SAO - Tuesday, June 18, 2019

SINCE 1906 TUESDAY JUNE 18, 2019 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 1

Western University’s Student Newspaper

WELCOME TO THE

REAL WESTERN SAO 2019

KRISTIN LEE GAZETTE

GEESE

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 •

• 2

Should you fear the geese?

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

EMILY TAYLER NEWS EDITOR @EMTAYLER16 Have you ever rounded a corner on campus and came face-to-beak with the national bird?

Did you feel fear? Should you?

In warmer months, angry geese are as commonplace as Spoke bagels around Western University.

They’re a national icon and a meme, inseparable from our pastoral campus image.

They seem to strut around only the most populated areas, nesting in tree planters on Concrete Beach and even on the roof of D. B. Weldon library this spring. Constant feeding on University College Hill usually means a rambunctious gaggle is bound to be patrolling your path around Talbot College.

The story is the same around the province. Canada geese commonly waddle around all the green-space on Southern Ontario campuses. The University of Waterloo even created an interactive “Goose Watch” map dedicated to helping walking students avoid nests.

At Western, the birds have become an unofficial mascot, perhaps becoming better known than even the Mustang: their likeness is sold on T-shirts at the Purple Store, photos of student-goose standoffs went viral with the help of Reddit, and areas of campus are fenced in during mating season.

Though they are beloved, the geese’s reputation would tell you the fences are for protecting the students.

Sometimes students are unaware of the potential threat — as Reddit user WBBR called for the creation of Western’s own goose-tracking

MARTIN ALLEN GAZETTE

map on the university subreddit after suffering an attack en route to an exam in the spring. Many users responded with their own experience of apparent ambush.

Reddit brought images of an attacking goose on Concrete Beach in 2017 to internet stardom. A student had tried to take a photo of the nesting mother on a cell phone. So the father goose attacked, flapping its wings and flying at the student as they ran away.

THE ATTACK CONSISTS TYPICALLY OF THE BIRD FLYING UP IN FRONT OF THE THREAT, USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY MUCH HONKING AND FANFARE. KEITH HOBSON

BIOLOGY PROFESSOR AND RESEARCHER AT WESTERN’S ADVANCED FACILITY FOR AVIAN RESEARCH Could this happen to you? Could you, too, become a Reddit meme?

Keith Hobson, a biology professor and researcher at Western’s Advanced Facility for Avian Research had a simple answer: stay out of their way.

But sometimes it can seem impossible to do, geese leering at you near your residence or on the small paths near the Physics and Astronomy building, the only path you have to get to class.

Fa c i l i t i e s Ma n a g e m e n t Customer Service Representative Lauren Giffen said to pay attention

to the noises a nearby goose is making. While their throaty honking is not exactly calming, it’s their normal means of communication.

They use 13 different sounds to communicate emotions including triumph, aggressiveness, flight and alarm.

You only need to worry if a goose starts hissing at you.

Giffen said that the neck posture of the goose is the next thing to check.

“A goose will bend its head back away from you, as if saying: you disrespect me like this?” She wrote in an email. “This is your first indicator that the goose has become upset — this is your first opportunity to back away slowly — show the goose you are not a threat.”

And don’t raise your hands, even in fear. This can come off as a threat.

The next tactic for an angry goose is to bob its head.

“Before any direct attack, individuals will usually give warning by bobbing the head and hissing,” said Professor Hobson. “The attack consists typically of the bird flying up in front of the threat, usually accompanied by much honking and fanfare.”

If you’ve gotten this far and the goose still hasn’t backed down, then remain calm. Do not break eye contact with the goose or turn and run — or the goose will chase you. Geese attack to defend their offspring, nesting mother and injured pals, so Giffen said all you have to do is show them you’re not a threat by backing up.

It’s really not worth it to make them angry: they have teeth.

The birds seem out of place on the concrete, surrounded by

students, but Hobson explains that because of the high foot traffic, there is also a decreased population of predators. It’s easier for a goose to scare away students — who, for the most part, would also like to avoid

a confrontation — than to defend against predators native to London like squirrels and hawks.

When in doubt, Professor Hobson said, “a modicum of common sense will prevail.”

In defence of Canada geese Letter to the editor: Canada geese are an iconic part of Western. Their long, black necks and white cheeks dot University College Hill during warmer months, and official Western University merch and social media feature them. Spending time with these big, feathered fellows is practically a Mustang rite of passage.

Unfortunately, people tend to sensationalize violent interactions with geese, creating stigma about these birds. Stories of goose assaults are reiterated again and again in local news coverage and on social media. But are Canada geese truly the bloodthirsty creatures everyone characterizes them as, or are those perceptions just covering up a larger problem of disrespecting wild animals on campus?

London, and more specifically, Western, is a breeding ground for many migrating birds, including Canada geese. The land Western occupies today has historically been an important habitat for geese, long before humans appropriated it. Geese migrate up to Canada from March to April after spending winter in warmer, southern areas. Western’s campus is perfect real estate for geese to establish nests: it is close to the Thames River, flat enough to provide a clear view of approaching predators and there’s plenty of food. Despite their vicious reputation, geese are herbivores and chow down on grass and other plants around campus. They contribute to maintaining the campus’s lawns and gardens, along with providing free fertilizer.

Canada geese mate for life and meet up with their better half at their breeding grounds. Much like Western’s student couples eagerly reuniting after winter break, springtime reunions are happy occasions for geese that bring about displays of honking affection. Geese return to the same breeding ground annually

and live between 10 to 24 years, so you probably see familiar beaks on campus every year without knowing it.

Despite my steadfast adoration for the big birds, remember that Canada geese are territorial and they can be aggressive while protecting their territory. Male Canada geese are generally the ones that defend the territory, and their displays are hard to ignore. Most students at Western have heard the hissing, but geese also bob their heads and may lunge as a warning signal. With these behaviours, geese are telling you to get out of their space because they are trying to protect their babies. If you see a Canada goose making its warning display, you are probably near a nest and should get out of the way.

The bottom line is that students need to be more respectful of the geese on campus. The people who get attacked are often the same individuals who mean-spiritedly run at geese to scare them, or who don’t pay attention to obvious warning displays. This conduct is unacceptable, for both the geese and for those of us who care about protecting animals that occupy our urban spaces.

As the largest birds on campus, Canada geese are easy to spot. But they are far from the only wild birds that call Western home. For some birds, the university grounds provide valuable year-round habitat. For others, the campus is an important stopover site on their long migratory journeys, as well as a breeding site for bird species like chimney swifts and barn swallows, which are both threatened by habitat loss.

Instead of overemphasizing violent interactions with geese, why not try birding around campus to fully experience Western’s local wildlife?

— Lydia Balogh Third-year student, biology and English language and literature

3 •

BATHROOM ETIQUETTE

• TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

Feces everywhere,

all semester for Delaware residents ‘Deli Defecator’ smeared first-year residence bathroom for months

PHOTOS OBTAINED BY THE GAZETTE A censored version of a photo taken by a 1E resident of their showers.

KATRINA MCCALLUM SENIOR NEWS EDITOR @KATRINAGAZETTE When Wyatt Prout opened the shower curtain, he saw feces halfstomped down the drain. He knew who did it.

By now, they had a reputation. There was no mistaking the stain and the smell. Residents had coined him a nickname, taken from Delaware Hall’s nickname, “Deli.”

They were the “Deli Defecator.”

In Delaware’s 1E floor last year — where the second-year nursing student lived — stool was found frequently in showers, on walls and in garbage cans. Incidents occurred almost weekly from September to December of 2018.

“I saw him peeking through the curtain and right when we made eye contact he shut it real quick … you could see how he tried to push it through the drain but it was obviously still there.”

WYATT PROUT Despite complaints to Housing and Ancillary Services, residents of 1E claim that Housing did little to help. And though residents say everyone knew who the Defecator was, Delaware’s residence manager originally said Western would charge the whole floor with clean-up fees.

Housing declined to comment on this story.

Delaware floors have three shared bathrooms each. Though the floors are co-ed, there is one female, one male and one gender-neutral bathroom.

“I walked in one time to the gender neutral bathroom and I just smelled the raunchiest thing,” Prout said.

He did not see anyone in the stalls, but there was someone in the shower.

“I saw him peeking through the curtain and right when we made eye contact he shut it real quick,” Prout said. After the man left, Prout inspected, and found more stool in the shower the man had been using.

“You could see how he tried to push it through the drain but it was obviously still there,” Prout said.

Prout, in just one of several incidents, then found human stool in the garbage, smeared on the wall around the garbage and on the floor of the shower.

Residences are maintained by cleaning staff. Prout said that though staff attempted to clean the bathrooms, trace amounts of feces and staining remained throughout the entire year.

“You could see in between the tiles, where it was supposed to be white — you could see how it was discoloured and still brown,” Prout said.

1E LOOKS FOR HELP While in their rooms, 1E residents would hear exclamations of “it happened again” down the hall when a floormate discovered another deposit.

In a desperate effort, they made signs with bathroom instructions.

The floor banded together to prevent any more damage. 1E’s soph, Gazette video editor Liam J. Afonso, helped them organize and collect evidence to send to Housing.

1E floormates often described taking a shower as a sort of Russian Roulette — no one knew what they would find behind the curtain. They discussed their options at length, and decided ultimately to appeal to Housing.

Though they contacted Housing several times for help, 1E residents said they were disappointed with the results.

Mark Mariner, the manager of Delaware, sent out an email Nov. 20 demanding that whoever was creating the mess must stop immediately.

“There has been an ongoing issue that has been brought to my attention regarding human feces,”

he wrote. “Feces should only be going into the toilets, not into the showers or the garbage bins.”

Mariner also said the whole floor would be charged for any extra cleanup. Per Housing policy, any cleaning required in shared areas is the responsibility of the floor if the person responsible is not found.

The email finishes with Mariner’s request to have the Defecator identified.

“There has been an ongoing issue that has been brought to my attention regarding human feces … Feces should only be going into the toilets, not into the showers or the garbage bins.”

MARK MARINER MANAGER OF DELAWARE

Prout did so, after witnessing the culprit himself. Another 1E resident, Azza Osman, a second-year nursing student, described the floor’s further efforts to persuade Housing.

“Our floor wrote a well-articulated letter to the resident manager expressing our concerns and our speculations of who might be behind this issue,” Osman said. “In return, we were disappointed with the lack of action that was given towards this situation.”

Prout and Osman both said it felt unfair that Housing did little to stop the situation from recurring, and then told the floor to pay for someone else defecating in their shower.

Though the Defecator’s identity was certain to floor members, and was given to Housing, it is unclear whether Housing charged him.

PHOTOS OBTAINED BY THE GAZETTE Cellphone photos of signs residents placed in the bathroom

Alwin Ly, second-year science student, said he heard from their Residence Advisor later in the year that the floor would not be liable for any cleanup fees.

And, on March 26, Mariner sent an email to the residents acknowledging the challenges that the floor faced and thanked them for their patience.

“As a gesture of gratitude and appreciation, no caretaking costs associated with the incident will be the responsibility of anyone on your floor,” he said.

Damages for the floor totalled at

$150. The amount was for a broken light and the RA told Ly they were not charged for any other maintenance fees.

Prout was disappointed in Housing’s response to their concerns. He said he wanted more compensation, as he thought Housing did too little to help.

“For compensation for dealing with this the whole year, they waved off a fine that we weren’t charged,” he said. “I was scared to go to the washrooms.... It was just gross, it ruined going to the bathroom in peace.”

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 •

• 4

Here’s what your tour guide will avoid Dusty books? Debt? Existential dread?

GABRIELLE DROLET CULTURE EDITOR @GABRIELLEDROLET While being toured around Western’s ivy-clad buildings, your guide will aim to show you the best and brightest parts of your new university.

They’re also bound to skip the more unsavoury parts.

Since you’re likely to see these things on your own next year anyways, we figured we’d give you the low-down now.

SAUGEEN Western is a beautiful campus with equally beautiful residence buildings — with the exception of this one. Saugeen-Maitland Hall, despite being Western’s largest residence, is not in the SAO tour. For people who end up in Saugeen (which seems to be just about anyone who lists it as their last choice), what matters isn’t how grim their new home is…. it’s the friends they’ll make along the way.

D. B. WELDON’S UPPER FLOORS Weldon is ugly. This is an objective fact. Built in the 1970s (arguably the worst period for architecture), the massive building looks more like a windowless brick than it does a library. Despite this, you’re bound to spend some time there over the next few years in the woes of exam stress. As you look for a desk in the late hours of the night, you’ll notice the layers of dust that have been collecting on its stacks for decades.

Maybe Club Weldon isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

THE EXISTENTIAL DREAD SURROUNDING DOUG FORD Your tour guide, with pep in their step and a smile that suggests everything is fine, will avoid discussing the provincial politics that have left many Western students on edge; political unrest isn’t part of the script they’ve been assigned. They

will draw your attention away from the angry posters and small protests that have popped up around campus, trying to mask the existential dread that has settled in our hallowed halls. But believe me — with weaker OSAP and a blow to student experience, we’re all very afraid.

UC HILL DURING ANY KIND OF EXTREME WEATHER Western has gotten into some hot water these past few years for not adequately salting its walkways in winter. You think University College Hill is daunting now? Try walking to class when there are layers of ice between your feet and the pavement. Strap on your skates, kids.

THE GYM WHEN IT’S BUSY You just want to run on the treadmill. You go over to the gym, tap your student card, and suddenly you’re equal parts overwhelmed and afraid — there are huge men everywhere.

You try to find a machine, but no matter where you turn in this tightly-packed building you’re met by protein powder-guzzling students who have been here for hours with no intention of leaving anytime soon. Getting a workout in when you hardly have room to breathe?

No thanks.

FOCO/PURPLE FEST A few years ago, Western moved Homecoming in an attempt to curb campus partying. The result?

Students partied harder, retaliating by throwing a block party dubbed “Fake Homecoming,” or FOCO. To the dismay of London police and campus administration, FOCO has become an annual (and dangerous) affair. Your tour guide is unlikely to mention that — especially not in front of your parents.

THE EMPTY BLEACHERS AT FOOTBALL GAMES Between SAO and OWeek, it seems like our school spirit is spent by the football season starts. Real school spirit, if you have any, should be put towards your fellow students, not residences and faculties. After all — if we can care this much about the Raptors, we should try to care more about the Mustangs, too.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE An unlit window of Saugeen-Maitland Hall.

THE PRICES AT THE CAMPUS GROCER All you want is the ingredients to make a grilled cheese sandwich when you get home. Suddenly, you’re handing the cashier $40 and trying not to weep.

UCC CONGESTION You have twenty minutes between classes and you’re hoping you can grab a quick lunch from Tim Horton’s. Think again — the line alone will take at least forty minutes.

Is it worth showing up to class late with a bagel? Probably.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE The UCC Atrium locked down with congestion.

Get to know your ’Stang slang KRISTIN LEE MANAGING EDITOR @KRIIISLEE

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE Staring down the shelves of Weldon’s third floor.

Club Weldon. Western’s five-floor library that may be referred to as a club for its exclusive group of students who pretend to study while they read the same sentence in their textbook three times and sip iced coffee, or because of its rowdy second floor consisting of talkative students who seem really dedicated to their group projects.

Tim’s line. An excruciatingly and/or disgustingly long line of students waiting to order chicken noodle soup or, most probably, large coffees to alleviate hangovers or dark circles under eyes.

Friend 1: “Hey, wanna grab coffee?”

Friend 2: “Nah, the Tim’s line’s gonna take a hot minute. I’m going to The Spoke.”

UC Hill. This hill might be known as the motherland of the geese. Do not run across it. You will get attacked and you will get green poop on yourself.

But, when the geese fly south for the winter, ‘traybogganing’ is one of students’ favourite pastimes. Grab a cafeteria tray when no one’s looking and make a run for it (at your own risk).

Purple Pride. If you’re a real Westerner, you’ve got to have Purple Pride. If you’re blood isn’t purple, you’re not a real Westerner. Scientists suspect that eating enough Spoke bagels, and drinking excessive amounts of Starbucks may be the source of the mysterious purple blood.

Western Savages. An Instagram page of real life

events, mostly wild ones, sent in by students themselves. This page shows the truth of Western’s party reputation. Seriously, take your phone out and see for yourself. An equivalent to 6ixbuzz, but for savages at Western. (Note: the Gazette does not condone underage students having illegal fun).

Westurnt. A state of public intoxication within Western’s vicinity. Normally used in a loud, chant-like statement: “I’m Westuuuurnt.” Under-agers can say, “I’m Westuuuurnt off life.”

FOCO/Purple Fest. Previously known as “Homecoming,” or “HOCO,” this annual debauchery takes place at the same time at the buttcrack of dawn every year on Broughdale. No one does not wear purple or GPS ankle bracelets.

Quck Fueens. A wise Westerner once said, “Quck Fueens.” We Westerners now follow this motto. Say this at least three times a day to express your anger towards Queen’s students.

Thames. It’s rumoured people will jump into the Thames River without their shirts. No second thoughts. In the winter. For fun. Moral of the story?

Don’t do that.

OWL. Every student has this course organization website in their bookmarks bar because Googling OWL will literally give you image results and Wikipedia pages of various species of owls.

LTC. Need to get groceries? Take the LTC. Need a ride to the gym? Take the LTC. Gotta get downtown?

Take the LTC. Need McDonald’s fries at 11:30 p.m. to refuel? Take the LTC. Or honestly, just UberEats it.

5 •

REZ

• TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

Taniya Spolia, Culture Editor

A Comprehensive Guide

ON CHOOSING A RESIDENCE BASED ON YOUR PERSONALITY WHY CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLACE IS SUCH A BIG DEAL LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

Residence is your new home away from home. Your roommates, floormates and Residence Advisors will become your family in a daunting, but exciting new world.

INTROVERTED OR EXTROVERTED? Some people enjoy being surrounded by crowds, while others flourish in their own company.

First, ask yourself, can you share a room? Do you need your own space? How important is “me time”?

Choosing a residence for your personality allows you to to be your best first-year self. The year ahead is bound to be transformative, so you may as well get comfortable.

SUITE, WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

I NEED MY OWN ROOM, I NEED MY OWN SPACE.

Western offers two suite-style residences: Elgin Hall and Essex Hall. These buildings give you a private room in a suite of four, two ensuite washrooms and a shared kitchen.

Often, there’s a misconception that those who stray to apartment style rooms will miss out on the “residence experience.”

Both offer a communal dining hall, study rooms, music practice rooms and work-out rooms. Suite rooms cost $10,100.

I WANT THE STEREOTYPICAL, MOVIE EXPERIENCE.

MICHAEL CONLEY GAZETTE

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

But really, it’s same floor bonding, opportunities for activities like paint night and intramurals and sense of family as traditional alternatives — while keeping the option to go “incognito” for a few hours.

TRADITIONAL

HYBRID

You love a crowd. You want to be able to go knocking on any door at any time and find a friend to spend the evening with. Traditional-style rooms are for the outgoing.

There still is the option to go somewhere in the middle.

Hybrid-style residences are spaces for those who are open to the traditional experience, but aren’t ready to commit to it.

Doors remain open down the halls, and volumes tend to get a little high. People who thrive off of others’ energy will love to live in a shared space, with each floor uniquely reflecting the people who live in it.

Hybrid is for the people who look to find a balance, living by the philosophy to party hard and study hard.

Residence gives them the space to do both.

TRADITIONAL OPTIONS

HYBRID OPTIONS

Western offers three traditional residences: SaugeenMaitland Hall, Medway-Sydenham Hall, and Delaware Hall.

Western’s two hybrid-style residences stand side by side just off of campus: Perth Hall and Ontario Hall.

They’re usually two to a room at $7410, but there are a few individual rooms available at $8170 with shared washrooms on all floors.

All buildings offer an after-hours snack bar, a communal dining area and music rooms. Saugeen and Med-Syd have two lifestyle floors: Alcohol-Free and Quieter Lifestyles, and a Single-Gender (women’s) Floor.

Suites are divided into two rooms, with one shared bathroom and small communal walk-in area. While rooms are most frequently shared ($8950), individual rooms are also offered ($9720).

Both halls provide an after-hours snack bar, a communal dining space, and music rooms. Ontario Hall also offers a media room and a wellness centre.

SOME FYI’S • • • • KYLE PORTER GAZETTE

Saugeen-Maitland Hall has been colloquially called the “Zoo” by students due to its party reputation Ontario Hall is rumoured to serve the best cafeteria food, while Saugeen has recently renovated its cafeteria All residences offer varying schedules for in-room cleaning Essex Hall, Perth Hall, and Ontario Hall are closest in proximity to the Recreation Centre

GRAPHIC BY TANIYA SPOLIA GAZETTE

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Register today: writingsupport.uwo.ca

ZOO

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 •

• 6

Western banned a nickname.

No one forgot it.

Should students fight so hard to protect ‘the Zoo?’

BY MARTIN ALLEN

T

hings were not going as Western had planned.

On a Saturday night in 1989, a busload of residents came home from “chunk-fest,” a residence-sponsored event held off-site.

Minutes later, Saugeen-Maitland Hall’s fire alarm rang out. It was 2:30 a.m. Firefighters tried to evacuate the building but were unhelped by the building’s drunk residence staff.

Soon after, a false alarm was pulled at Medway Hall across campus.

That same night, the fire department struggled to address legitimate calls to an old-age home and an exploding garage on Central Avenue.

Firefighters rushed from Central in response to a second alarm from Saugeen at 3:30 a.m.

“Wild night at Saugeen: False alarms set off spree,” read the Gazette’s front page for March 17.

Saugeen was in the news again.

At just 20 years old, the two brick towers glaring down Western Road were infamous. Western University had a problem — they had ‘the Zoo,’ the restive heart of a party reputation the university would continue to fight for decades.

Through 1988-89, the untame image of ‘the Zoo’ flourished another year. Later, students would rumour Saugeen was once in a David Letterman Top 10 List — “best places to get laid,” — though that was untrue. As Saugeen’s infamy came to outsize the prestige of a university looking to increase entrance averages, Western took action. That

September, they announced a ban of any ‘Zoo’ naming on university-approved branding. This included yearbooks, merchandise and more.

Students resisted the ban, thinking their culture erased and their free speech threatened. But Western put its corporate clout behind the policy.

When asked for comment on this article, Housing and Ancillary Services provided a statement outlining numerous safety initiatives Western was implementing in Saugeen at the time. They describe it as the “ground central” for the university’s efforts to reform its residence experience.

(Editor’s note: Housing’s full statement is available with the online version of this article)

“As a University, we are proud of the evolution we have fostered at Saugeen.”

CHRIS ALLEYNE

ASSOCIATE VICE-PRESIDENT OF HOUSING AND ANCILLARY SERVICES. “As a University, we are proud of the evolution we have fostered at Saugeen,” said Chris Alleyne, associate vice-president, housing and ancillary services. “While its over-glorified and storied days have often captured people’s interests, it has become a residence community that houses Western’s best and brightest.”

Versions of the ‘Zoo’ debate continue today, though about different, equally forbidden traditions. In all cases, students and Western officials will both say they’re in the right, even

when they both make mistakes. It’s debatable whether Saugeen, and Western as a whole, fulfill their party reputation anymore — and equally debatable whether that reputation is something to cherish.

For every headline there is some nervous hand-wringing about Western’s corporate image, but there is also usually a person in harm’s way.

Alumni of the ‘80s were not invincible, as students often feel; their futures were not certain, and they were far away from home, in ‘the Zoo’.

A CELL AWAY FROM HOME

Saugeen-Maitland first opened in 1969. It was, and still is, the university’s

largest residence with 1200 beds between its 36 floors in two halls.

Then, 900 men lived in Saugeen and 300 women lived in Maitland.

“Maitland-Saugeen: a cell away from home,” the Gazette reported in Sept. 19 of that year. The building’s white-brick, penitentiary decor was disliked by some residents.

One described it as “bleak, barren, antiseptic and institutionalized.”

But, only two doors separated the men of Saugeen and the women of Maitland — the closest Western had allowed co-eds to live in its 91 years.

This closeness made for a reputation few would call antiseptic.

Between 1971-81, the genders were further intermingled, living on the same floors in both halls. But it was the late ’80s which painted the residence with greater infamy than Western would tolerate.

A survey conducted in 1989 by the Addiction Research Foundation

found alcohol was the “drug of choice” among Ontario students. 65 per cent self-reported as moderate drinkers; 30 per cent had more than 15 drinks a week; and 11.7 per cent said they had more than 28 drinks per week. An informal Gazette survey saw comparable figures for frosh of the next year, 1989-90: 78 per cent said they had been drunk — with 65 per cent to the point of vomiting — and 34 per cent said they got drunk once a week.

At the time, the Spoke said they were turning over four to five students a week to police for fake IDs. These habits had predictable consequences. Campus police told the Gazette in 1988 their assault figures were increasing. In September alone, they saw 14 assaults and three sexual assaults, up from 10 and one respectively in the previous September. Rising assault rates coincided with a gap in Western Foot Patrol protection: the free, on-campus service for escorting students on late-night walks home did not start up until second semester.

7 •

In their statement, Housing noted that drinking habits have changed since the ‘80s, and that 15 per cent of residents come from over 120 different countries. They added that they have increased alternative, dry programming and pushed for awareness about alcohol consumption.

Saugeen’s fateful year started with its residence council. Rez councils are bodies of students elected to represent residents to the administration, who also plan events which are occasionally held off-site.

On Valentine’s Day, 1989, an executive of the Saugeen rez council admitted she had lied in her stated reason for purchasing two bottles of Dom Perignon, valued at $394. She had told Housing and her fellow councillors the champagne was meant for a residence event, though she had never intended to hold it.

The event was “a cover so the executive could drink the Dom without the hassle,” she said.

Then came that Saturday night — or early Sunday morning — fire alarm spree. Students were returning from a rez council event, the “chunk-fest.” Responding to Saugeen’s second alarm, firefighters found 86 residents waiting out the evacuation in their rooms. After the spree, a Housing official noted Saugeen had just 12 staff to help any evacuations — one for every thousand residents.

“A good number of the staff were also very drunk,” they added.

In the previous year, Saugeen’s alarm had been pulled 21 times.

Saugeen later evicted two residents. The night of the spree, one had led a charge of first-year students against a staff member guarding the door while the building was being evacuated. An onlooker described the staff member as a “100-pound woman.”

Twenty-one fakes was just a fraction of the 50 Saugeen had seen in the recent ‘84-85 school year. But, inevitably, not all of them were fake.

In January of ‘84, Saugeen had its first major fire. A student playing with matches and toilet paper incinerated his room and sent all 1200 students evacuating into a -20C degree winter night. His roommate, Roderick Grant, was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

ZOO

• TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

His friend Robert Yamush, who was in the room, was hospitalized for burns on his feet.

The blaze spread from its originating room, 212, and caused significant damage to the surrounding floors, leaving a black streak on the building’s exterior. Firefighters came from three stations, and fire officials estimated the final damage at $250,000 to the building alone.

The culprit was later charged with arson.

PLEASE, CALL IT “THE GEEN”

On Sept. 26, 1989, Western banned the term ‘Zoo.’ Instead, for any university-approved branding, they offered an alternative, “the Geen.”

Rez council and staff were outraged and confused; Western had been vague about apparent “disciplinary action” against anyone who violated the ban, according to a Gazette report.

One Housing official said it was about time the name was changed.

“It [was] a bit of an insult really,” they said. “Every new resident is an Ontario scholar.”

Three days later, anti-Geen graffiti was scrawled on the floor of an old tunnel connecting Saugeen to the University Community Centre: “ZOO…. Let the revolution begin!”

Rez council members met with Western officials a week later to “set the legal boundaries” of the illicit name’s use. Still, many felt unclear.

“It’s a little unsettling. People are not sure of their legal position,” one student said.

As students continued to press Housing on their decision, the administration defended the ban as a matter of protecting their trademark. The same day, editors of a residence newsletter called Zoo-ology were told to change their name. The residence’s yearbook, the Zoo Revue, was given the same message.

Western said they would use their commercial authority to halt any materials bearing the name.

“If we catch people, we will deal with it,” said a senior official.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF THE WESTERN JUNGLE

Beyond any doubt, the name has not disappeared — ‘the Zoo’ is a part of the Western dialect 30 years after its ban and 50 after Saugeen’s opening. The Zoo’s reputation would even grow through the Saugeen Stripper debacle in 2005, and the residence’s special mention in Playboy’s 2011 Top Party Schools list. But, it’s unclear if this reputation is worth the protection students have given it.

There is as much risk as romance in Saugeen’s legacy. In the Gazette’s coverage of its 1969 opening, it

described the residence’s women as “sex-starved.” The men were “crazed.” Undoubtedly, this presumption of unavoidable sex caused more damage than what campus police saw, let alone punished. It’s been dangerous.

The place is complicated. It’s something between trademark and home, between a people and property. This much is unchanged since 1989. In a debate as old as alcohol, Western’s 30-year dispute is a fling.

Still, students embrace an image of wildness, taken from Saugeen’s party mythos. At rallies, the 1200 first-years all ‘stampede,’ pounding their feet in unison like horses.

But they practice their routines first, amassing in the building’s trampled grass backyard, facing Western Road and chanting “deep in the heart of the Western jungle, you can hear the Saugeen rumble.”

GUIDES

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 •

• 8

So you want to park on campus?

The Gazette guide to student parking KENDRA CAREY NEWS EDITOR @_KENDRACAREY

Building located on the North end of campus by Saugeen-Maitland Hall.

With 500,000 people parking on campus annually, and just 6,200 spaces, Western University students looking for parking face a real challenge.

Should you pay for a permit?

Where can a permit get you space?

Students need to answer these questions early, before permits disappear: last year they sold out Sept.

5, before fall classes even began. Put in a difficult position, some offered to buy permits from other students in Facebook groups.

Student parking permits will go on sale June 15, according to Mark Emerick, manager of Parking and Visitor Services at Western. He clarified that the amount of spaces available to students should not significantly fluctuate from last year, which was 2,300.

“I wish it wasn’t an issue. I wish I could assure students that they will always have a spot, but that’s not our geographical makeup unfortunately,” he said.

Emerick added that Parking will be selling permits at the University Community Centre on Sept. 4 and 5.

Some students return permits after Thanksgiving break, finding that parking is not for them. But those extras are not a guarantee, Emerick said. So, if you want to park on campus, it would make sense to purchase a permit sooner rather than later.

Here are a few important things to consider:

Where can students park?

Student permits are for the “Green Zone”, which includes Althouse West, Ontario, Medway, Huron Flats and Springett West Gate parking lots. Permits are sold by zone, not for individual lots, so you won’t always get your preferred area.

According to tips on the Parking website, Springett will fill up relatively fast during the morning hours, so it’s unlikely you’ll score a space if you arrive after 8:30 a.m. For students with a later start to the morning, Althouse West is typically filled to capacity by 10 a.m. You may want to plan depending on your class schedule.

How can I get a student parking permit?

Permits can be purchased online on the Parking website. Monitor the website closely, as student permits are sold on a first come, first serve basis. After getting a permit, you have to pick up your hang tag at the Parking Office in the Support Services

How much does it cost to park on campus?

There are a variety of options. The simplest is a non-reserved permit, which costs $556.78 annually; accessible permits cost the same. Reserved permits, available in Medway only, cost $1109.99 annually.

Permits for evenings and weekends can only be for day, week, month and term periods; prices range from $26.08 to $161.84.

How do I know which type of green permit I should buy?

Buying one term at a time may seem conservative but, purchasing one annual permit is cheaper, even though annual permits include the less-used summer months. And, having to reapply for your second term permit can mean you miss your spot.

Because of this, most students buy annual permits.

Do I have to buy a permit to park on campus?

No. For students who are not commuting to campus regularly,

ORIGINAL MAP FROM FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Western offers visitor or evening and weekend parking.

What alternatives are there to parking on campus?

The most obvious answer would be public transit. However, depending on how far you live from campus,

LTC may not be the most viable option. A suggestion for students who do not live on a bus route would be to seek parking near a bus stop and commute from there.

Western also offers a Carpooling program, which requires that groups be a minimum of two

people per vehicle. Each member of the carpool receives a parking voucher combined with the added benefit of having a reserved space for your group, as opposed to gambling for an empty space in Springett.

An Honest Guide to ‘Clubbing’ Western has nearly 200 clubs. Which will you join?

ASHVINDER SURI CULTURE EDITOR @ASH_SUREYE In their time at Western, every student learns that university’s most exciting aspects can also be its most daunting.

Western University’s clubs, all 200 of them, are no exception. University clubs are more numerous, and arguably more rewarding than their high school counterparts. Here at Western, clubs are under the students’ council, and are afforded real autonomy.

Western’s size means there truly is a club for everyone, no matter how niche you might consider your interests to be. And, if you’re doubtful, there’s only one way to find out.

To those bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshmen greener than spring grass on UC Hill, let this be the starter guide on your extracurricular expedition.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? While there’s a near guarantee that there’s a club for you on campus, the hard part is figuring out what exactly you want.

So, the first step in finding the best club

for you is consulting with…. well, yourself.

What’s your primary reason for joining a club?

Developing or improving a skill? Networking?

Simply for that warm, fuzzy feeling you get inside after making a new friend?

It’s likely not that last one, but you shouldn’t feel bad if it is.

You’ll get the most out of your four years at Western if you can figure out what your motive is early on. Especially since extracurriculars in university can be life-changing. It’s not unheard of for a student to get hired after graduation through club networking.

Many clubs on campus have a strong career focus, and while you’ll doubtlessly find the most sycophantic of students here, you’d be surprised at the opportunity they can offer.

DO YOUR RESEARCH The best introduction to clubs is at the University Students’ Council’s Clubs Week.

Every September, clubs picket the University Community Centre to show themselves off and ask for registrants.

But even after Clubs Week, the USC website allows you to sign up for clubs online well past the conclusion of Clubs Week up until the sign-up

deadline in mid to late Fall.

The website is also the first place you should check when considering a particular club. Using their search engine, you can view all the clubs on campus by category and find links to their social media and website; sign-up fee payments can also be made online.

When vetting a club on your own, check their activity level and posting frequency on their social media. The most reputable and popular clubs tend to stay very active throughout the school year and even during summer.

And their past Facebook events can tell you about their usual programming.

Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out and message the club’s page or email them to express your interest and ask for specific information. Most clubs will be ecstatic that you’re interested in them so early in the year and will be happy to answer any questions you have.

BE HONEST ABOUT YOUR COMMITMENTS Clubs at Western vary immensely from faculty student councils to coffee appreciation.

Certain clubs are “passively” participatory, meaning your duties as a member consist

mostly in showing up. Others may want to host events or fundraisers, which require you to undertake more responsibility. Both can be equally rewarding; the difference lies in what your individual expectations are.

You’ll find joining a few low-commitment clubs or one to two high-commitment clubs will help you strike a healthy balance between extracurricular involvement and academic excellence.

The glitz and glamour of Club Week’s colourful parade can be particularly enticing to freshmen eyes. But it’s definitively more fulfilling to keep your September commitments until April than to enlist for everything and disappear by midterms.

Under Doug Ford’s new regime of starving student organizations, extracurriculars are more and more valuable. As a Western student you’re entitled to the pursuit of finding a community, and clubs are often the best way to do that. Despite budget cuts, there is still a massively passionate community supporting the Western student experience, and that community is you.

So come September, welcome to the community.

9 •

ADVICE

• TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

From homeroom to varsity, student athletes make the change CHARLIE MARSHALL SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR @CWMARSHALL98 Making the transition from high school to university is already an arduous task for any prospective student. But, making that change while playing a varsity sport adds another layer of difficulty.

First-year varsity athletes face higher athletic and academic standards. Add on the shift every student feels living away from home, surrounded by new people, and the transition can seem too much to manage.

For some students, the transition starts before move-in day. While some are recruited, others must prove themselves in tryouts, unsure if they will make the team they want until they’ve already picked their school. Caroline Stricelj, a recent kinesiology graduate, started at Western University on the track, trying to make varsity. “[It was] definitely a little bit overwhelming…. Just based on what I’d run in high school they were kind of like, ‘Uh, we’re not sure what this girl can do,’” said Stricelj.

“It was definitely challenging. But I have a pretty determined personality that if I think you’re going to underestimate me, I’m going to prove you wrong.”

Future first-year students may have an easier transition to life as a varsity athlete though, since Western implemented the Student Athlete Academic Mentorship Program in 2016.

The program was originally conceptualized by Rebecca Matheson, a graduated member of the Women’s Rugby team, and is

now a joint operation with Sports and Recreation Services, Mustangs Athlete Student Council and the Student Success Centre. SAAMP aimes to partner upper-year student athletes with incoming freshmen in order to ease the transition and provide academic support.

Liz Tkachuk — a third-year media, information and technoculture student and squash player — is currently a mentor in the program.

She explained that SAAMP allows her to hand down the academic advice she needed as a rookie. “I’m in MIT, so the girl on the squash team in first year was also in MIT, so I helped her manage,”

said Tkachuk. “We know our schedule and all our practices — you know pretty much what you have the whole year in September. So I was like, ‘Look at your schedule. Get a calendar and plan it out.’”

“That’s what I wish somebody told me, because my first mid-term in first year did not go well,” said Tkachuk.

Proper time management was an aspect of preparation that Ryan Evans, a third-year kinesiology student and decathlete, also stressed in his advice for future student athletes. Specifically, he pointed to understanding yourself.

“Sometimes, depending on the person, it can get a little much,” admitted Evans. “You might lose a little bit of sleep, more than you’re used to with classes. The biggest thing is knowing your body, knowing when to take it a little easier, when to shut it down, and when you can really push yourself.”

The kinesiology major, who currently splits his week between 30 to 40 hours of practice and a full course l o a d , which requres 21 hours per week, clearly understands the sacrifices needed to balance a hectic schedule. Even though the schedule may seem daunting, each of the three athletes spoke glowingly about their coaches’

ability to adapt training schedules in order to prioritize education.

“Obviously academics comes first, that’s why we’re in school: we want to get our degree, we want to do the best we can off the court or off the track,” said Evans. “All the coaches are really understanding of that; they want us to be students first before athletes. If it’s possible for us to rearrange something they’re always willing to do that.”

Of course, added into this academic-athletic balance is a focus on nutrition. Living in residence in first year offered a challenge to Tkachuk, who was underwhelmed by the options in Delaware’s cafeteria.

“My rez, specifically, I feel like they could have done more,” said Tkachuk. “The salad options were really limited. You couldn’t have a salad as your main meal by any means, unless you wanted to have literally lettuce and tomatoes.”

However, the fourth-year student noted that this was an isolated incident, rather than a collective shortcoming.

“Saugeen and O-Hall were a lot better; they had way more options. It was towards more of a customized, full meal,” she said. “I know that one of my friends on the squash team was in O-Hall and she told the chef her dietary restrictions in regards to squash. If the main meal [didn’t fit her diet], they’d give her alternative options.”

A student’s choice of rez goes further than the cafeteria, though.

And for a student-athlete, there is more reason to consider the building they’ll call home in first year.

Stricelj explained that while she loved her first-year experience, living in Medway-Sydenham Hall, a traditional-style rez, brought its own challenges.

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

How to look successful, even when you’re not RANIA OSMAN NEWS EDITOR @_RANIAOSMAN_ When you look annoyed all the time, people think you’re busy.

Truer words were never said, even if they were said by George Costanza in Seinfeld. It may not be the attitude you really want to have, but the advice could help you give others an impression of your hard-working demeanour.

As an upper-year, I’ve had my share of instances where I struggled to keep up with schoolwork, but I wanted my classmates to think I had it all figured out. I am not encouraging you to slack off, but I’m certain looking successful is something we all think about at one point. In the end, my tactics subconsciously made me improve as a student, even if I believed I wasn’t a good one.

If you want to look successful, here are five steps that can help you: LOOK BUSY Looking not particularly annoyed, but definitely occupied with your classes, can show others your investment. Say you’re sitting in class and someone asks to hangout, you could say you’re starting an assignment earlier or you have work to catch up with. This will show them how busy and dedicated you are. Once you actually get to

work, make sure you commit the necessary amount of time. You could choose at least one hour of your day to go through everything; go to the library for a proper studying environment, or even talk to your professors about the course.

who to go to. Act certain of what you say and you can become a trusted guide to success.

PARTICIPATE IN CLASS Asking questions and commenting can make a professor happy and may show other students how engaged you are in the course. This can even benefit you in learning more, if you’re interested in that.

Also, class participation is key to showing off any knowledge relatable to the topic and can certainly set a high standard with your classmates. Plus, the participation marks are a bonus!

GET INVOLVED This one is a win-win situation.

Whether you are part of a club, Western’s Co-Curricular Record Program, or the University Students’ Council, any activity outside the classroom is an extra to build your social sphere. You can help other students enjoy their time on campus, you receive opportunities like managing events and meeting people.

You may be recognized by some or you can use the knowledge from those services for your personal gain.

In any case, you are building your image within campus life and this definitely helps your profile.

INDEPENDENCE University can help you grow; you get an education and different experiences to brace for life once you graduate. But we all need guidance at some point. Western University offers a wide variety of student programs that aim to make your academic journey as smooth as possible. These services teach you different ways to handle academics or other problems you may face, and they help to make your student life easier. Now you can show off your success. You can help other students — inform them where and

TAKE INITIATIVES There are hundreds of opportunities in university — take advantage of them to help set your goals. If you find yourself struggling, know you can reach for help. Self-improvement tends to lead to success, no matter the bumps, no matter how you act.

As I said before, being a good student depends only on yourself — no one can determine your success.

Who knows? Maybe these tips on how to look successful will eventually guide you in adapting them for real.

ANASTASIIA FEDOROVA GAZETTE

“I was really lucky that I roomed with someone that I went to high school with and she was super respectful to the fact that I was doing track,” she said. “But definitely I had my moments where my floor would be really loud at midnight on a Wednesday and I’d be like, ‘I have to race in two days, please shut up.’”

Stricelj said that, in hindsight, knowing she would be on the track team would push her towards a hybrid or suite–style rez for the added privacy. It would’ve been quieter too, she added.

While some aspects of first year may have been difficult, the fifthyear graduate couldn’t say enough about Western’s athletic programs.

In fact, she returned for a fifth year to complete a diploma specifically because she didn’t want to leave what she had built as a Mustang.

“After my fourth year, that was my best year of track. Pretty much everything was awesome and I just felt like I wasn’t done… just kind of not ready to give up the dream,” she said. “I went from being a nobody that couldn’t medal at all, didn’t make the finals in OFSAA in high school, to being a national medalist multiple times at Western.”

Satisfaction with their careers after making the transition was a consistent theme among the three athletes. As well, each student stressed the need to enjoy every aspect of university life — including the social side — in order to come away with the best possible experience.

“Honestly, just have fun with it — it goes by quick,” advised Evans.

“I’m going into my third year now and it feels like I just got here. You just want to enjoy it—it’s going to be the proudest moments of your life with your teammates — you just want to remember it.”

ADVICE

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 •

OPINION

The bird course dilemma Hope Mahood OPINIONS EDITOR @HOPE_MAHOOD Most students are sucked into taking a bird course at some point. But many who do end up paying hundreds of dollars only to flunk a course they weren’t interested in to begin with.

Bird courses are pushed on students desperate for an academic

break. They’re covertly recommended by academic counselling as shortcuts to filling those pesky breadth and essay requirements, or branded on student social media pages as GPA-boosters. And who wouldn’t want that?

However, students who sign up for bird courses expecting an easy A fail to recognize something vital. Not only can bird courses fail to deliver their promised high marks, they can also rob you of your education.

A bird course is like any other course in university, or even high school: in order to do well you have

to put in the work. True, the workload for a supposed bird course may be lighter than average. You may only have one small reading a week.

But that one reading might as well be a 50-page scholarly tome if you dislike the subject.

Let’s take Astronomy 1021 as an example, a course which is often recommended to first-year, non-science students on lists from academic counselling and student social media as an easy way to fill the category C (math and science) breadth requirement. The average for the course’s final exam, after adjustments were made to boost students’ marks, was 51 per cent. A course you have no interest in will not be one you do well in – no matter how much of the exam is multiple choice.

When choosing courses, you also need to remember that curriculums get revamped regularly and professors change; if a new professor is

trigger-happy with their red pen, what was a bird course could easily become a GPA-killer.

In this sense, every course you take will be a risk. The quality of a course and how well you do in it is largely dependent on how much you like the course material and the professor. As a student here, you can pay well over $6,500 in tuition for your education. You might as well risk your money on a subject that interests you.

Bear in mind that, unless you plan on doing graduate studies, just passing your courses is good enough for many employers, making your GPA little more than an expensive decimal point. Even on the graduate path, many programs only look at the marks from your last two years of study. So first year is the perfect time to pick courses out of interest for the subject – not because you heard they’re easy As.

• 10

Above all, remember that what makes a course easy is subjective.

Personally, I find essay courses a breeze, but the second a prof begins to combine numbers and the Greek alphabet, I might as well be teaching pigs to fly. But I know there are people (the entire engineering faculty comes to mind) who would rather do that than write a five-paragraph essay.

You can’t rely on a list from academic counselling, answers to a Facebook post or a two-year old Reddit thread to find courses that work for you. Whoever is making those recommendations will have interests that differ from yours and different criteria for what makes a course a “bird”. Of course you can, and should, ask others for advice during course selection – but ultimately, you need to choose your courses based on what you’re good at and what interests you, not based on an arbitrary list from strangers.

ANASTASIIA FEDOROVA GAZETTE

Your easiest breadth requirements HANNAH DIEBOLD SPORTS EDITOR A breadth requirement? Who knows what that is anyway?

To those who aren’t familiar with the confusing jargon that comes with understanding program requirements at Western, it seems that passing an actual course may be just as tricky as picking the right ones in the first place.

Breadth requirements, which are mandatory for almost all undergraduate degrees, require students take 3.0 credits, or 1.0 from a list of categories: social science and interdisciplinary studies, arts and humanities, and science.

The idea is to force students to take courses outside of their predominant subject area. However, stepping outside of your program’s range means it can be hard to find courses that are interesting, or at the very least, easy to achieve a good grade in.

Through this common struggle, students can appeal to the following recommendations.

CATEGORY A Category A seems a rather daunting category. It includes a long list of subjects, most of which are notorious for their intensive writing aspects. This can be intimidating for science and math students who often prefer equations to words.

However, with any program or module, another basic requirement for all undergrad students is that before graduation they need to pass at least 2.0 essay courses (suffixes F, G or E). Fulfilling the category A requirement by taking an essay course is an efficient way to work on attaining both requirements simultaneously.

Sociology 1021E is a full-year essay course that, according to the course description, is designed to “enhance essay-writing skills.”

Though it will demand some time, it will fulfill both requirements.

If this is something you do not want to tackle in first year, you can always wait until second year to take Basics of Dance 2174A/B or

Geography of Tourism 2144A/B. Neither of them are essay courses, but they are definitely more unorthodox ways to suffice the category A requirement.

CATEGORY B If you happen to be fluent in multiple languages, attaining your category B requirement will be a breeze. All of Western’s language courses reside under the category B, so select a class in your most fluent language and you will be well on your way. But if you are not so good with language, attaining category B requirements can be a harder feat to come by.

That being said, many students who have taken Classics 1000 claim it to be highly interesting and severely underrated. It’s a full year course, which will fulfill your entire category B requirement. Every class is like listening to a story, especially if you can get into Professor Lamari’s section. This class encompasses interesting anecdotes and

no writing requirement. For that reason, it often makes an attractive prospect to fulfill the category B requirement.

CATEGORY C Just as science students may be timid of the writing component of Category A and B courses, Liberal arts students could be worried about taking science courses which are mostly numbers and equations.

Both Environmental Science 1021F/G and Computer Science 1033A/B are courses that address that fear. Neither course has science-based pre-requisites that would prohibit someone without a science background from understanding the material. So long as you attend classes and submit assignments on time, these courses can get you that category C requirement.

But there is more to it. In first year, you must fulfill at least 2.0 of the 3.0 credits needed for your breadth requirements. If you are finding that last 1.0 credit requirement is proving

to be quite difficult to fulfill, discovery credits are an option.

Discovery credits are pass/fail courses which do not entail the traditional percentage grade. This allows you to fulfill up to a maximum of 1.0 credits without the fear of having a poor mark drag down your overall average. Discovery credits, however, are only available after first year, so they must be done in second year or beyond.

Fulfilling breadth requirements is important to remember when choosing courses because you simply cannot graduate without them.

Stepping outside of your area of interest and expertise can be hard to do, so these requirements help students to do so.

But it is important to choose your breadth requirement courses wisely. Whether it’s based on your own interest or the recommendations given above, you could end up loving a course that is completely different from what you originally came to study at Western.

11 •

ADVICE

• TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019

OPINION

You don’t have to dress to impress GABBY GLASIER COPY EDITOR @GABBYGLASIER Coming from a small town, one of the most jarring features about Western is how well dressed its students are.

Through Bl u n d s t o n e s, Lululemons and other attire from Masonville Place, the broke reality of most university students is effectively concealed. Perhaps this heightens Western University’s prestige. But as a student, everyone else around me being well-styled was nothing short of intimidating.

By the end of OWeek, the harsh reality came crashing down: my days of consistent hoodie-wearing were behind me. Walking down the sidewalk to get to class, waiting in line at Tim Horton’s — things I had done in sweatpants before university — had me zipping up my coat to hide my plain sweater.

I began dropping money trying to fit in to this new, respected university I had just been admitted to. I was pressured to dress according to the status quo — a pressure that was wholly misplaced and unnecessary.

It was a tumultuous time for my self-esteem. At home, I threw on whatever was in arm’s reach; in Ontario Hall, I put on a full face of makeup and a coordinating outfit before venturing downstairs for breakfast.

I didn’t know the bus route to get to class, but I knew the way to the mall.

Western has a large and diverse student population, but with so many people it was easy to be self-conscious — proven by my numerous trips to Forever 21.

Instead of comparing myself to the

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

middle-aged, Croc-wearing cashiers at the Dollarama down the road, I was comparing myself to the vibrant, lingerie-clad girls in line at Prohibition.

I was dropping money for the sake of fitting in. My friends and I were purchasing clothes to the detriment of our bank accounts — mobile updates of our recent shopping endeavours were all too frequent and painful.

But now, with my first year over, I can say that my wardrobe did not make or break my experience. My friends were not gained through my clothes and my clothes had no bearing on my essays.

I don’t remember what I was wearing when I met my friend in European history class, but I remember our introduction. We whirled around to face each other after realizing that we were from adjoining towns.

The integral parts of your Western experience will happen irrespective of what you’re wearing.

Do not feel pressured to dedicate your every penny to the maintenance of your wardrobe. Instead, spend your money on experiences: skiing at Boler Mountain, or a concert at Budweiser Gardens. Or better yet, save it — the next most jarring feature of Western is the tuition.

Of course, I’m not saying you should go shopping-abstinent. If you enjoy fashion, and purchase items for personal pleasure, that’s different than buying an outfit out of pressure.

Western is a beautiful place, but don’t feel that you need to match that beauty through the quality of your clothes — your Canada Goose jacket didn’t get you here.

LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE

OPINION

To the class of 2023 BARDIA JALAYER USC PRESIDENT @BARDIAJALAYER My first year at Western started the same way many of yours will — pulling up to my residence building with sophs cheering, strangers all around and a distinct feeling of nervousness and excitement as I walked onto my floor for the first time and prepared to say goodbye to my parents.

I had no idea what the next four years would look like or if I made the right decision coming to Western, but within a couple hours of OWeek 2015, I knew Western was my new home.

Every minute of OWeek was filled with making new friends, learning more about Western and figuring out where I fit in. In the months that followed, I got to know the school, joined clubs, participated in activities like residence flag football and attended a couple lectures in between.

I really thought I had this whole university thing figured out. But I had my missteps, as all of you will. I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped in some of my classes, my intramural teams didn’t go as far as I’d expected, I forgot to keep in touch with my family and I let some friendships fall apart because I didn’t know how to manage my time.

You might feel like you’re experiencing some of these things alone and are the only one struggling with the different parts of first year; I want you to know that you’re not. We all go through different challenges as a part of the big transition from high school to university, and that’s OK. In my second year, I was a residence soph in Medway-Sydenham Hall and I started to give back by trying to impart what I thought was all the wisdom in the world, while helping to create a solid orientation experience for the next generation of Mustangs.

My experiences grew from there: sophing on the Social Science team, being a club executive for three years, playing way too many intramurals, coaching residence flag football and eventually being elected the University Students’ Council president for the 2019-20 year.

For a big part of my time at Western, I didn’t understand what the USC was or what it did.

I laugh now when I look back and remember thinking that the UCC and USC were the same thing. Since I started getting involved in student government, however, I’ve realized that

I was interacting with the USC and benefiting immensely from its existence throughout my undergrad without even knowing it.

From the moment I arrived on campus and was greeted by hundreds of sophs through the USC’s orientation program, the USC was helping to enhance my student experience and making me feel at home at Western.

When I attended HOCO on the Hill (an early iteration of the USC’s Purple Fest), the USC was providing safe and fun programming to help me celebrate my purple pride. When I grabbed a beer at the Spoke and watched a soccer game while telling my parents I was studying, the USC was helping build my sense of community. When I joined the clubs system and built transferable skills as an executive member, the USC was facilitating my personal and professional development. When I went home for Fall Reading Week in my third year for the first time, the USC was celebrating a successful advocacy win by pushing for an academic schedule that made sense for students.

Whether I knew it or not, the USC made so much of my student experience possible and without the USC I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I hope that you will see the same value in the USC that I have come to know throughout my time at Western.

I leave you with this: as you get ready for the whirlwind that is to come in the next four years, take advantage of the opportunities in front of you.

Know that your USC is here to represent your interests, advocate on your behalf and provide you with supports, events, programs and services that help create a better overall university experience. Know that you belong here no matter who you are; we celebrate diversity in our community and welcome your differences.

Know that being involved doesn’t mean wasting your time; it can be as simple as shooting us a message with an idea, concern or comment. Know that the next four years can be the best years of your life if you let them be.

We can’t wait to welcome you to campus in just a few short months at OWeek 2019!

Remember that our doors are always open in room 340 of the University Community Centre, and we are always here for you, for whatever you may need. Welcome to Western and welcome home!

Bardia Jalayer, 2019-20 USC President

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2019 •

• 12

We’ll show you around.

We’re just as lost as you are.

A letter from the Gazette’s editor, Martin Allen.

I

f you’re reading this, you’re on the right track.

You’re being handed a lot of things right now. Pamphlets, welcome packages, fliers — and you’re being told even more. You’re told you should be remembering it all.

But actual, real-life Western students made this paper. And we’re easy to remember.

What you’re holding is the campus newspaper, the Gazette. An all-student group wrote this issue for you, an incoming first year, or maybe their parent.

It’s Summer Academic Orientation (SAO) season here at Western. SAO is Western’s first impression with many students. They really put on a show.

We’ve put together our own unofficial SAO with this issue, for an honest introduction to life at Western University.

Western’s SAO is helpful, of course. But here’s what you really need to know: by the time you graduate, you won’t remember your SAO. You’ll remember the real Western.

Let me explain.

So far you’ve heard plenty of good things about this place: OWeek, residence life, school spirit — they call it the “student experience.” You are told that people walk around calling themselves “Mustangs.”

We want to tell you, student to student, that you have no idea what will happen in the next four years.

No idea. Or, nothing important anyway.

This is what you know: You will go to class. You will skip class. You’ll go to parties. You’ll get dragged to parties. You will live in residence, and you will hate your roommates. You will study. You’ll study in your room, in the library, in bed and sitting outside your exam room. You also won’t study, especially when you should be studying.

You know that. No matter what university, in what country and what year, you’ve signed up for that.

But what else have you gotten yourself into?

A fire in rez, caused by a joint? A university-wide professors’ strike? Communism?

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARTIN ALLEN @MTRALLEN MANAGING EDITOR KRISTIN LEE @KRIIISLEE

University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

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GAZETTE ADVERTISING & COMPOSING

Volume 113, Issue 1 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA

These are all things we’ve covered in the past year. And, by our standards, it was a pretty normal year.

This is the real Western. It’s what you’ll actually remember about your time here.

We’re the ones who show you these things, if we’re doing our job right. At the Gazette, we’re writers, photographers, videographers and artists. But all of us are students.

We cover what you care about, because it’s what we care about.

And you probably will care about what goes on here. Not every university is good for that: UBC and U of T are empty by 6 p.m., but in our experience, Western is never quiet.

This year is shaping up to be interesting. In this issue, we’ve got angry geese, banned nicknames and a brown mess in the shower (you know what we mean. It’s on Page 3).

Is this what you’ve signed up for? Maybe.

We’re as lost as you are. And the more time we spend on campus, trying to figure it out, the more unpredictable and impossible this place gets.

What we can promise though, is that so long as you remember us, your student media, you won’t miss a thing.

OPINIONS HOPE MAHOOD

WESTERNGAZETTE

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@UWOGAZETTE

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KRISTIN LEE GAZETTE Feel lost? Enjoy it, the feeling never goes away.

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