Tuesday, November 8, 2016

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 110, ISSUE 18 trump or hillary since 1906

USC HOSTS OUSA GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON CAMPUS PG3

G0LDEN G ENDS CHAPTER AT WESTERN PG8

WOMEN’S SOCCER WINS OUA BRONZE AGAINST LANCERS PG9

Renaissance of the arts in the city: Museum London hosts third annual Wordsfest.

See pages 6–7 for more.

ANNIE RUETER GAZETTE

FREE SPORTSGUARD WITH NEW PATIENT EXAM AND CLEANING • New and Emergency Patients Welcome • • STUDENT AND STAFF DENTAL PLANS ACCEPTED FOR DIRECT PAYMENT •

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2 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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JASON PUN

Volume 110, Issue 18 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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COURTESY OF JUSTIN MCNAMARA

Jason Pun is a third-year Media, Information and Technoculture student. He’s also one of the prominent graphic designers in the world of professional and competitive video gaming.

Juggling school, work and extracurriculars can take its toll, especially in the midst of midterm season. He’s also the vice-president communications for the Canadian Asian International Student Association.

“It’s really busy at times,” Jason admits. “It’s easier with work because there’s deadlines and people pushing me to hit those deadlines whereas with school I know I have deadlines but no one is pushing me to make those deadlines. You definitely feel a lot of pressure.”

“People are surprised you can make a living playing video games,” says Jason about what it’s like to work in the industry. “It’s also really exciting to work in a sphere like this full time. Not everyone gets to say they work with people who play video games as a profession. It’s something I really cherish.”

It’s important for him to remain passionate about graphic design to avoid burning out amidst the rigours of the job.

Jason’s passion for the world of graphic design started in 2012 like any other kid, watching and playing sports and video games in his free time. This was when he was introduced to the world of eSports.

“I remember at one point my brother or a friend showed me that people played the games competitively for millions of dollars making full-time salary,” says Jason. “So I started getting into it and watching and realized that I could start designing and contributing to the space.”

Competitive video gaming allowed him to work in a sphere that he was interested in. He first started designing on an online soccer forum which was directly intertwined with his interest in sports. Working in a space that he feels passionate about is a luxury he is grateful for.

Jason started freelancing for well-known organizations in the industry doing social media design, apparel design, web design and branding. Eventually he landed a gig at Red Bull, a job that has allowed him the opportunity to travel to places like New York, Atlanta and Washington for work.

Jason rose in the eSports graphic design scene by being motivated by success.

His passion for graphic design grew out of a natural creativity.

“I think I just naturally am a creative person so it provides a medium for me express that creativity,” he says.

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All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and cartoons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives.

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

Jason is not solely focused on pigeon-holing himself with graphic designing. He currently works as the Chief Marketing Officer of Elevate, a premier North American eSports organization where he runs social media campaigns, meets marketing deliverables from sponsors and covers events.

Jason loves what he does and the opportunities that arise from his work.

“Getting involved in eSports is something that’s not very mainstream and not a lot of people understand,” says Jason. “But I’ve gotten a lot of job experience and I get to meet a lot of different people from all over the world.”

In the end, it’s the creative aspect of the job that is what keeps Jason passionate about designing.

“You gotta just do a lot of projects for free and send out a lot of emails in the off chance that people actually read it,” Jason explains. “A lot of it is being proactive and finding a space that you feel like you can offer something.”

OREN WEISFELD ZEHRA CAMILLERI

“You really enjoy doing graphic design for fun but when you start doing it for work it’s like what people say – that you don’t enjoy [it] quite as much especially when you stop pushing yourself and you start to see your quality of work go down,” he says.

“One of the best parts of graphic design is actually getting to create something,” he says. “Whether it’s seeing your work online where a lot of people get to see it, getting a physical copy of a poster or shirt I made or going to an event and seeing your work hanging on the walls, those are probably some of the greatest moments and feelings as a designer.

“Personally, that can’t really be quantified,” he adds. “It feels really good to see your work appreciated and come to life and I think it’s what keeps me coming back.”

■■MIKE DEBOER

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• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • 3

news

US consulate officers explain student visas SABRINA FRACASSI NEWS EDITOR @SABFRACASSI On Nov. 2 two officers for the U.S. Consulate office in Toronto came to visit Western and give a presentation on something they are often asked: how do students obtain a visa to the United States?

Giving their presentation at the International Graduate Affairs building on campus, the two consulate officers addressed common questions asked by students during the visa process.

Shirlene Yee consulate officer at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, commented on the importance of coming to Canadian universities to convey this information.

“We see a lot of students everyday, so there is definitely a demand for student visas or for students looking to get visas … so we want to go to schools to answer a lot of these questions,” said Yee. Types of Visas B Visa: One would apply for this visa if they are interested in visiting the United States for shortterm business or travel purposes.

This also applies to those seeking medical assistance in the U.S. F Visa: Someone who is looking to study at a post-secondary institution in the United States would apply for this type of visa.

J Visa: This visa is administered to those looking to go to the United States for an exchange or internship program. This applies to both scholars, professors, and teachers. The maximum duration of an internship in any occupational field is 12 months, and once completed, students must return to their home countries.

Also, interns are not allowed to work in unskilled or casual labour positions, in positions that involve any kind of child or elder care, or in any position that involves medical patient care or contact.

H Visa: Someone who is looking to work in the United States would apply for this type of visa.

One must be applying for a specialized profession which requires at least a bachelor’s degree. There are also other sub-category H visas which apply to specific professions, such as physicians, agricultural workers, and those working in the services.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Anyone without a Canadian

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

citizenship wanting to travel to the United States for any reason require a visa. The VWP is an agreement made between the U.S. and other governments which allows the citizens of certain specific countries to enter the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days for business and pleasure.

All travellers must obtain an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) approval prior to entering the United States under the VWP. However, despite their citizenship, anyone who is a national of Syria, Iraq, Iran ogram and must always consult a U.S. consular for an interview when obtaining a visa.

Canadian citizens visiting the U.S. Canada and the United States have a unique bilateral agreement.

Yee expanded on this relationship.

“It does speak to the long border that the U.S. and Canada share, and the unique relationship that Canada and the U.S. have. In many ways, it’s pretty simple for Canadians to enter the U.S., it is the only country that’s visa-exempt,” said Yee. Some of the benefits that Canadians receive from this relationship include not having to make an appointment with a consulate officer, and not being required to obtain a visa when entering the U.S. directly from Canada for the purposes of visiting or studying.

NAFTA Visas This visa is for citizens of Canada and Mexico who are looking to travel to the United States as a visitor for business, a treaty trader or investor, and intracompany transferee, or a professional.

These individuals may apply for admission at a Port of Entry instead of visiting a consulate.

Tips for Students Yee advises that students apply for a visa as soon as they think they will be travelling to the U.S. “Definitely apply early. Usually the visa process is pretty smooth, we’re always trying to streamline it to make it more efficient for everyone, but things may come up, whether you need more documentation or maybe you have a special circumstance. So it’s always better to apply early,” Yee said.

COURTESY OF OUSA TWITTER

USC hosts OUSA general assembly on campus RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITARAHMATI Three policy papers were passed at the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance general assembly which took place at Western this past weekend.

The general assembly was attended by student delegates from all eight student association members of OUSA. The three papers passed were: the rural and northern paper, the ancillary fees paper and the sexual violence prevention and response paper.

Queens congratulates authors on successfully moving away from institutionally facing recommendations as put forth last GA #ousaGA • OUSA (@OUSA) November 6, 2016 Rural and northern paper Western’s delegation played a key role in drafting this paper as Jake Wihlidal, a Western delegate, was one of the authors.

“Rural and Northern students have very unique barriers accessing postsecondary,” said OUSA president and USC vice-president Jamie Cleary.

Cleary said the paper mandates early outreach to students living in less populated areas of Ontario. He noted in large regions, such as the Greater Toronto Area, post-secondary institutions attend schools and host events such as the Ontario Universities Fair, but students in rural and northern areas are not provided such consultations.

Amendment to take away the km qualifier in the travel grant recommendation is defeated. #ousaGA • OUSA (@OUSA) November 6, 2016 The paper also discusses funding for students in rural and northern areas. Cleary noted that the Ontario Student Assistance Program currently gives students in these areas some grants, but OUSA wants increased funding. As well, the paper asks that students not be limited to attending their nearest institution by OSAP, if the program they want to enrol in is not available.

Ancillary fees paper Cleary said the focus of the ancillary fees paper is to ensure regulation of ancillary fees across post-secondary institutions in the province.

“The biggest theme of the paper is that we want to see an ancillary fee protocol from the province on how fees should be regulated.”

In the paper it is recommended that any changes in ancillary fees — not including inflation — be voted on by students in a referendum.

Currently, Western has a Student Services Committee that overlooks fee changes. Cleary noted that committees like this will still look over inflation changes.

Sexual violence prevention and response paper As mandated by the province in Bill-132, each post-secondary institution in Ontario must create a standalone sexual violence policy.

At the last OUSA general assembly in March, an interim sexual violence policy paper was drafted.

A full policy successfully passed at this general assembly.

According to Cleary, a key aspect of this paper is that investments are needed in preventative programming including bystander training and the province should ensure post-secondary institutions take a survivor-centric approach.

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4 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

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Forest City Comicon continues to grow MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ The halls in the London Convention Centre were bustling with costume-clad fans, video game booths and eclectic vendors last weekend as it hosted London’s third annual Forest City Comicon.

Since first appearing at Centennial Hall in 2014, London’s Comicon has steadily grown in popularity. Sprung out of a collaboration between various businesses and event coordinators, including Between the Panels and L.A. Mood Comics & Games, this convention has proved to be a staple event in London with no sign of slowing down.

Now offering higher quality booths, bigger celebrity guests and more elaborate cosplay costumes, it’s no wonder this year’s Comicon was split into two days.

The convention included the likes of Billy West, voice actor for various characters on Futurama, Reuben Langdon stuntman for James Cameron’s Avatar, as well as actors like Scott Yaphe, better known as Wink Yahoo on YTV’s hit show Uh-Oh. Last year, said John Houghton, co-coordinator of the event, was more rushed and less relaxed.

“It’s got a different feel this year because it’s a two day show,” said Houghton. “Whereas last year there was a big urgency in the morning

where everyone felt rushed to get there by 10 [a.m.], this year we re-did everything.”

Houghton says that his team streamlined the queues which gave people easier access to the venue and reduced waiting times.

Houghton and his team also spread the time a lot more, making the event more relaxed and ‘fun feeling’.

While things were much more relaxed in terms of how frantically people were moving from one event to the next, there was no shortage of energy and enthusiasm by those attending.

According to Rachelle Kanippayoor an employee at L.A. Mood Comics & Games, the hype has been increasing dramatically over the years.

“Every year it’s getting bigger and better. Our first year was in Centennial Hall and we were overflowed, constantly breaking code,” Kanippayoor said. “And then last year we had just a one day event, and again it was overflowed and was packed to the brim.”

With loads of people coming in and out of the show, many guests manning the booths barely had time to eat.

“I’ve been at the table mostly, meeting people and signing autographs, I’ve had time for a grilled cheese lunch and that’s about it” Yaphe laughed. “But I do want to take a walk around a little bit because the stuff is fantastic here.

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE COMICS IN LONDON. Richard Comely, creator of Captain Canuck, stands with an issue of his work at the Forest City Comicon.

Just great artwork, great talent, great creativity and it’s great to be a part of it. I love it!”

Like many of the guests, Yaphe loved getting the chance to interact with fans, remembering past episodes and catchphrases.

For Richard Comely, creator of Captain Canuck, Canada’s version of Captain America, events like these give him a chance to meet fans in person that unsurprisingly results in

Student spots on ancillary fee committee under review DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE The appointment of the undergraduate student-at-large positions on the committee which approves Western’s annual ancillary fee, currently $1,423.10, is under review after it was brought up at a USC council meeting in September.

T he St udent S er v ic e s Committee is responsible for the non-tuition related compulsory ancillary fees that fund the services and programs that provide enrichment beyond the academic domain.

At a special council meeting on Sept. 14, chair of the student senators Harry Orbach-Miller and Ivey councillor David DiBrina brought forward an amendment to bring a transparent selection process to the undergraduate studentat-large position on the SSC. The SSC is comprised of students as the voting members with undergraduate and graduate representation and members of the Western administration who act as non-voting resource members.

Solution to puzzle on page 11

Currently, the position of undergraduate student-at-large is filled through an appointment by the USC president, which basically means the president picks a student to sit on the committee for two years without a transparent selection process.

According to Universit y Students’ Council president and chair of SSC Eddy Avila, this committee is a way for students to be in charge of their own ancillary fees and decide on how much the fees are increased or decreased.

The total undergraduate ancillary fees for the 2016–17 school year was $1,423.10 and $1,372.74 for 2015–16.

The amendment brought forth was to include two specialized committees within the nominating committee, tasked with appointing a student to the SSC and the orientation governance board respectively.

“We thought having a committee would ensure any student would have the opportunity to apply in a public way and receive fair consideration,” Orbach-Miller said.

As chair of SSC, Avila is responsible for the appointment of the position and he hopes to have the position filled by Nov. 8.

“I’m in the process of finding a student that, I think really speaks to some of that knowledge on student fees and ancillary fees,” he said.

With two undergraduate student-at-large positions, one new person is appointed every year

for two-year terms.

“I think in appointment you can see students who have the relevant experience and often times with application or hiring process only the hyper involved students get to see the application go live,” Avila said.

He said that while making the student-at-large position a hired position is a consideration; the hiring panel should be decently acquainted with the committee.

“Who knows how the process of that one will evolve, but I do think that we should consider that people in my position do have good knowledge to be able to pick someone with relevant experience,” said Avila.

Since the council meeting, Orbach-Miller has been working with USC secretary-treasurer Isaac Jacobi in finding a solution to the lack of transparency in filling the position.

“I give a lot of credit to this executive for noticing that the transparency and accountability have been a problem,” OrbachMiller said.

Orbach-Miller is optimistic going forward as he and Jacobi are working on a motion that they hope to bring to council in December or January.

“The whole idea was that we wanted something that allowed students the opportunity to apply, we wanted it to be a fair process, we want it to make sure it would engage students beyond the people USC usually engages,” Orbach-Miller added.

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some interesting encounters.

“Some people will come up to me, shake my hand and just thank me for creating Captain Canuck,” Comely said. “It’s actually pretty common that that happens.”

There were panels of guests, a live shooting of an Uh-Oh episode as well as a cosplay competition which actually included a marriage proposal from Dr. Doom (Chris Watson) to Scarlet DeVil (Reeshan More).

Aside from comics and video games, many of the booths during the event included hand-crafted trinkets, action figurines of favourite anime and cartoon characters, as well as a life-sized optimus prime truck which proved to be a huge attraction.

Make sure to check out the Forest City Comicon’s video coverage

by Western TV later this week on youtube.com/WesternTV.

BRIEFS LONDON’S LEADERSHIP POSITIONS LACK DIVERSITY, STUDY FINDS

London’s pursuit of diversity hasn’t yet created the workplace cultural mosaic it’s looking for, according to a new Western study.

The researchers, Stelian Medianu and Victoria Esses, assessed publicly available photographs from a variety of municipal sectors. They found that only 7.9 per cent of senior leaders in London were visible minorities, compared to 13.1 per cent of London’s general population, and 3.1 per cent of leaders were visible minority women compared to 6.5 per cent of the general population.

Medianu explained the study’s motivation was to gather “firm evidence” around an issue she says is ripe with public speculation and hopes the research will push local organizations to diversify.

“Given the benefits of a diverse leadership, we hope that this research will encourage organizations to reach their full potential through improving the inclusion of visible minorities and women in their most important decision-making positions,” Medianu said.

London’s director of community and economic innovation, Kate Graham, wants retain students after they graduate, but she also recognizes that London has a ways to go in building its appeal to minority students. “[The study] highlights a very real issue in London,” admitted Graham. “There’s a gap between where we’d like to be and where we are today.”

And although London’s diversification lags, Graham believes that through initiatives such as the 25 per cent documentary, a showcase of London’s attempt to bring women from diverse backgrounds

into leadership positions, and their partnership with King’s University College, a one-on-one mentorship program that places female students with female community leaders, London is making strides in addressing these issues.

“It’s a very good study that points to a very real problem… [and] there is already lots of work towards it,” Graham said.

■■MICHAEL CONLEY, SENIOR STAFF

WESTERN GRAD’S APP GAINS 100,000 DOWNLOADS

London’s transit system is something Western students struggle with year after year. One Western graduate created an app to help London residents navigate the transit system and it has received over 100,000 downloads since its launch in 2012.

Anthony Taylor’s app, OnTime, allows users to track LTC buses on their routes in real time.

“It’s taking only about 13 seconds for that whole process of opening it, getting the information and closing it back out,” Taylor said.

Taylor studied computer science while at Western and said that his experience helped him get a good sense of what students and users would want.

The app has been well received across campus according to Taylor.

“When I’m at Delaware Hall I’ll see people using the app,” Taylor said. “People wrote reviews [saying] that they were glad this was finally something that was made.”

Although the app is already very popular in London, Taylor has ambitions to grow the app beyond the London community.

“I pretty much want to support every city that has public transit,” Taylor said.

■■KATIE MARNOCH, CONTRIBUTOR

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • 5

opinions

Western News should stick with PR Green Eggs & Hamza HAMZA TARIQ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HAMZATARIQ_ On Oct. 26, a column was written

by Western News editor, Jason Winders, criticizing students voicing “minutiae” concerns at the University Senate.

Western News is a paper overseen and published by Western’s communications and public affairs office. It’s part of the Western PR machine and besides sometimes publishing media releases, it also puts out stories with the University administration’s slant on issues.

The publication stays clear of critiquing the administration, so it’s a bit rich for the editor of the paper to come after students.

Winders made several critiques and claims about students, which I believe need to be dissected. The statements from the column are bolded and italicized.

While I’ll argue some of their interjections don’t offer much beyond just getting themselves on the record, they are representing their constituents by being present and engaged.

The condescension in this statement is surprising. The University makes attempts to listen to its students, but still lacks their input in various decisions, such as the MTP program cut and moving the Homecoming date. Yet when student representatives engage with the governing bodies, they are “just getting themselves on the record”?

This is an interesting take from Western’s PR newspaper. What was also interesting was that some non-student senators chose to say things like “Nice try buddy” with the same condescension to students who showed up to support the MTP program.

I love a strong student voice on the Senate. But their inexperience shows in their inability to vet consistent complaints. Lesson in leadership: Not everything that comes to you is valid.

I guess Western’s leadership are shining examples of experience?

The same leadership which faced non-confidence votes a little over a year ago? The same leadership which saw the faculty association voting 94 per cent in favour of a non-confidence motion in President Amit Chakma and then Board of Governors chair Chirag Shah?

The same leadership which received criticism all around from the Ontario Undergraduate Students’ Alliance to the MPPs in Queen’s Park?

“Experience” in sitting on Senate doesn’t automatically make someone a skilled representative. Speaking about and working towards their constituents’ issues does. That’s what student senators have been doing.

In April 2015, President Amit Chakma survived a vote of no-confidence from this very Senate due to the double-pay controversy. I think Western News would remember that, considering they published a sympathetic article with an apology from Chakma when he declined interviews to all other

media outlets.

If anything, the last two years have shown that University administration needs to pay more attention to issues it previously considered irrelevant.

Already tired, cranky and uncomfortable after a series of long discussions, Senators were confronted late in the meeting last week with a concern [about the exam schedule] submitted by a student representative…

Listen, exam schedules are among the most complicated machinations undertaken by this university. They cannot be perfect for everyone — the fact they work at all amazes me. To think they can, in any way, be tailored to the individual is extraordinarily myopic.

To say you have been “forgotten by Western” because of the schedule is the definition of overly entitled.

I’m really not broken up that senators have to sit through governance issues, once a month, which caused them to be “tired, cranky and uncomfortable.”

They chose to be elected to represent their constituents on Senate and that’s what they’re doing.

I’m glad that Winders hasn’t had the experience of an international student who has left their family behind for the very first time. But for those who have had the experience, going back home even for a few days helps.

With the University’s focus on mental health and internationalization, I think this is a very fair question. Not only do international students pay much higher fees than domestic students, they now form a substantial portion of Western’s student population. To undermine their concerns like this is insulting.

Western’s exam schedules have been far from perfect for a long time. And they’re released pretty late too. The University has made an effort to do better this year and that’s laudable, but a number of other universities release their schedules much earlier to accommodate their students. If Western really claims to offers the best student experience, it shouldn’t just stop at O-Week. It should include issues like exam schedules and Fall Reading Week.

Like exams, life can be inconvenient. Let’s just say this is a good lesson to learn early.

So does this mean students are cruising through life right now? Are we prescribing to the thought that “life used to be so much tougher before?” Where mental health was constantly swept under the rug?

I don’t believe most students think life is convenient. Refusing to consider issues important to students isn’t teaching them a good lesson. It’s just shutting down conversations which led to the Chakma crisis of 2015 and had Western end up spending $100,000 on PR firms despite having their communications department and Western News on campus.

Maybe Winders should write about senators’ resistance about open committee meetings to the public, despite recommendations from its own ad hoc committee on transparency. Maybe it’s time for the University to communicate more with the campus community rather than acting annoyed with questions from students. And maybe, it’s time to learn from the “inexperienced” student representatives.

HAIDA LIU GAZETTE

Offering adequate supports for mental health at our university The Ontario University and College Health Association (OUCHA) has recognized that university-age individuals are particularly at risk of developing mental health problems.

The report cites a 2016 survey that states that 46 per cent of Ontario post-secondary students felt so depressed they couldn’t function, 65 per cent had experienced “overwhelming anxiety,” and 11 per cent had attempted suicide.

The results of this report are shocking, but this is not new information. Conversations around mental health at Western are constant. We disclose, we discuss and we debate how best to tackle this glaring issue. But how are we actually doing it?

It is also impossible to ignore the fact that, despite the dire need for more services for students, some students still don’t access the services because of the pervasive, and deep-rooted nature of stigma.

While some students celebrate others who have courageously discussed their journey with their own mental health, there are still many students at Western whose battles occur below the surface. How are we helping them?

Many student groups at Western continue the immense tasks of proactive and reactive ways to address mental health. The increase of students supporting students, and peers supporting peers, is incredibly telling of our generation, and I believe it is helping. However, university life itself, and the health services offered, are still not conducive to fostering positive mental health.

Universities and colleges are more than academic institutions: they are vibrant communities that host young people at a time when they are beginning to develop into the people they will be for the rest of their lives.

University gives students the tools to study, and to work, but what tools are we being given to be healthy, functioning human beings?

To thrive?

Western is currently in the process of developing a Mental Health Strategic Plan, one that I sincerely hope goes beyond the solely reactive ways to handle mental health issues on our campus. We are in a desperate place. The culture needs to change, and while it is admirable that students are trying to change

it, and their work is important and needs to continue, we desperately need support from the institution that has such a strong say in shaping how our years are spent here. We need more from Western.

Our society is beginning to shift to a social environment that does not belittle those who struggle, or render internal hardships or vulnerability as weak. We are beginning to better understand, to have empathy and to celebrate the courage of those who share their experiences in order to better the experiences of others.

However, right now, our campus does not have the infrastructure, capacity or funding to allow for more specialized support services that we so desperately need.

As always, the issue is funding, and lack of resources for physical and mental health services on campus is halting progress. Insufficient resources and services provisions, coupled with the aforementioned issues of providing services to an ever-changing undergraduate population, whose needs are always in flux, necessitate the creation of dedicated, custom-built solutions.

So what can we do?

The University Students’ Council has always believed in advocating to Western and beyond in any and every way that students are vulnerable. If our job is to enrich the undergraduate student experience, we cannot ignore that a huge part of that is ensuring that students are experiencing proper mental and physical health, to be at a place where their experience can be enriched. Any barriers to that, no matter how big, is our job. Whether it’s advocating, or whether it is doing it ourselves.

Focusing on ways that we can work with Western to improve the status quo is essential, but we cannot ignore the unique position and flexibility that we are lucky enough to have, that allows us to creatively respond to situations in a way that sometimes Western can’t.

That is what we are trying to do.

Instead of getting trapped in a pattern of linear thought about what the University needs to change, we realized it was time to look to the community and beyond.

Exam time, also known as “peak time” when students access the most health supports, are constantly an issue that deeply affects

our student body. And while, in an ideal world, the culture around these times would change to be more conducive to positive student health, we have to find a way to aid the issue as it stands.

This was a troubling position for us. On the one hand, we know that during exam times students are pushed to a point where they have to ignore their health to focus on their work. This is not okay. We should not have to find ways to treat crises, because university life should not be pushing students to crisis.

However, we knew we could not ignore this glaring issue. We know that we needed to find a way for students to have accessible support services during these peak times, and after all of the campuses resources closed for the day. We knew that the University is not prepared to handle the wave of students on the brink of crisis come mid-November.

After long discussions with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) crisis centre in London, a partnership was born.

CMHA provides walk-in support to the London community in a creative and important way. We are incredibly happy that starting Nov. 15 the USC is partnering with CMHA to provide a crisis support worker on campus in the evenings for drop-in services. The CMHA Crisis Support Team will be available during the following: Nov. 15 to Dec. 15 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

USC Peer Support Centre — UCC Room 256 What is important about this new development is that it will help many students during exam times when their health gets de-prioritized. However, we have to continue to try to change this culture from one where students are pushed to a dehumanizing level in order to keep their average. To one where health and wellness must be at the forefront of everything in a university setting. After all, isn’t university supposed to prepare us for the rest of our lives?

— Jamie Cleary is the vice-president of the Western University Students’ Council

www.westerngazette.ca

6 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

feature

•

Wordsfest captivates Londoners w Museum London was abuzz this weekend with authors, poets, filmmakers and journalists

“London is undergoing a renaissance of the arts.”

JOSH LAMBIER

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF WORDSFEST

…

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE “IT’S A STRANGE BOOK.” Novelist, playwright and short story writer André Alexis animatedly discusses his award-winning novel, Fifteen Dogs, in which the dogs have human thoughts.

“Science is not some sort of particular, special, irreducible, specific and isolated language. It is practiced by human beings who use the same speech that you and I use, and to pretend that it is something completely separate from metaphor, for example, that’s wrong.”

— SHANE NEILSON, A POET AND PHYSICIAN

…

“There are some people who do not have the embarrassing first preliminary steps that they publish in the world. I am not one of those people.”

SHANE NEILSON, JOKING ABOUT HIS FIRST POEMS

Sold-out opening reception wows the crowd ANNIE RUETER AND JEN TOMBS CULTURE EDITOR AND GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Excited chatter fills Museum London as attendees wait for Wordsfest opening reception to begin on Friday. With soft purple lighting, the upstairs gallery space is a communal and intimate environment.

Strangers are seated next to one another – including artists – all united by a love for the creative arts.

“We needed this in London for a long time,” says Janice Zolf, host for the evening.

With a smile on her face, she announces the opening reception is sold out. Wordsfest, now in its third year, kicks off the weekend of literary celebration by bringing together five featured writers.

To start the evening, author André Alexis discusses his award-winning novel Fifteen Dogs and the hidden philosophy in the work.

“It’s a very strange book,” Alexis says about his novel featuring dogs with human thoughts. “In the novel, there’s a covert history of the thinking we do.”

For playwright Robert Chafe, that thinking is characterized by collaboration. Chafe, who has written 17 stage scripts, explains that scripts get passed through many hands and artistic visions.

Western’s own Jennifer Robson agrees. Robson, a historical novelist and King’s graduate, says, “[Writing] is solitary at times, but also profoundly collaborative.”

Robson values the opinion of her sister in particular. Any work

she writes must pass “the sniff test” – otherwise known as her sister’s seal of approval.

Aside from discussing specifics on authors’ work and processes, the evening focused on the universal messaging and power of literature.

Graphic novelist Mariko Tamaki uses her work to tell universal stories of struggle – particularly about sexual identity and discrimination – through the experiences of individual characters.

“I try to go where the character goes,” she says.

The universal power of literature is seeing a revival in the Southwestern Ontario community.

Panel host Wordsfest artistic director and English PhD student at Western Josh Lambier declares, “London is undergoing a renaissance of the

arts.”

George Elliott Clarke, playwright and Canada’s Poet Laureate, echoes Lambier’s message.

“Poetry is never going to die,” he says.

Clarke adds the reason for this is that poetry is automatically democratic and lets people articulate shared human experience.

Clarke ends the evening with a powerful English adaption reading of “I Loved You Once” — originally written by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. He enthrals the audience by closing his eyes, moving with the poem, and raising his voice.

Clarke ends the evening on a hopeful note, leaving the crowd with inspiring messages about the power of poetry.

Shane Neilson links poetry and the sciences ANNIE RUETER CULTURE EDITOR @ANNIERUETER1 Science and art: are the two mutually exclusive? Shane Neilson, family physician and poet, would argue they’re not.

Neilson attended a panel discussion with Western English professor Joel Faflak and Madhur Anand at Wordsfest on Saturday afternoon. Anand, an ecologist and professor at University of Guelph, is also a poet whose scientific work influences her poetry.

Anand came to poetry later in life, during the final year of her PhD thesis, while Neilson had a long-vested interest in poetry that began before winning scholarships to attend the University of New Brunswick for his BSc. “I started to write poetry in a very kind of preliminary, basic way in undergraduate university,” Neilson says. “It got a lot more serious when I went into medical school.”

While attending medical school at Dalhousie University, Neilson spent part of his student loan money on buying first editions of Canadian poetry.

“I began to collect those first editions at Doulls Books, Skinner books,” Neilson says. “All around Halifax; I kind of haunted those places.”

Neilson describes Dalhousie as a strangely accommodating place where he was able to study both medicine and also serve as the Poet in Residence. And for that, he is grateful.

But when it comes to his first published poem, however, Neilson remains self-conscious.

“There are some people who do not have the embarrassing first preliminary steps that they publish in the world. I am not one of those people,” he laughs.

Neilson’s first poem, the title of which he does not recall, was about the Loyalist burial ground in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and touched on issues of race in Canada. It was published in the Telegraph Journal, the newspaper native to Neilson’s home province.

His work has grown from that of a young fumbling poet. Today, his books of poetry garner national attention, such as Complete Physical, which was nominated for the Trillium Book Award in 2010.

The connections between Neilson’s

occupations as a physician and poet are evident; pain, mental health and disability are themes that frequent his work. But Neilson applies his training and affinity for the humanities to his work as a physician, especially when explaining to a patient something diffcult, such as a serious illness.

“With most of my patients I can speak in metaphor,” he explains. “And that’s the most beautiful way to communicate a problem or an advantage to someone.”

“Science is not some sort of particular, special, irreducible, specific and isolated language,” he continues. “It is practiced by human beings who use the same speech that you and I use, and to pretend that it is something completely separate from metaphor, for example, that’s wrong.”

Neilson holds a BSc from UNB, a Doctor of Medicine from Dalhousie, an MFA from University of Guelph and is currently completing his PhD in English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University. His newest book of poetry, On Shaving Off His Face, focuses on the iconography of the face and mental illness.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • 7

with insights on writing & literature Author Emma Donoghue and journalist Steve Paikin gave patrons insight on their work at Wordsfest

Emma Donoghue on writing and her PhD ELLIS KOIFMAN CULTURE EDITOR @ELLIS_KOIFMAN Award-winning author Emma Donoghue sits down with The Gazette and answers some questions about her writing process and how she manages to jump from dark fiction to children’s stories.

A frequent topic in Donoghue’s writing is parenthood and the existential questions that can come along with it. When paired with her darker pieces of fiction, such as Room and The Wonder, she manages to introduce heavy themes without pushing the reader’s emotions too far.

“I suppose I have to find situations where… it’s something that really pushes those questions of how much would you do for your kids? And how much do they change you?” asks Donoghue.

In contrast to these dark and heavy themes, she has also been writing a few children’s books, the first of which she was writing at the same time as completing The Wonder. Instead of finding it difficult to jump from dark, heavy writing to children’s books, she says it was a delightful and refreshing break.

No matter what she is working on, Donoghue doesn’t have any lulls in inspiration as she makes sure to write down every little idea that comes to mind. The only issues arise when she is in the middle of a big project and is feeling tired.

Even so, she says it is just a matter of reconsidering your plans for the novel or otherwise putting your

head down and pushing through.

“The reading you do for a novel, it’s way easier than the notes that I did for my PhD [in English],” says Donoghue. “You don’t have to prove the truth of anything... You’re reading in a very accumulative way, just looking for interesting little details, then you can always let yourself change them... It’s very enjoyable.”

If you’re interested in getting into writing, Donoghue suggests writing something that’s original versus just what you think people are interested in reading. Compared to YouTube, which she says allows you to create and publish a trending video within a week, writing a novel is a much longer and involved process.

“In the world of fiction it takes way too long. It takes a long time to write a novel and then a long time to get published,” says Donoghue.

“Sometimes people take contracts and will be told to come back in two years or three years, so you can’t possibly know what will sell well then; it’s way too far in the future.”

Despite having a PhD in English, Donoghue says you don’t necessarily need to study literature to be a writer. Though it did help her by giving her lots of time to read books in the library, which she says is likely the reason for her interest in writing historical fiction.

Donoghue says the research involved in writing a novel is a lot easier and enjoyable than when she was doing her PhD. “You don’t have to prove the truth of anything,” she says. “[You’re] just looking for interesting

“The reading you do for a novel, it’s way easier than the notes that I did for my PhD [in English]. You don’t have to prove the truth of anything.”

EMMA DONOGHUE, AUTHOR OF ROOM

…

ANNIE RUETER GAZETTE CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH? Author Emma Donoghue signs a copy of her book, The Wonder, for a reader at Wordsfest on Saturday at Museum London.

little details, then you can always let yourself change them.”

“No book I’ve written has ever been as boring to me as my PhD was,” she says with a laugh. “In my case I think it really helped me be quite analytical about the techniques of what I’m doing and where I’m going wrong… It helps me talk about my writing.”

Even though her PhD ultimately helped her, Donoghue is happy to have it over and done with. Now, she is in a position where she can just focus on her writing and spending time with her loved ones.

For now, Donoghue is working on some children’s books, writing new novels with her endless stream of unique ideas in mind.

Steve Paikin on political journalism at TVO SAMAH ALI CULTURE EDITOR @SISTERSAMAH He’s the host of TVO’s The Agenda, the chancellor at Laurentian, a visiting professor at Ryerson, political debate moderator, producer and published author. Steve Paikin, acclaimed broadcaster and journalism legend, graced Wordsfest this Sunday in conversation with former London mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best at Museum London.

Paikin was humble and welcoming, friendly and warm. The hall buzzed with excitement from audience members ready to hear a conversation between DeCicco-Best and Paikin and as the talk began in the cold cinema, he immediately lit up the room with jokes to heat things up for the hour-long discussion.

Answering questions about his experience writing Bill Davis: Nation Builder, and Not So Bland After All, Paikin invited people to pick his brain regarding his interactions with the past Ontario premier and his work at TVO. He recalled his eye-opening sessions with the reserved premier and encouraged others to discover more about him in the autobiography. It was a nice opportunity to discuss the book while also get to know more about the man in the public eye as the audience began to ask questions about his life.

Working at TVO since 1992, Paikin acknowledged his support for the broadcasting network since before he worked there. He praised TVO for their mandate of serving the public rather than concerning themselves with television ratings and consumerism.

He explained that this was a core component to his loyalty to the network over the years.

SAMAH ALI GAZETTE HE MODERATES DEBATES! TVO journalist Steve Paikin, who has moderated Ontario general election debates, discusses his career and his new book on former premier Bill Davis.

“Public television is much more mission driven, there’s no doubt about it,” Paikin begins in a later interview. “The mission where I’m at right now I think is very different. We want to engage people as citizens, not as potential consumers for products that we advertise, because we have no commercials. I just think when you have that fundamentally

different mission you end up getting a fundamentally different product, and I think we do!”

Paikin assures everyone that he is undoubtedly indebted to TVO for all of his successes. Without the dedicated people who strive for more on the network he admits he would not be where he is today. With this, he also acknowledges the number of sacrifices that come with being a journalist. Although he may be curious about the world, Paikin admits there are life events that he’s missed due to his dedication to learning more about how things work. It’s an unbalanced life as a journalist, both a blessing and a curse in his eyes.

“The foundation of everything I do is The Agenda on TVO and I have no illusions on that. Without my job at TVO none of the other things that have happened in my life would have happened,” he gushes.

He recommends anyone interested in entering the journalism industry should show up and be present. Recalling his days at the University of Toronto newspaper and radio station, he says that he’s definitely written pieces that were awful, but it’s led him to where he is today and he is thankful for that.

Closing off the discussion with a book signing, Paikin jetted off back to Toronto to prep for The Agenda. Fitting in Wordsfest was a pleasure, but as a journalist he’s always rushing to the next story.

“I suppose I have to find situations where… it’s something that really pushes those questions of how much would you do for your kids? And how much do they change you?”

EMMA DONOGHUE, ON THE FREQUENT THEME OF PARENTHOOD IN HER WORK

…

“Public television is much more mission driven, there’s no doubt about it. The mission where I’m at right now I think is very different.

We want to engage people as citizens, not as potential consumers for products that we advertise, because we have no commercials.”

STEVE PAIKIN, HOST OF TVO’S THE AGENDA

www.westerngazette.ca

8 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

culture

•

G0LDEN G putting a wrap on his rap series SAMAH ALI CULTURE EDTIOR @SISTERSAMAH Gerome Nash, also known as G0LDEN G, bares a gleaming grin on his face even though he’s ending his popular Western rap series.

You may recognize the Oakville native and fourth-year King’s English student from his covers “King of the Hall,” “West God,” “6 p.m. at Western” and “100 at Western.” Rapping his way to the forefront of Western’s rap scene, G0LDEN G is ending his chapter at Western with his final video “Western Road Flows” before he walks the stage at convocation.

“Western Road Flows is a perfect ending to the series because it transitions into me leaving and letting everyone know that I really do this and I’m really serious about it. It still has the Western element, [but] it’s more personal and it’s more about how I feel about leaving,” Nash gushes.

He reckons “Western Road Flows” is some of the best writing he’s done in years and believes it’s the best way to end off his Westernthemed series. Inspired by Drake’s “Weston Road Flows,” G0LDEN G’s evolution throughout his Western experience drips in every stanza.

“When I’m long gone from Western, I want first-years to come up on these videos and be like ‘yo this kid can really rap and he was telling his story,’ ” says Nash. “Even my hair grows in the videos, you can tell it’s been time in the progression and I just really felt like it’s

COURTESY OF BRYAN KELLY

been a journal I’ve made with my experiences at Western.”

In a visually stunning video shot

by Bryan Kelly and Pat Greenall, G0LDEN G reminisces about his time in London and brings his lyrics to life through rose-tinted scenes of Western buildings and campus hotspots.

Moving on from his academics,

Netflix and chill?

Luke Cage grips audiences MICHAEL MACNEILL GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE SHOW: Luke Cage WHERE TO WATCH: Netflix STARRING: Mike Colter, Mahershala Ali, Simone Missick and Rosario Dawson RATING: GGGGF Luke Cage is the newest instalment in Netflix’s Marvel TV universe.

While similar in structure and overall feel to the other Marvel shows, Luke Cage offers new elements and its own unique style to keep things interesting.

Mike Colter, who made his debut in Jessica Jones, plays Luke Cage and crushes it. Through clever writing and superb acting, we come to care about Luke as a person and not just as a one-man wrecking crew. What humanizes him are the relationships he forms with other people and with his community.

The benefit of having a 13-hour series as opposed to a two-hour film is the time to give each side character their time to shine.

Mahershala Ali, best known for House of Cards, brings charisma and a wonderfully maniacal energy to the drug lord Cottonmouth opposing Luke Cage’s crusade. Rosario Dawson, appearing again in the Marvel universe, is now Claire Temple aka Night Nurse. Dawson becomes

the interconnecting glue of the Netflix Marvel universe with a more substantial role that doesn’t disappoint.

The community of Harlem is the most distinct aspect to Luke Cage, and its greatest strength.

Through the use of Harlem, and the first African-American standalone series in the Marvel universe, Luke Cage the ability to be more socially conscious than other series. It often handles this well but a few times it comes across as a little clunky and on-the-nose.

One of the better commentaries it makes is on police and minority community relationships, even using Luke’s bullet-ridden hoodies as a symbol for infamous shootings against black men.

However, the major drawback to Luke Cage is the plot. It’s kind of a mess. It starts off with an interesting series of events catalyzing Luke’s attempt to clean up Harlem, but a change occurs out of left field that derails the whole through line of the season.

The season also felt more episodic than prior Marvel shows, making the overarching story of the season not as compelling.

WORTH THE NETFLIX? Yes, especially if you’re a Marvel fan.

WORTH THE CHILL? Why not? Some episodes drag so it’ll be easy to get zesty.

G0LDEN G plans on finishing his personal project and album, What if it’s Me. Balancing his album, television opportunity and school has been overwhelming for the rapper but the light in his eyes shines on the limitless future for his career, no matter the direction.

“I’ve always had this process,

kind of like The Butterfly Effect, if things were slightly different everything could change. So What if it’s Me is asking people the question, and kind of asking myself, what if I am the next big star out of the GTA?” he adds.

Nash’s workflow proves his passion in rap and only hopes to inspire others as they come to Western and

stumble on the beginning pages of his story. He’s still writing his way into the limelight through his raps with his upcoming projects, but guarantee he will also be working on essays until he crosses Alumni Hall’s stage, getting his degree and officially ending his Western career.

You can hear more from G0LDEN G on YouTube.

New MacBook Pro ditches most ports, adds touch bar SHACHAR DAHAN GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Twenty-five years after the launch of the Powerbook, Apple’s first laptop, Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage to announce the extremely anticipated update to the MacBook Pro lineup. The new model has some significant changes.

On the surface, the design has been slimmed down from the previous Retina MacBook Pro — 14-17 per cent thinner and almost a halfpound lighter — and is available in 13-inch and 15-inch models in either silver or space grey.

The only ports on this machine are four USB-C ports and a headphone jack. The USB-C port is similar to the Lightning adapter in the sense that cables can be put in any orientation and you can also power the computer from any of the four ports. This model lacks the HDMI port, SD card slot and Thunderbolt port previously seen in the MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, Apple is also ditching their MagSafe power adapter that automatically disconnects when the cord is pulled out to prevent your computer from flying off your desk if you trip on the cable.

COURTESY OF APPLE

The new MacBook Pro also brings over the Force Touch trackpad and an updated second-generation butterfly switch keyboard from the 12-inch MacBook.

Similar to the 3D touch feature on iPhones, the Force Touch trackpad can tell the difference between a light tap and a deep press, giving users more control. The keyboard uses Apple’s new butterfly mechanism as opposed to the traditional scissor-switches, which improves typing precision and, most importantly, reduces thickness.

As a trade-off, these types of keys offer very little travel (the distance pressed downward on each key), which could take some getting used to.

But the main new feature that Apple showed off is the Touch Bar.

The Touch Bar is a mini OLED display that replaces the MacBook’s row of function keys and lets you interact directly with whatever software you are using, adjusting its touch functionality to the task at hand. When using a web browser, the Touch Bar will bring up bookmarks, as well as the option to add a new tab, move between tabs, or navigate to a different website. In Photos, editing controls pop up such as browsing photos, using filters and resizing images. There are countless other applications, but the Touch Bar won’t be at its best until Apple allows third parties to develop uses for the feature.

Touch ID is also integrated next to the Touch Bar, built right into the power button. This means that you can seamlessly log into your Mac and utilize Apple Pay with the touch of a button.

Apple also announced that it won’t be updating the MacBook Air line, instead directing users to a new entry-level variant of the 13-inch MacBook Pro that lacks the Touch Bar and offers only two USB-C ports. However, MacBook Air fans can take comfort in the fact that the 13-inch Pro is actually thinner and smaller than the older MacBook Air.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • 9

sports

Last minute heroics propel Mustangs to OUA bronze JENNY JAY GAZETTE

Rookie team ends strong season on a high after a hard-fought 2–1 game against the Windsor Lancers NATE CLAPINSON CONTRIBUTOR CLIARE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @SPORTSATGAZETTE After a difficult start to the weekend for the Western women’s soccer team, they finished their season with a heroic last-minute comeback to win OUA bronze 2–1 against the Windsor Lancers. The effort was lead by fourth-year striker, Amanda Boyle who scored the tying goal and first-year goaltender Megan Girardi who sealed the results with a fantastic penalty shot performance.

The Mustangs started off the weekend with a disappointing 2–0 loss to Queen’s University in the semifinal on Friday night. After a strong regular season that saw the team go 9-1-6, the team had hoped to compete for gold and to potentially play in nationals. The team fought until the last minute in a game that saw Queen’s score two late second half goals. The team had to quickly turn around and rally for Sunday’s bronze medal matchup against the Lancers.

“We wanted to focus on keeping the ball, which I think we did a good job of today,” said Mustangs head coach, Martin Painter. “We focused on trying to generate more chances, trying to get some goals.”

Going into the game, the teams were fairly evenly matched. Both times these two teams played each other in the regular season resulted in a 0–0 tie. In their final matchup of the season, the Mustangs managed to come out on top and claim bronze, but the game could have gone either way.

“We always have good games when we play each other,” said Lancers head coach Steve Hart.

“We’re very equal, it’s been basically three ties this season.”

The first half of the game was

dominated by defensive play with both teams shutting down the other’s offence, keeping scoring chances to a minimum. The Lancers got on the scoreboard first, scoring their only goal of the game midway through the first half off of a free kick

by Giulia Barile.

The Mustangs stormed into the second half, dominating play. They shut the Lancers down offensively, as throughout the second half Windsor only managed to get two shots off.

This sudden injection of energy was led by veteran players and younger players coming into their own. Painter rallied his players by reminding them that this was the last game of the season and to leave it all out on the field. The team took this to heart and played an up-tempo half. They were absolutely relentless on offense and on defense, not giving the Lancers the chance to widen their lead.

“We just talked about bringing some extra emotion and to never give up,” said Painter. “It showed in our character while we fought for 45 minutes, and ended up with us deservedly tying it up.”

The Mustangs had possession for most of the second half. The team was generating chances from everywhere on the field, being awarded with 11 corner kicks in the second half alone. The Lancers played well defensively, blocking shots and clearing out rebounds, while Krystin Lawrence made save after save.

“We were struggling a little bit, I have to give credit to the Windsor goalie. She’s really good, comes off her line really aggressive, never gave up” said Boyle. “But after 17 corners you have to get one in; statistically speaking, the ball has to go in at some point.”

Their efforts finally paid off, as Boyle tied the game in the dying seconds of injury time. A header through heavy traffic in front of the Lancers goaltender was all it took to give the team the opportunity to win the game in penalty shots.

“It means the world to me, it’s been a great four years here at Western,” said Boyle. “It’s not first or second, but it’s the best we could do in these circumstances. It means the world to me, especially with these lovely ladies.”

The whole team rallied in support of Girardi during the penalty shots. The team won the penalty shots 4–2 with a game-defining save by Girardi to finish it off. Girardi showed amazing composure during the penalty kicks, only allowing two goals on four shots.

“It’s a lot of practice, you kind of have to keep your composure,” said Girardi post-game. ”I’m still freaking out inside, but I kind of go with it and go for the best.”

This victory proves a high level of maturity for this young team, as they kept their composure without letting off the gas until the very end.

For this team to make it to the OUA final four lays solid foundations for future seasons. Painter expressed his pride in the team after the game, and attributed the success of the season to a strong veteran leadership as well as many first-year players stepping up at the right time.

“I think with 14 first-year players, one of the most positive things for us this weekend was how some of the first-year players stepped up,” said Painter.

As the team comes away from the tournament with OUA bronze, they show promise. With half the team being rookies this year, this bronze medal is a sign of good things to come.

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016

sports

•

Mustangs gallop on to the Yates Cup MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE The Western Mustangs hit hard and hit early on Saturday afternoon at TD Stadium.

It was obvious from the kickoff that this game was personal to every single player wearing purple and white on the sideline. The Mustangs were too fast, too physical and too dynamic for the Carleton Ravens to handle in their Ontario University Athletics semifinal duel, as the Mustangs earned a 51–24 victory.

The game may have been over right off the bat, as Marshall Ferguson intercepted Ravens quarterback Jesse Mills’ first attempt of the game 47 seconds into the matchup. The Mustangs scored on that drive to go up 7–0 early.

Or maybe the game was done when Cedric Joseph ran in the first of his four touchdowns to put the Mustangs up 14–0. But if the Ravens tailspin was not complete by then, a 41–yard bomb from Chris Merchant to Harry McMaster to go up 21–10 certainly ended all hope for Carleton.

Amidst the combined 34 penalties and the palpable animosity between the two teams on the field, the Mustangs emerged victorious.

One more win and this team will be atop the province and on its way to a national semifinal meeting with the champion of Quebec.

The Ravens beat a very different Mustangs team in the second week of the season than the one they met on an uncharacteristically warm November afternoon.

This Western team was dominant on the offensive line. This Western team had its running backs punishing the Ravens defense, punishing their resolve to make a real comeback. And this Western team had a quarterback it could trust to make plays when it needed.

This Saturday’s version of Western

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

quarterback Chris Merchant had a first half to remember, completing all nine of his passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Combined with his handling of the ball and running prowess, the Mustangs quarterback proved impossible for the Ravens defence to stop.

“In the first half especially I felt really good,” said Merchant about his performance. “I thought we executed really well and everything kind of fell into place for our game plan. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been learning the offence more vividly and thoroughly. I felt way more confident and my teammates helped me out today.”

The Mustangs pounded the ball time and time again. The sheer

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dominance of the Western run game broke the Ravens’ will in the first half. Alex Taylor led all rushers with 109 yards, Cedric Joseph had 107 yards and Chris Merchant added 97.

“When a running back has a great day at the office you got to give it up to the o-line,” said Joseph on his four touchdown performance. “I really thought the o-line stepped up today and took on the challenge head on.

All my credit to the five guys up front and the full backs doing the extra blocking.”

Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall did not appear as happy as most Yates Cup-bound coaches would after the game. His team committed 23 penalties for 287 yards. The lead they earned could

have been larger if the team played a more disciplined game.

“Too many penalties, but I am happy that we won,” said Marshall on his team’s lack of discipline. “[Carleton] are a very good team and I am happy with the way we controlled the line of scrimmage.

Just sloppy, but when you play good teams sometimes that happens. The number of holding penalties is an issue, but the number of undisciplined penalties is something that will be addressed.”

While the Mustangs weren’t perfect in all aspects of the game, the revenge was sweet. And with seven straight wins, the demons of that early season loss to Carleton have been exorcised.

“It was real personal,” Cedric Joseph said on how it felt to avenge their early season loss. “They took the lead, we came back and then unfortunately lost. It was a long ride back. We definitely had a chip on our shoulder.”

Next Saturday, the Mustangs host the Laurier Golden Hawks in the Yates Cup game. The Mustangs will be the overwhelming favorite to win the game after having previously beaten Laurier 45–26 on Oct. 1.

“It feels awesome,” said Chris Merchant on how it feels to be heading to his first career Yates Cup. “It’s what I came here to do. We are going to take that next step and focus on next week. We’re going to come into practice with really focused minds.”

Volleyball comes out strong to start new season STEPHANIE HOWE CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTESPORTS Looking to improve on their third place finish in 2015-16, the Mustangs women’s volleyball team open a new year with their sights set on first place in Ontario University Athletics and a chance to host the final four tournament this year.

The Mustangs participated in two tournaments in addition to the usual exhibition games this year to prepare for the new season. They came out with a winning record, successful against teams they’ll eventually face in the regular season.

“It proved that our team has a lot of depth,” said Mustangs middle Kelsey Veltman about October’s West Coast Classic tournament. “We were considered a pretty young team, but coming out with a 2–2 record and just learning and working together made this a really good preseason for us.”

“The preseason was pretty solid.

It helped us get back to where we were last year at the end of the season,” added right side Aja Gyimah.

The roster is similar to last year’s with one major exception. The Mustangs will have to fill the void

left by Serena Smith’s departure after her graduation last year. In addition to being the captain for two years, she was one of the most consistent players on the team, recording over 162 points last season.

“A few seniors have stepped up and filled that role with their leadership and model displays of hard work on the team, especially Candice Scott, one of our starting middles,” said head coach Melissa Bartlett.

The team this year will be led by captains Kat Tsiofas and Scott.

Other key players include Gyimah, who was named to the First OUA AllStar Team with Tsiofas in the 2015-16 season as well as Veltman, who, in addition to being a CIS First Team All-Star last year, was OUA Player of the Year in both of her seasons with the Mustangs.

They’ve also added five new names to the roster this year, and Veltman says they’re making a big difference in the team already.

“There’s a lot of new girls out there fighting for starting positions, so the competition within the team is really intense, which makes us all work harder together,” she said.

An advantage the Mustangs have

over the other OUA teams is the depth of their roster.

“We’re working at getting everyone some OUA game experience,” said Bartlett. “We’ve got a lot of talent, and right now it’s just trying to figure out our best lineup on the court. We’ve worked on a few different lineups during the preseason and it’ll keep the other teams guessing.”

The Mustangs started the 201617 season undefeated, with victories against Ryerson, Guelph and Waterloo.

Bartlett attributes this success to her team’s aggressive performance.

“We’ve talked about being aggressive in those tight match situations,” she said, “and in most of the games that have been very close we’ve come out on top, so if we can keep that streak going I see us being very successful this year.”

The Ryerson and Waterloo games were won in tight sets, Western typically winning by just two points.

The Mustangs dominated Guelph, however, winning in straight sets.

With a 3–0 start, the Mustangs must now continue their strong play as the season kicks into gear.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • 11

sports

Mens lacrosse wins fourth Baggataway Cup CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE With an 11–7 victory over the Trent Excalibur on Sunday in St. Catharines, the Western Mustangs won the Baggataway Cup and became Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association champions.

The Mustangs have now won four national titles in 32 years of competition: however, before Sunday they had not won since 2001. This was their third appearance in the finals in five years, having fallen to McGill in both 2012 and 2015.

Team manager Mike Frith was ecstatic about Western’s performance in both Saturday’s semifinal (a 10–9 victory over Guelph) and the championship game on Sunday.

“We played our game,” he said

simply. “We’ve been a pretty strong offensive team, we led the league in goals for, but our defence all year was a little bit underrated. We kept both [Guelph and Trent] to under 10, and we’ve got an offence that can score 10 goals pretty consistently.”

The Mustangs entered the CUFLA playoffs on a roll having won their last 11 regular season games.

In fact, their only loss all year came against Brock in the season opener, a narrow 16–13 result.

Western’s 22-point season matches their performance of a year ago, when they posted an identical 11–1 record. They finished first in the CUFLA West Division both years.

Heading into the championship weekend, the Mustangs were confident, particularly with the powerhouse McGill having been eliminated a week previously.

“In the power rankings we came into the weekend first,” said midfield player Jordi Jones-Smith, “but we knew that no matter who we played it was going to be a battle to make it to the finals.”

Having finished the season on a 14-game winning streak, and lost just two games two years, the Mustangs have recently become the image of consistency in Canadian field lacrosse.

Frith attributes the team’s success to how well the veteran players have meshed over their careers at Western.

“We had a huge core of returning players from last year’s team,” he said. “Even the first game that we lost was a game that could’ve gone

either way and I think the veterans and the leaders on our team stepped up.”

For some players, finally winning the Baggataway Cup is the perfect bookend for their university careers.

Three fifth-year seniors — Sam Neeb, Ryan McCrory and JonesSmith — will be graduating after this season. Those three players experienced their third championship game on Sunday, winning for the first time.

“It honestly means everything to me,” said Neeb. “We’ve been through a lot of adversity, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. . . Going out on top means the world to me.”

“There’s no better way to graduate,” added Jones-Smith. “It’s a huge

memory that I’ll leave university with.”

With three key starters leaving the team, the Mustangs will be hard-pressed to maintain their consistency next year. Younger players like first year Reid Reinholdt and sophomore Cody Ward, who won the CUFLA scoring title with 66 points, will shoulder much of the responsibility for next season.

Western now has a long off-season to celebrate their first Baggataway Cup in 15 years, as players like Neeb and Jones-Smith will wind down their university careers by helping the next generation of Mustangs lacrosse players learn the team’s systems and prepare for the 2017-18 season.

Cubs’ World Series win is bigger than baseball Charlie Horse CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE It’s one of those immediately unforgettable moments. People will remember where they were and what they were doing when it happened. Years from now, sports fans will tell their grandchildren about when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016.

After 108 years, it finally happened. The Curse of the Billy Goat is broken, Steve Bartman can breathe easy and everyone’s favourite derisive sports trivia is no more.

Last time it happened, there wasn’t even a radio broadcast. The Cubs have passed their drought crown to their opponents, the Cleveland Indians.

See, what happened in the early hours of Nov. 3, 2016 transcended baseball. When Kris Bryant fielded a ground ball for the final out, the sports world changed. The Cubs have been entrenched in popular culture as the loveable losers for over a century.

Back to the Future II predicted them winning in a distant future timeline (2015 actually, just a year off), against a Miami team that didn’t even exist. A headline reading “Cubs sweep series in five was outlandish enough to be used as an indicator of how different the world on-screen was.

And when it finally did happen, it couldn’t have been more dramatic. At times it looked like the baseball gods were doing their very best to bring heartbreak back to Wrigley Field.

First the Cubs went down 3–1 in the series, and it looked like all was lost. Then they fought their way back from the brink of elimination, jumping ahead to a lead in game seven, only to blow it in the eighth inning. When the rain began to pour with the score tied

after nine, the sky seemed to echo the thoughts of everyone watching — there’s no way the Cubs could actually win, right? “Next year!” has been the fans’ motto for decades. Well, it is next year.

No Hollywood script could top the way it unfolded. Extra innings, in the early hours of the morning, with a rainy mist hanging over Progressive Field in Cleveland.

There are so many storylines.

Kyle Schwarber played a role for the Cubs, after tearing his ACL in April and expecting to miss the whole season. Catcher David Ross, in his last major league game, hit a crucial home run in his final at-bat. It seems right that it just couldn’t be a normal World Series. It had to be magical.

As a lifelong Maple Leafs fan, I can relate to the heartbreak Cubs fans have suffered. I know what it’s like to let hope consume you only to have it wrenched from your hands at the critical moment. What I don’t know is what it’s like to win.

Chicago went justifiably nuts. A lot of Cubs fans cried, thinking of their parents and grandparents that never knew this feeling. In the morning before game seven, Chicagoans came out by the thousands to write the names of their lost loved ones on Wrigley Field’s walls.

A Cubs fan was seen holding up a sign that said, “NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE.” Generations of people have lived and died with a fantasy of this day etched in their minds.

Tuesday’s game could very well go down as the greatest baseball game ever played. It may be the ultimate watershed moment in sports history. Millions tuned in all over the world to become the only people alive to witness a Cubs world championship.

The men responsible are now forever entrenched in baseball mythology. Statues of the 2016 Cubs will stand outside Wrigley Field. Team president Theo Epstein has surely booked his ticket to the Hall of Fame.

“We don’t need a plane to fly home,” quipped Epstein after receiving the Commissioner’s Trophy.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

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