Tuesday, October 18, 2016

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 110, ISSUE 13 High-key high-key 1906

STUDENT EXEC SALARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY PG6-7

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Mustangs earn narrow 3-1 victory over Waterloo Warriors See page 8 for the play-by-play

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Head AARON MALLET GAZETTE

WIN YOUR TUITION! Western Alumni is giving current Western, Kings, Brescia and Huron students who attend the Western Mustangs’ Homecoming Saturday football game on Saturday, October 22 the chance to win one of three amazing prizes:

Grand Prize:

2nd Prize:

Free tuition for the 2016/17 academic year (up to a maximum value of $8,000!)

Campus Meal Plan credit of $2,000

3rd Prize:

$1,000 gift card for The Book Store at Western

For complete rules, visit: alumni.westernu.ca/win-your-tuition

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2 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

profile

•

JEREMY COPELAND

Volume 110, Issue 13 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

HAMZA TARIQ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HAMZATARIQ_

KATIE LEAR PRINT MANAGING EDITOR @KATIELEAR_

BRADLEY METLIN DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @BRADLEYMETLIN

NEWS SABRINA FRACASSI DRISHTI KATARIA MOSES MONTERROZA RITA RAHMATI GRACE TO CULTURE SAMAH ALI ELLIS KOIFMAN AMY SKODAK ANNIE RUETER CULTURE-AT-LARGE RICHARD JOSEPH SPORTS CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE MIKE DEBOER CLAIRE PALMER MULTIMEDIA MAAILAH BLACKWOOD JENNY JAY AARON MALLETT NATALIE TREFFRY

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SENIOR STAFF GRACE TO AMAL MATAN ELLA PURTILL

From Baghdad to Washington, professor Jeremy Copeland’s career has taken him all over the world. Now, he’s bringing these experiences to his classes in Western’s MIT and master of journalism program.

camera as the program’s spokesperson.

“My first test [being interviewed] was CNN headline news,” he says. “Earpiece in, and looking into a camera pretending I was having a conversation with somebody across the table from me.”

All this experience in the global community has shaped Jeremy’s teaching at Western. Journalism, he says, is crucial to our understanding of the world.

In 15 years as a journalist, Jeremy has picked up a lot.

Helping launch Al Jazeera English in 2006, he covered all of Canada for the international news network. “[I] was basically being a foreign correspondent in my own country,” says Jeremy.

It all started at Western, though, where Jeremy studied political science and wrote for The Gazette. That’s where he got the experience he needed to apply to journalism school.

As a freelance reporter, he covered South Asia and the Middle East for CBC and BBC. “One story that people get excited about is interviewing the Dalai Lama at his home,” he says.

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The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

The story is indeed exciting, as Jeremy explains. He spent an hour with the Buddhist leader, seeing firsthand what he means to the Tibetan exile community.

“It was an amazing experience,” Jeremy reflects. “He’s very friendly, very personable. Yes he’s a living god to some people but he’s also just a person. That’s probably how he sees himself.”

“It’s important for us to get out of our shells, and to actually know what’s going on in the world,” says Jeremy.

“If you can understand the person who you think is your enemy, they’re not going to be your enemy for very long.

“It’s about giving a voice to the voiceless,” he adds. “If we don’t consciously go out as journalists and look for those stories, people aren’t going to hear about them.”

With Al Jazeera, he saw a lot of prejudice in society. The network had a negative reputation in the U.S. when it launched, but Jeremy attributes that more to fear and ignorance than rationality.

“I came and talked to the Jewish community centre here, and there were 70 people in the crowd,” he says. “They’d packed in to see how a Canadian Jew had ended up at Al Jazeera.”

Jeremy recounts that 69 of 70 people had a negative perception of the network, despite having never watched the channel.

After freelancing for a while, Jeremy briefly crossed over to communications. He worked on the out-of-country voting program for Iraq’s first elections after the fall of Saddam Hussein, as U.S. chief of external relations for the International Organization for Migration in Iraq.

“It was an Arabic name,” he points out, “and [people] were afraid of it because it was Arabic.”

Jeremy says it was tough being on the other side of the

■■CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE

The storytelling skills Jeremy picked up out in the field are what he brings to his classes at Western, giving his journalism students a global perspective.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • 3

news

MTP program cut headed to Senate despite protests RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITARAHMATI

BRADLEY METLIN GAZETTE

Western’s response to HOCO banner draws criticism RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITARAHMATI The Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship, a non-profit promoting academic freedom on Canadian campuses, has spoken out against Western administration’s reaction to the “Western Lives Matter” incident and have prompted a response from University President Amit Chakma.

On the Oct. 1, the ‘original’ Homecoming weekend, some Western students posed with a banner stating “Western Lives Matter.”

Jana Luker, Western’s associate vice-president student experience, sent out a letter speaking against the banner, calling the signage racist and contrary to the university’s values.

Excerpts from the letter dated Oct. 5 and addressed to President Chakma state: - “Western’s student code of conduct covers such matters as disrupting classes, threatening people or putting people at risk of harm, and harassment. There is nothing in the newspaper report that remotely suggests that the students posing with the banner engaged in any behaviour that fits these categories.”

- “In investigating the incident of the banner and the photos, Western would essentially be investigating students for having and expressing an opinion or for trying to have fun.”

- “In our opinion, universities should not be seeking to protect social movements from criticism or satire. Universities should, rather, be places at which opinions can be openly expressed and discussed.

A student’s opinion should not have to fall in line with the views of university.”

In the conclusion of the letter,

SAFs asked for assurance that the students who made the banner will not be investigated.

Luker, said the incident was being investigated by Campus Police and she could not comment about specifics of the case.

The incident was not deemed a hate crime by London Police Services, according to Luker.

In an interview, SAFS president, Mark Mercer — who authored the letter — said he was inspired to speak out about the issue as the organization’s purpose is to defend academic freedom and freedom of expression on campuses.

“I can’t see how it [the student code of conduct] was violated in any way at all,” Mercer said. “It certainly can’t rule out ridicule, satire, protest, whatever the students with the banner thought themselves to be doing.”

In the letter Mercer noted that Western’s code of conduct states: “Nothing in this Code shall be construed to prohibit peaceful assemblies and demonstrations, lawful picketing, or to inhibit free speech as guaranteed by law.”

Mercer said he isn’t sure if the university should ever limit freedom of expression. He said Western could have organized an academic discussion on the nature of ridiculing the Black Lives Matter movement, but shouldn’t be punishing the students as punishment provides no educational purpose.

The letter received a response letter from Chakma who cited specific sections of the Student Code of Conduct. Section 4 states, “The University encourages students to set for themselves the highest standards of behaviour offcampus, including behaviour conducive to the peaceful and safe enjoyment

of housing by both students and neighbours.”

“In light of these considerations, our administration initiated an investigation when members of the community brought complaints to our attention about the nature of the message printed on the banner (i.e., its apparent trivialization of the “Black Lives Matter” movement) and the fact that an image of the banner was being disseminated via social media,” Chakma said.

Mercer responded and sent another letter to Chakma. In this letter, Mercer cited the administration’s agreement with Western’s Faculty Association which states: “Furthermore, universities are communities in which the right to criticize all aspects of society is valued and respected.” Mercer said these rights should also apply to students as well.

Mercer further said that even if the students are not sanctioned, the investigation warns students and professors that Western isn’t a place where free speech is permitted.

“A university shouldn’t be a place where we have to be careful not to say things that the administrator’s don’t approve of,” Mercer said in the interview. “University people should be responding with criticism, not with threats.”

Luker said if Campus Police does determines a violation occurred, then the sanctions could range from nothing to academic expulsion.

“My concern is that students may need support and that they are offended and disrespected by the banner,” Luker said in an interview. “That’s what my real focus is.”

Students in the Faculty of Information Studies are continuing to speak out against the media and production theory program cut announced late last month.

With the upcoming Senate meeting on Oct. 21, where the program cut is on the agenda, students are hoping to have their voices heard by administration.

FIMS student council president, Krista Pereira, sent an email to members of the Senate Committee on Academic Policy and Awards which met on Sept. 30.

SCAPA meetings are confidential, but Pereira hoped the individuals she reached out to would bring forward some of her concerns.

Malcolm Ruddock, executive assistant to the president and provost, emailed Pereira back. Ruddock spoke on behalf of the president and provost and stated the “Senate’s consideration on the future of the MTP program will be delayed until further consultation is undertaken.”

Pereira said she viewed this as a positive and was happy the discussions at Senate would be postponed.

But later she was informed SCAPA approved taking the MTP program cut to Senate for the final approval and the program would face a vote on Oct. 21.

“We felt honestly defeated. We felt like all the work we’d done wasn’t really for anything,” Pereira said.

Before the SCAPA meeting, University Students’ Council vice-president Jamie Cleary sent the committee a letter speaking on behalf of the USC. In the letter,

Cleary requested more student consultation to take place in cancelling the MTP program.

“I’m here to support students and if that’s what students from that faculty are wanting or are bringing up [as] concerns, I’m here to help them,” Cleary said in at interview.

USC President Eddy Avila plans on speaking at the Senate meeting and will mention similar concerns as Cleary.

Although the program has not been officially removed (pending Senate approval), enrolment has halted — meaning no new students will be enrolled in the program next year.

Pereira said she and other FIMS students will attend the upcoming Senate meeting.

“Just so that our presence is felt there. Even if we can’t do anything to actually change the decisions that are made, we’re not rolling over,” Pereira said.

A new program has been approved in which high-achieving Fanshawe students with a diploma in broadcast journalism, radio broadcasting, television broadcasting or interactive media design can enter into a three-year specialization program at Western.

If in the event the MTP program is cancelled by Senate, Pereira said she will try to work with the administration to make the best of the new program.

FIMS Dean Thomas Carmichael did not respond to interview requests by The Gazette for this story.

Other senior members of Western’s administration also couldn’t be reached for comment at the time of publication.

REVIEW COMMITTEE VICE-PRESIDENT (RESEARCH) A Review Committee for the Vice-President (Research) has been struck in accordance with the Appointment Procedures for Senior Academic and Administrative Officers of the University.

Vice President John Capone is eligible to be appointed to a second five-year term.

The Committee is seeking input from the community as it conducts its review, particularly with respect to the following: • The alignment of the strategic research on the development of specific strategic directions and priorities with Western’s research directions and priorities underValues and Mission and with the University’s taken in the last 5 years Strategic Plans over the last five years.

• Stakeholders’ awareness of steps that • The alignment of these strategic research they can take to stay engaged with the directions and priorities with external research vision, process and direction realities (e.g., Tri-Council Funding) • Means to enhance the effectiveness of • The effectiveness of consultation and research services provided to the campus communication with key stakeholders community and the broader campus community IN PREPARING WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS MAY BE HELPFUL:

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT (RESEARCH) www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/board/special_resolutions/spres13.pdf STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN www.uwo.ca/research/_docs/excellence/Western_University_Strategic_Plan_Overview_Approved.pdf Submissions should be forwarded by November 18, 2016 to the Secretary of the Committee, Irene Birrell at ibirrell@uwo.ca or mailed to: I. Birrell, University Secretary Rm. 4101, Stevenson Hall, Western University, London, Ontario, N6A 5B8.

All submissions will remain confidential to the review committee.

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4 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

news

•

Fewer tickets issued on ‘original’ Homecoming Project LEARN offences see drastic decrease with fewer student violations

BRADLEY METLIN GAZETTE

The 'original' Homecoming weekend on Oct. 1 saw thousands of students attending street parties on Broughdale Ave. and other student areas despite the University administration’s efforts to curb the festivities.

However, tickets issued by London Police Service on the day were fewer than in previous years with only 54 handed out this year as opposed to 76 tickets in 2015 and 213 tickets in 2014.

According to LPS media relations officer Sandasha Bough, Broughdale Ave. attracted more students on the Oct. 1 weekend than on homecoming weekends in past years.

“We had a greater number of students than we have in the past…

However, we noticed that those individuals tended to remain in the backyards and inside of the residences,” she said.

The Middlesex-London emergency services tweeted, “More Paramedic units are on the street today. >7000 ppl on the streets.

Please everyone be responsible. #dontinviteus2urparty @ westernu.”

Similar to previous years, London Police Service was involved in Project LEARN (liquor enforcement and reduction of noise), an

2500

105

20

48% students

791

33 23

500

100

76 54

50 0

Campus Police Calls for Service in 2016 JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE

5

Liquor License Act

3

Federal statutes

6

Person’s occurences

Property (i.e. lost/found)

1

16 20

15 20

14

1

5 0

20

16 20

15

14 20

13 20

16 20

15 20

14 20

20

13

0

11

10

231

0

18

15 1000

40

20

150

1422 students

Unauthorized activity

3

16

60

63%

1500

25

20

Only 3 on Oct. 1 Weekend

213

28

15

77

30

200

2000

20

80

250

2327

SERT Calls

20

100

Tickets Given on HOCO/FOCO

14

120

Project LEARN Provincial Offences

of students there for Reunion weekend, or FOCO. We were prepared just in case those officers were in fact needed,” she said.

LPS was aware that in the past students start collecting on Broughdale early in the morning so there were also patrol cars patrolling the streets around Broughdale in the morning.

Campus Police held down the fort on campus as they received 19 calls for service on Reunion weekend.

“This was similar to past years; the game was very quiet. The rest of campus was good, most students were off campus on Broughdale so there was nothing out of the ordinary,” said Jean-Claude Aubin, operational leader of campus police.

Five of the tickets handed out

by Campus Police were liquor license offenses and six were person’s occurrences which can be criminal or non-criminal involving suspicious persons, trouble with persons, disturbances assaults or sexual assaults. There were three federal statutes which usually involve drug use.

In addition, SERT calls received on campus went down from last year from 28 to 18 this year. Of the 18 calls to SERT, 13 were alcohol related.

20

Project LEARN Criminal Offences

initiative designed to curb bylaw infractions and combat common party-related incidents.

This year’s Project LEARN numbers saw an increase in the number of criminal offences compared to last year from 23 to 33.

Three criminal charges were also handed out on the Oct. 1 weekend while last year no criminal charges were laid on Homecoming weekend as part of Project LEARN. Additionally, 791 provincial offence notices were issued in fall 2015, with a substantial drop to 231 provincial offence notices this year.

Bough said more warnings instead of tickets were given this year as the students were well behaved.

“All in all the students were very well behaved and very respectful towards the police this year, in fact thanking the police for being out there and for the way they were handling the situation,” she said.

According to Bough, LPS prepared for the festivities based on the situations and operational plans used for past Homecoming weekends.

“Even though we were aware that Homecoming weekend was actually switched, we were aware that there was a possibility that there would be the same amount

Tresspass to Property Act

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • 5

opinions

True friendship, is always unconditional A Cup of Drishti DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE It is the purest relationship I will ever have. There are no pretences, no expectations, no pressures.

There are no roles to play. Not the role of the ideal daughter, granddaughter or the eldest sibling, the stellar student, the dutiful significant other.

I can be just me.

I can divulge my secrets, my weaknesses, my anxiety-induced thoughts, knowing I won’t be taken advantage of, knowing they won’t be used against me.

I can be vulnerable; I can wear my heart on my sleeve because it has taught me there is a strength in showing vulnerability.

It is unconditional.

It is the only relationship I will ever have that doesn’t require maintenance; it’s natural and effortless.

I don’t mean that one doesn’t need to make time for their friends.

What I mean is that we can go weeks without even talking to each other and pick right back up where we left off. Which other relationship would allow this?

We have many different types of friends in our lives and they all fulfill a human need. But you always have that one friend.

And this is the bond that you cherish no matter what because you know that it’s rare.

I was 12 when I found my first true “best friend.” I use this term with a mixture of sarcasm and reserve because at this point in life it’s almost an understatement to me, especially because of its over use these days.

I can’t think of one thing that this person doesn’t know about me.

I learned the true meaning of friendship from this person. This wasn’t a juvenile middle school type deal that was bound to outgrow its time,

it quickly became one of the most cherished relationships I would ever have. This person is one of the main reasons for who I am today and continues to influence me to this day, nearly 10 years later.

Our relationship has changed over the years. We don’t talk nearly as much as we used to, but we don’t need to. Life happens. There have been some major changes in our lives in the past decade but we know that when we need each other, the other is always there. We’ve gone through too much for it to be any other way.

This is a friendship I know will stand the test of time, stand the test of life.

But it is not infinite. Friendship is tied by an invisible elastic band. You can stretch it pretty far, but stretch it too far and it will snap.

If only there was some way – besides calling or writing or seeing face to face – to express how often you think of them, that indeed, their friendship means the world to you.

Words don’t suffice. Do actions?

Or is the thought enough?

Despite having many friends, I don’t let people in easily. Someone once used to tease me that I must have suffered some crushing polygamist betrayal by a husband in my past life. But it’s an all or nothing kind of deal for me, so I’m skeptical.

I’ve learned a few very important lessons in my four years here.

There are those you click with instantly, then those whose guts you hate within the first few moments of meeting them. But being open minded has led me to friendships with the unlikeliest of people.

You will have relationships where you will have given it your all, and still it won’t be enough. But you know what? That’s okay. You will get over it; life is too short for it to be any other way.

Being the most authentic, majestic unicorn version of yourself that you can be will only benefit you. It’s in your candid moments you will recognize the people that can revel in the majestic weirdness that is you and these are the people you grab and hold onto.

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Dear white feminists: it’s not me, it’s you Queen Lear

KATIE LEAR PRINT MANAGING EDITOR @KATIELEAR_ Let’s get a couple of things out of the way. I am white. I am a feminist. But I’m not a white feminist. In fact, I largely disagree with what feminism has come to be known as recently – and that’s because I’m a feminist.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great that feminism is getting more traction these days. With high-profile celebrities such as Amy Schumer and Taylor Swift and sites such as HerCampus bringing feminism into the discussion, the other f-word is more recognizable than ever. And it’s clear that the desire to make the world a better place is present. But the kind of feminism that they’re selling is a very particular kind, and we can’t say it’s the only kind of feminism. The fact that white feminism is what feminism is often recognized to be is doing more harm than good to the entire movement.

The kind of feminism that is being marketed to the masses is what’s known as white feminism. For those unfamiliar with the term, white feminism focuses on a particular group of struggles that – you guessed it – white women face. It’s being sold as the default ‘brand’ of feminism and doesn’t incorporate the ways that other identities can impact sexism. It’s the kind of feminism that holds clear and unflinching opinions on issues

such as believing ‘oppressed’ women should be ‘liberated’ by wearing more revealing clothing, and that seems to believe that their brand of feminism is the right – and only – one.

By marketing white feminism as feminism, it asserts that working against how sexism affects white women is the ‘default’ brand of feminism. So feminists who are not white or who have other identities that impact how they experience sexism are a different kind of feminist at best (according to this marketed definition), and at worst not feminists at all.

The kind of feminism that I signed up for is one that understands that there are different ways to feel empowered and different ways to be discriminated against.

The sexism that a woman of colour experiences is different than what I experience, because I don’t experience how racism intersects with sexism. And it’s not just race that compounds – homophobia, ableism, transphobia and many other forms of discrimination change sexism, and sexism changes other forms of discrimination. I, as a white woman, face one kind of sexism. The fact that other women face a different kind of sexism doesn’t mean that what I face is invalid or no longer exists, nor does what I face makes others’ invalid. I can experience sexism – but I can’t experience racialized sexism, or how racism and sexism interact. The privileges I have in some ways work to mitigate the sexism I face. And that can be hard to admit, especially for women who are just starting to grasp how sexism can affect their lives. Privileges exist,

and various identities intersect to amplify or mitigate the discrimination faced. There isn’t one form of sexism that affects all women in the same way. Why should there be one kind of feminism that does that same thing?

At its core, feminism is the belief that men and women should be equal on all fronts: political, economic, social and legal. But it isn’t the job of feminists to decide what that looks like for the entire group.

There can be feminists who reclaim gendered slurs and those who are liberated showing less skin: these groups aren’t mutually exclusive and they’re both feminism. Feminist ground that is gained by putting down one group of women to further another is not the kind of feminism I want to be known for.

When one group of feminists decides what feminism should look like for the entire group, it turns into just another kind of sexism.

This kind of insider policing alienates women who disagree on what feminism looks like to them and divides the whole movement, leaving them out of any gains one group makes. And ultimately, any progress made by excluding one group isn’t true progress – it just reassigns the discrimination.

If you’ve read this column as a white feminist, check in with your reaction. Are you angry at what I’ve said? Good. Once you can put a finger on why, take a look at what you can be doing better as feminist to ensure it’s the kind of feminism that works for every kind of woman – the kind of feminism we all should be in support of.

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Come out to our Open House where our editors and staff can answer your questions, guide you through how we work, chat you up, enjoy your company and have other insightful conversations (talk about the U.S. election?).

Corrections In the Oct. 7 issue of The Gazette, the story titled “Homecoming banner sparks controversy” cited Western associate vice-president student experience as saying the off-campus incident was out of Western’s hands and would solely be dealt by London Police. Luker original statement meant that the off-campus violation would be dealt by London Police and could also be brought to the Campus Police where it would be dealt with under the student code of conduct.

The Gazette regrets the error and any confusion the article may have caused.

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 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

feature

•

STUDENT EXECUTIVE SALARIES ACROSS CANADA By: Jack Hauen, Hamza Tariq, Alex McKeen and Peter Siemens, with files from Bradley Metlin.

Over the past few months, The Gazette partnered with the University of Toronto’s Varsity in an investigation led by the University of British Columbia’s Ubyssey to determine student union executive salaries and finances at 16 major Canadian universities.

The University Students’ Council at Western was ranked second on the list in terms of executive salaries. Here’s how everyone else stacked up.

Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa & Montreal

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SCHOOL

SALARY

UNDERGRAD POP.

EXECUTIVES

University of Waterloo Federation of Students (FEDS)

$46,532

29,912

4

Western University Students’ Council (USC)

$44,632.52

30,000

5

University of Calgary Students’ Union (UCSU)

$38,481

24,387

5

University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU)

$37,700

24,723

5

University of Alberta Students’ Union (UASU)

$36,811

31,161

6

McMaster University Students’ Union (MSU)

$36,247

22,558

4

Ryerson University Students’ Union (RSU)

$36,000

33,834

5

University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU)

$35,747.31

16,871

4

York University Federation of Students (YFS)

$33,700

46,400

5

Students’ Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO)

$33,400

30,137

5

University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society (AMS)

$32,500

42,986

5

Queen’s University Alma Mater Society (AMS)

$31,000

17,413

3

University of Toronto University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU)

$30,060.92

57,670

7

Concordia Student Union (CSU)

$29,367.98

23,965

8

Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)

$28,798

27,075

7

University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS)

$28,556

17,407

5

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • 7

Salaries & finances of Canadian student governments HERE ARE THE TOP SEVEN STUDENT UNIONS ACCORDING TO EXECUTIVE SALARIES. FOR THE ENTIRE LIST AND A FUN INTERACTIVE MAP, VISIT WESTERNGAZETTE.CA/FEATURES WESTERN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ COUNCIL (USC) EXECUTIVE ROLES (SALARIES) (2015-16): President ($44,632.52); Vice-President ($43,729.50); Secretary-treasurer ($43,729.50); VP Student Events ($43,729.77); Communications Officer ($43,729.50) UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION: Close to 30,000 WORK WEEK: 35 hours BENEFITS: Health, dental and eye care coverage up to $6,000 The University Students’ Council (USC) at Western is one of the largest student governments in Canada. The organization represents almost 30,000 undergraduate students on Western’s main campus as well as the three affiliate colleges.

A recent restructuring of the executive portfolios has merged the two vice-president positions into one, bringing the total number of executives to five. The executives work longer than the calendar year of 12 months, with a transition month at the beginning of their terms to help facilitate the new executives in their roles.

The USC operates within a unionized environment and almost half of the full-time support staff are in unionized positions. In addition, the organization also offers a number of part-time positions to students and support staff. “[The president] Eddy Avila is the CEO of a $27 million organization and oversees over 55 full-time employees. Our salaries are based on our accountability and responsibility, and we believe they are reasonable for the amount of work that we do on students’ behalf,” said Emily Ross, USC communications officer.

The USC runs businesses such as the Wave and Spoke [restaurants], the Purple Store, Creative Services and others.

Whether these businesses break even, make a loss or profit varies from year-to-year. The USC also collects rent from external vendors operating in the University Community Centre.

The student fees collected are also used to pay for the undergraduate bus pass and health and dental plans.

Ross added that while the executives are paid for 35 hours each week, most of the time they end up working longer hours with on- and off-campus commitments.

“On busier weeks, as most weeks seem to be, we work closer around the 50-hour mark,” she said. “Higher if you include the time spent working away from the office as well as on-campus working, attending or hosting events, in meetings and supporting students.”

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY STUDENTS’ UNION (UCSU) EXECUTIVE ROLES (FIVE): President; VP Academic; VP Operations/ Finance; VP Student Life; VP External UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION: 24,387 SALARY (EACH): $38,481 WORK WEEK: 35 hours Since the University of Calgary Students’ Union (UCSU) executive pay of $38,481 is indexed to inflation, it’s realistically closer to $39,000, according to president Stephen Guscott.

The union takes pride in financing itself in large part from the businesses it runs, concerts and booking fees. Last year, they were in the black by $1,589,475 in that area. They also collected $5,269,577 in student fees in 2015 — about $216 per undergraduate student. Sixty-five dollars of that $216 goes directly to maintaining the student union, including executive salaries.

The union decided how much it would pay its executives by comparing student union exec salaries across Canada, then surveying the wages of the average Albertan aged 20-24 with less than an undergraduate degree.

“That roughly $39,000 ended up being about 13 per cent higher than the average Albertan without a university degree.

So it’s pretty on par,” said Guscott.

“The students elect us to these positions to represent them and to act in their best interests, and really, the compensation is for taking on that responsibility and making those tough decisions — because at times, there’s some pretty heavy choices that we have to make.”

Guscott also noted the addition of around a year onto any executive’s degree — an accepted price to pay for a year of valuable work experience.

In addition to execs, the union pays its non-exec council members a monthly honorarium —$110 per month during the summer and $320 per month during the school year.

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO FEDERATION OF STUDENTS (FEDS)

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA STUDENTS’ UNION (UASU)

EXECUTIVE ROLES: President; VP Education; VP Operations and Finance; VP Internal SALARIES (EACH): $46,532 BENEFITS PACKAGE: $4,467 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION: 29,912 WORK WEEK: 35 hours

EXECUTIVE ROLES (SIX): President; VP Academic; VP Operations/ Finance; VP Student Life; VP External; Board of Governors Representative SALARY (EACH): $36,811 WORK WEEK: 40 hours UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION: 31,161

The Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo is led by four executives — the president and three vice-president portfolios. Founded in 1967, it represents all undergraduate students at the university.

The FEDS divides its collected fees into two sections — the FEDS administered fee and the FEDS fee. The administered fee includes the bus pass, the health and dental plan and the student refugee program fee. The FEDS fee is what goes to the organization directly.

According to Chris Lolas, FEDS president, approximately $3 million goes to the FEDS general fund, which covers everything except fees for the U-Pass, orientation and health and dental plans. They are collected and handled separately in the amounts of $3.5 million, $800,000, $4.5 million and $4 million, respectively.

In addition to their personal salaries, the three executives also have a part-time salary budget in their portfolios to pay support staff. In 2015/16, the president, vice-president, internal and vice-president, education had part-time salary allocations of $3,000, $3,900 and $31,500, respectively.

In 2015–16, the FEDS posted a net surplus of $6,157.53, with their only two sources of revenue being the collected student fees of $2,825,510 and about $13,000 generated from interest.

The FEDS commercial services such as the Bombshelter Pub, Campus Bubble and the on-campus I-News store are all not funded through student fees.

While on paper the executives are paid for 35 hours per week, they often spend 50-60 hours working each week, Lolas said. In addition, while the FEDS executives are not limited in how many classes they make take during their terms, it’s not common practice to take any.

“It is rare that we do take a class and never more than one at a time. For example, in my six total terms as president, I have taken one class,” he said. “It never affects our job and we keep FEDS as our priority.”

University of Alberta Student Union (UASU) executive salaries are also indexed to Alberta CPI and inflation. They handle portfolios valued in the mid-$40,000 range.

According to their 2015 financial statements, the UASU collected $9,935,376 in student fees — or $319 per student — and made $8,543,078 in other revenues, including business activities and programming and event activities. Of that $319, full-time students each pay $42.73 per year toward the student union itself.

In their 2015/16 budget, they lost $95,684 on entertainment and events, but made $322,977 from their businesses, with every retail and food service outlet except Undergrind in the black. Their other major cash cow is the Myer Horowitz Theatre, which collected $79,540 in profit.

President Fahim Rahman detailed similar concerns to other Canadian student union executives about the number of hours he works per week on paper versus in reality — usually around 50 or 60, he says.

“It’s not exactly healthy, but that’s the reality of being here for only one year and having only so much time to get all of your platform promises achieved for students,” he said.

Rahman believes his compensation is fair, based on the amount of responsibility that rests on execs’ shoulders.

“We are the stewards of a $10 million organization ... and we’re responsible for making sure that the students union’s always pursuing projects that are relevant to students,” he said.

He also touched on the long-term benefits of holding an executive role at a major university. “The job is definitely professional development for anybody who steps into a role like this and there are just some experiences that you can’t really be putting a price tag on. That’s why I’m quite comfortable with what our salaries are at right now.”

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION (MSU) EXECUTIVE ROLES (SALARIES): President ($36,247); VP Administration ($39,333); VP Education ($39,333); VP Finance ($39,333) WORK WEEK: 40 hours.

UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION: 22,558 STUDENT FEE: $515.38 per year In contrast with most student governments across the country, the MSU president earns a smaller salary than the union’s vice-presidents, as the president gets free accommodation in campus residence while the vice-presidents pay for external housing, according to MSU VP Administration Shaarujaa Nadarajah.

While the executives end up working more than the quota of 40 hours a week, Nadarajah thinks their salaries are fair compensation.

“I have always said no one does this job for the money,” she said. “I do think the compensation is reasonable looking at it through the confines of a student union structure.”

The MSU collects $515.38 in supplementary fees from students of which $124.33 go towards the union’s operating fee.

The rest of the fee breaks down into the bus pass, dental plan, health plan, the radio station (CFMU 93.3), the undergraduate student yearbook (Marmor) and the student refugee fee with $138.65, $118.90, $109.95, $12.80, $9.22 and $1.53 respectively.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS’ UNION (UMSU) EXECUTIVE ROLES (FIVE): President; VP Advocacy; VP External; VP Internal; VP Student Services.

SALARY (EACH): $37,700 including value of benefits WORK WEEK: 40 hours UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION: 24,723 The University of Manitoba Student Union (UMSU) is planning to post their budget online soon, according to VP Internal Adam Pawlak, “with brief explanations of each budget line.”

We do know that full-time students pay $465.39 in fees (minus health and dental plans) to the UMSU each year, according to their finances page. Of that, $54.70 goes to the union itself.

Tanjit Nagra, the union’s president, says she has spoken to other student leaders across the country and believes that UMSU execs are paid “decently well in comparison.”

“At the end of the day, we’re serving students and our jobs are rewarding in that. It’s a very unique opportunity and experience where a lot of people might do it for free, so definitely it’s worth it,” she said.

UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN STUDENTS’ UNION (USSU) EXECUTIVE ROLES (FOUR): President; VP Academic Affairs; VP Operations and Finance; VP Student Affairs SALARY (EACH): $35,747.31 WORK WEEK: 39.5 hours UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION: 16,871 BENEFITS: Monthly cell phone reimbursement The University of Saskatchewan Student Union (USSU) collected $1,223,459 in student fees in 2015/16 — $72 per student — and made $343,562 in facility rental fees. They lost $93,471 running Louis’, their signature pub. All told, the USSU exited 2015 with a $103,717 surplus. Full-time undergraduates each pay $79.08 per year toward the union itself.

Since the USSU only employs four executives. the distribution of responsibilities is slightly more skewed toward the top. In addition to the normal student union duties, the president also sits on the University of Saskatchewan’s Board of Governors (BoG) and is responsible for lobbying the provincial and federal governments for student interests. These duties are taken on by BoG reps and the VP external in unions like UBC’s AMS. Does President Kehan Fu believe his salary is justified? It depends on how you look at it.

“It’s easy to see how hard your job is when you compare it to everyone else who’s working in the same field. In comparison to another student leader, you understand what the job means and the requirements, and you could probably rationalize getting paid $50,000 a year, maybe $60,000.

“In comparison to anything else in terms of careers, it definitely could use more questions. Should people be in a position in leadership where they’re getting paid $35,000 and they have no experience in government, no experience in management?

I don’t know,” he said.

Fu also has concerns about the nature of student elections.

Student apathy means low voter turnout — around 24 per cent at the U of S last year — and that, combined with the relative inexperience of any elected student leader, raises questions about the competency of those handling millions of dollars in student money.

“The election doesn’t prepare people running for it. Nobody understands exactly what you’re getting into. So in some ways, is it a reflection of how much they’re getting paid, or is it a reflection of the fact that you have a process that might not have inherently selected the best people for the job?” he said.

Fu believes the reliance on certain voting blocs at some universities further complicates matters.

“I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes, but ... I’d say most prairie schools are a lot more ... service-driven, not politics or idea-driven or partisan-driven,” he said. “For our students, they want a U-Pass, they wanted childcare, they want x, y and z service, they got it. It’s not about anything else. You don’t have to wave a flag, you don’t have to wave a banner — just, ‘Get it done and we’ll vote.’”

www.westerngazette.ca

8 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

sports

•

Mustangs tennis takes OUA Championships MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE The men’s and women’s tennis teams took different paths this weekend to the Ontario University Athletics championships, but their journeys had the same ending on Sunday in the University Tennis Centre as both teams took home gold medals in what was a historic day for Western Mustangs athletics.

The men’s team captured their fourth provincial title in five years and the 19th championship in program history. The women’s squad captured their 10th title overall and their first since 2012.

The Mustangs cruised to a 6-1 win over their archrival, the Toronto Varsity Blues. Both programs have dominated OUA tennis, combining for 27 provincial gold medals.

Beating Toronto made the gold medal extra sweet for the Mustangs.

“Yeah they’re one of the top programs, no question about it,” said men’s tennis head coach Cameron Cross. “To beat them is special as well and it was hard-fought the whole time and I wasn’t sure until the very end what was gonna happen and it feels pretty good. But they’ll be back and it’s great to see such high quality tennis in our league.”

The Mustangs men swept all three doubles matches on Sunday while taking five of six singles matches. A point is awarded in OUA tennis for winning two of three doubles matches while all six singles matches are worth a point apiece.

Winning the title at home also added to the experience for the Mustangs, who played in front of their friends and family.

“It feels really good to come back here at home,” said fourth-year captain Aman Dhaliwal. “We had a lot of people come out today, which was nice to play in front of our friends and family and it means a lot when people we care about are here and we play well.”

Dhaliwal was ecstatic to win the gold medal in what should be his last year as a Mustang. Finishing his career off on a high point caps off what was an incredible career for the science major from Mississauga.

“I want to thank my team,” Dhaliwal said. “They were great this year, all the rookies and everyone. It was a lot of fun and this was probably my last year so yeah, I’m just really happy and now we’re gonna go to Nationals and win it.”

While the men dominated their way to gold, the women’s team made a historic comeback against the York Lions.

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York stormed out to an early 3-0 lead in the matches, looking very much like the team who would be taking home their second OUA title in three years.

But the Mustangs kept battling, winning four of the six singles matches to capture the gold medal.

Head coach Mike Richards was at a loss for words when asked how proud he was of his team’s resilience in the match.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Richards said. “It’s hard to really explain. We’ve got a really young team and a lot of energy and a great

group. We got down 3-0 and we knew we matched up well and one match at a time we just pulled it off.”

A joyous celebration ensued as the Mustangs celebrated the 4-3 win.

For captain Aurthi Muthukumara the win was attributed to the team’s incredible will and resolve.

“We just took it one game at a time and everyone had a different mindset and just get one point at a time and one game at a time and when we were down 3-0 we were just cheering on and it worked,” said Muthukumara. “It didn’t really matter who we were playing against

at the end of the day.”

Both players thanked their coaches in helping them to the gold medal. The chemistry and bond between the players and coaches was obvious after the game as they celebrated together.

“Whenever they’re on my court I do play better and they do bring the spirit up and bring the team together and without them we wouldn’t be champions,” said thirdyear co-captain Melissa Lee. Both teams now have their eye on winning the Canadian University Tennis Championships in August.

Young defense flourish in men’s hockey CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE Western’s men’s hockey team hosted the Waterloo Warriors in their home opener Friday night and won their second of the young season with a close 3-1 victory.

Second-year centre Robert Polesello had the winning goal which came toward the end of the second period. In net, goalie Greg Dodds made 33 saves for the win, improving his save percentage to .926 and bailing out his team on a couple of occasions with spectacular glove saves.

“I think we did a great job from the defence out,” said Dodds. “We were buzzing around their end quite a bit, and when they were in our end our defence did a good job of blocking shots and clearing rebounds for me.”

The Mustangs are now 2-1 through the first two weeks of the 2016-17 campaign, having split two road games with Guelph and Brock the previous weekend.

After qualifying for the national championship a year ago, Western’s lineup has a new look this season.

With a sizeable chunk of their defensive group graduated, the Mustangs have a young core of blueliners to develop and adapt to their systems.

Second-year Jonathan Laser has stepped into a new role as one of the team’s top defencemen and played a very effective role Friday night in shutting down Waterloo and getting the puck out of Western’s zone.

“It’s going to be a learning curve and a big transition,” said Dodds

about the defensive effort in front of him. “They’re starting to get the systems down. They’re boxing guys out for me and just letting me see the puck which is all I need.”

The most successful defensive endeavour for the Mustangs was the penalty kill, which was perfect through 12 minutes. Laser and Jed Rusk were instrumental in defending against Waterloo’s powerplay.

“Waterloo had one of the top powerplays in the league last year,” pointed out Mustangs coach Clarke Singer. “We just wanted to try to get them out of the structure that they like to run, force them down the weak side a little bit more.”

Singer also noted that he changed his penalty kill strategy for Waterloo, opting for a more aggressive two-man forecheck to try and force them to dump the puck into their end rather than carry it into the offensive zone.

Moving forward, there’s still work to do for Western’s lineup to mesh perfectly. Killing six penalties in a game is good, but the fact that they took so many is an issue to look at.

“We’ve got lots to work on, it’s so early in the year that there’s nothing that we’ve executed perfectly so far,” said Singer. “Special teams and defence are a critical part of your success any time of the year so we’ve got to keep working on that, I thought we got exposed a bit through the neutral zone on the rush

by Waterloo.”

The Mustangs are back in action next Friday when they host the Laurier Golden Hawks.

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • 9

sports

Baseball wins back-to-back OUA gold medals

CLAIRE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @CLAIREATGAZETTE As banner season kicks off, here are your top five Mustang teams this week.

SOFTBALL

CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE After going a perfect 4-0 at the Ontario University Athletics baseball championships on the weekend, the Western Mustangs repeated as gold medallists in Toronto on Sunday.

The Mustangs matched up against their frequent foes, the Brock Badgers, in the final game, winning 6-3 to claim the title. First baseman Jeff Martin went 3-for-4, driving in two runs, and starting pitcher Dustin Godden picked up the win with eight full innings of work, allowing five hits and striking out six.

Pitcher Leo Labine, who threw six innings on Friday in a 15-5 victory to kick off the OUA playoffs, came in at the end of Sunday’s final to close it out for the Mustangs.

“I didn’t fully expect to go in that game,” said Labine. “I’d thrown two days ago.”

Labine secured the gold medal with a strikeout, his ninth of the championship tournament.

“Getting the final out was just surreal,” added Labine.

Western’s pitching was phenomenal throughout the playoff weekend, leading in team earned run average by a large margin with just 2.81. Three pitchers, Labine, Ryan Beckett and Alex Lamont, made up the tournament’s top three in strikeouts, with nine, nine and eight respectively.

“All four of our starters went deep into every game,” pointed out head coach Mike Lumley, who also stressed how effective his team’s offence was in the playoffs.

Western scored 48 runs in four games on the weekend, with lopsided defeats of Waterloo, Brock and Guelph. They led the tournament in batting average (.373), on-base percentage (.522), and slugging percentage (.537).

“We’re a great offensive team,” said Labine. “And we were just on fire in that regard.”

Mustangs centre-fielder Andrew Warner was named playoff MVP, going 8-for-14 and leading all players with 10 RBI. He walked in the third inning on Sunday with the bases loaded, scoring Western’s fourth (and eventually winning) run.

Mike Lumley did not expect to trample the competition the way they did heading into the tournament.

“We did well, not amazing throughout the season this year,” he said. “But they came to play. It was a notch above what they normally play at.”

We did well, not amazing throughout the season this year,” he said. “But they came to play.

It was a notch above what they normally play at.

MIKE LUMLEY BASEBALL HEAD COACH

The Mustangs continued their run of consistency this season, finishing the regular season with a 16-4 record. Lumley attributes their repeated dominance to the chemistry that developed between his players.

“Three years ago it wasn’t really a team atmosphere,” said Lumley.

“Guys were out for themselves.

We started to straighten out that it’s about team first, and playing together.”

For Labine and many of his teammates, the back-to-back gold medals will be their final accomplishment for Mustangs baseball.

He, along with a large portion of the team’s starting lineup, is in his final year at Western.

“To end it off with two championships is incredible,” said Labine.

“I couldn’t imagine going out any other way.”

With the Jason Guindon Trophy returning to Western, the Mustangs will have a long off-season to work with their younger players to fill the gaps left by their graduating veterans.

the Mustangs dethroned the Brock Badgers, who were the reigning champions. The provincial title is the Mustangs’ second consecutive title and their sixth in program history. The Mustangs won all four of their tournament games, with an impressive offensive push that resulted in 48 runs for and only 11 runs against over their four games.

The Mustangs finished their season with 16 wins and four losses as well as a provincial banner.

Mustangs softball traveled to Innerkip this weekend to compete in the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association championship. Coming off of their only loss of the season in the gold medal game at the National championships, the Mustangs went undefeated in the provincial tournament, claiming gold over the Brock Badgers by a score of 4-0. The Mustangs scored 33 runs for throughout the five game tournament and only allowed a miniscule six runs against.

The provincial title is the Mustangs’ seventh consecutive provincial banner and their ninth title in 11 years.

The Mustangs finished their season with 35 wins and only one loss, and with a national silver medal and a provincial gold.

Women’s tennis claimed an OUA gold this past weekend, coming back from a 3-0 deficit against the top seeded York Lions. The gold is the 10th in program history and the first since 2012. The Mustangs won one of the three singles matches, and fours of the six doubles matches.

Mustangs Aurthi Muthukumaran and Melissa Lee were the only doubles pairing to top the Lions in the tournament. The gold medal came on home soil for the Mustangs, making the victory sweeter.

BASEBALL

MEN’S TENNIS

Baseball claimed gold over their fierce rivals, the Brock Badgers, in the Ontario University Athletics championship in Ajax this Sunday.

The Mustangs won 6-3, in a rematch of last years gold medal game, where

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Men’s tennis claimed OUA gold as well this past weekend, topping the defending champions, the Toronto Varsity Blues, on home soil. The Mustangs cruised to an easy 6-1 victory and they swept the doubles

matches, winning all three games and claimed victories in five of the six singles matches. The finals were a rematch of last year’s gold medal game which saw the Varsity Blues top the Mustangs for gold. The gold medal was the fourth in five years for the men’s team and the 19th in program history.

WOMEN’S ULTIMATE FRISBEE

The most recent addition to Mustang athletics, the ultimate frisbee team is making a mark early on in its history as a varsity program as the team travelled to Montreal this weekend for the National championships. The women’s team claimed a bronze medal in division I of the Canadian University Ultimate Championships. The team defeated the McGill A team in the bronze medal game 14-3, capturing the first medal in the programs history. The team won five of their seven games on Friday and Saturday, putting them in the fourth seed for Sunday’s medal bracket. The team fell to the Queen’s Gaels A team in a tight 9-7 match in the semifinals, an impressive feat, as Queen’s went on to win the gold medal. The Mustangs improved on their fifth place finish from last year, and look to continue improving as the program gets older.

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

culture

•

Is sitting really “the new cancer”?

MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ When Tim Cook first announced the release of the now ubiquitous Apple Watch in 2015, he made a statement that was met with some criticism.

“If I sit for too long, [the Apple Watch] will actually tap me on the wrist to remind me to get up,” Cook said, “because a lot of doctors think sitting is the new cancer.”

A study from Western’s Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory, led by Harry Prapavessis, is probably the best place to start in understanding what Cook meant.

Sitting is definitely not the new cancer, but “prolonged sitting (typically in bouts of 20 minutes or more),” the study explained, “can cause higher levels of fasting insulin and can increase an individual’s chance of getting type 2 diabetes, increased waist circumference… and increased risk of all-cause mortality.”

The study also mentions evidence that sedentary behaviour is related to cancer risks, specifically, colon, endometrial and lung cancer associated with extended sedentary time.

In the paper, titled “Increasing Nonsedentary Behaviors in University Students Using Text Messages: Randomized Controlled Trial,” Prapavessis and his team looked at ways to break up sedentary behaviour through text message reminders. They had recurrent text messages sent out to students reminding them to take breaks from sitting by either standing or participating in light or moderate-intensity physical activity.

“The premise here with this kind of trial is to start looking at ways of identifying people in society who

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

spend a lot of time sitting like university students,” Prapavessis said.

“And to try to give them some constructive ways to break up long periods of sitting because that seems to be the key.”

Prapavessis is adamant about giving students the opportunity to get active and sit less. He believes we’ve cultivated a culture that’s normalized sedentary behaviour.

The risks, he says, will sneak up on us later in life.

“People who are in their twenties and thirties think they’re paying a lot now for health care costs,” Prapavessis said. “Holy shit, you ain’t

Lo n d o n U lt im a t e C lu b

Pres ent s :

Indoor Ult im a t e F ris bee

seen nothing yet.”

So what would a standing university culture look like? Prapavessis believes that there are simple solutions available to us like having signs beside elevators encouraging students to take the stairs.

Other options include dynamic sitting (where students can sit on exercise balls) or, if they choose, using standing desks in classrooms and libraries.

Sitting through your two hour lecture on an exercise ball or standing may seem abnormal and Prapavessis realizes that, he’s spent the greater part of his career

frustrated with what’s considered “normal.”

Jana Luker, associate vice-president student experience, isn’t opposed to the idea of providing students with more health opportunities. Though she does recognize that it’s ultimately up to individual divisions.

“I think that the individual divisions decide what their priorities are and the way our budgeting system goes,” Luker said. “Nothing is going to happen overnight anyway, even if everybody was completely in support of it because of the realities of facilities for instance. I would

defer to the costs.”

If we’re talking exercise balls and signs then costs would be relatively low. But according to facilities management at Western, standing desks, whether they’re manual or machine operated, range from $650 to $1200.

Conventional style desks can range from $150 to $240 even if it’s just a simple single student desk.

While the Apple Watch may encourage you to get up and start moving after sitting for a long period of time, shifting the culture at Western to embrace more standing may take time.

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LIAM DOREY GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE It was loud. It was raunchy. It was exactly what they paid for.

Western students crowded into The Wave Thursday night to be entertained and made slightly uncomfortable by yearly performer and renowned X-rated hypnotist, Tony Lee. Posters advertise his show as not for the prude or easily offended and he delivered with this performance.

From getting students to strip down to their knickers for a “birthday lap dance” to having others consensually fornicate with their chair, Lee does it all to an astounding degree. He is a staple among Canadian campuses, becoming known for impressing crowds through hypnotic tactics and his self-proclaimed “mind games.”

The entertainment started with Western’s own Savio, waking the audience up with a little bit of interactive magic and comedy, getting the crowd involved and clapping from early on. From

dropping a bowling ball out of card paper to seemingly pulling string out of his eye, Savio managed to successfully entertain and hold the stage before the main act.

Lee began the show by buttering up the crowd a bit. Forewarning, “People who will get up here will have an amazing evening. We promise you that you’ll remember everything onstage.”

Naturally with hypnotism, walking into the show there would be some skeptics. However, Lee was able to consistently up the ante with those he had on stage, leaving little room for criticism.

Starting the whole crowd off with a group test, Lee was able to judge who could be hypnotized.

“People used to think those who could be hypnotized had to be unintelligent,” Lee explained.

“But it is actually those who are smarter as they are more capable of focusing harder.”

After gaining a stage of seemingly induced individuals, Lee began playing with them. Putting those on stage into an exotic sports

car chase, getting them inebriated on imaginary substances and making them cry over an accident with a puppy – Lee escalated the show extremely quickly.

The highlight of the act was when Lee was able to create what can only be described as a chain of orgasms, generated from mental oral sex being preformed on to those on stage. Bringing the mic up, Lee produced a symphony of noises through his subjects, with one screaming “oh, Daddy” directly in the microphone for all to hear.

“It is tough to describe it unless you’ve been there,” said Ryan Matos, a first-time viewer of the show. “But it’s definitely something I’ll be going to again; just hilarious.”

By the end of the evening, the entire audience was riveted and drawn to the performance.

Expectations were exceeded, while lines were beyond crossed, leaving an atmosphere only few could dislike.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • 11

culture

Cardboard Café brings gamers together

ANNIE RUETER GAZETTE

ANNIE RUETER CULTURE EDITOR @ANNIERUETER1 Cardboard Café is an oasis of board games and coffee located at Dundas and Talbot St. With a collection of over 500 games, Cardboard Café allows gamers to gather and spend the day listening to an atmospheric soundtrack while crushing one another in Settlers of Catan and sipping on an espresso.

Josh Rivers, owner and operator of Cardboard Café, says it’s not uncommon for gamers to hole up in the café for seven or eight

hours and continue refuelling with the snacks and refreshments available.

By paying the $5 cover fee, customers can stay all day and browse through the collection of games that almost spill out of the shelves in the cozy café atmosphere. Games range from classics to obscure to vintage.

While Cardboard Café attracts a niche crowd of gamers, Rivers emphasizes, “We are not specifically a place for just board gamers.” For those customers who want to play lighter or more causal games, Rivers has a selection of the

classics like Sorry, Monopoly and Mousetrap to name a few. “It’s really just a place to come and play,” he adds.

Being the only board game café in London, Cardboard Café presents the unique opportunity for local game designers to present game prototypes every Thursday night. Rivers says a number of published board games have come out of these nights. Monday nights also host regular player nights, which are ideal for individual gamers looking for a group of fellow players.

Rivers, an artist designer by

trade, initially got involved with board games and card games by designing illustrations for games.

After designing and publishing his own card game, Rivers used those connections to wind up opening the Cardboard Café.

Cardboard Café is an affordable way to try out a number of games before purchasing them, as they typically cost between $60-70. The two-for-one cover deal on Tuesday nights makes the experience even more affordable for students.

In terms of Rivers’ personal favourite games, he says that depends on who he is playing with

and how many people. “If it’s a two-player I really like Noir. If it’s four to six, I like Coup. If five to ten, I like the Resistance or Avalon,” he says. “I really like Machi Koro. Or Ticket to Ride is always a classic,” Rivers adds.

While Rivers clearly knows his way around the board game world, Cardboard Café is accessible to anyone who wants to play and have a relaxing –or intense– afternoon with friends. Game on.

Cardboard Café is located at 114 Dundas St and is easily accessible by bus. Catch any bus heading southbound downtown (2, 102, 6).

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12 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

games

PHOTO OF THE DAY

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CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

NATALIE TREFFRY GAZETTE Liam Duncan, third-year Western engineering student, jumps into a zombie-filled maze through the magic of a virtual reality headset at HackWestern this past weekend.

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