Tuesday, November 17, 2015

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 109 ISSUE 19 crying in interviews since 1906

JENNY JAY & CHRISTOPHER MISZCZAK GAZETTE

Unawareness leads to on-campus racism SAMAH ALI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @SAMAHATGAZETTE

W

elcome to Western University.

A school known for its beautiful campus, academics and partying.

Unbeknownst to many, it’s also host to an underground culture of racism. Housing a growing population of international students, our university has a wealth of students with different cultural backgrounds, nationalities and religions from around the world and within the nation. However, despite

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university policies, the campus environment is a space where students can be racist to others without repercussions.

•••••

“T

he reason I came to Western is because they have a zero tolerance policy: any kind of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks would not be tolerated; students would be expelled, suspended or punished and I’ve never seen that happen on campus,” says alumna Eternity Martis, who wrote a column published in Vice this summer entitled, “London, Ontario was a racist asshole to me."

Martis, a freelance journalist, documented her experiences while attending Western and

instantly, her article went viral.

Her piece expressed her concerns while attending Western; she was shocked by the racially insensitive atmosphere allowed on campus. The article describes multiple racist stories during her time at Western – one of them being an altercation with a student calling her boyfriend a “n**ger” and proceeding to fight her — and an outpouring of shared experiences and solidarity followed on social media.

“A lot of people who tweeted at me were from London and they were saying that they were really sorry this happened, what can [they] do as an ally to help,” says Martis. “Some were also saying that they went to Western 10 years ago and nothing has changed.”

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2 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

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PROFILE DAN JORGENSEN

Volume 109, Issue 19 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

IAIN BOEKHOFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @IAINATGAZETTE

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NEWS DRISHTI KATARIA KATIE LEAR AMY O’KRUK RITA RAHMATI BREAKING NEWS HAMZA TARIQ OPINIONS BRADLEY METLIN ARTS & LIFE SAMAH ALI RICHARD JOSEPH MOSES MONTEROZZA ROBERT NANNI SPORTS HALA GHONAIM SERENA QUINN SHANE ROBERTS

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COMPOSING MAJA ANJOLI-BILIĆ ROBERT ARMSTRONG

STAFF MOHAMMAD ABRAR ABDUL HANAN, ERIC BAJZERT, JENNIFER BALL, MAAILAH BLACKWOOD, SARAH BOTELHO, DAMON BURTT, SHACHAR DAHAN, SAM FRANKEL, DEVIN GOLETS, BRITTANY HAMBLETON, JULIE HAMBLETON, JIMMY HUYNH, ELLIS KOIFMAN, SARA MAI CHITTY, MACKENZIE MORRISON, AMY O’SHEA, OWEN PARKER, TOM RUESS, LAUREN SAYERS, RUI SHI, OREN WEISFELD, TRISTAN WU

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On the graduate level, Dan co-teaches a graduate theory course and has a number of graduate students doing work internationally. He has also served as chair of the anthropology department, but his real passion lies in his fieldwork focused in Papua New Guinea, first travelling to the country in 1974.

“I started off specializing in the anthropology of religion and I worked in Papua New Guinea with a people who are known as the Telefolmin,” Dan explains.

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Dan Jorgensen is well-known within the anthropology department. As an associate professor, he has taught a number of courses since coming to Western in 1977, including intro to anthropology, anthropology of the Pacific and a course he developed on mobile phones and Internet in the global south.

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Shortly after Dan’s first trip, the Telefolmin converted to Christianity and his work shifted to exploring the effects of a new copper mining project on the peoples’ lives. He has since made 10 trips to Papua New Guinea to date over the past 41 years, spending a total of 43 months in the country. He keeps in daily contact with the people from the village over Facebook.

area, but instead he found the area in a deep drought and his research shifted to evaluating the state of the region.

“Their lower gardens just started getting trashed, drinking water started becoming a problem and they had bush fires that were wiping out gardens and stretches of forest. They’re subsisting on either spoiled crops [or] … wild foods they go off into the bush to find.”

Despite the harsh conditions of the drought, Dan’s strong bond with the village was reinforced in his most recent trip.

“There’s a kind of food that only exists there that you can’t get anywhere else,” he says, welling up. “It’s because the tree only grows there. I love it and only get to have it when I go back there. So it was my last night in the village before I had to fly out the next morning and in the middle of their drought they happened to get this roaring thundershower in the middle of the night.

Somebody hiked up from the next village down with a dish full of this stuff that they made and said ‘you can’t leave here without having this.’ ” Even though the work can have an emotional impact, Dan explains that his work is both incredibly moving and worthwhile.

“I’m still in touch with people, there are people my age group who were young punks at the same time I was a young punk back there. They’re grandfathers now and we’re still in touch.… The boundary between life and work in this kind of anthropology is very permeable.”

On Dan’s most recent trip this past September, his goal had been to follow up on his most recent work exploring the effect of the introduction of mobile phones into the

“As far as anthropology is concerned, if you get bored doing anthropology, first of all you ought to be doing something else, but second of all, you must be running out of imagination because the scope is huge and the biggest problem is what to shut out instead of what to follow up…. it’s always a moving target and things change even while you’re looking at them.”

■■KATIE LEAR

KNOW

INSIGHT

EXPERIENCE

First-year student alleges that residence staff hastily looked over his room and that he continued to live in the room, receiving more bites until last Friday.  PG 4

Hillel Western’s event, Homosexuals and the Holocaust, featured speaker Jacob Envoy as he discussed the persecution of non-Jewish groups.  PG 9

Justin Bieber’s new album, Purpose, was released this weekend and it has us rekindling our feelings for the Biebs.

Student living in Perth Hall takes bed bugs complaint to Reddit

Holocaust Education Week educates Western on treatment of homosexuals in the Holocaust

Bieber’s back with a whole new purpose

 PG 11

HIGH 13 LOW 10

HIGH 16 LOW 10

HIGH 10 LOW 1

TODAY

TOMORROW

THURSDAY

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 • 3

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USC axes executive position Councillors reject hiring of student programs officer, keep remaining execs hired by committee The USC has decided to axe an executive position and modify the slate system so that, come February, students will be voting for a president and a vice-president as a team.

At a special meeting last Wednesday, the University Students’ Council debated changes to the USC’s executive composition and selection process. During the meeting, the USC passed a motion to reform its current six-member student executive to a five-member team consisting of a jointly elected president and vice-president, a hired secretary-treasurer and communications officer, and a student programs officer elected by council. For the past three years, the slate system has required USC presidential candidates to run with vice-president internal and external candidates as a jointly elected team.

In the motion, the 2015-16 USC executive stated they “reviewed the slate system but could not provide adequate recommendations of change without assuring the executive composition was in its best form.” Consequently, the executives recommended reducing the number of executives to five, with two elected by students and the remaining positions would be filled by different hiring processes.

The council spent the majority of the three hour meeting debating whether or not the new student programs officer — the result of a reorganization of the current vice-president internal and vice-president student events roles — should be selected by a hiring panel or elected by council.

USC communications officer Kevin Hurren said a formal hiring process would allow SPO candidates to be evaluated based on their merit rather than political popularity and to also ensure there wouldn’t be conflicts between future presidential and SPO platforms.

“The difficult thing is that keeping the SPO elected ... creates a tension between the elected slates, which is the [president and vice-president] elected at large by students and the platform of the student programs officer … elected by council,” he said.

Several councillors argued clashing viewpoints encourage debate and compromise within the student government executive, which is often beneficial. Nate Sussman, Huron University College Students’ Council president, said while the idea of community hiring had good intentions, the confidential nature of a hiring committee is democratically problematic.

“What I would be concerned about would be situations where there’s a feeling of public opinion and the committee goes another way,” Sussman said. “In cases like that, I think students should always have a right [to go to] their student councils and ask how their executives got there.”

Other councillors supported the SPO’s ultimate election by council, but suggested a hiring panel could still shortlist SPO candidates and that town halls be hosted to further engage students-at-large in the decision. Science councillor Samir Hamadache said a benefit of a hiring panel is it encourages students to run who could be intimidated by jumping right onto the council floor. “[Regarding] the potential of candidates to be uncomfortable speaking in front of council, specifically the SPO ... would the majority of their job not involve speaking to extremely large groups of people they don’t know?” responded Jake Carman, engineering councillor.

“I think that’s an inherent part of the job.”

Ultimately, the primary amendment to the motion that decreed the USC elect the SPO at their annual general meeting passed with 32 in favour and 11 against.

Two secondary amendments, both

Executive composition changes After November 11, 2015 USC council meeting

Slate system Before

•President •Vice-president internal •Vice-president external

After

•President •Vice-president

USC associate vice-presidents Before

•Capped at 15 paid hours per week

JENNIFER FELDMAN GAZETTE

After

•Increased to up to 25 paid hours per week

What I would be concerned about would be situations where there’s a feeling of public opinion and the committee goes another way. In cases like that, I think students should always have a right [to go to] their student councils and ask how their executives got there.

NATE SUSSMAN

November 22, 2012 Council approves a slate system consisting of a president, vice-presidents internal and external who will be elected by students. They also approve in principle that the remaining three executives will be hired by the president.

December 5, 2012 Council rejects hiring process for the three executives.

Vice-presidents will be elected by councillors at their annual general meeting.

January 28, 2013 First three person slate election begins with three slates: Team McGuire, Team Prabhu and Team Whelan.

HURON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE STUDENTS’ COUNCIL PRESIDENT

February 12, 2014 Team Helfand wins the second slate election over Team Belman.

suggesting using aspects of a hiring panel and the town halls to assist USC councillors in electing the SPO, failed.

The two other less contentious items included in the motion were consensus on an established terms of reference for the executives and to increase financial support for the USC’s associate vice-president system. The AVPs — Western students who help the executives facilitate programming and initiatives — will soon play larger roles in the USC’s operations as a result of the downsizing of the executives. AVPs were previously capped at a maximum of 15 paid hours of work per week, but will now be eligible for compensation of up to 20-25 hours per week depending on need.

The amended motion passed with 29 in favour, none opposed and 11 abstentions.

“We had a very healthy discussion ... and I think that at the end of the day we reached some of the goals that council had in mind in reforming the [USC student executive] system,” said Sophie Helpard, USC president. “I’m glad we got to get through it – that gave it the gravitas it deserved.” n

2 0 1 2

2 0 1 3

February 13, 2013 Team Whelan wins the first slate election.

2 0 1 4 January 28, 2015

April 7, 2015 Team Sophie declared winners of third slate election over Team Litchfield.

2 0 1 5

The USC executives change the hiring process for vice-presidents finance and communication to a hiring committee for the two positions, now called secretary-treasurer and communications officer. The vice-president student events is still elected by council.

November 11, 2015 Council votes to change to a two-person slate elected by students, with the hiring process for the other three positions unchanged.

JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE

Follow

Solution to puzzle on page 11

@NewsAtGazette for breaking news, USC updates and campus news!

New USC executive positions President Represents the interests of the USC and the student body while providing the organization with direction and leadership.

Vice-president Advocate on behalf of students to internal and external community organizations. Allocate advocacy resources to improve the quality of undergraduate student life on campus.

Student programs officer Works to engage students in USC services and programming like the Peer Support Centre. Provides resources and strategic leader in the development in these initiatives.

Secretary treasurer Fulfills governance responsibilities and ensures the USC’s resources are efficiently managed.

Communications officer Acts as the official spokesperson of the USC and guide its promotional campaigns while ensuring the USC’s brand stays fresh and relevant to students.

We would like to remind you that you must meet with a counsellor at Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in the Student Development Centre, to arrange academic accommodation for your 2015/16 winter courses.

If you have not yet requested accommodation for your courses, and you wish to use accommodation for December 2015 exams, you must meet with a counsellor by Wednesday, November 25th. If requested after this date, accommodation for December 2015 exams cannot be arranged by Exam Services.

To book your appointment please call

519-661-2147

151103

AMY O’KRUK NEWS EDITOR @AMYATGAZETTE

Slate System Timeline

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4 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

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Perth Hall student takes bed bugs complaint to Reddit HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE A first-year student in Perth Hall took to Reddit on Friday after his complaints about bed bugs were allegedly not taken seriously by residence staff.

According to the post, the student started to notice bites on his body in late September and was urged by his floormates to contact the front desk. A residence staff member and an expert assessed his room the same day but informed him that no bed bugs were found and suggested that he might be having an allergic reaction.

The student refused to be identified for the story when contacted

by The Gazette.

The student expressed his dissatisfaction with the protocol employed by the residence staff to check for bed bugs and alleged that his room was looked over in a hasty manner.

He continued to live in the room despite getting more bites until

last Friday, when he discovered a number of bed bugs in his bed and posted about his ordeal online.

“Their negligence costed me a month of constant paranoia and I do not know what actions I might take next. I was wondering if anyone had advice or know what actions I should take. I am willing to sue for their negligence/move out of res,” the Reddit post read. “Additionally, my roommate suffered as well and now we have to undergo the process of cleaning/washing/purchasing new clothes and bed linen. I didn’t come to rez to be paranoid, lose sleep and get bit all over.”

Susan Grindrod, associate vice-president housing and ancillary services at Western, disputed the student’s account of the follow up to the initial complaint.

“As he alludes to — [the student] reported it but what he doesn’t talk about is that we did steam clean his room even though there were no visual or apparent sightings of bed bugs, which sometimes does happen,” she said.

REZ LIFE WESTERN FACEBOOK THEY DIDN’T TELL US ABOUT THIS IN THE BROCHURE. A student living at Perth Hall discovered bed bugs in his room and took to Reddit to complain about the lack of prompt response from residence staff.

The student was then advised to look into possible allergic reactions as the reason for his apparent bug bites but was also told to contact residence staff if the signs persisted.

Western Housing employs a strong protocol for bed bugs, which has been endorsed by the Middlesex-London Health Unit and is in line with protocols used in residences across the province, Grindrod added.

While the student mentioned in his post that he had been in numerous other rooms since he first complained about the bed bugs, Grindrod said that all rooms will not be steam cleaned right away.

“I’m not sure if we’ll steamroll them right away, that’s very intrusive

for students when we do that and other processes include chemicals that none of us would like around,” she said.

However, Grindrod added that the facilities management supervisor will be looking around Perth Hall for any reasons for further action regarding bed bugs.

The student updated his Reddit post when residence staff approached him after the complaint on Friday. The staff confirmed upon inspection that his room did have bed bugs. The student admitted that the bugs could have possibly come through friends visiting his room or due to his travels before moving into residence. He added he still enjoys staying at Perth Hall, is a member of

the residence council and has plans of moving up into other leadership positions next year.

“The goal of this post was not to get everyone at Perth paranoid or others to think less reputably of Perth, but to vent about my series of unfortunate events,” he said.

According to Grindrod, students in a similar situation have various avenues to bring their complaints to Housing. They can talk to their residence advisors, floor caretakers or call the front desk.

“It’s an unfortunate situation with the student and we all sympathize but we do have a very strong protocol and we do deal with these situations as they come,” she said. n

Senate talks Western’s donation policies UWO grads join medical RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE Friday’s Senate meeting sparked discussion over Western’s private donations policies and changes to the science internship program’s students’ financial obligations.

Towards the end of the meeting, a Senate member brought up the University of Calgary’s recent sponsorship controversy. The Senate

member highlighted a recent CBC article that discussed the impact of corporate donations on academic freedom. She explained the investigation happening at the University of Calgary where the president, Elizabeth Cannon, had a controversial relationship with Enbridge, a financial corporation.

The Senate member’s questions prompted a lengthy discussion on Western’s policies, review system,

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assessment for partnerships and accepting donations.

Kelly Cole, Western’s vice-president external, explained some of Western’s numerous policies on accepting donations On occasion, donors have been asked to wait to give donations to prevent questionable actions.

“Recently we had a gift refusal. It was at the $10,000 level,” Cole said.

“We thought there were too many strings attached, so we did decline to accept that.”

Another topic discussed was students in the science internship program maintaining their student status by indicating the internship as part of a themed program. During the eight to 16 months of the internship, students will not have to begin making OSAP payments. One Senate member asked if similar steps will be added to internships in other programs and faculties. John Doerksen, Western’s vice-provost academic programs, said they will discuss this further at associate deans meetings.

Other changes approved by Senate include dean’s honour list criteria changes. Previously, students in engineering were required to fulfill the specific criteria to make it on the dean’s honour list for distinction. Now, if students do not have a full course load due to external factors, they will be considered on an individual basis to determine distinction.

Other notable business included the Senate committee on academic policy and awards announcement of nine new faculty scholarships and awards, including a Syrian refugee student award. n

innovation fellowship RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE Three Western PhD students are taking part in Canada’s first ever postdoctoral medical innovation fellowship program.

The program is for people who have advanced degrees and are searching for technical training.

They can come from a variety of degrees including an MD or advanced science degree such as in engineering, biology or computer science. This year, three fellows have been selected: John Matheson, MD; Asha Parekh, PhD; and Ali Tavallaei, PhD. “Most traditional postdoctoral fellowships, you’re on your own, you’re given a project and this is what you work on for a couple of years. Here the fellows work as a team,” said Lisa Cechetto, executive director of WORLDiscoveries.

There are a number of similar programs in America and Western’s program works with the University of Minnesota, according to Cechetto.

The program begins with a five-week boot camp. At the boot camp there are over 100 speakers including patent lawyers, academic researchers and venture capitalists.

Here the fellows look at how to be innovative and take products to the market.

After this stage the fellows participate in clinical immersion for three weeks where they shadow a variety of clinicians. Cechetto said the focus of the program this year

is cardiac and musculoskeletal surgery.

“We’ve also set up a group of mentors for the fellows to meet with on a monthly basis to talk about some of the projects that they’re working on and get feedback,” Cechetto said.

“Most traditional postdoctoral fellowships, you’re on your own, you’re given a project and this is what you work on for a couple of years. Here the fellows work as a team.”

LISA CECHETTO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLDISCOVERIES

Cechetto explained the fellows identify clinical needs and later create innovative solutions such as new devices. From here, a variety of things can happen, hopefully resulting in the patenting of a product or the creation of a startup company. Approximately 15 per cent of the fellows at the University of Minnestoa start their own company.

According to Cechetto, the application this year was a bit different than it will be in the future. This year, teams were selected from recent Western graduates and from the pool of applicants for the program at the University of Minnesota. In the future an online process will be implemented and there will be additional submission requirements, such as an essay or video. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 • 5

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Posters criticize USC censorship JENNY JAY PHOTO EDITOR @JENNYATGAZETTE

SAMMY ROACH AVOIDING THE PATRIARCHY. Bianca, played by Shalu Mehta, standing defiant as her parents bicker about her.

Walking around North Campus Building on Thursday morning, students were greeted by posters all over the walls that advocated for “poster resistance.”

The posters, still remaining on Friday, were of varying messages, including “this poster will be taken down by the USC,” “what happened to free speech,” “take these down and our point is proven” and “we don’t pay thou$$and$ to be censored,” all signed off by a group called Poster Resistance.

University Students’ Council communications officer Kevin Hurren says the posters in NCB are actually ironic, considering they actually aren’t regulated by the USC at all.

“What’s interesting about the campaign in NCB is that the USC only regulates posters on USC poster boards,” Hurren says. “We actually

don’t have any of those boards at NCB so our staff don’t even enter that building.”

While the Western and USC poster regulations state any violation of those regulations will result in all of the posters being removed from the campus, it refers only to posters that interfere with the USC regulated boards.

Hurren says the USC refrains from rejecting posters, with Creative Services staff in charge of approving or denying requests to put up posters. The USC instead tries to work together with the creators to find a middle ground.

“We try to engage people as much as possible without rejecting things; rather working with the content creators to find alternatives,” Hurren says.

While the source of the posters is still unknown, Hurren recommends anyone who wishes to display posters on campus to contact Creative Services. n

Women Beware Women is unstoppable SYDNEY BROOMAN CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE RATING: GGGGH The English department’s performance of Thomas Middleton’s Women Beware Women at the McManus Studio Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 11 was a delightful taste of quick-witted banter and 16-century slut-shaming.

If you haven’t read Middleton’s tragedy, the storyline follows three women as they’re branded as whores: Bianca (Shalu Mehta) for loving the Duke — also her rapist — instead of loving her possessive and aloof husband; Isabella (Katharine dos Santos) for accepting the affections of her uncle instead of the Ward (Sam Shearman); and Livia (Beniz D’Souza), a widow, for choosing to pursue a man at all. As Rachel Flear, who played Bianca’s mother-in-law, said during a post-show question and answer period, the play really ought to be called “women beware the patriarchy.”

Despite the fact that the McManus staged 25 different characters in the play’s entirety, expressive line delivery ensured that even audience members with little to no prior knowledge of the plot were able to follow scene to scene.

One of the particularly satisfying aspects of the production was its high level of professionalism.

Stephen Mitchell’s lighting cues were flawless with crisp transitions and superb mannerisms while characters received lines. It was evident that each scene was meticulously rehearsed with a keen eye for detail, something director Jo Devereux and stage manager Jess Martin should be commended for.

But the true attraction of Women Beware Women lies in its authenticity. Whether it shines through in the gut-busting line delivery of the Ward and Livia, the mesmerizing physicality of Hippolito (Chiara Pellegrino) and Guardiano (Rob Prittie), or the remarkably concise mannerisms of Isabella and her mother, the play is nothing less than a living, breathing

tour-de-force.

No one beat this pulse greater than its lead, Mehta, whose presence on stage was not only unwavering but vigorous from beginning to end.

Mehta did not leave room for the audience to question Bianca’s legitimacy — she simply is Bianca, which is astounding considering that she had only been switched to the role two weeks before opening night. If we’re supposed to beware women whose strength is show-stealing, the performance provides ample warning.

The minimalist set allowed costume designer Helga Ruppe’s extravagant pieces to take the forefront as the main eye-catchers of the show. Coupled with the makeup work of Andrea Holstein and Danielle Ryder, the audience was not only mesmerized but transported with ease into the world of Middleton’s tragedy. Dos Santos’ flowing gowns entice, Mehta’s green and purple colours pop and with the exception of Prittie’s out-of-place Nike shoes, the costume choices only enhance the quality of character.

The audience couldn’t help but hold their breath as Pellegrino and Nik Buchowski, who played Leantio, began a fight scene with real rapiers around two-thirds of the way into the performance. Directed by Rod Heikkila, their physical feats gave off an air of musicality and the potential for real-life harm against the actors that kept everyone at a temporary anxiety high.

The tragedy of Women Beware Women is not in its bloodbath at the end, but rather in the futile attempt of the intelligent female characters to give themselves the amount of agency they rightfully deserve. They do not sit idle and their ambitions fail to break through the oppression of the misogynistic social structures that ultimately lead to their ends. As Isabella so eloquently puts it, “Men buy their slaves, but women buy their masters.”

A beautiful show indeed, and a seamlessly perfect production of Middleton’s play. n

As Rachel Flear, who played Bianca’s mother-in-law, said during a post-show question and answer period, the play really ought to be called Women Beware the Patriarchy.

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6 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

knowsports

•

BRIEFS MEN’S HOCKEY

OWEN PARKER GAZETTE CHEESE! The Mustangs men’s rugby team poses with their bronze medals after defeating McMaster 31–17 in the OUA bronze medal game.

OUA bronze bittersweet for men’s rugby team OWEN PARKER GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE The last time Western won an Ontario University Athletics men’s rugby championship was 2011. The following year, Queen’s University was able to take the title and they have retained it ever since.

This year was supposed to be different. This Mustangs squad of 2015 was the strongest in four years.

Finishing the season with a record of 7–1 meant the Western men had their sights set on one thing heading into the playoffs: OUA gold.

Their playoff journey started off strong when they dominated Laurier in the quarter-final at home with a score of 67–26. The semifinals were a different story. Queen’s was able to take the win in Kingston last week by a score of 37–8.

This was a tough loss for the Mustangs — especially to their rival Gaels — but the home team was still determined to finish the

season strong in the bronze medal game at home.

At kick-off, things were looking good. It was a beautiful fall day and the last time Western played McMaster, the ‘Stangs shutout their opponent 24–0. Home field advantage was proving to be useful for Western. McMaster head coach Dan Bletch spoke to the effects of the turf field on his team.

“We play on a grass field and our guys just aren’t used to the speed of the turf field,” Bletch said. “We have been training on turf for the last week or so trying to prepare for it, but that is a difference that our guys aren’t used to.”

As the game progressed, Western demonstrated that they were not about to lose twice in a row. They were very close to scoring in both the fifth and seventh minute, being stopped just before the try line.

Fullback and OUA all-star Mark Denton was able to finally break the Marauder defensive line and put

down in the 13th minute. He then made the conversion to give Western an early 7–0 lead.

Lock Isaac Butler and prop Ryan Anderson each added five more points to the scoreboard in the 25th and 33rd minutes, respectively. This is where Western took the lead and never looked back.

“Great execution,” Mustangs head coach Dave Knowles said. “We stuck to our game plan and we were able to finish it out.”

Western winger Josh Bald added more insurance in the 32nd minute to give his team a comfortable lead of 26–3 at halftime.

The second half was where the tables started to turn. McMaster was the first team to draw blood after the intermission with a try by Mike Smith in the 62nd minute. But the rally near the end of the game fell short, the falling score being 31–17 for Western. In the end, Bletch was upset with his team’s slow start.

“The second half we came back.

We played a lot better,” he said. “We lost the game in the first half. That was the difference.”

Being equally strong and consistent in both halves proved to be essential in this 2015 season.

“We wanted to stick with our systems and play a full 80 minutes and I think that is what we did,” Butler said. “We played for each other and finished off the season as strong as we could.”

Now that official OUA play is over for both Western and McMaster, one would think both teams would be getting some well-deserved rest.

However, there is no rest for the wicked, it seems.

“Next step is off-season training. So, we will take a couple days off here, but then we will hit the weights together and keep training for next year,” he said. “We have a 7s tournament next week and we will stay consistent with our training and our systems to come out strong next year.” n

Women’s volleyball team suffers first loss MONIKA YOUNG GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE The Western Mustangs women’s volleyball team was defeated by the Queen’s Golden Gaels Sunday afternoon in a five-set nail-biter, changing their flawless season to 4–1.

Mustang’s head coach Melissa Bartlett is taking the loss as a learning opportunity.

“I would love to be 5–0 but I think the girls have a lot to be proud of,” Bartlett said. “We have started well and played against some tough teams and we’re obviously going to look to improve on that next weekend.”

Bartlett’s hopefulness was matched by the crowd’s cheers of encouragement. Alumni Hall was busy with fans from both teams filling the room with excitement and anticipation. The Mustangs followed a similar level of enthusiasm leading into the first set of the game.

Mustangs Aja Gyimah and Candice Scott executed outstanding defensive plays in the first set, offering consecutive blocks at the net and leaving the Gaels no opportunity to retaliate. Even though the score was close, the Mustangs definitely earned their lead of 27–25 at the end of the first set.

The Mustangs high level of energy continued into the second set as Kelsey Veltman joined Scott to offer several blocks at the net.

Veltman also executed many kills on offence to put Western ahead 27–26.

But before the second set ended,

Veltman would suffer a knee injury, leaving her teammates to battle for the game-winning points without her.

In a state of shock, Gyimah successfully nailed a kill, which was followed by a couple of nail-biting rallies, resulting in the Mustangs winning the second set 29–27.

The third set was when the Mustangs’ defensive game started to unravel.

They were over powered 25–20 by a strong Gaels comeback that showed no sign of slowing down.

“I think its just consistency,” Bartlett said. “We’ve stuck out a few wins against some tough teams and that team really pushed us and it showed our lack of consistency in the middle of the set.”

Going into the fourth set, the Gaels really started to rack up kills, many of them from Shannon Neville, as she hammered spikes cross-court at the net.

“I think we played very well as a team,” Gaels head coach Micheal Ling said. “It was a full team effort and one of the things we’ve been working on over the last couple of weeks is making sure we stay connected and positive with each other rather than letting the frustration get to us.”

The Gaels didn’t let the score of the first two sets discourage them from playing well in the fourth. A score of 25–14 was awarded to the Gaels, tying up the score two sets apiece.

Coach Bartlett kept an eye out for collective team improvements

The Western Mustangs men’s hockey team hosted the Lakehead Thunderwolves last week in back-to-back home games at Thompson Arena. The Mustangs won Thursday’s game 5–3 thanks to a hat trick from forward Shaun Furlong. They followed up that win with a 7–5 victory on Friday. The team has nine wins and two losses so far this season. Their next game will be on Thursday, Nov. 19 against Queen’s at Thompson Arena.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL The Western Mustangs men’s volleyball team hosted two home games at Alumni Hall this weekend. The Mustangs won over Royal Military College in four sets on Saturday. After losing a close first set, the Mustangs easily won the next three. Final scores were 24–26, 25–15, 25–15, 25–19.

In this game, the Mustangs were led by third-year outside hitter Gavin Taylor who recorded 13 digs, four service aces and 19 kills. Mustangs head coach Jim Sage said Taylor played a key role in the victory, even after having a sub-par week in practice. “He stayed aggressive and I thought he did very well in the serve.

[Tonight was] probably his best match of the year,” Sage said.

On Sunday, the team was swept by Queen’s in straight sets (19-25, 24-26, 18-25). The Mustangs currently sit in fourth with four wins and two losses this season. Next weekend, the team will be on the road to face off against the top-ranked McMaster Marauders on Friday.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY The Western Mustangs women’s hockey team traveled to St. Catharine’s on Saturday to face off against the Brock Badgers.

Britt Loggie of the Mustangs scored the game winning goal in their 3–1 victory. The Mustangs returned home on Sunday to host the Laurier Golden Hawks and won 5–0.

Although Sunday's final score was lopsided, the majority of the game was tight and a total of 17 penalties were given out to the teams. “Laurier and us have a rivalry. We have played many times so there are certainly a few extra shots given by both teams,” Mustangs head coach Dave Barrett said. “As the game wore on we got stronger. I was very comfortable with the way we finished.”

The team now has six wins and three losses this season. They will face the UOIT Ridgebacks on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m in Oshawa.

CROSS COUNTRY DEVIN JONES GAZETTE RAISE YOUR HANDS. Mustangs right side Aja Gyimah tries to tip it over two Gaels during OUA women’s volleyball action on Sunday, Nov. 15 against Queen’s.

for upcoming games.

“Obviously we played better towards the start and Queens played better towards the end but it was really high level volleyball,” she said.

“It was a match that will make us better down the road.”

Into the final set, the Gaels rallied up points, which quickly put them in

the lead. They were able to continue their early momentum and win the third set 15–8, to take the match three sets to two.

The Mustangs will return to the court on Friday, Nov. 20 where they will face-off against the McMaster Marauders in Hamilton. n

The men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships in Guelph last weekend. Both teams finished in 11th place. The men were led by Chris Balestrini who finished the 10 km race in 38th place overall with a time of 31 minutes and 43 seconds. The women were led by Kristina Popadich who finished the 6 km race in 37th place overall with a time of 22 minutes and 10 seconds. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 • 7

knowsports

Mustangs lose in Yates Cup final SERENA QUINN SPORTS EDITOR @SERENAATGAZETTE The Mustangs football team’s shot at a Vanier Cup all came down to the last play of Saturday’s Yates Cup final against the Guelph Gryphons.

Trailing 23–17 with only a minute and thirty seconds left, Mustangs quarterback Stevenson Bone moved Western’s offence 70 yards down the field, to Guelph’s 10-yard line.

Only six points down with five seconds left and no timeouts remaining, Bone got the ball off the snap and tried to connect with Justin Sanvido on the four-yard line.

But Sanvido was tackled immediately and just like that, the Mustangs season ended.

“In fairness to Stevenson he wasn’t prepared for that. So that’s on me,” Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall said following Western’s elimination. “I was proud of the way he played, proud of his composure down the stretch. He gave us a chance to get back in there.”

The unsuccessful final play gave the Gryphons their fourth Yates Cup title in program history and their first since 1996.

“I am stunned but I can’t give enough praise to our team,” Gryphons head coach Stu Lang said.

“It’s sweeter the more difficult it is and you couldn’t have gotten any closer than the last play with a shot to win the game.”

What makes the loss for the Mustangs particularly devastating is the fact that Western had been leading the Gryphons for the first three quarters of the contest.

Despite leaving points on the field after Mustangs kicker Ben Kelly missed two 37-yard field goals in the first half, Western went into the final frame with the 17–10 advantage thanks to a pair of touchdowns

by Bone before halftime. Although he didn’t throw a touchdown on the day, Bone did throw for 236 yards and rushed for an additional 85 yards on 16 carries.

A strong Mustang defence kept the Gryphons from finding their end zone for the first two quarters until a one-yard rush from quarterback James Roberts put the ball over the line early in the third frame.

In the fourth, the Mustangs offence began to unravel and Guelph came out determined to cut their deficit.

The Gryphons did just that when wide receiver Jacob Scarfone caught a 36-yard pass from Roberts for a touchdown to even the score 17–17 just 45 seconds into the frame.

Gryphons kicker Gabriel Ferraro then put Guelph up for the first time eight minutes later when he kicked a 23-yard field goal.

With Western’s offence back on the field, the Mustangs planned to drive the ball down the field and re-take their advantage but a fumble on the play resulted in the Gryphons recovering the ball to take back possession.

On the following play it looked like the Gryphons might have had the game in the bag when Guelph ran the ball into the Mustangs end zone, but an offside flag brought the ball back to the Mustangs 25-yard line.

Despite the missed opportunity for the Gryphons, Ferraro furthered the Mustangs' deficit to 23–17 moments later when he put the ball through the uprights for his third completed field goal of the game.

By the game’s end, Ferraro had contributed 11 points to the Gryphons 23–17 victory.

“I’m just overwhelmed right now,” Gryphons quarterback James Roberts said following the win. “I don’t really believe it yet [but] it feels great.”

Despite fighting down to the final second, the Mustangs were unable to turn the game around in their favour.

“The only word to describe it is disappointing,” Mustangs linebacker John Biewald said. “We had a hell of a season and for it to come down to one play like that, it’s tough.”

The loss for the Mustangs put an end to Western’s season-long ninegame winning streak and crushed all hopes of winning a Vanier Cup. “The hardest thing for me right now is going into the dressing room and seeing kids who worked hard every single night, stayed here till 10 o’clock every night and it’s over in seconds,” Marshall said.

The Gryphons will now go on to compete against the Montreal Carabins in the Mitchell Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 21.

If they win on Saturday the Gryphons will advance to the Vanier Cup final where they will go up against the UBC Thunderbirds or the St. Francis Xavier X-Men for a shot at the national title. n

DAMON BURTT GAZETTE IT’S ALL OVER. David Mackie, right, and Renato Rossi, left, embrace after Western lost the Yates Cup final to Guelph, ending their football season on Saturdau.

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8 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

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•

JENNY JAY GAZETTE LOST IN A SEA. Fourth-year accounting student Bhyran Sathyananthan goes unnoticed in a crowd of people.

Students contribute to culture of racism  RACISM CONTINUED FROM PG.1 The reception of her story led Martis to write a follow up piece, calling out the lack of response from Western after city councillors like Mohammed Salih, Maureen Cassidy and Harold Usher reached out to her.

Black Students’ Association president Ika Washi can attest to this as she praises Martis’ article for finally exposing what happens on Western’s campus.

“I couldn’t help but agree with everything that she said,” says Washi. “It was really interesting to see her put everything I was feeling for the last few years on paper after being in London. To see the feedback from that too I was like, ‘oh my gosh I’m not the only one not feeling comfortable at Western and, furthermore, London.’ " Martis and Washi are disappointed in the lack of action taken by the University, considering they perceive there to be widespread racist behaviours on campus. They believe this fosters a polarizing environment for students of colour.

Microaggressive comments also leak onto students’ Facebook timelines, as is the case with the infamous Western USecrets page.

The USecrets Facebook page has many posts that fuel discriminatory discussions online. While it is a student run group, director of media and community relations Keith Marnoch assures that Western does not associate themselves with this page. He states Western only controls the media sites linked on their website and do not monitor external sources unless it is brought to their attention.

“It’s difficult when it’s not ours; it’s difficult when it’s anonymous.

We’re not trying to wipe our hands but it can often be difficult to intervene in a meaningful way,” he says.

“I would stress if people are seeing material that’s not what they believe should be out there, then they need to report it to a service that those sites are existing on.”

University Students’ Council vice-president internal Alex Benac acknowledges that USecrets is a disturbing place where negative

conversations occur and regrettably says it’s still a part of the Western experience.

Other racist incidents have occurred online, including earlier this year when a tweet from Western’s weight room Twitter account said, “fuck all n--gers.”

The tweet was quickly removed, the weight room condemned the tweet and the person responsible for the tweet was removed from campus

by Campus Police. John Carson, the director of Campus Police, declined to comment on the tweet case but he explains that every incident reported is taken seriously.

“If there is such behaviour that is so egregious we may trespass that person from the campus for up to 10 days while the investigation is being conducted,” says Carson.

Martis explains that this tweet attacked an entire group on campus and was shocked that such behaviours still occur after leaving Western. She is happy she exposed the culture on campus.

•••••

L

arissa Bartlett, director of Western’s Equity and Human Services, says Western did reach out to Martis and provided her with resources available to address her concerns. She went on to say that it is unfortunate most of these experiences go unreported to her office. Failure to report is apparent, considering annual reports released by the Equity and Human Rights Services often show a low case rate on racial discrimination; the 2014 report listed only 17 of the 74 cases of discrimination reported dealt with race.

Bartlett recognizes that there are situations that occur outside of her office that aren’t always brought to her attention.

Benac recommends students reach out to the USC for direction of where to go for such problems.

He begins by referring students to Equity and Human Rights Services since their office specializes in discriminatory cases for all students, staff and faculty members. Students can fill out an incident form on their website and then expect an email

within the following days, offering additional help.

Bartlett explains their practice invites students back in after they were supported to assure they do not get stuck in the “proverbial revolving door.” This process leads to meetings regarding the situations and where to seek help rather than addressing the victim’s attacker.

As an alternate source to Equity and Human Rights Services, the USC’s Ethnocultural Support Services holds weekly office hours at the Peer Support Centre for students suffering from prejudice and discrimination. In addition, they are planning to start monthly anti-oppression seminars in January to add to their growing awareness program.

Benac also suggests students start discussions regarding these issues on campus. Acknowledging that societal inequalities leak into Western, he mentions that university should be a place to open up a dialogue so everyone’s experiences can be heard.

“Some of the racially charged issues that we have on campus essentially come down to a lack of communication and a lack of understanding on a number of things,” he continues. “In that regard, finding the right place and time to initiate a conversation where everyone is comfortable and everyone comes to the table as equal partners creates a learning opportunity.”

These conversations are exemplified with awareness programs Benac praises. Recognizing the USC’s responsibility to create spaces for these dialogues, Benac talks about the success of Ethnocultural Support Services’ My Culture is Not A Costume campaign. He also mentions their upcoming event, Change Camp, saying that’s another great resource on campus.

•••••

I

t is apparent that there are USC and Western services available for students to address their problems, however, there are few cases officially reported on campus.

This begs the question: why do students attack their peers and think PG.9  it’s okay?

A second-year psychology student of Nigerian descent recalls a moment where she was riding in a car with her Western sorority sisters and one of the girls explained she screams at ethnic people while driving because “sometimes they just need to be scared.”

Fourth-year fine arts student Yara El Safi was discussing her creative process in class and explains how she finds inspiration by acknowledging her position in the world as a Lebanese immigrant.

Other students interrupted and accused her of oppressing herself since she is consistently pointing out her citizenship. During this discussion her professor did not stop the conversation and when approached after he failed to see how the disruption was disrespectful.

Indian student Marwan Syed, Bangladeshi student Mohtaseem Rahman and indigenous student Samantha, all in first-year medical sciences, talk about an aggressive conversation with a white female a day after the One Love concert during Orientation Week. While waiting for the performers, the female implied that she deserved to be in the front more than them, proceeded to physically attack the students and said she would “beat the shit out of them to the fucking ground until it was the same colour as their dirty skin.”

Simi Solebo, fourth-year consumer behaviour student of Nigerian descent, recounts having a conversation during a floor meeting in first year where a male student went as far to say that he would rather kill himself than have sex with a black girl.

During this time her fellow floor mates, including an RA, remained quiet while the student continued to express his disgust.

Alex Benac shares a recent experience while having a discussion with someone who praised the number of international students at Western and continued to ask him how long he had lived in Canada since he is half Filipino. Benac questions how people either assume he is a foreigner or pretend he’s white instead of addressing his biracial identity, alluding to the excuse of being colourblind.

BSA president Ika Washi recounts an experience with an academic counsellor she consulted for advice after doing poorly in her first year. Said counsellor suggested that she switch to a community college since her program appeared too hard for her.

She reported the meeting in a feedback form only to find him still working in the office upon her return. She then consulted other students and discovered her experience was not an isolated event.

While playing hangman with a group and guessing the name of the movie wrong several times, one student turned to second-year Nigerian international Student Elizabeth Ojesekhoba and questioned, "do you guys know [said movie] in Africa or do you guys watch other movies in your language?”

CHRISTOPHER MISZCZAK GAZETTE

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 • 9

insight

Canadian universities promote anti-racism  CONTINUED FROM PG.8 Why do students internalize their issues and not come forward with their stories? Are students unaware of the services provided on campus?

Women’s studies professor Erica Lawson talks about the unawareness of students who make comments to their friends in a social space.

She explains that every situation is contextual and often times students fear ruining the fun when they take a comment too seriously.

“If racists comments are made in the context of a joke, you might feel like you’re not being a good sport so you feel uncomfortable. It might put you into a socially awkward position of disrupting what is a fun moment among peers,” Lawson says.

Other students involved in the conversation may fail to interject as a result of the bystander effect: individuals who do not offer any means to help a victim during these situations.

When students do intervene, offenders usually say they are colourblind, an excuse Lawson defines as denying hostile intent towards a racialized student.

Lawson explains colourblindness assumes that we live in a post-racial society where we are all equal beings and are not defined by colour.

However, she says this is not a legitimate excuse since, “if you make a racist comment towards somebody of a particular race, it’s deeply problematic to say that race did not inform that comment. Of course it did and that’s why you said it and you’re not prepared to

acknowledge it; that’s how colorblindness works. There is a kind of built in deniability in making these kinds of comments.”

“There might be a sense that they don’t want to complain or make it into a big deal. It might feel better just telling a friend or family member and just leaving it at that,” Lawson adds.

Angel Leung, a third-year women’s studies student of Chinese descent, questions the effectiveness of the programs available on campus as well.

“I don’t know how effective [the USC and Western’s services are] considering I’m so emotionally and personally involved with these kinds of political discussions and I don’t even feel like they’re something I can access. I kind of remember them as an afterthought and not a main avenue that I could seek justice on campus,” she says.

She adds that saying if anything were to happen to her she would just internalize the experience and not address it through institutional means. Equity and Human Rights services only reach out to the victims and not the attackers, which she believes does not solve the problem because they can only offer an apology and no results.

One service Leung praises is the presence of the Ethnocultural Support Services on campus. She has seen several of their campaigns online and commends them on their effort, however, she believes they should include on-campus leaders in the discussion when formulating these programs.

Washi agrees.

“The only reason I would get a heads up is if one of my team members are on these campaigns, other than that we hear nothing from the University until something goes wrong,” she says. “This could totally be avoidable if you just reached out to us … we’re here to be an educational and awareness group when it comes to racism, discrimination or anything.”

Benac understands that resources should be relayed more but reiterates that everything has room to improve and awareness programs are always a top priority for him, especially with respect to microaggressive experiences from other students.

I don’t know how serious this school is but they need to make themselves known and more accountable because their programs are not working right now.

ETERNITY MARTIS WESTERN ALUMNA

•••••

W

estern, like many universities, has several programs and services aimed at making campus a safe and inclusive environment for all members of their community. Some of Western’s initiatives

include Equity and Human Rights Services, Services for Students with Disabilities, President’s Committee on the Safety of Women on Campus and a Sexual Violence Prevention and Education committee but none that specifically specializes in racial violence. What’s left behind is a continuing problem of racist behaviour since students do not know how to address their concerns. This is a particularly pressing issue for Western because of its rapid growth in international students over the past five years.

Other Canadian universities with established international growth and diverse student populations have implemented committees, initiatives and executives to oversee acceptance and anti-racism policies, campaigns and programs.

The University of British Columbia, for example, has an associate vice-president of equity and inclusion who is in charge of maintaining “respect, civility [and] diversity” on campus. They’ve also established an advisory committee to the provost on equity and diversity that looks towards “advancing equity and diversity within the university.” That’s in addition to an intercultural understanding initiative to foster an inclusive environment for its increasingly diverse faculty, staff and students.

The University of Toronto offers similar resources with their anti-racism and cultural diversity office.

This office works across all three campuses and “promotes an equitable and inclusive campus community, free from discrimination or

harassment based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship and/or creed.”

McMaster University’s president’s advisory committee on building an inclusive environment has the Elephant in the Room initiative that intends on fostering a strong antiracist and inclusive community at the university through a 20-minute documentary.

These programs allocate a specific office where anti-racist behaviours are reported. They also have overseeing bodies that facilitate inclusion and respect on campus.

Considering Western’s near tripling of international students since 2009, services offering the same support listed above can offer students resources to confront their attackers. Awareness programs for Equity and Human Rights Services would also benefit students with their current issues.

Adding anti-racist and inclusive resources has the potential to stop confusion and can provide a space for ethnic minorities to address and resolve their aggressive experiences on campus.

“I don’t know how serious this school is but they need to make themselves known and more accountable because their programs are not working right now,” Martis says. “We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and holding people accountable and put policies in place that we aren’t just saying we’re going to do but follow through with.” n

Homosexuals and the Holocaust talk provides different perspective ROBERT NANNI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @ROBERTATGAZETTE Western Hillel’s Holocaust Education Week provided campus with a new perspective this past Thursday during their event, Homosexuals and the Holocaust.

The hour-long event featured speaker Jacob Evoy, a Western PhD candidate completing a degree in transitional justice and post-conflict reconstruction.

Recounting histories of pre-, mid- and post-Holocaust consequences for Aryan and non-Aryan homosexuals, Evoy’s well-researched presentation offered attendees a shifted perspective on matters of the Holocaust.

“We hear a lot — and rightfully so — about the Jewish Holocaust, but there were so many other victims who were persecuted by the Nazis,” Evoy explained in an interview. “My goal was to give a brief

We see Schindler’s List and we have some foundation of the Holocaust, but Holocaust Education Week actually allows us to get a more concrete understanding of what the Holocaust was. It allows those who are no longer able to speak to have their voices heard and their stories recognized — that they aren’t just silenced and that we can learn from them.

JACOB EVOY WESTERN PHD CANDIDATE

history showing the persecution of homosexuals as one other group that was affected.”

Evoy outlined the development of laws directing the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust, indicating how practices changed under the Nazi regime and what that meant for homosexuals who were either known or suspected.

“The eugenics project was a racialized project, but I don’t think you can ever look at that without discussing sexuality and gender — you can’t stop procreation without the regulation of sexuality,” Evoy said.

Evoy read excerpts from the memoirs of Pierre Seel and Heinz Heger, two non-Jewish gay men who were worked to near death, highlighting their unimaginable experiences to the crowd of about 50 students.

The event certainly added another dimension to the audience’s understanding of the Holocaust, which was made evident as various students came up after the presentation to thank Evoy for their broadened perspective of the Holocaust as a whole.

“From personal experience I’ve learned about the Holocaust for many years in Jewish school, but this was an opportunity to educate ourselves and gain a different perspective,” said Pamela Libfeld, Western Hillel’s vice-president of Jewish life.

While most of Western Hillel’s events focus on Jewish people in the Holocaust, this event extended beyond that. A large goal of Holocaust Education Week is to promote the end of genocides and while the Jewish Holocaust is the main focus, that is not where it ends.

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE HOLOCAUST HAD MORE THAN ONE FOCUS. Jacob Evoy gives his talk at the Homosexuals and the Holocaust event on Thursday evening, one of Western Hillel’s Holocaust Education Week’s various events.

“We see Schindler’s List and we have some foundation of the Holocaust, but Holocaust Education Week actually allows us to get a more concrete understanding of what the Holocaust was,” Evoy said. “It allows those who are no longer able to speak to have their voices heard and their stories recognized — that they aren’t just silenced and that we can learn from them.”

While Evoy agreed that Holocaust Education Week stays true to its

name by educating their audience, he enforced that it also allows the strong potential for activism.

“We have so many other atrocities going on around the world and Holocaust Education Week gives us the opportunity to actively engage ourselves and make a difference by stopping these same events from happening again,” said Evoy.

Holocaust Education Week and events like Homosexuals and the Holocaust simply reinforce the need

for education before action can take place.

“There are people who say the Holocaust never happened,” Libfeld explained. “My grandfather was a Holocaust survivor and lost most of his family in the Holocaust. To hear people say it never happened is a very personal thing and really speaks to the need for the public to be informed about the Holocaust in all respects.” n

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

insightopinions

•

Be aware of who we label “Terrorists” Stop!

Samah Time!

SAMAH ALI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @SAMAHATGAZETTE This past Friday the 13th will go down in history. It’s a moment we’ll all remember for the rest of our lives. But what we won’t remember is our thought process at the time — when pushing the blame onto a certain group of people became convenient.

As I was learning about the attacks in Paris, I was as shocked as anyone else. However, I was also shocked at how quickly the media decided to cover the event as an act of terror. Yes, it was a state of emergency. But other terrorist attacks have happened that were never labelled as such, especially when the faces of the attackers did not align with current ideologies.

Now, I know what you may be thinking: don’t desensitize what happened in Paris. I am not. What I am challenging you to do is think of who is identified as a terrorist or a national enemy and how this title evolves with time.

Over the past 20 years Western societies have branded their enemies as Muslims in the war on terror; prior to this, the United States branded Cubans as potential terrorist threats and before that, the Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. And so on.

Notice how as the enemies of the state change, so does the treatment of these people. Singled out groups of people have been subject to internment camps and discriminatory attacks with no repercussions.

Considering the current terrorist groups, we must remember that they do not define an entire group of people.

Often terrorist groups misquote, misunderstand or rationalize certain texts to justify their actions. This is not a reflection of the original texts but the group itself.

With regards to Paris, ISIS has claimed that they were behind the attacks. Their claims of responsibility will undoubtedly reconfirm current discriminatory attitudes against Muslims: that they are all terrorists who follow a violent religion. This is where I ask you to challenge the script.

Acknowledge how you are digesting these ideologies when enemies of the state are subject to change every 40 years. “Enemies of the state” is a concept constructed for us to live in a constant state of fear, needing to be protected from whatever outside person that does not align with our cultural values.

We hate whoever our current enemy is and then the next, and so on. That sounds like George Orwell’s 1984 if you ask me.

Any person, regardless of race, religion or nationality, can perform acts of terror. Often the attacks are not reported as terrorism because they do not align with our current beliefs of who can commit an act of terror, but they are acts of terror nonetheless.

The definition of a terrorist act is the calculated use of violence, or the threat of violence, against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear.

This means that the threats against the black students at the University of Missouri were acts of terror. The Chapel Hill shooting was an act of terror. The Charleston Church shooting was an act of terror.

The Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting was an act of terror. The burning of the Peterborough mosque was an act of terror. The list goes on and on.

Keep this in mind when you look for someone to blame about the Paris attacks.

These events can happen as a result of anyone’s actions and they are not associated with your local Muslim, person of colour or immigrant from a different country. We are all humans. We are all affected by acts of terror. We need to pray for everyone and stop pushing the blame onto an entire group of people. n

WE GET LETTERS!

The USC is a broken mess Re: “Council votes to cut executive position” Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015 To the editor: The University Students’ Council is a broken mess.

Last Wednesday night’s special meeting was a prime example of the democratic fracture in our student government. The USC managed to plug the most gaping hole in Team Sophie’s proposed executive composition review by vetoing the “community hiring” of the student programs officer, previously called vice-president student events.

However, in approving the rest of the review, they perpetuated Team Sophie’s record of blatant disregard for democratic integrity.

I recognize that this is a bold claim to make, but it is not without warrant. Since Team Sophie’s dubious — and at the time, highly controversial — ascension to USC

office, they have actively tried to take power away from the elected council in order to reinforce the power of the president and the executive.

Here are a couple of examples of Team Sophie undermining democracy during their term to date.

Following Team Litchfield’s disqualification from the 2015 USC elections, a special meeting was held in mid-April. While the initial intention of the meeting was to discuss whether Team Sophie would be allowed to keep their positions, the motion to remove Team Sophie was immediately abandoned by its mover.

Instead, the meeting resulted in a motion to hold a non-binding plebiscite to determine whether the student population had confidence in Team Sophie. This poll was to take place in September once students returned to class.

You may be wondering why you

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We need to talk about race

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD Let’s talk about race. No, come back. We need to talk about race.

Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, it’s emotional. Yes, it’s not always fun. And yes, we most definitely don’t do it enough.

Racism exists. Reading through some of the experiences in today’s feature or talking to your friends on campus, you’ll find it’s a widespread but not widely addressed issue. Their stories involve everyone on campus; from their peers who called them racial slurs in residence, their professors who allow racist discourse in class or a staff member who treats them differently.

Western has for far too long done little about racism issues on campus. University leaders condemn racism but hardly anyone is ever disciplined for a racist comment in residence, in the classroom or elsewhere.

While other initiatives have received funding and special attention from Western – notably sexual violence awareness and prevention – the issue of tolerance towards other races and cultures has not been an administrative priority.

It’s a daily issue for many. People of a visible minority are treated differently when they’re walking down the street, in class or online.

This is an oversight on Western’s part, especially with its goal of becoming a global school and increasing its international student population.

Putting racial acceptance to the forefront should be done before it becomes more of a pressing problem and one the University has to take action on rather than should take action on.

A prominent outlet of racist commentary at the university is USecrets Western. Once a page for sharing funny and student relevant anecdotes, the recent posts on the page have become increasingly racist with attacks on different cultures. To add to it, many such posts receive hundreds of likes from members of the Western community.

But it’s not just Western that needs to make this a priority. We all have to. This is the first time many students encounter such a diverse group of people and are forced to interact with them. Being aware and sensitive to others’ experiences is an essential part of living — and succeeding — in the modern world.

Racism and cultural intolerance is a societal issue.

Universities are not immune to the problem and do their fair share to fight it, but at Western, it just doesn’t seem like it’s enough.

Combating racism is a collective effort involving education, awareness and institutional support.

With all these pieces of the puzzle, this campus can be a truly inclusive environment. n

never heard about this plebiscite taking place. You didn’t miss the poll — the USC decided to completely strike the plebiscite from its records. When did they do this, you ask? During the summer, of course, when more students worry about getting an even sun tan than USC affairs.

Furthermore, if you try to access the USC’s agenda, documents or minutes from the April special meeting, you won’t have much luck. The agenda and documents return a ‘File not found’ 404 error while the supposed meeting minutes are actually from an earlier special meeting in January 2015.

In the two previous USC meetings, Sophie’s executive team has put forth two motions directly designed to increase the executive’s grip over council composition.

At the October 28 meeting of council, Sophie’s executive proposed

to make the speaker, who presides over council meetings and is traditionally elected by USC members, a hired position. This was met with general disdain from council who soundly put the motion to rest.

Team Sophie has shown a remarkable distrust for council.

Under the guise of corporate unity, Team Sophie has tried to commandeer the USC’s selection processes like a schoolyard bully but have faced an appropriately strong pushback from council.

I understand that the president is a democratically elected official, but that does not give them the right to absolute and unrestrained power over the USC. To give a president a carte blanche with their executive, as Team Sophie’s composition review suggests, is to defeat the purpose of democracy. Governance becomes less about the healthy tension and progressive discourse

between executive members and more about being congruent with the president’s overall plan.

With Western students forking up over $800 for the USC each year, I would hope that our student government would be executors of change and advocates for student issues. Unfortunately, we are stuck with an executive group that spends their time — and our money — restructuring the USC in order to monopolize power for themselves and for future presidents.

I don’t know if the USC’s passing of the executive composition review Wednesday night was a grave oversight or an implicit endorsement of its terms. Either way, I’m unsatisfied with the final result and its implications for future USC councils.

FIONN UPON POLITICAL SCIENCE IV

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.”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 • 11

experience

Bieber’s back KSENIA KOLODKA CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE

ARTIST: Justin Bieber ALBUM: Purpose LABEL: Def Jam Recordings STAR RATING: GGGGG HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: Sorry, What Do You Mean?, I’ll Show You FEATURES: Ed Sheeran, Big Sean, Travis Scott, Halsey Welcome back, Justin Bieber.

Purpose provides the missing element that seemed to be lacking from his previous album, Journals.

Prepare yourself for an adventure through Bieber’s alluring melodies.

Bieber’s familiar smooth and seductive vocals establish an effortless and enjoyable album for old Beliebers and the new instrumentals make it intriguing for new listeners.

Slow and fast paced songs are mixed randomly throughout the album, creating a more stimulating listening experience. With a mixture of dance, pop and R&B, the tracks on Purpose provide something for everyone.

The album starts off strong with some flashy singles like What Do You Mean? and Sorry, which leave you feeling happily electrified. Bieber brings you back to reality with R&B tracks No Pressure feat. Big Sean, No Sense feat. Travis Scott and The Feeling feat. Halsey. These songs have a compelling tone, which makes you feel powerful. The vocals by Halsey in No Feeling are luxuriously enticing.

Compared to Journals, Bieber’s last album, Purpose is much more upbeat as the tone is very motivational and uplifting. Bieber’s lyrics focus either on romance or on finding a purpose in life, just like the title suggests. The song Life Is Worth Living may hit home for many listeners and is empowering to listen to: “People make mistakes / doesn’t mean you have to give in / Life is worth living again.”

Skrillex helped produce I’ll Show You, Sorry, The Feeling feat. Halsey, Where Are Ü Now and Children — clearly an influence for Bieber’s new electro sound. The classic synth and sleek bass in these songs evoke a

least one song to relate to. It is also very radio friendly, so expect to hear some hits for the next little while. n

desire to get up and do something unexpected.

Throughout the album, Bieber alludes to the many difficulties he has experienced regarding fame.

I’ll Show You is a prime example: “Sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing / When the pressure’s coming down like lightning / It’s like they want me to be perfect / When they don’t even know that I’m hurting.”

Purpose is as much of an album for fans as it is for Bieber himself.

He takes this album as an opportunity to validate his choices and to connect to his fans and make them understand more about his life. The last track on the album, Purpose, features a spoken rant: “We weren’t necessarily put in the best position to make the best decisions … You’re trying to be the best you can be but that’s all you can do.”

Promotion for Purpose was different and more effective than Journals. The creative marketing for Purpose — tweeting pictures of track titles graffitied across various locations — provides excitement and higher anticipation prior to the release. Bieber also released a dance video to the track Sorry, which is something that is uncommon in the music industry.

The standard release has 13 tracks and the deluxe has an extra five tracks. Of those five tracks, some of the best include: Been You, Get Used To It and Trust. If you want to experience Bieber’s newest tunes in real life, you’re in luck — he is launching a world tour in 2016 with several Canadian shows.

Purpose is a great listen for any demographic; you are sure to find at

eventscalendar NOVEMBER

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NOVEMBER

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7:00 AM

7:00 PM

Vanessa Carlton

LONDON MUSIC HALL

Men’s Hockey vs. Queens

THOMPSON ARENA

8:00 PM Opening night of Theatre Western’s

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

ALEXANDRA HAWKINS CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE Midterm season is rough. Between all of the studying and the lack of sleep, it can be hard to remember to put on pants, let alone put together an outfit. Third-year kinesiology student Savannah Rogich offers a casual but equally stylish option that is perfect for long hours at the library.

Rogich’s outfit is the epitome of comfort. Her jogger-style pants are a more fashionable twist on the classic sweatpants look without compromising anything in terms of comfort or style. Her white t-shirt is loose fitting, but tied to one side at the waist, giving more depth to the outfit and keeping the staple piece from looking too basic.

Boat shoes provide the outfit with a more structured look than running shoes, without being excessively casual. She accessorizes with a simple silver charm bracelet.

The statement piece of her outfit, however, is her blanket scarf, draped around her shoulders like a shawl, tying the whole outfit together. The neutral coloured patterns on the scarf are eye-catching, adding an additional element of dimension to the look.

“I love blanket scarves, especially in the winter and fall,” says Rogich of her favourite piece. “They’re cozy and keep you warm, especially when you’re in the library.”

Comfort is key when studying and a blanket scarf, worn around the neck or used as a wrap, provides a different, yet equally warm

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6:00 PM

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8:00 PM

9:00 PM NOVEMBER

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8:00 AM

Men’s Hockey vs. UOIT

THOMPSON ARENA

Men’s Basketball vs. Ryerson

ALUMNI HALL

Odium

THE RICHMOND TAVERN

Fencing vs. Various

THAMES HALL

10:00 AM London Bodybuilding Championships CENTENNIAL HALL 7:00 PM

Tim Hicks ft. Cold Creek Country and Jason Benoit

LONDON MUSIC HALL

PANTS: Aritzia. These flowing pants are an upgraded take on sweatpants without compromising comfort, making it look like you’ve actually put some effort into your outfit.

SHIRT: Aritzia. A plain white t-shirt provides a perfect base for layering and accessorizing, and is truly a staple in one’s wardrobe.

SCARF: Zara. Blanket scarves are on the rise and the possibilities are endless. Pick whatever pattern, colour, or style appeals to you and you’re good to go. n

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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DECK THE HALLS Holiday Fundraiser - Proceeds to PAIL (Pregnancy and Infant Loss) Network. Ramada Inn 817 Exeter Rd. London. Nov. 29, 10am3pm Vendor shopping, Santa visits/photos, Raffle prizes, Silent Auction and more!

GIS DAY 2015. Celebrate GIS November 18th from 1-4 pm in the D. B. Weldon Library Atrium.

Hear talks, view posters, eat cake and win prizes! http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wlgisday/

SERVICES

Women’s Basketball vs. Ryerson ALUMNI HALL

substitute for a sweater.

“I love layering and being comfortable,” advises Rogich. “Layer up and buy some comfy clothes that go together.”

During this exam season, take Rogich’s advice and walk the line between style and relaxation.

WHERE TO GET IT: SHOES: Sperry’s, purchased at SoftMoc. Boat shoes are a perfect comfy, slip-on alternative to sneakers without looking too sporty and better than boots for this weather since they won’t overheat your feet.

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

MCMANUS THEATRE AT THE GRAND THEATRE NOVEMBER

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GLORIOUS LASHES SALON Eyelash extension specialist Redefine your look with eyelash extensions!

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Contact Allison alafayy@gmail.com • 519.200.6622 MOBILE HAIR BY SARAH Make getting your hair done easier, I travel to you! Student highlight special $80. Text, call or email for an appointment. 226-9266474 Beautifulyouhairbysarah@gmail.com 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.

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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

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

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CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

DAMON BURTT GAZETTE GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME. Mustangs receiver Justin Sanvido stiff arms Gryphons lineman Jordan Thompson in Yates Cup action on Saturday, Nov. 14. See story on page 7.

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