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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 •

• 2

naji balche

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MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

Naji Balche wants to talk about irritable bowel disease. He was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis — inflammation of the innerlining of the colon — when he was 14. He didn’t understand what it meant for his own body.

Seven years later, the fourth-year sociology student is working to help people learn about the symptoms affecting hundreds of thousands of Canadians, which can be otherwise invisible to people without the disease. His work garnered him a national scholarship for students living with colitis and Crohn’s, a similar disease, which awards $5,000 to 10 Canadians. Two-hundred seventy people applied for the scholarship.

Inflammatory bowel disease, sometimes called irritable bowel syndrome, is a constellation of symptoms attributable to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, inflammations of the digestive tract that include abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, internal bleeding and diarrhea. It affects 1 in 150 Canadians.

“I never get upset about diagnoses and stuff,” Naji says.

“For me, I still keep the same mindset before and after.”

Because the symptoms can be embarrassing, people living with these conditions often don’t talk about them, creating a visibility problem for the diseases. It’s also difficult to convey a particular case of Crohn’s or colitis because they can be so unique: Naji’s diet and condition are different than anyone else’s who has the condition.

This variation makes the conditions hard to diagnose, but Naji says he was lucky. His specialist knew within one hour that he had ulcerative colitis. This was in 2011, when he was in Grade 9, and he started to learn what the

condition meant for his own and others’ lives.

Colitis forces Naji to go through school with the constant worry of keeping himself healthy. Stress is a common aggravating factor for people living with IBD, so difficult times like exams are made even worse. Naji is a full-time student at King’s University College and a server at the London Club. He also coaches high school sports.

This year, he founded a Crohn’s and Colitis advocacy club at Western. With Clubs Week over, he hopes to start his meetings with 30 to 40 people. He has plenty of ideas for what he wants to do: next semester, he wants to host a basketball tournament (one of the sports he coaches) to raise awareness about Crohn’s and colitis. He’s been in touch with The Second City, a famed comedy troupe, to inquire about inviting them for a potential appearance at a club event. He’s also working with an organizer of onerun to host a fair and a charity walk in Victoria Park next year.

Naji has always been a people-person. Before his diagnosis, he volunteered for the Canadian Cancer Society, but much of his work since has been for IBD awareness.

“My diagnosis helped me shift my volunteering into an area I find more fulfilling,” he says.

Naji plans on applying to Western’s Faculty of Education next year. If he does, he would keep running the club while doing his post-grad. But in its first year, he’s already accomplished something he’s proud of.

“If I saw this in first-year, I’d be really excited,” he says. “I wish I had started it earlier.”

■■MARTIN ALLEN

Western by the Numbers

IC POL E

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.

11,000 partiers at FOCO 2017

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

969 warnings issued by London Police Service in 2017

11,000 suspected hangovers

3 •

news

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Senate faces PC government in first meeting MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @MTRALLEN Western University’s administration is grappling with uncertainty amid a mandate to create a new campus free speech policy.

Since taking office in June, the Progressive Conservative government, led by Premier Doug Ford, has supported policy which seeks to change education in Ontario.

Ford recently mandated universities and colleges create new free-speech policies in line with government standards by Jan. 1, 2019. Universities that don’t comply risk cuts to educational funding.

At Western’s first Senate meeting of the new school year on Sept.

21, the Ontario government’s potential policy effects was of primary concern.

“The problem with relations to this government is that they have not made post-secondary education a priority,” said Western’s president, Amit Chakma.

The Senate, a governing body responsible for Western’s academic policy, struck a sub-committee of 11 professors and scholars to draft a policy for review. Chakma and other Senate officials were clear on their stance.

“It is not our responsibility to shield students from obnoxious

views,” Chakma said. The president added that Western has never ejected a speaker from campus, though the university has hosted controversial speakers in the past.

Chakma said at least six months were needed for proper discussion and consultation on such a policy, though the government is only giving four. After the meeting, provost Andrew Hrymak, who created the policy’s committee, said that quick consensus was crucial to giving the policy review by the Senate.

Because of this, the committee has just 11 members, two of whom are students — the presidents of the graduate and the undergraduate student governments.

Chakma and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities dean Michael Milde agreed on avoiding a definition of “hate speech” in the policy, following a question from a student senator. Milde said the committee should rely on the existing standard in federal law for hate speech; Chakma agreed, saying finding another definition would be a futile exercise.

The Ontario government specified that free speech policies must be concordant with the University of Chicago’s free speech principles. Chakma said he prefers one by Oxford University, calling Chicago’s “a bit convoluted.”

Chakma addressed other

concerns stemming from Queen’s Park — budget cuts, in particular, are a worry, as they intersect with faculty vying for higher pay.

A f lagship promise from Premier Ford was to cut inefficiencies from public spending.

Chakma said Ontario post-secondary institutions expended $150 billion in the 2017-18 year, and former Liberal Ontario Premier Wynne was open to increasing this total to $158 billion. He pointed to news that Ontario’s annual deficit could be $15 billion, double what the old Liberal government forecasted.

There are three Senate meetings left before the speech policy is due. The next meeting is Oct. 19.

Western community mourns passing of Brescia student GAZETTE NEWS

NOAH FAINER GAZETTE

Faculty representative expects ‘yes’ vote KATRINA MCCALLUM & MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITORS @KATRINAGAZETTE @MTRALLEN A chief representative of faculty bargaining with Western said they will likely vote to allow a strike if negotiations break down.

The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association vote began last Thursday at 11 a.m. and is set to conclude Wednesday.

Western’s faculty will cast either a “yes” or “no” vote in expressing their willingness to strike. Voting took place from Sept. 20 to 21 and continues Sept. 24 to Sept. 26.

“I am feeling very strongly, very confidently, that our vote will be ‘yes’ and it that will be a strong ‘yes,’ ” said Dan Belliveau, UWOFA’s president.

Though a “yes” vote would show faculty are willing to strike, it does not necessitate a strike occurring: it would give UWOFA’s negotiators the power to call a strike on their members› behalf if bargaining sours.

There are other options

negotiators could exhaust before a strike, like rotating strikes, one-day strikes and work-to-rule.

Helen Connell, Western’s associate vice-president of communications, was unsurprised by the strike vote.

“We have had a good history of being able to reach a professional contract agreement through these talks, and we remain optimistic that we will be able to do so again,” said Connell.

UWOFA can only strike if the outside mediator supervising the bargaining fails to create an agreement or if either party files for a “no board” report. A strike could then occur 17 days after the report is filed, though it is not mandatory. To have the authority to file such a report, the UWOFA negotiators must have a majority “yes” vote behind them.

In the event of a “no,” Belliveau said he would be disappointed, as it would indicate that UWOFA would have to accept the offer from the university as it stands today.

On Aug. 30, both sides filed for

a conciliator to help mediate the negotiations. “[It] is a very positive sign of the commitment both UWOFA and the [Western administration] have on reaching a negotiated fair and equitable agreement,” Belliveau said.

UWOFA has not decided on what specific actions will be taken if conciliation fails.

“It’s difficult to predict what the provincial Progressive Conservative government could do,” Belliveau said. “Certainly, they have indicated that they will not hesitate to bring in back-to-work legislation.”

A recent faculty strike at York University lasted five months before Premier Doug Ford ordered them back to work, ending the strike.

Though Belliveau cannot comment on any counter-offers from UWOFA, he did reinforce that Western staff would not reach an industry standard of pay with Western’s proposal of a 1.25 per cent increase with one per cent in the years following.

Somerville loses its Tim Hortons LIAM J. AFONSO NEWS EDITOR @LIAMAFONSO Students looking for their 8 a.m. double-double before class are in for a shock when they look for Somerville House’s Tim Hortons.

When Tim Hortons’ contract with the university ended in April, it

only took Hospitality Services weeks to revamp the space it took up in Lucy’s eatery.

In place of Tim Hortons is the university’s first fair trade coffee hub, which features Doi Chaang Coffee and London’s own Fireroasted Coffee.

“We think it’s a good move,” said

Frank Miller, Western’s director of Hospitality Services, “We’ve had Doi Chaang in residence for a couple of years, and students love the coffee because it’s a tighter roast. The bean is roasted so it’s more flavourful.”

The push to revamp Lucy’s coffee selection was brought on by three factors: the desire to avoid the

The Western community is mourning the passing of Shiloh Roberts, a first-year Brescia University College student.

Shiloh, an international student from Bermuda, passed away suddenly at Brescia on Sept. 8.

According to a Bermudan news report, Shiloh was 18 years old.

Quoted in part of an emailed official statement on behalf of Western, Susan Mumm, principal of Brescia, said: “As a small and tightly knit university community, every one of us is feeling the loss of a vibrant young woman, who joined us at Brescia only a few weeks ago. We offer our sincere sympathy to all of Shiloh’s family and friends both in London and in her home country of

Bermuda. We trust that our heartfelt condolences surround and continue to support the family in their sorrow.”

Brescia’s flag flew at half-mast last weekend in honour of Shiloh.

According to Keith Marnoch, director of media relations at Western, the university will not be sharing further information regarding Shiloh’s passing per her family’s request.

The emailed official statement, as well as two Sept. 11 emails to Brescia students, reminded its community that counselling and support services are available to assist individuals on an ongoing basis.

Support is available to students through individual counselling, crisis contact services, wellness resources and external resources from CMHA-Middlesex.

Brescia University College’s flag flown at half-mast, Sept. 22, 2018.

lengthy contracts that franchises demand, the university’s want for ownership over the eateries on campus and the push for fairtrade coffee.

“Going forward, we certainly want to be in charge of our own destiny, with our own food and with our own decisions,” stressed Miller.

Removing Tim Hortons from Somerville House freed up room for an additional 50 seats, making the area less cramped.

The other Tim Hortons locations

on campus remain unchanged.

Now, the closest Tims to Lucy’s can be found in the University Community Centre.

“The distance between Lucy’s and the next Tims was minutes,” said Miller, “It didn’t make sense to do the same thing twice.”

Those craving caffeine in Somerville now have two choices: either expand their coffee palette, or trek over to the UCC.

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news

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 •

• 4

Western seeks exec raise Alumna publishes amid faculty negotiations advocacy book MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @MTRALLEN Western asked the government for a $400,000 raise for its executives while countering faculty requests for wage increases.

In late April, Western University made a proposal to the then-Liberal Ontario government to give each of their five executive positions a pay increase; this came after Premier Wynne decided to lift the seven-year freeze on public sector compensation she previously maintained.

In the proposal, the presidential role would be compensated up to $595,000, a 23 per cent raise and the provost would make over $409,000, a 19 per cent raise; the three administrative vice-presidents would be paid over $374,000.

But hours after Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government took power in June, the party re-froze public pay, halting Western’s offer before it could be approved. At the same time, Western was negotiating a new collective agreement with the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association, the group which represents the school’s professors, librarians and archivists.

Keith Marnoch, director of media relations at Western, said Western

plans to abide by the government’s public pay framework. Of the negotiations, Helen Conell, Western’s associate vice-president of communications, said: “Western and the faculty have a long history of working professionally, and we look forward to reaching an agreement.... It’s really not unusual that we would see a strike vote during negotiations.”

The current agreement was set to expire on June 30, a day after the surprise re-freezing took place. The ensuing negotiations led to bargaining over how much teaching staff’s pay should increase each year; this and other disagreements led to an impasse which has incited a UWOFA vote for this month as to whether they should accept the university’s offer or express their desire to strike.

A strike vote would not necessitate an immediate strike. If the impasse continues it could happen.

UWOFA president Dan Belliveau could not comment on the negotiations, but he said the association was originally open to a new pay scheme for executives.

“You cannot maintain salaries at 2010 levels,” he said. “We were concerned with a few elements of Western’s framework.”

In their proposals to the

the

Joanne Goodman lectures

STATES OF FEAR

How the Quest for Security has Eroded Democracy

government, public institutions have to justify their salary requests by using other public institutions as comparators. While some of Western’s choices were obvious comparisons, UWOFA argued others were not.

Western compared its executive salaries to the University of Toronto’s, the Hospital for Sick Children’s, and Sinai Health Systemss. UWOFA has attempted to use Toronto as a comparator for salaries in the past, but Western has disagreed that Toronto was comparable.

Western chose McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, McGill University, the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta as comparables. Some of these placed higher than Western in international rankings, and some are substantially more populous.

Simultaneously, Western disagreed with UWOFA regarding faculty pay. The administration’s latest offer is a 1.25 per cent increase next year, and one per cent each year for another three years; currently, Western is 11th in Ontario for faculty pay.

The University of Guelph negotiated to 1.5 per cent, Queen’s University to 1.75 per cent and University of Waterloo to 2.6 per cent. None of them were included in Western’s proposal.

In the summer, London West MPP Peggy Sattler criticized Western’s proposal in the provincial legislature.

“Allowing [universities] to select their own comparator institutions doesn’t deal with the validity of those comparator institutions, so therefore can lead to unreasonable and inappropriate salary increases,” she told the London Free Press.

KATRINA MCCALLUM NEWS EDITOR @KATRINAGAZETTE Cynthia Lockrey, a Western University alumna, recently published her second book on patient advocacy, with this new one focused on helping children with special needs.

Your Child’s Voice: A Caregiver’s Guide to Advocating for Kids with Special Needs, Disabilities, or Others Who May Fall through the Cracks is a collection of Lockrey’s personal advocation for her child, other parents’ similar experiences and testimonials from health care professionals.

Though this book was created with parents in mind, it’s also applicable to students in the medical science, nursing and psychology fields.

“If these health care providers can start their career with a better understanding of the needs of families with special needs, it’s going to change their whole career,” Lockrey said.

Lockrey sees an understanding of special needs as necessary to increasing empathy toward patients and to seeing the human aspect of the medical sciences.

In her own time as a student, Lockrey wrote in the News section of the Gazette. She now holds a degree in english and history and has worked as a university educator and in communications with government agencies and non-profits.

After finishing school, Lockrey had a difficult pregnancy, spending eight weeks on bedrest in the hospital, followed by two weeks in a natal intensive care unit with her newborn son.

Courtesy of Cynthia Lockrey

“When [my son] was a baby, I had to be his voice,” Lockrey said.

“There was no one else that was going to speak for him.”

However, growing up with an autistic brother, this wasn’t Lockrey’s first experience dealing with the health care system.

“I watched my parents advocate before advocacy was a thing,” Lockrey said.

She noticed that she was not the only parent struggling to get necessary care for their children; health care professionals have large caseloads, and they don’t always realize the unique situation that a specific child goes through.

“I find that, especially with pediatrics, children are treated like mini-adults,” Lockrey said.

“Information is given to a fouryear-old like you would give it to a 40-year-old.”

Lockrey is also a strong advocate for labels, and though some parents are hesitant to label their children, she believes it’s an important aspect of support.

“Every label comes with funding, every label comes with therapy,” Lockrey said. “More labels mean more funding.”

Elaine Tyler May

Regents Professor of American Studies & History Chair, Department of History, University of Minnesota

TUES. OCT 2

WED.OCT 3

THUR. OCT 4

SEX, WOMEN, AND THE BOMB:

THE QUEST FOR SECURITY:

THE 21ST CENTURY:

Cold War Domesticity

Fear and its Consequences

The Aftermath of September 11, 2001

THE GREAT HALL

Somerville House Rm 3326 2:30 TO 4:00PM history.uwo.ca/about_us/events/goodman_lectures.html

CROSSWORD SOLUTION Solution to puzzle on page 11

GET HOCO READY HERE! THE PURPLE STORE UCC Atrium www.westernpurplestore.com

5 •

news

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

A brief history of FOCO

have your say How do you feel about FOCO?

MIKE DEBOER MANAGING EDITOR @MIKEDBOER

Siddhant Sawant SECOND-YEAR MEDICAL SCIENCE

“I feel like it’s what defines Western for me. Honestly, it’s the biggest party.”

Jacob Szukalo SECOND-YEAR BMOS

Casey Scanlan SECOND-YEAR BMOS

“Fantastic. 10 out of 10.

It could not improve in any way. It is a beautiful process.”

Andrea Bray FIRST-YEAR BMOS

“I’ve never gone through it before so I’m really excited.

I’ve heard great things about it, and I’m excited to get dressed up with my friends and listen to the music and everything.”

In an age long ago, before Donald Trump was president of the United States and the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought, there was only one Homecoming.

Those were happier times, when the purple-clad throngs of Canada’s premier institution of higher learning took to the streets in an early-October ritual of beer, football and school spirit. Sure, Western’s administration kept a disapproving, watchful eye on its student body from afar, leery of the dangers of the hedonistic behavior on display on Broughdale. But the school maintained the first weekend of October as the official Reunion Weekend of Western University.

In fact, Homecoming 2015 was widely lauded by university administration and the University Students’ Council. Fewer charges were laid by police; there was a 78 per cent drop in criminal charges, with 105 criminal charges in the fall of 2014, down to 23 criminal charges in 2015. Additionally, 1,422 provincial offence notices were issued in the fall of 2014, with a substantial drop to 791 provincial offence notices in 2015.

“As a much bigger event than it was last year, it definitely went really well,” former USC president Sophie Helpard said in 2015. “We had a lot of great attendance and a lot of positive feedback.”

As far as the thousands of students and alumni who celebrated Homecoming were concerned, all was quiet on the Western front.

This is what made the breaking news of the summer of 2016

Rachel Woo (right)

so shocking. The school moved to change the Homecoming date, abandoning its early October date for a weekend later in the month, expecting students to stay off Broughdale in favour of D.B. Weldon Library.

“Moving Homecoming is only one of the means by which we will be encouraging students to find safer forms of entertainment,” said President Chakma in a 2016 media release.

What they may not have expected, however, was the resistance movement that rose in opposition to their decision.

A “Save HOCO” Facebook group was created, with thousands of members quickly joining. In July of 2016, the USC passed a motion to officially express its disappointment with Western’s administration over the university’s decision to change the date.

The original Homecoming weekend saw thousands of students take to Broughdale. And despite its defiant nature, the first annual “Fake Homecoming” saw a drop in issued police tickets compared to the already tame 2015 Homecoming event.

“We had a greater number of students than we have in the past,” London Police Service media relations officer Sandasha Bough said in 2016. “However, we noticed that those individuals tended to remain in the backyards and inside of the residences.”

The USC also provided alternative programming on the FOCO date to steer students away form the alcohol-inspired activities on Broughdale. However, the event was cancelled due to rain.

Western Dad hat: The reveller sports plenty of purple signage. Despite (probably) not being a parent, this hat confesses a primal urge to nurture.

DAD

THIRD-YEAR BMOS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

Despite the good behaviour exhibited by FOCO partiers, administration didn’t return Homecoming to its original date the following year. And just like in 2016, students responded by flooding Broughdale by the thousands. LPS reported that 11,000 showed up to its second incarnation.

While London police lauded students’ behaviour in 2016, 2017 was a very different story. In a media release, LPS said overall, MiddlesexLondon EMS responded to 54 patients because of FOCO with 37 patients transported to the hospital.

Police reported that eight arrests, 11 charges, 50 notices and 969 warnings were issued.

“This is a significant financial drain on our organization that is ultimately paid for by London taxpayers” LPS deputy chief of operations, Daryl Longworth said in a 2017 press release.

In contrast to the packed streets of FOCO, the new Homecoming date saw a mere handful of students appear on Broughdale.

This year, Western’s USC made concrete steps to provide alternative programming for students during FOCO weekend. With the recently announced Purple Fest concert, thousands are likely to be kept off Broughdale.

So Sept. 29, 2018 will mark the latest chapter in the tale of two Homecomings. From senate meetings to scandalous banners, a grandma’s destroyed garden to internationally-renowned rappers, it’s been a story full of characters and controversies. And this year should prove no different.

“It’s a little ridiculous that they put Purple Fest at the peak hours of Broughdale. I understand they’re trying to keep students from drinking, but putting it at Elgin parking lot, which is only like two minutes away from Broughdale, isn’t really going to impact the students. It’s also my birthday that day, so I’m gonna have a good time anyways.”

Language: Although slurred, the reveller's language reflects their sense of Western patriotism and their distaste for all things Queen's.

Stain: Midday snack spillage, courtesy of the fine establishments at the Richmond and Broughdale intersection, cannot deter the reveller's good fun.

Reusable cup: This reusable chalice keeps wandering eyes from guessing the reveller's choice of juice.

Fanny pack: This secure storage space keeps all of the reveller's belongings in one reliable place — until they lose this too.

Purple Fest ticket: The reveller keeps their ticket to Purple Fest close to them — just in case they want to go.

Matt Thayde

THIRD-YEAR COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Shoes: The shoes, a healthy balance of durability and style, set the tone for the reveller's FOCO Saturday.

“I have an exam on the day, and will probably be studying and pretty mad at the noise. But if I didn’t have an exam, I’d probably go.”

ANATOMY OF A FOCO REVELLER

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feature

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 •

• 6

The forgotten story of J.D. Barnett: Western Libraries’ ‘founding father’

PHOTOS BY CARMEN MALLIA GAZETTE

7 •

feature

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

CARMEN MALLIA CULTURE EDITOR @CARMMALLIA Today we hear of millions of dollars being donated to Western University in support of research projects, student scholarships and state-of-the-art technology. Entire buildings on campus bear the names of some of Western’s wealthiest philanthropists.

Yet, one of the most valuable donors in Western University’s history goes virtually unnoticed by students.

In 1918, one of the university’s first private benefactors gave his life savings to Western.

Unlike most donors, his contribution wasn’t money, stocks or bonds: it was books — nearly 40,000, which built the foundation of Western Libraries.

The donor was John Davis Barnett, a boisterous, well-known man who prided himself on never shaving his lengthy beard. Very little is known about his life; the few news clippings and articles written about the bibliophile focus on his love for collecting books of every conceivable subject.

By the age of 70, Barnett had amassed historical artifacts ranging from early 16th century Hebrew texts to 1,500 bound volumes of Shakespeare.

As one of the greatest unknown book connoisseurs in Canadian history, Barnett had entire collections dedicated to history, science and technology.

Debbie Meert-Williston, special collections librarian at Western Archives, has spent the past few months cataloguing books from Barnett’s collections, which are scattered across campus.

“We’ve basically had to piece his life together,” says Meert-Williston, who recently spent part of her job searching through books from across campus, hoping to find Barnett’s gothic-style bookplate — a signature identifying his collection. The odd time, she will open one of his books and find a note or a letter providing more insight into the mysterious Englishman’s life.

Barnett is born circa December 22, 1849, in London, England.

Montreal.

across the nation.

“From at least age 12 to when he died,… he was collecting. It was over 50-plus years of collecting,” says Daniel.

Barnett did not plan on hoarding these books in his home, as his intention was to ultimately donate them to an academic institution where they could be used for education.

However, that institute wasn’t initially Western.

According to Daniel, an early draft of his will had stated that the books would go to McGill University, but toward the end of the First World War, he became increasingly concerned about the future of his collection, since he was reaching an old age and wanted to find a definitive location for his books. Things fell through with McGill. Why? We don’t know.

Barnett later entered into talks with Fred Landon, a librarian at London Public Library at the time, who suggested on July 30, 1918 that Western would be a good home for his collection.

“Landon said to him, ‘You should think about sending your books to Western,’ and that sort of started the process,” says Daniel.

“He started talking to the chairman of the board of governors at Western, and they drafted an agreement to Western.”

The man of books hoped his collection would become the nucleus of a national public library. Barnett, Landon and Charles Ross Somerville, chairman of the board of governors at Western, eventually penned out an agreement that satisfied the bibliophile’s needs.

Daniel notes that Barnett had specific conditions that Western had to adhere to in order to receive his collection. She believes that he wanted the books accessible to all and kept in one location. He also wanted to be the first curator of the collection, which he continuously added to throughout the early ‘20s.

In 1918, Barnett found another home for

Western Libraries with a

stroke, which he

1926

1922

1919

1918

Barnett retires and spends the next 16 years travelling across eastern North America, adding to his book collection.

Barnett is awarded the Doctorate

On March 21st, 1926, Barnett passes away due to paralysis.

Western

Western closes its doors and cancels all classes to commemorate Barnett’s legacy.

his donation.

SHIRLEY JIANG GAZETTE

the books at an old school on Cheapside Street in what was known as the “library annex.” They were later moved to main campus in the summer of 1924.

“He wasn’t a librarian, but he knew these books. He collected every single one of them,” says Meert-Williston. “He understood them. He used them to help people. He really became the first librarian at Western, even though he technically wasn’t a librarian.”

For the next four years, Barnett was heavily entangled in his collection, until he suffered a stroke that left him unable to move. He spent the rest of his life in Victoria Hospital, where he died in 1926 from paralysis.

Not only was he awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from Western in 1919 for his donation, but on the day of his funeral, Western shut its doors and cancelled all classes.

“He was actively engaged with the students. A lot of students had come to know him as an important, well-known [individual]. At that time, [he was] considered a founding father of the library, which would have had a significant impact on students’ ability to study, on faculty to teach and just on the university to offer a higher level of education,” speculates Daniel.

While we may not know everything about Barnett, there’s one thing we do know: his life work was about making information accessible to all. He was a man ahead of his time, trying to craft an egalitarian society using 40,000 books. His story will continue to be recovered as Western Archives finds more trinkets of information within his collection.

And while his collection’s market value may not amount to the thousands of dollars poured into donations by Western alumni every year, his donation was the equivalent of 40,000 seeds, planted a century ago, that grew into the hundreds of thousands of books used by today’s Western students.

Be sure to attend one of the upcoming events being held at D.B. Weldon Library and London Public Library commemorating Barnett’s life.

Barnett meets with associates to discuss his collection. They sign an agreement later that year,

1902

than 20 books.

draughtsman

1869/1870

Montreal, Canada,

Barnett becomes the Grand Trunk

1866

1849 Barnett travels

According to Meert-Williston, in the wake of the 20th century, Western had around 3,000 books before Barnett’s donation, which was considered very little at the time.

During this period, students didn’t have easy access to information like they do today. If they wanted to enlightenment, they had two options: talk to a knowledgeable professor or pray there was a book on the subject, making Barnett’s century-old donation a significant one.

“I think that his donation was an important factor in this university surviving and thriving as an institution,” says Meert-Williston.

Anne Daniel, associate archivist at Western Archives who has also been tracking Barnett’s work agrees, stating that his donation set the stage for Western’s emergence as a research-intensive university.

In October of 1866, at the age of 17, Barnett immigrated to Montreal from England.

There are two things we know for certain that he brought with him: ambition to thrive as an engineer and a shabby trunk with just over a dozen novels.

Having studied civil engineering in England, it wasn’t long before he worked his way up the ranks in Montreal at the Grand Trunk Railway, from apprentice to chief draughtsman by the age of 21. He also designed Canada’s first coal-burning locomotive.

During the four decades he worked for the railway, Barnett’s book-collecting hobby became a second love. He travelled to big cities, like New York and Boston, and to small towns, entering every faded, shabby bookstore he came across, finding a Greek Bible here and a first edition of Shakespeare there.

Following his retirement from the Grand Trunk Railway, he eventually moved to Stratford, Ont. But his travels continued to nurture his collecting gene. As he moved along the rigid tracks, he continuously added to his collection. With the train pass from his time at the railway, Barnett moved freely

opinions

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 •

• 8

Unpaid internships are an unnecessary evil Krispy Kreme

KRISTIN LEE CULTURE EDITOR @KRIIISLEE It’s tough to get a position in the media industry — but I’m past the fact that the work is precarious. This past summer, I didn’t care if I had to be the office coffee runner or do all the paperwork filing. I wanted to get my foot in the door. Being naive, I didn’t realize the price I had to pay.

At the start of my summer, I began working a communications job in the Comedy & Drama department at Bell Media in downtown Toronto. I was writing public relations stories, tweeting and updating the media site to promote television shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Doctor Who and Letterkenny. My work promoted three channels: Space, Bravo and The Comedy Network.

It felt good to be a part of the city bustle that I’d only ever seen from the sidelines. I was doing this as part of my graduation requirement through the FIMS Internship program, but truthfully, I’d always wanted to get behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. As if my prayers were answered almost immediately, I was chosen by Bell Media for an internship. I was entering the alluring industry that had always fascinated me.

Upon walking into the corporate building on my first day, I was enchanted by the big studio lights, the hefty professional cameras and the charming talk show hosts I knew from TV. It was absolutely surreal — but I was working a fulltime nine-to-five job with no pay.

Yes, I was an intern. But I was essentially just labour. I watched some of my friends work paid internships, which only added to my misery.

Weeks dragged on with no paydays to look forward to, and I had to accept that this was my way into the professional world.

The streets crowded by morning commuters, the putrid smell of the city’s sewers and the blaring horns from impatient drivers were all things I could deal with. But there was one thing I realized I couldn’t tolerate: my sad, empty wallet.

Buying office supplies at Dollarama and surviving off of homemade ham sandwiches that got soggy by the time lunch came

around was how I dealt with the lack of paycheques. Unlike most people on my Instagram timeline, who showed off pictures from their tropical vacations and hazy summer nights, my days consisted of waiting out rush hours on tightly packed subway trains, staring at a computer screen and sorting through newspapers endlessly until my fingers blackened with ink.

The only things that got me through my days were times I briefly sat on television sets of The Social and CP24. There were even better days when I caught glimpses of the most glamorous work in all of the entertainment industry: wrangling famous talents like Ed Helms, James Marsden and the well-loved Marilyn Denis. But the reality was that I felt exploited and used. My hard work warranted a few “Great job!”s from my employers, but nothing more.

This isn’t to say that my time at Bell Media was unpleasant. Actually, it was quite the opposite — with the exception of the sound of my debit card declining every purchase. But the truth is that not all students can afford to work for free. From personal experience, it seems unfair to have internships as a requirement for graduation when most are unpaid. One would hope that big companies like Bell Media, having the resources that they do, would at least pay minimum wage. Yet here I was, putting in strenuous work and time for this colossal company, and the numbers on my bank balance remained at single digits.

If you ask me, it’s quite hard to thrive off of sandwich meat slapped between two pieces of dry, whole wheat bread when the smell of a hot slice of pepperoni pizza wafts over from 10 feet away, tempting you to give up the three dollars you have left in your wallet. In fact, besides food, it was hard to hang out with friends who wanted to have patio dinner dates downtown and drinks at the bar. As much as I wanted to, I simply could not afford it.

To find a steady job, you’re going to need an impressive resume. That means experience, such as that gained through internships, will boost your chances in the corporate world. But, while the practice of giving students college credits instead of money for their work is legal according to the Ministry of Labour, it’s surely not ideal for students who are being taken advantage of.

Next year, I think I’ll have to make slight adjustments to my prayers.

CHARU SHARMA GAZETTE

Students should participate in municipal politics

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

London’s municipal election is on Oct. 22.

Voters have the ability to change the city; this election will fundamentally impact the future of London’s transit system, and it has the potential to affect infrastructure, housing and safety through enacted policies.

As students, we get to participate. Students can vote in both their hometowns and in London. We have the opportunity to affect London’s future and to better the city as a whole.

So why aren’t more students talking about the upcoming election?

For starters, it’s easy to think the election doesn’t impact current students — most of us are only here for the length of one or two degrees before we leave London entirely. Many of the main issues in this upcoming election will take years to work through; the bus rapid transit project, one of the election’s defining issues, won’t be completed until 2027, and if the government decides to build more affordable housing, students likely won’t live in it.

Student voters will cast ballots on issues that may not impact them personally. In a city with a high student turnover rate and a large non-student population, some may feel students shouldn’t vote.

But students should be educating themselves about municipal politics in the city where they live, and they should be exercising their democratic right to vote in October’s election.

issues too. Between Western University and Fanshawe College, over 50,000 students attend school in London, meaning students significantly contribute to the local economy and will benefit from changes made in the city. And while current students may not see the election’s long-term consequences, other students will.

If you’ve spent your semesters complaining about the lack of good transit in London (Canada’s largest urban centre without a modern rapid transit system), then why wouldn’t you use your voice and your vote to better transit for future students?

We might not be here in ten years, but other students will be. And we’re here now, observing what does and doesn’t work in the city and forming opinions based on those observations.

Educating students about municipal politics is important. The media plays a large role in relaying information and educating readers about local happenings. In the next month, news outlets will cover municipal issues that directly impact students. The University Students’ Council is involved, providing information regarding the election to students on their social media platforms.

But, ultimately, the responsibility falls upon students themselves. There’s still time to research candidates and municipal issues. Read candidate platforms. Educate yourself on the BRT. Speak to your friends and learn where they stand. And, when October 22 rolls around, be sure to fill out your ballots — if not for you, then for the future students who will see the change you voted in.

The reality is that London-based issues are student 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.”

we get letters

Too cheap for campus coffee Western University is pricing me out of my daily $1.75 indulgence and I’m bitter. Bitter with a smooth finish and notes of hazelnut, mind you.

You may have noticed something amiss in the halls of our distinguished university. If you’re like me and have a caffeine dependency, you’ve felt it in your heart, your Swiss cheese stomach lining and your wallet.

There are three fewer Tim Hortons on campus.

Gone are the ones in the Social Science Centre, North Campus Building and Somerville House (not including the flighty cousin that

dwells in the University Community Centre basement that always seems to skip out of town whenever you come calling). These three locations were more than just sober watering holes: they were part of my daily routine. Their coffee woke me up, coddled me during exam season and gave me something to hold onto while I nodded off to my prof’s rants on intersectional quotidian ergonomics — all in the ten-minute intervals between classes.

Timmies is convenient. But more importantly, it’s cheap. $1.75 for a medium coffee, and $2.00 for a large. Going to Tim

Hortons cost pocket change, and if I threw in the lint, I could even get a Timbit. It’s cheap with no strings attached — there’s no ball and chain stamp card I lug around and forget half of the time for the promise of the ninth one free. By the way, no one really gets the ninth one free, because you always lose that card, right?

They vanished without a trace.

No postcard, no letter, no word of address, and I’m left standing here, toonie in my hand, all of a sudden unable to afford to drink hot energy water on campus.

Because that’s what happened.

Two out of those three locations are entirely gone, and in their stead are new-age coffee spots.

NCB now has Riverside Cafe, Somerville is focused on Lucy’s and SSC has Encounters. Admittedly, Encounters kept the Tim Hortons express. But while the coffee is there, the conveyer belt of Timmies’ donuts, bagels and soup is not.

I’m not here to cast dispersions on the coffee quality of those hip locales. Fair trade is great; drip coffee, whatever that is, seems alright; and nitro cold brew sounds like the rocket fuel of the future. But the prices. I might walk in there with a toonie and walk out with a cup filled halfway with caramel machiatto and a vague feeling like I’m being capitalized on.

I’m not trying to drink something I’ll enjoy. I’m trying to mainline coffee before 8 a.m. so I can function and blink using both eyes at the same time.

Maybe nobody cares about this except me, but there’s a strange moratorium around the issue I can’t ignore. Tim Hortons are being nulled without open explanation, and it’s making me feel protective over the remaining cheap coffee spots and anxious that one day those will be gone as well.

Melodrama aside, campus is expensive enough, and Western could at least keep the coffee free of trendy fees.

JENNIFER MARIE HILLHOUSE FOURTH-YEAR ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

9 •

sports

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Katy De Snoo: The heart of Mustangs lacrosse

COURTESY OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

GREG SIDERIS CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE Katy De Snoo’s last two years with the Western Mustangs have been impressive, as the women’s lacrosse team went to the Ontario University Athletics finals in back-to-back seasons. De Snoo’s rookie campaign was bittersweet; she was named a first-team OUA all-star before losing to the Trent Excalibur in the 2016 OUA championship game.

The heartbreaking game was marred by an unfortunate mistake; when a scorekeeper incorrectly awarded Trent a goal that would eventually cost the Mustangs an OUA title.

De Snoo gave some insight into how she and the team harnessed their emotions in the rematch the following season.

“Of course, it was a frustrating situation for everyone involved that

year,” said De Snoo. “We felt we had something to prove the next time we played them. However, both us and Trent were different teams the following season, and we had to work really hard at keeping our emotions in check and just going out and playing our game.”

De Snoo and the Mustangs bounced back this past season, defeating Trent in their final regular season game before the OUA playoffs, ousting the Excalibur 15–7. De Snoo led her team to the OUA finals, where they took the championship in a close 9–7 win over the Queen’s Gaels.

De Snoo also captured the OUA Offensive Player of the Year award along with OUA first-team all-star honours.

After a stellar 2017 season, De Snoo and the Mustangs look to duplicate that success again this year.

“I think the recipe for success was just having confidence in the systems our coaches gave us and having confidence that our team could execute them,” said De Snoo. “The individual awards are great, and they mean a lot to me, but they were far less important than winning the OUA championship. That success would not have come without the hard work my teammates and coaches put in.”

According to Mustangs co-head coach Garrett Loubert, De Snoo’s successful 2017 campaign was even more impressive considering she played on a blown ACL in the OUA championship game.

“Katy had an outstanding season last year becoming the [Offensive Player of the Year] in only her second season,” said Loubert. “We found out after the season that she blew her ACL in the semi-final where she was named the player of the game and played on it during the final, scoring two very important goals to lead the team to a championship last season.”

De Snoo required surgery in the off-season and has been playing in a reduced role this year. In the first four games of 2018, opposing defences have focused their game plans on containing De Snoo. “[They] put a face guard on her all weekend,” said Loubert.

“Essentially, she had a girl in her face all game covering her with no room for her to move or create offensively.”

However, despite the tough defensive coverage, De Snoo could not be stopped; she scored six points in the Mustangs first two games

Cross country opens season STEPHANIE ORLANDO SPORTS EDITOR @UWOGAZETTE The Western Mustangs hosted the first cross country meet of the Ontario University Athletics season last Saturday at Thames Valley Golf Course in London. Despite the sudden change from extreme heat to cooler weather, Western proved capable of outrunning teams from all over Canada.

The meet, called the Bill Salter Western International, saw the Mustangs perform well to start the season, with the women’s team placing third overall with 68 points and the men’s team finishing in fourth with a score of 118 points.

The course for the men’s race measured at eight kilometres in distance while the women’s course was a slightly shorter six kilometres. Despite the shorter course for Western’s meet, the OUA will be holding an eight kilometre women’s race at the provincial championship for the second consecutive year.

“I am more confident since this will be my second season racing eight kilometres at OUAs and U Sports,” said Mustangs captain Kristina Popadich. “The distance seems less daunting now, and I’ve been able to slowly build up my mileage over the last two years to prepare for racing a longer distance.”

Popadich performed strongly on the six kilometre course this weekend, finishing in first place, with a time of 20:29, setting a new course record.

“I am very excited to have set a new course record this weekend,” said Popadich. “We were extremely lucky to have amazing conditions

and so much support from everyone who came out to cheer and from those who worked hard to make the event happen.”

The men’s race began shortly after the completion of the women’s.

Although the men’s team did not place as well as the women’s, they still featured a number of strong individual performances that show promise for the rest of the season.

“The team looks similar to our squad two years ago when we won the OUA championship,” said Mustangs co-captain Ben Carson.

“My co-captain, Jack Sheffar, and one of our second-year athletes, Isaiah Frielink, led the charge yesterday and set a good example for the rest of the guys. We’ve been training harder and harder than we ever have, so I believe we’ll be ready come

the end of October for OUAs and, ultimately, November for U Sports.”

Last year, Carson had a great season, placing ninth at OUAs and third at the U Sports cross country championships. Going forward, he is keen to improve his results this season, both individually and as a team.

“Our team goal is to win OUAs and U Sports. We’re going in as underdogs but that’s not going to deter us,” said Carson. “My personal goals are to improve on my results from last year at the championship meets. In a perfect world, I would be capturing gold at both events.”

The Mustangs will head across the border on September 29 for the 41st Loyola Lakefront Cross Country Invitational at Lincoln Park in Chicago.

COURTESY OF NATALIE TOPP Ben Carson and Jack Sheffar during the Bill Salters Western International, Sept. 22, 2018.

against Trent and Queen’s.

This past weekend, the Mustangs took on the Laurier Golden Hawks and Guelph Gryphons, collecting two wins to improve their record to 4–2 on the year.

Earlier in the season, De Snoo scored a goal in a game against the Brock Badgers: receiving a pass in traffic, she split the defence and rifled a shot past the goaltender.

Along with her illustrious university lacrosse career, De Snoo was also

23

a member of the Mustangs ringette team for the last two seasons. This year, however, the kinesiology student has decided to leave the program to join a senior women’s team in Richmond Hill.

De Snoo and the Mustangs are back in action on Sunday as they head to Waterloo to play Laurier at 8:30 a.m., followed by a game against Guelph at 1:45 p.m.

KATY DE SNOO Major: Kinesiology Year: Third Sport: Lacrosse BASKETBALL What residence did you live in?

DELAWARE Pasta or Rice?

PASTA BRITISH COLUMBIA COFFEE Ceeps or Barney’s?

BARNEY’S iPhone or Android?

iPHONE KYRA KARAKATSANIS GAZETTE

Mustangs drop three of four CHARLIE MARSHALL SPORTS EDITOR @CWMARSHALL98 The Western Mustangs baseball team dropped three of four games against the Queen’s Gaels and Toronto Varsity Blues this weekend at Labatt Park.

On Saturday, Western lost consecutive decisions to the Gaels, dropping each game by a score of 4–3. The Mustangs opened Sundays doubleheader against the Varsity Blues with another 4–3 decision.

Western’s starting pitcher, Adam Paish, was quickly in trouble. After striking out the first batter of the game, the fifth-year player surrendered back-to-back singles.

Toronto’s Michael Deluca eventually scored on a sacrifice fly, putting the Blues ahead 1–0.

The Mustangs tied the game in the bottom half after first baseman Jeff Martin scored the leadoff hitter from third with on RBI double.

Western and Toronto traded runs over the next seven innings, entering the final two innings tied at three.

After a strong seventh inning, Paish climbed the hill to start the eighth. The Mississauga native allowed one run and recorded one out. Eventually, head coach Mike Lumley pulled him in favour of Brennan Healy.

“He was still going strong,” explained Lumley on his decision to send Paish out for another inning.

“His pitch count was down. He just got in a little bit of trouble there.

He’s been around long enough that I understand him and where his pitch counts are.”

The run scored in the eighth inning would prove fatal, though, as Western fell 4–3 to the Varsity Blues.

The Mustangs earned their revenge in the second leg of the

double header, defeating Toronto by a score of 6–4.

The bats arose from their fourgame slumber in the final game of the weekend. With the exception of one hitter, every player in the starting lineup recorded a walk or a hit.

Emblematic of the offensive outbreak, the Mustangs sent eight men to the plate in the second inning and five came around to score.

Western’s starter, Alex Lamont, looked dominant to begin the game.

However, his control started to elude him in the second, throwing four wild pitches in the inning.

“I think he was just trying to throw too hard,” Lumley said of Lamont’s command struggles. “He was trying to be too fine, trying to overthrow pitches. I don’t know why he felt like he had to do that.

So once he calmed, stayed back into where he normally throws, he was a lot better.”

In a game that otherwise would have been noted for an offensive slugfest, the Mustangs received encouraging injury news, as secondyear starter Dylan Jacober worked his first inning of the season.

Pitching in relief, the Calgary native managed one complete inning, allowing one hit and no runs.

Lumley noted that Jacober should be back in the starting rotation next week. With the win over Toronto, the Mustangs record is now 8–4 on the year.

With the three losses this weekend, Western now sits tied for first atop the Ontario University Athletics standings with the Varsity Blues, as both teams have 16 points on the season. The Mustangs will finish their season with a three team road trip against the Brock Badgers (6–2), McMaster Marauders (7–3) and Guelph Gryphons (7–5).

culture

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 •

• 10

Take Back the Night seeks safer streets EMILY TAYLER CULTURE EDITOR @EMTAYLER16 SAMANTHA BLOOM CULTURE VOLUNTEER @SAM76827459 “Women unite! Take back the night!”

Marchers yell out one of the night’s chants, protesting for safer streets.

Women of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds chant, blow whistles and cheer as they march through downtown. These women are met with cheers from passersby and cars honking in support. Last Thursday’s event, hosted by Women’s Events Committee, is joyous, a celebration of progress, and serious, an acknowledgement of how far we still have to go.

This march, marking over 40 years of the event, focuses on bringing awareness to the issues of sexual and other gender-based violence through a positive movement. The aim is for communities to come together to de-stigmatize victims of gender-based violence.

Shelley Yeo, a member of the Women’s Events Committee and the assistant executive director at Women’s Community House, touches on this event’s importance in London.

“The march through the street symbolizes that we would like to

march, we would to walk on our streets alone without being violated,” she says.

Although stats are unknown several women at the event identify themselves as victims of street harassment.

Yeo is a member of the Women’s Events Committee, which also coordinates the march and other women’s events in the London community.

“Have we had backlash in the last 40 years? For sure,” Yeo says. “There have been different issues that have come up at different times. At this point, I think that it’s well known that sexual violence and violence in general against woman and girls and gender minorities is high in our community and in other communities.”

Despite efforts to create “consent culture,” the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario published a fact sheet explaining that people who have been assaulted often experience fear, guilt, shame, depression, anger and low self-esteem. These feelings are often associated with the stigma surrounding

SAMANTHA BLOOM GAZETTE

sexual violence and because they make it harder for women to get help. Events like Take Back the Night play an important role in ending this stigma, as Yeo describes.

“I don’t know that it’s the key, but awareness and education is certainly part of it,” she says. “I think that this event — because it’s a public event in the community; we march, we chant, we sing — it does bring awareness to community.”

The event begins with a series of community booths, like the Londonbased Women in Politics booth, and speakers, like Jill O’Craven, a fourth-year Western University student. Women line the path through Victoria Park listening and cheering them on.

Roya Ray, a speaker from Team Shelley, an advocacy group for missing and murdered women in London, delivers a powerful message on the prevalence of violence. Ray tells the crowd that no progress can be made for politics or peace while there is still violence against women.

“Violence against women is the most shameful human

rights violation,” she declares. “It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or love.”

Marianne M. Park, a woman with the distinction of albinism and low visibility, is the co-founder of Network of Women with Disabilities.

She spoke about the importance of being a good ally and intersectionality within feminism. Park acknowledges the discrimination women have faced because of their disabilities.

A 2017 Statistics Canada report found women with disabilities ages 25 to 54 have about a 70 per cent employment rate, and reports published in 2012 find people with disabilities are also 1.5 times more likely to be abused, even as adults. It’s because of these statistics, she tells the audience, that intersectionality is so important.

“When something happens to us, we can’t tell if it happened to us because we’re a woman, because we have a disability or if it happened to us because we live in poverty,” Park explains about intersectionality. “It’s a blending of things.”

Park urges the audience to celebrate their differences and support other women.

“Normal is nothing more than a dryer setting!” she yells to the crowd.

“And if someone told me I was normal, I would be damn insulted!”

Pow Wow promotes unity Doc urges all writers COURTNEY MANN CULTURE EDITOR

KAITLYN LONNEE GAZETTE

KAITLYN LONNEE COPY EDITOR @UWOGAZETTE Last weekend’s Annual Harvest Festival and Pow Wow promoted inclusivity between those of all backgrounds through Intertribal songs, dances, vendors and workshops.

Of particular note is the event’s workshops. Hosted mostly by members of the Indigenous community, these workshops spread cultural knowledge to all interested, focusing on education and relationship-building between nations and curious Londoners.

Elijah Hill of the Mohawk Nation, an elementary school teacher at Woodland Heights Public School, also introduced himself by his spirit name, ohkwá:ri rathouskah, which means “little bear.” Hill rans a workshop called “Four Medicines Teachings & Cedar Tea,” educating attendees on the four sacred medicines: tobacco, sage, cedar and sweetgrass.

“The doors are open. We want people to be able to feel like they’re welcome, and they are,” Hill says. “I want people to know that if they’re curious and they want to know, and they’re going forward with that pursuit of knowledge with good intention, that it’s there for them, if they want to learn.”

During the workshop, attendants participated in a traditional smudging ceremony, which is done to cleanse the self and surrounding area of negative energies.

In this ceremony, participants pull smoke — in this case, sage smoke — over their bodies from an abalone shell.

“It’s beautiful [to see people come here]. I’m so overcome with joy that people are interested and they want to try and learn about the history of Canada’s First Peoples,” Hill says. “[I feel like] having a public event like this is just another step for reconciliation.”

Nina Antoine (Antone), Oneida descendant of the Williams of Ojibwe Sarnia, regale, onlookers with her wealth of knowledge and stories in the village’s longhouse.

She explores Indigenous history for newcomers, adding personal experiences and anecdotes, allowing all to enjoy the storytelling.

“I have been learning the Chippewa language for many years, even though I was placed in a non-native foster home for most of my life, knowing something was missing,” says Antoine. “I am still hunting, gathering. I am 73 years young.”

2018 marks the 10th year of celebrations at the Museum of Ontario

Archaeology.

In the past, powwows were ceremonies meant to give thanks to the Creator and other spirits; modern-day powwows like this one are celebrations of life through song, dance and community, meant to honour Indigenous culture, where everyone is welcome to participate.

Host drums, musical groups who provide music for powwows, maintain the energy of the event with their lively songs. The Grand Entry, accompanied by the Grand Entry song — performed by local London group Eagle Flight Singers — began at noon. Ringed by chairs for spectators was the dance area, a space alive with energy and colourful regalia.

True to the spirit of inclusion, audience members were encouraged to join the celebration.

Outside in Attawandaron Park was a selection of interactive events for families, including archery, lacrosse and cornhusk-doll making. Within the museum were several collections of art and artifacts, which guests could guide themselves through.

Whether you missed out on the festivities this time or happily joined in with the community, keep an eye out next fall or visit the MOA website to take a look at future events.

If you’ve got an interest in creative writing, pursue it — regardless of your major.

On Wednesday night, Dr. Shane Neilson proves that it’s possible to marry two opposing passions together.

At the first Creative Writers Speakers Series of the semester, the award-winning poet and family physician inspires students of all faculties with his story. He also pique their interest by sharing some ins and outs of the writing and publishing industries.

The goal of the weekly talk, which acts as a course for those in the creative writing program, is to allow all students the chance to explore and pursue creative writing. To achieve this, the departments of English and Writing Studies are working in collaboration with Poetry London.

They’re bringing a diverse group of esteemed and up-and-coming Canadian writers to Western University.

Sarah Minos, a third-year English major and creative writing minor, initially registered in the course for a module requirement. After listening to Neilson’s encouraging words, she came to recognize the tangible benefits of the Speakers Series.

Dr. Neilson encourages them to apply to the Frog Hollow Press Chapbook Contest, which is a springtime contest he helps run.

Frog Hollow Press publishes the contest winner, which provides a huge opportunity for new Canadian poets to be heard.

“I felt inspired just listening to him. I started going through story ideas that could work for the contest he told us about,” Minos shares. “Yesterday, I didn’t know that contest existed, so even just one speaker has helped me understand the system a little bit better and helped push me towards

where I want to go as I try to figure out my own path as well.”

After one session, Minos explains that students are already better connected to the professional industry they hope to enter upon graduation.

“I’m not in the creative writing program, but I’ve written for fun a lot and it’s a hobby of mine, so it’s interesting to hear from perspectives of actual writers,” says Hana Brännström, a fourth-year physics student.

Brännström appreciates that Western is encouraging students to explore their diverse interests by providing engaging opportunities like the Creative Writers Speakers Series. She talks about how this program is providing her with the chance to grow in a field other than her major and why that’s impactful to her university education.

“Having access to creative writing is super interesting and important in other fields as well.

I’m in physics, so I have to describe things to the public and take things that are very abstract and complex and find a way that people can understand and find it interesting,” Brännström says. “So it’s practical for physics, and it’s also really fun.”

Brännström was one of many students outside the creative writing program to attend the opening talk on Wednesday, and she’s already looking forward to next week. The speaker lineup for the rest of the semester includes poets, graphic novelists, podcasters, playwrights and more. Notably, Western’s Writer-in-Residence, Cherie Dimaline, will host the talk on Nov.14.

This series showcases just how possible it is for students to explore interests outside of their major. If you love to read or have an interest in writing, take a step outside of your comfort zone. You might be surprised by how close an “unrealistic” dream could be if you just take a chance.

11 •

culture

• TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

‘Prom Queen’ shows student pride

SAMIT KHALSA GAZETTE Marc Hall, played by Devon Dixon (centre) among members of the ensemble, Sept. 18, 2018.

EMILY TAYLER CULTURE EDITOR @EMTAYLER16 The year is 2002: flare jeans and frosted tips run rampant, and in a high school in Oshawa, Ont., Marc Hall is denied permission to take his boyfriend to the prom.

Prom Queen: The Musical tells Hall’s true story in which he takes the Durham Catholic School Board to court. Hall won his case, setting a precedent across Canada that states schools are not allowed to discriminate, even on the basis of religious practice.

The musical first premiered at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in 2016. The High School Project premiered the show in London — but not without controversy.

The High School Project is a unique group in London that provides high school students the opportunity to work with professionals in the performance industry. The cast is made up of around 40 high school students from across London, as well as a crew of students mentored by professional costume designers, stage managers and

producers. The project began in 1998 with West Side Story and has blossomed since.

Prom Queen: The Musical is directed by Dennis Garnhum, the artistic director at the Grand Theatre.

Hosting The High School Project is a huge annual undertaking for the Grand Theatre. The productions cost around $300,000, primarily supported by community members and donors. Additionally, London’s two school boards, the Thames Valley District School Board and the London Catholic District School Board, usually each donate $15,000.

However, in a public announcement earlier this year, both school boards decided to pull funding. In a statement made by the school boards, Matt Reid, the Chair of the Thames Valley Board, explains: “There are many things in the script [of Prom Queen] that go against the culture and values of our schools.”

Due to community backlash and a petition from trustees of the school boards, the Thames Valley District School Board reversed their decision and reinstated their portion of the funding only a week later, with

acknowledgement of the discriminatory implications of their actions.

Still without a large portion of the necessary funding, the The High School Project turned to the community. An online fundraising campaign started the same week raised over the $30,000.

Deb Harvey, executive director of the Grand Theatre, comments on this community outreach.

“The thing that was most heartening for us was that the community immediately stepped forward,” she says. “I remember saying to our staff, ‘OK, we’re going to find out who our city is,’ and within 24 hours, we knew because there were community groups and people who stepped forward to make sure this happened and more than secured that funding that we lost.”

With the increase in funding, the Grand Theatre decided to put the money back into the community, by supplying students with 1,600 free tickets for the matinee performances.

For many students, seeing the matinee performance of Prom Queen was their first experience at the Grand Theatre. Harvey believes

Jane Goodall coming to London MEGAN WHITEHOUSE CONTRIBUTOR Jane Goodall, widely renowned as the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzee behaviour and psychology, is set to speak in downtown London on Sept. 26.

The event, called An Evening with Jane Goodall, will be held at Centennial Hall.

Goodall has a research career spanning more than a staggering 55 years. Today, the primatologist spends much of her time travelling the world, speaking about the importance of our responsibility to the planet and the changes that we are capable of making to protect it.

She has long been an advocate for environmental awareness, discussing topics such as habitat restoration, climate change, illegal animal trafficking and industrial exploitation of the natural world.

The contributions Goodall has made to science throughout her career have revolutionized the way

we view chimpanzees and have deepened our understanding of the striking similarities between humans and their cousins in the animal kingdom.

In 1960, Goodall discovered that humans were not the only species capable of tool use when she observed chimpanzees extracting termites from mounds using sticks.

Goodall defied the norm with her continued insistence on a more considerate treatment of the chimpanzees, naming her subjects in the face of continued requests to assign them numbers; this practice is a striking testament to her character as both a researcher and as a human being.

Her work led her to found the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977.

The JGI studies the environment globally. In Tanzania, the JGI has implemented community forest mapping in various areas to encourage local people to help monitor and protect the forest from illegal deforestation and poaching.

Goodall’s work has been recognized globally; in 2002, the United Nations appointed her as a UN Messenger of Peace, a position distinguishing individuals who promote the work of the UN. In 2004, she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire, a high honour awarded by her home country.

Earlier this year, Goodall was awarded an honorary degree from Western University for her contributions to science. At the ceremony, Western’s chancellor, Jack Cowin, praised Goodall for her impressive research and effective means of promoting environmental awareness “using popular education strategies and multimodal approaches.”

Cowin finished the speech by referencing Goodall’s own words: “There is still a window of time.

Nature can win if we give her a chance.”

All proceeds from the event will go to the Jane Goodall Institute.

this is a great opportunity for students who don’t normally come to the theatre to see a show that resonates with them.

The performers, students from high schools all across London, rehearsed daily from the beginning of August. Many actors reached out to the people they portray onstage in order to form a sense of identity for their characters.

Even when students were unable to talk with their real-life counterparts, they had the support of Hall throughout the entire project, who communicated with students during production.

Despite controversies surrounding funding, this will not be the last of The High School Project. As Harvey explains, the Grand Theatre and The High School Project are committed to “making sure there are safe places in the world and making sure people know that … it’s one of

the most important things we can offer in this community.”

Read the full review online.

Prom Queen: The Musical runs from Sept. 21 to 29 for the public.

More information can be found at the Grand Theatre.

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community

12 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

photo of the day

gazette crossword

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE ACTION! Some Forest City ComiCon attendees are photo-ready, Sept. 22, 2018.

word search

diet & exercise activity adipose aerobic bariatric body mass index bone calorie carbohydrate cholesterol control

diabetes diet dietician energy exercise expenditure fasting fat flexibility gaining glucose grains

•

CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DOWN

1. Type of cleaner (abbr.)

4. Going out 10. __ Jima, WWII battlefield 11. Closed 12. Air Force 14. Moved swiftly 15. Will not (obsolete) 16. Type of tank 18. Raise 22. Represent 23. Gives a new moniker 24. Adversary 26. Anno Domini 27. Lillian __, actress 28. Bunch of something 30. This (Spanish) 31. A guitarist uses one 34. Small stem bearing leaves 36. Soviet Socialist Republic 37. Actress Rooney 39. Dark brown or black 40. Matter 41. Atomic number 87 (abbr.)

42. Food company 48. Trips to see wildlife 50. Elderly 51. Famed chapel 52. Something to grab 53. City in Oklahoma 54. Muckraking journalist Tarbell 55. Thallium 56. Corroded 58. A Brooklyn NBAer 59. Most liberated 60. Google certification (abbr.)

1. High moral behavior 2. Expects 3. Fanciful notions 4. Spanish be 5. All the people of approximately the same age 6. Berated 7. Trailblazing comedienne 8. Fabric edge 9. South Dakota 12. Amazon ID number 13. A wife (law) 17. Printing speed measurement 19. Wrong 20. Exams 21. Outlying suburb of London 25. Replaces 29. Prints money 31. Accumulate 32. New Zealand conifer 33. College teachers 35. A way of grating 38. Novice 41. Having limits 43. Shining with jewels or sequins 44. Existing at birth but not hereditary 45. __ Caesar, comedian 46. A young male horse under the age of four 47. Russian industrial city 49. Wash off 56. Radio frequency 57. Delirium tremens

For crossword solution, see page 3

gym hydrogenated macronutrient

metabolism muscle nutrition



61p6; 49.999al; Black; Ad Office

obesity overweight portion

sodium sugars tissue

triglycerides unsaturated weights

For solution go to westerngazette.ca/solution

24p0; 14.999al; Process color; USC Purple Store