Tuesday, September 11, 2018

SINCE 1906 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 3

Western University’s Student Newspaper Parking permits sell out PG 3

Best photos of O-Week PG 6-7

Mustangs football home opener PG 8 Indoctrinating first-years since 1906

From Western with love: O-Week and more

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 •

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nicole snobelen

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LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

Nicole Snobelen speaks of Keanna, a 12-year-old girl who spends most days in hospitals dealing with a rare kidney disease. Nicole says Keanna is scheduled for a kidney transplant, following a previous, unsuccessful attempt. She also talks about Merial, a 17-year-old girl with a cheerful personality who struggles with daily social interactions because of her Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis.

Nicole knows first-hand what it’s like coping with endless hospital visits to treat her chronic illnesses.

For six years — since she was 20 — she’s been battling interstitial cystitis, a chronic bladder condition that feels like a constant bladder infection. She also suffers from endometriosis, where cells lining the inside of the uterus grow outside of it, mimicking a menstrual cycle and causing internal bleeding.

“At the time when I was just a startup, I couldn’t afford to do a lot, so I only did one [dress], but after meeting with [Keanna] in the hospital, I just knew in that moment that I had to do this for as many kids as I possibly could,” she says.

From a young age, Nicole’s grandparents encouraged her love for fashion, convincing her to follow her ambitions of becoming a fashion designer; she graduated Fanshawe College with an undergraduate fashion design diploma.

Yet, Nicole keeps a positive attitude and a smile on her face, putting sick children like these girls at the forefront of her life: she constantly thinks about them, and it’s clear when talking with her.

“I’ve always had a drive to give back in some way,” she explains. “So I started my clothing line, and at Christmas, I would give my dresses away to women who couldn’t afford them.”

“These kids don’t deserve what they go through,” she says as she tries to hold back tears. “It’s sad and emotional but also inspiring and empowering to see no matter what they go through that they keep fighting.”

Every spring, Nicole hosts a benefit fashion show where the children she’s working with can showcase their new clothing. This year is the fifth-annual show, and the proceeds fundraise for The Abby Fund, allowing her to continue granting wishes. The ambitious but humble entrepreneur lives gratefully and delights in watching the children walking the runway wearing their custom-made dresses. She admits she grows emotional seeing the children’s happy faces, knowing she’s made a difference in their lives, and they in hers.

Enduring weeks on end of being questioned and examined, eating bland food off a tray, and finding no privacy in sterile hospital rooms is something no child wants to face. But through these children’s darkest days, Nicole, whom they call their “fairy godmother,” helped bring smiles to their faces.

The Abby Fund, a non-profit founded by Nicole, gives children with illnesses a moment away from their pain and suffering through a creative outlet. Nicole gained a new perspective on life through her hardships, finding fulfillment in managing an online handmade clothing store called Evelynn, which uses its proceeds to support The Abby Fund. She discusses the unimaginable struggle of children with serious illnesses, describing hardships she’s familiar with. Even through her own struggles, her dedication to improving sick children’s lives transcends beyond family ties, as she becomes connected to each child through their shared experiences.

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.

It’s with Nicole’s hard work and wholeheartedness, and incubators such as Western Accelerator and Propel Entrepreneurship, that the program continues growing.

Each child brings their imagination to life through The Abby Fund by designing their own dresses or superhero capes, which Nicole then hand-crafts. Each piece takes between one and 15 hours to create, as Nicole replicates the hand-drawn items down to every detail. So far, she’s granted wishes for 92 children.

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

“[The children] make me look at life very differently,” she expresses. “I’m so thankful for everything that I have, the good things and the bad. Even the bad things teach you lessons, and meeting with these kids has just changed my entire perspective on life.”

The Abby Fund provides a magical gift to these children, but Nicole claims it’s really the children who give her hope and fulfillment to continue her work. The fairy godmother really does exist after all.

■■KRISTIN LEE

3 •

news

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Parking permits sold out KATRINA MCCALLUM & MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITORS @KATRINAGAZETTE @MTRALLEN Student parking permits sold out just hours into the school year.

This is the second consecutive year that permits have been frozen amid high demand. Last year’s sales were halted on Sept. 13, surprising parking officials, who had never before needed to shut down sales.

A customer services representative told the Gazette the permits sold out on September 6 at 11:40 a.m.

Western University’s Parking and Visitor Services announced the sellout on their website.

Evening and weekend permits

are still available.

This earlier sellout date could surprise students, as many were unprepared even for last year’s abnormal sellout.

Abdullah Aljailawi, fourth-year mechanical engineering student, needs to take two busses to get to campus; the 20, which stops going to his area after 5 p.m., and the 10.

Since Aljailawi is in engineering, a program known for busy schedules, he will most likely be on campus until after 5 p.m., eliminating bussing as an option.

Aljailawi lives with his parents and cannot afford to move closer to campus. He views driving a car to campus as an educational necessity

rather than a luxury.

“I already pay a fortune to go to school,” Aljailawi said. “I also pay a fortune to get the parking pass and even that is not an option right now.”

Cassie Morris, a fourth-year Arts and Humanities student, was waiting for her OSAP funding to arrive before purchasing a permit.

Morris purchased a permit each of the last three years and was shocked that permits sold out this early.

Last year, over 2,500 permits were sold for only 1,800 student spaces; the service representative told the Gazette that the permits’ overselling margins had been slightly reduced.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE Springett Lot, between Huron University College and Brescia University College, is frequently full during the school year, Sept. 6, 2018.

Crisis counselling during O-Week for first time KATRINA MCCALLUM NEWS EDITOR @KATRINAGAZETTE

NOAH FAINER GAZETTE Construction at Oxford Street and Wharncliffe Road has slowed down the flow of traffic, Sept. 4, 2018.

Road closures disrupt transportation around campus JUDY BASMAJI NEWS EDITOR @JUDYBASMAJI Several road closures have taken place, and will continue to, within and surrounding Western’s campus due to O-Week foot traffic and construction work.

Construction on Western Road and Platt’s Lane, among other areas, is part of London’s Western/ Wharncliffe road-widening project.

The project involves construction work spanning from Platt’s Lane to Wharncliffe Road North, affecting many students living in these areas.

Third-year kinesiology student Kate Brady has to walk 10 minutes to the nearest bus stop because the buses are not serving the stop closest to her house.

“We can’t get on the bus unless it’s on the other side on Oxford, so it takes a really long time to get places,” she said. “It’s really hard to drive down there as well with all the construction and the traffic.”

“I can’t even get on a bus because if I’m gonna walk to the bus stop, I might as well walk to campus, because the first [functioning] stop is right outside [London Hall],” added Stephanie Giovinazzo, thirdyear applied math student. “I think it’s really unfair to students because we’re paying for our bus pass, and we can’t even use it to get to campus.”

Similarly, first-year engineering student Lara Abu Zaineh said the

nearest operational bus stop is a 10 to 15 minute walk from her house.

She said the walk might make her feel unsafe after her evening classes.

“I have 9 o’clock classes, and I have labs at night, so it affects me a lot actually because at night it’s a bit more intimidating to go alone, especially as a girl,” she said. “It sucks because this is my first year.

I was so excited, and this is such a bummer … I would just hope that it passes quickly and safely.”

Students have been in the process of moving into these areas, according to Angela Pecyna, a second-year kinesiology student. “It’s just stressful … having to get around all that with a moving van,” she said.

“I live right on Wharncliffe so I actually lost my whole front lawn and a tree that was right on my front lawn, so I’ve been having to walk through gravel to get into campus,” she added. “It’s gonna help traffic in the end. It’s just really inconvenient that it’s happening right at the beginning of school.”

Here are the main areas affected by the construction work and O-Week: UNIVERSITY DRIVE BRIDGE From Sept. 3–5 and Sept. 8, University Drive bridge closed to car traffic from 6 p.m. onwards to ensure pedestrian safety during O-Week events. Pedestrians and cyclists could still use the bridge.

During closures, bus lines 6, 13 and 106 took alternative routes.

WESTERN ROAD Western Road between Platt’s Lane and Oxford Street is undergoing construction until Nov. 30. Traffic will remain active but with anticipated delays.

Bus routes 2 and 102 will not serve any stops between Oxford Street and south of Philip Aziz Avenue but will be operating north and south of Western/Wharncliffe Road. There will be delays along these bus routes due to increased traffic and increased passenger volumes at Wharncliffe and Oxford stops.

PLATT’S LANE The intersection at Platt’s Lane and Western Road was closed for construction purposes from Sept. 4–7.

Pedestrians could use the west sidewalk to travel north up Platt’s Lane during the construction and can cross Western Road at the entrance to Althouse College. Affected bus lines 9 and 33 took detoured routes.

HURON DRIVE On Sept. 7 and 8, Huron Drive between Lambton Drive and the Western Student Recreation Centre closed from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Students can stay up-to-date on route information through London Transit’s InfoWeb tool and view road closures at the Renew London website.

For the first time, crisis counselling is being offered during the school year’s first two weeks to support first-year students.

The counselling, run by the Canadian Mental Health Association and funded through their London Community Vitality grant, takes place in Student Health Services in Room 11 of the University Community Centre.

Counselling is available to any student on a walk-in basis between 5 and 9 p.m. on Sept.

4-7 and Sept. 11-14.

This is the first year that crisis counselling will be available during O-Week.

The grant, awarded in 2017, provided the USC with $236,000 over three years to be used toward mental health, homelessness or reconciliation with Aboriginal Peoples. This is the second year the grant is being used.

Last year, crisis counselling was made available during exam season thanks to this same grant. The Vitality grant will continue to fund crisis counselling during necessary times throughout this year and next.

Carina Gabriele, student programs officer, was eager to implement this counselling support.

“The option of providing crisis counselling during orientation was brought up, and we immediately said yes,” said Gabriele.

Gabriele mentioned a survey completed last year by sophs and first-years that called for more mental health support during O-Week.

“Transition periods are hard for everyone, and we realize that, and we want students to get the most support,” said Gabriele.

Gabriele said this mental health initiative will be the first of many this year.

“We would like to ensure that we are always prioritizing student wellness and mental health,” said Gabriele.

WESTERN MUSTANGS FENCING 2018–19 Varsity Team Tues, Sept. 11, 8:00PM UCC Lower Level, Room 67 No previous fencing experience needed

$80 for 6 sessions Sept. 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 Training at the Mustang Sword Club,

the off-campus training centre for the varsity team

519.681.8330

westernfencingteam@gmail.com

news

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 •

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EXPLAINED

Western’s new pass-fail credits MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @MTRALLEN Starting this year, you can pick some courses to be graded only as a pass or a fail, which means they won’t affect your average or appear on your transcript.

Western University is calling them “discovery credits” because they are meant to help you explore new material without risking your GPA: you can try new subjects and only worry about passing and enjoying what you’re learning. With these courses, a grade of 50-100 per cent warrants a pass, and 0-49 per cent is a fail. Neither case calculates into your average (including the AEO average requirements), meaning they won’t work as GPA-boosters.

And while Western does keep your real percentage grades for archival purposes, these will not appear on your transcript or be retrievable by outside parties.

You can add or remove the

pass-fail designation until the last day that you could drop the course without academic penalty. For halfyears, this is Nov. 12; for full-years, this is Nov. 30.

You are allowed 1.0 discovery credits throughout your undergrad to use at your discretion, but there are some caveats. Here’s what Western will and will not let you do with the new pass-fail option (but keep in mind that some of these conflict, and if you’re unsure, you should ask your faculty’s academic counsellors): WORKS • Breadth requirements: all students need 1.0 credits from each of Arts and Humanities, Social Science and Science before they graduate.

If you’re like most students, then you’re hopeless in at least one of these areas — like philosophy, psychology or computer science.

In these cases, pass-fail grades can help you avoid hurting your GPA with a 60 in a subject you didn’t

attend university to study.

• Prerequisites: you can convert courses required for entry into certain programs to pass-fail credits. These are especially common in very regimental programs like those in STEM. • Any other course: some people take courses to remain full-time students for funding, to remain on varsity teams or just to satisfy their interests. Many students may choose electives and bird courses to use their discovery credits.

DOESN’T WORK • No first-years: banning first-years from using the credits might surprise you; it seems like first-years would have the time and willingness to discover new subjects in school. The Gazette asked Glen Tigert, the top official for course registration and grading, why first-years aren’t allowed. He said it’s meant to protect new students from blocking off programs to study.

For instance, if someone tries and

really enjoys literature in their first year as a discovery credit, they may have blocked themselves from the module if that course was required as a regular credit.

• No visiting students, grad students and special students: visiting students and grad students likely won’t be surprised to see themselves exempted. According to Tigert, special students are alumni who are returning to Western to take individual courses.

• No mandatory degree requirements: this “generally” means that if you’re counting a course toward your module, you cannot also designate it as a pass-fail. This limits your options to material outside your primary academic goals at university.

• Essay requirements: like breadth requirements, all students need 1.0 credits from essay courses, which have a serious writing component.

Essay courses are marked by E for full-years, and F/G for first and second semester half-year courses.

These courses aren’t necessarily barred from being discovery credits because they’re more difficult; they’re banned to prevent students from using all 1.0 of their pass-fail credits on the essay requirement as a way to scrape by without being seriously evaluated on their writing skills.

Some programs prohibit them altogether: you cannot count any course as pass-fail toward any module in Engineering, Business, Medicine and Dentistry, Music or Law and Education. If you are an engineering student, your breadth requirements could still be pass-fail, but no courses within your engineering module will work.

Remember that while employers and graduate schools won’t see your discovery credit grades, they will see that they’re pass-fail.

Some programs and companies may disallow this or look down on it — if they bother to look at your transcript at all.

Project LEARN returns for another year KATRINA MCCALLUM NEWS EDITOR @KATRINAGAZETTE Western University students can expect an increased police presence during September due to Project LEARN. Project LEARN, which stands for Liquor Enforcement and Reduction of Noise, aims to educate students about bylaws in London.

Police will be targeting bylaw infringements related to parties, parking, open fires, noise, litter and public urination in the city.

Patrols will increase in neighbourhoods surrounding both Western and Fanshawe College in hopes of educating students about London’s bylaws.

Project LEARN first launched in 2007 with the goals of improving public safety and protecting property.

This year’s enforcement follows

NAME VVB GAZETTE

a robbery that took place during a party near Fanshawe College on the morning of Aug. 26, which resulted in seven arrests and 40 criminal charges.

Sandasha Bough, media relations officer for the London Police Service, reiterates the program’s goals, adding a desire to celebrate the return to school.

“We are encouraging [students] to have fun but to do so responsibly,” Bough said.

Bough recommends keeping parties indoors and being aware of laws.

Last year, Project LEARN resulted in 152 provincial offence notices, 172 warnings and 28 Criminal Code of Canada charges.

Since 2014, the number of incidents decreased, but not by enough, according to police.

“We are really hoping that those numbers go down. In fact, we are hoping that the numbers stay at zero,” Bough said.

Ontario orders universities create free speech policies MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @MTRALLEN

GET IT HERE! PURPLE STORE UCC Atrium

www.westernpurplestore.com

The provincial government mandated universities and colleges create a free speech policy by Jan. 1, 2019 in a statement released on Aug. 30.

Universities that don’t comply risk cuts to educational funding.

The release, titled “Ontario Protects Free Speech on Campus,” emphasized that the new policies must protect free speech while preventing hate speech.

After January, institutions will have to consult with the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario annually on their adherence, beginning in September of that year.

The announcement fulfilled a campaign promise by Premier Doug Ford that he would connect a university’s funding to its free speech practices.

“Colleges and universities should be places where students

exchange different ideas and opinions in open and respectful debate,” Ford said in a statement.

Another release elaborated on some specific requirements for the new policies.

The policies must meet standards based on the University of Chicago’s Statement on Principles of Free Expression: for instance, “the university/college should not attempt to shield students from ideas or opinions that they disagree with or find offensive.”

Universities must also hold their official student groups to their new policy. But students who violate the policy will only be subject to the university’s existing codes of conduct.

It is unclear to what extent, if any, Western University will have to amend or redo existing policies related to free speech, such as their Rights and Responsibilities of Academic Freedoms policy.

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opinions

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Ford’s heavyhanded approach to education Tayler-made EMILY TAYLER CULTURE EDITOR @EMTAYLER16 In the most recent crusade for free speech, the Ontario government has stepped into the crossfire.

Premier Doug Ford announced that Ontario post-secondar y schools must have a codified free speech policy or risk losing government funding. Schools must provide a definition for “free speech” and create a plan to protect it.

The “free speech crisis” is a widely debated epidemic sweeping campuses across Ontario.

As a potentially complicated topic, it’s hard to decide where to stand. While I understand the argument for total free speech, it is important to protect those not represented.

Western already has a relatively relaxed policy regarding freedom of speech. While other Canadian universities have denied ratification to anti-abortion groups on campus, Western’s pro-life group, Lifeline, has only increased its presence on campus in the past year. Jordan Peterson was widely embraced on Western’s campus — right after being booed out of McMaster University.

Free speech should be about challenging the norm and pushing boundaries, not reverting and removing rights that minority groups have fought to achieve.

And although Ford’s press release specifies that this new policy will condemn hate speech, groups supporting hate may benefit from the policy.

Don’t get me wrong — as university students, it’s incredibly important that we have the right to exercise our freedom of expression and that we hear ideas that challenge our norms. However, in recent years, the term “freedom of speech” has become a defence for voicing any opinion, no matter how radical.

This radicalized version of free speech has become the basis of the premier’s free speech

mandate. Ford’s actions reflect a belief that universities muzzle students from voicing their opinions. But panels, rallies and events are only cancelled if a school feels it would create an unsafe environment for students.

In 2017, the University of Toronto cancelled an on-campus white nationalist rally out of concern for public safety and security at the event. This protest came in the wake of the Charlottesville Riot in Virginia. The president of U of T, Meric Gertler, also spoke about the school’s “unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion” in regards to how the hateful message of the protest was unwelcome.

This new policy gives universities an easy defence against decision-making regarding student safety, as they don’t have to consider the details of each case. Using blanket policies like this means they can more easily ignore complaints by deferring to previously published statements.

Through Ford’s new policy, freedom of speech has the potential to trump student safety.

Although universities seem to be moving toward a more nuanced understanding of what harms students, this law will force schools to revert to a more basic definition, ignoring the grey area.

Groups that support white supremacy, violence towards minorities or other exclusionary narratives don’t just make students uncomfortable: they directly threaten students’ rights and safety. W hen a student doesn’t feel safe on their own campus, their right to education and freedom of expression are inhibited.

Western needs to consider its students. The school’s policies and stance regarding free speech, outwardly conservative compared to other Canadian universities, must consider the diversity of our campus.

The premier’s commitment to free speech is dismal at best.

His policies mandate codifying free speech, but by giving a platform to supremacy and hate, his policy threatens those already disenfranchised.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

Canadian universities should ban student-teacher relationships

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, conversations about consent are increasingly prevalent on campus.

However, while consent and sex are often discussed, especially during O-Week, we rarely discuss these things within the context of student-teacher relationships.

In June 2016, author and professor Steven Galloway was fired from his position as chairman of The University of British Columbia’s creative writing program. Galloway, who faced various allegations of sexual harassment, assault and threats, was ultimately fired because of a two-year relationship he had with a student. While the student alleges that Galloway sexually assaulted her, he insists that the entirety of the relationship was consensual.

Now, in light of her experience with Galloway, the student is calling on UBC to ban student-teacher relationships altogether. In an open letter written to UBC’s president, she states that “the undeniable risks for abuse and of coercion by professors over their students must ground a clear policy by UBC prohibiting such relationships.”

The thought of banning student-teacher relationships on university campuses has proven to be controversial; professors being romantically or sexually involved with their students presents a grey area in terms of consent and power.

On one hand university students are, of course, adults. It’s easy to argue that so long as they are above the age of consent, students should be able to choose who they want to be involved with at their own discretion. If a student consents to dating or having sex with a professor, then why should universities have the power to stop them?

However, the issue runs deeper than age or adulthood. The reality is that the power dynamic between students and professors is skewed. Professors should maintain respectful and professional relationships with their students — anything more risks escalating into dicey and dangerous territory. Intim-

ate relationships of that nature also risk promoting favouritism in classes and research.

Furthermore, if things go sour in a relationship between a faculty member and a student, or if the relationship goes public, it doesn’t just reflect poorly on the professor: it reflects poorly on the university as a whole. In the case of UBC, the university is being heavily scrutinized for how poorly it dealt with the relationship and accusations against Galloway. If stronger policies had been set in place prior to the incident, the case wouldn’t have dragged on publicly for years and wouldn’t have been a national scandal.

Policies that directly protect students and ban student-teacher relationships also protect a university’s reputation.

As of right now, most Canadian universities seem to have vague policies regarding whether or not professors can be involved with their students. A Western University policy for faculty members working with graduate research assistants, post-doctoral fellows and research collaborators simply states that faculty should “avoid personal or business relationships that may constitute a conflict of interest,” without going into detail about what the consequences would be if boundaries were to be crossed. While Schulich has a more rigid policy outlining that sexual or intimate relationships between students and learners are “unacceptable” behaviour, they still don’t outline consequences for such conduct.

It should be a university’s responsibility to protect its students from predatory behaviour. Boundaries and rigid policies should be implemented to avoid undergraduate and graduate programs from becoming dating pools for professors. Policies banning student-teacher relationships would ultimately serve to protect both students and their universities.

Because, sure, students are adults. But the relationships that students have with their professors should be positive opportunities for learning and growth — nothing more.

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.”

My beef with the extremist vegan high ground Gift of Gab

GABRIELLE DROLET OPINIONS EDITOR @GABRIELLE DROLET I’ve never taken a philosophy class, but I feel like I get an ethics lesson every time I step onto campus.

Every day there seems to be a new slogan advocating for animal rights scrawled in chalk outside of the University Community Centre.

These snappy statements, ranging from “Cut carrots — not throats!” to “Chickens have families too!” all follow the same theme: they shame

their readers for not being vegan.

It’s not that I disagree with the general sentiment. The reasons to go vegan are well-documented and compelling — they convinced me to cut down on meat. There’s no denying that veganism is good for the environment. And beyond that, going vegan can set your mind at ease if you feel guilty about animal exploitation.

However, there are better ways to share your beliefs than by shaming others in a one-sided conversation.

When I see chalk scribbles written from a moral high ground, I’m not enticed to become vegan — I’m turned off from it.

The chalk messages on campus protest speciesism, the assumption of human superiority leading

to the exploitation of animals. A group behind some of the campus chalk messages, No Speciesism, call themselves modern “abolitionists.”

They compare the fight against speciesism to the fight against slavery, sexism and ableism.

There’s something off-putting about a group that compares speciesism to other prevalent social justice issues without participating in an actual conversation. It seems extreme to compare animals to minority groups, scrawl cavalier messages on campus and run off without allowing for any real discourse.

In guilting students for not being vegan, these “abolitionists” are turning a blind eye to the fact that veganism isn’t always accessible for

students — their chalk white-noise comes off as privileged.

As a vegetarian, I know following a plant-based diet isn’t always easy.

For one thing, getting the nutrients you need in your diet and cooking vegan food can be time consuming. Finding ways to get nutrients like vitamin B12 and creatine outside of meat requires planning and care. And if you’re tight on time, quick vegan meals are generally expensive.

The reality is that not everyone has the time or money to spend on a vegan diet. Food insecurity is an overlooked issue on university campuses; according to a 2016 study, approximately 40 per cent of Canadian post-secondary students lack food security. The number of

students accessing the London Food Bank is rising every year, and the University Students’ Council created Food Support Services to help students facing food insecurity.

Students who forego healthy food for tuition and textbook costs shouldn’t also have to worry about eating ethically all the time.

If you genuinely care about both people and animals, donate healthy plant-based options to your local food bank or look for ways to make vegan food accessible to those who can’t always afford it.

Because, sure, animal lives matter. But so do the wallets of those who can’t afford cashew milk and black bean burgers.

Write that in chalk outside the UCC.

feature

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 •

• 6

SO LONG,

O-Week has come and gone with another crop of first-ye O-Serves volunteering and the Mustangs football home ope once-in-a-lifetime experience, here’s hoping they’ve got som

PHOTOS BY Liam McInnis, Michael Conley, Samit Khalsa and Saxon Lane.

7 •

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

, O-WEEK

feature

ear students partaking in a packed schedule of programming. Between performances from Jessie Reyez, Dzeko and Felix Cartal, a carnival, ener, there was plenty to do for Western’s new students. And as for the volunteer labourers sophs who dedicated their weeks to structuring this me rest — this new school year has just begun.

sports

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 •

• 8

Nike smart with Kaepernick move MIKE DEBOER GAZETTE STAFF @MIKEDBOER It might be the most striking advertisement of 2018. A black-and-white headshot of the polarizing Colin Kaepernick with these words: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

However one feels about policing or race relations in America, the advertisement is visually impressive and viscerally moving. Marking the 30th anniversary of their “Just Do It” campaign, Nike chose to thrust themselves into the culture war at a high point in American political divisiveness.

Kaepernick, as nearly everyone knows, protested what he perceived to be an epidemic of police brutality against people of colour in the U.S. by kneeling, rather than standing, for the anthem before NFL games. The move sparked debate across America, inspired dozens of other NFL players to join the protest and eventually left Kaepernick unemployed.

The former San Francisco 49er has become reviled by many Americans, including, most notably, U.S. President Donald Trump.

Yet Kaepernick’s also become a folk hero to millions of others, sacrificing fame and fortune to stand (read: kneel) for an important social cause.

Admittedly, there are minor risks in Nike’s venture. The anti-Kaepernick crowd, who views the quarterback as an enemy of American virtue and civic nationalism, will certainly attempt a boycott of Nike products.

In the immediate aftermath of the advertisement’s release, Nike shares closed more than three per cent lower than the previous day, reflecting investor worry. However, the shares are still close to a 12-month high, and after the initial share drop,

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Nike holdings increased by 18 per cent.

The athletic apparel goliath has made a calculated business decision to bet on Kaepernick, who has established himself as an icon of the age, drawing comparisons to such legendary figures of social conscience as Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson.

And while on the surface Nike sells shoes and basketballs and over-priced socks that all the cool kids are wearing, they’re truly in the business of selling heroes. It’s a strategy that’s worked time and time again for Nike, from Tiger Woods to Serena Williams to, perhaps most famously, Michael Jordan.

And now Kaepernick, the man who turned down an enviable life of financial security to protest injustice, has become next in line to fulfill Nike’s hero archetype. Kaepernick’s appeal targets Nike’s core consumer demographic base of 15 to 40-yearolds. He’s been centre stage in public discourse since 2016, most recently through a labour arbitrator denying the NFL’s bid to throw out Kaepernick’s collusion case.

Despite Donald Trump using his Twitter fingers to ask, “What was Nike thinking?” the answer seems obvious to the rest of us.

Kaepernick will generate more and more publicity, no matter the results of his arbitration case. With all this in mind, Nike’s decision makes all the sense in the world.

Kaepernick, for millions of disenfranchised and disillusioned people across the globe, is a hero. With Trump, NFL owners and the “Make America Great Again” crowd as his primary foils, Nike has forced the consumer to pick a side in the latest skirmish of America’s culture wars.

And there’s a good chance Nike knows where buyers will flock; so far, their online sales increased 31 per cent since the ad was released. To some it might seem like faux social consciousness, coming from the company of sweatshops and gender discrimination. But for Nike, social causes are worth espousing if sneakers are sold in the process. And, with Kaepernick on board, they should continue flying off the shelves.

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Mustangs trample Marauders in home opener LUCY VILLENEUVE GAZETTE Offensive lineman Dylan Giffen ,53, held the line against a McMaster pass rush, Sept. 8, 2018.

CHARLIE MARSHALL SPORTS EDITOR @CWMARSHALL98 The Western Mustangs improved to 2–0 on the season with a dominating 44–6 win over the McMaster Marauders in their home opener at TD Stadium on Saturday. This was their 14th straight win dating back to September of 2017.

The Mustangs set the tone early with a deep kickoff inside the 10-yard line. The Marauders returner was barely able to pick up 10 yards after receiving the ball, forcing Mac to open their drive at their own 18-yard line.

As a team, McMaster has averaged close to 20 yards on kick returns this season. However, Western’s special teams came out flying, taking down the Marauder returner quickly.

McMaster’s opening drive foreshadowed the rest of the game.

Their offence, usually dependent on running back Jordan Lyons, relied instead on the rushing of their quarterback, Jackson White.

After the game, Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall complimented the defensive effort but honed in on the mistakes made containing Mac’s quarterback.

“I got frustrated because we just seemed to lose the quarterback,” said Marshall. “Their best play was a scramble. We pinned them in, we covered everybody and then the quarterback’s out for an eight or nine or twelve-yard gain. Yeah, once, but sixteen times… We’ve got to do a better job.”

While the defence slipped up in that respect, the unit was able to hold Lyons to just 17 yards total. For

reference, the running back rushed for 164 yards last week against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Asked after the game, Marshall explained that familiar running schemes helped the defence neutralize Lyons.

“The thing is they’re trying to run, basically, our offence and our plays,” said Marshall. “[The Mustangs defence] sees it all the time, and they rep against it all the time. [Mac] runs that counter that we run. We know how to fit it and how the linebackers fit it.”

Lost in the one-sided nature of the game, Western’s secondary had an impressive showing. Exemplary of the defensive back’s efforts, second-year safety Daniel Valente Jr. finished the game with two and a half tackles and two interceptions.

Outside of the red zone, the Mustangs offence was unstoppable.

In fact, it required 42 minutes of play for the Mac defence to prevent the Mustangs from attempting a scoring chance.

The young McMaster defence looked inexperienced and unprepared for the Western attack.

Early in the game, Mac sold out on the run, sometimes rushing six players at a time. The Mustangs responded with quick, short passes across the middle — picking up sizable chunks of yardage each time.

In short yardage, though, the Mustangs struggled against the Marauders defence. While the team scored on their first drive of the game, they were forced into three consecutive field goal attempts on their ensuing drives.

The offensive frustration was partially relieved by a touchdown

on the next drive by Alex Taylor, but starting quarterback Chris Merchant was still unsatisfied.

“Chris came off and said, ‘Coach, let’s take a shot. Let’s go. We worked all week to take a shot and take deep shots,’ ” said Marshall.

With just 45 seconds left in the quarter, Merchant got his wish.

The quarterback loaded up and unleashed a graceful pass to his favourite target, Harry McMaster, hitting the receiver in stride on-route to a 55-yard touchdown.

The play served as the final blow to the Marauders defensive morale.

Out of the locker room after halftime, McMaster’s defence was tired and sluggish. Western returned to their classic run-heavy offence, allowing the hard-worked offensive line to push around Mac’s exhausted defensive unit After three quarters of play, both McMaster and Western opted for second-string players. The Mustangs first-team offence finished 45 minutes of play with 346 passing yards and 139 rushing yards, with running backs Taylor and Cedric Joseph both averaging over five yards per carry and receivers McMaster and Cole Majoros combining for over 140 receiving yards.

The victory did come with some casualties, though, as both Sebastian Vanin and Jalen Jackson left the game with injuries. Marshall explained that Vanin simply rolled his ankle, but he suspected Jackson sustained a concussion.

The Western Mustangs return to the field next week at TD Stadium against the 1–2 York Lions.

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LUCY VILLENEUVE GAZETTE Receiver Dejuan Martin ,17, evaded a tackle on his way down the field, Sept. 8, 2018.

9 •

sports

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

Mustangs golf set to begin season

WOMEN’S SOCCER The Mustangs remained undefeated on the season with a 0–0 draw against the Waterloo Warriors on Sunday, their fourth straight shutout of the season.

The game’s first half saw close misses from several Mustangs, including Julia Crnjac and Giulia Geraci. The second half proved less eventful: the Mustangs maintained pressure but were unable to break the deadlock.

With the tie, Western improves to 2–0–3 on the season, remaining in fourth place in the OUA West, while the Warriors remain in third place at 3–2–1.

MIKE DEBOER GAZETTE STAFF @MIKEDBOER Ontario University Athletics golf will converge on St. Thomas, Ont., on Thursday as the Western Mustangs host the Western Invitational at the St. Thomas Golf & Country Club.

The annual event, which dates back over two decades, will be the first opportunity of the year for OUA golf programs to test their mettle on the links, with a total of 88 golfers taking part. Alongside the Mustangs are the Brock Badgers, Waterloo Warriors, Laurier Golden Hawks, Windsor Lancers, York Lions, McMaster Marauders and Guelph Gryphons.

The Mustangs, who are coming off a successful 2017 campaign that saw the men’s team win the provincial title and the women’s team finish eighth in OUA, hope to make a strong showing in their first event of the season.

“St. Thomas offers us two things,” said head coach Jim Waite. “We obviously want to go in there and win our own tournament, but we’re also in the process of deciding our team, so the tournament will be our last chance to choose our kids.”

The program’s last competitive event was in June at the Canadian University/ College Golf Championships in Chilliwack, B.C., which saw the Mustangs men finish in eighth place and the women miss the cut.

The Mustangs, led by Waite and assistant coach Mike Tomlinson, have an extensive four-round tryout process that culminates at St. Thomas on Thursday.

In discussing the one-of-a-kind program, Waite attributes much of the program’s success to the challenging route players must take to make the team.

“The other schools play one round, and if you’re great, you make it; if you’re not, you don’t,” said Waite. “But we’re able to have kids back who have one bad round,

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

MUSTANGS WEEKEND RECAP

COURTESY OF JIM WAITE Patrick Carlton is one of several returning golfers for the Western Mustangs in 2018.

but if we like their attitude and their swing, they can have another shot.”

The Mustangs men’s team will bring back seven golfers from the 2017 team that won the OUA title by 14 strokes.

“We’ve certainly lost a couple of good ones from last year,” said Waite. “But assuming the guys from last year make the team again, we should have another strong season. Plus, we’ve had a couple of guys show stuff in the first couple of rounds that make me excited for our new kids.”

The St. Thomas Golf & Country Club hosted the Ontario Men’s Amateur this summer, providing a gruelling test that saw only one of 160 participants finish under par after the tournament’s four rounds.

According to Waite, the venue is one of Ontario’s toughest and should provide a more-than-adequate test for the OUA’s first tournament of the year.

“We’re looking for somebody to shoot a number at St. Thomas, because if you can shoot a number there, you can play

anywhere on our schedule,” said Waite.

“If you see what happened at the Ontario Amateur, you know how tough of a course it will be.”

The tournament alternates host venues between St. Thomas and the Sunningdale Golf & Country Club in London, the official practice course for the Mustangs.

According to Waite, much of the program’s sustained success, which includes four of the last eight OUA men’s titles, comes in large part to the working relationships the program has with the area’s golf clubs.

“Sunningdale has always been great to us, giving our kids memberships to the club and allowing us to host our tryouts there,” said Waite. “St. Thomas has also always been great to us, and if I’m being honest, we’re really thankful that if we call up any course in London, they’re extremely helpful.”

The Western Invitational kicks off on Thursday at 11 a.m.

MEN’S RUGBY The Western Mustangs dropped to 1–1 on the season with a 36–14 loss to the Guelph Gryphons on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

While the Mustangs struck first thanks to a try from Louis Lobato, the remainder was all Guelph, as the Gryphons used their physicality and ball movement to pick Western apart. With their win, the Gryphons improve to 2–0 on the season.

MEN’S SOCCER The Mustangs secured their second win of the season with a 2–0 victory over the Waterloo Warriors on Sunday.

Western was led by a pair of fourth-years, as striker Lucas Ventura and defender Jonathan Hodge both netted their first goals of the 2018 campaign.

With the win, the Mustangs improve to 2–1–2 on the season, moving them to fifth place in the Ontario University Athletics West Division, while Waterloo drops to 4–2–0.

SOFTBALL The Mustangs dominated the York Lions in a pair of games on Saturday in Toronto. The Mustangs took the first game of the doubleheader 13–0 and the second game 11–0: improving to 4–2 on the season.

■■MIKE DEBOER

culture

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 •

• 10

Lil Uzi headlining Purple Fest on same date as FOCO CARMEN MALLIA CULTURE EDITOR @CARMMALLIA Western students will be graced with an international name in hip-hop at this year’s Purple Fest, with Lil Uzi Vert performing as the headliner.

The catch: it’s during Western’s third annual “fake Homecoming.”

Western’s University Students’ Council announced through a Facebook event page on Friday that the Philadelphia-based emo rap icon will be performing at the event, which will take place on Sept.

29 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Elgin Lot. Uzi, best known for his chart topping singles “XO TOUR Llif3,” “Money Longer” and “Sauce It Up,” was nominated in 2018 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance for his feature on “Bad and Boujee” with Atlanta rap-trio Migos. His album, Luv Is Rage 2, was certified gold last year.

“We really wanted to focus on how we could prioritize student spirit while also emphasizing safety,” says USC President Mitchell Pratt.

“We recognize the existing culture of the date.”

According to Pratt, USC officials wanted to create a cultural shift around FOCO weekend, which usually sees thousands of partygoers crowding Broughdale Avenue.

Last year alone, approximately 11,000 students turned out to celebrate FOCO. Further, paramedics received 33 calls from around campus, but upon arrival, they had little to no access to Broughdale Avenue.

“It causes a strain on the local community,” says Pratt. “We’ve factored all of these things into our considerations and conversations and … recognize the potential that Purple Fest has to be the largest university concert in Canada.”

While O-Week events are mainly directed towards first-years, Purple Fest is open to all Mustangs.

The event will be hosted by the USC, as well as PremierLife, a London-based promotion company.

The Facebook event page states more artist announcements for the show will be coming soon.

In past years, Purple Fest has been packed with internationally acclaimed artists, including performances by Arkells, The Strumbellas and Down With

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Webster. However, none of these performers have had as much international acclaim as Uzi, making it a highly anticipated show.

Because the event will take place at Elgin Lot, University Drive will be closed between Elgin Hall and Medway-Sydenham Hall so students crossing the street are safe, according to Pratt.

Tickets went on sale online and

at The Purple Store Monday, Sept.

10 for a 48-hour flash sale, priced at $29.95. After the sale, students can purchase tickets at full price from the same outlets.

Students must use their student cards to get tickets to the show, and each student can buy a maximum of three tickets, two of which can be used by non-Western students.

“It personally means a lot to me

because I think that as the University Students’ Council we should be trying to host events of this magnitude that are truly reflective of what Western’s student experience is,” says Pratt.

So the question stands: where will you be on September 29?

Follow the USC’s Facebook page for more information.

Allswell Productions’ ‘Dogfight’ takes London theatre by storm

COURTESY OF ALEXOS NEDARD (Left to right) Stephen Ingram as Eddie Birdlace, Patrick Avery-Kenny as Bernstein, Samuel McEwan as Boland, Ben Kennes as Stevens, Dylan Rock as Gibbs and Matt Butler as Fector.

EMILY TAYLER CULTURE EDITOR @EMILYTAYLER16 Director and Western alumni Hailey Hill met her creative partners on the set of King’s Players’ The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2016.

The trio worked so well together — Hill describes it as “the perfect partnership” — that they decided to start their own production company after graduation: Allswell Productions.

Hill partnered with Christine Gruenbauer, producer, and Ben Lebovitz, musical director, to create Allswell Productions. The trio began their creative endeavours just after the passing of Gruenbauer’s mother.

“She wanted to do something to make her [mother] proud,” Hill says. “[The company] is named after her mom’s favourite saying, ‘All’s well that ends well.’”

Allswell’s inaugural show, Dogfight, is based on the book of the same name by Peter Duchan, and it is an adaptation of the 1991 movie directed by Nancy Savoca. The modern musical first premiered in 2012

and had previously never played in London. The show also features music by composing duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the musical geniuses behind La La Land and The Greatest Showman.

The story follows U.S. marine Eddie Birdlace (Stephen Ingram) on his last night before leaving for combat. Following army tradition, the marines plan a “dogfight” in which the men compete to see who can bring the ugliest girl to a party.

Birdlace picks the awkward Rose (Kate Deman) but regrets bringing her to the competition as he begins to fall for her.

The cast fit their characters beautifully and the chemistry was as harmonious as their voices.

Marines Birdlace, Bernstein and Boland, affectionately nicknamed “The Three Bees,” create a fun, boyish atmosphere as they dance, while also using their position as marines to highlight the problems with toxic masculinity and their idea of heroism and entitlement.

The characters use this concept

of heroism to justify their actions, but ultimately the musical turns this idea on its head and demonstrates that their traditions and misogyny are wrong. Songs like “Hometown Hero’s Ticker Tape Parade” begin celebrating this idea of heroism, but a chilling scene of sexual assault occurs during the song, turning its ending sour: the heroes the play lauds become symbols for misuse of power and entitlement.

As Dogfight features a mostly male cast dealing with ideas of toxic masculinity and sexual assault, Hill says that having a female creative team was especially important with this show. The show encompasses the values of this new theatre company: it’s both witty and focused, bringing a new branch of theatre to London, and they pride themselves on their creative team of young people, specifically young women.

“What’s really scary is that if you strip away the fact that this show takes place [during the Vietnam War], the plot of this show could absolutely happen today,” Hill

says. “Living in London, Ontario, Christine and I have dealt with our fair share of catcalling and sexual harassment, and we just wanted to highlight that in the show.”

The musical closes with a chilling depiction of the Vietnam War, completely changing the tone from the rowdy ‘60s style opening. The war goes from piercing silence to the overwhelming chaos of battle.

Besides bringing in personal experience, Hill explains she wants the scene to be authentic.

“We blocked [staged] it in a way to make people genuinely uncomfortable so they realize that it’s not OK,” she says. “I’ve seen it done before where there are jokes in it, and they highlight the jokes as comedic relief; I didn’t want comedic relief in that moment because it’s not funny.”

As young people, they believed it was important to create their own company instead of pitching their show to a local group. Hill explains that she had a specific vision for Dogfight, which she has been interested in for many years, and she had concerns that a different theatre company wouldn’t realize her vision.

“We didn’t think that anyone would take us, as youths, seriously,” Hill states.

Allswell Productions sets themselves apart from the London theatre community by offering a more contemporary take on musical theatre that is both for and by young people.

“Not many theatre companies are doing contemporary, modern musical theatre,” Hill says. “You have [Musical Theatre Productions] which is doing the classics like Hello, Dolly!, and The Palace [Theatre] is

doing Beauty and the Beast, they’re doing big classic plays and musical theatre.”

The cast is made up of actors with pop-style voices rather than classically trained musical theatre singers. With its group of voices that have been overlooked by traditional production companies, Allswell Productions produces theatre for a niche audience who may not typically be interested in musicals.

“If they’re given this show, they can really shine,…so it’s just giving youth in London, Ontario the type of show that they can shine in,” Hill says about her cast.

Both the cast and the creative team are primarily made up of recent from Western University graduates who participated in Theatre Western and King’s Players as students. Hill jokes that this is “the theatre group that is in withdrawal from leaving Theatre Western.”

Although Hill does not know what the future holds for Allswell Productions, it’s safe to say the audience can expect great things.

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culture

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

First-years feel One Love on UC Hill

BY CARMEN MALLIA CULTURE EDITOR @CARMMALLIA It doesn’t matter if you’re an award winning-author, a hip-hop artist with a Juno or a first-year university student: things like discrimination, violence and hate affect everyone.

That’s why it was paramount this year’s One Love event reminded all that standing up against discrimination and using your voice for love is an important tool for inclusion.

Humanization and humour took the forefront on Thursday night at the annual event, and the colourful crowd of hundreds of sophs and first-years were attentive throughout each story of humility and change.

“The very simple act of one human being telling a very human story to another human who is listening … is the very best tool we have ever invented to dismantle fear and hatred,” said Ivan Coyote, Canadian spoken word p e r f o r m e r, NOAH FAINER GAZETTE

award-winning author and LGBTQ2+ advocate.

Sexual orientation, race, gender identity, mental health and sexual violence are complex topics to squeeze into two hours, especially for a group of first-year students.

Despite this, the empowering speakers who took the stage at the event discussed these issues of resilience through compassionate and enlightening storytelling.

Coyote focused their performance on gender identity through intensely personal stories that held the perfect combination of compassion and playful wit.

While the beginning of Coyote’s performance focused on their personal struggles as a transgender person in Canadian society, they made it a point to emphasize that there is trans* joy, triumph and success out there: trans* individuals are loved, cherished and respected by the people they hold close to their heart.

“One day, I hope to write a very true story about a very old trans* person, and I want it to be a long and kind of boring story, where the only pain is in my ancient bones,” said Coyote, reciting their hopeful poem while the audience applauded the powerful performance.

London native Shadrach Kabango, better known by his stage name Shad, was the night’s host.

Disappointingly, Kabango’s role was limited to introducing other

performers. With a discography touching on peace, freedom, race, identity and more, there would have been more engagement if the hip-hop artist and Juno winner had performed a song or two.

Farrah Khan, a nationally recognized advocate and educator for gender justice, discussed sexual violence and the importance of consent to show that sex and relationships are a collaboration, not a conquest.

Soft-spoken but powerful, Khan prioritized her conversation around normalizing the importance of consent and pleasure when discussing sexuality.

Khan interacted flawlessly with the crowd, asking engaging questions behind a meme-filled slide deck that captured audience attention while she discussed a number of sensitive topics, ranging from bystander intervention to sexual assault.

According to Khan, our understanding of sexual education is limited because, in high school, students are taught three things: “Don’t get pregnant, use a condom, and … if you go to Catholic school, don’t have sex.”

Khan made it clear that our schools don’t talk to us about pleasure, instead choosing to prioritize the idea that we’re supposed to know the mechanics of sex. In reality, part of building consent culture is knowing what you do and don’t enjoy.

Ian Campeau, former member of the electronic music group A Tribe

Called Red and social activist around issues of racism and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, shook the stage by following Khan’s performance with a discussion on how to measure one’s own success.

While on tour with his former band, Campeau found success in playing big shows across the globe, acquiring new fans and, at one point, going as far to say that he thought he’d know he “made it if [he] got free shoes” from festivals he was playing.

However, this colonial definition of success never settled with Campeau, and he didn’t feel truly triumphant until he realized that prosperity is not about how much you have, but how little you need — an Anishinaabe take on the values of success.

Following Campeau’s performance, the crowd seemed less engaged when it came time for Megan Rafuse and Jordan Axani’s performance.

While the two mental health advocates fed off of each other’s empathetic energy when discussing the themes of belonging and imposter syndrome, students were unengaged and ready to move on with the show, which was plagued with technical issues.

But overall, the hardship, triumph and resilience emphasized in the stories and speeches of the night had the power to build a foundation of inclusivity for incoming students.

Western Comedy delivers laughs at opening show

BY COURTNEY MANN CULTURE EDITOR & CLAIRE BARAGAR GAZETTE STAFF The promise of an entertaining student-run show includes a canopy of string lights, purple stage lights in the background and movie theatre bags of hot, buttery popcorn at the ready.

The Western Comedy Club rounded out the first full day of classes with their opening stand-up show of the season at Concrete Beach on Thursday night, exclusively for first-year students.

It was an exciting evening for the six performers that carried the show through a series of light, personal and relatable bits. It was also their chance to get back on stage and shake off the lingering inactivity of the last four months. Sophs and their frosh found seating among the multi-coloured bean bags on the lawn as the energy built.

The first acts of the evening included Hershawn Arora, Scott Aker and Isabella Vesely. Their seamless transitions and timely

deliveries spoke to their level of comfort on stage, but their individual styles felt experimental and not quite solidified. Though their sets had entertaining lines, they didn’t follow a particular theme or style which left the audience unengaged and lost at times.

The more refined Jodie Roach and Callie Chang-Powless followed.

They used professional comedic techniques, like evolving a single idea, to tie the entire act together.

They also had stronger presences on stage than the other performers. Roach’s onstage confidence stood out, even when she admitted to having been compared to Mark Ruffalo after a first kiss — by a guy she proceeded to date for two years.

She returned to the bit on Mark Ruffalo at the end of her set when she contemplated dropping out of school to “become him.”

As co-president of the club, with four years of experience and the influence of her successful older sister — another past president of the WCC — Roach’s level of expertise

wasn’t surprising.

“Stand-up comedy is just a room full of people whose goals are to make other people happy,” Roach says when asked about her interest in comedy. “That’s the whole point: just to make people happy and make their day feel a little better, so why wouldn’t you want to be in that room?”

Roach says that allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of strangers has been the biggest challenge she’s overcome during her time in the club, but it has also been the most rewarding takeaway.

The show itself was short but sweet at only 50 minutes, incorporating plays on university life, the truth about “adulting” and how to finally “leave the nest.” Each performer left room for their own experiences and personalities to shine through, which made the show fresh and diverse. You might not relate to Aker’s bit on the confusing mall signs that prohibit rollerblades but permit marbles, but you may connect to Arora’s daily

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE A slate of performers, compliments of The Western Comedy Club, graced Concrete Beach for the organization’s StandUp Special, Sept. 6, 2018.

dilemma of explaining to others that, although there are some big clocks around town, he’s not going to school in England.

Despite a few lines that didn’t quite land and the expected nerves of an opening night, the WCC put on a thoroughly entertaining show that encouraged genuine laughs and a reprieve from the craziness of O-Week. After all, stand-up is only

one example of the many intimidating yet rewarding things first-years can expect to encounter during their time at Western University. Fittingly, Roach’s mantra for doing stand-up can be chanted for the challenges of everyday life: “Don’t be scared. Just give it a try.

Don’t be afraid to fail in front of us because we do it every day.”

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.

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community

12 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

photo of the day

•

gazette crossword

24p0; 144.999al; Black; Ad Office CLUES ACROSS CLUES DOWN 1. Where to shop 6. A descendant of Shem 12. NBA big man “Boogie” 16. Integrated circuit 17. Voice 18. Larry and Curly’s buddy 19. Beloved English princess 20. Used to emphasize 21. Sun worshippers want one 22. Atomic # 44 (abbr.)

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59. Obliged to repay 60. Lead prosecutor 61. Sun God 62. The Ocean State 63. Seek opportunity without scruples 66. Keeps you cool 67. Achievements 70. A beloved street 71. Analyze minutely

MARTIN ALLEN GAZETTE FIRE! FIRE! A team of engineering sophs pull a fire truck down University Drive, Sept. 7, 2018.

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