Second-year gender, sexuality and women’s studies student Renee Laurin was always a high achiever.
She excelled in her coursework in elementary and high school and loved to read and write. But everything changed when she started university. The workload was heavier, expectations were higher, and suddenly, the strategies that had once worked for her — like making lists and establishing routines — no longer did.
By the end of her first year, she had failed multiple classes.
That’s when Laurin was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — or ADHD. While it was a lot to hear, she says that getting a diagnosis helped validate what she was experiencing. One year later, she feels like a completely different person.
“I just am figuring this all out now, and so it is heartbreaking, but it’s the reality … that a lot of
women are disadvantaged when it comes to any type of mental, competent, cognitive disabilities. And so when I saw that there was a gap here at Western, I didn’t want my demographic to go under the radar again,” says Laurin.
Students like Laurin are advocating for better support from institutions, reduced barriers to diagnoses and a systemic shift in how people view the disorder.
Her brother, two years older than Laurin, lived a life almost identical to hers — same school, same house and same teachers. But his ADHD was diagnosed at a much younger age, giving him access to medication and support early.
“Women tend to conform more than men do as well,” says Laurin. “There’s higher standards that are placed on us. And so that extra pressure to conform and to do well and be successful and not to offend and to go on with your life, it’s a form of masking.”
ADHD masking is when a person with ADHD
acts in a “socially acceptable” way to fit in and form better connections with those around them. Women with ADHD are more likely than men to develop coping mechanism behaviours to conceal symptoms and project an image that aligns with neurotypical norms to mask ADHD, which could help explain why males are more likely to get diagnosed earlier than females.
ADHD presents in two main types: inattentive and hyperactive.
Laurin explains the latter as the stereotype most people think of when they hear about ADHD. Symptoms include being unable to sit still and concentrate, constantly fidgeting and being more rambunctious than others.
Inattentive ADHD symptoms include having a short attention span and zoning out, appearing forgetful, losing things or struggling to complete tasks that are tedious or time-consuming.
Warm winds, rain sweep thousands of St. Paddy’s partiers down Broughdale
For women, the predominant type of ADHD is inattentive, whereas for men, it’s hyperactive. Alexandra Elmslie, a third-year developmental cognative neuroscience student with ADHD, says this makes diagnosing women more difficult, leading to delayed diagnoses and misinterpretations.
Elmslie explains that oftentimes, women will get misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression when ADHD is the underlying root condition causing their symptoms.
When Laurin finally received her ADHD diagnosis, she also learned she had a math learning disability, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.
There’s still a three-to-one diagnosis rate of men to women when Elmslie believes, neurologically speaking, it should be one-to-one.
ANGWARA NILANONT GAZETTE
New Western lab aims to improve brain health with food
VASOULA IOANNIDIS NEWS INTERN
Anew research lab at Western is investigating how certain foods may enhance brain function.
The Nootropics Food Lab, led by biology professor Raymond Thomas, opened in January in the North Campus Building.
The term “nootropic” refers to a substance or compound, like caffeine, that may positively affect a person’s brain. The lab aims to scientifically validate how certain foods can benefit brain health and function.
Many claims about the brain-enhancing abilities of nootropic ingredients lack scientific proof, but Thomas said he wants to change that through his research.
“I talk about nootropics and it just seems like a gimmick. It just seems like a lot of buzzwords, and that is why we want to do good science to change that,” said Thomas.
According to Thomas’s lab website, some foods with a high nootropic value have essential fats that can help communication between brain cells and prevent age-related decline. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, contain DHA, an acid that is essential to brain function but can only be made by the body in small amounts.
Unbalanced fat metabolism in the brain has also been linked to a higher risk of neurodegenerative brain diseases, like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Brain health is emerging as a major global health issue, and this is further exacerbated by COVID-19,” said Thomas.
He explained that while brain health is affected by many factors, like aging, COVID-19 has introduced additional concerns. Many people who have recovered from the virus report lower attention spans and memory issues, with long-term effects still largely unknown.
Beyond lab research, the project extends into the kitchen. Tim D’Souza, the lab’s executive chef and previous executive chef at Brescia University College, uses his expertise and culinary creativity to “create food ideas that are good tasting and that provide the nootropic benefits that we think they do.”
A typical day on the job for D’Souza can include creating recipes that include nootropic ingredients, cooking food to be tested and meeting with the lab team.
Ramak Esfandi, a postdoctoral fellow in Thomas’s lab, has been passionate about food science since she was in high school and said understanding how food affects the body is key to her work.
“Practically, humans are made of food, they say you are what you eat,” said Esfandi. “I really like to work with food, just look at the different aspects, like how it can be relevant to human health.”
After D’Souza creates a recipe, Esfandi said part of her job is to analyze its nutritional value and to
test the food’s effect on brain cells.
D’Souza said the fundamental aspects of the lab are co-learning, community outreach and the concept of Etuaptmumk. The Mi’kmaw word means “two-eyed seeing” and represents the integration of Indigenous knowledge with Western University scientific approaches.
The lab recently partnered with Denise McInnis, vice-chief of the Three Rivers Mi’kmaq Band in Newfoundland. McInnis visited London to work with D’Souza on a kelp lasagna recipe — a traditional dish from her community.
With taste being another test that Thomas said is integral to the success of the recipe, their first attempt at kelp lasagna passed with flying colours. The lab is now analyzing the lasagna’s nootropic and nutritional value.
“You get to eat your research at the end of the day, if you do a good job and it tastes good,” said Thomas.
HSSA announces multi-faith prayer space in Health Sciences Building
JESSICA KIM FEATURES EDITOR
The HSSA announced it will open a new multifaith prayer space in the Health Sciences Building in September 2025, following a renovation to modify a former lab.
The decision comes after years of advocacy from the Muslim Students’ Association, and a lack of prayer rooms at Western University that forced some Muslim students to pray in stairwells. The new prayer space will be on the fourth floor of the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Health Sciences Building.
“Students praying in a stairwell face some significant risk to your own personal safety if you’re praying in unsafe, unsuitable locations,” said Muhammad Zahoor, a fifth-year medical sciences student and vice president of Islamic affairs at the MSA.
“It’s very great and amazing to have a prayer space in that building,” said Zahoor, adding it is important as Muslim students pray five times a day.
He explained the new prayer space will benefit students from a wellness and safety perspective, in addition to academically, and reduce the time spent walking across campus to the nearest prayer room.
Health Science Students’ Association president Elena Pampaloni said the need for safe prayer spaces aligns with equity in healthcare and the social determinants of health — concepts taught across health studies programs.
Pampaloni explained she feels she and the HSSA’s vice-president advocacy Lana Mamika leveraged these connections to program curricula when speaking to the Faculty of Health Sciences leadership about this new space.
“I feel like one of the main things is empathy — really putting yourself in other people’s shoes is important,” Pampaloni said.
Pampaloni explained the HSSA consulted many students, as well as the MSA, when planning the new space. She also noted the program dean Jayne Garland and director Rachel Forrester-Jones were very receptive to the idea and lent their support throughout the process.
“It’s necessary to have this intersectional approach to multi-faith spaces and advocating for student needs on campus, because one group cannot do all the work alone,” said Zahoor.
The retrofitting construction project of the former lab space will cost a total of $25,000, according to Pampaloni. Modifications to the room will include reflooring, cabinet removal and the installation of a door.
The HSSA covered around $8,000 of the project, with the Faculty of Health Sciences covering the remaining costs.
Zahoor explained that although the MSA is very grateful for this new prayer space, it is important for Western University to continue to address growing student demand.
He referenced the university’s plan to increase student enrolment to over 50,000 students by 2030, under Western’s strategic plan.
“[The amount of prayer space] is not sufficient right now, so I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in the near future, or even in five years from now,” Zahoor said.
“I do think there needs to be some sort of effort from the university to kind of accommodate for that need.”
Health Sciences is the third faculty to announce a new prayer space since February 2023 when the Gazette first reported on a lack of prayer spaces on campus. This addition brings the total number of designated prayer spaces at Western to five.
In March 2023, the Undergraduate Engineer-
ing Society voted to convert room 57 in the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavillion into an interim prayer room following Ivey Business School’s announcement of a pilot prayer space on the third floor of the Richard Ivey Building.
But the current status of these faculty building prayer spaces remains unclear. Western did not respond to the Gazette’s request for comment in time for publication.
Western also manages bookings for two multifaith rooms through Student Experience — one in the University Community Centre 38B and another in Middlesex College 15A.
ELILCHARAN RAVICHANDRAN GAZETTE
A look into the Nootropic Foods Lab, situated in the North Campus Building, March 7, 2025.
ROBBIE SCHWARTZ GAZETTE Health Sciences Building, March 14, 2025.
USC votes to remove Health Sciences resource members from council
GABRIELLA MCKENNA NEWS EDITOR
The USC voted to remove three non-voting council members from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Feb. 26 meeting, citing concerns the faculty was overrepresented in council.
The motion to remove the presidents of the Kinesiology Students’ Association, Western-Fanshawe Nursing Students’ Association and Health Studies Students’ Association as non-voting resource members of the University Students’ Council was first introduced at the Feb. 12 council meeting.
The three association presidents from the Faculty of Health Sciences observed council meetings and sat on subcommittees but were unable to vote on motions. No other faculty councils had resource members elected through USC spring elections or fall by-elections.
George Triantafillakis, the president of the Faculty of Health Sciences Students’ Council, believes that association presidents were likely part of the USC because kinesiology, nursing and health studies used to be independent faculties. But he said no one is exactly sure why the positions remained in place for so long.
“Honestly, it’s a bit of a mystery how it ended up that way. But when it was pointed out and looked at, it was like, ‘Huh, why is that there?’” he said.
Triantafillakis said that although association presidents did not usually attend council meetings, their ability to vote on subcommittees raised concerns the FHSSC was overrepresented in the USC.
“They do have an option to be sitting on subcommittees, which is where we found it to be a bit unfair. Other schools that don’t necessarily have program representation on this,” he said. “We
Warm winds, rain sweep thousands of St. Paddy’s partiers down Broughdale
MABEL ZHAO NEWS EDITOR
OM SHANBHAG SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Afew thousand partiers flocked to Broughdale Avenue to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day before police cleared the street late afternoon on March 15.
Most partiers arrived in the early afternoon — after a rainy morning — to warm weather, wind and sunshine. Dressed in green, partiers were seen throwing footballs, blasting music and participating in the iconic “ginger run.”
Will Collister, a fifth-year film studies student, said he woke up this morning, saw the rain and found it to be a “big turn-off.”
“We’re doing a big group breakfast inside and then around 3 p.m. we might start drinking when the rain kind of slows up,” said Collister.
The “ginger run” — a St. Patrick’s Day tradition where self-identified gingers race down the street — returned for its third year. London Police Service officers attempted, but failed, to shut down the event around 2:30 p.m..
Zach Gillesby, a first-year medical sciences student, said a police officer stood in front of potential participants to try to prevent the ginger run from happening.
“I thought it was a great experience … They were trying to hold us down but we stood up,” said Gillesby.
But after a red-headed runner sprinted past the officer, the race began.
The first runner was Will Richards, a third-year history student, who said he has participated in the ginger run for the last three years.
“We kind of just went on the other side, pretending to talk to some people like we knew them,” said Richards. “We gave each other a look, we’re like, ‘Yeah let’s go,’ and we sent her.”
Richards arrived on Broughdale Avenue at 1 p.m., because he said “Western party life wasn’t very great about letting us know when the ginger run was.” At the time, he described the street as “dead” and the lack of police officers was almost insulting, according to Richards.
“Laurier is gonna have all the attention, Queen’s is gonna have the attention. So it’s like, are they underestimating us?” said Richards. “But now they’re here, which is great.”
London police officers arrived on the street at around 2:35 p.m. and the crowds peaked around 3 p.m.. A police officer told a Gazette reporter that the crowd size was between 2,000 to 3,000 people.
Gazette reporters observed London police officers ticketing several partygoers and detaining
just wanted to make sure that we’re following suit to other faculties.”
In addition to concerns that having sitting association presidents may leave the FHSSC overrepresented, Triantafillakis said that having association presidents elected through USC elections contributed to the low number of students running for councillor positions in the faculty.
“A lot of people would see these association presidents running and assume that was the councillor position,” said Triantafillakis, adding there were no candidates for kinesiology councillor or health studies councillor in this year’s election.
“We think a big part of it was students weren’t as aware of these councillor positions, because of the resource members also being voted in at the same time as the councillors,” he said.
Triantafillakis added that current association presidents were consulted on the motion before it was presented.
“They were all consulted, and pretty much all agree with it,” he said. “The only real concern that was brought up was, if they won’t be having a USC election, are they still going to be able to reach out to the same amount of people?”
According to Triantafillakis, the association presidents will still be able to connect with students through mass emails sent through their departments.
The FHSSC will continue to elect association presidents, but elections will now be held directly by the faculty council rather than the USC.
The association presidents will continue to perform their duties but will no longer attend council meetings or sit on USC subcommittees.
one, as well as taking cans from partiers’ hands and dumping them.
Partiers were also seen holding “borgs” — short for “blackout rage gallons” — a popular drinking trend that involves a plastic gallon container filled with alcohol, juice and various flavourings. The borgs featured some unique names, including “Legally Borg,” “Borgon Ramsay” and “Borgasm.”
At 3:10 p.m., officers started forming a police line on the west side of Broughdale Avenue, and began slowly shepherding partiers towards Richmond Street. One officer held a speaker and repeatedly played a message that said the Broughdale Avenue gatherings were a nuisance party and instructed partiers to disperse or face fines up to $10,000.
Glenys Tran, a second-year psychology and criminology student, described the potential fine as “crazy.”
“We’re literally university students,” said Tran. “We’re already poor, what do you mean make us pay $10,000 dollars?”
Partiers began moving towards Huron Street and Westview Drive by 4 p.m., where police shut down a house party. Broughdale Avenue was cleared by 4:15 p.m. and closed to vehicle traffic.
Kiera Maw, a second-year childhood and youth studies student at King’s University College, said she and her friends had been on the streets going to house parties before police started cordoning off the street.
“It’s been fun. It being shut down is kind of putting a damper on our fun though,” said Maw.
By 4:40 p.m., London police had moved onto Huron Street — where a handful of partiers lingered on the sidewalks. Officers repeated the same message over speakers, ordering crowds to disperse and warning of potential fines.
A line of London police and municipal law enforcement officers walked down Huron Street to Richmond Street at 5 p.m.. The crowds had mostly dispersed and parties were confined to a few houses.
At the time of publication, London Police Services did not respond to the Gazette’s request about major disturbances, injuries or a timeline for when they will release arrests, tickets and warnings issued.
After both Broughdale Avenue and Huron Street were closed, some partiers said they planned to go downtown to bars like The Belfort, frat parties or friends’ house parties.
— With files from Gabriella McKenna and Hannah Alper
KAI WILSON GAZETTE
St. Patrick’s Day “ginger run” taking place on Broughdale Avenue, March 15, 2025.
DESMOND MAHOOD GAZETTE
Partygoers hold their drinks, with one reading “Borgon Ramsay, ‘Finally some good Fucking Food’” on Broughdale Avenue for St. Patrick’s Day, March 15, 2025.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE London police clear Broughdale Avenue using a speaker, March 15, 2025.
Fanshawe Student Union moves to close student paper
GABRIELLA MCKENNA NEWS EDITOR
Fanshawe’s Student Union moved to close their student newspaper in April after more than 50 years of publication — a decision which some students are fighting back against.
Fanshawe Student Union president Siddharth Singh said the council voted on the decision in a Feb. 13 meeting which was closed to the public. Interrobang’s closure was announced on Feb. 28 during a town hall meeting for FSU managers and full-time staff.
The paper will close after circulating its final issue on April 4, with both its website and print edition ending operations.
A petition to the FSU was posted to Change. org on March 6, requesting a referendum to introduce a $2 student fee designated for Interrobang To trigger a referendum, the petition would need to be signed by 10 per cent of full-time students — around 2,300 people.
The petition was started by a group of students, Interrobang staff reporter Briar Wilson and other reporters working for Interrobang. If passed, the referendum could allow Interrobang to remain in operation in coming years.
Interrobang employs around half a dozen student reporters and two full-time employees, including editor Hannah Theodore. Theodore said she was not consulted on the decision before it was announced.
“I found out kind of definitively when everyone else did. I wasn’t necessarily part of the decision making process,” said Theodore.
Staff reporter Briar Wilson agreed the news of the paper’s closure came as a surprise.
“There was no student input,” said Wilson. “We had no idea this was coming. They just kind of told us, ‘We’re relaying this information to you.’ It was really emotional.”
“I think what they’re just trying to do is say, ‘Let this decision be something the students have a say in,’” said Theodore.
Theodore added Interrobang does not have a budget independent of the FSU, with no separate student fee, leaving it more vulnerable to being closed without consultation.
“It’s more of an operational change, as opposed to a budgetary change, which might have required some student consultation,” she said.
According to Singh, the decision to close the paper was made based on changing student preferences.
“Back in 2015 and 2016 our top story would get 8,000 to 9,000 views. In our recent edition, it only got 400 views,” he said.
According to Theodore, Bill C-18 — which reg-
Take 3: Terence Kernaghan ready to represent London North Centre again
CHIRAG K SINGHAL NEWS EDITOR
After serving as London North Centre’s MPP for six years, Terence Kernaghan has been re-elected for his third straight term. He plans to use his experience to address the housing crisis, improve public education and healthcare and make the city more affordable for students. Kernaghan, the New Democratic Party candidate, won back his seat in the Ontario Legislative Assembly after Premier Doug Ford called a snap election, winning by a comfortable margin with 22,587 of 48,356 votes — 46.71 per cent — in the London North Centre riding. This marked an improvement from 2022 when he secured 17,082 of 43,085 votes.
A Western University alumnus, Kernaghan started his career as an elementary school teacher. When he saw kids with special needs in schools without necessary supports, he decided to run for provincial office.
“I thought, rather than sit and complain from the sidelines, I would put my name forward,” he said. When asked how his previous work as MPP helped him get re-elected, Kernaghan focused on his past efforts to improve London’s housing situation.
“I’ve always been very strong on the housing front. I’ve called out the Ford government and their lack of investments in the homelessness situation,” said Kernaghan.
He said since the pandemic, Ontario’s homelessness situation has gotten much worse — with more than 80,000 people experiencing homelessness across the province. He feels the provincial government
should be doing more to allocate unused provincial land towards providing housing for unhoused people.
“It’s like when people become homeless, they stop becoming a person within our society, and that is entirely inhumane,” said Kernaghan.
Along with housing, public education and healthcare are areas of focus for Kernaghan going into his third term. He finds Ontario’s movement towards privatized health care — a similar model to the United States — “deeply disturbing.”
“We know when privatization creeps in, that care goes down, all in the name of profit so that a few people can make a buck off someone’s ill health,” he said.
The Ford government called an early election in February — initially scheduled for June 2026 — citing the need for a stronger mandate to fight Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States. But Kernaghan called the move “unnecessary,” “self-serving” and “cynical.”
He believes the sentiment resonated across the province.
“Right now, we are waiting to be sworn in as MPPs, and we should be back at the legislature passing legislation to protect Ontario’s workers,” he said.
To combat the potential economic fallout from tariffs, Kernaghan wants the Ford government to seek new trade partners to reduce reliance on the U.S., implement the Chamber of Commerce’s recommendations to remove interprovincial trade barriers and promote Ontario businesses.
He felt confident going into the election results night since he had a “good feeling at the doors.”
“We had a lot of people who are aware of the work that I’ve done in the community,” he said.
He explained that his door-knocking efforts, peti-
ulates digital platforms that host Canadian news — negatively impacted Interrobang’s ability to reach out to students.
“So much of what I’ve been trying to do since the introduction of Bill C-18 is try to find different avenues of reaching students, because I knew we were going to be down two social media channels,” she said, referring to Instagram and Facebook blocking Canadian news following the bill’s introduction.
In a statement posted March 7, Canadian University Press president Andrew Mrozowski shared concerns that the decision would further worsen the state of Canadian news media.
“At a time when in independent journalism is under threat, and when the impact of Bill C-18 has already hindered the ability of student news-
papers to reach their audiences, this decision only further weakens the state of student media in Canada,” read the statement.
Although Interrobang’s online engagement has declined, Theodore says that their print edition continues to grow in popularity.
“As far as pickup for the print issue, that’s been steadily increasing over the past couple years since COVID,” she said. “We’ve also increased our print numbers.”
Theodore added that 87 per cent of printed copies of Interrobang were picked up from newsstands on Fanshawe College’s campus last year. Interrobang also distributes their issues across Western University newsstands.
Because Interrobang’s budget is included in the FSU’s operating expenses, Singh was not able to confirm the exact amount of money that is allocated to the paper. But, he estimated the annual budget to be around $200,000.
Singh says that the FSU plans to reallocate the funds to hire a full-time external advocacy coordinator, expand the college’s student appeals team and hire a larger team of class representatives. Singh said that the FSU plans to expand their digital media outreach by introducing more marketing and social media positions that use the skills of former reporters and journalism students.
“We would like to still use those similar skills from the students for going out and talking to students and getting more engagement, but not necessarily through this,” he said.
Singh said that he supported the petition to hold a referendum, and would be open to bringing the matter back to the board if enough student support was generated.
“We want students to advocate for what they believe in,” said Singh. “At the end, students are the ones who should be guiding the services and programs that the FSU provides.”
tion drives and presence at events like Sunfest are intended to make politics a part of the city’s landscape.
Kernaghan’s favourite thing about London is its ability to bring together creative people, and predicts the city’s creative sector will grow “tremendously” in the coming years.
The city’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music is a great economic opportunity, said Kernaghan. He said Houston had an economic breakthrough and was rejuvenated after receiving the same designation.
“During times of economic strife, in times of trouble, when people are depressed or concerned, the arts are what lift us up. The arts are what heal us,” he said. Kernaghan hopes to leave behind a legacy of increased investment in housing and a lower cost of living for students in the city when he leaves London politics.
While he believes Western does a good job of providing mental health support to students, Kernaghan wants students to have more support from the outside community.
“I’d like to see the government focus on students as a special cohort when it comes to mental health supports,” he said.
He is particularly proud of his work with the Child Welfare Political Action Committee to provide university education at Western for 35 students who no longer qualify for support under the child protection system. He hopes to see such work continue after he leaves office.
Kernaghan said there are people in the city afraid to book a meeting with their MPP and wants to see that change.
“People need to know that we are here to listen to them, here to hear their concerns, and here to elevate their voices,” he said.
DESMOND MAHOOD GAZETTE
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE NDP’s Terence Kernaghan, MPP for London North Centre in his office at 400 York Street, London, Ont., March 7, 2025.
Opinion: Students are paying to ‘help’ — but are they really?
JESSICA KIM FEATURES EDITOR
Each year, Western students pack their bags for various voluntourism trips, ready to “make a difference” in the Global South. Social media is quickly populated with photos of smiling children and captions about the joy of giving back.
Voluntourism trips are designed for individuals to travel with the intention to volunteer, typically in lower-income countries. They can focus on education, infrastructure development, healthcare and more.
Oftentimes, these initiatives centre the experience of privileged students instead of the communities they hope to help. Although well-intentioned, I am concerned who actually benefits.
The international volunteer programs risk perpetuating global power imbalances, imperialism and a Western saviour complex, rather than addressing them.
Programs like these often assume students from Western countries — many of whom have little real-world experience — are best positioned to educate or provide healthcare in communities they barely understand.
This frames non-Western countries as helpless and in need of foreign intervention, rather than acknowledging the agency of local people and the extremely complex social, political, economic and cultural context of any given country. This isn’t something that is unknown — even courses taught at Western University address the harm that volun-
EDITORIAL
tourism poses.
Ivey Business School’s LEADER Project is an example of voluntourism. The program sends undergraduate, MBA, MSc and PhD students to countries like Nepal, Vietnam, Serbia and more to teach business principles over a two-week period.
Though there is likely to be some good that emerges from this program, Ivey is not transparent about the degree of training students receive that qualifies them to be operating as professors or faculty members for two weeks. A recent video on the program’s Instagram account details three training phases for future instructors — peer-topeer feedback, workshop hosting and feedback from professors. But it does not mention the importance of training on the cultural and political context of the host country.
Each individual country has a complex history — as well as evolving current events — that influence how communities receive and understand information. Without an understanding of these factors, foreign volunteers risk being ineffective at best — or at worst, harmful by undermining local knowledge. Cultural competence is essential to provide meaningful and responsible education.
I don’t think the agency and lived experiences of local communities and experts are always respected by these programs. LEADER has a 30-person advisory board, and all members are Ivey alumni. The vast majority are not local to the communities this program hopes to serve.
Global educational opportunities should be partnerships, and must fairly compensate and recognize local organizations and experts. A mutual exchange of both academic and cultural processes and ideas is key to this form of collaboration.
Some may argue that if students aren’t doing this work, no one will. But that is a short-sighted argument that ignores the brevity of these trips. By parachuting in for a couple weeks or months at a time, students are not committing to a continuity
It’s time to make X your ex
Sorry Musk — we think it’s time for an X-odus. It’s been three years since Elon Musk bought X, formerly known as Twitter. Since then, it’s been nothing but a downward spiral for the platform. From the removal of anti-hate-speech guidelines to rapidly worsening algorithms, Musk’s new team has stripped the site of what made it so successful in the first place.
The changes have made X a site chock-full of misinformation. Though this is a pitfall of many social media sites, allowing users to pay for a verification mark and reducing overall site moderation has provided that misinformation with an elevated platform — one that Musk is doing little to change.
Governments are already taking note of this. Canada’s privacy watchdog is investigating whether X followed privacy laws when training artificial intelligence models.
For academic users of X, this has been a huge loss. In the past, Twitter provided easy access to information, from breaking news to scientific papers. More than that, it was a way for researchers to connect with other researchers, allowing them to form scientific networks.
Suffice it to say, that space has been rapidly shrinking.
Even the City of London is considering leaving X as a place to publish official municipal announcements, in response to a letter by a Londoner. The letter explained that the platform is filled with misinformation that undermines the “importance and trustworthiness” of official city communications.
Users have been negatively affected by changes to the platform. Unflagged pornography has been on the rise, often infiltrating casual user feeds. Ads containing antisemitic and Islam-
and do not necessarily reflect
of care for these communities.
This is particularly harmful in a healthcare setting. A personal narrative from the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics specifically explains that voluntourism “programs can result in harm to patients because participants do not have much skin in the game with respect to care quality and outcomes, as the nature of their work may shield them from any true responsibility.”
Despite what I am sure are good intentions, students are spending hundreds of dollars — at least — to participate in these experiences, on flights, accommodation and more. That money could have been better spent to strengthen and empower educational, healthcare or business infrastructure in
these communities.
By expanding Western ideals and promoting a dependence on foreign intervention, these programs are a modern form of imperialism — economic or political domination of one country over another.
While these programs can foster cross-cultural learning and professional development for students, they must be structured to prioritize the needs and agency of local communities.
This is not a call out, but rather a call in — to more deeply consider the impact beyond just your intent of that volunteer trip opportunity you just saw posted online.
ophobic imagery have been approved to run by the platform, and hate speech towards numerous minority groups continues to go unbarred.
Kanye West is just one example of someone whose account has been repeatedly taken down and reinstated, despite his string of antisemitic, misogynistic and homophobic posts. When his hateful language is left unchecked and uncensored, it condones it and manifests into real-world hate.
It’s not only hate speech — X’s various technical issues continue to affect its users. In the past week alone, X experienced a worldwide outage
three times in one day, leaving users frustrated.
Not to mention, Musk’s rebranding of X has failed to live up to the branding success of its predecessor, Twitter. In 2009, “tweet” was named a word of the year, and people still accidentally refer to X as Twitter.
Standing out to users with memorable branding is key to an app’s success these days, and X does not live up to user expectations. We think this rebranding mistake means X will eventually go the way of the dodo — or in this case, the way of Larry the Twitter bird.
Only a couple weeks ago, Musk’s “scary smart” Grok AI found over half of Musk’s posts “false or misleading,” information that it was then allegedly briefly instructed to roll back. Is this really who we want running our platform?
At the same time, we don’t think having everyone completely abandon X is the solution. Taking away users who would speak for targeted groups or push against misinformation — like journalists — would make X into an echo chamber of its worst users. Musk’s X is already known to be censoring journalists trying to shed light on the truth.
Honestly, with the current political and social landscape, it’s probably better for all of us to unplug a little more often. Touching grass can only improve your mental state in stressful times — or at least, that’s what studies say.
Still, it might be time to start looking into alternatives. Socials like Bluesky have rapidly risen to over 32 million users, with more joining every day. For people looking for more established socials, Instagram has put out Threads, an X-esque platform connected to your Instagram handle.
At the Feb. 14 Senate meeting, Western University president Alan Shepard said the school is monitoring what to do about X but has made a shift to Threads and BlueSky. Shepard said he had raised to the school’s chief of communications who didn’t want to abandon constitutents on the platform.
“It’s not really the time for leaving yet, but we’re watching it,” said Shepard.
Regardless of where you go next, we at the Gazette believe it may be time for a change. Perhaps next year, you’ll see us heading for bluer skies.
ESHAL NAQVI GAZETTE
MINA AHMAD GAZETTE
“EASY TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS”
How gender bias and social media have shaped ADHD accessibility
CONTINUED FROM P1
Elmslie was the 2024 recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award for her efforts to drive change through her advocacy, wellness initiatives and research, which helped provide students with the tailored extra support they needed to reach the same baseline as their peers. She juggles three jobs and eight different volunteer positions, including working at the Starbucks in the University Community Centre and as a don in Elgin Hall.
Similar to Laurin, Elmslie’s symptoms didn’t fit the classic ADHD stereotype.
“[My parents] were confused because I loved reading, and I was very engaged. I just wasn’t doing well. And so I think that kind of sparked them into getting a test for me,” says Elmslie.
Elmslie says presenting with both hyperactive and inattentive types of ADHD was why she was able to get diagnosed earlier and receive an individualized education plan.
She says she’s been really lucky with the support she’s received from her psychologist, school board, parents and Western University.
But she knows this isn’t everyone’s experience.
“Without those supports, it can be very easy to fall through the cracks, and it can be very easy to not live up to your potential,” says Elmslie.
HANNAH ALPER COORDINATING EDITOR
For Laurin, completing tasks that don’t offer immediate satisfaction — like writing an essay or cleaning — can feel like climbing a mountain. She says that for people with ADHD, a task that doesn’t give them immediate satisfaction is wholly disregarded due to the impact on dopamine regulation.
“A really exhausting part of having ADHD is trying to constantly explain and articulate what you’re dealing with, to be able to get the supports that you need,” says Laurin. “Being able to actually articulate what you’re dealing with in a way that somebody else will understand is so difficult.”
Every week, Laurin has sessions with a learning strategist at Western. Before her meeting, she sits silently in a waiting room among other women her age, all there for the same reason.
“For women with ADHD, it is so important to have community. And we just can’t. There’s nothing there to allow us to do that, and it’s been a bit of a journey trying to do outreach and find people.”
This realization led Laurin to start the Western Women with ADHD Association — a space for female-identifying students with diagnosed or undiagnosed ADHD to come together for support.
Sitting in her interview with the Gazette, Laurin is wearing noise-cancelling Sony headphones that
sell for around $500, paid for by the Ontario Student Assistance Program. She explains the headphones help with distractive stimuli, one of the biggest difficulties she experiences with ADHD.
Noise significantly impacts Laurin and can immediately pull her out of what she’s doing.
“Someone coughs beside me, and suddenly, I cannot go back to doing my essay. It’s just done for, I can’t,” says Laurin.
While the headphones have been an essential aid for Laurin, she recognizes that OSAP funding is only accessible with formal documentation.
The process of getting an ADHD diagnosis is often long and expensive. An ADHD assessment from a private psychologist can cost anywhere between $2,500 and $3,000 — a price tag that makes diagnosis inaccessible for many students and impossible for some.
While the Ontario Health Insurance Plan covers assessments by family doctors and psychiatrists, these professionals often have long waitlists.
The University Students’ Council clarified in a statement to the Gazette that ADHD assessments through an eligible provider under the USC Purple Care — the student health plan — are typically covered under the $1,200 Mental Health Benefit.
Canada Life, which administers the plan, strongly recommends a student submit an estimate of the services for accurate assessment.
At Western, students must provide official documentation from a healthcare professional to receive academic accommodations. The student then meets with one of Western’s accessibility counsellors to discuss how their disability affects their learning and create an accommodation plan.
But for students who cannot afford an assessment, these supports remain out of reach.
Despite the barriers to access, there’s no shortage of discourse around ADHD, especially on one of the places students frequent, social media — especially TikTok. But Laurin questions whether the content is helpful or not.
While online discussions can erase the stigma, she says tips online are “black and white” compared to the conversations she has with her childhood best friend, who’s been a big support in implementing strategies to make life easier.
“I need to talk to somebody who actually has ADHD, because they’ll be able to provide actual good tips. You can’t find that through accessible education. You can’t find that through therapy,” says Laurin.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE
Renee Laurin in the D.B. Weldon Library private study rooms, March 14, 2025.
When people get distracted on their phones or a classmate forgets their notebook, Laurin has heard the all-too-familiar phrase: “That’s so ADHD.”
“If you knew what was ADHD of me, you’d be shocked. Because it’s not forgetting my notebook. It’s a lot more than that, and people just don’t tend to realize how impactful ADHD can be on somebody’s life, because you can’t escape it,” says Laurin.
Laurin and Elmslie agree this presents a danger of trivializing the disorder and invalidating the experiences and struggles of people who have it, both on and offline.
Owen Chevalier, a PhD student in the philosophy department at Western, studying the intersection of mental health and digital culture, published a research paper, “It starts on TikTok”: Looping Effects and The Impact of Social Media on Psychiatric Terms,” in June 2024.
Since TikTok’s algorithm is designed to keep users engaged by feeding them content that aligns with their interests, Owen says many people who struggle with focus are more likely to see ADHD-related content, which can lead to self-diagnoses. ADHD is one of the most popular health-related hashtags on the platform, now with over four million posts.
“It’s a disorder that’s not very well defined,” says Chevalier. “It’s very easy to say that you have it, and the way TikTok operates is by identifying trends and sending them out to wide audiences.”
Jeffrey Preston, head of disability studies at King’s University College, agrees that as people enter the world of social media, they enter the world of pseudo-expertise and misinformation. People are sharing videos that engage people in conversation, but with little training and credibility to back it up. Preston says this content pulls people in, convincing them to get diagnosed when, in reality, they could just be everyday human traits.
“This isn’t to say that there aren’t lots of people out there with ADHD, but it is to say that experiences of ADHD are different than having struggled
with attention sometimes being a little scattered sometimes, because it turns out humans are just that way,” says Preston.
Preston explains disabilities look different for every person, and they’re not as “prescriptive” as 30-second videos describe.
At the same time, Preston and Chevalier notice that more content around social media helps erase the stigma around ADHD and intellectual disabilities.
Preston sees social media as a benefit that enables people to go into meetings with doctors better equipped to describe the things they are experiencing because there is now more language to talk about it.
“I think that Tiktok and other social media platforms and influencers and all these things have also provided a language for people to express experiences that they otherwise really struggled to articulate in the past,” says Preston.
As someone who’s struggled with ADHD for 10 years, Elmslie says that while social media has helped reduce stigma around ADHD and allowed people to be more open to talking about it, there’s a new stigma around reaching out for support.
With the rise of self-diagnosis, Elmslie now feels as though when she needs support, “it’s not met with as much severity.”
“So as I go through life, telling people I have ADHD, I almost feel like I’m part of a trend, which is a weird thing,” she says.
A study analyzing ADHD self-screening content on TikTok examined videos under the hashtag #adhdtest and their engagement with viewers. Of the 50 videos reviewed, 92 per cent contained misleading information, contributing to the spread of misinformation about adult ADHD testing.
Laurin says finding real support and strategies has been challenging because the internet is flooded with self-help posts that, she believes, don’t reflect her lived experience with ADHD. Before her diagnosis, she tried many of the suggested techniques, and to her surprise, they kept falling flat.
Preston says that maybe the issue isn’t focusing on diagnoses but seeing how systems can support people to be their best selves in the spaces they work.
“So perhaps one of our mistakes along this line is about focusing so heavily on who is and who isn’t [diagnosed] and actually thinking more about how different people have different needs, and that we are very open to supporting a lot of different types of needs,” says Preston.
Laurin has noticed Western professors implementing universal accommodation in some of her classes — giving accommodation to everybody rather than singling out specific students. As someone with accommodations like extra time on exams and assignments, she says that anyone should have the support they need when life gets in the way.
The Walrus reported on universal design for learning as a growing method in education studies, helping classrooms complement an array of learning models and aptitudes. While there’s no consensus on what UDL means in practice, Seán Bracken, a leading UDL researcher, says that “universities have defined intelligence much too narrowly.”
Sam Catherine Johnston heads the post-secondary division at the Center for Applied Special Technology, the organization that pioneered UDL. She explains that all students can perform — some just present themselves differently, which is where an inclusive UDL classroom can improve everyone’s learning experiences.
At Western, students registered with Accessible Education can use private study rooms in D.B. Weldon Library, a quiet study space which Laurin says has been helpful.
Western also reopened the Accessible Learning Lab in October 2023, which can accommodate up to 18 students registered with Accessible Education. The lab allows for support persons like personal support workers, educational assistants and ASL interpreters for students who may require assistance.
The lab offers a range of specialized assistive technology software like Kurzweil Education tools, which are reading, writing, studying and test-taking tools built on UDL.
At a Western Woman with ADHD event, learning specialist Heather Ellis discussed Western’s major services in the learning development and success department. The first is 30-minute oneon-one appointments to learn different strategies to succeed, and students can have as many appointments as they want. This is separate from the appointments with accessibility counsellors and facilitators, which can only happen after providing documentation to verify a person’s disability.
Western also hosts events geared towards neurodivergent students, like one on March 11 featuring an autistic advocate talking about navigating healthy neurodivergent relationships.
Preston believes that the way universities approach accessibility needs a radical shift that requires changing the system holistically.
“They seem to imagine that accessibility is simple, easy and requires no effort,” says Preston. “And so what we do is we determine an accommodation requirement for a student, and then we just pass it on to the professor and say, ‘do it.’”
Receiving accommodation letters, for example, can be vague for privacy reasons. Preston understands this, but when it comes to assignment flexibility, this could mean something different for every student and every professor.
While some faculty members are frustrated by the rising number of requests, Preston says it’s not because they’re unwilling to accommodate students — they just don’t know how.
“They don’t have the time to do it, and they’re not provided resources to be able to actually execute in any meaningful way. So one of the things that I think universities need to radically reimagine is not just training, but we need literal resources to be able to do the things we’re doing,” says Preston.
Preston argues education should be restructured to be accessible, rather than making students with disabilities fight for accommodations.
“I wonder how often, when we focus so heavily on this sort of gatekeep element, we are just reproducing systems of ableism, which deem that some people deserve some things other people do not,” says Preston.
In 2021, Western engaged in a review of three units in the academic support and engagement department: Learning Development and Success, the Writing Support Centre and Accessible Education.
The four themes in the recommendations went beyond mandatory letters of accommodation and included intersectional programming, intentional communication, campus-wide partnership and hiring and staff development.
“It’s probably not the thing that administrations want to hear necessarily, but ultimately, I think this is a resource question in a massive way,” says Preston. “Unfortunately, at the moment, we’re letting down students, and we’re burning out faculty,” Elmslie says it’s important for people struggling with ADHD should know they’re not alone and every neurodivergent journey is unique.
“There’s always information to be learned about your brain, and the more you learn about your brain, the better that life can be,” says Elmslie.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE Renee Laurin on UC Hill, March 14, 2025.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE Terry Fox Humanitarian Award winner Alexandra Elmslie on UC Hill, Sept. 17, 2024.
Ova could shape the future of women’s health
MEGAN SPILLER CULTURE INTERN
Women across the globe share a universal experience: visiting their doctor with concerns about reproductive health or their menstrual cycle, only to be met with the frustratingly familiar line, “Don’t worry, you’re fine.”
This common dismissal of women’s health issues is exactly what inspired Ova, a student-founded product designed to help women track and understand their menstrual cycles, bringing personalized healthcare data directly to users.
The team’s first product, currently in development, is a patch integrated with non-invasive sweat biosensors. The biosensor will collect data on hormonal changes so users can get real-time health information.
They are also hoping to integrate these biosensors into products that already exist whether it’s the patch, the IUD, a diva cup or any kind of product a woman would use.
“We have a vision statement that we try to live by, and it’s own your cycle, own your health, own your life,” explains fourth-year Ivey Business School student Ireland Catherwood, emphasizing the company’s commitment to give women the autonomy they deserve in understanding their bodies.
Ova was founded in September 2024 as part of the Ivey New Venture Project by six Western University students.
The idea stemmed from the founders’ shared frustration with a consistent problem they faced in their lives — their reproductive and menstrual health concerns being ignored.
The team’s research has been guided by feedback from women at all stages of life. Fourth-year chemical engineering and Ivey student and chief executive officer Aditi Basdeo explained the group
talked to over 100 women, from those menstruating in their 20s to women just finishing menopause in their 50s. The unanimous response was that they felt their concerns were dismissed at one point or another by current healthcare providers.
Ova aims to allow users to understand their bodies without long wait times, unnecessary wait tests, blanket solutions and potential misdiagnoses that often come from the healthcare system.
Fourth-year mechanical and biomedical engineering student Maeve Van Driel explains that through their conversations, they also identified a gap in the market for devices for menopausal women that can grant “power and peace of mind”
around the changes women go through as they enter menopause.
“As a historically taboo subject, menopause is considered an individual issue. When it happens you are expected to deal with it silently and cope with your symptoms alone,” says Van Driel.
While the target market for the patch is women with menopause, the tech they are building applies in other areas for all women.
Ova’s biosensor technology is the heart of this innovation. They collect data from the body, allowing the app they’re planning to develop to provide women a clear picture of their hormone levels, like estrogen and progesterone. For women with irreg-
ular cycles, the app will notify them of their current phase — menstrual, follicular, ovulation or luteal.
Basdeo explains that basal body temperature, the lowest temperature your body reaches while sleeping, is a good indicator of where you’re at in your cycle.
“Let’s say you are someone who has really irregular cycles and you can’t tell from just tracking the days, this could give you an indication of where you’re at — if you’re in your luteal, follicular or ovulation phase,” says Basdeo.
One of the major benefits of Ova is the ability to detect hormone imbalances early. Regular monitoring of hormone levels can help diagnose conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome or even gynecological cancers more easily.
“If you have women in your family who have already had ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer, you’re at a higher risk, so being able to monitor that over a longer period of time can really put your mind to ease,” Basdeo says.
With health data being highly sensitive, Basdeo says Ova is committed to protecting users’ information.
“We haven’t built the data infrastructure yet, so all of the security pieces aren’t in place, but something that we as a company will never be doing is selling our data to another company,” Basdeo says. “Everything is going to be confidential and privatized, so your data isn’t going anywhere but within the organization and to your phone.”
Ova’s long-term goal is to expand into multiple product lines that serve women at different life stages, says Basdeo.
“The faster we can get to market, the better it is to serve women in different kinds of spaces,” Basdeo adds.
The product is still in development, but the team plans to launch it within the next three to five years.
Krushin’ it: Meet the band that’s taken Engineering by storm
MANAN JOSHI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
When Rory Osborne and George Poulos met at breakfast on their first day in Essex Hall, they had no idea they would form one of Western’s most electrifying rock bands.
Krush has performed everywhere around London for Western University students, with a cult following from the Engineering faculty. Most notably, they played at halftime for 1,200 people at the Eng vs. Ivey basketball game, blowing the roof off Alumni Hall.
The band focuses on playing a range of rock and country classics to ensure fans resonate with the music.
“You go to a bar, and if you don’t know a song, it’s kind of when you take a break and go to the bathroom or get a drink. We want people to be engaged for the whole show,” said Osborne, a fifthyear Ivey Business School and civil engineering student.
A big part of the setlist has ties to a Western legend — Rick McGhie. They’ve adopted many of his
callbacks from his shows, especially in songs like “American Pie” and “Margaritaville.”
Osborne remembers the early days of going to every Rick McGhie show with the engineering community.
“Being like the first and second year, and not knowing the callbacks, I wanted to know them so bad,” says Osborne. “My mom went here back in the late 90s into the 2000s, and she used to sit on the Saugeen porch and listen to Rick McGhie play on campus seven days a week.”
Rick McGhie’s ability to engage the Western engineering community impacted Osborne and inspired him to carry on the tradition.
“It’s a piece of our culture that we’re really proud to keep alive,” says Osborne. “Because Rick doesn’t do it like he used to, and we think the continuity of that’s pretty cool.”
Osborne finally started the band in his fourth year when a friend wanted to throw a St. Patrick’s Day party with live music.
Osborne played guitar, and his close friend from high school — Liam McPhedran, a student at the University of Windsor — played drums. They found
Western environmental engineering student Riley Cerovcec, a bass player willing to learn the set.
The three of them played that gig, crushed it and decided to expand things over the summer. That’s when they brought in Osborne’s roommate and keyboard player, Poulos.
Poulos — now a fifth-year software engineering student — has played piano since he was four years old, but with a focus on more classical music.
“Did the whole conservatory thing up until university, and then just played here and there on my keyboard throughout res,” says Poulos. “And then when the band started, I just kind of started to learn rock songs, country songs, whatever we’re playing.”
While Osborne and Poulos live together, Cerovcec works in Toronto, and McPhedran is in Windsor, making it tough for the band to get practice time until the days leading up to an event.
The weeks before the show are the most important when the band books a gig.
“You’re kind of really in grind mode, and maybe put academics aside for those two weeks and play catch up afterwards,” says Poulos.
Poulos goes through the whole set list, practicing each until he’s comfortable playing them. Osborne prefers to listen to the songs in the car to memorize the lyrics.
The band also worries about running through their team rehearsals, keeping up with promotion and getting their gear from Long and McQuade.
In the end, it’s all worth it. The band fondly remembers playing “Revival” by Zach Bryan at the Eng vs. Ivey game. They turned the lights down, and everyone whipped out their phone flashlights.
“As someone who always dreamed of being a rock star, seeing all those flashlights was like a total dream come true for me,” says Osborne.
The band keeps in touch with its fan base through its Instagram account, @krush___official, where it announces gigs and sells merchandise.
Unfortunately, the band can’t play together forever. With Poulos moving to Denver, Colo. and Osborne moving to Calgary after graduation, the band is trying to live out its last few months.
On March 15, Krush played one of their last gigs in the place it all started: a St. Patrick’s Day party.
DESMOND MAHOOD GAZETTE The Ova team for the Western Gazette, Feb. 28, 2025.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE
Krush band member George Poulos (L) and Rory Osborne (R) practicing for one of their gigs, Feb. 5, 2025.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE Krush band member Rory Osborne playing the guitar, Feb. 5, 2025.
Anora is a nightmare dressed like a daydream
MIKAILA KIMBALL OPINIONS EDITOR
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Hundred-dollar bills, flutes of champagne and the thrumming beat of a club classic in your ear — Anora immediately immerses you into Ani’s (Mikey Madison) world.
A Brooklyn-based stripper, Ani tosses compliments like her tinsel-tied hair, charming clients and audiences alike. When she marries Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the carefree son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, her life sidetracks — and it’s certainly not a fairytale.
If there’s one thing that’s certain, Anora swept away critics this year. It took awards season by storm, bringing home five Oscars, including Best Picture. While I might disagree with some of these wins — editing and original screenplay
come to mind — I can’t deny that Anora has been a smashing success.
This isn’t director Sean Baker’s first rodeo with this subject matter. Sex work is largely the focus of his body of work — The Florida Project (2017) and Tangerine (2015) are standouts — but Anora is the first time his work has truly entered the mainstream. His portrayal of sex workers is nuanced, emphasizing their humanity beyond their professions.
His directing shines in Anora, not just capturing Ani’s whirlwind escapade but submerging you in it. As the film shifts tone and genre, Baker’s direction shifts alongside it and remains consistently atmospheric. Despite this, the pacing was poorly executed, and leaves me unable to fully praise him for his directing.
Madison doesn’t just play Ani — she becomes her. Madison immersed herself in the Brighton Beach community — the Brooklyn, N.Y. neighborhood where the film takes place — spending time among the women she sought to portray, adapting their accents and mannerisms. Every sentence was punctuated by a flourish of her nails, which I found human and endearing. She learned how to pole dance and speak Russian for the movie, and it certainly paid off. Of the five Oscars Anora won, Madison taking Lead Actress was the most deserved. Hell, I was even rooting for her.
Madison and Eydelshteyn’s chemistry was electric yet consistently tinged by awkward moments. This made the relationship feel realistic despite the implausibility of the situation. Baker has said he encourages his actors to improvise, which paid off here — each character felt lived-in and understood by their respective actor.
It’s the small details in Anora that showcase the bigger picture. Ani’s hair tinsel isn’t just pretty. Tying tinsel into your hair is a menial and time-consuming task. But she has the patience for it, a trait we see in action later in the movie.
Early on, Ani shows off her latest manicure to her coworker — acrylics adorned with butterfly detailing — which she keeps throughout the events of the film. The movie is exactly one manicure long. If you’ve ever had your nails done, you’ll know that’s essentially no time at all.
The supporting cast kept the film lighthearted despite heavy subject matter. The group of goons employed by Ivan’s father seemed to have fallen straight out of a slapstick silent film from the 1920s. Yuriy Borisov even snagged an Oscar nomination for his role as Igor, the henchman you can’t help but have some sympathy for.
Anora was surprisingly comedic, which I thoroughly enjoyed — but I sometimes felt like substance was sacrificed for a punchline (or a literal punch).
Although the movie contains some extensive
graphic nudity, it didn’t feel vulgar. Considering the numerous sex scenes, that’s definitely a strength of the movie. But, the movie has received some criticism due to its lack of an intimacy coordinator — which Madison said was her decision. In all honesty, I don’t think that’s a choice an actor should be asked to make, and I think intimacy coordinators should be a norm on film sets.
I had a lot of pacing-induced whiplash during this movie, which left me struggling to immerse myself in the story fully. Some moments feel like an extended dreamlike montage, others a repeated slog of the same dialogue and situation. There were about 15 minutes that definitely could have been shaved off. To me, this served as a downfall of the film.
It tried for some commentary on classism and identity, but I didn’t find that it added anything new to those conversations. Maybe I would have liked this movie more if I hadn’t already seen The Florida Project, which likely set my standards too high. Anora, despite the accolades, is definitely not Baker’s magnum opus.
At the end of the day, I left this movie entertained, not moved.
For Those About to Rock: Winks Rock and Roll Bingo
CLAIRE WEEKS CULTURE INTERN
When I first heard about “Rock & Roll Bingo,” I couldn’t help but picture Van Halen’s David Lee Roth calling out numbers to a crowd of elderly people.
The “Rock & Roll” and “bingo” combo may not make sense at first — but if you know at least five letters of the alphabet and have ever assembled an ‘oldies’ playlist, a Tuesday night at Winks, tucked in right between Lucy’s Pizza and Cocktails and Jack’s, may just be right up your alley.
The rules are simple: Listen to a song clip as it’s played, mark the spot if the song name is on your card, and if you get five in a line … BINGO!
When I walked into Winks Eatery last Tuesday night, there appeared to be plenty of room to sit — that is, until I noticed every single table topped with a “reserved” sign.
As it turns out, we were lucky to have even snagged seats at the bar; the bouncers started turning guests away immediately after we sat down.
Right away, I was intrigued. There was clearly a dedicated group of Londoners that took Tuesday night bingo seriously — and I was the newbie.
While he may not be Van Halen’s frontman, Rock and Roll bingo host Brandon Eedy has long been a fixture in London’s music scene. Beyond running bingo every Tuesday, Eedy has also been the talent buyer for the London Music Hall for the past 25 years. He explains that for him, Winks has always felt like a home away from home.
“It’s a very welcoming bar. Everybody who comes out here is super friendly and here for a good time.”
Settling into my seat at the bar top, I took in the scene: Bruins game on one TV, Knights game on the other. License plates from Australia to New York covered the walls. From where I sat, I had a great view of the countless rounds of Guinness being poured and a sign that particularly spoke to me: “Today is the yesterday you will be embarrassed about tomorrow.” Nice.
Sure enough, as the reservees filed in, they were greeted with hugs from the bouncers and the host, each interaction featuring different in-
side jokes and handshakes.
If I hadn’t known it was bingo night, I might have mistaken the event for a family reunion—it was clear that for many attendees, this was about more than bingo. But the accommodating staff and homely atmosphere made us feel just as welcome as any of the regulars.
Round one featured radio hits from the 1970s and 80s — notably, tunes by Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Doobie Brothers and Blondie. We stamped out the tunes we were familiar with over half-off nachos and $6.50 Coronas. The vibe was high, the drinks were flowing and the night was just getting started.
Right as “Hold the Line” started playing, I had a strong feeling a win was close. Sure enough, two off-duty teachers making the most of their March break jumped up to claim victory. “Cheer or boo!” the host called out as they grabbed their swag, prompting a lively mix of both.
Round two featured a mix of disco and country hits, including tracks like “I Had Some Help”, “I Will Survive,” “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” and “Dancing Queen”.
Round three was another mixed bag — a blend of punk rock and 2010s pop. I caught myself and the thirty-something next to me sneaking glances at each other’s cards for the songs the other’s demographic was more familiar with.
The lucky bingo winners took home a variety of prizes, from Winks gift cards, tickets to see The Brokes (a popular Strokes cover band) and what host Brandon Eedy calls the “Downtown London bag full of shit.” According to him, it’s mostly beer swag — t-shirts, glasses, flags — and if you come on the right night, a hammock.
Rock & Roll Bingo went virtual on Twitch during the pandemic, raising over $260,000 for local businesses, charities, and community groups.
Richmond Row is no Sunset Strip: that, I’m certain, requires no further convincing. But if you need a midweek pick-me-up, are missing home, or just want to hear some Old Time Rock n’ Roll … well, you know where I’ll be next Tuesday.
Chiara’s Confessions: I’m trying to be optimistic
CHIARA
WALLACE SENIOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND LAYOUT EDITOR
Being single isn’t the end of the world. As much as it can sometimes feel like a curse, a waiting period or a never-ending phase, there’s still so much to like about being alone.
I’m a pessimistic person, although I don’t like admitting it. When it comes to my dating life, I use pessimism to find flaws, cons and worstcase scenarios in any relationship. I tell myself I’m being realistic — protected and prepared for the worst — but there’s a fine line between being practical and being negative.
I’m no stranger to spiralling, crashing out or breaking down when my worst fears come true.
I’ve made a whole column out of it.
The truth is that it’s much easier to be bitter and annoyed, wondering why nothing seems to go your way. It’s easier to find all the things going wrong in your life than appreciate the good. But if you’re always expecting the worst, you’re setting yourself up to fail.
I may not be thrilled at my stagnant relationship status, but I’ve decided that if I’m going to be single — I might as well be good at it.
If you’re also trying to be more optimistic, this is what you can do:
Reframe being single
There comes a point when being single starts feeling like a weird intermission, a waiting room for your next relationship. But the longer you spend waiting around, feeling hopeless, constantly checking the time, the more you miss out on.
When you stop treating being single as a waiting game, it feels less like a race against time.
I think that the freedom and independence of being single is something to be envied. I don’t have to check in with anyone before making spontaneous,
life-changing or mindless decisions.
While I’d choose a night in over a night out any day, I could hypothetically go to a bar without consulting anyone. Even better, I could rewatch the same shitty rom-com every day for a week without someone complaining to put something else on for once.
Romanticize your own life
Being single can feel really lonely — wishing you had someone buying you flowers, messaging you throughout the day or taking you out to dinner. But who said you can’t do those things for yourself?
Although my bank account wouldn’t agree, I think treating yourself is so much better than waiting for someone else to do it for you. And if you’re not the type to spend money on yourself, spend it on your friends. Doing small acts of kindness for your friends can feel just as rewarding.
Regret nothing
I fall into rabbit holes where I overthink everything — every embarrassing message, every awkward silence, every weird encounter. But what’s the point of dwelling on the past and wishing I
had made different decisions when none of those things are within my control?
The past is the past. Looking forward, using what you’ve learned from all the mistakes you’ve inevitably made makes you much more equipped to handle whatever life throws at you next. I may be a perpetual pessimist, but I can still find some unexpected perks in my situation and make the most out of it. I can build the life I want for myself without waiting around for someone to do it for me — and I am.
Maybe I’ll meet the love of my life next week. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll finally delete Hinge once and for all — although it’s very unlikely. But instead of staying stuck in place waiting for the perfect person to come along, I might as well enjoy the view and make the most of it.
Being single isn’t the end of the world. It’s a new way to look at all the great things you have in front of you.
Five of Western’s most underrated recreational sports clubs
It’s never too early to think about next year, and that includes what clubs you might be interested in joining.
You could always join your soccer and hockey clubs, but why settle for something so boring? Who wants to dribble a basketball when you can embrace the lion head of the Wushu Club, wield a foil in the Fencing Club or take up the paddle of the Dragon Boat Club? What about horseback riding or synchronized artistic swimming?
If you’re worried about being a beginner, don’t be! I had the chance to attend many practices — some as a spectator, others as a participant. Beginners are always encouraged to join — take this as a sign to try the most underrated sports clubs.
Western Dragon Boat Club
Fourth-year medical sciences student and Western Dragon Boat Club president Anthea Li believes that to really understand the true meaning of dragon boat racing, you have to embrace the sport’s true principle: it’s paddling, not rowing!
Dragon boat racing involves 22 people — a drummer who keeps the boat’s pace, a steerer who guides the team through the course and 20 paddlers who push through the water to the finish line. It requires strength, determination and coordination, all of which the club works to build ahead of summer competitions.
What does a first practice look like?
Fanshawe Lake, the paddling destination for most Londoners, is too cold to use during the fall and winter months. So, the Dragon Boat Club aims to simulate what it’s like to be a paddler in competition through three types of practices.
The first practice is weight training-based, involving the bench press, exercises like triceps extensions and every single variation of a push-up you could imagine. The second practice is cardio-based, helping build up stamina during races. The last practice is pool-side, practicing paddling strokes to mimic real conditions of what it’s like to paddle.
What’s the secret to being successful?
I had the opportunity to participate in both the weight training and paddle practice, and my coaches, second-year medical sciences students Fiona Wu and Grace Wu, guided me through both practices and taught me the required techniques needed for success. While lifting weights felt comfortable for me, paddling required me to both push down into the water and pull back to match the timing of the person in front of me.
While I found this challenging, Li reassured me about the paddling technique.
“Technique is a big part of dragon boat, but I will say, technique is something that’s very much learned,” Li said.
Why this club is a good fit for you:
The Dragon Boat Club is great for keeping up fitness goals and meeting new people. The best part is that you don’t need to be a gym rat to have fun.
“The exercises can be demanding, and sometimes it will feel like you want to quit,” said second-year BMOS student Koey Zhang. “But through the people I met and the discipline I have learned, I am committed as ever to continue.”
Western Fencing Club
En garde! Fencing is a combat sport where two rivals compete using one of three types of swords — foil, épée or sabre — while trying to score points by making contact with their opponent.
Don’t worry, though. It doesn’t hurt when you get hit. It’s a sport that combines speed, strategy and precision.
“A lot of people think it’s technical, but don’t be fooled, you will break a sweat,” said fourth-year medical sciences student and Western Fencing Club president Anuveer Saini.
What does a first practice look like?
You will first learn how to use a foil and practice making contact on mats taped to the wall. When you make contact with the mat, the sword bends in a way that resembles the flight of a basketball shot.
My instructor, first-year master’s student studying molecular biology Leo Cui, insisted I practice jabbing to get comfortable with the sword. After that, you work on your footwork, ensuring you shuffle correctly to stay balanced and attack with intent.
“Without proper footwork, your attacks become sloppy, and your opponent can read you with ease,” Cui explained.
What’s the secret to being successful?
Cui insisted patience is the biggest factor for success, and while you can learn the moves with practice, patience can also be learned outside of fencing practices.
“The minute you overplay your hand, the match has been lost, so eventually, you will learn when to attack and when to dodge,” he explained.
Why this club is a good fit for you:
It’s almost like chess in action. It’s a sport that provides a mental obstacle as much as a physical one. Louisa Lewicki, another instructor and sec-
Fencing Club
ond-year master’s student in physiology and pharmacology got into the sport because her neighbour was a fencing teacher.
“I may have been forced into it, but I love the sport with all my heart and would encourage others who may be interested to join,” she said.
If you have always dreamed of a legendary lightsaber-like fight you watched growing up, this club is definitely for you.
Western Wushu Club
Ever wanted to train like Po the Panda? Yes, the legendary Kung Fu Panda practiced the martial art of Wushu, a performance-oriented club steeped in techniques that will test your flexibility and mental resilience. These include flips and tucks that highlight a breathless dance routine.
“The club is designed to build a strong connection with your body and mind while embracing Chinese traditions, “ explained fourth-year student and Western Wushu Club president Laurent He.
What does a first practice look like?
After warming up, He led the practice by showing some techniques in a typical Wushu performance. That included jumps and leg kicks that help lead to more advanced moves.
Wu Long Pai Di, a move that involves wheeling your arms before crouching down and slapping the ground, was highlighted towards the end of the practice and gives a chance for members to learn and perfect the move over time.
If there’s time left, He busts out the lion head, which involves two people using the head and tail to practice a short coordinated dance routine, imitating the lion as a sly creature waiting to sneak up on their prey.
What’s the secret to being successful?
You might think being flexible would be the big secret, but He insists the only way to be successful is to overcome the mental block of flips and jumps.
“When you are starting off at Wushu, it may feel very uncomfortable if you have never attempted a flip before, but initial practices are geared towards a beginner, and there hasn’t been a move I have done where someone hasn’t come close to doing it,” He laughed.
Why this club is a good fit for you: This club is for everyone, and He repeatedly emphasizes a strong community aspect. The dances are intricate and well-choreographed and performances are given throughout the school year for various events.
If you want to join a club that improves your flexibility while growing social bonds, this club is definitely for you!
ZACHARIAH GOMES SPORTS INTERN
HENSON HAN GAZETTE Students practising rowing by the pool, Feb. 9, 2025.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE
Western
practising at the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre, Feb. 10, 2025.
TIFFANY CHENG GAZETTE
KAI WILSON GAZETTE Western Wushu club practising at the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre, Feb. 3, 2025.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE Épée sword group practising their blade work at Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre, Feb. 10, 2025.
Western Artistic Swimming Club
An Olympic sport that always amazes everyone, artistic swimmers perform their skills to a choreographed routine in the water as a duet or solo, showcasing their strength, flexibility and synchronization.
“Artistic swimming is like a combination of swimming, gymnastics and dance, but it’s also the furthest thing from any of those sports,” explained fourth-year student and Western Artistic Club president Abby Young.
What does a first practice look like?
If you have done this before, practices are geared immediately towards common moves that feature in routines. Pyramid-style flips were on full display during my visit to the pool.
For those with no experience, novice practice is available for swimmers to learn the basics. The eggbeater was highlighted — whenever the head is above water, swimmers almost always use an eggbeater to get up or tread water.
Named after the kitchen utensil, the eggbeater is performed with a kicking motion, with the legs
rotating in opposite directions. Instructors help during novice practice so that you can perfect your technique.
What’s the secret to being successful?
Both Young and third-year BMOS student and vice-president Janet Soilis believe the same thing: coming in with a positive attitude.
“The Novice team is so committed that they often show up 30 minutes before the experienced team,” Young laughed.
Soilis also touched on connection as a way to gauge success.
“Communication is key, so knowing that the novice team is close outside of practice makes me optimistic about the future,” Soilis said.
Why this club is a good fit for you:
Novice team members, third-year health sciences student Daisy Chen and first-year Nicole Balcar both joined on a whim and have loved it ever since.
“The community is really nice, and they are really open to new swimmers. As long as you know how to swim a lap around the pool and tread water, you will be good,” Soilis explained.
Huron’s skateboard prodigy, Richie Bullbrook
ALEX ZARENDA SPORTS EDITOR
Richie Bullbrook is far from the average BMOS student. Instead of grinding for a job in finance, he’s out grinding rails at the skatepark.
When he’s not studying marketing and sustainability at Huron University College, the fourth-year student is training and competing as one of the most talented skateboarders in Canada at just 21 years old.
Following a lifetime of practice, Richie has become Canada’s top-ranked skater in both park and vert.Park competitions use a hollow concrete course with elements like ramps, quarter pipes and bumps, while vert competitions take place on near-vertical surfaces such as half-pipes and large ramps.
“Those rankings fluctuate. Things don’t last forever. But right now, it feels good to be at the top, and I intend on maintaining that position as my season starts up again this summer,” says Richie.
Richie’s journey started when he was just four years old. He watched an episode of Arthur where he saw two bunnies skateboarding. Feeling inspired, he went into his garage and grabbed a skateboard.
The skateboard was once his mother’s, who used it to learn how to surf. It had since been collecting dust — until two animated rabbits put it in Richie’s hands.
“Before it was an Olympic sport, you were teaching yourself stuff. There weren’t really coaches. So I grew up in that era where you did it yourself,” says Richie. “I looked up to a lot of older kids, but they weren’t really good role models because that’s when skateboarding was really involved with drugs.”
While Richie started his journey on his own, he credits skaters like Alessandro Mazzara and Yuro Nagahara for influencing his style. He says these skaters succeed because of their mastery of foundational skills, which he says makes them “structured and not flashy.”
Richie lives in London, Ont., but due to winter
Western Equestrian Club
Who would have thought that Western offers the opportunity to ride a horse? The Western Equestrian Club offers horseback riding lessons and a chance to compete in horseback riding events, where you ride a horse through a guided course. The club often competes at university-level events around Ontario, showcasing all its horseback riding skills. Worried that you’ve never been on a horse before?
“No experience needed, the club executives are all there to teach,” said third-year Ivey Business School student and president Tessa Fois.
What does a first practice look like?
Operating out from a stable outside the university, the club has many horses for first-time riders.
“It can be a little scary at first, but the instructors are always by your side to make sure everything is good,” Fois said.
She explained that a first practice involves learning to get on a horse and trot around with a guide.
“It can be tough swinging your leg around to get up, so often a couple of boosts are needed,” she laughed.
What’s the secret to being successful?
If a horse can’t clear an obstacle, the obstacle will break apart, so landing is simple. You will have to stay calm and pick yourself up when riding to make sure you have a strong finish instead of a ride full of nerves.
“Horses feel what the rider feels, so if it picks up on you being nervous, it will also be nervous, and that can impact your ride,” Fois said.
Why this club is a good fit for you:
If you love horses, this is a no-brainer, but the bond between equestrian team members can not be understated.
“Some of the VPs on the team only started riding when they first joined the club, and they are some of our best riders out there,” Fois said.
The learning curve might pose difficulties for some, but when the connection strikes between you and the horse, you will be drawn to show jumping forever.
weather and a lack of indoor skating parks, he’s spent much of his time training in places with better parks, like Toronto, Detroit and California.
In a typical week, Richie spends a few days in London before heading to Toronto for weekend training.
Beyond his time on the skateboard, his regimen includes working with coaches for strength and conditioning workouts, reviewing tapes and strategizing for competitions.
He makes time for school during downtime, staying productive instead of just scrolling on his phone. School fills his free time — skateboarding is everything else.
With his packed schedule, Richie stands out from the Western University crowd by avoiding drinking and partying.
“I think there’s a cultural change that needs to happen in all sports, especially at the highest level.
And you do see it, people don’t party,” says Richie.
After graduation, Richie plans on moving to California to train for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Richie has already competed at the international level for Canada, placing 62nd out of 107 contestants at the World Skateboarding Tour in Dubai last year.
“That’s all I’m working towards every day,” says Richie. “Going into LA 2028, I need to be ranked top 22 in the world, and that shouldn’t be an issue.”
Richie is the first in his family to pursue a career in professional sports, and he credits his parents for their support.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it if it weren’t for my Mom and Dad,” he says.
Throughout his life, Richie’s father served as an inspiration to him by running his own business. He credits his father’s hustle — through cold calling and independent work — with shaping his own mindset.
“I owe this to my family. We put too much into this. It’s like any sport, like any kid that’s successful in any sport. My whole life has been for this, so now it’s time to perform,” says Richie.
AIMEE GRACE GAZETTE
Western Artistic Swimming Club practicing lifts in pool at the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre, Feb. 24, 2025.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE
Richie Bullbrook, Canada’s top-ranked skater at Medway Skate Park, London, Ont., March 13, 2025.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE Fourth-year Huron student and Canada’s top-ranked skater, 21-year-old Richie Bullbrook at Medway Skate Park, London, Ont., March 13, 2025.
VERONICA MIRANDA GAZETTE
Western Artistic Swimming Club practicing in pool at the Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre, Feb. 24, 2025.
Riddle Me Maybe
ACROSS
1. Prefix of fours
6. Fed. reps.
9. Two door sedan, maybe 14. Settle an affair
15. Be stylish, in slang
16. Fixing a Vegas decision(to)
17. *Located with an app, maybe 19. Russian denials
20. WWI battle with first tank warfare
21. Northern Ontario nickname (The)
22. Grocery store number, in short
25. *Church cry
30. Actor’s theatrical finale
33. e.g. Chicago
34. Quentin Tarantino leading lady
35. Choose a boolean operator, say
36. Decorative fish on Swift guitar
37. MTV top picks
38. Phrase sought by political trend followers or what 17, 25, 49 and 60 are
