Tuesday October 23, 2018

SINCE 1906 TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 8

Western University’s Student Newspaper Updated Cannabis Policy PG4

University Sports on Cannabis PG6

Mustangs Rout on HOCO PG8 STRESSING OVER HALLOWEEN COSTUMES SINCE 1906

Glowing hearts and red eyes

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

profile

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 •

• 2

gordon mcbean

Volume 111, Issue 8 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

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The bookshelves in Gordon McBean’s office are overflowing. Every surface in the room is covered with books, awards and photos of his FIRST LAST GAZETTE family. On the wall across from his desk, in a wide blackmolorum frame, isrepudae a Nobel sunt Peace from Consedis et Prize lacerov itatus 2007, which heequide received for his involvement eum Uptiores restincimus expelestia in the Intergovernmental Panel quunt on Climate Change dolenis accae lanihic tem.Ed lat mod alongside Alpa Gore. ex estem in seceribus. Aliti blacestis rem faciat eos modit sapella nam, ut is rehard essi Gordon’s credentialsquatibu run so long that his career cuptasped quis rehenia nusam, quatis rem in to summarize. When I ask him what he does, exactly, he takes a moment to thinkaccullu of his answer. reperspiet expelique ptatio accullu ptatio.

“I do things with climate change and disaster risk Hicid ut ullam di doluptae.

Nam fugitis aboribus il iuntecto reduction nationally andvoluptum internationally,” he says. quodissin both es is quas nem int fuga. Nemporesto “I think it’s very important that scientists out to tem es aut volum ullent imoluptae.

Erspelreach minullit communities so they better understand these issues lacculpario tetur, ut ipiduntiusa si repta voluptasita aciand take what are, I hope, the laborepro right actions.” seque nullorumque corat blaces aut ist est hil ipsunt accabor roviduc idebitati rem. Itate sequis For decades, Gordon has been speaking out aboutmagnis the as is essitas et, con enit eatur accae sitatio nsedio dangers of climate change. In 1988, he had a hand con in et adis et explibus am, asoles voluptam, setting up the IPCC, group of scientists appointed by the United Nations.sim From there, he ut became Assistant Volorum quiatiant, voluptat.Ut aut et the plabor Deputy Minister forhario.

Environment in 1994, which magnatur aspel et Git eum Canada nimus, cor rerspelles made him the IPCC’saeceperro Canadianeum delegate. duci autem faccupt eost magnia verum qui bea vidus, si is ipsandae dolorro vitatinctae dias Though Gordon no longer directly involved nulpa with the re nis exerit offic te rerum as quam quias as molorum sit, IPCC, the group continues to play a huge role in warning con nis essername aspe perspedi reribus quam que od ex governments about global warming. A few weeks estem in IPCC pa seceribus. blacestis eosan modit ago, the publishedAliti a report thatrem has faciat sparked quatibu sapella nam, ut re essi cuptasped quis rehenia international conversation about sustainability. nusam, quatis rem.

“The IPCC was set up to establish a formal process that in reperspiet ptatio. ut ullam di had scientistsexpelique driving it,accullu not taken overHicid by governments doluptae.

Nam fugitis aboribus il iuntecto quodissin es as some people wanted,” Gordon explains. is quas nem int voluptum fuga. Nemporesto tem es aut Growing up, Gordon never imagined that he wouldtetur, volum ullent imoluptae.

Erspel minullit lacculpario become a scientist, letvoluptasita alone a global advocate against ut ipiduntiusa si repta aci seque nullorumque climate change. blaces As a first-generation student growing corat laborepro aut ist est hil ipsunt accabor up on the edge of the University of British Columbia’s campus, all he knew for sure was that he wanted to get a UBC degree.

“My parents encouraged us to go to university, and

when I was a kid, I could bicycle out to UBC to use the swimming pool; it was that close,” he says.

Gordon ended up studying physics. During his fourth year, he was offered a scholarship to study atmospheric science and meteorology at either the University of roviduc idebitati rem Toronto or McGill University. Though he had never Ltate sequisstudying magnis as is essitas et, enit eatur accae considered meteorology, hecon took a chance and sitatio nsedio con etchoosing adis et explibus am,UofT solesfor voluptam, accepted the offer, McGill over one volorum quiatiant, sim voluptat.Ut ut aut et plabor to simple reason: he preferred the Montreal Canadiens magnatur aspel et Leafs. hario. Git eum nimus, cor rerspelles the Toronto Maple duci autem faccupt aeceperro eum eost magnia verum In late ‘60s, went backvitatinctae to UBC to pursue a quithe bea vidus, siGordon ipsandae dolorro nulpa dias doctoral degree in oceanography.

It was during this time re nis exerit offic te rerum as quam quias as molorum that he nis started becoming more awarereribus of climate change sit, con essername aspe perspedi quam que i related todolorro human vitatinctae activity. From there, in offic ipsandae nulpa diashis re career nis exerit atmospheric science took te rerum as quam quias asoff. molorum si.

Gordon attended international conferences everywhere Con nis essername aspe perspedi reribus quam que from Kyoto, Japan, to Geneva, Switzerland, working od ex estem in pa seceribus. Aliti blacestis rem faciat with a variety of different and nulpa scientists eos mo i ipsandae dolorrogroups vitatinctae diasfrom re nis around the te world.

In as 2006, he quias and two others penned exerit offic rerum quam as molorum sit, con a letter to Stephen urging for policy to nis essername aspeHarper perspedi reribus quam changes que od ex make Canada more sustainable.

The letter, signed by 90i estem in pa seceribus. Aliti blacestis rem faciat eos mo climate scientists, gained national ipsandae dolorro vitatinctae nulpa recognition.

Now, when askedoffic whattehe’s most Gordon Dias re nis exerit rerum as proud quam of, quias as Con doesn’t mention the perspedi Nobel Peace Prize, nor que doesod ex nis essername aspe reribus quam he mention World Meteorological estem in pa receiving seceribus.the Aliti blacestis rem faciat eos mo Organization’s top award last year. doesn’t i ipsandae dolorro vitatinctae nulpaHe dias re nis mention exerit being president of the International Council foraspe offic tethe rerum as molorum sit, con nis essername Science, at Western yearsinbefore perspedi teaching reribus quam que odfor ex15 estem pa seceribus. becoming an emeritus professor or receiving the UBC Aliti blacestis rem faciat eos mo i ipsandae dolorro Alumni Award of Distinction.

Instead, he swells pride vitatinctae nulpa dias re nis exerit offic te rerumwith as quam when he molorum discussessit, thecon work done to aspe teachperspedi others, quias as nishe’s essername whether they be students or the high school reribus quam quehis oddoctoral ex estem in pa seceribus. students he volunteers with annually at Oakridge Sunday School in London.

“I’m most proud of working with my colleagues to raise awareness of the issues of climate change and disaster risk reduction and to help increase the science knowledge that we all collectively have,” he says. “I’m most proud of the things we do collectively.”

■■GABRIELLE DROLET

Western by the Numbers

F O U N D A T I O N

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.

3,602 career rushing yards for Alex Taylor; a school record

SISSI CHEN GAZETTE

6,291 fans at the Homecoming football game

$1 million in donations received by the new USC Foundation

3 •

news

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

Driver hits median on first day of bridge closure

USC starts charity for campus services MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR @MTRALLEN Warning: this article contains a description of sexual violence in paragraph three.

USC alumni are launching a charity to fund sexual trauma counselling, therapy and other supports they say Western University has not prioritized.

The alumni celebrated the new USC Foundation in Toronto on Oct. 18 as both a reunion and an effort to fund crucial student services. In only a few months, the foundation has raised $1 million in donations.

The initiative was inspired in part by the experience of a University Students’ Council alumnus. They sent letter about the foundation to former USC members about three weeks ago saying that a relative of the alumnus was drugged and repeatedly raped in a Western residence while at an Orientation Week party “just a few years back.”

“The almost complete lack of on-campus support that was available to [them] as [they] struggled through the medical and legal fallout of this tragedy, including a full-blown criminal trial, was very disappointing,” the letter reads. “[These] areas should be of critical concern but have not been a priority for the university administration to date.”

Roughly 200 attended to support the foundation’s core functions: mental health supports, sexual violence education and prevention, and job training and career mentoring.

Tobi Solebo, last year’s USC president, said the foundation is pushing to roll out services for 2019. He said the current president, Mitchell Pratt, will evaluate specific ways students would be best helped by the foundation’s funding.

Pratt hosted the event, giving brief remarks and introducing the other speakers: Sophie Helpard, the president of the USC from 2015-16, who began work on the foundation four years ago, and Craig Smith, former USC president from 1984-85. Both are members of the foundation’s board, along with Solebo.

In interviews, charity officials did not criticize Western as sharply as the letter did; they said there was work to be done, but they avoided placing blame.

Helpard said her presidency saw mental health move from stigmatization to understanding, resulting in more students willing to seek help. This burdened campus services which were only equipped for the patient traffic of previous years.

“Services weren’t able to respond as well as we liked to student concerns,” she said.

Craig Smith, the board’s chair, is executive vice-president at Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate company, and the president of The National Club, an elite Canadian social club.

When asked if Western was doing enough, he said, “You can never do enough.”

“It’s not that the university isn’t doing great work — they are. It’s just that we think we can do great work as well from a different vantage point,” Smith added.

Robert Elder, another board member, is also on the board of Upper Canada College, a prestigious preparatory school. He emphasized the foundation is only a supplement to existing, required efforts to help students.

“I’m the parent of a student who’s in their fourth year at Western, and I just don’t like the stories I hear,” he said.

While the USC is already a not-for-profit, the USC Foundation is seeking status as a registered charity, meaning any donations it accepts would be tax-deductible. Obtaining charity status takes between eight and 18 months, and the foundation is on month six.

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

MICHAEL CONLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @MIKECONLEY4 A driver crashed into a median meant to block access to University Drive bridge on Thursday evening before 5:45 p.m.

The median, at the intersection of University Drive and Sunset

Street, is in place to stop vehicles as University Drive bridge undergoes repairs that may last several months.

Oct. 18 was the first day that the bridge is closed to vehicles.

The driver, walking around the crash site and conversing with two police officers on scene, did not

appear to have sustained serious injuries in the crash. As of 6:00 p.m., additional responders had not arrived.

Neither police on scene nor the driver were available for comment, apart from the driver confirming that they were operating the vehicle.

Western University PRESENTS

Remembrance The nature of how our minds work, how memories define us, and how the past can shape the future.

FEATURING

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Eight speakers.

Seven minutes each.

Monday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.

Iskwé Electronic singer-songwriter

The Grand Theatre 471 Richmond Street, London, ON

Lisa Moore Award-winning author (Open, Alligator, February, Something for Everyone)

Get tickets today! thewalrus.ca /events

news

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 •

• 4

Western updates campus cannabis policies LIAM AFONSO NEWS EDITOR @LIAMAFONSO In two separate emails sent Oct. 17 and 18, Western University informed students of its policies pertaining to cannabis possession and usage on campus and in residence.

Aligning with federal legalization of marijuana, Western’s updated policies will allow for the possession of cannabis on campus but will prohibit its consumption through smoking.

Andrew Hrymak, Western’s provost, outlined some of the rules surrounding cannabis on campus in an email sent Oct. 17.

First and foremost, he indicates that smoking cannabis on campus is strictly prohibited, even in designated smoking areas.

Also, any cannabis possessed while on campus must be stored in an air-tight container.

The consumption of cannabis via smoking or vaping at university events, including student group events, is also prohibited.

In an email to students living in residence sent on Oct. 18, director of residences Chris Alleyne highlighted the updated rules found in the residence contract, where its updated approach is more lenient than in years prior.

The possession of cannabis is allowed in residence, so long as it’s no more than 30 grams and its owner is at least 19 years old.

However, all cannabis must be stored in an air-tight container.

Paraphernalia, such as bongs, hookahs, pipes and vaporizers are also allowed in residence. But again, these must all be stored in air-tight containers.

Due to Western’s smoke-free policy, smoking or vaporizing cannabis on campus,

including in residence, is banned.

However, Alleyne does state that “cannabis consumption in non-smoking forms is permitted in private residence rooms for those 19+ years of age.”

Growing cannabis plants and baking edibles in residence is also prohibited.

Currently, the only way to obtain legal cannabis is to order it online through the Ontario Cannabis Store. However, whether students can order cannabis to residence is not clear.

In his email to students, Alleyne states that students are not allowed to send or receive cannabis in the mail, with the exception of deliveries to “of-age students directly from the Ontario Cannabis Store.”

As Canadian society evolves its perceptions of marijuana usage, it appears that Western is, to an extent, prepared to evolve with it.

JORDAN MCGAVIN, LIAM AFONSO GAZETTE Residences are likely to get greener with Western’s updated cannabis policies.

Ward 6 candidates debate student issues in UCC RANIA OSMAN NEWS CONTRIBUTOR @_RANIAOSMAN_ The Science Students’ Council and the Social Science Students’ Council organized a debate between London’s Ward 6 councillor candidates Mike Bloxam and Phil Squire last Thursday night.

The debate occurred in the University Community Centre.

Western University is located in the Ward 6 region, and with London nearing its Oct. 22 election, Frank Ye, SSC president, and Jared Foreman, SSSC president, hoped to engage students with issues that affect their university lives.

The debate prioritized student safety, affordable housing, job opportunities, Bus Rapid Transit and FOCO. Questions were asked

anonymously by students through a Google Forms link.

Squire, current Ward 6 councillor, said he intends to maintain an “equal relation” with students to keep them involved in city politics.

“There are issues that are not going to come to the attention [of the councillor] unless there is a strong communication with students,” Squire said. “I intend to work with the USC and the university to maintain that connection.”

BRT is a pressing issue for the city and has been a popular topic of debate during the municipal election. Bloxam, who supports updating London transit with high frequency buses, said it will be reliable for students with its timeof-arrival precision. Squire agreed that the new transit plan is better in

time-reliability but won’t be faster than the current one. He also stated that there is no official route-agreement within the university and will be difficult to manage one with hightraffic streets such as Wharncliffe Road and Western Road.

When asked about his plan to ensure affordable housing for students, Squire said that, unless he gets private developers involved, it will be difficult to solve this issue.

Bloxam said he intends to work with city council to build affordable housing units near campus. He also said that students won’t have to restrict their housing options to areas near campus because BRT will get them to university faster from other locations.

“This [BRT] will allow students to disperse themselves more

around the city, and the campus housing rent will hopefully drop a little by then,” Bloxam said.

Moreover, both candidates agreed that job opportunities for recent graduates can be created with cooperation from the city by attracting businesses to settle in London.

On student safety, Squire expressed his worry concerning home-invasions and assaults, and he emphasized the importance of reporting these to the London Police Service so they can allocate forces to affected areas. Bloxam agreed and encouraged students to use the Safe City London app to report unsafe situations in any location.

Regarding FOCO, Bloxam stated that he’ll ensure this is a properly organized event by working with

the USC, Western and the city for student safety. Squire said moving the HOCO date without student consultation was a mistake. He said that “we have to manage it better instead of preventing it.”

Ye believes bringing municipal politics onto campus through the debate provided students a beneficial opportunity.

“As presidents, we felt it was our duty for students to engage with important topics that affect them,” he said. “So Jared and I partnered to get [Bloxam and Squire] involved in this election.”

There have now been at least three student-driven events focused on the municipal election: Pints & Politics, the mayoral debate at King’s University College and the Ward 6 debate.

Study finds LGBTQ2+ students have more debt JUDY BASMAJI NEWS EDITOR @JUDYBASMAJI

CROSSWORD SOLUTION Solution to puzzle on page 11

A recent poll among nearly 1,200 Canadians who attended a post-secondary institution revealed students who self-identify as part of the LGBTQ2+ community are more likely to leave school with higher-than-average student debt.

The results, published on Sept.

17, showed 66 per cent of those who identify as LGBTQ2+ left school with student debt over $10,000 compared to 50 per cent of those who don’t identify. More significantly, nine per cent of those who identify as LGBTQ2+ left school with debt exceeding $70,000 compared to one per cent of those who don’t identify.

Marie Fiedler, the previous coordinator of PrideWestern, explained a number of factors may contribute to increased debt load within the LGBTQ2+ community.

“A lot of it leads back to rates of family support for individuals who are part of the LGBTQ2+ community and homelessness within the LGBTQ2+ community,” said Fiedler.

Fiedler explained families often cut off financial support as well as other forms of support when they find out their child identifies as part of the LGBTQ2+ community.

“That [was] very common when I was working with PrideWestern,” she added. “We definitely worked

with a number of individuals who had been kicked out of their homes, whose parents had been paying for their tuition up until that point, and that is an extremely trying and turbulent situation to be in.”

According to a 2017 study, around 20 per cent of homeless youth in Toronto are part of the LGBTQ2+ community. Further, the study identifies family conflict as a major cause of youth homelessness in Canada, especially for LGBTQ2+ youth.

Fiedler added minority groups typically experience high levels of trauma and mental health-related struggles, which make it harder to access part-time jobs or higher-paying jobs. She explained LGBTQ2+ individuals may be inclined to take larger loans if they require additional forms of support to complete their studies.

Further, Fiedler explained many

students feel they are denied access to jobs and social resources due to their identity. A 2017 survey showed 40 per cent of LGBTQ2+ individuals experienced discrimination in the workplace.

The poll also showed 28 per cent of LGBTQ2+ community members compared to 23 per cent of non-members took a second job to pay off student debt, 31 per cent of LGBTQ2+ community members compared to 20 per cent of non-members had significant career plan changes because of student debt, and 76 per cent of LGBTQ2+ community members found a student loan to be “very” important compared to 68 per cent of non-members.

With recognition of the difficulties that LGBTQ2+ individuals face, Fiedler emphasized the need for increased attention and resources to address the community’s needs.

5 •

opinions

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

We can’t fix climate alone Gift of Gab

GABRIELLE DROLET OPINIONS EDITOR @GABRIELLEDROLET It’s easy to brush off climate change as a problem for future generations.

This approach is selfish, but it feels easier than the alternative: admitting that societal changes have to happen in order to save the planet.

Why deal with an issue that won’t impact us directly?

But the reality of climate change is stark. According to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of researchers appointed by the United Nations, the effects of climate change are likely to be drastic and irreversible by 2040. Within the next two decades, the IPCC predicts dying coral reefs, rising global temperatures, food shortages and mass flooding and wildfires, all of which could lead to the displacement of entire populations.

So, as students, what responsibility does that leave to us?

The short answer is very little.

There are, undoubtedly, actions that we can (and should) all take to reduce our carbon footprint and help the environment. But the main culprits of climate change are beyond individual action: pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are largely the result of large corporations and industries. More than anything, we need to hold companies and industries accountable for their environmental impact.

There’s a tendency to blame climate change on specific things and on individuals rather than targeting corporations as a whole. For example, this past summer saw a growing societal hatred for plastic straws, which are widely seen as ocean-polluters and sea-turtle-killers. While a ban on plastic straws is a step in the right direction, they only account for about four per cent of the plastic trash that winds up in the ocean. On the other hand, Greenpeace Canada reports that only five corporations — Nestlé,

Tim Hortons, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s — accounted for 46 per cent of identifiable branded plastic pollution collected during a global cleanup initiative.

The obsession with straws was simply a distraction from the bigger issue of corporate pollution. It’s easy for people to find small, feel-good solutions for global issues. When you whip out a bamboo or metal straw to use in your Tim Hortons iced coffee, you might feel that you’re contributing to a brighter future for the planet.

And you are, to an extent. But odds are that the plastic and non-biodegradable Tims cup you drink out of will still wind up in a landfill or floating in a body of water.

Don’t get me wrong: as students, we should all be taking action. We should be ordering less styrofoam-packaged takeout from Skip the Dishes, using reusable water bottles and travel mugs, eating less meat and dairy, and buying goods from sustainable companies. We have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint and be environmentally conscious whenever we can. That being said, it’s important to remember that the onus to save the planet isn’t entirely on individuals.

For tangible change to happen, corporations need to be held accountable. Government officials need to take action and institute restrictions on corporate greenhouse gas emissions and pollution (Trudeau has yet to speak to the IPCC’s report). Companies need to own up to their environmental impact and start finding solutions.

Small steps forward have been happening locally; just this year, The Spoke introduced biodegradable cups and straws. But there needs to be more than that.

It’s unfair to blame individuals for a problem that, at this point, is so far beyond us. For now, all we can do is be conscious of our own environmental impacts. But our individual actions aren’t enough to save the planet from the drastic impacts of climate change that are coming our way.

Do your part, get angry at your government officials and pray that big changes happen soon. We have 22 years.

Prof. David Bentley on conversation “There is in this world no real delight (excepting those of sensuality), but the exchange of ideas in conversation.”

• Samuel Johnson “Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.”

• Sweater worn by Van on TMZ I recently had coffee with a colleague at another university shortly after a student in one of her classes had created a furor by expressing admiration for Sir John A. Macdonald.

Whether the student was being sincere or provocative (or both), she could not tell, but the result was a fairly predictable, if extreme, series of responses: surprise, hostility, disbelief and a rising crescendo of anti-Macdonald comments and ad hominem attacks on the student, peppered with references to racism,

genocide, settler-invaders, colonialism, Donald Trump (inevitably) and, finally, that most infallible of all conversation-stoppers from one student: “This conversation is making me feel uncomfortable.”

But, of course, what had transpired was not a “conversation” at all, as traditionally understood and as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary; it was not an amicable “interchange of thoughts and words; familiar discourse or talk.” To “converse,” wrote the great 18th-century man of letters and conversationalist Samuel Johnson, is “to convey … thoughts reciprocally in talk” — to “exchange …ideas” by listening to one another with mutual respect and a mutual sense of openness. “It is scarcely possible to pass an hour in honest conversation,” Johnson wrote elsewhere, “without being

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

Legal cannabis will have little impact on students

FIRST LAST GAZETTE

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD Canada took a huge step forward in becoming the first major world economy to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Some media outlets are BYcalling GAZETTE BOARD thisEDITORIAL revolutionary, believing that this will strongly impact Canada’s culture and future.

However, the end of the country’s weed prohibition probably won’t have much impact on current students; if one walks through campus today, nothing seems out of the ordinary. If students were interested in consuming cannabis, they probably weren’t waiting for legalization.

In Ontario, anyone over the age of 19 can now carry up to 30 grams of legal marijuana, smoke in public spaces like parks, make edibles for personal use and grow up to four weed plants in their household. Legal weed can be purchased online through a regulated website, the Ontario Cannabis Store. Though students can smoke freely on London’s sidewalks or in Victoria Park, these new laws aren’t being entirely reflected on campus.

As of legalization, the restrictions surrounding cannabis use at Western University have loosened. Cannabis is still prohibited from being smoked anywhere on campus, but aligning with federal law, students are allowed up to 30 grams as long as it’s in an air-tight container. In residence, students are allowed to receive cannabis if it’s sent directly from the OCS and can consume cannabis in non-smoking forms.

That said, new laws likely won’t sway how students perceive or use the drug. A 2017 survey conducted by Maclean’s found that approximately 41 per cent of Western students have smoked weed, and with cannabis already easily accessible pre-legalization, those interested in consuming could have been doing so already. Even those who use cannabis regularly may continue buying it cheaper from those they’re familiar with, rather than from a government-regulated website. On the other hand, students who don’t smoke or use marijuana probably won’t start just because it’s legal; culturally, the drug is likely to be perceived the same way by our generation.

If anything, legal marijuana will probably have a stronger impact on generations older and younger than our own. A 2017 Statistics Canada survey found that more older Canadians are becoming regular marijuana users, and with cannabis’ legalization, the number of smoking baby boomers is bound to grow as weed becomes further normalized. As for future generations, the same survey indicated that fewer minors are smoking pot than before. Perhaps as generations age with a better understanding of cannabis with less stigma toward it, they won’t find the same counter-cultural benefit to smoking as previous generations.

The legalization of recreational cannabis is a big step for Canada, and it will likely blaze the trail for a wave of national cultural changes. But it doesn’t appear that student culture is going up in smoke.

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.”

able … to please ourselves with having given and received some advantages.”

“Honest conversation” involves “charity” as described by the American philosopher Donald Davidson: a “methodological presumption made in seeking to understand a point of view whereby we seek to understand that view in its strongest, most persuasive form before subjecting the view to evaluation.”

The fracas generated by the student’s expression of admiration for Macdonald evinced none of the reciprocity and charity described

by Johnson and Davidson; rather, it recalls the obsolete use of the word conversation to mean conversion, for example, in a verse in the 1535 Coverdale translation of the Bible: “They declared [announced] — the conversacion of the heathen.”

Nor is Coverdale’s “conversacion” as far removed as it might first seem from today’s consultant-speak use of “conversation” as a sugary substitute for discussion, debate and

argument, all of which suggest some degree of disagreement and dissent. Behind such statements as “We need to have a conversation about that” and “Society needs to have that conversation” lies the tacit and passive-aggressive assumption that, going forward (another ubiquitous instance of consultant-speak), we must all agree to support a given idea or plan, and we must secure everyone’s explicit agreement to do so. Conversation will ensure the conversion of the “heathen,” the disbelievers, the other-minded to the correct way of thinking.

In Latin “conversari” means “to turn oneself about,” and surely this must be a real possibility in any “honest conversation.” If an “interchange” is to be productive and valuable, all the conversationalists must be open to changing their ideas and opinions — and not just about Macdonald and other specific topics, for when a change of ideas and opinions is understood broadly it is a phenomenon that encompasses moral, political and

ideological transformation.

When I change an idea or an opinion I have made a transition: I have shed or modified part of who I was and replaced it wholly or partially with something new and different. Samuel Johnson again: “We see a little, and form an opinion; we see more, and change it.”

Conversations that foster and even encourage such changes are — or should be — central to the life of a university, for students and professors alike.

David Bentley is a Distinguished University Professor at Western University. He is the Carl F. Klinck Professor in Canadian Literature, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Bentley is the founding and continuing editor of Canadian Poetry: Studies, Documents, Reviews and the Canadian Poetry Press and the Director of the Canadian Poetry Project. He was the winner of the 2015 Killam Prize, an award that recognizes exceptional career achievements.

feature

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 •

• 6

WEED GAMES

University sports in th

BY MIKE DEBOER

On Oct. 17, marijuana became legal in Canada. Now the most populous country on the planet to legalize the sale of the drug, Canadians from Victoria to St. John’s celebrated the landmark event by rushing to pot shops and crashing the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commision website. It was a day that changed the course of Canadian history.

The legalization has forced provinces and institutions to adapt and set policy within a framework established by the federal government. Some provinces, like Ontario, have not yet opened sanctioned pot shops. And for the nearly 12,000 student athletes across the country competing under the auspices of U Sports, “tokes” will remain taboo.

Anti-doping watchdogs have remained adamant that athletes in league’s that adhere to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substance list will still be suspended if they’re caught with marijuana in their system. This includes U Sports, which has its drug testing administered by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. While the CCES does not test for marijuana out-of-competition, the risk of an athlete using cannabis in a recreational setting and then having the drug remain in their system when in-competition testing occurs has led many within the organization to recommend athletes complete avoidance of the drug.

In a May 16 press release, CCES president and CEO Paul Melia warned athletes that the federal government’s legalization of marijuana would not impact the drug’s position on the banned substance list.

“When cannabis becomes legal in Canada, athletes will have to remember that they are subject to the rules of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program and face the consequences of a doping violation if they test positive for cannabis in competition,” said Melia. “There are steps that athletes can take to reduce the risk of a doping violation, but the most effective approach is to avoid cannabis.”

In March, two Saint Mary’s University football players were suspended for failed drug tests. One of the two athletes — quarterback and Atlantic University Sport all-star Kaleb Scott — had marijuana found in his urine sample.

The suspension raised questions and concerns about how the governing body of Canadian university sport would respond to the legalization of cannabis.

However, U Sports itself doesn’t have a cannabis

consumption policy. In an email, U Sports communications coordinator Alan Hudes explained that the organization is subject to the regulations of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program.

According to the CADP, substances on the banned list follow three criteria: they have the potential to enhance performance, they can cause harm to the health of the athlete and they violate the spirit of sport.

On its website, the CCES states that there are “anecdotal accounts of athletes using [cannabis] therapeutically with the intent to improve performance or recovery by man-

“I think it’s certainly a legitimate concern for the sporting community that there would be assumptions made in that cannabis is now going to come off the banned substance list now that it’s been legalized,” said Arsenault “Just saying, ‘I didn’t know,’ is not going to be a defence for student athletes.”

PIERRE ARSENAULT

THE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION AT MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY AND PRESIDENT OF ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY SPORT

aging pain, stress or anxiety.”

While they acknowledge the therapeutic benefits of the drug, the CCES also states that habitual use or abuse presents the potential for harm, especially for younger athletes. They’re also concerned with the potential liability that would arise with the impairment of athletes during competition.

In an official press release from U Sports, the organization explained that, due to the nature of WADA’S structure and self-governance, one country’s legislation cannot impact the organization’s regulations.

“As WADA is independent of any one

Boogle Can I still play football when I’m high?

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country, its code is not affected by the legislative changes in Canada or any other nation,” said the press release. “This means cannabis will remain prohibited in competition and at threshold for U Sports athletes in spite of legislative changes made by the Canadian government.”

Other drugs prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Code include morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl and heroin, as well as a long list of anabolic steroids.

A number of university athletic departments have responded to marijuana’s legalization and U Sports’ continued stance on the drug, and how the juxtaposition of the two might affect student athletes.

“The biggest concern with us is the confusion with legalization and what’s actually approved in sport,” said Samantha Ebata, the senior manager of sport science and sport medicine at the University of British Columbia.

“There’s a lot of athletes that are just unaware of the difference. So, with legalization, that just means knowing what that means for sporting and the social pressures that go along with that.”

This is increasingly challenging when considering the fact that marijuana is not tested for outside of competition.

A university athlete can smoke marijuana, legally, in early August, but, because marijuana binds to fat cells in the body, following a delayed release, it can be detected in the body weeks after it’s ingested. So when the CCES shows up for preseason drug testing in late August, the athlete might still have the substance in their system and face impending suspension. It’s a predicament that student athletes and athletic departments will have to reconcile in the coming months and years.

Pierre Arsenault, the director of athletics and recreation at Mount Allison University and president of Atlantic University Sport, echoed Ebata’s concern that student athletes might assume that with its legalization, cannabis will be removed from the banned substance list.

“I think it’s certainly a legitimate concern for the sporting community that there would be assumptions made in that cannabis is now going to come off the banned substance list now that it’s been legalized,” said Arsenault

7 •

feature

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

he age of legal cannabis “Just saying, ‘I didn’t know,’ is not going to be a defence for student-athletes.”

Other leagues have also been forced to adapt to the new legislation. The NBA fines players $25,000 after their second positive test for marijuana, followed by game suspensions for subsequent positive tests.

Legalization in Canada does not change the NBA’s league substance policy. Similarly, the NHL and NFL won’t see changes to their substance policies due to marijuana’s legalization in Canada.

Interestingly, the CFL has maintained a relatively lenient drug-testing policy as it doesn’t screen for marijuana or other recreational drugs but focuses solely on performance-enhancing drugs. Additionally, as all of the league’s teams currently reside in Canada, it doesn’t have to reconcile the drug legislation in other country’s with its own regulations.

While the drug’s legal status will raise a number of issues moving forward, executives at the CCES are hopeful that, through education and training, athletes will understand the dangers and implications of marijuana consumption.

“We hope there isn’t confusion, and I say that because we’ve taken a number of steps in the past six to nine months to try and educate athletes — student athletes in particular — about the change in the legal status and the fact that it has no impact on the substance’s status from a sporting aspect,” said the CCES’s senior director of sport integrity, Jeremy Luke.

WADA has made efforts to minimize their punishment of recreational marijuana users by raising the threshold of allowable marijuana in an athlete’s system to 150 nanograms per millilitre. According to Luke, this has decreased the amount of positive marijuana tests administered by the CCES significantly.

Marijuana’s new status as a legal substance in Canada will have long-lasting implications for the country. Both users and non-users will have to adapt to the effects of legalization, while institutions and organizations will be forced to adjust their policies on the substance. But for university athletes in Canada, one thing is abundantly clear: as far as the powers that be are concerned, marijuana remains a banned substance. So while the rest of their colleagues enjoy the benefits of legality, student-athletes will be “toking” at their own peril.

KYRA KARAKATSANIS GAZETTE

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

LUCY VILLENEUVE GAZETTE

CHARLIE MARSHELL GAZETTE

sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 •

• 8

Mustangs win 20th straight in HOCO blowout CHARLIE MARSHALL SPORTS EDITOR @MCWMARSHALL98 Nothing can stop them now: the Western Mustangs are perfect for the second consecutive regular season. The Mustangs defeated the Laurier Golden Hawks 46–13 in their Homecoming game in front of over 6,000 fans at TD Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

At opening kickoff, ominous grey clouds began to swirl and the wind started to pick up. As poor as the weather looked, Western’s offence looked worse. The Golden Hawks imposed their will on the first drive of the game, forcing a quick two-and-out.

Foreshadowing the rest of the game, the offensive side of the ball was bailed out by the Mustangs defence as Laurier took the field.

After the gift of a short field, Western punched in the first score of the game on Alex Taylor’s 13th major of the year.

However, despite scoring, the Mustangs offence couldn’t muster much for the rest of the quarter.

After the game, Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall explained that Laurier’s defensive game plan surprised Western, leading to the poor offensive start.

“For years and years, they played us one way,” explained Marshall.

“About three years ago, they changed it. It was a really effective way to defend us, and everyone in the league copied it. We kind of found the answers to it, and then they changed it again.”

With the offence sputtering, showing few signs of life, Western was saved by the weather. As a result of a nearby lightning sighting, the officials ordered both teams into their respective locker rooms, as the weather delay lasted for 30 minutes.

The Mustangs took advantage of this mid-second quarter break in the action by discussing and altering their game plan. Quarterback Chris Merchant explained how the delay was positive for the team.

“It was actually almost good. We were kind of a little sloppy there in the first quarter,” said Merchant.

When they see the film, and they see the mistakes they made, the night we get after them… it’s not going to be pretty. They’ll realize that we can play better than we’ve played and we’ll play better than we played.

GREG MARSHALL

MUSTANGS HEAD COACH “We came in and kind of talked about what they were doing and made some adjustments.”

With Laurier consistently loading the box with defensive backs, the Mustangs made a clear adjustment out of a rushing attack in favor of a more pass-centric offence.

The change of game plan resulted in two quick passing scores from Merchant to Harry McMaster out of the weather delay. Finally, Western’s feared offence looked like themselves again.

Despite improved play out of the delay — and another blowout win — Marshall was still not pleased with the offence performance.

“When they see the film, and they see the mistakes they made, the night we get after them… it’s not going to be pretty,” said Marshall.

“They’ll realize that we can play better than we’ve played, and we’ll play better than we played.”

While the offence struggled, the defensive unit continued their dominant season. The defensive line was tough and imposing, the linebackers flew around the field in run and pass coverage and the secondary break up more than their fair share of big plays.

A leader on the defensive side of the ball, fourth-year linebacker Fraser Sopik explained that this game was simply a continuation of the defensive unit’s play this season.

“Oh man, we’ve been, as a defence, on the way up,” said Sopik.

“Week one was our worst game of the season. Ever since then, we’ve been on the up. Some of the young guys in the secondary are playing incredible football — really, really good football. The veterans on the front seven have done a good job all

year stopping the run.”

With five and a half tackles on the day, Sopik was a constant presence on both defence and special teams.

Marshall boasted after the game that his linebacker was “the best defensive player in the country.”

The Mustangs have entered into rarefied air with their 20th consecutive win. If Western is able to win their next two games, they would surpass the U Sports football record for consecutive wins, currently set at 21 games by the McMaster Marauders from 2011 to 2012.

With the win, the Mustangs also ended Laurier’s hopes of returning to the postseason. The Golden Hawks have been to the playoffs four straight years, as former Western quarterback Michael Faulds has built the program into one of Ontario’s best. However, with the team in a rebuilding phase and a deep field of OUA contendersLaurier was unable to sneak into the playoffs this season.

When Laurier won the Yates Cup in 2016, it appeared that Laurier and Western would be neck-andneck for OUA supremacy for the forseeable future. However, after crushing the Golden Hawks in last year’s Yates Cup and ending their playoff dreams on Saturday, it appears that Western has left Laurier in the dust.

The Mustangs next game will be a semifinal matchup at TD Stadium on Nov. 3 against the winner of the quarterfinal game between the Carleton Ravens and the McMaster Marauders. The other OUA quarterfinal will see the Guelph Gryphons take on the Waterloo Warriors, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

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9 •

sports

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

Bad weather marks tough OUA golf finale CHARLIE MARSHALL AND STEPHANIE ORLANDO SPORTS EDITORS @CWMARSHALL98 The Western Mustangs men’s and women’s golf teams competed in the Ontario University Athletics golf championship this weekend at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont. Amid rain, winds and frigid temperatures, the men took second, and the women, fifth.

The men’s team, which finished with a final score of 620 — just behind the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s tournament-leading 618 — was led in large part by Mac Carter, who closed with the tournament’s top score. Shooting a five-over-par, the fourth-year golfer led the field by a comfortable three strokes.

Despite tough conditions, Carter came out on fire to open his second round. Through nine holes, the Mustangs golfer shot a 34, putting him at two-under-par for the day.

However, Carter hit a speed bump giving into the back nine.

The golfer posted a bogey and two double bogeys to open the back half of his final round. However, each of the three holes had been notoriously difficult all tournament.

Carter explained that the pace of play had a major effect on his hiccup over these three holes.

“It was tough to keep focus on the back nine because the pace of play was very slow,” said Carter. “I tried not to overthink things, but this gets tougher when you’re waiting five to 10 minutes in between shots. Some thoughts of the chance

of winning inevitably came into my head.”

With confirmation that he was leading as he approached the 17th tee, Carter knew that he would likely need to finish with back-toback pars to come out on top.

Carter flexed this mental toughness on the eighteenth hole. The final hole is a 392-yard par four with a wide stretch of water separating the tee blocks and the fairway.

Carter was one of just nine golfers in a field of 163 to finish under par on this tough hole.

Carter, recounted how he was able to pull out an almost perfect hole to seal the victory.

“I hit one of the best drives of my week, which left me 110 yards to the pin,” said Carter. “I hit a great [approach] shot.… I rolled a perfect putt and the feeling set in. I had always wanted to win this event; to do it in my final year makes it even more meaningful.”

Rounding out the Mustangs men’s scoring, Jackson Bowery finished with a 78 and 77, Joseph Burgess shot a 78 and 91, captain Charles Fitzsimmons posted a 77 and 79 and Tyler Nagano completed his 36 holes with an 87 and an 84.

Interestingly, Bowrey, Nagano and Burgess were all first-time competitors at the OUA championship.

Finishing just two strokes back of defending their title, the team was understandably disappointed they couldn’t pull out a victory.

“To lose by such a small margin is tough to digest,” explained Carter. “I know the nature of the guys on our team, we will all use

COURTESY OF MUSTANG’S ATHLETICS

this loss to motivate us through the off-season and work hard for a strong finish at nationals in the spring.”

Assistant coach Mike Tomlinson explained that there is still much to be proud of, despite the heartbreaking finish.

“I think the most that I’m proud about is they are a team as opposed to individuals,” said Tomlinson.

“They supported each other, and so I think that’s why they are a good team.”

On the women’s side, the Mustang’s were led by fourth-year golfer Sarah Guerten, who shot an 85, putting her 10th overall for the day. Her teammate, second-year Mustang Amanda Kerr, wasn’t far behind, finishing the first day in a tie for 13th place after shooting an 86.

“I was happy with the performance and the fact that the players battled hard and never gave up,”

said coach Brian Gallant. “The conditions were very challenging over the two days. It was a situation where players may not have realized that everybody was having a difficult event in terms of scoring and that they were actually doing better than they thought compared to the rest of the field.”

Day one left the Mustangs sitting in fifth place, with a team score of 260, nine shots behind the thirdplace Windsor Lancers.

Neither the weather nor the Mustangs improved on the second day, ultimately finishing fifth overall, scoring a 536 over the tournament’s entirety.

Second-year Mustang Jennifer Knox scored the lowest score of the second day for Western, shooting a 90. Her performance was followed by fifth-year Tasha MacDonald who shot a 93, proceeded by Guerten and Kerr who each shot matching 97s.

Tasha Macdonald was the Mustang’s star for much of the season. Macdonald demonstrated skill and control throughout the year, shooting in the 70s in every tournament leading up to the finals.

The entire roster played well this season, as the Mustangs had a successful campaign despite their struggles in the season’s final event.

“All 11 players contributed,” said Gallant. “One of our goals was to have players play in more tournaments leading up to the OUAs. In the past, some players may have only gotten into one. All our players competed in at least two competitive rounds this season which is extremely important in terms of development.”

With their finish, the Mustangs men will wait until the end of May for their next event, when they will compete in Golf Canada’s Canadian University and College Championship from May 28 to 31.

Summarized Financial Statements of The University Students’ Council University Students’ Council of The University of Western Ontario Summarized Statement of Financial Position As at May 31, 2018

Assets

Current assets Health plan insurance deposit Capital assets

October 11, 2018 October 11, 2018

Independent Auditor’s Report Independent Auditor’s Report To the Members of the Members of of The University of Western Ontario UniversityTo Students’ Council University Students’ Council of The University of Western Ontario The accompanying financial statements, which comprise the summarized statement of financial position The accompanying financial statement statements, comprise theyear summarized statement of financial as at May 31, 2018 and the summarized ofwhich operations for the then ended, are derived from position at May statements 31, 2018 and summarized statement of of operations for theofyear then ended, are the audited as financial of the University Students’ Council The University Western Ontario forderived from the May audited of University Council The financial University of Western the year ended 31, financial 2018. Westatements expressed an unmodifiedStudents’ audit opinion onof those statements inOntario for the year ended11, May 31, 2018. We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on those financial statements in our report dated October 2018. our report dated October 11, 2018.

The summarized financial statements do not contain all the disclosures required by Canadian accounting The summarizedorganizations. financial statements dothe notsummarized contain all the disclosures required

by Canadian standards for not-for-profit Reading financial statements, therefore, is notaccounting forthe not-for-profit organizations.

Reading the summarized therefore, is not a substitutestandards for reading audited financial statements of University Students’ financial Council ofstatements, The University a substitute for reading the audited financial statements of University Students’ Council of The University of Western Ontario. of Western Ontario.

Management’s responsibility for the summarized financial statements Management’s responsibility for summarized financial statements Management is responsible for the preparation of the the summarized audited financial statements in responsiblestandards for the preparation of the summarized audited financial statements in accordance Management with Canadianisaccounting for not-for-profit organizations. accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations.

Auditor’s responsibility Auditor’s Our responsibility is to responsibility express an opinion on the summarized financial statements based on our responsibility is to express an opinion the summarized financial statements based onto our procedures,Our which were conducted in accordance with on Canadian Auditing Standards 810, Engagements procedures, which were conducted in accordance with Canadian Auditing Standards 810, Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements.

Report on Summary Financial Statements.

Opinion Opinion In our opinion, the summarized financial statements derived from the audited financial statements of In our opinion, the financial statements derived from financial statements of University Students’ Council ofsummarized The University of Western Ontario as at and forthe theaudited year ended| University The University of Western Ontariowith as atCanadian and for the year ended| May 31, 2018 are a fairStudents’ summaryCouncil of thoseoffinancial statements, in accordance accounting May 31, 2018 areorganizations. a fair summary of those financial statements, in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit standards for not-for-profit organizations.

Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants Chartered Professional Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 465 Richmond Street, Suite 400, London, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPOntario, Canada N6A 5P4 T: +1 519 640465 8000, F: +1 519 640 8015 Richmond Street, Suite 400, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5P4 T: +1 519 640 8000, F: +1 519 640 8015 “PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership.

“PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership.

Liabilities

Current liabilities Long-term liabilities

Fund Balances

Operating fund - unrestricted Reserve fund - internally restricted

2018 $

2017 $

8,954,197 124,493 7,608,172

8,521,210 124,493 7,112,603

16,686,862

15,758,306

7,142,251 3,208,600

5,841,735 3,477,600

10,350,851

9,319,335

2,812,866 3,523,145

2,915,826 3,523,145

6,336,011

6,438,971

16,686,862

15,758,306

University Students’ Council of The University of Western Ontario Summarized Statement of Operations For the year ended May 31, 2018

University Students’ Council of The University of Western Ontario Summarized Statement of Operations For the year ended May 31, 2018 2018 $

Revenue

Student fees Transfers

Revenue

2018 19,714,230 $ (14,217,749)

2017 $ 2017 19,496,216 $ (13,570,025)

Net student 5,496,481 5,926,191 Student feesfees 19,714,230 19,496,216 Transfers (14,217,749) (13,570,025) Campus organizations 1,020,469 807,780 Events and building services 248,801 318,015 Net student fees 5,496,481 5,926,191 Hospitality services 4,408,648 4,219,909 Media 219,350 295,357 Campus organizations 1,020,469 807,780 Executive programs 780,615 860,715 Events andCommittee building services 248,801 318,015 Retail and service 723,752 964,434 Hospitality servicesoperations 4,408,648 4,219,909 Interest income 48,899 41,210 Media 219,350 295,357 Change in Committee unrealized programs gain/loss on short-term investments 28,788 356,962 Executive 780,615 860,715 Rental income 569,110 564,193 Retail and service operations 723,752 964,434 Other income 280,051 273,652 Interest income 48,899 41,210 Change in unrealized gain/lossofonDirectors short-term investments 28,788 356,962 Approved by the Board 13,824,964 14,628,418 Rental income 569,110 564,193 Other income 280,051 273,652 ___________________________________ Director ________________________________ Director Expenses Campus organizations 1,020,469 807,780 13,824,964 14,628,418 Events and building services 760,886 964,972 Hospitality services 3,969,147 3,963,768 Expenses Media 848,344 1,012,250 Campus organizations 1,020,469 807,780 Executive programs 1,261,709 1,666,679 Events andCommittee building services 760,886 964,972 Retail and service 1,060,261 1,270,813 Hospitality servicesoperations 3,969,147 3,963,768 Corporate expenses 5,005,583 4,369,510 Media 848,344 1,012,250 Rental expenses 1,525 229,090 Executive Committee programs 1,261,709 1,666,679 Retail and service operations 1,060,261 1,270,813 13,927,924 14,284,862 Corporate expenses 5,005,583 4,369,510 Rental expenses 1,525 229,090 (Deficiency) excess of revenue over expenses for the year (102,960) 343,556 13,927,924 14,284,862

(Deficiency) excess of revenue over expenses for the year

(102,960)

343,556

culture

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018 •

COURTNEY MANN GAZETTE Deshkan Ziibi, more commonly referred to as the Thames River, courses through London, Oct. 19, 2018.

Restoring and promoting the health of Deshkan Ziibi COURTNEY MANN CULTURE EDITOR @UWOGAZETTE

Worlds collided this week as knowledge keepers, engineers, conservationists, activists and community members joined together at Museum London for The River Talks: A Gathering at Deshkan Ziibi.

At 15,000 years old, Deshkan Ziibi, commonly known as the Thames River, is one of Southwestern Ontario’s largest running rivers and London’s richest cultural landmark. Though Londoners pass by the 273 km

river every day, most don’t consider the impact their lives have on the river that cuts through their city. Even fewer are aware of the spiritual meaning that runs deep in Deshkan Ziibi.

During the three day event, educated speakers passionate about river conservation walked attendees through future plans for improving sewage systems and storm-water management. They also discussed a master plan to better design river corridor systems.

The interactive talks occurred both indoors and outdoors. Attendees were invited to explore the river

on flood walks, historical walking tours and river cleanups.

L ondon E nv i ron ment a l Network, the event organizer, realizes the river’s well-being isn’t only important for city employees in departments like environmental engineering and resource management.

The voices carrying the culture of those who nurtured and protected the river long before colonization had wisdom and insight to contribute to the conversation. When it comes to environmental planning and sustenance, Indigenous ways of thinking about

the heritage of the land are often overlooked. As these traditional teachings are left behind in the storm of urbanization, the spiritual significance that has guided so many Indigenous communities is lost on those outside of these communities.

Wahsayzee Deleary, a speaker for the Deep Dive Discussion: Indigenous Perspectives panel, couldn’t remember a time where water didn’t play a significant role in her life.

“As an Anishinaabe woman, it is my responsibility to create and take care of life. Without water, there would be no life. That is my relationship to the water,… and as with any relationship, there is responsibility and accountability,” she shares. “Part of that work is advocating for the water and teaching Anishinaabe culture and understanding of the water.”

As a knowledge keeper for the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge, Deleary is responsible for teaching the cultural ways, ceremonies and traditions of her people. She actively fights for the proper treatment of the land we live on.

“Any community that lives along the banks of Deshkan Ziibi needs to be aware of the importance of the spirit that the water and the river carries in order to maintain creation and sustain life,” she says. “If the river is not well, we as people will not be well either.

Eventually, there will be no life.”

From fasting to honour Creation and the well-being of Deshkan Ziibi to offering her tobacco on the water, Deleary has always had a strong relationship with her environment. This sense of acknowledgement and respect has

been fundamental to her upbringing and basic understanding of self. Her mission is to help others learn the value of honouring the land and water by establishing a relationship with it, rather than taking it for granted.

Another panelist, Sam Whiteye, is from the Delaware Nation and Turtle Clan of the Lunaapeew.

Her role as the youth female board member of Meesingw Inc., a grassroots non-profit environmental organization, allows her to advocate for the health of Ontario’s rivers and clean water for all First Nations.

For Whiteye, the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in the planning of this event is a milestone.

“This event helps raise awareness and gives a platform for First Nations to have a voice. Today in society, that is so important.”

This event marks a positive step forward between the LEC and the Indigenous communities innate connection to the land so many people call home. Educating people on Deshkan Ziibi and the ways that the river can be renewed and reworked to better serve the environment promotes healing and restores relationships with the land.

Community drives change — which is why Whiteye is confident that the only way to truly be mindful of the environment and its implications in everyday life is to work together to promote change.

“There needs to be space, and there needs to be a conversation to open up with everybody — not just First Nations but everyone who lives in the London area. Everyone has to play their part.”

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11 •

culture

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2018

The new frontier: Digital nomads CARMEN MALLIA CULTURE EDITOR @CARMMALLIA When the average traveler lands in a city like Marrakesh, Prague or Berlin, the first thing they do is head toward popular tourist attractions or grab drinks on an elegant rooftop bar.

But Joanna Joy Afghani is not your average traveler. A freelance videographer, photographer and former online English teacher, Afghani has been living the digital nomad lifestyle for the past year.

She has travelled across Europe, teaching English in school camps in Italy, networking in coffee shops in Portugal and pursuing videography for an urban running group in Germany. Borderless and self employed, the 26-year-old works freelance with different companies that align with her interests, ranging from fashion brands to sports organizations.

After pursuing her undergraduate in psychology and receiving her master’s of media in journalism and communication, both at Western, she wanted to find work where she could prioritize flexibility, build her portfolio and be her own boss. Following her brother’s footsteps, she began teaching English online to children in China while travelling the world.

As it’s a relatively new phenomenon, there aren’t a lot of credible statistics on the prevalence of this cultural trend; however, a recent study by the New York Times found that most industries are embracing remote work. Thanks to the rise of freelance employment, a networked global economy and a myriad of digital tools, many people are realizing that they don’t have to tie themselves to one place to make money.

According to Anabel QuanHaase, Western University professor in the faculties of Information and Media Studies and Sociology, it’s a lifestyle marked by financial uncertainties and a lack of familiarity with local spaces. Technology is the only constant.

There’s a lot that remains unsaid about this new breed of nomads. One issue both Afghani and Quan-Haase have is the idealized representation associated with the lifestyle.

“I really want to make sure that we don’t paint the picture that being a digital nomad means

you’re going to be on an exotic beach all the time, sipping rosé with your besties in your hashtag sponsored bikini and your perfectly sculpted body,” says Afghani.

“Honestly, that pretentious picture of a digital nomad gets painted so much on social media, and I think it’s the kind of image most people scoff at and hate.”

While she does enjoy the benefits of the lifestyle, the Western alumna notes that it’s not as glamorous as the media portrays it to be and that these disfigured depictions can lead to disappointment for those thinking of pursuing the lifestyle.

“I don’t think people talk enough about the downsides on social media, like being tired from all the travelling, or when a client pays you late or not having health benefits,” says Afghani.

Often navigating through confusing foreign systems, living with unfamiliar roommates and being frequently uncertain of her monthly income, Afghani believes that, like with any other career, being a digital nomad has its ups and downs.

While pursuing a number of media-based projects, it can be hard for her to maintain a healthy work-life balance, with all of the behind the scenes work that goes into shooting and editing her photos and videos. The travel can also be very demanding and tiring on her body — most days, she’s too tired to do any sightseeing.

For those considering pursuing the lifestyle, Afghani recommends doing lots of research and finding out what you’re most passionate about; while you may visit Berlin, you might be too busy to actually check out the Berlin Wall, so make sure you’re going to enjoy the work you’re doing while you’re there.

Budgeting is important since nomads may not have a steady flow of income.

“It’s more difficult not having a set amount coming into my bank account each month, but if you budget and if you plan in advance, it’s definitely possible,” says Afghani. “When you’re starting off in this field, you won’t have all of the clients that you will build over time. It’s something that you have to stick out for a while and hope that, as you build a bigger portfolio, that you’ll have more clients and more reoccurring income.”

Honestly, that pretentious picture of a digital nomad gets painted so much on social media, and I think it’s the kind of image most people scoff at and hate.

JOANNA JOY AFGHANI

FREELANCE VIDEOGRAPHER, PHOTOGRAPHER AND FORMER ONLINE ENGLISH TEACHER

That said, Afghani also reaps the benefits of travelling abroad: rent isn’t always as expensive as it is in cities like Toronto and networking around the world opens up a number of freelance opportunities. Currently, she’s editing a promotional video project she picked up after bumping shoulders with an entrepreneur in a Lisbon cafe.

And there are other benefits to being immersed in diverse cultural settings: Afghani has tried authentic Italian parmigiana di melanzane, mingled with locals in Marrakesh and attended a pierogi festival in Poland.

As her clientele grows and she continues to travel the world, Afghani is building an infrastructure for her career, helping her clients tell stories while she continues to pursue her own.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

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