Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Doing the right thing Dear White People offers an amazing critique of race in society. >> Pg. 4

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WESTERN UNIVERSITY • CANADA’S ONLY DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015

TODAY high -5 low -15

TOMORROW high 0 low -7 VOLUME 108, ISSUE 64

Chancellor Rotman passes away Iain Boekhoff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @IainAtGazette

Joseph Rotman, a distinguished businessman, philanthropist and chancellor of Western University, died yesterday at the age of 80.

Rotman was a graduate of Western in 1957 and went on to found Clairvest Group Inc. in 1987. Rotman was also the founder of several oil and gas companies, including Tarragon Oil and Gas Limited, and had been involved in the establishment and growth of a number of successful companies.

He donated millions of dollars to universities in the past couple decades, with the pledging of over $15-million to the University of Toronto business school resulting in the school being named in his honour.

He was also heavily involved in the arts in Canada, serving as the chair of the Canada Council of the Arts, president of the Art Gallery of Ontario and president of the AGO’s board of trustees.

Furthermore, Rotman was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 1995 and chancellor of the University in 2011. He also received an honorary degree from Western in 2009. Western’s flag flew at half-mast Tuesday in his memory. >> see ROTMAN pg.3

Inside

•••

Head to Head: USC Elections

• P3

Great Digital Film Festival

• P4

CD Review: No Cities to Love

• P5

take time to remember the holocaust

• P6

Women’s Basketball wins in upset • P7

Elections day one: councillors and conflicts Kevin Hurren NEWS EDITOR-AT-LARGE @KevinAtGazette

The first day of the University Students’ Council elections campaigning has come and gone – but not without a few hiccups.

Due to a lack of interested candidates, both the arts and humanities councillor and the health science councillor nomination deadlines were extended to Monday afternoon.

While these postponed deadlines allowed arts and humanities councillor candidates to come forward, the faculty of health science still has two vacant councillor positions.

“We haven’t fulfilled each role within health science, specifically

nursing and kinesiology, but it’s not the end of the world to have a by-election in the fall,” said Robbie Cohen, chief returning officer for the USC and chair of the elections committee.

But initial elections controversies weren’t limited to vacant roles, but conflicting ones as well.

Kevin Chao, associate vice-president of public affairs, came out as an active supporter of Team Sophie – appearing in both her campaign video and website.

Though there was some concern around Chao remaining in his paid role as an associate vice-president, or AVP, for the USC, Cohen reassured students that no election rules are being broken.

“The bylaw says a candidate can’t solicit help from either a full-time

staff or executive, but [USC] volunteer resources and governance decided that the AVP is not a staff member and not an executive so there’s no conflict there,” Cohen explained.

As for whether or not Chao’s position on council will affect campaigning, the USC executive feel comfortable in allowing him to continue his work as an AVP for the communications portfolio.

“We made a judgement call that the influence he would have over the campaign would come from his personal brand and his personal contributions, as opposed to an institutional level of support,” said Emerson Tithecott, vice-president communications for the USC. In coming to this decision

concerning Chao both Tithecott and Cohen use the example of faculty presidents.

“A faculty president can endorse and support a candidate personally, but not on behalf of the faculty or the council,” Cohen said.

Because this is the first year associate vice-presidents have been a part of council’s overall structure, Tithecott sees this as an opportunity to learn about weak spots in election guidelines.

“Going through this it is important for us to go and reassess the bylaw, making sure our language in all the policies and procedures interprets every member of the organization and classifies them so things like this aren’t unclear to those involved,” he said.

2•

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Caught on Camera

Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE

DEATH BY GRAVY, BABY. Food of the Gods. Roll over beavertails! There is only one true love for Western students, and that’s Smoke. Smoke’s Poutinery. Don’t you, forget about me. Don’t don’t don’t!

CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer

Baechler joins Western Amy O’Kruk NEWS EDITOR @AmyAtGazette

Former London mayor Joni Baechler has left city hall but her engagement with the local community and students is far from over.

Baechler will be joining Western’s local government program for a one-year term as a distinguished practitioner in residence. The title is new to the program and offers the former politician a role that takes advantage of her experience and first-hand knowledge of municipal government.

Baechler, a Western alumna, said the position is exactly what she’s looking for post-city council. “My transition out [of politics] was, in a sense, a question of how do you use the knowledge that you’ve gleaned through your political involvement and how do you share it?� Baechler said in an interview after her appointment. “This

seemed to be a perfect fit for me.�

Baechler was London’s Ward 5 city councillor for over a decade, as well as the city’s mayor after Joe Fontana resigned in June 2014 because of a criminal conviction.

Martin Horak, director of the local government program, said Baechler will offer another level to the program he expects will be worthwhile for students. “We focus on training students who are going to go into public administration in local government,� Horak said. “For them, hearing a political perspective from someone who is very experienced and who is known for being thoughtful in how they engage with administrators is really valuable.�

Baechler will be participating in lectures, round table discussions and interacting with students outside of class. Last year, Baechler was executive producer of a short documentary film, called 25% that encourages young women to

increase their involvement in civics and politics. Baechler will be screening the film at the university in February and leading a discussion on it. “It’s an opportunity for me to share my experience of what it’s like on the inside of the political world,�

Baechler expanded.

Currently, the local government program offers a diploma program and a Master degree in public administration.

Horak stated the program hopes to collaborate with other remarkable London public servants in the future by continuing to offer distinguished practitioner designations. “I’m hoping that they get an added dimension of a perspective that comes from someone who has been on the inside,� Baechler said. “That’s something that isn’t in the program now and I hope [the students] benefit from the experience that I bring to the table.�

News Briefs Solution to puzzle on page 7

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Western students step up for charities

On January 26, passionate Western students will swap shoes.

The Borrowed Shoes Diversity Challenge is a charity event organized by the Leadership and Mentorship Program. “[Our] aim is to stand out amongst other diversity events by challenging students to daily activities that touch various themes in disability, dietary restrictions, mental and physical wellness, and social responsibility,� Jerry Shum, LAMP leadership co-coordinator, said.

The event launched on Monday and will be running for five weeks.

During the program, LAMP hopes to promote awareness about the conditions happening all around the world, such as hunger, mental illnesses and diseases.

According to LAMP Leadership chair Jeremy Ho, students should volunteer for charitable organizations because they give students the opportunity to learn about the causes of certain conditions.

The Borrowed Shoes Diversity Challenge hopes to recruit passionate students through posters in residences, promotion stands at the UCC and social media, Ho said. • Michelle Lim

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.

3 4 3 3 3 343

3 3 3 3 www.londonprop.com

www.facebook.com/RedbricksLondon @LPCRedbricks

•3

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Rotman known for business and philanthropy >> ROTMAN continued from pg.1

I

WOULD SAY SIMPLY

“I would say simply with his passing, Western has lost a great friend and I have lost a great mentor,” President Amit Chakma said in an interview Tuesday afternoon.

At Western, Rotman helped create the Rotman Institute of Philosophy in 1999.

Chakma said the Institute, “is flourishing, it is actually one of the best, one of the top research units we have on our campus. It is good, for quite some time in a particular area of philosophy — philosophy of science. He wanted us to be better than we had so he founded that institute generously.”

The interest in funding philosophy came from when Rotman was studying at Western. Originally enrolled in business and not liking the courses, Rotman met a philosophy professor who encouraged him to take a philosophy course and he was hooked.

Rotman’s served on numerous boards across Canada in the arts, education and health care. He used his business acumen to further

WITH HIS PASSING, WESTERN HAS LOST

A GREAT FRIEND AND I HAVE LOST A GREAT MENTOR. AMIT CHAKMA

PRESIDENT OF WESTERN UNIVERSITY

the advancement of life science research, particularly neuroscience research, in Canada.

In Rotman’s capacity as chancellor, though, is where his impact at Western can be felt the most, said Chakma.

“Joe would have series of conversations with me — I considered him to be my mentor — so talk about what we are doing at the university, what we want to achieve. These are high-level discussions — our

Green eggs and Hamza

Breaking Brad

Hamza Tariq NEWS EDITOR

Bradley Metlin SPORTS EDITOR

@HamzaAtGazette

@BradAtGazette

Ever since campaigning began Tuesday morning at 12:01 a.m., it was evident that Team Litchfield was off to a rocky start. Their website wasn’t up and their social media presence was minimal well into the night.

In this day and age, social media is one of the most important tools for people running for elected office — more so for student government — and at the time of writing, Team Litchfield has failed to use this medium effectively.

Team Sophie started off strongly with an impressive website, a solid platform and a video. This is the more traditional approach and provides a stark contrast with Team Litchfield’s strategy. So this poses the question: does campaigning really have to start with full intensity at the firing of a starting pistol? And does that really give Team Sophie edge over Team Litchfield?

I don’t think so. Team Litchfield has an impressive slate, and Litchfield has an impressive resume. He has been extremely involved with both the University Students’ Council as a student senator and the Social Science Students’ Council, where he’s currently president. He has been a leading figure in both councils and is often seen actively participating in debates in generally dull USC meetings.

According to Litchfield, the delay in posting their platform is part of their campaign strategy. This strategy is definitely unconventional, but it’s too early to say it won’t work. It’s possible that a later start to campaigning, especially one closer to the weekend, might give students more time to think about Team Litchfield’s platform. It can also be argued that a strong push later in the campaign period might prove to be more effective than a consistent level of campaigning throughout.

There’s still time for this slate to blow everyone out of the water with an amazing platform and hopefully a website. I’m looking forward to their platform rally on Thursday and to see what Team Litchfield has to bring to the table.

As I waited up past midnight yesterday morning, I was hoping to be excited by the University Students’ Council presidential slates launching their campaigns.

Sadly, the team led by Jack Litchfield completely eschewed reason and did not release their platform, video or website, and seemingly won’t until Thursday.

This disappointment was illustrated perfectly by a first-year student I spoke to yesterday — someone who has no expectations when it comes to USC elections — who said the Litchfield slate has already disappointed him. I cautioned him against making a rash judgment.

That advice was hard to dole out. I still find it nearly inconceivable that any slate would cede three whole days over to the opposition to monopolize the campaign. As Team Sophie campaigns and spreads their message, there will be no alternative vision for the majority of this week.

Right now, Sophie Helpard and her slate are essentially campaigning against Casper the Ghost. With nothing to contrast their platform with, they will control the narrative of this election. They can dictate the key issues that will define this campaign and when Litchfield will be playing catch up when he arrives on the scene late, While some will point out that by starting late.

Litchfield might be making his job easier — after all, the relatively short campaign period is actually a long time to hold students’ attention — this is a silly assumption.

We already complain about the problems with engaging students so naturally the best thing to do is not engage students for three days.

On the CHRW show Point of Order yesterday, Litchfield explained that all his campaign material was ready but they were strategically holding off on releasing it.

Ultimately, this disadvantages students who want to make an informed decision. The lack of traffic at their table in the University Community Centre atrium is evidence of student disengagement with their slate.

While some were thinking they would back Jack, they might just decide to Ditchfield.

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Team Litchfield Strategy?! has a chance Jack is whack

dreams, our aspirations — and he would share his thoughts on how we may go about doing certain things.

So although you can’t quantify these sort of things, but I’ll say his intellectual leadership and his mentorship of me as president of Western, probably would be his most significant contribution to Western.”

Chakma described the close personal relationship he had with Rotman before Rotman was chancellor as “very, very close and very warm.” He added Rotman meant a lot to him personally.

“When I invited him to be our chancellor at a later stage, he described the term we are soulmates and that is very special to me. So I would remind him that, Joe, that special message that he made I would never forget that because I would cherish that for the rest of my life.”

Rotman is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Sandra, and their two children Janis and Kenneth.

The funeral service for Rotman will take place on Friday, Jan. 31 at 1:30 p.m. at the Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto.

4 •

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

arts&life

saywhat?

“I feel like there’s so much to talk about — especially if I had this show a year ago!

All of the good bad race stuff happened already!”

• Larry Wilmore’s monologue from his first broadcast of The Nightly Show, which has taken over Stephen Colbert’s time slot on the Comedy Network

Cineplex screens classic films

>> IN THEATRES > DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

Digital film festival comes to London Brent Holmes DEPUTY EDITOR @BrentAtGazette

On Friday, Jan. 30, London will be going on a journey to the digital world.

Cineplex’s Sixth Annual Great Digital Film Festival will be screening classic movies at theatres across Canada from January 30 to February 5. For the first time in its history, the festival will be coming to London at Silver City.

“The focus is to show great movies that haven’t been seen on the big screen for a long time — kind of in the way that they are best seen,” Richard Crouse, a film critic responsible for choosing the films screening at the festival, said. “The best way to see movies is to see them in the theatre with the picture and the sound that the director wanted you to see, and be surrounded by strangers who are laughing and crying and gasping and doing whatever it is that they do.”

The festival will bring a wide-selection of movies back into cinemas, including the entire X-Men series, Blade Runner, Alien and Aliens, Kill Bill and Pan’s Labyrinth.

“When we were programming this festival we had a look at movies that as film nerds we wanted to see on the big screen again,” Crouse explained.

The festival will be presenting the films with digitally remastered prints, taking advantage of the ease of new technologies to produce a high-quality image.

“We are going to show you movies that are 25 years old, in some cases older than that,” Crouse explained.

“We are going to show them to you and they are going to look as great as they did the first time they went through a projector.”

Hailey Sugar • GAZETTE

For Crouse, one of the highlights of the digital film festival will be the screening of Pan’s Labyrinth.

“I remember seeing [Pan’s Labyrinth] for the first time the year it played at the Toronto International Film Festival and I was in a pre-screening audience … we were seeing it a week or so before the festival began and when the Pale Man first lifted up his hands and you see the eyeballs that are on his palms, everybody in the audience gasped,” Crouse recalls.

“Everyone’s heads were knocked back by the image of that and the sheer unexpected beauty of it. That’s the kind of thing that when I was thinking about movies that would be really cool to show again, that moment came flooding back to me.

I’d like to recreate that moment for an audience that may not have seen this on the big screen.”

Also screening with Pan’s Labyrinth will be Crouse’s interview with the film’s acclaimed director, Guillermo Del Toro.

“We talked about the difficulties that he had making the film, why he was insecure while he was making the film, he wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing. It’s a fascinating interview with one of the filmmakers who, for me, is top of the list,” Crouse commented.

The Sixth Annual Digital Film Festival will begin on January 30 at Silver City with a screening of Dick Tracy at 1 p.m. Showtimes and tickets are available online at www. cineplex.com.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

PEEK-A-BOO, I SEE YOU. The Sixth Annual Great Digital Film Festival will be screening a collection of remastered films from Jan. 30 – Feb. 5 at the Cineplex cinema at Masonville. Among the films being screened is Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed film, Pan’s Labyrinth (above).

Courtesy of Lionsgate

A beautiful, mushy love letter to Spike Lee Brent Holmes DEPUTY EDITOR @BrentAtGazette

GGGGG Dear White People Director: Justin Simien Starring: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Brandon Bell, Dennis Haysbert, Teynoah Parris, Kyle Galiner The Oscars earned a lot of criticism for their recent nominations — snubbing Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo for their work on Selma has been read as the academy ignoring black filmmakers and actors — but what they really deserve criticism for is Dear White People not being on the list. Justin Simien’s Dear White People is one of the most incisive and smart films to tackle the idea of race in contemporary times and one of the best films of 2014.

Dear White People follows a group of university students at an Ivy League university. Sam (Tessa Thompson) runs a flippant talk show on the campus radio station; Troy (Brandon Bell) is being groomed by his father (Dennis Haysbert) to be an Obama-poster child; Coco (Teyonah Parris) is a superficial video blogger trying to make it in reality television; and Lionel (Tyler James Williams) struggles to fit in among racial groups that don’t accept him.

When the entitled, racist son of the university’s president, Kurt (Kyle Gallner) hosts a blackface frat party, the stage is set for a riot as supressed racial tensions come to the surface.

If this sounds like it could be the plot of a Spike Lee movie, it’s because Dear White People is a

gushing, mushy love letter to Spike Lee. Simien uses everything from Lee’s narrative structures to his camera angles. Actors look directly at the camera and the plot reflects Do The Right Thing or Bamboozled beat-for-beat.

Dear White People is incredibly mature in how it presents race.

These issues are not, pardon the pun, black or white. All of the characters experience their racial identities in different ways. The film presents these conflicts with a lot more grace than it has to — and it makes for a film that is simultaneously funny and thought provoking.

The film excels with its satirical approach to race relations. A parody of D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation and Sam’s evaluation of race relations through a “tip test” provide some of the film’s funniest moments.

The four main leads do an amazing job with Lionel and Sam as the stand out characters. Lionel’s struggle to fit in with black and white social groups while he simultaneously struggles to accept his gay identity is handled well and provides a nice point-of-entry for the audience. Sam could have easily become an aggressive moral compass but her character is complex, sympathetic and fleshed out.

Dear White People is a triumph of writing and acting presenting some of the best characters of the year. The film is an important part of the dialogue about race in the 21st century and a must-see film.

Dear White People plays at the Hyland Cinema this week.

Showtimes are available at www. hylandcinema.com.

•5

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

LOVE

WEALTH

WHAT’S HOT

LIFE AND WELLNESS

MEDIA

Wi-fi light-up pillows

Be Cheap

Charity Ball

Desserts

Superbowl

A rousing cry from thousands of long-distance lovers: at last, our prayers have been answered! Our pillows can connect to the Internet!

Pillow Talk is a project based on connecting long-distance couples. With a smartphone app, a wristband and headphones, you can feel closer to your partner; your pillow lights up when he/she is in bed, and you can listen to his/her heartbeat through Bluetooth.

Because you know what would help you sleep? More gear than the US army, a Bluetooth heartbeat pounding in your ears and a lightup pillow.

Being rich means having money. If Albert Einstein was an economist he would have come up with the equation, less stuff = more money.

Eating costs money. By eating less, in no time at all Western students will see the puny pile of dollar bills stacked up in their shoebox swell into a Mount Kilimanjaro of dead prime ministers. Clothing is expensive.

Can’t have that if you wanna ball proper. Wearing the same outfit every day will save a boatload of pesos and repurpose the time formerly spent picking an outfit each morning into brainstorming more get rich quick schemes.

This Saturday will feature one of Western’s most formal events of the year: Charity Ball. For some, this is an annual event to attend with friends and roommates — an excuse to dress up, drink copious amounts of alcohol and awkwardly mingle with classmates that you’ve never seen outside of tutorial. For others, Charity Ball will be a new experience, an event saved for the fourth and final year of undergrad, when students mistakenly see themselves as classy and mature enough to attend such a formal event. Best of all, it’s for charity.

If you asked Michelangelo to draw relaxation, he would paint a canvas of a tropical getaway. If you asked him to draw happiness, he would draft a sketch of some hot apple pie with ice cream. A sweet pile of greasy goodness can soothe any stress and every ailment. When searching for capable desserts it’s helpful to look for anything that’s hot, deep fried or greasy, either crusty or gooey, and ice cream is always nice to have. There have been recent trends in wellness advocating a healthy diet but that’s just nonsense. It’s worth sacrificing health for happiness.

Superbowl Sunday football fans galore will be jumping off of their couches and into the bars this Sunday. They’ll be listing stats and cheering for their favourite players while most of us will choose whichever team is likely to win.

If you’re a regular person, you’re probably going to bombard your friend’s house with cable or see the complaints of bandwagoning on Facebook. Whatever happens on Sunday night, you’ll be hearing about the crazy ads and the scandalous performance from the halftime show.

• Richard Joseph

• Conrad Floryan

• Jennafer Freeman

• Conrad Floryan

• Samah Ali

>> GAZETTE RECIPES > WALNUT AND CHOCOLATE MERINGUE TORTE Ingredients:

• 135 g (4 ¾ oz/ 1 cup) roasted and chopped walnuts (actually several nuts may be used as long as they are chopped fine) • 6 egg whites, at room temperature • 330 g (1 ½ cup) caster sugar • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract • 1 ½ tsp white vinegar • 300 g (10 ½ oz) dark or dutch chocolate, melted Chocolate Mousse Ingredients: • 150 g dark or dutch chocolate • 375 ml (1 ½ cups) whipping cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 160°C (315 °F). Line 3 large baking trays with parchment paper.

Draw three 10x25 cm (4x10 inch) rectangles on each lined tray. Making sure that there is enough room between the sides of the tray.

2) Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whisk egg whites until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar, whisking well after each addition, continue whisking until very thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and vinegar, continue whisking until fully combined. Use a large spatula to gently fold in about of the chopped walnuts.

3) Divide the meringue among the marked rectangles and use a spatula to spread out evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes or until dry to the touch. Turn the oven off.

Cool completely in oven with door slightly ajar.

4) Spread 1/2 of the melted chocolate on each of the internal pieces of meringue.

Leave to set.

5) To make chocolate mousse, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring 100 ml of cream to a simmer, then pour over the chocolate. Stand for 1 minute, then stir gently until melted and well combined. Set aside at room temperature until the mixture has completely cooled.

6) When chocolate mixture has cooled, use an electric mixer

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with whisk attachment to whisk remaining cream until soft peaks form. Add the chocolate mixture and use a spatula to fold together until just combined. Refrigerate for one hour until firm.

7) Place a meringue rectangle on serving platter. Spread with half of chocolate mousse.

Continue to layer with remaining meringue, ending in meringue. Warm remaining chocolate and drizzle over top of torte. Refrigerate overnight.

8) Remove from fridge and sprinkle with some chopped walnuts.

• Jon Pollard

On Disc >> No Cities to Love

GGGGr Artist: Sleater Kinney Album: No Cities to Love Label: Sub Pop The return of the acclaimed, all-female indie punk act, Sleather Kinner, has been exciting and unexpected.

The band’s new album No Cities to

Love comes with a lot of baggage.

The independent music scene has changed considerably since the release of their last album The Woods, back in 2005.

It is refreshing to hear that No Cities to Love is a strong album on its own merits. The band has constructed 10 hard rocking, but accessibly melodic tracks, which serve as a nice springboard for growth.

Right off the bat, listeners are treated with the song Price Tag, a head-banging punk anthem damning consumerism and expressing the frustrations of everyday life.

The second song, Fangless, features impressive drumming from Janet Weiss and a great guitar riff but it lacks the overall strength of the track which preceded it. Surface Envy, a loud and aggressive thing of beauty, quickly corrects this momentary lull

in power. It might be the best track on the entire album.

The album closes on a strong note, with a noteworthy lyrical highpoint on the track Hey Darling, which deals with the idea of fame and mediocrity. The final track of the album is dramatically different it is from the rest. The track Fade, is more somber and brooding than the rest of the hard-hitting rock anthems presented. It’s certainly a memorable song, but it feels a bit out of place at the end of the album.

No Cities to Love is a strong offering from a band with a long history of greatness. It’s a fantastic way to kick off this new stage in their career and a great gateway album for new fans of Sleater Kinney.

• Erik Bajzert

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No previous modelling experience required.

6 •

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

opinions

If we bear all this suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, will be held up as an example.

• Anne Frank

USC playing Take time to remember the Holocaust with technicalities — again Cool Story Broekhoff

Iain Boekhoff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

During the campaign launch yesterday morning, the University Students’ Council elections garnered their first scandal — #AVPGate, as it was coined by our editors.

Associate vice-president public affairs Kevin Chao was included on Team Sophie’s “faces” section of her website — a page devoted to those endorsing her campaign. He was also featured in her campaign video. Immediately, those live blogging thought this would be in violation of a bylaw dictating that the USC staff and executive may not wade into political waters.

Despite our initial reactions, it was determined by those within the USC that it was permissable for Chao to endorse Team Sophie. However, we think there are some questionable ethics at work here.

Associate vice presidents are supposed to be apolitical bureaucrats within the USC. It is not their job nor should it be their prerogative to enter the political arena. Alex Benac and Lindsee Perkins, both associate vice-presidents, took a leave of absence in order to pursue their political campaign.

Chao remains in his position.

This is problematic because Chao is in the communications portfolio. Part of his job will be to communicate to students about the elections. He also has access to information that would not be afforded to the average student.

Supervised by the vice-president communications, Chao will likely know when a press release announcing a major initiative or decision will be announced and what it is before most people. Should he pass that information on, he could give Team Sophie an unfair advantage in the campaign.

While the USC appears to be sweeping this under the rug and dismissing controversy by asserting Chao is operating within the rules, they are ignoring the shoddy ethics of his endorsement. The USC has said that as long as he does not mention his position, there is not conflict of interest.

Yet, it’s hard to isolate someone from their position. While Chao might not mention his position himself, when The Gazette reports on the story, for example, it is important to note his position. When others mention Chao and his endorsement, they are bound to also mention his position.

Which brings about another question — what exactly is the status of AVPs after the election? This is the highest position in the USC for students aside from being an executive and they are unelected. They work very closely with the executive and hold more influence and power than any other student.

What happens when an AVP steps aside to run — presumably also depriving students of any benefits of their position for a month — and then wins? Will they obey directives from the current executive that they don’t agree with?

Will they become working politicians starting in February rather than in May? In the end, Kevin Chao has made an egregious misjudgment in endorsing Team Sophie. Perhaps worse, the USC does not seem to take issue with Chao’s blatant disregard for ethical conduct during USC elections. Just because something is technically in the rules, doesn’t make it right — especially when it comes to the USC’s ever-changing, ambiguous policies.

AVPGate will continue to be a controversy unless someone steps in. Maybe Sophie Helpard should show her leadership skills by refusing the endorsement? Maybe the USC should show they do not condone sketchy ethical behaviour? And maybe, just maybe, Chao should take a leave of absence.

• Gazette Editorial Board

thegazette

Volume 108, Issue 64 www.westerngazette.ca

Iain Boekhoff Editor-In-Chief Brent Holmes Deputy Editor Richard Raycraft Managing Editor

Contact: www.westerngazette.ca University Community Centre Rm. 263 The University of Western Ontario London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580 Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579

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

@IainAtGazette

One of the most surreal and profound experiences of my life was visiting Auschwitz.

It was mid-June 2013 and my friend and I were on an overnight train to Krakow. While talking to the train attendant at about 2 a.m. we learned were actually going to be stopping in Oswjecim, the city home to the infamous camp, before Krakow — the only minor catch being, we would be stopping there at 5:30 a.m.

But, desperate to save money and time, we, along with our two car mates, decided to get off the train then and leisurely make our way to the site of the former camp. We waited at the doors of Auschwitz I until 8 a.m., which is when they finally let in visitors. Tours didn’t start until 9:30 a.m., and were mandatory after that time. But before then, we were allowed to enter unaccompanied.

Auschwitz I was the original labour camp and it has been turned mainly into a museum. With virtually nobody there, the four of us had the opportunity to walk the dirt paths between the barracks and go inside the buildings that once housed thousands of prisoners.

The exhibits were simple but striking and they often didn’t need any explanation. A display filled with suitcases. One with broken glasses. And the most heartbreaking one — shoes. Thousands of shoes of all different sizes encircling an entire room. We each lingered for minutes at a time at the ones that struck us most.

At one point we came to a walled off courtyard between two barracks — 10 and 11 (I don’t even have to look up their number, I will never forget). A small sign outside asked visitors to maintain silence as this was where hundreds of men, women and children were executed.

The four of us walked around the courtyard with the sobering realization that we were walking where many before us walked to their death. I sat down on a step in silence for several minutes, reflecting on the horrific history of my surroundings.

As we headed back for the start of our tour, the place was suddenly full of

people. On the tour, we had to wait at most exhibits. And then we had to speed through the exhibits. The experience was completely different from our morning, and if I had just been a part of a tour, I would have felt robbed of one of the most profound moments of my life.

In the early afternoon we went to Auschwitz II, the better-known part of the camp. This, too, is something you have to experience to truly understand. The sheer size of the camp is jaw dropping.

With most of the barracks burned down, there are only ruins — row upon row of ruins. It stretches seemingly as far as the eye can see in every direction.

Never have I felt so small or insignificant. Never have I felt my place on this Earth was so special yet arbitrary.

The point I want to make is that everyone should experience something similar in their life where they see firsthand the effects of the worst of humanity, and that they take the time to really think about what it means.

My visit to Auschwitz was preceded by a short stay in Berlin. The Holocaust museum there was incredible, something that was direct, poignant and powerful.

There was no mincing words when it came to the atrocities committed by everyone in WWII. The thing that had the most impact on me was the biographies of some of the Nazi administrators. They each started with their name followed by what their parents’ occupations were. The effect was to emphasize the fact that these people who believed in and were a part of the systematic murder of millions of people were just that — people. It’s a reminder and a warning that this can happen to anyone and everyone, regardless if they are the children of doctors, dentists, farmers, teachers or factory workers.

Places like Auschwitz should be maintained at all costs. It is a stark and brutal reminder of one of the worst acts mankind has ever experienced, and you will leave there with the memory forever etched in your mind.

And that’s merely from visiting the place decades years later. I can only imagine what those who were forced to go there and who survived have etched on their minds.

As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, it is more important than ever that we don’t forget what happened in the Holocaust and that we do not repeat humanity’s collective failure.

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Re: “Frosh, frosh, frosh, frosh” Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 To the editor: As someone who used to be involved to some extent in Western’s orientation program, it always disheartens me to see students criticized for their efforts to make improvements to the program.

The notion of suggesting that the orientation program should not actively and dynamically re-evaluate the language it uses to fulfill its spirit and goals is frankly one that is misguided and likely does not appreciate the rich history of the program. Let’s take a walk down memory lane with some infamous orientation events of the past — when keg races were followed by a sailing expedition down the Thames River, when first-years conducted stripteases covered in oil, honey, feathers and more, when cheers used provocative language and when orientation volunteers were called sophs … wait, what? They’re no longer called sophs?!?

Oh the travesty … I hate to break it to you, but yes, sophs are now referred to as orientation volunteers. Don’t believe me? Check their “contract.”

Regardless, change is something the orientation program experiences every year, as new student leaders tackle new challenges to improve the overall student experience not only for their first years but also for the orientation volunteers.

But here is the irony of the “changes”: students (i.e. sophs) have proactively made the change of referring to themselves as “orientation leaders” and/or “orientation volunteers” and “frosh” as “first-year students” before the orientation planning committee was able to leverage their “extreme micromanagement and bureaucratization” of the program. They make these changes when putting their experience on their resume, interviewing for a coveted internship, applying to graduate school or scholarships and many other activities that advance their personal and professional experience both at Western and beyond.

It seems like this “change” should have been an easy one — one that ultimately has very little, or even no, impact on how a soph cares for their incoming students.

So without going into the argument of alternative meanings of the word “frosh,” I ask why is it so reprehensible to use a term (i.e. first-year students) that our student volunteers themselves are already using to articulately convey their role within the program to future employers?

With that being said, I am suggesting a bold new notion that we as a student body offer more support to our student leaders, such as Kilgour and Helpard, who undoubtedly have spent countless hours empowering and supporting students in leadership positions — change is a good thing!

• Andrew Scarffe MSc II

Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Маја Анјоли-Билић

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• Please recycle this newspaper •

•7

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Upset sees Mustangs beat Ravens 63–54 Julie Hambleton CONTRIBUTOR @SportsAtGazette

After a tough loss against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night, the Western women’s basketball team came back with an exciting 63–54 win over the Carleton Ravens on Saturday. The win keeps the Mustangs in third place in the Ontario University Athletics west division.

Western got off to a quick start after team captain Caroline Wolynski drained a three-pointer early. She finished with four from beyond the arc and ended the game with 23 points. The team was aggressive both offensively and defensively, using their speed to put pressure on the Ravens.

“I thought we played like a team,” Brian Cheng, Mustangs coach, said.

“The effort on defence showed.”

Despite an obvious height disadvantage, Western remained aggressive under the boards.

Forward Victoria Heine played an exceptional game, as she drew several offensive fouls and fought for every ball at the bottom of the key.

“We were getting killed under the boards,” Cheng noted. “We started responding and people were getting bodies on people and we got some key rebounds.”

The Ravens came out strong in the third quarter, as guard Stephanie Carr came off the bench to score some much-needed baskets. Meanwhile, Western struggled against the glass, scoring only one of 15 field goals.

This set the stage for a tense fourth quarter. The Ravens cut the ‘Stangs lead to one just a minute into the final frame. Guard Maddy Horst responded with a three-point shot, as the teams began trading buckets.

The Ravens suffered a bad bounce as top-scorer Lindsay Shotbolt suffered a knee injury that took her out of the game, leaving an opportunity for Western to increase their lead. With both teams having reached the five-foul limit, the last four minutes of the game became a battle of free throws.

Carleton is ranked fourth in the province in free-throw percentage, but the Mustangs were able to hold on to their lead. Wolynski solidified the win with a final push, scoring a three-pointer, a field goal and points from the free-throw line.

“We were really down yesterday, nothing was going for us, but we stuck together today and played really well offensively and defensively,” Wolynski said. “We stuck together as a team and I think that was the main factor tonight.”

This win was an important one for the Mustangs, who are now 4–9 and continue to strive to remain in the playoff conversation.

The ‘Stangs look to follow up with another win at home next Friday, Jan. 30, in their annual Shoot for the Cure Breast cancer awareness game against the York Lions. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. in Alumni Hall.

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Eunhae Chung • MUSTANG ATHLETICS

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8 •

thegazette • Wednesday, January 28, 2015

sports

saywhat?

“One day I woke up and it dawned on me I had no control over what’s going on in my life, but I do have control over how it affects me.”

• Brian Banks, ex-player of Atlanta Falcons, on being a motivational speaker at the NFL rookie symposium

Rundown >> Canadian Interuniversity Sport named four Mustang teams in its top 10 lists • Women’s hockey and track and field placed third, women’s swimming in sixth, and men’s track and field in fifth.

Natascha Wesch wins fellowship award Mustangs coach excited for opportunity to learn abroad Devin Golets SPORTS EDITOR @DevinGolets

The international stage is nothing new for Natascha Wesch. The former Team Canada rugby player and head coach of Western’s women’s rugby team is going abroad again, but this time to play a role off the field. After years of academic and professional work in sports psychology, Wesch has been awarded the Endeavour Executive Fellowship from the government of Australia.

“I applied for the award, and I got it,” Wesch said. “If you don’t try to take risks and develop yourself as much as you can, you’re never going to achieve those things. You need to hope for the best and be okay with failure.”

The fellowship begins in June, and is awarded to high achievers in business, industry, education or government for non-Australians and Australians. Based on her athletic, academic and professional background, Wesch earned the opportunity to be provided with financial support to build her professional development.

“I’m obviously very excited, it’s going to be a great opportunity,” she explained. “What I hope is to get a better understanding of how they implement their sports psych, if they do anything differently, and if so how.”

Wesch will be primarily stationed at Victoria University, but will also focus her efforts in the areas of sport psychology and applied sport psychology at both the Australia Institute of Sport and Victoria Institute of Sport.

“The contribution I’ll make down

I

LOVE SEEING PEOPLE SUCCEED AND SEEING PEOPLE BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE. IF I CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH THE TOOLS AND SOME STRATEGIES, THEN THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO DO. NATASCHA WESCH

HEAD COACH OF WESTERN’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM

there is doing some seminars and guest lectures, but mainly to observe how they mesh their sport-psych programs,” she said.

Wesch completed her PhD in Sport Psychology at Western and has spent over 20 years helping younger athletes reach their potential through mental training. Over time she has taken pleasure witnessing many of her past clients, like NHL goaltender Michael Hutchison, graduate to the professional and Olympic levels.

“I know I have the ability to motivate people, I’ve been there before, I know what it takes,” Wesch said. “I love seeing people succeed and seeing people be the best they can be. If I can provide them with the tools and some strategies, then that’s what I want to do.”

In 2009, Wesch founded her own sports psychology practice called Elite Mind Performance, where she continues to work directly with athletes, coaches and teams. While she will take a short break from helping her clients in Canada, she believes there is much to be gained from learning in a different environment.

“The idea is to get more experience, more knowledge and determine what’s going on over there and how I can bring it here to Western in sports psych and coaching,” Wesch explained.

Upon her return from Australia in September, she will resume coaching Western’s rugby team in 2016 and look to build on her athletic resume that includes over a decade of experience playing for Rugby Canada. While she no longer plays competitively, Wesch continues to enjoy helping others improve in something she feels is very important.

“You learn a lot of things in sport that a lot of individuals don’t learn or get exposed to in a lifetime: how to win, how to lose, how to improve yourself,” Wesch said. “Everyone has the potential to get better, and if I can play a small role in that then I’ll do it because that’s what I love.”

Mike Laine • GAZETTE

Western walks away with weekend wins Robert Nanni SPORTS EDITOR @robertnanni

The Western Mustangs track and field team divided their resources this week. Half of the athletes went to Saginaw Valley State University to compete in the Doug Hansen Open on Friday while the other half went to the McGill Team Challenge taking place from Friday to Saturday.

Shaylyn Kowalchuk placed first in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.95 seconds, taking the lead for the Mustang women at the Saginaw competition. Placing first in the pole vault event was Robin Bone, with a height of 3.96m, who also took the silver in 60m hurdles with a time of 9.08 seconds.

Various rookie athletes proved themselves as well this weekend, such as Emilia Grala who placed second in the high jump event with a height of 1.68m. Alongside her was veteran Stephanie Sheppard who finished third in weight throw with an 14.15m throw, upping her personal best by 2m.

The male Mustangs also garnered a few wins, as Payam Saboni

placed first in the triple jump with 14.17m and Robbie Gallaugher took the win for long jump, attaining an indoor personal best of 7.31m.

While the field event athletes celebrated their wins at Saginaw Valley, the sprint and top middle distance portion of the team took to McGill to grab a few more wins for Western.

The McGill Team Challenge meet is the most competitive in Canada aside from the CIS championships, and the team certainly took this opportunity with strong goals in mind. The women’s team, composed of Joy Spear Chief-Morris, Jen Robinson, Sarah Clancy and Rachael Muma, walked away with a new meet record of 1:40.48 for the 4 x 200 m race.

The men’s team of Izzy Ogieva, Riley Bell, Chris Cauley and Anthony Dandie ran their personal best time for the season of 1:29.59, yet they fell short of third place as they finished fourth.

Most of the Mustangs will continue to the York Open this Saturday, while the remainder will head to New York City to compete at the Armory Track Invitational against some of the top NCAA athletes.

Jonathan Dunn • GAZETTE