Tuesday, October 17, 2017 - Homecoming

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 111, ISSUE 7 hollywood sex scandals since 1906

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JORDAN HE

Volume 111, Issue 7 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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Jordan’s parents would go to bed at around 10 p.m. when he was a kid, but he would stay up until 4 a.m. playing video games.

Video games have been a passion for the fourth-year economics major since he was eight years old, when he was introduced to Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 by an older cousin at a birthday party.

His cousin and his friends, who are about eight years older than Jordan, didn’t let him play that day, but he was hooked. So he borrowed the console, playing Nintendo games every day for two weeks.

At the age of 12, Jordan began playing a game called CrossFire. The game, which was developed by South Korean company Smilegate, was first released in 2007 in Korea.

Jordan fell in love with the first-person shooter, enthralled by its fast-paced gameplay. By the age of 13, he was a substitute player on one of the best Crossfire teams in North America.

At, Jordan put together his own CrossFire team with friends he met playing online. They were invited to compete in the Canadian regional qualifying tournament in Montreal, with a chance to compete in the World Championships.

That’s when Jordan knew he could make money playing video games.

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His career in eSports has allowed Jordan the opportunity to travel the world. He has competed in Montreal and

In January, SetToDestroyX, a professional gaming management team, picked up Jordan’s CrossFire team.

The management team handles sponsorships, travel visas and scheduling.

Jordan isn’t sure what the future holds. He doesn’t necessarily want to be playing in ten years, but he’s interested in the corporate side of the game.

As for the near future, Jordan is considering going on a year-long tour of China with his team. The tour would include a salary and provide housing arrangements, along with the celebrity treatment that eSports stars experience in China.

“I’m not very interested in becoming a player for too much longer because I do like [the corporate world] and actually [doing] business. I did an internship at [Hudson’s Bay Company] last summer, which was interesting,” said Jordan on the potential opportunity to tour China.

Jordan also wants to focus on his schooling. When he first started playing, that’s the concern that his parents had about his eSports career.

“When I made it happen, then they thought it was cool.

I started making some money so they thought it was cool, but they also didn’t want me to get distracted from school,” Jordan said.

After that, it’s yet to be determined where Jordan’s career in the budding world of eSports will take him.

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Blast from om the past

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OPINIONS RICHARD JOSEPH

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Jordan’s team, which consists of five players, won the Canadian qualifying tournament in Montreal, where they earned a winner’s prize of $20,000.

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CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE

CLAIRE PALMER

VIDEO LAUREN COLES JOSH MERIFIELD

It might sound crazy, but it’s a testament to the everexpanding lucrative growth of professional gaming, otherwise known as eSports.

Toronto of Canada, in Brazil and in China. In December, he’s set to return to China to compete in the CrossFire World Championships. The tournament prize will be $630,000.

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SPORTS MIKE DEBOER

PHOTO MICHAEL CONLEY LIAM MCINNIS MAX MAO

This December, Jordan He will travel to China to play video games, for a chance to win $200,000.

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CULTURE AMY SKODAK NICK SOKIC VIVIAN CHENG

WESTERN TV ASSISTANT COORDINATOR SHANNON MARKS

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NEWS SABRINA FRACASSI GRACE TO MARTIN ALLEN HILL DU KAROLINA JALOWSKA

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MANAGING EDITOR OF CONTENT RITA RAHMATI @RITARAHMATI

Homecoming parade 1962 GRACE TO NEWS EDITOR @GRACEKTOE Today’s Western University Homecoming tradition consists of flooding the streets decked out in purple to celebrate school pride.

However, students of the past took it a step further by participating in an annual Homecoming parade.

The parade floats were created by various college alumni, residences, fraternities, sororities and campus organizations. All of them were competing for cash prizes which would be awarded to the top parade floats by the Alumni Association.

Judging was based on design, theme and craftsmanship. They were also judged on how well the floats connected to the overall theme of Homecoming weekend

at Western.

Prior to the parade, many groups made an effort to make sure that their float design and theme were kept top-secret, opting for a surprise.

On Homecoming, the parade floats made their way around downtown London in the early morning before making an appearance at the Mustangs’ football field for judging.

The boys from the Alpha Kappa Kappa fraternity dominated the homecoming parade float contest from 1959 to 1961. In 1962, there were close to 25 floats for the Homecoming parade, making the competition a tough battleground.

Homecoming parades like this went on for decades, ending some time in the 2000s.

Here’s hoping that this Homecoming tradition makes a comeback.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 3

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Western plans to ban smoking on campus AMY O’KRUK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @AMYOKRUK Western University will move to become a smoke-free campus as early as next summer, according to the school’s advisory committee on the future of smoking at Western.

Terri Paul, an associate dean (learner equity and wellness) and committee member, said the goal is to create designated smoking areas within a smoke-free central campus

by July, 2018 — although the date is tentative. Later, Western will make the entire campus a non-smoking area.

“That’s the goal: to go to a smokefree campus,” said Christopher Bumbacco, Housing and Ancillary Services’ director of facilities and a committee member. “The question was do we wait for this to happen or do we be a leader? Western wants to be a leader.”

Western has been in the process of revamping its smoking policy since March, when it created the ad hoc advisory committee on the future of smoking at Western. The

Students restore ‘Broughdale grandma’s’ garden

committee is made up of undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty and London community members, including smokers and non-smokers. Its purpose is to advise the university on the logistics of going smoke-free.

A campus-wide survey is helping to drive the push. Last year, the university conducted a smoking policy survey and sent out over 42,000 email questionnaires to students, staff and faculty. Nearly 3,300 individuals responded, answering questions about their smoking habits, Western’s smoking policy and the potential move toward a smoke-free campus. The 2016 survey found that • 76 per cent strongly agreed or agreed that a move to a smokefree campus would be a positive transition.

• 50 per cent of respondents said Western’s smoking policy is effective or somewhat effective; 44 per cent said it is not effective.

• 13 per cent of respondents identified as light or regular smokers.

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

This is less than the provincial percentage of smokers in 2014 at 17.4 per cent.

“The finding, for me, from this survey was that there’s a will to go smoke-free on this campus. And it’s not everybody, but it’s a huge majority,” said Ann Hutchison, Western senior Human Resources advisor and committee member.

Like the other schools, Western still needs to iron out its smoking policy’s kinks. While McMaster

University recently announced its plans to go 100 per cent smoke free — tobacco or otherwise — the committee says it’s too early to know how marijuana use will be reflected in the new smoking policy. Paul said the committee is exploring how the university will make provisions for medicinal and religious smoking.

Further, Western will also need to consider how the smoking ban will affect London residents. McMaster is working to ensure the ban doesn’t

lead to increased smoking in its surrounding residential areas — something the committee says Western is also looking at.

The next advisory committee on the future of smoking at Western meeting is set for early November.

Hutchison said the committee is confirming timelines and will continue to gather community input.

Students, staff and faculty can send questions and feedback to cleartheair@uwo.ca.

Western University Presents

KAROLINA JALOWSKA NEWS EDITOR @KJALOWSK A group of volunteers gathered around Bess Srahulek’s front yard, eager to fix what went wrong during Sept. 30’s Fake Homecoming event on Broughdale Avenue.

Sra hulek has lived on Broughdale Avenue since 1960. The 87-year-old’s garden was destroyed when people celebrating FOCO trampled her lawn, ruining the garden planted by her late husband, John.

Western students, faculty and London community members came out to the event on Oct. 5 to help replant Srahulek’s yard.

Volunteers planted flowers and placed stones around the perimeter of the yard. Bravo! Property Care & Services brought in material and tools, helping with landscaping.

Material was also purchased to repair Srahulek’s fence.

Maya Bielecki, a third-year computer science student, is the founder of the event and the GoFundMe initiative that raised close to $2,000 for Srahulek’s yard. A neighbour of Srahulek’s, Bielecki started the fundraiser on Oct. 3. after seeing the damage to Srahulek yard.

“I’m very thrilled and pleased to see this reaction, and it’s something that I need to see because sometimes we can get quite negative,” Srahulek said. “I’m just absolutely thrilled. I knew there was a lot of good out there, and this is proving it to me.”

Second-year medical sciences student, Michaela Skarlicki, came to the event to lend a helping hand.

She initially heard about the event on Facebook after seeing Bielecki’s post and the GoFundMe page.

“That was our mistake, and we should be the ones to come and make it right,” Skarlicki said.

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Tuesday, October 17 7 p.m.

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Nursing, FIMS students in limbo after Fanshawe strike Interested in applying to Western Law?

Please join us at our Application Information Session: MONDAY OCTOBER 23 RD

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MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @_MARTINALLEN With Fanshawe College faculty on strike and teaching stopped indefinitely, some Western students are caught in the middle.

A final offer forwarded by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union to the College Employer Council was ref used, and Fanshawe’s faculty have joined 12,000 instructors at 24 colleges across the province in protest.

The OPSEU asked for equal numbers of full-time and contract faculty, a nine per cent pay increase over four years and freedom for instructors to choose their own curriculum.

The CEC claimed the union’s demands would increase costs by $1 billion over three years.

THE STRIKE AND WESTERN UNIVERSITY Two programs at Western University are specifically affected the strike: the Western-Fanshawe collaborative nursing program and the Faculty of Information and Media Studies’ media, theory and production program. Both degree-diploma programs require students to spend time at both Western and Fanshawe.

The strike puts collaborative nursing students at Fanshawe this year at a disadvantage. As Western students continue to move through the curriculum, Fanshawe students are forced to fall behind. Students in the program complete two years at Fanshawe with a few Western courses before fully joining

Western’s nursing students in the final two years. Western and Fanshawe students study the same material and take the same exams.

For now, students can study on their own and work on assignments, but they can’t contact teachers for feedback or help.

“It’s pretty devastating,” said Emily Sturtridge, a second-year collaborative nursing student. “In such a difficult program that’s so fast-paced; it’s incredibly difficult to learn without professors guiding us.”

Sturtridge is still attending her pathology class at Western, but her tutorial at Fanshawe is cancelled.

The MTP Western-Fanshawe combination program is also hamstrung by class closures.

A three-year degree at Western and a two-year diploma at Fanshawe are taken simultaneously, and all students in the program are currently without much of their course-load. Ryley Alp, a fourth-year student in the program, said the programs’ students are often searching for internships at this time of year, and instructors are the usual intermediary between students and industry professionals.

Right now, four of her courses are cancelled at Fanshawe, while one is ongoing at Western.

Western’s program is in touch with Fanshawe to coordinate possible accommodations for affected students, according to Susan Knabe, an associate dean of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. She said she was worried about the possibility that delayed Fanshawe exams may conf lict with students’ future Western

assignments — however, she said Western may offer special accommodation to affected students.

LOOKING FORWARD No indication from either party has been given as to how long they are willing to maintain the class closures. A CEC spokesperson said that there is no immediate sign of reconvention with the OPSEU. The former Ontario premier had to intervene to stop the last 2006 strike, but a government official recently said the government had no such plans yet.

Until a resolution is reached, all 43,000 of Fanshawe’s students are stuck outside the picket lines. And the OPSEU said striking college employees have the full support of their $72-million strike-fund.

Ontario college faculty have struck before in 1984, 1989 and 2006. The latter two lasted 20 days each.

“The students are the ones who are going to be paying the brunt of it and losing their class time,” said Morganna Sampson, the Fanshawe Student Union president. “Students are paying for their education, and the government is subsidizing that education. It’s a huge service we are losing.”

A petition calling for a partial tuition refund for affected students in Ontario has already attracted 48,500 signatures.

Sampson said that a partial refund is not likely but is fair to students.

“We’re missing out on essential skills we’re going to need next year in the hospital,” said Sturtridge.

“We’re missing out on information that we’re paying for.”

CROSSWORD SOLUTION Solution to puzzle on page 15

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CONNOR MALBEUF GAZETTE STRIKING A BARGAIN. Protesters pace back-and-forth in front of a Fanshawe College entrance during Monday’s protests, Oct. 16, 2017.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 5

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Unexpected challenges of med school VIVIAN CHENG CULTURE EDITOR @VIVIANCHENG20 In first-year science classes, professors often ask students to raise their hand if they want to pursue medical school. And typically, a majority of the hands are raised.

Although many pre-med students work tirelessly in hopes for a spot in medical school, many are unaware of the specific challenges that medical students face.

Some students may realize that medical school will be more challenging than their undergraduate degree due to the greater amount of course content, but there are other challenges that are often overlooked.

For example, third-year genetics student Andrew Elliot says many pre-meds want medical school because of the job and economic stability that comes with it.

But job stability may not be the

case for every medical specialty.

“Although a lot of pre-meds think there’s a lot of certainty after getting into medical school, that’s not necessarily the case.

Certain specialties, like psychiatry, family or geriatrics, make it easier to get residency or a job but plastic surgery, for example, only 46 per cent of people [who apply, get a job in the field],” says Joey Spohn, second-year medical student.

Some students may not even get into residency the first time they apply. McMaster University medical student Robert Chu died by suicide last year after being passed over twice for a medical residency program.

Pam Bere, manager and counsellor at the Learner Equity and Wellness Office, mentions that many medical students feel a significant source of stress from making a decision about their

career.

“Unless students have had exposure to specialties, it’s a whirlwind of trying to learn as much as they can while making a decision in a relatively short amount of time,” Bere says.

As for getting into residency, students don’t necessarily get to pick and choose where they go unlike choosing a university.

But although there are unique challenges that pertain to being a medical school student, there are also unexpected benefits.

Nishikawa mentions that courses are pass/fail and very interesting.

Despite the plethora of rewards that come from pursuing a medical career, pre-med students should also make sure they’re willing to deal with the downsides before committing themselves to a long and arduous career path.

Art publications’ spark career goals and support AMY SKODAK CULTURE EDITOR @AMYSKODAK I remember sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the floor of the McIntosh Gallery. The students around me are silent as everyone’s eyes are drawn to a spoken word artist in the centre of the space, who opens their wellworn journal to a poem and reads aloud — emptying their innermost thoughts. The speaker and students are strangers to me as a first-year student at the time, but by the end of the night everyone feels closer.

You’ve just tasted t he Symposium and Semicolon launch Party.

“Our last one went almost an hour over, and it just became a giant poetry slam,” says editor-inchief of the Arts and Humanities Students’ Councils’ supported publications, Areesa Kanji. “You get up there, and you have the room’s support.”

Symposium features creative works such as poetry and visual arts, while Semicolon features academic essays from any Arts and Humanities course offered on campus. The Arts and Humanities Students’ Council publishes a copy of both publications each term, and the council celebrates their releases with a launch party held generally at McIntosh Gallery.

As a writer herself, Kanji has been inspired by her work with

the publications and sees them as important outlets for students, either as a way to do something creative outside one’s program or as the start of a career in the arts.

“For me, I look at the publications, and I see them as an opportunity for students to share their talent and share their passion and as a way to get involved with the arts community,” she explains.

These campus publications demonstrate one way student creatives may grow their portfolios, but Symposium and Semicolon also provide jumping-off points for students with non-arts goals as well.

The marriage of art to success is something that has been growing more popular. According to a study by International Business Machines, 60 per cent of polled CEOs rated creativity as the most important leadership quality compared to attributes like integrity and global thinking.

Hannah Stanley, vice-president of the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council, doesn’t plan on pursuing a career in the arts but feels her creative involvement will translate to her post-grad goals.

“I want to be a speech pathologist,” says Stanley. “I feel like I’ll have to be very compassionate and be full of empathy, and through reading people’s works you feel their emotions, which I think will come through in my potential future career.”

Although produced by the

Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Symposium and Semicolon encourage students from all faculties to contribute. But the stigma that the publications are only for arts students leads Kanji and Stanley to believe there needs to be more outreach to advertise these creative opportunities.

“I think there are a lot of students in other faculties, especially science and engineering, that do need to have a bigger [creative] outlet,” Kanji says.

The ability these arts publications have to foster important dialogue on campus make them a useful tool for self expression as well. Some students use the arts as a way to manage stress and deal with personal struggles. So the opportunity for publication allows people to share their stories.

“I think it very much encourages people to talk about things that generally may be hard to talk about,” Stanley says. “Through their creative works, they’ve found an outlet where they can express themselves … I think it’s really great to publish that so that other people know they’re not alone.”

For more information on Symposium and Semicolon’s upcoming launch party at the end of first term, as well as future submissions in second term, students are encouraged to visit the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council Facebook page.

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

USC’s haunted house ready to spook again NICHOLAS SOKIC CULTURE EDITOR @NICKATGAZETTE With Halloween fast approaching, many students are undoubtedly beginning to feel a little festive. That is certainly true of the University Students’ Council’s charity committee as they prepare for their annual Haunted House.

The long-running production will take place from Oct. 23 to 25, featuring plenty of scares for students. The haunted attraction is built in collaboration with USC Productions, and includes multiple rooms and loads of props to successfully scare house-goers.

Stephanie Matiussi, USC Charity promotions coordinator and third-year media, information and technoculture student, says they are still looking for volunteer actors, who are placed throughout the house to scare students, as well as makeup artists, who will be essential in making the actors look scary enough.

As each year the theme is a surprise, Matiussi was reluctant to give out too many details about this year’s house. She promised a few promotional trailers on their Facebook page leading up to the event so participants can get a feel for what to expect.

Admission’s free, but the charity team asks that participants make a minimum donation of two dollars or bring a non-perishable food items for the USC’s Food Support Services. Food Support Services is a free and anonymous food donation service on-campus that lets undergraduates request food hampers, each with enough

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food to last two days. All the food as well as any money raised will be given to FSS. “One of the reasons we love supporting FSS every year is because it’s an incredible organization of students helping students,” says Matiussi.

Although the haunted house is one of the charity committee’s most popular events of the year, they still have several other events planned through 2017-18.

The first of these is Dine in the Dark on Nov. 19, a dinner at the Windermere Manor in support of the DeafBlind Ontario Services.

Students will enjoy a full dinner and student performances completely blindfolded in order to experience things from the perspective of the visually impaired.

New additions this year are a cocktail hour held before the dinner, which will showcase student artwork.

The Children’s Holiday Party on Dec. 2 is organized with the help of the Children’s Aid Society.

A full day of games and activities are planned for London’s foster children, where Matiussi says each child will be paired up with a student buddy for the day.

Their last and biggest event is Relay for Life, which takes place on March 10. Students register in teams and participate in a night’s worth of activities and performances, such as an escape room and a Zumba class. All the money raised will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Haunted House goes from Oct. 23-25 in the Mustang Lounge from 5 to 9:30 pm.

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Exploring Western’s gaming scene DENNY LIU GAZETTE CONTRIBUTOR @NEWSATGAZETTE Nerdy. Lazy. Lame. These are all stereotypes associated with gamers.

According to Michael Lam, a third-year Western University electrical engineering student, the stigma around video game culture makes people who enjoy gaming hesitant to gather and participate in local area network parties. LAN parties give video-game enthusiasts a space to game together.

“I definitely feel that there’s a stigma surrounding the label of a gamer, particularly stuff like being a basement dweller, being nerdy or being a slacker,” says Lam. However, he believes the long-standing stigma has been changing for the better in recent years. The improvement largely comes from the popularization of video game culture.

“People are offering us college

and university scholarships for doing well in video games; you have cross university collegiate teams competing against each other, so I think it’s really grown”, says Reva Ly, vice-president of the Western Electronic Gaming Association.

These opportunities have helped legitimize the status of eSport.

Western student Jordan He is one example of a student seeing serious results from playing video games. In December, He is competing in the CrossFire World Championships in China vying for a $630,000 grand prize.

With games like League of Legends and Overwatch hosting millions of players each month and with countless popular personalities creating content through sites such as YouTube and TwitchTV, people are able to see different aspects of gaming. “[Streaming and YouTubers] have changed the image of what gamers

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

can be”, says Daria Filimonova, a second-year criminology student who believes the popularity of these sites has helped gaming become more socially acceptable. “I think the stereotypes are dying off.”

Despite the popularity of video games, some gamers like Lam still have trouble connecting with others. He’s found more success meeting others through online platforms, such as Facebook or Discord, in addition to joining gaming clubs on campus such as WEGA. With a focus on specific videogames, these online communities have made it much easier for gamers such as Lam to navigate and express their gaming interests to peers.

For example, Discord, an online text and voice communications platform, features designated servers, divided into game channels, for users to anonymously hangout in.

WEGA offers their very own server, with dedicated channels for various games such as League of Legends and Hearthstone for students to hangout and meet others who play the same games. It’s an alternative, more discreet option for students who may not feel comfortable publicly identifying as a gamer.

In the past, WEGA has held live Super Smash Bros., League of Legends and Hearthstone tournaments with cash prizes at the University Community Centre and plan to host similar events this year.

As gaming clubs and online communities continue to eliminate stereotypes surrounding gaming culture, perhaps gamers will feel more comfortable getting involved in Western’s gaming scene.

Look forward to WEGA’s upcoming annual LAN kickoff event on Oct. 21.

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Paw-ndering the health benefits of therapy dogs CARMEN MALLIA CONTRIBUTOR @NEWSATGAZETTE Ian Lantz, a second-year management and organizational studies student, calls his friends over to meet Willow, a special girl in his life, who sits comfortably on the floor of the Mustang Lounge. The five-yearold labrador’s welcoming smile and nonchalant attitude are the reasons students naturally gravitate towards her.

This is not the first time Lantz and Willow have met; Lantz has attended therapy dog sessions on campus multiple times.

“I don’t have a dog, but I’ve always wanted one,” Lantz says. “I love the therapy dog program so much that I even saved photos from last year.”

One such therapy dogs event at Western took place on Oct. 4.

Dozens of students flocked to the Mustang Lounge to meet five laidback pooches from the LondonMiddlesex St. John Ambulance therapy dog program. The wellness initiative runs several times throughout the school year at Western University in an attempt to provide social engagement, stress relief and comfort for students and faculty members.

Willow and her owner, Fran Dow, also visit nursing homes and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, but their favourite trips are to Western.

“It’s great because I can see the stress relief on students’ faces, I see the love,” Dow says. “You can’t measure the happiness Willow brings to these students.”

But are there real health and wellness benefits that come with the sessions, or is it just an excuse for students to meet some cute dogs?

Leslie Gloor Duncan, the associate director of Transition, Leadership and Enrichment at Western believes that there are substantial benefits that come with the program.

“While it may be short-lived, these dogs certainly help decrease stress and reduce loneliness for students,” Gloor Duncan says. “It takes students out of their regular routine.”

While she does agree that the program is a passive approach to wellness, Leslie still believes that these dogs provide tremendous benefits for students. An International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health study aligns with Gloor Duncan’s beliefs, as the findings show that exposure to therapy dogs is a viable stress-management tool to decrease stress physiology in undergraduate students.

However, this contradicts the findings of Lyn Alexandra Brown, a Western animal behaviour studies graduate. Brown, who studied therapy dogs for her undergraduate thesis paper, found that the effects therapy dogs have on individuals is rather mild, and more research is required to determine the effectiveness of the program.

“My study did not find dogs to significantly reduce people’s stress,” Brown says. “Dog therapy may be limited to certain settings to be effective, or it may not be as effective as it is portrayed by the media.”

She is skeptical about the media’s portrayal of therapy dogs’ effects on people’s health and wellness.

“There’s this bias to only publish positive results, but there is a lot of findings showing there is no real health benefits, or that there are really specific health benefits,” says Brown. “The media communicates this idea that therapy dogs have these wondrous, lasting effects on humans. It is skewed in that way. It could simply be a placebo effect.”

Despite her skeptical attitude, Brown is still hopeful that there are real health benefits that come with dog therapy, but she argues that there needs to be more research done.

Whether or not there are health benefits that come along with the program, students like Lantz will always come out to the Mustang Lounge when the dogs are around.

“I’m not sure if this program helps me with my stress, but it definitely puts a smile on my face,” Lantz says.

Students can find therapy dogs in the Mustang Lounge on Nov. 1, Nov. 6, Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 between 12:30 and 2 p.m.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 7

hoco

Eyes on the prize

QB Chris Merchant vying for a championship win MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEDEBOER Chris Merchant listens to country music before games. He’s from Calgary and as far as stereotypes go, Alberta and Kenny Chesney go together like peanut butter and jam.

Country music keeps him calm, mellow and collected. With all the noise that surrounds the starting quarterback of one of the nation’s premier programs, it’s important to find tranquility amongst the pressure.

There have been a deluge of legendary Western Mustangs quarterbacks since the program was founded in 1929. Michael Faulds finished his career behind centre as the all-time leader in passing yards in U Sports (previously called Canadian Interuniversity Sport). Jamie Bone led the Purple and White to back-to-back Vanier Cups in 1976 and 1977. If not for concussion issues, Will Finch, who quarterbacked the team from 2012 to 2015, could have been the greatest of them all.

It’s in that company that Merchant sits as the face of the franchise for a program that boasts six Vanier Cups, 30 Yates Cups and six Hec Crighton Trophy winners. And with the 2017 Mustangs on the verge of a perfect regular season and a shot at a national title, Merchant can add himself into the pantheon of great Mustangs pivots.

Merchant started playing football at the age of eight in the Calgary Wildcats youth football program. He was a running back at first, only moving to quarterback five years later when his coach asked him if he wanted to give it a shot behind centre.

Merchant’s answer? “Why not.”

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

The choice ended up paying off. By his senior year in high school, Merchant was the top-rated Canadian quarterback, leading St. Andrew’s College to a 7–1 record and being named a first team All-Canadian.

Combine his skills on the field with his success in the classroom — a 4.0 GPA and an Outstanding Leadership Award in his Grade 12 — and it’s not hard to understand why he was such a coveted athlete.

His high school accolades landed him a full-ride scholarship to the University at Buffalo, a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I program in Buffalo, New York.

It was a dream come true for Merchant, the manifestation of years of hard work. It also made his path to greatness clear. After years of torching Mid-American Conference defences, NFL or CFL scouts were bound to come calling.

However, it didn’t work out. Merchant sat out his first year in Buffalo as a red-shirt freshman and only appeared in one game in his second year. After two years, Merchant and the Buffalo Bulls decided to part ways.

“It was a great experience; I learned a ton of life lessons and met a lot of nice people,” said Merchant on his time in upstate New York. “I’m super thankful that I went there, and I’ll be forever grateful.”

Merchant entered the recruitment ring once again. On his checklist were a number of things, including academic prestige, program tradition and a championship-calibre coaching staff.

He found all those things at Western University. Plus, with Finch gone and no elite quarterback to replace him, Merchant’s

spot as the starting quarterback was all but guaranteed from the start.

He enrolled in the kinesiology program and showed up at camp ready to be the player he was never given the opportunity of being in Buffalo.

Merchant had an up and down first season with the Mustangs, as the team went 7–1 during the 2016 regular season. He finished in the top ten in the OUA in passing yards, while throwing for 14 touchdown passes.

The Mustangs looked like a national championship team that year. They were up 40–19 over the Laurier Golden Hawks with eight minutes left: the Mustangs had the Yates Cup in their grasp.

Until they didn’t.

That loss could have taken a toll on this program and its quarterback; to be that close to glory and have it snatched from their hands was devastating, but instead of letting it bring them down, the Mustangs came out in 2017 with their sight set on redemption.

That drive started with Merchant.

“I try not to think about it too much, but it’s obviously in the back of my mind a little bit and you’d like to get that redemption whenever you can,” said Merchant on the effects of the loss. “But it is a new season, a new team with a lot of new faces, and we want to win this year. The past is in the past, and the future is in the future, and we’re focused on one game at a time.”

Merchant doesn’t have a gaudy stat line this year. He’s probably thrown more interceptions than he’d like. With 1,827 yards and nine touchdowns, Merchant has been consistent and solid. That’s what the Mustangs need.

What matters more to the Western football program and to Merchant as its poster boy is that 7–0 record. Wins trump statistics.

Nobody knows that better than Merchant.

“At the end of the day, nobody looks at individual statistics when you’re looking at a championship team, and that’s what I want to do — win a championship with my teammates and do whatever I can to make that happen,” said Merchant. “If I don’t put up any numbers and we still end up winning the game, then I’m still happy.”

There’s a certain amount of pressure that comes with being the starting quarterback at Western. The weight of nearly 90 years of successful football can be crushing without the right mix of confidence and humility.

But for Merchant, it’s all noise. There’s no reason to dwell on the past, on things he can’t control. He’s more focused on winning that next Vanier Cup and on fighting in the trenches alongside his teammates.

“There’s obviously pressure when you’re on any team,” said Merchant. “While I’m honoured to be the quarterback of such a historic program, I have a lot of teammates behind me who support me, and that takes the weight off my shoulders a little bit. I can lean on them whenever I need to.”

The Mustangs have one more regular season game: a Homecoming date with the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Then, it’s playoff time. The games will matter a little more. One loss and the season is over.

But through the talk, the expectations and the pressure, Merchant will keep calm and collected. He’ll head into every practice and every game with a quiet, gunslinger mentality. He’ll keep listening to his country music.

www.westerngazette.ca

8 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017

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HOMECOMING FOOTBALL

A Mustangs tradi Mike DeBoer One more week. One more game.

Then, it’s playoff time.

The timing for a Western-Ottawa football game couldn’t be more perfect. The Western Mustangs sit at the top of Ontario University Athletics with a 7–0 record. The Ottawa GeeGees are currently third, at 5–2.

This game could be a preview for the OUA semifinals on Nov. 4. If everything goes as planned, though it rarely does, the Mustangs could be meeting the University of Ottawa for a spot in the Yates Cup. But when the two teams meet on Oct. 21, in front of a Homecoming crowd at TD Stadium, the game will have a much different meaning.

This game is a tuneup for the Mustangs.

The team has already clinched first place and home field advantage in the OUA playoffs.

Outside of the bragging rights associated with a perfect regular season, there’s no great significance in this game for Western University.

However, Homecoming will always mean something special. It’s a reunion of all those who have made Western football so

GRAPHICS BY SISSI CHEN PHOTO BY MICHAEL CONLEY

successful since the Purple and White played their first season in 1929.

“It means tradition to me,” said fourthyear linebacker Jean-Gabriel Poulin on the importance of Homecoming. “It means having all the alumni back and family and everybody involved in the program comes to support[the team].”

Even though the Homecoming date changed last year, the Mustangs still expect a big, raucous crowd at TD Stadium when they face off with Ottawa.

As the games are set to become much more important come playoff time, Homecoming offers a respite from the pressures and noise that come with a run at the Yates Cup. “Homecoming is like a reunion,” said third-year running back Cedric Joseph.

“Homecoming is just all about having fun.

That’s the mentality; that as much as we gotta get out there and hustle and run around, at the end of the day, it’s about having fun with everyone else that’s enjoying the games.”

A number of key Mustangs

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 9

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Homecoming Games

ition to hold onto will be playing in their final Homecoming game. Guys like Poulin, receiver Harry McMaster and running back Alex Taylor have been pivotal in the recent success of Mustangs football.

And since Homecoming also coincides with the final regular season home game for Mustangs in their final years of college eligibility, the day will have special significance for the seniors on the team.

“It’s gonna be exciting; it’s gonna be my last one so it’s gonna mean a lot,” said McMaster. “It’s gonna be great to get a nice win and finish off the season perfect. That would be cool.”

There is a bittersweetness associated with this game. The Mustangs are guaranteed one more home game in the OUA semifinals, and there’s a better-than-good chance they also host the Yates Cup. But for the coaches, who have developed the seniors on the team from raw freshmen to seasoned veterans, it’s a time of reminiscing.

The Mustangs churn out talented players

year after year, contending for championships on a regular basis.

But for the coaches who have dedicated their lives to these young men, there’s an emotional aspect to the occasion.

“The unique thing about university football is you see players come in as freshmen and mature over their four or five years here,” said Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall. “It’s bittersweet because it’s good that they’re moving on and graduating and [we’re] appreciating their accomplishments, but at the same time, you miss them. You coach them and spend a lot of time with them over four or five years.”

A big crowd, an emotional atmosphere and a perfect record on the line should make for an exciting day of football. There will be tradition in the air: the tradition of one of the greatest college football programs in the nation.

It’s Homecoming time.

October 22, 2016 vs McMaster Marauders

September 26, 2015 vs Carleton Ravens

September 20, 2014 vs Toronto Varsity Blues

September 28, 2013 vs Queen’s Gaels

September 29, 2012 vs McMaster Marauders

W

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10 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017

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1955 Before the Homecoming football game between Western and Queen’s, a group of Queen’s students made plans to attack the stadium. Western students joined campus police to protect the stadium.

1969 In another attack, 300 Queen’s students stormed the football field trying to steal the goalposts and prompted a massive brawl with the Western students.

1964 After the Mustangs lost to McGill, fans burned a dummy of Western head coach John Metras. Students then presided over a funeral for the effigy.

1985 London Police shut down a huge party at 93 Wharncliffe Rd. after more than 650 people packed the house. Five students (four from Guelph) were arrested after a violent encounter with police, who reportedly hit a student.

1980 One of the largest Homecoming parties ever unfolded with upwards of a thousand students packing Western Rd. Despite the enormous turnout, the event remained peaceful through to the night.

1980 One of the largest Homecoming parties ever unfolded with upwards of a thousand students packing Western Rd. Despite the enormous turnout, the event remained peaceful through to the night.

1991 The Wave (known then as The Max) opened its doors for the first time on HOCO weekend 1991.

Enthusiasm for the bar resulted in a 50-strong student charge through the doors.

•

2013 Mustangs Field and Alumni Field were both unveiled as part of the Mustangs 100th Anniversary celebrations during the 2013 Homecoming ceremonies.

2013 London Police made the decision to no longer shut down Richmond Row for the Homecoming Parade. In an attempt to keep the tradition alive, an “on campus only” parade was held.

2016 Attendance to the Homecoming football game dropped significantly after administration moved the date to deter students from partying.

Photos: www.lib.uwo.ca, www.vintag.es, www.powercheerleading.com, www.westernmustangs.ca

KIIJA GARGARELLO GAZETTE

Ceeps all set to celebrate HOCO

KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

AMY SKODAK CULTURE EDITOR @AMYSKODAK As Western University’s unofficial bar since 1890, it’s no surprise that The Ceeps will be decked out in purple pride this Homecoming.

Historically, HOCO at Ceeps has been a tradition as rooted in Western’s culture as the football game and pics with the JW mascot.

Despite the FOCO celebrations earlier in the month, it doesn’t seem like Ceeps will slack on any of its preparations for students and alumni.

Ceeps’ general manager, Moe Saghier, has worked at the bar for fifteen years and is excited to welcome HOCO once again.

“Ceeps has been traditionally the place to go and celebrate after the game,” he says. “We are also welcoming back Western football alumni and looking forward to seeing many old friends.”

Ceeps will be hosting a gathering of faculty and alumni at its dean’s party on Friday night, followed by a “HOCO edition” of Ceeps legendary Saturday with live music and DJs starting at 7 p.m., Ceeps will also host a bottomless breakfast featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet on Sunday morning.

“Last year, Western’s first FOCO still seemed more like Homecoming,” he says. “Many

alumni were unable to change plans that were made earlier on.”

Early awareness of the datechange this year has allowed ample time for visiting alumni to make plans. Saghier hopes that HOCO will be as successful this year as it’s been in the past, but perhaps the new October date will leave the traditional HOCO festivities primarily for alumni.

“We didn’t know what to expect for FOCO this year,” Saghier says.

“Turned out that it has become its own event for students to show their Western spirit. Many students were out dressed in purple to celebrate Western.”

Saghier remembers one of his most memorable HOCO experiences at Ceeps as a sunny day about four years ago.

“The weat her was perfect, almost 30 degrees in late September,” he says. “The wave of purple was already lined up to get on the patio before 11 a.m. Ceeps was busy by late afternoon, and it was one of the busiest days I have experienced while at the bar.”

While the new Homecoming date of Oct. 21 has historically been on the chilly side, this year, it’s forecasted to hit 20 degrees. So perhaps Ceeps will see another crowded, sunny HOCO this October, just as it did four years ago in September.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 11

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SMELLS LIKE SCHOOL SPIRIT

How to show your purple pride KAROLINA JALOWSKA NEWS EDITOR Homecoming is that time of year when the students, faculty and alumni get together to celebrate Western University and all it has to offer. From the annual football game to the masive street parties, HOCO proves every year that Western has an immense amount of school spirit.

Here are a few ways you can show your purple pride at this year’s HOCO:

1

WEAR PURPLE, WHITE AND SILVER Wearing Western’s official school colours is essential. Attending any HOCO event in any colour other than white, purple or silver will make you the odd one out in a fully colour coded crowd. From crazy purple hats to patterned onesies, any kind of outfit you can think of will make an appearance in and around London on Oct. 21.

2 ATTEND THE ANNUAL HOCO FOOTBALL GAME The Mustangs football team will play the Ottawa Gee-Gees at this year’s Homecoming football game.

The annual football game is always a fun experience: from watching a trained horses run around the field to Western’s cheerleaders

performing stunts on the sidelines, there is a lot to cheer for at the game.

3 HIT UP POPULAR MUSTANGS’ SPOTS There are many HOCO locales you can visit to celebrate. Visiting the infamous Broughdale Avenue — which had a huge FOCO turnout — and dying foods like pancakes purple are just a few HOCO traditions. Finishing off the day by visiting some of Richmond Row’s oldest bars, like The Ceeps, is another important one.

4 SHOW THAT WESTERN ATTITUDE Having a positive attitude during HOCO and being respectful are the best ways to show your purple pride.

Western is a part of the London community and has a reputation to uphold. A person with a Western attitude knows how to master the balance between working hard and partying hard.

Showing your purple pride is a Mustangs must-do.

There are lots of ways to show your purple pride at this year’s HOCO events. Choose the one that works best for you and get ready to show your school spirit.

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12 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017

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2017 HOCO focuses on more promotion MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @_MARTINALLEN Toques, lower ticket prices and tuition draws are some of the changes Western University’s October Homecoming has undergone since last year.

This Homecoming marks the second year Western students have celebrated both FOCO and the October Homecoming.

This year, Western is bringing its free tuition contest back. Just like last year, the winner of a raffle for up to $8,000 towards tuition will be announced between the third and fourth quarters of the Homecoming game.

Students can enter the draw by swiping their One-Card in sponsored booths Monday in the University Community Centre atrium, Tuesday in the Western Student Recreation Centre, or Saturday at the tailgate party in the Huron Flats parking lot. While last year’s draw was available only to those in attendance at the game, this year’s is open to anyone.

Last year’s draw also featured a second-place prize of a meal plan credit for $2,000 and a third-place prize of a $1,000 gift card to the bookstore. This year’s draw features only the original first-place prize.

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experimenting with new promotions this year. The first 700 students who arrive at this year’s game will experience the Warm Up and Win contest, which awards students a free toque and a $5 meal voucher. Further, Homecoming game ticket prices for students have dropped from $25 last year to $10.

According to Tony von Richter, director of media relations for the Western Mustangs, promotional strategies for the game have also recently changed.

“We’ve put a bigger focus on promoting the game in general,” he said.

Beginning as early as Tuesday, events held by faculties, Western’s alumni organization and Sports and Recreation will precede the Homecoming football game against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday afternoon.

The Mustangs and other organizations have been advertising the game over the radio, on billboards, online and in print publications.

But von Richter said the Mustangs have been consciously advertising the game earlier than in past years.

Western’s Alumni organization

HILL DU NEWS EDITOR @HXDU638 Every year, Western University’s Homecoming reaches out to alumni and hopes to bring as many of them as possible back to London for a fun-filled weekend. However, the Homecoming we see today is very different from what it used to look like. Two alumni give us a glimpse into HOCO’s past

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also sent a mass-email on Oct. 11 advertising the Warm Up and Win contest and the tuition raffle.

Von Richter said that newer students may have been left behind by advertisement that was previously “just ‘Homecoming, Homecoming, Homecoming’

— without really saying what that meant.”

“It’s a chance to see a variety of things we offer here and really just to connect with people,” said von Richter. “Whether it’s the current students now or former students that are coming home.”

HOCO through the ages

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Robert Nash, BA’66 Nash has attended Homecomings for many years, recollecting countless happy memories.

“Back in the day … we didn’t have any social media, so the football games were much more exciting,” said Nash. “One of the other big events was the parade.”

The annual parade is no longer part of Homecoming, but it used to be very popular among the community, always having a high attendance and attracting audiences of all ages. The parade featured many sources of entertainment, including various bands and dancers.

Although Homecoming is an event dedicated to alumni, Nash also believes it is equally important for current students.

“I think that all alumni understand that Homecoming is about contributing to the student experience,” said Nash.

However, the sudden change to Western’s Homecoming date last year challenged that student-experience mentality. Although the decision had its effects felt by Western students and alumni, Nash remains optimistic.

“Western does a great job to connect with its alumni … although last year was a setback, I think that, in the next few years, we can surpass the level we were at,” said Nash.

Mark Millar, H.BSc’04 and Homecoming chair This Homecoming will be Millar’s eleventh year and fifth as homecoming chair.

“I truly didn’t understand the scope and magnitude of how incredible our Homecoming is until 2006, when a friend of mine recommended that I come back,” said Millar.

Although Millar did not attend Homecoming during his years as an undergraduate student, that first year back was an eye-opening experience.

“I remember I was helping out at the Welcome Center at Alumni Hall, and there was a family there

A photo of Mark Millar showing his HOCO spirit shared on Western Alumni’s Twitter page.

with three different generations of Western alumni,” said Millar. “It was pretty cool seeing three generations celebrating and enjoying the event.”

When asked to share some of his favourite Homecoming memories, Millar recalled a time when Mustangs displayed a tremendous amount of school spirit. During one of Western’s recent Homecomings, London was hit with rain, almost sleet like weather. However, despite the stormy conditions, Millar was happy to see alumni still cheering on the football team and attending celebratory events.

Millar also hopes to raise awareness of what Homecoming offers to graduates.

“I talk to a lot of people over the weekend every year, and very commonly they would say they wish they knew about all these events that are available,” said Millar.

In the past, Western has held events such as Six Degrees, a social networking event for young alumni, and golf tournaments.

The evolving nature of homecoming ensures that there will always be new and exciting events for alumni to attend.

“We try different things to make sure we’re offering different programming to reach the widest range of alumni possible,” said Millar.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 13

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Five Mustangs alumni you should know CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE

Thousands of athletes have represented Western University throughout the Mustangs’ 104-year history. Plenty of them have moved on from their university careers to make a splash on international or professional stages.

Western’s athletic history is a rich one, with dozens of Olympians and national champions. In order to truly appreciate Mustangs athletics this Homecoming, here are some names from the school’s past that everyone should know: some of the most successful athletic alumni.

MARNIE MCBEAN ROWING

ROBERT MCFARLANE FOOTBALL/TRACK AND FIELD

STEVE RUCCHIN HOCKEY

ROGER JACKSON ROWING

PIERRE VERCHEVAL FOOTBALL

One of the greatest Western rowers of all time, McBean was the first Canadian to win three Olympic gold medals, with two from the 1992 Barcelona Games and another from the 1996 Atlanta Games. She won the F.W.P. Jones Trophy as Western’s Athlete of the Year in 1990 after leading the Mustangs to four straight provincial championships from 1986–89. An officer of the Order of Canada, McBean has since become a role model for LGBTQ athletes across Canada.

McFarlane is one of the most decorated Mustangs ever. He won four Yates Cups with the football team, and went undefeated in university track and field competitions over his six-year tenure at Western. While still a student, he represented Canada at the 1948 Olympics, competing in the 400-metre hurdles and 4x400metre relay. In 1950, McFarlane won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s Athlete of the Year, after setting five national track records, defeating two Olympic champions, and finishing as the country’s leading scorer in university football all in the same year. Western named McFarlane its top athlete from the first 100 years of the school’s history in 1978.

Very few people have made the jump from intercollegiate athletics to hockey’s biggest stage. Rucchin, though, not only made it in the NHL but also forged an impressive 12-year career with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the New York Rangers and the Atlanta Thrashers.

He played four years with the Mustangs, scoring 192 points in 140 games, and he was a finalist for the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union’s MVP award in 1994.

In Anaheim, Rucchin centred Hall of Famers Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, and captained the team from 2003–05.

Another key piece of Western’s rich rowing history, Jackson helped the Mustangs to three straight provincial titles from 1961–63. He went to the Olympics three times (1964, 1968 and 1972), and won a gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo games.

His medal was Canada’s only gold at those Olympics. Like McFarlane, Jackson won the Lou Marsh Trophy for his accomplishments in that same year. He received the Order of Canada in 1983 and spent three terms as president of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Plenty of great CFL players have come out of Western, and Pierre Vercheval is one of them. In his time as a Mustang, Vercheval won two Yates Cups in 1985 and 1986, and he won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the country’s most outstanding lineman in 1987. Vercheval, who was a CIAU First-Team All-Canadian in 1986 and 1987, played 14 seasons in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes. The Belgianborn lineman was a CFL All-Star six times, and he won the Grey Cup with Toronto in 1996 and 1997.

Homecoming 2017

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Warm up: The first 700 Western students through the TD Stadium gates for the

Homecoming football game on Oct. 21 that show their student card will receive a Homecoming toque and a $5 food voucher (valid inside TD Stadium during the game).

Win: Current Western, Brescia, Huron and King’s students have the chance to win one year of free tuition (for the 2017/18 academic year) to a maximum of $8,000. To enter, stop by the Alumni Homecoming Tailgate and BBQ in the Huron Flats parking lot before the Homecoming Football game on Oct. 21 and swipe your student card.

Learn more:

alumni.westernu.ca/warm-up-and-win

www.westerngazette.ca

14 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017

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WEEKEND RECAP

Men’s golf captures provincial title

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CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE

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BASEBALL The campaign for a third consecutive Ontario University Athletics championship is over for the Western Mustangs, who fell 9–5 to the Queen’s Gaels in their quarter-final matchup on Friday. The Mustangs fell victim to an early offensive onslaught from Queen’s University, who scored six runs in the first two innings to force pitcher Dustin Godden out of the game.

Western University’s defensive game wasn’t as strong as usual, as they made six errors and allowed seven unearned runs, giving their pitchers little support from the field.

fill a gap in your program

CROSS-COUNTRY Both the men’s and women’s teams had a strong showing at the Marauder Bayfront Open in Hamilton on Friday. The men came second overall behind only McMaster University, with Ben Carson finishing third and Isaiah Frielink coming in fifth. Kristina Popadich came first in the women’s race, winning by a 46-second margin. Boosted by her strong performance, the Mustangs women placed fifth overall. The event served as a helpful tuneup for the approaching OUA championship, which will take place on Oct. 28 in Windsor.

GOLF The OUA Championships ran this weekend at Loch March Golf & Country Club in Kanata, ON. The men’s team was dominant, winning their first gold medal since 2013 and topping the leaderboard by a margin of 14 strokes. Mustangs veteran Charles Fitzsimmons was the best golfer at the tournament, leading everyone with a score of 142.

Western’s women’s team also had a respectable weekend, finishing fifth overall with a total score of 498 to close out their 2017 OUA season.

LACROSSE (WOMEN’S) On the last weekend of regular season play, the Mustangs locked up first place in the OUA with a pair

of victories. They beat rivals Trent University 15–7 on Saturday before defeating Queen’s 11–2 the next day.

Western finished the regular season with both the most goals scored (185) and the fewest allowed (55) in the OUA. Next weekend, they’ll try to capture another gold medal when they compete in the provincial championships.

LACROSSE (MEN’S) The first-place Mustangs lost a close contest to the Brock Badgers, with the Badgers needing overtime to pull off a 12–8 win. The victory pulled BrockUniversity a little closer to Western in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association standings, as they remain the Mustangs’ closest competitors. Just one game remains on the regular season schedule, with Western set to take on the third-placed Guelph Gryphons next Friday in what’s sure to be another tight game.

RUGBY (MEN’S) Western recorded a bonus-point victory over the Brock Badgers, triumphing 50–29 on Saturday at Alumni Field. Luc Hansen-Boucher led the way for the Mustangs, scoring two tries and adding another six points from conversions. The win puts Western third in the OUA with just one game remaining in the regular season next Friday night in Guelph.

RUGBY (WOMEN’S) With a 48–14 win over the Trent Excalibur, the women’s rugby team move onto the OUA consolation final. Veterans Nikki Case and Veronica Harrigan scored a pair of tries each, and the Mustangs allowed their opponents to score just twice in a strong defensive effort.

SOCCER (WOMEN’S) The women played two games this weekend, the first a 1–1 draw against the Laurier Golden Hawks and the second a 1–0 victory over the Waterloo Warriors. Julia Crnjac scored Western’s only goal in both contests; her 83rd-minute winner on Sunday lifted the Mustangs over the Warriors for three points. Western

now has not lost in 13 games, and they’ve clinched first place in the OUA West Division with a 13–1–1 record. Like the men’s team, they’ll finish the regular season next week in Guelph before they begin their playoff campaign.

SOCCER (MEN’S) It was a tough weekend for the men’s soccer team as they came up with a loss and a draw in their two games. The Mustangs lost 1–0 at home to Wilfrid Laurier University on Saturday, before tying 3–3 with University of Waterloo the day after.

Striker Braeden Gee scored twice on Sunday, and Patrick Melo added the third; Western led right up until the Warriors’ Florian Bruckeder equalized in the 90th minute. The regular season concludes next Saturday when the Mustangs head to Guelph.

SOFTBALL The softball team was in Kitchener this weekend for the the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association Championship. The Mustangs swept both their games on Saturday, beating Laurier 8–0 and the Windsor Lancers 7–0, earning a date with the Ottawa Gee-Gees for a chance at a provincial title. The two teams met on Sunday and played five innings before the game was rained out with both teams locked at 0. Arrangements are being made to continue the game during the week of Oct.15.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE Ottawa hosted the Canadian University Ultimate Championships this weekend, and both the Mustangs women’s and open team were in attendance. The open team lost their quarter-final game 7–9 against the Laval University, which put an end to their season. The women, on the other hand, overcame the McMaster Marauders 10–9 in their quarter-final game and advanced to the semifinals where they lost 11–1 against the eventual champions, the Toronto Varsity Blues. In the bronze-medal game against Queen’s, the women fell 9–7 to conclude their season.

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MICHAEL CONLEY A Western player pushes through a tackle during the second half of their game against Brock University on Oct. 14, 2017.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 • 15

opinions

Students must stop debating in black and white Viva la Viv

VIVIAN CHENG CULTURE EDITOR @VIVIANCHENG20 If you ever want a headache, try reading the Facebook comments regarding any controversial issue.

What you’ll see is that people tend to debate in black and white, while ignoring others’ perspectives or countering only their opponent’s weakest arguments.

It’s problematic that many have adopted this polarizing style of debate because real-life issues are infinitely more nuanced.

Take Barack Obama’s belief that videotaping of confessions in capital punishment cases should be mandatory. The premise was no innocent person should end up on death row, and no person guilty of a capital offence should go free. It was a touchy subject that initially brought up emotionally-driven, binary arguments from both sides.

One side brought up racism and police misconduct and the other brought up the coddling of criminals: it was reduced to a binary, which is now the nature of debate prevalent in popular politics.

On a smaller scale, look at Richard Joseph’s Gazette op-ed about challenging arts and

humanities students, which also prompted emotionally-driven responses. People immediately defended the faculty or called him a dick, but no one debated if the arts and humanities could legitimately be improved.

To me, both these cases are troubling. We’re not attempting to engage in productive conversation nor are we actively listening to other people’s viewpoints. Instead, we’re interpreting opposing arguments based on its weakest points or on its supposed inconsistencies — and that’s laziness at its finest.

To argue more effectively, students can use the principle of charity: we should aim to understand an opponent’s whole argument, in the best possible light and avoid picking apart select phrases.

Without really considering the concerns of others or delving deeper into our own arguments, we’ll never get the most practical outcome for what we want to achieve. There are a multitude of important, widely-contested problems out there, like diversity in the workplace, that require real solutions — not futile bickering where both sides denounce each other’s viewpoints.

If we want to create meaningful solutions to the world’s problems, we need to engage in meaningful debate and really consider other people’s viewpoints — even if we disagree.

we get letters

Work-life balance crucial to medical students’ success Re: There’s more to life than your MCAT score In her article entitled “There is more to life than your MCAT score”, Vivian Cheng writes of her male friend who justifies what can only be described as martyrdom by his performance on the MCAT. Vivian does a satisfactory job outlining why this is a detriment for her friend. What Vivian does not mention, and what her friend does not realize, is that this attitude creates harmful survivor bias for younger medical school hopefuls.

Students may see that Vivian’s friend and others like him have obtained acceptance to medical school via long study hours with little relationship building or self therapy, like having a romantic partner or watching Netflix to relieve stress. In order to achieve their goals, they emulate this

behaviour, and so this attitude is passed on from generation to generation.

Furthermore, one could argue that this attitude has an impact on clinical collaboration and the ability to empathize with patients (see “Doctors lack empathy, med school to blame” Gazette 2011, or ask medical science students for stories of ripping out textbook pages or pretending not to speak English in order to get out of answering a clarifying question posed by a classmate. Both stories come from very close friends of mine).

Students should realize that balance between studying and self therapy is crucial not only for their short term success but also for their long-term success and the success of future medical students.

Demetri Pananos Biostatistics and epidemiology PhD Candidate

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Let’s not make martyrs out of men’s rights groups Filthy Rich

RICHARD JOSEPH OPINIONS EDITOR @RJATGAZETTE Every now and then, some bright spark takes it upon themself to champion the cause of the most downtrodden, the most marginalized group in contemporary society: straight white dudes.

The most infamous example is Ryerson University’s Men’s Issues Awareness Society. After being denied official group status on campus, the group launched a lawsuit against Ryerson’s Student Union for “discriminating against the group’s right to free speech.” Martin Patriquin, in a 2015 Maclean’s article, notes that “four Canadian universities have attempted to ban men’s issues groups and/or events in the last two years alone.”

We might be in for another one of these shitstorms. A “weekly men’s group” at Western University is in the making, according to a post on the Western subreddit. It is purported as a “safe space for men to talk about their feelings,” inspired by a Vancouver group called the Samurai Brotherhood.

The Gazette has reached out, but the founder declined to comment.

Western’s University Students’ Council, in contrast to Ryerson’s, has stated that they would not

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the right move is to let it happen.

It’s no coincidence that they only ever show up on national news when they’re being shut down, suing their imagined oppressors or being loudly protested. Bringing the hammer down on these groups not only gives them unneeded publicity (and an actual, national platform) but also affirms their self-appointed martyrdom: “look, we’re freedom fighters, the establishment is trying to shut us down.”

I’m not saying we should focus inordinately on these misguided advocates, but we also shouldn’t give them publicity through censorship. When a child throws a tantrum, you don’t plead or threaten: you just let them wail until they feel tired, ridiculous and ready to join the adults again.

“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants,” said U.S. Justice Louis Brandeis, and he’s right. Give men’s rights groups a chance — it’s the best way to see them disappear entirely.

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UPCOMING EVENTS BLOOD DONOR CLINIC Community Room, UCC 2nd floor. Thurs. Oct. 26 11am-4pm, Monday Oct. 30 11am-4pm. Tues. Oct. 31 11am-4pm (in Mustang Lounge) New donors needed. Book your appointment at blood.ca HAM & SCALLOPED POTATO Supper, Fri. Oct. 20 from 5-7pm St. Luke’s Church, 1204 Richmond at Bernard (just north of the University gates), Cost: adults $12, children 6-12 $6, children under 6 free, families: 2 children, 2 adults $30.00.

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REFORMATION 500 CELEBRATION 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Germany. To celebrate Martin Luther’s legacy, Lutheran Social Services (London) is hosting an afternoon of music and fellowship at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 472 Richmond St. in London. Everyone is invited and welcome to join in this community event. Attendance is totally free - no additional charge, no offering and free parking at London Life. Put the date on your calendar: Oct. 22, 3:30-5:00pm at St. Paul’s Cathedral. lutheransocialserviceslondon.ca/reformation-500/

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attempt to shut down a men’s rights group — a move I wholeheartedly support.

For one thing, there are legitimate social issues to address with men that don’t involve the usual internet brand of neckbearded misogyny. Discussions about toxic masculinity, male repression and social criticism can all work in tandem with feminist discourse rather than against it.

As far as I can tell from the Samurai Brotherhood’s website, that’s the sort of discourse they’re promoting. Equipped with a badass name and a series of nebulous, quasi-Buddhist commandments (“embody your masculine essence in a balanced way!”), the group seems pretty harmless. They describe themselves as a “community of conscious men,” which is a commendably low bar for entry.

But even if a full-on men’s rights group, sincerely arguing that straight white guys are oppressed, tried to establish itself at Western,

STRESSED? ANXIOUS? BOOK your Reiki session now to help you unwind and relax. PH: 519-4948545 Web: https://radiantreiki.ca Western students receive 15% off all services.

ANNOUNCEMENTS LEARN TO PLAY the guitar and earn an elective credit! Join 3862B Beginner Guitar this winter! little/no musical experience required. Final group performance, no final exam. Contact:pfeely@uwo.ca

PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

For solution, turn to page 3

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

GAZETTE CROSSWORD

MICHAEL CONLEY Rain rain go away. Rudy James (left) and Mohammad Reza Nafar (right) pour over their free kick strategy. Photographed on Oct. 14, 2017.

WORD SEARCH

LAW ENFORCEMENT WORD SEARCH ACCESS ACCREDITATION ACTION ADMISSIBLE AGENT ALARM AUTHORITY BACKGROUND BARRIER

BURGLARY CAMERA COMMAND COMMUNITY CONFIDENTIAL CONSEQUENCE CRIMINAL DAMAGE DISASTER DOCUMENT DURESS EMERGENCY

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CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DOWN

1. Inventor of the apochromatic lens 5. Time units (abbr.)

8. Cool!

11. NY football family 13. A way to consume 14. Competition 15. Monetary units 16. Plant in the daisy family 17. Ottoman military title 18. Small Polish village 20. Relatively insignificant lie 21. Argument 22. Comforts 25. Early 30. Went on and on 31. Type of IRA 32. Short musical composition 33. Images 38. Major component of wood glue (abbr.)

41. Observing expeditions 43. Used as a lightweight foam 45. Recall knowledge 48. Afrikaans word for “language” 49. Fried chicken guru Sanders’ title (abbr.)

50. Caucasian language 55. A Spanish river 56. Used to pierce holes 57. Song of praise 59. In bed 60. Originally called 61. Iron Age Brittonic tribe 62. Young goat 63. Not even 64. Make from wool or yarn

1. Current unit 2. Bleats 3. Soft creamy white cheese 4. Opposite of west 5. Young female cow 6. Deep, narrow gorges 7. Freestanding sculpture 8. Finger millet 9. Hurts 10. Unable to hear 12. Vast body of water 14. Volcanic island in Fiji 19. Not early 23. Wet dirt 24. Be characteristic of 25. Before 26. Tell on 27. Resembles the ostrich 28. Million barrels per day (abbr.)

29. War-torn city in Syria 34. Mode of transportation 35. Metals and minerals are extracted from this 36. Trent Reznor’s band 37. Midway between south and southeast 39. Vesuvius is one 40. Permitted 41. A type of corrosion (abbr.)

42. Tip of Aleutian Islands 44. Shouted 45. Jewish spiritual leader 46. Punched in the side of the head 47. Lout 48. Used to make furniture and ships 51. Spectrum disorder (abbr.)

52. A way to talk 53. American shoe company 54. Chinese ethnic group 58. Egg of a louse

For crossword solution, see page 4

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