Tuesday, December 4, 2018

SINCE 1906 TUESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2018 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 14

Western University’s Student Newspaper Mitch Pratt presidential profile PG4

REDress Project PG8

Men’s hockey sweeps Windsor PG14 Debating the merits of eggnog since 1906

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 •

• 2

lewis kent

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COURTESY OF DAMIEN MALONEY

After a long day balancing a full-time job and running his own self-made company, Lewis Kent sits down at home, puts on Netflix and cracks open a cold one with his roommate.

Today, Lewis spends his days as a financial advisor and the owner of his own company. Typically working from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or later, Lewis shows nothing less than hard work and dedication during his daily grind.

But running his own business is not the only running he thrives on. Today, Lewis can proudly say that he has broken the world record multiple times for the beer mile.

As a Western University alum and former member of both the Mustangs cross country and track team, Lewis is no stranger to what it takes to be a great runner, and on the side, an even greater partier.

During a night out in his hometown of Mississauga, Lewis surprised himself — and broke the world record for the beer mile.

“I had woken up that morning and heard that some guy in Australia broke the record, and I thought it was unattainable because he had broken it by quite a bit,” says Lewis. “We went and did one, and I broke it by about half a second, and I crossed the line, and someone told me I broke it. I didn’t quite believe it yet because someone can start and stop a watch pretty inaccurately, so once I heard I had broken it, I was pretty damn excited because it’s pretty cool to say you broke a world record.”

What could possibly be better than breaking a world record, you might ask. Being able to say you broke that record two more times.

For those unfamiliar, the beer mile is a mile-long race combining running and speed drinking. For Lewis, the race combined his affinity for good times with his passion for running.

However, Lewis would have never discovered his love for running had he not been plucked out of a group of rambunctious elementary schoolers by the school’s track and field coach.

“I got into running when I was in elementary school.

I think I was in Grade 6. The school track coach was watching us at recess, I guess, and saw me running,” says Lewis. “Growing up, I was just always running. If we had 25 minutes of recess, I was running for 25 minutes. So they picked me up, and I started running track and field.”

Quick to realize his natural talent for running at 10 years

old, Lewis continued to run for the rest of his academic career, but he never imagined it would have gifted him with the experiences he fondly reminisces on today.

Since those early days, Kent has been profiled in the likes of Sports Illustrated, ESPN and TMZ, creating lifelong memories.

“The best one, the highlight of my entire running career, maybe even the highlight of my entire life so far, would be at the world championships on Dec. 1, 2015,” says Lewis. “I recorded [my segment on an episode of] The Ellen DeGeneres Show the day before and had to fly back that night so I could be in Texas the morning of the race.

I missed my flight because they recorded me late, so I actually had to fly into Austin, Texas.”

Lewis spent that day travelling for five hours from L.A. to Texas, snuck in a quick power-nap and raced one heck of a race. But don’t let the chaos of this story fool you; between being on Ellen and breaking the world record for the third time, Lewis was ready and smiling from ear to ear.

But being on Ellen and breaking world records are not the only memories that running has blessed Lewis with: some of his favourite memories of all come from being a Western Mustang.

“My varsity experience at Western was definitely the number one thing in my university experience,” says Lewis, who served as captain of the cross country team in his final year as a Mustang.

Long bus rides, daily practices and getting through tough races forces a team of individuals to come together.

Whether it was hyping each other up for a big race, pushing each other in the off season or just hanging out on a day off, Lewis knew he had a second family at Western.

“The majority of my friends that I got at university and most of the best experiences that I got at Western were through just kind of travelling to Louisville, Ky., or Montreal for a race and those long bus rides or partying with people on the team or sharing the good races and the bad races. I would not have had as good of a time if I was not involved in varsity athletics.”

But Lewis hopes running stays as a huge part of his life: “I’d say 10 years from now, I hope I’ll still be running, and if I still got it in me, I’ll be running some beer miles.”

■■STEPHANIE ORLANDO

Western by the Numbers

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news

• TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

Western’s TA union finds an ally in the Young Communist League MARTIN ALLEN NEWS EDITOR, EMILY TAYLER CULTURE EDITOR, KATRINA MCCALLUM NEWS EDITOR @MTRALLEN @EMTAYLER16 @KATRINAGAZETTE Western’s TA and postdoc union demonstrated on Concrete Beach Thursday alongside the London chapter of the Young Communist League of Canada.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada’s Local 610, which represents Western University’s graduate teaching assistants and postdoctorals, was protesting Premier Doug Ford’s mandate on Ontario universities to create freedom of speech policies. As they marched through campus to shout outside president Amit Chakma’s office in Stevenson Hall, they were joined by students and Londoners active in the local and provincial communist scene.

The “Day of Action” was jointly organized between PSAC 610 and the London YCL; its date coincided with a provincial “Day of Action” planned by the provincial YCL. PSAC members decried an assault on academic freedom, while the communists warned the policy would protect fascist speech.

In interviews, officials from PSAC and the YCL have described some ideological overlap on workers’ rights.

On top of funding received from the university, PSAC collects union dues from all of Western’s 2,200-plus TAs and postdocs, and negotiates

collective agreements with Western for their members. “[The Local] is where they go for help, where they meet to discuss workplace concerns, where they elect their local representatives and where local members vote on proposed contract settlements,” they state in their handbook. “The Local is where members go to connect to the union.”

COMMUNISM IN THE FOREST CITY Everett Newland is a PSAC steward for Western’s anthropology department, where she is a master’s student and an organizer with the London YCL. On the PSAC-run event page on Facebook, she posted an essay she wrote for Rebel Youth, a socialist magazine that has printed since the early 20th century.

Titled “For the Right to Disruptive Protest,” it criticizes a spread of fascism into education, typified by the free speech policy, and calls for “revolutionary change.”

“As capitalism reveals its internal contradictions, we see a growing fascist movement that enforces capitalist ideology in the boldest, most repressive terms,” it reads.

“Disruptive protest is a powerful tool in the resistance against the privatization of education and the conversion of campuses into nexuses of capitalist ideology and fascist reaction.”

In an interview after the demonstration, she said “revolutionary change,” despite how some would

interpret it, meant only the gradual building of a movement against capitalism toward a socialist alternative — not a single launch into utopia.

Accompanying Newland on Concrete Beach were a handful of members from the London YCL, who walked abreast through campus holding a banner bearing the YCL’s red flag logo. PSAC and the YCL were joined by protestors from the Fanshawe College Faculty Union, of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

One of the demonstrators was Clara Sorrenti — former Western student, current YCL member and MPP candidate for London North Centre with the Communist Party of Ontario in 2018’s summer election; Terence Kernaghan of the NDP ultimately won the seat. Kernaghan planned on attending the march but instead provided a speech against Ford’s policy to a PSAC 610 member to read.

Sorrenti joined the march to the back of Stevenson Hall, where the demonstrators shouted up to the rear window of Chakma’s office.

One window was open when the chanting started, but it was closed quickly after.

In her interview, Newland said that socialism and communism have many interpretations but that the movement as a whole was becoming more popular.

“There’s a communist movement that’s building again right now, and it’s becoming larger and larger for a generation that hasn’t been cowed

by all the McCarthyism of the past,” she said. “And we accept there are things that didn’t work out in the past, and we are learning from this.

The point of Marxism is to learn from history.”

PSAC AND YCL IN PARTNERSHIP Katelyn Mitri, PSAC 610’s president, said in an interview she was unsure of members’ overall sentiment toward YCL London’s relationship with PSAC, though she remembered one member who was upset.

According to Newland, the YCL and PSAC are both a part of the labour movement.

“The people who are higher-up in PSAC 610 largely look at us as people who are willing to provide support and help organizing; that’s what they care about,” she said.

“We’re helping with the labour movement, and that’s always what we’ve been willing to do.”

When asked about the anti-capitalist ideas in Newland’s Rebel Youth essay in an interview last week, PSAC’s Mitri said that they “go hand in hand with what unions stand for.”

PSAC 610 is financially entrenched in campus by funding from its members and the university.

According to independent audits published on its website, as of summer 2017, the Local had $657,230 in reserves across three funds for expenses like staff compensation, as well as health insurance and financial assistance for members.

The Local received $190,000 from Western that fiscal year. They collected $120,000 in dues from members, which are mandatory for all TAs and postdocs on campus.

PSAC’s criticism of Ford’s free speech mandate is only part of

their activism in recent weeks.

This month, they’ve protested the Ontario Progressive Conservative’s curtailment of Bill 148 — the Liberals’ $15 minimum wage bill — and occupied Liberal MP Kate Young’s office to support unionized Canada Post workers battling the government at the bargaining table.

As the demonstration on Concrete Beach finished, a visitor invited marchers to protest on Saturday in a rally against the federal government’s use of back-to-work legislation on the postal union.

The YCL has also protested recent Progressive Conservative policy. The group attended two trans rights marches at Victoria Park, most recently after the provincial government’s proposed stance to remove gender identity from the sexual education curriculum, which has since been overturned.

Sorrenti, a trans woman, spoke at the first meeting in early November, where she was joined by some of the League members who were on Concrete Beach, as well as Kernaghan. Newland spoke at the second meeting last weekend, and invited protestors to Thursday’s Day of Action.

On Concrete Beach, Newland railed against a free speech policy she said would protect fascism spreading into the academy. She marched to Stevenson Hall while PSAC officials led chants through megaphones that echoed down campus’ corridors.

“I would encourage people to think about the power dynamics that are at play here — who are the ones complained of being silenced,” she said in her interview. “Is it somebody who has trouble finding a voice in society?”

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 •

• 4

Mitc h ell Pratt

e h t t : e t e n m e d i s e pr LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

JUDY BASMAJI NEWS EDITOR @JUDYBASMAJI Mitchell Pratt is sitting at a roundtable across from Danny Chang on a Monday morning in the fall of his presidential term. He nonchalantly has one leg propped up on top of the other and a mug in his hand with the words “World’s Best Boss” printed on it. The two are discussing action steps for improving safety, sustainability and sexual violence prevention on campus, among other student issues.

In the background, ceiling-high shelves are stacked with a variety of Mitchell’s books on history, politics and most notably, The Lord of the Rings trilogy — a series he has religiously reread every summer since Grade 9. A windowsill is lined with money tree potted plants labeled with the names of the executive University Students’ Council officers, bearing witness to Mitchell’s love of witty analogies. To the right of the windowsill, a whiteboard is permeated with notes and a countdown: day 146 of 365.

THE ELECTIONS The present scene in Mitchell’s office gives little indication of the winding path detailing his arrival to the presidency. Last January, Team PrattChang was one of two slates running for the 2018 USC presidential election. The team’s platform prioritized improvements to student experience, mental health resources, academic processes and campus safety.

The elections began on a positive note before quickly advancing into uncharted territory, when the vice-president of the rival team, Rav Datta, stepped down in the controversial aftermath over his alleged past misconduct toward a student.

His slate partner, Ocean Enbar, announced he would continue to run alone, and he was allowed to do so by the USC’s elections governance committee, setting a precedent for the course of the elections.

“I felt bad in terms of the way that all unraveled, because I had a lot of respect for Rav and Ocean,” says Mitchell. “It was difficult for Ocean, I think, to go through the last week or so of campaigning on his own, and I

really admire his fortitude.”

The elections were further marked by a lack of female candidates and fewer running slates compared to previous years. While positive in some aspects, the limited competing slates presented an unforeseen challenge for Team PrattChang.

“That really competitive discourse among more than two slates really helps bring a lot of what the USC is to the public forefront,” explains Mitchell. “I think that’s one of the times of the year where campus is most engaged.”

For this reason, the team had to double down on their efforts to engage the student community in the campaign and voting processes.

In 2018, a paltry 23 per cent of eligible students voted in the election, a five per cent drop from the previous year. Mitchell describes his particular obsession with reaching what he refers to as the “other 70 per cent” of students who are either unaware or uninterested in the elections and the USC in general.

Mitchell and Danny stepped down from their roles as social science and science faculty presidents, respectively, for the two-week campaign. Mitchell recalls the mental exhaustion of juggling academics on top of introducing himself and relaying his 30-second pitch for presidency to countless students on a daily basis.

“It was really exhausting consistently being the best version of yourself … [and] being constantly accountable and accessible to people in the student community,” he says.

Their outreach efforts evidently paid off when the team finished with a landslide victory of 4,922 votes compared to the rival team’s 1,661 votes. On an exhilarating February evening in the packed Spoke bar, Mitchell Pratt became USC president.

BACK TO THE BEGINNING Mitchell’s rise to the summit of student politics has been in the works for a long time. From a young age, Mitchell’s father ensured dinner conversations went past daily small talk and into local news and international events. He

encouraged Mitchell to read the newspaper, think critically and form opinions. His mother passed on her social-butterfly personality, which serves him well in student governance.

In fact, Mitchell’s involvement in student politics commenced long before his arrival at Western.

In 2014, he was the athletic council president at Abbey Park High School in his hometown of Oakville, Ont. He played soccer competitively for most of his life and worked as a lifeguard for four years until his second year at Western, during which he taught advanced lifesaving courses.

With a passion for politics, Mitchell arrived at Western to study international relations. As a first-year student, he had no intention of getting involved in the USC. After multiple rejections to first-year representative positions at Western clubs, his sister suggested he run for social science student council. The thought lingered, and Mitchell went on to become social science councillor in his first year, social science senator from his second year to his third year and social science faculty president in his fourth and final year.

Along the way, he was repeatedly asked by friends and roommates if he would consider running for USC president. Mitchell recalls a memorable moment when a previous social science councillor put forth the question.

“I looked at her, and I was like, ‘I could never picture that, in all honesty. There’s people who are way more qualified [and] way more passionate’,” said Mitchell.

“My dream was always to be social science faculty president …

I didn’t really know I wanted to do it until I found someone who I was very inherently comfortable running with,” he explained of running for the USC presidency.

Mitchell and Danny met briefly in student politics circles over the years. Two weeks after becoming presidents of the two largest faculties at Western, they sat down for coffee in The Spoke. The meeting turned into a three-hour discussion of what they liked about the school community, their frustrations with different things around campus

and what they thought needed to be fixed.

From that point on, the notion developed from a vague possibility to a probable reality in Mitchell’s mind. He explains he found in Danny a trustworthy companion to run with for the presidency. The following year saw the pair through difficult times that forged a deep and lasting friendship between them.

“We’ve seen each other at pretty much the depths of each other’s despair. We’ve seen each other at our lowest and … our highest,” says Mitchell. “Danny really keeps me accountable to who I am and why I ran for this position as a person. He has really helped me figure out a lot of my own leadership philosophies.”

Less than a year after their meeting, the team landed a remarkable victory in the very same place their intention to enter the race for presidency was first conceived.

NOW AND ONWARD Mitchell’s average day as president often runs from 10 to 12 hours of meetings, events and answering endless emails. Above all else, Mitchell strives to enact the greatest positive change in students’ individual lives.

“The amount of power that’s vested in five 21-, 22-year-olds in these roles is extraordinary. The things you can do are extraordinary,” he says. “I keep a countdown on my board … because, realistically, you have 365 days to make an impact in what you do.”

Faithful to his fondness for analogies, he jokingly compares the job to being the mayor of a small town of 29,000 people, whose four-year term is condensed into one, and he has to make the most of it. His previous leadership positions provided a wealth of knowledge and many more mistakes to learn from.

In particular, he regrettably recalls feeling entitled as he commenced his role as social science president, because he was acclaimed for it. As a result, he engaged in little consultation and long-term strategic and organizational planning.

“I feel like I could have had so much more of an impact in that position looking back on it,” he says. “I was held back by own entitlement

entering into that role, and I really did have a healthy dose of reality served to me. … I really learned I can’t get through on personality alone. I need to be strategic, I need to be organized [and] I need to be accountable to people.”

Mitchell’s short months in office to date are marked by the major success of planning and executing Purple Fest, the largest university concert in Canada this year. The concert contributed to his efforts to mend the growing gap between the USC and the student body. Mitchell commemorated his team’s efforts in bringing this idea to fruition by printing a large poster for each member, signed by the team and senior managers.

The presidency is also not passing without taking its toll on Mitchell. As with any position of political leadership, the pressures of constant scrutiny and criticism are not to be taken lightly. Expectations of constant accessibility in the age of social media can overwhelmingly invade one’s personal life. One of his biggest fears is doing something to publicly break the trust of the students who voted for him during the elections.

“I am my own biggest critic,” emphasizes Mitchell. “I read Reddit, I read Facebook comments, I read Gazette articles. I see where people’s concerns are coming from about myself, and then I can better myself … It’s exhausting sometimes, because you feel pressure, and you feel like you need to be doing more.”

Mitchell looks forward to possibly taking a social media hiatus after the end of his term. While considering a master’s in international relations, his post-presidency plans remain vague. Over his undergraduate years, he had one toe in several doors, with degrees in international relations, politics and history and an internship at a law firm.

For the time-being, Mitchell is focused on leading a $30 million organization at 22 years old.

“I only get this opportunity once, and I really want to live it to the best of my abilities and do as much as I can for the students on this campus who have given so much to me over the years,” says Mitchell.

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news

• TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

Alan Shepard named Western’s 11th president JUDY BASMAJI NEWS EDITOR @JUDYBASMAJI Western announced Alan Shepard will become the university’s 11th president and vice-chancellor starting July 1, 2019.

The new president was ratified by the Board of Governors at a meeting on Nov. 29.

An American scholar, Shepard is the current president of Concordia University in Montreal, where he was appointed in 2012. He also served as the provost and vice-president at Ryerson University prior to his appointment at Concordia.

“We began to identify the challenges facing Western looking ahead,” said Paul Jenkins, the Board

of Governors’ chair and head of the Presidential Selection Committee.

“In Dr. Shepard, we found someone who is a clear, innovative, forward-looking thinker, someone who is up to not only meeting these challenges, but moving Western forward in the direction that we all wish to see this great university proceed in.”

“Dr. Shepard’s passion for universities came through very, very strongly to the selection committee, a passion that sees the importance of universities as a way of moving society forward to the benefit of everyone,” added Jenkins.

Shepard was the first of his family to attend university at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. He went on to earn a doctorate in English from the University of Virginia.

Throughout his career, Shepard played a significant role in furthering graduate programs, student financial aid and sponsored research funding. He also spearheaded a number of projects,

including the Digital Media Zone, a business incubator for technology start-ups that targets student- and alumni-led companies.

“I’ve loved universities since I was a first-year student myself, and I’m very much looking forward to working with the Western community as it continues to grow and thrive,” said Shepard.

The search for a new president began last January, after the current Western president Amit Chakma announced he would not be seeking a third term. Chakma served as Western’s 10th president for the past nine years, starting in 2009. His second term ends on June 30, 2019.

Western team advocates for adoption attachment leave JUDY BASMAJI NEWS EDITOR @JUDYBASMAJI A team of Western University researchers in partnership with Adopt4Life: Ontario’s Adoptive Parents Association is advocating for a new class of employment insurance benefits for adoptive parents, and customary and kin caregivers.

The week of Nov. 19, several representatives of the team visited Parliament Hill in Ottawa to meet with a number of Members of Parliament and policy advisors to argue for the addition of a 15-week “attachment leave” for adoptive parents. The purpose of the “attachment leave” is to provide children with more time to attach to new parents or caregivers and address the unique needs of adoptive families.

Under the current employment

benefits system, biological mothers are entitled to a maximum 15-week maternity leave, and parents who are caring for a newborn or a newly adopted child receive a 35-week parental leave. During the leave, employees receive 55 per cent of weekly insurance earnings.

Overall, biological parents receive nearly four months leave more than adoptive parents.

“We understand that the maternity benefit is there for … people who experience pregnancy and childbirth,” explained Leona Bruijns, doctoral candidate in sociology and member of the team working on the project. “It’s a special need, so we’re not saying we want to get maternity leave … we want an equal leave called ‘attachment leave,’ which recognizes that adoptive parents don’t go through pregnancy and childbirth, but they go through other things that biological

parents don’t experience.”

The team highlights several unique obstacles of building a family through adoption, such as establishing new routines, new relationships and new attachments between children and caregivers that ensure the long-term stability and well-being of the children.

Lorraine Davies, associate vice-provost (graduate and postdoctoral studies), led a study that surveyed nearly 1,000 adoptive parents, kin and customary caregivers across Canada to collect information on people’s adoptive needs and responses towards an “attachment leave”.

Survey results showed 72 per cent of respondents felt the current employment insurance benefits of 35 weeks did not provide sufficient time for children to adjust to their new family. Further, 94 per cent indicated adopted children and

their families would benefit from a 15-week attachment leave.

In addition, 84 per cent of respondents reported children experiencing two or more complex challenges, such as navigating an openness agreement with birth parents, mental health concerns, physical disabilities and significant sadness during transition. Forty per cent of respondents reported five or more of these challenges.

The results also indicated 21 per cent believed the current system prevented them from adopting a child with complex or special needs, while 16 per cent said it prevented them from adopting a sibling group.

“It’s not completely generalizable, but it gives us a good picture of what’s happening,” said Bruijns of the survey. “Having this additional attachment leave could help them address some of those challenges or at least have more time to get their

bearings in an adoptive situation.”

Bruijns, along with two other Western members, attended nine in-person meetings with MPs twot weeks ago and continued to have teleconferences throughout last week. Bruijns explained the feedback from the MPs was overwhelmingly positive.

“They really appreciated the child-centred approach,” she said.

“We were really pleasantly surprised by that. There seems to be the sense that this will happen as long as we … keep going.”

The research team will put together a report that summarizes the findings of this survey as well as the ethical and economic arguments for adoption benefits.

They plan on releasing the report in February with the Conference Board of Canada. Further efforts are being made to get their project into the upcoming budget cycle.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 •

• 6

we get letters

Why youth didn’t vote in the municipal election The fact that young adults are uninterested in politics is something we hear all the time. However, is it accurate to say that youth do not vote because they are uninterested in politics? We decided to investigate youth voting in the 2018 London municipal election to see why students at Western decided not to vote. We looked into a sample of 24 students from many faculties to get a variety of student testimonials

about their decisions not to cast ballots. We asked them if they voted, why or why not and whether they had a preference in the winner and sought results.

Despite the stereotype of disinterested youth, we found that Western students took an interest in the election but did not vote because of inaccessibility and the lack of a connection to their city council. We found that of our

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non-voting interviewees, 11 of the 24 did have a preference in who won the election and/or went to seek results. Although they did not cast a ballot, they still took an interest in the election and were engaged in other ways in the political process.

Why don’t students vote despite being politically engaged? Students said they do not feel that the municipality is able to adequately address their issues. Emily Franze, a fourthyear student, said that she “[does not] think the municipality has enough power to drastically improve London and the surrounding area.”

Students may feel unimportant and therefore uninterested in casting a ballot, although many students who noted these concerns still looked for results and had candidate preferences.

Students also did not vote because they did not have access to the polls. Five interviewees discussed that they were unable to vote because of restrictions on the University Community Centre poll. Ward 6 students, such as Chris Anthony, a fourth-year student, were told that they were unable to vote at the UCC poll because they were not assigned to that location, even though they were under the impression that any student living in Ward 6 could vote on campus. This lack of clarity was frustrating because

students said they did not have time to go to another poll. Muhammed Syed, a fourth-year student, had this experience and said that when polls are brought onto campus, they should be accessible to all students.

This would have helped other students, like Susan Yiao, a fourth-year student, who did not vote because she was on campus and not in the area of her poll. The polls were open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day, which fell in the middle of midterm season, so the majority of our interviewees were studying all day.

As many London students rely on London transit to travel to their poll, they had difficulties getting to voting booths.

Umair Khot, a fourth-year student, said the lack of online voting deterred him from voting. As he was on campus all day, he could have participated in the election through an online poll but could not vote in person because his poll was on the opposite side of the city.

Another respondent, Michal Kearn, a second-year student, had an exam on election day from 7 to 10p.m.

Kearn was unable to vote because he was preparing for this exam.

Therefore, he did not have time to travel to the polls before writing his exam and did not finish the exam until after the polls had closed.

Another major reason students

did not cast a ballot was their temporary residences in London.

Kayla Hendriks, a fourth-year student, said that she did not think her vote mattered as much as London’s permanent residents because she is moving in less than a year when she graduates from Western. This sentiment was brought up by other fourth-year students, including Mason Hope and Anthony. Anthony told us he did not feel right choosing a city council that sits for a four-year term when he will not be living in London for even one-quarter of that time.

While there were students who did not vote because they did not care to get informed or felt unaffected by the election, this was the minority of our respondents.

Youth engage in politics but feel that voting is inaccessible or that they are not being engaged within the political system as it does not address their issues or concerns. The issue here is not simply that youth are disinterested in politics — it is that the political system disregards youth issues, which disincentivizes youth voting.

RENAE PENNINGTON, NICOLE FOSTER FOURTH-YEAR POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS

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Question Period should raise questions Students may not have time to watch Question Period on CPAC, but it’s still important to understand the workings of the federal government.

If you have ever watched Question Period, you’ll know that it’s comparable to reality television. That’s probably why some critics would say Question Period gets nothing done or that its a waste of time. It’s where the elected adults of our society hash out their problems. There’s arguing, screaming, cheering, taking shots and making jokes.

Question Period alone doesn’t really get much accomplished. The most important part is what happens after Question Period, when the media and news pick it up and use it to highlight a particularly pressing issue that has come up.

But this Liberal government makes it very hard to get any answers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now has an infamous track record of not answering important questions asked by the opposition.

If it wasn’t for the media, nothing would be getting done. Question Period is only effective because the media uses it to hold the government accountable. Vanesit and Wingrove claim studies confirm there is a greater chance for issues to become present on the political agenda after they have been present in media coverage.

Trudeau has visited Western University on two previous occasions during his tour of town hall meetings. Students seemed to like him and asked a variety of questions, appearing interested in what is going on in the government. With that, it is important to be critical and to know the shortcomings of this

prime minister.

So what does it mean when the Prime Minister evades answering questions? Well, in some cases it’s beneficial. Question Period is effective when the media uses it as agenda setting to bring more awareness to issues. Take the Christopher Garnier case, for example, to show how the backlash of the Prime Minister’s actions of not answering brought even more awareness to the issue.

Garnier murdered Catherine Campbell, an off-duty police officer, in Halifax in 2015. This past August he was convicted of second-degree murder. Then, because his father served in the military, Garnier was entitled to PTSD treatment in prison, paid for by — you guessed it — Veterans Affairs.

Garnier claims he got his PTSD from committing the murder. After a series of questionable steps taken by the Liberal government, the Progressive Conservative party had questions and raised their concerns about the government putting the interest of a cop killer ahead of the interests of Canada’s veterans.

Trudeau then gave a quick statement about how his heart and prayers goes out to Campbell’s family.

But he did not specify what he was going to do.

Trudeau first failed to answer the question, and then it was brought up again. This may be an example of how the media can use Question Period for agenda-setting, and this is what actually gets things accomplished. Although the Garnier story did make news, it probably wouldn’t have received enough attention and outrage to change the Veterans Affairs application decision process.

This is a prime example of a mass media effect. Potter defines it as an influence that enables a change in an outcome after exposure to mass media messages.

Pingree et al. argue that gatekeeping criticism, which is opposed to the method media outlets use to determine what stories are of most importance, allows there to be a shift toward agenda-setting, as it can be effective in developing a way to prioritize problems. And this is exactly what Question Period is good at doing.

Students should know that Question Period doesn’t always work the way it should, and students should be aware of the behaviour Trudeau exhibits during Question Period, like in this instance, avoiding to answer a pressing question concerning veterans.

Since this Question Period, the news seems to be featuring more stories of real veterans that actually served in the military and how they are being denied benefits they need for their families. Showing this is a way that issues can be in the spotlight and used by other parties to make a change, such as the case of John Micallef, a Navy veteran who has been denied benefits from Veterans Affairs for his wife who has been diagnosed with dementia.

So thank you, Justin Trudeau, for not answering questions. You’re actually helping make a change.

TARYN BRATZ THIRD-YEAR POLITICAL SCIENCE AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES STUDENT

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we get letters

Does #MeToo have room for forgiveness?

Hasn’t it been enough time? Hasn’t he been punished enough? Has the #MeToo movement gone too far?

These are all questions I’ve seen floating around these past few months. They’re inspired by the recent return of prominent men in Hollywood accused of sexual misconduct, like Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari, the latter of whom performed in London on Nov. 29.

C.K. and Ansari have had two very different and unique #MeToo reckonings, and I want to make room for that nuance. Although these men have been scorned on different levels of public outcry and severity, they are undertaking similar comebacks in the mainstream. Although many believe that the damage to their bank accounts and public images during their time away is enough, I’m of the belief that more needs to be done to gain forgiveness.

In November 2017, five women came forward with stories of sexual misconduct and harassment perpetrated by C.K. The comedian then released a statement.

This past January, a woman came out about a deeply uncomfortable sexual encounter with Ansari which she referred to as “by far the worst experience with a man I’ve ever had.” While they exchanged a private text conversation involving an apology from Ansari shortly after the encounter, Ansari publicly released a statement denying sexual misconduct and expressing support for the #MeToo movement in January.

Both of these men have stayed out of the limelight for several months, and many argue that the damages done to their careers are sufficient punishment for their violence. In August, C.K. made a surprise appearance (a surprise to both the audience and other performers) at the Comedy Cellar, just nine months after he admitted to

the allegations. Similarly, Ansari also made his first comeback at the Comedy Cellar in May, four months after the allegations against him were released. He is now undergoing an extensive tour.

It’s easy to feel sympathy for someone’s ruined career, especially someone whose work you are a fan of. I also believe in restorative justice rather than punitive. However, restorative justice requires responsibility for one’s actions, an effort to repair the harm and the prioritization of the victims.

Both Louis C.K. and Aziz Ansari have admitted that there was some degree of wrongdoing on their part.

Both have taken a break from the mainstream, and for good reason, but during that break, have they done anything to reconcile with their victims? These are two men who, even with their scorned reputations, still hold a lot of power.

Have they used that power to publicly repair their victims’ careers or fund resources for sexual violence?

The only careers or lives ruined by C.K. and Ansari were those of their victims. C.K. non-consensually masturbated in front of five women pursuing careers in comedy, but how many of them can you name?

Four months, nine months or even two years out of the limelight is not enough to heal one’s wrongdoings. Forgiveness requires more than just patience. Jane Fonda summed this up nicely at an event in New York, saying, “If you can’t learn, you don’t belong in the boardroom. And there are plenty of women who do belong in the boardroom.”

The #MeToo movement has room for forgiveness, but not without action.

MADELINE VROLYK FOURTH-YEAR HONORS WOMEN’S STUDIES AND CRIMINOLOGY STUDENT

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The truth about GMOs We live in an age where access to knowledge on virtually any topic is at our fingertips. Yet, we are bombarded by misinformation on a daily basis. Modern advancements in scientific research are often sensationalized or disputed, with findings rarely reported to the public with the appropriate contexts and caveats.

The innocuous nature of genetically modified organisms available for human consumption is undisputed by scientists; however, this subject remains controversial among the general public.

The term “GMO food” usually refers to an organism that has been modified in a laboratory setting or has had direct transfer of genes into its DNA. Unfortunately, these foods are misunderstood. Due to the complexity of genetic research and the speed at which advancements are being made, there is an alarming lack of accessible, comprehensive

resources by which to evaluate this topic from a public perspective. As a result, the general public is directed toward sources masquerading as reliable outlets of scientific research.

Media outlets, blog posts or opinion articles written by seemingly trustworthy individuals often present the results of scientific literature in a way that is easily understood by those without formal education in the sciences, but are usually riddled with errors or misinterpretations of scientific findings.

Media outlets sensationalize the GMO “debate” by using buzzwords that are meant to invoke a reaction — words like “foreign DNA” and “Franken-food” — which are void of any scientific meaning. These same media outlets will report that GMOs contain E. coli and viruses. Sounds scary, right? Well, they’re not wrong.

GMOs do contain components of E. coli, other bacteria and viruses, but

FRANK GUNN THE CANADIAN PRESS

Universities should do more to protect athletes from hazing

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD

For many athletes, hazing is a rite of passage when starting on a new team. But hazing — the practice of humiliating new teammates to initiate them — can often escalate from a seemingly fun tradition into violent sexual criminal activity.

The dangers of hazing are well-known, and the practice is actively discouraged by universities: it is listed as prohibited in Western’s code of conduct.

But despite increased awareness about the dangers of hazing, a recent study found that hazing rituals are still common practice for Canadian university sports teams. In fact, hazing might even be on the rise for women’s teams. The study found that while the types of hazing and their severities range across different teams, it is largely grounded in humiliation and abuse and is more often sexually-driven in men’s sports.

The reality is that hazing should be viewed as unacceptable; the line between harmless tradition and abuse is too hard to draw. It’s easy for older athletes to peg hazing as a form of team-building for rookies, using it as a shield to justify and promote violence. Some of the people involved in hazing might not even realize the extent to which their actions are harmful, with violence and abuse becoming normalized through long-standing traditions.

The escalations that can occur from hazing are highlighted by recent events at St.Michael’s College School, an all-boys prep school in Toronto, where a group of teenage athletes were criminally charged due to hazing-related sexual violence. The shocking case at St.Michael’s has also inspired professional athletes to come forward and speak out about their own traumatic and damaging experiences with hazing.

Given hazing’s prevalence and its dangers, Canadian universities should be more outspoken about the practice. Harsh consequences like zero-tolerance policies should be put into place for hazing, no matter how harmless it might seem. While expulsion might seem extreme for a practice rooted in tradition, there’s no reason to put vulnerable students and rookies at risk of the escalations that can come from hazing. The same goes for hazing in any social club or society — hazing should not be tolerated in any university group.

Education surrounding hazing should also be taken seriously: athletes should be taught what constitutes as hazing and be provided with resources and support services in case they experience it.

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.”

this is far from the full story.

Unless you are educated in advanced concepts of biology and genetics, the idea of bacteria and viruses in your food sounds less than appealing. But what these media outlets fail to report is that bacteria and viruses are not present when GMOs are consumed. Since bacteria and viruses can bypass cell membranes, scientists simply take advantage of bacterial and viral DNA and use them as a shuttle system to transport and integrate modified DNA into the cells of the organism.

This bacterial and viral DNA is not harmful to us; if it were, rigorous testing would reflect this danger and GMOs would not leave the lab.

The process of genetically modifying an organism isn’t scary if you understand the science, but that doesn’t mean you should become complacent. In fact, you should be worried about GMOs, but for reasons you may not have considered.

The copyright policies and corporate monopolies surrounding GMO production are worth worrying about. Corporations such as Monsanto have been repeatedly accused of biased research and

fraudulent claims surrounding their products. For example, Monsanto has recently been accused of secretly influencing studies conducted by Health Canada — studies that were instrumental in the Government of Canada’s decision to approve the sale of Monsanto’s “safe” weed-killer, Roundup. Recent evidence shows that traces of the active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, are found in many food products. If Monsanto secretly guided studies claiming the safety of glyphosate, there is a justifiable cause for concern and an immediate need to re-evaluate these studies.

Furthermore, policies and patent claims provide these corporations with the ability to charge farmers an annual premium to plant GMO seeds. When GMO companies produce a new crop and copyright their intellectual property, the farmers who plant these seeds may be forced to sign contracts that require them to forfeit their right to plant the seeds generated from the original GMO crops and prevent them from selling the crops in certain locations.

These contracts could cause enormous profit losses in the agricultural

industry. Overall, this lack of transparency and corporate greed are deeply worrying for those in the field of genetics.

There are a myriad of myths and misinformation surrounding GMOs, and it is our obligation as consumers to adequately educate ourselves. Western’s Undergraduate Genetics Association is committed to providing information and resources to help educate people of all disciplines on topics of scientific controversy.

On Thursday, Dec. 6, UGA will be hosting a town hall-style meeting where they will explain how GMOs are created, in addition to debunking myths and answering questions about GMOs. This event is structured to educate students and the public, regardless of discipline or level of education. Be an informed consumer. Come out to P&AB Room 106 at 5 p.m. and learn what’s really worth worrying about.

RACHEL BOYD FOURTH-YEAR HONORS SPECIALIZATION GENETICS STUDENT

By Courtn ey Mann

Raising aw a murdered reness for mi ssing and Indigenou s women and girls

REDress o n campus

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O

ver 40 red dresses hang from trees across Western’s campus: a powerful reminder of the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls that scatter our nation’s soil.

The REDress project was created

by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2011 as a response to the critical national issue of gendered violence toward Indigenous women. Since then, installations of empty crimson dresses have been recreated at universities and high schools throughout Canada.

Mary Capton, the Indigenous student representative at King’s University College and the president and co-founder of King’s Indigenous Student Association, says that the issue is not one of the past. For Capton, bringing the instalment to Western University was about more than raising awareness. It was about leaving a lasting impact on each person whom acknowledged the dresses’ symbolism.

It was about encouraging Indigenous students and their allies to honour the women whose cases remain unsolved due to lacklustre law enforcement efforts.

Despite years of protest and activism, many of these cases are documented as misadventure or suicide. But the families and community members of these victims know that there’s more to the story when it comes to the deaths and disappearances of their daughters, mothers, sisters and aunts.

Above all, they know there is justice to be served.

“The most important message to take from this project is that, even though we take these dresses down, as Indigenous peoples, we don’t get to forget about this issue and the emotional burden it carries on us and on our communities like the rest of society does,” Capton explains.

Talk surrounding the over-representation of Indigenous women in homicide and missing persons cases has been in flux since the 1970s. Many Canadians are familiar with the Highway of Tears, where dozens of Indigenous women and girls have been recorded missing and murdered since 1969. In a project called E-Pana, which ran from 1969 to 2006, the RCMP documented 18 cases along the stretch of British Columbia highway. In 2013, the Human Rights Watch released a report that estimated the number topped 40. The disproportionate targeting of Indigenous women can also be seen in the case of Robert Pickton, a serial killer who admitted to murdering nearly 50 women in the Vancouver area, many of whom were Indigenous.

After the public uproar regarding the E-Pana project report and the chaos of the Robert Pickton murders, Paul Martin’s Liberal government allocated $5 million to research initiatives for the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Under Stephen Harper’s government, NWAC was faced with challenges that hindered their research and progress for their Sisters in Spirit initiative. The NWAC subsequently saw their funding strategically decreased between 2004 and 2012 by 75 per cent. Over the course of 12 months, the government contact for NWAC’s initiative was changed 11

times. Each time it was changed, the project had to be restarted.

More recently, Statistics Canada released a study in 2015 that found that one-quarter of all female homicides in Canada were Indigenous. Their research found that 1,181 Indigenous women and girls had been murdered between 1980 and 2012. But longtime activists collecting data on the ground have closer to 4,000 names.

Robyn Bourgeois (Laughing Otter Caring Woman) was the keynote speaker at the Nov. 27 event during Indigenous Awareness Week. Much of her research confronts the victimization of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. She feels unsettled knowing that, though Indigenous women and girls make up only four per cent of the Canadian population, they represent 16 per cent of all female homicide cases. To her, this shouts over-representation and demands investigation, resources and widespread change.

“It’s knowing that you have a 5.5 per cent greater chance of being murdered than any other woman in this country.

How do we live with that?” she asks.

Bourgeois recently testified for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The federal government launched the project in 2016 with a research and action commitment of more than $53 million over the course of two years. The testimonies for the inquiry remain ongoing, and Bourgeois is wary of its progress.

“The most important message to take from this project is that, even though we take these dresses down, as Indigenous peoples, we don’t get to forget about this issue and the emotional burden it carries on us and on our communities like the rest of society does.”

MARY CAPTON THE INDIGENOUS STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE AT KING’S UNIVERSITY COLLEGE AND THE PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF KING’S INDIGENOUS STUDENT ASSOCIATION

As a Cree activist, scholar and author, she says that the dehumanization of Indigenous women and girls is long rooted in the North American stereotypes of the princess and persists due to inadequate documentation and law enforcement.

During her talk, she recounted two children’s movies that highlight the way youth first encounter Indigenous culture.

In the 1960 version of Peter Pan, Captain Hook ties an anchor to the Indigenous princess Tiger Lily’s foot and holds his hook to her throat, ready to gut her.

Similarly, in the Disney cartoon Pocahontas, Captain John Smith first encounters Pocahontas’ feminine body shrouded in mist and holds her at gunpoint. In both cases, viewers understand that violence against Indigenous women must be ingrained into their identities. Bourgeois notes that regardless of how the Indigenous woman is portrayed, the white colonist views her as a sexual object.

“Saying that a group of women is sexually available implies they are inherently sexually available to anyone,” Bourgeois explains. “And in that case, where they are already inherently available, violence doesn’t matter — because you can only violate bodies that aren’t inherently available.”

This problematic discourse, which is deeply rooted in North American culture, perpetrates heteronormative and colonial structures that have denigrated and diminished Indigenous women to being understood as low-priority statistics, wherein their only public acknowledgement comes from the red dresses swaying in trees across the nation.

Bourgeois shares that over the last 25 years, 75 per cent of her work has been spent educating Canadians about the violence towards Indigenous women and girls.

“If we can get people to understand the underlying system

and why it operates the way it does, then we have a better shot of fighting the violence and ending it,” she says.

She draws attention to the primary cause of the violence: settler colonialism.

Despite the lacking statistics surrounding the perpetrators who have and continue to victimize Indigenous women and girls, it’s known that violence can also occur within Indigenous communities and households. Bourgeois explains that statistics prove most people are murdered by somebody of their own race.

But Indigenous women and girls are the only group of people who are just as likely to be targeted by one of their own as they are by someone outside of their community. These cycles of abuse are often attributed to the effects of residential schools, which were aimed at colonizing Indigenous youth and communities. Many families remain trapped in the teachings and tormenting experiences of these schools. Although this system proven ineffective at assimilating Indigenous youth by the 1940s, the last Canadian residential school was not closed until 1996.

“When you send generations of children through a system that was bent on shaming people’s culture and punitive treatment — like sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, spiritual abuse — and you still expect them to have children and be parents, you set up a cycle of harm,” Bourgeois says. “That’s where we’re at in our communities.”

Today, Indigenous women and girls are not only victimized through the colonial binary of the princess and the peasant, but through the long-term harmful effects of cyclical abuse within their social and familial circles. This only heightens the already normalized violence.

The historically documented theft and occupation of Indigenous lands by non-Indigenous settlers was made possible through the domination of Indigenous heritage, culture and teachings. In stripping so many Indigenous peoples of their fundamental understandings of self, the women and girls of these communities were pigeonholed into stereotypes. They turned from stereotypes into victims, and from victims into statistics.

But many of the statistics remain outdated and unresolved.

Despite the over whelming national crisis that continues to scar Canada, Bourgeois remains hopeful.

The instalment of the REDress project at Western and beyond shows the potential of the future.

Bourgeois believes that there will be a time in this country where Indigenous voices are heard, violence towards Indigenous women and girls comes to an end and the thousands of missing and murdered are finally honoured.

Bourgeois expresses that Indigenous women at Western and all across the nation are living proof of the resistance and hope that drives the movement forward: “The reality is that we’re still here, and I think that needs to be celebrated before talking about violence. We’re still here and still fighting.”

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• 10

Life in a ‘grey area’:

In search of home on London’s streets

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

MICHAEL CONLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @MIKECONLEY4

fill a gap in your program Athabasca University has over 850 courses to choose from to meet your needs and courses start every month, AU has over 6,600 transfer agreements around the world (including with this institution).

“In order for me to feel like I’m not homeless, I would need to feel like I had…”

Randy Knight trails off, stammering, searching for a word he can’t grasp.

Ten seconds pass.

“Kind of like the feeling of home, it’s just like a warm love feeling, you know? Or that feeling of not being alone. Just that warmth. That’s what stability feels like,” Knight said.

This will be Knight’s first winter living homeless. He moved to London from the Muskoka area two years ago, leaving what he calls “a bad relationship.” Knight, aged 25, hoped moving in with his mother in London would provide the stability he lacked.

Stability, warmth and safety come up in various contexts while Knight describes what home means to him; the stability of a place where he isn’t moved up to four times a night and 12 times a day; the warmth of an indoor residence where he doesn’t need to wear two pairs of socks and slippers under a pair boots; and the safety of a space where he can sleep easy knowing he won’t get robbed if he doesn’t secure his things under his head.

Knight lives in what he describes a “grey area.” A space where people, including the police officers who kick him out of private spaces or the woman who gives him blankets and coconut water from her car, know that the homeless situation is dire.

But he continues to wander this space, a line between nothing and something.

“I wouldn’t even call it a border anymore. You realize that it’s a land of its own. Like, it’s a very vast area.

And it’s scary,” he said.

While Knight spoke, a few young men doing a scavenger hunt came by and gave him Doritos, asking to massage him for their game.

Knight stood up for the massage, then returned to his mat.

“And then stuff like that happens and you have to smile, right?”

••• David Bentley, English professor at Western University, has researched home in Canadian literature. His studies show home is a sense of belonging directly tied to physical space. When various groups

immigrate to a new place, such as Canada, they often bring a part of their native culture with them.

Whether these immigrants are urban dwellers or rural farmers, garnering a sense of home in Canada relies on manipulating environmental in accordance with emotional ties to space. It is somewhere, he saysd, where people must “dwell.”

It is a permanent condition of being that relaxes and provides a basis to pursue achievements and think in complex ways.

Permanence lacks for people in homelessness. They cannot dwell, nor can they achieve a sense of belonging as they shift from place to place within the larger London community, of which one may feel, as Knight puts it, a “second-class citizen.”

“It’s very difficult to feel at home in a wilderness — perhaps impossible,” explained Bentley.

In a given year, London’s emergency shelters protect thousands of individuals from the city’s urban wilderness. Chronic homelessness in the city increased between 2016 and 2017 despite a decrease in unique individuals using emergency shelters. The youngest age of independent youth accessing an emergency shelter decreased from 18 to 16 between 2011 and 2016.

The Globe and Mail reports that over the course of one year, beginning in October 2015, London recorded 19 dead individuals who were homeless, compared to Toronto’s average of 25, despite Toronto’s much larger population.

Those on London’s streets are without a house and certainly without a home. The emotional connection birthed from a sense of space is hardly achieved when, like Knight, you’re constantly on the move, with belongings threatened and no clear way to refuge.

Addressing the psychology of home for The Atlantic, Julie Beck writes, “My house is a shrine to my homes.” She designed her current house around the homes of her past.

Beck has, as Bentley said, manipulated her current residence to create a sense of belonging. Beck expands, citing environmental psychologist Susan Clayton, to describe the home as a form of self-definition. We, particularly in the West, produce a public face through our home. We invest into it, whether that be our money,

our energy or simply our time, and it reflects this investment.

In this sense, it’s evident that individuals in homelessness don’t have anywhere to invest. They can’t invest themselves into the bank lobbies they sleep in or the sidewalks they hang out on. These spaces are not their own. Banks and sidewalks don’t provide a sense of belonging, nor the necessary conditions — whether safety, warmth or stability — for self-definition.

In his study, Home is Where the House is: The Meaning of Home for People Sleeping Rough, Cameron Parsell interviewed 20 people living homeless in Brisbane, Australia.

Participants reported their inherently public lives as “overtly problematic”; sleeping on the street was particularly so, given the ongoing fear of attack.

And as for as sense of home, participants in Parsell’s study, such as one man named Wayne, highlighted a similar struggle for relaxation that Knight does. Living in a tent, Wayne doesn’t get rest, and he doesn’t feel safe.

“It’s not a home, you know. A home is where you can go, and you’re safe. You know you can lie down and relax. Like not here, sort of. I’m a deep sleeper, but you wake up with any little noise. Yeah, it’s not a home. Just somewhere that’s better than sleeping out in the rain or outside. No, it’s far from a home,” he reports.

••• In London, the municipal government and local organizations seem to take the concept of home seriously. It’s often defined, and through consultations with individuals living in homelessness, needs are attempted to be met. While home, broad by definition and tied to subjective experiences of place, may be difficult to apply, local organizations define home and seek to provide it to the communities they serve.

But there are often struggles in providing these services. There are limited resources for any service, and providing tailored needs to any individual or group can be a struggle for both those in homelessness and the groups providing resources.

“Homelessness begins and ends in a home,” said Jan Richardson, manager of homeless prevention for the City of London. Richardson explained the city’s approach to

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MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE Pam Evans uses a cart to transport her items from place to place, Dec. 2, 2018.

reconciling homelessness as a needsbased, housing-first approach.

She admits to difficulties in finding housing in London, highlighting a vacancy rate that has shrunk from 2.5 per cent to one per cent in a “very short period of time,” creating problems for housing accessibility.

Despite this, Richardson and the City of London believe meeting individuals where they are can provide the right resources at the right time.

At Women’s Community House, a temporary housing facility overseen by Anova, coordinator Carolyn Smale knows their services cannot replicate home. She’s critical of how widespread the term “housing” is around London and feels that a focus on safety and security is necessary to create a home-like environment. She says simply focusing on housing may create issues where fundamental needs, such as a welcoming, secure and private environment, may be overlooked.

She recalls times moving women into new homes only to postpone the move given inadequate living conditions.

The women and children who live at Women’s Community House receive stability necessary for reforming a sense of home: children go to school to maintain a sense of routine, the entrance is secured to protect from violence and there’s a caring chef to put food on the table.

To the latter sentiment, it seems Mission Services of London is

in particular agreement. Rachel Ganzewinkel, communications and public relations coordinator, says individuals achieve a sense of belonging through, among other sources, a professional chef who cooks food reminiscent of home.

Ganzewinkel admits that the shelter itself cannot replicate home, but through their community-centred approach across a host of community resources, including their men’s shelter, community mental health programs and Rotholme Women’s & Family Shelter, Mission Services seeks to grow community to support individuals where they are.

Though, across cultural contexts, home varies. Western notions of home, perhaps including two parents in a kitchen cooking for a nuclear family, are only supportive of individuals who identify with that experience. Others, particularly Indigenous peoples, manage intergenerational trauma that may lead to rejection of Westernized homelike experiences.

Andrea Jibb, Indigenous community planner for London’s Atlohsa Native Family Healing Services Inc., tailors programming and supports, whether for housing, legal issues or mental wellness, to Indigenous peoples in homelessness.

Jibb, referencing a 30 per cent rate of Indigenous homelessness in London despite Indigenous people making up only two per cent of London’s general population,

describes unique cultural needs of Indigenous peoples. She explains that Indigenous orientations to place are more socially-oriented than in many Western cultures, and without a proper sense of place that reflects Indigenous heritage and sociocultural connections — perhaps achieved through building a lodge or teepee — Indigenous peoples in homelessness will continue to feel disconnected in London.

This leads to struggles for basic needs, of which safety is Jibb’s highest priority.

“We hear a lot about cultural sensitivity training and safety, and ultimately, that’s really a baseline, right? Safety is an absolute baseline,” Jibb says.

Atlohsa is undergoing consultations with members of London’s Indigenous homeless population to better tailor resources to their needs.

The recommendations formed through this report will be provided to the City of London.

Separately, London is in the midst of a five-year review of its homelessness prevention and housing plans, partially consisting of community consultations to address challenges London continues to face.

••• At 50 years old, Pam Evans knows what she wants. After two years of homelessness, spending summers outside and the rest of her time between friends’ places, shelters and, as she did recently, jail, Evans

wants a space of her own. And as of next week, with the assistance of her support worker, she’ll have it.

Right now, Evans is tired of her ex-boyfriend, whom she describes as a drug addict, bothering her for support once he runs out of money. She says she’s tired of “street politics,” and the shelter system.

Generally, Evans is just tired.

“I’m shuffling around. I can’t be sick. … I can’t have the day off.

I never have the day off. I have to keep going,” she explains.

Homelessness is a “full-time job” for Evans. And it isn’t homey. She doesn’t have her children or grandkids with her, who are living in Evans’ native Windsor. Her life is stressful.

It relies on struggling for clothes and evading thieves.

And as for what home is, Evans is brief. “Safe. Home should be safe.

Lock the door, and that’s that,” she says.

Evans looks forward to Christmas dinner and time with her family. But past that, Evans said no one else is coming in her place. She’s let people in before, and it dragged her down.

She’s done with a street culture of enabling, one she says encourages people to help others, whether it’s providing a space to stay or money to spend, which Evans believes drags everyone down.

“Once I get [my place], I’ll be happy. No one’s coming in. I’m just going to be there by myself for a while.”

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holiday

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 •

MUDIA IYAYI CULTURE CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE Christmas is fast approaching, which means the season of giving is in full swing. But Christmas isn’t glitter and gold for all families; for some, the holidays are a period of stress and worry. Here are some ways to ease other’s stress by giving back:

SALVATION ARMY’S CHRISTMAS KETTLE CAMPAIGN The Christmas Kettle Campaign has been running in hundreds of communities across the world for 128 years. It’s definitely a staple of the holidays; it’s difficult to miss the characteristic bells and donation kettles situated in myriad malls and plazas this Christmas season.

“There are so many different avenues that people can go to help their local community members in need,” says Shannon Wise, public relations representative for the Salvation Army. “The money raised from our Christmas Kettle Campaign goes to provide food hampers for over 52,000 families in London.”

Donations can either be made at a Christmas Kettle, which are located all across the city, or online via. Apart

• 12

from monetary donations, the Salvation Army also needs volunteers to run the campaign; this year, both two- and three-hour shifts are available. Simply sign up online for your preferred shift and location in the city. Volunteers can even continue helping the Salvation Army throughout the year at their food banks or other yearly events. The campaign runs until Christmas Eve.

LIFE*SPIN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND SIRENS TOY DRIVE On Saturday, Dec. 8 at 400 Horton Street, Fire Station No.1, Life*Spin and London Emergency Services will be hosting the Christmas Lights and Sirens Toy Drive, running from 12 to 3 p.m. The toy drive is an incentive to help ensure that children in low-income families receive toys for the holidays, and it’s expected to assist more than 1,100 families in the London community.

Life*Spin is also offering the opportunity for people to sponsor a low-income family during the Christmas season and make a difference in that family’s life this holiday season. For more information contact the Life*Spin office at 519-438-8676 or visit Life*Spin online.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH FOUNDATION WRAPPING SERVICE From Dec. 15 to 24, volunteers with the Children’s Health Foundation will be gift-wrapping items at Westmount Shopping Centre. All donations collected will go directly to the Children’s Health Foundation to aid in rehabilitation and research for children in the London community and parts of southwestern and northern Ontario. Volunteer for the foundation by dressing up as Dr. Beary Goode — the foundation’s mascot — or by aiding in the coordination of the foundation’s many events to give back and make a difference in a child’s life. For more information on volunteering with the Children’s Health Foundation, email volunteer@childhealth.ca.

THE LONDON SHOEBOX PROJECT HOLIDAY DRIVE The Shoebox Project is an organization that collects and delivers shoeboxes filled with toiletries, gifts and necessities for women impacted by homelessness.

The campaign delivers thousands of shoeboxes yearly that positively assist the homeless population. Simply find and decorate an empty shoebox, fill it up with useful items and toiletries (the shoebox Project lists suggested items on their website), leave a heartfelt message and drop off the shoebox at one of the many locations situated in the city. London’s Shoebox Project will be collecting shoe boxes until Dec. 16. For more information or questions, email london@shoeboxproject.com.

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KOATS FOR KIDS The Boys and Girls Club of London is hosting a campaign collecting new or lightly used coats and winter attire, in the hopes that every child is warm this winter. One coat will be given to every child in need, provided they are 18 years of age or younger. Coat donations can be dropped off at the Boys and Girls Club of London location (184 Horton St. E.), or at select drop-off locations throughout the city.

Monetary donations can also be made physically at the club or online, which will help cover administrative fees and aid in the purchasing of new coats for next winter.

The campaign will run until 2019. For more information or questions, call 519-434-9115 ext. 241 or email Christina Yung at cyung@bgclondon.ca.

Christmas is just as much about giving as it is receiving, if not more so. Whether the donation is time or money should not matter; the fact that the gift is making a difference in someone’s life is rewarding enough.

13 •

holiday

• TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

POLITELY HATING THE HOLIDAYS

KYRA KARAKATSANIS GAZETTE

KRISTIN LEE CULTURE EDITOR @KRIIISLEE Blinding lights of every colour, screeching carolers and a big, old and creepy white-bearded man dressed in a blood-red suit — probably how the Grinch sees the warm holidays most people love and cherish.

But feeling this way about the holidays, though, doesn’t mean your shoes are too tight or that your head isn’t screwed on right or even that your heart is two sizes too small. Especially if you’re spending it alone, there’s more reason for feeling melancholy than joy.

If you’re not decking your halls with boughs of holly, then the festive season can seem like a nightmare.

Although, there are more polite ways to express dislike toward the overly-joyous season, because it’s the Canadian way to go, and better yet, you won’t be best described as “stink, stank, stunk,” like the yellow-toothed anti-Christmas critter.

For the average jolly fellow, putting up lights around the house and wearing different holiday sweaters every day of the week aren’t exactly chores. If you’re feeling a pressure to perform being happy this dark winter, don’t. There are plenty of plain red socks and green hats you can wear to show your spirit in a subtle way without screaming Yuletide.

And on the bright side — literally — let’s admit that the illuminated houses decorated with lights make the dark winter nights a little less

gloomy.

Like the green grouch, some of us might just feel like “Jingle Bell Rock” blasting through the mall in November is excessive, and it definitely gets you fretting too early about how much any holiday shopping you need to do.

But a publicly vocalized opinion around jolly holiday ravers about despising redundant cheerful music and mediocre eggnog could result in glares and being labelled a bitter cookie. It’s no wonder the Grinch was so resentful; no one wanted to be around him. Plugging in headphones for your own music or even just doing your shopping ahead of time during the year could result in a less stressful spree; thankfully, you’ll be avoiding contact with any

mall Santas and elves.

Feeling like shouting at commercialism for turning the love-filled season of the holidays into a materialistic song-and-dance, predicated on forced happiness and profit? Try making your own sentimental gifts so you can give something other than a mug or cheap gift cards to expensive stores, and get away from supporting large, greedy companies. Or, since it’s the season of giving, you can treat yourself to a pizza delivery while binging Netflix, so at least that way, your “grinchy-ness” is safe from any merry mischief within the confines of your cozy bedroom.

That is, of course, until your family calls for an annual gathering, also known as the dreaded hours of

hearing your nosey, distant relatives say how much you’ve grown and ask you how your non-existent partner is, while you have to pretend you love the purple knitted mittens your Aunt Carol gifted you.

If you’ve survived the tight squeezes — not hugs — from every aunt in your family, you can probably survive the wait until the big dinner. Awkward small talk really is painful, but you could instead answer any question directed at you with, “I could tell you, but I’m in pain from food poisoning I endured two days ago,” when really you’re really in pain trying to avoid any truths about how your life is going.

You’ll be sure no one wants to go further in detail about your trips to the toilet. At most, your bowel movements will be the talk of the night.

Like the Grinch with his loving companion and pet dog, Max, we aren’t all alone. If you’re not so into the whole holiday hype, the chances are likely that there’s someone else who wants to grind up gingerbread cookies out of spite, too.

But being a Grinch doesn’t have to mean spoiling all festivities. You could still participate in a Secret Santa with your friends or coworkers for a swell time, and you could still eat peppermint candy canes that seem exclusive only to the holiday season. You don’t have to love the holidays, but tolerating those who do is how you can show your sentiment and love.

Those who cry tears of peppermint hot chocolate and bleed holiday cheer have almost two months out of twelve to release their inner Mariah Carey, but after that, most of us are all back to being at peace again.

Leaving Weldon Library Dec. 4th–20 th Dr. Oxf ord

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Farrah Rd.

Talbot St.

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Oxford St.

Oxford St.

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St. James St.

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Huron St. Regent St. Adelaide St.

Windermere Rd.

Waterloo St.

Richmond St.

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University Dr.

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Sarnia Rd.

Huron St.

Wonderland Rd.

Richmond St.

Shuttle A

The hours of service as follows: December 4-13: 12:30am to 3:00am December 14-20: 12:30am to 2:00am A late night Shuttle Service is being provided by the USC offering students a safe way to get home.

Starting December 4 to 20, Robert Q Shuttle Busses will be departing from Oxford Drive (in front of the UCC Building.)

West ern

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University Dr.

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DEC 14-20 12:30am • 1:00am 1:30am • 2:00am

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sports

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 •

• 14

Mustangs sweep Lancers CHARLIE MARSHALL SPORTS EDITOR @CWMARSHALL98

The Western Mustangs men’s hockey team swept the Windsor Lancers in a home-and-home series this weekend. The Mustangs overcame the Lancers 5–1 on Thursday at Thompson Arena and 4–1 on Saturday in Windsor.

With the pair of weekend victories, Western concluded the first half of their regular season with 19 points, finishing in sole possession of fourth place in the Ontario University Athletics West Division standings.

Despite a rocky start to their season, the Mustangs completed their first semester schedule with a five-game win streak. In aggregate, Western defeated the Toronto Varsity Blues, Brock Badgers and Windsor Lancers 22–8 over that stretch.

The impressive level of offensive firepower was missing somewhat during the start of their season. However, players continually espoused the belief that, with more hard work and better bounces, their offensive skill would eventually shine through.

While the quotes may have seemed like classic hockey clichés regurgitated by a frustrated team, the numbers backed up their claims.

Before the winning streak, the Mustangs sat seventh in the OUA

COURTESY OF MUSTANGS ATHLETICS

West with a 7.02 per cent shooting percentage. However, over the past five games, that number has crept back up to 8.66 per cent, showing that the team is starting to find some of the holes that eluded them early in the season.

The team has also shown more promise on the road — an area which has plagued them all season — during the win streak. In the past two road games, Western has allowed just two goals.

The shift in defensive dominance is important for the Mustangs since, up to this point in the season, they’ve been excellent at home (1.70 goals against average) but poor on

the road, where they’ve coughed up a 3.24 goals against average.

After Thursday’s game, head coach Clarke Singer joked that even he wished he had the answers to the struggles the team has faced on the road.

“Good question. I’m sure a lot of coaches wish they had the answer to that question,” admitted Singer when asked about his team’s stark home-road splits. “I think, generally, across sport … teams play a little better at home, and we’re no different.”

However, captain Jonathan Laser, with a sarcastic grin, attributed the puzzling splits to the help of the

team’s “great fans.”

Both of the weekend’s games also featured an impressive balance of offensive attack for Western. On Thursday, Laser, Kolten Olynek, Kyle Pettit and Ray Huether found the back of the net. On Saturday, Ethan Szypula, Anthony Stefano, Huether and, remarkably, goaltender Luke Peressini all finished with a goal.

The spread-out offensive attack has been a constant theme throughout the season, as shown by the team’s point leaders. Entering the Christmas break, Stefano, Szypula, Trevor Warnaar and Cordell James have each posted double digit point totals, while Olynek, who missed

one of the team’s 16 games, is just behind the 10-plus point pace with nine on the year.

After notching five consecutive victories before the break, an obvious comparison can be made to last year, when the team rattled off an impressive seven-game win streak. However, both coaches and players were cautious not to look too far ahead when asked about repeating the impressive performance.

“No, just [focus on the] next day,” said Singer. “That’s all we have to do.

We have so many things to work on.”

The team’s willingness to stick up for one another has been constant throughout this season. Thursday’s game was a perfect example of the team’s spirit, as they engaged in back-to-back scrums within the final two minutes of the game.

As a result of the extracurriculars, three Mustangs, Mitchell Brooks, Mitchell Fitzmorris and Olynek, were sent off early. Fitzmorris tried his best to agitate the Lancers while on the ice, though, as he attempted to throw an opponent’s stick over the glass and onto the indoor track surrounding the rink, only to find that there was protective netting along the glass.

The Mustangs will return for the second half of their season on Jan. 4 as they take on the Guelph Gryphons at Thompson Arena.

Men’s basketball heads into break with momentum

COURTESY OF MUSTANGS ATHLETICS

MIKE DEBOER MANAGING EDITOR @SPORTSATGAZETTE Heading into a weekend road trip to northern Ontario to cap off the first half of their 2018-19 season, Western Mustangs men’s basketball head coach Brad Campbell saw a pivotal opportunity for his team to take a major step at a key moment in the season.

“Hopefully we can get two wins this weekend against two teams that are very tough to play on the road,” said Campbell before the weekend.

“Our focus and execution at both ends of the floor will be key. Our veterans need to carry us.”

All those things happened for Campbell and the Mustangs, as they earned a much-needed sweep to finish the first semester off on a high note. With wins over the Nipissing Lakers and Laurentian Voyageurs, the Mustangs now sit at 7–4 on the season.

Third-year guard Omar Shiddo led the Mustangs in a third quarter comeback in the weekend’s first game, as the Mustangs fought their way back to earn a 77–72 win over the Lakers on Friday night.

Shiddo led the Mustangs with a season-high 34 points. Fourth-year guard Eriq Jenkins and fifth-year guard Jedson Tavernier also aided in the offensive effort, scoring 11 and 14 points respectively. Fourth-year point guard Nik Farkic also played a pivotal part in the Mustangs efforts, contributing nine assists and five steals.

Marcus Lewis led the now 2–8 Lakers on the evening, dropping 26 points. Marvin Ngonadi was also a key cog in the Nipissing offense, putting up 18 points on the Mustangs.

The Lakers came out in the first quarter with a 10–2 run, putting the Mustangs on their heels early. However, Campbell called a time out to compose and calm his squad. Western came out with stiffer

defence, closing the gap against the Lakers. A three-pointer from Shiddo helped put the Mustangs ahead, and Western went into the second quarter with a 19–18 lead.

However, Nipissing refused to back down, playing tough defence that forced the Mustangs to settle for low percentage jumpers. The Lakers opened up an 8–0 run halfway through the second quarter and eventually took a 44–33 lead into the dressing room at halftime.

Coming out of the halt, Shiddo played like the elite scorer that he’s proven himself to be time and time again this season. He scored 17 points in the third quarter, singlehandedly getting his team back into the game, giving theam a momentum boost that left the Nipissing defence reeling. A last-second steal and jump shot by Jenkins capped off the dominant quarter for the Mustangs, as they led 61–53 heading into the fourth quarter.

In a game of back-and-forth swings, the Lakers mounted a comeback of their own to close the gap to within two possessions. However, Western held onto the lead to come out of the tough road game with a 77–72 win.

On Saturday the Mustangs looked to maintain the momentum they gained against Nipissing as they headed to Sudbury to take on Laurentian. And with another gritty effort in a challenging road test, the Mustangs again proved that they’re one of the top teams in the Ontario University Athletics West Division with the 88–78 win.

Four Mustangs scored doubledigit points in a well-rounded offensive performance by a team that has struggled to score for much of the season. Jenkins led the Mustangs with 20 points, alongside six rebounds and five assists. Tavernier, Shiddo and second-year forward Julian Walker all contributed with their 17, 15 and 12 points respectively. Farkic added nine assists for the second straight evening.

Taking advantage of Laurentian’s injury-ridden lineup, which was missing Kadre Gray, its leading scorer, Western came out with a 12–3 run to put themselves in charge early. Jenkins pushed the offence much like Shiddo did the evening before, scoring eight points in the opening frame. The Mustangs effectiveness came from inside the paint, moving the ball around and spacing the floor to open up the Laurentian defence, finding holes to dish the ball down low. At the end of the first quarter, Western held a commanding 28–16 lead.

Despite their poor first quarter performance, the Voyageurs attempted to keep pace with the Mustangs scoring performance and chip away at the Western lead. The teams exchanged runs, and the Mustangs held onto their double-digit lead, closing out the half with a 46–36.

The second half saw both defences clamp down as the scoring pace slowed. The Voyageurs came out of the half with a 9–2 run, but the Mustangs responded with a run of their own. Campbell switched his

defensive system from a zone to a man-to-man defence in order to force turnovers and prevent ball movement. The Mustangs took advantage of several turnovers to stop any momentum the Voyageurs had. The Mustangs held a 59–53 lead heading into the final frame.

The Voyageurs attempted to come back in the game as the game neared its end, but their offensive woes, combined with the Mustangs hard-nosed defensive effort, made their attempts futile. The Mustangs were able to close out the game efficiently on both ends of the floor en route to the 88–78 win.

The loss dropped the Voyageurs to 5–5 on the year. With the weekend sweep, the Mustangs head into the second half of the season with momentum and confidence. “[It’s] a great way to head into the December break,” said Campbell.

“Hopefully the break will be good for us, and we can get some of our guys healthy for the second half. There would’ve been nothing worse then losing and having to wait a month until your next game.”

Now at 7–4 on the season, the Mustangs head into the December break with a second-place spot in the OUA West. They’re within striking distance of the top spot in a competitive division, where the Laurier Golden Hawks and Brock Badgers also have seven wins. The Mustangs return to action on Jan. 5 as they look to take a run at the top spot with a date against the division rival Badgers.

15 •

culture

• TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

A SURVIVOR SPEAKS

Local realities of human trafficking ALIAH SAKR CULTURE CONTRIBUTOR @UWOGAZETTE London, Ontario is known as a family-friendly, suburban city. But few of its 380,000 residents are aware that the city has a human trafficking problem.

Caroline Pugh-Roberts is a human trafficking survivor. She explains that human trafficking, the exploitation of people for no pay and against their will, can occur anywhere.

“There is no specific area. It’s all over London,” says Pugh-Roberts.

Pugh-Roberts is an executive member of the London Anti-Human Trafficking Committee and works for The Salvation Army in London helping human trafficking victims.

She explains that university students can be targeted by human trafficking but assures that there are many ways to fight the crime.

According to Pugh-Roberts, sex trafficking is the most widespread form of human trafficking in London and globally.

Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services notes that sex trafficking differs from consensual sex work in that only one party, the trafficker, is in control.

The Abolition Project Against Human Trafficking is a Western University club consisting of 16 members that develop projects to help students join the fight against human trafficking. Such projects include events and fundraisers.

“We want to bring awareness to university students to show them that human trafficking can happen both at the local level as well as the global level and then to also focus on fundraising events to connect university students to the London community,” says Aleeshia Carman, president of TAPAHT. Western students can attend TAPAHT’s events in March as an opportunity to increase their awareness of human trafficking.

This is when the club will also host fundraisers for community partners in London that are fighting this problem. Before then, students can attend other campus events focused on human trafficking.

They can also check the London Anti-Human Trafficking Committee website for more information on human trafficking.

Carman stresses that increasing awareness around human trafficking is the first step to stopping it.

A common misconception is that human trafficking only happens in other parts of the world or that only immigrants are targeted. But a major part of awareness is knowing that any Canadian can be a victim.

Pugh-Roberts adds that most victims are trafficked in their own communities. In London, especially, university students are closer to human trafficking than they think.

Potential targets are mostly women and girls, but men and boys can be trafficked as well. Similarly, although most victims are between the ages of 18 and 24, any age group can be victimized.

Human traffickers lure vulnerable people with gifts, money and affection. They commonly approach targets by entering into relationships with them.

“What we see primarily is what we call the lover boy/Romeo/pimp scenario, and it tends to be a boyfriend or a man who says they are

going to be the girl’s boyfriend and then pimp them out,” PughRoberts explains.

In line with Pugh-Roberts, Carman says that “91 per cent of victims of human traffickers are victims from a trafficker who is close to them and who has made a connection.”

University students are able to combat human trafficking by being aware of the warning signs in those around them.

These warning signs include a decline in class performance, unexplained class absences, lessening contact with people close to them, a secretive demeanour or a significant other that their family and friends rarely meet.

Last year, TAPAHT ran an awareness campaign where they passed out cards to students, which listed common signs of human trafficking to look out for in others.

“The initiative of this is to take some cards and to give the card to your taxi or Uber driver so they can recognize potential indicators of human trafficking,” explains Carman. “This is important because victims of human trafficking are often transported in Ubers or taxis.”

When noticing behavioural changes in close friends, roommates or family members, both Pugh-Roberts and Carman suggest checking if they are suddenly turning up with a second phone, developing a more sexually explicit attitude or receiving gifts they can’t afford, such as new clothes or accessories. Having frequent and unexplained cuts, bruises or injuries is another sign.

As a survivor Pugh-Roberts speaks about her boyfriend trafficking her after the deaths of her relatives.

“I was psychologically very vulnerable,” Pugh-Roberts says. “He told me he would take care of everything, and I needed to believe that because I was a mess emotionally, and within six months, he had me working in the [strip] bars.”

After her experience of being trafficked in strip clubs for eight years, Pugh-Roberts stresses that young women shouldn’t glamourize the idea of working there, warning that these clubs attract sexual violence and human traffickers.

She also advises that young men should avoid going to strip clubs, as doing so contributes to the demand for sexual services that fuels sex trafficking.

Pugh-Robert’s story shows that there is a need for stronger support networks in our communities. For example, those trafficked have a very low chance of freeing themselves from their captors if they can’t find jobs outside of prostitution.

In response to this, the federal government passed Bill C-36 in 2014, which decriminalized selling sex and instead criminalized buying sex in an attempt to stop the demand that fuels trafficking people for sex work. This means that sex workers and those in forced prostitution can no longer be arrested or charged. Having a clean criminal record allows sex trafficking victims to obtain jobs and restore their lives.

Students can use this positive change to give hope to human trafficking victims and to convince them that there is a safe way out of their situation. Knowing information on resources in the community, such as Anova’s women shelters, aids students in guiding victims to

KYRA KARAKATSANIS GAZETTE

a path of safety and independence.

Preventative measures against human trafficking within the power of university students involve caring for each other. Carman advises students to support family and friends and strengthen bonds with them. It can prevent these family members and friends from connecting with human traffickers who want to take advantage of them.

It is necessary for students to be aware of the warning signs of abuse in their relationships, in the relationships of their loved ones and in the way, they treat themselves.

If you are a victim of emotional, physical or sexual abuse, call 911.

To anonymously report a crime, call London-Elgin-Middlesex Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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UPCOMING EVENTS BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Everyone is invited to stop in at the Lambeth Community Centre on December 8th and enjoy a delicious Breakfast with Santa, Elves And Reindeer! Financial Donations are greatly appreciated!

We will also be collecting socks, toiletries and new underwear for the Salvation Army and Mission Services during this event! December 08, 9:00am Lambeth Community Centre 7112 Beattie St, London, ON N6P 1A2 LIFE*SPIN LIGHTS AND SIRENS TOY DRIVE Help fill emergency vehicles with new, unwrapped gifts & clothing for children and families in need this holiday season. All items will be delivered to Life*Spin to help support low income families at Christmas.

December 08, 12:00pm - 3:00pm, Fire HQ, Station #1, 400 Horton St. www.lifespin.org.

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community

16 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

photo of the day

gazette crossword

LUCY VILLENEUVE GAZETTE Happy Holidays. Students get festive at the Holiday Photo Booth in the UCC, Dec. 3, 2018.

word search

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fin flats foot ground swell hang loose kahuna kickout maneuver neoprene paddling peak rash guard reef

CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DOWN

1. Guinean seaport 5. They __ 8. Electromotive force 11. “McVicar” director 13. Monetary unit 14. Mother of Hermes 15. Broadway actress Daisy 16. Tobacco mosaic virus 17. Expression of surprise 18. African financial intermediaries 20. Fully ripe egg 21. Soothes the skin 22. Editors write them 25. Nashville-based rockers 30. Surgical tube 31. Lasting records 32. Member of Ghanese tribe 33. Being in a vertical position 38. Spasmodic contraction 41. Cartilage disks 43. Domestic help 45. A way of drying out 48. Small sponge cake 49. Distinctive practice or philosophy 50. Sword 55. Type of missile (abbr.)

56. Home to various animals 57. American comedian Tim 59. Scores perfectly 60. A major division of geological time 61. Spiritual leader 62. Unhappy 63. Unit of force (abbr.)

64. Door part

1. Academic degree 2. Expression of sorrow or pity 3. Large, stocky lizard 4. Romanian river 5. Stellar 6. A way to change 7. Surround completely 8. A Philly footballer 9. Dinosaur shuang_____aurus 10. Slowly disappear 12. Large antelope 14. Not nice 19. Piece of footwear 23. Newt 24. Seriously mentally ill 25. Kilogram force (abbr.)

26. Terrorist group 27. Negative 28. Time zone 29. A blacksmith’s workshop 34. Baked dessert 35. A way to perceive uniquely 36. Breeze through 37. Dry white wine drink 39. Treated with iodine 40. Not thorough 41. Famous museum 42. Supplements with difficulty 44. Polynesian language 45. Bangladesh capital (var. sp.)

46. __ and flowed 47. Excessively theatrical actors 48. Prejudice 51. Swiss river 52. Nonsense (slang) 53. “Luther” actor 54. Resist authority (slang) 58. Pincht

For crossword solution, see page 6

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