Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Purple and White steal the night Mustangs advance to OUA finals with sweep of Laurier. >> Pg. 7

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

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London tax hike surpasses inflation Amy O’Kruk NEWS EDITOR @AmyAtGazette

London’s newest city council has passed its first annual budget and with it comes an average 2.5 per cent property tax increase for residents.

While the vote to finalize the budget was unanimous, not all city councillors think the tax rate is as trim as it could be. In addition, London will soon be moving towards multiyear budget planning and keeping tax rates low could become even increasingly difficult.

The 2015 budget and 2.5 per cent increase were finalized at a city council meeting Thursday night.

The tax hike means a modest raise in many Londoners’ property tax.

Homeowners with a house valued at $214,000, the average value of a London home, will pay an extra $63 on their 2015 tax bill.

Mayor Matt Brown said city council started with a proposed tax increase of 2.9 per cent and reduced it to 2.5 per cent after a series of four meetings.

“This council worked every day to find savings and efficiencies,” Brown said in a press release. “When we began we were looking at a 2.9 per cent increase, there were a number of other projects that could have grown the increase to 3.9 per cent.

Instead, because of council’s hard work, we cut it down to 2.5 per cent.”

The 25 hours spent deliberating this year’s budget is in stark contrast to the 60 hours the previous city council took to debate the 2014 budget. Phil Squire, Ward 6 councillor, said he believes the difference is due to preparation.

“I think this council is very well prepared, in terms of coming to the table already knowing what areas we wanted to focus on, what areas we could cut and what questions we wanted to ask,” Squire said. >> see TAXES pg.3

Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE

London not Uber thrilled Rita Rahmati GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette

Uber, a popular crowd-sourcing mobile app that pairs riders with drivers, may be expanding its services to London — but it’s facing opposition from city officials and local taxi companies.

Potential riders can download the app and use it to hitch a ride: whether it’s a taxi, private car or rideshare. In addition, users can apply to become paid drivers themselves and connect to other nearby users who are ordering trips. On their website, Uber boasts that the app provides pricing estimates, a large user base and the ability for riders to split their fare easily with friends who can use the app to conduct instant transactions.

Uber currently operates in over 200 cities around the globe, including Toronto, Edmonton and Quebec City. Susie Heath, senior

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communications associate for Uber Canada, said Uber’s next stop could be Western’s hometown where an information session was held in January.

“This is a part of our ongoing process to continue to explore expansion in a number of cities across Canada,” Heath said.

With London’s large student population, Mike Moffatt, an assistant professor at Western’s Ivey Business School, pointed out the app could appeal to cash-strapped students.

“I think it could be quite successful in London. I think you would see a lot of students use it, but I think you’d also see students who want to earn a few extra dollars become Uber drivers,” Moffatt said.

While the service has its benefits, in other Canadian cities like Ottawa and Edmonton, Uber has faced issues surrounding its implementation — particularly safety, unregulated costs and by-laws.

“Our concerns are that this new technology is offering rides in an unregulated fashion. We don’t know who the drivers are, we don’t know if the cars are safe, we don’t know if there’s proper insurance,” said Orest Katolyk, city manager of bylaw enforcement and licensing.

Hurur Woldemicael, office manager at Green Taxi London, added thar Uber drivers do not take the geographical test licensed taxi drivers take and could take longer routes to increase fares. As well, Uber operates based on supply and demand and when there’s high demand, they can charge enormous amounts — as was seen in New York City this past New Year’s Eve. City officials have also voiced concern that the app could create financial losses for city of London.

Lost income could arise from losing brokerage licensing, payment from registered taxis or the renewal of taxi driver licenses.

In order to set up shop in London, regulations surrounding driver criminal record checks, vehicle age limitations and in-car cameras would need to be adhered to.

Uber attests its function is as a sharing app and technology company, so it doesn’t necessarily need to comply with taxi bylaws.

“Uber has been very reluctant to do that in other markets. That really goes against their entire business model because they argue in fact that they are not a taxi but rather that they are a sharing app,” Moffatt said.

Ultimately the future of Uber in London is uncertain.

“I don’t have an update to share on specific launch plans in London at the moment, I can tell you that Uber wants to be in every city around the world where current transportation options fall short of meeting consumer and driver demand,” Heath said.

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2•

thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Caught on Camera

Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE

THE UCC ATRIUM: THE WORST VENUE EVER. Unknown to most students, the unbelievably talented Sarah Bothello performed yesterday in the UCC for half-asleep students lined up for Tims and Starbucks. Her music chops are 11.43/10 and students got a brief introduction to her enchanting talents.

CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer

News Briefs

Pop up entrepreneurs in UCC

We s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y ’s Entrepreneurship Centre, Propel, will host their first annual youth-centred pop up market in the University Community Centre.

Eight youth vendors, aged 18–29, will have the opportunity to showcase their products and test their marketing strategy. Such vendors include Ezzy Lynn, which sells hair accessories and Planting Seeds, a kit to grow produce at home.

Samantha Laliberte, coordinator of the UCC Startup Market, said many Propel clients were particularly interested in being able to sell products to Western students.

“We have our store front in the

Solution to puzzle on page 7

basement of the UCC that business’ can rent out for a week, but we know the UCC atrium has a lot more traffic so we decided to make an event of it and showcase the different clients we’re working with,” she said.

While many of the vendors happen to be Western or Fanshawe students or alumnus, Laliberte said it is not a requirement.

Vendors predict that they will see 2,000 staff and student throughout the day.

“I’m not too familiar with any specific market around town that is focused on youth,” Laliberte said.

“I know in the UCC you will often see different vendors and fundraisers happening, but as far as I know, this is the first time Western allowed us to take over the UCC and rent out this many tables and show off student-based or alumni-based business.’ ” • Olivia Zollino

University of Toronto TAs strike

Teaching assistants at the University of Toronto are officially on strike after members of their union rejected a tentative agreement in a charged meeting on Friday.

The meeting resulted in a rejection of the agreement by 1,000

members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3902 Unit 1 with a vote of 90 per cent against the agreement, according to the Toronto Star.

The CUPE 3902 executive committee has authorized the strike on all three campuses of Canada’s largest university, effective immediately and has informed members to halt all bargaining unit work. This means that TAs will not return to their duties at the downtown, Scarborough or Mississauga campuses.

Picketing officially began on Monday as members were informed on the CUPE 3902’s website to contact their picket captains and organize themselves over the weekend.

The university currently employs 6,000 TAs and the strike will effectively shut down all tutorials, labs and even some classes at the University of Toronto.

York University also faces the possibility of a strike by teaching assistants and contract faculty. A vote was held on Monday, and if members of the York union reject the proposed contract by the university, then the strike and picketing could begin as early as Tuesday.

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•3

thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Slate-elect may be in trouble Green eggs and Hamza

Hamza Tariq NEWS EDITOR @HamzaAtGazette

Is the slate-elect in trouble?

The elections committee is reviewing several incidents from elections. The most interesting of these are Team Litchfield’s post-campaigning activities and the possibility of demerit points being issued, perhaps enough to merit disqualification.

The committee is supposed to announce a final decision regarding possible demerit points and disqualifications resulting from campaigning in the 2015 elections by next week.

The elections committee is very tight-lipped about the matter at the moment. They are holding in-camera meetings and refusing to comment to the media.

Now, all eyes are on possible elections policy violations of Team Litchfield in the post-campaigning period.

So what did the slate-elect do that

is so sketchy?

According to USC elections policy, all campaigning is supposed to halt almost two days before voting ends. This year, the elections were held on February 11 and all campaigning was scheduled to stop on 12:01 a.m. on February 10.

After the deadline, both presidential slates took to social media to encourage students to vote in the elections. That move was all good — they were just promoting a democratic right. But president-elect Jack Litchfield posted his slate’s platform at the end of these posts, and not his opponent’s — a seeming violation of post-campaigning rules. Litchfield posted in at least 22 Facebook pages, including official campus residence groups and faculty pages.

The USC’s rules on elections, found in Bylaw 2, section 11.09, states, “Candidates are not permitted to influence or attempt to influence voters while the polls are open.”

Now some may argue that Litchfield’s posts were a blatant violation of the by law. Others might say this is too minor an issue to be even considered an infringement.

Ultimately, it’s up to the elections committee to decide.

If the committee decides that Litchfield was indeed in violation

MARCH BREAK OPEN HOUSE

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Environmental Services 3%

Planning and Development 1%

Economic Prosperity 3%

Where your taxes go in London

of the policy in his Facebook posts and comes to the conclusion that all posts would be treated as separate violations — which is how they treat separate locations of the same violation, as the bylaw implies — then there is a serious possibility that Litchfield’s slate will be disqualified.

A presidential slate is disqualified if they accumulate 30 demerit points or more.

It is critical that the committee reaches a decision that is unbiased and does not cater to the consequences of the decision. It is also important that they reach a decision in a timely manner. The decision would impact the people who were involved in the election and also sufficient time should be provided to the accused parties to appeal a decision, if they feel the need to do so.

The elections committee wields considerable power in this situation.

Their decision will set precedent either way. If they decide Litchfield did nothing wrong, then they will reinforce the grey area of Bylaw 2 about online post-campaigning.

If they decide to go to the other extreme, however, then the disqualification of an incoming USC presidential slate may send shockwaves throughout the student government and beyond.

Until then, we wait.

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Transportation Services 12% Social & Health Services 13%

Council cut to get to 2.5% >> TAXES continued from pg.1

Squire added, however he wishes the 2.5 per cent tax increase could have been lowered closer to the rate of inflation, which was just under 2 per cent in 2014.

“One of the targets that had been set … was that we wanted to stay near the rate of inflation,” Squire said. “There were a couple more things on the table … about $1.5 million that would have gotten us down to 2.2 per cent that wouldn’t have caused any cut in services. So, I think we could have got down to about 2.2 per cent.”

On the other hand, Paul Hubert, Ward 8 city councillor, said he thinks the increase was necessary.

“This was a very difficult budget because we are making up for underspending in previous years,” Hubert said. “Also, it’s very easy to say I wish it was lower but … even a percentage means $4.5 million dollars.”

Hubert elaborated that those cuts could result in fewer busses, less snow removal or cutting the reserve fund for affordable housing.

The loss of funds has to come from somewhere.

Squire stated he predicts that a move from annual budget planning to a multi-year strategy could spell trouble for keeping London property taxes low in the future.

I

THINK THIS COUNCIL IS VERY WELL PREPARED, IN TERMS OF COMING TO THE TABLE ALREADY KNOWING WHAT AREAS WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON, WHAT AREAS WE COULD CUT, AND WHAT QUESTIONS WE WANTED TO ASK.

Jennifer Feldman • GAZETTE

There is still more time to apply for Personal Credits of up to $3000 for educational, language or cultural programs.

Individuals who received a Common Experience Payment under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement are eligible for up to $3000 in Personal Credits for education programs and services.

PHIL SQUIRE

WARD 6 COUNCILLOR

“The hard part for me will be saying, 'look, this isn’t an invitation to raise rates for four straight years,'” Squire said. “That’s going to be the biggest challenge: trying to maintain a really reasonable tax over that four year period … I think that challenge is going to harder than anything.

You’re going to have to … say 'look, what’s the tax rate going to be in year number four?' I’m hoping at least every year we can at least look for savings to keep it reasonable.

Hubert agreed that four-year budgets will drastically impact how the city makes decisions about tax rates.

“Annually, we’ll have to look at sort of the tweaking of [the tax rate] … it will be a very, very different process.”

141104

These include courses at universities, colleges, trade or training schools or for programs and workshops provided by community-based groups or cultural centres for activities related to Aboriginal language and culture. Personal Credits can be used by a Common Experience Payment recipient, shared with up to two family members or pooled for group education services.

The deadline to apply has been extended to March 9, 2015. Help with completing the Personal Credits Acknowledgment Form is available.

Find out more at www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca or by phone: Scan with your mobile device

• Main information line: 1-866-343-1858 • Assembly of First Nations: 1-866-869-6789 • Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Iqaluit: 1-888-646-0006 • Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvik: 1-867-777-7092 • Makivik Corporation, Quebec: 1-418-522-2224

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thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

arts&life

funwithpuns Why is it a bad idea to go fishing with Skrillex?

• He keeps on dropping the bass!

Emojis make couples  Theatre Western

goes into the woods Tom Ruess GAZETTE STAFF

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@uwogazette

Mohammad Hussain GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette

Emojis have taken the world by storm like no one could have anticipated. Something else that wasn’t anticipated is the effect they may be having on an individual’s sex life.

Last month, for the fifth year, Match.com released their comprehensive singles survey, titled Singles in America. The website surveys over 5,600 singles from all ethnicities, incomes and ages to find how yearly dating trends are changing and evolving.

This year their most outstanding finding has been that individuals that use emojis tend to have more sex than those who don’t. The story was picked up all across the world by major news sources like Time, the Independent and the Mirror.

For comparison, of the men and women who used emojis the most, 64 per cent and 46 per cent respectively were having sex monthly. This is in contrast to those who used emojis the least, of which only 26 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women were

having sex monthly.

Approximately half of the men and women surveyed found that they used emojis because it allowed them to show more personality, and a little over a third found it made it easier to express feelings.

The Singles in America survey also studies how cultural events can affect relationships and ideologies. One such finding was called the Clooney Effect, referring to how long-time bachelor George Clooney finally settled down this year with Amul Ramzi, an Oxford-educated lawyer with high profile clients including Julian Assange. They found that this year, over 80 per cent

of men would be fine with dating a women who makes more than them, is better educated or more intellectual.

Western social psychology professor Dr. William Fisher, an expert in sexual behaviour, is not so easily sold on the findings of the study.

“The study found that the individual’s use of emojis was associated with his or her frequency of sexual activity — not that use of emojis caused or contributed to the individual’s frequency of sexual activity,” Fisher says.

“Given that the study simply reports on the association between emoji use and sexual activity, and cannot claim that emoji use causes or contributes to sexual activity, there is little to be surprised about.”

The study may not be perfect, but if any students find themselves in a bit of a dry spell, it can’t hurt to send a few emojis.

Délai prolongé pour présenter une demande de crédits personnels d’une valeur pouvant atteindre 3 000 $ pour des programmes éducationnels, linguistiques ou culturels.

Les bénéficiaires du Paiement d’expérience commune en vertu de la Convention de règlement relative aux pensionnats indiens peuvent recevoir jusqu’à 3 000 $ sous forme de crédits personnels pour des programmes ou services d’éducation.

Cela comprend des cours dans des universités, des collèges ou des écoles de métier ou de formation, ou des programmes ou ateliers fournis par des groupes communautaires ou des centres culturels qui offrent des activités liées aux langues ou à la culture autochtones. Les crédits personnels peuvent être utilisés par les bénéficiaires du Paiement d’expérience commune ou partagés avec un ou deux membres de leur famille, ou encore mis en commun dans le but d’obtenir des services d’éducation collective.

This year’s production of Into the Woods just might be the biggest show Theatre Western has ever put on. The show will feature both the largest crew and the largest band in Theatre Western’s history.

Furthermore, putting on a musical as grand and complex as Into the Woods is an ambitious task in itself.

“It was a long battle to convince everyone that Into the Woods was the right show for Theatre Western,” says Peter Karle, music representative and co-producer of the show. “A lot of people thought it was too big for us to put on.”

The fact that 112 students auditioned for roles – another milestone in Theatre Western’s history – reveals the immense popularity of Into the Woods. For those unfamiliar with the musical, Into the Woods is a dark comedy written

by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine that combines, complicates and subverts various popular fairy tales.

“It’s a bunch of fairy tales mashed together,” explains Nicola Klein, a second-year music student who will be playing the Baker’s Wife, the character that brings together these different fairy tale personalities. “You get to see classic characters like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood interact with one another. It’s hilarious.”

But this isn’t one of your grandma’s fairy tales. For a musical filled with beloved childhood figures there’s certainly plenty of mature content.

“There’s a lot of adult jokes, a lot of sex and a lot of death. It’s basically the Game of Thrones of musicals,” remarks Karle.

The performance will be Gillian Hosick’s directorial debut. Hosick is a fifth-year health science major who has acted in several past Western productions. One of the things Hosick believes will set this production apart from past productions of Into the Woods is the visuals.

“Recent directors have often

T

HERE’S A LOT OF ADULT JOKES, A LOT OF SEX AND A LOT OF DEATH. IT’S BASICALLY THE GAME OF THRONES OF MUSICALS. PETER KARLE

CO-PRODUCER OF INTO THE WOODS

taken a minimalist approach to Into the Woods,” Hosick explains.

“Not us. We took a traditional route to set and props and I think it’s really paid off. We’re bringing all the sparkle.”

The recent release of the Disney film version of Into the Woods is sure to invite comparisons.

“I didn’t like the movie,” says Hosick. “By switching mediums, they lost some of the charm. That being said, there are a few moves in the choreography that acknowledge the Disney version.”

Karle believes Into the Woods has a special relationship to university students, both those involved in the show and those coming to see it.

“When you arrive at Western, you have pre-conceived notions about yourself and what university life will be like in the same way you have pre-conceived notions about these fairy tale characters and their stories,” Karle explains.

“But things don’t go as planned.

Everyone coming to see this show will see a reflection of their journey at Western — the people they used to be, the people they are, the people they want to be — they can see it in this show.”

Into the Woods will be performed in the Mustang Lounge from March 4–7 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for the public and can be purchased from Western Connections, at the door or from cast and crew members.

La date limite pour présenter une demande a été prolongée au 9 mars 2015. De l’aide pour remplir le formulaire d’attestation de crédits personnels est offerte.

Pour plus d’information, consultez le site Web www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca ou communiquez par téléphone avec les organisations suivantes : Balayez avec votre appareil mobile

• Ligne d’information principale : 1-866-343-1858 • Assemblée des Premières Nations : 1-866-869-6789 • Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Iqaluit : 1-888-646-0006 • Société régionale inuvialuite, Inuvik : 1-867-777-7092 • Société Makivik, Québec : 1-418-522-2224

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•5

thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

>> IN THEATRES > THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY

Bounty of butterflies ................... and bondage Erik Bajzert GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette

GGGGF The Duke of Burgundy Director: Peter Strickland Starring: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’Anna The Duke of Burgundy is a romantic drama that deals with BDSM — and it’s nothing like Fifty Shades of Grey. In our increasingly bondage-obsessed world, it seems as if comparisons would only be inevitable. Both films, however, deal with this sexual lifestyle in very different ways. Fifty Shades of Grey is a fairly standard romance, which employs stock characters and plotlines, with the BDSM angle thrown in for extra sexual provocation. In contrast, The Duke of Burgundy is a beautiful and heady drama whose sexual angle is used as a metaphor depicting the power struggle between the characters. In other words, anyone who saw Fifty Shades of Grey and wrote it off as mindless garbage would probably like this BDSM-centred film a little bit more.

Burgundy marks the return of Peter Strickland, the director of the much acclaimed Berbian Sound Studio. It tells the story of Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna), two women of seemingly different generations who are romantically bound to each other. The film is constantly challenging the conventions of character dynamics, power structures and storytelling. The result is a surreal, psychosexual drama which will alienate some but captivate others.

The most striking thing about this film is its absolutely impeccable use of cinematography. Every frame is crafted with an obsessive amount of detail. The use of colour is perfect, as is the composition of each shot and the movement of the camera.

Another important thing to note is the soundscape — those familiar with Strickland’s work would come to expect this by now, but the use of sound in this film is every bit as beautiful as it is unsettling. The use of low frequencies, careful silences and creepy calls of insects transport the audience into a state of unsettled hypnosis.

The Duke of Burgundy revels in messing with the audience’s head, not through any sort of plot twists or sudden reveals, but rather through exploring a relationship where the roles of dominant and submissive are shifting and uncertain.

Any complaints about this film are not ones of incompetence, but rather a lack of self-awareness.

While Strickland’s use of butterfly metaphors certainly add something to density of the lot, it’s nonstop and in your face frequency comes off as more than a little bit pretentious. It seems as if the director is demanding that the audience take his metaphor seriously, rather than allowing any sort of natural interpretation.

The Duke of Burgundy is a bizarre, captivating work from a fantastic director. It’s certainly not for everyone, but for the audience that will appreciate it, there’s a whole lot to like.

The Duke of Burgundy is playing at Hyland Cinema until Thursday, March 5. Showtimes are available at www.hylandcinema.com.

Courtesy of Chris Brokaw

Talking touring and technique Musician Chris Brokaw speaks at Western Issac Eng CONTRIBUTOR @uwogazette

Today American rock musician Chris Brokaw will be presenting a musical workshop on guitar technique and performing on radio for the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western.

Janita Grift, the music administration studies council representative who helped organize the artist residency, is excited to have Brokaw share some of his real world experience with pop and music administration studies students at Western.

“Chris has been successful at having a career as a musician, both as a solo artist and a collaborative accompanist,” says Grift. “He’ll be presenting topics that are extremely relevant to students who are interested in the music industry looking

for practical advice.”

Born in New York City, Brokaw studied music production and steel drumming at Oberlin College and now lives in Seattle, Washington. He is best known for his drumming in the band Codeine and as the guitarist in Come who were active in the ‘90s under the labels Sub Pop and Matador, both of which are significant players in the American indie rock music scene.

Since 2001, Brokaw has focused more on his solo work of vocal and instrumental genres amidst composing and accompanying. He also maintains an active touring schedule in the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Australia and Russia.

The series of workshops is focused specifically on skills related to building a career in the music industry. On Monday Brokaw lead

a workshop titled “Touring and Logistics” in Talbot College. He was also a guest adjudicator giving feedback to students on their performances at the Popular Music Juries.

This afternoon Brokaw will be giving his third workshop on guitar technique in Talbot College. He will then be featured on the Western music faculty’s weekly radio show Sketches in C on CHRW. Music students Jennifer Lawrence and Shelby Thompson will be hosting the full live-to-air session and interview.

All of Brokaw’s events are free and open to students of any faculty at Western. Today, Brokaw will be running a workshop on guitar technique from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in room 309 of Talbot College. All aspiring musicians on campus are encouraged and welcomed by the Pop/MAS program to attend the workshops.

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6 •

thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

opinions

The world worries about disability more than disabled people do.

• Warwick Davis

Embracing the Uber future “Uber” may not be an intimidating word, but an app with the same name already has some London officials and taxi companies nervous.

Launched in 2009, Uber is a smartphone app that connects users looking for a ride with those willing to drive them.

The car-sharing service has grown in popularity for its easy-access, fixed-fee rides and diverse ride options.

However, cab companies in various cities have bashed the service for taking away customers and refusing to follow municipal taxi bylaws.

Now that the app has set its sights on London, local taxi groups are already working on protests and petitions.

But do we really need to put the brakes (pun intended) on bringing Uber to the city?

In London, the quality of taxi services has often been a contentious issue. On busy downtown nights, like Friday and Saturday, it’s sometimes impossible to get a cab. Callers are often forced to contact several agencies a number of times.

As such, students are likely to embrace another cabbing option. Since Uber rides are planned online through the app students wouldn’t have to speak on the phone, which is sometimes difficult when at a loud party.

Some argue that Uber is less safe than cabbing with a traditional company. Since taxi-certification isn’t a requirement for Uber drivers, these individuals may seem less trained or reliable.

But Uber is not unaware of these concerns. It’s not a new app, so the car-sharing service has dedicated a lot of its development towards incorporating safety measures.

These steps include screening drivers, allowing users to write reviews and rating the overall experience.

Besides, taking a cab doesn’t necessarily guarantee someone a pleasant journey. We’ve all heard stories of students being mocked, mistreated, exploited and even sexually assaulted by cab drivers.

The pre-emptive concern by cab companies is understandable, but seems a little misplaced.

While a number of students will prefer using the app, many won’t. Uber may be good for preplanned trips, but unlike a cab, Uber drivers can’t be hailed or transferred.

Those pouring out of downtown clubs and bars may be less likely to coordinate a ride with another Uber-user when regular cabs are already lined up.

If cab companies really want to compete, they too must develop apps or online options to better facilitate communication. Like all services, cab providers must either embrace new technology or get lost in the dust – and that would uber-suck.

• Gazette Editorial Board

thegazette

Volume 108, Issue 79 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.

We get letters

In defence of the budget proposal Re: “How do you solve problems like the USC?” Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

Winnie Lu • GAZETTE

The neglected issue of accessibility Abracadabra Al-Azem

Nusaiba Al-Azem OPINIONS EDITOR @NusAtGazette

As much as we try to be considerate human beings, it’s hard to know what to be thinking about when we have the privilege not to think about some things.

I’ve been blessed with being able-bodied my entire life, so I’ve never had to think about accessibility wherever I go.

But for the first time ever, I had a very, very minor taste of that experience while staying in Toronto.

Babysitting my infant niece, I had to maneuver her SUV-like monster of a stroller on my way from my hotel to the adjacent Eaton Centre. Throngs of people were purposefully making their way through corridors, up flights of stairs or on escalators — and every time, I would be dumbfounded looking for the nearest elevator. Those elevators, usually difficult to find because they would be pretty far away, would be shady at best. In two cases, I had to wait around for 10 minutes before a building operative came to manually override the broken elevator.

It took me wheeling around a baby stroller for a weekend to realize how neglected the issue of accessibility really is. I kept thinking to myself that if this is the state of accessibility at one of the most popular buildings in Ontario, how difficult must it be elsewhere?

My experience was no rare fluke; upon my return to London, I asked a few friends and it was revealed to me that most buildings are difficult, if not

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.

impossible, to navigate with a disability.

At times, people are required to go outside in the cold just to be able to make it to another room in the same building — even here at Western.

Accessibility efforts in Ontario are abysmal, despite legislation passed in 2005 aimed to develop, implement and enforce standards for goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment and buildings.

Last month, an independent review of the province’s 2025 goal to protect equal opportunity for the 1.8 million people with disabilities revealed that implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is too slow to realistically meet its goal.

The report highlighted that over 60 per cent of businesses are in violation of the AODA. Over 65 per cent have yet to file their accommodation reports for the 2012 year.

With a new premier elected who has already demonstrated that she is prepared to make big changes, one would hope that these issues would be front-and-centre for the Wynne administration.

Instead, it was shocking for me to learn that the government is actually planning a reduction in accessibility enforcement. Last year, the government completed 2,000 audits — this year, Brad Duguid, Economic Development Minister, reported in a letter to the AODA Alliance that the government is planning on conducting only 1,200.

Half a decade ago, the federal government ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the United Nations, which governments at all levels are required to uphold. Here we are, five years later and with a new government in place, and what do we have to show for it?

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

Robert Armstrong 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, Devin Golets, 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 Robert Nanni Jr.

To the editor: First and foremost I would like to thank The Gazette for taking the time to report on the proposed USC budget. Building the University Students’ Council budget has been a long and challenging endeavour. It is the amalgam of hundreds of discussions among the budget team and both internal and external consultation. It is a very important document and we continually appreciate any input. That said, I would like to take this opportunity to dispel a notion put forward by Bradley Metlin, who recently opined that “Western students are getting shafted in this recent budget.” By articulating some important values that he omitted, I believe some clarification is needed.

The income tax clinic, despite on paper costing only $2,500, costs much more in terms of liability. There is a very significant risk in running such a clinic and we have opted out of doing so. In place of our current practices we will be bringing an external, professional provider who can run the clinic free of cost and free of liability. Additionally, there is a slight misnomer in saying that ChangeCamp is being cancelled.

Quite the contrary — the funds for ChangeCamp are still there, but we proposed that all programming dollars be lumped into one streamlined fund rather than scattered across the organization. ChangeCamp will certainly still exist.

Metlin also makes the claim that the USC has bolstered spending on “initiatives that students have demonstrated they have limited interest in.” This is a claim I would like to address. There are many things that we can be proud of in this budget. Never before has such a diligent level of scrutiny been placed on our spending. At the same time, however, we have proposed strategic investments in important areas.

This includes promotions, advocacy support, volunteer resources, and very importantly, in The Gazette. The Gazette is a 100-year-old institution that has developed some of Canada’s most prolific journalists and media personalities. We have proposed a very significant investment in The Gazette to bring it into the 21st-century and to ensure its long-term sustainability. This is the single biggest investment that we are proposing and I believe the entire USC believes in it. I believe that an investment in The Gazette is an initiative that students, quite frankly, are interested in. I hope that Metlin is as well.

• Matt Helfand USC President

Associate Megan Devlin Photography Kelly Samuel Taylor Lasota Winnie Lu Graphics Jennifer Feldman Illustrations Christopher Miszczak Kirstyn Culbert-Kviring Graphics/Video Mike Laine Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator Vivian Liu

• Please recycle this newspaper •

•7

thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

sports

factattack The Los Angeles Lakers have disappointed for the second season in a row. Their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder knocks them out of contention to make the playoffs. This has not happened to the Lakers consecutively since 1992—94.

Sweep of Laurier sends ’Stangs to finals Nathan Kanter SPORTS EDITOR

@NathanAtGazette

The first victims were the Nipissing Lakers. Then came the Laurier Golden Hawks.

And now, thanks to those two consecutive sweeps, the Western Mustangs women’s hockey team will advance to the Ontario University Athletics finals for the third time in four years.

With the 5–4 victory over Laurier in double overtime Friday, the Mustangs have also automatically claimed a spot in this year’s national championships to be held in Calgary, Alberta starting on March 12. This year, Ontario gets to send two teams, for a total of eight country wide, whereas last year only six went.

It will be the first time Western sends a women’s hockey team to the nationals. “We’re just ecstatic about that.

There were tears in the dressing room,� head coach Chris Higgins said. “We had a little practice on Saturday and we’re still on cloud nine. Everybody is just so happy and so proud of what we’ve been able to do this year.�

According to Higgins, depth is what set the Mustangs apart from Laurier. “Our depth jumped out to me [in this series],� he said. “Our overall team strength, at the end of the day, was the difference. At the top end we’re both about the same. But at the bottom end we’re much stronger. It’s been like that all year.�

That depth was abundantly clear

during game two, which Western won 5–4 in dramatic fashion.

The victory came courtesy of an innocent looking shot from Katelyn Gosling that deflected off the stick of Mustang Tia Kipfer six minutes into double overtime. “I’m pretty sure our winning goal came because they were tired and were just trying to get the puck out. We just kept saying push, push, push,� Higgins said. “[During overtime] what we were saying was we have more depth than they do.

So we were running pretty much everybody. They were running six forwards and four ‘D.’ We just kept saying ‘keep dumping the puck in, they’re going to tire.’�

Getting to overtime in the first place was no easy task. Western found themselves down 3–1 after the first period. “We came out and said the next goal is key,� Higgins said. “If they go up 4–1 we’re in trouble, if we make it 3–2 it’s a game. Believe it or not we scored 23 seconds into the second period.�

From there Sydney Kidd was able to tie the game at three, before Casey Rosen gave Western the lead on an unassisted marker. But less than a minute later Laurier’s Tammy Freiburger tied the game at 4–4.

Western will host Guelph in the OUA finals on Saturday March 7 at Thompson Arena, after the Gryphons defeated the Toronto Varsity Blues in game three on Sunday.

Western beat Guelph twice in the regular season by scores of 3–1 and 4–1.

&Entertainment

Food

EVERY TUESDAY ADVER TISING FEATURE

Look here on Tuesdays for special Western student deals on food and entertainment from London businesses

Japanese Restaurant

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1/2 P R ICE NW ACH OS ED N ESDAYS

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To see your advertisement in next Tuesday’s

Food & Entertainment Feature contact Diana Watson conta ct D iana Wat son dwatso4@uwo.ca or 519-661-2111 x89013

To place your classifed ad, please contact us at 519-661-3579 or adoffice@uwo.ca

HOUSING

classifieds

#1 STUDENT HOUSING in London. 2-7 bdrms.

Popular Redbrick apartments and townhouses, plus houses in various student locations. Come with 5 appliances, huge rooms and closets and free parking. Call now! These rent on a first come first serve basis.

Sam 519-495-7661, smaclin@londonprop.com 1 & 2 PERSON apartments on Western Road. Walkbicycle-bus to campus. Specializing in affordable housing for quiet, non-smoking students with no pets. Utilities included, coinless-laundry and 8month contract possible. 519-673-1843.

2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS, the closest 2 bedrooms to campus. Hardwood floors, loads of space. Great student area, right on university bus route. Great price, and some utilities included.

Loads of free parking. These places truly are a steal!! Call Stephen at 226-236-4409 or email ste phenn@londonprop.com 3 BEDROOM DUPLEX, Colborne/Cheapside, fireplace, large private deck, parking, laundry, microwave, dishwasher, on bus route, utilities included,$1350.00/month,12 month lease, mature students, available May 1, call 519-666-3423 / e-mail Timwool43@gmail.com 3 BEDROOM MODERN townhouses close to Masonville area. Close walk to campus and steps to major bus route. Spacious bedrooms, with huge closets and close to all amenities. Contact Stephen to book a viewing; units will rent very quickly. stephenn@londonprop.com 226-236-4409 3 BEDROOM. MODERN immaculate main floor apartment Oxford and Wharncliffe. Large updated kitchen, modern bath, generous size bedrooms, large living room, hardwood, ceramic, and carpeting throughout. 5 appliances, parking. $465.00 utilities included. Evenings 519-657-6911, cell 519-8713819, email burnsnorgaard@sympatico.ca.

• Best Sushi & Sashimi • Sukiyaki • Katsu Don • Takoyaki 3Č‹ ‘…ƒ–‡†3‹Â?3–Š‡3 ƒÂ?‹Â?3 ’–‹…ƒŽ3 ÂŽÂƒÂœÂƒČŒ

Kyle Porter • GAZETTE

AFT ER 5 PM

700 Richm ond St.

4 BDRM NEW Red Brick townhouses, apartments and single homes for rent. Features 5 appliances, huge rooms and closets, open concept kitchen/living room, and free parking! Located in great student areas. Act fast - these won’t last. For more info call Stephen: 226-236-4409

4 BED. TOWNHOUSES located on Oxford right by campus. Live in style with 3 floors, 2 washrooms, and very spacious rooms with large closets. 5 appliances, free parking, and 24 hour property management. Contact Sam today 519-4957661, smaclin@londonprop.com 4/5 BED RED Bricks Available: BRAND NEW building. Huge rooms, modern open concept layout, 5 main appliances including washer/dryer in suite. Free parking, 24 hour property maintenance, right on major bus route, 5 minutes from campus. These will go FAST, call Sam 519-495-7661

6 BDRM. * *#1 student rentals* * Newly built red bricks in all the best student. 5 appliances included. Huge, spacious rooms with massive closets. 24 hour emergency maintenance and parking included. These ones always go fast so call soon. Call Stephen anytime at 226-236-4409

HOUSING

EMPLOYMENT

4 BEDROOM TOWNHOME for Rent! Walk to school & downtown, huge kitchen, dishwasher, large bedrooms, 2.5 baths, back deck, garage. Call/text 226919-6826. Available May 1.

5 BDRMS. LIVE steps from campus in a 5 bedroom apartment or townhouse. Live in style in a modern building. Huge kitchens come with tons of cupboards and counter space, and centre island eating areas. Spacious bedrooms and huge closets. Call Sam anytime at 519-495-7661 and view one of these units before they are gone!

SEEKING STUDENTS FOR flexible full and part time door to door canvassing. $11hr is guaranteed with a $60hr earning potential. Interested parties should please call (519)200-9628. Leave message if applicable.

SERVICES NEED HELP APPEALING a grade on an assignment or exam? We are here to help you through the appeal process. Email studentappeals@westernusc.ca for more information.

PROOFREADING & EDITING. PUBLISHED PhD candidate offering services as low as $2/page. Standard turnaround time is 72 hours (24 hour turnaround available). Email: writing.refined@outlook.com. Website: www.writingrefined.com. Get your quote today!

VOLUNTEERS WANTED LOOKING TO SPICE Things Up? Heterosexual couples needed to participate in Sexual Behaviour and Relationship Quality Study at Western University! $50.00 compensation per couple. Please contact smartlab@uwo.ca for more info.

SEEKING GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL,

and other sexual-minority individuals over the age of 18 for a study on perceptions of discrimination. Participants will complete a set of questionnaires in the Love Lab at Western University.

This should take no more than 30 minutes, and participants will receive monetary compensation in appreciation for their contribution. If interested, email uwodiscriminationstudy@gmail.com

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

8 •

thegazette • Tuesday, March 3, 2015

SWEET CAREER MOVE

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