Tuesday, January 16, 2018 by Western Gazette

SINCE 1906

westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 111, ISSUE 16 trudaddy since 1906

IS WESTERN REALLY CANADA’S TOP PARTY SCHOOL? PG4

GREG MARSHALL’S RISE TO GREATNESS PG8

LONDON’S #METOO FUNDRAISER PG11

SUGAR COATED

The secret world of Western’s sugar babies

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

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2 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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BENEDICT CHANG

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After completing his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Queen’s University, Benedict wanted to combine his PhD studies with his hobbies. “In a sense, you could say I do study juggling. I study how the brain calculates motion and how we can intercept moving objects with our hands. So everything from sports to juggling,” Benedict says. “I figured if I could combine work and play, I’d be motivated at work every day.” Juggling became a hobby of Benedict’s back in 2010 while at Queen’s. He saw the university’s juggling club performing once, and it piqued his interest. Although he’s met people who perform for their main source of income, for Benedict, it’s just an intense hobby. Benedict busked when he lived in Kingston. But now, in London, he performs at parties, having recently performed at Western University The Brain and Mind Institute’s Christmas party. From learning to juggle three balls at a time to juggling flaming clubs, Benedict says he’s addicted to the hobby.

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“When I got to juggling three [balls] super proficiently, I’m like, ‘OK. Well, maybe I should just learn three clubs and then I’ll be happy.’ and then I learned three clubs, and I’m like, ‘I should learn four clubs.’” Another aspect that keeps Benedict coming back to

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“We know that if we show you our best trick, it’s going to take you 10 years to learn it,” he says. “It’s a really great community where we love teaching new people how to juggle. We love teaching jugglers other tricks, and everyone has their very own specific style.” For any students interested in learning some tricks, Benedict practices with Western’s juggling club on Sundays in the University Community Centre, and they’re always happy to teach newcomers. As Benedict emphasizes, people can learn to juggle three balls in under an hour. Like any performer, hearing the audience go wild during a routine gives Benedict a rush. “I really like performing with fire because it gets everyone excited,” he says. “It’s pretty rewarding.” “Over the years you get a sense of what the audience really likes.” Next year, Benedict plans to start working in a field related to his PhD studies, but he’ll still continue to learn new tricks. Currently, he has his sights set on learning seven new tricks, including juggling five clubs at a time and juggling seven balls at a time. He’s also hoping to add a new partner to his upcoming routines: his puppy. In September, he got Arno, a blue heeler border collie mix who’s currently preoccupied with housetraining but will hopefully one day learn some neat tricks. ■■RITA RAHMATI

Blast from om the past

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WESTERN TV COORDINATOR CONNOR MALBEUF

GRAPHICS SISSI CHEN KIIJA GARGARELLO

Benedict is a circus-performing jack of all trades. He balances unicycling and juggling, while also studying as a fourth-year neuroscience PhD candidate.

juggling is the close-knit community of performers. While magicians like to keep their tricks a secret, Benedict says jugglers are happy to share their tricks.

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OPINIONS RICHARD JOSEPH

INTERACTIVE MEDIA CONNOR CLARK

Most people at Western walk to campus. There’s the occasional biker, maybe even a skateboarder. And then there’s Benedict Chang — Western’s very own unicyclist.

CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE

VIDEO LAUREN COLES JOSH MERIFIELD

MAX MAO GAZETTE

SPORTS MIKE DEBOER

PHOTO MICHAEL CONLEY LIAM MCINNIS MAX MAO

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CULTURE NICK SOKIC VIVIAN CHENG CARMEN MALLIA GABRIELLE DROLET

WESTERN TV ASSISTANT COORDINATOR SHANNON MARKS

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NEWS SABRINA FRACASSI GRACE TO MARTIN ALLEN HILL DU KAROLINA JALOWSKA

UCC games room popular in 1988 GRACE TO CULTURE EDITOR @GRACEKTOE

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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Students from the past were hardly different from today’s students — they also enjoyed gaming as much as we do. Back in the day, the University Community Centre was home to a Games Room that had arcade games and billiard tables. The room was available to students during the day. According to a 1988 Gazette article, the Games Room saw an unexpected spike in revenue that year. This coincided with a sharp decrease in revenue for the Elbow Room, a popular pub that was located in the basement of the UCC. Paul Tomlinson, then the manager of the Games Room, believed that students were changing their views on entertainment. Instead of passing the time with alcohol, students opted to spend their money on cheap video games or to improve their billiard skills. Tomlinson said that this may be indicating a shift in societal trends. Although the Elbow Room was also popular in its day, the pub had

a reputation for monitoring students’ alcohol intake more intently than off-campus bars. Don Gibson, 1988’s Elbow Room manager, said at the time that it may not be a shift in societal trends that are causing the decrease in the pub’s business. Instead, the Elbow Room’s support of alcohol awareness programs may have led to the lack of student patrons.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 • 3

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LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE TRUDADDY. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Western University’s Alumni Hall on Jan. 11, 2018.

Trudeau fields hecklers amidst tepid questions at London town hall MARTIN ALLEN, SABRINA FRACASSI, KAROLINA JALOWSKA @NEWSATGAZETTE Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced mild questions from town hall attendees on Jan. 11, despite disruptions by two hecklers — one of whom was forcibly removed. Trudeau spoke about topics ranging from electoral reform to gender equality and indigenous issues. However, two attendees stood up during others’ questions and shouted at Trudeau. The first questioned Trudeau’s views on free speech, asking why he was “rebuilding” ISIS and what he was doing in light of the near100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Later, a second heckler interrupted, alleging that Canada’s justice system is corrupt. Trudeau paused to let the hecklers speak, acknowledging that “one of the responsibilities of free speech means listening to others.” He eventually asked each to wait their turn, and the first heckler left. However, the second heckler finished his outburst by throwing papers in Trudeau’s direction. Security removed him, and as he was carried out, he asked, “When am I going to see my son?” Two Western University students said they were impressed with the prime minister’s reaction to the disturbances. “The response to the hecklers was very respectful,” said thirdyear health sciences student, Madison Corkery. “It was nice that he was telling them ‘You can voice your opinion; we are just trying to keep it peaceful,’ and I really liked that aspect of it, instead of just forcing them out.” Third-year medical sciences student, Ayesha Warsi, agreed. “He comes out and he knows that he’s going to get some tough

questions. He’s willing to come out, hear peoples’ opinions and answer their questions, and be there for the public.” Overall, many of Trudeau’s supporters came out to the event, greeting the prime minister with a standing ovation. Participants, including three children, asked the prime minister generally amicable questions, such as “What does it mean to be truly Canadian?” and “How do you deal with the haters?” Unlike Trudeau’s other recent town halls, participants at the event didn’t press the prime minister on recent public controversies, such as the Omar Khadr payout or ethical violations as a result of his relationship with Aga Khan. Instead, Trudeau fielded questions about electoral reform, gender equality and indigenous issues. An early questioner, a graduate student, asked what the federal government can do to promote gender equality in male-dominated fields, like science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Trudeau responded that the early promotion of STEM fields in primary and secondary schools was paramount but that kindergarten to grade 12 education is a provincial purview. “Equality is one of those things that is of fundamental importance to me. I’m a feminist, and everyone in this room should be too,” said Trudeau, sparking a cheer from the crowd. Another attendee asked about what Trudeau teaches his daughter so that she may overcome gender barriers. His response emphasized that feminism is not just for her but for his sons as well. He also took the opportunity to mention what he views as the problem of a wage gap between genders. Next, an audience member

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Equality is one of those things that is of fundamental importance to me. I’m a feminist, and everyone in this room should be too. JUSTIN TRUDEAU PRIME MINISTER

questioned Trudeau about his failed promises of electoral reform. He said he put the promises aside when he learned the reform would not be best for Canadians and apologized to her. Several questions also pertained to indigenous peoples in Canada. One attendee commented that it seemed as if Trudeau was favouring corporations by allowing the amount of pollution they create, which disproportionately affects indigenous bands. Trudeau said it’s a part of a larger issue of compromising between the environment and the economy. He said indigenous people are especially affected by environmental changes and that the federal government is investing in clean energy. Trudeau went on to say that Canada’s legacy of residential schooling and the general disenfranchisement of indigenous peoples is Canada’s greatest failure. Toward the end of the evening, an Oneida band chief presented Trudeau with an eagle feather as thanks. The event at Western’s Alumni Hall occurred just under a year after Trudeau’s last visit to campus. Both events filled Alumni Hall, with over 1,500 people waiting in line to see the prime minister.

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Data shows Western isn’t one of Canada’s top party schools westerngazette.ca/newsletters

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MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @MARTIN_ALLEN

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While Western University has long been called Canada’s party school, one alumnus is proving other students may have us beat. In October, Maclean’s released survey data from students at nearly 50 Canadian universities. The survey asked them how many hours on average they spend studying and partying per week. The results placed McGill University in first for average number of study hours per week at 21.9, Western at 11th with 18.6 and Cape Breton University in last with 10.6. St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia is first in partying hours with 7.9 hours a week — Western is only eighth at 4.6. Otherwise, Queen’s University comes in third with six hours on average per week, and Simon Fraser University is last with 1.6. But Western alumnus Demetri Pananos further organized and analyzed the data for Canadian data-journalism publication, The 10 and 3. Pananos, who graduated in 2014 with a bachelor of science, said his analysis considered what the Maclean’s survey did not address. Particularly, the intensity of partying each student practices and what each student even considers “partying”: whereas one student considers partying relaxing

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with friends and alcohol, another may only consider it going out to bars or clubs. The results suggest Western’s reputation as Canada’s premier party school may need to be challenged. “To see that other universities were the top [party schools] was pretty surprising to me, and I certainly didn’t know that Queen’s partied more than Western,” he said. Pananos organized the schools according to their number of hours studied per one hour of partying; the lower the number, the more leisurely the lifestyle. Bishop’s University in Quebec was the lowest at fewer than two hours of studying for every hour of partying. Western was 11th at four to one, and SFU was highest at nine to one. In either ratio or quantity, Western is eighth place at its highest, despite its hedonistic reputation. Much of the party image stems from Western’s fourth-overall ranking on Playboy magazine’s 2011 Top 10 Party Schools list. At the time, it was the only Canadian school to make the cut; the list cites rowdy dorms and London’s local bar scene as contributing factors. Back then, Western’s SaugeenMaitland Hall typified the rowdy dorm reputation. In its earlier years, the rez was informally called “The Zoo” — a moniker that the

administration worked to erase over the years since. Among its highlights are a viral lip dub video and the “Saugeen stripper”, a first-year student who performed a strip tease for other students and garnered national attention in the aftermath. However since 2011, students report Saugeen-Maitland is much quieter. Others challenge the claim that Western can still be considered a “party school.” However, Pananos also mentioned the Homecoming and fake-Homecoming scandals that have embattled many students who centre binge drinking habits around the events. After the administration moved the date to late October during midterms, this year 11,000 students observed the old date, a 10 per cent increase from the previous year. Pananos believes FOCO points to Western’s unquantifiable party culture. “If anything, the culture has persisted since [my undergrad] — because the administration tries to curb partying, and the students respond by throwing a giant party anyways,” he said. Pananos did his undergraduate in math at Western and is now is also doing his PhD. Pananos said despite what the Maclean’s survey ignores, he believes Western probably isn’t Canada’s top party school, and that Western’s party reputation may have to be revisited.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 • 5

opinions

PROFESSOR OF GOSSIP:

Lainey Lui on teaching at Western University FIRST LAST GAZETTE

Tim Hortons franchisees should not profit from cut corners

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

Kick off your morning right — with a donut, a cup of coffee and a PR disaster.

COURTESY OF WESTERN TV

Last fall, when I was invited by Dean Michael Milde, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, to teach a fourth-year capstone course at the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities, I felt like I had conjured something. For years on my gossip blog, LaineyGossip.com, I’d been joking about one day becoming the “dean of the faculty of celebrity studies at a liberal arts university somewhere in New England.” Obviously being asked to become a visiting professor is not the same as being dean. But it was a beginning. And London, Ont. is not New England. But New England was chosen more for its look — and Western University definitely has that look. I pictured myself, like in a movie montage, striding purposefully down a leaf-strewn path towards buildings with spires, the wind in my hair, wearing a gorgeous camel-colour coat or a funky bomber jacket. The outfits always varied in my daydreams but the subject never did: I would be a professor of gossip, exploring its social value, defending its merit as a communication tool, creating a legitimate space for gossip in academia, and my students would be gossip’s first crusaders, a new generation of gossip experts interrogating art, politics, business and even science from a gossip’s perspective. Right. But … what if they didn’t like me? As a gossip columnist and a daytime talk show host, being liked is not my priority. I built a career on talking shit about celebrities on my blog, and my role on The Social is the polarizing loudmouth with no kids, a shoe obsession and an aversion to people in general, sitting next to three women who adore their children and liberally give out hugs. It’s been 15 years since I’d had to worry about whether people liked me. Did I have to start caring now about whether or not my students liked me? Did other professors care if their students liked them?

The only professor I knew was Joel Faflak, SASAH’s program director, who’d been guiding me through my preparation for the course. Joel is a lovely, warm person. Everybody likes Joel. I doubted he ever had to worry about being liked. On the internet, my performance is based on site traffic. It doesn’t matter whether or not I’m liked; it only matters whether or not the information I’m providing is drawing readers. On television, our performance is measured by ratings. If viewers are tuning in, we get to keep broadcasting. I suppose it sort of works like that as a professor in that your “audience” is your students, and if they show up for class, you’re getting your ratings. But, at the same time, as a gossip columnist and as a TV presenter, I don’t get to fail my audience, give them a shitty grade if they don’t come to read my articles or watch my segments. If my students don’t attend class, in theory, it could be reflected in their marks, which means attendance isn’t really an accurate benchmark for whether or not a professor is doing a good job or well-liked. My goal was to impart on my students the importance of gossip as a lens to cultural understanding. And if they didn’t like me, would I risk doing gossip a disservice? How would I even know? Gossip, obviously. The professor of gossip needed to know if she was being gossiped about. And all anyone has to do if they want to know if they’re being trashed is to go online. What’s the Rotten Tomatoes equivalent of professor-trashing? RateMyProfessors. com. Which I resisted the urge to check until after the semester, as a Christmas gift to myself, as a reward for working hard and completing my first-ever semester of teaching, I’d get to enjoy all the shit my students were talking about me. It ended up being a few days after Christmas, on Dec. 28, around 11 p.m., I went to Rate My Professor,

Workers at over a dozen Tim Hortons restaurants across Ontario have confirmed that their store owners are cutting paid breaks and some employee benefits in response to the minimum wage hike. The controversy became very public, very quickly: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne accused the stores of “bullying” their employees, and even Tim Hortons’ head office stepped in to condemn the cuts, blaming a few rogue franchisees who “do not reflect the value of [the] brand.” Consumers are angry, and they’re showing it. Although none of the Tim Hortons on campus are directly affected, the popular London location at Dundas and Richmond was inundated with protesters on Wednesday. These protests are happening across the province, and to top it off, an online movement called “No Timmies Tuesdays” is making the rounds. Cut benefits and breaks are often forecasted after minimum wage increases: employees are among the largest expenses for any business, and thus an obvious target for reducing costs. Students particularly, many of whom work part-time, really feel the bite when corporations start corner-cutting. However, it’s telling that only a few franchises are doing this and that even Tim Hortons’ head office has condemned them: there are other ways to make up for the lost profits, including raising menu prices (which Timmies has also done). The problem, too, is that wage cuts would be an expected response for a small business, struggling with operating costs already. Tim Hortons, by contrast, is a multibillion-dollar multinational franchise. Total revenue in 2016 was $4.15 billion USD: a homely little mom-and-pop shop they are not. The protests are generalized and symbolic rather than targeted at the specific problem stores, which makes sense — these movements are often messy

and they can’t be expected to conform to exacting specifications. Still, one distinction that gets lost is that franchisees are separate from Tim Hortons as a whole and have a degree of free reign over their independent stores. As well, Canadians love their Timmies: it’s cheap, it’s easy and they’re everywhere. Whether you’re doing homework or just spending time with friends, Tim Hortons is a timeless choice, offering wi-fi and cheaper coffee than Starbucks. On top of all this, consumer protests rarely have a long shelf-life, and it’s entirely possible that this whole controversy will peter out into nothing in a few weeks. However, this is the latest in a series of concerning stories that come out of Tim Hortons and the brand has undeniably seen some damage. The company’s homely, Canadian-friendly image has been steadily deteriorating since it was bought by Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital three years ago. Unhappy Tim Hortons franchisees formed the Great White North Franchisee Association in 2017, citing concerns like declining product quality. The backlash against Tim Hortons is warranted and may even effect some eventual change: enormous corporations cannot be allowed to mistreat their employees while the billionaires on top profit from the cut corners. Head office, too, remains strangely silent after the initial burst of condemnation, and right now, they could desperately use some damage control if they want to regain public trust. Tim Hortons prides itself on being a Canadian brand, but if the company continually allows these distinctly un-Canadian practices and progresses into faceless corporate monolith, they might find themselves in hot water. It’s not like they’re the only choice, and young people are perfectly willing to vote with their wallets. Remember, there’s almost always a McDonald’s down the street, and they sell cheap coffee too — a few more PR fiascos for Timmies and those golden arches will start to look mighty appealing.

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.”

hit the search bar, entered my name “Lainey Lui” and … No results. I tried “Elaine Lui.” Also no results. I tried misspelling my name several different ways. No results. What the fuck? For three months, I planned my outfits for these people, and there wasn’t even one comment about my style? Irony is one of gossip’s favourite vessels. Oscar Wilde, the patron saint of gossip, wrote in The Picture of Dorian Gray that “there is only

one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” This is the mantra that informs every celebrity’s career, whether they’ll admit it or not. It’s why I’ve been able to sustain a career as a celebrity gossip columnist, snarking on celebrities, for 15 years. And now, it’s how my students got the drop on me, their professor, exposing me to myself — that the person who gossips and the persons she gossips about may

not be all that different after all. My work here is done. ■■LAINEY LUI Visiting research fellow in Western’s School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities Elain Lui is a Canadian television personality and self-proclaimed gossip maven. She runs a gossip website, laineygossip.com, is a reporter for CTV’s etalk and is also a co-host on CTV’s daily talk series The Social.

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6 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

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Sugar, spice and everything nice

JUDY BASMAJI CONTRIBUTOR Mark* started sugaring during his first-year at Western University, when he was 18 years old. The now third-year business student said he first signed up to SeekingArrangement on a whim. He was attracted to what the website had to offer: “beautiful, successful people fuelling mutually beneficial relationships.” In other words, the website connects rich, powerful individuals — sugar daddies and mommies — with young, attractive men and women — sugar babies. About a month later, Mark began using the website more seriously. Fast forward several sugar daddies later and Mark’s life had become a frenzy of expensive steak dinners, shopping trips to Toronto and several pairs Louboutins — designer shoes worth over $1,000. “The sugar daddy I had, his net worth was a couple million, and his annual income was $500,000,” said Mark. “He owns a design firm so he has a private jet. He lived in Michigan, so he would just come back and forth, and he would offer to take me on trips.” Two first-year social science students at Western, Jamie* and Allison*, set up their SeekingArrangement

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profiles after hearing stories from friends who received purses and shoes worth thousands of dollars from their sugar daddies. Allison recalls one case where a sugar daddy flew one of her friends to Miami for her birthday, on top of buying her a Cartier bracelet. Similarly, Jamie’s friend from high school received a $3,000 Yves Saint Laurent bag from her sugar daddy. “You’d be surprised how easy it is,” said Allison. “It’s a good way to make money if you don’t have time for a job, you have a busy schedule or you have a really hard program.” Allison is far from being the only university student in pursuit of a sugar daddy. Founded in 2006, SeekingArrangment reports around 225,000 Canadian post-secondary students are now signed up for the service. A report published by SeekingArrangement shows the number of student signups are steadily increasing, especially at Western. Of the 20 Canadian universities listed, Western ranked fifth in number of new student signups in 2017. Last year, 122 Western students signed up for the website, for a total of 373 users overall. SeekingArrangement also highlights the extent of

Canadian student debt. The website states: “Student debt is nearing $30 billion in Canada. Finding a way to manage student debt is a problem for most graduates, but students have developed a solution to this problem: sugar daddies.” Seventy-five per cent of Canadian students graduate with an average debt of over $22,000. With Ontario university tuition rising by an average of three per cent annually, more and more students may be turning to sugar daddies for some extra money. And for post-secondary students it’s easy: the website targets college and university students by offering a free, premium membership to those who sign up using their .edu email. Mark believes that more Western students are signing up for the service because it’s an easy way to offset school fees. He also believes that many Western students come from upper- or upper-middle-class families, so they are accustomed to a particular lifestyle that tends to change when they start university. “The idea that a lot of students should be living this luxurious lifestyle where they can pay for expensive things as well as their tuition is probably the reason they want to sign up for a website like this,” said Allison.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 • 7

HOW IT WORKS: “IT’S SORT OF LIKE A BUSINESS CONTRACT” To thrive in the sugar baby world, there are a number of unspoken rules for setting up a good profile, according to Jamie. For starters, you never show your face in your profile picture. Instead, she says you should try to show off your physical assets, like your chest or butt. She also described the contents of an interesting bio. “You can [say] ‘I want to know everything about you and your job and how your business works,’ because guys always love to talk about themselves,” she said. “At the same time, you’re like, ‘I want to teach you a couple of things.’ They find that so intriguing.” She explained that you can fake all of your personal information, such as your name, your age and your phone number. She even set up a PayPal account using a pseudonym to deposit money from sugar daddies so that it couldn’t be linked back to her email. Jamie believes the anonymity provided by technology could explain why more students are signing up. After their profile is set up, users can access sugar daddies’ profiles. Profiles display their net worth, and a little check mark shows up if their status and income are verified. The website runs income checks on sugar daddies to make sure their funds are real. Once a sugar daddy makes contact, the sugar baby often wants to make sure that he’s willing to pay, Jamie explained. One way to do this is to ask for money in exchange for a phone number. “The sugar daddy has to be wealthy to afford it,” said Jamie. “If you don’t make over $200,000 a year, it’s hard to keep up a substantial relationship with a sugar baby.” According to Allison, the terms of every relationship are usually out in the open within the first few messages between a sugar baby and a potential sugar daddy. For example, they agree on how much money the sugar baby will receive per date, how much time they are willing to commit to the relationship and how much intimacy they expect. All three sugar babies the Gazette spoke to said sugar daddies are often willing to pay hundreds of dollars for a date. Last year, the average monthly allowance for a sugar baby was $2,700, on top of gifts and other benefits, according to SeekingArrangment. “It’s sort of like a business contract,” Allison said. “You get paid $500 a date, on average, and if you keep seeing them, you get a monthly allowance as well. A lot of them are willing to pay up to $10,000 a month.” “One of my friends, her sugar daddy actually pays her rent every month,” said Jamie. The majority of sugar babies are young, attractive women. On the other hand, the average sugar daddy is around 40 to

45 years old and not very attractive, according to Allison. Jamie said younger sugar daddies are around 25 to 30 years old, while older ones are around 60 to 70 years old. Some sugar daddies are married with a family, a fact they are not always upfront about, according to Jamie and Allison. As of 2016, around 40 per cent of sugar daddies on the site were married. A small community of men also use the website to seek sugar mommies, which make up one per cent of users. LGBTQ+ men may often use it to find sugar daddies, as well. SeekingArrangement advertises itself as a dating service. The login page explicitly states that commercial activity such as prostitution is prohibited. Any users who present themselves as escorts are deleted and blocked, according to the terms of service. Users are also not allowed to share nude or sexually explicit pictures through the site. Consensual sex, on the other hand, is a different story. “IT’S REALLY NOT ALL ABOUT SEX” While many people might assume sex and sugaring go handin-hand, our sources report that sex is not a requirement for many sugar daddies. Allison explains that, while many individuals expect intimacy, some of them might want you to be their arm candy for an event, and they pay you just to show up and look pretty. “A lot of them do want a genuine connection,” she said. “They want to talk to you all the time.” Jamie explained that some of them don’t have a relationship with their wives anymore, and they just want to talk to someone. Others are single guys who don’t know how to date. “One girl I knew throughout high school, she was like ‘I only have to meet with him every two to three weeks and we just get coffee,’” said Jamie. In addition, Mark explained that a lot of gay men who use the site tend to have wives, so they go in search of attention that may not be socially allowed for them. Some sugar daddy profiles explicitly state that they will not have sex with you and that they just want to sit down and talk to you about their lives, according to Jamie. Some will even state that they are looking for someone who is interested in certain activities, like hiking and travelling. Jamie’s believes that some of these men have issues with themselves and that the only way they can talk about it is by paying somebody. “I think people have this perception that having a sugar daddy is literally just having sex with this old guy who gives you a couple of hundred dollars and not calling it prostitution,” said Jamie. But Mark said it doesn’t work like that. “Just like with Tinder, you don’t have to sleep with them,” said Mark. “It’s not an escorting service.”

THE PRICE OF BEING A SUGAR BABY But while sugaring may sound glamorous, there can also be real challenges to being a sugar baby. According to Allison, some sugar daddies can be very controlling. For example, some of them don’t want their sugar babies to have a job. While sugar babies can leave their relationship at any point, that might prove difficult if they are financially dependent on their sugar daddies. For example, having a sugar daddy pay your rent entails being in a serious, committed relationship, as opposed to simply receiving gifts. This dependency gives him more power over the sugar baby, Jamie explained. “All of a sudden, they can take control of your finances, your life and where you go,” said Allison. “That’s why I was kind of scared of it. I’m still a pretty independent person, and I don’t want someone to control my entire life.” Allison believes that their ability to help young, vulnerable people who are in need makes them feel superior, in a sense. She describes it as a “weird, dominance thing to stroke their ego.” Having a sugar daddy can also lead to a secretive lifestyle for many people. It can be difficult for sugar babies to explain to friends and family the source of all the money and gifts they receive. While some relationships may turn serious, the age difference is another reason some may want to keep a low profile. Additionally, it can be hard to maintain simultaneous relationships with both a boyfriend and a sugar daddy. Both Mark and Jamie’s boyfriends did not approve of their sugaring. This might be because of the significant time commitment often required of sugar babies. According to Jamie, sugar daddies expect to be in constant communication with their sugar babies, often texting around five to six hours a day. “They’re paying you, [so] they have this sort of, not ownership over you, but like you are theirs now,” said Jamie. “So they need your time and all your consistent effort.” When finals came around for Jamie in December, she was talking to five or six different sugar daddies at the time. That’s when she realized that she would need to stop talking to them if she actually wanted to do well in school. She said she might pursue it again during the summer break, especially since she lives in Toronto, a “sugar baby hotspot.” Mark added that it is just like an actual relationship; you are expected to actively pursue it and to show them you’re interested. “It’s kind of like a job,” he said. “And you get paid for it, very much like a job.” *Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.

NEW SIGNUP GROWTH IN 2017

STUDENT TOTAL 2018

206

703

200

622

160

737

125

808

122

373

RANK

sugar daddies:

sugar mommies:

18%

UNIVERSITY

Ryerson University

631,678

Total users on SeekingArrangement in Canada

Western University

sugar baby males:

15%

KIIJA GARGARELLO GAZETTE

sugar baby females:

McGill University

611

Mount Royal University

Queen’s University

266

McMaster University

65%

SOURCE: NATIONAL POST

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

226 SOURCE: SEEKINGARRANGMENT

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8 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

sports

•

Greg Marshall returns Western football to greatness

G . PRETZLAV / GAZETTE ARCHIVES 1981: Greg Marshall (number 13), hoists the 74th Yates Cup. The trophy, the third and final one Marshall would win as a player, was presented to the Mustangs after defeating the Guelph Gryphons 17–7.

MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEDBOER Greg Marshall is a realist. He understands the rigours of Canadian university football. He acknowledges the inherent challenges that coaching in a post-Laval era of big money boosters brings. He knows how hard it is to beat the best teams in the country

because in November, he did it. He beat the Laval Rouge et Or like no other coach has since the kings of Quebec began their reign of dominance. Along the way, he cemented his place in the pantheon of great Canadian university football coaches. He showed that, with a team unhindered by injuries, he’s

as good as the best minds in U Sports football. He’ll never make excuses for himself. But more often than not, Marshall’s teams have suffered catastrophic injuries that grounded sky-high expectations. There was 2009, when star quarterback Michael Faulds tore his knee and the Mustangs lost

to the eventual Vanier Cup champions, the Queen’s Gaels, in the Yates Cup. In 2011, the Mustangs lost another quarterback as Marshall’s son, Donnie, dislocated his ankle. The team then lost in the Yates Cup again, this time to the McMaster Marauders team that they had beaten by 40 points earlier that season. Then Will Finch came along, destined to be the quarterback to end the Vanier Cup drought and return Western University to greatness. However, his well-documented concussion problem would lead to two more early playoff exits for Marshall and the program in 2014 and 2015. “It kind of felt like we were snake-bitten,” admits Marshall. “It’s easy to say ‘Yeah, next man up,’ but it’s not easy to replace a quarterback that’s played for you all season, especially when you have the quality of quarterbacking that we had all those years.” Due to the cyclical nature of university football, where players only have five years of eligibility and roster turnover occurs annually, Marshall continued to be confident that a national championship would come. His mantra has always been to take it one season at a time. And because only one team is truly happy at the end of the season, he never allowed the losses to define his program. “I guess the one thing is that I would just say there is always next year,” says Marshall. “Always next year. We’ll give a good run next year, but it’s not an easy feat to do given the situation of university football in Canada.” That situation is two-fold. In Ontario University Athletics, the Laurier Golden Hawks and Guelph Gryphons have built perennially successful football programs, creating an arms race in the province both on the field and on the recruiting trail. And on the national level, programs like Laval in the Quebec conference and the University of

At the beginning of the season, I thought we’d be pretty good, but if you told me that we’d go undefeated and rout four teams in the playoffs to win the national championship, I would’ve thought you were a little crazy. GREG MARSHALL HEAD COACH OF THE MUSTANGS FOOTBALL PROGRAM

British Columbia Thunderbirds and Calgary Dinos in the Canada West conference have made it increasingly difficult for the Mustangs, or Ontario’s other top teams, to contend for Vanier Cup titles. After a legendary playing career as a Mustangs running back that saw him win the 1980 Hec Crighton Trophy as the national player of the year, Marshall started his coaching career in 1984 as an assistant on Larry Haylor’s staff at Western. He would eventually leave his alma mater in 1997 to take the reigns of McMaster University’s program. In 2003, he left the college game to take the head coaching position with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. With his sons growing up in Hamilton and his head coaching career flourishing, the city holds special memories for Marshall. But there were also challenges, particularly with his move to the CFL. “I don’t ever look back and say that anything was a mistake, but I should’ve stayed at Mac,” says Marshall. “We had a young family, and I wasn’t at home enough. I never watched my sons play high school football. Those were tough years.” Marshall has three sons who all played for him at Western. Donnie, Brian and Tom would all play pivotal roles in the program; Donnie as a quarterback, Brian as a receiver and Tom as a running back.

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Perhaps that’s what makes his first Vanier Cup win so poetic; it came in the town where so much of his life played out, both the good and the bad. Marshall returned to London in 2006, spending one year under the tutelage of Haylor as the appointed coach-in-waiting. The program became his in 2007, at which point Marshall was tasked with returning the Mustangs to national prominence and ensuring they win their first Vanier Cup since 1994. For years he came so close. In 2008, just one year into his tenure at the helm of the Mustangs program, he fell to Laval in Hamilton. The loss was almost prophetic, a 44–21 loss to the same team that he would beat in 2017 to win his first Vanier Cup, in the same city where he raised his sons and spearheaded his coaching career. Until 2017, he had four Yates Cup titles and an overall record of 82–25 as the head coach of the Mustangs, along with five Yates Cups during his stint at McMaster. But the big one, the one win that would signify the program’s return to the top, the Vanier Cup, was still missing. In 2016, after the Mustangs’ devastating loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks in the 109th Yates Cup, some began to wonder whether Marshall could ever get there. But, the following year, his staff and his team responded, and they responded with one of the greatest seasons in Canadian university football history. Marshall himself responded. He worked hard in the off-season and brought in a visionary offensive coordinator in Steve Snyder. He added a stellar recruiting class that included standouts Daniel Valente and Myles Manalo. He was ready to make another run at that ever-elusive national title. Once the season began, his team ran the table. Eight regular season games and eight regular season wins. After his team won their first two playoff games against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and Guelph Gryphons, by a combined score of 129–22, Marshall knew this was the team that could do it. “I really thought by the end of the season that Guelph was one of the top teams in the OUA and to beat them as handily as we did [66–12] and to

completely shut down their offence, it was probably at that point where I thought we’d have a chance at something special,” Marshall admits. Something special happened indeed. A 75–32 win to avenge Laurier University and claim Marshall’s fifth Yates Cup. An 81–3 clobbering of the Acadia Axemen in the Uteck Bowl. Then, the biggest win of his coaching career, the one that had slipped out of his grasp for 10 years, came as a 39–17 dismantling of the Rouge et Or in the 53rd Vanier Cup. “At the beginning of the season, I thought we’d be pretty good, but if you told me that we’d go undefeated and rout four teams in the playoffs to win the national championship, I would’ve thought you were a little crazy,” Marshall says with a chuckle. “So it really is a reflection on the type of character that we had in that locker room.” Marshall always talks in those terms. It’s not about him; it’s about his players and his program. He sheepishly admits he didn’t take much time off after that glorious November afternoon in Hamilton. He had to get back on the recruiting trail to ensure his program doesn’t fall behind. “Because we were playing in the playoffs, we’re behind,” says Marshall. “We had recruits in last weekend and we’ll have recruits in this weekend. It’s about us making sure we build on this national championship.” That’s the life of a university football coach. The happiness of winning lasts a fortnight and the agony of defeat lasts an entire offseason. For Greg Marshall, his job doesn’t feel like work. He loves the game of football and he loves the young men who choose to spend four years under his tutelage. He also loves his alma mater. And his alma mater loves him back. After all those years of hardships and struggles, he’s returned the Mustangs to the university football summit. It’s been a career of triumphs and shortcomings. But as a football coach, Marshall should never be doubted again. He’ haswon everything a football coach can win and has done it at his alma mater and one of the most prestigious football programs in the country. He’s responded to adversity over and over again. And he’s finally come out on top.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 • 9

sports

SHAUN DING / GAZETTE ARCHIVES 2008: For the second time in his coaching career, Marshall hoists the Yates Cup following a 31–17 Mustangs victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

I really thought by the end of the season that Guelph was one of the top teams in the OUA and to beat them as handily as we did [66–12] and to completely shut down their offence, it was probably at that point where I thought we’d have a chance at something special. GREG MARSHALL HEAD COACH OF THE MUSTANGS FOOTBALL PROGRAM

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REMINDER BOARD AND SENATE ELECTIONS • 2018 ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND SENATE WILL TAKE PLACE IN FEBRUARY 2018. Nominations for membership on the Board of Governors in the administrative staff and undergraduate student constituencies are now accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2018. Nominations for membership on the Senate in the faculty, administrative staff, graduate student and undergraduate student (academic) constituencies are also accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2018. Nominations for Senate undergraduate student “At Large” constituency close at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 26, 2018. Full information on the Board and Senate elections (including the election procedures and schedule, nomination form and voting procedures for each constituency) can be found at: JORDAN MCGAVIN Greg Marshall has been head coach of the Mustangs football program since 2007.

Board elections: www.uwo.ca/univsec/board/elections.html Senate elections: www.uwo.ca/univsec/senate/elections.html

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10 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

culture

Celebrate 50 years of visual arts by ‘Looking Back’

•

THE MAGIC OF MUSIC:

Upcoming concert brings ‘Harry Potter’ to life

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

GABRIELLE DROLET CULTURE EDITOR @GABRIELLEDROLET

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

CARMEN MALLIA CULTURE EDITOR @CARMMALLIA From wall paintings to performing arts videography, there is something for everyone at “Looking Back”, the new Artlab Gallery exhibit that showcases work from former department of visual arts faculty members as a celebration of their 50th anniversary. The display, which spans from the Visual Arts Centre’s Cohen Commons student lounge to the spacious Artlab Gallery, offers a quiet atmosphere for students to reflect on a variety of installations that focus on the department’s evolutionary cultural identity. “We’ve been here for 50 years. We are recognizing that with some of the artists that started in the department,” says Artlab Gallery director Susan Edelstein, who curated the event alongside assistant director Tricia Johnson. Entering the exhibit, students have a wide variety of mediums to ponder in the open space, as “Looking Back” features 12 artists who have helped shape the department over the past five decades, including contemporary photographer Fern Helfand and world-renowned painter Roly Fenwick. Deciding which installations to showcase was not easy for Edelstein. As she was researching the historical works in the McIntosh Gallery’s permanent collection, she realized that there was a lack of gender diversity during the early years of the department. Throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, the university was not hiring women as full-time faculty at Western University, making it difficult for female faculty members to find equal opportunities to showcase their works. With that in mind, Edelstein took it upon herself to highlight every full-time and parttime female faculty member who taught in the department during its earlier years, including popular performing artist and sculptor

Colette Urban. Urban’s drawings, paintings and physical costumes fence in the far corner of the Artlab Gallery, including Bare, a bizarre and intricate performance film that highlights women’s positions within nature by exposing individualistic and empowering perspectives into the natural elements of society. “This was the first piece that I came across that addressed the issue that I was concerned about, the fact that there weren’t enough women in the collection,” says Edelstein. “That absolutely spoke to me in terms of what some of the issues were with women making artwork back in the ‘60s and women being hired at the university.” Other pieces being showcased include six of Roly Fenwick’s lush impasto paintings, a technique that involves applying thick layers of paint to a canvas, creating a heightened level of abstraction for viewers due to Fenwick’s bold move to stay outside the lines. Artistic craftsman Helmut Becker also has four of his disk-shaped hemp and yarn installations placed on the walls, which signify sun shining from the heavens. Whether you’re looking for a cheap date or you have a passion for aesthetic consideration, “Looking Back” will move students out of the winter blues and into a thoughtful mirage. “A lot of the works that are in here can inspire students that are in the field now, or they can simply enjoy the history that we have here at Western,” says Edelstein. For the past 50 years, a passion for art stood as the lifeblood for the department of visual arts, and “Looking Back” will showcase that passion with coherence and pride in what might have been the more forgotten aspects of Western’s art and history. “Looking Back” will be on display from Jan. 8 to 30 at the Artlab Gallery.

Over two decades after the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the wizarding world continues to charm and enchant its fans. On Jan. 20, the London Symphonia is bringing the magic of the Harry Potter movies to life at Budweiser Gardens in a concert that highlights the musical moments of the Harry Potter series’ first book. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Concert features a screening of the the series’ first movie, accompanied by a full orchestra performing the iconic musical score. This “cineconcert,” which aims to combine the magic of live music with visual media, is part of an international series of Harry Potter themed performances. The series of cineconcerts is travelling through 14 countries, bringing the music of the movies to life at over 40 concerts. Gabrielle Ceraldi, an English professor at Western University who teaches a course on the Harry Potter books, explains the franchise’s movies and music have become a cultural phenomenon on their own. Though the movies are heavily based on their source material, they can also be experienced independently.

“My love of Harry Potter isn’t really a product of the movies,” she states. “That said, ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ enchants me instantly in exactly the same way that it would anybody else.” The movies have become so widely beloved that their music continues to resonate with audiences. The odds are that even someone who isn’t a Harry Potter fan would be able to recognize songs from John Williams’ iconic score. “Music is really powerful in evoking memories and emotion,” Ceraldi explained. “Hearing even a tiny bit of that music produces a state of enchantment where the real world suddenly seems less real and where the world of Harry Potter seems more real than the world I live in.” Ceraldi explains that Harry Potter’s lasting success can be attributed to its ability to appeal to a variety of different age groups. Children and adults alike are able to indulge in the fantastical world of the books and movies with a sense of wonder. “Children are discovering Harry Potter in a way that, for them, is entirely new. They’re discovering it in the way that generations who are now attending university remembers from their own childhood when this was first a cultural phenomenon,” she says.

While children might be discovering the series for the first time, adults who revisit the series have the opportunity to rediscover it and even learn from it. Even people who have read the books or seen the movies countless times in the past continue to indulge in them, seeking out new ways to experience the series. “What I’ve found is that the books are really densely detailed,” Ceraldi explains. “I’ve returned to this story over and over again, and I’ve read them many times. However, I still don’t think I’m done noticing new things in them.” Beyond the series’ ability to appeal to a variety of audiences, Harry Potter continues to find lasting success thanks to its ability to reinvent itself. This series of cineconcerts proves that. Though the first Harry Potter movie came out 17 years ago, people are still finding new ways to enjoy it. “These concerts are taking movies that were exciting when they first had their theatrical release and providing a fresh and new way to experience that by including a live orchestra,” she says. “There’s a sense of wanting to refresh ways for people to encounter this world and this story together with other people.”

CHOPT student cooking competition returns VIVIAN CHANG CULTURE EDITOR @VIVIANCHANG The winter season is warming up as CHOPT brings the heat of a flaming kitchen into residence dining halls. CHOPT is a two-hour cooking competition where three individual first-year students or teams come together in their residence dining hall to impress the palates of the judges. Each residence, SaugeenMaitland Hall, Perth Hall, Ontario Hall, Essex Hall, MedwaySydenham Hall, Elgin Hall and Delaware Hall, will each host their competition on different dates in January and February. The judges will consist of the president of the Residents’ Council, the residence dining manager and one member from the residence dining management team for each residence. Residence dining’s operations manager and competition organizer, Craig Clifford, explains that the participants must prepare a dish

using five mystery ingredients and an array of seasonings. The contestants must use all the ingredients in their dish. The dishes will be judged for their taste, aesthetics and creativity. To participate, students must apply online. The best participants will be selected for the competition. “It’s a learning opportunity for [students] to learn about food and cooking and provide some entertainment and sense of community,” says Clifford. “It really gets students going, especially for students coming down to cheer on their friends or favourite participants.” In 2017, some participants made various pasta dishes for the judges. Douglas Chiu, second-year management and organizational studies student and 2017 CHOPT participant, says the competition came to be a stressful but fun experience. “We had 20 to 30 minutes to cook something with ingredients

that I had never seen before, and I kept burning my food,” says Chiu. “I learned I was super competitive because I just wanted to win.” Learning about cuisine isn’t the only benefit of the competition. Students will receive $50 in meal plan dollars for their participation. The champion will win $100 meal plan dollars and the CHOPT trophy. One contestant will also win a “People’s Choice” award, an award given based on audience members’ votes. Clifford says the event also brings together different culinary traditions and flavours. “Students who live in residence bring unique cultural experiences with food,” says Clifford. Chiu recommends the event to first-years, saying “[It] was one of the greatest moments of first year. Cooking and meeting new people made this a good experience for me.”

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 • 11

culture

#MeToo fundraiser raises awareness for sexual assault in London Western’s Got Talent charity show to highlight student talent SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

GABRIELLE DROLET CULTURE EDITOR @GABRIELLEDROLET Over the past few months, two words have been brought to the forefront of the media: Me too. Harvey Weinstein’s actions largely sparked the #MeToo movement, it has since developed into an international conversation about sexual violence, harassment and social accountability. A Londonbased advocacy organization called Big Hearts, Big Change is localizing these conversations on Jan. 18 by hosting a #MeToo fundraiser at the Best Western Plus Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre. Zoey Dassios, the founder of Big Hearts, Big Change, explains the event aims to highlight the importance of the #MeToo movement here in London. While #MeToo has created a platform for women to discuss their experiences with sexual assault and harassment, Dassios believes that we need to take things one step further by taking action in our own communities. “Every single #MeToo story is important, and they add up. We need to take those moments and share them and turn them into something empowering,” says Dassios. “By doing that, we can hopefully stop those moments from happening.” The event will raise money for Anova, London’s sexual assault centre and women’s community house, and the Beautiful Truth Leadership Retreat, an initiative which aims to empower young women. Dassios emphasizes the event will be both entertaining and educational. It features performances by Toronto-based comedian Aisha Brown, the Sarah Smith Band and DJ Empyrean, as well as talks by Emma O’Connor of Femme Force Fitness and by spokeswomen from Anova. Big Hearts, Big Change was founded in 2017 with the goal of raising awareness for a variety of local causes in London. Dassios explained the idea to create the organization rose from the desire

All this stuff in Hollywood is great, but it made me ask ‘what about our daughters? What about right here in our backyard?’ ZOEY DASSIOS

NICK SOKIC CULTURE EDITOR @NICKATGAZETTE With a population of over 30,000 undergraduate students, Western University is bound to have some hidden talent in its ranks. At least, that’s the thinking behind the upcoming show Western’s Got Talent. The Annual Charity Talent Show, which was the show’s original name, has been put on by Western’s Friends of Médecins Sans Frontière (also known in English as Doctors Without Borders) for the past five years. All proceeds go to the organization’s namesake. Jasmine Huang, a fourth-year Ivey student and president of Friends of MSF, says the name change started as a desire to bring in students from other faculties because previous iterations saw mostly science students attending. “[The club] was never restricted. Just the nature of it meant most of

is something that Huang and Taylor feel encapsulates the spirit of shows like America’s Got Talent. Taylor and Huang wanted their judges panel to reflect the same diversity in the faculty as the contestants themselves. Where before it was largely based in the science faculties, this year, four professors from four different faculties will comprise the panel of judges: Ivey’s Raza Khan, health studies’ Jennifer Irwin, music’s Barbara Sarma and medical sciences’ Michael Boffa. Each member of the audience will be able to vote for the winner. Audience members are also entered into a raffle for a list of as-yet undisclosed prizes. Each judge’s vote will be worth 50 votes. The performer with the most votes will win a grand prize of $500. With the expanded reach this year, the Friends of MSF is hopeful it will be a success for the club and the cause.

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THE FOUNDER OF LONDON-BASED ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION BIG HEARTS, BIG CHANGE to specifically bring awareness to #MeToo. “The event came first. It was something I was passionate about and wanted to do,” says Dassios. “As I started getting organized and getting going, I realized we needed an organization to back it up and to run it. So we worked backwards from there.” As a result of the #MeToo movement, sexual assault has been widely discussed across the globe. The movement started in the film industry when female actors shared their experiences with sexual assault, and it grew as women in all fields and positions started sharing their stories. “It’s great that people in positions of influence and power are bringing awareness to the issue because it’s important and it’s something that transcends every culture and generation,” says Dassios. “All this stuff in Hollywood is great, but it made me ask ‘What about our daughters? What about right here in our backyard?’” Dassios highlights that speaking out against sexual misconduct and hosting events like the #MeToo fundraiser are steps towards real change. She encourages everyone from London and Western University’s community to attend the #MeToo fundraiser next week on Jan. 18 and to learn more about both Anova and The Beautiful Truth Retreat. Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased through Eventbrite on Facebook.

us were in science,” says Huang. “We know it’s a cause that not just science students care about, so we wanted to get the word out more.” Amber Taylor, a second-year health sciences student and the executive director of Western’s Got Talent, set up social media accounts for the talent show. This is in step with their plan to reach out to all faculties for this year’s edition which resulted in 11 contestants chosen from a pool of 40 to 50 this past November. Most of the contestants specialize in music, song or dance. However, they say there’s many different genres and styles portrayed, and the students are from different faculties. Purple Fest 2017 performers Fat Chance are also expected to participate. The biggest surprise contestant, according to Huang and Taylor, is Thompson Clarke, a Rubik’s cube solver whose audition had him solving the puzzle blindfolded or while juggling. That sort of unique talent

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For solution, turn to page 8

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12 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018

games

PHOTO OF THE DAY

GAZETTE CROSSWORD

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE THE BIRD IS THE WORD. An audience member flips off the audience at the prime minister’s town hall event in London, Ont. on Jan. 11.

WORD SEARCH

CREATIVE CLOTH CRAFTING CUTTING WORD SEARCH DECORATIONS EASEL ACRYLIC EMBOSS ADHESIVE FABRIC AIRBRUSH FLOSS BEADWORK FOLIAGE BLADES FRAMING CALLIGRAPHY GLUES CANVAS JEWELRY CHARCOAL JOURNAL CLAY

265 & 267 – UCC BUILDING CREATIVESERVICES-USC.CA 519-661-3578

PRICES STARTING AT $5 SQ/Ft.

KNITTING KNOTS MAT

MOLD PAINT PASTELS



LAURA ELIZABETH HARPER CONTRIBUTOR

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PENCILS POTTERY RUSTIC

SCRAPBOOK SEWING STICKERS

WAX WOOD YARNS

For solution go to westerngazette.ca/solution

CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DOWN

1. __ fi (slang) 4. Former CIA 7. Parts per billion (abbr.) 10. Fermenting vat 11. News organization 12. Paddle 13. Agent in alchemy 15. Small amount 16. Wholeness 19. Suppliers 21. Type of head pain 23. Canadian province 24. Jiminy is one 25. Shelf 26. Diarist Frank 27. Honored 30. Boat race 34. Cash machine 35. Linguistic theory (abbr.) 36. Highway material 41. Gracefully slender 45. Not often found 46. Baghdad is its capital 47. Deriving from Asia 50. Large, veterinary pills 54. Boxer 55. Give the right to 56. Iranian city 57. Body part 59. A citizen of Iraq 60. Australian bird 61. Consume 62. A basketball hoop has one 63. Bar bill 64. Not wet 65. Midway between east and southeast

1. Shorttail weasel 2. Type of sword 3. A way to acquire 4. Peddled more 5. Relaxing place 6. A small carrier attached to the side of a motorcycle 7. Decanting 8. For all ills or diseases 9. Building material 13. “Much __ About Nothing” 14. Type of Buddhism 17. Refers to something unique 18. Thus far 20. Make angry 22. Greek mythological character 27. Used on driveways 28. Relating to the ears 29. Doctors’ group 31. Chinese philosophical principle 32. Stomach 33. A particular period 37. Coin of ancient Greece 38. Place to clean oneself 39. One of the Great Lakes 40. Ruled 41. State of being free 42. Fe 43. Soup cracker 44. Escorts 47. Credit term 48. Institute legal proceedings against 49. Put within 51. New Jersey is one 52. Red deer 53. Type of whale 58. Swiss river

For crossword solution, see page 8