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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 110, ISSUE 28 being the harvard of canada since 1906

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COURTNEY HERN

Volume 110, Issue 28 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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JENNY JAY GAZETTE

For those of you who only know Courtney at Western as the admin behind Western’s social groups on Facebook, it may be shocking to learn that she is living, breathing and closer than you would think — she’s actually sitting in the Registrar’s Office at the back of Student Services Building.

that the questions from students can be unique and overwhelming at times. According to Courtney, summer is when she’s the busiest. She remembers one summer day where she got 300 private messages.

Courtney has also been approached with some pretty distinct concerns, such as students asking where to buy underwear. Courtney replied, assuming it was a joke, and found out that the student’s roommates had stolen her underwear and was genuinely in need of some advice.

Courtney Hern, a.k.a. Courtney at Western, has been working at Western for the past 19 years. After graduating with a BA in psychology, Courtney gained a position in the Registrar’s Office and has since made her way up the ranks. Today, she is the team leader for telephone and online client services at the Registrar’s Office.

“You can’t ignore anything that a student asks [even though it might] seem trivial, for that is not the case for the student who doesn’t have any underwear, who doesn’t know what to do, and is probably too ashamed to call mom,” Courtney said.

As a part of her job, Courtney managed the first Facebook social group for the class of 2017. It was with this class that a couple of the kinks were worked out, and Courtney marks the launch of the class of 2018 social group as the pivotal year for the program.

While Western students may take it for granted, the concept of a class social group gained a lot of popularity at other universities who followed Western’s lead.

“We’re at over 70 per cent of the class population in 2018, 2019 and 2020. So we’ve got over 70 per cent in each of those three classes [which] is a huge tool to be able to reach out and say ‘don’t forget this deadline is coming up,’” Courtney said.

Courtney manages all of the social groups herself, with some assistance in the summer peak periods. She says

Before working with the Registrar’s Office at Western, Courtney was a competitive dancer. Her dream was to become a professional ballerina in Toronto.

“I did [pursue dancing as a career] but then I blew my knee when I was 19, so I came to Western,” Courtney said.

Today, Courtney is a mother of two competitive dancers and in her time off she can be found mostly at Dance Arts, the dance studio in Lambton where her children practice.

Courtney wants to remind students that she is willing to respond to student’s messages 24/7.

“I’m approachable. Ask me anything; I don’t mind answering.”

■■SABRINA FRACASSI

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USC presidential slates: What you need to know MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ The floodgates have opened as the USC presidential slates released their platforms, websites and social media account on Monday night.

The three slates running in the race include Team DiBrina, Team Tobi and Team Jan/Mohammad.

The Gazette reached out to each slate with questionnaires inquiring about main tasks/initiatives, biggest issues on campus and how they will engage students-at-large with the USC. TEAM JAN/MOHAMMAD Team Jan/Mohammad consists of presidential candidate Anooshae Janmohammad, a fourth-year double major in business and psychology student at Huron, and vice-presidential candidate Mohammad Hussain, a fourth-year honours specialization in French studies student.

When asked what their top three tasks/initiatives were, Jan/ Mohammad responded with: reforming the club system, keeping promises that are “made too

often during election time” and pushing the “inclusion of student feedback in the academic counselling process.”

Jan/Mohammad argue that the current club system is predicated on an “us versus them” mentality and they’ll fix it by including a “collaborative process.” How that will pan out exactly is yet to be seen.

The slate also stated they will be implementing “something similar to the Trudeau Metre to stay accountable” which is essentially a tracker of broken promises, achieved promises and promises in progress.

Jan/Mohammad also said that they will engage with the USC by making meeting minutes more accessible.

“By summarizing the content of these meetings and creating videos and graphics that present this information accessibly, we will create a social media campaign that lays the foundation for a relationship between students and the USC,” they said in the statement.

TEAM DIBRINA Team DiBrina includes presidential

candidate David DiBrina, fourthyear HBA student at Ivey, and vice-presidential candidate Harry Orbach-Miller, fourth-year Jewish studies student.

DiBrina believes that the most important issue on campus is that students aren’t aware of the “power they have to make a positive impact on this campus.”

Their top three tasks/initiatives as elected slates would include closing the Purple Store, holding a mental health support referendum and fostering a more transparent and accountable USC. “The Purple Store represents everything we want to change about the USC,” the slate noted. “It is an overpriced and expensive duplication of service. We will close it down and provide students with a healthy food option in its place.”

The mental health support referendum will call on students to add $500,000 in annual support to core mental health and mental illness services.

The slate also claims that students “feel disenfranchised with the USC because it unnecessarily

hides information behind a veil of confidentiality and shields itself from criticism.”

When asked how they will engage students-at-large with the USC, Team DiBrina said that “the first step in any sort of meaningful engagement with students across campus is to create a USC that students actually enjoy engaging with.”

They also said that by making the USC more transparent, students won’t have to struggle to find information they need.

“The USC needs to become more accountable, so students can feel confident that those who represent them are doing so,” said the slate. “If we want to engage with the USC, we have to look internally first.”

TEAM TOBI Team Tobi includes presidential candidate Tobi Solebo, third-year economics student, and vice-presidential candidate Landon Tulk, third-year political science student.

Team Tobi believes the biggest issue concerning students is that they are “overwhelmed by a variety of campus, academic and mental health issues on campus,” and that

the USC is inaccessible to students who do not feel represented.

As a slate, they believe the biggest issue with the USC is a lack of engagement and accessibility. “It’s clear that the biggest issue on campus is the USC not looking outside the organization to communicate with every student.”

The slate’s top three tasks/initiatives that they wish to accomplish include re-engagement, addressing all students’ needs, and increasing community partnerships.

“We need to put a big focus on serving all students to ensure that students do not feel that the over $700 in student fees they pay to the USC are going to waste.”

Team Tobi said that they will engage students at-large with their “open-community office hours.”

They’ve also proposed bringing all the USC executives to the first floor of the UCC so that they can chat with students on a weekly basis.

You can find more information about each slate’s platforms on their respective websites: teamtobi. ca, teamdibrina.com and teamjanmohammad.com.

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King’s council creates ad hoc committee to decide on BDS referendum question AMY O’KRUK FEATURES & GRAPHICS EDITOR @AMYOKRUK The KUCSC moved one step closer to lobbying for ethical investments and the former BDS referendum at Sunday night’s packed council meeting.

King’s University College Student Council’s (KUCSC) voted to create an ad hoc committee to phrase their spring referendum question amidst a turnout of approximately 100 students at the meeting.

First proposed in March 2016, the referendum will ask students if they support calling upon King’s administration to divest from to-be-decided companies for ethical reasons. While previously the referendum focused on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, the Affiliate Appeals Board (AAB) hearing recently ruled to shift King’s referendum from focusing on the BDS movement to adopting a more general stance on ethical investment.

The discussion over the potential ad hoc committee sparked two hours of fierce debate with the speaker repeatedly asking for decorum. Tensions were high following concerns about the legitimacy of the AAB’s Jan. 8 hearing and widespread disagreement over how and if the referendum should move forward. Eventually the council

passed the motion, and an ad hoc committee will be formed to decide the referendum question composed of two students from the no side, two students from the yes side and the speaker acting as a neutral arbitrator.

Councillors against the referendum from the no side argued the referendum is threatening to Jewish and Israeli students-atlarge, violating King’s community standards. Cameron Sleewa, a third-year King’s student, KUCSC councillor and no side supporter said he thinks the motion reflects that King’s elected officials don’t care for students-at-large.

“I think the motion is unfair because it’s a KUCSC and King’s referendum, but it’s unfair not to represent the Jewish students who will be affected,” he said.

“I don’t understand how an ad hoc committee will come to a resolution ... Right now, it’s too early to see, but in my opinion I don’t like the idea of two people from each side picking the wording of the question.”

Other councillors expressed doubts in the proposed ad hoc committee’s ability to compromise and decide the referendum’s question.

To remedy this, the council passed an amendment that states if no resolution can be reached, the ad hoc committee will undergo final offer arbitration. In this case, the council would vote — without further

discussion — on a proposal brought forward by each side. David Heap, a Western professor with deferred speaking rights, suggested the idea, saying final offer arbitration encourages each side to make compromises even if discussion breaks down.

Anna Badillo, KUCSC councillor and fourth-year student, said the council’s decision to form the ad hoc committee is reasonable.

“I think it’s fair if we have two people from both sides and a neutral speaker talking on it,” she said.

“It makes it fair because the next time it does get brought forward, if they can’t compromise, then we just kind of choose and pick the better question. The yes side has stated in council that we’re willing to compromise, so hopefully [the no side] comes with the same attitude.”

Notably, the KUCSC also passed a motion to conduct a third-party review of the AAB’s structure and its Jan. 8 hearing on King’s BDS referendum.

Nate Little, KUCSC president, said the third-party reviewer will be a lawyer. He added the review isn’t about whether or not the appeals board came to the “correct” decision, but whether or not “the process ran in a fair way.”

Badillo said the meeting is a sign that council is taking positive steps.

“We’re moving forward,” she said.

“Two different councils have been dealing with this, I’m really looking forward to what that outcome is.”

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Western students “rescue” unsold food in London for charity SABRINA FRACASSI NEWS EDITOR @SABFRACASSI

COURTESY OF WESTER ENGINEERING

$51 million engineering building under construction GRACE TO NEWS EDITOR @GRACE_KTO Western has invested a total of $51 million into the construction of a new building for the Faculty of Engineering. Located across the street from the Richard Ivey building, the ThreeC+ building construction began in late November and is expected to be fully completed in September 2018.

The building will have new classrooms and work areas to promote student entrepreneurial activities.

Additional social and study spaces will also be built to accommodate the expected student enrolment increase in 2018. Laboratories that support software, electrical and mechatronics systems engineering will also be expanded.

“ThreeC+ captures the spirit for the experience we hope that the space will foster: Connect, Collaborate and Create,” said Andrew Hrymak, dean of the Faculty of Engineering, in an email. “We are also engaging with potential donors for a naming opportunity for the building.”

At ThreeC+, interdisciplinary research will be emphasized with a focus on research fields that include

sustainable infrastructure, ubiquitous information and communication and mechatronics systems.

Hrymak explained that Western is well-known for research in wind engineering. Its graduates contributed to the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, the Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes and the WindEEE Research Institute, which is the world’s first three-dimensional wind-testing chamber.

The University has funded $22.5 million of the building’s costs, while another $22.5 million was received from the federal government. Currently, the Faculty of Engineering is requesting further financial support from alumni and industry supporters in order to fund the activities and equipment at ThreeC+. According to Hrymak, their fundraising goal is set at $6 million.

Khalid Backtash, Western Undergraduate Engineering Society president, is excited to see the finished product.

“I personally do not have any experience with research but labs and group projects play a significant role in the learning process for engineering students,” Backtash said.

“It allows them to practice the theories learned in class and apply them in a practical and hands-on manner. Simultaneously, these labs and projects highlight the importance of teamwork and communication while working on projects.”

“We aspire to secure a LEED Platinum certification,” added Hrymak.

According to Kara James, Western’s engineering communications manager, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Points are awarded to buildings that correspond to specific green design factors, such as sustainable spaces, water efficiency and indoor environmental atmosphere. A building’s LEED rating will be higher as they earn more points in its certification process.

“If successful, our building would be the third university teaching/ research building in Canada to achieve that level,” said Hrymak. “Of the 2,600 LEED-certified buildings in Canada, less than five per cent are recognized as LEED Platinum.”

The entire building will be a welcoming study spot for students with its light-filled spaces, a large main atrium and an exposed stairway leading to three floors.

A group of Western students decided that they wanted to start off their undergrad in London by making a difference. So they started reHarvest, a “food rescue” program that links grocery stores and bakeries with charities in London in an effort to combat the waste of food.

ReHarvest was formally launched in the summer of 2016.

The program links food producers and charities by organizing volunteer drivers to pick up the unsold food and drop it off at specific charity locations.

Jasmine Wang, a firstyear student at Western, is a co-founder of reHarvest. Wang noted that reHarvest is currently completely booked for deliveries until May of 2017.

Wang and two other friends decided to start the program in May before they came to school.

She claims she was first exposed to the reality of food waste years ago in elementary school.

“How this actually started — a long time ago in grade eight — was that I really like donuts and I saw a Tim Hortons that threw out an entire box of donuts and that just shocked me completely,” Wang said. “I was taken aback and I [started] questioning why they didn’t just go somewhere.

Obviously we’re not focusing on donuts now, but that’s when I can pinpoint the first moment I thought of it.”

The issue of poverty and food scarcity affects many Londoners.

According to the London Poverty Research Centre, there are roughly 26,000 people in London who are unable to gain access to healthy meals. However, despite growing awareness on the topic, the issue has been on the rise over the past couple of years.

As a result, the program has been teaming up with charities that focus not only on food

distribution but also food education. Wang points to food education as a crucial life tool that is often overlooked and notes that the consequences of people lacking these skills are generational.

Several grocery stores and bakeries have teamed up with reHarvest including Grocery Checkout, Western Fair Farmers’ Market and Village Bakery. Some of the charity recipients include the London InterCommunity Health Centre and the South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre.

According to Shelly Happy, a community development worker for the London InterCommunity Health Centre, the work of these Western students is making a real imprint on the London community.

“We saw this as a good opportunity to be able to not only get food to people that might have difficulties accessing healthy food options, but also giving them more tools and skills to be able to more fully utilize that food,” Happy said.

Recently, the issue of food waste in Western societies has been gaining awareness on an international level. France became the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing out food roughly one year ago. Instead, grocery stores are directed to donate the food to charities and food banks.

ReHarvest link producers and charities through the work of volunteer drivers. Wang hopes that reHarvest’s work will grow both within London and also into communities outside of the city.

“I want this to be a generational thing. I want to make this strong enough that even when I do leave university it continues as an organization because I believe this is something that London needs,” she said.

Anyone wishing to contribute can contact reHarvest at foodrescuelondon@gmail.com for more information.

Arlene Dickinson to speak at Western DRISHTI KATARIA NEWS EDITOR @DRISHTATGAZETTE Dragon’s Den venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson will be coming to Western later this month as the keynote speaker of the Social Science Students’ Council (SSSC) annual academic conference.

Dickinson, a Canadian marketing expert, entrepreneur and philanthropist, will be speaking at the UCC’s McKellar Room on Jan. 22.

“We’re really looking to present an alternative perspective on globalization, something students may not have already been exposed to in class, and we felt that she was definitely the most appropriate choice for that,” said Rebecca Amoah, SSSC president.

The conference is an all-day event open to students and has an overarching theme of globalization.

“The goal of this conference is to allow a chance for students to learn and talk about issues, theories, and

ideas that they may not be exposed to in normal lectures,” said Chantal Francoeur, SSSC vice-president academics.

The conference will begin in the morning with speaker, Karen Hussey, followed by a series of breakout room discussions with topics from different faculties and departments.

“We’re trying to incorporate as many perspectives as possible on this issue so we have professors from anthropology, women’s studies, economics and political science,” Amoah said.

This is the third year of the conference and according to Francoeur, Dickinson is the first female evening keynote speaker of their conference.

Past evening keynote speakers were newspaper publisher and author Conrad Black, and Jean Chrétien, former prime minister of Canada.

Francoeur said that by attending the conference students will develop their communication

We’re really looking to present an alternative perspective on globalization, something students may not have already been exposed to in class, and we felt that she was definitely the most appropriate choice for that.

REBECCA AMOAH SSSC PRESIDENT

skills and will be able to collaborate with students across different programs from their own.

“Students will also be able to network with their fellow peers in other departments and faculties,” she said.

Tickets for the event can be purchased in person at the Social Science Center Kiosk and onlwine at the USC events website. The cost is $10 for the entire day and $15 for the evening keynote.

COURTESY OF WESTERN SSSC

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • 5

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Council attendance steady over first semester RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR @RITARAHMATI Councillor attendance on the USC’s council has been fairly regular so far this year. With elections season kicking off in the USC, The Gazette looked at the current council’s attendance records made public this year.

Each year, undergraduate students elect faculty and affiliate councillors and presidents to represent them at monthly USC meetings they’re mandated to attend.

For any meetings missed, councillors are awarded demerit points which, when added up to a certain threshold, can lead to the councillor’s removal from council.

On paper, the USC council is the highest governing undergraduate student body that makes significant decisions, including approving the organization’s multi-million dollar budget and drafting policies and advocacy goals among other responsibilities.

The USC voting member attendance policy states: “Voting members must attend all meetings and remain for the full duration of those meetings to represent their constituents’ interests.”

All councillors are informed of the policy in training and of their specific faculty council’s policies at the beginning of the year.

As per USC bylaws, councillors receive demerit points for any missed meetings or meetings in which they are late, leave early or send a proxy. Demerit points are given out for both general council meetings and standing committee meetings, which are both typically once a month.

If councillors inform the speaker of council 48 hours in advance that they are unable to attend, will be late/must leave early or are sending a proxy, the number of demerit points awarded decreases.

The opposite table outlines the attendance demerit point system and warning thresholds.

The current speaker of council, Samir Hamadache, sends out warnings to councillors depending on how many points they’ve accumulated.

Hamadache reports he has sent out emails to several councillors informing them of their demerit points.

Halfway through the year, most councillors have a solid attendance record. Fifteen council representatives had 0 demerit points, 13 councillors had one or fewer demerit points, nine councillors had 1.25 to 2.75 demerit points and seven councillors had more than three demerit points.

“For the most part I think we have a very dedicated council,” said USC secretary-treasurer Isaac Jacobi.

“There are just a few that aren’t doing that [sending regrets] as much as they should be.”

A councillor can be removed from council if they have accumulated six or more demerit points. At that point, the speaker of council may bring forth a motion to council to dismiss the councillor.

According to Jacobi, if the speaker brings a motion forward to remove a councillor, the councillor will have an opportunity to speak on their demerit points. Following that, the

According to the policy it’s very straightforward, but in the past this attendance policy has never been enforced, this is really the first time we’re trying to enforce it.

SAMIR HAMADACHE SPEAKER OF COUNCIL

rest of council will vote on removing the councillor.

Jacobi believes it is important to have councillors vote on the removal instead of just allowing the speaker or the executive to make the final decision.

“It should be the body that that person is a member of that has that power,” he said.

Halfway through the year, there is only one councillor who has reached six demerit points or higher: Aleks Daleks, a social science faculty councillor. No councillor was removed from council last year, although Hamadache and Jacobi are trying to be more stringent with council policies this year.

“According to the policy it’s very straightforward,” Hamadache said.

“But in the past this attendance policy has never been enforced, this is really the first time we’re trying to enforce it.”

Hamadache said he spoke with Dalek in person and he provided compelling reasons for his absences.

In a statement to The Gazette, Dalek cited medical reasons at the beginning of the term that prevented him from maintaining regular attendance.

“I am starting to feel better.

Moving forward, I hope that [is] reflected in my attendance record,” Dalek said.

In the event that a councillor is removed from council, a by-election will be held to fill the seat, according to Hamadache.

Student governments at other universities are often more stringent with their councillor attendance policies. For example, at the University of British Columbia, the chair of the student council may ask for the resignation of any committee member who has missed three or more scheduled meetings.

At McMaster University, a member is automatically relieved of their seat if they miss two meetings in a term, are more than 30 minutes late or leave before the meeting is over, without having sent regrets to the speaker.

“I think council’s policy should be reviewed,” Jacobi said, noting that the USC’s board of directors attendance bylaw was reviewed earlier this year. The USC council’s voting member attendance policy has not been reviewed since 2011.

Solution to puzzle on page 15

GRAPHICS: AMY O’KRUK GAZETTE

REMINDER

Board and Senate Elections - 2017 ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND SENATE WILL TAKE PLACE IN FEBRUARY 2017.

Nominations for membership on the Board of Governors in the administrative staff and undergraduate student constituencies are now accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2017.

Nominations for membership on the Senate in the faculty, administrative staff, graduate student and undergraduate student (academic) constituencies are also accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Nominations for Senate undergraduate student “At Large” constituency close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2017.

Full information on the Board and Senate elections (including the election procedures and schedule, the nomination form and voting procedures for each constituency) can be found at: Board elections: www.uwo.ca/univsec/board/elections.html Senate elections: www.uwo.ca/univsec/senate/elections.html

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ELECTIONS BLOG • 2017

Trudeau brings his circus show to Western Breaking Brad BRADLEY METLIN DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @BRADLEYMETLIN

JENNY JAY GAZETTE

The case of the missing council candidates Queen Lear

KATIE LEAR PRINT MANAGING EDITOR @KATIELEAR_ Where have all the candidates gone?

Friday’s four o’clock deadline for students to submit their candidacy for the USC elections has passed, and now that the dust has settled, we can see just how many students have joined the running.

Spoiler alert: there aren’t many.

Aside from the presidential slates for main campus and affiliate presidents, each faculty has an election for their president and council or faculty representative.

But few council races are contested this year. Social science, Western’s largest faculty, has only nine people running for ten positions, meaning all of them will be acclaimed in the election. Ten students are running for seven science rep positions on council, the second largest contingent.

Of the nine faculty presidents, all

are acclaimed except for science and FIMS; A similar theme as last year.

There is an election for the kinesiology faculty representative with two people running for the one slot.

Now, for all we know, all of these acclaimed candidates may end up doing a great job in the role. But by not having any opposition, we miss out on the chance to vet those applying in comparison to each other. We lose out on different perspectives on issues, and we by and large have to hope that the candidates who are acclaimed will do an acceptable job, since having any warm body in the role is better than not having one at all.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that those candidates have a free ride.

Even though they’re acclaimed, they still have to earn a vote of confidence from their constituents by putting out their platforms. But by not having opposition, the acclaimed roles aren’t challenged on their stances by anyone in the running and are allowed to talk about what they want to talk about without their opponent(s) forcing them to reveal their stance on more contentious issues.

I am glad that we have three slates running for USC president and vice-president. But to think that those are the only real roles

that matter in the USC would be a mistake.

Faculty presidents are responsible for setting the direction of their council, which in turn votes on issues affecting your faculty; they don’t just vote on which cool celebrity to bring to campus. They are also in charge of where the student donation fund you contribute to by being a part of that faculty goes, such as how $200,000 of the social science student donation fund will be used to renovate the Social Science Centre.

USC councillors approve the organization’s nearly $20 million student fee among a host of other duties.

It’s hard to know why so few students are running for student government this year, considering we have nearly 30,000 undergraduate students on campus. Is it the early elections? Lack of outreach to students? General apathy to student politics? Whatever it might be, it is still important that we engage with the candidates we do have to challenge them on their ideas and platforms.

But in the end, if it’s not really an election then how can we expect students to be interested in voting?

•

My Facebook newsfeed has been set ablaze the past few days with “exciting” news about how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to Alumni Hall this past Friday as over 2,000 people packed in to see him. As I see friends comment about meeting “daddy,” all I can do is grimace at the smoke and mirrors show.

The trip to London is part of Trudeau’s recently announced road trip across Canada where he will meet with ‘everyday’ Canadians at Tim Hortons, in church basements and other casual settings. You see, the current Liberal government is in crisis mode right now. From November to December, they plunged nine points in the polls, so they’re trotting Trudeau out to do what he does best — take some selfies and use that Vogue-level smile to gain favour.

But these series of engagements are just a charade to distract from a government that chronically makes mistakes.

Just a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister’s Office was evasive when asked where Trudeau was headed with his family for vacation. We now know he spent his holidays on the private island of the Aga Khan, a trip that the federal ethics commissioner is considering looking into.

While Trudeau and the Aga Khan are longtime family friends, the federal government gave the Aga Khan Foundation a $55 million dollar grant about a year ago. Sure, he’s allowed to take his family anywhere they want for vacation, but the Prime Minister should know better than vacationing on a private island with someone whose foundation received millions of federal dollars in grants.

But this isn’t the first of Trudeau’s money problems. The PM and his cabinet are currently under fire for cash-for-access fundraisers where $1,500 a plate allows wealthy interests to rub shoulders with the highest echelons of government.

Canadians’ disapproval has been resounding: 62 per cent of Canadians disapproved of the practise at the end of November.

Trudeau’s response to this anger?

Head to a private island.

Around the time Trudeau set off for the Bahamas, a fiscal update was quietly released two days before

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MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE

Christmas. It came out discreetly because it was disastrous.

If the federal government continues on the same path, we could see budget deficits until 2050! It’s astonishing and it’s shameful. The government has already broken its promise to have deficits of under $10 billion dollars a year by nearly tripling this amount, and now their fiscal mismanagement could see us in disarray for decades.

Is this what Trudeau meant when he promised “sunny ways” in 2015?

Heck, even I expressed optimism when he took office. But a year later, it has been a disaster.

Everyone across the political spectrum is disappointed.

Conservatives are incensed over their poor management of our country’s finances. Liberals are angry he has failed to pass a progressive agenda. One of my friends described him as “a sentient jar of mayonnaise.”

It’s a pretty apt description.

Trudeau has been a failure in achieving key parts of his left-wing platform.

The Liberals are revoking citizenships at higher rates than the Conservatives ever did. This is happening as Minister for the Status of Women Maryam Monsef’s citizenship application had errors which in similar cases led to others losing their status as Canadians.

Remember Bill C-51 that the “evil” Conservatives passed because they hate civil liberties? The law that Liberals vowed to repeal when they were in office? Yeah, Trudeau and his government have been silent thus far.

Academy Award winning actress and longtime activist Jane Fonda just chastised Trudeau and his decision to build oil pipelines. Her message as part of an Alberta panel was spot on: “I guess the lesson is we shouldn’t be fooled by good-looking liberals, no matter how well-spoken they are.

What a disappointment.”

Fonda is right. This tour is an attempt to have Canadians look away from all the problems. It’s a way to just highlight style over substance in the most blatant way.

Trudeau has been an absolute mess for Canada. Don’t let this desperate attempt to reset his image fool you. Stop putting our Prime Minister on a pedestal. Trudeau is not “daddy” — unless he’s the type that walks out on your family and leaves you in disarray.

While most have continued to heap adulations on the Prime Minister, a few have showed up and questioned his policies — let’s hope that continues for the rest of the tour.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • 7

opinions

The value of art isn’t defined by the awards they win Stop!

Samah time!

SAMAH ALI CULTUREEDITOR @SISTERSAMAH Year after year I would look forward to the beginning of a new year — not for the clean slate that comes with it, but rather my beloved awards show season.

During my mid-teens, awards shows were just a way to keep track of who the new celebrity on the scene was and what movie they starred in. As my interest in film increased, I watched to know what pictures and performances were deemed the best. Now I’m in my early twenties and finishing off my university career, and I simply don’t care for awards shows.

Not caring for awards shows and not watching them are two completely different things. I no longer up keep my annual tradition of watching film and music awards shows, but if they are on a television proximal to me I won’t close my eyes and run away. I don’t have a vendetta against them; in fact, I respect the honour and tradition that has kept them around for decades.

But I am a film connoisseur. New movies are new adventures for me and awards season points me in the direction for films I should consider watching. However, I fear we have given these awards shows too much weight in the success of someone’s work, causing them to fail in the box office if they do not win big awards or are not even nominated at all.

My decreasing appreciation of awards shows began with the infamous #OscarsSoWhite trend — two years where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences failed to recognize the brilliance of filmmaking from people of colour.

But my disinterest went beyond an exclusive sea of salt on screen, it extended to the renowned idea of ‘Oscar snubs’ — people who were robbed of nominations for excellent work.

Best Actor performances by Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic, Idris

Elba in Beasts of No Nation, Miles Teller in Whiplash! and David Oyelowo in Selma went unnoticed and directorial work from Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler failed to be commended. We call the failure for recognition a snub, but its really our unrealistic ideals placed onto awards shows for our personal gratification.

Snubs extend beyond the Oscars but the principle stands. We put too much weight in the worthiness of good work when the judges are people we will probably never know or care about.

Seeing someone flourish on screen, stage or in-ear is an independent experience external of other’s opinions. It is through recommendation and shared appreciation where work begins to thrive as our networks push something to the forefront. To see an audience, who vies for a particular piece of work, shake under the lack of nomination or win for that project is where I draw the line.

I’ve learned to appreciate and support good work without the opinions of decades-old boards.

Although their existence may have been around longer than mine, my loyalty towards artwork outweighs the validation from external bodies. If I continued my loyalty with awards shows I would lose faith in a lot of performances, albums and productions that have truly impacted my life. It may also shape my opinions towards the artist negatively in the future — for it was not the artist that failed me but rather the awards board themselves.

Cleansing myself of this subconscious loyalty reminds me that good work will always be good work despite what an exclusive body might say. It allows me to receive the artist’s work wholeheartedly without trying to catch onto a trend and ignore excellent work that I might have been interested in. Just because someone isn’t acknowledged for the work they’ve done doesn’t mean it’s worth any less, and this is something that I remember when awards season comes around.

To me, art is a stand alone entity. It is when we grade it that we cheapen the value of its excellence.

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Appeals board overstepped its role in shutting down BDS referendum

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a controversial topic on university campuses across North America. It flares up sensitivities and is often a deeply polarizing issue.

The conversation around BDS has been happening on campuses around Canada and only recently came close to Western when the King’s University College Students’ Council (KUCSC) passed a motion to put a question on BDS before its students in a referendum.

This editorial does not debate the merits of BDS. It does discuss how a conversation being facilitated by students’ elected representatives was shut down by five people on the Affiliate Appeals Board.

The Affiliate Appeals Board has value. It can act as an objective arbitrator and safeguard when an unjust decision is passed by student representatives on any of the three affiliate councils.

But in the case of the BDS referendum at King’s, the board went beyond its role and became a political instrument in itself.

The original BDS motion was passed by the KUCSC in March 2016. With close to a week to go before the yes and no referendum campaigns were to kick off, the board not only decided to hear an appeal on the validity of the referendum but also fundamentally changed the nature of the referendum.

With only a week to go, the board placed onerous conditions one side of the campaign. It effectively changed the question which was unanimously passed by King’s council. The conversation on BDS was supported not only by King’s council but also its executives including president Nate Little.

The original question stated: “As a King’s student, should the KUCSC endorse the BDS movement by lobbying the King’s administration to boycott

products and divest from companies in violation of international law?”

The appeals board chose to disallow any references to “BDS” in the referendum despite the fact that students voting either for or against BDS was the heart of the referendum. The board took it on itself to make a paternalistic decision for students. It wasn’t the job of the board to decide if students should discuss and vote on BDS. If King’s students were against BDS, they would’ve shown their opposition with their votes in the referendum. The two-week campaign period before the referendum would have given the yes and no campaigns sufficient time to make their cases and King’s students an adequate opportunity to decide for themselves.

If that wasn’t problematic enough, the board also asked for specific companies that KUCSC would recommend divesting from if the yes side won the referendum — again, a week before the campaign was to kick off. The timeline makes this extraneous demand seem like a deliberate attempt to derail the referendum.

If challenges to the referendum were serious enough to bring about critical changes to it, the issue and any proposed amendments should have been raised on the King’s council floor, by elected representatives of King’s students. The proposed referendum was overseen by two consecutive King’s councils and the referendum question was approved unanimously.

The King’s BDS referendum campaign was effectively killed a week before it took off by a board which only had one-third King’s representation. In making its decision, the appeals board let itself become part of a campaign to kill the referendum and subverted the democratic process at King’s which its students were entitled to at their institution.

Outrage culture doesn’t help anyone Ellis in Wonderland ELLIS KOIFMAN CULTUREEDITOR @ELLIS_KOIFMAN Outrage culture at universities is causing constructive discussion to be diminished and small issues blown to be out of proportion.

For example, recently at Wilfrid Laurier University the graduate students’ association promptly fired the five-year owner of the student-run café without warning or discussion after he posted an ad that attempted to be humorous by asking for someone to be his new “slave.” He specified “full-time staff member” in parentheses.

Politically correct (PC) culture attempts to take much more consideration of other cultures and identities. On the other hand, individuals who participate in “outrage culture” take those considerations and make it into an opportunity to accuse people of cultural appropriation left right and centre.

Phrases like “cultural appropriation” and “systematic racism” are thrown around with seemingly no regard for the weight of those terms or the lack thereof within incidents that are treated by outrage culture.

Rather than making arguments against what they disagree with and learning or teaching through discussion, drastic actions are taken and one-sided protests happen.

These otherwise minor incidents are debated on national news, distracting social discourse from more important incidents of blatant

racism, discrimination and/or social policy issues.

The incident at Laurier follows this narrative, which in the subsequent days lead to radio talk shows where people called in and students on social media discussed how the café owner’s ad belittles historical hardships of minority communities.

Major news outlets across Canada covered the story to a far greater extent than it deserved.

Many people seem to be jumping on the bandwagon and letting this distasteful joke snowball into a show of racism on a national scale.

But really, it’s just a bad joke. The extreme reaction follows suit with several other similar incidents at other universities across Canada and the United States. And for the

love of god it needs to stop.

I’m not saying to completely avoid the potential controversy of his wanted ad, or that there should have been no reaction because there are bigger problems. But the degree of attention and outrage the café owner’s ad received is in and of itself ludicrous.

Another incident that elicited an unwarranted response happened last year at Oberlin College in Ohio where students launched a series of complaints against the dining hall for serving sushi because the “poorly prepared” dish allegedly disrespected Japanese culture.

The incident received national attention as students wouldn’t back down from their grievances and the complaints continued.

Instead of considering factors like the dining hall’s inability to budget for higher quality authentic food, students assumed disrespect born from apathy and took their voices to the top.

If we are to progress as universities, we should re-evaluate what should be considered serious issues that deserve protest, sanctions or changing policies. Instead of just getting angry when a situation arises that you feel is racist, sexist or otherwise offensive in some way, talk about it, criticize it and even bring it up to the University.

But don’t make a rash decision or react with outrage before you first attempt to have some sort of constructive discussion.

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.”

8 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

feature

Trudeau grilled at Alumni Hall event

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• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • 9

1,500 turned away after capacity reached AMY O’KRUK FEATURES & GRAPHICS EDITOR RITA RAHMATI NEWS EDITOR HAMZA TARIQ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @UWOGAZETTE

asked Trudeau what his government was taking on to help individuals like him find jobs. In Trudeau’s response he cited his government’s comprehensive accessibility act that ensures that “Success is accessible for everyone regardless of challenges of disabilities.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s unexpected visit to Western drew a huge audience turnout with more than 2,000 people attending the town hall.

London Liberal MP Kate Young said the event “shattered attendance records” for the PM’s prior town halls as the event saw thousands of people lining up all the way up to Western Road in a bid to get a spot in Alumni Hall.

According to David Akin, senior political reporter at the National Post, 1,500 people were turned away from the venue after it reached full capacity.

The event attracted a diverse audience ranging from infants to the elderly, ethnically diverse individuals and people living with disabilities.

Martha Castillo, 41, moved to Canada from Colombia around seven years ago. Her daughter, Anna, said she’s been following Justin Trudeau for a while.

“I want to be prime minister when I’m bigger, so I want to know a bunch of things,” said Anna.

Notable audience members included Western University’s president Amit Chakma, London MPP Deb Matthews and London MP Peter Fragiskatos.

The PM arrived after 7:15 p.m., and despite a rousing reception, a number of tough questions were put forward to him at the town hall.

SOCIAL

QUESTIONS ECONOMIC The first question put forward to the PM was about Canada’s future debt projections with an audience member stating that Canada will be “$1.5 trillion in debt” by 2055. Although many cheered for the question, as it increasingly criticized Trudeau’s government, many members of the crowd booed. Trudeau interjecting and stating, “This is an open town hall.”

Trudeau responded by saying that the Liberal Party is investing in the middle class and he stands by the government’s current fiscal direction.

Controversies surrounding Trudeau’s recent alleged conflicts of interest in giving wealthy interests special access to the PM were brought up by an audience member. Trudeau responded by saying that he takes the trust placed in him by Canadians very seriously and that there are stringent rules on fundraising at the federal level.

A recent Fanshawe graduate who identifies as differently abled

PHOTOS BY MOSES MONTERROZA

When asked about the role of young adults, the PM said, “Young people do something really important really well : [they] think about the long-term.”

He added that he is committed to bringing youth and diverse voices into important conversations and that young people should challenge established assumptions.

Multiple questions were asked about indigenous peoples and how the federal government is addressing their needs. One question was asked about the government’s progress on missing and murdered indigenous women.

Trudeau said that his government is committed to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and its report is forthcoming.

Mental health was also brought up a few times, with an audience member asking the PM for more adequate and rigorous treatment coverage by federal funding.

“I’ve struggled a lot with mental health in the healthcare system. Getting real help in a timely manner is absolutely essential to saving lives,” stated the young woman.

Trudeau responded by saying, “We’ve put forward five billion dollars over the next five years for mental health” and it’s something he is “absolutely committed to.”

INTERNATIONAL When voting rights for Canadians abroad were brought up, Trudeau talked about an upcoming government initiative that would restore Canadian voting rights for those abroad. Right now, Canadians who’ve lived abroad for over five years are essentially banned from casting a ballot. Under new regulation, expatriates would be allowed to vote based on their last resident’s riding no matter how long they’ve been away.

Focusing the conversation on London, an audience member talked about wanting to see Canadian values reflected in government dealings with countries with questionable human rights records.

Trudeau pointed to London’s local General Dynamics, which has stirred controversy because of its combat vehicle manufacturing contract with Saudi Arabia. Trudeau said thousands of families rely on the employment provided by General Dynamics, and added that while the government cannot cancel deals made by previous governments, he promised that future contracts and deals would be transparent.

Trudeau ended the town hall at approximately 8:45p.m.

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10 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

culture

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That one-of-a-kind look

GIULIA TATANGELO GAZETTE STAFF @GAZETTECULTURE Savanna Lee is Western University’s very own creative genius. Not only is this third-year MIT student a walking Vogue cover, she is also an aspiring rapper.

Her style is drastically different every day; one day she rocks army print pants and bold statements, and other days she’s pulling off a more feminine and sophisticated look. Most importantly, though, all her pieces are unique, either thrifted or borrowed.

Savanna’s style is the essence of her — simple, authentic and just downright cool. Her inspiration,

funnily enough, derives mostly from the good ol’ fashioned dad style. She loves the aspect of that casual and comfy look. Above all else, she promotes the message of what it means to rock secondhand clothes.

Her style may look difficult to recreate, but Savanna disputes this notion and offers advice on how to achieve her look: Start with a foundation, something simple, but with a ‘vibe’ in mind. Build on that by adding layers and accessories. Chances are you have things in your closet already; look there first and try to work with them.

Savanna describes this outfit as comfortable and simple but, as you can see, still trendy as ever. Her

foundation starts with her flared pants and black turtleneck. Each item seems simple but has a unique touch to them — the flared pant leg with a ribbed texture, for example.

Staying consistent with her comfy mantra, an oversized coat is thrown on top to achieve that cool street style vibe we see popping up in the fashion world.

Where her outfit goes from simple and casual to fashion forward is in her accessories. She rocks a ‘70s-looking vintage pair of large frame glasses accompanied by midsize silver hoops. Both items are assumed by many to be left in the past, but not for Savanna. By adding these two items she automatically incorporates a trendy yet different look.

Want to try this look? Savanna encourages everyone to push boundaries against fashion rules, be explorative with your style and, most importantly, to be open to shopping at different places.

Support local businesses in your city and check out stores outside of the mainstream.

WANT TO GIVE THIS LOOK A TRY?

SHIRT: Value Village. Although a black turtleneck can be purchased from big box stores like H&M, try thrifting. Get it for half the price and avoid contributing to overproduction of clothing!

JACKET: Zara. Staples such as these are easy to find at Zara and they are relatively affordable too.

SHOES: Value Village.

EARRINGS: A local jewelry stand.

Supporting local business helps them survive and ensures you’ll have a one-of-a-kind piece for life.

GLASSES: eBay. PANTS: Forever 21. Despite the fact that Savanna advocates for thrifting, she also encourages individuals to look within their closet.

These pants were something she already had in her closet, and are definitely too cute to throw out.

JENNY JAY GAZETTE

Early London reveals the city’s history through photos ANNIE RUETER CULTURE EDITOR @ANNIERUETER1

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE

Student tries to solve “tech neck” with app MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ Technology has given us many things, but rarely do we think about how it has affected us physically; in fact, we may even be breaking our necks over it.

Dubbed “tech neck,” today’s smartphone users have reported neck pain due to prolonged phone use. Turns out, as we bend our necks to check our texts and Snapchat, we’re putting pressure on our spines that could have serious implications.

Robert Simoes, a fourth-year biochemistry and computer science student, realized he could develop an app for that, and that’s when he created Posture.

“I can’t force you to improve your posture,” says Simoes. “I want you to be mindful of how you hold your phone.”

Once you’ve downloaded the app, you set up a timer that checks your posture. The app then monitors your phone’s orientation and notifies you when you’ve been holding it in a bad position for too long.

“It’s almost like psychology in a sense that you keep getting this reinforcement. Eventually by the third time you get the indicator, it’s like oh yeah, I should probably bring this up to eye level.”

So far, the app has been doing relatively well, with a thousand downloads and 55 ratings that average around 4.5 stars, but getting the app developed was no easy feat.

Simoes’ coding skills were the result of a bumpy learning process.

“It was like walking into a dark room and hitting your head against everything in the room,” Simoes explains.

Simoes was able to get beta testers and insight from fellow coders during this year’s Hack Western which helped him perfect the app.

“In the end, I pitched at Hack Western and ended up winning perfect pitch, so people seemed to really like it,” says Simoes.

While the app is only available on the Android app store, Simoes wants to develop for iOS but there are a few roadblocks.

“Apple’s design doesn’t really allow you, to my understanding, to run apps in the background,” says Simoes. “So currently, with my very limited exploration of iOS, I’m thinking I won’t be developing for it.”

“But if new information comes to light then yeah, it’s possible. I would definitely consider it,” continues Simoes.

For now, however, we can thank Simoes for trying to protect our phone-worn necks.

London: the ‘Oil Capital of Canada,’ the nation’s second-largest cigar-producing city and the Forest City.

All of these identities have been part of London’s past, as explored by local author and historian, Jennifer Grainger. In Grainger’s book, Early London 1826-1914: A Photographic History from the Orr Collection, Grainger reveals London’s history at the turn of the century through dozens of captioned photographs.

A Londoner since age 13 and Western alumna, Grainger’s interest in her locality shines through in the well-researched and visually appealing book that can show students a forgotten side to London.

Early London includes familiar images of locations that are identifiable today, such as Blackfriar’s bridge, St. Joseph’s Hospital and the old courthouse. Though Grainger includes photos of buildings that are still standing, the research-intensive process brought to light the number of historical buildings that have been demolished in the city without plans for repurposing.

“What I find interesting — because I’m interested in architecture — is just how many buildings we have lost,” Grainger says. “When you go through the book, most of what we’ve got has been demolished, some of it burned down. But large numbers of buildings have been victims of progress.”

Kingsmill’s department store on Dundas Street is a recent example of this phenomenon. The store opened in 1865 and closed in 2013, but the repurposing of the building remains a contested topic, much like the closure of Honest Ed’s in Toronto.

“It’s going to be a downtown campus for Fanshawe,” Grainger

COURTESY OF BIBLIOASIS

says. “I believe that most people believed it was going to be renovated, but actually all they are doing is saving the façade… it’s not a renovation by any means.”

London’s initial development was spurred in 1826 when the courthouse was relocated from nearby Norfolk County to its current location at the fork of the Thames River. The Rebellion of 1837 happened shortly after the relocation and resulted in the creation of a British military garrison at what is currently Victoria Park in an effort to control future uprisings. With the garrison came new businesses, such as bakeries and taverns, and military families that helped to grow the population of the city.

But it was the railway south of York Street that helped London grow from a town to a city. The Great Western Railway saw the first train pass along its tracks in 1853 and subsequent businesses cropped up along the railway. London was named a city shortly after in 1855.

Industries such as oil and manufacturing also spurred the growth of London from the 1850s onward, but

were pushed out of the downtown core toward the east end of the city around 1900. London eventually developed as a financial centre at the turn of the century and grew into the more service-based centre we see today.

Grainger herself works and lives downtown and appreciates the art scene that modern-day London has to offer, but notes there is a lack of engagement with the city that once characterized the bustling downtown centre pictured in Early London. While the streetscapes in Early London show the downtown core as a place to gather, the same cannot be said about the city today.

“I don’t think we promote downtown very much, and I don’t think that we promote the museums or galleries as much as we could,” Grainger explains. “I think there are opportunities in the city for students to get more involved but I’m not sure they realize what’s out there.”

To discover more about London’s history through a journey of photographs, pick up a copy of Grainger’s Early London from Attic Books.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • 11

culture

Western to celebrate Canada’s 150th with music festival ANNIE RUETER CULTURE EDITOR @ANNIERUETER1 Chamber music, biomechanics and Canadian identity: what do these seemingly unrelated terms have in common? ‘Everything’ is the answer at Western’s newly launched 360 Summer Music Festival.

Organized by Western’s Don Wright Faculty of Music in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary, Western 360 is intended to be a “an all-around experience for aspiring young musicians,” says Thea Boyd, violist and executive director of the festival.

Featuring workshops on performance anxiety, injury reduction techniques, First Nations drumming and Canadian music, Western 360 intends to be an all-encompassing musical experience. The festival, currently scheduled for the August 11-13 weekend, will draw young musicians from across the country for this holistic experience.

Scott St. John, Western 360 artistic director and chamber music consultant at Western, connects Canadian multiculturalism to chamber music. Through his travel experience as a professional violinist, St. John discovered chamber music to be, “a great medium for collaboration and teamwork ... it can be exhilarating and fun and is full of the democratic ideal where everybody has a voice.”

The non-competitive musical environment is a welcome change from competitive ones where musicians are often encouraged to practice for hours on end and risk injuries from overuse.

Like professional athletes, musicians have high rates of injury that can often escalate to the point of being unable to play. Leila Kelleher, biomechanics professor at Humber College and injury workshop leader at Western 360, says there is about an 87 per cent rate of injury for musicians.

But due to the freelance nature of musicians’ careers and lack of health care benefits, it can be tempting to play through minor injuries that become chronic or truly debilitating, Kelleher explains.

While Kelleher likens professional athletes to musicians, she makes an important distinction between the careers: “The difference between, say, a ballet dancer and a musician is that classical ballet dancers retire pretty young, whereas musicians are expected to play at the same level until they retire.” To ensure skill and career longevity, it is important for young musicians to understand their body as their tool.

To help young musicians keep their bodies in good working order, stretching activities like yoga and Tai Chi are also incorporated into each day of the festival.

Mental health, particularly

performance anxiety, is also a component of the festival.

“Musicians have high rates of depression. It’s a stressful industry, very high pressure,” Kelleher says, who like Boyd is also a professional viola player. “A lot of people may suffer from performance anxiety so it’s important to practice good self care tips to alleviate some stressors in your life.”

For young musicians, Western 360 is also an opportunity to connect with peers from across the country, and potentially the globe. When Boyd was a child, she attended a number of music camps and appreciates the powerful bonds that music creates between people.

“If you’ve grown up going to music camps and end up being a professional musician, there is something about being in close proximity with people that are like-minded; [It] forms a bond that will never go away,” Boyd says. “I would hope that these students go away thinking they’ve enriched themselves.”

St. John expects the festival will even engage the broader London community, especially the festival’s three concerts that will take place in Western’s music building. These concerts will bring together the skills and enriched perspectives of the attending musicians, uniting all angles of music.

MOSES MONTERROZA GAZETTE

“Beerfest” 2017: I came, I saw, I drank MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ

It’s 12 p.m. and a horde of students is waiting outside the Mustang Lounge. It’s time for “What’s in Your Cup?” or the second Beerfest this year. Billed as the most happening beerfest yet, I was excited — sort of.

With bated breath, they wait to escape the woes of lectures and assignments.

The doors swing open and, well, only about 20 students actually show up — an underwhelming turnout to say the least.

Undeterred, I fill up my first glass and it’s rum. Dammit. The vendor hands me Baron Spiced Rum with apple juice. It’s spicy, strong and horrific, just the way I like it.

As I slowly sip away, a few more students start staggering in. The music is funky and jazzy — I’m wishing there was a dance floor constructed. It’s still a bit of a ghost town, though. Who would be drinking at Mustang Lounge early in the afternoon?

Me, I guess.

I keep plowing through

beers, absolving myself of all my responsibilities for the rest of the day. I can almost hear my editorin-chief yelling at me. Still going.

Moving through the booths I was glad to see food, glorious food; Hors d’oeuvres, soggy mozzarella balls and fancy foods that I can’t name.

Suddenly a mixologist hits the stage and he starts making Manhattans, whisky sours with eggs and other strange concoctions. I’m with another editor and we watch in awe as this man shows us how to make drinks I’ll probably forget about in the next hour or so.

At this point I’m fairly buzzed.

It’s no secret, I’ve drank gin in a can, Toboggan Brewery beer, Patron silver with grapefruit juice and a beer that tastes like coffee.

The music is still blaring — I feel like the DJ is making up for the empty lounge by playing his most fire tracks.

Then, slovenly, I make way up the UCC stairs. I made it. It’s 2:30 p.m., and I have class.

I think I’m going to take a rain check.

Artlab exhibit makes the strange familiar AMY SKODAK CULTURE EDITOR @AMYSKODAK A sheet of dried human skin, a scratched record, medical documents and legal records of a man named William found in a snow bank: These are segments of the MFA Graduate exhibition, On Coming and Going by Quintin Teszeri.

As an exploration of unique and mundane moments in life, Teszeri’s show is on display in the Artlab Concours Gallery with a reception on Jan. 12 at 5 p.m.

Is our life an insignificant phenomenon? This is the underlying question Teszeri presents. He suggests that what is repellent, odd or unique is also mundane and familiar. With his art, Teszeri wants to take people out of their comfort zones to come to the stark reality of this paradox.

The entrance of the installation begins with a wall-sized grey canvas laden in long scratches made by visitors with a provided utility knife. The interactive piece breaks the barrier between viewer and artwork, preparing visitors to connect with the work on a personal level.

As Teszeri writes in the abstract of his thesis, “I reflect on how my

art, thinking and life engage different meanings of coming and going in different ways... a way of being, in the face of relentless transience.”

Teszeri achieves this idea with a multimedia approach and by pairing works both personal and observational. “I didn’t choose pluralism so much as I chose to restrict myself to one genre of production,” he says.

“Diversity has its benefits and its drawbacks for both the viewers and me, but I appreciate the dynamism it provides.”

This diversity is presented through found objects, video, sound and textile, which make up the show.

A quilt made of his late grandfather’s shirts sewn together hangs as a reminder of the man he has only just begun to know. A collection of rocks acquired from the construction site outside the gallery speaks to a meditative practice he learned from a friend.

While at first the pieces appear disconnected from one another, they act as abstract visuals for Teszeri’s theme of how the actions and memories in our lives, the things we leave behind, are each unique yet insignificant.

Teszeri hopes that visitors will come to this uncomfortable yet

genuine realization upon viewing his show.

As an example, he references the consummation of a child.

“This, or something like it, had to happen, or else you wouldn’t exist,” Teszeri explains. “It brought you to where you are in a somewhat repellent, probably sensual, but really rather common, kind of way. After all, people ejaculate inside each other all the time.”

Teszeri hopes his art will communicate that such everyday occurrences are insignificant phenomena. He explains that moments in life, such as consummation, are an example of a personal yet unoriginal instance, where births become an insignificant yet unique consequence.

A walk through Teszeri’s exhibition is a moment of surreal submersion, with works that appear both peculiar and familiar — a testament to the realization that as sure as this moment is coming and occurring it is simultaneously slipping through our fingers.

On Coming and Going will be on display until Jan. 19 at the Artlab and Concours Gallery, open Monday – Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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www.westerngazette.ca

12 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

culture

•

Sing dances into the hearts of viewers AIDAN TONG CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE DIRECTOR: Garth Jennings STARRING: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Seth MacFarlane RATING: GGGGF Garth Jennings, the director of Despicable Me and Fantastic Mr. Fox, brings yet another animated feel-good film to the screen.

The film, which grossed $356 million worldwide, is based in a world similar to ours but is entirely inhabited by animals.

Though specifically aimed at a younger audience, Sing conveys a message encouraging kindness, confidence and most importantly, inclusion without judgement.

The film stars a koala impresario known as Buster Moon (McConaughey) who has always had a passion for entertainment.

Though he has fallen on rough financial times and faces the potential of losing his precious theatre, he proposes to stage a singing competition. The contest draws the attention of all animals, including a punk-rock porcupine (Johansson); an egotistical mouse (McFarlane); a stay-at-home,

harried pig mom ( Witherspoon); and a talented but shy elephant (Tori Kelly).

Arguably, the past year was a year of divisiveness and Sing offers a great opportunity to remember the importance of inclusion through a nice family outing. The musical comedy brings you back to the lessons you learned from your preschool days: love yourself and love the world, dream big and always have empathy for others. A fundamental principle children will always benefit from, and a reminder for the adult viewers who forgot as life went on.

Other voices include John C. Reilly, Jennifer Hudson, Leslie Jones, Nick Offerman and Taron Egerton who offer comedic roles in the movie. Portraying the characters with their distinctive qualities, both Johansson and MacFarlane’s personalities shine through their animal characters and bring lighthearted fun to Sing. Ash the porcupine identifies herself as a confident and independent girl ready to make it on her own while MacFarlane gives his little shrew a sort of Family Guy-like essence, compensated by appropriate behaviour.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSIAL PICTURES

The depth of characters combines beautifully with the depth of music and, just like any other animated movie, triggers warm feelings and good vibes.

The music also appeals to audiences of all ages, from the classics of Queen’s “Under Pressure” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” to Cat Stevens’ “The Wind” and George Michael’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” as well as current

music from Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen and John Legend.

Other honourable mentions include the Gypsy Kings, Seal, Drake and Dave Brubeck.

The struggles associated with music showbiz are triumphant amid the plot, but the movie has a distinct creative humour connected to an animal’s life.

Elements of friendly cohabitation and optimism also give the

musical comedy a very pleasant feeling. Especially with animated film, the audience tends to empathize and understand the characters in a way they sometimes can’t with human actors.

All in all, watch Sing for a muchneeded inside hug. Animated animal movies are becoming more and more popular and this movie is another stellar one to add to the list.

Netflix and chill?

Luther is filled with thrills and thirst SAMAH ALI CULTURE EDITOR @SISTERSAMAH PROGRAM: Luther STARRING: Idris Elba, Ruth Wilson, Warren Brown SEASONS: Four SYNOPSIS: An in-depth look at the cases of London detective John Luther (Elba) who rationalizes murders through psychology and outsmarts suspects with mind games. Naturally, his work seeps into his messy personal life, making it even more tumultuous.

MY TAKE: If you are looking for a thrilling mystery show that will scare you and make you thirsty at the same time, watch Luther.

Idris Elba is a heartthrob, but a heartthrob with a brain who can predict his opponents’ moves.

Luther is brooding and talented while also self-destructive and lawless, and his looks are only half the appeal. The acting in this show stretches beyond Elba. Frankly,

COURTESY OF BBC ONE

it beats any other show in this genre as the characters stay true to their brand while also making unpredictable moves.

Justin (Brown) is the sidekick detective-in-training, but he has potential as a detective and Luther knows this. He is the beacon of truth in the series and automatically becomes a fan favourite due to his loyalty to the law and Luther, even when it’s not in his best interest.

Extending beyond the acting are the thrilling endings. There is no formula to each episode because each case is drastically different. As each murderer differs, their psychology does as well, making Luther an exciting watch, drawing you in with every case and glance of Elba’s face.

WORTH THE NETFLIX? Yes. Heavily recommended, especially if you are a Sherlock fan too.

WORTH THE CHILL? Elba is enough inspiration so yes, but also watch the show as well. Figure it out.

COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

Hidden Figures brings the feels BRADLEY METLIN DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @BRADLEYMETLIN DIRECTOR: Theodore Melfi STARRING: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe RATING: GGGGF In the 1950s and 60s, three black mathematicians helped NASA catch up in the space race against the Soviet Union. While Hidden Figures is not visually remarkable, the mostly-untold story makes it a must-see film.

Katherine Johnson (Henson) grows up as a math prodigy, with her education fostered by teachers and her parents. As an adult, she lands a job at NASA working in a room of “coloured computers,” overseen by Dorothy Vaughn (Spencer), who is not promoted to the role of supervisor despite doing the work of one. Mary Jackson (Monáe) rounds out the trio, hoping to become an engineer.

Director Melfi presents the film with relatively little excitement or

flare; things are rather straightforward. While the presentation sometimes veers into ‘after school special’ territory, Hidden Figures has other elements that make it stand out.

NASA was not immune to the time, with segregation and talk of “separate but equal” rearing its ugly head in full force.

As Katherine is promoted, she becomes the first black person in a workspace dominated by men wearing white dress shirts and black ties. Forced to walk half a mile to the nearest “coloured women” washroom, the racism is alive and ugly during this era.

Eventually, Katherine has had enough of this treatment and finally makes clear how she feels, soaking wet, after traveling half a mile in the rain just to use the washroom. Henson is explosive and her emotion is raw — the scene is performed beautifully.

Spencer and Monáe serve up wonderful supporting performances as well. The nuance and subtlety each bring to their roles is phenomenal. Spencer, in

particular, is more of a character that the audience can root for, delivering scorching retorts to a racist supervisor and standing up for not just herself, but all of the black women that NASA had sidelined.

The screenplay is tightly written and while it’s occasionally corny, the writing still respects the history of its subjects. The personal lives of the three women aren’t really explored — there are just enough scenes for Katherine to find romance — but the real joy is seeing these three at work and excelling in it.

Despite the obstacles in place for Katherine, Dorothy and Mary throughout the film, they eventually triumph. With each scene, the characters are shown to be brilliant, using their exceptional intelligences to get ahead.

By the end of the movie, everyone seems to acknowledge that the three have some of the sharpest minds at NASA. The beauty of Hidden Figures is that audiences have discovered their historically significant genius too.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • 13

sports

SETTLING THE SCORE:

The women’s lacrosse team’s pursuit of justice In October, the Mustangs lost their fiveyear championship streak by one goal — a goal that was never scored. They thought their fight ended that day on the field, but it was only just beginning.

CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE Maegan McCrory stands on the field in tears as she watches the the Trent University Excalibur celebrate the OUA women’s lacrosse championship. Standing there, she knows the Mustangs have been robbed. To lose a gold medal in any sport is heartbreaking, but to know you weren’t beaten fairly sparks a new level of gut-wrenching disappointment.

“I was mad, and I was angry, and I was more upset,” McCrory says.

“No one wants to lose, and the fact that it was one point and that one point made all the difference, it was crushing.”

Trent University’s first ever Ontario University Athletics (OUA) lacrosse championship, won last October 23, will forever be marked with an asterisk. The Excalibur officially beat the Mustangs 11–10 in the gold medal game at McMaster University, but their one-point advantage came from a Western goal that was mistakenly attributed to them.

The blunder happened before halftime. The Mustangs had just scored, giving them what should’ve been a 6–3 lead. During the break, though, Mustang coach Garrett Loubert noticed that the scoreboard read 5–4 for Western — the first sign that something was off.

“I just went over to the timekeeper’s booth and asked what was going on,” says Loubert. “I just wanted to clarify that [6–3] was the score we believe it is, and up there on the scoring clock it says something different.”

The error was not quite fixed, though. The scorekeepers did add a goal to Western’s total, but neglected to remove the one they’d accidentally awarded to Trent on the game sheet.

When the teams were told to take the field for the second half, the scoreboard showed a 6–4 Mustangs lead.

Despite continued protests from the Western bench, the referees insisted on continuing the game.

“It shook all of us up and our game changed completely,” McCrory says. “We don’t know what would’ve happened, but I do think we would’ve been a lot more calm and not as harebrained if that goal hadn’t been allowed to go on.”

Standard procedure would’ve been to talk to the team captains, but that didn’t happen. Trent came out of the gate quick amidst the confusion, scoring twice in the early minutes of the half to seemingly tie the game at 6.

According to Loubert, there’s no doubt that his team was severely affected by the disarray.

“There was no way we were going to lose that game in the second half,” he says. “I’ve never seen that.”

The final score of the game was officially 11–10 for Trent, breaking Western’s streak of five straight OUA championships. If the Mustangs had won, the team would’ve tied the OUA record for most consecutive titles.

It shook all of us up and our game changed completely.

We don’t know what would’ve happened, but I do think we would’ve been a lot more calm and not as harebrained if that goal hadn’t been allowed to go on.

MAEGAN MCCRORY

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

“Very, very, very upsetting,” says teammate Jacqueline Owens, a first team OUA All-Star along with McCrory. “After the game everyone was either in tears or mad; everyone just knew that what happened wasn’t right.

In the moment no one was really listening to how we felt about that.”

THE FALLOUT After the game, the Mustangs huddled together on the bus. Despite the devastation, the players and coaches immediately started building a case. As they pulled onto the 403, they zeroed in on pinpointing the fake goal.

Assistant coach Tenyka Snider was at the forefront of the team’s detective work. She began by identifying which player scored which goal to confirm the discrepancy on the game sheet. From that, they were able to pick out exactly which goal had been credited to Trent and which of Western’s had been made up, but their work wasn’t done.

Their CSI-style sleuthing continued back in London. The Mustangs coaches and players collected photos from the game and tried desperately to match image time stamps to the recorded times of goals on the game sheet. Using all the photos they could find from players’ parents and even Gazette editors who were in attendance, Western managed to put together enough evidence to launch an appeal.

But even with the team’s now-substantial body of proof, getting the OUA on board for a review was difficult. According to the

league’s rulebook for lacrosse, teams wishing to protest a game must do so within 30 minutes of the final whistle.

Western’s coaches did discuss their intent to appeal with OUA representatives after the game, but an extensive post-game medal ceremony lasted well over half an hour. As a result, the appeal was built as quickly as possible once the players boarded the bus.

From there, it was a tedious backand-forth process with the OUA. Every question from Western went weeks before they received a response, and everything was brought to a committee for an official response. For months afterwards, the team was in limbo. They were restricted from talking about what really happened while the appeal was ongoing.

Seventy-nine days after the championship game, they had their answer. On Jan. 10 the OUA announced that it would award gold medals to Western’s players. In their press release, they stated that the OUA Management Committee had come to this decision in conference with both Western and Trent.

“We conducted a review of the championship because we acknowledged that there was an error made,” says OUA director of sport operations, Wally Gabler. “As a result of that review we’ve awarded gold medals to Western.”

For some Mustangs, the announcement brought relief.

“I’m glad that we got some recognition for it because our coaches put in a lot of time as well as the athletic department,” says Natalie Takeuchi, a third-year player. “It’s been three months, so they’ve put a lot of effort into trying to at least get some sort of recognition.”

For others, it didn’t go far enough.

The OUA allowed Trent to keep the championship banner and their title as 2016 women’s lacrosse champions.

That little detail doesn’t sit well with Western Athletics, who said in a statement that they would’ve preferred a different outcome after the three-month review process.

“To me, that’s just their way of saying ‘stop talking about it, give up, here’s your medal,’ ” admits McCrory.

“Just giving us the medal feels kind of like a participation award.”

“It would be hard to say that we did get the championship without actually really playing the game properly,” adds Takeuchi. For her and McCrory, receiving a gold medal doesn’t make sense if they aren’t considered champions.

THE AFTERMATH Looking back, it’s easy to see how the championship debacle could have been avoided.

The Mustangs take some solace that the OUA is now reviewing all their championship procedures.

According to the team and players, though, the matter shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Although the OUA adamantly denies that there’s any requirement to do so, the team’s other championship games have been streamed online in recent years. A recording of the game would’ve solved the case immediately, and Western’s players couldn’t understand why video cameras weren’t there — even the 2016 men’s lacrosse championship against Trent at a similar venue was streamed online, though the championship was not OUA-sanctioned.

As well, McCrory — herself a lacrosse referee — says that women’s lacrosse has a built-in system for identifying scoring errors. The three referees on the field rotate their positions every two goals.

“If the score changes, but you’re in the wrong position for where you should be, that should should send a signal that you need to check the game sheet over,” she explains. “I get that they don’t want to prolong the game any longer, but at the same time it is a really major game.”

With all said and done, the

jury is out on whether or not the issue is solved. Western wishes the OUA would have named the team co-champions as they requested.

Loubert says that even if the game sheet is verifiably wrong, it remains the official record of the game.

Though the OUA acknowledges the scoring error, the outcome can’t be changed.

Losing a five-year championship streak because of a unnecessary mistake will sting for a while and overshadow the incredible season they had — with six players being named OUA All-Stars.

“Every year Western has a target on their back in women’s lacrosse,” says Loubert. “If we’re the standard of what a good lacrosse program is then I’m okay with losing a hardfought battle in the final ... We promote being Western Mustangs, and I was really proud of what they did and what they accomplished.”

Despite this season leaving a bad taste in Western’s mouth, they’re even more driven to win next year. On the same day as the gold medal announcement, a Trent player posted a photo of her 2016 champions tattoo on Instagram, representative of a spirited rivalry forming. The animosity between Western and Trent will give their games an extra spark next season.

“It’ll be good to be back on the field and play Trent again and really get to see how the teams match up with a fair game,” says Owens.

Her teammates would certainly agree. Most of the Mustangs will return for next season, with only three players expected to leave the team. They’re in an excellent position to resume their championship streak after its brief pause in 2016.

For McCrory, a new season is Western’s chance to remind the league why they won five straight championships in the first place.

“Before we were already close because we were determined to keep the streak, and now we’re ready to work together to show that what happened at OUAs was a mistake.”

www.westerngazette.ca

14 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

sports

•

It’s time to get rid of hockey’s shootout Coach Clarter

CLAIRE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @CLAIREATGAZETTE

COURTESY OF JEFFREY FARBER

Lack of resources doesn’t stop Universiade snowboarder CLAIRE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @CLAIREATGAZETTE If you were to ask most young athletes what their ultimate goal in athletics is, it would be to represent Team Canada at the highest level they can.

For Andrew Hildebrand, that dream is coming true this year, as he is set to compete on Team Canada in Almaty, Kazakhstan for snowboarding for the 2017 Winter Universiade.

“I’ve competed for my country a couple times throughout my career,” said Hildebrand. “It’s awesome, and it’s just always great to represent Canada, it’ll be awesome to see all the other athletes there too and I’m excited to compete.”

Hildebrand comes from a family of snowboarders and has spent most of his weekends up north in Collingwood perfecting the sport.

He opted to take the road less traveled, pursuing a post-secondary education while continuing to train every weekend.

“There aren’t a lot of athletes that are still in school in this sport so I’m really happy to be a apart of it,” said Hildebrand. “It’s a really great event that celebrates student athletes and the sport that I do.”

Hildebrand’s journey to the Universiade has been a long one.

When he was 15 he began competing at the NorAm level, a North American organization which regulates and oversees competitions in Canada and the U.S. Once he began competing at the NorAm level, he began to collect points. The number of athletes that compete in an event influences how many points are given out.

How a competitor finishes in the rankings dictates how many of those points they get. The athletes with the most points are the ones who get named to the Universiade team, as well as to the Olympic and World Cup teams.

“For a team sport they choose the best for their team, best players for like the university,” said Hildebrand. “For snowboarding they do it by the amount of points you have, so it’s by the results based on the competitive events that you attend.”

London’s lack of ski and snowboard options has made it difficult for Hildebrand to train, something that is not helped by Western’s lack of a ski and snowboard team or club.

Although the school used to have a team, it was deratified after hazing allegations surfaced. Hildebrand

is hoping to revamp the bad reputation of ski and snowboard teams and prove that there’s more to the sport than Apres Ski. Western’s lack of resources and London’s lack of ski facilities hasn’t slowed down Hildebrand. He makes the three-hour trip to Collingwood every weekend, so he can train Friday, Saturday and Sunday, before he makes the three-hour trip back to Western. Although snowboarding takes up a lot of time, the school has been quite accommodating for Hildebrand.

“Western has been really great at accommodating exams, they’ve always moved exams for me when I have a letter from my coach,” he said. “They’ve never hesitated to make sure it wasn’t difficult to me.”

Hildebrand was confident he would make the team this year, after he wasn’t invited to the team two years ago when the Universiade was held in Spain. Despite his lack of surprise, he is equally as excited to be travelling to Kazakhstan. The opportunity is an accumulation of years of hard work, and it’s time for Hildebrand to reap the rewards.

The Universiade kicks off on Jan. 28, where the snowboarding events will begin on Jan. 29, and be completed on Feb. 7.

Shootouts are stupid, and you can fight me if you disagree.

They’re a cheap way to end a game, especially in team-oriented sports. It negates the effort everyone put in throughout the whole game by putting the game on the shoulders of two players: the shooter and the goalie.

This isn’t just because Team Canada lost in the shootout to Team USA at the World Juniors, or because the Leafs have only won one shootout all year, or because the Toronto Football Club (TFC) lost the championship in penalty kicks.

Even when my team wins, I hate the shootout. This isn’t a case of being a sore loser, but more a case of trying to enjoy a quality product.

A shootout certainly isn’t a way to decide a playoff game, or — God forbid — a championship or gold medal game. In the last month alone, two championship games have been decided by a shootout: the world juniors that saw Team Canada take silver after losing to the U.S. and the TFC who lost the championship.

The TFC game strikes a particular chord here after they dominated Seattle all game. Seattle only had three shots throughout the whole game in comparison to Toronto’s 19. None of Seattle’s three shots were on target, while Toronto had seven on-target shots. The fact that a team can dominate the entire game, both defensively and offensively, and then lose in the crapshoot that is penalty kicks is a farce.

In terms of entertainment value, the shootout has little to offer,

especially in comparison to the alternatives. Anyone who has ever watched a three-on-three overtime in the NHL knows that the thrill and high-paced energy of overtime is preferable to the drawn-out shootout.

The shootout has shone in some rare occasions. Who can forget T.J. Oshie’s heroics in Sochi for Team USA, or Jonathan Toews in the 2007 World Juniors? However, since goalies have gotten better and pads have gotten bigger, there have been less and less highlight reel moments coming from the shootout. As hockey evolves, becoming more focused on speed and athleticism, it doesn’t make sense to continue with the shootout.

Continuous overtime takes less time to solve games, with one fiveminute three-on-three period taking around seven minutes, while the shootout can drag on for over 10 minutes for three shooters. The shootout can keep going on for longer if it goes past three shooters. Three-on-three overtime is fastpaced, entertaining and resolves games in a timely fashion. Especially in soccer, where as long as your shot is on net, a goal is practically guaranteed, due to the size of the net and the fact that the goalie has to stay on the goal line. The shootout is basically a game of luck, especially in soccer, and it’s unfair to decide games based on luck. Continuous overtime allows teams to win based on their skill and their athleticism and not because the other team’s goalie screwed up.

Continuous overtime is the way to go looking forward, a move that most other professional sports leagues have done. Are baseball games decided by home run derbies? Are basketball games decided by who can sink the most free throws? Leave the skills competition for the all-star game and decide who gets the win by playing, you know, actual hockey.

Eric McDonald key for men’s basketball success MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

Eric McDonald is not taking his final season of university basketball for granted.

The fourth-year guard has been in and out of the Mustangs lineup throughout the beginning of the Western Mustangs season with multiple injuries to his ankle and to the thumb on his shooting hand.

ButMcDonald was a key contributor this weekend for a Mustangs team that pushed a talented Queen’s squad on Friday to the limit before snapping a five-game losing skid with a win over York on Saturday.

McDonald’s energy, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, was an obvious factor in that win over York. And it’s an energy that comes from a player who is thankful for every minute he has left on the court.

“I’ve had a couple of bad injuries this season and it’s taken some time to get used to playing with my brace but I’m slowly starting to figure things out,” said McDonald on his return to being a key contributor for the Mustangs. “There were a couple times at the start of the year when it was looking like I needed

surgery and I wouldn’t play at all, so I’m just trying to play every game like it could be my last and enjoy any time I have left with my teammates.”

McDonald’s contributions on the court and in the program are more intangible than tangible. His statistics aren’t eye-popping. But the leadership and intensity exhibited by the Mustangs co-captain will be a pivotal example of how this young team needs to play moving forward.

“We’re a really young team so leading by example is always important,” said McDonald. “In high school most players can get away with being more talented than others to help their teams win games, but in the OUA there’s so much talent that it usually comes down to who wants it more and who’s willing to work harder.”

“We’re a dangerous team when everyone is out there giving it their all,” added McDonald. “So I’m just trying to help set the tone and keep the energy high.”

The Mustangs look to have a bright future, with players like Eriq Jenkins and Omar Shiddo forming the nucleus of a team that has showed the ability to compete with some of the province’s top programs.

But that future will be realized

only if those young players look to veterans like McDonald, Alex Coote and Jedson Tavernier as examples of how to compete moving forward.

Head coach Brad Campbell believes that the combination of McDonald’s on-court performance and locker room leadership will be pivotal for the team to succeed in the second half of the season.

“How he plays really helps our depth with his energy and output,” said Campbell. “You were able to see it this weekend. Eric not only has a great impact on the court but also off the court as an older guy who has been a very good captain this year.”

Campbell and the Mustangs coaching staff will continue to look to McDonald for mature leadership and to provide depth coming off the bench.

“Eric is a guy who really provides a lot of veteran leadership for us and is someone who can handle the ball and shoot the ball and understands what’s going on within our systems,” said Campbell. “He’s been through it and has a lot of experience, so with such a young team it’s great to be able to get him back at a level where he can play and contribute and give us good minutes off the bench.”

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017 • 15

sports

Women’s volleyball gains valuable experience on Europe trip MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE The Western Mustangs women’s volleyball team had the experience of a lifetime over the Christmas break.

The team, which is currently undefeated in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) play, arrived in Europe on Dec. 27 to travel to Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona.

The team first arrived in the Netherlands, where they participated in the 75th annual Christmas Volleyball Tournament in the town of Assen. The Mustangs faced a wide variety of teams with varying skill levels in the tournament which provided the perfect opportunity for the team to earn valuable playing experience against great competition.

“We played in a tournament in the Netherlands and really there were seven teams in our pool and the level really varied,” said Mustangs head coach Melissa Bartlett. “The best team we played was very strong down towards some of the weaker teams that were really just some old women who threw a team together. The competition level was pretty varied at the tournament and going in we didn’t know what to expect.”

According to third-year outside hitter Katie McKenna, the team spent their nights sleeping on mattresses on the floor of a Dutch elementary school while playing in the tournament, accommodations

that received mixed reactions from members of the team.

The team did not perform up to their usual standard in the tournament due to jet lag. While they still enjoyed their time spent in the Netherlands despite their performance was disappointing.

“We hadn’t lost a game in a while and lost on the first day to Acadia University, who play in the [Atlantic University Sport],” said McKenna.

“So after that tournament we had fun in the town but in terms of volleyball a lot of us were kind of disappointed and didn’t like the way that felt.”

After competing in the Christmas Volleyball Tournament the team travelled to Amsterdam, where the team visited museums, spent time at the Heineken Experience, toured the city’s canals and celebrated New Year’s Eve. The Mustangs then left Amsterdam, spending a day in Paris to before travelling to Barcelona to take on three professional volleyball teams. One of the teams they faced was FC Barcelona, who are ranked fifth in the Spanish Superliga Femenina de Voleiboland. While the team was not expecting to pull out any wins the opportunity to play top tier competition was invaluable.

“I think definitely our last match in Spain was definitely my favourite memory from the trip,” said Bartlett.

“It was the best team we played by far and I think we kind of rose to the challenge. We played a few different

COURTESY OF MELISSA BARTLETT

lineups and in each of the lineups did really well and showed a little bit of our depth. It was a good opportunity because everybody got to play and it was great to see everybody in a competitive environment.”

While the trip was a culturally enriching experience for the Mustangs it also allowed the team to prepare for the second half of the OUA season. The Mustangs look like a title frontrunner and their strong competition overseas can only help them moving forward.

“I think the main reason we went was to play against teams that were going to challenge us,” said Bartlett.

Western repped at upcoming Universiade CLAIRE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @CLAIREATGAZETTE Western will be well-represented at the Universiade with five athletes and coaches competing on behalf of Canada.

Earlier this month, U Sports announced the 122-person delegation of athletes who will be traveling to Kazakhstan for the upcoming Universiade.

The list of those chosen includes three current Western athletes, one Western Alumni and one Western coach.

“I think it’s important to represent Western really well and to show that we are a top contending program,” said Kelly Paton, head coach of the Western women’s hockey team and assistant coach of the Universiade women’s hockey team.

Paton will be joined by Brianna Iazzolino, a fifth-year veteran on the Mustangs hockey team and Katelyn Gosling, a Western alumnae who spent five years on the team and who is currently playing for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL). Gosling competed in the Universiade back in 2015 when the tournament was held in Spain, but this will be Iazzolino’s first chance to represent her country.

“It’s always been a dream. I’m sure if you talk to any women’s hockey player, representing your country is the ultimate goal,” said Iazzolino. “To [represent] your country at a university level, it’s a really surreal way to end my hockey

career.”

Team Canada will be looking to get on the podium this year after losing 3–0 in the bronze medal game to Russia in 2015.

Kyla Vanderzwet and Andrew Hildebrand will represent Western in both the cross-country skiing events and the snowboarding events, respectively. Hildebrand is no stranger to representing his country on the slopes, as he’s competed across North America and Europe.

Although they are travelling to Kazakhstan to compete in one of the largest international sporting events in the world, it won’t all be about competition. It’ll be an opportunity for those going to travel, and see a part of the world that most people don’t get to see.

Hildebrand is also excited to be travelling for the event, and is grateful for the experience.

“I’m excited to visit the country, I feel like it’s going to be a lot different from what everyone thinks it’ll be,” said Hildebrand.

The Universiade is the largest multisport international event in the world, apart from the Olympics, and is organized for student athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The Universiade has been held every two years since 1959, with both a winter and a summer Universiade taking place in the same year.

The Universiade kicks off on Jan. 28, with the Opening Ceremony being held on Jan. 29 and will end on Feb. 8.

“The reality is that we haven’t lost a game in over two months so we did a good amount of losing overseas which was good for us.”

“There were difficulties in not having much sleep before the first tournament and sometimes the buses were late so we had to play through some adversity which was good for our team for the long run,” she added.

On Sunday the Mustangs beat Windsor 3–0 to improve to 9–0 on the season. While the team isn’t openly stating there’s a “championship or bust” mentality surrounding the program, the expectations are

high after two consecutive OUA bronze medals.

And with a post-Christmas schedule that will see the Mustangs hit the road for six of their final 10 games the team benefitted from playing overseas over the holiday.

“We’ve always said that after Christmas break three things could happen,” said Bartlett about her team moving forward. “Either things could get worse, things could stay the same or things could get better. We want to get better ... having this type of competitive experience going into the post-Christmas part of our season is beneficial.”

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