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thegazette
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WESTERN UNIVERSITY • CANADA’S ONLY DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015
TOMORROW high -2 low -7 VOLUME 108, ISSUE 93
No increase in cheating, Western says Brittany Hambleton GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE
New highrise condo coming to downtown London Jane Meng GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
A 25-storey residential and commercial tower may soon be overlooking Victoria Park in downtown London. This is in addition to a 21-storey third tower joining two existing ones in Old East Village. According to Western, however, due to expense and distance from campus, students may not be flocking to the development anytime soon. Glen Matthews, housing mediation officer for Western’s Division of Housing and Ancillary Services, said the majority of students at Western are choosing to live closer to campus instead of downtown London. “We track the trend of where off-campus students are living every four years. The last time we did it was 2012, and data shows that
Inside
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Fibre optic internet coming to downtown
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MoAW Art For AIDS
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Ally sticker lacks faith
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Mustangs attending CFL Combines
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proximity to campus is a priority for students,” says Matthews. “As for the type of housing, it really depends on which year the students are in; many second years choose to live in a house because they have a large group to live with,” adds Matthews. “As they go into third or fourth year, living group tends to become smaller, and more of them are choosing to live in apartments.” Medallion Corporation, however, is confident their new project will have no problems renting spaces in the new tower. “We are very confident that we will be all leased-up by the time the third tower is ready to go,” George Espinola, director of residential property management at Medallion Corporation, said. Espinola said with the future downtown expansion of Fanshawe College, possible tenants could be the school’s students, although they currently aren’t the building development’s target market. “As of right now, the plan is same as the other two towers, we are targeting the general public,” Espinola added. “The apartments are mainly for white, blue, and grey collar individuals and for young couples as well.” Medallion Corporation estimated the new apartment tower, along with the two existing apartments, would drive up the area’s population by 2,000 residents.
While the project seems likely to get the green light from the city, the public has expressed some concerns. “In terms of concerns, it is mostly coming from the general public,” London city planner Mike Corby said. “Many concerns revolve around the intensity of the living
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LTHOUGH IT IS A MORE EXPENSIVE CHOICE AND IT IS FURTHER AWAY FROM CAMPUS, IT MAY STILL APPEAL TO SOME STUDENTS BECAUSE IT IS BRAND NEW. GLEN MATTHEWS
HOUSING MEDIATION OFFICER FOR WESTERN’S DIVISION OF HOUSING AND ANCILLARY SERVICES
area and the population growth, as well as the garbage and the noise level.” The building of this new project, with all aspects ready to go, is only missing city hall’s cue of approval. “Although it is a more expensive choice and it is further away from campus, it may still appeal to some students because it is brand new,” said Matthews.
In a follow-up study of an academic misconduct survey, researchers believe that the instances of cheating among university students has likely increased over the past 10 years. After a study was conducted in 2002–03 on cheating at 11 Canadian universities, researchers are preparing to release results of another survey conducted in 2012–14. The new survey involves 10 universities and a large sample size of students who self-reported about whether they cheated, what type of cheating they used and how serious they considered the cheating. Julia Christensen Hughes, one of the researchers, explained that the increased use of the Internet has been a driving force behind increased cheating attempts. “Because of the Internet, there are growing opportunities for students to access papers written by other students and access case studies that have already been analyzed — even the teaching notes,” said Hughes in an interview with University Affairs. Despite these findings, Western’s vice-provost academic programs and students, John Doerksen, has not seen a significant increase in the number of reported cases of cheating at Western over the past several years. The most common forms of cheating that come across Doerksen’s desk are plagiarism, which includes students turning in work that was not their own or that was improperly cited, and attempts to cheat on exams. “Some cases are black and white,” Doerksen said. “I think if you cheat on an exam and you know you’re looking over somebody’s shoulder ... or whatever means that you cheat on exams ... that’s clear, both to the professor and the students, so I think we can set that part aside.” Doerksen explained that an area students need to learn more about is the practice of citing other people’s work. This will vary by discipline and the expectation of proper citation will increase over
the course of a student’s time at Western. “In first year a student might not be as familiar with exactly how you cite and what all needs to be cited in written work,” he said. “By the time you’re in fourth year or you’re in grad school, the expectation is going to be quite high.” There are some measures put in place to help Western professors prevent cheating. Many students are familiar with the website turnitin.com. Once a paper has been uploaded, the site will detect how similar the submitted paper is to other published works as well as other students’ assignments. It is still up to the faculty member, however, to decide whether or not any cheating has occurred. A software that provides an analysis of answers and patterns of answers is also often used on multiple choice exams as a method that can point to cheating if it is there. Doerksen argues that finding ways to detect cheating is not the most important or effective way of dealing with the problem. The more important question is how can each faculty structures assessment techniques in such a way that cheating is not seen as an appropriate or beneficial way forward. “Perhaps there’s an opportunity for a number of different kinds of work,” Doerksen said. “Instead of having everything just on a final exam or on two exams there’s going to be more presentations or group work … that put the focus on learning rather than strictly on marks.” He explained that in general students put a lot of emphasis on marks because it is seen as a way of moving forward. Cheating allows the student to appear to do well in the degree program and to be competitive in grad school, but in the end, he said, they only end up cheating themselves. “There isn’t a shortcut to learning,” Doerksen emphasized. “I think that it’s really important for students to understand what you get in a university and in a learning environment like this is the opportunity to expand your knowledge to expand your skillset, and that’s the primary benefit of going to a university.”
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thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
Caught on Camera
Taylor Lasota • GAZETTE
OUR DEAR LEADER MAKING THE ROUNDS. Western President Amit Chakma visited the UCC Atrium yesterday to mingle with students — his favourite thing to do on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.
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Solution to puzzle on page 6
CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer
News Briefs
Honorary degree recipients selected for spring convocation
Western University has selected 16 individuals to receive honorary degrees for the 305th convocation this spring. Each recipient will attend a convocation and present a keynote lecture. The senate honorary degree committee, chaired by President Amit Chakma, chose the recipients. Amongst this year’s recipients are: Edward Byrne, an award winning neuroscientist; David Mulroney, a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs; Amartya Sen, a Harvard professor and winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for economics; and Bonnie Patterson, who is serving as president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities. “They certainly set an example for what we hope our students would strive to achieve in terms
of how to live their lives and how to improve the world,” University secretariat Irene Birrell said. Birrell said the committee puts out a call for nominations and attempts to put together a list of candidates that compliment a wide array of factors. “We try to balance with respect to academic versus non-academic, balancing within and across the academic disciplines … people who are nominated because they have done service to the community, a whole range of things,” she said. Each recipient undergoes a process of scrutiny by the senate to ensure that they meet the standards required to receive an honorary degree from the university. “We try to put in front of the graduating class people who have achieved something of significance and can perhaps give students some sense of what they have learned through their life,” Birrell said. • Olivia Zollino
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thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
City aims to bring fibre optic Internet downtown Mohammad Abrar Abdul Hanan GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
Downtown London could soon benefit from high-speed internet which will play a major role in facilitating economic growth. The pilot project, developed by Downtown London and London Economic Development Corporation, looks to provide businesses downtown with fibre optic Internet connection which will increase their broadband speeds. “There was a lot of good perception around it at the planning committee since what we are trying to do is assist business and help business thrive and grow in the city,” said Jared Zaifman, Ward 14 city councillor. “The fibre aspect here can really help businesses propel and excel in places where they may
otherwise not be able to; having high speed Internet can really help them grow their business.” The pilot project will cost around $220,000 and the majority of the funds will be covered by Downtown London and LEDC. City Hall will cover a small part of the costs. According to Janette MacDonald, CEO and general manager of Downtown London, the key reason why the organization has invested in this project is to support economic growth in the city. “This is definitely an economic development initiative. If we do not provide the right infrastructure for the types of business we are trying to attract such as the creative industries, film industries, digital gaming companies, medical companies, then they will locate someplace else besides the downtown.
Courtesy of Mornington Communications
So we have to make sure we keep them here,” she said. Furthermore, Zaifman said if the pilot project is a success then fibre optics could be installed in more parts of the city. The project will bring in economic benefits such as job creation, strengthening
the competitive advantage of current businesses and providing opportunities for new business to develop. The proposal will go to city council next week for a final round of approval after which the plan can be put into action.
“We have decided on an actual area where we are going to concentrate with the funding and it is a two-year pilot project. So for each individual building that applies, we will grant them up to $20,000 or 50 per cent of the project, whichever is smaller,” said MacDonald.
London gears up for Earth Hour Drishti Kataria GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
Courtesy of Simply Recycle
Vegan bodybuilder to speak at Western Interested in learning about being a vegan but have questions about its health effects? On Friday vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke will be on campus to give a lecture entitled, “Build a Stronger Body on a Plant-Based Diet.” The event is presented by the Western Ontario Vegan Society (WOVS) and the school of kinesiology. Michael Kuijpers, the vice-president of WOVS, said Cheeke is a “huge inspiration to the vegan and athletic community.” Cheeke, a bestselling author as well as a bodybuilder, is currently on tour with his newly released book, Shred It! The book, which provides rigorous guidelines for achieving personal fitness goals, is endorsed by many leading doctors, nutritionists and athletes. “One of the greatest challenges for people [hoping] … to become vegan is the misconception that a vegan diet is unhealthy,” Kuijpers said. “So having [Cheeke] speak makes veganism more accessible on campus … his message will definitely have a powerful impact.” “[Cheeke] went from a skinny farm kid, selling animals on auction,
David Miller, president and CEO of WWF-Canada. He explained that there are many ways in which everyone, including Western students, can make a difference everyday. “The biggest thing is to shrink your footprint by consuming less: whether this is buying secondhand furniture off of Kijiji, eating less meat or buying less disposable items in favour of reusable items.” The city of London has launched a website titled Reduce the Impact which allows Londoners to share their actions to impact climate change with the rest of the community. “We feel really strongly that for Earth Hour to be successful we need to get people to think about the rest of the year and about other things beside electricity,” said Skimming.
Western’s Movies & Videos Productions Club (MVP) is hosting the
Annual Movie Premiere Saturday, March 28 th
UCC 2nd floor theatre (McKellar Room) from 3:00PM to 6:00PM
Richard Joseph GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
The worldwide movement of Earth Hour is happening this weekend on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. This is its eighth year since World Wide Fund for Nature launched Earth Hour in 2007. During Earth Hour, Western’s Environmental System Control Group will be shutting off all non-essential air-handling units on campus to cut back on energy consumption. “It’s about feeling like you aren’t the only person changing your lifestyle to become more sustainable, and showcasing that it is a team effort,” Jessica He, EnviroWestern coordinator, said. “Western students can make a
statement and feel as if they are taking part in something global.” This year, London is changing the message behind Earth Hour using the hashtag #morethanlightsoff. “We really want people to think about not just the electricity issues,” said Jamie Skimming, manager of air quality and climate change with the City of London. “We need to think about how we heat our buildings with natural gas and transportation with gasoline and diesel.” “The true impact of Earth Hour is how change is happening outside the hour, in everyday actions and decisions, where individuals, businesses, cities and countries are making the necessary changes to protect themselves and nature from the most devastating impacts of climate change,” said
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E [ROBERT CHEEKE] WENT FROM A SKINNY FARM KID, SELLING ANIMALS ON AUCTION, TO THE WORLD’S MOST RECOGNIZED VEGAN BODYBUILDER IN JUST A FEW YEARS. MICHAEL KUIJPERS
VICE-PRESIDENT OF WESTERN ONTARIO VEGAN SOCIETY
to the world’s most recognized vegan bodybuilder in just a few years … the amount of dedication and passion this [took] … will teach people how to reach their athletic potential.” Cheeke uses a combination of guidelines, research and personal experience to help aspiring vegans maintain a healthy plant-based diet while still achieving athletically. “He’s here to show that you can be healthy, strong and fit without eating any animal products, and still pursue whatever goals you have,” Kuijpers said. Robert Cheeke’s lecture and book signing will take place on Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m. in the Social Science Centre Room 2050. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.
3 ORIGINAL MOVIES Retrospect (Mystery) • Muse (Stream of Consciousness) • Hong Kong (Documentary) • All participants get to walk the red carpet with MVP backdrops and take photos • • Amazing musical and dance performances prior to the movies • • Mystery prize draws, all proceeds go to United Way London •
$8 for members and $10 for non-members For tickets go to Western Connections lower level UCC or email the MVP president Peter Zhao at peterz0710@gmail.com
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thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
arts&life
saywhat? I never hope. Hope is pouting in advance. Hope is faith’s richer, bitchier sister. Hope is the deformed addict-bound incest monster offspring of entitlement and fear. My life results tripled the year I gave up hope and every game on my phone that had anything to do with farming.
• Francesca Dart
Collaborative effort shines light on artists Tom Ruess GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
Courtesy of Jesika Arseneau
Creating social change Western alum makes a difference for non-profits
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Jennafer Freeman ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR @JennAtGazette
A Western history alumna has helped to develop a software that allows for collaboration between governments, non-for-profit and for-profit businesses. Jesika Arseneau recently began working as a publicist for the Royal Ontario Museum, where she is in charge of Friday Night Live, the Douglas Coupland and dinosaur exhibitions. In addition to her day job at the ROM, Arseneau works for Networks for Change, where she has played a large role in developing their new product, Keela. Keela is an online software designed specifically for the social goods sector. According to Arseneau, the intent behind Keela is to connect not only non-profits, but also people who work in government and for-profit businesses, allowing them to collaborate in one space to work on projects together. The product name was inspired by the word keela in Swahili, which means everything or everyone. “What’s really different about Keela is that more than one organization can work on a project at once,” explains Arseneau. “So there actually is no existing project management tool that allows that to happen.” Arseneau works in an all-encompassing role, focusing on anything that involves some kind of communication. She explains that she works with the branding team to navigate what is the best kind of branding to use or how the company can best explain something
FOUND THROUGH GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS OPPORTUNITY, IT’S REALLY ABOUT PAVING YOUR OWN WAY. JUST BLINDLY APPLYING TO JOBS – THAT’S NOT ENOUGH. JESIKA ARSENEAU
PUBLICIST, ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
to the public. They also work on developing all of the help tools, the logo and social channels. Arseneau completed her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, studying history and English. From there, she went on to complete her master’s in public history at Western, graduating in 2013. “It’s a very, very cool program because it’s kind of a professional take on the master’s,” explains Arseneau. According to Arseneau, the program gave her a lot of experience in learning to write for the public, as well as learning how to translate tough academic material into something the general public can understand. “That’s what transitioned me into publicity and branding and creating messages that the broad public can ingest,” says Arseneau. Western’s master’s in public history also taught Arseneau about networking, which she explains is essential to finding a career. “It really taught me the importance of breaking out of your shell and the networking opportunities that I was able to receive from Western were amazing,” she says. “The program that I was in, public history, had a very strong focus on
being able to represent yourself.” Arseneau explains that she gained the opportunity to work for Networks for Change through networking. “I came in contact with the CEO as my boyfriend knew him at Osgoode Hall [Law School],” says Arseneau. “So it was just professional networking.” This networking strategy seems to be the most effective to Arseneau. “I found through getting involved in this opportunity, it’s really about paving your own way. Just blindly applying to jobs – that’s not enough,” she says. “Go to meet ups, go connect with professionals on LinkedIn who are doing what you want to do and get advice from them – that’s really how I started to find my path and how I found myself here.” “As a history student I worked primarily with museums and art galleries and so many of those are non-profits that don’t receive a lot of funding,” Arseneau adds. “So I had a lot of experience with the struggles that non-profits have working with technology so I was immediately intrigued by what Keela could bring.” The company has already done a soft launch of the product and are targeting a larger public release next month. “We just launched last month at the United Nations Youth Assembly,” says Arseneau. “Since then we’ve been bringing some non-profit organizations on board and getting their feedback. Since we’re in this data stage right now, we’re able to get their feedback to the developers to put in place what they think works best.” Arseneau adds that Keela may also appeal to students. It features a task manager, a calendar and internal communications, which could be useful for student groups in terms of organization. For more information about Keela go to Network for Change’s website.
This Friday MoWA – the Museum Of Western Artists – will be holding its final gallery in the UCC Atrium. MoWA, which takes its name from the famous New York art museum MoMA, is an art exhibition and silent auction that will feature over 100 works of art both on display and up for grabs. All of the proceeds will be going towards AIDS research and awareness. Western’s Leadership and Mentorship Program created the idea for MoWA. “Our goal is to showcase the artistic talents of Western students across all faculties,” Olivia Ghosh, first-year medical science student and member of LAMP, says. “All of the artwork is by donation and goes to a great cause: raising money for AIDS research and bringing AIDS awareness across the globe.” The exhibition has been a group collaboration. Art for AIDS International is a charity organization based out of London. The focus of the group is both to unite humanity across international boundaries through artwork and also to bring AIDS education to small communities in Africa. The Global Chinese Connection was also involved with this project. “It’s really been a seamless collaboration,” Jeremy Ho, leadership chair for LAMP, explains. “The GCC was looking to feature some pieces and LAMP wanted to hold an auction so we thought why don’t we work together and have an even bigger gallery? And we have about 140 pieces of art overall. It’s pretty crazy.” A big part of MoWA is also providing students with the opportunity to show their artwork to the public. In addition to being a networking experience and a chance to get their name out there, it can be an eye opening experience for some of these artists’ fellow students. Ghosh notes that MoWA gives students the opportunity to discover the artists around campus — Ghosh discovered Mark Lawrence,
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UR GOAL IS TO SHOWCASE THE ARTISTIC TALENTS OF WESTERN STUDENTS ACROSS ALL FACULTIES. ALL OF THE ARTWORK IS BY DONATION AND GOES TO A GREAT CAUSE: RAISING MONEY FOR AIDS RESEARCH AND BRINGING AIDS AWARENESS ACROSS THE GLOBE. OLIVIA GHOSH
FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL SCIENCE STUDENT AND MEMBER OF LAMP
a photographer whose art will be featured in MoWA, was actually in one of her classes. “He’s in a lot of my classes and I see him all the time and yet I had no idea he had a passion for photography,” Ghosh says. “You never would have known that the person who sits next to you in class has this amazing talent.” MoWA has also been connecting with the Western art community through social media. For example, MoWA is giving away prizes donated by sponsors via their Facebook page. “We ask questions about art nowadays – for example, artists being underpaid – and we start conversations. Individuals involved in these conversations have the chance to win prizes,” Ho explains. In addition, Ho believes this interaction with Western students touches on a wider aim of MoWA. “It’s not just for a good cause and it’s not just to showcase and auction local art. It’s to provide a campaign that showcases and connects local artists.” MoWA’s gallery and auction will be taking place in the UCC Atrium on Friday, March 27 from 10:00 a.m. — 3:30 p.m.
Courtesy of Jerry Shum
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thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
Balancing healthy living, body image Conrad Floryan ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR @ConradAtGazette
The gym is often considered a place where students go to better themselves. Slogans like “Live the good life today!” from GoodLife Fitness blur the line between fitness and wellbeing. Nevertheless, there are potentially disturbing undertones to the plethora of fit bodies brimming the Campus Recreation Centre. According to bddfoundation. org, body dismorphic disorder (BDD) affects 2 per cent of the population and it’s most prevalent in young adults. BDD is a distorted and destructive preoccupation with one’s physical appearance, and a common symptom is a preoccupation with exercise. Do too many students exercise because they’re insecure about their appearance? Dr. Don Morrow, a Western kinesiology professor, believes students’ motivation for exercising is a combination of health and body image objectives. He thinks that most students don’t go to the gym simply to look attractive. “The way that students talk about working out, my sense is it’s more health and kind of workout rather than ‘I’m going today to flatter my ego and look better [sic],’” says Morrow. Dr. Craig Hall, professor at the school of kinesiology, agrees that students’ motives for exercising are complex, although body image is a significant factor. “For younger people the stronger motivator tends to be appearance,” says Hall. Morrow adds that the time of year contributes to how much students consider body image. “I suspect times of the year, like January New Year’s resolutions, wanting to look good when bathing suit season comes around, going away for slack week or something like that [sic]. There are probably times when body image is paramount,” says Morrow. Body image at the gym has a flip side. Hall adds that sometimes people who have body image disorders will actually avoid exercise because they’re hesitant to publically display their bodies. Is focusing excessively on physical appearance detrimental? It’s a complicated question and it depends on what one would consider “excessive.” Morrow believes the answer depends on what each individual holds as their core values for their fitness and health. If it has
to do with looking good because that makes them feel better and they have a better sense of self then he believes there is nothing wrong with that. However, he is concerned that an over-emphasis on physical appearance can escalate into disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa. “Certainly focusing too much on appearance has been linked to some issues such as eating disorders and that so there’s that possibility, but there’s a whole bunch of other factors that come into play,” adds Hall. Hall believes overdoing anything is problematic, and working out should be approached with moderation. He examines exercise dependence, where people become addicted to exercise and it starts to have negative consequences on their health and social life. “Certainly the media plays a big role in promoting that ideal kind of appearance,” Hall comments. Morrow believes the media does a disservice to young people by glamorizing Hollywood star images of ideal bodies. He thinks social pressure to fit an unrealistic physical archetype affects young women especially. For men, fitness magazines are graced with chiseled masculine specimens. Bodybuilding has been a popular sport since it exploded in popularity in the 1980s. “If somebody thinks that being attractive is being hyper muscular and that’s important to them, if it’s not doing them harm and it’s not doing harm to other people then my view is kudos to them,” says Morrow. “Is bodybuilding attractive? Obviously some people think it is,” adds Hall. “It’s not something I’m particularly interested in but certainly some people do.” In spite of the idealized body images paraded in the media, Morrow asserts that focusing on intelligently consuming media is more important than being concerned with whether the media exaggerates the importance of physical beauty. “I think my experience working with undergraduate students is they have enough intelligence, resourcefulness and creativity to be able to look intelligently at things that are coming at them in the media and question the value of saying is this something that I need or want, hold dear, or am I being driven by a media campaign that is well beyond anything that I value?” says Morrow.
Kelly Samuel • GAZETTE
Courtesy of Sling Television
Shachar Dahan GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
Let’s face it — many of us are living on a student budget. The money you spent on that vodka will probably mean that those Jordans will be staring you in the face next time you walk by Foot Locker. Many first years will be moving out of residence next year, and will be faced with complicated decisions such as whether or not to cut the cord on cable. Before making any rash decisions, here are some things to consider before ditching cable. There isn’t one perfect alternative. One of the biggest problems with traditional cable subscriptions is bundling – you have no choice but to pay for dozens of channels you never watch just to get the few you want. The ideal alternative would allow you to pick and choose just the channels you
want, but the reality is that cutting cable does not eliminate bundling. It might not be cheaper than cable. $10 per month for Netflix here, a $50-per-month PlayStation Vue subscription there, and suddenly you’re not saving so much by cutting the cord. That doesn’t mean it’s not an option, but before you cut the cord to save money, do the math. Depending on your needs, you could end up spending just as much – or more – going à la carte. You’ll need a strategy for live events – especially sports. Without a cable subscription, live events can become very tricky to watch. For major sports fans, Sling TV and PlayStation Vue — the two live TV alternatives to cable — don’t include a lot of the major sports networks. A great way to watch sports games online is through online streaming. You’ll need a strong Internet connection. Once you ditch
cable, your Internet connection will become the lifeblood of your media consumption, so you’ll need a very reliable Internet connection. In some cases, you might need to upgrade your subscription (pay more) to get a high bandwidth. How many concurrent streams do you need? Cable subscriptions make multi-room viewing easy, but streaming services usually limit the amount of streams able to play at any given time. For instance, Netflix has different price tiers based on how many screens you want to watch on. Sling TV, on the other hand, will stop the current stream if it detects that another one has started. Everybody has different needs, and will need to make a decision for themselves. Just keep in mind that a great cheap alternative to cable is by going to a streaming site and connecting your computer to your TV via an HDMI cable.
MON-FRI 10AM–5PM UCC ATRIUM
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thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
Campout teaches the ABCs of mental health Moses Monterroza GAZETTE STAFF @uwogazette
In 2009, Austen Berlet, a brother of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternityat Western, took his own life after suddering from severe depression. His loss was devastating to his friends and family, and his fraternity brothers started the Austen Berlet Campout for Mental Health in his memory. “The Austen Berlet Campout for Mental Health is a 24-hour campout at Victoria Park that is run by Phi Gamma Delta at Western University with the Canadian Mental Health Association,” Darren Ramcharan, a member of Phi Gamma Delta, says. The event is geared towards getting people together and creating a community that is supportive of one another. “The main idea behind it is to build a community and have an environment where people feel a little more comfortable and open to discuss things [relating] to mental illness whether it’s personal or in
general,” Ramcharan says. The purpose of this is to battle the stigma of mental illness. “There is a big stigma about mental health diseases and talking about it and being open about it. People assume that they don’t exist because they’re not visual diseases, like cancer or anything along those lines,” claims Ramcharan. To help dismantle the popular conception of mental illness, the campout engages people in way that is both informative and entertaining. “In the event we have various types of activities and performances that are based around mental health to help engage people. We have Zumba and Yoga to show people ways they can live an active lifestyle. We have musical performances, this year have the London Poetry slam club coming out to do a few performances,” Ramcharan says. Western professor Mike Atkinson, as well as representatives from the CMHA will be speaking at the campout. The proceeds from
the event will be put back into Western’s Health services. “We’ve actually talked to Western Health Services and CMHA, and the best way we’ve figured out to use the money in terms of mental well-being — especially for Western students in the London community — is to actually put the money back into Western Health Services that’s raised.” Ramcharan says. “Last year we raised around $17,000, so this year our aim is $20,000.” But it’s not all about the money, Ramcharan says that the campout wants to bring together members of the Western community around issues surrounding mental health. “You rarely get the opportunity where you’re in an environment with people willing to talk about mental illness,” he says. “My favourite memory from last year’s campout was we actually had a local Londoner stroll through the park and come to the event. He started sharing some of his life experiences with us because he was suffering from mental distress and anxiety.”
Chris Miszczak • GAZETTE
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5 BEDROOM BROUGHDALE behind Med/Syd front gates. Modern, open-concept, 2 full bathrooms, jacuzzi, balcony/deck. Large rooms (no basement room), 50” flat-screen, gas fireplace, dishwasher, lots of parking. $395/room. 416-8355293, enmars@hotmail.com.
INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY, video, or music production? 121 Studios (an initiative of unlondon.ca , a local non-profit organization) is equipped with portrait photography and audio recording facilities, video editing resources, shared desk space & more. 121studios.ca. Student discounts available.
WORK AT SUMMER camp in the USA this summer. Outgoing staff needed! Counselors, Land Sports, Lifeguards, Arts positions. Apply online at canadiancampstaff.com.
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 695 TALBOT NEWLY Renovated 1 & 2 Bedrooms Available. Steps to Richmond Row. Utilities & Parking Included. Call about our FREE MONTH today! 519-630-5646
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 LUXURY home. Western Rd. 5-minute walk to campus. Modern open-concept, large bedrooms, pool table, bar, 50” TV, over-size black marble bathroom, basketball net, massive yard/patio. $375/rm 416-835-5293. enmars@hotmail.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 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
APRIL 1ST THREE bedroom $500 per bedroom inclusive. 163 Oxford St E. Steps to Western, Richmond Row, downtown. Direct bus to Western, Fanshawe, downtown. Washer/dryer in unit, free parking, large rooms. Vern 519-872-9407 or vproperty@rogers.com. KING’S COLLEGE - HOUSES for rent. 5 bedrooms, $350+/month, May 01 2015, parking, laundry everything. Pick 1061 Patricia St. or 469 Regent St. Call Matt Kennedy 519-317-3023 or TEXT mattkennedy@rogers.com
SERVICES
SOARING CLUB BEING ratified at Western, will be the only student run soaring club in North America, learn to fly and work towards your license, for more info email westernsoaring@gmail.com
WANTED LONDON SENIOR SEEKING a volunteer helper to assist with completion of woodworking projects. On Wonderland 10 bus route. Also looking to rent space for woodworking projects in Westmount Shopping Centre area one evening a week. A garage or workshop space would be ideal. Contact Alan 519-660-1442.
UPCOMING EVENTS TEAMS OF FOUR needed to participate in Boys and Girls Club of London’s Capital One Race for Kids event on 6 June 2015. For more information or to get involved, visit our website at: www.raceforkids.ca
VOLUNTEERS WANTED VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR Boys and Girls Club of London’s Capital One Race for Kids event on 6 June 2015. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please complete the volunteer form at: www.raceforkids.ca
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
$1
FIRST On MONTH RENT Select Units * 24/hr Access * 7 Days A Week * * No Hidden Fees *
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 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. 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 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! TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED 1. Never respond to emails that request personal financial information. Reputable companies don't ask for passwords or account details in an email.
519-473-7867
Close To 556 Wonderland Rd. North Campus
JUST SOUTH OF OXFORD
www.canstor.com
FREE
Truck & Driver Service for UWO Students!
call 519.455.6666 2 locations to serve you: 1350 Trafalgar St. • 1173 Dundas St. E.
www.1price.ca
Jennifer Feldman • GAZETTE
7 •
thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
opinions
All religions must be tolerated... for every man must get to heaven in his own way.
• Epictetus
Dear Life Your anonymous letters to life
Dear Life, New sexual violence policy at Western or 50 Shades of Grey at Western Film?
Taylor Lasota • GAZETTE
Losing faith in the safe space sticker Abracadabra Al-Azem
Nusaiba Al-Azem OPINIONS EDITOR @NusAtGazette
Liwei Zhou • GAZETTE
thegazette
Volume 108, Issue 93 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.
Every day, I pass by the University Students’ Council Ally Western sticker multiple times in various places across campus. Even opening The Gazette front door, every morning I see the familiar colourful mantra assuring me that this space is supposed to be safe. Despite incidents on campus that might suggest otherwise at times, at least I know every morning that it is a policy priority to maintain the inclusion and safety of all students. As somebody who experiences Islamophobia, it is such a relief for me to know that — whether it’s hollow or not — at an institutional level, discrimination on the basis of identity is unacceptable. A newly developed model in the field of mental health, emerging out of the LGBTQ+ community, is that of minority stress. This model explores chronically high levels of stress faced by members of stigmatized groups — and institutional mandates or authority figures that emphasize inclusion rather than prejudice actually do a lot to quell that stress. Institutional declarations of an expectation of safe space are not coddling adults, as I’ve heard often enough. Ironically, it is typically people who do not identify with any minority or subjugated group that tend to purport that we, as university students, should just learn to get along — we don’t need a sticker to remind us to play nice. But minority stress is not about getting along — it’s not paltry personality differences that cause somebody to feel unwelcomed; it is the essence of their personhood being rejected that creates a necessity for institutional reassurance of a safe space.
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.
All that in mind, you can understand why it is such a reassuring thing for me to know that discrimination is taken seriously. Except for, I notice, the Ally Western sticker doesn’t really address my needs, at least not explicitly. The sticker in its entirety reads: “This space is a safer place and works to celebrate and support all identities including, but not limited to, one’s gender, background, race, class, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality and ability.” Thankfully, I am not stigmatized in the same way many people of those identities are. But I am stigmatized as a Muslim woman and that minority stress only seems to be increasing as the topic of Islam gains momentum and controversy in Canadian politics. That stigma exists within this campus. So to see the Ally sticker explicitly designate a safe space for almost every minority issue I can think of save faith-based discrimination really heightens minority stress, for me anyway. Assuring myself that it’s only a sticker, and that it does at least provide a blanket phrase of inclusion in the words “not limited to,” I set forth to figure out why that might be. My discovery was perplexing. According to its Facebook profile picture, “Ally Western is a program that works to make Western more inclusive to all identities including race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, faith, ability, and any other identifying factors.” But according to its constitutional mandate effective March 9, 2010, “Ally Western is a USC Student Service created to enhance the inclusiveness of the University community to students of all sexual orientations and gender identities.” It seems to me that Ally Western is confused about its own purpose. Sticking to its mandate would be fine and venturing out — as in the case of the stickers — would be as well. But my hope is that all endeavours are consistent across the board — not leaving any one group behind.
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, Sam Frankel, Devin Golets, Kevin Heslop, Richard Joseph, Drishti Kataria, Sara Mai Chitty, Soheil Milani, Mackenzie Morrison, Amy O’Shea, Kyle Porter, Tristan Wu, Tom Ruess, Samah Ali, Claire Christopher, Rita Rahmah, Julie Hambleton, Brittany Hambleton
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.
Dear Life, Who knew stereotypically pretty people running around in underwear was a fashion show? Dear Life, It’s GREAT that Rick McGhie gets more people out than Lil John. Dear Life, Matt Helfand, USC President 2014–2015* Dear Life, LGBT only floors in res? Ugh. We are not made of glass. Fuck off, do-gooders. Dear Life, Between the Chem 3393B screw up and the Bio/Stats 2244B screw up, I am not at all happy this term. My marks suffer because of the profs’ errors. Dear Life, Sorry my skin colour is exhausting. But thank you for showing that you don’t have to be white to be a giant racist. Dear Life, If Jack Litchfield had a shred of dignity, he’d resign his post rather than take a delayed fall through the appeal process. Dear Life, If Sophie Helpard wins via Jack’s disqualification, we need to have a re-election and a new campaign. Most students who voted didn’t vote for her. wgaz.ca/dear-life
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 •
8 •
sports
thegazette • Thursday, March 26, 2015
thursdaytweet Lanny McDonald’s moustache should have its own wing in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Congrats to a terrific gentleman & one of my idols as a kid.
• Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) of The Hockey News, after McDonald was named Chairman of the HHOF Board
Photos and words courtesy of Western Sports Info | Graphic by Jennifer Feldman • GAZETTE