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westerngazette.ca FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 110, ISSUE 11 eyeing apple pie since 1906

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ERIC SHEPPERD

Volume 110, Issue 11 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

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Eric Shepperd is a 32-year old sociology student back for his second degree. He helps make up Western’s small population of mature students but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming big.

make it easily accessible.

When asked where he sees himself in five or 10 years Eric says he wants to be “drinking from the cup after defending my PhD dissertation in the Grad Club.” In addition to that he wants “to be working in an academic capacity, maybe publishing a book, maybe working on creating some subject matter to teach my own sociology classes.”

Eric’s first undergrad was what he describes as a boring science degree, during which he was required to take a sociology of technology course — which became his favourite course overall. This time around he is honing that interest and wants to keep going strong until he gets his PhD. Sociology certainly builds the framework for his current ambitions in life but he’s much more than just an academic; social issues and thinking sociologically have been important to him for a long time.

In the period before he started his second undergrad he helped a local business find success and participated in the occupy London movement. He was among those who set up tents in Victoria Park. “We explored a lot of social issues there,” says Eric.

Once that was over, he spent some time working for Start Canada, an Internet service provider based in London. “I was employee number 13 and now they employ over 100 people and it’s a fast-growing empire of [the] Internet,” he says.

After Start Canada, Eric decided he wanted to pursue a more meaningful future by chasing the rigorous life of an academic and a public sociologist — someone who attempts to bring social theory into the public’s eye and

Despite being over 10 years older than most of his peers he says he manages to fit in given his more or less youthful appearance. In classes there are a few complications.

“Well, they don’t get some of my pop culture references,” says Eric with a laugh. “Many of the people whose classes I’m in experienced 9/11 the same way that I remember the Challenger Disaster; so it’s that hazy prehistoric memory of that that you don’t have the social context to understand,” he explains.

Eric uses his experiences to bring a new perspective to his classes. ”It keeps me engaged in being able to be not just a participant in the classes but also a participant in the teaching and in the sharing of my experiences,” he says. “It’s rewarding.”

Beyond the realm of social issues Eric enjoys many hobbies which make him into a jack-of-all-trades. He is an avid cyclist, a nature photographer and explorer of the outdoors, a music listener and producer. He has also been a part of London’s Home County Music Festival for over 16 years, working both as a production coordinator and as a frequent member of the board of directors.

Keeping himself busy and juggling many things at a time seem to be the defining features of Eric’s life right now. Nonetheless he manages to keep a relaxed and understanding demeanor. When asked to describe himself in three words he said, “Long-haired idealist”.

When it comes to his long term goals beyond teaching and writing, he has some big dreams ahead of him. “[My ambitions are to] hopefully try to change the world, solve some of the problems we’re experiencing and stop the runaway creeping of neoliberal capitalism,” says Eric with a laugh. “You know, just some little stuff.”

■■ELLIS KOIFMAN

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• www.westerngazette.ca

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • 3

news

Homecoming banner sparks controversy SABRINA FRACASSI NEWS EDITOR @SABFRACASSI

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

Study looks to improve body overheating issues in cheerleaders GRACE TO NEWS EDITOR @GRACE_KTO With both the Reunion weekend and Homecoming game in October, football is the sport to watch at Western. Yet, it is not only the footballers who are doing a lot of work on the field but also the cheerleaders on the sidelines.

An ongoing study is being conducted by Western’s kinesiology researchers on the physical activity levels of cheerleaders, aiming to control overheating issues among the athletes.

The study was commenced by Dave Humphreys, lecturer at the Western school of kinesiology and physiotherapist for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats dance team, who noticed the clinical issues that the cheerleaders had and wanted to research if the issues related to the exercises that they were doing.

“We were having a lot of heat issues with the dancers,” explained Humphreys. “When you think about football, you think about the players. The players’ bench, they have everything. They have heated seats in the winter, they have cooling fans and cooling benches in the summer. The cheerleaders, they’re out for the same amount of time… It was just interesting to see that they were breaking down in the heat, sometimes faster than the players.”

Originally from Hamilton, Humphreys works with the TigerCats cheerleaders before games, making sure that their injuries are taken care of.

“I probably spend more time taping and wrapping them than any other team I worked with,” said Humphreys. “I’ve been a

physio with Hockey Canada, working with the women’s national team and I work a solid two hours with [the cheerleaders] before any game… their bodies break down, just like any other athlete’s would.”

Kevin Shoemaker, professor at the Western school of kinesiology and of the study researchers, was surprised at their earlier findings.

According to Shoemaker, the maximal heart rate should range between 180 and 200 based on the age of the cheerleaders.

“We all have a maximal level of exercise capacity,” said Shoemaker. “And that’s always linked to a particular heart rate that we can get to … You have to work very hard to get your heart rate that high. These girls are getting to that kind of heart rate several times in a game.”

The study researchers are primarily concerned about the heat-related injuries of these athletes. However, Shoemaker believes that their findings can be also be generalized over to many other professional teams, including Western’s.

Compared to Western’s power and acrobatic cheerleading routines, the Tiger-Cats’ dance routines do not usually have stunts and lifts. While Western’s cheerleaders may have injuries that also include broken bones and concussions, the Tiger-Cats’ main issue is overheating during games.

Samantha Yerkie, a member of Western’s all-girl cheerleading squad, shared that their team sees sprains, broken bones and concussions. The team uses spotters to make sure that flyers are safe during their practices.

“If you have a concussion or

have a tendency to get concussions, sometimes you’ll have to wear a padded helmet that looks kind of like a turtle shell,” said Yerkie. “You wear it when you’re flying in the air or when you’re throwing someone so your brain doesn’t move around too much.”

When asked how the girls stay hydrated during competitions, she said that water is always available on and off the floor. Like the team of researchers, she acknowledged that the issue of dehydration relates more to the co-ed cheerleaders on the football field.

“The cheerleaders at Western, they have very intense workout schedules,” said Humphreys, comparing Western’s cheer team to the Tiger-Cats. “But they’re apples and oranges.”

Humphreys emphasized the importance of hydration, taking breaks, cool-down places and wearing breathable clothing to prevent cheerleaders and other athletes from overheating. “[The cheerleaders] are probably working harder than some of the footballers in terms of duration – they don’t get the same respect for what they do,” Humphreys said. “ Both groups work extremely hard, they just work differently… there’s not a lot of support around the dance team or the cheerleaders.”

Aside from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, both Shoemaker and Humphreys expressed interest to work with the Western cheerleaders, in the hopes of comparing the physiological activity between the two different forms of cheerleading.

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With photos from Homecoming flooding social media, one on Instagram stood out for its controversial messaging.

The photo shows four Western students posing in front of a banner with the phrase “Western Lives Matter” written with purple spray paint.

The post started gathering national media attention after a VICE article was recently published calling the post the result of “bad” and “ignorant” decisions in attempting to parody the Black Lives Matter movement.

The writer goes on to outline the issues with the apparent racist messaging and criticizes the students who created the banner and those who stood by and supported it. The article also brought up the recent incident where, “no means yes and yes means anal” was chalked on a window in a predominantly student neighbourhood close to Western’s campus.

Western responded to the post by issuing media releases and posting on their social media condemning the “racist signage.”

“Senior administration wants to assure the entire Western community that these types of transgressions are hurtful, disrespectful and demeaning. They do, however, provide an opportunity for further conversations with campus leaders and community partners,” the media release read.

Jana Luker, associate vice-presi-

dent student experience, spoke out about the incident.

“To take something that is generally meant to spotlight this racial injustice that we see is quite offensive and this is not in keeping with the values we have at Western at all,” Luker said.

In response to the incident, the University Students’ Council posted a video, in which, USC president Eddy Avila calls out the racist messaging of the banner.

When asked if the video was published in response to the VICE article, Avila acknowledged that although the video was already in the works before the article was published, it does address many of the issues it brought up.

Emily Ross, USC communications officer, said the USC wanted to reach out to the students and tell them to call out this behaviour.

“I think the fact that this banner was up for so long and nobody took it down, I don’t know if anybody said anything. So I think people are often afraid to call out their friends in social situations to say something,” said Ross.

“I think if I could do a call to action for students because that’s what I think should be being done.

If you see a microaggression, if you see something that you think isn’t right, say something.”

Luker noted that in regards to consequences, since it happened off-campus it is out of the administration’s hands. She said that London Police Service have been notified and are looking into the incident.

Solution to puzzle on page 11

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4 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

news

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Sex and race-based discrimination on the rise at Western MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ Reported incidents of sex and race based discrimination have risen at Western since last year, according to the annual harassment and discrimination matters report by the University’s Equity and Human Rights Services.

Of the 450 contacts made with the EHRS office, 193 were individuals who have been directly subjected to, or had witnessed, behaviour that would fall under Western’s Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy. The contacts included 42 undergraduates, 51 graduates and 50 staff.

In the 2014-15 year, 365 total contacts were made, 167 of which fell under the purview of the non-discrimination policy.

Of the remaining 257 contacts in the 2015-16, 142 were made by academic and administrative leaders who had authority to address harassment and discrimination concerns.

61 contacts were made by third parties, usually friends and co-workers looking to support others. 54 contacts were general requests relating to information, training and resources.

The top issues highlighted by academic and administrative leaders included 92 reports of code-based discrimination and harassment, 28 relating to conflict, 21 relating to workplace harassment and 19 of personal harassment.

In terms of resources and training, EHRS facilitated discussions, coaching or referrals to other

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

supports including employed assistance plans and rehab services.

According to Larissa Bartlett, EHRS director, workshops like the lunch and learn Diversity Series, supporting indigenous students, intercultural competency and sexual harassment have been held over the years to help educate faculty and staff.

Other initiatives spearheaded by

the EHRS include gender-neutral washrooms and an online multicultural calendar.

Typically, whenever someone goes to EHRS for help they receive advice and if certain situations call for it, they also receive additional support in the form of mediation, facilitation and sometimes investigation.

With relations to trends seen in

this year’s report, EHRS highlighted the need for more attention and support for accommodation related to “mental health disability/ies, and for religious, Indigenous or spiritual needs.”

The report also mentioned the passage of Bill 132, the sexual violence and harassment action plan act, and its role in leading to a review of Western’s sexual violence

prevention polices and support for the campus community.

The report also cited the need for “a broader cross-campus strategy on diversity and inclusion matters.”

“Events and social pressures that take place “outside the gates” very much affect our community members.”

London MPP fights for bill providing paid leave to sexual violence survivors DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

Western student arrested for violent social media post released on bail GAZETTE NEWS @NEWSATGAZETTE The 22 year-old Western student arrested on Monday for threatening to cause harm to person(s) on campus, was released from custody on Tuesday.

The identity of the student was also released as part of the court proceedings. According to the London Free Press, Jiwhan Choi made the posts on the USecrets Facebook page, which led to his arrest. The posts have since been taken down according to director of Campus Police, John Carson.

Choi was released on a $1,500

bail and has been ordered to stay away from Western’s campus.

He has also been ordered to not communicate with the woman who made the report to Campus Police.

Choi stated his intentions on the USecrets Western page three days ago but the post was taken down since then, according to director of Campus Police John Carson.

Carson said Campus Police was made aware of the post when a concerned student showed them screenshots of the USecrets post.

London Police Services have refused to provide further

information about the online post itself since it could jeopardize the investigation.

According to a LPS media release, Choi is from North York and was arrested by the police in relation to uttering threats to cause death, contrary to section 264.1(1) (a) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

The next court date for Choi is Oct. 17, 2016.

According to Carson, a report about the incident was presented to Western’s vice-president student experience Jana Luker on Wednesday, and she’ll make a decision on the University’s disciplinary procedure in Choi’s case.

A bill to guarantee survivors of sexual and domestic violence 10 days of paid leave is being re-introduced

by London-West MPP Peggy Sattler.

Sattler, NDP’s women’s issues critic, the bill provides employees leave so they can deal with the harm they’ve faced and seek help and get the support they need.

This bill would make changes to the Employment Standards Act which regulates employment in Ontario and which all employers have a duty to follow.

Barb MacQuarrie, Community Director of Western’s Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children, believes this bill is important to ensure employees don’t lose their job because they faced violence.

“If they have to put their jobs at risk to connect to services that offer them safety and support or that help them to sort out their situations legally either through family court or criminal court that’s an untenable position and everybody loses out from that,” said MacQuarrie.

Sattler believes this bill is important for students as well as many work part-time in non-unionized environments so the only protection they have is through the Employment Standards Act. “We also know that in particular young people in post-secondary

education are more likely to experience sexual violence and intimate partner violence than other people in other age categories,” she said.

The bill passed second reading with unanimous support from all three parties but died when Liberals pro-rogued parliament last March.

Sattler is currently working on two fronts to ensure these changes are made. She is mobilizing support for the bill and is keeping the pressure on the government to bring it in its legislation.

“To me what’s important is that these changes are made, I don’t care how these changes are made I just want to see these protections in place,” she said.

MacQuarrie thinks Western takes violence and harassment very seriously and the bill would have a positive impact on the campus community.

While Sattler is given the date of April 2017 to debate this bill, she has gained immense support from the public regarding this bill, including an endorsement by the City of London.

“I’ve been receiving letters from public health units across the province who have endorsed the bill because they recognize that violence against women is a public health issue because of the multiple impacts it has on the healthcare system, justice system, social care system, child care,” she said.

• www.westerngazette.ca

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • 5

opinions

Failing a midterm isn’t the end of the world Breath of fresh Aaron AARON MALLETT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR @AARON_MALLETT Midterm season is upon us again, which can only mean one thing: endless amounts of coffee, and unabating anxiety.

If there is one thing that hasn’t changed about me in my five years here at Western, it’s that I can still manage to psych myself out about anything that has to do with grades.

But, one of the many things that have changed about me is that I’m no longer utterly devastated when I don’t do as well as I expected on a midterm or an assignment.

You see, way back in my first year, I failed my first three midterms. This wasn’t a “fail” like when your friend says she or he failed and got a 60% - this was actually getting below a 50%. Back then, I was thrown for a loop when I got those grades back. I thought I had studied hard enough and thought I knew everything I needed to know inside and out. But, what I didn’t realize was that this was a whole new ball game.

In the words of one of my favourite professors, the famous Tom Haffie, “I was used to playing tennis but now the game has changed to squash,” and here I was, in November of my first year still playing tennis. I had yet to realize this — and I needed to quickly as finals were fast approaching.

After a few frantic phone calls home, I was left with some reassuring advice from my dad. He told me about how he went through the same thing while going through his Engineering degree at Waterloo, and how he managed to get through it.

He told me that it while I did fail,

it’s about how I recovered from that failure that would help me more in the long run. Looking back five years later, as much as I hate to say it - he’s right.

So, I put on my big boy socks and ventured off to figure out how exactly I needed to change to this new environment. The first thing I noticed was that I would type my notes in class and later forget everything that I had just typed, which is not the best thing to happen. This made me realize that what I should be doing is printing things off and annotating them in class - and then summarizing my notes later. This was a great start for me, but I still felt like I was lagging behind my peers.

A big part of university is being able to apply what you know to new situations and this means you have to understand things. I was so focused on memorizing things and being able to spit out what I knew onto a test that when I was forced to think about what I knew and apply it - I cracked. This was a tough barrier to crack for me, and I still struggle with it to this day. However, I’ve found that studying with friends and being able to explain things to them and to help them understand has helped with my understanding too.

Now older and wiser, I’m starting to look back on how much I’ve learned and grown here and I notice something striking. Failing those three midterms first year taught me more than any course could. It is in those situations where we are at our most vulnerable do we learn the most about ourselves. If it was not for the fact that I thought I would be kicked out of school after my first term in first year, I would not know how I learn, and how I need to study.

Granted, my marks over the years have not been stellar, but I’ve loved every minute of it. Those midterms I failed not only taught me about myself — but they’ve also helped me to find a career path that I’m truly excited about.

HAVE AN OPINION? Write a letter to the editor! editor@westerngazette.ca

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

Caloric charts welcome on university campuses

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

Caloric charts have been popping up around campus, including the popular Starbucks and Booster Juice locations in the UCC Atrium. While the aroma of seasonal drinks continues to fill the air, have you ever thought about the sugary drinks and treats that fill your stomach?

their lives. Most students are no longer living at home and having their meals prepared for them by their parents but are now forced to consider their eating habits. Fast food is convenient for young people who are short on time but eating it frequently can come with negative health effects.

The Gazette feature in this issue details that the infamous Starbucks pumpkin spice latte is packed with sugar. A tall cup contains nearly 40g of sugar – that’s enough to satisfy most people’s recommended daily amount in one drink!

Including caloric charts in all eateries on campus would be highly beneficial — not just the chain restaurants. While students can take the time to research how they eat, presenting the information transparently would be a welcome step. The Wave and the Spoke, both operated by the University Students’ Council, don’t have nutritional information readily available online yet. As an organization that values student wellness, this should be a priority.

However, for the average invincible student, the caloric chart won’t deter him or her away from buying a PSL, which is already known for its high-calorie intake. Most likely, if students make the active decision to turn to a fast food place for lunch, they should expect a high-calorie meal.

Members of Provincial Parliament passed Bill 45 in 2015 which mandated that all eateries with more than 20 locations must post a caloric chart alongside their menu by 2017. It’s a positive change and we’re happy to finally see the results of the legislation around campus.

Students are currently at a point in their lives where health and nutrition are taking on a bigger part in

Sure, students can make educated guesses about a lot of the food they eat — the extra-cheesy bacon fries are probably filled with calories — but making them search for this information isn’t prudent. Instead, every eatery on campus should embrace the legislation passed by the Ontario government last year even if the bill doesn’t apply to them.

Putting the power back in the hands of the student consumer is crucial for making informed dietary decisions at a vulnerable age.

Purple pride absent from Mustang games Coach Clarter

CLAIRE PALMER @COACHCLARTER After Reunion weekend, also known as fake Homecoming, it’s become incredibly apparent that Western has school spirit like no other. Hoards of people dressed in purple and white f looded Broughdale Avenue and the streets of London.

Only one place seemed to be lacking in purple and proud students — the actual football game.

Although the crowd was filled with alumni, current students don’t

seem to have the same amount of pride in Mustangs athletics.

It’s not a secret that Western, as well as the OUA as a whole, has issues with attendance at their games. It’s unfortunate, because there is high quality entertainment available, often for free to students. Who can forget the women’s hockey game that went to triple overtime, before Western dramatically won and earned a spot at the National championship? Probably most people, seeing as barely over a hundred people came to watch.

It’s easy to preach about low attendance at games, and encourage people to go and support Western Mustang athletics, but this isn’t an issue about supporting teams and our athletic department. This about supporting athletes, real students and people

who dedicate their time and their lives to representing a school and a student body that doesn’t seem to care at all.

As a student athlete, it’s disheartening to think that all the effort, all the sweat, and all the time that gets put into being an athlete for Western often goes unnoticed. There is little appreciation for the amazing teams and athletes at this school, because nobody comes out to support them. Go to any Mustangs hockey game during the regular season and it’ll be obvious that often not even the friends of these athletes come out to games.

It’s upsetting when every home game almost feels like an away game, because the same numbers

of fans come to home games as on an away trip. There are no fired-up fans to cheer on the Mustangs at home games, giving them a home turf advantage. Games are normally on weekends, so it’s not hard to come out and catch a game on campus. Bring some friends, cheer on your school, show them you care, and have some fun.

For teams like soccer and basketball, where often the women’s and men’s teams play back to back, their home games often have more fans for the away team, as whichever team is not playing cheers on their friends.

Mustangs athletics will never reach the level of attendance that the NCAA does, and in a way that’s good, because the NCAA has its

own problems. At the very least, come out and support your friends if they have game, and bring the same rowdy pride to the games as you do homecoming. The athletes will appreciate it.

When fans come to games and cheer on Mustangs teams, it makes a world of difference to the game.

It electrifies the energy, and allows athletes to give it their all, and then some in order to win while representing their school in front of a loud crowd. With Western being a school so well known for athletics, the athletes deserve at least a bit of support from the students for all the pride they bring to Western.

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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6 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

feature

SAMAH ALI CULTURE EDITOR @SISTERSAMAH

S

easonal drinks are back and lines are filling the UCC Atrium, but have you ever considered how much sugar – let alone calories – are in these beverages?

With Starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte leading the pack for hot beverages, a venti cup of this fall favourite can be around 64g of sugar or more with add-ons.

Considering the recommended daily amount of additive sugars for a person ranges from 25-38g, one drink alone can fill this requirement and then some.

This carries over to Tim Horton’s with a large iced capp being 62g of sugar and 36g for a large chocolate latte.

Some argue that sugar is a drug time since it is extremely addicting and your body doesn’t respond to the full feeling the same way compared to proteins and fats. High carbohydrate intake also leads to long-term increases to healthcare costs.

Fou r t h-y e a r Med ia, Information and Technoculture student Oisin ONeill says he’s considered sugar addictions when he buys food on campus and avoids sugary drinks all together.

“I’ve read scientific articles and they say that sugar is actually worse than fats. I try to avoid it,” admits ONeill.

Registered dietician and Brescia associate professor Dr. Danielle Battram says these drinks look appealing but are

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

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notorious for adding calories we don’t consider throughout the day.

“Sweetened beverages tend to add calories to our life and nothing else,” Battram begins. “It also tends to be something that we drink but it doesn’t really curb what we eat in the day … and so to be really mindful of how much are those you’re enjoying is pretty important.”

She believes the best alternative for these drinks is water and suggests spicing up a drink with a splash of fruit juice or lemon.

She also notes that caloric intake should be limited towards food instead of meal replacements.

This may steer some students away from the popular smoothie spot, Booster Juice.

Despite its health conscious branding, Booster Juice drinks can have as much or more sugar than a seasonal beverage — “The Original” starts at 76g of sugar for a full size. This may shock some since the establishment is a popular post-workout snack.

Third-year criminology student Brooke Graham has looked into Booster Juice’s nutrition values and has limited her spending.

“If I’m having Booster Juice I already know it’s because it’s a ‘high protein drink’ that’s meant as a meal replacement so I won’t have something like a Starbucks drink with it,” Graham states.

Graham’s friend second-year political science student Tasia Karasick shares her knowledge saying she takes out the sorbet to reduce the sugar levels.

Primarily a tea drinker, Karasick

• www.westerngazette.ca

considers the nutritional content in on-campus drinks and finds way to reduce the caloric and sugar values whether it’s asking for non-fat milk or no sweetner.

But for students who need that caffeine kick, Battram recommends preparing tea or coffee at home where you can control what’s in your drink.

Isabel Angulo, fourth-year women’s studies and political science student follows Battram’s advice with her reusable mug.

Acknowledging the amount of money she’s spent throughout her four years at Western, Angulo’s reusable mug allows her to make a conscious decision of what she drinks as well as her impact on the environment.

“In the long run when you buy three large coffees a day you’re actually damaging not only your sugar intake but you’re also leaving a carbon footprint,” she says.

“You’re wasting resources that you can save money from yourself and also help the environment.”

Angulo also recognizes the amount of money you spend on campus can cause a huge dent in your pocket. She speaks of the ‘latte epidemic’ where students unconsciously spend a portion of their tuition on food and drinks throughout their college education, especially for those who go to gourmet coffee establishments.

Keeping the prices of beverages in mind steers Angulo away from more expensive spots on campus like Starbucks and encouraged her to prepare her drinks at home.

The Spoke also offers free hot water for those with reusable

mugs.

Senior manager University Students’ Council Hospitality Services, Mark Leonard, says that The Spoke tries to offer healthier solutions for students. Using natural sweeteners is one of the health conscious steps they use for lattes and seasonal drinks.

The Wave’s new initiative incorporating daily house-made infused waters is another options to avoid the sugary drink selection on campus. Leonard adds that they have also added naturally brewed and sweetened iced teas to their menu.

These health conscious drinks are ways the USC creates options for students as they generate their nutritional content chart for latte and other beverages.

Considering the overflowing drink options on campus, Western has made health conscious campaigns to encourage students to choose healthy meal options.

FRESH, developed by food and nutritional science graduate students, certifies certain meals as the healthier choice for those considering nutritional content.

It’s a small effort to keep students aware of their food intake while fuelling between classes.

Despite the tempting seasonal drink craze lasting throughout the holidays, there are steps to stay healthy during the school year. Taking up alternative methods to keep your wallet and yourself in good shape seems to be the best option. And when it comes to drinks like the Pumpkin Spice Latte, you have to ask if the sugar is really worth it.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • 7

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8 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

sports

•

Western fencing strong in tune-up tournament NATE CLAPINSON CONTRIBUTOR @SPORTSATGAZETTE Last weekend was an important one for Western’s fencing team as they hosted the annual “just-for-fun” Mustang Invitational at Thames Hall. The tournament didn’t count for any national points, but Western made quite the impression, winning 11 of the 24 total available medals.

Veteran fencer Graham Shaw pointed out that since it’s early in the season, most of the team’s preparation so far has been outside of school.

“We haven’t had too much practice time [as a team this season]” he said, “but we’ve made up time training in the summer and the off campus training facility.”

The team had only practiced together four times before last weekend. They used the tournament as a tuneup for the season, and to get a feel for the competition. “[We used it to] shake off the rust,” said another veteran, Mary Lee. “Getting people back and doing their thing.”

In fact, the tournament was a much more relaxed environment than any other official provincial tournament would be.

“We don’t have to import referees, we don’t have to have special mats,” said head coach Carol Christie. “We

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

are going to use this as an opportunity to develop fencers’ skills and tournament organization.”

The absence of the pressure of contending for league points seemed to have served them well, as the Mustangs came away with almost half the medals awarded.

Among the most dominant Western performances was Vivian Poon’s, who took gold in the women’s épée competition, and silver in women’s foil. Victoria Edwards also finished first in women’s sabre.

The men’s team ended the weekend

with four medals, capping off a successful tournament.

There was a wide range of experience among the fencers competing last weekend. “[Western’s fencers] could be up against some national team members,” said Christie, “or we could be up against someone who has been fencing for two months.”

Christie brought a different approach to the team’s training this year. The fencers attended refereeing clinics from experts, and last weekend, in addition to competing

in the tournament they had the opportunity to referee bouts.

The purpose of this is to give the fencers a better awareness of how the sport works, according to Christie. Mastering the scoring system and understanding how the referees think can only help them improve their fencing abilities.

Shaw spoke to how the team works with each other to improve.

Since they compete against each other in practice, they learn together.

“It’s by fencing each other that we make each other better and really

get to know each other,” said Shaw.

“That’s how we help each other.”

The Mustang Invitational was all about figuring out where the team sits this season, and getting back into the groove of the sport. Western is on the right track, coming out of their opening weekend with plenty to show for it.

This season they’ll look to be competing against some of the big Canadian university fencing programs for a place on the podium, hopefully for gold.

Western water polo has history of inclusiveness OREN WEISFELD SENIOR STAFF @SPORTSATGAZETTE

JONATHAN DUNN GAZETTE

Rowing glides to 11 titles MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE Western rowing has gotten off to a strong start on the waters in 2016 with an incredible amount of success.

In the opening regatta of the year in Guelph, the defending Canadian university champions claimed 13 first place finishes, winning every single race that a Western boat was entered in.

Last weekend in Peterborough the Mustangs again dominated en route to 11 more titles at the Head of the Trent regatta.

The incredible triumphs of the rowing team impresse head coach Volker Nolte, who coached the Canadian rowing team in Rio this summer.

“Well, it looks like our preparation is going very well,” said Nolte.

“We are moving in the right direction. Although we identified in both of these events certain areas where we still have to work on, it is what the next two weeks before the Brock Invitational will be used for.”

Jill Moffatt has been one of the stars of the team, capturing the lightweight women’s singles titles at both Guelph and Trent. The fifth-year Mustang who raced in the Senior World Rowing Championships over the summer, believes much of the success of the program this year

comes from the athlete’s preparation over the summer.

“I think we have had some early success because our team does a great job over the summer and that, combined with having a very focused training camp, gets crews formed quickly and training together as soon as possible,” said Moffatt.

While the team has performed well this year, Nolte attributes some of that to a shift in the power structure of OUA rowing, with many of the traditional powerhouse programs struggling this season.

“We traditionally compete specifically against Brock and Queen’s [universities] and this year Brock seems to have quite a number of challenges and problems or maybe even a turnover year, so Brock is surprisingly not to the level that we actually expected,” said Nolte.

While programs like Brock and Queen’s are struggling in 2016, some of the less-known teams, including Trent and Laurentian, have proved themselves respectably through the first two regattas of the season.

Nolte also believes that the team has to improve on the technical aspects of the game if they are to repeat as national champions.

“The one is there are some technical aspects that we identified that we need to work on, specifically the way the blades moved through the water and such,” said Nolte. “There

is obviously some time needed to row together and that’s the second part we will make in the next days final decisions in terms of boat selection.”

The Mustangs race next on Oct. 15 when Brock hosts the seeding regatta for the upcoming OUA championships. The team will be hungry to position themselves well for the OUAs. In a certain sense can make it a little easier to go through and get a good position in the finals,” said Nolte. “We really wanna see that we can have good performances and then of course it’s the last time we can test our crews compared to the others.”

Through the success there is a danger to become complacent and to lose intensity. But for Moffat the intensity continues throughout the season.

It’s surprisingly easy to stay intense,” said Moffat. “Success breeds success, and you just get so excited about your results and you want more. It is also instilled in us that once one competition ends, that result no longer matters.”

This is the culture that Nolte has created at Western. The team doesn’t stay in the past. They keep moving forward, ready for the next event, building to the ultimate goal of winning a national title.

This year the OUA announced that women’s water polo would be removed as a competitive OUA sport.

Although the news came as a disappointing surprise, Western was not fazed. The reason being that Western hasn’t had a women’s water polo team since the mid-80s, but female water polo athletes here at Western have always had a place to play.

According to Bill Terzis, the head coach of the Western men’s water polo team, women have been playing on the varsity team here at Western for over 30 years, despite the fact that the coed team plays in a men’s Ontario University Athletics league.

“Going back at least until the mid1980s, so a full 30-plus years, there has almost always been at least one woman on the men’s team,” Terzis said.

This year’s water polo roster is no different, featuring Alana Cameron and Ashley Allen, two females athletes who consistently train and occasionally play with the Mustangs. Cameron was a competitive swimmer before she started playing water polo in high school, and when she came to Western she took a leap of faith trying out for the men’s team.

“I joined the men’s water polo team [at Western] because a women’s team was not offered,” Cameron said.

“My love for the sport pushed me to try out for the team even though I was initially worried to attend a men’s try out.”

She was lucky she did, because after spending several years on the team, Cameron has come to cherish the opportunity.

“Being on a men’s team can definitely be tough considering the difference in skills and shape. However, I’ve

come to realize what I am capable of if I push myself, maintain a positive attitude and maintain confidence in myself.”

Interestingly, having women on a men’s water polo team is a phenomenon associated with Western, as no other current OUA roster features any women. This inclusivity is something Western takes a lot of pride in.

“We have a pretty relaxed environment here and we’ve had compliments from the upper echelon of sport here at Western in the past for being [open to women] and an LGBT friendly team,” according to Terzis.

Although some may wonder if it’s a distraction to have a couple of women playing on a primarily male water polo team, Terzis argues that because it has been that way for so long it has become normal to players.

“At this point I don’t think it’s a distraction at all because the [players] are just used to it,” Terzis said. “It has been like that. It wouldn’t be any different than say the track and field team where men and women train together.”

For Cameron, the team environment is definitely different than past women’s teams she has been a part of, but it is successful nonetheless.

“Both [men’s and women’s] teams have an environment of social interaction, support, constructive criticism, competitiveness, hard work, and various other things, but the way these things occur is different,” Cameron explained. Now that the OUA has removed women’s water polo as a competitive sport, it will be interesting to see if other schools follow in Western’s footsteps and allow women to train and compete on the varsity team. It has worked for over 30 years here at Western, where inclusiveness and water polo go hand in hand.

• www.westerngazette.ca

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • 9

sports

Men’s hockey set for successful season CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE The 2015-16 season was successful but heartbreaking for the Mustangs men’s hockey team. An overtime loss to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in the final ended their Queen’s Cup campaign, and a 5-1 defeat to the University of New Brunswick at the national championships bookended their year.

With a new season about to begin, Western is looking to get another chance at the trophies they played for a year ago. When asked what his expectations are this season, captain Matt Marantz had a simple answer.

“To get back to nationals,” he said. “We took a step forward getting there last year, and we want to take another big step this year.”

“We’d like another chance to get back there and redeem ourselves,” added head coach Clarke Singer.

First, the team needs to get back to the Ontario University Athletics final to play for the Queen’s Cup again, a title that they came within a goal of.

The Mustangs hockey program has been among the top teams in Ontario for years. They’re routinely in the upper echelon of their division.

Last year, Western was fourth in OUA in goals scored with 103. Much of the forward group that contributed to that high-flying offence is returning, Marantz having led the team with 26 points. Left winger Spenser Cobbold, with 23 points last season, is entering his second year at Western and is set to make even more of an impact.

On defence, there will be a bit of a learning curve for the Mustangs this year. Three of their top four defencemen (David Corrente, Stephen Gaskin and Alex Micallef)

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

all graduated, and so the team will be relying on a young group of blueliners.

Goalie Greg Dodds spoke to the adjustment he’ll have to make with the new defencemen in front of him.

“We’re used to having guys like Dave Corrente, Al Micallef, Stephen Gaskin – those steady guys back there that you can always count on,” he said. “This year it’s a little different. [Jonathan] Laser is probably going to be our top defenceman and he’s just a second-year guy.”

“So far in the preseason there’s been some learning curves,” Dodds added. “The guys are learning the system, but I think we’ve got a good

Softball looks for fifth national title CLAIRE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @CLAIREATGAZETTE Women’s softball is one of the most successful programs in Mustang athletics. In the last ten years, the team has won eight provincial championships and four national titles. The team just wrapped up yet another undefeated season, going 23-0, and only allowing 11 runs against, and scoring over 150 runs for.

“In practice we go over all of the scenarios that can happen defensively, many times, so that they know what to do,” said Mustangs head coach Peter Lemon.

The team looks to continue their success this weekend, as they travel to Saskatoon for the National championships. Last year the team came second at Nationals, losing to St Clair college in the gold medal game, ending an over 60 game win streak spanning over several years. Prior to that, they had claimed the national prize four consecutive years.

“I don’t think there’s going to be an easy team out there, “ said Lemon. “I think they’re all going to be strong, and we’re going to have to play our best if we’re going to come out on top.”

The National championship will have the top universities, as well as the top colleges in Canada competing. Lemon is anticipating

strong competition coming from the colleges, as St Clair College will be returning to the tournament.

Fanshawe College will be making the trip out to Saskatchewan for Nationals for the first time, and will be joined by Durham and Humber College as well.

“I watched two of the college teams play this weekend that are in the tournament and they’re very strong,” said Lemon.

The Mustangs have not seen St Clair play since last years gold medal game, but they have played Fanshawe and Humber this year, in pre-season exhibition games. The Fanshawe game saw Western leading until the fourth inning, when the game was rained out. The Mustangs came out on top of Humber, but only by a slim margin of 4-2.

“You can always improve, I always say I’m pleased but not satisfied,” said Lemon. “We’re a strong team, and if we play like we can we›re going to be a formidable opponent for any body.”

The Mustangs will kick off the tournament against Humber college Friday at 11 a.m., and will face off against the University of Regina later that day at 3 p.m. To close out the Round Robin stage, the team will face off against their crosstown rivals, Fanshawe college, Saturday at 10 a.m.

group of recruits coming in and I think we’ll be still pretty strong.”

The new defensive corps has had a lot of time to gel in the pre-season, having played five exhibition games already. After losing the first two to Ryerson and Laurier, they bounced back with three convincing wins, including one against a NCAA Division I team from Niagara University.

Coach Singer expects some growing pains in the early stages of the season, though, as his new players develop more chemistry with the veterans.

“A lot of these young men have moved from across the country

to come here and go to school at Western,” he said. “Obviously there’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment period but once we get a month or so into the regular season we think they’ll be great players for us.”

Singer also pointed out that many newer team members have to adapt quickly, coming from junior leagues where they were the oldest players and entering a league where they’re the youngest.

Much of the responsibility for helping the rookies mesh with the team will be on veterans like Marantz. As one of the captains, he will be charged with assisting their

transition both on and off the ice.

“The hockey stuff’s easy,” he said.

“You just lead by example and try and show guys the way.”

The Mustangs have a tough job ahead of them trying to return to the OUA Final, but they can’t be counted out. The forward lineup is strong and scrappy, and the goalies both Greg Dodds and Peter Delmas - are more than capable of stealing games. Dodds posted a .919 save percentage last year.

Western’s campaign for the Queen’s Cup begins on Thursday, as they pay a visit to the Guelph Gryphons for a rematch of the 2016 OUA West Final.

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10 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016

culture

•

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

Interfaculty dating has its ups and downs VIVIAN CHENG GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Ask students how they’re doing and the inevitable response is, “I’m so busy.” How do students make time for romantic relationships in university, let alone when in different faculties?

Dating outside of your faculty — also known as interfaculty dating — can be even more difficult due to scheduling differences.

Sam Papernick, second-year science student, has experienced the challenges of scheduling that

come with dating outside his faculty. Papernick’s girlfriend studies criminology.

“I’m really busy all the time and [my girlfriend] has a lot of days off. It’s frustrating because we don’t see each other that much,” he reveals.

Since faculties vary in workload and grading, these differences can create conflict between couples due to varying study or work habits required for each program.

“You’re not always going to be able to understand the amount of work and type of work that your

significant other is doing. It makes it easy to make excuses not to hangout,” says Jimmy DomagalaTang, second-year software engineering student who is dating first-year family studies student Shayla Smith.

Despite assessment disparities, second-year BMOS student Andrew Zouki says dating outside of your faculty keeps conversations interesting because of your collective vast span of knowledge.

Zouki experiences this with his girlfriend who is studying science.

Interfacult y dating a lso

prevents awkward run-ins with past significant others while attending class.

Ashley Ottogalli, second-year engineering student, believes interfaculty dating – dating within your faculty – can make it harder to get over someone after a breakup since you share classes.

Having different class and exam schedules can be advantageous for this reason.

“We don’t get stressed out at the same time because of our different schedules, and in this way, we can support each other,” says Smith,

who is dating Domagala-Tang.

All in all, dating someone outside your faculty, while having different issues than dating someone within it, is just as challenging as dating someone within your faculty.

Every relationship has its benefits and downsides to take into consideration. Ultimately it doesn’t matter if you choose to date someone inside or outside your faculty – but hey, opposites attract.

HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY

TURKEY DUMP

MEAL OPTIONS

DINNER CONVERSATIONS

PUMPKIN PIE

Thanksgiving was declared an American national holiday in November 1863. Why, you ask?

Basically, the original Thanksgiving celebration in 1621 was a feast to keep the peace between the Pilgrims – religious separatists from Holland – and the Wampanoag Native Americans. Then, with the threat of civil war, Thanksgiving became a family holiday that kept people shooting turkeys instead of each other. As people grew increasingly selfish, non-religious and individualistic in urban settings, the “family homecoming” brought people back to a communal mindset. Then things got rowdy.

Rambunctious young men reveled in the pride of being American and started fights on the holiday.

Eventually things settled down and school children now decorate gourds and cut out paper turkeys before stuffing their faces with their families.

Relationships in university are hard and it gets even harder when the relationship is long distance.

In your youthful naivety you think “Nope, not me. My relationship will prevail. We can do this. Distance makes the heart grows fonder.”

September comes and goes, you’ve made it through the first month with a few bumps in the road — but that’s normal. October comes and you think, ‘just two more weeks and I can see bae’ and you are just beaming with excitement. Then on their last day in town, they ask you to meet at “your spot.” Nothing strange about that, right? Then bam! There it is, the “It’s not you, it’s me” line. You just got turkey dumped. Don’t beat yourself up about it too much; lots of people get dumped around this time. And look at the bright side, now you get to do you. Enjoy the single life.

Every year at Thanksgiving people gather around a big table and gorge themselves on a large roasted turkey with gravy, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and more. But everyone knows that turkey is the most important part. Growing up I was never big on eating a ton of meat, but at the same time I laughed at the idea of a Tofurky (tofu “turkey”).

Alternate meal options are fairly limited around this time of year so it leads to a lot of awkward conversations with family and friends about why you’re not eating the main course, or why you insist on being difficult. For families who don’t have this issue, kudos to you for being progressive and thank you on behalf of vegetarians and the like for making life much easier.

“Hillary Clinton is a bitch.” If that made your eyes widen, then welcome to a typically awkward Thanksgiving dinner conversation!

Controversial and problematic statements like these fly over the table faster than your uncle can pass the gravy. Despite the common adage that you should avoid politics, religion and money — one of these is bound to come up because, hey! That’s family.

Not to worry, though. Not all the conversation in-between bites of turkey will be mind-numbing. You might find yourself taking a fun story away from the table for your friends. Like the time my cousin suggested she wanted to buy a gun in order to protect herself in case of a zombie apocalypse. Yep, the cranberry sauce wasn’t the only questionable thing at that supper.

Remember, you can always mock what your family says without feeling guilty.

This is an ode to pumpkins, but more specifically the beauty that is pumpkin pie. Every fall I anticipate my long awaited addiction to be filled with this buttery, lightly spiced treat. I could easily body an eight-inch pie by myself but in the spirit of being a good human, I only eat half and share the rest of it with my friends.

Pumpkin pie is the only reason I care about Thanksgiving — a full weekend dedicated to eating pie?

I’m here for it. After all, I don’t partake in the North American tradition of a family dinner with stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce and thanking them for existing. I thank God everyday for my privileges. But what I can appreciate about this national holiday is my extra time in bed cradling one of the many things I enjoy about fall: pumpkin pie.

■■ANNIE RUETER

■■MAAILAH BLACKWOOD

■■ELLIS KOIFMAN

■■BRADLEY METLIN

■■SAMAH ALI

• www.westerngazette.ca

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2016 • 11

culture

Theatre at Western ready to take the stage AMY SKODAK CULTURE EDITOR @AMYSKODAK It’s a month into the school year and Western theatre groups have hit the ground running.

The Arts and Humanities Students’ Council hope to create intrigue with their 2017 production of by playwright Jean Anoulih. Set to hit the stage March 2017, play director and coordinator Camille Inston describes it as: “A kind of interdisciplinary, multimedia-infused approach to theatre.”

Jean’s adaptation of Antigone is a modernized Greek tragedy about the individual struggle against the law. “It uses more contemporary dialect to tell this story of a girl going up against her government and her uncle,” she explains.

Inston believes that the play will draw interest from students due to its relevance with today’s political climate that’s always in the public eye because of social media.

She also adds that students have been approaching her, excited to see a text they had studied in class brought to life.

“The arts and humanities department does a lot of shows that take what we learn in the classroom and bring them to the community,” Inston says. She adds that audiences can arguably compare the character Creone to a Stephen Harper or Donald Trump character because the Athenian democratic system has so many ties with our own.

Concerns with politics and the justice system seem to be popular, as Theatre Western’s fall play also follows this theme.

“This semester we have Twelve

FILE PHOTO GAZETTE

Angry Men coming up from Nov. 12 to 19,” says Theatre Western coordinator Hailey Hill. “It’s a gender-blind production though, so the jurors are male and female,” she adds.

Hill explains that she was angry about the injustice of the Jian Ghomeshi and Brock Turner trials, which inspired the play selection.

“I think a lot of people can relate to the subject matter of the play, of just wanting to have a fair trial and wanting justice served,” Hill says.

She adds that Theatre Western plans to partner with a charity that helps women who have been sexually abused afford a lawyer. “We don’t want it to just be a performance, we want to give back to the community as well,” she says.

Along with the fall play, Theatre Western also organizes the student written play event, Purple Shorts.

The festival will take place Feb. 13 and 14 with three plays per night.

For students who’d like to perform and receive course credit,

Pedestrian safety prioritized on campus AMEENA ABID CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE A new school year always comes with surprises, but for many students at Western, the removal of the centre crosswalks at Alumni Circle proved to be a big one. While many students were initially annoyed by the change, many will agree that it is an important step in making Western’s campus more safe for pedestrians.

Alumni Circle has long been a source of grievance for pedestrians and drivers alike. In fact, in the 1998 Frosh Issue of The Gazette, the spot was labelled as the “Traffic Circle ‘o’ Death”.

Sergeant Ryan Austin of Campus Community Police Service, has taken notice of the situation in this area for quite some time.

“What I noticed in the Alumni Circle, even from the time I was a student here 25 years ago, is that we had many opportunities for vehicles to come into contact with pedestrians walking through the center of the circle,” Austin explains. “What I wanted to see is a reduction in the number of opportunities for interaction between pedestrians. And so that’s what we did; we redesigned the circle.”

Miles Elliott is a second-year student who, although slightly taken aback by the change, agrees that it is probably for the best.

“At first I was a little startled.

Because it takes a lane away from you to walk [through] but then I can see, from a safety perspective, that it’s not a bad idea because people

were always running in the middle and it was just kind of chaotic. Now it’s a bit safer for everyone,” Elliot mentions.

The changes at Alumni Circle are not finished yet. Redoing the crosswalks in raised concrete and increasing the signage in the area are among the changes to come.

Alumni Circle is just one example of an ongoing effort in keeping Western’s pedestrians safe. Bringing a sidewalk to Philip Aziz Avenue, analyzing the crosswalks and light sequence at the Sarnia and Western intersection, continuing enforcement programs to promote safe driving practices and encouraging delivery vehicles to work around school hours are some of the examples as to how campus police are focusing their attention on pedestrian safety.

Regardless of the traffic, the age old-advice of looking both ways before crossing still applies.

Austin looks back at his university experience saying, “I remember being a student here and we got lots of things on our mind and paying attention to the road is not always number one on the priority list even though it should be. But you got a lot of things to think about when you’re here as a student so we want to make sure we make it a safe space.”

Drivers, commuters and pedestrians are all required to share this space on campus with each other and however you’re getting to your location, paying attention to your surroundings ensures a safe trip for everyone.

English 2041F offers a unique opportunity. The special topics in drama professor, Joanna Devereux explains, “We do a production every fall and students can get credit for being involved either in the cast or crew.”

This year, the course will be performing a shortened version of Hamlet along with a Tudor interlude. “It’s a short comical play from the renaissance,” Devereux explains.

She says that the dark tragedy of Hamlet and the lively allegorical

short will make for an interesting contrast.

The play runs from Nov. 9 to 12 at the Arts Project downtown. Audition information for next year’s play and course enrollment will appear between January and February of 2017. Audition and crew calls for Antigone begin early October, with more information available on their Facebook page.

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

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GYMNASTICS COACHES REQUIRED Gymworld Gymnastics is expanding into a new facility in North West London.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 Ham & Scalloped Potato Supper, 5.00 - 7.00 p.m. St. Luke’s Church, 1204 Richmond at Bernard (just north of University gates), plus dessert and beverage. Purchase tickets at the door. Adults $12, children 6-12 $6 each, children under 6, free. Enter off Bernard.

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NAVANEETH MOHAN GAZETTE

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