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ARTHUR PERCY SHERWOOD
Volume 111, Issue 14 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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However, Percy, at 24 years old, has organized two national government conferences convening representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss climate change. In 2015, he was the communications officer for Western Canada’s regional economic development agency. While most students sat around in sweatpants bingeing Stranger Things, Percy gave conference presentations based on his work, reviewed and edited climate change reports for the Canadian government and generally did high-powered, successful adult things. Most recently, he’s written an entirely original political analysis for The Western Journal of Legal Studies. Sherwood has lived and breathed politics since day one. He was born in Ottawa, the seat of Canadian government, to a diplomat: his father was the ambassador of Canada to Iraq and Jordan. “He would read about politics, read the newspaper every single day, and he still does,” says Percy. “As a kid, I’d always be watching the news with him.” Percy got his undergrad in political science at the University of Ottawa, then came to Western University for a master’s in political science. Now, he’s doing yet another master’s here: journalism and communications.
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Percy says what entices him is political journalism — Parliament Hill, for example, or even the White House. More than anything he hopes, through his work, to hold public officials accountable. Percy is fascinated, and troubled, by issues of government surveillance and how it’s routinely justified
Percy studies political moves and governmental rhetoric how Sherlock Holmes might examine a crime scene. He examines them rationally and comprehensively, and when he finds inconsistencies or flaws, he works out who stands to gain, who’s manipulating policy for power or money. One story of his father’s has stayed with him all his life. Percy’s father was in the back of a bulletproof Range Rover in the midst of Baghdad, one of his many postings, when gunfire started peppering the side of the vehicle. Later, it was revealed that there was a plot to intercept the car, take him hostage and kill him. But Percy’s dad was utterly unfazed — he noted what a disorganized assassination it was and brushed it off. For Percy, this story was always a succinct illustration that life, fundamentally, is ridiculous. But absurdism, he explains, also gives him a valuable insight into politics. “[Absurdism] allows you to look at policies like terrorism,” he says. “And you think, well, why are my rights being jeopardized? Why is the government looking at everything I do? And you say, it’s not for terrorism, it’s for control of the population. You have to ask: who’s benefiting, who’s taking advantage of this?” But even if life is meaningless nonsense, Sherwood is still determined to enact change at a structural level. Because after all, he says, what are the alternatives? “What, just let the world continue its course, let it go to shit?” he says. “You can still find some personal meaning. And some purpose to get up — just without being completely fooled by the world.” “At the end of the day,” he adds, “you’re trying to help people.” ■■RICHARD JOSEPH
Blast from om the past
University UFO enthusiast speaks to Western students in 1977 NICK SOKIC CULTURE EDITOR @NICKATGAZETTE
All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and cartoons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives.
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“Part of the reason why I wanted to go into journalism was to write more about this,” he says.
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by narratives like “the war on terror.”
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CULTURE AMY SKODAK NICK SOKIC VIVIAN CHENG
WESTERN TV ASSISTANT COORDINATOR SHANNON MARKS
You might not be intimidated by Arthur Percy Sherwood, initially. Clean-cut, sporting rectangular glasses and a shawl-collar cardigan, he is soft-spoken, unfailingly polite and well-liked in his social circles.
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Are aliens and UFOs real? Terence Dickinson believed enough to tell Western University students in December 1977. The former editor of Astronomy magazine came to Western to speak at a University Students’ Council-sponsored lecture on the alien civilizations beyond our reach. Dickinson first became interested in studying UFOs when he interviewed the infamous Betty and Barney Hill, a couple who claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials in 1961. As for the reason why aliens have not
contacted us: “We are not yet of intergalactic club stature,” he said. Dickinson theorized that the numerous sightings of UFOs with no explanation was because of “an intergalactic code which keeps them from revealing themselves.” At the same lecture, the expert spoke about the difficulties UFO researchers face in being accepted by the wider scientific community. “UFO studies involve so many different varieties of science, and no one has expertise in all the necessary areas,” said Dickinson. Forty years later, Earth is clearly still waiting for its intergalactic club membership.
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Alumni send students over 1,000 letters JUDY BASMAJI CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE Friday was the last day of Western University’s Kind Mail campaign, and the university received over 1,000 messages. The three-day Kind Mail campaign involved Western alumni sending short letters of support and encouragement to first-year students living in their old residence rooms. This is its second year of the campaign in a row, and it ran from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. “Our campaign last year went four days, and we reached just over 1,350 postcards,” said Meghan Cocurullo, the project leader. “We’re approaching that now, so we’re going to get a little bit more than that.” Western’s alumni department set up a website that allowed users to complete a digital postcard, then Western staff handwrote notes and distributed them to residences, right in time for exam season. The postcards were also addressed to off-campus housing and affiliate colleges. “One thing that alumni really relate with [is] their residence rooms,” said Cocurullo. “They remember exam time as being a
time when some students experience heightened levels of stress, … so it feels like a time of the year when acts of kindness are really appreciated.” Many Western alumni have received the project with positivity and enthusiasm. Their motivation to contribute stems from a number of reasons. “I couldn’t help but remember my first final-exam season as a firstyear student,” said Rachel Miller, a 2015 graduate of the media, information and technoculture program. “I was nervous, stressed, and there were times where I felt alone. When I heard about this initiative, the first thing I thought was: ‘I wish they had this program back when I was a first-year student.’ Advice from a former Western student would’ve made my day, and it would’ve gone a long way.” Miller had three pieces of advice for first-year students: join clubs even if it might scare you, study hard to build your confidence and ask for help if you need it. Other alumni, such as Angelica Martinez, a three-time graduate from Western, believes it is important for first-year students to realize that their time at Western is only the beginning.
London receives $1.3 million for poverty reduction KAROLINA JALOWSKA NEWS EDITOR @KJALOWSK The Ontario government has allocated $1.3 million from the $16-million, Ontario-wide pover t y-reduct ion f und to London. MPP Deb Matthews announced that four organizations in London will receive a portion of the fund: the London Family Court Clinic, London District Catholic School Board, Unity Project For Relief of Homelessness in London and M’Wikwedong Native Cultural Resource Centre. The money will be used to evaluate and design poverty reduction programs. For example, the London Family Court Clinic, a non-profit organization that works with families and youth involved in the court system, will receive $570,400. The clinic plans to use the grant to work with young people involved in the justice system in the LondonMiddlesex area. “I’m really pleased with the variety of projects that have been funded,” said Joyce Radford, a psychologist at the LFCC. She explained that these initiatives all fall “under the same goal: improve people’s outcomes with regards to the impact of poverty and reducing it.” Radford noted that young
people living in poverty appear at the LFCC 10 times more frequently than youth in the general population and that they have a much higher prevalence of mental health issues. The LFCC analyzed 280 files and found that three-quarters of them had a mental health diagnosis and half of them had a PTSD diagnosis. Childhood trauma is associated with increased enrollment in the criminal justice system. This high incidence rate led to LFCC’s proposal to design, deliver and evaluate a trauma-informed intervention program. The program will target young people involved in the court system that demonstrate histories of trauma. The LFCC’s project will span three years and will cover three major areas. First is a trauma-informed counselling support approach to support and help youth. Second is service coordination, which will help youth with daily-life needs like helping them register for school or find housing. Third is a training and support service for community members to deliver a trauma-informed care response. “In the end, we are hoping to be able to demonstrate an improved outcome with regards to poverty indications through education, employ ment and training,” Radford said.
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“There is so much more to uncover about themselves, their career aspirations, the city of London and the difference they can make as Western students,” said Martinez. “For me, it is another reminder for students to appreciate the process of evolving while in university.” Cocurullo explained the campaign was shifted one week earlier
In the end, we are hoping to be able to demonstrate an improved outcome with regards to poverty indications through education, employment and training. JOYCE RADFORD PSYCHOLOGIST AT THE LONDON FAMILY COURT CLINIC
this year to make sure that students receive the postcards before they complete their exams and go home. “If alumni are taking the time to write a letter that is filled with notes of good wishes, it can brighten somebody’s day,” said Hannah Kochuk, a second-year student who received a postcard last year. “Especially if they are away from home for the first time, and they’re
thinking that there’s nobody really out there for them.” Kochuk reached out and thanked the alumna who sent her the note in person. “On Monday morning, our staff here will sort all the cards by residence and by off-campus affiliates,” Cocurullo said. “They should hopefully be in the hands of the students by the end of [this] week at the latest.”
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Radio Western referendum question determined, including $5 fee option HILL DU NEWS EDITOR @ HXDU638 The University Students’ Council’s November meeting had councillors debate more than a dozen motions, most notably determining referendum options for Radio Western/ CHRW funding. Last year, council decided to put Radio Western’s student fee to a referendum, meaning students will vote this February on how much they think the radio station’s future student fee should be. At the meeting, council set out to determine the referendum question that will be included on this year’s 2018 USC elections ballot. A motion initially proposed a ballot containing three options: Radio Western’s status quo fee of $12.47, a decrease to $10.50 over three years or a decrease to $3 over three years. Andrew Barton, Radio Western station manager, started the discussion with a presentation about Radio Western, explaining its fundraising efforts and value to the Western University community. “We’re seeing approximately 400 volunteers involved, with 61 per cent of them being undergrads,” said Barton. “We feel as though we
have a lot of opportunity to bring fundraising revenue to the sports department.” Barton said Radio Western is currently exploring new revenue streams in fundraising and advertisement, best preparing them for the $10.50 reduction over three years. Approximately 15 students showed up to support the campus media outlet at the meeting. Prior to the meeting, president of the Faculty of Music Students’ Council, Kyle Tang, created a Facebook event asking students to support the elimination of the $3 option. The event page drew 122 members who clicked attending and 73 people who clicked interested. “I am fighting for students like me to have the chance to record original music either with bands or by themselves and to do spoken word things on the air,” said Julia Sebastien, a third-year, double major SASAH and FIMS student. However, social science counsellor Keaton Olsen argued the amount of funding Radio Western currently receives is 308 per cent more than what they would receive if the fee students agreed to in 1979 was adjusted for inflation. Olsen also
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mentioned that including the $3 option on the ballot gives students more of a real choice. “I believe that students can make an informed decision after both sides have campaigned,” said Adam Khimji, social science councillor, in support of keeping the third $3 ballot option. However, many councillors, including president Tobi Solebo, spoke out against the $3 option, citing that it was too low of a figure
and that it would cripple the radio station’s current operations. Science councillor Grace Zhu argued that the benefits of Radio Western extend beyond radio broadcasting, which was what it started as, and includes digital broadcasting, student training and community partnerships. Several amendments were discussed throughout the debate period. Social science president Mitchell Pratt proposed an
amendment to change the decrease to $3 over three years option to $5 over five years. After a series of amendments and difficulties confirming the vote numbers, the $5 option and an amendment to add a fourth option of $7.47 passed. Therefore, the spring Radio Western referendum will have four options for students to choose between: the fee will either be $12.47 at status quo or a reduction to $10.50, $7.47 or $5 over five years.
Minimum wage hike may bump prices at Spoke, Wave GRACE TO NEWS EDITOR @GRACEKTOE
CROSSWORD SOLUTION Solution to puzzle on page 11
Ontario’s decision to increase minimum wage will have widespread effects — and the University Students’ Council is getting ready. In response to the Ontario government’s minimum wage spike, the USC is currently budget planning to determine what needs to be adjusted. The general minimum wage already increased from $11.40 to $11.60 per hour this past October. Legislation will raise the minimum wage to $14 per hour on Jan. 1, 2018 and again to $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2019. “We’ve already hired students for the year, so we’re going to try and not lose any,” said Tobi Solebo, USC president. The USC employs over 300 hourly workers, which includes 20 Purple Store employees, 51 parttime events crew members and 225 part-time students at The Spoke and the Wave. According to Solebo, these are the areas that the USC will be examining for the 2018–19 budget. Solebo acknowledged The Spoke as the most popular place for students to grab food and drinks on campus throughout the day. While the USC will aim to maintain The Spoke’s operating hours, Solebo said the Wave’s hours may have to be adjusted in order to cut down on operating costs. “Our goal is to maintain service quality and maintain our hours,” said Solebo. “There’s a certain amount of reliability that students get from knowing that from this time to this time, The Spoke will be open.” Similar to other business operations throughout the province, Solebo said the largest change might be reflected in new menu pricing.
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However, Solebo is hoping that The Spoke and the Wave will remain among the cheapest food options on campus for students. Fourth-year science student, Tyler Boulanger, said he frequents The Spoke about once a week and the Wave about once a month. He thinks that it would make sense that items will get more expensive with the minimum wage increase. “I feel like it’s pretty reasonably priced right now,” said Boulanger about The Spoke and the Wave menus. “[If prices increase], I would still be down, but obviously, they
have to be reasonable.” Currently, the USC is working on its 2018–19 budget with the minimum wage increase in mind. “We knew this was coming a little while ago,” said Solebo. “We have a plan in place to ensure that the USC will be in a strong position at the end of April.” Solebo further emphasized increasing the student fee will be the absolute last resort in reflecting the minimum wage increase. Instead, the USC will focus on introducing operational efficiencies to save money.
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Western ranked 19th nationally in percentage of international students
MARTIN ALLEN GAZETTE
TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE
LET’S HIT THE SCOPES. The Western Interdisciplinary Research Building as it stands on Nov. 30, 2017.
GRACE TO NEWS EDITOR @GRACEKTOE
Move to new building puts students’ research on hold MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @_MARTINALLEN Some Wester n Un iversit y researchers are putting their work on hold as their labs move to a new building. As of Nov. 25, researchers at the Brain and Mind Institute have vacated their laboratories and are waiting for their spots in the newly-constructed Western Interd iscipl i na r y Resea rch Building. Moving all the equipment is still underway, and they will be able to resume their research in the new building between Dec. 11 and 17. However, the move is throwing some researchers’ projects into limbo, and especially undergraduates. Vivian Huynh, a fourth-year medical sciences student, was in the midst of completing her thesis in the BMI and is now between facilities. She said many colleagues in her lab are worried about being able to complete their research on time for graduation. “I remember people were worried about graduating on time, and I thought, ‘am I going to finish on time?’ ” Huynh said. Students completing undergraduate thesis courses usually do so contiguously with a full course-load and must adhere to a packed timeline. With a start in September, a final presentation and paper is due in April, and data must be collected with enough time for its analysis. This means thesis students usually complete their data collection between November and February, analyzing it in February and March. Huynh learned of the move last semester, and consequently decided to stay in London over the summer to get ahead on her work. During the school year, she’s spent evenings and weekends in the lab to stay on track. On the other hand, many researchers in the facility are graduate students or post-graduate scholars, who usually research at Western for multiple years at a time and aren’t as affected by a
three-week disruption. Avital Sternin is an example: the PhD candidate in psychology at the BMI is also the graduate representative on the BMI’s steering committee, which has overseen much of the move. Sternin planned her research far in advance, and is doing work that doesn’t need her lab apparatus — like writing — during the closure. She has been holding meetings with researchers who have questions and requests about the move, many of whom she said were concerned about completing their research. She said in some cases, researchers have found space elsewhere on campus through their professional network. She also helped some psychology students find space in the Social Science Centre. While Huynh and her colleagues were uncertain about the impacts of the move, Sternin emphasized that mass-emails were sent to BMI members, and that town hall sessions were held to answer questions and address concerns. The most recent town hall was Nov. 17, eight days before the BMI closure. Ben Shapiro is a fourth-year neuroscience student and is also doing a thesis at the BMI. He said he learned of the move at the beginning of the year, and has condensed some of his work to compensate for it, but some of his research can also be completed in the Social Science Centre. He has not stayed after work on weekends, but suspects he might have to after the break. If BMI researchers have not made different arrangements, they will be in limbo for nearly three weeks — a quarter of the usual research time for an undergraduate thesis student. Huynh said that research in the BMI even leading up to the move has been more difficult as well, as many researchers who began their data collection in the BMI which is ideally finished it in those particular conditions; she said this created a rush for space and equipment in the Natural
Sciences Centre before the BMI closed. Melvyn Goodale, the BMI’s director, said that the WIRB provides an opportunity to increase the program’s collaboration with others. He added that many in the BMI were not in the main facility in the Natural Sciences Centre but spread throughout campus — the WIRB can now house most BMI members in one building. Huynh said she did not know why the move did not take place during summer months, as November and December are peak research times for thesis students, and added that data collection for many of her colleagues has fallen behind. But the move time was not so flexible, according to Goodale. “We wanted to move in as soon as possible,” he said. “It was more important not to leave an empty building standing for six months.” He added that the winter move time was known early in planning stages, and that moving earlier will help new the new tenants of the BMI’s space move in; the Provost’s office will determine who the new occupants are. Goodale said that early in the planning, the potential problems for undergraduate thesis students were kept in mind. So the undergraduate supervisors were cautioned that their students should complete as much of their data collection as possible before the closure. The moving process aside, BMI officials said they were very excited about the new facility. Goodale said he was delighted about a new facility that will unify much of the program. The Rotman Institute of Philosophy is also moving to the WIRB, and they hope to collaborate with the BMI more while in the same building. Huynh agreed it is a good prospect, but for future students. “It’s cool for the coming students, but I’m leaving next year and it won’t make a difference for me,” she said. “I feel like [my thesis] has been more anxiety-driven than exciting.”
While Western’s international student enrollment has ballooned in recent years, the university still has a way to go. On Nov. 27, Maclean’s released numbers on the Canadian universities with the most international students. Out of 49 schools, Western University ranked 19th in total percentage of first-year international students, with 11.5 per cent. Western ranked 25th in terms of international graduate students, with 22.3 per cent. While Western ranked 19th nationally, its own enrolment of first-year international students has quadrupled since 2009. Western’s proportion of first-year international students was 2.4 per cent in 2009/10, and it was up to 11.4 per cent in 2016/17. Today, most of Western’s international students are from China, India, South Korea, the United States, Pakistan and Syria. Western’s president Amit Cha k ma has spea rheaded Western’s international student recruitment. Going forward, the university is focused on continuing to internationalize Canada’s student experience and become a global university, as outlined in the 2014 international strategy plan. Carolyn Ford, director of international undergraduate recruitment at Western, explained that the university has marketed its programs and services using many different channels, such as fairs and social media. Ford said Western is aiming to reach 15 per cent undergraduate international student enrollment by 2020. Ford added rankings cannot
adequately ref lect the experience that international students are receiving in post-secondary institutions. “Western truly aims to deliver an international experience to our Canadian students and an authentically Canadian experience to our international students,” said Ford in an email. “The level of welcome and support to international students is not a number that can be measured solely by the number of students enrolled or percentage of the student body.” To expand Western’s international profile, Ford said the university is hosting the 2019 annual conference of the International Association for College Admissions Counselling. She said compared to the past, Western is offering more resources and support for international students. For example, enrolment at Western’s English language centre is its highest-ever this year. “[Western] is known for being a really inclusive environment,” said Matthew Bazely, director of the Western English Language Centre. “Parents like the fact that London is a smaller city and that there is a high level of safety for their children to study here, but the students love it because we’re close to Toronto. When they need to go shopping or have a craving for some kind of food, Toronto’s not so far away.” According to an International DP Education report, Canada has become one of the most popular study destinations for international students. As a nation that value diversity and multiculturalism, Canada is also known to be a safe, politically stable and friendly environment.
SOURCE: MACLEAN’S
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Enough with the citation fixation Filthy Rich RICHARD JOSEPH OPINIONS EDITOR @RJATGAZETTE It’s two in the morning. Fuelled by Redbull, coffee and fear, you’ve cranked out another brutal essay for the morning deadline. You pull together some vague, sweeping generalizations for a conclusion, and you think you’re done — but you realize, with a sinking heart, that you still have the dreaded “Works Cited” page left to go. Depending on your program, your subject and the whims of your instructor, you might be using APA, AMA, MLA, Chicago, CSE/ NLM, ICMJE or whatever ungodly acronym is currently in vogue. Oh, and they might change each year, so you’ll have to make sure you’re using the eighth edition of the MLA handbook rather than the seventh. Also, they might make mistakes and then issue corrections to the first printing of each edition. Many North American universities are fanatically focused on the formatting and citation of essays, at the expense of other aspects of writing, like, I don’t know, content? Your argument? To be clear, it’s important to have a consistent documentation style in academic writing, but remember this is a means to an end: format is a way to organize text, and citation is a way to attribute sources. Documentation should be a simple process, not one that requires a three-hour seminar for every discipline. One problem is that the whole body of work around citation style is a bewildering mess of pedantry. Each discipline has their own style, and many of these styles have ridiculously exacting specifications for every tiny detail. About a third of my essay-writing time is spent consulting the latest edition of the MLA guide: how do I cite a Tweet? Which titles have quotation marks, and which ones
are italicized? What if I want to cite two works by three authors, one of which is in a compilation edited by his mother-in-law? It’s not just students, either — many professors are sick of the arbitrary, ever-changing minutiae of citation style. Professor Kurt Schick, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, writes of “citation obsession.” “What a colossal waste. Citation style remains the most arbitrary, formulaic and prescriptive element of academic writing taught in American high schools and colleges,” writes Schick. “Now a sacred academic shibboleth, citation persists despite the incredibly high cost-benefit ratio of trying to teach students something they (and we should also) recognize as relatively useless to them as developing writers.” None of this would be an issue if citation style was left to fester in its own elitist circles, but it’s pervasive, especially in the humanities. I’ve lost marks because I didn’t indent a Works Cited page exactly, a matter of about an inch. I’ve lost marks because, apparently, the first page of an essay in MLA format is not supposed to have a number on it — but the rest of them are. Which brings me to the larger issue, which is that citation style, despite its arbitrariness and complexity, is emphasized in university just as much as the actual content and style of your writing. It’s positively outlandish, this fanatical devotion to jumping through dumb hoops, when you consider that a disturbing proportion of university students can’t write a coherent sentence. In fact, we’ve arrived at a bizarre universe where writing style — that is, the clear, communicable way of expressing ideas — is seen as an nice little bonus, and the formatting of a Works Cited page is seen as absolutely essential. Too much teaching, class time and content are dedicated to teaching this arbitrary drivel as if it were gospel. Let’s dispense with the citation fixation and start getting fixated on communicating ideas coherently. Isn’t that why we’re at university?
LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE
Why you should care about 40 Ontario newspapers closing BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD Media giants Postmedia and Torstar are set to shut down 40 local newspaper in southwestern Ontario — and students should care. Canadians, at large, need to care. The move will cut close to 300 jobs and result in cost savings for Torstar of between $5 and $7 million. Paul Godfrey, Postmedia chair, said most of the papers closing no longer have viable business models. And it’s true. Print advertising revenue will not rebound; the decisions, however grim, make business sense. But this is far from a run-of-the-mill transaction between two Canadian conglomerates — the disappearance of small, Canadian newspapers speaks to a growing rot in our society. Students, surely, will not miss pen-and-ink dailies — we don’t read them, but whether we realize it or not, we will leave Western University and walk into a world where public relations specialists outnumber journalists four to one in Canada. And that was in 2014. Small towns in Ontario, such as St. Marys and Stittsville, will have less news going forward. There will be fewer journalists reporting on city hall meetings, writing community stories or conducting investigations. People may argue that not much happens in small towns, but both Brampton, Ont. and London are examples of the contrary. For example, The Brampton Guardian revealed the mayor spent over $186,000 of public funds inappropriately by claiming flight upgrades and private language lessons. Similarly, London mayor Joe Fontana was charged with fraud in 2014. As a Globe and Mail article pointed out, Ontario’s growing cities face a lack of accountability in local governments. As the number of journalists dwin-
dles, this problem will likely only get worse. Newspapers allow small communities to tell stories about themselves. Hyper-local reporting may seem trite and trivial to students from urban centres, but stories about dognapping and fair winners help build community. Journalists help people foster conversations and exchange ideas. In it’s best form, journalism helps communities celebrate the good times and talk about the bad ones. Through pain-staking analysis, journalists can help people make sense of the world around them. Many hometown papers aren’t perfect, but in a sea of information, it helps to have a guide from your own neck of the woods. We won’t pretend we know what the solution is. Nobody does, and that’s the problem. Many suggest a massive migration to online-only is the answer. However, between 2004 and 2014, newspapers lost $30 billion in print revenue. At the same time, they only gained $2 billion in digital revenue. There’s simply not enough money in digital advertising alone to sustain a robust newsroom. Some are arguing it’s time for government intervention. After all, far from a simple product, substantive, diverse information is key to a healthy democracy. In Canada, the federal government hired a think-tank called the Public Policy Forum to suggest policies in support of Canadian journalism during a period of digital disruption and layoffs. The coming decades will reveal a lot about the Canadian media industry — whether it’s going through a period of disruption, reduction or otherwise. Time will also reveal what we value as a society. As American scholar Robert Picard argued, perhaps we were fooling ourselves into thinking hearty news organizations were the norm rather than the historic exception. We hope not.
Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors or staff. To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Contact.”
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Campus media important for transparency and democracy Around a year ago, I was scrolling through a certain Western University-related anonymous Facebook page, and something caught my attention. A poster had taken a picture of the athletics museum in Alumni Hall. “Why do we have this stupid museum anyway? No one visits it. It would be so much better if we just turned it into a Tim Hortons,” the caption read. In the comments, a student senator appeared to question why we even have varsity athletics at Western in the first place. If you’re not an athlete, why should you subsidize those students who are? I’ve been involved with campus media for seven years, so I’m familiar with this line of questioning. Often, we are the subject of it. My time at Western is coming to an end after almost a decade. The
best part about being on campus was telling the stories of the many involved and engaged students, determined athletes and faculty members who were so eager to share their ideas and research. Thankfully, I’ve also met many University Students’ Council politicians who understand why students in campus media find it important to tell these stories to the Western community. But I’ve spoken to some who don’t or who at least claim they don’t. For that reason, I’d like to argue why I think Western needs a strong, independent campus media that can feel confident telling Western stories. Further, I’d argue that an informed community, even if it’s small, benefits all students. The role and size of student-funded media and institutions on campus is a debate I want to encourage. On that note, I can’t understand the argument, often
spouted at council meetings, that these services should operate as if they are for-profit. Chase clicks, views and ratings — because the foundation of this proposal is that what’s popular is the same as what’s important. Sometimes, but the relationship isn’t anything close to a direct correlation. Just over a quarter of students voted in the last USC election. Does that make it trivial? Does that make it unworthy of media coverage? Of course not — those elected assumed leadership over a student government with a multi-million dollar budget. Well under half of the student body read stories about the USC, but it’s important for transparency, accountability and democracy across campus that at least some students do. If maximum ratings, views and clicks were the goal for publicly-funded student media, such
reporting would seldom happen. It would be replaced by an endless number of inflammatory pieces addressing “political correctness”, solicited op-eds on the IsraelPalestine conflict and clickbait. Everyone hates clickbait, and that’s great — what scares me as a media professional is that more often than not it achieves its goal. It’s worth asking whether campus media, or any public media, should even have that goal in the first place. But campus media is more than just a source of crucial information — it’s a training ground for the journalists of the future. Journalism school doesn’t offer this dual benefit, since many assignments aren’t published or broadcasted anywhere. We don’t have an undergraduate journalism program. In spite of that, Western counts among its alumni Canada’s top reporters, broadcasters and commentators. These are
journalists who expose political corruption, who report from dangerous war zones and who interview the world’s most powerful people. What prepared them for that? They’ve made it known that Western’s tradition of having well-supported campus media was the biggest factor because that’s where they got their start. Now, as I depart from my alma mater, I fear that tradition is under threat. I fear a campus in which the only place to get answers about USC affairs is the USC itself, and the only entity reporting on the administration is its own public relations team. You won’t always like it, but please, Western, support campus media. It’s too important to lose. RICHARD RAYCRAFT Raycraft was the managing editor at the Gazette for Volume 108. He currently works at CHRW/Radio Western.
• www.westerngazette.ca
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017 • 7
sports
Mustangs midseason highlights
CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE
The fall semester has now wrapped up for most Western Mustangs teams. The last few months have been eventful, with seven national championships and a host of provincial titles won by Western University across the various varsity sports.
To look back on the season that was, here are some of the best moments from the last three months of Mustangs sports.
SOFTBALL TAKES GOLD AFTER WEEK-LONG RAIN DELAY
FOOTBALL WINS VANIER CUP The 2017 Mustangs football squad has been called the best in the school’s history, and that’s not an outrageous statement. The dominance of their perfect 12–0 season cannot be understated, and their 39–17 win over the Laval Rouge et Or in the Vanier Cup final is one hell of a cherry on top. It’s not just the fact that Western won their first national football title in 23 years; it’s that they looked like they hardly broke a sweat doing so. Greg Marshall’s first cup as a head coach was certainly a special one. That game in Hamilton — and the team’s whole season
Western’s softball team is used to winning provincial championships but probably not in the way they did it this year. They claimed their eighth straight Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association title by beating the Laurier Golden Hawks 1–0 in the gold medal game. What made this year’s win special, though, was that it took a week for it to be resolved. The game’s first pitch was thrown on Oct. 15, and it ended Oct. 22. Thanks to torrential rain arriving in the fifth inning, the final was postponed on its original date with the score 0–0. When the Mustangs and Golden Hawks met again a week later, at a neutral site in Hickson, Ont., they had just two innings left
LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE
— is unequivocally the biggest highlight of 2017 for Mustangs sports.
WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFEATS LAVAL IN U SPORTS QUARTER-FINAL The women’s soccer team climbed up the Ontario University Athletics standings this season by suffocating teams defensively and squeaking out low-scoring wins. So, it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise when they won their first game at the U Sports championships by a score of 1–0 (their ninth victory by that same margin in 2017). Still, not many people would’ve fancied the Mustangs’ chances heading into their quarterfinal against Laval University, the defending national champions and the tournament’s topranked team. Yet, Western managed to pull out one of their gutsiest performances of the year. Western’s defence stayed strong all game, withstanding 14 shots from Laval (while the
MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE
to score a run. Western came out on top in the intense do-or-die second meeting; Briar Balas drove in Emma Murray for the run they needed, and MVP pitcher Rachael Jacques was almost perfect on the mound.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE RECLAIMS PROVINCIAL TITLE Western University has long boasted one of the top women’s lacrosse programs in Ontario, and their championship record can prove it. They won five OUA banners from 2011 to 2015. Last year, though, things were a little more complicated. When the Trent Excalibur were given the 2016 Patterson Cup despite a major scoring error, the Mustangs were heartbroken. Now, they’ve set things right again. Western lost just one game in the regular season, and they reclaimed their trophy in the gold medal game by beating the Queen’s Gaels 9–7.
LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE
Mustangs had just three). Kendra Marlatt finally broke the deadlock in the 85th minute to secure the upset. Although the Mustangs lost their next two games at the U Sports tournament, their opening-day win was an incredible moment.
COURTESY OF WAYNE TAKEUCHI
All is well again in the world of OUA women’s lacrosse; the Mustangs are once again champions, as they should be.
Leaving Weldon Library Dec. 9 th–14 th Oxf ord
Sarnia Rd.
St. James St.
Farrah Rd.
Talbot St.
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1:00am • 1:30am • 2:00am • 2:30am 3:00am • 3:30am • 4:00am • 4:30am THE HOURS OF SERVICE AS FOLLOWS: December 9-14, from 1:00am to 4:30am
n Rd .
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University Dr.
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Huron St. Regent St.
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A late night Shuttle Service is being provided by the USC offering students a safe way to get home. Starting December 9 to 14, Robert Q Shuttle Busses will be departing from Oxford Drive (in front of the UCC Building.)
www.westerngazette.ca
8 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017
sports
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‘How We Did It’ review
LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE Eriq Jenkins moves to pass the ball in a game against the Laurentian Voyageurs on Dec. 1, 2017.
Men’s basketball ends 2017 with tough weekend MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEDBOER The Western Mustangs men’s basketball team had a perfect opportunity to end off the 2017 calendar year on a high note, as the Laurentian Voyageurs and Nipissing Lakers came to London for a pair of weekend games. Despite hard-fought efforts in both games, the Mustangs fell back below the .500 mark with their 80–74 loss to Laurentian University followed by an 88–83 loss to Nipissing University. In both losses the Mustangs showed how far they’ve come since the struggles of last season. They traded buckets with the 8–1 Voyageurs and led by double digits against the 5–4 Lakers. However, the Mustangs are also defensively deficient and inconsistent in their late-game execution. On Friday night the Mustangs were unable to shut down Laurentian’s Kadre Gray, the leading scorer in the OUA. Gray scored a game-high 24 points, while David Aromolaran and Anthony Iacoe scored 17 and 16 points respectively. The Mustangs were led by 19 points from Omar Shiddo and 14 points from Eriq Jenkins. However, giving up 80 points and losing the rebounding battle 41–23 was too much for Western University to overcome. “Our defence is important to us; we have to keep scores down. If we give up 80 it’s probably going to be difficult for us to score in the 80s,” said
Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell. “I think as part of that, we didn’t do a great job containing Gray and Armolaran in transition and keeping them off their strong hand.” Saturday saw more of the same for Campbell’s squad. While the Mustangs only trailed 44–42 at the half, a fourth quarter run by the Lakers led to a seven-point Nipissing lead that the Mustangs couldn’t overcome. It was another heartbreaking loss, showing that, while the Mustangs have come a long way, they still have a long way to go. “When you’ve got games like that, every possession matters throughout the whole game but especially in the fourth quarter,” said Campbell. “We had some good layup opportunities and just can’t convert. As a result, some of those layups that we missed they went back in transition the other way, and they scored layups, so they’re kind of four point plays in a sense.” Jenkins led the Mustangs with 24 points on Saturday, while Marko Kovac added 14 points. The Mustangs also dominated the turnover battle, forcing 24 turnovers while only giving the ball up nine times. It was a tough weekend for a team still searching for their identity. Some nights they’re a defensive stalwart. This weekend they’ve emerged as an offensive efficient unit but also put up two of their worst defensive performances of the season. The Mustangs now have a month until the 2018 stretch of the season. They still sit second in the OUA West Division.
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CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE It’s the age-old Canadian dream: your kid straps on skates soon after they learn to walk, and before you know it, they’re in the National Hockey League. That happened for Karl Subban and his children — three of them, in fact. P. K., Malcolm and Jordan are now all professional hockey players, signed by the Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks respectively. Raising just one NHLer is an impressive feat for any parent, no less a parent who didn’t even grow up in Canada. Such a feat was so great that Subban wrote a book about it. In tandem with his co-writer, Gazette alumnus and current Toronto Star opinions editor Scott Colby, Subban tells his story of growing up in Jamaica, moving to Canada and raising his five children in How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life. “We both thought Karl had such
an interesting life that he needed to write a book about it,” Colby says. Although people might be drawn to How We Did It because of its connection to the game of hockey, it’s not exactly a book about the sport. A lot of it relates to how Subban and his wife, Maria, pushed their three sons and two daughters — Nastassia and Natasha, both now teachers — to get to where they are now. How We Did It may be primarily aimed at hockey parents, but Colby believes the message is universal. Even university students, he says, can learn a thing or two about commitment and perseverance as they prepare to step out into the real world. “This book isn’t just a hockey book. It’s so much more,” says Colby. “It’s a story of an immigrant, a story about parenting, about coaching, about teaching.” After an introductory chapter, the book begins with Subban’s childhood in Portland Cottage, Jamaica. These early chapters are imbued with snippets of his life — recipes for chicken back, anecdotes of his
school days and pieces of wisdom passed down from his family. From there, Subban describes his move to Sudbury, Ont. and his experience as a newcomer to Canada. He was a star basketball player at Lakehead University, where he first met Colby, and later a school principal in Toronto. Subban’s favourite word to use when explaining how he did it is potential. “The most important thing from the book for me is that I want people to really believe in their potential,” Subban says. “That’s why I wrote the book.” “If you make time to do your work, and you use the people around you to do your work better, you’ll do just fine.” The book is full of snapshots of Subban’s philosophy in action. In one chapter, he explains his middle son Malcolm’s switch from being a defenceman to a goaltender. At eight years old, Malcolm wasn’t happy playing defence, despite being extremely talented. It wasn’t until his sister Nastassia told their father that Malcolm wanted to be a goalie that he was allowed to make the switch. “I saw Malcolm only from the outside and had not yet connected the dots,” writes Subban. “I knew what I wanted for Malcolm, but I did not know what Malcolm wanted for Malcolm.” Today, Malcolm has four wins in his first season with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Subban brothers may still be chasing their dreams of winning the Stanley Cup — P.K. came closest last spring with Nashville — but How We Did It reveals just how far Karl and his family have already come.
Women’s basketball team could be a threat in 2018 MICHAEL MARTI CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE The Western Mustangs women’s basketball team currently has a 6–5 record, good enough for fifth in the West division. They are in a good position to move up in the standings heading into the second half of the season. They will carry a two-game winning streak into the new year after sweeping their weekend series. The Mustangs beat Laurentian University 78–74 and Nipissing University 58–42 on Dec. 1 and 2, respectively. The team was able to come away with consecutive victories due to strong fourth quarters. According to head coach, Brian Cheng, part of their fourth-quarter strength came from feeding off a high-energy home crowd. The energetic crowd at Alumni Hall will be critical for the Mustangs when they open 2018 with a fivegame home stand. They have only lost one game at home so far. “The travel definitely puts a toll on our bodies,” said guard Maddy Horst. “I think having those games and having the home support will hopefully help us.” In addition, the team has also had several rookies playing important minutes and finding success on the court. Cheng praised the team’s younger players after the win against the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday. “[Kamba] has earned her opportunities early, and she just keeps
JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE Maddy Horst (4) passes the ball to Deborah Kamba (21) in a game against the Laurentian Voyageurs on Dec. 1 at Alumni Hall.
getting better as the season goes on,” said Cheng. “One thing that I can count on with [Johnson] ... she’s always ready to go, and she’s always showing us something.” The winter break comes at an ideal time for Cheng. He sees it as an opportunity to work on the team’s flaws. One of the problems for the Mustangs is long-range shooting. They currently sit ninth in three-point percentage in the Ontario University Athletics standings, making 26.2 per cent of their three-pointers. In the game against Nipissing, the Lakers employed a zone defence. The Mustangs struggled against this and went 4–16 from behind the line. This problem is a mental one, according to Horst. “I think the thing that’s hard for us is the mentality that you’ve just
got to keep shooting,” said Horst. “If teams are continuing to put us into zones, we’ve got to be ready for that and make sure that we’re prepared to shoot those shots.” Another problem that the Mustangs have had this season is rebounding. The team currently has a rebounding margin of -1.4. However, the team out-rebounded their last two opponents by a combined margin of 17. This shows an improvement from earlier in the season. “We’re working hard, the girls understand what we need to do to move from storming, to norming and eventually performing,” said Cheng. The second half of the season starts on Jan. 5 with a home game against Wilfred Laurier University.
• www.westerngazette.ca
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017 • 9
culture
Places to volunteer in London this holiday season GIULIA TATANGELO CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE December is here: thoughts of final exams, gift ideas for loved ones and the sweet release of academic deadlines fill students’ heads. Soon enough, everyone will be stuffing their faces with mom’s homecooked meals instead of Centre Spot grub. But with lighter course loads over the holidays comes an opportunity to give back to the community. While your main focus this month may be to finish the semester and get out of here, take some time and help out those in need in London. The following is a list of organizations that need help, especially around the holiday season. So grab your friends, roommates and family members, pick an organization or two and give this year-end season a greater reason. LONDON FOOD BANK Running for 31 years now, the London Food Bank collects food to redistribute within the London community. With your donations, the organization can assist those struggling to make ends meet and can act as a food warehouse to provide for those needing assistance. You can help in three different ways: food, time or money. Got some extra cans of food laying around or, better yet, a party coming up? Have each guest bring a non-perishable good. Afterwards, you can drop them off at the food bank located at 926 Leathorne St. If you are unable to deliver goods, you can contact them to organize a food pick-up at your convenience. LONDON HUMANE SOCIETY Helping out at the humane society isn’t only a treat for the furry creatures: it’s also for you. Sign up this December for some weekly dog
walking, cat socializing or rabbit care. Feeling a little artsy? Why not help out with sewing and knitting events to make gifts for pets? Complete an application form found on their website today to get started. ARGYLE MALL ANGEL TREE In support of The Salvation Army, Argyle Mall has set up their Angel Tree again this year in an effort to collect toys for boys and girls. This program is different from the others in that it allows you to choose the age and gender of the child you are buying the gift for. You can visit the mall and select your angel during regular mall hours. For more information, contact the Argyle Mall customer service office at 519-451-5380. BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area is looking for volunteers in December for holiday gift-wrapping at Masonville Place. Volunteers can donate their time in threehour shifts during mall hours on Saturdays and Sundays. All proceeds from the gift-wrapping go directly to the London branch of the Big Sisters program. For more information, contact malorie@bigsisters.org. TOYS FOR TOTS We all have some stuffed animals or action figures lying around that deserve a second life in a new home. Take some time this holiday season to do some early spring cleaning and donate toys that are lying around. From the beginning of the month to Dec. 23, Toys for Tots (located at 19 Becher St.), will be collecting your lightly used toys and accepting new ones. You even have the opportunity to help sort and pack the toys and deliver them to the new homes they will be going to.
SISSI CHEN GAZETTE
A holiday guide to buying gifts when in a relationship GIULIA TATANGELO CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE This time of the year can be awfully stressful for new relationships. For some, gift giving is quite crucial in that it sets the tone for the holidays to follow — it’s like an art. The goal is to let your significant other know they are special and not to have them run away from you, back to Tinder, with a fear of commitment. Gift giving at particular stages of the relationship varies — but don’t fret, we broke it down for you in this gift-giving-101 guide. ONE MONTH Chances are you don’t even know their shoe size at this stage, so you don’t want to scare them off with the pressures of gift giving. Your best bet is to stick with a card and maybe a food treat — candy canes or homebaked cookies. Write a little blurb on the card, and you’re sure to make it to two months. FOUR MONTHS This stage of your relationship is
more serious than you think. You are either making it or calling it quits at this point — your free trial is nearing its end date. Don’t screw it up; play it safe with a fun gift. This tells your partner that, again, there is no pressure in gift giving, but they mean more to you than a Spoke bagel. Opt for something you may have an inside joke about or something that may be their favourite: a Starbucks personalized mug with their favourite tea or coffee, a gift card to their favourite store, a gift basket comprised of their favourite alcohol beverages or play it safe with a cozy sweater. Spend under $50 and, when in doubt, plan a nice outing, like a dinner or a night out on the ice rink. SIX MONTHS Congratulations, you have made it to half a year. Odds are you are at the peak of the honeymoon stage. This includes being extremely comfortable with one another. Nicknames like Boo Bear have a place in your relationship now, and you can’t keep your filthy animal-hands off each
other. This is the time you hit them with that sappy, heartstring-pulling gift. Depending on your budget, try not to exceed the $100 mark. Chances are you are familiar with their clothing sizes at this point, so clothes, jewelry and outerwear attire are great ideas. MORE THAN ONE YEAR You shouldn’t need our help at this point, but in case you do, this is the time for an object that symbolizes commitment or for a potential weekend getaway. One year is a milestone. Why not commemorate it with a watch or a necklace? If this is too commitment heavy for you, plan a nice weekend, as your budget allows, and enjoy the Christmas market or head to Blue Mountain for a day on the slopes. No material object can compete with quality time. Keep in mind this is just a guide. Every relationship is different and proceeds at its own pace; you’ll know better than us what your loved one would prefer.
have your say
Eat, drink and be merry The Gazette asked students what their plans are over the holidays.
Spencer Cook
Khalid Askar
Karima Alibhai
Amanda Wu
Seth Kadish
SECOND-YEAR MEDICAL BIOPHYSICS
THIRD-YEAR ENGINEERING
FIRST-YEAR SOCIAL SCIENCES
SECOND-YEAR HEALTH SCIENCES
SECOND-YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT
“I celebrate Christmas. Usually, I just spend most of my time with friends and family.”
“I’m going to Miami over the winter break. I’m going to rent a couple of nice cars. My friend is coming with me.”
“I honestly don’t know: probably a lot of sleeping, probably should find a job.”
“On the 25th, we usually go to my grandparents and have dinner.”
“I’m just celebrating the holidays, celebrating that there’s no school.”
“I’m going to Vancouver to visit my sister. I’m an international student, and I’m excited to see how Christmas is celebrated in Canada.”
“Over the holidays, there’ll be a lot of programming — like candle lighting on Concrete Beach. There’s a Western Hillel event at The Beaver Dam where you can eat latkes and lots of oily food for Hanukkah.”
“I don’t celebrate specific holidays. I’m from Uganda, so normally during the holidays, we like exploring Uganda. We like going to the beaches or the islands or even neighbouring countries.”
“[I celebrate with] family dinners, watching movies. On New Years I watch fireworks.”
“My favourite part about the holidays is the light and warmth. It’s really nice to get your friends and family together to light candles and sing songs.”
www.westerngazette.ca
10 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017
culture
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Western students launch charity to feed homeless
COURTESY OF TOKEN MOBILE
Alumnus’s startup app rethinks ticket purchasing VIVIAN CHENG CULTURE EDITOR @VIVIANCHENG20 Students who frequently attend food festivals or music events spend a lot of time idly waiting in line for drink, food and concert tickets, but one startup app is attempting to alleviate those lengthy wait times. Western University alumnus Bill Gasky designed Token Mobile Solutions Inc. to revamp the event industry. Token Mobile is a payment app that replaces physical tickets with mobile ones and allows users to pay for purchases with their phone. The app can be used to purchase event-specific tickets at certain events that choose to partner with Token Mobile. Events like the Ever After Music Festival, the Toronto Craft Beer Festival, the Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show and the I Heart Beer Festival in London have all partnered with Token Mobile in the past. Gasky says the app is similar to one called BeerMe. BeerMe is another payment app that partners with certain bars and clubs in the United States to allow users to skip the line and order drinks on their phone. In the food industry, individuals can use apps to skip lineups. Chains like Starbucks have taken
advantage of these apps. However, he says “The event industry hasn’t moved to mobility as quickly as other industries.” Gasky notes that there’s inefficiencies within events, specifically with check-ins, lineups and ATM fees. That’s why Token Mobile allows people to pay vendors with mobile tickets. The app only works for events it partners with. The app also provides users with exclusive offers, discounts and contests. The app sends out weather alerts during events and also allows users to see when specific events are running. “We would be open to supporting all events at Western and the London area that want to enhance their mobile experience and connect with their fans in a new way,” says Gasky. Token Mobile is free to download. According to their website, unused tokens will be refunded to the card used at the time of purchase after the end of the event. Currently, in it’s soft launch phase, the app’s viability is being assessed by Gasky and his team for events in southern Ontario. With apps like Token Mobile and BeerMe, students can save time waiting in line and spend more time enjoying the event.
JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE The co-founders of Hashtag Lunchbag London. Jackie Tsang (left) and Yousuf Ahmed (right).
VIVIAN CHENG CULTURE EDITOR @VIVIANCHENG20 After learning about the homelessness problem in London, two Western University students decided to tackle the problem head-on. Fourth-year medical sciences student Yousuf Ahmed and fourthyear biology student Jackie Tsang decided to start a non-profit charity called Hashtag Lunchbag London to donate lunch bags with food to people facing homelessness. On Nov. 22, Hashtag Lunchbag London donated over 600 lunch bags to different homeless shelters and charities in London as part of their cultural clubs event. “The cultural clubs event aims to celebrate diversity while bringing people together for a greater cause,” says Ahmed. The charity’s goal is to encourage students and locals to come together and pack lunch bags for people facing homelessness. After packing the lunch bags, Tsang says the volunteers go out in the community and deliver them to different shelters.
The two began their project in 2015. Tsang notes that they began their project because they learned London had a high number of people facing homelessness per capita. After two years, the charity has donated to all seven of London’s homeless shelters. Some of these shelters include the Rotholme Women’s & Family Shelter, the Unity Project For Relief of Homelessness in London and The Salvation Army. The charity hosts two to three lunch-bag-making events per year. Tsang says the lunch bag assembly process typically happens on or near campus, making it accessible to students. The charity gets their food from various grocery stores in London. Volunteers who want to contribute pay $10 to cover some of the costs. “[Students should get involved] because it’s lot of fun. Although it’s volunteering, you feel like you’re hanging out. At our lunch bag packing events, we have a DJ and a photo booth,” says Tsang. Student volunteers also decorate the lunch bags and write kind
messages in them. Tsang hopes that these lunch bags will not only provide sustenance for individuals facing homelessness but remind them that they matter. “There’s a lot of apathy surrounding the issue of homelessness. When you walk downtown, you often see that these people are overlooked, but they’re human beings who may be going through a tough time,” says Tsang. “So these lunch bags hopefully offer a pick-me-up to them and remind them they’re important.”
There’s a lot of apathy surrounding the issue of homelessness. When you walk downtown, you often see that these people are overlooked, but they’re human beings who may be going through a tough time. JACKIE TSANG FOURTH-YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT AND CO-CREATOR OF HASHTAG LUNCHBAG LONDON
Serena Ryder coming to London Music Hall NICK SOKIC CULTURE EDITOR @NICKATGAZETTE
COURTESY OF JIMMY FONTAINE
For many musicians, a five-year gap between record releases is rare and is seen as an an extended vacation away from the constant pressures of the industry. For Serena Ryder, the five years between 2012’s Harmony and 2017’s Utopia was far from a vacation. After touring in support of the former album for three years, Ryder moved to Los Angeles for a break. Only, her art had other plans. “I was so inspired by L.A. and the history, the people out there,” says Ryder. “I wrote for a good two years and about a hundred songs.” Utopia and the extended play Electric Love, released on the same day, were the results. As part of her latest tour, Ryder will stop by London Music Hall on Dec. 12. The process of whittling down her new repertoire of songs to an acceptable album length was particularly difficult for the
Canadian singer, who initially thought about the possibility of a three-disc album. She also spoke about the importance of a physical release in today’s digital age. “These days people are just putting out singles or mix tapes; people don’t even make records anymore. I’m kind of old school. I always pictured it coming out of an actual album because it was such a long time [writing].” This old-school approach speaks to Ryder’s sensibilities. Some of her main influences include Nina Simone, Etta James, The Beatles and Paul Simon’s Graceland. Despite the deluge of new music, she always returns to the music of her youth. She describes Utopia as a record about “having love in your life and not having love in your life.” For her London show, Ryder speaks highly of the city and its musical tastes. “I think people in London have a really great sense of music; a lot of people stop through here.”
She also praises her openers, Calgary-bred indie folk group Rueben and the Dark. Having them on the road adds a family feel to the tour. The aftermath of her current tour won’t leave Ryder in the same state of exhaustion as the previous one. In January she will begin work on a Christmas album with legendary producer Bob Ezrin, who was behind Pink Floyd’s The Wall, among many other records. The Christmas album also draws from her typical influences in jazz like Simone and Ella Fitzgerald. In February, she’s going on a three-week tour before starting work on a proper followup to Utopia. After a five-year gap, Ryder shows no signs of slowing down. She’s also in the midst of building a recording studio in downtown Toronto. Serena Ryder’s show will take place at the London Music Hall on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. You can purchase tickets online. The show is for all ages.
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017 • 11
culture
‘Symposium’ and ‘Semicolon’ celebrate student works AMY SKODAK CULTURE EDITOR @AMYSKODAK
JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE
‘Making a Murderer’ lawyers visit McKellar Room NICK SOKIC CULTURE EDITOR @NICKATGAZETTE Steven Avery, the subject of the Netflix series space Making a Murderer, was presumed guilty. Even now, he sits in prison, accused of a murder he may or may not have committed. When the presumption of guilt is so heavy, why defend him at all? Why defend anyone whose innocence seems suspect? Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, the criminal defence lawyers who were featured heavily in the show as Avery’s defendants, were at Western University on Nov. 30 to discuss these same questions in a lecture entitled “Justice and the Defence of the Accused.” For Strang, the issues surrounding Avery’s case, and others like it, come down to a question he’s often confronted with: “How can you defend those people?” “This is never put to you as, ‘how can you defend our people?’” says Strang. “Alienation, a need to assign status as ‘the other’ to the criminal accused, is intrinsic to the question.” Strang said the general public considers themselves to be different from these high-profile criminals, and he addressed that hypocrisy. “Some law breaking is near universal in societies,” he said. “How many of you have smoked pot? Tried
cocaine? Shared that with a friend? Now you’re in felony territory.” Strang goes on to ask what the original question reveals about us as a society. Are we the kind of people that believe violations of power by police are foundational or simply an unfortunate, necessary price to pay? His talk ended with another question: “Will we at least get to a point where we can restate the question to be something like, ‘How can I not defend these people?’” His colleague, Jerry Buting, took the podium next. His discussion differed in that he discussed another similar case to Avery’s — that of Ralph Armstrong. While Buting never worked on this case, Armstrong’s situation was of wrongful imprisonment for murder for 28 years. He was freed on the discovery of new evidence that a prosecutor had willfully withheld years earlier. “These cases illustrate how difficult it is to get the presumption of innocence once you’re charged with a high-profile case,” says Buting. Buting also reminded the audience that, due to his profession, he sees the accused as more than just the crime. The crime with which they are charged is not a complete portrait of them as a human being. It’s more like a snapshot. Points like this were reiterated tthroughout entire lecture.
The Symposium and Semicolon fall launch party brought students together at McIntosh Gallery on Friday night for a celebration of the languages and visual arts. Both Symposium and Semicolon are bi-annual magazines produced by the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council. Symposium features Western University students’poetry and art while Semicolon features academic essays. The event was a small but intimate gathering.The inclusive nature of the visitors and students spoke to something more than just an opportunity to showcase published works: the event was a chance for students to come together, express themselves and temporarily escape the stress of final-exam season. Along with the publications on display, the launch party featured a series of spoken word artists, musical performances and an open mic. Third-year media, theory and production student, Marissa Racco, came to support her roommate Megan Levine. Racco appreciates those who share their creative works, especially seeing what an emotional outlet writing is for Levine. “It comes from such a place of truth and vulnerability,” Racco said. “It’s just so courageous for someone to put themselves out there like that.” Levine said her faculty soph in first year prompted her to get involved with Symposium and with the Arts and Humanities Students’
Council Publications Team. The now third-year English and creative writing student hopes others will take the chance to showcase their work. Symposium and Semicolon editor-in-chief, Areesa Kanji, noted that artists and writers may not always get the chance to showcase their talents or may not feel comfortable doing so. But events like Friday’s launch party allow students to experiment with exposure. Many students took advantage of the opportunity, with many spoken word artists and musicians performing at the open mic. Second-year creative writing student, James Gagnon, gave a passionate delivery of his poem, “Well, okay” that spoke to the raw emotion behind heartbreak and mental well-being. It was Gagnon’s first time getting involved with Symposium, and he plans on contributing again. Second-year English and creative writing student, Danielle Dam also submitted to Symposium for her first
time with a poem about “musings on Oscar Wilde.” Dam said much of her inspiration comes from classical writers like Wilde, Orwell and Shakespeare. “I try not to replicate them, but to draw inspiration from them,” she explained. “They have such a certain capture of the English language that it’s been lost nowadays.” The breadth of works included in Symposium and Semicolon was wide and refreshing. As there was no theme for artists to adhere to, it allowed for complete creative freedom that reflected the diversity of interests within the crowd. According to Kanji, though, the second set of Symposium and Semicolon publications will likely adhere to a theme, with submissions opening later this month. For more information regarding upcoming submissions, students are encouraged to visit the Arts and Humanities Students’ Council Facebook page.
SAMIT KHASLA GAZETTE
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
GAZETTE CROSSWORD
LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE ‘TIS THE SEASON. A Christmas tree decks the halls of the University Community Centre, courtesy of Propel Entrepreneurship’s holiday pop-up market.
WORD SEARCH
DERMATOLOGY WORD SEARCH CARBUNCLE CARCINOMA COLLAGEN ABCESS COMEDO ACANTHOSIS CYST ACNE ACROCHORDON DERMABRASION DERMATOGRAPHISM ALOPECIA DERMIS BASAL CELL ECZEMA BIOPSY EPHELIS BIRTHMARK EPIDERMIS BLEMISH EXANTHEM BULLA
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CLUES ACROSS
CLUES DOWN
1. A minute amount (Scott) 5. Supernatural 11. Shortening 14. More firm 15. Other side 18. Philippine island 19. More unnatural 21. Microsoft Surface Book 23. Ice T’s wife 24. Domesticates 28. Only one time 29. In absentia 30. Crustlike surface of a healing skin lesion 32. Distress signal 33. Engine additive 35. 1990s female R&B trio 36. Very fast airplane 39. A reward (archaic) 41. Anno Domini 42. Golf supplies 44. Indian term of respect 46. French river 47. Turn down the lights 49. Blood-sucking African fly 52. Provides info 56. Procrastinates 58. Tower with balconies 60. Where researchers work 62. Religious office 63. Must-have for office workers
1. In possession of 2. Aborigines 3. Early Syrian kingdom 4. Clip 5. Misleads 6. Cosmetic Ingredient Review 7. Calcium 8. United Talent Agency 9. Hair problem 10. Took down 12. Round Dutch cheese 13. Bicycle manufacturer 16. Suffix plural 17. Painting technique 20. Small Eurasian deer (pl.) 22. Mr. T’s character “__ Baracus” 25. Progressive nerve disease 26. Shock therapy 27. Able to be sold 29. Suffix 31. Binary coded decimal 34. Goes well with a carrot 36. A way to measure performance 37. Doctor __, children’s book author 38. Jewish calendar month 40. Designated hitter 43. Polish village 45. Part of the mind 48. Hand (Spanish) 50. Hit with the open hand 51. Italian island 53. Shakespeare was one 54. Lake __, one of the Great 55. Oswald and Marvin were two 57. Soak up using something absorbent 58. Kids’ dish __ and cheese 59. Expression of disappointment 61. The ancient Egyptian sun god
For crossword solution, see page 11
FISSURE FOLLICULITIS HEMANGIOMA
HIVES LASER INFLAMMATION MACULE KELOIDS MELANOMA
MELASMA NEVI PAPULES
PEEL SQUAMOUS CELL
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