Looking back on Canada’s last women’s university
Patricia Skidmore-Skuce can’t imagine being taught by a female professor.
As she pursued her undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees, seeing women in higher education — let alone achieving those milestones herself — was nearly unheard of.
She graduated from Kent State University’s social sciences undergraduate program in 1965 before obtaining a masters in 1967 and a PhD in 1971 from the University of Alberta. After beginning her career, she completed a second master’s at Western University in 1977.
Skidmore-Skuce dedicated 40 years of her life to teaching at Brescia University College, Canada’s last all-women’s university. From 1969 to 2008, she observed dramatic changes in women’s rights and education.
In her early years at Brescia, Skidmore-Skuce explained that women were socialized to be passive, and men regularly employed tactics to silence them in the classroom.
She recounted specific memories of students confiding in her after being on the receiving end of cruel jokes and insults on the basis of gender when taking courses on Western’s main campus.
“It wasn’t in their arsenal to be assertive,” she said. “The women’s movement of the 60s and 70s hadn’t really penetrated young women.”
Skidmore-Skuce made it her mission to challenge these norms over her decades at Brescia. As a professor at an all-women’s university, she encouraged her students to find their voices, think critically and advocate for themselves.
It’s been a year since Western announced on Sept. 21, 2023, that Brescia would integrate into its operations by May and no longer exist as an autonomous institution.
The year was filled with heartache and reflection for those close to Brescia. Many students fought back against the integration, citing fear about the absence of a safe university space for women and gender-diverse people in the Western community and across Canada more broadly.
“I was dismayed,” Skidmore-Skuce recalled. “Because it was such a good place for me and more importantly, for the thousands of students who went through.”
The merger shocked students and faculty, especially as Western and Brescia’s faculty unions
were excluded from initial consultations. Western later apologized to the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association for its approach to the integration.
According to Western, Brescia had approached the university about “financial difficulties it was facing and proposed an integration” in September 2023. As part of the agreement, Western assumed possession of all liability, debts and assets owned by Brescia, including around $35 million in loans, and acquired the land and buildings on the affiliate college’s campus.
Jenna Beecroft, a fourth-year psychology and political science major — formerly at Brescia — explained she could feel the collective grief of Brescia students when Western made the integration announcement.
In the following months, Brescia students formed the Brescia Preservation Alliance and several rallies were held throughout the fall. Hundreds of students, faculty and alumni attended dressed in Brescia’s signature blue and yellow, carrying signs that read “Save Brescia” and “Bold not Sold.”
Beecroft, who was the Brescia councillor on the University Students’ Council and a student senator, advocated on behalf of Brescia students during meetings with faculty and administrators.
As a student leader, she wasn’t entirely surprised by the announcement, given Brescia’s small student body.
“It was interesting to oscillate between the collective grief of students and then the student leadership perspective of being in these rooms, having difficult conversations and seeing admin’s perspective,” Beecroft said.
Western created a $25 million Brescia Legacy fund to support scholarships and bursaries aimed at helping equity-deserving students. The university also promised to maintain Brescia’s academic programs for the next four years so current students can complete their degrees.
Since its founding, Brescia students have earned Western degrees as part of its affiliation with the university.
Beecroft is now continuing her degree at King’s University College, one of Western’s two remaining affiliate colleges.
MADELEINE MCCOLL GAZETTE
The remaining Brescia sign, Aug. 13, 2024.
JESSICA KIM FEATURES, IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Convocation to move off-campus for next 5 years
MABEL ZHAO NEWS EDITOR
Western will move convocation off-campus for at least five years starting next June as it works to bring graduation ceremonies back on campus in the long run.
Senate heard a presentation at its Sept. 13 meeting from the Convocation Task Force, who recommended Budweiser Gardens as a temporary location for convocation. In a statement to the Gazette on Sept. 23, Western University’s provost Florentine Strzelczyk said the university is “working to secure a suitable venue.”
The task force was formed in response to an increasing number of Western graduates and ongoing challenges with holding convocation ceremonies at Alumni Hall, such as capacity issues and accessibility concerns. Alumni Hall has been Western’s convocation site since 1967.
According to Strzelczyk, the university is exploring longer-term options to “build or retrofit a multi-purpose facility” to host future convocations on campus.
In a feedback survey, graduates and volunteers of the spring 2023 ceremony complained of long outdoor wait times for guests, difficulty navigating campus parking and extensive travel around campus under tight time constraints.
The task force attributed these challenges to the lack of venue space in Alumni Hall, meaning graduates had to travel back and forth between the University Community Centre to pick up their regalia and degrees.
Alumni Hall has only one elevator, heavy doors with no automatic openings and a lack of wheelchair-friendly washrooms — leading to accessibility concerns.
The task force recommended Budweiser Gardens as the preferred off-campus location to host convocation ceremonies for at least five years due to its greater capacity, nearby parking and access to the venue’s security, ushers and concession areas. The downtown area was officially renamed Canada Life Place on Sept. 24.
But community feedback revealed that students want convocation to be held on campus. The task force proposed either the renovation or construction of a new, multi-purpose facility with the capacity to host at least 850 graduates, plus at least four guests per graduate, so the ceremony can return to campus in the long-term.
Currently, Alumni Hall can hold a maximum of 450 graduates as well as two to four guests per graduate.
The recommendation aims to reduce the overall number of ceremonies required while keeping the ceremony length to under 2.5 hours. The task force recommends continuing to hold two ceremonies a day at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m..
At the Sept. 13 Senate meeting, Western’s Alumni Association president Julie Campbell asked how the university plans to double the number of graduates while maintaining the short ceremonies. Strzelczyk said students can line up outside to move more quickly and it’s what they’re doing at Queen’s University.
Queen’s University moved its 2022 convocation to Slush Puppie Place — formerly Leon’s Centre — in downtown Kingston to accommodate a double cohort of graduates following the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued using this location, according to the report.
The task force also identified Thompson Arena as a potential venue to host convocation. They said the arena cannot currently host convocation because half of the seating is bleachers, and without a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system it will be unusable in June — when spring convocation is held.
But the task force said Thompson Arena could be refurbished to host larger ceremonies with increased parking and sufficient space to distribute regalia and degrees.
Fanshawe College has been hosting their convocation ceremonies at Budweiser Gardens since 2022. The task force discussed potential opportunities to work with Fanshawe to reduce set-up and take-down costs.
The task force also acknowledged that using Budweiser Gardens will require transit arrangements such as shuttles for faculty, staff and volunteers to travel between campus and downtown to ease some of the parking demands.
Strzelcyzk said many schools hold convocation in their downtown core and she would prefer taking the shuttle over driving.
“We’ll learn from Fanshawe because they’re doing that,” said Strzelczyk.
Two additional venues — an on-campus and off-campus one — were considered, but the task force ultimately ruled them out.
Alumni Stadium with a tent was the on-campus option. The task force decided against it due to challenges with it being outside, such as being unable to control the weather and extra costs associated with renting a tent, washrooms and chairs.
RBC Place in downtown London was also ruled out due to the limited seating — 300 less seats than Alumni Hall — and visibility challenges.
Western is hoping to increase student enrollment to 50,000 students by 2030 — which will increase the number of graduates. The university currently holds convocation ceremonies at Alumni Hall over two weeks in June and three days in October each year.
“As we navigate these changes, our priority is ensuring an exceptional convocation experience for our graduates,” wrote Strzelczyk.
Senate redefines full-course load to help incoming international students
FINN TOPOROWSKI STAFF REPORTER
Western’s Senate voted unanimously at its Sept. 13 meeting to temporarily change the definition of a full-course load, allowing international students experiencing study permit delays to begin their studies in January 2025.
The Senate’s motion will grant admitted international students full-time status if they earn 2.5 credits between January and April, allowing them to obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter for study permits. This exception applies only to study permit purposes and will end in 2026.
Only students enrolled in a full-course load are eligible to obtain a PAL. Prior to the Senate’s change, a full course load was defined as 3.5 credits or more per year — making winter-start students ineligible for a PAL, as they could only take up to 2.5 credits in the semester.
The changes address delays caused by the federal government’s new cap on international student study permits, introduced earlier this year. In January, the federal government announced they would reduce the number of international student study permits issued for the next two years to tar-
get institutions that have taken advantage of high international student fees.
Under the cap, each province and territory is allotted a portion of the total permits based on its population, and all incoming international students must now obtain a PAL to receive their study permit.
According to Western University, the new requirement has “caused some delays” in processing international students’ permits.
“Some highly qualified international students who were slated to begin their studies at Western in September have not yet received their permits and have not been able to travel to Canada,” wrote Western in a statement to the Gazette
Before the vote, Western president Alan Shepard reminded senators they were not voting on increasing the university’s number of international students, but about helping previously admitted students who are still waiting on their permits, which he called “the right thing to do.”
University registrar Marisa Modeski told senators that many students have already met admission conditions, paid for residence and committed to coming to Western but were unable to start in
January due to Western’s current undergraduate structure.
Modeski said they sought internal advice from immigration officers at Western International and heard that amending the offer letters temporarily would allow these students to study at the university.
“Not only do we empathize with their situation, we’re doing all we can to welcome these students to our campus community as soon as possible,” wrote Western.
Earlier this year, Shepard expressed frustration with the federal government’s study permit cap, calling it “not a responsible way to go.”
On Sept. 18, the federal government announced it would further limit the number of international students admitted to study in Canada in 2025 and 2026. Beginning next year, the government will issue 437,000 study permits — a 10 per cent reduction from the 2024 target of 485,000.
“Thank you so much for the support,” Shepard told senators after the motion passed. “We want to help the students who are stranded across the world.”
University’s official student newspaper since 1906
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE An outside view of the front entrance at Budweiser Gardens, Aug. 14, 2022.
Western pharmacy remembers Shafeek Roberts
TARA YANG CULTURE EDITOR
The Western community is mourning the loss of its on-campus pharmacy manager.
Shafeek Roberts died on May 1 at the age of 61. Roberts was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in February and died from complications.
“He was the face of the pharmacy,” says Altaf Jiwaji, pharmacist and owner of the Western On-Campus Pharmacy. “People from all over — the faculty, the staff, the students — knew him.”
Roberts joined the Western On-Campus Pharmacy in 1998. He was recruited by Jiwaji from a Walmart pharmacy when Jiwaji was looking for a second pharmacist to work at Western’s pharmacy.
The late pharmacist completed a program last year in alternate therapy — specifically in functional health — and felt confident in his ability to treat cancer without medication.
This resonated with Roberts on a personal level as he persisted in using immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy to treat his cancer. Unfortunately, he had reached such a vulnerable physical state that left him with little strength to endure immunotherapy.
Saffa Boroot, the on-campus pharmacist technician who worked side by side with Roberts for 15 years, shares that Roberts was just beginning his second career.
Although he never got to practice alternate therapy to the extent he studied, Roberts always cared about improving people’s health.
He felt that there was a need in the community.
“People would come to a pharmacy to get medication, and that was the only choice they had,” says Jiwaji. “But he felt that he could improve people’s health without medication.”
Roberts was more than just a pharmacy manager — he was a father, husband, business partner and great friend to many.
“He wasn’t just my colleague. He was actually a best friend to me,” says Boroot.
Jiwaji describes Roberts as someone who had great character, integrity and humanity.
“There are plenty of pharmacists around, but they don’t have the care for the people,” says Jiwaji. “That was the best part of him. He was not here to sell things to people. He was here to improve their health.”
According to Boroot, Roberts didn’t realize the positive impact he had on the Western community until near his last moments.
What seemed like just a regular workday to Roberts often touched the lives of many people.
“That’s a beautiful thing to absorb and take in because you were known as such a good person,” says Boroot. “I think he felt so blessed to know that so many people loved him and cared for him.”
Since Roberts’s passing four months ago, the pharmacy has been looking for someone to take over his role as its manager but has had little success.
“It still is difficult to accept and try to fill in those gaps because how he always went above and beyond with everything,” says Boroot. “Once again, it’s trying to find that right person to fill in that space.”
While the pharmacy has found short-term replacements, none have come close in comparison to Roberts.
“We tried to find a pharmacist to replace him. But replace is not a good word to use,” says Jiwaji. “The problem is he left a void in the pharmacy, which is very hard to fill. I don’t think we can replace him ever.”
Campus groups respond to protest policy pause
SOPHIA SCHIEFLER COORDINATING EDITOR
CHIRAG K. SINGHAL NEWS EDITOR
Campus community groups are seeking increased consultation with Western on new protest policies after the university paused controversial procedures restricting demonstrations and banned camping.
Western University announced the camping ban on Aug. 29, and recently added a new procedure under Policy 1.1 requiring groups send an application to Western’s director of campus safety and emergency services at least five days before a demonstration.
Under the procedure, the director would provide “reasonable directions, including time, location, and manner for the demonstration,” and it was prohibited to hold or advertise a demonstration the director had not approved.
On Sept. 9, the university announced they would pause the policy after several student groups called on the university to repeal the procedure and the faculty association filed multiple policy grievances.
“I’m very glad that that’s been an outcome and that the university is now committed to consulting as they should have from the start,” said Johanna Weststar, University of Western Ontario Faculty Association president.
According to Weststar, UWOFA was concerned about free speech and filed policy grievances against Policy 1.1 due to Western’s lack of consultation with the faculty.
Under Policy 1.51 — Policy on Establishing University Policies and Procedures, those responsible for developing or amending university policies and procedures must have “timely and appropriate consultation” with affected members of the university community.
Some student groups expressed similar concerns over the lack of consultation and free speech.
“Universities have always been a space for students to freely express their views and advocate and that, in itself, fosters so many different learning opportunities because it’s the space to
introduce diverse views,” said Lara El-Aloul, a fourth-year software engineering student and vice-president advocacy with the Palestinian Cultural Club.
El-Aloul added some students were caught offguard by this policy after a year of protesting in support of Palestinians and felt like their voices were being stifled.
“This can’t be a conversation where you’re mainly affecting student voices and how we’re able to use our voices on campus, and you’re not consulting us,” said Munya Haddara, a third-year governance, leadership and ethics student at Huron University College and vice-president communications with the Muslim Students’ Association.
University Students’ Council president Emilie Kalaydjian said the student union was also not consulted by university administration during the creation of this procedure, and she spoke out against the policy to local media after hearing student concerns.
“Our main priority at the USC is to champion the student voice. The moment this policy was made public it was clear to us that students felt a direct negative impact and we wanted to let them know through my statement in CBC that we heard them,” wrote Kalaydjian in an email to the Gazette
Kalaydjian said she is hopeful the policy will be better informed as it goes through a “more rigorous governance process alongside students.”
“While our goal with these changes was to clarify the rights and responsibilities of our community to ensure a safe start to the new fall term, we acknowledge that more consultation is needed,” said Western in a statement to the Gazette on Sept. 12.
Western said they have had conversations with student leaders and faculty, before adding it is committed to continued conversations with campus community members in the statement.
“We hope that different student voices and different diverse groups can be consulted, and eventually they can reconsider this pause to just an end to the policy altogether,” said El-Aloul.
Western said the community can refer to existing policies, the student code of conduct and collective agreements to understand the university’s expectations regarding demonstrations.
The university said it will revisit the policy and procedure under a broader policy review process with any changes going through governance later in the fall.
“It’s still something that we’re going to have to be paying attention to,” said Haddara. “We’re going to have to be very closely following what Western is doing, who they’re consulting, how they’re consulting, what the outcome of this is going to be.”
On Sept. 19, the Western Divestment Coalition staged a protest on Concrete Beach before walking around campus and down Western Road, protesting Policy 1.1 as well as the university’s investments they say are tied to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Mahmoud ElSaleh, a fifth-year psychology student at King’s University College, said there were a lot of new faces at the protest because students want to speak out against the new policy that restricts demonstrations on campus.
“If you ever have an issue, a concern that you have, whether it’s climate change, whether it’s about investments, whether it’s about pay or anything, when it comes time for you to speak up, you’ll be restricted.” said ElSaleh.
“We’re here to say good that you paused it, but don’t bring it back.”
LIAM MCINNIS GAZETTE Western’s main gates from Western Road, Oct. 12, 2019.
KAI WILSON GAZETTE
Portrait of Shafeek Roberts hangs on the wall in UCC pharmacy, Sept. 12, 2024.
Celebrities endorsing politicians is necessary
On Sept. 10, Trump and Harris stepped off the debate stage — and Taylor Swift stepped on.
After months of speculation, Swift announced her endorsement for this historic election: When November comes, she will be casting her vote for Kamala Harris.
Celebrities are equipped with both familiarity and influence — and they should use it responsibly. If they can identify misinformation and do their homework about candidates’ policies and positions, celebrities should use their platform for good and endorse politicians.
Swift’s endorsement, shared to her 284 million Instagram followers, cited specific policies that influenced her choice. She signed off her statement “Childless Cat Lady” — referencing comments Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance made about women.
Swift also shared a link to vote.gov in an Instagram story, which reported over 400,000 visits in the 24 hours it was live. In just 10 days, Swift’s post garnered over 11 million likes.
Your favourite artist talking about politics can make it hip and interesting. Low voter turnout — especially with the younger generation — has been a persistent issue in politics. When celebrities encourage their fans to vote, no matter for who, they help engage more people in the democratic system — a positive thing for any election.
Inviting the younger demographic to take a seat at the table — and voting booth — is invaluable for a healthy electoral system. We just have to get them there, and sometimes that takes figures like Taylor Swift.
Celebrity endorsements aren’t unique to American elections. In the 2015 Canadian fed-
eral election, hockey player Wayne Gretzky endorsed Stephen Harper for Prime Minister. People like Gretzky and Swift are idolized for their accomplishments, so people trust them and as a result, the candidates they support.
Even Western University’s student union elections have seen their share of celebrity endorsements. In the 2023 University Students’ Council election, candidate Sunday Ajak received over 85,000 likes on a Cameo video post-
ed to his TikTok featuring Phil Lewis endorsing his campaign. Lewis is known for his role of Mr. Moseby in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
Some people are wary about celebrity endorsements, fearing that people will not educate themselves on their country’s politics and blindly rely on a famous person to make that choice for them.
We’re not saying that every celebrity should make statements on every political issue. When
fanbases pressure their idols into speaking out, it just puts pressure on them to add their voice to something they might not be fully educated on. A large platform comes with great responsibility, and celebrities shouldn’t use their voice constantly just because they have one and feel forced by their passionate fans.
If an endorsement is based on false propaganda or a celebrity is paid to endorse a candidate, it is detrimental to the health of a democracy. But if an endorsement is based on a genuine desire to encourage informed voting and let followers know where they stand, then it is an overall pro for the country’s electoral process.
In this U.S. presidential election, there’s a lot at stake. Swift’s post referenced reproductive issues and LGBTQ+ rights, making her stance clear. The goal of her post was also to inspire her fans to research the issues they care about and discourage spreading misinformation, no matter their political preference.
Directing her followers to vote.gov was a smart move because it’s not telling people who to vote for, but just how.
We are not saying any and all kinds of endorsements are good. They have to be well-researched and backed by facts while encouraging the audience to conduct their own analysis before voting, making media literacy all the more necessary. We shouldn’t shame celebrities for endorsing politicians. They have a massive platform and when it seems impossible to engage youth in voting and combat misinformation, why not let a childless cat lady help?
Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board, and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Gazette, its editors or staff. To submit a letter to the editor, send an email to opinions@westerngazette.ca
Opinion: London gyms are worth the price over the Rec
THOMAS IRONS SPORTS EDITOR
If waiting 30 minutes for a bench or treadmill at a gym with subpar hours sounds like your ideal workout, I’ve got a place for you!
The Western Student Recreation Centre is a state-of-the-art facility with tons of equipment. But it can get way too overcrowded with people, leading to long wait times.
As a student who used the Rec Centre my first year and switched to a London gym in my second, I can confidently say London gyms are a better option if you are serious about your fitness.
While living in residence, you could catch me at the Rec Centre six days a week. I would get annoyed when I had to wait around for 20 minutes just to use a piece of equipment. My workouts got longer, and for all the wrong reasons.
But being in first year, the convenience of the location was just too good to pass up. Once I moved off-campus, I decided to try out Fit4Less and it was one of the best decisions I made during my time at university.
Great hours, short wait times and similar equipment — it couldn’t get much better.
In my second year, I made the most progress I’ve ever made in an eight-month period. Starting
the year at 212 lbs, I was able to comfortably get down to 175 lbs by the end of the school year — while becoming stronger on most of my lifts. Other factors played a part, but the atmosphere and environment of a gym with more room helped tremendously.
I get why people will still choose to use the Rec Centre. The cost of a membership is an extra financial burden — I pay $13.99 bi-monthly — that not everyone can afford, especially if they don’t know if the gym is worth it. Plus, travelling can be a barrier.
But it’s much easier to plan your day knowing that you can fit the gym in wherever and whenever because you do not have to worry about it being closed — especially during exam season. Fit4Less is a 24-hour gym — unlike the 8 p.m. close on weekends the Rec Centre subscribes to.
Local gyms also offer a great place to meet many people from all walks of life — they provided me with a community outside of the Western University bubble that is so big yet can sometimes feel so small. I met a local student because he asked me a question about an exercise. A year later, we still lend each other a hand from time to time.
I wholeheartedly believe that going to a local gym will provide a better overall experience for everyone, no matter where you are on your fitness journey. But at the end of the day, trust yourself to meet your goals — no one knows you better than yourself.
ANGWARA NILANONT GAZETTE
Opinion: The protesting LCBO workers didn’t snap, fizzle and fall flat.
GABRIELLA
MCKENNA NEWS EDITOR
This summer, I found myself living way out in the boonies — no offence to residents of Collingwood, Ont. The LCBO was a 20 minute drive from my little home off Highway 26 — and was practically inaccessible without a vehicle.
We could go once every couple weeks, whenever a friend with a car offered a ride. When the LCBO strike began in July, we cracked open the back-ofthe-cabinet Bombay Sapphire. Now, back in London and in a new era of alcohol sales, I can simply walk to the corner store and buy a beer.
The Ontario government recently permitted more than 4,000 convenience stores to sell alcohol across the province, including some of your favorite London businesses — take the 7-Eleven on Sarnia and Western Road, now selling a variety of beers, ciders, wines and ready-to-drink cocktails.
As I write this, a 7-Eleven beer is sitting in my fridge, the hissing bubbles calling my name. My Molson, however, will do nothing to rinse the sour taste that the anti-protester sentiment left in my mouth.
The new push toward privatization is convenient for people like me. An LCBO strike, on the other hand, is a headache. So it doesn’t surprise me to read op-ed after op-ed with biting headlines like:
“LCBO strike finally limping towards the end”
And, by one particularly thirsty writer:
“LCBO. Stupidest. Strike. Ever.”
It’s easy to empathize with the authors behind these pieces. It’s annoying to be inconvenienced, or be deprived of your Coors Light. But LCBO employees didn’t go on strike to put the kibosh on your summer plans — the push towards private alcohol sales threatened their jobs.
LCBO employees, protected by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, benefit from significant job security. A full-time LCBO customer service representative can make over $30 an hour after five to 10 years of service. A full-time Walmart customer service manager working for the same length of time makes just cents above minimum wage.
The agreement the LCBO first proposed to OPSEU had some measures in place to increase job security after alcohol sales expanded into corner stores. They promised to convert 400 casual employees to full-time employees, and increase wages for the next three years.
There was one glaring omission from the first proposal: with the expansion of alcohol sales and the increased convenience of buying drinks, fewer people will go to the LCBO for alcohol.
The first proposal provided no protection against LCBO stores closing in the wake of these changes. That’s bad for LCBO employees — if there is less demand for LCBO stores, they will close, taking jobs down with them.
The strike wasn’t pointless. It was a critical way for liquor store workers to secure their positions before a massive change to our alcohol sales model.
So no, the LCBO strike was not the stupidest strike ever — it just may have been one of the smartest.
The LCBO is not just a good place to buy booze, or a good way for the Ontario government to make money. It’s a good employer for Canadians, and the push towards privatization threatened the jobs working-class Canadians need to support their families.
The strike didn’t stop privatization — and how could it? The precedent of private alcohol sales has been set for years across Canada and the rest of the world. Ontario was straggling behind.
Students are taking London streets by storm again, packing Richmond Row’s patios wall-towall with Mustangs. No doubt, the students hitting the streets will be ecstatic to find cheap ready-togo drinks for sale on every corner, available as late as 11 p.m..
The corner store owners will be happy too, as alcohol sales will help provide a much-needed cash influx to struggling downtown London businesses. But you don’t have to be a political expert or union rep to put two and two together. The private retail stores selling alcohol just don’t have the same protections in place for their workers.
Losing your job at the LCBO doesn’t mean you can start working at the corner store down the street. That job change means a cut to pay and benefits — and in our current cost of living crisis, that means privation for Canadians.
Of course I like to buy beer at the convenience store. But what’s more important than where I buy it from is who the cashier is — my drink will taste a little better if I know they can make ends meet.
Opinion: The USC embraces diverse needs by offering sensory friendly spaces
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
The USC held its second sensory-friendly Clubs Week session on Sept. 19, marking an important shift toward recognizing and accommodating the diverse needs of the student body. This initiative should be echoed across all communities to ensure that all students feel welcomed and supported.
Creating sensory-friendly spaces is essential to fostering inclusivity, advancing disability justice and empowering individuals with unique needs.
While accessibility is often discussed in terms of physical accommodations like ramps and elevators, sensory accessibility remains an overlooked yet equally important aspect of inclusion.
The sensory-friendly session is not just a symbolic gesture — it’s a necessary step toward building a campus where everyone can feel safe, comfortable and included.
For many, navigating crowded, noisy or brightly lit environments is not distressing. But for people with sensory sensitivities, these spaces can be overwhelming, causing discomfort or, in extreme cases, triggering anxiety, panic or physical pain. These hypersensitivities are often linked to conditions such as autism, anxiety, ADHD and PTSD.
The stakes are more than discomfort — navigating public spaces that don’t consider diverse sensory needs can lead to isolation and exclusion. For many, the result is feeling alienated from community life, unable to fully participate or enjoy shared experiences. We all deserve to belong.
As someone with ADHD who struggles with information processing and hypersensitivity, I personally experience how overwhelming environments filled with intense stimuli can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Bright lights, loud noises and chaotic spaces can quickly lead to sensory overload.
What makes this worse is the fact that the responsibility to advocate for accessible environments often falls on those who are most affected by the lack of accessibility in the first place.
This can lead to what is known as advocacy fatigue — the ongoing emotional, physical and social strain from having to constantly fight for one’s basic needs and rights in an inaccessible world.
Advocacy fatigue is more than just feeling tired — it’s being drained on all levels from repeatedly having to explain, justify and request accommodations that should be standard in the first place.
Each time we ask for the volume to be turned down, for the lights to be dimmed or for a quieter
space to be made available, we are reminded that our needs are still seen as “extra” or “optional,” rather than essential for our participation. This fatigue can make it difficult to continue advocating, especially when progress feels slow. And yet, without consistent pressure, the changes we need often don’t happen.
This is why initiatives from decision-makers like the University Students’ Council’s sensory-friendly Clubs Week are so important. When organizations take the lead in creating accessible environments, it alleviates some of the burdens on individuals with disabilities to always be the ones pushing for inclusivity.
Sensory-friendly spaces go beyond mere accommodation — they are about justice, empowerment and equity. When we make room for everyone’s needs, we affirm their right to belong and thrive.
Events like USC’s sensory-friendly Clubs session serves as a powerful reminder that inclusivity is not optional — it is a responsibility that must drive every decision we make.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE Clubs Week in the Mustangs Lounge, photo illustration, Sept. 16, 2024.
In the 70s, Skidmore-Skuce remembers entering her class at Brescia and immediately being called over to a group of her students.
One of the students explained she had voiced an opinion at a main campus history course when a man interrupted her. He told her if he thought like she did, he would crawl back under the rock he came from.
“That kind of disrespect was fairly common, it was just built right into the culture,” Skidmore-Skuce said.
Brescia was part of a broader movement advocating for women’s education, which has a complex history both in Canada and internationally.
All-women’s higher education institutions in America, like Smith College and Wellesley College in Massachusetts and Vassar College in New York — founded in the 1860s to 1870s — operated on the belief that women’s education should be separate but equal.
In Canada, universities like the University of British Columbia and the University of Saskatchewan have accepted women since their inception in 1908 and 1907, respectively. Other schools, like the University of Toronto, began accepting women throughout the early 1900s.
But some advocates pushing for women’s education in Canada believed programs should be tailored to women, mirroring similar women’s rights movements across Britain and the US.
Some Canadians were concerned coeducation had become the dominant model simply because it was cheaper — and could harm the quality of women’s higher education.
“But as yet the community has done very little for the college girl, in Canada at least. Coeducation is a temporary makeshift, due to the national poverty,” wrote Archibald MacMechan, a professor at Dalhousie University, in 1914.
Various institutions were created in response to the demand for separate education for women. McGill University and Trinity College, connected to the Anglican elite, provided women with their own classes and spaces within universities that were otherwise for men.
Coeducational schools like Acadia University, Dalhousie University and McMaster University partnered with Protestant women’s colleges to offer degree and non-degree programs for women.
Brescia was founded by a sect of Catholic nuns, the Ursuline Sisters, in 1919 — aligning with this movement and providing an alternative to coedu-
Looking back
last women’s
cation models. The liberal arts school was formerly named Ursuline College and later became Brescia College in 1963, followed by Brescia University College in 2001.
“The Ursuline Sisters were fierce feminists,” said Skidmore-Skuce. “They were always conscious of the lack of women’s rights and the atmosphere that wasn’t supportive of women’s emergence.”
Brescia was historically a Catholic institution but accepted students of all backgrounds and religions.
Immediately following the Sept. 2023 announcement that Brescia would be integrating, then-president of the affiliate college Lauretta Frederking said, “Today’s agreement is about meeting present needs of students, with an eye to the future.”
She told the Gazette that women now make up the
majority of post-secondary students in Canada, and there is an important need to adapt to new realities.
According to data from Western’s Office of Institutional Planning and Budgeting, 55.1 per cent of the university’s undergraduate students were women in 2023–24, while 42.9 per cent were men.
Women now outnumber men in every faculty at Western except for business, science and Engineering. In the 2023–24 school year, women made up 44.5 per cent of business, undergraduates, 47.2 per cent of science undergraduates and 25.1 per cent of engineering undergraduates.
Frederking said there were 280 women’s universities in North America in the 1960s but now only 26 remain.
Despite the progress made in women’s rights movements, many students today don’t believe
all-women’s universities should be a thing of the past.
Brescia alum Mikayla Hunter drew parallels between how women were treated by society in Brescia’s early years and how transgender and gender-diverse people are discriminated against now.
“People might find an all-woman’s university outdated, but a safe place for gender-diverse people is not outdated,” Hunter said.
Brescia provided such a space for decades, and its students continue to reflect on what they gained from their time there.
“Something that was really beautiful to me was the sense of community and approaching academics as a tool for women to empower themselves and to build lives for themselves based on academia and education,” said Beecroft.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE
Students gather at the intersection of Brescia Drive and Western Road to protest the Brescia-Western merger, Sept. 27, 2023.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE
Patricia Skidmore-Skuce stands by the window in Brescia’s St. James Building auditorium, Sept. 20, 2024
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE Hamna Qazi photographed in the Active Learning Lab at Brescia’s Academic Pavilion, Sept. 23, 2024.
on Canada’s
university
AND ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Many students interviewed by the Gazette described Brescia as a safe space, especially in contrast to the culture surrounding sexual and gender-based violence on Western’s main campus.
Western made national headlines following Orientation Week 2021 when several female students were seen on the ground in front of Medway-Sydenham Hall, appearing to be too intoxicated to move.
The following weekend, rumours spread on social media of up to 30 women being drugged and sexually assaulted, sparking an unprecedented walkout of more than 12,000 students, faculty and staff.
Western responded by launching two independent reviews. Both reviews uncovered deep-seated cultural issues, specifically during OWeek, and offered numerous recommendations for change.
“Being a survivor myself, I was entwined with
that part of Brescia and the resources that they provided, the support that they gave, and how ourselves [as students] reacted in a way,” said Hunter.
The college’s small, close-knit community played a big role in Hunter’s experience as a survivor. “Brescia kept me safe,” she said.
Brescia’s residence building, Clare Hall, housed exclusively women-identifying students. Western has committed to keeping Clare Hall as an all-women’s residence for at least four years, based on demand.
“I had a lot of fears, generally as a woman and woman of colour,” said now fourth-year French for teaching student Hamna Qazi. Following the integration, Qazi is a student on Western’s main campus.
“When I had late-night classes at Brescia, I would stay on campus. I don’t think I would be able to do that anywhere else,” said Qazi.
The small class sizes at Brescia also allowed Qazi to create a community with her peers and develop close relationships with faculty and staff. She felt her classmates and faculty really wanted to see her succeed and would do whatever they could to help each other.
Through these relationships, she found her professors were extremely understanding of her academic accommodations. Qazi said this helped eliminate access fatigue — a term describing the exhaustion that students with disabilities often face when navigating inaccessible spaces and continuously having to advocate for their access needs.
Anthropology professor Kim Clark’s research surveyed 83 disabled students from across campus. Sixty per cent of the study’s participants reported experiencing access fatigue at Western in some form.
Qazi is anxious about becoming simply another number at Western, particularly against the backdrop of Western increasing enrollment. The university is planning to reach 50,000 undergraduate students by 2030.
In its final year of operations, Brescia had 1,276 students.
Students like Melodie Yeung closed the book on their educational journey just as Brescia closed its doors. Yeung was a member of the final graduate class of Brescia in May and received her Bachelor of Science degree in the Foods and Nutrition program.
Despite the closure, some of Brescia’s unique programs including the Food and Nutritional Sciences program and Family Studies and Human Development program have been preserved through integration into Western’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
Yeung was the head orientation leader for Brescia’s final class of first-year students. Less than a month into their studies, these students learned they could no longer continue their degrees at the all-women’s school.
“I was most worried about safety and worried about what would this mean for anyone who came to Brescia for the fact that it is an all women’s university,” said Yeung.
Though Brescia will no longer exist as it once did, those close to the university say its culture and values will be carried on through its alumnae, staff and former students.
Yeung, Hunter, Beecroft and Qazi all believe they wouldn’t be the leaders, citizens or women they are today without their experiences at Brescia.
“The [advocacy] stuff I ended up doing, I don’t think that I would have done it if I were not a student of Brescia and they had not taught me to use my voice no matter what happens,” Qazi said.
Initially attending Bresica for various reasons — whether their program or the all-women’s space — they collectively became intertwined with Brescia’s community and legacy.
“Brescia is a staunch symbol that women did well in higher education, and both the women and the culture benefited from education,” said Skidmore-Skuce. “That is Brescia’s legacy.”
MADELEINE MCCOLL GAZETTE
A new Western University sign replaces the old Brescia sign, Aug. 23, 2024.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE
Hamna Qazi in Room 2001B of Brescia’s Academic Pavilion, where countless gathered immediately following the announcement of Brescia’s merger with Western. Sept. 23, 2024.
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE Patricia Skidmore-Skuce in Brescia’s new Academic Pavilion, Sept. 20, 2024.
JESSICA KIM
Huron’s new course (Taylor’s Version)
TARA YANG CULTURE EDITOR
Ihave news for the Swifties: “Everything Has Changed.”
This fall, the English and cultural studies department at Huron University College is offering a special topics course all about Taylor Swift.
English 2551F — otherwise known as Taylor Swift and “Other Tortured Poets” — takes a closer look at the popstar’s lyricism and related literature.
Alicia Robinet, an assistant English professor who teaches the course, shares that special topic classes change depending on the department’s need or student interest. And as seen at other universities, Taylor Swift is always of prime student interest.
“After the release of the album The Tortured Poets Department, I thought it was a great opportunity to use Swift’s songs as a relatable way to study the idea of the “tortured poet” and other literary works that connect with themes from her songs,” says Robinet.
The class offers more than traditional written assignments. Projects involve guest speakers, comparing Swift’s songs and a play at the Grand Theatre in downtown London.
The course had a guest lecture from Cecilia Li, a philosophy professor, who used the lyric “you know how to ball, I know Aristotle” in Swift’s song “So High School” to introduce the philosopher’s teachings.
“Swift’s business decisions and songwriting have had a demonstrable influence, particularly
Meet the Baddies of the UCC
Western students can now add some bling to their style with the opening of Baddies Accessories’ first store in the UCC basement.
Baddies Accessories, formerly known as Western Baddies, opened their first physical shop in the University Community Centre earlier this month.
Run by Western University alumni Rosita Zhang and Yaxin Ma, the store offers a variety of handmade accessories, including rings, bracelets, press-on nails and phone cases.
“We saw that the UCC needs something new. They need more aesthetic stuff,” says Zhang when discussing their vision for the store.
Zhang, who had a background in oil painting, began experimenting with nail art after growing frustrated with the high cost and limited designs at salons.
Meanwhile, Ma, who has been knitting since she was 11, rediscovered her love for creating handmade jewellery over the pandemic. She began sharing her designs on TikTok, quickly gaining a following of over 160K.
“I have a big audience, so I have to provide
on young women,” says Robinet. “It’s a chance to theorize some of the issues she writes about that are timeless themes in literature such as loss and nostalgia.”
While Swifties are often stereotyped as only women, Robinet shares that the class consists of both women and men, creating conversation with a variety of voices.
But Robinet definitely considered the female Swifties during the development of the course.
“Huron has many young women leaders who share their fantastic insights in the classroom and written assignments, and offering a safe space to connect over a subject of mutual interest is important to me pedagogically,” said Robinet.
But not every Swiftie can take the course. The only prerequisite to take the 2000-level English
essay course is at least a 60 per cent in 1.0 credit of English courses numbered 1020-1999.
Robinet clarifies there is no required prior knowledge of Taylor Swift to take the course.
“The class has students with differing levels of prior knowledge from self-proclaimed Swifties to those who have never really listened to her music; it is not an expectation that students know her work,” says Robinet. “They have an opportunity to listen to the songs and analyze the lyrics in class.”
The course ranges from students of various programs — from English and cultural studies to psychology, management and organizational studies and combined majors.
Perhaps the only way for the course to be offered again in future years will be to see its Reputation (Huron’s Version).
high-quality stuff. That’s why our products are made of stainless steel and sterling silver,” says Ma. Zhang and Ma first crossed paths at a Toronto market in 2023, where both were signed up as vendors — Zhang was selling press-on nails, and Ma was running a jewellery business.
By chance, they were both assigned to share a table. Unaware they were both Western students, they quickly bonded over their entrepreneurial journeys.
They soon decided to merge their talents and from that chance meeting, Baddies was born.
Initially starting as an online store, Baddies recently expanded by hosting various pop-ups in Toronto and on campus. Their popularity surged, and during the 2023–2024 school year, they had a near-weekly pop-up in the UCC.
“We thought, if we’re gonna be here doing pop ups almost every week, why don’t we just get a shop here?” says Zhang.
At one of these markets, they were approached by representatives from the Western Accelerator program, an initiative by the Morrissette Institute
Sheima Benembarek is writing the stories she wants to tell
PANIZ VEDAVARZ SENIOR CULTURE EDITOR
It wasn’t until Sheima Benembarek moved to Montreal that she found people with different backgrounds and experiences. By exploring their identities, she discovered her own.
Sheima grew up in Morocco, where diversity was limited, and there were traditional views on gender.
“I remember standing at Zara, and looking at myself in the mirror, and it just dawned on me that I’m a brown person,” says Sheima.
It was in this stark cultural difference she noticed between her home and Montreal that the early ideas for her first book, Halal Sex: The Intimate Lives of Muslim Women in North America, were constructed.
Sheima is joining the Faculty of Information and Media Studies as the 2024 Asper Fellow in Media, a program that promotes research and discussion on Canadian media.
As a fellow, she will teach a special topics course this fall in the media, information and technoculture program, MIT 3431A: Storytelling with Marginalized Communities. The course teaches how to report on marginalized communities with care, focusing on building trust and being mindful of trauma.
When Sheima first graduated with a bachelor of arts in English and creative writing at Concordia University, she knew she wanted to do one thing: work in magazines.
“What I have realized is that I enjoy writing most, and it took a long time to figure that out. I’m 41 now, and I’ve been trying to figure out who I am and what I am ever since University.”
Sheima explains the course was inspired by her experiences writing Halal Sex, her 2023 non-fiction book that explored the intimate and diverse experiences of female and non-binary Muslims navigating sexuality.
During the five years it took Sheima to write Halal Sex, she reported on the lives of five different women and gender non-conforming Muslims. Throughout the process, she realized the traditional approach to sources in mainstream journalism wasn’t working.
“The only way to get to a place with these sources was for me to open up as well,” says Sheima. “For me to be a human being, rather than just a professional that has all these boundaries and doesn’t share anything.”
Her time at Concordia was the deciding moment for her to write about the intersection of sexuality, freedom and Islam in North America, but the idea didn’t fully take shape until she entered the journalism world.
Since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2009, Sheima has completed a graduate certificate in book, magazine and electronic publishing. She also holds a master of fine arts in creative nonfiction and journalism from the University of King’s College.
In 2015, she was an editorial fellow at The Walrus, where she is now a contributing writer. She has also worked with Broadview Magazine and Toronto Life Magazine, and in 2020, she was one of five recipients of the RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer award.
Her success in the field was not without challenges and sacrifices. She describes a career in journalism and writing as an occasionally unstable one. While many of her peers had family to fall back on, as an immigrant, she did not have access to the same levels of support.
“I forced myself to stay in Canada and pursue my career,” she says. “Everytime I see my mom, when she visits from Morocco, or when I visit, I notice more and more wrinkles on her face.”
As a woman of colour in journalism, Sheima describes navigating majority white spaces where she has often felt undervalued. Despite frequently proposing stories that reflect the growing immigrant community in Canada, her ideas grounded in her identity often went unrecognized.
“I’ve never felt 100 per cent valued for the intricate skills that I have as an Arab Muslim immigrant in this country.”
Now, Sheima says she no longer wants to work for an employer, deciding to fully pursue freelance. She is also working on her second book, tentatively titled Lady Imam, building on her work during Halal Sex
for Entrepreneurship. The program offers mentorship, education and funding to support young entrepreneurs on campus.
Ma and Zhang were able to open up their own storefront after securing $12,000 in funding by applying to the accelerator program.
“Western really has another level of support for their student entrepreneurs,” says Zhang. “There’s no other university around Ontario that provides an entrepreneurship program like this.”
Looking ahead, Ma and Zhang hope to continue running their business in the UCC for the next five years, laying the foundations for a lasting presence on campus.
Their official grand opening will be on Sept. 27, featuring free mystery bags for their first 20 customers.
“It’s not necessarily about people having to purchase to have to buy anything, it’s more having the space where people can just come by and see the cute things we have and enjoy the aesthetic,” says Zhang.
The book will be a deep dive into Feminist Islam through interviews with “womxn” — an intersectional term intended to include those traditionally left out from feminism — imams across the world including the Netherlands, Paris and Copenhagen.
On Nov. 7, Sheima will moderate Breaking Barriers: Womxn Imams in Conversation in the FIMS and Nursing Building, where three of the imams she worked with from Canada, England and Denmark will speak.
“I’m more interested in the freedom of telling the stories that I feel need to be told, despite what everyone else around me thinks I should be doing or not doing.”
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE Sheima Benembarek, Sept. 22, 2024.
PANIZ VEDAVARZ SENIOR CULTURE EDITOR
SOPHIE BOUQUILLON GAZETTE Jewelery at Baddies Accessories , Sept. 13, 2024.
Western x OVO Campus Collection makes Headlines
OWEN JOHNSTON CULTURE EDITOR
Outside the Western bookstore at 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 20, the first students lined up eagerly for the doors to open three hours later and the Western x OVO collaboration to drop.
Hundreds of students waited in line outside the Dellelce Family Bookstore entrance through the University Community Centre tunnel to the Social Science Centre.
October’s Very Own, rapper Drake’s clothing brand, announced the highly anticipated Campus Collection on Sept. 16, collaborating with universities including Yale University, the University of Toronto and Western University. This marks Western’s first collaboration with the Canadian company.
The collection’s co-branded items include a sports cap, t-shirt, hoodie and a varsity jacket.
Aidan Callender, a fifth-year student studying geography and the environment, was the first in line at the bookstore. Callender says he set his alarm for 4:10 a.m. and arrived at the bookstore at 5:30 a.m..
Callender, whose favorite Drake song is “Middle of the Ocean” off the 2022 album Her Loss, was excited to pick up the varsity jacket. Even though the jacket was not available in-store, he still managed to order it online.
“This will be the first piece that I’ll be getting,” said Callender. “I’m more of a fan of [Drake’s] music than his brand.”
Jaden Chang, a first-year kinesiology student, also arrived at the bookstore around the same time, taking spot two in line.
“I’m a big OVO fan, not much of a Drake fan,” said Chang. “I just like the collection.”
In an Instagram post shared on Sept. 20, the bookstore featured Western women’s football players, alumni and staff modeling the collection including Sam Hopkins, Olivia Ghosh-Swaby, Bleska Kambamba and Daniel Jaffe.
“I thought it was incredible for our program. Dare I say this is the most we’ve been highlighted on campus,” said Kambamba, who has been coaching the Western women’s football team for four years, and three as head coach. “I’m happy for our program, happy that the bookstore gave us that shine. Because you know, it doesn’t come easy.”
Kambamba was the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Association coach of the year in 2023.
“It’s good we are able to be the four that were in the picture but we carry the over 200 athletes that have gone through and wore the purple flags and the purple jersey,” said Kambamba.
Science students create, donate books tackling representation
OWEN JOHNSTON CULTURE EDITOR
Agroup of science students are setting out to tackle representation through writing and illustrating children’s books and donating them to London libraries.
Kids Health Shelf is a Western University student collective focused on creating children’s books that celebrate diversity and inclusion, allowing some children to see themselves in characters and others to learn from a community they haven’t seen before.
Nadith Ranasinghe, a third-year medical sciences student, started KHS in 2023 to show underrepresented groups in childrens’ media.
“I wanted to give a voice to the voiceless,” says Ranasinghe. “When we have individuals coming from different backgrounds, like we have here at Western, I want to make sure that those kids from those backgrounds are represented in children’s media.”
Ranasinghe wrote the children’s book The Girl Under the Rambutan Tree as a tribute to his mother who grew up in rural Sri Lanka. The story follows a young girl living in Sri Lanka who feels left out from her peers, but the love of her parents inspires her to be herself.
Ranasinghe says he wanted to use his own experiences to write a book that showcased diversity and inclusion that he felt was missing in children’s books. His inspiration was his younger sister, who is now in high school.
“She approached me and said that as many children’s books as there are, there are very few that talk about people that look like her,” says Ranasinghe.
KHS is currently trying to fundraise enough money to print The Girl Under the Rambutan Tree on a larger scale. The club has started a GoFundMe, which can be accessed through their Instagram page.
Chiara’s Confessions:
CHIARA
WALLACE SENIOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND LAYOUT EDITOR
Another year, and I’m still single in university. I send a text to my group chat: “Why do I want to redownload Hinge?” It’s just a click away. What else is a girl to do?
I’ve learned a lot about dating in my last three years at Western University, and I’ve learned it the hard way. I’ve had Tinder, Bumble and Hinge — deleted them all, swore off them and redownloaded them more times than I could count. Even with the endless number of bad stories I could tell, I continue to go back to dating apps thinking the outcome will change. I get trapped in a vicious cycle thinking, “This time will be different!” It won’t.
Regardless of how many times I’ve returned to dating apps, the same three things happen:
1. I think it’ll be different.
The sample edition of The Girl Under the Rambutan Tree was printed by A&B Printers in London. Ranasinghe said it was important for them to support local businesses and use London printers.
KHS has an upcoming social media collaboration with American librarian and content creator Mychal Threets with the goal of spreading awareness and fundraising for print. Threets is known for his social media posts sharing positive messages and book recommendations.
Ranasinghe hopes that each library in London will soon have KHS books on their shelves.
The group has 10 members who each applied their skills in making the book.
Dilnazz Matharu, a second-year health sciences student, came across KHS and reached out to Ranasinghe over LinkedIn, offering to help illustrate.
Matharu was inspired by KHS’s mission and wanted to help in any way she could.
Danielle Xin, a third-year medical sciences student, also helped illustrate The Girl Under the
I’m lured in by the promise of quick and convenient connections and the hope that one of my matches will actually ask me on a date — because that happens all the time, right?
After the initial excitement of scrolling or swiping through faces and names, I quickly become frustrated and bored. A slew of fish pictures, gym mirror selfies and Homecoming group photos start to blend together, and I can’t decide if I’m being too picky or if the algorithm is getting it wrong.
Let’s not forget that special moment when someone you know pops up — a friend of a friend, a classmate or someone from your floor in residence that you haven’t spoken to since first year. Do you swipe right for the fun of it?
In my mind, if it sounds like it could be the plot of a rom-com, it’s definitely worth pursuing. That line of thinking is probably why I’m still single. But if I can’t find love on dating apps, where else am I supposed to find them?
Inside the bookstore, staff were busy finding sizes of t-shirts and hoodies for excited shoppers. Every cash register was staffed and the checkout line that snaked through the store to the try-on area moved quickly.
Customers were limited to two items of each type in the bookstore.
The collaboration comes after Drake and LA rapper Kendrick Lamar feuded earlier in the year over several diss tracks.
“People sleep on Drake because he makes pop music,” Callender said, adding his voice to the rap beef. “But, I think he can spit harder than Kendrick.”
Chang thinks that Kendrick came out on top, but was still excited to pre-order a varsity jacket.
Sports caps are $68, t-shirts are $68, hoodies are $178 and the varsity jacket is $698.
The items in the Western x OVO Campus Collection became available online Sept. 21 on the bookstore and OVO’s website. According to Western, the varsity jacket will be available in the bookstore store after Thanksgiving.
— With files from Hannah Alper
Rambutan Tree. She explains she drew as a hobby but wanted to use her skills for a good cause.
“I wanted to use my artistic interest to contribute to something more important,” says Xin. KHS’s goal of representation and helping marginalized children see themselves in what they read is not over. The group has another book in the works, Nobody Looks Like Me, written by Emily Leha, a third-year medical sciences student and KHS’ vice-president of authorship.
“It was a really big thing for me to see people that look like myself in books and be someone that helps create that,” said Matharu.
2. I question myself.
The inevitable situation: you matched with someone you really like but you both want different things. Whether you want it to be casual or serious, if the other person doesn’t want the same thing, one of you is bound to get hurt.
For a long time, I convinced myself that if my dating intentions didn’t align with someone I was interested in, I could sacrifice them slightly to stay with that person. I could be the “cool girl” who was okay with everything and never complained when someone wasn’t treating me the way I deserved. In my experience, the sacrifice was never worth it.
If I could have given myself advice when first getting on dating apps, it would be to know your standards and stick to them.
It can be really challenging, especially if you’re not interested in hookup culture, but never sacrifice your wants and needs for someone who will likely not change their mind. You deserve someone who is as sure of you as you are of them.
3. I give up. (Or do I?)
After enough bad dates, failed situationships and ghosted texts, I swear I’m done. It gets tiring putting yourself out there when you haven’t had interest reciprocated in the way you want. The allure of being the friend with all the bad dating stories wears off, and I’m still single.
I send a different text to the groupchat, “I deleted Hinge. I give up.” Cue the cheers and supportive messages.
It feels empowering to put yourself first and know you deserve better — even if it’s just for a moment. I think it’s valuable to know what you don’t want in a relationship, even if I learn it from many mistakes and hardships.
Eventually, the feeling wears off and I’m right back where I started. What’s the harm in one little download? I’m just browsing, it’s like a fun little game!
But deep down, I know the truth: I’ll delete the app, watch a rom-com, redownload Hinge and get sucked right back in.
Because even if I say I’ve given up, the hopeless romantic in me will always think, “Hey, what if I gave dating apps just one more shot?”
HANNAH ALPER GAZETTE
Western x October’s Very Own collaboration clothes at the Western Bookstore, Sept. 20, 2024.
DESMOND MAHOOD GAZETTE The Kids Health Shelf team on UC Hill, Sept. 10, 2024.
London eats around the world
London might be far from the bustling streets of international capitals, but many don’t know about the food scene that brings the world to your plate. Travel no further — we’ve rounded up nine restaurants in London representing different countries to help you feel a little more at home or step outside your comfort zone and try something new!
TNT TABANCA
Nigeria and Guyana
Bringing the flavours of northern Nigeria and the Sahel region, Yaya’s Kitchen offers a curated dining experience with a multicourse tasting menu. The menu changes frequently, providing guests with a unique culinary experience everytime they visit. Each dish has a story explaining its origin, allowing guests to learn about the cuisine’s rich heritage. Dishes include beef suya and East African samosas with chicken and vegetable fillings. While on the pricier side, Yaya’s Kitchen is a fine dining experience worth trying at least a dozen times.
Vietnam
With generous portions and reasonable prices, Thuan Kieu Vietnamese Restaurant offers a casual dining experience with popular dishes like pho and vermicelli noodles. They are committed to using traditional cooking techniques like Xào— a stir fry technique — to capture the true and delicious essence of Vietnamese cuisine. Perfect for casual nights with friends, their generous portions are made for sharing — especially the extra-large beef pho. From deep-fried spring rolls to bubble tea, their menu has had something for everyone since its establishment in 1996.
DIMI’S GREEK HOUSE
Greece
Why go to Mykonos or Santorini when you could go to Richmond Row? Combining authentic Greek food with a tasteful atmosphere that’ll take you back in time, Dimi’s Greek House is the way to go. They just underwent renovations to expand their patio and are once again the prime pregame spot. Perfect for birthdays, they even let the guest of honour break a plate and shout ‘Opa!’ for a fun, celebratory touch. FYI, their spanakopita — spinach pie — and lamb shank are both popular menu items and traditional Greek dishes.
Trinidad and Tobago
No need to travel to the Caribbean for authentic Trinidadian food; TNT Tabanca Caribbean Market and Eatery brings a taste of the islands to the Forest City. Specializing in rotis and doubles — curried chickpeas served on two fried flatbreads — TNT Tabanca is a great spot for take-out and dine-in. While Tabanca has a few different meanings, the owners say they interpret it as being lovesick for something like carnival or curry. Arun, one of the restaurant’s owners, says the love for his home is “his Tabanca.”
India
Advertising itself as the only Indian vegetarian restaurant in the city, Udupi Krishna serves traditional Indian cuisine with a twist: it caters to everyone. They offer options for Jain, vegan and gluten-free people and have a completely nut-free menu. Fun fact: the term Udupi is actually synonymous with vegetarian food all over the world. Step outside your comfort zone and try one of their 32 delicious dosas — rice and lentil crêpes — or medhu vada, a deep-fried savoury snack made with urad dal, spices and curry leaves.
KATSUYA Japan
Not to be confused with Katsu, Katsuya is the centre of Japanese cuisine on Richmond Street. Its vibe sets the perfect atmosphere for a night out with friends. The drink menu adds a unique twist to a night out on Richmond Row, featuring Korean staples like soju and traditional favourites such as Makgeolli, a refreshing sparkling rice wine. On the food side, the offerings range from carbonara udon to crispy chicken karaage — Japanese-style fried wings — delivering an authentic taste with a mix of fusion in each bite.
TG’S ADDIS ABABA RESTAURANT Ethiopia
Located just off London’s downtown core, TG’s Addis Ababa is a rare gem, offering an authentic Ethiopian dining experience. It has a warm atmosphere and a diverse menu featuring shareable platters and a variety of vegan options — perfect for a group outing. Their two most popular dishes include dulet kitfo — a dish consisting of minced lean beef cooked with butter, onion, jalapeño pepper and a special addis spice — and defen misr — green lentils cooked with traditional seasoning, onion and curry.
Turkey
Named after a breathtaking region in Turkey known for its archaeological treasures, Cappadocia Breakfast and Cafe offers just as breathtaking breakfast food. Known for their made-to-order breakfast platters, perfect for two or groups of four, they offer a variety of Turkish flavours, including specialty cheeses, jams and dips like ezme, a tomato-based spread. Swap your regular old eggs for eggs and sujuk — spicy sausage — enhancing the casual brunch experience. Their affordable prices are a plus to their yummy assortment, and who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?
If you’re looking for a spot to pre-party with friends before going out, look no further than Mexican House. The restaurant recently opened its doors to Londoners in the summer and has every foodie’s dream Mexican foods. From tortas — a kind of Mexican sandwich — to the famous yecapixtla cecina — air-cured meat famous in Yecapixtla, a town in Mexico — this place will be one to watch. Wash down your
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The music that motivates athletes
ALYSSA DUARTE STAFF REPORTER
Whether it’s an energetic song to elevate adrenaline or a calming melody to enhance focus, the right music can up an athlete’s game more than you would think.
For some, music serves as a key tool for regulating mood and tuning out distractions. They rely on specific songs to stay energized before, during and after their win.
“Music is the first step for me to get into an isolated mindset where I can block out distractions and focus purely on the game,” says Jonathan Lopez, a third-year criminology student and midfielder for the Western University varsity soccer team.
Lopez’s favourite song “Didn’t Cha Know” by Erykah Badu helps him maintain focus on the field by providing a steady rhythm that helps him stay in the flow.
“It’s all about getting into the flow state, where everything feels natural and smooth,” says Lopez. “Listening to this kind of music allows me to mentally rehearse how I want to move on the field — whether it’s to keep possession of the ball, make clear passes or stay composed under pressure.”
Jessica Grahn, a Western psychology professor, explains that rhythmic music activates the brain’s motor control systems, even when a person is resting. The rhythm activates specific brain regions that coordinate movement, helping to prepare the body systems for action.
The steady beat of music can act as a pacing guide and help athletes maintain consistency, especially in rhythmic activities like cycling, running or rowing.
For many athletes, music is more than just background noise — it’s a crucial part of their performance strategy and how they prepare mentally before competitions.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all for music,” says Grahn.
She explains music can improve mood and energy levels, which improves motivation and alertness. Music also allows athletes to get in touch with a side of themselves that is confident and fearless.
“Choosing music is a way of affirming our identity, which is associated with positive self-image and confidence,” says Grahn. “The music can provide a safe way of feeling all that adrenaline — being pumped while listening to music feels good, but feeling the same adrenaline without music can feel negative and stressful.”
Music’s impact extends far beyond the playing field — it enhances team unity and spirit in the locker room. Through things like pre-game rituals, music shapes team dynamics and boosts overall morale.
Mustangs wide receiver and fifth-year Seth Robertson explains the football team uses music in their practices, even using themes some days.
Country days in particular are a fan favourite, he admits.
Robertson adds that these themed days not only add an element of fun into their routines but also reveal unexpected sides of the players.
“You get a bit of energy and it lifts you, which gets you motivated to go out and compete,” Robertson says.
Music also influences personal superstitions. For Robertson, listening to the song “Dream On” by Aerosmith has become a non-negotiable part of his game-day routine. He believes listening to the track will help him perform his best.
So, if you’re looking to reach a new level in the gym or on the field, turn on your favourite track and get to work.
Are Guardian caps the future of football?
ALEX ZARENDA SPORTS EDITOR
AfterDolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went down in a Thursday night game against the Bills, it didn’t take a doctor to recognize his fourth career concussion.
In 2023, there were 219 concussions in the NFL, so Tagovailoa’s injury will likely be a drop in the ocean this season.
To combat this trend, Guardian caps could be the next solution to address head trauma among football players.
Guardian caps are soft shell covers that go on top of players’ helmets and lessen the impact on the head. Earlier this year, the NFL announced that players can wear the equipment during regular-season games.
“Our data tells us that they are definitely effective,” says Martin Mrazik, an educational psychology professor at the University of Alberta who is a registered clinical neuropsychologist.
Guardian caps are reported to reduce the force of impact by up to 33 per cent, and this NFL preseason, they cut down the number of concussions by 50 per cent among those using them in games and practices.
According to Mustangs fourth-year defensive back Jackson Findlay, Guardian caps are used in Western’s football practices for “some of the more vulnerable positions.”
The positions Findlay mentioned include linebackers, running backs and offensive linemen.
Despite proving to reduce the impact of head trauma, some players like Baltimore Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman have spoken out against wearing them with concerns about ruining player’s “swag” on the field.
“It really doesn’t affect the play at all; it just affects the look of the helmet, and it does make it a lot safer,” says Findlay.
Repeated injuries to the head can lead to longterm neurological issues such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE. Although
many aspects of CTE are still unknown, the symptoms manifest as potentially dangerous changes in a person’s cognitive function, behaviour and mood. Due to football’s physical nature, repeated head contact is inevitable, leading some players to develop the condition later in life.
Although Guardian caps have been shown to reduce the immediate impact of hits, it’s still unclear how effective they are in preventing long-term brain damage.
“Part of our ongoing research is to look at not just the short-term of reducing concussions in a season, but does it seem to help in the long term as well,” says Mrazik, who worked with the CFL to research Guardian caps.
While sports teams wait for further research to come out on the long-term effects of brain trauma, Mrazik says they must prioritize the health and safety of their players.
“We have very strict protocols that you have to follow when a player is diagnosed [with a concussion]. I think more than ever, we’re really careful,” says Mrazik.
Recently, Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon became the first CFL player ever to wear a guardian cap in a regular season game against the Montreal Alouettes.
With Bertrand-Hudon setting an example, only time will tell if others follow suit and choose their safety over style.
“Football doesn’t last forever, but you do need your brain for the rest of your life,” says Findlay.
What Kendrick Lamar means for the Super Bowl
THOMAS IRONS SPORTS EDITOR
The NFL has made their pick for the Super Bowl halftime performance, and DAMN, it was a good one.
Three years after Kendrick Lamar appeared during the 2022 halftime performance with a team of other hip-hop musicians, the rapper will be the first to solo headline his own halftime show — heading to New Orleans in February 2025 for one of America’s biggest sporting events.
As the main producer of the halftime show since 2019, Jay-Z likely played a big role in the decision for Lamar.
“His deep love for hip-hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come,” said Jay-Z in the official announcement of the show.
The halftime show has been a staple of the big game since its inception, but its original look was much different.
From 1967 to 1989, the show was mainly composed of various university marching bands. That was until Michael Jackson took the stage in 1993, changing the show forever and solidifying it as an event to watch for sports and music fans alike.
“I think it has changed quite a bit, but not in the way a lot of people assume. [Jay-Z] is really good at keeping up with the times,” says Elijah Rae, a hiphop radio host at Radio Western. “In 2015 to 2017, hip-hop became the most popular music genre in North America; I think he is trying to catch up with the rest of the world.”
Since 1993, halftime shows have only gotten louder and more captivating. The most recent half-
time show drew an average of 129.3 million viewers, while the game only kept an average of 123.7 million.
But the show has always been more than about entertainment; it’s a stage for artists to have an influence and shine a light on issues impacting the world.
“The halftime show is supposed to demonstrate the U.S. as a land of prosperity. It’s almost like ancient Rome, the idea of the coliseum to show how great we are … and celebrate ourselves, but part of that is celebrating the ethos of the United States,” says Philip Scher, an anthropology professor at the University of Oregon.
The last time Lamar took the stage, he and the other artists took the opportunity to convey themes of police brutality and Black Lives Matter. Eminem took a knee for the movement, speaking to the NFL’s controversy against peaceful protest.
At Beyonce’s 2016 halftime appearance, her backup dancers wore outfits reminiscent of those worn by members of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.
Scher also notes how artists like Lamar are in that sweet spot of relevancy but also creative enough that they will put a lot of effort into their performances to capture viewers’ attention.
“We’ve moved enough now that it isn’t really just a bubblegum celebration … they want some dramatic tension in there,” says Scher.
But some people don’t care who performs as long as the main part of the show is entertaining.
“I think he is more than a hip-hop artist; he is global, and I am really happy that he is performing,” said third-year medical sciences student Ghali El Hajoui. “ I think for this one, it will be mainly just entertainment. Kendrick is a political rapper, but I don’t think that’s going to be the main thing.”
Lamar has always brought social and cultural commentary to his art, not shying away from issues that matter to him. In his six-minute performance at the 2016 Grammy Awards, which featured a prison set, he made references to racial inequality, white supremacy and Black identity.
But there are some controversies floating around Lamar and his selection. Many artists have come out against Jay-Z’s selection, most notably Nicki Minaj, who says it should have been Lil
Wayne, a New Orleans native.
Rae disagrees with the critics.
“I think choosing Kendrick was the right one if they were gonna choose anybody to do it and I am personally very excited to see what he is going to bring to the table,” says Rae.
So when Lamar takes the stage in February — arguably the biggest of his career — don’t expect to see him perform on a football field, but make it his own “HUMBLE” arena.
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