 25. While the study focused on younger smokers, Mantler said age is not a factor and an addiction is an addiction, regardless of age. “Speaking with someone else about [smoking] and him/her not having any judgment was really beneficial,’’ said one participant who was quoted in the study. Mantler is excited about the future possibilities of this study. “There’s a lot of places where this study could go, but I think for us it’s about ensuring that interventions that are being offered are evidence-based and providing smokers with a really efficacious option for quitting.”
Amy O’Shea • GAZETTE
PLEASE, SIR, I WANT SOME MORE MONEY. Mayor-elect Matt Brown, seen here on election night, asked for further donations this week to fund a shortfall in his campaign budget.
Brown campaign runs dry Katie Lear NEWS EDITOR @KatieAtGazette
Bill Wang • GAZETTE
Poloz advice unclear but not bad >> POLOZ continued from pg.1
Expressing his belief that working for free is a viable option for early job-seekers while the economy recovers, it wasn’t long before an outcry ensued. Kelly McParland, a columnist at the National Post, summed up the popular sentiment well. “Stephen Poloz may be a very good Bank of Canada governor … But his advice to young people seeking work stinks.” I want to provide a defence of Poloz’s comments — somewhat. It’s undeniable that he’s failed to clarify exactly what he means. (Which is ironic, because every day I now pass by a banner on the side of the Social Science Centre that tells me he has extraordinary clarity.) Is he talking about unpaid internships? As the country’s top economist, one has to assume he knows that they’re illegal. Is he referring exclusively to volunteer experience and community work that doesn’t take the place of a paid position? If this is the case, why doesn’t he just say so? In fact, why is Poloz even dwelling on the issue? As Mike Moffatt, an economist at Ivey told me, his job focuses on monetary policy, and that’s the area he’s expected to comment on. While the advice is slightly puzzling in these ways, I’d disagree
that it “stinks.” Unpaid work of any kind, even volunteer work, has acquired a bad name due to its rapid upward trend, particularly in the youth labour market. This stigma is broadly deserved, but in it’s midst we’ve forgotten that, sometimes, it’s a valuable option and can be quite helpful and rewarding. I believe Poloz was referring to more specific circumstances than he let on. I once found myself working a three-month summer job and, in the month to spare, living in my parent’s basement. Towards the end I started to do some volunteer work in the community and was surprised at how fulfilling it was. Youth community engagement is depressingly rare, so if you’re available, why not gain some valuable experience as well? Youth unemployment and underemployment are chronic, structural problems in the Canadian economy. While some adjustments can be made, the bulk of the relief for us millenials is going to come in the form of a recovery. What are we to do in the meantime? Not to sound fatalistic, but our hand is rather weak, and Poloz is merely suggesting we make the best of a fundamentally bad situation. If you are able, if you have nothing better to do and if you care about your community and those in it, consider taking his advice and giving a little bit back.
The campaign may be over but the bills remain for mayor-elect Matt Brown. Brown reached out to his donor list for one last request for funding through an e-mail sent by his campaign director, Scott Courtice, on Tuesday. “This campaign required a substantial amount of resources, we had to make some hard choices — and now we have a bit of a shortfall,” Courtice explained in the e-mail. “As one of the campaign’s generous supporters, your giving was behind each important step of the campaign. One final contribution will allow the frenetic pace of the campaign to take a back seat to Matt’s important work as he prepares to take office.”
I
BELIEVE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR LONDON IS AHEAD OF US AND HOPE I CAN COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT ONE LAST TIME. SCOTT COURTICE
MATT BROWN’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER IN AN EMAIL TO SUPPORTERS
According to Martin Horak, associate political science professor at Western, it isn’t standard for campaigns to run a deficit, but methods vary for covering the costs.
“You can do what Matt Brown is doing right now and reach out to supporters for additional funding, but I think that the optics of it are probably better if you can reach into your own pocket to make up the difference,” Horak explained. Brown reportedly received over 1,000 donations from individuals and organizations from London public figures such as Mayor Joni Baechler’s husband Kim Baechler, former Ward 6 councillor Nancy Branscombe and Ward 8 councillor Paul Hubert, according to the donor list Brown released before the October 27 elections. “We do know that Matt Brown raised more funds than any other mayoral candidate in London that we know of,” Horak continued. Brown’s campaign is believed to have raised “well past the $100,000 mark” according to an article published by the London Free Press.
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thegazette • Thursday, November 6, 2014
arts&life
songmeanings Led Zeppelin’s The Battle of Evermore contains numerous references to The Battle of Pelennor Fields in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, including name-dropping the Ringwraiths and recalling the drums of the Orc army.
Flying too close to the sun
Richard Joseph GAZETTE STAFF Courtesy of Jeremie Andrew
Go for it! New app spices up love life Conrad Floryan ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR @ConradAtGazette
As Western students struggle to manage school with overstuffed schedules it’s a challenge to maintain a thriving love life. They could use some help. GOFER (as in “Go for it”) is a new cellphone app that provides users with engaging messages to stimulate fun conversation and realize a desired social interaction with that special someone. “It’s about pushing your boundaries,” declared Jeremy Fox, vice-president finance. “It’s helping you get out of your comfort zone and helping you accomplish something.” Messages are categorized according to the social situation (Spark Convo, Flirting etc.) Users pick a Facebook or SMS contact, scroll through the messages and click on one to send immediately or schedule to send it later. They are able to build a following by submitting engaging messages and posting comments and can follow other profiles to see what messages have been effective. A team of eight creatively-minded experts works on developing effective lines. The messages are thoroughly tested on online dating platforms like Tinder and are continually assessed by GOFER users. “We ended up with a validated database of thousands of lines that are really good,” said Ryan Fox, founder and president. GOFER — Your Boot Butler is overseen by three brothers (Ryan, Andrew and Jeremy Fox) and their close friend Michael Berman. They are mostly in their early twenties and Ryan and Jeremy are Western graduates. After graduating from Western in 2013 Ryan came up with the idea for GOFER while he was learning software engineering for a job at Google. “During the time that I was cramming for interviews I didn’t have a lot of time to speak with my girlfriend so I joked that I would create an app that would help me out in terms of when my mind was just not there, helping me come up with lines,” Ryan explained. Ryan began developing GOFER
on the plane ride home from Google in San Francisco. His friends loved the concept because it had a beautiful interface and they thought it was funny but also useful. Andrew Fox, vice-president operations, uses GOFER daily with his girlfriend. He thinks the “send later” function is particularly useful. “I preset sweet messages like, ‘Have a great day, sweetie, hope your day goes well’ for her to wake up to,” said Andrew. The beta version of GOFER was released on October 17 for free download on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store for Android. The Booty Butler team is already employing feedback to plan improvements. They’re importing functionality to be able to send photos along with the messages. “With the proliferation of Instagram and people taking selfies and Snapchat we think that there’s incredible added value in our app of not only being able to send a personalized message but there’s increased personalization if you can take that line and import it onto a selfie,” Jeremy said. As GOFER continues to evolve, the team relishes the challenge of charging the fast-paced startup world as a family. “It ultimately comes down to who you’re working with and for us it’s just been spectacular,” Jeremy enthused. The team has a strong dynamic. Jeremy is exceptionally financially competent — he is a lawyer by training and he also went to business school. Ryan is a technical wizard. Berman is expert at marketing and social media. Andrew is a charismatic salesman — he was the natural choice to dress up as the GOFER mascot, a giant gopher in a tuxedo. “It can be a little warm at times but when we’re outside and doing our thing it’s not too bad at all,” illustrated Andrew. The guys are excited to make GOFER the next big app in addition to being a complimentary product to a lot of apps and services currently in the market place. “There’s really no barriers to where we can take this,” gushed Jeremy.
Students familiar with Greek mythology might recall the story of Icarus. Dedalus, a master craftsman, devised a pair of wax wings for his son, Icarus — but the overconfident young man flies too close to the sun, causing his wings to melt and send him plummeting to Earth. Ubiquitous mass-marketed energy drinks, such as Redbull, have similar effects; they might give you wings, but they don’t last long and the crash isn’t worth it. Peter Lemon, professor in the department of kinesiology, emphasizes the difference between “sports drinks,” such as Gatorade, and “energy drinks” like Redbull and Rockstar. “Sports drinks have fluid, carbohydrate and electrolytes,” he said. “They provide fluid to replace perspiration you’re using during exercise, and they provide glucose your muscle is using for fuel.” Energy drinks, explains the professor, are entirely different; they don’t truly contain “energy” but rather stimulants such as caffeine. “It’s basically like taking a big jolt of coffee — and you get very similar effects,” explained Lemon. “It’s not healthy, and I wouldn’t encourage it at all.” Caffeine in high doses can be problematic, especially for students. A recent study by the World Health Organization warns that energy drinks could become a “significant public health problem” for young people, with high caffeine levels linked to “palpitations,
hypertension, vomiting, convulsions and in extreme cases heart failure.” And yet these drinks are immensely popular, with global sales of energy drinks rising from $3.8 billion in 1999 to $27.5 billion in 2013. The biggest factor in the commercial success of energy drinks is undoubtedly athletic sponsorships, with Redbull alone endorsing everyone from mountain bikers to surfers. Jason Young of the department of sport and recreation services, manages all marketing sponsorships and ticket sales for Western’s intercollegiate athletics. “Research shows that these endorsements do work and that’s why companies are willing to spend millions of dollars on them,” Young said. According to Young, endorsements will start as young as 12 — a promising player will get a free racket, or a free hockey stick. In the upper echelons of sports stars, the likes of Lebron James and Sidney Crosby, the deals go up to millions of dollars. Often, the athletes make more money from their endorsements than their actual salary. “Athletes are so savvy to it now,
Taylor Lasota • GAZETTE
Staying awake may not be worth the energy
you can even see it in their behaviour,” said Young. “If an athlete is sponsored by Powerade, he won’t sit near the pitcher of Gatorade at the end of the bench. They’re really careful, and they even have staff now to help manage that because it’s a multi-million dollar mistake.” Athlete or not, everyone pulls the occasional all-nighter — and there are certainly healthier ways to stay up than chugging a Redbull. “Even a 10–15 minute jog,” says Lemon. “The increase in bloodflow and hormonal response to the exercise will enable you to study for a few more hours.”
>> Gazette recipes > No bake chocolate drop cookies This recipe is perfect for students looking for a quick, easy snack. If you live in residence and you don’t have access to an oven, that’s okay! You don’t have to rely on those sub-par cookies form the cafeteria; you can enjoy these delicious yet simply homemade cookies instead. These cookies only require the use of a stove in addition to a few basic ingredients and take less than 10 minutes to make. Quick, easy and gone in minutes – it’s like a one night stand with a better payoff. Courtesy of Emily Vickruck
Ingredients:
500 ml (2 cups) white sugar 125ml (½ cup) milk 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla 125 ml (½ cup) butter 125 ml (½ cup) cocoa 250 ml (1 cup) coconut 750 ml (3 cups) oatmeal
Directions:
1. Heat the sugar, milk, vanilla and butter on the stove until it comes to a boil. 2. Allow ingredients to boil for three minutes, take pot off the stove. 3. Mix in the coca, coconut and oatmeal.
4. D rop by spoonful on to ungreased wax paper. Allow cookies to cool before eating. Makes four dozen cookies. Enjoy! • Recipe by Emily Vickruck With files from Jennafer Freeman
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thegazette • Thursday, November 6, 2014
>> IN THEATRES > GOD HELP THE GIRL
God help the audience Brent Holmes DEPUTY EDITOR
GHFFF Director: Stuart Murdoch Starring: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray and Pierre Boulanger God Help the Girl is such an indie-hipster film it’s a miracle it climbed out of its parent’s basement. The film is a semi-musical, with characters occasionally breaking out into song in music-video equese scenes that seem to belong to their own imaginary world. The musical numbers are the highlights of the film. Although the songs all sound the same, they are ripe with wit for those attentive enough to listen to the lyrics. Unfortunately, they are not numerous enough and the non-musical scenes drag on. The plot is minimalistic. Eve
(Emily Browning) is an anorexic young teenager, who breaks out of a psych ward to go to Glasgow and become a musician. She meets up with James (Olly Alexander), who provides her a place to live, and Cassie (Hannah Murray), who is only memorable because Murray is on Game of Thrones. The three teens form a band and spend their time running around Glasgow and drifting off into their imaginary worlds while lamenting the state of pop music, pretending to be The Beatles and slowly realizing that grown-up reality is catching up to them. The whole enterprise feels like a depressing teenage version of Begin Again, which was released earlier this year. Both films are semi-musicals, but while Begin Again played like a faux-hipster 2-hour long advertisement for Apple; God Help the Girl looks like some scenes were actually shot on a home-video camera.
Courtesy of Amplify
With characters dressing like 1970s Doctor Who rejects and listening to tape cassettes, it’s clear we’re talking 110 per cent commitment to the hipster ethos. Later, a romantic kiss between the two leads is immediately followed with one asking, “What was the point of that?” Great — hipsters and nihilists, could they just play another song already? Unfortunately, when the songs do reappear, it feels like the film has somehow forgotten that it occasionally digresses into being a bunch of mini-music videos. Those into the fashion or independent music scene may enjoy God Help the Girl for its pleasant images and sounds, but for anyone else, God help you if you try to understand this film. God Help the Girl opens at the Hyland Cinema on Friday. Showtimes can be found at www. hylandcinema.com.
FALL PREVIEW DAY Sunday, November 16, 2014 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
ARE YOU: • Available to contribute your time for the day on November 16 • Interested in meeting prospective students and their families • Involved in campus activities • Enthusiastic and positive about your Western experience • Articulate, pleasant and responsible
TO APPLY: • Review the volunteer posting details on the Career Central website https://www.westerncareercentral.ca/home.htm • Email your completed application information to liaison@uwo.ca
DEADLINE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 Please note that you must attend one of the following MANDATORY orientation sessions: November 10th at 4:30pm OR November 11th at 11:30am OR 4:30pm. If selected as a volunteer, location of the sessions will be sent to you via email. 141104
A few weeks ago Tech Thursday reviewed Microsoft’s Windows 10, and it would only be fair to do the same for Apple’s newest operating system, OSX Yosemite. With Yosemite, Apple seems to be officially out of their “big cats” phase, and have started naming their new operating systems after California landmarks. While Yosemite does have a few new features to offer, the biggest change to Yosemite is that it sports a completely redesigned user interface, which feels eerily similar to the iPhone operating system, IOS 8. Everything about the design of Yosemite is minimalistic. All of the app icons have been revamped, and as a result, are more colourful, but flatter at the same time. The entire Apple made apps also employ this flatter design, which at first seems a bit strange, but makes one wonder why this hasn’t been here all along. Handoff is probably the biggest reason for updating to Yosemite, that is, of course, if you own multiple Apple devices. Handoff brings continuity to the Apple ecosystem, allowing you to begin work on one device and then continue working on another. An example of this would be the ability to start an email on your phone and then finish it on your computer. Another new feature is the
enhanced photo editing toolbar found in Preview and Mail. For those needing to send important documents via Mail, a signature can be added directly onto the document using the track pad, or by holding up a piece of paper with your signature on it right up to the camera. The notification center has also been enhanced and allows for the addition of widgets such as calendar, stocks or weather. The new notification center is basically the same as the one found on IOS 8, and iPhone users should have no time adjusting to the change. The last minor update is an improved Spotlight. In addition to searching your Mac, Spotlight
now shows suggestions from the Internet, iTunes, App Store, locations nearby and more. Simply put, OSX Yosemite is beautiful. The updated user interface feels much more modern, with the new features bringing it all together. Yosemite does its job of allowing for a seamless transition among devices, which almost forces consumers to buy into the Apple ecosystem. Apple definitely nailed this one, but Yosemite will feel like it’s behind Windows 10 until it gets the “Snap” feature. OSX Yosemite and IOS 8 are currently available on their respective app stores as free downloads. • Shachar Dahan
Since 1918
POSITIVELY AUTHORIZED DEALER
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thegazette • Thursday, November 6, 2014
opinions Volunteering good for everyone Western graduate Stephen Poloz is under fire for recent comments about youth and unpaid work. Speaking to the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Bank of Canada governor advised youth living in their parents’ basement and looking for work to volunteer their time. When youth ask him what they should do about being jobless, Poloz said he tells them that, “Having something unpaid on your CV is very worth it because that’s the one thing you can do to counteract this scarring effect.” Youth employment outlets and politicians alike are outraged, claiming his comments are a support for unpaid internships. Yet, Poloz has never explicitly stated that he is referring to unpaid internships. In fact, he has acknowledged that unpaid internships create a two-tier system and are fundamentally unfair when the subject was approached. His overarching point that young people — whether they be in high school on summer vacation, in post-secondary education or recent graduates looking for work — should do something worthwhile with their spare time is something we should embrace. An unemployed youth who is fortunate enough to have stability in the form of family that supports them should not view gaining experience in their field, or any field, as a bad thing — even if it is for free. Not only do you develop new skills and relationships, sometimes it’s completely unrelated experiences to their field that employers are looking for. The Ontario secondary school curriculum requires high school students to complete 40 hours of volunteer work in order to graduate. Volunteering is nothing new to graduates and there is no harm in helping out your community and giving back. Of course, not everyone has this luxury. Struggling to find a job post-graduation while drowning in debt is an all too common experience. But even then, applying for various jobs and volunteering your time shows you’re a hard-worker with many different skills, something employers will recognize and it could help you find a job faster. Assuming he’s not endorsing unpaid internships, why is it a bad thing for graduates to volunteer their free time, if they can afford to? In an ideal world, all post-secondary graduates would have full-time careers. But the current state of our economy is an unfortunate reality we must confront. While applying for jobs, it might not be the worst thing to help out your community and gain experience in a related field. • Gazette Editorial Board
The idea of prosthetics is a tool. Most people’s cell phones are prosthetics. If you leave your cell phone at home, you feel impacted by not having it. It’s an important part of your daily function and what you can do in a day.
• Aimee Mullins
iForfeit my iPhone, and you should too Devlin’s Advocate Megan Devlin ONLINE EDITOR @MegAtGazette
I recently lived without a cellphone for 21 days and I loved it more than I could ever have imagined. The first few days after losing my phone were the hardest. I felt disconnected. Before leaving the house I would grasp my pockets and shake my purse looking for the phone before remembering I no longer had one. I turned to Facebook messenger and email to communicate with friends and family. This meant I could only contact them when I was sitting at my computer. But when I wasn’t engaged at my desk, I was forced to interact with the people around me. Without a phone I felt more present. During those three phone-less weeks, I met up with friends in person to catch up more times than I did all of last semester. Sherry Turkle, a scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote that mobile phones create the illusion of connectedness. We feel as if we’re communicating with friends, but really that communication is too shallow to ever constitute a real relationship. I agree. When I had a phone, I felt as if I was connected enough to my friends. I put in no additional effort to see them. But as soon as that mobile connection was severed I felt lonely and instead
We Get Letters!
Take down Poloz banner
the eradication of entry level positions and perpetuate the economic challenges of post-graduate life. I would like to see the banner of Stephen Poloz removed from the Social Science building. I am genuinely embarrassed that he is a Western graduate and the conspicuous reminder that is the banner should be removed to protect the reputation of this fine academic institution. • Joseph Roberts Economics IV
Throwback
Thursday Volume 108, Issue 35 www.westerngazette.ca
Iain Boekhoff Editor-In-Chief Brent Holmes Deputy Editor Richard Raycraft Managing Editor
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made face-to-face plans instead of re-connecting via text message. The key is that this loneliness is not caused by lack of cellphone. The loneliness is always there — the cellphone just masks it. As Warren Steele says to his MIT 2500 students, “a friendship over a phone isn’t a real relationship — it’s just texts on a screen.” The other major bonus of not having a cellphone is not being reachable. For those 21 days, I lived harassment-free. In an age when friends are collected like commodities, I find we often milk our friendships for their instrumental value. There’s nothing wrong with calling in a favour here and there, but sometimes when those favours pile up, relationships can seems like a chore. I didn’t feel nagged. I had no other responsibilities except to myself. When I left a party early, I didn’t get “come baaaaaaack” texts. Before an event, I was free of the “you’re coming tonight, right?” pressures. And most of all, when I left the office in the evening I actually left the office. Work was over. It was some sort of miracle. At first, when I reached for my absent phone, I would feel crestfallen that I could no longer connect. But soon, that inability to connect via mobile opened up much-needed space for focusing on what’s important to me. So for those of you who think you’re addicted to your phone: it is an addiction that can be kicked. I encourage you to put your phone down — not for an hour or even a day — but for an extended period so that you can get past the initial withdrawal symptoms and truly appreciate your freedom.
To the editor: The ignorance of Stephen Poloz is a scathing indictment on the merit of the Bank of Canada. Contemporary youth are extraordinarily intelligent. The fact that many are living at home will not be ameliorated by volunteering to work for free. All unpaid internships do is assist in
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Dear Life
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.” 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.
While The Gazette gets racy every now and again, at this time in 1973, it really pushed the envelope with the kickoff of its new installment entitled "The Erotic Dictionary.” In this series, inspired by Penthouse Magazine’s “Sexindex” column, The Gazette would define everyday items in euphemisms containing sexual connotations. This series included words such as “Zipper” and “Saran Wrap.” Talk about your Wacky Word Wednesdays…
Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Maja Anjoli-Bilic
Diana Watson
Gazette Staff 2014-2015 Mohammad Abrar Abdul Hanan, Suhaib Al-Azem, Eric Bajzert, Sarah Botelho, Damon Burtt, Tabitha Chan, Jonathan Dunn, Spencer Fairweather, Sam Frankel, Kevin Heslop, Richard Joseph, Drishti Kataria, Sara Mai Chitty, Soheil Milani, Mackenzie Morrison, Amy O’Shea, Vidhant Pal, Kyle Porter, Lily Robinson, Alex Seger, Tiffany Shepherd, Tristan Wu
News Amy O’Kruk Hamza Tariq Katie Lear Olivia Zollino News-at-large Kevin Hurren Opinions Nusaiba Al-Azem Arts & Life Conrad Floryan Jennafer Freeman Jenny Jay Sports Bradley Metlin Nathan Kanter
Dear Life, Just told my roommate I wasn’t “playing Tinder.” Oh God… Am I already as out of touch as my father? Dear Life, Does The Gazette not publish on Mondays anymore? [Editor’s note: We’ve never published on Mondays… #awkward]
Dear Life, I am the friend who calls people spoons. It is my word, beyonce per cent. And anybody who says otherwise is a crouton. Dear Life, Posting to Dear Life about disappearing Sophs is the equivalent of leaving a passive-aggressive Post-It Note on a pile of dishes. Dear Life, These banners are getting ridiculous. Alumni Hall, OK fine. But every other building makes us seem very cheap. And what student wants to see old white people hanging on the outside of a building followed by old white people teaching us inside of it? Dear Life, Top 100 employer you say? Tell that to all the contract academic staff at Western. Did all they do was survey admin for this thing? Dear Life, Does anyone else find Stephen Poloz gaining over Concrete Beach with understanding skepticism a little bit creepy? wgaz.ca/dearlife
Robert Nanni Jr. Online Megan Devlin Photography Kelly Samuel Taylor Lasota Winnie Lu Graphics Jennifer Feldman Illustrations Christopher Miszczak Graphics/Video Mike Laine Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator Vivian Liu
• Please recycle this newspaper •
•7
thegazette • Thursday, November 6, 2014
sports
tweetoftheweek Great news on Gordie Howe. He’s fighting back, like anyone is surprised by that.
• @SportsnetSpec on “Mr. Hockey’s” recovery from stroke.
Rundown >> The Mustangs women’s rugby team captured bronze at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships this past Sunday • Nikki Case had two tries in their 17–5 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees to take home third place.
Mustangs “rammed” 2–1 for second loss Austin Wu GAZETTE STAFF @SportsAtGazette
On the tail end of back-to-back games, the Western Mustangs men’s hockey team dropped a 2–1 decision to the Ryerson Rams on Saturday in a matinee affair. Coming off a big win versus the University of Toronto Varsity Blues the previous evening, the Mustangs looked to build on their momentum by earning a victory against an opponent who they faced just two weeks prior. With concerns of fatigue, Western Mustangs head coach Clark Singer gave credit to the Ryerson Rams in a hard fought battle. “Good effort, but I thought we were a little inconsistent in some areas of the game and Ryerson is a very good team,” he said. “They play fast, they’re a tough team to play after playing on a Friday night at 7:30 when they’ve have had the week off.” The fresh legs from the Rams were evident as they came out to a quick start. Leading the charge was Domenic Alberga who opened the scoring early in the first period on the powerplay with a shot that squeaked past Mustangs goaltender Greg Dodds. For the Rams, their previous outing versus the Mustangs was not so successful, but they were able to outline areas that needed improvement. “We went to practice this week – we knew how they were killing [powerplays] … I just stepped out, I knew that the goalie wasn’t going to be down, so I just threw it towards
the net and it went in, luckily,” Alberga said. While Ryerson led the shots 15–6 after one period of play, penalties plagued the Rams in the second period, which resulted in Western’s lone goal of the afternoon, scored by Matt Marantz. Going into the third period, the game all even, Singer knew that if his team wanted to come out with the victory, they would need to sustain a high standard of play for the remaining 20 minutes. “We just wanted to move the puck quick, advance short passes and I thought actually, the first seven or eight minutes of the third we did a great job of that,” he said. “We got some offensive chances off of it, but we couldn’t sustain the momentum,” he said. The story of the day was the phenomenal performance put on by Ryerson Rams’ goalie, Troy Passingham, who turned away 26 shots. For Passingham, the win provided a sigh of relief. “I’ve been here four years now and we’ve never beat them, so obviously a good first for us,” Passingham said. “It’s a great feeling to beat them.” Rams coach Graham Wise had nothing but praise for the senior netminder. “Passingham was just dialed in today, played great and it was good to see that he was our choice for [most valuable player] for the game – a good stellar performance from him,” he said. The Mustangs move to 5–3 on the season and will play host to McGill at home on Friday night.
>> Sports Briefs
Men’s Rugby
The men’s rugby team suffered a heartbreaking loss to the McMaster Marauders by a mere point in last Saturday’s quarter-final matchup at Alumni Field. Having already beaten the Marauders earlier in the season, the ‘Stangs had high expectations heading into the matchup. However, the Marauders came back from a defeat at the hand of the ‘Stangs to dish it out to Western. And sadly the lost game was much more significant for the Mustangs, forcing them out of the OUA finals. The Mustangs, scored two tries and a kick to make the score 13–0 for Western. Defensively, the Stangs did not let Marauders score and played strongly. The tides quickly turned against the Mustangs. With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, McMaster managed to score a try, boosting the morale of the Marauders. McMaster used the try to come back and even the score at 13–13. Three tries later McMaster was only one point ahead of Western with a 21–20 lead. Dejectedly, there was not enough time for Western to bring the scoreboard in their favour. This loss was a tragic end to the men’s rugby playoff season. • Suhaib Al-Azem
Wrestling
The Mustangs wrestling team participated in Burnaby, British Columbia at the Hargobind International Tournament and the McMaster Invitational in Hamilton this weekend. In Burnaby, Steven Takahashi defeated Isaac Bernard in an exhilarating final matchup to capture a gold medal. Competing in the 57kg weight class, Bernard unleashed a burst of attacks in the final 17 seconds that nearly had him capture the lead but ultimately, Takahashi held in to win on a 3–3 tie. Madi Parks placed second in the 53kg weight class after losing in the final to Brittany Lavedure from the University of Calgary. Fellow Mustang Riley Otto was victorious in two matches in his 86kg weight class but was forced to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an upper body injury. Meanwhile, in Hamilton, Ingmar Salador-Guzman recorded a perfect 3–0 record, allowing him to take a gold medal in the 82kg weight class. Caleb Rutner received a bronze metal after going 4–1 at the event in the 82kg weight class. This next weekend, the team will compete in Toronto at the Greater Toronto Open. • Bradley Metlin
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UPCOMING EVENTS
ANNUAL GREEK CHRISTMAS Bazaar and Pastry Sale Saturday, November 8th 8am – 4pm, Hellenic Community Centre 133 Southdale Road West. Free admission & parking. Greek pastry sale & more! Come enjoy a Greek lunch 11am – 2pm. Takeout available. Starting 10:00am For more info 519-686-8466. Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society of Holy Trinity of London. COME TO THE TABLE Nov. 11th at 6:30 p.m. Food (complimentary dinner), fellowship and faith at Colborne Street United Church. Reservations required. For reservations and more info: church@colborne711.org or 519-432-4552.
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COACHES/INSTRUCTORS NEEDED FOR hockey and Learn To Skate programs. Email resume to: universityskate@rogers.com or call 519-645-1136. Winter session (October to March).
ROMANTIC COUPLES NEEDED for a 1.5-hour study on perceptions of romantic relationships. Partners will receive $15.00 each ($30.00 per couple) for participating. If interested, email uwocouples@gmail.com.
GYMWORLD-GYMNASTICS CLUB in North/West London is looking for gymnastics coaches. On bus route. Work as little as 3 hours per week or as many as 20 hours. Great pay. Please call 519-474-4960 or e-mail to info@gymworld.ca.
TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED 3. 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.
HOUSING
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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
3-4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS. Live Downtown/ near campus – 75 Ann Street – Renovated - A MUST SEE. All prices $510-560. Tanning bed, studyroom, fitness centre, theatre, parking, student atmosphere. Call Ted: 519-858-2525 | ted@TheMARQ.ca
5 BDRM – THE MARQ – live in style and comfort of our newly renovated suites. Near campus at 1 Beaufort St. location for Western Students. Free Parking, FULLY FURNISHED - $515- call or text Ted – 519-858-2525.
5 BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE off Western Road. Renovated and Affordable: $515/person. TheMARQ.ca. Free parking, 5 appliances, student community, FULLY FURNISHED. Tour anytime: Call or text Ted 519-858-2525. ted@TheMARQ.ca.
ALL YOU CAN EAT! NOT HAPPY WITH your place? TheMARQ.ca – 3-5 bedroom apartments or townhomes. Downtown or near campus. $510-560. Amenities, on-site staff, parking, renovated suites. Call or text Ted 519-858-2525. ted@TheMARQ.ca.
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Women’s squad young but full of potential Nathan Kanter SPORTS EDITOR @NathanAtGazette
The Mustangs women’s basketball team will look vastly different this year. Jenny Vaughan is gone. Melissa Rondinelli is gone. Katelyn Leddy is gone. Kelsey Wright is gone. Last season’s four top scorers – all of whom were part of the starting rotation – are gone. Last year they finished with a 16–6 regular season record before losing in the west division semifinals to Laurier. Vaughan led all of Ontario University Athletics in pointsper-game last season — with 23 — and was named a Canadian Interuniversity Sport first-team all-Canadian. She was also runner up for the Nan Copp Award presented to the Canadian player of the year. Rondinelli, Leddy and Wright finished second, third and fourth on team scoring respectively. Although the turnover is undeniable, it doesn’t change the mindset heading into the season, at least not for head coach Brian Cheng. “Our expectations don’t change year to year,” he said. “We want to be the best team we can possibly be and we want to be better than the sum of our parts and realize the potential of the team.” Realizing the potential will be key because the team is so young. More than half the roster is comprised of first-years and Caroline Wolynski is the only senior, so Cheng says he expects a learning curve.
I
’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE OUR YOUTH GOES AND HOW WE RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES THAT THE SEASON WILL BRING FORTH TO US. BRIAN CHENG
MUSTANGS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH
“We don’t have the same experience that those fourth and fifth year players brought last year,” he said. “So what we lack in experience we’re going to have to take our opportunities to learn. There’s going to be some games where we’re going to come up on the short end of the stick. Every opportunity where we’re going to learn we’ve got to take advantage of.” That being said, Cheng likes the size of many of the new recruits. “There’s tremendous potential in our front court. One of the biggest front courts out there,” he said. “If that group develops sooner than later, then I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good.” The back court isn’t too shabby either. Wolynski, a guard and London native, started in every game for Western last season and will be counted on at both ends of the floor. “She plays with a lot of experience and wisdom out there,” Cheng
Men’s team looking up with new recruits Nathan Kanter SPORTS EDITOR @NathanAtGazette
Two transfer players will look to get the Mustangs men’s basketball team back on track this season after finishing last year with an 8–14 record. Stevan Manojlovic and Tom Filgiano are two guards who will look to play a big part in the starting rotation this season, according to head coach Brad Campbell. Manojlovic comes over from Drexel University, a school in Pennsylvania which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Although he played limited minutes, Drexel competes in Division 1, the highest division in the States. It’s clear his minutes won’t be limited at all for the Mustangs, and the 6’5 guard should be able to make an impact right away. Filgiano meanwhile comes over from Acadia University in Nova Scotia. While there Filgiano won an Atlantic University Sport championship in 2012 and will also look for increased minutes with Western. Campbell has also been impressed by 6’2 guard Jedson Tavernier in preseason action. The first-year kinesiology student from
Midland, Ontario has been seeing “significant playing time” so far and the rookie will look to make an immediate impact. Last year’s leading scorer Greg Morrow, who averaged 15.4 pointsper-game in 2013–14, will also return for Western, so there is little to suggest they won’t take a step forward. “We think we’re improved from last year,” Campbell said. “Hopefully we get into a home playoff game and go deeper into the playoffs than we went last year.” One thing that could help the Mustangs go deeper is the new regular season schedule and playoff format that will be introduced for the first time in 2014–15. Twelve teams will now make the playoffs and Western will play most of its games within a new “West” division, which includes Algoma, Laurier, Waterloo and Windsor. Last season those teams combined for just a 36–52 record, meaning Western has a fairly favourable schedule. Regardless, coach Campbell is looking forward to a new season with an experienced group. “It’s a fantastic group of guys that really enjoy playing for one another,” he said. “They’re just very hungry to prove themselves.”
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said. “She’s really tenacious on both sides of the ball.” Then there’s Meredith McLeod and Mackenzie Puklicz, one who is looking to rebound from a knee injury and one who is looking to build on a great rookie campaign. McLeod only managed six games last season and even then played very minimal minutes, but Cheng sees her as a key component this season. “She’s playing with great leadership and great heart and passion,”
he said. Puklicz meanwhile took home OUA West rookie of the year honours last season and was named to the CIS all-rookie team. She will also be counted on for a bigger role in 2014–15. It may prove to be a challenging season, but Cheng is looking forward to it and hopes to see his team realize its potential. “I’m looking forward to seeing where our youth goes and how we
respond to the challenges that the season will bring forth to us,” he said. “I look forward to our team getting stronger.” The women, like the men, will play in a new “West” division in 2014–15, along with Algoma, Laurier, Waterloo and Windsor. The playoff format will also be new, with 12 of 17 OUA teams making the playoffs. The top four will get a bye, regardless of division.
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