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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 109 ISSUE 43 Walking to class since 1906
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Thousands of students will get a workout for the next 3 weeks while University Drive bridge undergoes repairs. SEE THE STORY PAGES 6–7.
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PROFILE ANDREW LAZARITO
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“Great job gang, eight more,” he says to a dance studio jam-packed with students on a late Wednesday evening. “The Pump” is a popular fitness class at Western’s Student Recreation Centre. On the off chance the class is open to all members, it will be hard for you to find enough floor space to place a mat.
me about you,’ ” says Andrew with a laugh. “That’s a sign that I’ve been around for a while, and it’s amazing and depressing at the same time.” Despite his experience, he finds the job both challenging and rewarding. Teaching people how to successfully do a class gives Andrew a sense of accomplishment, and it shows.
Perhaps students flock to the class because of its muscle conditioning and easy-to-follow format. Or maybe it’s because 45-year-old Andrew Lazarito instructs the class. Teaching fitness classes was not something Andrew had set out to do originally. He graduated from McMaster University in 1993 with a bachelor of engineering. From there, he worked as a professional engineer for about nine years before starting a career with Healthcare Materials Management Services, working as a buyer for the hospital network in London.
“Students have very, very busy lives,” he says. “If I can take your mind off your stresses for the day for an hour or two and then you go back to your lives refreshed and reset, then I think that by far is the biggest benefit of any of the classes.” Outside of work and teaching fitness classes, Andrew doesn’t have much time for a break thanks to his twoyear-old, Dominic.
But for the last 18 years, Andrew has taught fitness classes to Western students two to three nights a week at the Rec Centre.
“He pretty much takes up my time now-a-days,” says Andrew, beaming. “Even though I’m a part-time instructor, I’m a full-time dad.”
Andrew was first introduced to fitness classes by his then-girlfriend. “[She] dragged me to a gym and we started taking fitness classes,” he says. “As a lot of relationships go, the relationship ended, but I stuck with the fitness class.” And stick with fitness he did. He was asked to come and try out for an instructor position by another instructor in 1998, and as they say, the rest is history. Being one of the senior instructors, Andrew has to become a well-known face around the Rec Centre, teaching generations of students.
For the time being, Andrew has no plans to change his busy schedule. He says he wants to maintain teaching part-time for as long as time permits. He anticipates cutting down on classes once his son grows older and needs more of his attention, but until then, you can find him teaching the Pump every Monday and Wednesday, thanks to support from the Western community. “My inspiration is watching you guys succeed and keeping things going,” he says. “It sounds cheesy, but it keeps me going.”
“I’ve had an experience where someone has come to me and said, ‘You taught my mother, my mother has told
SHI, AMY SKODAK, OREN WIESFELD
He proudly stands at the front of each of his classes and walks each participant through the movements, providing advice and encouragement. At the end of each class, he always receives a round of applause. Although the classes are about an hour in duration, they fly by quickly.
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Western hosts second annual Indigenous Awareness Week
Opinion: Educate yourself this Islam awareness week
Refugee Hotel to debut Wednesday night
The weeklong event began Monday with a sunrise ceremony and will end with the First Nations Student Association’s powwow, an indigenous social gathering. PG 4
With so much anti-Islamic rhetoric, Hala Ghonaim discusses her decision to wear a hijab, the comments she has received and what you should do. PG 10
The Arts and Humanities Students’ Council’s play is based on the true story of eight Chilean refugees arriving in Vancouver following a 1973 military coup. PG 11
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Driver pleads guilty in death of first-year student RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE The courtroom was filled with family and friends of first-year Western health sciences student Andrea Christidis last Wednesday as the drunk driver who struck her pleaded guilty. Approximately 50 people wore blue ribbons to show their support for the Christidis family. Tissues were passed around and sobs could be heard across the room during the duration of the hearing. Jared DeJong pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, which has a maximum penalty of life in prison. DeJong, 25, had 0.171 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood at the time of the incident, over double the legal limit of 80 mg. DeJong has no prior criminal record. “No parent should ever have to bury their child. There is no greater pain than this,” said Christidis’ mother in a public statement on behalf of the family. “I will never be able to put into words how this has affected us.” On Oct. 7, 2015, DeJong drove his father’s 2010 Volkswagen to The Spoke and parked in the Weldon Library parking lot. DeJong and three of his friends spent three to four hours at The Spoke watching
a sporting event and drinking. A little before 11:30 p.m., DeJong got back into his vehicle and drove to meet another friend at the Luxe apartments. The crown attorney was adamant the blame falls entirely on DeJong. The streetlights were working correctly, the weather conditions were adequate and no other road conditions contributed to the accident. One witness said the road conditions were “perfect.” Two London Transit Commission buses have video surveillance of DeJong driving. He drove through two intersections without stopping at the stop signs. Witnesses estimated DeJong’s speed to be 90–100 km/h, with the speed limit on that stretch of the street being 20 km/h. One bus driver said DeJong was driving “too fast for this environment.” The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Apr. 28. Prior to the hearing, a victim impact statement and pre-sentencing report will be submitted. “I don’t know how we are going to cope with her loss for the rest of our lives or when we will ever stop asking why,” Christidis mother said. “Why did this happen happen to our beautiful, intelligent and kind daughter who had so much to live for?” The judged acknowledged it
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is a particularly difficult case and there are multiple considerations to be made in sentencing. She made no promise to adhere to any sentencing agreement the two sides present. n
Solution to puzzle on page 11
Spoke could be liable for serving drunk driver KATIE LEAR NEWS EDITOR @KATIEATGAZETTE The Spoke could be held liable under civil law for damages resulting from the death of first-year Western student Andrea Christidis last October, but is unlikely to be sued, according to a Western law professor. Christidis was struck and killed by 24-year-old London resident Jared DeJong on Oct. 7. DeJong was driving under the influence of alcohol after spending three to four hours drinking at The Spoke earlier that night. DeJong pleaded guilty on March 2 to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death. At the time of the incident, DeJong had 0.171 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, over double the 0.8 mg legal limit. As the location where DeJong became intoxicated, The Spoke could be held liable under section 29 of the Liquor Licence Act. The statute reads: “No person shall sell or supply liquor or permit liquor to be sold or supplied to any person who is or appears to be intoxicated.” According to Western law professor Robert Solomon, The Spoke could be held liable regardless of whether or not DeJong was intoxicated prior to arriving at The Spoke. Liability can be assigned for both increasing a person’s level of
intoxication or serving them past the point of intoxication. “In every jurisdiction, statutes have been enacted which give the dependents and the family of a deceased the right to sue for their economic losses stemming from the death and for the loss of care, guidance and companionship,” Solomon said. He also said that since damages are typically awarded almost exclusively from the driver’s automobile insurance, there would be little financial incentive for the family to sue. “When you see the cases that split liability between a bar and a drunk driver, they’re usually 80-20 [with] 80 [to] the driver,” he said. According to USC president Sophie Helpard, all staff serving at The Spoke participate in a training program required by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario before serving alcohol. The program, SmartServe, details how to treat intoxicated patrons whether they intend to drive or not, but especially if intent is shown to drive, according to Helpard. “Obviously we want to make sure that if we are a bar on campus, we are doing everything we can to be as responsible as possible,” she said. “That is why we make sure our staff are properly trained, they have all the proper requirements, they understand their role in the
operation and what their responsibility is, and of course we have very qualified staff who are overseeing and student employees to make sure that they are completing all of the requirements.” Spoke management said that its policy is to ensure a safe way home for anyone who is required to leave. They also said their staff is trained to ensure patrons with signs of intoxication are not intending to drive. However, according to Solomon, the presence of training isn’t enough to establish a defence. “The issue to the court is not whether or not the staff were trained; the issue for the court is did they serve alcohol to this individual in violation of the law,” he said. “I’m not opposed to SmartServe training — I think it’s a step in the right direction, but it’s not a panacea. So if the house rules are not rigorously enforced, no amount of training is going to do any good.” Solomon drew reference from a case involving a drunk driver who injured a student after drinking at the McMaster Students’ Union’s bar, The Downstairs John, where 30 per cent of the $250,000 in general damages were awarded to the student from the student union. While the case differs in that the McMaster student lived, the bar was established to have either over served the drunk driver or served him while he was intoxicated, and
so was held liable, despite the presence of SmartServe training, as it was established that the procedures were not followed on the night of the incident. Helpard confirms that The Spoke’s policies in accordance with the Liquor Licence Act were followed on Oct. 7 before Christidis was hit, according to detailed records of The Spoke’s nightly operations. “Any time we have an evening where there is irregular or out of the ordinary behaviour, we do go back and make sure that all our policies were followed, all of our procedures were followed, and I can say that in this case they were.” n
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Lifers lively in London AMY O’KRUK NEWS EDITOR @AMYATGAZETTE
TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE
Western celebrates 2nd annual Indigenous Awareness Week AMY O’KRUK NEWS EDITOR @AMYATGAZETTE Wester n’s second a n nua l Indigenous Awareness Week kicked off on Monday and for the university’s indigenous students, it’s an opportunity to celebrate a culture that hasn’t always had a home at Canadian universities. “The Native experience in post-secondar y [institutions] is relatively new,” said Sean Hoogterp, an Indigenous Services coordinator who’s Aniishnaabe from Walpole Island First Nation. “It’s a weeklong event that gives us an opportunity to be proud of who we are and bring other people in.” The events began yesterday with a sunrise ceremony behind Weldon Library. The festivities end with the awareness week’s largest event, the First Nations Student Association’s 10th annual powwow. “I’ve grown up going to powwows in the summer,” said Danielle Robinson, president of the FNSA. “To help plan and have a powwow here, at my university,
allows me to feel more at home.” Robinson explained a powwow is an indigenous social gathering that brings people together to celebrate their culture. “It is the perfect time for someone who is of non-indigenous descent to come, enjoy and learn,” said Robinson. “[The powwow] grows a little more every year as it becomes more and more known around London.” Hoogterp said the goal of the awareness week is to recognize indigenous students’ unique post-secondary experiences and to break down potential barriers between students caused by ignorance. “If we can just reach one or two people and help them understand our culture and be comfortable speaking to us, then maybe they’ll be more comfortable talking about us,” Hoogterp said. “It’s trying to diffuse stereotypes.” Besides education, Hoogterp said IAW is a step toward university-wide indigenous recognition. Western occupies land formerly home to the Chippewas of the
Thames First Nation (part of the Anishinaabe Nation), Oneida Nation of the Thames (part of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations) and Munsee Delaware Nation (part of the Leni-Lunaape Nation). “Canada has a way to go before it recognizes and respects the indigenous people,” Hoogterp said. “I’m really proud of what Western is doing right now ... More and more, we hear that there’s professors and administrators, and what they do is, they acknowledge the territory before they speak publicly.” Robinson agrees the recognition means a lot. She said IAW is the one week in the entire school year where indigenous culture and issues are emphasized on campus. “[The pow wow] shows me that Western is willing to accept and understand where I’ve come from and accept my differences,” she said. Western is currently home to close to 500 indigenous students. You can find out more about IAW events on Indigenous Services’ website. n
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If you were a London concert-goer last Friday night, chances are you had a ticket to the Juno-winning Sheepdogs’ sold-out show. A few blocks away, though, another Canadian band owned the spotlight. That is, it wasn’t hard for an intimate crowd to get a good look at the Lifers at the London Music Club. Sisters Elivia and Anita Cazzola launched into their 50-minute set on top of a stage swathed in a faded Persian rug, under a low ceiling and across from a nicked dartboard. While the venue’s cellar lounge was more ’80s basement den, The Lifers suited a space from a fading time — and brought fresh sweetness to it. Without introduction, romantic lines like “wearing children’s kites so thin” and “falling down to earth again” soared through the small space and hushed spectators as the sisters sang, Listen to the Rain, the first song off of their new LP Out and In. The delicate song set a nostalgic tone for the evening and coupled with the sister’s midi-skirts and air-dried hair, the pair seemed lifted from a dreamier, more soulful time. “This one’s for you, mama,” Anita said, pointing out her parents, as they manned The Lifers’ merch table. She explained Blue Tattered Shoes is the duo’s moms favourite song, but added last-minute, “and dad, too,” she said, laughing.
While it’s obvious the Cazzolas are close-knit, 21-year-old Liv and 19-year-old Anita’s connection is twin-like. The sisters play off one another, often staring into each others eyes and swaying in tune. After all, following a trip riding the rails around the country as part of Via Rail’s Artists on Board Program last year, the sisters ditched a rigged studio to record their first album in favour of their family’s isolated log cabin in Colpoys Bay. They brought off-beat instruments like an accordion, glockenspiel and ukulele — and complementary vocals — to write and record their first-ever LP. Though Liv and Anita captivate, their music would have lacked depth without their bandmates — they’re not truly a twowoman show. After warming up the crowd, they made sure to praise the people who back them. Anita cheerily announced the girls picked up upright bass player, Peter Klaassen, on tour, and she didn’t attempt to pronounce cello player Jill Sauerteig’s last name, freely admitting she always butchers it. Sam Boer danced energetically during the opening acts and brought that liveliness to the drums while Braden Phelan played a self-described “oddball vintage semi-hollowbody” electric guitar. With Anita and Liv’s elegant, haunting voices and their still awkward but charming stage presences, a strong first LP reveals a fledgling group who will grow from already strong musical roots. n
Spring Awakening wakes discussion ELLIS KOIFMAN GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Rating: GGGGF Go to school. Get good grades. Be a good son/daughter. Don’t have sex until you’re married. Don’t question authority. Be good or you’ll be punished. Theatre Western’s Spring Awakening, based on Frank Wedekind’s play, was performed Thursday in the Mustang Lounge. The play tells the story of a group of high school students trying to make sense of their sexual awakenings in an ultra conservative and dogmatic society that wishes nothing more than to shelter them and rob them of their free will. Directed and choreographed by Raffie Rosenberg, the teachers and parents view critical thinking as radical and act as gatekeepers to the answers the students seek about their changing bodies. Woven with humorous quips and songs such as Bitch of Living, displaying the discovery of wet dreams, and Totally Fucked, displaying the thoughts we have when backed into a corner, this is a tear-jerking and riveting story led by a couple of boys who don’t quite fit in. Moritz (Jack Phoenix) is a lazy boy barely getting by in his studies. Already struggling, he finds himself plagued with thoughts and feelings that confuse him, including the woman in stockings who fills his dreams with lust. Phoenix displays the perfect amount of apathy on-stage. Slouching in every class and rolling with the hits that life deals him, he demonstrates a reluctant desire for sexual enlightenment.
His friend, Melchoir (Benjamin Braz), has all the answers. He’s that mature friend who told us about sex and showed us porn. Unlike the rest of their society, his parents let him be free and critical — he is a radical. Braz portrays the cool kid in high school; he fits the status quo in in-class scenes, but still retains a rebellious edge. The acting pulls in the audience, making viewers feel what they feel, as if they know the characters as friends. My Junk had couples dancing across stage as they sung, representing innocent high school relationships. As the song progressed, there were many transitions between groups of cast that added humourous bits among the feelings of nostalgia. Touch Me really stood out as unique and moving; the lead’s singing voice was a gift to the ears. The cast involved in the song were on point with every musical beat, the song symbolizing one’s discovery of sex. At times, the teachers seemed to act a bit too intense or a bit too whimsical, but only momentarily before returning to their typical selves. The choreography was fitting to each and every song and the coordination was nearly flawless, properly presenting frustration, lust, discovery and awakening. Overall, the play was a fantastic piece to perform for the student audience. It really was a testament to the importance of sexual education, the problems associated with its absence and the value of critical thought in an otherwise uniform society. n
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Purple Spur has sweet tooth for charity
ALEXANDRA HAWKINS GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE On Saturday night, London Music Hall was transformed for The Purple Spur fashion show: Crave, dubbed “Western’s Sexiest Fashion Show.” The annual event has grown in size since it was founded in 2010, starting as a small event held in local bars and growing to one of Western’s largest fashion shows with over 60 models and 400 attendees. Members of the audience included representatives from the London Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada, the beneficiary of the event. The show began with a speech from the president of the London chapter of MADD, Mary Rodrigues. The charity was selected following the death of first-year Western student Andrea Christidis, who was struck on campus by a drunk driver
in October. Similar drinking and driving events that occurred in the GTA around the same time reinforced the organizers’ choice of MADD as the beneficiary of the event. There were seven main acts in the show: streetwear, modern, swim, formal, lingerie, fitness and Western. Each act featured a distinctly different feel, but all carried the spirit of the theme, Crave. Using fun candy props, all looks were undeniably sexy. A wide range of designers were featured, including local brands Illbury + Goose, Elizabeth Noel and Jordan Stewart, as well as national names such as Moore’s and Urban Outfitters. The first act, streetwear, featured a range of casual clothing and accessories from Illbury + Goose. Set to Maroon 5’s Sugar, the overall feel of the scene was flirty, with the girls all sporting fun accessories like cotton candy and oversized lollipops, teasing the male stars. In this modern fashion scene, the models strutted
down the stage wearing unique but fashionable pieces such as cat ears and modern prints. The swimwear portion of the evening saw the stage transform into an upbeat beach party to the sounds of Katy Perry’s California Gurls. All of the models wore fun, brightly coloured two pieces or swim shorts and strutted down the stage sporting inflatable pool toys, which they threw into the audience. The musical talents of select models were featured following the intermission. Model Sarah Botelho sang a powerful version of Florence and the Machine’s Shake It Out, while a group comprised of Nick Bright, Michael Clegg, Jamie Golob and Matt McGrath performed two fan favourites, including Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself. The highlights of the show were undoubtedly the formal and lingerie scenes. Set to Temper Trap’s Sweet Disposition, the short vignettes
between the men and women culminated in a series of romantic moments. The most poignant of these was a proposal using a candy ring. The lingerie portion, which captured the audience’s attention more so than the previous acts, was comparably raunchy with the male models emerging first in black Calvin Klein boxers performing a Magic Mike-esque dance to 50 Cent’s Candy Shop. Then it was the ladies’ turn; they came out wearing heels and silk robes, which they pulled open to reveal lingerie as they strutted to the end of the runway. The men then returned to the stage and the models commanded the stage in pairs amidst cheers and whistles from the crowd. Next was the fitness portion, set to Fergie’s Fergalicious. What was unique about this segment was that it featured models performing exercises such as squats and bicep curls, with actual fitness equipment.
This prop usage kept the audience entertained and proved that these clothes weren’t just for show, but were also functional. Western pride closed the show, with all of the models returning to the stage proudly wearing Mustang purple. This was by far the highest-energy scene and the models showcased their school spirit with acrobatic tricks and spraying confetti into the audience. The club far exceeded their initial fundraising goal of $10,000, raising $20,042 for MADD. The Purple Spur created a cohesive and entertaining fashion show, integrating their theme, Crave, into every segment. Everything down to the model’s outfits, music, timing and choreography, was planned and executed perfectly. The event was truly “Western’s sexiest fashion show” to date. n
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Your creative career starts here. PHOTOS BY JENNY JAY GAZETTE
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Buses routed around ca TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE
HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE The 6, 6A and 13 bus routes will not be stopping on campus for the next three weeks after Western closed University Drive bridge to larger buses. Western said on late Friday that the Richmond and Wellington routes have been affected starting Monday after an engineering inspection found that larger-scale buses should not run over the bridge in its current state due to weight restrictions. The weight restrictions issue, does not affect normal vehicular traffic. The restrictions are only on articulated buses, not regular 40-foot buses. However, no buses on those routes will be coming to campus. Bus routes not going via the bridge will not be affected. Gitta Kulczycki, Western vice-president resources and operations, said bridge maintenance and load testing is expected to be completed within the next three weeks. A visual inspection of the bridge is carried out every year but this year the University decided to employ an engineering firm to also do
a load restriction test. The engineering firm surveying the bridge confirmed the load restriction on the bridge on Feb 25. The University verbally communicated the issue to the LTC shortly after and a letter from the engineering firm was passed on to the LTC on Feb 29. The LTC informed Western on March 3 that they would abide by the recommendations and decided to reroute the buses on the 6 and 13 routes. Western tweeted about the change on Friday night but didn’t send any further notification to students until Sunday night. “I actually heard it from a friend, who said he was here on exchange in first semester and he was just grateful that it didn’t happen when he was here,” Maddy Crabbe, thirdyear biochemistry student said. “He messaged a group chat and we were all panicking and we just Googled it and then it was all over social media.” The 6 Richmond will now go past campus and turn left onto Windermere Road, turn right on Western and then turn right back onto Richmond Street southbound. The 13 Wellington will also take a detour on Windermere
Road past campus in both directions, according to the LTC’s website. The 6, 6A and 13 buses carry more than 17,000 passengers daily and account for approximately 35 per cent of all on-campus transit. Kevin Hurren, University Students’ Council communications officer, said the USC will ensure students can get to campus and their accessibility needs are met as more information is shared about the bus routes. “It’s unfortunate that this news comes from Western now, in the midst of rapid transit consultations aimed at improving transit on this campus,” he said. “Our hope is that the university continues it’s collaborate efforts and engages the city, LTC and students to find alternatives for what’s quickly becoming a transit travesty.” Students on Monday said the route changes were an inconvenience for them. “It’s so inconvenient, because we need to walk to school everyday,” said Yiting Liu, a BMOS student who lives in the townhouses near the main gates. “The changes haven’t affected me too much but my roommate is in Ivey and she relied on the bus — the
6 — every morning to get to that side of campus,” said William Thompson, thirdyear chemistry student. “They already have class everyday at 8 a.m., she’s up at 6:30 a.m. to take the bus. From our place to Ivey, it’s about a 40 minute walk.” Jonathan Rom, a graduate student in the public health program, is happy with the 6 and 13 buses’ new detour routes because they now provide a stop near his house which wasn’t available before. “I’m on Richmond Row in the area that is now getting service by the 6 and the 13 going northbound so for me in particular it is pretty convenient,” he said. “But I can understand if I wasn’t in that position then having to wait for a shuttle or giving up on the shuttle and just walking is probably going to be annoying.” In the meantime, shuttle buses and taxis are available at the Richmond gates to accommodate community members using public transit or with mobility and accessibility issues. “An accessible yellow cab is sitting at the front gates, along with the transport van that we always have for students needing accessible transport,” Kulczycki said. n
JENNY JAY GAZETTE
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ampus after bridge ban University providing shuttle for students HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE In light of the closure of University Drive bridge to London Transit Commission buses, Western will be providing a temporary shuttle service from the Richmond gates through campus. In a statement posted on the Western Facilities Management website late Sunday night, Western announced the shuttle service for members of the campus community using public transit. “Western is providing a limited temporary on-campus shuttle service for riders of the 6 Richmond, 6A Richmond and 13 Wellington buses from the Richmond Street gates into campus,” the statement read. Gitta Kulczycki, Western vice-president resources and operations, said even though the shuttle started running on Monday morning, most students are choosing to walk to class. “We’ve had university staff at the front gates since before 7:30 this morning and that’s what they are observing … and they are even inviting students to take the shuttle sitting right there, and the response is often no thanks they prefer to walk,” she said. “It’s a lovely day out
there I guess.” Jordi Levman, fourth-year social science student, was initially unclear about the shuttle route and schedule due to the short notice given by the University but ended up using it when she came to campus. “Once I arrived on campus the stop was actually pretty well marked with signs and a shuttle bus was waiting. The shuttle was pretty efficient,” she said. Leore Zecharia, another fourthyear social science student, was leaving the Rec Centre when she saw the shuttle go by her but was unaware as to where the shuttle’s stops were located. “I think it’s great that they put it in place it’s just the route it takes didn’t seem to make sense. Although I did see a lot of them around so that’s good at least,” she said. The shuttle starts its route from the Richmond gates and heads to Natural Sciences Centre and continues on to Alumni Hall via Oxford Drive in front of the University Community Centre. The service will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday and on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. n
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8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2015
knowsports
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Hockey teams sweep opponents Men’s hockey team Western women crushes Guelph in game 3 advance after OT GABI BEST GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE
Only one team would move onto the 105th Queen’s Cup after Sunday night’s game three of the OUA west final. Hard work paid off for the Western Mustangs as they won 5-1 over the defending Queen’s Cup champions, the Guelph Gryphons, a win that gives them a berth into the Queen’s Cup for the first time since 2012. “It was clear Western had their best game of the series, and clearly our worst,” Gryphons head coach Shawn Camp said after the loss. “When that happens that’s how you end up with the score that we did.” The Mustangs have had a roller coaster-like series with the Gryphons. After taking the first win and then failing to take the series in game two, the Mustangs were forced to turn their intensity up a notch if they intended to advance to the final round. “We played like a desperate team tonight. Last night against Guelph, we were up 1-0 and we kind of played like we had another life,” he said on Sunday after the win. “Today we played desperate. I asked for 60 minutes of relentless effort and I got pretty close to that I thought.” Captain David Corrente was very proud of his team and knew going into the game on Sunday night that it was a do-or-die moment. “Our lives were on the line tonight and this team was too good just to roll over and die like that,” Corrente said. “We knew what was at stake and we knew what we could play for and we’re going to carry that on to the cup.”
PHOTOS BY KYLE PORTER GAZETTE
Western goalie Greg Dodds had nothing but confidence in the final minutes of the game but was disappointed in himself for letting one goal slip by. “Once [Western] got the last couple goals I had a pretty good feeling but when they scored that one on me there was a little bit of something creeping in my head because of last game,” Dodds said. “I was pretty happy and I knew we were going to get the win.” Camp gave credit where credit was due as he highlighted the strength of the Mustangs in Sunday night’s match-up. “Congratulations to Western,” Camp said. “They outplayed us from beginning to end of the most important game of the series.” With the final minutes approaching, the Gryphons began taking penalties out of frustration. Then Gryphon Lenny Fabbri started squirting a water bottle at Western’s bench as the two teams exchanged words. “Emotions run high in a game like that, especially when you’re down and there’s not much to play for after that,” Corrente said. “It’s easy to lose your head, but a little pushing and shoving, it’s hockey so it’s OK.” The next game for Western will be against the Patriotes de l’Université du Québec a Trois-Rivières, who the Mustangs have only matched up against once in the regular season, falling 5-2. And while the OUA west finals proved to be the most difficult challenge yet in the post season for the Mustangs, the competition will only get more tough from here on out. “I have had a chance to watch
some UQTR games in the Carleton series and they’re going to be a different team than Guelph,” Singer said. “They play a little bit more of a finesse game and they schooled us here when we played them in the first half [of the season].” Because the two teams have only met once on the ice this season, the Mustangs will have the challenge of figuring out the style and skill of their opponents before hosting the Queen’s Cup on Saturday, March 12. “[We] don’t know much about those guys so we are going to prepare, watch some videos and give ourselves the best chance to win this hockey game.” Saturday’s puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Thompson Arena. n
thriller
CLAIRE PALMER GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE In true dramatic fashion, the Western Mustangs women’s hockey team won their Ontario University Athletics semifinal series over the visiting Nipissing Lakers in triple overtime Sunday afternoon. Lyndsay Kirkham was the hero of the game, scoring the game-winning goal off a toe drag after a pass from Katelyn Gosling halfway through the sixth frame. Kelly Campbell carried the team once again with another astonishing shutout, saving all 46 shots she faced through 110 minutes of play. “That was a beautiful goal,” said Mustangs head coach Dave Barrett after the overtime win. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an overtime goal quite that nice — usually they’re sloppy.” The marathon of a game was a true testament to how evenly matched these two teams were, as they battled down to the last second and left everything on the ice. “It was a great game by two great teams,” said Nipissing head coach Darren Turcotte. “It’s unfortunate that in games like this there has to be a winner and has to be a loser.” The winning goal came just past the 12-minute mark of the third overtime from the team’s top playoff line of Evra Levesque, Amanda Pereira and Kirkham. The line has produced points in every playoff game so far, with Kirkham having one goal and two assists prior to her triple overtime goal. “Playing with Amanda Pereira and Evra Levesque, they’ve been a phenominal line,” said Barrett. “It’s fitting that line s c o r e d . Lynsday [Kirkham has] come a long way as a player this year. I’m very proud of the way she’s played over the last month.” The goal itself was the result of a long, hard-fought game for the Mustangs, where they did their best to truly embody what they call ‘Mustangs Hockey.’ “I think we outplayed them,”
said Kirkham. “We had a lot of opportunities so we knew at the end of the day we would get one in. It was a solid team effort. “I was in shock at first, I didn’t even realize [the goal] was in,” Kirkham continued. “I had to hit it twice, it wasn’t quite over the line at first. To be completely honest, it’s kind of a blur.” Kirkham’s heroics not only put the Mustangs into next week’s OUA championship against Guelph, but also booked them a ticket to this year’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships in Calgary, where they will attempt to defend their national title. The return to nationals seems to be the big takeaway from this game, as the team is already beginning to get excited for their trip to Calgary. “They’re pretty excited to be going back to nationals more than anything,” said Barrett. “Obviously we’d like to put a banner or two back up for this year too, but this is a different team than last year’s team.” “We can’t wait to go to Calgary,” said Kirkham. For all the excitement around the Mustangs getting set to defend both of their titles, it’s hard not to give credit where credit is due to the Nipissing Lakers. “Nipissing has put together a tremendous program,” said Barrett. “We tip our cap to them; they played a really solid defensive game.” The Mustangs have almost a full week before they hit the ice again in the OUA final on Saturday, where they will face off against Guelph for the second year in a row. Guelph finished first overall in the OUA, 15 points ahead of Western. Both teams claimed a win in their two match-ups this season, so Saturday’s final is sure to be another exciting game. However, the Mustangs aren’t too focused on that right now. “It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Barrett. “We’ve been focused on tonight and we’re gonna give the girls a couple days to rest, and then we’ll start focusing on the next game.” n
• www.westerngazette.ca
TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 • 9
knowsports
Women’s basketball fall to mighty Rams NATHAN KANTER DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @NATHANATGAZETTE
KYLE PORTER GAZETTE
’Stangs close out season on high SHANE ROBERTS SPORTS EDITOR @SHANEATGAZETTE Heading into the women’s volleyball Ontario University Athletics final four this past weekend in Toronto, it was presumed by many that the Western Mustangs would meet the Toronto Varsity Blues in the OUA final on Saturday. The Ryerson Rams, however, had a different plan in mind. The Rams were hungry for revenge after losing on their home court to the Mustangs in straight sets two weeks earlier. The desire and determination of the Rams showed from start to finish in their dominant straight set victory over the Mustangs in the OUA semifinal on Friday. The Mustangs didn’t see this coming and the look of disappointment was clear on their faces on Friday night at the Goldring Centre. But once the bronze medal match started against the McMaster Marauders on Saturday, it seemed it was a different Mustangs team than the one from the day before. “Yesterday didn’t feel like an actual game so I feel like a lot of us kind of brushed it off,” said Mustang Kelsey Veltman in reference to how the team was able to bounce back. The motivation for the Mustangs to prove the semifinal was a fluke presented itself right from the start of the match against the Marauders. Led by the dynamic offensive duo of Veltman and Aja Gyimah, the Mustangs crushed the Marauders
in the first set by a score of 25-16. Right from this first set, it was also evident that the Mustangs had extra motivation to finish the season with a victory over their rivals. “We enjoy playing [McMaster] because we know every time we play them it’s going to be a good match and these girls are at a level that they want to be challenged,” explained Mustang head coach Melissa Bartlett. This excitement was seen in the emotion and enthusiasm from both the Mustangs on the court and on the bench during this dominant victory in the first set. “We were able to stay composed and focus on point by point and they struggled with us being really loud and hyped and that brought them down and gave us a bit of an advantage,” said Veltman. After the excellent first set, however, the Mustangs began to struggle and were unable to answer the Marauders. McMaster knocked down the Mustangs in the second and third set to take a stranglehold on the match. Despite the struggle in these two sets, the Mustangs were able to stay composed and did not let their emotions negatively affect their play. Veltman said a key role model for her throughout the last two seasons has been fifth-year veteran Serena Smith. Coach Barlett also spoke fondly of Smith. “Serena’s going to go down as one of my favourite players I’ve
ever coached,” said Bartlett. “[She is] truly the hardest worker I’ve ever coached. She’s such a great leader on and off the court and I think the team really rallied around her to support her.” The calm mentality practiced by Smith was evident in the fourth and fifth sets when it looked like the Marauders might be able to put the Mustangs away. But in this moment, Smith stepped up big for the Mustangs in her final game in the purple and white. She was able to score some crucial offensive points for the Mustangs that helped them secure a 25-22 victory in the fourth set. In the fifth and deciding set, the Mustangs lost their momentum from the end of the fourth set and again looked like they were going to be defeated by the Marauders. But the Mustangs stormed back at the end of the set behind the brilliant offensive play of Gyimah to win a nail-biting fifth set by a score of 15-13 to secure the OUA bronze medal. The bronze medal game marks the end of the season for the Mustangs as they did not qualify for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport volleyball championship in Brandon, Man. However, moving forward into next season there is a lot of potential for this young Mustang volleyball team, as many of their key players will be back next year. n
Mattamy Athletic Centre has become one of the most difficult places to play basketball, that is, if you’re the visiting team. On Friday evening, the Western Mustangs women’s basketball team experienced that for the first time this year, as they traveled to Toronto to take on the Ryerson Rams on their home court in the Ontario University Athletics quarter-final. Western was coming off a dominant 91–50 win over the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in the preliminary round, but they were in tough against a Ryerson Rams squad that had finished second in the OUA in the regular season with a 16–3 record. That record meant Rterson received a bye in the first round. With the crowd behind them, Ryerson took control early in this game and never looked back. It took Western over three minutes to score their first basket and they trailed 21–6 at the end of the first quarter. By then, the tone had been set and things looked bleak. Western third-year guard MacKenzie Puklicz said nerves certainly got to her and the rest of the team. Puklicz shot 1-for-7 from the floor in the first half, while the team shot 26 per cent. “This is the first time [since] I’ve been in the program that we’ve won the first round and made it onto another game,” Puklicz said after the loss. “I’m going to learn from this that I just need to calm down.... We were just a mess out there and you could tell the difference between the game on Wednesday [against Toronto] and today. We just weren’t ourselves.” By half, Western was trailing 43–23. They made a good effort in the second half, managing to cut the Rams lead to 15 points by the end of the third quarter and getting to within nine points with six minutes left in the game. “We knew Western wasn’t going to go away,” said Rams head coach Carly Clarke. “They came out fired up and I think they surprised us. We were a little bit casual to start [the second half].”
New rules limit football recruiting SERENA QUINN SPORTS EDITOR @SERENAATGAZETTE Changes to the Ontario University Athletics’ training camp roster this year limited the Western Mustangs football team’s ability to recruit in the numbers they had in the past. The training rosters for teams in the OUA will now be capped at 110 players, while the roster for the regular season is capped at 90 active athletes. In the past, teams in the OUA could have had 200-plus players come out to their training camp, numbers they would have had to cut down to 90 to finalize their rosters for the regular season. So what did this mean for recruiting athletes for the 2016 season? Essentially, the training roster cap just limits the amount of players that can attend training camp in August, which consequently limits the size of the Mustangs recruiting class. “With the new rules in the OUA,
it means we have to bring in a small class to make sure we’re within that 110 [roster limit],” Mustangs recruiting coordinator Tom Flaxman said in a press release. “We’re pretty excited about the 25 athletes we have coming.” This year the Mustangs welcome 25 new players to their 2016 recruiting class, which was announced last Wednesday evening. The incoming class marks the smallest recruitment class since 2007. Last year the Mustangs brought in 29 recruits, and the year before that they welcomed 30 fresh faces. Despite the small cut to the recruiting class for this upcoming season, Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall is excited about the talent these young athletes will bring to the team. “It’s an outstanding group, a quality group that addresses instantly some of our needs,” Marshall said. “We’ve got a couple of really good linebackers, several good offensive
linemen, and that’s important.” In terms of a positional break down, 10 of the new recruits are offensive players, 10 are defensive players and five can line up on either side of the ball. Geographically, the new recruiting class features players from coastto-coast, with two players from Quebec, two from Manitoba, one from British Columbia, one from Alberta, one from Nova Scotia, and 17 from Ontario. The Mustangs extended their reach internationally as well by bringing in Ben Wilson from South Carolina. Many of these new recruits have had success in their respective leagues and a number have debuted their skills on both the national and international stages. Eleven incoming players are major award winners and/or all-stars, six have played on a provincial team and one player — Alex Salytchev — was a member of U19 Team Canada. n
But in the end the Rams proved superior, coming away with a convincing 83–64 win. “Once we found our discipline defensively, we started to clean things up a little bit and play our game offensively,” Clarke said. Mustangs head coach Brian Cheng praised the seniors on the Rams, calling them “special players.” In particular, he singled out Keneca Pingue-Giles and Silvana Jez, who notched 21 and 22 points respectively. For Western, this game was a huge learning opportunity. “You can always learn, that’s the thing,” Cheng said. “The great thing about basketball is it’s a real microcosm of life. Things happen to us that are good and bad out there, so it’s not what happens to us that matters, it’s how we respond to what happens to us that matters. “We try... to take the positives and move on. Take the things that we can learn from and take the nutrients out of it like food and then we’ve got to shit it out to get better.” Western seniors Caroline Wolynski and Jaime Hills played their last games as a Mustang and will be missed. Wolynski was a core part of the team this year, running the point while averaging a career-high 13.6 points-per-game, 14th in the OUA. “[Caroline has] been big for the last five years she’s been here,” Puklicz said. “[Next year] we’re going to have to see – it’s going to be a lot of adjustments to try to find a core group that will be able to replace Caroline.” Puklicz will be a major part of the core she is referring to, as she led the entire OUA in points-per-game this season, with 18.6 and was names an OUA first-team all-star. Puklicz, Maddy Horst and rookie Julia Curran will likely provide the offence next year. Horst, a second-year guard, averaged 12.1 points-per-game this season but wasn’t able to play in the playoffs due to injury. Curran, a first-year forward who was named the OUA rookie of the year on Monday, averaged 6.8 points-per-game and 7.5 reboundsper-game in her first season as a Mustang. n
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10 • TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2015
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Reading is for everyone, including us kids Breaking Brad
BRADLEY METLIN OPINIONS EDITOR @BRADATGAZETTE The first letter that finger phonics taught me in kindergarten was “s.” After that, I worked through the workbooks to learn the entire alphabet and even compound sounds like “th” or “er.” Reading fascinated me and within a year, I was devouring the works of Roald Dahl. When I got an Xbox for my 10th birthday, this diminished my interest in reading for only a few weeks. While video games were exciting, they just added to the list of my interests. When I was in high school, my friend Toniesha and I decided to work through some classic pieces of literature together — she favoured the works of Kurt Vonnegut while I was more partial to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. I was perplexed when I recently read a column in The New Yorker entitled “Do Teens Read Seriously Anymore?” Obviously the author David Denby was mistaken. Not only is he wrong about reading, but his tone is huffy and he had the sort of dismissive attitude toward millennials that one would expect from a 72-year-old. “When they become 12 or 13, kids often stop reading seriously,” Denby writes. “The boys veer off into sports or computer games, the girls into friendship in all its wrenching mysteries and satisfactions of favor and exclusion. Much of their social life, for boys as well as girls, is now conducted on smartphones, where teenagers don’t have to confront one another. The terror of eye contact!” Smartphones! Video games! Get off my lawn! The horrors of a typical septuagenarian are illuminated before our very eyes! While Denby’s gloomy outlook on things may imply young people are frivolous, the statistics seem to disagree.
In 2014, Pew determined those under the age of 30 are far more likely to read a book than those over 65. Denby also acknowledges today’s young people may be reading more words than ever before, but seems to diminish the importance of this. A survey from the Newspaper Audience Database says 70 per cent of young Canadians are reading newspaper content. Why are newspapers deemed to be less important media than classic literature? They offer two different, yet arguably just as important, sources of information. If such large amounts of young people are still consuming content from newspapers, will they not be more aware of the world they live in? Additionally, there are no real statistics on how many young people are reading the relatively vague genre of “classic literature.” “I know perfectly well that there was never a Golden Age of Teen Reading,” Denby writes. So what does he expect, then? The argument is maddening. Using a smartphone and reading classic literature are not mutually exclusive. I can still read A Catcher in the Rye while my iPhone rests on my nightstand. While there can be no indication of the demographic of buyers, Go Set A Watchman, the unearthed companion novel to the classic To Kill A Mockingbird shattered first week sales records. What this figure suggests is an interest in classic literature that surely transcends generational lines. After all, reaction on social media — which is largely filled with young people — had Go Set a Watchman trending. I understand it can be fashionable to strike millennials with insults about their lack of engagement with “serious” activities, but reading is not something that young people are turning away from. Denby’s column in The New Yorker veers into damaging generalizations and stereotypes. Since reading The Witches in second grade, I’ve continued to consume literature, including some of the classics. I’m willing to bet I’m not alone. n
My sparkly red hijab
TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE
Bungled response to bridge closure BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD Who announces a major transit interruption on a Friday night at 8 p.m.? Western, that’s who. Somehow, they thought it was a good idea to dump the big news that thousands of students would have to get up a little earlier in order to get to class on time at the worst possible time. It’s old PR lore that if you want to kill a story, you put it out on a Friday afternoon. Even then, the only thing Western did to publicize this was a single tweet, lost in anyone’s feed after a few minutes. The news that the 6 and 6A Richmond and the 13 Wellington would no longer stop on campus is huge. With a daily ridership of 17,053 and accounting for 35 per cent of all campus traffic, surely Western would want to be as open about any route changes as possible. But that wasn’t the case. They found out on Feb. 25 that a load restriction would be necessary on the bridge. Why did it take over a week to tell students? And why tell students on a Friday night? Even then, it was a single tweet that almost nobody saw. Throughout the weekend, the University’s social media was silent on this important issue. On Sunday night, Western’s Facebook finally acknowledged any sort of interruption at the convenient time of 10 minutes to midnight. The University also finally sent out an email to all students at 9 p.m. on Sunday.
lack of communication was a serious problem for students trying to figure out what was going on. When students’ main source of information is The Gazette, you know something must be wrong. Then there was the fact that the buses would be routed outside of campus rather than turn in and go past the hospital on their way to Natural Science. That would have seen the minimal disruption to students, yet didn’t happen. All of this sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive because the timing of this closure comes after a campus traffic study and Western administration’s hesitance on light rail, something the city wants to put through campus. Was this Western just messing with students to try and show them what life would be like without a University Drive bridge since that’s what would happen if it had to be widened for rapid transit? Why couldn’t the buses still go to Natural Science as normal? Why won’t they tell us anything? But oddly enough, this all might just be perfect timing and backfire on Western. The first day went by smoothly and students will get over walking 10–15 minutes more to class. For either bus rapid transit or light rail, the bridge will have to be widened significantly. Since it’s in need of repairs already, might as well widen it sooner rather than later and avoid years of uncertainty. It might not be what the University wants, but it’s what students need. n
For a University with a well-oiled PR machine, the
Hala At Your Girl
HALA GHONAIM SPORTS EDITOR @HALAATGAZETTE My uneven curls towered over my head every morning throughout my childhood. A little bit of baby powder and a lot of hair ironing was my secret at the time. Until one day I ditched the baby powder and simply started ironing my hijab instead. July 1, 2007 was the first time I placed a sparkly red hijab flat on the ironing board. I was so proud of my decision that I had to make my debut on our national day. Nothing could wipe the smirk off my face when I tightly wrapped my hijab and walked out the door to parade my new look. They asked me what it was and I said it was a hijab. They thought it was cool and I never went into
detail, and that was that. I was 12. Now, I find it ironic that my faith had to shine alongside my patriotism. I grew up singing “God keep our land glorious and free” and I guess I took it seriously. Silly me. I was young but I grew to appreciate my decision. The hijab was my guardian angel. It was my safe haven. It reminded me of my roots. I never doubted myself. But things quickly changed. Soon, they told me I already look white and if I took off my hijab, I would pass as one of them. I said I would feel naked and they said it was meant as a compliment, and that was that. I was 15. I was in high school. I made irrational decisions. I dyed my eyebrows red. I wore highlighter colours. I just wanted to talk about school; but, I loosened my hijab instead. It was becoming difficult to associate my hijab with beauty or happiness. Later, I began to pave my way into what I thought was a promising career but they came back. They told me I wouldn’t to be
able to anchor their evening news because I wasn’t the right fit and reassured me I didn’t have a face for radio but it was simply the cloth that was in the way and that was that. I was 18. That cloth was the reason I was so hungry to work harder but they’re right. Indeed my screen would flood with images of women who looked like me, but not for the same aspirations. And I was reminded again by the man on the bus because, “a terrorist can’t talk about other terrorists. It’s a conflict of interest.” I used to be so confident but my hijab loosened as things grew more and more difficult. Nothing was balanced anymore. My scale was weighing heavy from the hatred. My key to lasting happiness was lost. My formula for a happy life was misplaced. I no longer felt strongly
about my beliefs. I wanted to be like them and that was that. I was 19. Then their hate speech grew. It grew rapidly, at a scary rate. Their words became actions and their actions were deadly. I am not motivated anymore. It’s hate that induces hate. My faith wasn’t turning me into a monster, they were. I’m lost… and that’s all. I am 20. But I will wrap my hijab tightly because I am used to this mental and physical battle. Although I am strong, I am not invincible. I am affected by the images on their screens and the harshness of their glares. Although I am strong, I am not indestructible. Questioning the reason for my existence is a pitless fall that I only wish to land softly on. Anti-Islamic rhetoric is lingering heavily in the air and I am
scared. Sure, there is a needle in every haystack but these people seem to be sitting on a stack of swords. This needs to stop. Thousands of Muslims are putting out initiatives to break down the barriers set by hate speech worldwide. Islam awareness events are flooding campuses nationwide, including our own Muslim Students’ Association holding educational events every day next week. I challenge you to sit through a panel discussion on the current political issues, spend an evening with Muslim artists and explore the countries Islam is rooted in. Get talking. Get educated. It is the least I can ask you to do. Not for me, but for my unveiled 13-year-old baby sister who recently asked me to dig up an old, sparkly red hijab. 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
TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 • 11
experience
Bringing Canada’s refugee past to Western MOSES MONTERROZA ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @MOSESATGAZETTE In 1973, a military coup led by the infamous General Augusto Pinochet changed the history of Chile and its people forever. The rippling effects of his despotic rule sent droves of families from their homes, forcing them to adapt to new cultures, languages and customs. It’s a story that is rarely told, until now, with the Arts and Humanities Student Council’s Refugee Hotel, a play that follows the arrival of eight Chilean refugees in the city of Vancouver. “It’s based on a true story,” says director Katharine Dos Santos, fifthyear English literature student. “It’s a fictionalized account of the playwright [Carmen Aguirre]. It’s about how the characters — who were political prisoners — overcome trauma by forging a community.” In many ways, the play draws parallels to the modern refugee crisis in Syria. It’s loaded with themes of isolation, anxiety and trauma. It highlights the challenges fought by refugees. Most importantly, however, the play humanizes the experiences of refugees. In a world inundated with information, it’s easy to forget that the images we see on screens aren’t just abstract. “A lot of people see refugees as numbers and they forget to give them the humanity that they have. They forget that these people have struggled,” says Juliana Gutierrez, actress and second-year social justice and peace studies. “It’s also a reminder that everyone has a story.” For Gutierrez, her story begins in Columbia, but in the advent of perpetual violence, continues in Canada. “I saw that there were a lot of parallels between my experience
as a refugee child and Manuelita’s [lead character] experience,” says Guitierrez. “It’s the whole loss of innocence and trying to come to terms with the fact that there’s an excess of violence in the place that you should be able to call home.” The play is fundamentally an opportunity for discourse, to talk about the challenges of resettlement and to discuss the political webs behind forced migration. That is why the play isn’t just a performance, but an opportunity for communication. “Following the performances we will have Q&A’s from different community organizations and professors who can speak on the refugee crises,” says Dos Santos. “The profits from the show are going to support the Cross Cultural Learner Centre and the resettlement of refugees.” It’s a direct and concrete way to not only spread awareness but support communities across London. It’s an initiative that included the support of real Chilean refugees. “We’ve had actual Chileans who’ve come and spoken to the cast who lived in Chile during the coup,” says Dos Santos. To maintain the integrity of the play, there were great strides made to ensure the cast remain predominately Latino and Latina, which turned out to be surprisingly difficult. “For the first couple of days of audition, almost everyone who came out was white,” says Dos Santos with a chuckle. “It was a challenge because you have to choose: are you going to cast the better actor or the person who’s identity aligns?” Refugee Hotel will be performed at The ARTS project from March 9-12 at 7:30 p.m., with an additional Saturday showing at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general, $12 for students. For more information, go to theartsproject.ca. n
cd review Out and In
AMAL MATAN GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE The Lifers Out and In Independent Rating: GGGFF Guelph sisters Liv and Anita Cazzola are known as The Lifers, a folk music duo. They began developing their musical stylings in Feb. 2014 and list some of their influences as Dan Mangan, The Staves and Feist. The Cazzola sisters recently released their debut album Out and In, which features beautiful harmonies and a calm ambiance. The album revolves around nature-inspired sounds and the ambience of daily life. The sisters start off the album with a soothing song called Listen to the Rain, which uses the pitter patters of rain to back their lyrical harmonies. On the other hand, the follow-up track The Moon And The Stars starts to the sound of a rural summer night.
If you close your eyes, the album transports you through experiences of airy sights and sounds. Guitars and cellos strum confidently but gently, swelling to the tune of potent drums. I’ve Got You is bright, reassuring, playful and heartfelt, while tracks like Home for the Weekend and Blue Tattered Shoes delve into longing, wanderlust and wondering. Simple is better in this folksy album where even more upbeat songs are still laid back. Songs are artfully uncomplicated to the point where tracks meld seamlessly together. This makes the album a great late night or early morning listen. There isn’t an abrupt change in tone or tempo. Each song is placed deliberately with care. The duo’s sound is similar to an earlier version of Of Monsters of Men and The Lumineers blended with Babel-phase Mumford and Sons. You can definitely hear them experimenting with different sounds in tracks where some songs sound far closer to folk rock while others are far more country. Standout tracks include the promising Home For The Weekend, haunting opener Listen to the Rain and closer Where The Smoke Blows. As a debut project, Out and In blends the light sounds of folk and country and starts off a great beginning for the two sisters. The Lifers will be performing in London Friday, April 1 at the Night of the Living Room. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and cover is $10. n
ALEXANDRA HAWKINS GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE In an age where conformity is the norm, differentiating yourself can be difficult. Third-year political science student Cameron Sheeler shows us how to use fun accessories to show your true personality. His coat’s minimalist design is unlike what is usually seen today, as it has no visible buttons save for the top one. This is Sheeler’s favourite piece, because “it’s unique and so clean without the appearance of pockets.” Underneath the jacket he wears a dark blue chambray buttoned shirt. This subtle patterned style is a great way to add texture to an outfit without the overkill of a louder pattern like stripes or plaid. The colour also complements nicely, playing off the cool tones in the coat. On the bottom, Sheeler wears a pair of olive pants, whose warm colour complements the cooler tones in the rest of his outfit. His pants are rolled up at the cuff, highlighting his brown leather boots. These classy boots are pragmatic and can be worn a lot during the late winter and early spring months when it’s still too wet to wear other shoes, but not cold enough to necessitate boots. The highlight of the outfit though is his black Herschel backpack, which features a colourful fish print. This brand of backpack is very popular right now, but the fun print is eye-catching and makes his look stand out from the crowd. To get Sheeler’s look, he advises to “try to create really clean, polished lines.” But also don’t be afraid to get creative and show off your fun side. “Everyone has these Hershel bags,” he says of his backpack, “and I had never seen this pattern before and I thought it was cheeky.” Fashion is all about self-expression. Don’t be afraid to combine what’s in style and your own personality to create your own unique look.
WHERE TO GET IT: SHIRT: Club Monaco. Chambray is a muted pattern that can really add to an outfit. COAT: Zara. This coat is a great modern twist on the traditional wool coat and it’s versatile neutral style can be worn with a variety of different looks. PANTS: The Bay. A pair of plain pants provides a good base for when you want to highlight other areas of your outfit and the olive colour is an alternative to other neutrals like black and beige. BACKPACK: Stance. Wearing a backpack with a fun print is a great way to add variety to an outfit and show off your personality with something you can wear on the daily. n
JENNY JAY GAZETTE
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CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER
JENNY JAY GAZETTE SWEET LIKE SUGAR. Models strut their stuff as part of the Spur Fashion Show: Crave at London Music Hall this past Saturday night. Read the story on page 5.
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