Tuesday, November 5, 2013

W W W .W E STERNGAZETTE.C A • @UW OGAZETTE

Off to Nationals!

After earning a silver medal in the OUA championships, the women’s soccer team earned a berth to Nationals >> pg. 11

thegazette Remember, remember le fifth of November since 1906

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013

TODAY high 13 low 4

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VOLUME 107, ISSUE 32

Western hosts OUSA general assembly Student delegates from across the province debate OUSA policy Kevin Hurren, Iain Boekhoff and Megan Devlin GAZETTE EDITORS This weekend, Western hosted the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s fall general assembly.

Before departing Sunday afternoon, delegates from the seven member universities — Queen’s, Brock, Waterloo, McMaster, Trent, Wilfrid Laurier and Western — gathered in the University Students’ Council’s council chambers for the plenary meeting, to discuss OUSA progress and debate future policy papers.

After Amir Eftekarpour, OUSA president, opened the meeting with a presentation outlining the successes and failures of the student advocacy organization in the past year. He went on to discuss what this year’s executive committee had been working towards since their appointment in May. The majority of the day was spent with delegates debating three policy papers. These papers will eventually be submitted to the Ontario provincial government and will guide OUSA in systematic and institutional changes the organization wants to see made.

The first policy paper put forward to delegates had several recommendations on ancillary fees levied on students by universities.

The policy also raises concerns over Access Copyright, which charges students for reading material, which the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled are free under the “fair dealing” rule. The debate on it never got started however, because it was passed unanimously after the speaker’s calls for debate were met with crickets.

The second policy paper debated was about access to post-secondary education by removing barriers to entry.

The most controversial recommendation was for the Ontario government to abolish streaming in high schools. Courses are currently split into four different streams, with the academic stream being preparation for university and the applied stream being preparation for college.

The reasoning behind this is that low-income students tend overwhelmingly to be placed in the applied stream, which means they cannot apply to university. As an alternative the paper proposes a system similar to that in British Columbia, which has open courses, and for high achieving students,

USC says sorry about PINK display Dorothy Kessler CONTRIBUTOR

Julian Uzielli GAZETTE

FROM WESTERN WITH LOVE. Amir Eftekarpour, president of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, addresses the general assembly on Friday. The group lobbies the Ontario government for student interests.

advanced placement courses.

There were several points of contention among delegates, including whether the policy paper should recommend for streaming to be abolished because it was the problem, or if it was an issue of low-income students being systematically placed in applied stream and therefore unable to apply to university.

Delegates from the Brock University Students’ Union questioned the amount of information given to delegates to be able to make such a strong recommendation. They also questioned whether it was in OUSA’s mission to lobby for this change. Eftekarpour dismissed these concerns, saying OUSA is for students in university, leaving university, and coming into university and this was an issue that demanded attention. He added later on that it was particularly so because the Ontario government has initiated a review of its education system and acknowledges the problems with the number of low-income students who cannot attend university.

After spirited debate, the paper unanimously passed, almost unchanged.

Co-curricular transcripts were another main point of debate at the OUSA general assembly on Sunday.

After much deliberation, OUSA

delegates approved a policy calling for the creation of co-curricular transcripts at universities across Ontario, which would be similar to those started at Western.

A co-curricular transcript is a record of the outside-the-classroom experiences a student engages in while at university, and is meant to compliment the traditional transcript.

Pat Whelan, president of the University Students’ Council, was a strong supporter of co-curricular records.

“I think it’s a really strong message from the university to students that co-curricular experiences, that out of the classroom piece, are legitimate learning experiences and are part of educating the whole,” Whelan said in an interview after the assembly.

However, OUSA delegates from the University of Waterloo and Queen’s were against the idea.

One delegate from Queen’s felt uncomfortable being mandated by the province to provide a record of his activities while at university. He explained that at some universities, students didn’t place much trust in the administration, and another delegate from Queen’s added the lack of validation in the co-curricular record was a problem.

Although having an official cocurricular transcript might give the appearance of importance to extracurricular activities, she explained this could be deceiving since the university couldn’t possibly know the details of the degree of a student’s involvement in a given organization.

While delegates from Waterloo and Queen’s agreed co-curricular records could be successful on an institutional level, they didn’t feel OUSA should support these transcripts being mandated by the province.

However, the proposal was kept in the end, to Whelan’s approval.

Whelan explained that when a student is learning in the classroom, half of that cost is paid for by the province, and the other half is paid by the student through tuition.

However, when a student is working at a volunteer position — with the USC, for example — that learning experience is entirely student-funded.

“I think on the provincial context it’s important for students and governments to recognize these cocurricular experiences as legitimate learning opportunities,” Whelan said.

The University Students’ Council has apologized following negative student reactions of the “PINK” campaign event for Victoria’s Secret in the UCC atrium last week that conflicted with their first conference for Women in Leadership.

The USC received feedback from students via Twitter, Facebook, and an open letter on Tumblr. Many students were offended by a cardboard cutout of the “ideal” woman, which encouraged students to pose with their faces in the cut out face of the model.

“We had some awareness of the broad brushstroke plan in that there was going to be giveaways and reference to the “PINK” brand, but we didn’t necessarily know particulars,” said Jas Irwin, vice-president communications for the USC. “The cardboard cutout was something that we had not seen, or known was coming.”

The USC acknowledged the impact of the event via an online letter to inform students that the event was related to the USC, and not the university, and to articulate that they understood that the event had a negative impact on people.

“The University’s Students’ Council would like to formally and sincerely apologize to anyone who was triggered, offended, or otherwise negatively impacted by the presence of the display,” the letter read.

However, not all students felt that the “PINK” campaign was unjustified.

“I think there was a little bit of an overreaction,” said Katrina Chvedukas, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

“A lot of people on main campus thought that [the PINK campaign] was fat shaming, and trying to project a certain image onto the school and students, and I don’t think that was the message they tried to provide.”

Currently there are no definitive regulations or consistency in how commercial entities end up being approved to advertise on campus, but there are plans to develop a more robust way of bringing any commercial entity onto campus and in particular brand name marketing companies.

“What we’re looking at is making >> see PINK pg.3

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thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Caught on Camera

Bill Wang GAZE TTE

STAYING WARM WITH LIP SWEATERS. Two students encouraged their peers to grow out their Movember moustaches at a booth in the University Community Centre yesterday. Movember is a cause to raise money and awareness for male health and prostate cancer research.

CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer

News Briefs

Student cyclist victim of hit and run A Western student was the victim of a hit and run on Sunday while cycling down University Drive and was taken to hospital with non-serious injuries. The incident occurred

at 1:25 a.m.

The driver who fled the scene is said to be driving a small black car with notable damage to the front passenger side. The Campus Community Police Service is requesting help from the public in

Solution to puzzle on page 11

identifying the driver. “We’re still investigating. We’re still fully into it, and we’re just going hour by hour to see what comes up,�

J.C. Aubin, staff sergeant with campus police, said. There have been no further developments since the incident and the identity of the student has not been released.

Cyclists are encouraged to use caution and be aware while on the road, especially in times of reduced visibility such as nighttime. “Safety tips would be to have reflective clothing as well as have lights on bicycles and of course, wear a helmet,� Aubin said.

If anyone has any further information on the driver, they are encouraged to contact campus police, London police, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. —Katie Lear

Demerit points to come for distracted driving

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Ontario’s government is planning to add demerit points to the list of possible penalties for using a cell phone while driving.

The current fine in Ontario for distracted driving is a $155 ticket, with no deduction of demerit points, according to a release from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

With the inclusion of demerit point charges, a motorist using a cell phone could potentially lose their license anywhere from a week to a month.

The new law would make it illegal for drivers to text, talk, type and dial using a hand-held cell phone.

However, the use of hands-free devices and attachments would still be allowed.

With the passing of the new legislation, Ontario will become one of six provinces and two territories to include the deduction of demerit points among the penalties for distracted driving.

The Liberals have previously put sanctions on distracted driving.

Four years ago, the Liberal government made it illegal to use handheld devices for texting and even made it illegal to hold a phone when driving.

The Ministry noted that 51,776 motorists were ticketed in the province for distracted driving this year alone. From 2010–2013, the Ministry records show roughly 234,500 motorists were ticketed for distracted driving. —Alex Seger

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•3

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

OUSA conference a success Jeremiah Rodriguez NEWS EDITOR

Julian Uzielli GAZETTE

A WORD FROM WHELAN. University Students’ Council president Pat Whelan speaks at the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance general assembly, which took place at Western this weekend..

“I think what we brought was that we had such a beautiful campus, but I also felt pretty lucky to be at Western because some of the senators at the other schools didn’t even sit on their student unions,” Jim remarked.

“They didn’t have very good relationships with their senates or university administrations. I felt pretty lucky to be at Western.”

Western was chosen to host student delegates from Queen’s, Brock, Waterloo, McMaster, Trent and Wilfrid Laurier.

While considered a success, there were definite places to improve upon in the next general assembly, according to Eftekarpour. He said

more time to hear and brainstorm ideas from other student unions was needed as well as explaining the full context of what OUSA was capable of and the range of policy impact.

“We might even need to revamp how those policy papers come.

Maybe discussing the broad themes way ahead of time, so people have more time to digest them and think about them and bring examples from their own schools,” Eftekarpour suggested.

“A lot more input and deeper engagement with student councils beforehand [is needed] and [being] better at providing context so people have their minds framed coming into the weekend.”

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131030

Sunday night marked the end of a weekend where delegates from across the province came to voice their opinions at the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s 38th General Assembly, hosted at Western.

Campus delegates and OUSA president Amir Eftekarpour, who is also vice-president external for Western’s University Students’ Council, praised the assembly as a success. The goal was to develop and finalize policies, which OUSA would then directly lobby to the Ontario government.

The conference also offered the chance to workshop and develop submissions which included condemning some ancillary fees levied on students, improving access to post-secondary education for low income groups and enhancing student success in the broader learning environment.

“In general it was really engaging and it was really cool to see all the schools coming together because there are such different perspectives and this weekend you get all of [them] coming together,” Eftekarpour said.

Eftekarpour found balancing Western’s delegation, steering committees and overseeing the whole general assembly, as challenging but well worth the effort.

He surprised even himself at how smoothly the weekend went.

One of Western’s delegates was senator-at-large Gucio Jim, who echoed similar high notes and was extremely pleased with Western’s hosting duties as well as the campus environment.

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Aaron Zaltzman ASSOCIATE EDITOR The weekend was marked by a somber tone for London residents after police discovered three bodies in an apartment building at 1223 Richmond Street Friday. The bodies were later identified as Mohammad Waliji, 43, his wife Shyroz, 42, and their daughter Qyzra, 21.

“We received a call for a checkwelfare at the building, which we responded to, where we found three deceased individuals in the apartment,” said Melissa Duncan, relief media officer for the London Police Service. “The cause of death has been determined to be gunshot wounds, and a firearm was recovered at the scene.”

Duncan also stated the situation is currently being treated as a

murder-suicide.

“The police and the coroner are working together to determine certain aspects of the investigation,” Duncan said. “One would be the manner of death — which individual committed murder and which individual committed suicide.”

At this point, police are not seeking any suspects.

1223 Richmond Street, located just north of Western’s Richmond gates, is home to many Western students. Mohammad Waliji was the building superintendent, and a landlord to some student tenants.

Emily Soti, a King’s University College student, knew Qyzra from Oakridge Secondary School in London where they both attended, and from where Qyzra graduated earlier this year.

“I think anyone you speak to

about Qyzra will say the same thing; she was a joy to be around. She was very intelligent, caring, full of personality, but most of all, she had the most contagious smile I’ve ever known,” Soti said. “She could light up an entire room with just her smile and you couldn’t help but feel happy.

By looking at her, you just knew what a wonderful person she was.”

Soti said Qyzra, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was passionate about helping others and was deeply involved in charities. “[Qyzra] suggested that we raise money for a charity called ‘Reach for the Rainbow’ because she knew that students in her class use the charity and she wanted to support them,” Soti said. “That’s the type of person I knew her to be, always thinking about and caring about others.”

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4•

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Minister Duguid addresses OUSA delegates Richard Raycraft NEWS EDITOR Opening the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance general assembly on Friday, Western vice-provost academic John Doerksevn and the Ontario minister of training, college and universities, Brad Duguid, spoke to delegates on issues and developments in post-secondary education.

Representatives from seven universities and eight student associations gathered in the Mustang Lounge to listen to the speakers and ask them questions. Doerksen spoke first, emphasizing the various strategic directions and initiatives at Western, including teaching fellowships, online learning, and indigenous student enrollment.

Regarding teaching fellowships, Doerksen explained that Western will focus on teaching innovation and providing funding for research into this.

“Our goal is to identify some of the critical areas that Western wants to move forward, with pedagogical innovation, curriculum and so forth,” he said. “Then we’re going to go through this process to identify five faculty members across the campus, and they’ll be appointed for a period of three years, and we’ll have some research funding to support their work in the context of teaching and learning.”

Another theme in his speech was online education. “E-learning” is becoming a popular method of teaching at universities around the world, and while Doerksen emphasized Western’s commitment as a residential school, he made clear that online courses and teaching will expand.

The biggest priority I think for all of us as we adjust to the fiscal reality of lower increases in revenue, is that we’re going to have to maintain our competitive system — that environment — because we can’t fall behind.

— Brad Duguid

minister of training, colleges and universities

“Fully online courses — I think we’ll see more there — and a big benefit there is that it gives more flexibility to students,” he explained.

“It actually drives degree completion as well, because sometimes in the complexity of our module structure at the undergraduate level students may not be able to put together the timetable that works best for them.”

But Doerksen says that the more important part of the online focus is what he termed “blended learning,” the implementation of new technologies to enhance student learning in the classroom.

“So finding ways to drive pedagogical innovation through technology in the classroom where it makes sense, and that’s going to be different from one discipline to the other,” he commented. “But I do think we are going to see more and more opportunities for enrichment through technology.”

It’s a point that Duguid agreed with.

Julian Uzielli GAZETTE

BIG FACES AT WESTERN. Brad Duguid, Ontario minister of training, colleges and universities, addresses the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance general assembly on Friday. His talk focused on youth and job access.

“The biggest priority I think for all of us as we adjust to the fiscal reality of lower increases in revenue, is that we’re going to have to maintain our competitive system — that environment — because we can’t fall behind,” he explained over the phone following the speech. “So finding ways to utilize creativity and innovation is going to be absolutely critical, and I think that’s what’s going to lead to our efforts from everything from online learning to differentiation, to even looking at

better ways to do credit transfer.”

Duguid emphasized in his speech the changing role of education in the modern world. In particular, he spoke about the growing demand for student entrepreneurs who can create opportunities.

“Our postsecondary partners have stepped up in their efforts to build incubation huts for start-up businesses and to help encourage students to not only graduate with a degree, but a business and a way of thinking about things in

an entrepreneurial way,” he commented. “We need to spread that across our postsecondary system, and we need to find ways to incent that, and reward it probably more effectively than we do.”

Asked what he would say if speaking directly to students, Duguid said to follow passions.

“Whatever you do in life, if you’re not following your passions you’re probably not going to enjoy what you do and you’re probably not going to be as good at it,” he said.

Apology issued over PINK >> PINK continued from pg.1

CHOOSE YOUR CERTIFICATE

sure we can pass a policy through the USC. [It] will likely have to do with area zoning — what areas of the UCC or public space would it ever be acceptable to have commercial activity in,” Irwin added.

“Once we have zoning figured out we are going to come up with a system by which the content of that commercial campaign can be judged for its value to students, and also if there is anything to be

concerned about,” she continued.

In the interim, the USC will have a closer scrutiny of any commercial entities and marketing campaigns that might be contentious.

“As I’m sure students have noticed, there tends to be an inclination, especially for brand name marketing companies, to lean more towards guerilla marketing and brand awareness events as opposed to more traditional advertisements.

These events can have a much larger impact, and that has been a change

that has been coming on in the last few years. We have had to adjust to [this change], and the new policies that we’re drafting will be responsive of this trend.”

In regards to next steps, the development of new policies will involve looking into research that other universities have done — both in the United States and in Canada — and see what solutions they have come up with.

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Kelly Samuel GAZETTE

PINK WITH ANGER. The USC issued an apology for hosting this Victoria’s Secret PINK promotional event last week on the same day as the Women in Leadership Conference after negative feedback from students.

•5

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Arts&Life

tuesdaytweet Good evening and welcome to Canadian News. First up, our top sorries.”

@sween

A pint of history at London’s historic pubs Janice Dickson CONTRIBUTOR Sipping beer side-by-side at the Morrissey House (361 Dundas St.), Londoners Kym Wolfe and Cheryl Radford admire the architecture and the paintings on the wall. As the creators of the book, Bar Hopping into History, about the history of London’s oldest taverns and pubs, Wolfe and Radford would know best when it comes to London’s bar scene.

The pair couldn’t remember the exact moment that they decided to create the book together, but Radford recalled drawing a series of streetscapes and realizing a lot of pubs were situated in historic buildings.

The two decided that Radford would draw the establishments and Wolfe would write about their past.

“When we talk about historic buildings that are now bars, one of the things that we looked at was, what were these buildings originally? Some were hotels and taverns, some were houses, and some were commercial properties like retail or wholesale,” Wolfe says.

The two reminisced about some of the encounters they had during

Courtesy of Cheryl Radford

A COLD DRINK AND A GOOD BOOK. Cheryl Radford (left) and Kym Wolfe enjoy their drinks after the interesting and sometimes intimidating work of profiling some of the most notorious historical bars in London for their new book Bar Hopping into History

the 19 visits they made to bars throughout London.

“At one place, a guy comes up to us and says, ‘You’re writing a book really, or is this just your way of picking up guys?” Radford says.

“Now they’ll know for sure that we were writing the book,” Wolfe jokes.

Wolfe says the two of them were welcomed in every establishment they visited, aside from two experiences where their curiosity was met with suspicion.

“We walked into one pub and literally everyone turned to look at us.

You know in the movies when someone walks into a bar and everyone

turns to look at that person? Well it was like that,” Wolfe says.

The duo hopes their book will get people out exploring and get people to start looking around and appreciating the architecture that London has to offer.

Some of the establishments in the book include the Ceeps, Call

the Office, Jacks, the Morrissey House, and Solid Gold. Wolfe notes that Solid Gold — which is now a gentleman’s club — used to be a hotel tavern.

The oldest pub in London is the Richmond Tavern (372 Richmond St.), which was built in 1852 and became a tavern in 1860, but Wolfe noted that the hotel tavern still rents rooms upstairs. The official book launch will be held there November 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

To illustrate the pubs, Radford takes 30 to 40 pictures of each pub, inside and outside. Then she loads the photographs onto her computer and draws them, studying her images and deciding what aspect of the photograph says most about that bar. Drawing in black ink first, she then applies watercolour paint to her drawings.

“My style is sort of realistic but loose. I like it to be recognizable but I don’t want it to be stiff and controlled. I want life in my drawings,” Radford says.

Wolfe hopes the book will lend Londoners a new perspective of their community.

“It’s about appreciating all these mini slices of culture inside each of the establishments,” Wolfe says.

How to avoid (and cope) with listless love Jenny Jay GAZETTE STAFF While the vast majority of single individuals are on the prowl for the love of their life, the dating game tends to be harder than it looks.

Sometimes, becoming unattracted to your partner is easier than keeping the romance budding, but there are some steps to help keep the relationship going.

“The most important part is your mindset,” says Darrin Derksen, counsellor at Live 2B counselling.

“You just have to have a mindset that you desire to be with your partner and you do things actively to keep your romance alive.”

Simply knowing that you want to be with your partner can help

curb any negative thoughts that might filter through and cause you to second-guess what you saw in them in the first place.

When seeing a significant other, certain activities can help strengthen the relationship as well, such as, “going out and doing activities together that are recreational, going on dates, [and] going to social events,” Derksen says.

A key factor in staying attracted to your partner is communication.

Miscommunication can easily lead to problems and more often than not, at least one person being unnecessarily hurt. Even if there is an issue at hand, clear communication can often help create compromise and solutions to any problems, creating the basis of a healthy relationship.

You just have to have a mindset that you desire to be with your partner and you do things actively to keep your romance alive.

— Darrin Derksen

“If you’re not talking and communicating and having any depth, it’s really hard to get to know the person and who they really are,” Derksen says.

This is also an issue that can arise from going on dates, where one may

be going out to watch a movie, or an activity like paintballing — while it may be fun, it leaves little room for talking and actually getting to know each other.

With time, however, getting to know what the other person is like becomes inevitable, and leaves room for the possibility of disagreements with both values and views.

“Usually when they have disagreements that they can’t get over, there’s an emotional unattraction rather than a physical unattraction,” Derksen says.

While the physical attraction might have brought two people together in the first place, the emotional connection and chemistry can sometimes be a deciding factor in whether couples remain together.

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One should also take note that factors such as “anger, nagging, anything that can be abusive in any way, [and] role issues” can make a person seem unattractive to the other, he says.

“There’s a lot of factors that can make someone seem less attractive that time cannot fix,” Derksen adds.

So while couples can try to stay attracted to each other and keep a romance alive, individuals must recognize that sometimes drifting apart and realizing that they aren’t right for each other may simply be inevitable. After all, love would be too easy if we could fall for the first person we went on a date with, and what’s love without a little trial and error?

6•

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Last Vegas gets last laugh Old dogs conjure up some new humour

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Jennafer Freeman CONTRIBUTOR GGGGF Last Vegas Directed by: Jon Turteltaub Starring: Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas Last Vegas is a comedy about four 60-something men who head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. After 60 years of friendship, this trip to Vegas reunites the gang and poses another opportunity for fun and excitement.

This film is different from any other Vegas movies, which likely involve excessive drinking, gambling and other scandalous activities. If you’re looking for another version of The Hangover, with greyhaired men instead of young, good looking 30-year-olds, it will likely disappoint.

Despite its lack of wildly drunken excursions Last Vegas is a great movie all the same. Instead of using crude humour to give the audience a chuckle, Last Vegas takes a less vulgar approach in achieving its goal

as a comedy. It’s a mellower version of The Hangover, one that you can watch with your parents without feeling awkward.

The film stars four Oscar-winning actors: Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas and Kevin Kline, whose characters all represent a different elderly stereotype.

Freeman acts as Archie, who lives under the care of his children, who worry about his every move due to a recent stroke. De Niro plays the role of Paddy, a man who spends every waking hour alone in his apartment, mourning the death of his wife. Kline stars as Sam, an old married man who lives in Florida with his wife, and Douglas acts as Billy, the lucky old man who is still in great shape, with a tan and dyed hair, engaged to a beautiful 30-year-old — which he is teased about constantly.

The movie finds humour in the struggles of old age, while placing the characters in a youthful setting, making the movie appealing to all audiences. Watching Kevin Kline participate in water aerobics, or seeing a young neighbour attempt to set up Robert De Niro with her

grandmother, are all funny events that an older audience may be able to appreciate. A younger audience can find humour in Kline opening an envelope from his wife when he gets to Vegas, surprised to find a condom and Viagra with a note that reads, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” encouraging him to let loose and have fun.

The rapper 50 Cent and the group LMFAO also make appearances in the movie. In one scene, the old men judge a bikini contest at a beach party hosted by LMFAO. The mix of old men, young girls and current music is a hilarious mixture that wouldn’t often be seen in real life — unless you’re Hugh Hefner.

The film also touches on some more human aspects than one might expect from a comedy. In the movie, Douglas points out something that we all fear — getting old and ending up alone. Last Vegas identifies that the key to embracing old age and avoiding solitude is friendship. Despite many curses that come along with old age, there is one benefit — having old friends to endure those curses with you.

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Bradley Metlin ARTS & LIFE EDITOR For some, going to class is nothing but boredom. Yet, for the students enrolled in English 2041F, they’re allowed to let their creativity soar.

The “special topics in drama” course sees students begin and perform a production throughout a semester.

This year they’ve been dedicating their time to a staging of The Wild Duck, directed by professor Jo Devereux.

“The plot is very complicated,” she says. “It opens up at a party given at the house of a businessman named Mr. Werle who’s throwing this party in honour of his son, Gregers.”

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly quaint, simplistic setting. The play, written by Henrik Ibsen in 1884, takes twists and turns in a variety of wild and different directions.

“It’s very tragic but it’s an interesting play,” notes Devereux, who says she picked the play for this year based off a student’s suggestion.

“In the drama courses I teach, we always do an Ibsen play […] but this one, a lot of people consider this to be his best play — or most well constructed tragedy.”

The play is populated by a variety of characters, all of whom have flaws, according to Devereaux.

Actor Jonas Trottier, who plays one of the leads, Hjalmar Ekdal, details his role.

Courtesy of Sarah Farrant

WILD DUCK CAST GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS. Tonight the curtain rises on The Wild Duck. After months of rehearsal, these actors will finally see their work finally realized, capturing Henrik Ibsen’s “best work.”

“He was forced to drop out of university because he had to take care of his father, his father was arrested and when he was in prison he didn’t [just] go crazy —” “He went off the deep end,” adds George Ridout, who portrays Ekdal’s childhood friend, Gregers.

Ridout notes that his character is “very different than me.”

“He’s very rigid, he believes in black and white truths. He’s almost like an evangelist the way he spouts what he believes is right and isn’t willing to mask it in any way.”

Though, the play was written in Norwegian nearly 130 years ago, it should still resonate today.

“A lot of it is very relevant. In our time, there are a lot of very

meddlesome do-gooders in our culture,” Devereux says.

Trottier adds, “Ibsen’s plays focus on the problems of people and these are not problems that have changed between now and then.”

Excitement within the rehearsal space is clear as they crawl closer to their opening date. Ultimately when the show opens tonight, the cast and crew are hoping that audiences have a good time and enjoy their experience — they’re hoping The Wild Duck will really fly high.

The Wild Duck begins performances tonight at 8 p.m. in Conron Hall and continues until Saturday November 9. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors and $15 for adults.

•7

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Sporting goods get great

ON DISC

Brent Holmes ARTS & LIFE EDITOR For students seeking to make it in the fashion industry, it can be a long hike to the top. Mid-way through her career, Western alumni Anne-Marie Olson had an idea for Park Luxury Sporting Accessories — a sporting goods company that specializes in luxury lifestyle accessories.

“I realized in the last few years, here we were growing and as we get older we have time and money to do all these things — travel, ski and golf — that we spend so much time on our fashion, luggage and handbags,” Olson, creator of Park Luxury Sporting Accessories, says.

“Every time I travelled I realized, I don’t have a great ski bag to go with my really nice handbag and all of those awesome [pieces of] equipment and clothes I just bought and that was amiss.”

Olson attended Western in the 1990s. While originally planning to go into Law school, Olson had a passion for design and went to Algonquin College in Ottawa for computer design after graduating.

“We always think you go to university, you become a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or whatnot. I was pretty much thinking I was going to be a lawyer. I did French literature and had good marks,” Olson reflects.

“Then essentially, after I graduated it really wasn’t what I wanted to do.

So I did a little bit of soul searching and realized I wanted to go into design so I went to Algonquin College in Ottawa for a computer design program.”

GGGGH ARTPOP Lady Gaga Interscope Records

Courtesy of Ann-Marie Olson

Since then, Olson has moved to the States where she worked in the fashion industry in New York for 20 years before making the move to start her own company. Park Luxury Sporting Accessories focuses on providing high quality products for the luxury sporting lifestyle with a focus on tennis, skiing and golf — providing a product that Olson felt was not offered anywhere else.

“Everything was nylon or they would try to make it designer by turning it into a print — like a designer print on nylon, which is just honestly cheap and more of the same thing. I decided to leave my job and start an accessory company that was devoted solely to bags and accessories to a luxury level lifestyle of boarding and outdoor activities,” she explains.

Olson saw an opportunity in the market of accessories, which she notes has the highest demand of any section of the fashion industry for high-quality designer products.

“Having worked in fashion for 20 years, accessories is the fastest growing and profitable division of all of ready-to-wear fashion,” Olson comments. “It is the most important area and makes the most money, grows the fastest, and it is what people really want.”

Park Luxury SportingAccessories has been a great success for Olson, who has been featured in Vogue and several other fashion publications.

“It’s hard to say now but we were a little bit entitled, I think,” Olson says, reflecting on her Western experience. “Being organized is extremely important. I think that Western has a very high academic work ethic and I think that you aim to meet that goal and keep up with your peers. Having grown up in the 80s, we were a pioneering generation and we had a lot of freedom at our disposal. The world was moving at a faster pace on so many levels.”

— With files form Bradley Metlin

Channelling extra-terrestrial motifs in Born This Way, Lady Gaga now transcends that by going all the way into the universe with ARTPOP. Several of the tracks on this poetic album, scheduled for release on November 8, make references to the planets, the gods and other cosmic beings.

As her third studio album — fourth if her EP The Fame Monster is included — Gaga shows true musical progression. Mostly comprised of dance tracks, ARTPOP is an explosion of electronic sounds

and patterns that step away from many of the artist’s previous sounds.

These beats, however, aren’t used a replacement for vocal performance.

Rather, they act as a supplement to Mother Monster’s consistently powerful voice.

Apart from the singles already released, “Applause” and “Do What U Want,” the album is rife with tracks meant to be blasted through night club speakers. “G.U.Y.” especially will allow fans to lose themselves in the music, moving enthusiastically.

A similar sensation is felt with tracks like “Venus” and the rhythmicallybuilding “Gypsy.”

Perhaps the only potential flaw found in ARTPOP is a slight lack of emotional diversity. The only song that could really be described as a ballad is “Dope,” and even then some fans may have trouble relating to lyrics like, “I need you more than dope.”

At the same time, this isn’t a travesty. Overall, ARTPOP is meant as a celebratory album. It celebrates dance, celebrates sex, and celebrates joyful art. It’s a celebration of how far Lady Gaga has come, and how far she has yet to go.

— Kevin Hurren

Follow the Leaders Dracula: Season 1 (Pilot Review) Set in an 18th century Victorian-era London, Dracula deals with (you guessed it) Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann), who, rather than a vampire hunter, is actually a professor of medicine and Dracula’s ally.

The show revolves around the two collaborating in an attempt to take down an organization known as the Order of the Dragon, who are responsible for killing Dracula’s wife and condemning him to a life of immortality.

Introducing himself as Alexander Grayson, an American industrialist who emphasizes electricity and insists it is the way of the future, the first major scene featuring Dracula showcases Rhys Meyers’ suitability for his role. He is portrayed as

a mysterious man who is actually two-faced, altering between British in private and American for public appearances.

Although the roles and relationships in Dracula have been modified substantially, they remain integral and relevant. The pilot (and presumably the series as a whole) proposes glimmers of romanticism, without which Dracula would not live up to its true Gothic potential.

If there’s one thing this pilot leaves you with, it’s curiosity — curiosity if yet another portrayal of Dracula will deal harsh blows to the legend, or if it can be done exceptionally. Surely Rhys Meyers’ performance will leave many thinking it can.

— Josh Teixeira

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thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Opinions

Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.

— Cheris Kramarae

The problem What’s really scary with PINK about Halloween It’s no secret that the University Students’ Council could have handled the PINK campaign better.

If you’re unsure of the situation, here’s the Cole’s Notes version. Last week, Victoria’s Secret PINK hosted an ad campaign in the atrium of the University Community Centre. What spawned the ire of many is that the campaign included a cardboard cut-out —complete with an open space to insert your head for a photo — of a white female model with a very slim waist.

The irony of the situation was that the promotional event ran on the same day as the USC’s first ever Women in Leadership conference, also in the UCC. A bit of a contradiction, eh USC? Well that’s certainly how people felt, which is why the USC issued a formal apology via their website regarding the contents of the ad. The USC received complaints that the display was “sexist, regressive and harmful to students” and they apologized “to anyone who was triggered, offended, or otherwise negatively impacted” by the display.

It was a nice gesture, of course, for the USC to say they’re sorry. But we’re not sure if this was a sincere apology or a reactionary response used to appease the throngs of offended students. We wonder would the USC have apologized even if no one complained?

In their response, the USC says they were unaware of what the ad would entail. But, frankly, it’s hard to believe that they thought an advertisement for a lingerie company wouldn’t include pictures of scantily clad models.

And this display not only brought up a number of body issues, but also, by showcasing a white female, it alienated all the other ethnicities present on campus.

According to their statement, the USC wil update their decision making process regarding commercial vendors — which is good because we were going to suggest, instead of issuing apologies every time students complain, just do your due diligence before making decisions.

And even without considering the implications of the ad itself, allowing our campus to become a corporate playground is troublesome. Our campus should be a space for critical thinking about consumer culture, not a place for it to thrive.

But in an odd way, these ads have a good side because the USC puts the money it makes from these campaigns towards services that benefit students.

However, the question still remains, what’s the real cost of these ads?

Abracadabra Al-Azem

Nusaiba Al-Azem SPORTS EDITOR I get it — we’re in the 21st century, verging on post-post modernism. We don’t see colour; we’re all people.

But this Halloween, I was completely disgusted by the frequency of cultural appropriation when it came to costumes, which seems to be increasing steadily as each year passes.

If we don’t see colour, why are we being “black face,” “yellow face” or “red face” for Halloween? Are we so uncreative that the only possible Halloween costume we can think of is practically stealing another person’s identity?

This Halloween, I saw somebody dress up as a “terrorist,” complete with the Arabian smagh (the red and white scarf that men typically wear). I saw somebody else dress up in “burqa swag.” And I watched as scores of people dressed up as completely inaccurate and offensive versions of Aboriginal people.

The list, sadly, goes on.

I understand that many people don’t intend to offend anyone with their costumes. In fact, it could almost be construed as a twisted kind of compliment to have someone be so fascinated with a particular culture or race that they assume that identity for Halloween. But the fact remains that these costumes are indeed insulting. They’re ignorant, inaccurate, and blatantly offensive.

Not only do these costumes perpetuate racial and cultural stereotypes, they

Dear Life Your anonymous letters to life

serve to dehumanize the people of that culture.

For example, I am a woman who wears a “burqa” (even the language of the word is a convenient way to stereotype any and all covering, disregarding the specific type, removing the responsibility of each person to become educated).

For me, wearing a hijab (the Muslim head covering) and jilbab (the garb) is not a costume I put on for kicks. This is the material representation of all that I value and believe in, and I wear this “burqa” 365 days a year. I don’t get to have some fun in it and then remove myself from it and its effects. I take the whole package — the good, the bad and the ugly. I take the courage that I’ve learned comes with going against the grain. I take the weird looks. I take the Islamophobic remarks and acts.

I can’t ever dissociate my dress and the consequences of that choice. It’s a package deal.

This is just my experience, as one person whose religion was appropriated. There are too many other stories — people of colour, Aboriginal people, Latin people, whose cultures were exploited for somebody to “just have fun” on Halloween.

Unless you’re willing to take the package deal, to learn about all of the trappings of being “burqa swag” or whatever culturally appropriated costume you’re thinking of being next year for Halloween, don’t cheapen it by using it as a costume.

Next Halloween, let’s revert back to goblins, fairies, and other mythical creatures whose real life identities aren’t being exploited to win “best costume” at some party. Let’s leave real people, with real lives, real histories, and real consequences of appropriation out of this.

Dear Life, Are they ever going to fix the LTC sign at Natural Science?

Dear Life, I have a serious hard on for Julian Uzielli.

Dear Life, How not to get phished? Is that like catfished? I want to be catfished... someone love me.

Dear Life, The Insidious demon reminds me of Darth Maul.

On coke.

Dear Life, Why is there a 250-word limit on letters to the editor?

That’s hardly any room for a reasoned argument.

Dear Life, Is prolonged studying an aphrodisiac? Sure seems like it.

Dear Life, Did anyone else read last Wednesday’s Gilbert Gottfried interview in his voice?

Dear Life, Did Kevin Hurren lose a bet, forcing him to take the water polo article? wgaz.ca/dearlife

—The Gazette Editorial Board

westerngazette.ca/contact thegazette

Volume 107, Issue 32 www.westerngazette.ca

Julian Uzielli Editor-In-Chief Cameron M. Smith Deputy Editor Jason Sinukoff Managing Editor

Contact: www.westerngazette.ca University Community Centre Rm. 263 The University of Western Ontario London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580 Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579

The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors or staff.

To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Contact.”

All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and cartoons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives.

Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Maja Anjoli-Bilic

Diana Watson

Gazette Staff 2012-2013

Danielle Bozinoff, Jaclyn Carbone, Jonathan Dunn, Andrew Evans, Chelsey Gauthier, Ross Hamilton, Danny Huang, Amanda Law, Jared MacAdam, Sarah Mai Chitty, Sarah Manning, Kaitlyn Oh, Sarah Prince, Chen Rao, Herb Richardson, Nathan Robbins-Kanter, Lily Robinson, Katie Roseman, Jasleen Sembhi, Nathan TeBokkel, Jacqueline Ting, Caroline Wang, Kate Wilkinson, Zoe Woods, Usman Zahid, Mason Zimmer

News Richard Raycraft Megan Devlin Iain Boekhoff Jeremiah Rodriguez Arts & Life Brent Holmes Mary Ann Ciosk Bradley Metlin Sports Daniel Weryha Nusaiba Al-Azem Caitlin Martin Newnham Opinions Kevin Hurren

Associate Kaitlyn McGrath Aaron Zaltzman Photography Logan Ly Bill Wang Kelly Samuel Graphics Naira Ahmed Illustrations Christopher Miszczak John Prata Online Jesica Hurst Graphics/Video Mike Laine

• Please recycle this newspaper •

•9

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Letters ‘Support’ missing from PSC USC survey both Letter to the Editor: The USC’s decision to cut down our hours and invade our space is an immeasurable offence to the students and friends of the Peer Support Centre. No longer is it a place where we’d stop by to give hugs to our friends before rushing off to class, or vent to a friend we made that day.

It used to be a place where all our misery was relieved by simply walking into that purple room and plopping down on a cushion. It used to be a safe space that we felt belonged to us — a place untouched of common ground, void of school politics and student governments.

This is no longer the case. In fact, the Peer Support Centre has become unrecognizable.

Where V-Day executives would hold auditions for V-Day shows such as Vagina Monologues, MMRP, and my own show this year, For Colored Girls, we are told that we can’t use

any of the rooms in the Centre without “booking” it in advance. Before this, everyone shared the space happily. In other words, we (the non-USC students) have lost our privileges. There is no more sharing.

Now this space is for “offices” where PSC frequenters, the ones who have been in the Centre for years, are forbidden to step foot inside without booking a room or having “permission.” That was the biggest slap in the face for me, being told by students — who were younger than I was and that had never been in the Centre prior to this year — that the PSC does not operate that way anymore.

There’s unspoken tension between the USC and the various student committees who have been involved with the PSC for years. We feel on edge, as if we can be evicted for good at any time. Once open until the late evening where we all felt safe and supported, we now

have to rush out before 6 p.m., and are laughed at by a locked door and a dark room. There’s a looming sense of unease in the space. The PSC is no longer friendly and welcoming.

It is a cold walk-in clinic with cheap hours and too much fine print.

I devoted all my time to the PSC because it was the only place on campus I felt safe and welcome. It’s a place for feminists, people of colour, the LGBTQ student community, the quiet students, the ones who need a friend and people who just want to hang out. But that is being threatened.

The Peer Support Centre was supposed to be a place committed to the support of all the students who walk through its doors. It’s a space of equality, not hierarchy. It’s a place of freedom and creativity, not authoritarian rules. It’s a shame its students weren’t valued more.

— Eternity Martis English/Women’s Studies IV

Vegan column lacks meat, offensive and inaccurate Re: “But do vegans swallow?” October 30, 2013 Letter to the Editor: I am writing about the recent publication of a column titled, “But do vegans swallow?” by Mary Ann Ciosk. How on earth does a professional student newspaper find it acceptable to publish such a trivializing and offensive article?

The pornographic undertone to this article is one thing, but the inability to differentiate from exploitation and meaningful consent is seriously pathetic. Let me spell it out — nonhuman animals can’t consent in any meaningful way to our use of them.

We subordinate their interests to ours when we use them as means to our ends. This is not, in any way, the same for a human who willingly donates blood at a blood bank.

The fact that this person thinks they are contributing anything to consciousness of vegans is laughable. We’re very aware of the fact

that nonhuman animal exploitation is ubiquitous and is impossible to completely avoid. But when it comes to our frivolous uses of them — for food, clothing, entertainment, etc. there is no justification for our participation. Her suggestion to stop being unequivocal is completely speciesist — let’s take an ethical stance against torture of human animals, but not when it comes to the arbitrary exclusion of other sentient beings from the moral community.

I wonder what social justice community you guys will target next.

Maybe once you’re done trivializing the oppression of nonhuman animals, you’ll move onto women? Who knows? You seem to have no problem making fun of a woman who was exploited by the porn industry.

— Nicole Monaghan Philosophy II

Letter to the Editor: The article “But do vegans swallow?” both misrepresents veganism and hurts the eco-feminist movement by perpetuating non-truths that devalue vegans.

Please research your topics more carefully to prevent such atrocious publications. I am horrified that this was published and that those nontruths will now be spreading around our community.

— Michelle Pugle Women’s Studies IV

Editor’s response: The author of this article is herself a vegan, and has written on the subject several times. The article was satirical. It exposed the silly questions vegans are often asked, like whether or not they can “swallow.” Of course vegans can swallow whatever bodily fluids they want, and breastfeed, and donate blood — to seriously suggest otherwise would be stupid, and miss the whole point of veganism. That was the point of the article.

PINK display not that bad Letter to the Editor: It might seem completely wrong, but I want the USC to retract their apology for the Victoria’s Secret “installation” if you may call it that.

Realistically, the promotion did nothing wrong in any way. Let’s focus on the main part of the controversy — the cut-out.

Victoria’s Secret was in no way promoting anything to do with “body image.” If someone is getting body image problems from it I believe it is not the cut-out implying this. Instead, it is society putting

their definitions on you.

In no way is it sexist. In fact, it is sexist towards men because I can’t receive any free materials from the display. The conflict with the Women in Leadership conference is just an unfortunate coincidence, like how the USC also put the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship across from the Agnostic and Atheism Society during awareness campaigns.

Victoria’s Secret was merely passing out coupons, yet the Canadian Forces “recruit” in the atrium and I don’t see anyone complaining

about it.

Even Imaginus does an entire week worth of poster sales with images of Megan Fox displaying her breasts and no one does anything about it. I don’t think many people had any problems with the display or else most of the women coming out of Masonville would not have Victoria’s Secret bags in tow.

If you find trouble in what Victoria’s Secret stands for, feel free to shop at other lingerie stores.

— Eugene Leung Science III

bias and limited Letter to the Editor: Last week there were a series of articles in which the USC made claims on behalf of students, based on data from their recent budget survey. In particular, the USC has suggested that students don’t really mind commercialization on campus.

At only 850 responses, however, less than 3 per cent of the student population actually participated in the survey. To extrapolate from this information data statements like, students are “overwhelmingly okay with increasing commercialization,” is therefore an egregious and misleading generalization.

But more than this, there were biases embedded in the survey questions themselves. When the survey asked about increasing commercialization, for example, it paired the issue with lower student fees. When asked in this way, of course students will find commercialization acceptable; everyone wants lower fees.

But by consistently offering commercialization as the solution, the

USC ignores some of its broader implications — with increased commercial presence on campus, public spaces are transformed into private spaces; students are increasingly seen as consumers to profit off of; certain discourses are suppressed, trivialized, or eclipsed by aggressive and sensational marketing tactics; and student debt is exacerbated by businesses desperate for student money.

Most problematically, positing commercialization as the only solution to exorbitant student fees neglects any alternative funding models, and thereby detracts from any struggle for a truly sustainable and accessible model of public education.

Such a narrow and ultimately ahistorical approach to commercialization and student fees not only does a disservice to students, but it contributes to the larger neoliberal attack on the university as a public institution.

— Jordan Coop

Not all products need to change

2013 and Men OUA & CU Champion 2013.

It would be amazing if you could highlight this fact in your next publication. I personally was very disappointed about how The Gazette handled the outstanding results of the rowing team last weekend by mentioning it within two lines whereas the loss of a regular season game of the water polo team got covered in a whole article.

— Stefan Schulze

Letter to the Editor: I would like to add a correction to the article published on Tuesday October 29, 2013 – “New USC policy aims for campus-wide fair trade” written by Jesica Hurst.

A Social Science Senator quoted in the article stated that the new USC Purple Paper aimed to make Western a Fair Trade Campus would require that the independent franchises on campus change what they serve. This is incorrect.

As a part of Fair Trade Western, I drafted the Purple Paper and to become a Fair Trade Campus independent franchises are absolutely NOT required to change what they serve. Only Western operated businesses (USC, Hospitality Services, and Grad Club operations) have to comply with the Fair Trade standards. ­—Alex Hockin Director of Fair Trade Campus Engineering III

Rowing team wins coverage Letter to the Editor: I would like to make The Gazette aware of the fact that the Western Rowing team won the women’s and men’s national championships this last weekend in Montreal.

With that the rowing team won four championship titles this season! Women OUA & CU Champion

FIMS V

Ivey MBA

Editor’s note: Turn the page and feast your eyes on a full page of rowing coverage! If any readers want us to cover a particular sporting event, please e-mail sports@westerngazette.ca.

Legality of signs not issue Re: “Are ‘safer spaces’ really safe?”

October 25, 2013 Letter to the Editor: While I fully respect Aaron Zaltzman’s personal opinion on the efficacy of the safer spaces signs, I was a little shocked by his statement in the head-to-head column.

It read, “Obviously students won’t be discriminated against, because that’s illegal.”

I guess by this logic, it can follow that illegal downloading, jaywalking, and underage drinking will never occur because all of these things are illegal. ­—Amy Sainnif English/Medical Science III

because you clearly have so much to say, we’re expanding the word limit for letters to 500 words. write to us at westerngazette.ca/contact

10 •

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Sports

factattack Anthony Bennett of the Cleveland Cavaliers has just two points in his first three career games — the fewest by any No. 1 pick since the 1966 draft.

Rundown >> After losing to the McMaster Marauders last week, the Mustangs men’s volleyball team got back to their winning ways after defeating the Nipissing Lakers and York Lions this past weekend by scores of 3–0 and 3–1, respectively.

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The strength of the Mustangs men’s and women’s rowing teams has not faltered after their impressive top10 placements at the international Head of the Charles Regatta. With an international victory in hand, the Mustangs drove their oars full force into the Ontario University Athletics championship on October 27 and the Canadian University Rowing Championships on November 1.

Western’s rowing team has been dominant throughout the season and once again claimed an impressive victory in their final two performances of the year on the provincial and national stages.

“I think ultimately the results were good, but a lot of the races were really close,” Matthew Waddell, coach of the Mustangs’ women’s rowing team, said.

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“Whenever it came down to a very, very tight race or a very, very tight finish they were the ones who found a way to pull through. I think that ultimately that strength of mind and that toughness to pull out the tight races is really what distinguished this group.”

At the OUA championships, the Western men claimed the gold medal with 129 points — far beyond the Brock Badgers’ 90-point silver placing and the Queen’s Gaels’ 71-point bronze placing.

The men’s team claimed gold in the heavyweight eight, heavyweight four, lightweight four and heavyweight single events. In addition to four gold medals, the Mustangs achieved second place in the lightweight and heavyweight singles events.

The Mustangs women claimed the OUA championship title with 114 points, out-rowing the Queen’s Gaels who claimed silver with 88 points and the Brock Badgers who held bronze with an unimposing 35 points.

The Western women dominated five events by winning gold in the lightweight eight, lightweight four, heavyweight four, lightweight doubles and lightweight singles to claim their overall gold. Additionally, they placed second in the heavyweight eight and heavyweight doubles.

Western’s impressive junior varsity rowing team won all of their events in the OUA development regatta, suggesting more success to come to the varsity team.

At the CURC, the Western men claimed gold in the heavyweight eight and silver in the heavyweight singles, heavyweight doubles and lightweight fours.

The Mustangs’ women claimed the national first-place title in lightweight doubles, lightweight fours and lightweight singles. They also achieved bronze in heavyweight singles and heavyweight eight.

Overall, the Mustangs men and women were the CURC champions. Fourteen Western rowers — men and women — were named Canadian All-Stars this past weekend. As if the Mustangs weren’t hoarding enough titles, Waddell and Andrew Jago were named the OUA women’s coaches of the year, with Robert Alexander claiming the OUA women’s novice coach of the year.

“I think that we’ve had a really

great group of athletes this year on the women’s team. There’s been some pretty fantastic leadership from that group […] How they already knew what to do so we could focus on taking that next step really helped,” Waddell explained.

“I think as a team we all agree that we have the best coaching staff in the country. They helped guide us and prepare us for any and all challenges. Because of them we were ready to be champions,” Jill Moffatt, a second-season rower for the Mustangs’ women’s team, said.

Moffat was awarded one of the Canadian All-Star titles at her first CURC where she won two gold medals.

“To be named a Canadian AllStar I needed my teammates just as much as they needed me. It was a team effort and winning with your best friends makes it that much sweeter,” Moffatt explained.

Waddell noted that, along with recognizing Moffatt’s success and initiative, Jaclyn Halko, on the women’s team, should be acknowledged for bringing her leadership and knowledge to the Mustangs team after being a member of both the Polish and Canadian national rowing teams.

In addition, Waddell was impressed by Western’s men’s rowing team’s coxswain, Laura McLaughlin, for not only being a strong leader, but also having the impressive role of a female team captain for a men’s athletic team.

Lance Brazeau, rower for the Mustangs’ heavyweight men’s team, noted that Mark Addison, a fellow Western rower, inspired the team with his attitude favouring group cohesion. “[Mark Addison] keeps our practices really upbeat and positive and brings a terrific attitude to the boat.

It helps us keep together as a crew and has brought us, evidently, some very successful results in the last few weeks and the season,” Brazeau explained.

The Mustangs rowing teams have concluded their season with inspiring performances in provincial, national and international competitions. With promising results from Western’s talented rowers and an accredited junior varsity rowing team, the Western community should watch and be excited for seasons to come.

• 11

thegazette • Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Soccer team takes silver ‘Stangs place in provincial championships Nusaiba Al-Azem SPORTS EDITOR The Mustangs women’s soccer team experienced their first, last and only loss of the season in a penalty shootout at the Ontario University Athletics championship game on Sunday to earn a silver medal.

Just two nights earlier, the team played on the same pitch at the OUA semifinals to beat the Queen’s Gaels in the same fashion.

While Western was slow to the offensive attack on Friday, they defended well to keep Queen’s off the scoreboard. As Western’s offence picked up, both teams generated ample scoring chances, but solid goaltending prevented any team from getting a ball in the net.

The match extended into extra time, in which neither team was able to secure a goal. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Mustangs goalkeeper Tori Edgar gave her team a 1–0 lead by scoring as well as saving the Gaels’ first shot of the shootout.

“I was confident. We’d practiced it so many times and I knew I could save them,” Edgar said. “[It was my] first time taking a shot in a game so I was excited about that. I wanted to put one in for my team and save them as well.”

Mustangs striker Becca Jefferson and defender Jenna White scored on their penalty shots to secure Western’s 3-2 PK win.

“There wasn’t a lot between the two teams, and obviously it went down to a shootout, so in some ways we’re fortunate to win,” Mustangs head coach Martin Painter said on Friday night after the win. “At this stage of the season you know it’s going to be tough battles, you know shootouts are possible, and fortunately we were prepared and we got the job done.”

Friday’s victory allowed the Mustangs to advance to Sunday’s final game against the Laurier Golden Hawks. It also clinched a berth for Western in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport National Championship held in Toronto later this week.

“Our goal has always been to go to nationals, and we’ve reached it and that’s absolutely awesome,” Edgar said.

Sunday’s match narrowed down the final four to just Western and Laurier, and it began with both teams fighting for offensive control.

The Mustangs were able to keep the game predominately in Laurier’s end of the field during the first half, but Golden Hawks goaltender Katrina Ward denied any goals.

The second half was largely a dumping game on the part of both teams. With three minutes left in regulation time, Laurier came the closest to potting a goal when one of their strikers edged around Edgar with an empty net. However, the shot went wide, sending both teams into extra time.

The first 15 minutes of extra time saw an aggressive Golden Hawks team dominating control of the ball. The most action of the game occurred during this time when the ball was in the Mustangs defensive third, but Laurier had possession.

The linesman flagged the Hawks for being offside; however, the referee missed the call.

Mustangs head coach Martin Painter became upset, and consequently was kicked out of the game.

“Honestly I’ve never seen referees that have been so sensitive,”

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Painter said after the game.

Painter was confident that being thrown out of the game did not affect the team’s performance.

“No I don’t think it [affected the players], because at that point we had a lot of momentum and we continued to have a lot of momentum through extra time,” he said. “So if anything that shows the depth and character we have within the team.

You know, it’s not a good thing [for a head coach to be thrown out] and certainly it’s not something we want to see happen again, but honestly I’ve seen a lot of referees and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Despite maintaining their momentum throughout both sets of extra time, the Mustangs ultimately lost 3–1 in a penalty shootout.

“It’s disappointing, but we still have nationals,” Edgar, the only player to score in the shootout, said. “We had a great run. [Laurier is] a good team, and when it goes to penalty shots, it’s a crappy way to lose but we played a great two games against Queen’s here and Laurier here so I’m proud of us.”

“Going to penalties is [a] hard [way] for anyone to lose so I feel bad for Western that their first loss of the season is in a game like this, but it’s soccer,” Golden Hawks head coach Barry MacLean said.

Both teams will compete this Thursday in the CIS national championship.

Painter says the team will keep thinking ahead to shake off the loss.

“We’re going to nationals and if we had to lose a game, today was the day to lose,” he said.

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