Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 all hail trudeau since 1906

Ascent to power

JENNY JAY GAZETTE

Sophie’s rapid and tumultuous rise to the top AMY O’KRUK NEWS EDITOR @AMYATGAZETTE

S

ophie Helpard is smiling. She stays seated, surrounded by a red-tinted campaign team and close to 300 spectators inside the cavernous Mustang Lounge. Across the room, rival candidate Jack Litchfield is in the eye of a student-fueled storm, saying, “I cannot believe how close it was, I can’t believe it.”

Helpard just lost the 2015 University Students’ Council presidential election.

She doesn’t get up. Team Sophie supporters flock to Helpard and her adjacent slate members, Lindsee Perkins and Alex Benac. The group huddles together as Perkins and Benac crumble while Helpard begins to express her gratitude to campaign volunteers and reassure crestfallen friends and followers, one-byone. They remark it was a shockingly close race, with 32 votes solidifying Team Litchfield’s win.

“A lot of people were surprised and I think it was tough because I was also very surprised,” said Helpard, thinking back to the February 2015 election night.

“I don’t like when people feel sorry for me. I don’t like that reaction from anybody, so I didn’t want to

show any emotion that would inspire that. But, it was sad.”

Observing Helpard now, her unprecedented and turbulent ascension to the presidency feels half-imagined. A stack of Nancy Drew novels crown her office’s coffee table (a reminder of her mom back in Welland, Ontario) and a picture of Jackie Kennedy Onassis adorns a wall. In the spacious office, there are no clues revealing Helpard fought harder than any other USC president in recent memory for a fair opportunity to lead Western’s undergraduate students.

Before the elections saga, Helpard’s rise through the USC’s echelons was swift. Helpard was only a third-year student when she partnered with Perkins and Benac to hopefully helm the next generation of USC student executives.

“I was very intent on running after third year — which is not necessarily customary — just because I felt, at that time, I had the best grasp on student opinion that I would ever have,” Helpard said.

Helpard’s knack for challenging tradition, though, had earlier roots. She was hired as Huron’s head soph during her second year, despite never sophing before. After a year as the affiliate’s head soph, Helpard set her sights even higher and caught slate

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mate Benac’s attention.

“I actually applied to be orientation coordinator, the same year that Sophie applied to be orientation coordinator,” Benac said, referring to the USC’s position responsible for planning and overseeing O-Week.

“I felt my interview went really well … and then I got the call that said, ‘You didn’t get it,’ “ Benac explained. “I remember going on the USC’s Facebook page … a few days later, and it being like, ‘Congratulations to our new orientation coordinator Sophie Helpard!’ ” Despite this rapid rise, during a storm-filled 2014 O-Week, Helpard’s leadership came under fire. Several orientation staff members challenged her style, stating, “Sophie lacked willingness to trust coworkers and subordinates … orientation staff was not included in or delegated tasks,” and that, “She has a lot of ambition, but limited follow-through to enact real change,” in a scathing letter to The Gazette.

Helpard maintains that when people work on teams, they have to realize they work for a common goal.

SEE SOPHIE ON PAGE 7

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2 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

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PROFILE LEAH METE

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TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Imagine a job where you could make money, stay fit and do what you love all at the same time. Sounds like a dream, right? For Leah Mete, it’s her reality.

Mete devotes a tremendous amount of time to her passion for fitness, from studying food and nutrition at Brescia University College to her job as a fitness instructor at the Recreation Centre. But while fitness is her passion, teaching spin is her specialty.

On every Monday, Wednesday and Friday you can find Mete at the Rec Centre at 5:05 p.m. ready to energetically teach those who show up for her class.

And while Mete might be your favourite spin instructor at Western, you may be surprised to learn that she started spinning long before coming to university.

Mete was in grade 10 when she tried her first spin class.

She started with one class a week, then moved to two and before she knew it, she found herself wanting to spin all the time.

“I finally found something I was really good at, and getting encouragement from other people and just getting good at something really makes you feel good about yourself,” Mete said.

After attending spin classes on a regular basis in her hometown of St. Catharines, Ont., Mete’s spinning instructor encouraged her to get her indoor cycling certification.

At the age of 18 Mete did just that and spent a weekend in Toronto, spinning for about 14 hours total to get her certification.

When Mete came to Western she had no plans of giving

KNOW

INSIGHT

TEDx hits Western in November

A behind-the-scenes look at the people who run London’s nightlife

TEDx, the popular event, returns

Rami Mustafa, owner and co-founder of Ahead of the Class, talks starting a company and collaborating with artists on OVOSound Radio.  PG 8

to Western after a two-year hiatus. The event will focus on the human condition.

 PG 4

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

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

up spinning, so she became a fitness instructor.

While most new instructors start out apprenticing with a returning instructor for their first year, her certification allowed her the opportunity to directly audition for her position. Despite this opportunity, Mete still opted to apprentice with another instructor.

“I didn’t really want to do [it on my own], I was too nervous,” Mete said. “It’s hard, you get your certification but it doesn’t really mean that you’re ready to teach a fitness class.”

After her first year, she took on two spin classes a week and bumped it up to three this year for her third year as an instructor.

But Mete’s spin schedule doesn’t stop there. She also teaches classes at Climax Cycling and Fitness in St. Catharines when she goes home on weekends, for the holidays and during summer break.

As someone who was not interested in sports in high school, Mete understands the value of being physically active in whatever way brings the highest level of enjoyment to each individual.

“If you’re not very good at sports, you think that fitness just doesn’t fit [for you] and that’s that,” said Mete. “But there are so many fitness opportunities.... There’s always something for everyone, always.”

Once Mete graduates from Western she aspires to have a career in health and fitness as a dietician.

“Helping people feel good about themselves and helping people be the healthiest that they can be is kind of what I want to do forever,” she said.

SERENA QUINN

EXPERIENCE Forest City Comicon celebrates nerd culture and exceeds expectations The second annual gathering included Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim comic book series creator  PG 11

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TODAY

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• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 • 3

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Goudge report sparks debate at Senate RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE Following the release of a report that found a cash payout given to Western’s president was not in line with other institutions, senators questioned who was going to be held accountable and how it would be avoided in future.

The report from retired justice Stephen Goudge revealed Chirag Shah, chair of the Board of Governors, authorized Chakma’s cash payout last year without consulting the Board or wider community.

Matthew Wilson, a Board of Governors representative on Senate, explained that when Western sought to hire Chakma in 2008, Western attempted to match the contract Chakma had at the University of Waterloo, which included a oneyear leave of absence pay.

“There was no intent to spite or malice. [Shah] acted in good faith,” Wilson said. “That does not eliminate the fact that Justice Goudge indicated that there was some concerns.”

Wilson explained there are different ways to view the contract and what should have been done.

He said any two lawyers looking at it may have interpreted it differently — one may have thought it was

There was no intent to spite or malice. [Shah] acted in good faith. That does not eliminate the fact that Justice Goudge indicated that there was some concerns.

MATTHEW WILSON BOARD OF GOVERNORS REPRESENTATIVE ON SENATE

necessary to have it be reviewed by an external counsel and one may have thought it was fine. Overall, Wilson stated the board accepts the Goudge report. “[The Goudge report] is something that we at the board take very seriously,” he said. “We have looked at the recommendations and are looking at adopting the recommendations. It is important that we take the proper time to make sure that it is implemented right to the betterment of this entire university, because we’re all here because we care about this university.”

Wilson said that task groups are still ongoing and pointed out that Chakma made the personal decision to refund the salary by not taking a salary this year.

A senator asked who will determine what “administrative leave” is in the future, as the discrepancy in

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE CAN’T WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE? Western President Amit Chakma faced more discussion about his contract at last Friday’s Senate meeting, the first since an independent review found a cash payout he received last year was not in line with what other institutions do.

definitions has caused controversy.

Wilson responded by saying it will be the responsibility of a future board to determine that.

In response to another question, Wilson stated the review cost approximately $79,000, although the official amount has not been released yet.

Kristin Hoffmann, president of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association, said 79 per cent of members who responded strongly felt Shah should resign in a poll that took place from October 2–9.

“The questions were asked in

light of the Goudge report,” Hoffman said in an interview after the meeting. “I think it was ‘how strongly would you agree with this statement that Mr. Shah should resign as chair of the Board of Governors?’

It was directly connected to the findings from that report and what that report brought to light that we hadn’t known.”

During the meeting, Hoffmann stated UWOFA fears the promises from the Board are not enough to restore trust on campus. UWOFA is asking for more openness and transparency in the future.

New smoke free areas on campus Solution to puzzle on page 11

HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE Have you been walking around campus recently and wondered what the blue lines on the ground are for?

The lines mark “clear air corridors,” within which smoking is prohibited. Currently, there are three corridors on campus: between Weldon Library and the Student Services Building; between Lawson Hall and Somerville House; and, near the main entrance of the Social Sciences Centre.

According to Jane O’Brien, associate vice-president human resources at Western, the initiative came into place as a response to complaints and feedback about smoking from the campus community.

“Over the last few years we had increasing number of complaints that have been raised relating to specific areas on campus and … there have been concerns with regards to smoking and people not following the guidelines,” she said.

The purpose of the corridors is to provide community members a smoke-free environment in high traffic areas on campus.

“We are looking to try and promote a healthy, safe and clean community for everyone. And part of it is [dealing with] certain areas on campus that have recieved complaints of second hand smoke,” O’Brien said.

Western is among many North American universities that are clamping down on smoking on campus and an increasing number is also designating campuses as smoke-free and tobacco-free.

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Western’s current smoking policy has been in place since 2003. It prohibits smoking inside buildings and within 10 metres of building entrances, windows, fresh air intakes and loading docks. The policy has been revised this year to include the clear air corridors.

The policy is enforced by first informing violators of the guidelines and providing them a copy of the policy. Continued violation then leads to disciplinary action as applicable to various university groups and as dictated in provincial legislation and municipal by-laws.

Frank Liu, a third-year social science student at Western, is a smoker, however, he appreciates the anti-smoking initiative introduced by the university.

“There are all these people who don’t smoke and they shouldn’t have to smell this. I support this

[initiative],” he said.

Western is currently conducting consultation on smoking on campus by talking to student leaders, employee groups and other stakeholders. The university will also be conducting a campus-wide survey on the future of smoking on campus in January 2016.

“The survey was actually a suggestion that came from our consultations,” O’Brien said. “To get feedback from the broad community, for everyone to have an opportunity for input as to what is important to them with regards … to providing for a healthy and safe work and learning environment.”

O’Brien added that she has been receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on the clear air corridors from campus staff and faculty members.

All Out

with Kevin and Alex Newman Join Western Alumnus Kevin Newman, BA’81, and his son, Alex Newman, as they confront the hard truths that made them better men during this intimate discussion of their new book All Out.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

McKellar Room, UCC

Free to attend but please register

by October 26th. alumni.westernu.ca/connect/events/

www.westerngazette.ca

4 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

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Language awareness campaign divides campus DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE Western’s orientation program launched a language awareness campaign that aims to start a conversation about language that can be harmful, offensive and oppressive.

“The goals of the campaign would be to start conversations about language, the impacts of language and the implications of using certain words and phrases,” said Papy Abdie, arts and humanities head soph.

The campaign’s Facebook page involves pictures of sophs captioned with their choice of word that they chose to raise awareness about.

“We put out the call to all of the sophs and those that signed up for it were given the opportunity to request a word that would be associated with their photos,” said Abdie.

“I actually think the campaign is a really great idea, especially for Western and the diversity it has ethnically, culturally, religiously,” said Rowa Mohamed, a fourth-year student in health sciences.

David Heap, the undergraduate co-director of linguistics at Western, believes the orientation leaders have succeeded in starting many conversations.

“Inviting people to think about the impact of their words does not decrease freedom of speech or discussion of sensitive topics. It merely invites people to think about expressing themselves in ways that

may avoid certain unintended negative impacts,” Heap said.

The campaign has also sparked some controversial debate amongst the students on the Facebook page.

“I don’t believe that this campaign is going to change the way people speak at all,” said Rosa Esmaeilbeigi, a fourth-year biology student. “I don’t believe that just saying words is necessarily a trigger. I think if someone describes, for example, a situation where they were sexually harassed, that can be a trigger to someone who experienced that.”

Mohamed comments on the choice of the words for the campaign, calling some of them “very fluffy.”

“In no way, shape or form can you tell me that calling someone a ginger is the same as saying the n-word,” she said. “We won’t even say what the n-word is but we’ll say ginger, so that tells you exactly the kind of history that’s there.”

“I believe that this campaign is devaluing real issues and I feel that by censoring certain words we are actually giving it more potency to hurt people,” Esmaeilbeigi said.

Heap believes that supporters and opposers are a normal part of debates, especially in a university setting.

Abdie said the leaders of the campaign plan to take it a step further and expand it for everyone on campus. They are looking into doing a positive version where replacement words will be offered for the more problematic ones.

BRIEFS CHARGES UPGRADED AGAINST DRUNK DRIVER

TEDx returns to Western RITA RAHMATI, NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE Since its last appearance in 2013, TEDx is finally returning to Western this November.

Western’s TEDx event has been co-ordinated by a small but passionate group of students.

“This year we had a very passionate chair and co-chair,” said Timothy Varghese, director of internal affairs for TEDxWesternU 2015. “They had initially decided to do this and the people they had selected were also very passionate, so we joined as a team.”

According to the TEDxWesternU website, TEDx events are organized and run on a community basis, whereas TED conferences are run directly by TED. The intention of TEDx events is to inspire ideas within a local community.

TEDxWesternU has 10 scheduled speakers and more may be added to the list. Some of the speakers include: Michele Mosca, co-founder of the Institute for Quantum Computing; Kim Katrin Milan, writer, artist and educator; and Ramona Pringle, digital journalist, television host and professor.

As a popular event, TEDxWesternU has a maximum capacity of 100 people.

Students were selected via an application that consisted of two central questions: “What is your

favourite TED or TEDx talk quote?” and “Why do you want to attend TEDxWesternU?” Applications are reviewed anonymously and once a student is selected they must pay a $30 fee to attend the event. Students who might not be able to afford that fee can also get some help from the organizers.

“TEDx does realize that some people are very passionate about TEDx and yet can’t afford the $30 fee.

So we have actually set apart some tickets that would be set aside in circumstances in which the applicants can’t afford to pay the $30 fee associated with coming,” Varghese said.

As well, students interested in helping with the event may apply to be a volunteer online; there will be approximately 20 volunteers, according to Varghese.

“The people I work with really understand the gravity and the impact that TEDx could have on a community,” Varghese said. “This is such an interdisciplinary idea.

It’s something that regardless of who you are and where you stand in terms of Western — as alumni, as a professor, as a staff, as a student — I feel like it’s an event for everyone.”

The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 7, in the McKellar Room of the UCC. It will be available via livestream, and the footage will later be uploaded online for all to view.

This is such an interdisciplinary idea. It’s something that regardless of who you are and where you stand in terms of Western — as alumni, as a professor, as a staff, as a student — I feel like it’s an event for everyone.

TIMOTHY VARGHESE DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR TEDXWESTERNU

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MEETING NOTICE The first Gazette publications committee meeting will be held Friday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. in the USC board room.

The publications committee is a subcommittee of the USC Board of Directors. It is responsible for the fiscal management and long term planning for The Gazette.

The agenda and meeting documents can be found online at: http://westerngazette.ca/publications-committee .

All are welcome to attend.

Charges have been upgraded against the alleged drunk driver who caused the death of 18-year-old Western student Andrea Christidis.

The initial charges laid by the London Police Service against Jared DeJong, a 24-year-old from London, have been updated to impaired driving causing death, operating a motor vehicle over 80 mg of alcohol per 100 mL of blood causing death and criminal negligence causing death.

DeJong appeared in court last week and was released on $1,500 bail on conditions that include driving and alcohol bans. He is next scheduled to appear in court on November 3.

The LPS is asking any witnesses of the accident who haven’t spoken to the police yet to come forward and call 519-661-5670.

WESTERN HOSTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE FORUM

Western will host a forum on preventing and responding to sexual violence.

Organized by Western’s sexual violence prevention and education committee, the keynote speaker will be Dr. Rachel Griffin, an anti-gender violence advocate and survivor.

The goal is to bring together students and faculty members to educate them and engage in dialogue, according to Western’s director of equity and human rights services Larissa Bartlett.

“We are very excited because it’s the first time that we are aware of a university actually hosting such a forum for its students and faculty,” Bartlett said.

The forum will open with a performance by the Sisters of All Nations. There will be a panel comprised from representatives from many groups on campus, as well as a question and answer period.

The event will be on Monday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m To sign up or for more information, visit www.safecampus.uwo. ca/sexual_violence/.

VICTORIA ZAMBITO

WESTERN MAKING CAMPUS WELCOMING TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Western is launching its first-ever plan dedicated to making the campus more safe and welcoming for indigenous people.

Candace Brunette, the director of Indigenous Services, stressed the importance of having proper representation in developing indigenous planning.

A committee composed of community members will rely on the input of both internal and external partners to inform it.

“We have First Nations partners who are being engaged throughout and it’s really important to balance that,” Brunette said.

The deadline to get involved is November 30, where the committee will take into consideration the different recommendations and draft a plan for the initiative. A final plan will be released in November 2016.

Brunette said one of the aims of the indigenous strategic plan is to work closely with student affairs and other divisions of the Western community, such as academics programs and faculty relations, to accommodate the unique needs of indigenous students.

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 • 5

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Mustangs start OUA playoffs undefeated SHOTARO MOORE CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTESPORTS The Western Mustangs men’s baseball team got off to a great start in the Ontario University Athletics playoffs with two victories on Friday, but the final games of the tournament were delayed until Tuesday evening due to snow.

Western advanced to the final day, along with defending champions the Brock Badgers and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

Western was able to get to a 2–0 start due to strong defensive play and a ninth-inning comeback in the second game against Laurier on Friday. Western’s wins were led by their pitching staff, who only gave up five runs in two games. In each game, starting pitchers Owen Boon and Adam Paish pitched all nine innings — a rare feat for baseball pitchers.

“You never start out to try and throw the whole game. Usually you give the team six or seven innings then let the bullpen take over,” Boon said. “I hardly ever finish a nine-inning game but I felt good, and coach was just nice enough to give it to me and let me keep going.”

Under a pressure situation in the top of the fifth inning in the first game against Guelph, Boon was able to pitch his way out of a jam with two runners in scoring position. This seemed to bring confidence to Boon as he was able to pitch strongly for the rest of the game without giving up a run.

I find I make some of my best pitches in a high pressure situation because it forces you to focus to minimize the damage OWEN BOON WESTERN MUSTANGS STARTING PITCHER

“I don’t think of it as a pressure situation,” he said. “You just have to think of it like ‘I have to bear down and focus on what I’m doing.’ I find I make some of my best pitches in a high pressure situation because it forces you to focus to minimize the damage.”

Another factor was the great defence playing behind him, who committed no errors in the game.

On the other hand, despite hitting the ball well, the Gryphons committed three crucial errors that helped Western score some runs. Gryphons coach Matt Griffin knows his team needed to tighten up their defence.

“We’ve been hitting well all year, we just got to play a little bit better defensively,” Griffin said. “To win these games against the best teams you have to execute on defence.”

Western’s next game against Laurier started off with an hour-long rain delay. Once the game began, each team got onto the scoreboard in the first inning. Mustang Andrew Hastings led the way for Western by hitting their first and only home run of the playoffs.

AMY O’SHEA GAZETTE SWING BATTA BATTA. Mustang Turner Spears swings for a ball during OUA baseball playoff action on Friday afternoon against Guelph. Western won their first two games, 4–3 against Guelph and 5–3 against Laurier.

In the bottom of the third, the game once again had a rain delay, this one for 45 minutes. The delay seemed to hurt Western slightly as Paish had to come back to pitch into the game cold. Laurier was able to get several hits off of him and score two runs in the third. Western would score in the top of the fifth to bring the score to 3–2 before three innings of scoreless baseball followed.

In the top of the ninth, tensions were high after a controversial call.

Western coach Mike Lumley said the

call wasn’t a detriment to his team.

“It seemed to fire up the boys, getting emotions high,” he explained.

Western’s rookie Andrew Warner would then take to the plate and bat in the tying run with a double.

Warner was able to score the go-ahead run as well. At the end of the ninth inning rally, the Mustangs were up 5-3. Paish was able to close out the game by facing just five batters in the bottom of the ninth inning. He amazingly threw over 160 pitches in the game.

Friday’s performance has propelled Western into a three-team showdown for the OUA championship against Brock and Toronto. The delay until Tuesday gives Brock a big advantage as they now get an extra day to rest their pitchers after playing three games on Saturday.

Western will have to lose twice before they are knocked out, whereas Brock and Toronto will each be eliminated if they suffer just one loss, due to the double elimination format.

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6 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

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One step closer for women’s rugby OWEN PARKER GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE The 2015 regular season went well for the Western Mustangs women’s rugby team. They achieved a record of 4–1 and finished in second place in the Shiels Division of Ontario University Athletics competition.

Compared to other sports in the OUA, women’s rugby has quite a short season. Indoor sports like hockey, basketball and volleyball enjoy a much longer season with about 20 games. Fortunately, the Western women will be adding at least two matches to their short 5-game regular season through post-season play.

The Mustangs reached the playoffs in 2014 but were only able to clinch third place after everything was said and done. This year, they are looking to go a lot further, having finished the season ranked higher than in 2014.

Their first playoff game on Saturday afternoon was an excellent start as they handily took the win against the Laurier Golden Hawks, defeating them 64–19.

Western interim head coach Katie Baer praised her team’s execution of fundamentals during the game.

“Western ball is high speed, high intensity, in your face type of play,” she said. “Our line speed and tough defence against Laurier, it just makes the other team not want to play.”

However, in the first five minutes of play the home fans were a bit disconcerted. The away team had two excellent scoring chances and were able to capitalize in the second minute of play to take a 5–0 lead.

Golden Hawk co-head coach Amy

Bambury spoke highly of her team’s preparedness heading to the game.

“The girls were really, really excited to get another crack at Western,” she said. “They came out strong and hard.”

Western wouldn’t stay behind for long. They were able to respond in the eighth minute with a big run down the wing. This sparked an important momentum transfer over to the home side.

Two minutes later, Western was back in the Laurier end to score again. Their success stemmed from excellent support running in the forward pack, while the backs finished off by taking speed down the sideline.

“The forward pack really stepped up and took the ball on themselves, which opened up opportunities for more of the backs,” she said. “So, it was a really great team effort that they put in today. It was great to see it coming from both the forwards and the backs.”

As a team the Mustangs were breaking tackles left, right and centre. By half-time, the home team was up 40–7.

The beauty of post-season play is that each team has everything to lose. Laurier came back in the second half with new vigor, not seen since the first few minutes of play. This was due to Bambury pumping up her team during the half-time break.

“Somebody out there needs to make a change and be the fire starter,” she told the team at half time.

Her pep talk clearly worked as they scored two tries, one in the 68th minute and the other in the 76th, to cut the Mustang lead to 40–19.

JONATHAN DUNN GAZETTE OUT OF MY WAY. Mustang Hilary Dingman runs the ball during OUA playoff women’s rugby action on Saturday afternoon. Western destroyed Laurier 63–19 to advance to the semi-finals next week against McMaster.

But with Western’s commanding lead, these second half tries wouldn’t be enough for the Golden Hawks.

In total, eight Mustangs got on the board today. Paige Farries, Nikki Case, Andrea Bowra, Veronica Harrigan, Ashley Snider, Dagmar Walklen, Hilary Dingman and Olivia Murphy all contributed to the effort.

After 80 minutes, the final score was 64–19.

After this big victory, Baer made it clear she doesn’t want her team to become complacent.

“It is an entirely new season, so whatever happened in the regular season doesn’t matter once playoffs come,” she said.

Next week’s test is McMaster,

who Western didn’t have the chance to face in the five game regular season. In order to succeed against the Marauder’s, Baer emphasized the importance of their upcoming practices.

“This week, going into practice, what we are focusing on is mainly just tightening up what we have and really bettering ourselves and all of our systems,” she said.

McMaster is the top team in the Russell Division of the OUA and will prove to be one of Western’s toughest challenges this year.

Game time for the semi-final is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton.

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The Western Mustangs football team was all smiles as they left TD Stadium on Saturday afternoon, coming off a win against the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Western conquered the Gee-Gees 63–19, racking up a total of nine touchdowns and keeping their undefeated season alive, as they moved to 7–0.

Western’s run game was key to Saturday’s victory, as quarterback Will Finch played one of his most lackluster games of the season.

With two interceptions and a weak passing game, the purple and white relied on their backs to put up a solid ground game.

They did not fail.

Running backs Alex Taylor, Yannick Harou, Adam Sinclair and Cedric Joseph scored all of the majors for the ’Stangs. Harou’s second touchdown was Western’s 53rd major this year, breaking the OUA record they had set previously in 2013.

Coach Marshall commended Taylor’s performance and praised his other running backs too.

“They all do different things,” Marshall said. “I was really pleased with how the backs played.”

Taylor also praised his teammates.

“Whatever situation, it works out well and we compliment each other,” he said.

Western’s defence was another key component to their win. Defensive back Malcolm Brown led the team in tackles, coming in with 6.5.

Western’s defence picked up their

game last week against Toronto, allowing only two points and continued their dominance against Ottawa. Coach Marshall called it the team’s best defensive game of the year.

For Ottawa head coach Jamie Barresi, it was a lack of a running game and stellar Mustangs defence that made things difficult.

“We have to be able to run the ball,” Barresi said. “Teams look at us and they see a passing team and they change their fronts dramatically to play us.”

The Mustangs success in this game not only provided short-term satisfaction, but will be imperative for their future games.

“You can say ‘play with confidence,’ but it only happens, you only get it by going through experiences like today against a good football team,” Marshall said.

The confidence that comes with shutting down a team with one of the best passing records in the league is something that Western will need when they face McMaster this week, a team that upset them last season 32–29. With a 6–1 record this season, McMaster will surely be Western’s toughest competitor thus far.

A win for the Mustangs against the Marauders’ would lock up first place, giving them good footing going into the playoffs. It would also give Marshall his 100th regular season win, against a team he coached to 42 victories.

This week’s game is set for Saturday, Oct. 24. in Hamilton at Ron Joyce stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.

•

BRIEFS MEN’S HOCKEY KEEP ON ROLLIN’

The Western Mustangs men’s hockey team had a perfect weekend, continuing their winning streak with a 6–1 against the Laurier Golden Hawks and 7–4 win versus the Ryerson Rams.

They are now 3–0–0 on the season.

On Friday, goaltender Peter Delmas got his first career Ontario University Athletics win, stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced. Delmas, who has previous pro hockey experience in the American Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League, was recruited last year to join the Mustangs but had to sit out because of a pro eligibility rule in the OUA. Helping Delmas on Friday was a balanced offence that produced six goals from six different players. Heading into the third period, the game was 2–1 but Western produced three goals in a span of 1:05 to ensure the home opening win.

On Saturday the offence kept rolling for Western, but Ryerson joined in on the festivities to make it an action-packed game throughout.

It was only 2–1 for Western entering the third but a flurry of goals from both sides resulted in a 4–4 tie halfway through the final frame.

That’s when Western’s Trevor Warnaar scored his second goal of the game to give the Mustangs a 5–4 lead. Nick Charif and Ray Heuther each added late goals to make the final 7–4 for the Mustangs.

The Toronto Varsity Blues will host the Mustangs on Friday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m., where Western will try to continue their winning ways.

MEN’S RUGBY TAKES DOWN FIRST-PLACE GRYPHONS

In a high intensity battle, the Western Mustangs men’s rugby team defeated the first place Guelph Gryphons 12–10 on Saturday.

The intensity that comes with a matchup of two of the top three teams in the OUA was evident early in this game.

Only seven minutes in, winger Glen Bullock returned a Gryphon kick with a run down the wing for a try giving the Mustangs an early 7–0 lead.

The Gryphons responded just four minutes later with a strong maul, pushing Western’s forward pack back into the end zone, resulting in a Guelph try to make the game 7–5.

In the 18th minute, the Mustangs responded with a beautiful try from fullback Mark Denton who caught his own kick and ran the ball in to extend their lead to 12–5.

Just nine minutes later, the Mustangs were penalized leading to another Guelph try, but another missed conversion kept the Mustangs’ lead at 12-10.

The second half went scoreless due to incredible defense and missed penalty kicks on both sides.

Glen Bullock stood out for Western, as the winger scored the team’s first try and made several crucial tackles to secure the win.

For their second last regular season game, the Mustangs travel to St. Catharines to face the Brock Badgers next Saturday, Oct. 24.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 • 7

insight

Sophie’s time at Western Sept.

2012

Sophie enters first-year at Western

Feb. 2013– Feb. 2014

Sophie becomes Huron head soph

Nov. 2013Nov. 2014

Sophie is named the USC’s orientation coordinator

Jan. 6, 2015 January 28, 2015 February 11, 2015

ROBERT ARMSTRONG GAZETTE

Helpard pushes on through turmoil  SOPHIE CONTINUED FROM PG.1 “I’m very active not to micromanage .… It was tough because at the end of the day, I had a goal in mind and I wanted to make sure that goal was accomplished … but I never want to step on people’s toes to get that way,” Helpard said in response. “With that case in particular, I think it was very tough for them to recognize that they weren’t going to get to do everything and if I set that false expectation, then that’s on me.”

After serving as orientation coordinator, Helpard pushed further. She surprised her peers, who pegged her as a potential vice-president student events, when she announced her bid for the USC’s presidency.

Helpard, Benac and Perkins formed a slate, solidifying their loyalty to one another during a halfpriced wine night at McCabe’s. From there, the 2015 elections unfolded into an unparalleled race between Team Litchfield and Team Sophie.

That February 11 election night, the final numbers amazed: 3,201 students voted in favour of Team Sophie, 3,233 cast their ballots for Team Litchfield. Jack Litchfield was president.

In the days following the election, their campaign nagged Helpard.

“There wasn’t a sense of the better man won … I’m happy for you, let’s move on, type thing,” Helpard said. “I was very much like, ‘we didn’t win, we have to accept that,’ … but the volume and severity of things that were coming forward to me … it got to the point where I was like, ‘you know what, I don’t think this is being a sore loser, I think this is actually trying to make sure things are right and good.’ ” Accusations abounded. Team Litchfield had allegedly violated the USC’s elections rules by post-campaigning on social-media and trespassing on off-campus properties to distribute campaign materials.

On the other hand, Team Sophie racked up demerits for libellous tweets and posts on Reddit, and a volunteer’s public Facebook post that was viewed as post-campaigning. Students speculated, though, whether or not the USC elections committee would disqualify Litchfield and his slate.

On March 10, the elections committee returned with their decision:

Team Litchfield was awarded 30 demerit points, one point shy of automatic disqualification.

Litchfield was still USC president.

“I thought, [the election committee members] are students, they’re caught in the middle of this … so the entire time I never felt as if they were the best group to be making the decision,” Helpard said.

“There was definitely a time where we questioned, is [a further appeal] really what we wanted to be doing … and it was,” agreed Perkins, now USC vice-president external.

At this point, the USC elections and its candidates entered unchartered territory. Helpard called on the USC’s newly installed appeals board to reassess the election committee’s decision.

During a public hearing in late March, Team Litchfield, Team Sophie, the elections committee and seven members of the appeals board met in the University Community Centre’s Community Room. The slates and the elections committee’s decisions were scrutinized. Benac insisted that throughout the entire election night aftermath, Helpard stayed positive.

“It was a lot of pressure for Sophie,” Benac said. “I had this opportunity to see first hand the way she managed to lead a totally beaten and battered team … It’s one thing for the president to be able to stay calm, it’s another thing to be able to keep everyone else calm.”

Before the appeals hearing, in a March 19 group iMessage, Helpard texted her team: “I thought we would have made a cohesive exec BEFORE all of this, but if we got in we’d be unbreakable.”

On April 7, the appeals board released their decision: Team Litchfield’s off-campus trespassing deserved two more demerit points than they were originally given — they were disqualified.

Sophie Helpard was the new USC president-elect.

Yet, Helpard’s real battle had just begun. Throughout the elections drama, Helpard read all of the comments on Gazette articles and elsewhere. She knew she was inheriting a student body and council that was partially hostile to her; she would lead some of Litchfield’s most vocal supporters.

Almost immediately after the election results were overturned, the new USC council created a motion

to remove Team Sophie as the incoming executives for 2015/16.

Helpard admitted it was the first time her public veneer cracked.

“I was disappointed and I was nervous .… Throughout that week I sat down with any councillor that would sit down with me,” Helpard said. “I usually consider myself a very good public speaker but at that meeting I was shaking like a leaf.”

Team Sophie’s efforts to reach out to councillors, however, paid off. A new motion calling for a plebiscite — a campus-wide vote — to ask students if they had confidence in Team Sophie was added to the agenda as an alternative to the removal motion.

The special council meeting brought Helpard back to Mustang Lounge, where the protracted elections saga began. On April 16, Helpard sat between outgoing president Matt Helfand and the USC’s chair of the board of directors Isaac Jacobi as USC councillors debated what course of action was in students’ interest.

A plebiscite was scheduled for late September and in the meantime, Helpard let her actions speak to her leadership abilities. The president prioritized plans to investigate USC elections reform and a former USC executive and current member of Western’s Board of Governors, Matthew Wilson, was hired to conduct an independent review of By-law 2, which governs the rules for elections. The USC will also host a special meeting on November 11 for councillors to discuss the student executives’ job roles and the exec’s hiring process.

With the elections saga finally behind her, Helpard has time to spend an autumn afternoon on UCC’s Concrete Beach. A crowd is checking out craft beer tents and greasy chips stands under a scorching sun. It’s the UCC’s second annual Beer Fest, and Helpard is laughing and sampling brews with the many student attendees who flag her down. She’s sure to mention that she adamantly prefers wine — red chianti to be exact.

As this school year unfolds, it will determine Helpard’s legacy. After a beginning rooted in chaos, only time will reveal whether it’s smooth sailing from here. But, if the past is any indication, Helpard’s not finished challenging convention.

Sophie declares her candidacy for USC president Campaign period begins

Polls close and Team Litchfield wins the election by 32 votes

March 10, 2015

Elections committee gives Team Litchfied 30 demerit points for campaign violations

March 29, 2015

Team Sophie appeals the election committee's decision at a hearing

April 7, 2015

Team Litchfield is disqualified after appeals board gives them 2 more demerit points

April 16, 2015

Special USC meeting debates a motion to remove Team Sophie. They decide to hold a plebiscite instead of removing the slate

June 1, 2015

Sophie officially takes office as USC president

July 19, 2015

USC councillors vote to not hold plebiscite

JENNIFER FELDMAN GAZETTE

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www.westerngazette.ca

8 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

insight

•

KNIGHTlife

Nothing but class from Rami Mustafa The KNIGHTlife series dedicates itself to looking at the knights of the bar scene in London.

SAMAH ALI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @SAMAHATGAZETTE I was lucky enough to sit down with the owner and co-founder of Ahead of the Class, Rami Mustafa.

The group has grown into a wellknown promotions company, throwing some of the best parties on Richmond Row. AotC began with four friends hosting a Homecoming kegger and eventually spun into tackling the Thursday night slot at The Ceeps – now known as the infamous Therapy Thursdays.

A recent Ivey grad, Mustafa has started a movement with his friends and is now using his connections to branch out into an industry he’s passionate about: the music business.

Humble, yet aware of his successes, Mustafa talked about the beginning of the company and where he is now.

How do you approach people when you want to add them to the AotC roster?

We often look for influential people associated with clubs or varsity teams. Every year we make it an effort to go to residences and ask our residence soph friends who the influential guys and girls [are].

There are always those people in residence who command other people’s attention and they are the leaders. We look for those people.

Since the brand is growing, now a lot of people reach out to us through our page. So we’ll post ‘Now hiring’ on our Facebook page and they’ll reach out to us for jobs. Anyone is eligible, everyone can work for us but there are different positions for different roles: brand ambassadors, DJs, photographers, etc.

Did you see AotC blossoming to this level?

Yes and no — at the beginning we were like, “Yeah this is fun.” We just wanted to make it a weekly club night at The Ceeps, but it’s definitely come to fruition.... You never expect this but at the same time you do, because you obviously want to push the boundaries. You’re not just starting out wanting to do a club night, you’re trying to create a movement.

That’s what we had in mind.

AotC, the promo company, was always going to be a lifestyle brand – everyone wants to be ahead of the class.

How do you generate ideas to keep people coming back?

When we were in school it was easy because you’re in the heart of the culture at Western, you know what I mean? You know what’s buzzing. If you stay up to date with current events and what’s happening in entertainment but still aligning to what the brand speaks for, then that’s it.

Western likes to hop on fads, so we always stay fresh with different ideas and keep our ties close to Drake. Whatever Drizzy was doing at the time, we’d somehow incorporate it [in]to our marketing, whether it be a Western event like Homecoming or charities. We were always connecting with student groups to stay in touch but at the same time keeping it fun, because you gotta stay fresh and exciting.

For example, [Drake’s album] Nothing Was The Same ... dropped on a Thursday and we wanted to make that night a listening session.

The first hour was just dedicated to playing the album. After that we played everything.

For us, hip hop music was an essential part of the brand because before us there was no hip hop music in London. That’s the real reason why we started AotC. In our first year, we would go out to the clubs and not hear any hip hop, and we’re all from Toronto and the GTA. We’ve been clubbing in Toronto and know what real clubbing is like and then when we came to Western we were like, ‘man, why don’t they play hip hop music?’ We would request songs and they wouldn’t play them or play In Da Club by 50 Cent at 2 a.m. when the bar was closing. So we changed the game within the system.

Is it still the same group of guys you started out with?

Yeah! There are still the same four owners at the top and we have three managers who have kind of taken over this year since we’ve all graduated officially and [are] moving on to

Courtesy of Rami Mustafa WE MADE IT. Rami Mustafa, middle, making an appearance at The Ceeps, the bar where Ahead of the Class began.

different stuff. A lot of the employees have graduated as well so the first class – I like to call them – has graduated and we just keep recruiting the new and up and coming class.

What’s the dynamic since original owners have all graduated?

Right now, the three owners are focused on their full-time jobs because they’re all working. I’m focused on AofC day in and day out; obviously they’re still up to date with the running of the company, but I’m more on the ground. They trust me to do what I do.

For me, after graduation I’ve been focusing on the music part of AotC because we never saw this.

My vision for this was never just a promo company in London. I always wanted to take it bigger than that and through that was the music.

We’ve always had that as our competitive advantage whether it be the DJs or the selection; we had the gear from the hits.

This summer after graduation I fully focused on our record label part of AotC called AoSound. Basically, my friend Rob and I personally manage five other producers and we’ve been networking with different up and coming artists from the

Courtesy of Rami Mustafa YOU CAN THANK HIM LATER. The AotC gang handing out Drake’s Nothing Was the Same albums on campus.

GTA like Ram Riddlz, SAFE, Prime Boyz. One of our artists DIGY, featuring one of our other artists KRISH, just released a song on EDM.com and it’s already at half a million views. That’s what I’ve been working on while our managers hold down the operations.

Did running a promotions company impact your academics?

I’d say yes and no. At the beginning yes, because I wasn’t in the right stream. When I was in science originally, that was one of the problems that I didn’t like — I wasn’t learning about anything that I could incorporate in my day-to-day, nothing tangible. It was all abstract concepts.

But when I switched into BMoS and then into Ivey, it really wasn’t getting in the way because it was alongside what I was doing.

Going out as often as we did, we had to because that was our job. You can say that it definitely got in the way — my grades probably could have been better if I didn’t go out as much — but a big part of why I got into Ivey and business was AotC so it kind of goes hand in hand in that sense.

What are some of the duties of your job?

I make sure everything runs smoothly. This is the first year where the manager had full autonomy over the London operations, so I’m really just hands-off now but still overseeing things. For example, I was here for O-Week and Homecoming; other than that I stay updated through our Facebook groups and keeping things on track. I’m always on top of social media because it’s tied so directly with the brand — I’m a perfectionist so the brand is everything.

Other than that, my day-to-day operations are just networking my artists with up and coming artists in the music industry and reaching out to people, whether it be artists on OVOSound Radio or featuring on it – we have a few songs on there. The product is the music so we just gotta reach out to other people who also

[identify] with your product; grow together, build together.

What are some of the perks of being a co-founder of AotC and being involved in the nightlife at London?

Going out for free anytime you want, but that gets boring quick.

Now that I’ve grown I feel like I can reach out to other people in the music industry and tell them, “Look, this is what I’ve accomplished to date, this is what I want to do with you, this is how I want to work with you,” whoever it may be. It opens doors in this and that way.

What are the pitfalls of your job?

It’s not really a pitfall, but you gotta wake up every day and you’re accountable for yourself. I don’t have a boss to tell me “you have to do X, Y, Z by the end of this month or week.” I give myself my own deliverables, you know? I know I have to meet it because the company won’t move forward. So I guess you can say it’s a pitfall, but it just motivates me.

What’s your craziest story?

Recently meeting all these artists and how quickly we’ve grown in the past four months. We’re collaborating with artists on OVOSound Radio and that’s a big thing for us. Ever since we created this, Drizzy has been a huge influence on us, so the closer we get [to] meeting him and for him to even see what we’ve done musically would be incredible.

In fact, we went to Best Buy and bought the entire Nothing Was The Same album from the store, drove onto campus, parked the car in front of the UCC while blasting Drake and handing the albums out for free to all the people who passed by. That was our thank you to the fans and to Western for all of the support they gave us.

You can get in contact with Mustafa on the AotC Facebook page and find more music at AoSound Soundcloud.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 • 9

insightopinions

Moving past being not okay Jenny From the Block JENNY JAY PHOTO EDITOR @JENNYATGAZETTE I woke up this morning happy, but not for any particular reason. For the first time in a while, I realized that I genuinely felt a sense of contentment — not as a result of anything, but rather as a state of being.

With mental health awareness month happening right as midterm season rolls around, I am aware of the struggles that some students may currently be facing. Campus awareness programs make talking about mental health issues more acceptable; there is an understanding that it is okay to not be okay.

I think the programs and the efforts being made are necessary in bringing awareness and acceptance to mental health issues. I think the fact that stories are being shared and conversations are happening is a sign that we have come farther from where we were.

Speaking out about facing mental health issues is important. I do not discredit the fact that it is nice to know that we are not alone. But that’s not enough. While comforting, the idea that misery likes company is only amplified if the conversation doesn’t go further than just the struggle. We have become so quick to point out that there’s a struggle in the first place that we forget that it can get better — that it does get better. In the conversation about mental health, there’s one thing we don’t often talk about: success stories.

I am personally no stranger to mental illness.

My own sister was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder nearly five years ago. My mom was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

For the last two years I’ve found myself struggling with my own identity, coping with loss and shame and an overwhelming aura of sadness.

I cannot count the number of times I have cried, or even where.

But this morning, I woke up happy. Looking around at all of the signs and posters and advocacy for mental health, this week I am reminded of a dark place I was in not so long ago. I am consistently being told that we all go through forms of suffering and that we, as a collective student body, understand.

In this attempt, we forget about the ones who finally, after a long and winding path, realize that they have finally come to terms with a sense of contentment within themselves.

We end up advocating for the struggle and we are quick to forget that there is an end goal in mind.

We strive to point out resources and ways to help. Because of this, however, we end up emphasizing stories of sadness rather than stories of success.

I am a mental health advocate.

What I advocate, however, is not a conversation on suffering. It is a conversation of not simply recognizing the issues that exist and that there are resources available, but also a conversation that addresses every single person who has felt what it means to also “be okay.”

Just over two years ago when one of my close friends committed suicide, I was stuck in an overwhelming place of sadness. I was told of resources, I was told that I was not alone — that my feelings were understood. I won’t deny that it wasn’t helpful — it was.

This month, however, I stand with my fellow Mustangs to address that I am there for all of those who are suffering and need help and support. But more than that, I am there for the ones who have finally overcome their battles. Soldiers will always need support during the war, but we must never forget to advocate for our veterans too.

Engage in debate, not blind absolutism To the editor: In light of the recent events in Israel, I have decided to take a stand against ignorance and blind absolutism. I have studied the topic, lived in the heart of the conflict as a little boy, have been to the five borders of Israel, met UN soldiers in the area and have yet to find any certainties.

I meet people who approach me with statements such as: “Israel is committing genocide and is an apartheid state,” and “All terrorists are Muslims; therefore, Islam is bad.”

My problem with these statements is the detachedness from the situation. As a seven-year-old kid growing up in Jerusalem, I knew where every bomb shelter was in the neighbourhood, I had my own gas mask and I knew never to answer the door.

I now live in Canada where I take for granted the liberties I am granted. It would be so easy to come out and say, from the comfort of my home, that Israel should militarily act a certain way or that Palestinians should drop their weapons, accept a two state solution and we can live

peacefully ever after. Have we ever fought in a war? Have we been to these areas? Do we understand all the political, social, and economic environments of the area?

I do not preach for indifference; rather, to think before making a statement. My heart tells me to be happy with any support for my side of the conflict, but my head tells me the person should think deeper.

My goal is no longer to convince a person to choose a side. I am happy when well-founded criticism arises because it puts the actions under the purview of public discourse. These moral dilemmas should be argued in our ever-ending pursuit of “just” wars.

The more the public knows, the more accountable we become for our actions. This is a dangerous slippery slope because we can bend towards specious judgments, which can bleed into racism and absolutism. Or we can take an avenue to pursue a better situation, where we can discuss morality, minimize casualties and aid the situation.

YONI ABRES PSYCHOLOGY IV

AARON MALLET GAZETTE

Ban on smoking not the way to go

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

A

new initiative by Western designates three high traffic pedestrian areas as smoke-free.

This new restriction is another step in the long road from smoking being a societal norm to being relegated to the fringes.

The intent behind these new areas is good. Western wants to provide a healthy and clean environment for its community and smoking certainly doesn’t contribute positively to that, especially considering the problem of second hand smoke on other people.

But we have to ask ourselves, what is the net benefit to these areas, or to going even further than that and banning smoking on campus altogether? Acadia University, Dalhousie University and Lakehead University are three examples of Canadian universities that have already banned smoking on campus.

While smoking is undoubtedly a health hazard to both those who smoke and those around people smoking, we have to remember that smoking is both legal and can be an addiction.

The amount of smokers at Western is not large – the societal pressure to not smoke is ingrained in students from a young age. Their large-numbers nowadays, especially amongst young people, is a fraction of what it used to be and it shows no signs of picking up.

The restrictions on smokers are already pretty tough. Smoking is already banned inside buildings

Your anonymous letters to life

Dear Life, Laptops in class not only distract the user, but students around them. So it is not a matter of choice.

Dear Life, People need to respect others a little more in the Greyhound station.

Dear Life, I’m getting pretty fed up with

and even within 10 metres of an entrance.

The effect of second-hand smoke is dramatically reduced outdoors and the emissions from the car or bus that drives by are probably more toxic to pedestrians than walking by someone smoking.

The problem, as Western has said, is that there has been an increase in complaints in recent years. This seems to be more of a problem in enforcement. If smokers aren’t abiding by the signs, blue lines on a sidewalk probably won’t change this — especially not in the winter when snow will cover the lines.

It also points to perhaps a different problem: that smokers don’t have a good place to do something they’re legally allowed to do. Everyone knows how cold it gets in London or how the brutal winds of winter whip at their faces and for smokers who are addicted, they’re going to do what anyone else does and find the most shelter.

The most effective way to combat smoking, as has been shown by the past few decades, is not through banning it but through education and social pressure.

It’s never a good sign when a public institution decides it knows better than its population. People have the right to smoke on campus just as much as they have the right to eat junk food on campus.

As long as they abide by the restrictions already in place, they are only harming themselves.

people constantly complaining about their workload as if we should all feel sorry for them. We’re all stressed and we’ve got tons of work to do. Get a grip.

disenfranchise the rest of us.

Dear Life, Preferential course registration times for varsity athletes?

Get your priorities straight, Western.

Athletics is a choice that should not

Dear Life, Can Matt Helfand model for SPUR this year? I would $$$ for him to be in their lingerie section.

Dear Life, The grilled chicken ciabatta at the Spoke goes downhill 50 per cent through eating

wgaz.ca/dearlife

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

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

experience

•

EVENTS CALENDAR OCTOBER

6:30 PM À bout de souffle (Breathless) Jean-Luc Godard (film showing) LOCATION: ARTS AND HUMANITIES BUILDING, ROOM 2R 09

21

OCTOBER

10:00 AM Procrastination & Perfectionism Lecture LOCATION: WESTERN STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING (WSS) ROOM: WSSB 3134

23

12:30 PM Tom Hsiang - Sequencing and assembly of microbial genomes LOCATION: BIOLOGICAL & GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES (BGS) ROOM: 0153 8:30 PM Men’s Lacrosse vs. Laurentian LOCATION: MUSTANG FIELD OCTOBER

3:00 PM Women’s volleyball vs. Windsor LOCATION: ALUMNI HALL

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4:00 PM Women’s hockey vs. Ryerson LOCATION: THOMPSON ARENA 7:00 PM Men’s hockey vs. Guelph LOCATION: THOMPSON ARENA 7:30 PM Choral Celebration (Don Wright Faculty of Music) LOCATION: FIRST-ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH) 8:30 PM Men’s Lacrosse vs. Nipissing LOCATION: MUSTANG FIELD 9:00 PM The Zolas LOCATION: LONDON MUSIC HALL OCTOBER

7:00 PM Classes Without Quizzes: A Solvable Problem LOCATION: LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARY

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T

here are the pretty aspects of autumn, the trees in a vibrant array of fiery colours, and then there’s the dull, gloomy part where it rains incessantly. Sometimes grey weather calls for grey tones and second-year medical-science and French student Amir Bachari is here to meet that need.

Houndstooth is a great fall print, drawing the eye without being obnoxiously in-your-face.

Mixing patterns is risky, but when you’re in greyscale it’s one of the only things you can work with. Bachari’s cardigan is in basket weave, a relatively new trend in the world of knit outerwear; it’s finely detailed and adds textural interest.

Longline t-shirts are a classic streetwear staple these days and it works — though unconventionally — with the more preppy scarf-and-cardigan look. Longline was catapulted to the forefront of fashion with the help of designers like Rick Owens. Today, Kanye West is perhaps the most prolific advocate of the trend.

His Fossil watch, satisfyingly chunky, adds a subtle but flashy touch to the whole ensemble; nothing beats gold-and-leather for class. The interior is purposely exposed to showcase the complex internal workings.

Skinny black jeans and white converse are classic skater-boy. Bachari’s outfit is a hodgepodge of pieces from different styles, but the complementary patterning and the consistent greyscale pulls it all together.

“Don’t be afraid to explore,” says Bachari. “Most people wouldn’t wear these pieces together, but it makes you pop a little — it’s okay to be noticed!”

WHERE TO GET IT

SCARF: Zara. Loop scarves are a great trend, because unlike most modern fashion they actually serve a practical purpose; it looks great and it’s warm as hell.

CARDIGAN: Zara. Cardigans, sweaters and jumpers of all sorts are the key if you want that sought-after grandpa swagger for autumn. Be sure to pick up an interesting pattern, whether it’s basketweave like this one or the timeless cable-knit.

SHIRT: Zara. Moving away from the form-fitting t-shirts of muscle-bound hunks, these longer, draping shirts alter proportions in a new and unusual way. If you don’t have a longline t-shirt, get on it!

WATCH: Fossil. A great watch is a necessity in any outfit, but be sure to match it to your style. Giant, chunky watches look comical on tiny wrists.

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE

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PROGRAM: Scandal STARS: Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Katie Lowes, Darby Stanchfield NETWORK: ABC – Shondaland SEASONS: 5 GENRE: Political drama SYNOPSIS: Olivia Pope (Washington) is a fixer — she fixes problems for high-profile clients. But as much she has her life together, her own secrets seem to interfere with her work life.

MY TAKE: I have a headache. Scandal is too much, but I’m here for it.

If you don’t know Shonda Rhimes by now then I suggest you get out of your cave and watch one of her shows – one of them being Scandal. This political thriller is just as dramatic as Netflix’s House of Cards and I always get confused between the two presidents: two old white men who look alike… you know, Hollywood.

Where Scandal differs from House of Cards is where the drama lies. Olivia and President Fitzgerald Grant III (Goldwyn) are in love and it’s cute and interracial. Whoopee!

But I have to say: the love story gets old quickly. If you’re not invested in

their love then you really won;t be interested in most of the plot.

Fitz is needy and whines about his presidency since all he wants is Olivia, while Olivia refuses to continue their illicit love affair only to run back to him at all the wrong moments. Meanwhile, you have all the supporting characters cleaning up the mess.

But the Olivia-Fitz relationship isn’t what keeps you watching per se — it’s the chain of events caused by their forbidden love. Naturally, Rhimes takes you to the moon and back with the scandals happening inside and outside the White House, because somehow everything seems to be intertwined.

Don’t worry, though, Olivia and her gladiators will fix everything at the end of the day.

WORTH THE NETFLIX? Yes, but beware of the commitment you are making.

You’re about to go down a dark road into the amusement park known as Shondaland.

WORTH THE CHILL? There are some steamy sex scenes in every episode so you should take advantage of these. But I would recommend pausing the show just so you don’t miss anything juicy.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 • 11

experience

Forest city’s biggest comicon yet It is the largest celebration of nerd culture London has ever seen.

Returning for the second year, the Forest City Comicon has exceeded all expectations.

The London Convention Centreand Hilton Hotel had its space packed with an eclectic variety of vendors ranging from local graphic novelists, jewellers, sculptors, writers, tarot card readers and more. It was certainly a gathering of London’s most respected artists, artisans and celebrities.

Last year’s comicon was held in Centennial Hall with modest expectations, but to everyone’s surprise over 2,300 people showed up, making it the largest event of its kind London has ever seen. That is, until this year’s comicon rounded up an estimated 4,000 people.

Gordon Grills, avid anime watcher and manga reader, was incredibly happy to see London finally embrace the geek culture with comicon.

“London never had a convention ever [before Forest City Comicon],” Grills said. “Everybody had to go to Toronto for Anime North or comicon. This is the very second time, I could say, they’ve had a convention and I’m hoping they keep at it every year.”

It wasn’t just for the fans though; comicon was an ideal venue for the likes of Robin Lee, who is a Western student, sculptor, and founder of

London never had a convention ever [before Forest City Comicon], everybody had to go to Toronto for Anime North or comicon. This is the very second time, I could say, they’ve had a convention and I’m hoping they keep at it every year.

GORDON GRILLS AVID ANIME WATCHER AND MANGA READER

Graphesiusm Fine Sculptors.

“I sculpt fan-art characters, anything from games to shows. [Right now] I’ve sculpted characters from Team Fortress 2, the game, but in the future I’ll be doing Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister and more.”

In comparison to last year’s comicon, many goers were surprised at how much the event has improved.

Joshua Richardson, fourth-year Western composition student and musical director for the video game Maud, attests to the difference in quality of this year’s comicon.

“It’s a lot nicer. The venue is a lot more open than last years,” he said.

“Last year it was in Centennial Hall and it was really dark and dingy. This year it’s very bright and open with a lot of vendors and cooler people.”

“I think the culture is getting more and

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE NERDGASM Fans roam the halls of London Convention Centre, checking out the vendors and indulging in the world of comics.

more popular and I think it’s becoming more publicized so more people know more about it,” he continued.

Throughout the day, various famous and well-known actors, voice talents, comic artists, writers and cosplay artists held panels and booths with thousands of fans lining up to see them. Big names included John Noble, the actor who plays Denethor in Lord of the Rings, and Phil Geurrero, or PJ Phil, original host for the hit ‘90s television show The Zone on YTV. Included in this list of celebrities was Bryan Lee O’Malley,

creator of the critically acclaimed comic book series Scott Pilgrim that was adapted into a movie starring Michael Cera.

“When I was a teenager, we would have never had anything like this in London,” said O’Malley.

“It’s really cool that it’s here. What’s interesting is that the people who put it on actually run the comic book store I used to shop at.”

O’Malley was actually born in London and attended Western University, although he later dropped out to pursue his dreams of becoming a comic book artist.

“I went to Western for two years, and I was working at the science library,” said O’Malley. “Then I kind of dropped out and kept working at the library for a while. I wasn’t a very good student, I was kind of a slacker.”

“I was mostly drawing and I was studying film,” he continued. “I wanted to learn about visual stuff because I knew I wanted to do comics at the time. There was no comics program and I wasn’t good enough to get into the art program so I just kind of did my thing.”

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

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COACHES/INSTRUCTORS NEEDED FOR hockey and Learn To Skate programs. Email resume to: universityskate@rogers.com or call 519-645-1136. Winter session (September to March).

VOLUNTEERS WANTED CAMPUS RADIO STATION CHRW is looking for all kinds of creative & fun people (Hosts, Producers, Writers, Videographers, etc.) for “Wake Up Western”, 911am weekdays on 94.9fm. See chrwradio.ca/WakeUp for info and e-mail wakeupwestern@chrwradio.ca to register your interest.

SEEKING ROMANTIC COUPLES over 18 years old who have been together for at least 3 months for a study on romantic relationships. Participants will complete questionnaires in the Love Lab at Western University. This should take less than 1 hour, and participants will receive monetary compensation in appreciation for their contribution. If interested, email uworelationshipslab@gmail.com.

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE IT’S-A-ME, MARIO! A fan emulates Nintendo’s most popular character.

THE LOVE LAB is recruiting same-sex and differentsex couples over the age of 18 for a study of reactions to couples in public spaces. Participants will complete a set of questionnaires in the Social Science Center at UWO. In addition, participants will be asked to walk through a public space on campus while holding hands, wearing a hidden camera. This should take no more than 60 minutes, and participants will receive monetary compensation in appreciation for their time. If interested, email couplesuwo@gmail.com.

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

SERVICES BEAUTIFUL YOU - HAIR by Sarah Mobile Hair Services. Women’s and men’s cuts, colors, up-dos and extensions. Call, text or email today! Student group rates available. beautifulyouhairbysarah@gmail.com 226-926-6474 PRIVATE GUITAR LESSONS. All styles and levels.

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

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED 2. Visit banks' websites by typing the URL into the address bar. Phishers use links within emails to direct victims to a fake site. If you suspect an email is bogus, do not follow any embedded links within it.

PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

For solution, turn to page 3

www.westerngazette.ca

12 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

experiencegames

PHOTO OF THE DAY

•

CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE THE WAY OF THE MUSTANG. Fifth-year Mustang right wing Shaun Furlong channels his inner Bruce Lee in an attempt to take the puck from a Laurier opponent. The ‘Stangs beat the Golden Hawks 6–1 on Friday night.

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