Tuesday, February 27, 2018

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME 111, ISSUE 21 submerged since 1906

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BASKETBALL TEAMS ELIMINATED FROM OUA PLAYOFFS PG8

PERSONAL INTERVIEW WITH BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY PG10

Adam Selling a spot in course 2800 for $100!

Pouria Selling a spot in course 2220 for $25!

Sasha Looking for a spot in course 2135! Willing to pay $$$!

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2 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

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NOOR CHEEMA

Volume 111, Issue 21 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AMY O’KRUK @AMYOKRUK MANAGING EDITOR OF DESIGN JORDAN MCGAVIN @JMCGAVIN13 MANAGING EDITOR OF CONTENT RITA RAHMATI @RITARAHMATI NEWS SABRINA FRACASSI GRACE TO MARTIN ALLEN HILL DU KAROLINA JALOWSKA CULTURE NICK SOKIC VIVIAN CHENG CARMEN MALLIA GABRIELLE DROLET SPORTS MIKE DEBOER CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE

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MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He believed that education is an investment tool that can be used to remove gender inequality, decrease poverty and promote peace.

This belief is one that is shared by the president of Western University’s chapter of the World University Service of Canada, Noor Cheema. Noor, a third-year biology and English student, has been a part of WUSC for two and a half years at Western.

From Simcoe, Ont., Noor has always been passionate about the issues surrounding access to education. In high school, she was part of a United Nations initiative called Girl Up, a fundraising campaign that raises awareness of the education barriers that girls may experience in other parts of the world. She was also a part of her high school newspaper, writing columns about girls’ education in developing countries.

“I was totally obsessed with Malala Yousafzai,” says Noor.

“I would just write about her all the time. I constantly did columns about her and they were like, ‘You have to write about something else, Noor.’ ” Noor’s passion carried over from high school into university as she found her place at WUSC. According to Noor, WUSC’s mandate is to improve the quality of life of youth and women abroad through education and job opportunities.

“I remember when I was in first year, I was walking around clubs’ week really confused, and then I saw WUSC,” Noor recalls. “They explained to me the difference between local initiatives and other international initiatives that they had.”

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

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

One of the local initiatives that Noor likes the most is the Student Refugee Program at Western where 83 cents of the University Students’ Council student fee goes toward sponsoring a student who previously had refugee status.

Every other year, WUSC sponsors a student to study in Canada for the full four years of their education.

Other WUSC campaigns and initiatives this year have been centred on increasing job opportunities with Fair Trade and providing education opportunities abroad.

According to Noor, WUSC’s Shine A Light program reveals the gender gap in refugee-camp secondary schools as boys outnumber girls four to one.

Noor said the club’s goals relate closely to her own because of her family’s experiences. Noor’s parents moved to Canada from Pakistan when she was three years old. In Pakistan, her father worked hard to get himself through university with scholarships and her mother was a teacher. Noor explains that her family’s values resonated closely with WUSC’s belief in the power of education.

“It kind of hits home because I understand the power of education,” says Noor. “It gave my family the opportunity to leave life in Pakistan and come to Canada and to have the comfortable, successful life that my parents have provided me.”

Noor expressed her pride in seeing WUSC’s presence on campus rise over the years since she has been at Western, such as witnessing the positive changes in the sponsored student’s life. She commends this year’s executive team and general members for engaging Western students and the London community as they have been increasing the club’s promotion.

Despite her undergraduate degree not being directly related philanthropy and international development, Noor intends to continue to use her voice and act on issues that she cares about. Currently, Noor has her sights set on veterinarian school after she finishes her undergraduate degree.

No matter what the future holds for Noor, she believes in the idea of sustainability. Noor also sees the idea of sustainability reflected in the work that WUSC is doing, such as eliminating education and employment barriers for youths in the local community and overseas. She sees value in education and awareness initiatives that will work in the present and for future generations.

“As someone who comes from a place of privilege and education, I feel like it’s our responsibility to help and empower others and advocate on behalf of others to also have that kind of empowerment in their lives,” Noor said.

“Throughout my life, I do want to use my voice and free time to help achieve that.”

■■GRACE TO

Apology to readers The Gazette would like to apologize.

One of the articles in our last issue contained a major error: we referred to a transgender student by their deadname. As editor-in-chief, I acknowledge this mistake was unacceptable and caused real harm to Western University’s LGBTQ2+ community — especially the individual. Deadnaming is never acceptable; all students have the right to be referred to by their name. I’m deeply sorry the Gazette detracted from the work student leaders are undertaking across campus to advocate for LGBTQ2+ issues and the community.

This mistake speaks to wider issues within the media and at the Gazette. Media coverage of LGBTQ2+ issues must move beyond simplistic dichotomies and toward more fully-realized representations. As a media outlet, we have a responsibility to tell LGBTQ2+ people’s stories with fairness, integrity and respect. This is paramount.

As a result of the error, and other concerns raised

by the LGBTQ2+ community, the Gazette manually redacted the deadname in many of its print issues.

We have also re-evaluated our internal editing procedures to avoid a similar mistake from happening in the future. I am committed to working with Western’s LGBTQ2+ community to ensure the Gazette is providing adequate training to its reporters, especially as they approach issues affecting marginalized communities.

In this spirit, the Gazette will publish submissions from the LGBTQ2+ community in a special Pride Issue next month.

Going forward, the Gazette can do better. If anyone at Western has suggestions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at editor@westerngazette.ca.

Sincerely, Amy O’Kruk Editor-in-chief 17/18

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • 3

news

SOGS office moves to Middlesex College

JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE

University residences struggle to meet student demand JUDY BASMAJI CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE Several Canadian universities are planning residence expansions and introducing micro-apartments to address the critical need for affordable student housing.

Wait lists for residence placements are rapidly growing as more students compete for housing on-campus across Canada. Last summer, Ryerson University had a record number of over 900 students on its residence wait list. Similarly, the University of British Columbia had a housing wait list of over 6,000 students.

Western University is reporting similar trends, particularly for upper-year student housing. Christ Alleyne, director of residences at Western, says London Hall already has a waiting list for next year.

“Two years ago, we couldn’t fill Alumni House, [an upper-year residence], but we have completely filled Alumni House this year.”

A number of universities are planning residence expansions to meet the rise in student demand. The University of Toronto Scarborough is moving forward with a “long-awaited” 10-storey student residence that will house 750 students to open by fall 2020.

McMaster University is also overseeing the construction of a 950-bed residence complex.

Further, the University of Victoria is planning for a new residence facility which will provide housing for 600 students. Other universities working on expansions include Ryerson University and the University of Calgary.

In response to high student demand, UBC is planning an innovative student housing project called Nano Studios. At 140 sq. ft., nano studios are micro-apartments that include a small bathroom, closet, kitchen area, a double bed that folds up into the wall and a desk that folds down in its place.

UBC plans to rent out 70 nano studios beginning in 2019, as part of a 651-bed new residence building.

A prototype of the studio displayed at the university in 2016 received wide approval, with 83 per cent of surveyed students indicating they would live in the studio for the set

Living in a university residence is such a unique experience. You have the rest of your life to live in an apartment.

CHRIS ALLEYNE DIRECTOR OF RESIDENCES

cost of $700 a month. In general, a standard self-contained studio apartment on campus costs over $1,000 a month at UBC. Western has also had to increase its capacity in recent years. In 2014, Western University opened a residence building, Ontario Hall, adding 1,000 beds to student housing. No other residence buildings are in the works at the moment.

“I think our upper-year students are starting to recognize the convenience of living on campus,” Alleyne said.

Alleyne explained students appreciate the academic support, the social connection and the proximity to campus facilities provided by living in residence.

A 2016 joint study by four Ontarian universities shows students who live off-campus are at a disadvantage compared to on-campus students. The further a student lives from campus, the less likely they are to travel to campus and to participate in on-campus activities. Off-campus students are also more likely to pick courses based on their commute time, such as avoiding early morning or late night courses, which limits their course options.

Students reported cost of housing as the most important factor when choosing a place to live. A follow-up study aims to address housing-related challenges university students face. It shows the design of students’ living space also affects educational experience and performance.

Alleyne emphasized residences provide an opportunity to interact with students from different walks of life and build a sense of community.

“Living in a university residence is such a unique experience,” Alleyne said. “You have the rest of your life to live in an apartment.”

www.westerngazette.ca

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

LUCAS SONKE COPY EDITOR @LUCASSONKE The Society of Graduate Students is moving to Middlesex College: on March 1, they’ll be open for business.

On Feb. 19, SOGS closed their office in the University Community Centre and began their move across campus to Middlesex College. Their new office will be in the basement in room 8, near the Grad Club. The space was previously a collection of unused classrooms that Western University has refurbished for SOGS use. The new hub cost around $50,000 and will include a board room, community space, office spaces and more.

This move comes after a decades-long battle to find a more suitable office for Western’s graduate students, according to Madison Bettle, SOGS’ vice-president student services. Bettle said SOGS executives have long requested an office move, citing that the UCC is predominantly

an undergraduate facility and that SOGS office should move to a location closer to other graduate student amenities on campus.

“Establishing a graduate centre remained one of the key goals of SOGS for several decades,” Bettle said in an email.

Bettle said Middlesex was a good choice for the new office, believing it will create more visible and cohesive space for graduate students.

“Undergraduates essentially call the UCC home,” Bettle said. “Now that both the SOGS office and the Grad Club will be housed in one location …, we believe SOGS will have greater visibility given the kind of traffic the Grad Club receives on a daily basis.”

Previously, SOGS found that their second-floor UCC office was cramped and inaccessible to many students. SOGS also argued that the new office would provide more privacy for graduate students by giving them their own space in a lower-traffic building. Because of this,

Bettle views the move “as a huge step forward.”

“Since Middlesex College is already visually associated with the Grad Club, SOGS (and graduate student life as a whole) will soon be associated with the building as well,” Bettle explained.

Of the new office, Bettle said SOGS will create a space for graduate students to book and hold meetings. Currently, graduate students have no dedicated space for this and must book classrooms on campus. Bettle hopes this will build a stronger relationship among the society and its membership.

The move also coincides with SOGS’ 50th anniversary, which Bettle said she is excited about.

“In September when alumni return, we can show them the new office space,” Bettle said. “I think it will be very sentimental for SOGS executives from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s to return to see their primary goal realized.”

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4 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

news

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Campus flooding ‘worst in recent history’ MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @_MARTINALLEN

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

Western to offer mixed-gender housing in September JUDY BASMAJI CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE Incoming first-year students can now live together in residences regardless of gender.

Starting in September 2018, Western University students can now choose between single-gender housing and mixed-gender housing on their residence applications.

Students who choose the mixedgender housing option may be placed with roommates of any gender.

“We wanted to provide our students with choice,” said Chris Alleyne, director of residences at Western. “It certainly seems very heteronormative to ensure that men live with men and women have to live with women.”

The University of Toronto Mississauga and Ryerson University added gender-inclusive housing options to their residence application process starting in fall 2017.

According to Alleyne, UTM and Ryerson are the only other universities in Ontario with mixed-gender housing options.

In the 2017–18 round of applications, 50 per cent of 856 students living in Ryerson residences chose the all-gender housing option.

Alleyne explained that mixedgender housing does not necessarily mean students will be placed with a roommate of a different gender, only that gender will not be taken into consideration when assigning roommates. In other words, students could be randomly placed with someone of the same gender or a different gender.

In previous years, only upperyear students had the option of living with roommates of a different gender. London Hall, an upperyear residence, offered the option of single-gender or mixed-gender roommate preference in the application. All upper-years could also

indicate the name of a preferred roommate in residence applications to be placed with that roommate, regardless of their gender.

The new application process extends the mixed-gender housing option to all students in all Western residences. Alternatively, students may choose the single-gender (man or woman) housing option if they wish to be placed with roommates of the same gender.

Further, Western extended the list of options available for identifying gender in residence applications.

In the past, students had the option to identify as either male or female. Last year, Western added a third option stating “I don’t identify with the gender binary.” Students who chose this option were contacted directly by the university to accommodate housing preferences on a case-by-case basis.

As part of the new application, students now have several options to choose from: man, woman, trans*, two-spirit, or “another gender identity.” Students may also choose not to reveal their gender.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Alleyne said. “It’s important for our students to see in any sort of application or in any university documentation that we recognize [they] have different identities.”

Alleyne explained Western consulted with a number of groups, including Pride Western, Ally Western, and Western’s equity services to collect input prior to the launch of the new application form.

Western’s housing services also held focus groups with students and consulted with two other schools that have recently implemented a similar process.

“We have a really diverse student body,” Alleyne said. “We’re trying to ensure that there’s a diversity of housing options for incoming students.”

Western University said its recent flooding is “beyond anything the campus has seen in recent history.”

Several areas across campus were underwater, including the Medway, Tabolt and Chemistry Lots after flooding began early last week. Keith Marnoch, director of Western’s Media Relations, said there was no large-scale damage to campus; though Campus Police monitored high-risk facilities, such as Talbot College, Westminster Hall, Delaware Hall and the Staging Building. Marnoch added cars in closed lots were redirected to park in Huron Flats.

Western’s tennis bubble was particularly at risk, as it was surrounded by water — Tony von Richter,

Western’s Mustangs media relations director, said that the flooding around the tennis bubble was the worst it’s been in 40 years. Since the flooding began, the facilities have been repaired and the courts will be open within the week.

“We feel fortunate,” said John Hatch, a tennis centre official.

“Flooding is not something you would wish for, but if it is going to happen, it happened on a good week.”

Hatch said the fewer people on campus during Reading Week helped soften the impact of closing their doors. In reaction to the flooding, the centre deflated its dome and turned off the power as part of its flooding protocol to protect the facility. They added they were lucky that the water did not engulf the furnace or any electrics.

MARTIN ALLEN GAZETTE Western’s indoor tennis facilities drying out after the flooding, Feb. 26, 2018.

MARTIN ALLEN GAZETTE Western’s tennis centre surrounded by water, Feb. 21, 2018.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION Solution to puzzle on page 11

MARTIN ALLEN GAZETTE The Medway parking lot submerged in water on Feb. 21, 2018.

The centre hopes to reopen by Wednesday.

The campus flooding came after a rain spell that has caused rainwater and melted snow to overwhelm the Thames River. Similar flooding was reported around the city, and major city roadways were closed as early as 11:30 a.m. last Wednesday.

Residence staff members also visited Elgin Hall at 2 p.m. Wednesday to inspect its first floor for damages.

Residence staff asked for “as many hands as possible” to help move items from student rooms on the first floor to preempt flood damages.

Rachael Grove, a first-year medical science student, said she saw the flooding when she entered Elgin at 7 p.m. last Tuesday. The water levels were rising quickly, though at the time, she said the deepest areas were only a few inches.

• www.westerngazette.ca

Western, USC devalues Faculty of Music students Year after year, students in my faculty, the Faculty of Music, feel disconnected from the remainder of this university. We feel underrepresented, ignored and at the worst of times, incredibly disrespected. Year after year, we are reminded that, as a faculty of only around 400 undergraduate students, we do not matter.

Last year, in the USC presidential elections, our faculty council was contacted and visited by only one of the three slates. At the debate that year, though numerous music students posed questions on social media in hopes that our issues would even be acknowledged, none of them were asked.

While both slates running in this year’s presidential election showed improved engagement with us, the remaining students at this school continuously prove that our issues are simply of no concern to them. At the most recent University Students’ Council meeting, I pointed out this fact. Again, I was left largely unsupported and unaddressed.

My walking out of that meeting was not some sort of stunt, it was the result of my frustrations after witnessing over a year’s worth of USC meetings where my constituents were walked over.

Our frustrations extend past the USC as well. I find it

interesting that, of the eight at-large candidates in this year’s Senate elections, only two have felt the need to reach out to me to ask for a chance to speak to my council. I do not know what the decision-making process looked like for the remaining candidates, nor do I particularly care. They have, by not reaching out to my council, decided to not communicate with the representative body for Faculty of Music students. They have decided that we are not a part of the undergraduate student body they seek to represent.

The culture at this school is one which devalues my entire faculty, and though I have spent my entire term attempting to change this, I have seen little progress. Change requires both sides to cooperate, yet it has been made expressly clear that the other side is reluctant to give. To the newly elected USC president and vice-president, I implore you to lead the organization in a new direction: one which truly values all students. To the at-large senator candidates who decided not to contact us, even if elected, by your actions you have announced to our faculty that you will not represent us.

— Kyle Tang, Faculty of Music Students’ Council president

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • 5

opinions

Western students talk trading courses for cash Zoe He

First-year at Ivey Business School

Rachna Jog

Fourth-year medical sciences and Ivey Business School

Edward Ho

Fourth-year medical science

Ahmed Shishani Fourth-year business management and organizational studies

Nirmit Shah Second-year medical science

“A lot of my friends are Chinese so they sign up for Chinese courses which are easier but they sell them to other people. It’s kind of expensive. Like, $200.”

“It’s kind of terrible to do it. If you didn’t need to take the course, why are you registering for it in the first place? … I just don’t want it to happen on campus.”

“I find it kind of annoying that you have to resort to that at some point, and I had a lot of friends that had to do that for mandatory courses, which just makes no sense at all. The fact that I can register for a course, drop it and make 50 bucks off of it … there’s so much incentive for people to do that.”

“I know that there are some people that think, ‘Oh, we are just buying into courses that are bird courses’, and that’s definitely a thing. … I think that the bigger problem here is how signing up for courses works. It’s kind of random, and there isn’t really a perfect way to do it, but I think the school needs to look into improving that” “I don’t think that it’s right that people are making money off of it, but maybe something to do is implement a way to trade courses through a proper channel instead of selling. I don’t think its wrong for people to buy into courses, but it’s wrong for people to sell them.”

“I think it’s terrible situation that should be avoided.”

“I think it’s something people do with not much oversight. I think it’s a short-sighted thing and in the grander sense they would say it’s wrong, but not very much thought has been put into it.”

“I don’t think that it should have to happen because if people feel a necessity to be in a course, I believe that there should be availability for them to be in that course. I understand that there’s a limit because you can’t have more people in a lecture hall than there are spaces. But I feel that there should be more sections available or some way for those students to be in that course.”

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6 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

feature

CASH FOR COURSES

The unauthorized market for spots in $ full courses at Western GRACE TO & HILL DU NEWS EDITORS @GRACEKTOE @HXDU638

Education is the most important thing that you can spend money on, so why not splurge on that instead of getting a frappuccino from Starbucks?

ALEJANDRO GHALILI

SECOND-YEAR SCIENCE STUDENT

Would you pay $100 for a spot in a full course at Western? Some students certainly would.

Last semester, second-year science student Alejandro Ghalili sold his spot in Geography of Tourism.

He made the decision to switch out of the class after reading the course syllabus.

“Personally, I’m not a very good person for tests,” Ghalili said. “I decided I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the course fully, so I decided to sell my spot.”

Ghalili posted in the “‘Must Knows’ for courses at UWO” Facebook group, a group with over 16,000 members. He originally asked for $90 for his spot.

Ghalili said he chose the price based on similar posts, where prices ranged from $20 to over $100,

depending on factors like popularity and course length.

Eventually, Ghalili found a geography student who was willing to pay $35. They met in Weldon Library where Ghalili dropped the course on Student Centre, allowing the buyer to immediately sign up for it. Once the enrolment was complete, the student e-transferred Ghalili the money.

“Spending money is inevitable in terms of your education,” Ghalili said. He doesn’t think it’s unethical for students to sell course spots. Instead, Ghalili said that students are only working with the system and taking advantage of the opportunity to make some money.

“Education is the most important thing that you can spend money on, so why not splurge on that instead of getting a frappuccino from Starbucks?” he said.

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LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

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• www.westerngazette.ca

Ghalili is far from the only student active in the unofficial online market for course spots at Western. Between Nov. 15, 2017 and Jan. 26, 2018, students made 98 posts offering to buy or sell a course seat in the Facebook group. The market’s scale is also difficult to determine because students tend to delete posts on social media after completing a transaction, leaving no trace behind.

Based on the Facebook group, the majority of the in-demand courses are science or business courses. In particular, courses known to be easy in terms of workload or grading — otherwise known as bird courses — are often most desirable. As student demand for these courses exceeds supply, some students seize the opportunity to buy or sell a seat. With many students in fierce competition, the exchange can be well worth it by potentially boosting one’s GPA. However, bird courses aren’t the the only courses sold, and some students are frustrated with the need to exchange cash for courses in the first place.

This semester, Ryan*, a second-year business student, was one of the students willing to pay for a spot in a course. During the two days before the course add or drop deadline, he was constantly refreshing Western’s Student Centre hoping for a spot to open in an economics course.

“As the hours were approaching the deadline, a friend told me I should just post on Facebook and ask to pay for a spot,” Ryan said. “I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea because I had nothing to lose.”

Unfortunately, Ryan received no offers, and the deadline passed.

“I do think it’s sad that students have to resort to [buying and selling courses],” Ryan

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • 7

said. “Maybe it speaks to things that need to be done differently in terms of course registration.”

There are several reasons why the unauthorized course market is flourishing at Western, and they’re closely tied to the way the university conducts course registration.

Western chemistry professor Felix Lee has taught a highly sought summer school organic chemistry course for the last 13 years. Like most of the university’s undergraduate courses, summer school organic chemistry registration gives priority to upper-year students. In general, Western’s course registration is set up so that fourthyears register first, followed by third-years, and finally second-years. First-year students add their courses separately before other students.

However, when upper-year students take advantage of their priority to secure a spot which they can later sell to desperate firstyear students, Lee said it defeats the purpose of priority registration.

“For a university student to take advantage of a loophole and also financially benefit from it is not very ethical and against any principle of integrity,” he said. Lee added that, contrary to popular belief, summer students taking organic chemistry do not receive better grades than those who take the course during the school year.

While the university acknowledges the unauthorized market, it has done little to prevent it. Currently, there are no repercussions for students who take spots in courses with the intention of selling them.

John Doerksen, vice provost of academic programs, said he was aware of the phenomenon happening at other schools before

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realizing it was also happening at Western.

“It certainly is not an ethical action or behaviour,” Doerksen said. “It is obviously a practice that is not in line with how we would expect and how we would hope that our students would behave.”

Doerksen explained the issue doesn’t extend to all courses. For some classes, students can only register if they are in a specific module. This constraint eliminates the opportunity for students to buy and sell spots for those courses.

“We will continue to keep our eyes and ears open for other ways to help mitigate [the issue] while trying to keep our registration process as student-friendly as possible,” Doerksen said.

As Doerksen mentioned, the market isn’t specific to Western. Other universities have also reported students buying and selling course spots. For example, this was an issue at the University of Toronto, but it has been mitigated with wait-lists. While not a perfect defence, it allows students to add themselves to a wait-list when a course becomes full. If there are any changes to the course’s enrolment, each student will be automatically moved up in the wait-list.

Science student senator Kelvin Zhou said Western needs to rethink its course enrolment system, and he said it’s something the university is exploring. Specifically, they’re looking at the feasibility of implementing online wait-lists for courses. Before that happens, the university would need to consult its IT department, the Registrar’s Office and possibly other schools that already use the course wait-list system.

“Right now, if you can’t get into a course, all you’re left doing is refreshing, refreshing,

refreshing,” said Zhou. “That’s a huge waste of time and not mentally healthy.”

In particular, Zhou said buying and selling of course spots negatively affects students who are not able to afford the “hidden fees” of course enrolment. It’s a system that puts students with financial need at a disadvantage.

Financial need or not, course registration turned bidding wars can pressure students to put a lot on the line.

Mary*, a third-year medical sciences student, knows this first hand. Mary needed to enrol in a specific science course this semester to qualify for a place in her desired module for fourth year. Faced with a fully booked course, she desperately turned to Facebook to see whether a student would be willing to drop the course for her.

The first time Mary posted seeking a spot, she didn’t offer to pay. No one messaged her. More desperate the second time, she posted that she was willing to pay $150. Four people got in touch. Eventually, however, she decided that being in a course was not worth the hefty price tag.

“I found it unfair that people resort to this and that I had to resort to it because no one was replying to me otherwise,” Mary said. “I don’t think it’s right because there’s already so much money being put into education, and this is, in a way, unnecessary.”

*Names have been changed at the request of the individuals to protect their privacy.

As the hours were approaching the deadline, a friend told me I should just post on Facebook and ask to pay for a spot.

RYAN A SECOND-YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT

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8 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

sports

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Mustangs lose to Lancers in OUA quarter-finals MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEDBOER The Western Mustangs men’s basketball team took a step forward this season. That much is undeniable.

They flipped the script from 7–13 last season to 15–9 this year. Several young and talented players affirmed their positions as future stars in the program. The Mustangs finally learned how to win, and this season was a successful one.

But none of that will take away the disappointment of their 89–72 loss to the Windsor Lancers. Their fourth-quarter implosion, with the Mustangs only down by five points, put the game out of reach.

During the regular season, the Mustangs dominated the Lancers in both games the Ontario University Athletics West Division rivals played.

They beat the Lancers 93–78 at home in early November and then again on the road by a score of 94–86 on Feb. 3.

But when they met in the most important game of the year, Western wasn’t up to the task. The difference in program cultures showed in the playoff showdown.

The Lancers, under head coach Chris Oliver, have been a perennial 20-win program over the last decade. They’ve won six OUA West regular season titles, two OUA West playoff titles, a Wilson Cup Ontario Championship and earned three berths to the CIS National Championships.

This year was the Windsor’s worst under Oliver, as they struggled to a 13–11 record in the midst of a program rebuild. But in a do-or-die situation, the championship tradition of the Lancers shone, and the Mustangs revealed their inexperience when it comes to big games.

As the Lancers hit threes and the Mustangs failed to box out at multiple pivotal moments with the game on the line, the game quickly became out of reach.

This win would have been a massive one for the program. It would have meant a trip to the OUA Final Four, precedent that could have been set for future success. And it would have meant more basketball.

For team building, nothing is more valuable.

Granted, Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell is working to build a championship tradition — this season has been a testament to that. He turned a team that looked destined for mediocrity into one of the final eight teams in the province. Further, this defeat, as disappointing and disheartening as it is, can be used as motivation. There’s nothing more dangerous than a talented team with a vendetta, and that could be the Mustangs next season.

“We wish we could’ve ended our season on a better note, but unfortunately this is the way it worked out,” Campbell said. “We took a nice step forward this year, and we need to look at how we’re going to take another step forward next season.

Women’s basketball team eliminated in quarter-finals MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEDBOER Mackenzie Puklicz’s 15 point, five rebound and eight steal performance on Saturday wasn’t enough as the Western Mustangs women’s basketball team suffered a season-ending 61–51 loss to the McMaster Marauders in the Ontario University Athletics quarter-finals.

With the loss the Mustangs, who finished the OUA regular season with a record of 13–11, are now eliminated from the OUA playoffs.

The game got off to a slow start as neither team scored a basket for the first two minutes. The game’s first quarter ended with the teams tied at 13 apiece in what proved to be a defensive battle between OUA West Division rivals.

The scoring drought continued in the second quarter as the teams had difficulty hitting shots and taking care of the basketball. The Marauders edged out a 29–27 lead to go into halftime.

McMaster used their home court advantage to attempt to break away in the third quarter, with their lead climbing to five points at multiple points in the frame. However, Puklicz and fellow Mustang Julia Curran, who put up a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds on

the afternoon, kept the Mustangs within striking distance.

The teams continued trading blows in the fourth quarter as the two squads attempted to keep their seasons alive. However, Sarah Gates and Linnaea Harper hit consecutive three pointers for the Mustangs as the Marauders finally began to cushion their lead. A 9–0 run put the Marauders into the OUA semifinals.

In Puklicz’s final game of her illustrious career, she proved once again why she has been the face of this Mustangs program. She finished the season as the fourth highest scorer in the OUA with 18.0 points per game and finished her Mustangs career with 14.4 points per game over her five years.

The Mustangs also showed their fortitude in pushing a 20–4 McMaster team to the brink. Along with prime production from Puklicz and Curran, Maddy Horst added 14 points and Victoria Heine scored eight points. Mustangs head coach Brian Cheng ran a short bench, with only eight players seeing the court on Saturday.

The Marauders move on to face the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Critelli Cup semifinals, while the Carleton Ravens meet up with the Windsor Lancers in the other semifinal game.

JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE Mustangs guard, Shekinah Kienansatuko, attempts a three-pointer.

We took a nice step forward this year, and we need to look at how we’re going to take another step forward next season.

BRAD CAMPBELL MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

We’re going to use this game, and the way we feel now as motivation to make sure this doesn’t happen again next year.”

The Mustangs return a number of pivotal pieces next season. Eriq Jenkins, Marko Kovac and Nik Farkic will be seniors. Omar Shiddo will be in his third year, and Chris Clegg will be a sophomore.

The Mustangs can be even better in 2018–19, and given how bad the OUA West was this season, they should have the opportunity to again compete for a first-round playoff bye and another shot at an OUA Final Four berth. Jedson Tavernier and Henry Tan, who played their final university basketball games on Saturday, believe the program is headed in the right direction.

“I think this whole season was a big step forward for us. We’ve had a couple down years in recent history, but this year we really got ourselves back to the top of OUA contention.

I think next year is just going to be another step forward as the program keeps building,” Tavernier said.

“This team can definitely go far

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE Guard Henry Tan, played his final season as a Mustang. Feb. 14, 2018.

next year. We have a lot of young and up-and-coming guys, so I feel if they continue to work hard and play within the system then they can definitely go even further next season,” Tan said.

All season, the expectation was that the rails for this team would fall

off. But they remained a consistent squad throughout. They beat the Ryerson Rams. They pushed the Ottawa Gee-Gees to the limit.

They returned to relevance ahead of schedule, and no playoff loss can change that.

Women’s hockey defeats Toronto, prepares for semifinal clash with Guelph CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE The Western Mustangs women’s hockey team stayed on track during reading week, dispatching of the Toronto Varsity Blues by sweeping their best-of-three series. Now, they’re looking ahead to an OUA semifinal series with the Guelph Gryphons.

Beating Toronto was no easy feat for the Mustangs, despite the 2–0 series win. They needed two overtime periods to win game one 3–2, and game two was another close (4–2) affair.

Special teams were a major factor in the quarter-final series. In game two alone, there were four powerplay goals — two each from Western and Toronto. The Mustangs’ powerplay operated at 40 per cent success over the two games.

Western also had plenty of help from the back against Toronto, in the form of rookie goaltender, Carmen Lasis. She posted a massive .944 save percentage against the Blues, topping her regular season average of .940. Lasis’s performance in the double-overtime game was exceptional, making 44 saves in a 92-minute effort.

With round one out of the way, the Mustangs are looking ahead to their meeting with Guelph. They struggled against the Gryphons this season, losing 4–3 in overtime at home and then falling 5–2 on the road a week later.

Western and Guelph tied in points in the regular season, but the

Gryphons placed higher — second in the OUA — thanks to one more win. Guelph actually jumped ahead of the Mustangs on the last day of the season, forcing Western to play Toronto instead of the Brock Badgers in the first round.

Guelph is also the defending OUA champion, winning the last two McCaw Cups. They defeated Western 5–1 in the final in 2016, a game that featured nine current Mustangs.

The Gryphons continued to be dominant this season, and that’s why they’re ahead of the Mustangs in the U Sports national rankings — they were seventh on last week’s list, and Western was 10th.

On paper, the road to the OUA final is a tough one for Western.

Although they are level in points, Guelph has the edge in most statistical categories. The Gryphons have the Mustangs beat in total goals (73– 61), and they’ve allowed the fewest against in the league (36).

It would seem that Guelph has a solid offensive advantage. Their dynamic forward trio of Kaitlin Lowy, Kelly Gribbons and Claire Merrick had 24, 23 and 22 points this season, respectively. The Mustangs’ leading scorer, April Clark, also had 22, but no other Western player cracked 20.

The Gryphons are pretty stacked all the way through, too. Two of their players — defenceman Katherine Bailey and goalie Valerie Lamenta — were U Sports All-Canadians last season. So, it may be tough for the Mustangs to match their high-scoring opponents.

One area where the Mustangs could come out ahead is, like in the series with Toronto, special teams.

Western has the best power-play in the OUA, and Guelph’s is secondworst among playoff teams.

Similarly, the Mustangs’ penalty kill was second in the league, successful 93.3 per cent of the time; the Gryphons’ kill sits at 90.1.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, though, they may not have too many opportunities to capitalize on that particular advantage. Guelph is the least-penalized team in the OUA, relying on good discipline to make up for lackluster special teams.

Western will need some big performances from Lasis to get through Guelph. The Gryphons are bound to have plenty of shots, so the Mustangs will only have a chance if they can keep them out of the net.

Before the series with Toronto, Mustangs coach Kelly Paton stressed the need for some secondary scoring to come from her defencemen.

That didn’t quite work out against the Blues, with just three Western blueliners recording a point, but if they can step up in that area a bit they’ll have a chance.

Of course, win or lose, the Mustangs’ season isn’t over. They’re hosting the U Sports national championship at Thompson Arena later in March, so they’re guaranteed a spot in that tournament. Still, they’d really like to get there by winning the McCaw Cup. Game one against the Gryphons is Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Guelph, before the series shifts back to London for game two on Friday.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • 9

sports

Alex Coote: ‘The Engineer’ MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEDBOER

MICHAEL CONLEY Western Mustangs’ number 6, Alex Coote, is known as “The Engineer” by his team.

Alex Coote’s teammates call him “The Engineer” on Twitter. He’s their fourth-year captain and an instrumental part of the resurgence of a basketball program, which is now way ahead of schedule. He also juggles basketball with a fulltime internship Schaeffler Group North America, an engineering company.

But for Alex Coote, juggling basketball and an internship is a challenge he’s embraced.

As Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell explained, Coote has always been a hard-working gym rat.

Some would describe him as a program guy: a player without eye-popping stats whose commitment to his team is an invaluable asset.

“I am sure Alex wishes he could spend more time in the gym,” said Campbell. “Alex has a tremendous work ethic and a positive approach, which has served him well this year.”

Coote’s schedule is unlike that of most varsity athletes. His hours at his internship average about nine hours a day, five days a week. The Mustangs practice two hours a day, six days a week.

While his job has been accommodating, Coote admits the transition from school and basketball to a full-time internship and basketball was not easy.

“It was definitely something I had to get used to when the season started, and it’s definitely been tougher than any of my other years, but I’d say I’m used to it by now,” Coote said. “I’m definitely in a routine by this point in the year, and that makes it easier. It’s just sort of habit.”

Coote’s passion for mathematics and science drove him to study engineering. He credits his parents

Mustangs ringette hoping to find their groove in rebuilding season CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE SPORTS EDITOR @CHARLIEJCLARKE A year ago, the Western Mustangs ringette team had the luxuries of a cohesive veteran group and a winning record. This season, though, has been a very different challenge.

With around half of their players graduating at the end of last season, the Mustangs have had to adapt to a heavy injection of youth and inexperience. Their 2017–18 roster features six first-year players, and just five in fourth or fifth year.

As a result, things have been tough for Western in terms of performance. They’ve got a 4–22–1 record across all their competitions right now, and they don’t yet have a win in Western Region league play.

The Mustangs came second in the University Challenge Cup last year, losing to the University of Ottawa in the final. In this year’s edition, they won just one of their six games.

“This year has been a rebuild year for us,” says Emily Renneberg, one of the Mustangs’ players. “Our

goal is to connect as a team and be able to play more cohesively.”

The Mustangs have started to find their groove as the season’s progressed, and they’re looking ahead to the provincial championships coming up from March 8 to 10. Under head coach Glenn Hayter, the inexperienced group is hoping to pick up some momentum in their final game at the regular season.

That contest will be Western’s lone home game at Thompson Arena this year. They’re playing Waterloo-Duncan on March 3, and the Mustangs are hoping for a good showing to drum up some interest in their team to potentially drive recruiting.

According to Renneberg, the Mustangs are hoping to bring a few more players into the fold to bolster their lineup for next season.

“We’re trying to recruit pretty hard right now,” she says. “I know a lot of girls on campus have played.

They just don’t know about the varsity team.”

This year, it’s been especially tough to get the word out with just one game at Thompson Arena.

Even though the Mustangs have struggled in the 2017–18 season, though, Renneberg says people can still appreciate ringette itself.

“We’re trying to promote the sport as a whole,” she says. “It’s a really awesome sport that the girls really benefit from. It’s underrated I guess. A lot of people don’t know about it, but it’s an awesome sport even though the team’s not doing so hot.”

Although it may resemble hockey, Renneberg explains that there are a lot of differences in ringette. She says it’s more of a tactical game, with different rules about how you can attack.

Only three players can enter the offensive zone, for example, which means passes have to be more strategic. There’s a 30-second shot clock, forcing teams to act fast when they have possession.

“It’s the fastest game on ice,” she says.

The Mustangs’ game against Waterloo-Duncan is on Saturday at 8 p.m., when they’ll be hoping to close out the regular season with a victory.

Alex provides experience and is a great example to our younger players in terms of his commitment, work ethic and positive outlook.

BRAD CAMPBELL MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

with instilling a drive in him to develop an interest in problem solving.

As an intern at Schaeffler, Coote worked in the design department.

Recently he had the opportunity to become a temporary account executive engineer, which deals with customers on a day-to-day basis. It’s an opportunity he’s grateful for.

“The internship may not have been what I expected out of the gate, but I know I’m going to return to school with some great experience and great memories under my belt,” Coote said.

On the court, Coote’s minutes have been limited because of performances by Omar Shiddo, Eriq Jenkins and Nik Farkic at the guard position; however, Coote has been productive in the time he has played, averaging 13 points per 40 minutes.

But his impact on the program has been what makes him such a significant part of the team. The Mustangs clinched second place in the Ontario University Athletics West Division with a win over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Feb. 7.

With a record of 15–9, the Mustangs

have established themselves as a top-five team in the OUA. Part of that rise is due to the leadership of the team’s older players, like Coote.

“Alex’s leadership has been very important,” Campbell said. “As a senior member of our team, Alex provides experience and is a great example to our younger players in terms of his commitment, work ethic and positive outlook. Above all, Alex is an outstanding teammate who is all about team success.”

With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, Coote is hopeful that the team is capable of a playoff run. With a core of players that went through the trials of last season, he’s seen how this team and program have grown together.

“We are still a young team, but we’ve got a good core now that’s been together a couple years, and we’ve been growing together as leaders,” Coote said.

Coote’s career is a testament to the intangibles. He’s shown that gaudy numbers don’t make or break a basketball player. Leadership and a sheer will to win and improve every day, can be just as valuable as athleticism and big-time numbers.

That’s what the The Engineer’s legacy will be all about.

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Review Committee Vice-President (External) Call for Submissions A Review Committee for the Vice-President (External) has been struck in accordance with the Appointment Procedures for Senior Academic and Administrative Officers of the University.

Vice-President (External) Kelly Cole is eligible to be appointed to a second five-year term.

The Committee is seeking input from the community as it conducts its review. Individuals who wish to comment on Ms. Cole’s performance, or on the goals and objectives of the portfolio, may find the following information to be helpful when formulating a submission: •

Vice-President (External) Organizational Chart www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/external_relations_orgchart.pdf

•

Roles & Responsibilities of the Vice-President (External) www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/board/special_resolutions/spres14.pdf

•

Vice-President (External) Portfolio Overview Advancement Operations www.advser.uwo.ca Alumni Relations www.alumni.uwo.ca Communications & Public Affairs www.communications.uwo.ca Development www.giving.westernu.ca

Submissions should be forwarded by March 5, 2018 to the Secretary of the Committee, Kathleen Kwan at kkwan63@uwo.ca or mailed to:

K.Kwan, University Secretary Rm. 4101, Stevenson Hall Western University London, Ontario, N6A 5B8 All submissions will remain confidential to the Review Committee.

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

culture

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Step up your dessert game at Teavolution

MAX MAO GAZETTE

Alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine: oh my!

HILLARY CHAN CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE

When it comes to vices, the Canadian student’s trifecta is simple: alcohol, tobacco and caffeine are common indulgences for many Western students. By day, frazzled, sleep-deprived students clutch Timmie’s coffee cups; at night, it’s a familiar sight to see partygoers with red Solo cups in hand. But it wasn’t always this way.

Museum London’s Guilty Pleasures and Bad Habits: Alcohol, Tobacco, Caffeine, and … exhibit is an exploration of humanity’s relationship with three of the most prevalent vices. More than 150 artifacts weave together the controversial tale surrounding the production, consumption and culture of these three substances, set in the backdrop of London, Ont. Amber Lloydlangston, curator of the exhibit and regional historian at the museum, was inspired to create Guilty Pleasures by the museum’s collection of over 150 artifacts, some dating back to the early ’60 “I wanted to explore the history

of some of these things that we now either think we shouldn’t like as much as we do or we have a love-hate relationship with, and I just knew that there was a very interesting social history behind our consumption of all of these things,” says Lloydlangston.

Beyond the historical significance, Guilty Pleasures explores the cultural importance of alcohol, caffeine and tobacco, as well as their developments as symbols of socio-economic status and gender divides.

“Is alcohol really the source of all bad behaviour in society? They thought that if we get rid of alcohol, poverty will go away, criminality will go away, wife and child abuse will go away and all of a sudden, we will enter a new utopia,” Lloydlangston says.

As Canada teeters on the edge of marijuana legalization, Guilty Pleasures sends a strong reminder about the often bloodied history behind controlled substances.

Lloydlangston’s favourite piece, a “Death to Alcohol” banner, is iconic of Canada’s prohibition movement and the long-fought battles that resulted in the creation of the LCBO.

The exhibit easily transcends into modern day, showcasing some of today’s most relevant pleasures — striking displays of candy, chocolate and an artisanal bong.

The true beauty of the exhibit lies in its invitation to the audience to engage with the exhibit by sharing personal experiences. The last room of the exhibit welcomes visitors to their own guilty pleasures. White cards adorn the feedback wall, with comments like “rough sex,” “Nickelback” and “smoking weed while naked” as three of the most popular mentions.

Lloydlangston is thrilled with the outpouring of support from the London community.

“We can all relate to having a guilty pleasure. In fact, one of the things I did to support the development of the exhibition before, while I was in the early stages of it, I actually asked people to share their guilty pleasures with me.”

Llloydlangston says.

Guilty Pleasures and Bad Habits: Alcohol, Tobacco, Caffeine, and … is on at Museum London until April 29, 2018.

Dessert, board games and yummy drinks: Teavolution is a unique hangout spot that’s revolutionizing London’s sweet tooth scene.

Teavolution’s clean black and white theme is also sure to enhance your Instagram feed. From their faux-marble tables to the white brick walls, this café is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.

The most popular menu item right now is taiyaki, a Japanese waffle cone shaped like a fish, stuffed with your choice of red bean paste or vanilla filling, chocolate or banana pudding. It’s then topped with matcha green tea ice cream and decorated with an Oreo cookie and mochi — a soft, mini rice cake. “[Taiyaki it is] everywhere on Instagram,” says Jacky Chan, co-owner of Teavolution. “That’s how a lot of people are finding out about us; they’re coming in for that specifically.”

Despite being a relatively small business, the startup is bringing in a lot of customers. Students, especially, are coming in to try taiyaki.

“I wanted to try taiyaki.… I heard about it from my roommates,” says Alan Wong, a fourthyear medical science student, who recently went to Teavolution for the first time. “It’s a pretty unique place, and London doesn’t have another place to try this stuff.”

Teavolution also offers a wide range of cold and hot drinks, like Italian sodas, slushies, smoothies,

herbal teas and hot chocolate, as well as cakes, pies and other pastries.

What makes Teavolution unique, besides their taiyaki dessert, is that customers have a lot of freedom to customize their drinks. Customers are free to mix flavours such as coconut and taro or green apple and honeydew.

Chan started the business last November with his girlfriend, Vanessa Ao, a 23-year-old computer science graduate from Western University.

“There’s nowhere to go except for clubs, bars and parties, and we weren’t really into that,” explains Chan. “So we decided to open a place where students can come hang out later without having to go out drinking.”

Teavolution also sponsors some of Western’s clubs, including the Vietnamese Students’ Association.

Chan and Ao are enthusiastic about enriching the university student experience.

If you’re in a rush, you can pre-order for pickup on their website or order through Uber Eats.

“We’re not a chain, so we have the freedom to go above and beyond in helping customers out,” says Chan.

MAX MAO GAZETTE

KRISTIN LEE CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH BRYAN LEE O’MALLEY

The man behind Scott Pilgrim GABRIELLE DROLET CULTURE EDITOR @GABRIELLEDROLET When Bryan Lee O’Malley recalls his time at Western University, he remembers the atmosphere more than academics. He describes mornings spent eating eggs at the King’s University College campus eatery, afternoons spent listening to indie music, and classes spent drawing instead of taking notes.

“I don’t think I actually had a major,” he says, though he remembers many film studies courses. “I just loved hanging out there, but I wasn’t good at going to class and studying and paying attention.”

But Bryan was good at one thing: comics. The internationally acclaimed cartoonist and creator behind books like Lost at Sea, Seconds and the cult-classic Scott Pilgrim series started drawing in elementary school. As early as Grade 3, Bryan drew comics and handed them in as class assignments. Though the hobby followed

him to high school, he didn’t realize he wanted to pursue drawing as a career until later.

“In high school, for a while I wanted to be a writer or a novelist,” he explains. “I thought comics were kind of lowbrow.”

His eventual desire to be a cartoonist stemmed from his love of the Canadian indie scene. In high school, he used Western’s campus radio station, Radio Western, as his alarm clock, which introduced him to the garage-rock sounds of the ‘90s. He distinctly remembers hearing the band Plumtree and their song “Scott Pilgrim” on the radio for the first time.

After a year and a half at Western, Bryan decided to take a year off from his studies, and he never went back. Instead, in 2001, he visited California, where some friends he met online were drawing indie comics.

“By the time I was 20 or 21, that was what I wanted to do. I just didn’t see myself having the capacity to do anything else,” Bryan explains.

Bryan stayed in California for six months, and by the time he returned to London, he had befriended James Lucas Jones, an editor at an independent comic book publisher.

Eventually, he pitched Jones the idea for Lost at Sea, which became his first book.

“I just kept sending him pitches, and the one that worked the best was Lost At Sea, which was basically just a road trip with teenagers and cats,” Bryan laughs.

At 23, after publishing Lost at Sea, Bryan moved to Toronto. His next book would change his life — Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life.

“I had no idea what it was gonna be. I just really liked the name,” he says.

Scott Pilgrim started off as an embellished version of Bryan — he was a young man who lived in Toronto, loved Canadian indie music, took the TTC everywhere and shared a bed with his roommate.

With time, Scott Pilgrim grew into something more: a quirky hero who would have to defeat an army of evil

exes to get the girl.

“I kept imagining stuff and adding on to my life basically, making it more fun, and it just came out,” Bryan says.

In the following years, his indie series became a phenomenon. By the time the third book came out, Edgar Wright, director the 2004 horror comedy Shaun of the Dead, contacted Bryan about a potential movie adaptation. Four years later in 2010, the sixth and final book released alongside both a genre-bending movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and a beat-’em-upstyle video game of the same name.

“I never thought I would do this in my life,” he says. “The first couple of books weren’t selling that great because indie comics were always pretty small. It just kind of became this huge outlier of success, and it’s way beyond me or anything I would have anticipated.”

When the movie came out, Bryan moved to Los Angeles to work on other projects. The first of these was a graphic novel

called Seconds, which is based on his time working at restaurants to support himself while writing the first few Scott Pilgrim books.

Though Seconds takes place in a fictional city, many of its buildings are inspired by locations in London.

“You can find bits and pieces of yourself and your friends in any character, but you have to go beyond what you specifically know,” he says.

“The root of what you write is your experience and your lived emotions and whatnot, but you have to expand beyond that.”

Bryan’s most recent project is a series called Snotgirl, a collaboration with artist Leslie Hung. He’s also chipping away at a new graphic novel called Worst Worlds.

Though his life has changed drastically, Bryan says he stayed fundamentally the same during his transition from London to Los Angeles.

“I always just need to get back into drawing comics because I feel like a fish out of water in any other situation,” he says.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • 11

culture

Western PhD student takes on trolls in thesis

HQ: the app taking campus by storm SHAUNA VALCHUK CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

MADHAV SINGHAL CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE The president of the United States rushes in to take down a man in a wrestling ring. He throws a few solid punches to the victim’s face, which is covered with an overlay of CNN’s logo, and walks away triumphantly as the crowd cheers.

This video clip was retweeted by President Donald Trump himself.

Trolling, an act often associated with humour and light-heartedness, has many sides, according to Yimin Chen, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University.

Trolling refers to an array of behaviour and activities on the internet, ranging from making cavaliers comments on Facebook memes to darker acts of bullying.

Chen defines trolling as posting any form of content on the internet to provoke users into eliciting an emotional response. He traces its origins and characteristics from the etymology of the term itself: trolling is a technique used to bait and hook fish, drawing a parallel to fishing for reactions on the internet.

However, exploring trolling in an academic context is challenging. Chen, with research interests in online communication, internet culture and memes, acknowledges these difficulties. He describes the challenge of developing a consistent, all-encompassing methodology for something that is so inconsistent and variable.

“What I was looking for were terms and words associated with

trolling as an internet activity,” Chen says.

One of his methods included interviewing people he described as “internauts” — frequent users of the internet — and parsing out their views on trolling.

Addressing the implications of trolling specifically in a student environment, Chen says people troll for a variety of reasons, from being a source of boisterous laughter among friends to instigating a fight between strangers. With this in mind, and after numerous interviews and interactions with the trolls and the trolled, Chen has found what he feels is the best method to deal with trolling.

“One of the best things to do is not engage with it. Or if you do, do it as calmly as possible,” says Chen.

Speaking to the trollers, Chen advises they critically reflect on how their jokes could be perceived and whether it comes across as funny or offensive.

“Sometimes it’s just fun to try to see who can outwit who in playing jokes and being witty,” he says, talking about context.

But at the same time, if someone is trying to antagonize others, it can be better to act nice and diffuse the trolling. “Kill them with kindness” as Chen says.

Overall, Chen thinks the solution to counteract the ramifications of trolling is awareness. This includes being able to recognize the familiar cues of trolling and how to respond to trolling. He says there is an impending need for internet literacy to address problems with trolling.

Ultimately, Chen believes trolling is a sort of artistic expression with a number of aspects of artistic behaviours associated with it. It is a show of creativity and is highly performative with trolls often seeking the attention of an audience.

“There is a creative drive to trolling. You want to show people what you can do,” says Chen.

It’s 3 p.m. at the Spoke, and the throwback playlist that usually fills the room is deafened by the voice of Scott Rogowsky. It’s like a scene out of Black Mirror: groups of students forget their upcoming midterms and huddle together to listen to the commands of the man in their phone.

Meet HQ, a live trivia show app where you can win real money. The catch? There isn’t one.

To win, you have to get past 12 questions with three multiple choice answers to choose from. The questions range from laughably easy to obscenely hard.

First-year media, information and technoculture student, Zach Mckone, cites HQ’s millions of users as one of the reasons he loves the app.

“I loved showing my friends and family [the app]. Watching everyone take 15 minutes out of their day to come together and try to win is magical,” Mckone says. “Even my anti-technology nana loves the app.”

Sometimes, you start off with a question about fidget spinners and end on a question about Epipremnum aureum, a flowering plant also known as devil’s ivy. If you win, you either split the cash with the other finalists, or if you’re the sole winner, you take it all for yourself.

The show is normally hosted by comedian Scott Rogowsky; although, they sometimes switch it up with big names like Jimmy Kimmel or Bert from Sesame Street.

The live game show takes place

daily at 3 and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m on weekends. The cash prize typically ranges from $2,000 to $15,000, depending on the night.

The app was created by the same minds behind the app Vine. HQ has grown rapidly over the year, with games typically including over a million live users.

On a night with a $12,000 prize, only two people won. The two winners go by JaimieLovely and caseydonahue, and they now top the all-time leaderboard with $6,000 in winnings each.

Stuart Brown, a fourth-year global economics student at Western University, has experienced the thrill of winning.

“It felt awesome to win. I was nervous by the last question, and I was scared the app might crash,” says Brown.

Brown only won $4.87 playing HQ, but the pride in winning is what matters most. “Being one of 411 winners out of almost a million people is cooler than the five dollars.”

But sometimes, for Brown, it’s a group effort. When he does play with others, his strategy is to have his friends all choose different answers if they’re unsure.

“I play [HQ] because the trivia is fun and it’s unique how everyone is getting the same questions at the exact time instead of preset trivia,” Brown says.

Mckone and Brown learned of the app’s existence by word of mouth, and like the many Western students who play, they’re hooked.

So whether you win $4.87 or $6,000, you may be looking at your next round of dollar beers.

classifieds To place your classifed ad, please contact us at 519.661.3579 or adoffice@uwo.ca

EMPLOYMENT GYMWORLD-GYMNASTICS CLUB in North/West London has expanded into our new facility at 1712 Hyde Park Rd, and are hiring for gymnastics coaches. On bus route. Days, evenings and/or weekends.

Work as little as 3 hours per week or as many as 20 hours. Great pay. Please call 519-474-4960 or e-mail to info@gymworld.ca.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED JOIN THE BAND! The Western Pep Band is a low-commitment, high-energy way for students to continue playing music and support their fellow Mustangs at events on-campus and in the greater community.

Contact us at westernmustangband@gmail.com to join!

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

For solution, turn to page 4

SERVICES

McIntyre Proofreading Your key to enhanced writing

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

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED 2. Visit banks’ websites by typing the URL into the address bar. Phishers use links within emails to direct victims to a fake site. If you suspect an email is bogus, do not follow any embedded links within it.

3. Keep a regular check on your accounts Regularly log into your online accounts, and check your statements. Report any suspicous transactions to your bank or credit card provider.

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www.westerngazette.ca

12 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018

games

PHOTO OF THE DAY

GAZETTE CROSSWORD

CLUES ACROSS 1. Would 7. Pitching stat 10. Wounded 12. Guitarist Clapton 13. Penalizes 14. Female MMA fighter VanZant 15. Proverb 16. Urban gym 17. Midway between northeast and east 18. La __ Tar Pits 19. Go out to eat 21. Oral allergy syndrome 22. Where some are put 27. Spiral galaxy 28. Lethargic 33. Integrated circuit 34. Let your mind wander 36. Midway between north and northeast 37. Nomadic palace 38. Posted 39. Trouble 40. Wise 41. Make happy 44. Dog-__: worn or battered 45. One who fixes 48. Central European 49. Sleighs 50. Exponential time hypothesis 51. Puts within

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE Students could opt for a hair wax between classes at the UCC, Feb. 26.

WORD SEARCH

TRANSPORTATION DISTRIBUTION WORD SEARCH DUNNAGE EXPORTER AIR FEE BILL OF LADING FREIGHT BROKER FUEL CARGO HIGHWAY CARRIER INTERMODAL CHARGE LAYOVER COMPLIANCE MARITIME CONSIGNOR OPERATOR CONTAINER OWNER

For crossword solution, see page 4

PALLET PLACARD RAILROAD

SAFETY SERVICE SHIPPER



LAURA ELIZABETH HARPER GAZETTE

•

SURCHARGE TANDEM TARPS

TEAM TRANSPORT VALUE

VAN VEHICLES WIDE LOAD

For solution go to westerngazette.ca/solution

CLUES DOWN 1. Typically noncoding molecules (abbr.)

2. Former Secretary of State 3. River in Belgium and France 4. Unnilhexium 5. “Fall Guy” actor Majors 6. Tooth caregiver 7. Lucci character “Kane” 8. Latvian capital 9. Pet detective Ventura 10. Sporting dog 11. External genitals 12. “The Secret Room” novelist 14. Ancient wonder 17. Electronic data processing 18. Autocratic 20. Defunct European organization 23. Removed flesh 24. Indicating silence 25. Commercial 26. Chap 29. Farm state 30. Chief research officer 31. Poked holes in 32. Chutes and ___ 35. What cows say 36. A desert in southern Israel 38. Isaac’s mother 40. Sodium 41. Absence of effort 42. A way to articulate 43. Greek god of war 44. Midway between east and southeast 45. Run batted in 46. The longest division of geological time 47. Public broadcaster