Thursday, March 3, 2016

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SINCE 1906

westerngazette.ca THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 109 ISSUE 42 Nice try since 1906

Mighty strong and inspiring

MOSES MONTERROZZA GAZETTE

After powerlifting helped overcome obstacles in her own life, Western student Nicola Paviglianiti is empowering other women to share their stories.

READ THE STORY ON PAGE 7.

www.westerngazette.ca

2 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

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PROFILE BEN HAKALA

Volume 109, Issue 42 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

OLIVIA ZOLLINO PRINT MANAGING EDITOR @OLIVIAATGAZETTE

NATHAN KANTER DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @NATHANATGAZETTE

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

COPY CLAIRE CHRISTOPHER PHOTO JENNY JAY TAYLOR LASOTA KYLE PORTER DESIGN JENNIFER FELDMAN GRAPHICS JORDAN MCGAVIN CHRIS MISZCZAK VIDEO SAMIYA HASSAN AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ARIEL VAISBORT

There are a number of reasons to visit your academic counsellor over the course of your time at Western. You might want to know more information about new programs that your faculty offers, want help figuring out the next steps for completing your degree or simply want advice on your academic and professional future.

couple of unrelated jobs in London.

Ben later returned to Western as an employee when he landed a position at the Registrar’s Office working in the records department. After six years as a student, Western had felt like home and an optimal place to start a career.

“I always kind of wanted to work at the University itself because I loved the university environment,” he said.

As one of only two academic counsellors serving 1,121 students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Ben Hakala has seen his fair share of students over the last 10 years in this position.

But that’s what Ben loves most about his job: getting to work with students day in and day out to help them achieve academic success.

COMPOSING MAJA ANJOLI-BILIĆ ROBERT ARMSTRONG

STAFF ERIC BAJZERT, JENNIFER BALL, MAAILAH BLACKWOOD, SHACHAR DAHAN, MIKE DEBOER, SABRINA FRACASSI, JIMMY HUYNH, KSENIA KOLODKA, ELLIS KOIFMAN, AARON MALLETT, AMAL MATAN, REBECCA MEHARCHAND, AMY O’SHEA, OWEN PARKER, TOM RUESS, LAUREN SAYERS, RUI

Ben himself was once a Western arts and humanities student working towards two degrees and trying to figure out his professional future. Working as an academic counsellor was not the career Ben initially had in mind when he started studying at Western back in 1989 — it was not a career that he really knew existed at that point in time.

“When I was a student I didn’t really know it existed because I don’t think in those days people saw academic counsellors that much anyway,” Ben said.

After completing his undergraduate degree in what we know today as a double major in English and history, Ben decided to remain at Western to earn a master’s degree in English.

At the time, his career aspirations consisted of becoming a writer or a teacher, but after graduation he worked a

SHI, AMY SKODAK, OREN WIESFELD

When the position of arts and humanities academic counsellor became available later on, it seemed like the perfect fit for Ben. Now, as a seasoned academic counsellor, Ben takes pride in the fact that his career consists of helping and guiding students through their own academic careers.

“I like that I’m helping people with parts of their degrees,” Ben said. “Just to figure out what they need for their degrees, [or] help them with transitioning to Western or from other programs.”

“I like the fact that there’s a lot of variety,” Ben said. “It just seems like there’s always different things and you can never really learn everything.”

GAZETTE ADVERTISING & COMPOSING IAN GREAVES, MANAGER ADVERTISING DIANA WATSON

T

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

When Ben isn’t in his office helping students with their academic goals, he spends most of his free time reading and watching a lot of movies.

Despite being an avid movie-watcher, Ben hasn’t yet given in to the temptation of Netflix. Instead, Ben gets his movie fix the old school way — through the Turner Classic movie channel, which shows uncut movies all day long, every day.

“I especially like a lot of older movies, so it seems like I constantly have things from there to watch or on DVD,” said Ben. So while Ben might be the counsellor on the other side of the desk helping students figure out their lives, he really is just a lot like you or me.

■■SERENA QUINN

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Western not taking part in exit exam pilot

100 years of knowledge

Theatre Western’s new play pushing boundaries

WESTERNGAZETTE

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 Students’ Council.

Several universities and colleges have volunteered to take part in project, and if successful, entrance and exit exams will be issued to prove skills to employers.  PG 4

Former Brescia professor Margaret LeBas Howe recently added author to her resume, having her experience of WWII published by the history department.  PG 8

Spring Awakening is set to be one of Theatre Western’s more controversial plays as it tackles themes of sexuality, suicide, abortion and mental health.  PG 11

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THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • 3

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Revised USC budget means students pay less With $3.72 shaved off in student fees, USC working on improving accuracy DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE The University Students’ Council revised its proposed budget for next year, decreasing its projected student fee increase from 4.6 per cent to 4.1 in response to questions from The Gazette.

An updated draft budget presented to the USC’s board of

directors last Friday showed an increase of $32.70 to student fees versus the $36.42 increase originally presented to the board in early February. That adds up to a total of $123,901 in overcharged student fees in the original budget.

The four fees that were revised were the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance fee,

health plan, health plan admin and bus pass. The USC also revamped the presentation of the budget, scrapping erroneously reported previous budget numbers and providing actuals as reference of historical performance. These changes were a result of questions in the week following its unveiling from The Gazette about the budget. In an email mistakenly sent to The Gazette on Tuesday, the USC admitted that the first draft of the USC budget was wrong and “was fixed” by The Gazette.

The bus pass fee is increasing by 3.24 per cent as per negotiations, or a flat rate of $7 instead of the previously stated 5 per cent. This oversight was because Jonathan English, the USC’s secretary treasurer, thought the health and dental plan and bus pass were lumped under the same 5 per cent increase, which they are not.

The World University Service of Canada fee was misrepresented twice, in the first draft and in the updated budget draft, portrayed as $0.86 when in fact policy states it must be $0.83. English has said this will be updated for future budget revisions.

Another major change was in the presentation of the budget, with the USC removing budget lines from previous years and replacing them with actual results instead. In 2014–15, the USC reported a budget loss of $55,961.59 when in fact the approved budget by council was just a $4,400

loss. In 2015–16, the USC reported the budget as a $105,057.41 profit, when in fact the approved budget was a $142,154 profit. This mistake is even more glaring due to the fact the USC has been reporting in its quarterly updates that it is working within a budget of $142k profit.

English said this year’s budget making and review process has been painstaking and more difficult due to being more honest.

“A lot of the difficulty this year and the reason for some oversight is because we really tried to mandate this idea that we’re going to be as honest as possible and through honesty you then open yourself to making sure that every single penny is right,” he said.

He hopes these are just growing pains his successor will not have

to deal with.

Isaac Jacobi, chair of the board of directors, said the board noticed minor issues related to visual appeal when reviewing the revised budget but nothing related to the content.

“I thought content wise it looked good, I loved what I saw,” Jacobi said about the updated draft.

Council discussed the budget at last night’s special meeting. It will have to approve the budget next week, followed by approval from the board of directors.

Jacobi noted that if council and the board cannot both agree on the budget, a task force Will Be made from members of both groups. n

USC 2016/2017 BUDGET REVISIONS STUDENT FEE

FIRST DRAFT (FEB 5)

SECOND DRAFT (FEB 23)

$3.82

$3.64

Health and Dental Plan

$250.77

$252.27

Health and Dental Admin

$8.50

$7.00

$228.42

$222.88

N/A

$2.00

$835.84

$832.12

OUSA

Bus Pass Bus Pass Admin Total Fees

TAs reach agree to new contract with Western SABRINA FRACASSI GAZETTE STAFF @NEWSATGAZETTE The details of the deal reached between Western and its teaching assistants have been made public, and they show a number of changes to the collective agreement.

The agreement was ratified by the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 610 last month on Jan. 18 and by Western’s Board of Governors on Jan. 28.

The rights and responsibilities of teaching assistants are defined by the collective agreement. This agreement is periodically negotiated in order to make sure all working conditions, compensation and benefits are up to date in order to meet the needs of Western’s teaching assistants.

Cayley Bower, member of PSAC 610, said PSAC’s negotiating team was able to increase the per member allowance for health care from $130 to $150. The team also maintained control of the plan which, according to Bower, has positive consequences for Western’s teaching assistants.

“We get about $300,000 a year to support health care costs, and that is in addition to the plan that Western’s SOGS [Society of Graduate Students] provides, and the local has been able to maintain administration of that plan,” Bower said. “In a lot of other locals, the extended health care plan will actually be done through an insurance company or through a third party. So we still maintain control over that, which is really good

because it’s a good way to have more face time with our members when they come in to submit their claims.”

The removal of the fifth-year bar was also a priority for the PSAC negotiation team. Once PhD students finish their fourth year, they are no longer considered teaching assistants, but fall under a new title as a graduate student assistant.

The problem with this was that it put these mature PhD students outside of the protection of the union because they were no longer technically considered teaching assistants.

According to Bower, issues that arose from this separate designation made the University’s negotiating team very amicable to getting rid of the position.

The negotiations resulted in an agreement for the financial assistance fund to be increased from $100,000 to $125,000 in 2017. The fund is meant to be used for financial emergencies by members of PSAC. “These increases can be used for medical emergencies and in times of financial burden,” Bower said.

“There was also language written in that allows these funds to be contributed to child-care costs.”

Some other agreements that came out of these negotiations include: the addition of a new article on training that requires all training be paid; a one per cent annual increase to the graduate teaching assistant hourly pay rate; the addition of a letter of understanding

regarding student evaluations of GTAs; a renewal of the “Lead GTA” program; and the doubling of the safety issue allowance.

Vice-provost of graduate and post-doctoral studies Linda Miller said the negotiations were “collegial and professional.”

“The union was articulate in presenting their priorities and both parties actively engaged in discussions,” she said. “The willingness to engage in open and respectful discussion was a critical factor in enabling both parties to understand the importance and potential impact of the priorities and to achieve an agreement that meets the needs of both parties.”

However, some of the issues that PSAC’s team pursued were met with some resistance. Child-care costs, limiting tutorial class sizes and teaching assistant evaluations are some examples of concerns that could not be adequately addressed, according to the union.

Indranil Chakraborty, PSAC 610 president, applauded the turnout and interest of PSAC members on issues being discussed. He noted there was a 400-person increase in the number of people who came to vote compared to 2012.

“We saw a tremendous increase in participation from the local in this ratification vote,” Chakraborty said. “Lively debate at the meetings shows that there are still many issues that need to be [addressed] by the University.” n

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

www.westerngazette.ca

4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

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Ombudsperson Exit exams piloted at sees increase in Ontario universities complaints HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE

JUDY BASMAJI CONTRIBUTOR @NEWSATGAZETTE The number of undergraduate student concerns reported to the Ombudsperson’s Office last year was the highest within the past five.

The office experienced a gradual increase in the overall number of undergraduate student concerns from 1.2 per cent of the student population coming forward in 2010–11 to 1.6 per cent in 2014–15.

A total of 591 students visited the office last year, with 88 per cent of those being undergraduates.

The Ombudsperson’s Office provides guidance through both academic and non-academic situations that might prove troublesome to a student, a staff member, or a faculty member in a confidential, impartial and independent manner.

“We don’t advocate for students or the University, we just advocate for what’s fair,” said Jennifer Meister, the ombudsperson at Western.

Reoccurring issues brought forward by undergraduate students included 181 concerns about

Solution to puzzle on page 11

general academics, 171 about administrative procedures and 65 relating to scholastic appeals.

Major non-academic concerns from both undergraduate and graduate students included 22 instances relating to conduct, 13 about interpersonal concerns that include referrals to Equity and Human Rights Services, and 12 about housing, both on and off-campus.

The highest percentage of undergraduate students in a faculty visiting the Ombudsperson’s office comes from medical sciences with approximately 2.8 per cent of students. At 0.4 per cent each, law and King’s University College saw the least percentage of students visiting.

Although the increase might seem to reflect an inflation in student problems, it’s more likely the result of the office’s student awareness initiatives.

“We’re the type of office that students don’t tend to know about until they need us,” said Meister. “It really was time for me to take a step back and look at the communications that our office had and what students understood about our office.”

Meister believes the trend is positive because it helps offset the “big power imbalance” present in universities between students and faculty members.

“I think [the increase in concerns] certainly doesn’t say that there are that many more problems at the University,” Meister said. “I believe what it says is that people know about our office.” n

Post-secondary students across Ontario may soon be giving entrance and exit exams to prove their skills to potential employers.

Several universities and colleges across Ontario are volunteering to take part in a pilot project run by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario this Fall, where students will participate in an online assessment before entering post-secondary education and then take the same assessment when they graduate.

The 90-minute test will assess students’ skills in numeracy, literacy and problem solving in technology-rich environments. It will not, however, be a requirement for either entrance or graduation.

Greg Moran, director of special projects at HEQCO and former provost at Western, came to campus on Thursday to pitch the pilot project to the University.

In an interview with The Gazette, Moran said that students learn a number of transferrable skills while at university but currently there was no method to assess them.

Moran took the test himself and found the tests are not just about reading and doing arithmetic, but taking textual and numeric information, interpreting it and applying it to relatively complex problems.

“It’s basically an issue of saying we need to demonstrate what we say we are doing. Universities are above all places that believe in empirical evidence to support our arguments … so we should be doing this,” he said.

The test was developed by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development

JENNY JAY GAZETTE

and has been used extensively across Canada and around the world. Students get their test results immediately after completing them online. They can then have their performance profiled against other test takers nationally and internationally with people of different age and education backgrounds.

John Doerksen, Western’s vice-provost academics, said in an email on Thursday that while the tests could be helpful with measuring generic skills, those skills form just a part of the learning outcomes at Western.

“The survey outcomes would be at the institutional level, so their impact or usefulness for individual students is not immediately clear,” he said.

A study published in April 2015 found Canada has the highest disparity among 10 countries about educators’ belief that students are adequately prepared for the workforce and employers’ perspective of the same thing. 83 per cent of education providers believe students are prepared for the workplace whereas only 34 per cent of employers agree with that statement.

Lindsee Perkins, University Students’ Council’s vice-president external, said students would

benefit from this program and it will make universities incorporate essential, employable skills in their curriculums.

“The number one reason why students attend university is to find a job afterwards and universities should be providing the skills that make students employable once they have finished their degree,” she said. “For this program to be successful and determine if students are learning these essential skills, I think all universities should take part.”

Doerksen, however, confirmed on Tuesday that Western will not be taking part in the pilot project.

If the pilot project is successful, the Ontario government might consider introducing the test at all its post-secondary institutions in the future. In that case, the province will become the first jurisdiction in North America to do so. While Western will not be a part of the pilot, Moran said that a number of other colleges and universities in Ontario have expressed interest in the project as well institutions in three other provinces.

“They want to be a part of this pilot to see whether it can be done reasonably and easily applying it to a very large number of students,” Moran said. n

Most Canadian education providers believe that youth are prepared for the workforce, but few employers and less than half of youth agree Percentage of those who agree youth are adequately prepared

44

Youth

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Tuesday, March 8, 2016 5:45pm – 7:30pm

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Employers

The disconnect between education providers and employers is larger in Canada than in other countries

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JENNIFER FELDMAN GAZETTE

-49% -40% -38% -37% -36% -33% -32% -25% -20% -15%

SOURCE: McKinseyeducation to employment surveys Aug-Sept 2012, Aug 2013 and Sept-Oct 2013

• www.westerngazette.ca

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • 5

knowsports

Which Mustangs teams have the most championships?

MIKE DEBOER GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE Since the creation of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union in 1961, Western has accumulated 31 national titles, making it one of the most successful institutions in the country in terms of athletic excellence.

The CIAU has since changed its name to Canadian Interuniversity Sport, but Western’s successes have not diminished since the rebranding.

It must be noted that a number of teams at Western do not compete under the auspices of CIS. For instance, the Mustangs cheerleading squad has won 30 national titles, but CIS does not consider it a varsity sport.

Here are the top five Mustang programs in terms of CIS championships.

5. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: Three championships (1971-1972, 1974-1975, 1975-1976) The 1970s were a great decade for the Western Mustangs.

Football was dominating, men’s cross country was competing with U of T in the national title race and the women’s volleyball program was the first great dynasty in CIS women’s volleyball.

The Mustangs appeared in five consecutive national finals during the ‘70s, winning three national titles during this period. Fran Wigston Eberhard took control over the program after the heartbreaking death of former head coach Joy Taylor, who passed away

in a car crash shortly before the team’s first national championship appearance.

4. WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Four national championships (1980-1981, 1981-1982, 19821983, 2001-2002) When the CIS first began holding a national women’s track and field championship in 1981, the Mustangs dominated, earning a three-peat from 1981 to 1983.

After an 18-year drought with no national championships, the Mustangs came back under new head coach Vickie Croley in 2002, winning the fourth national title in program history.

3. MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Four national championships (1970, 1971, 1976, 1985) The Western men’s cross country program has always had the challenge of competing in the shadow of their female counterparts. They also currently compete during a dominant run of unprecedented excellence for the Guelph Gryphons — nine championships in a row and counting.

Yet, the 1970s saw the rise of an epic rivalry between Western and the University of Toronto, who combined to win 10 of the first 16 CIS cross country national titles.

Led by star runner Grant McLaren, who was a two-time all-Canadian and 1971 CIS gold medalist, the Mustangs men’s cross country team won back-to-back titles in 1970 and 1971. They then won again in ‘76 and ‘85.

2. FOOTBALL Six Vanier Cups (1971, 1974, 1976,

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

1977, 1989, 1994) Western has one of the most decorated football programs in Canada, with the most Vanier Cup appearances of any school: 12 times. The Mustangs have gone on to win six of these Vanier Cups, a feat only matched by the Laval Rouge et Or in 2010.

The ’89 and ’94 Vanier Cup teams were coached by legendary head coach Larry Haylor, a Canadian Football Hall of Famer who was the winningest coach in the CIS until

2011, when he was surpassed by Saskatchewan’s Brian Towriss.

Western football has produced six Hec Creighton Award winners, two NFLers and has won the second most Vanier Cups in CIS history.

1. WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTY Seven CIS National Championships (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990) The Western women’s cross country team absolutely dominated the ‘80s, winning seven CIS titles between 1981 and 1990. The

Mustangs team had 19 all-Canadians run from 1981 to 1990, including cross-country legends Sandra Anschuetz and Jill Purola, who were the first women in the history of CIS to be four-time all-Canadians.

The cross country program was lead by the great Bob Vigars, who taught and coached at Western for 46 years. Vigars ended his career at Western with a total of 14 CIS national championships under his name. n

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Extending his stay: Q&A with 8-year Mustang HALA GHONAIM SPORTS EDITOR @HALAATGAZETTE From practicing good nutritional habits to preparing for the professional world, the benefits of being a varsity athlete are endless. However, most athletes require an incredible amount of motivation to successfully balance out school and athletics for four years. After that, many athletes will continue on with their educational endeavours and the sport merely becomes a part-time hobby.

But other students hold on to their goodbyes for a little bit longer.

Adam Paish, a graduate student at Western, has been a varsity athlete on the baseball team since 2008. He wrapped up his eighth and final season earlier this year after making the decision to retire. The Mississauga native has been stationed in London for not only his studies, but for his love of baseball.

What keeps you going?

For those who know what it’s like to be on a great team, works hard to be great and has a lot of fun doing what they love to do, it’s worth every bit of effort you put in…. It would have been easy — and some would say smart — to have stopped playing, especially after starting grad school. The time commitments only make things more difficult to manage as you get older and take on more responsibilities.

Accomplishments?

I received a lot of satisfaction from giving back through my efforts in helping to start the Mustangs

MAALIAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

Athlete Student Council. It was a passion of mine to help expand the varsity experience for students from just belonging to their respective teams to becoming a part of the larger Mustang athlete and alumni communities as well.

Career highlights: • Team captain from 2010-2015 • Two-time OUA Champion (2009 and 2015) • Four all-star game appearances, from 2010-2013 • Four national championship

medals from Baseball Canada: a U-21 silver medal in 2009 representing Ontario, two senior bronze medals in 2013 and 2014 representing Mississauga and a coaching bronze medal in 2015 Awards: • Only player to ever win two OUA Pitcher of the Year awards, one in 2010 and one in 2012 • All-time OUA record holder.

• Only Mustang baseball player to ever win the Western Purple Blanket Award (2013), given to

student-athletes that are judged to have made an outstanding contribution to Western athletics • Mustang Athlete Student Council founding president in 2013 What’s next?

Paish decided to end his career on a high note earlier this year after sharing the 2015 OUA title with his teammates. He hopes to pass on his experience to younger athletes by coaching as an assistant on the Western Baseball team in the upcoming seasons

OTHER LONG-SERVING MUSTANGS Similar to Paish, many Western athletes have overstayed their traditional four-year visit. The following athletes have held on to their sports for over six years: Chantal Forristal, medicine student, has been playing varsity level tennis for nine years. The academic all-star was the Most Valuable Player in 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. The highlight of her career was winning the OUA championship in her seventh year on the team because all her senior teammates were graduating.

Charles Fitzsimmons, graduate studies student, has been playing varsity level golf for 10 years. On top of leading as team captain, Fitzsimmons impressed his teammates by finishing in 10th place at the Canadian University/College championship in 2015.

Tashlin Reddy, science student, has been playing varsity level squash for seven years. The men’s squash team recently won their 33rd consecutive OUA Championship earlier this year.

Holly Delavigne, graduate studies student, has been playing varsity level squash for six years. She was the Most Valuable Player in 2014-2015.

Cameron Graham, graduate studies student, has been playing varsity level baseball for eight years.

Marc Addison, continuing educations student, has been playing varsity level baseball for six years.

Kurtis Pliniussen, King’s student, has been playing varsity level tennis for six years. n

Transitioning not easy for first-year athletes CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE Every student remembers what their first year at Western was like — living alone, adjusting to a different academic level and finding a new social group. University is a hard transition for everyone, but for varsity athletes, the experience is amplified in first year.

Most athletes coming into their first year at the varsity level are used to being at the top of the ladder, especially in high school. It can be a shock, then, when they’re forced to go up against opponents who could be several years more experienced.

Rookies must adapt to no longer being the most important member of their team.

Melissa Bartlett, head coach of the Mustangs women’s volleyball team, calls that the biggest challenge in adjusting to varsity sports.

“Making the adjustment from being the top player on their team to now, adjusting to their new role, on a team [where they’re] the 10th or 11th strongest player,” she said, “I think mentally that can be very difficult.... You’re not going to be as successful right away as you were playing high school or in your club program.”

The role of a rookie on a varsity team is notably different from the veterans. Collin Johnston, a firstyear wrestler, talked about the leadership role of upper-year members of the team.

“They can be quite intimidating because they’re loud and they can yell at you if you’re not working hard enough,” he said. “[But] that’s their way of motivating you to work

harder, and I’ve really been pushed by a lot of the older wrestlers to become what I am now.”

First-year swimmer Andrew Vallee says his older teammates provide a valuable support system due to their experience.

“They’ve already made the adjustments from first year and [combined] that with varsity,” said Vallee. “I wouldn’t say there’s a hierarchy on the team, we’re all still peers, but they definitely are a good resource to go to.”

The time commitment required to play a sport at the varsity level is huge. Practicing all the time makes it hard to balance school and athletics, and some aspects of a social life are often set aside.

“Last year I could do everything,” said Johnston. “I was in music, and I was wrestling and I was lifting every day pretty much.... I have to put more time into school now and I also have to put more time into wrestling, so I just don’t have the time to do the fun things I used to do.”

Bartlett has seen volleyball players struggle with balancing their schedule and adapting to a new academic routine.

“They really don’t get a break or a chance to get acclimatized to being a student, because volleyball actually starts before classes begin,” she said. “I know there’s times where I have to give an athlete a night off practice because either they fell behind or they’re really preparing for an exam.”

Every athlete and coach is quick to praise how Western deals with this issue, though.

“There’s a great support system,” said Johnston. “They showed us all

these resources we have available if we’re struggling in school.”

Having played volleyball at Eastern Michigan, an NCAA division I school, Bartlett can see the difference between how first-year Mustangs athletes are treated.

“In my three years at Western, I see huge differences in how we try and offer a balance between being a student and being an athlete,” she said. “Western does a really good job of trying to do things like orientation.”

Socially, the situation for rookie athletes is a little different. The challenge, which all first-years face, is again compounded by the rigorous

varsity schedule.

“From September through March, [volleyball players] might only have two to three free weekends that are completely empty, so there isn’t as much time to even just go out and meet different people,” said Bartlett.

It’s not all bad, though.

“It’s an immediate group of friends — right when you step on campus you’re part of a team,” said Bartlett.

“You bond really quickly with those guys,” said Vallee. “They’re people you can always go to.”

Varsity sports definitely add some benefits to the first-year

university experience in addition to the pressure and time commitment.

For most student-athletes, that’s a worthwhile tradeoff.

“Once you get into it at first it can be really overwhelming, and finding out the balance of everything can be really overwhelming, but just try to stay calm and know that you can’t do everything,” said Johnston.

Bartlett advises grade 12 students looking to play a varsity sport to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

“It’s not easy,” she warns. “It’s work, you do sacrifice some things from being just a regular student, but you also get a lot in return.” n

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE IT’S A HARD KNOCK LIFE. Transitioning from high school to university is difficult as is, but for athletes like rookie hockey player Evra Levesque, it’s even more difficult due to time restraints and getting used to a new role.

• www.westerngazette.ca

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • 7

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Lifting and uplifting KSENIA KOLODKA GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Walk around the Western Student Recreation Centre maze on a typical afternoon and you’ll find passion radiating from every corner; particularly on the benches and squat racks.

Fourth-year year scholar’s elective health sciences student Nicola Paviglianiti finds solace in the weight room. Paviglianiti started her powerlifting journey about a year ago but was on the Western triathlon team for the first two years of her university life. She says that her relationship with triathlon was not the healthiest.

“I had an eating disorder … and the cardio was just too much,” she says. “I ended up finding the weight room as a way to overcome my eating disorder and build my body up.”

Paviglianiti was encouraged by former gym manager Robyn Ripley to compete in her first competition at Seneca College last February where she set all the meet records.

This event welcomed Paviglianiti into the powerlifting community.

“It was such a cool experience … and I just fell in love with it.”

Paviglianiti’s powerlifting adventure gets even better: she won her weight class at a Calgary meet, set all the records at a provincial meet and won her weight class at the Canadian Powerlifting Union’s National Championship. This qualifed for a spot on Team Canada at the International Powerlifting Federation’s World Competition held at the end of June.

In the weeks leading up to a competition, Paviglianiti prepares by lifting heavy and training hard.

She takes the week right before a meet to rest, focusing most of the relaxation the day before. So far, her rituals include eating a lot of chocolate right after her weigh ins – which are necessary to make sure a lifter still qualifies for his or her weight class – and keeping calm by preparing herself mentally before the judging happens.

Every sport comes with its own challenges. Paviglianiti says it’s especially hard for girls to lift heavy at the gym.

“People just start taking off my weights sometimes because they don’t understand that I’m actually lifting that, or someone will come over and spot me even if it’s my light

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day and I don’t need a spot,” she says.

Paviglianiti also mentions it’s difficult that many people don’t consider powerlifting to be a high priority in her life.

“People don’t always understand that this is something that’s really important to me and a goal of mine.”

Nevertheless, Paviglianiti’s favourite part about powerlifting is the potential for growth and opportunity. While at a competition like the CPU Nationals, Paviglianiti says it is an incredible feeling to lift on the same platform as world record holders and people who she looks up to on social media.

Her love for powerlifting doesn’t end at training or competing; Paviglianiti created a website called Stories Not Selfies to showcase the backgrounds of female lifters all around the world.

“I think it’s a powerful way to connect to other people and recognize that there’s more behind someone than just powerlifting.…

Every girl has a cool story,” she says.

There are plenty of opportunities to find out about powerful women across the globe on Stories Not Selfies: the website features a woman crush every Wednesday and a personal story every Sunday.

In addition to powerlifting at the WSRC, Paviglianiti showcases her social skills throughout other parts

of campus. She is one of the founders of the Out of Province Student Association, which is part of the Western Student Success Centre.

This association provides support for out of province students both socially and academically. She is also vice-president student affairs on the Faculty of Health Sciences Students’ Council. Last year, Paviglianiti won the Western 3M award recognizing outstanding leadership.

Paviglianiti advises those who want to start lifting heavy to “just go for it… people often think that they have to be strong in order to start but everybody starts somewhere … don’t always play it safe and go to the cardio equipment — try out a barbell or dumbbell! I think the biggest part is just getting out of your comfort zone, there’s no perfect time to start, you just have to do it.”

She also suggests researching online and reaching out to coaches who can help you get started with a lifting program.

As she begins the next leg of her journey towards the world championships, Paviglianiti would like to thank the many supportive people at Western who have helped her with training and mentoring. She also hopes to see a lifting community at the Rec Centre to make the weightlifting experience more welcoming for beginners. n

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8 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

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Keep your book game 100 ROBERT NANNI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @ROBERTATGAZETTE Brescia professor, clinical psychologist and now published author Margaret LeBas Howe has worn many hats over the last hundred years.

Published through Western’s history department, LeBas Howe never expected her autobiographical recount of the Second World War, Call Me Ma’am, to be published.

After having her manuscript looked at by history professor Jonathan Vance, LeBas Howe simply sought feedback, but what she got was so much more.

“All I was expecting was someone to look at it and tell me where I could improve or rewrite, but they never did,” she says. “The only thing was they changed ‘World War Two’ to ‘Second World War’ — other than that, they didn’t rewrite a thing.”

The book explores LeBas Howe’s time in the army from her perspective. Employed by the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, her experience in WWII included basic training, recruitment, administration, running clinics and various other roles.

Now over 70 years later, LeBas Howe has finally decided to share her life with the world. So why did she wait all this time?

“I was busy,” LeBas Howe chuckles. “I had two careers and now I’m on my third.”

After her work as a professor and psychologist, LeBas Howe volunteered in community health

centres and was on the Taxi Advisory Committee at City Hall. Following that, she worked with London to improve race relations and diversity programming.

Until her 100th birthday last summer, LeBas Howe volunteered with a geriatric co-op. Now that that’s all over, she finally had time to write — but this was hardly a sudden moment decision.

“Since I was about 85, I’ve been up to Thunder Bay to babysit my grandchildren,” recounts LeBas Howe. “While I was there I had nothing else to do, so I started to put little pieces together.”

Although she’s wanted to tell this story for a while, the spark to start writing her book came from her attendance at a dinner on International Women’s Day three years ago.

“There was absolutely nothing about women in the service, so I got quite annoyed and that set me off,” she says. “I decided I’d put it together myself.”

At the age of 98, LeBas Howe began working on her first published book, something that has always been a dream of hers.

“I had three wishes when I was a little girl,” she says. “If there was a war, I wanted to be in it and I wanted to be in a travelling clinic, so I did those things. My third wish was to write a book.”

Having recently accomplished her final wish, LeBas Howe was taken aback at the level of support she’s received. However, there have been some critical of her work,

questioning whether she wrote it.

“It never occurred to me they’d doubt me, but the people who know me know I wrote the book,” she says.

“It’s not that hard, you just sit at the computer and write.”

Despite not attending school until the age of nine, LeBas Howe recalls her love to plan, write and read as a child. Following graduating with a degree in romance languages at the age of 20, she sought a career that allowed her to express all her interests.

After meeting one of her aunt’s friends who was a psychologist in charge of travelling clinics, psychology became a newfound interest of hers.

“About a month or so later, I was walking on campus and saw a big sign that said ‘enrol, graduate school,’ so I thought ‘why not?’ ” she says. “I was using the French, the psychology and the writing — it was everything I wanted.”

Despite partaking in various fields of research and community service, and having accomplished all her childhood wishes, LeBas Howe isn’t quite done yet.

All of her experience in the field of psychology has given her insight concerning mental health, especially having been part of the travelling clinic. With some help regarding historical research, LeBas Howe plans on writing a second book if she can find time.

“I like to keep busy and I’ve always been busy, always doing something in the community,” she says.

COURTESY OF SARAH MITCHELL

A pioneer, a supporter of women and the elderly and now a published author, Margaret LeBas Howe’s life has few limits.

“I enjoy living, I really think it’s a wonderful invention,” she says.

“It’s not that bad things haven’t happened, bad things have happened.

It still doesn’t take away from the fact that, somehow or other, I have the energy — I’m like the Energizer bunny.” n

The six photos on the ’gram ANNIE RUETER GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE

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Instagram has 300 million users worldwide; yet the same photos of Homecoming, bar crawls and numbered birthday balloons crop up time and time again for many users. Rather than a supplier of creative content, Instagram is largely a platform used for social conformity.

John Reed, an MIT professor, says there are only about five or six “genres” of content posted by Instagram users.

“Instagram is kind of like literature, or seems to have what I would call genres… people getting ready to go out to the bar, people out eating, food, vacation shots and usually animals or people at home,” says Reed.

While teaching a first-year course that involved students using Instagram, Reed says he was “surprised at the lack of variety that [he] saw on Instagram.”

Leo Katz, first-year social science student, is among the many Instagram users that post content from his daily life. Katz uses Instagram when he is “playing around on [his] phone and sees something funny or something [he] wants to share”.

Katz also notices repetition of content that speaks to the genres of Instagram photos.

“I do notice a lot of girls – you’ll see a lot of edited pictures that don’t look like people, or for guys a lot of party pictures, like all the time,” he says.

So what is it that motivates a Western student to post another Homecoming or bar crawl photo?

Reed explains these repetitive posts work toward creating a greater narrative that result in a feeling of belonging.

“It’s the group mentality you want to join in. Some of these are naturally occurring habits; everyone needs to eat a meal, and most people – if you’re a certain age – are getting ready to go out on the weekend, and those are not unexpected,” explains Reed.

“So people want to share in those things.”

Instagram is kind of like literature, or seems to have what I would call genres… people getting ready to go out to the bar, people out eating, food, vacation shots and usually animals or people at home.

JOHN REED MIT PROFESSOR

Of course, there is a danger in these collective narratives; “I think what’s really tough and what causes a lot of anxiety is what happens when you don’t happen to fit into one of those themes,” says Reed.

Reed reminds us that what you see on Instagram is often a highlight reel.

“Not 100 per cent of the population is sharing what they are doing – it’s just a certain percentage,” says Reed. “Yet it can put across a particular norm that everybody is doing. And if you don’t fit into that, it can really highlight or distort the

appearance of reality.”

In other words, fear of missing out is perpetuated by these “norms” that are not necessarily norms.

Salha Hamad, third-year BMOS student, seems to have broken away from these genres in her Instagram posts.

“Poetry and activism is what I want to share with everyone else.

If it’s hit a chord with me I’m sure a million other people feel the same way,” says Hamad.

For Hamad, each post is very intentional and “pierce[s] through that uniformity that we all lazily participate in,” as Reed describes.

“For me, it’s not just about whatever photo I find I post. I need to decide whether this is important, whether it’s a reflection of me, whether it’s who I want everyone to see me as,” says Hamad. “And sometimes it might not even be me but the person I want to be. That’s important. It’s my outlet.”

Reed himself has taken a step back from Instagram and general social media use this year.

“It started as an experiment, because when I found I was alone, I would turn to social media and I realized I didn’t know how to be alone,” says Reed. “From kind of a Zen standpoint, I thought ‘what is it about being alone that I’m not comfortable with?’ ” So next time you’re alone scrolling through Instagram, don’t let that feeling of missing out deter you from engaging with the people around you. They are likely more interesting than any of the six photos you’ll find on Instagram. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • 9

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Reevaluate athletic hosting policies No Shane No Gain

SHANE ROBERTS SPORTS EDITOR @SHANEATGAZETTE The host location of each Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship is always changing.

I have no problem with this and I think this is an effective way to ensure that each of the top ranked teams from across the country have an opportunity to play in a championship close to home.

However, I do have a problem with universities being allowed to host a particular sport when their team for that sport is very mediocre.

This bothers me because a host automatically gets a spot in the CIS championship.

I personally experienced this issue in 2014 when I went with the Western cross country team to St. John’s, N.L., to compete in the CIS cross country championship hosted

by Memorial University. To prove how bad Memorial was at cross country all I have to tell you is that they came in 16th out of 17 teams in the men’s race and last in the women’s race when they hosted CIS. In their defence, Newfoundland is a sparsely populated province and it’s hard to attract athletes to go there when they likely have limited scholarship money. Regardless, I think they should not have been given the opportunity to host solely on the fact that their teams are not competitive. It was also very costly for all of the teams in the CIS to travel all the way out to Newfoundland.

Arguably, this problem is evident when examining the hosts of CIS championships this year because there aren’t many examples of mediocre teams hosting. Some of the teams that are hosting are ranked in the CIS top 10 rankings, but not all. Plus, in hockey, volleyball and basketball, less than 10 teams qualify for the CIS finals. In all three sports, only eight teams make the CIS finals and in multiple cases, there may be a host team at the CIS finals that don’t deserve to be there.

For example, Brandon University in Manitoba probably will only make the CIS finals for women’s volleyball this year because they

are the host. They currently sit in 10th place in the CIS rankings with a record of 15-9 and it’s safe to say that they’re probably not going to do well enough in the playoffs to make it on their own merit.

When also examining the Ontario University Athletics conference championships, it is clear that many of my arguments for the CIS can still be applicable. For example, I had contention with the OUA wrestling tournament being hosted by Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie.

Algoma only recently joined the OUA and they probably have one of the worst athletic programs in the OUA too. But again, as with Memorial, this isn’t their fault — it’s a problem with recruiting. They also probably have a small athletic budget for scholarships and have a difficulty recruiting athletes to relocate to the northern tundra of Ontario.

It was unfair for all of the best university wrestling teams to trek all the way across the province to Algoma for the OUA tournament.

Algoma does not have an established wrestling program and did not finish well as a team at the tournament. The Algoma men finished in ninth out of 10 teams and the women finished last. The trip was probably a large inconvenience and a hassle for the athletic departments and the athletes of all the other teams in the OUA. To address these issues, I think both the OUA and the CIS should make changes to their hosting polices in the upcoming years. Schools like Algoma and Memorial should not be given the opportunity to host in the future unless they have earned it. I feel they were given the host position out of pity. This wasn’t fair to the rest of the teams competing. Both of these universities are not in a central location and were difficult and expensive to travel to for the rest of the teams competing.

Ideally, I think the host for championship tournaments in the OUA and CIS should be decided based on a team’s success in the preceding years and the proximity of the host to other universities that may be competing in the championship.

This would prevent frustrations and budget issues for teams having to travel long distances to compete against mediocre host teams. n

Sexual assault awareness done right Rita All About It

RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE This year’s Oscars was covered with controversy both before, during and after the ceremony. Although there may be varying opinions on the “#OscarsSoWhite” controversy and how the Academy dealt with it, there was one highlight at the ceremony that I don’t think anyone can be upset about — Lady Gaga’s

performance of ‘Til It Happens to You from The Hunting Ground.

It certainly wasn’t a typical award show performance and even the music video states, “the following contains graphic content that may be unsettling but reflects the reality of what is happening on college campuses daily.” It is an important song and is making a crucial impact.

The Internet blew up with individuals and notable news outlets such as ABC News, CNN and The Guardian praising the performance.

The performance was so moving that even my mother — definitely not Lady Gaga’s biggest fan —called me and asked me to send her a link to the video.

The song addresses the trauma

BRADLEY METLIN GAZETTE

Time to question everything about the USC budget

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

$123,901.63. That’s $3.72 per student and it’s how much the University Students’ Council was planning on overcharging students next year had The Gazette not pointed out numerous errors in their numbers and breaches of policy.

Yes, you read that right. The student government’s multi-million dollar budget, which took five months to put together, was considerably revised due to the severity of the errors in it in the span of less than two weeks.

There have been four revised fees (so far).

The fee for the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance was revised down 18 cents to correct for overcharging students last year, but despite acknowledging that overcharge in the original budget only removed the excess fee after The Gazette questioned the fee.

The health plan admin fee showed an unexplained $1.50 increase that was then reversed in the revised budget. That $1.50 was then added to the overall health plan. Which now makes the health and dental plan fee increase greater than the five per cent the USC says it’s increasing by. Might want to double check those figures again.

The bus pass was initially reported as rising five per cent this year as “arranged in the London Transit

sexual assault survivors face. Fifty sexual assault survivors joined Lady Gaga during her performance. The performance received a standing ovation and although Lady Gaga didn’t win the Oscar, she came out with an even greater prize.

This performance coincides with another big news story about sexual assault: Kesha just lost her lawsuit against Sony and her alleged assaulter, Dr. Luke. As a result of the loss, Kesha will have to continue her six-album contract with Sony, however, she will not be required to work with Dr. Luke.

The Internet has been exploding with public outrage over the ruling and support for Kesha. Lady Gaga dedicated her Oscar performance to Kesha. Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to “help with any of her financial needs during this trying time.”

I was displeased with Swift’s

Corporation’s negotiations.” Not only did the budget incorrectly report a five per cent increase in the student fee, it turns out that it doesn’t even rise by that much. It’s instead a $7 flat rate, or 3.24 per cent. That is a basic factual error that that can only be interpreted as negligence or an outright lie. Did the USC not know what the increase was and just guessed? Or did they figure nobody would question it?

That’s in addition to the fact the USC completely overhauled the presentation of their budget and included actual results rather than previously budgeted numbers because they got those (which would require a simple copy and paste) so wrong.

All of this has been explained away as insignificant and minor “mistakes” by the USC. But don’t be fooled. For an organization that is fighting for lower tuition and ancillary fees to be so haphazard with what they charge students is unacceptable. It’s also deeply troubling that the executive team and fulltime staff who create the budget seem to have no idea what’s going on.

That the USC’s budget is in such shambles that it needs so many revisions upon being released publicly is extremely worrisome. It’s also still not entirely clear what is accurate and what isn’t. With so many questions and such confusion, how is anyone to tell what is fact or fiction in the USC’s budget?

“donation.” Money does not solve everything. And if someone needs money to help with a sexual assault case, it certainly isn’t Kesha, who had the number one single of 2010 and an estimated net worth of $40 million in 2014.

I can think of a million better uses for that money and other better advocacy tools. The money could have been given to low-income or middle-class women who risk losing their jobs by coming forward with their claims, to a women’s shelter or to sexual abuse education programs. We have numerous organizations near us that could certainly benefit from more funding such as the Sexual Assault Centre London.

Lady Gaga’s performance is an example of a better advocacy method. The song touched millions of Oscar viewers and has already inspired women to come

forward with their sexual abuse stories including Jamie King and Jade Roper. That’s inspiring. That’s beneficial.

After watching the music video, my mom called me and said she had no idea that one in five women in America are sexually assaulted on college campuses. She was moved, but more importantly, she learned something.

According to Stats Canada, less than one in 10 cases of sexual assault are reported. We can all agree that statistic should be decreased and I believe something like Lady Gaga’s song can inspire victims of sexual assault to come forward.

Even if people boycotted the Oscars this year, I hope they watch Lady Gaga’s performance as it purports real change in the world and shows how celebrities can use their platforms for good. n

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 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

experience

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Relay for life, love and more SAMAH ALI ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @SAMAHATGAZETTE Relay for Life holds a special place in Taylor Capson’s heart. Before coming to Western University, the second-year science student was familiar with the event from high school, when her sister brought it to her school after their father had been diagnosed with cancer.

“When he passed away, [Relay] was just something where I needed to keep going along with other family members and friends,” Capson says. “I’ve been with it for so long — Relay for Life and the Canadian Cancer Society — that I just don’t want to stop.”

Capson is now a coordinator of Western’s Relay for Life with Victoria Lee-Kim. With no other event on campus like this, Lee-Kim explains Relay is something everyone should do during their time at Western.

“One of the things about Relay is that it’s a really unique experience. I don’t think there is any other 12-hour, overnight event for one cause where everyone comes together,” Lee-Kim says. “In my first year, Relay for Life was one of my most memorable nights and it wasn’t a party or anything, it was just a cohesive night and I was able to bond with my team in a really fun

environment.”

The annual 12-hour Relay for Life event put on by the University Students’ Council charity committee will start on March 19 at 7 p.m. in the UCC Atrium, starting a night of activities, board games, Zumba, henna and more for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Relay holds a special place in the coordinators’ hearts, since they were both directly affected by cancer in their families. Seeing that the event usually attracts those affected as well, the stories from cancer survivors and luminary ceremony during the middle of the night will serve as the somber moment of remembrance and bonding throughout the event. The two coordinators mark this as the best part of Relay.

Registration has begun and USC charity is expecting a big turn out this year. Lee-Kim and Capson have changed things up by simulating the typical cancer journey through different high and low points throughout the night. They also mention their new coffee house segment where they are looking for performers to get involved through their Facebook page.

The overnight event will begin with a survivor’s lap, then proceed to different high paced events like Zumba and relaxing activities

like yoga to mimic the stages of cancer and the difficult journey.

Throughout the event the coordinators hope that one member from every team will be walking the outlined track to understand the determination and strength needed to make it through a long night.

Capson stresses the importance of the survivor’s lap.

“It’s all for them. The event doesn’t happen without them and we want to bring them to show everybody what the money really does and what awareness does for cancer patients.”

Participants are encouraged to sign up in teams of roughly 10–15 people. Smaller groups and single participants are still welcomed as well, however singles should expect to be put into a group to share their relay with a group.

USC Charity will be set up for participant registration and donations from March 1–3 in the UCC atrium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. They will also be in the atrium from March 8–10 and 16 during the same time interval.

The team can also be found outside Taylor Library on March 16–17 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for last minute registration. Participants are also welcome to come early to Relay for Life to register before the night

COURTESY OF MAURICIO DIAZ

begins.

Relay for Life will be USC Charity’s big finisher for the year and the two coordinators hope to see as many people donating and participating to the cause they hold close to their heart. They also recommend anyone willing to volunteer to sign up on their Google Doc or get in contact with the group for more ways to contribute to the cause in the following years.

For more information on Relay For Life, Relay at Rick’s and USC Charity committee, check out their Facebook page. n

SHACHAR DAHAN GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE

Where to get it Sweater Winners. An oversized cardigan is a staple and can be layered over a variety of outfits and worn in a number of different ways. The possibilities are endless.

Shirt Winners. Mock-neck tops have been growing in popularity recently and are a throwback straight to the 90’s.

Pants H&M. A pair of plain pants is a good base to any outfit and a good alternative to other popular styles of pants like jeans or leggings.

Watch Michael Kors. These oversized watches are very popular and can help to dress up any outfit.

Necklace Stella and Dot. This small accent necklace is eye-catching without being too overbearing.

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

A

s the weather network calls for another snowstorm, it feels like winter has been going on forever. Coordinating colours and creating new outfits can be difficult and going all black can be tempting.

First-year MIT student Josephine Bulat shows us how to effortlessly combine neutral shades and unique pieces to create a cohesive outfit.

Bulat wears a black mockneck top, layered with a shawl-like cardigan and a small gold necklace.

The mock-neck is a good alternative to a full turtleneck, especially on

days when a turtleneck might be too warm, and adds retro vibes to the outfit. The cardigan, which looks very similar to a wrap, has a black and white geometric pattern that adds variety to the outfit. The longer length is also a plus, adding warmth and spicing up the outfit. This is Bulat’s favourite piece, “because it’s very comfy and goes with everything I wear.” A piece like this is incredibly versatile and can be used in a number of ways to create a variety of different outfits.

Bulat’s pants are a similar structure and style to jeans, but the different fabric helps to dress them

up. The neutral grey colour provides a good base and while the colour complements her outfit, it doesn’t take away any focus. She completes her look with a pair of brown ankle boots.

Again, the differentiated colour adds to the outfit in a subtle way and is more effective than basic black.

Want to get Bulat’s look?

“I like wearing stuff that makes me feel good. I don’t always wear something that is in, I wear things that make me feel good,” she advises.

Not a fan of the neutrals? No problem.

“I wear colours all the time,” Bulat says, “I’m not just a black and white person.”

What’s really important is to wear what you enjoy, no matter what the current style is.

ALEXANDRA HAWKINS

Today’s mobile landscape is dominated by a handful of companies, making it exceedingly difficult for a new company to generate the capital and buzz necessary to compete.

That’s why Nextbit, a small company formed by veterans of some of the industry’s biggest players, is such an anomaly — and why its premiere effort, the Nextbit Robin, is so interesting.

Compared to all the existing blue and grey smartphones, the Robin’s two-tone colour palette is a refreshing change of pace. The Robin features a Gorilla Glass 4-protected 5.2-inch 1080p display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 processor.

It contains 3GB of RAM, a 260mAh battery and 32GB of storage.

The phone also utilizes USB type-C for charging and syncing.

The phone combines the fingerprint sensor into the power button so the phone unlocks when you power it on, eliminating the need for a separate sensor taking up space on the front bezel.

Nextbit Robin is supposed to make running out of storage a thing of the past. The device’s marquee feature is its ability to automatically send up to 100GB of unused data to the cloud, freeing up space on the device. It’s an interesting gimmick, debuting right as the dispute between Apple and the FBI led many people to care more about how their private information is secured by the companies they trust most.

The Nextbit Robin is also great for those that want as much choice and control over their Android handset as possible. Nextbit states on its website, “Robin comes with an unlocked SIM so you can choose your own

In my first year, Relay for Life was one of my most memorable nights and it wasn’t a party or anything, it was just a cohesive night and I was able to bond with my team in a really fun environment.

VICTORIA LEE-KIM RELAY FOR LIFE COORDINATOR

carrier. The unlockable bootloader and open source drivers make it easy to load CyanogenMod or any other ROM you want and Robin will still be under warranty.”

Before the Nextbit Robin went on sale to the public, it was actually a Kickstarter project. Within 12 hours of its campaign launch, the phone reached its goal of $500,000 and completed a goal of $1 million in just two weeks. In total, it raised over $1.3 million.

The Robin is completely different from every other device you can find on the market because of how it’s been made. It looks different. It feels different. The OS is different. It feels like it was made for the consumer, not the manufacturer.

So if you’ve been looking to get your Nextbit Robin, you can head to their site and throw down $399 USD to get your own. n

COURTESY OF NEXTBIT

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THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • 11

experience

Theatre Western’s More than just women’s issue most controversial musical to date VIVIAN CHENG GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE

MOSES MONTERROZA ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @MOSESATGAZETTE Theatre Western is getting ready to put on what could arguably be their most controversial performance to date. Set in 19th century Germany, Spring Awakening is a story about adolescence and coming to terms with heav y themes like sexuality, suicide, abortion and mental health.

It’s the kind of show that, despite its age, still remains a powerful force in today’s society; it pushes the boundaries and asks the tough questions we’re too afraid to ask ourselves.

“We felt that it dealt with issues that are very relevant to today,” says Monika Thiede, producer, musical rep and fourth-year sociology and criminology student.

“The show deals with sex and sexuality, and discovering them both.

It deals with suicide and mental health issues, drugs and sex education, and the repercussions of not having adequate education.”

The successful Broadway show offers a window into a world where parents are reticent and afraid to spoil the innocence of their children, where teenagers aren’t taught about sex, drugs and puberty but are instead shielded from the realities of the world.

“It exhibits, in a really relatable and touching way, what exactly are the dangers of not being properly educated on something that’s so fundamental to us as humans,” says Thiede. “It might be seen as an extreme example of what can happen, but it’s still an important insight on what could happen if we fail to educate people.”

Spring Awakening offers unique challenges with its heavy themes, which is why the producers and the director have deliberately shied away from method acting, a style of acting that requires one to act from real emotions and experiences.

“It’s a very heavy show,” says

It exhibits, in a really relatable and touching way, what exactly are the dangers of not being properly educated on something that’s so fundamental to us as humans.

MONIKA THIEDE PRODUCER AND FOURTH-YEAR SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY STUDENT

Raffie Rosenberg, director, choreographer and fourth-year Ivey student. “Trying to find a way to allow the actors to explore that side of their character without putting anyone in a position where they’re very uncomfortable was really challenging.

“I believe that you can get to a real emotion without remembering a real memory and that’s how I’ve been taught,” he adds.

“You don’t need to bring back a personal experience — I don’t want anyone to have to remember a time when they were at their lowest.”

In the short time frame of two months, the students at Theatre Western have managed to bring together a promising show.

“We are hoping that the audience takes away from the show what we’ve taken away from watching it come together,” says Maddy Oliver, co-coordinator, producer and FIMS graduate.

“That is the importance of creating a conversation. Even if the conversation seems taboo or scary to talk about, it’s important and it makes a difference in the way you conduct yourself and the way you make your decisions.”

Whether the discussion is about sex or about religion, Spring Awakening reminds us that as students and members of the intelligentsia, we need to engage in these difficult conversations.

Spring Awakening premieress March 2 and will be playing until March 5 in Mustang Lounge at 8 p.m. n

Throughout histor y, stigma towards women’s studies has been slow to fade. In the past, many people were opposed to the idea of women’s studies, seeing it as too radical, anti-intellectual or political. But today, Western is experiencing a boom in the enrolment of this traditionally polarizing department.

Wendy Pearson, undergraduate chair of women’s studies and feminist research, says that 220 students were taking first-year courses offered by the women’s studies department in 2011. This year there are nearly four times as many, with 826 students enrolled in these courses.

This increasing enrolment can be attributed to a number of things.

First and foremost, the increase in women’s studies enrolment is partially due to the fact that feminism has become more mainstream in society.

“More and more young women are realizing that feminism isn’t dead,” Pearson says, “and that the issues we were fighting for 40 years ago are still some of the issues we’re fighting for today.”

Hannah Feagan, a first-year FIMS student taking a first-year Women’s Studies course, shares her perspective.

“I was compelled to take a Women’s Studies course because I wanted to increase my knowledge about feminist values,” says Feagan.

Another reason that explains the growth in enrolment may be

at a critical level about social structures that society exists in and not be passive receptacles of the media, education or other influences.

“We need to think critically about what certain things actually mean and the racist or sexist subtextual messages that exist within the structures,” she says.

In order to attract more people, the women’s studies department has increased the number of firstyear courses. The department offers courses like Introduction to Sexuality Studies, Gender, Justice and Change and is introducing two new courses next year called Introduction to Diversity, Equity and Human Rights and Introduction to Gay Male Culture.

These new courses have been introduced in hopes of catering to people’s broader interests while still pertaining to women’s studies.

Pearson explains that women’s issues are more diverse than people think and affect more communities. Many facets of life like poverty, the wage gap or the way gender and race interact are all factors that affect different individuals on different levels.

Women’s studies is more than what its name suggests. Whether you decide to shy away from women’s studies courses or not, understanding the history of our social constructs and unpacking oppressive barriers enables us to gain a better perspective on the issues in today’s society that remain unresolved. n

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

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911 RICHMOND ST N - 4 bedrooms we will take groups of 3, $550 includes utilities. Two bathrooms and ensuite laundry parking. Contact Jane at 519-673-8221 TWO BEDROOM UNIT $500 per bedroom, utilities included. 89 Huron St. Available June 1st. Open concept , gas fireplace, fridge, stove, dishwasher, parking, laundry. Call or text Vern 519-872-9407. vproperty@rogers.com

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that students are looking to understand social constructs within a theoretical framework.

“I think people are looking to make meaning out of the social relations they see on a day-today basis,” says Darani Urgessa, a fifth-year women’s studies student. “People experience interactions of racism or sexism or ableism and are looking for ways to better understand and explain and eventually dismantle those structures.”

However, even at the height of political awareness, the distaste for the department still lingers.

Kelli Prince, a first-year Faculty of Information and Media Studies student, believes the department should be called gender studies instead of women’s studies because of the stigma attached to the program. This is one of the reasons Prince has not taken a women’s studies course this year.

“Stigma still exists [towards women’s studies], particularly from the people who are more inclined to the men’s rights activists view of the world,” says Pearson, agreeing with Prince.

Another challenge that remains is department name isn’t fully representative of the topics that are taught. While women’s studies is a multidisciplinary, critical theory program, people may not be attracted to the department because they believe it is limited to only “women’s issues.”

“I think a lot of people have a limited understanding to what we do in a women’s studies program,” says Urgessa.

Urgessa says the program strives to get its students to think

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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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12 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

experiencegames

PHOTO OF THE DAY

CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE LOOK, UP IN THE SKY! IT’S A BIRD. IT’S A PLANE. NO, IT’S A BIRD. Western was host to a Turkey Vulture on Monday as part of a presentation for the Canadian Raptor Conservancy and the Western Wildlife Conservation Society.

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OWL & Course-Note Printing & Binding Large Format Printing …and more!

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WRITE FOR US or else we’ll have to do it ourselves

volunteer@westerngazette.ca IT’LL BE FUN. WE PROMISE

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