Tuesday, March 29, 2016 by Western Gazette

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SINCE 1906

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LIST, BY THE NUMBERS

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 109 ISSUE 49 pissing off the printer since 1906

Walking on sunshine

RE OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN ONTARIO ERE WERE 115,431 EMPLOYEES WHO MADE A ,669,007,540.45.

YEES AT WESTERN ST THIS PAST YEAR, M 1,247 IN 2014.

TOP PAID AT AFFILIATES

NAME

INCLUDED IN THE LIST ARE UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THOSE FROM WESTERN, HURON, BRESCIA AND KING’S.

SALARY UNIVERSITY POSITION

The Sunshine List, in charts. Page 6–7. COLLEEN HANYCZ

$294,217.98

BRESCIA

PRINCIPAL

DONNA ROGERS

$205,770.81

BRESCIA

INTERIM PRINCIPAL

ALICIA GARCIA

$143,625.98

BRESCIA

DIRECTOR - GRAD STUDIES

STEPHEN MCCLATCHIE $242,545.08

HURON

PRINCIPAL

MARK BLAGRAVE

$163,240.07

HURON

ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE DEAN

DAVID CONTER

$153,401.68

HURON

PROFESSOR

DAVID SYLVESTER

$249,558.00

KING’S

PRINCIPAL

SAURO CAMILETTI

$224,015.04

KING’S

VICE PRINCIPAL

JEFFREY MAJOR

$184,991.29

KING’S

VICE PRINCIPAL

UNIVERSITIES EMPLOYEES: 17,065

The top salary at Western belonged to Michael Strong, the dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, who earned $487,126.

298

TOP 10 PAID OVERALL AT WESTERN

NAME

SALARY

HAEL STRONG

$487,126.00

DEAN / PROFESSOR / MEDICAL DOCTOR

SCHULICH MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

ERT KENNEDY

$444,999.84

DEAN / PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

$414,940.20

PROFESSOR / MEDICAL DOCTOR

SCHULICH MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

ERT SOLOMON $378,719.59

PROFESSOR

LAW

CE DEAKIN

$343,000.08

PROVOST & VICE-PRESIDENT (ACADEMIC) / PROFESSOR

ADMINISTRATION

LY COLE

$323,999.96

VICE-PRESIDENT (EXTERNAL)

ADMINISTRATION

AIN SCOTT

$315,000.00

DEAN

LAW

TIMA BANSAL

$313,028.26

PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

L BEAMISH

$312,895.24

PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

ID BUSABA

$310,788.78

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

HARD KIM

POSITION

FIELD

Western provost Janice Deakin was the highest paid administrator at Western. She is the second-highest paid provost in Ontario.

$375000

TOP 10 PROVOST SALARIES IN ONTARIO

$340000 $305000 $270000 $235000 $200000

NUMBER OF WESTERN EMPLOYEES ON THE SUNSHINE LIST SINCE 2004

05 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

WESTERN EMPLOYEES ON THE SUNSHINE LIST BY SEX

ONE THING THAT BECOMES APPARENT FROM LOOKING AT ALL THE DATA: FEMALES ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ACADEMIA.

THIS FRIDAY, READ A FEATURE ONLINE ABOUT THE ROLE GENDER PLAYS IN MOVING UP THE ACADEMIC RANKS AT WESTERN AND BEYOND.

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You have two choices on a rainy day: stay indoors or dance in the rain. “You can’t control what is shown to you, but you can control how you look at it,” says Ben Withers, a part-time student at Western coming back to explore his options after completing a degree in kinesiology. Upon graduating in the spring of 2014, the Mississauga native decided to spontaneously backpack across New Zealand after realizing he spent four years in a program he wasn’t happy in.

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“When you come to realize that these ideas are selfimposed and you let go of them, [then] you step past them,” he said. “All of a sudden your whole life changes and you begin to see so much more about what’s going on.” The lone Western student spent numerous nights trekking the forests and climbing the mountains of Queenstown, New Zealand until a spark in his heart put an early end to his journey. That’s when Withers made the decision to head home, work multiple jobs and return to Western to learn what he’d always wanted to delve into: physics.

Coming to Western wasn’t fully Withers’ decision. In fact, it was a push from friends and family who prioritized the higher academic reputation. Therefore, his backpacking trip became his first independent decision Withers made that got him away from all the variables that seemed to affect his decisionmaking.

His open-mindedness towards education also extends to being open-minded towards other cultures, religions and ideologies. In fact, Withers believes acceptance starts within our own realm here at Western before it can be extended to the outside world.

After a tumultuous summer working in the biochemistry department at Western, Withers packed his bags and headed to Auckland. He began his long-awaited journey of solitude and selfcontemplation in order to answer the big question of what was next in his timeline.

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Withers had ideas in his head that were falsely protecting him from opportunity such as changing his appearance or changing his entire academic major. He felt as if society put limits on him and many other teens like him at the time in order to follow societal norms.

“Travelling in itself cannot be understated as a valuable choice on its own,” he said. “There’s things you don’t even know that you don’t know, and you can only find that by jumping wholeheartedly into that abyss of uncertainty.” Withers’ intense period of introspection opened his mind to capabilities he never realized he had. He found he needed to stop trying to blend in and go against the tide instead. He grew up putting restrictions on himself, which downplayed what he was truly capable of.

“The world is smaller than you think and boundaries and differences and categories that we place on different people in the world are within the same category about how we define the world,” he says. For Withers, his pursuit of happiness is founded on the idea of challenging his perspective in faith, education, culture and life in general. And it all began with challenging his perspective of his abilities. ■■HALA GHONAIM

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Neuroscientists boost Western research

How the Ghomeshi witnesses could have been me

Sleeping Beauty coming to London

A husband and wife duo have been recruited to Western to continue their research in learning, memory, attention and problem-solving.  PG 5

A student writes about following the details of the Jian Ghomeshi trial and the complexities of sexual assault from personal experience  PG 10

The London premiere of Sleeping Beauty will be this Thursday. Dancer Kealan McLaughlin gives a behind-the-scenes look at the production.  PG 11

HIGH 5 LOW -2

HIGH 11 LOW 10

HIGH 14 LOW 2

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London reps react to budget HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE The federal budget has drawn different reactions from various levels of government representatives in London — in particular with its effects on post-secondary students and rapid transit. “I’m incredibly proud of this budget,” said Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal Member of Parliament for London North Centre. Fragiskatos, a rookie MP and a former faculty member at King’s University College, said he met numerous students during his teaching days who were worried about debt issues. During the budget consultation period in February, he also met with various stakeholders in London, including the University Students’ Council, who cited similar concerns about student loan repayments and youth unemployment. The Liberal government’s amendments to the Canada Student Loans Program revealed in the 2016 budget now allow post-secondary students to start paying back their loans once they have an annual income of $25,000 as opposed to the previous limit of $20,000.

“I think this is a policy response to what students have [been] calling [for] a long time,” Fragiskatos said. Fragiskatos is also pleased with his government’s investments towards infrastructure growth in the country. The Liberals have allotted $11.9 billion towards new infrastructure investments over the next five years as part of their “Phase I of Canada’s New Infrastructure Plan.” “When we invest in infrastructure, and there are various forms of infrastructure that we will be directing money towards — you’re actually helping build the country up,” he said. Phil Squire, ward 6 city councillor, disagreed with Fragiskatos’ assessment of infrastructure spending and is worried about the big deficit that the federal government is intending to run. “I worry given the experiences in the province of Ontario that running huge deficits leads to real restraint on the ability of the government to do the things they want to do, whether it is investing in infrastructure or investing in education,” he said. The London city council is currently developing a business plan for introducing rapid transit to deal with the city’s increasing transit woes.

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Proposed plans, which include options such as a new rapid bus system to a light rail system, cost anywhere between $340 million to over $1 billion, according to Squire. The city has pledged $125 million to the project but provincial and federal assistance is vital for rapid transit development in London. Squire does not think the federal funding will be adequate enough to help fully fund the projects. “There is some concern because of the amount of money that was allocated … the kind of investment we need will not be forthcoming,” he said. “The amount of money the federal government is spending is spread out in so many different areas.” However, with the new investments in education, infrastructure and other programs such as the Canada Child Benefit, Fragiskatos believes the budget will actually help Canada move forward. “We have an economy that is experiencing difficulty right now,” he said. “We inherited a challenging economic situation but we’re putting forward a bold and ambitious plan that will benefit this country.” n

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Student leaders take advocacy to Parliament Hill HAMZA TARIQ BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HAMZAATGAZETTE Student leaders from some of the largest universities in Canada gathered in Ottawa last week as the federal budget was revealed to advocate for issues facing post-secondary students. The “Advocan” campaign highlighted three major issues: limitations in the Canada Student Loans Program, challenges faced by international students in Canada and youth unemployment. Student representatives from Western University, the University of British Columbia, Queen’s University, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, McMaster University and the University of Saskatchewan took part in the initiative and held meetings with cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Universities Canada and other stakeholders. University Students’ Council president Sophie Helpard was pleased with the response the student leaders received on Parliament Hill and saw some of the campaign’s recommendations actually applied in the federal budget. “A couple of things we can check off the list will be new investments in co-op programs as well as an amendment to the Canada Student Loans Program that shows previously students had to start repaying their loans as soon as they filed

an income tax report of $20,000 a year and that was increased to $25,000,” she said. According to Jude Crasta, president of UBC’s Alma Mater Society, MPs have been receptive tod issues and concerns regarding youth unemployment impacting current and graduating post-secondary students. The federal budget already saw new investments in co-op programs in the science and technology fields but Crasta hopes funding will also be expanded to social sciences and humanities programs. MPs and ministers were also made aware of issues facing international students in Canada. The campaign is advocating the federal government to remove the hourly restriction on international students for working off-campus during the duration of their studies. According to a brief on Advocan released by the USC, the campaign is also recommending that the government “remove the requirement to be enrolled as a full-time equivalent student in order to work without a work permit. The only restriction should be that these international students are working towards a degree.” One major student issue that remains to be addressed by the federal government is the borrowing limit of the CSLP. The loan limit has not increased since 2004 and does not account for the rising costs of living, tuition fees and

other student expenses. “We find students are going to credit card companies or they are going to banks and they are getting these loans when they are 17 or 18 years old with high interest, higher payment plans and they are going further into debt,” said Sarah Letersky, vice-president university affairs at Queen’s University’s Alma Mater Society. The student leaders are lobbying the government to increase the loan limit to $15,500 from the current $12,000 to bring it in line with living expenses in mid- and large-sized Canadian cities. They wrapped up most of their advocacy efforts on Parliament Hill last Thursday. This was the first year this group of universities came together for the Advocan campaign. “This is the founding year of this coalition of student unions — there hasn’t been a change to the federal advocacy scene for student governments in years so we are very proud to bring a new voice to the scene in Ottawa,” Helpard said. Lindsee Perkins, USC vice-president external, added the advocacy campaign has been very effective and should even be expanded in future years. “It’s been a great week and something we would really like to see moving forward with the rest of the schools that are currently a part of the coalition and we would love to see it expanded,” she said. n

Survey launched to gauge response to 15% policy DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE Students have the opportunity to voice their opinion on whether they want professors to give 15 per cent of a final course grade back before the drop deadline. Student senators have released a survey to garner student feedback regarding this policy that has been proposed twice at Senate but was again sent back to committee at their meeting on March 11. According to Emily Addison, chair of the student senators, the general response they’ve gotten so far is that students want feedback earlier in the semester. The survey was released last week and will end during the first week of April. “I have also heard that receiving 15 per cent of the course requirement in the first few weeks will be beneficial ... as it will spread out the course load and may reduce stress levels as a result,” she said. Addison emphasized the importance of student feedback through this survey so experiences of many students can be brought forth at the next Senate meeting to bring weight to the discussion. Harry Orbach-Miller, social science and FIMS student senator, said although there will be concerns with regards to this policy that will have to be looked at, the survey will show that a united student opinion exists on this issue. “This is something that will have such a widespread effect so I think it’s incredibly important we get people’s honest opinions,” he said. He said in the survey many

students expressed legitimate concerns about course grade feedback from their professors. Addison said the next course of action is for student senators to meet with faculty members within their respective faculties and gauge the type of responses. Faculty members say this policy would require restructuring of many courses, but Addison hopes a middle ground can be found for faculty and students. “I think this provides a lot of opportunities to professors to be creative with the way they are delivering assessment in courses, which I think is a great opportunity to encourage a diversity of teaching techniques, which would improve the student experience in the classroom across the board,” Addison said. Completing this survey will enter students in a draw to win one of five $20 gift cards to the Book Store at Western. “This is an important change because learning is not a one-day endeavor, it is cumulative,” said Orbach-Miller. “When it comes to university, our assessment process should reflect that.” n

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Wiebe named student writer-in-residence GRACE TO GAZETTE STAFF @NEWSATGAZETTE Victoria Wiebe, a third-year psychology and creative writing student, has been chosen as the student writer-in-residence for the 2016–17 year. With a range of writing and publishing experience under her belt, she applied for the position because she wanted to make the broad community at Western more aware of the creative resources that are available to them. “The primary role of the student writer-in-residence is to engage the community,” said Wiebe. “London has a really great arts scene. We are basically looking to promote creative writing events and produce events for the Western student body.” As president of the Creative Writing Club last year, her passion for the arts is evident. She hopes to promote creativity on-campus by offering her unique set of expertise and vision to aspiring student writers. Her love of writing led her to take on leadership roles at Western. She was a part of the editorial board for Nom de Plume, the annual literary journal, and was pleased to see students from other faculties were submitting their creative pieces to be published. Today, she has a few published novels and poems. “Poetry is something I got into in a more professional sense when I entered university,” explained Wiebe. “It’s really hard to write novels when you’re also doing school. [Poetry] used to be my outlet, but I guess I realized it could also be a professional art form as well.” The writer-in-residence

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program has only been active for five years. Wiebe will be the fifth student writer-in-residence in total and also the third one who is not a student from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. For the upcoming year, Wiebe aims to organize workshops that are tailored to students from all faculties, allowing collaborative work in a group setting. The goal of these workshops would be to foster creative ideas and develop skills in student writing. She also envisions an accessible feedback session on written pieces for students, similar to the Flashbang event that took place last year. The event allowed students to receive critiques from the writer-in-residence and student writer-in-residence at the time. Wiebe also feels it is important to showcase the creative work of Western students in order to appreciate the creativity that is constantly being nurtured on-campus. From her experiences, Wiebe sees the importance of getting students to be involved in what they love. “Just keep writing,” encouraged Wiebe. Get involved with your community. I didn’t understand or realize the kind of community that was available at Western until I really came here and decided to get involved.… Don’t underestimate the power of community.” n

EVERY TUESDAY ADVER TISING FEATURE

Course evaluations move online JUDY BASMAJI GAZETTE STAFF @NEWSATGAZETTE

Goodbye end-of-term scantron papers and hello online survey: Western’s student course evaluations are going digital. Besides being eco-friendly, the new student questionnaires on courses and teachers can offer customizable questions, courselong feedback and give students “the opportunity to provide feedback when they want, where they want,” announced John Doerksen, Western’s vice-provost academic programs, earlier this week. The online questionnaires will use an assessment software called eXplorance and will be piloted at Western during the summer academic term to be launched in time for the 2016– 17 school year. The change comes after a joint working group was established last year to review the recommendations of the 2008 joint subcommittee on student evaluations of teaching. The working group consisted of four voting and three non-voting members, including Doerksen as a chair, two members from the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association, a graduate and an undergraduate student representative. “We initially had conversations about this in a working group that included members of UWOFA and

[the] administration exploring various aspects of our course evaluation process,” Doerksen said. “One of the recommendations of that group was to explore the possibility of moving the course evaluations online and that report initially came out in June 2015.” Doerksen said students will be provided with a link to access and complete the questionnaires within an allotted time slot during class; however, the online survey will then remain available for about two weeks in an effort to encourage student participation and to give them the chance to go back and make changes or provide further feedback in their own time. The eXplorance software is currently used by other Canadian universities. In the past five years, schools like the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser, University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University have made the move to online questionnaires. “This online evaluation tool is very well adapted to mobile devices as well as regular web delivery,” said Doerksen. “Students can start to provide feedback on the course right in class but ... a student can go back and add more comments or if they felt they weren’t able to finish during that 15-minute slot of class time.” Students seem to believe that kind of availability would play an

important role in increasing the response rate, particularly as many students may not be present in class on course evaluation day. “I think it’s more convenient especially because not everyone always goes to class,” said Audrey Cullis, a first-year medical science student. “I know my course evaluations for psychology … were handed out on St. Patrick’s Day, so no one was in the class.” Another aspect of the program that stood out to most students is the push towards sustainability. “I think it’s great especially from an environmental perspective,” said Valeria Tarasova, a third-year psychology student. “I think that would save a lot of paper if you think about how many questionnaires and how many students there are.” Still, Doerksen said it’s going to take a little while to develop the online questionnaire’s full functionality, especially in time for fall 2016. “We want to work carefully with our colleagues, students and instructors to make sure that there will be lots of opportunities for conversation across campus around where the needs are,” Doerksen said. “We’ll try to work on this collaboratively across campus to find the best solutions but I think if we get this right there will be some good benefits for instructors as well as for students. n

All day breakfast at the Wave RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITAATGAZETTE

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Woke up too late to have breakfast? Have a breakfast food craving at 7 p.m.? The Wave has you covered, with French toast, waffles and breakfast tacos now available as part of their all-day breakfast menu. “Breakfast has always been a big hit, especially with college students,” said Cris Cervoni, night manager at the Wave. “It’s tough to pull off, though, in a restaurant.” The small feature menu only has five items: smashbrowns, housemade waffles, white chocolate sourdough French toast, breakfast tacos, and quiche and salad. “We wanted to give them a little taste so that we can do a really nice breakfast here without slowing down service or anything like that,” Cervoni said. “So what we did is we put on a feature menu.” The entire menu was put

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together by the operations manager and former kitchen manager Mark Leonard. Cervoni said the menu will be around until the end of the semester. If certain menu items are a hit then they may come back in the

future. If you’ve pulled an all-nighter on campus or woken up too late for breakfast make sure to stop by The Wave and try out this menu before it’s gone. n

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Husband and wife neuroscientists join Western Two internationally acclaimed neuroscientists have arrived at Western to continue their research. Tim Bussey and Lisa Saksida are a husband-and-wife duo who are now professors at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. “At Western, we aim to take our research to the next level using new circuit-level techniques to understand the relationship between specific neural networks and cognition and [improve the] translation between preclinical and clinical research,” said Saksida in an email. Previously, the couple specialized in cognition research at the University of Cambridge in England, studying areas like learning, memory, attention and problem-solving. After a visit to Western last year, though, they decided to make the move to London, Ont. Saksida received her undergraduate degree in psychology at Western and she

said the research community at the school was a big draw to come back. “We were really impressed, not just by the fantastic work going on here and the world-class facilities, but also by the enthusiasm of the research community,” Sakisda said. “We cooked up potential collaborations with just about every single person that we spoke to.” In 2013, Western established cognitive neuroscience research as a priority. The University will provide more than $10 million in investments in coming years to enhance Western’s global leadership in the field and to recruit internationally renowned scientists. “Western is very serious about cognitive neuroscience and [its] investment in this area really shows that,” Sakisda said. “Western’s worldwide profile in cognitive neuroscience has increased tremendously over the past few years. It is really rare to see an institutional commitment like this, but it is exactly this kind of continued support that researchers need to make real progress in tackling difficult and

Chakma disappears from Sunshine List KATIE LEAR NEWS EDITOR @KATIEATGAZETTE Western’s 2015 salary disclosure was notable again for the same name, albeit for a slightly different reason this time: Amit Chakma didn’t make the list after coming in among the highest paid in all the province in 2014. Nearly 1,300 Western employees earned over $100,000 in salary last year according to the university’s annual salary disclosure released on Thursday morning. The highest salary on the list was awarded to the dean of the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Michael Strong, who received $487,126 in 2015. Notably absent was president Chakma, who in April 2015 voluntarily refunded half of his 2014 salary — which was doubled for not taking a year of administrative leave — after backlash from the Western community. “We hope that the actions that the president and the board’s taken since this arose a year ago ... we’re making some headway and people are feeling more comfortable,” said Hanny Hassan, chair of the Board of Governors. 1,298 employees were named on the disclosure, an increase of 51 employees from 2014. The top 25 salaries ranged from $287,601.24 to $487,126, and 19 of those earners were male. Of the top earners, 12 were from the Ivey School of Business, five were senior administrators, four were from Shulich, two were from law and one was from each of science and social science. “We are satisfied that the salaries that Western faculties and staff get is as fair a compensation for what each of them do reflective of the responsibility, whether it’s academic or professional, and the credentials they’ve got and their years of service,” Hassan said of the volume of salaries over $100,000. Hassan continued that a key element in providing the best student experience involves having the best people able to provide it, and so the salaries are competitive in order to

COURTESY OF WESTERN UNIVERSITY Schulich dean Michael Strong was the highest paid employee at Western in 2015 with a salary of $487,126.

attract high-quality staff. Keith Marnoch, director media relations at Western, said that the staff members on the list provides substantial value to Western. “A look through the list shows individuals who play a key role in the delivery of Western’s mission of teaching and research in Canada and internationally. Ninety per cent of those on the list are faculty members,” Marnoch said in an email. “Their work, in many cases, has significant, positive impact here in Canada and around the world. Many also have long service records.” At affiliate colleges, Brescia had 25 employees make the Sunshine List, Huron had 30 and King’s had 88. The highest earner at an affiliate college was former Brescia principal Colleen Hanycz who made $294,218 despite leaving her post mid-way through the year. Despite the high number of staff on the list, USC president Sophie Helpard finds the disclosure to be a positive step for the university. “I think students should be very happy that the Sunshine List is a mechanism for transparency and something that keeps staff and faculty as accountable as possible,” Helpard said. “Western is a huge institution as seen by the amount of employees seen on the list, but I do think it reflects just how many people it takes to keep a school like this running.” n

complicated problems.” According to Saksida, the two professors are currently working on building their new lab. Once it’s fully up and running, they’ll search for

motivated students who are interested in researching the brain and its behaviour. “We are both highly collaborative and believe that the best work

will come from working with others rather than working individually and being overly competitive,” said Saksida. “Plus, it really is way more fun that way.” n

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JULIE KIM GAZETTE STAFF @NEWSATGAZETTE

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6 • TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016

know

•

THE 2015 SUNSHINE L ACADEMIC POSITIONS OF TOP SALARIES

500

THE SUNSHINE LIST IS THE ANNUAL DISCLOSUR WHO MAKE OVER $100,000. THIS YEAR, THE COLLECTIVE $14,

400

TOTAL TOP PAID BY SECTOR

300

1,298 EMPLOY MADE THE LIS UP FROM

200

SO R PR O FE S

AS S

ACADEMIC POSITIONS MADE UP 84 PER CENT OF EMPLOYEES ON THE LIST FROM WESTERN.

The top earner at a university last year was University of Toronto CEO William Moriarty.

UWO

TOP 100 PAID PROFESSORS BY FACULTY

TOTAL U

King’s Huron Brescia

AS S

IS TA

O CI AT E

LE CT

PR O FE S

SO R

Western = 7.6% of total Universities

100

25 30 88

1,2

TOP 10 PAID OVERALL IN ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES NAME

PROFS MAKING OVER $300K IN ONTARIO BY FIELD

REFLECTING THE HIGH NUMBER OF IVEY PROFESSORS ON WESTERN’S HIGHEST PAID LIST, BUSINESS PROFESSORS ACROSS ONTARIO WERE THE HIGHEST PAID.

SALARY

UNIVERSITY

MICH

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MANAGING DIRECTOR

ROBE

$693,507.00

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MANAGING DIRECTOR

RICH

ADRIAN HUSSEY

$547,714.04

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MANAGING DIRECTOR

ROBE

JOHN KELTON

$496,494.45 MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

DEAN AND VICE PRESIDENT

JANIC

MICHAEL STRONG

$487,126.00

DEAN / PROFESSOR / MEDICAL DOCTOR

KELL

JOHN HSU

$482,845.04 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO COO

W. IA

MARK CROWTHER

$474,278.40

9 10

WILLIAM MORIARTY

CAMERON RICHARDS $710,263.96

DAREN SMITH

$1,473,445.98 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESIDENT AND CEO

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

PROFESSOR

PRAT

MAMDOUH SHOUKRI $463,105.00

YORK UNIVERSITY

PRESIDENT AND VICE CHANCELLOR

PAUL

DEZSO HORVATH

YORK UNIVERSITY

DEAN/PROFESSOR

WALI

$461,741.28

TOP 10 PROFESSORS PAID OVERALL IN ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES NAME

SALARY

UNIVERSITY

FIELD

MARK CROWTHER

$474,278.40

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

MEDICINE

GLEN WHYTE

$439,780.34

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

BUSINESS

WILLIAM MITCHELL

$426,129.02

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

BUSINESS

AKBAR PANJU

$422,560.77

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

MEDICINE

MOHAMED ELBESTAWI $421,759.46

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

ENGINEERING

WILLIAM STRANGE

$416,319.42

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

BUSINESS

PETER PAULY

$416,175.02

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

BUSINESS

RICHARD KIM

$414,940.20

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

MEDICINE

VAROUJ AIVAZIAN

$411,081.50

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

ECONOMICS

JOHN HULL

$397,443.42

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

BUSINESS

IVEY AND SCHULICH COMBINED MADE UP 66 OF THE TOP 100 EARNERS.

TOP PAID WESTERN EMPLOYEES BY FIELD

GRAPHICS BY JENNIFER FELDMAN & JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE

POSITION

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016 • 7

know

LIST, BY THE NUMBERS

RE OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES IN ONTARIO ERE WERE 115,431 EMPLOYEES WHO MADE A ,669,007,540.45.

YEES AT WESTERN ST THIS PAST YEAR, M 1,247 IN 2014.

TOP PAID AT AFFILIATES NAME

INCLUDED IN THE LIST ARE UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THOSE FROM WESTERN, HURON, BRESCIA AND KING’S.

SALARY UNIVERSITY POSITION

COLLEEN HANYCZ

$294,217.98

BRESCIA

PRINCIPAL

DONNA ROGERS

$205,770.81

BRESCIA

INTERIM PRINCIPAL

ALICIA GARCIA

$143,625.98

BRESCIA

DIRECTOR - GRAD STUDIES

STEPHEN MCCLATCHIE $242,545.08

HURON

PRINCIPAL

MARK BLAGRAVE

$163,240.07

HURON

ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE DEAN

DAVID CONTER

$153,401.68

HURON

PROFESSOR

DAVID SYLVESTER

$249,558.00

KING’S

PRINCIPAL

SAURO CAMILETTI

$224,015.04

KING’S

VICE PRINCIPAL

JEFFREY MAJOR

$184,991.29

KING’S

VICE PRINCIPAL

UNIVERSITIES EMPLOYEES: 17,065

The top salary at Western belonged to Michael Strong, the dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, who earned $487,126.

298

TOP 10 PAID OVERALL AT WESTERN

NAME

SALARY

HAEL STRONG

$487,126.00

DEAN / PROFESSOR / MEDICAL DOCTOR

SCHULICH MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

ERT KENNEDY

$444,999.84

DEAN / PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

$414,940.20

PROFESSOR / MEDICAL DOCTOR

SCHULICH MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

ERT SOLOMON $378,719.59

PROFESSOR

LAW

CE DEAKIN

$343,000.08

PROVOST & VICE-PRESIDENT (ACADEMIC) / PROFESSOR

ADMINISTRATION

LY COLE

$323,999.96

VICE-PRESIDENT (EXTERNAL)

ADMINISTRATION

AIN SCOTT

$315,000.00

DEAN

LAW

TIMA BANSAL

$313,028.26

PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

L BEAMISH

$312,895.24

PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

ID BUSABA

$310,788.78

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

HARD KIM

POSITION

FIELD

Western provost Janice Deakin was the highest paid administrator at Western. She is the second-highest paid provost in Ontario.

$375000

TOP 10 PROVOST SALARIES IN ONTARIO

$340000 $305000 $270000 $235000 $200000

NUMBER OF WESTERN EMPLOYEES ON THE SUNSHINE LIST SINCE 2004

05 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

WESTERN EMPLOYEES ON THE SUNSHINE LIST BY SEX

ONE THING THAT BECOMES APPARENT FROM LOOKING AT ALL THE DATA: FEMALES ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ACADEMIA.

THIS FRIDAY, READ A FEATURE ONLINE ABOUT THE ROLE GENDER PLAYS IN MOVING UP THE ACADEMIC RANKS AT WESTERN AND BEYOND.

www.westerngazette.ca

8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016

knowsports

•

Dream of NLL still alive for Jones-Smith SHANE ROBERTS SPORTS EDITOR @SHANEATGAZETTE When Western lacrosse star player Jordi Jones-Smith was 12 years old, he almost quit lacrosse. After getting cut from a competitive lacrosse team in Whitby, Jones-Smith was discouraged. “I kind of thought I was going to finish lacrosse,” recalled JonesSmith. “I didn’t really know if I wanted to play anymore.” Fortunately, a few weeks later, he received an important phone call that boosted his morale. “I ended up getting a call back from the coach like two weeks later and he said, ‘We want you back on the team,’ so that was big,” said Jones-Smith. But a few years later, he got cut again and it stung once more. “It was tough for me growing up because I got cut quite a bit. I worked through quite a bit of adversity,” said Jones-Smith. “It was just upsetting but you’ve got to push on through.” The coach that cut him from the teams in Whitby was professional lacrosse coach Derek Keenan. Keenan is currently the head coach and general manager of the Saskatchewan Rush in the National Lacrosse League. Even though he cut Jones-Smith from his teams a few times, he definitely had a large impact on the development of Jones-Smith as a player. “I grew up playing for [Keenan] my whole life,” said Jones-Smith. “He’s an unbelievable coach. He’s won multiple titles of best coach in the NLL and he just knows how to win. “He ... always pushed us to that next level,” he added.

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

The fourth-year criminology student also attributes much of his success as a lacrosse player to his older brother A.J., who also played lacrosse in Whitby. “Watching my brother play was unbelievable,” said Jones-Smith. “He was an offensive player and I always wanted to be like him.” Shortly after Jones-Smith started playing lacrosse, A.J. actually quit the sport because he lost his passion for the game. However, after watching the success of his young brother, A.J. has recently decided to give lacrosse another try. “It’s funny that Jordi started playing lacrosse after watching me because watching him play lacrosse

when I was a lot older got me back into playing,” said A.J. “I’d go watch his games and it made me miss the sport and actually made me get back into it.” Another factor in A.J.’s return to the sport is the opportunity he was given to play with his younger brother this summer. The two of them will be competing for a Canadian club team named the Clarington Green-Gaels in a tournament in May in Prague, Czech Republic. It is an international tournament against club teams from all over Europe, similar to the Spengler Cup hockey tournament. As for his time with the Western Mustangs, it’s clear Jones-Smith has

had a lot of success in his four years on the team. He has helped bring the team to the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association final twice and has been a leader on the team. However, he did not always know he was going to be a Mustang. Some interest from division III colleges in the United States almost lured him out of the country to play lacrosse. “A lot of kids go down to the States just for the title of going down to the States. For me it’s more about the education,” said Jones-Smith. “CUFLA is getting better every year and the quality of lacrosse is getting better and I’m happy with my decision [to stay in Canada], especially

with the education.” It was certainly the right decision for Jones-Smith to go to Western when you look at all he has accomplished this year. He helped lead the Mustangs to a second-place finish in the CUFLA championship in November and he got drafted into the NLL in September. Although the New England Black Wolves took him in the sixth round of the entry draft, he unfortunately did not make the roster after attending a tryout with the team in November. Jones-Smith said a large factor in his lack of success at the tryout with the Black Wolves was the difficult transition from playing field lacrosse all fall with Western to playing box lacrosse indoors. “In field lacrosse, I’m more of an offensive player but in box lacrosse I just sometimes can’t bury,” said Jones-Smith. Western lacrosse head coach Jeremy Tallevi thinks that making these improvements won’t be too difficult for Jones-Smith. “I think Jordi’s got a great chance [of making the NLL],” Tallevi said. “He’s got a great attitude.... I’m confident that he’s going to put in the hard work and be able to make that step.” However, despite his high prospects of making the NLL in the future, Jones-Smith admits that making it as a pro lacrosse player is not his number one goal right now. “My main goal right now is trying to get my marks up and try to go to law school,” he said. “Lacrosse is kind of a byproduct of it. Hopefully I make it to the NLL, but my main goal is to try and go to law school and make something of that.” n

The future of weightlifting at the Rec Centre KSENIA KOLODKA GAZETTE STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE The gym is not only an important place for those making New Year’s resolutions, but also a place where students take their weightlifting training seriously. Many students train at the Western Student Recreation Centre because of its convenient location on-campus and the fact that it’s less expensive than joining a powerlifting gym, seeing as membership fees are included in tuition. However, training at the WSRC comes with its own challenges. Christine Ecclestone, a first-year master’s of physiotherapy student and powerlifter, says she sometimes notices Olympic weightlifters using squat racks for exercises that don’t need to be done there. Olympic weightlifting takes up a lot of space because it requires moving a loaded barbell around and above the athlete’s body. Ecclestone was put in a dangerous situation once when she was training because of the tight space in the squat rack area. “I actually moved because I thought [the Olympic weightlifter] was going to drop [the barbell] on me,” Ecclestone said. Michelle Harvey, WSRC program coordinator, says the Rec Centre is not a good training space for serious weightlifters. “Absolutely not,” she said. “We don’t have the space for them to do what they need to do safely.” Ecclestone powerlifts at the

WSRC three times a week, so a safe space is a priority for her and for the other dedicated weightlifters around her. Ben Dietze, a third-year kinesiology student, has been powerlifting since he was 13 years old and is now going for national records. He trains exclusively at the WSRC and says his experience has been fantastic. However, he would like to see more competition resources to facilitate powerlifting. “I understand you have to cater to the whole crowd — it’s not just

KSENIA KOLODKA GAZETTE

powerlifters that use this gym exclusively — but … calibrated plates and competition racks would be super helpful,” he said. Ecclestone agrees that having calibrated plates would be a great improvement. The WSRC currently has coated hexagonal plates that are difficult to use while deadlifting and old uncoated round plates that, according to Harvey, are falling apart. Harvey explains lifting platforms cannot be installed because the weight room lacks appropriate

space. However, she says if a weightlifting club becomes ratified, lifters could have specific times during which they would be able to use varsity athlete weightlifting resources — including proper lifting platforms and calibrated plates. Additionally, rubber-coated round plates will be delivered to the WSRC weight room by early 2017. There hasn’t been a varsity weightlifting team in the 10 years Harvey has worked at Western. Dietze says having a weightlifting club would be the first step to

creating a varsity team; both he and Ecclestone would be interested in joining if one were to be organized. When asked if more resources could be added to facilitate the interests of all gym goers, Harvey says “If we had an expansion, absolutely.” For the time being, the weight room provides adequate resources for those interested in the sports of Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting. To adapt to all members’ needs, however, the WSRC would require an expansion. n

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016 • 9

insight

Education in India vs. the West

MOSES MONTERROZA ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @MOSESATGAZETTE Rarely do we get to put our post-secondary education system into perspective from an international level. Interestingly, higher education in countries like India isn’t too different from the West. A team of scientific minds flew to Agra, India in mid-February to attend a series of workshops centred around the subject of astronomy. They stayed at Anand Engineering College, a relatively new institution founded in 1998, home to approximately 3,500 students. While unrepresentative of India as a whole, Anand provides a closer look at how educational systems operate outside Canada. Right from the outset, colleges in India focus primarily on the practicality and compartmentalization of knowledge. As a result, there is a great focus on STEM studies because of their higher job prospects. “It’s true, plenty of my own friends simply follow this track — school, pre-university college, engineering and then a job,” says 23-year-old Krishna Kumar Kowshik, a research scholar at RNS Institute of Technology in Bangalore, India. “Most of the parents want their kids to go into engineering. They want them to have a proper job — it’s all about money.” Kowshik is part of a small minority of students who wish to pursue research in the field of physics. In an economy where job security is more important than the acquisition of knowledge, it’s a daring career choice. “To me, money comes and money goes and maybe that’s just my opinion,” says Kowshik. “A lot of people value money differently, but that’s not life. To the people who have got so-called IT jobs [and] still complain about ‘oh, I hate my company, I hate my boss,’ then why did

PHOTOS BY MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE

you study that? You wasted 15 years of your life to say things like that?” The battle between following your interests and building a secure future for a possible family is something that’s universal. As higher education becomes increasingly commodified with increasing competitiveness and rising tuition prices, the pursuit of knowledge wanes in comparison to the pursuit of building a comfortable lifestyle. In Canada, we’ve recently seen enrolment in arts and humanities degrees plunge to an all-time low. Maritime post-secondary institutions saw enrolment decreases of up to 88.16 per cent in English majors. The trend comes at a time where popular conceptions of humanities majors include career paths like Starbucks baristas and burger-flipping fast food cooks. For Indian students like Christopher Alex, a post-graduate student in history at the University of Delhi, the lack of support for humanities education is felt in India as well. “There is a stereotype that advanced knowledge only exists in science and technology,” Alex says. “That modernity is always complemented with science and maths. If you are knowledgeable in maths and sciences you have done something good, you have done something better in your life than to study philosophy or arts or literature. ‘Why should we read all those things?’ they say. ‘None of these are professional courses.’ ” At its core, it would appear as though higher learning is becoming a means to an end. Rather than serving its initial purpose of spreading knowledge, it has become a job manufacturer, ensuring people obtain their desired careers. Aishwarya Ashok, a 22-year-old research assistant who also works with Kowshik, explains the growing apathy towards learning and the pursuit of knowledge.

“A lot of kids will just want a degree, good grades and a good job [and] nothing else,” says Ashok. “It’s kind of bad in the sense that they focus more on the degree and not the knowledge. If you can’t get a degree then you can’t get a job and if you can’t get a job then you will be poorly looked at in society.” But while the perspectives of Ashok, Kowshik and Alex lean more on the cynical side of the educational system, others like Deepakshi Madaan, a Western master’s student in applied mathematics, have maintained a positive outlook. Throughout her four years studying at the Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, Madaan noticed a significant difference in student engagement, especially in the face of corruption. When reports of a shooting two kilometres away from her dormitory became public through media and news outlets, students and faculty members gathered together to spread awareness of the inherent social problems. “I remember I was protesting,” says Madaan. “The whole college marched from where the incident happened, and walked all throughout the campus. “It brought a lot of people together. People were asking questions like what happened to the police? What happened to security? Why was this never noticed?” continues Madaan. Conversely, it is relatively rare to see students protest in Canada. The last significant bout against the system was fought by Quebec students over tuition prices. The protests have since experienced a resurgence and continues to be one of the only major student bodies protesting; however, it’s also relatively rare for students to have something to protest about. Of the many differences and similarities between India and the West, the one constant that remains - at least with our best students - is the desire to use education as a tool to augment our lives and brighten our futures. “I want to use my historical knowledge to analyze societal problems so that one day I can make a better society,” says Alex. “How exactly am I going to do that? I don’t exactly know, but I’m still figuring it out.” n

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016

insightopinions

The criminal justice system failed the victims of assault in Ghomeshi case King Lear

KATIE LEAR NEWS EDITOR @KATIEATGAZETTE Everyone’s talking about the outcome of the Jian Ghomeshi trial after he was acquitted of all charges against him last Thursday, so let’s get straight to the point. This was, and still is, a huge blow for survivors all over the country who’d tuned in, hoping they’d see justice on such a public stage with such a well-recognized name. But it’s not a surprising development. An important fact of this case to keep in mind is that Ghomeshi did not testify during his trial — the judgement was entirely based on the credibility of the witnesses. “Each charge presented against Mr. Ghomeshi is based entirely on the evidence of the complainant,” read the verdict. “Given the nature of the allegations this is not unusual or surprising; however it is significant because, as a result, the judgment of this Court depends entirely on an assessment of the credibility and the reliability of each complainant as a witness.” The credibility of these witnesses hinged several times on the fact that the sequencing of events was out of order or inaccurate. Issues raised in the hearing included the fact that the first complainant, L.R., was unable to recall the exact sequencing of events; the second accuser, Lucy DeCoutere, had a continued relationship with Ghomeshi; and the third, S.D., misrepresented her relationship with Ghomeshi. In Dec. 2014, Time Magazine published an article describing how trauma survivors remember the event. The article suggests that selective focus and a lessened ability to encode memories in accurate progression is common because the amygdala and hippocampus take over the fear response. This leads to attention being focused on “otherwise meaningless details. “What gets attention tends to be fragmentary sensations, not the many different elements of the unfolding assault. And what gets attention is what is most likely to get encoded into memory.... Fear also impairs [the hippocampus’] ability to encode time sequencing information, like whether the perpetrator ripped off a shirt before or after saying ‘you want this.’ “ Bringing DeCoutere’s relationship with Ghomeshi after the assault not only allows for Justice Horkins to evaluate the motive behind her correspondence as he sees fit, but reemphasizes the narrative of a ‘good victim’. A good victim of assault fights back. A good victim cuts off ties with their abuser. A good victim reports what occurred immediately. By extension, a bad victim – one who does not fit this narrative – is seen to be lying. My original intention on writing this column had been to pick the evidence apart piece by piece and show where the judge erred

in understanding the position of victims of assault. But the reality is the survivors’ explanations of their behaviour unfortunately justifies reasonable doubt. Instead, the column I can write is one that urges us to change the way sexual assault trials proceed to reflect the situation of survivors. The current burden of proof model allows for inconsistencies in sequencing of events – a well documented response to trauma – to be used as damning evidence against survivors. It’s not enough to say that this will change the discussion we have on sexual assault cases. We’ve said that time and time again – after Kesha, after Cosby, to name a few notable cases in recent memory. We say this will change the discussion like it’s a natural, acceptable price for the victims of sexual assault to pay. And now, it’s on the survivors to respond rationally. To make a very real and debilitating sense of exhaustion, sadness and hopelessness palatable to a larger society that so far doesn’t seem to care. Every sexual assault trial emerges as a discussion on the credibility of survivors in a way that’s not mirrored in assault cases or murder cases. I’m not saying that we need to automatically believe everyone who reports sexual violence as fact. But I think to say we have a system where belief is the starting point is false and ridiculous. According to a report released by Statistics Canada in 2014, 95 per cent of sexual assaults were not reported to the police in 2014. Can we blame them? And finally, Justice William Horkins’ quote that has been making the rounds: “Courts must guard against applying false stereotypes concerning the expected conduct of complainants. I have a firm understanding that the reasonableness of reactive human behaviour in the dynamics of a relationship can be variable and unpredictable. However, the twists and turns of the complainants’ evidence in this trial, illustrate the need to be vigilant in avoiding the equally dangerous false assumption that sexual assault complainants are always truthful. Each individual and each unique factual scenario must be assessed according to their own particular circumstances.” We have set up a system where survivors are penalized for withholding information due to the very real fear that their assault will be viewed as less valid contingent on their actions, as reinforced by public discourse and trials like this one alike. Until we set up a system that recognizes this, we need to understand that survivors feel the need to tread the line between painting the full picture of their assault and the picture where they’re most likely to get a conviction, as that often is the best road they can take for the justice they deserve. If you or someone you know is in need of immediate counselling, the Sexual Assault Centre London has a 24-hour crisis and support line at 519-438-2272. n

•

The Ghomeshi witnesses could have been me

BY A WESTERN STUDENT

When the results of the Ghomeshi trial came in, I waited with bated breath. Like clockwork, my Dad was ready with his bullets. “These women just want attention and money. They always do this.” It was the same thing he said when women began speaking up against Bill Cosby, when more and more women and stories coming to light. It was the same thing he said when people chanted the phrase #FreeKesha, when she accused her producer at Sony of raping her. He’s not the only one that has said these words either. With every sexual assault case that comes to the attention of public media, there is a consistent shift of blame to the victims. Unfortunately, there is an automatic correlation between winning a trial and a victim being believed. My friends no longer ask me why I never reported him when it happened, because they, like I, know that there would be no point. The thing about memory is it’s a finicky thing. I no longer remember the details of the incident — just a few specifics and the overwhelming emotions. I could tell you that it was prom night and that I had been with six friends. I could tell you who took me up to bed when they knew I had had one too many drinks. I could tell you that he came into my bed a few hours later and I was woken up by his lips pressed against mine. I could tell you that I said no, not once, not twice, not three times, but more. And I could tell you that it happened anyways. That at 8 a.m., he walked out of the room, zipped up his pants and told me I should probably put some clothes on. I couldn’t however, tell you the details. I remember coming home from work that day, to my friend, and crying, and telling him everything in detail — every single vivid memory, broken up by tears. But now, three years later, I struggle to remember that conversation. There are a few things that stick. There is the memory of being told that when my friend confronted him, he punched a glass window in anger, yelling, why would I even want to rape her. As if I wasn’t worthy of his sexual desires — as if I wasn’t “good enough” for him to even want to assault. If the outcome of the Ghomeshi trial has taught me one thing, it has taught me that to be a victim of sexual assault, you must remember the facts. You must remember all of the details, and you must be ready to admit every single encounter, and form of encounter, with your assailant. In Justice William B. Horkins’ verdict, he identifies that after looking at the evidence brought forward by the complaints, there is reasonable doubt, which is enough to acquit Ghomeshi of all charges. However, he also states, “It is difficult for me to believe that someone who was choked as part of a sexual assault, would consider kissing sessions with the assailant both before and after the assault.” Two months after my prom date (and best friend) raped me, I slept with him again. Right now, I struggle to remember the details of how it even happened. Initially, I told him I never wanted him in my life again — he was my best friend, and he had taken advantage of me in a way that I would have never been able to fathom. When he reached out to me the summer after, however, trying to fix the friendship that had been so brutally broken, I remember wanting to make it right again. I remember convincing myself that he

had been my best friend for four years — we had a previous friendship that I would be giving up. In my head, maybe if I consented the second, or third time we slept together, then perhaps it made up for the first time that I never wanted. According to the judge’s interpretation of the events, however, it would bring into question the fact that the first time I was raped — because how could someone who has been so violated still try and form a relationship with their abuser? According to the judge, the fact that I was best friends with my rapist prior to the incident, the fact that I had admitted to having strong feelings for him prior to the incident and the fact that I still have a mixture of love and hatred for him, would make me an inconsistent witness and would call into question my reliability. I do not know the stories of the complainants — I do not know anything beyond the facts revealed to the public in the case itself. I do, however, know my story — and the facts of the matter remain that previous or post sexual history with an individual, does not change the fact that consent is necessary every single time. The fact remains that only 1-2 per cent of daterapes — rape that involves some form of relationship with the assaulter — that happen in Canada are actually reported to the police. Last year, my prom date sent me a message saying sorry for what he did. That “he knew it was wrong,” and “you don’t have to forgive me, because it was unforgivable.” Two years after the incident, I finally was able to realize that even I doubted my own story — that just like the media tends to do, I sought out all of the complexities of our relationship, and all of the ways that I was an inconsistent victim. I searched for all of the ways in which I was at fault and until he finally admitted to his actions, I was always trying to justify his actions. I’ve read the 25-page document on the judge’s decision. I have read through his condescension towards the complainants, but I have also read about all of the inconsistencies of all of the complainants, and as painful as it is to say, the inconsistencies and lies within the courtroom make a conviction hard. Like the judge concludes, it is important to remember that the fact that Ghomeshi cannot be proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean that the assaults did not occur. As a woman on the other side of this case, I simply ask that every person who discusses the outcome of this trial begins to understand the complexities of sexual assault and that there should not be a correlation between winning a case and believing the victim. I ask the public to understand that victims will rarely have perfect recollections of events, and that more often that not, there is a complicated relationship. I also ask the public to realize that in the case of a criminal trial, just because the law was on Ghomeshi’s side, does not mean that women shouldn’t speak out even if they’re not believed. What matters is not what a judge says, what the media says or what the public debate is. Sexual assault is complex and it’s almost never black and white. While it may be hard for survivors to find justice because there will always be doubt from someone, it’s important to listen to these cases from a place of understanding rather than looking to pick apart someone’s story. I know if I sat in that courtroom, I wouldn’t be able to stand up to the scrutiny — but that doesn’t make my story any less true. 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.”

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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016 • 11

experience

Sleeping Beauty comes to London RICHARD JOSEPH ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @RJATGAZETTE This upcoming Thursday marks the London premiere of Sleeping Beauty by Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, currently touring across Canada and the United States. The company, under artistic director Bengt Jörgen, has put together a brand new production of the classic ballet. It’s a story we’re all familiar with; a sleeping princess woken up by the kiss of a handsome prince, with the addition of a seasonal motif – summer, spring, winter, autumn. Kealan McLaughlin, one of the dancers for the company, is practicing for a few different roles. The ballet operates on a rotating cast – he’s danced multiple characters, among them Bluebird, a suitor, and the Prince himself. This also means he has to radically change his style with every performance. “If it’s a character that’s all about bravado, then the performance has to be all about bravado,” he says. “Bluebird, for example, comes out like he’s been shot out of a cannon, you just don’t worry about anything and keep going, jump around, move on.” The Prince, though, has an entirely different attitude. McLaughlin also performed the Prince in Cinderella, and recalls that the role was fairly static and happy. Sleeping Beauty’s Prince, by

contrast, has more of a narrative arc, from despondent to desperate. “It’s fun to go out there and dance a solo that’s really sanguine, longing, and then right to urgent — he’s really looking for her,” he says. McLaughlin started dancing when he was six, but the impulse was in him even before then. When the theme for the final Jeopardy question started playing, he would get up on the table and “shake [his] booty,” much to the amusement of his mother. “I asked my mother what I was doing and she said I was dancing,” he says. “I asked what kind of dance and she listed off every kind. When she got to ballet, I said – that’s it, I want to do that. And it seems to be the right choice, because I’ve never looked back.” When McLaughlin joined Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, he quickly realized it wasn’t your average ballet company. To decide on the production for the season, they put out a poll within the company and then on their Facebook group so the fans and cast could vote. A simple method, but one that expresses the mission of the company well – they’re for the people. Big names like National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, says McLaughlin, tend to perform at the same few locations. By contrast, Jörgen tries to do every province, every season.

Their mandate is to get every child in Canada to see some kind of ballet performance twice before they graduate high school, and they often engage in outreach with Canadian schools and education. “We’re reaching a really interesting audience, in communities that don’t often get ballet brought in,” McLaughlin explains. “I’m getting to see the country for what it really is, province to province.” On a more personal level, he sees the company as a sort of family. It’s a smaller group, with only around 20 dancers this year, compared to most professional ballet companies with up to 80 dancers. Each personality, he explains, is felt with that much more intensity. The members have a Facebook group where they’ll often

COURTESY OF BALLET JÖRGEN CANADA

organize a movie night, or even just go for a walk and invite others. “All of us are very connected,” he says. “That’s something that really does stand out in the ballet community. It’s a pretty warm atmosphere, and it’s a place where

everybody’s supportive — that’s something that I thrive on.” Sleeping Beauty will be playing at the Grand Theatre on Thursday, March 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $70.50. n

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10 Cloverfield Lane a character-driven joyride ELLIS KOIFMAN ARTS & LIFE EDITOR @GAZETTECULTURE GGGGF 10 Cloverfield Lane DIRECTOR: Dan Trachtenberg STARRING: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr. Looking to answer some of the many questions J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield left you with? 10 Cloverfield Lane is a good place to start. 10 Cloverfield Lane, an indirect sequel to Cloverfield, is a thriller riddled with mysteries and twists that make for a very interesting and primarily character-driven story. The story follows protagonist Michelle (Winstead), who wakes up in a cell in a bunker at 10 Cloverfield lane following an accident. She is told by her captor Howard (Goodman) that he saved her from a car crash and the outside world is gone — everyone is dead or dying from the fallout of a chemical weapons attack. From the get-go, Michelle is smart, quick on her feet and very resourceful. She wastes no time in getting her bearings straight, attempting to escape and investigating the many mysteries that shroud Howard and the bunker. Winstead’s acting makes the audience feel like they are peering into her post-apocalyptic experience, rather than watching a movie about it. Howard, on the other hand, seems a little off. He has a sinister kindness to him that is both warming and unsettling. Though perhaps best known for his comedic acting, Goodman plays one hell of a serious character. His personality is just what you would expect of a conspiracy theorist with a doomsday bunker under his farm.

Then there is Emmett (Gallagher Jr.), a simple farm boy who quickly accepts the reality presented to him in the bunker — the outside world is no more. He has a quiet personality and tries to make the most out of the situation, which is poorly received by the menacing Howard. The movie reflects a typical world’s-end-stuck-in-a-bunker film – canned food rations, limited water supply, cut off from the outside world, struggling to get along with the everyday company. But there are some details that don’t quite add up about the characters, creating an ominous and bone-chilling sense of unease. As the story develops, the bunker becomes more interesting – with shocks, twists and scary details – and the pieces that don’t add up start to come together in a horrifying way. Of course, some details will be left open to speculation — it’s J.J. Abrams after all. The intense musical score is supplemented by Bear McCreary, keeping you on the edge of your seat and fitting perfectly to every scene. Known for his musical scores in Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead, he draws in the audience with each well-paced beat. This film is a joyride that leaves you wondering what Michelle’s next move will be and whether that sinking feeling you had will be validated. Finding out truths about the characters — mainly Howard — and the world they now live in isn’t all left until the end of the film. Instead, you are given bits and pieces that leave you satisfied until the big reveals. 10 Cloverfield Lane is is a surprisingly thrilling movie for one that is set almost entirely in a bunker. The sounds, acting and scenery constantly push the bubble, making it a fantastic experience. n

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UPCOMING EVENTS COME ON OUT to the First Annual De-Stresstival! April 7 in Mustang Lounge. A great opportunity to destress right before exams with music, food, and much more to come! Follow us on Twitter @DeStresstival and our Facebook event page De-Stresstival 2016 for more information and ticket sale locations! LONDON POLICE SERVICES Auction - Over 250 Bicycles and approx 250 items from the London Police Services. Monday April 11 at 5:00pm. www.mckenzieauction.com. McKenzie’s Associated Auctioneers. 1881 Scanlan St. London (519) 453-7182

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Two students from the Korean Students Association who performed in the UCC on Monday.

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