Thursday, November 7, 2013

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

VOLUME 107, ISSUE 34

Mike Laine GAZETTE

Stephanie Grella GAZETTE STAFF In response to Western University’s revised strategic plan, the Faculty of Information and Media Studies Students’ Council has released an open letter condemning many of the plan’s initiatives.

Western officially released the draft in July and encouraged feedback from students, student groups, faculty and administration. On October 29, FIMSSC posted an open letter on openwidezine.com regarding their concern for Western students if the strategic plan is carried out. The opinions stated in the letter

reflect the opinions only of those who signed the letter, as a number of councillors chose not to sign it.

“We believe there is room for debate on the issue, whether students agree or disagree, but in good faith and moving collectively towards a university we can comfortably say belongs to students, and not businesspeople and administrators,” Jordan Pearson, president of the FIMSSC, said.

The letter opposed the strategic plan’s suggestion of more partnerships with private industries, the university’s stance on free speech and the intent to professionalize degrees across all disciplines.

Western’s stance on free speech effectively silences student concerns that do not support Western’s brand on the world stage, Pearson said.

“The Code of Student Conduct explicitly prevents students from peacefully handing out written materials and casting the university in a negative light,” Pearson said. “This is unacceptable at an academic institution.”

According to Malcolm Ruddock, executive assistant to the university president, the strategic plan is in the midst of revision.

“The document that the students have commented on was a draft, and their comments along

with comments received by many members of the campus community is going to form a third draft of the document that we’re anticipating will enjoy the approval of the Senate and Board of Governors,” he said.

Although administrators solicited feedback from students, Pearson does not think students were considered enough throughout the process of drafting the strategic plan.

“Even if a single student submitted a comment on the plan via e-mail, how much weight would that hold in the decisions made by administrators behind closed doors?” Pearson said.

The third draft will be sent to the senate on December 6, including all the feedback from the Western community. With over 50 written submissions from faculty members, staff members, students, alumni, student groups and the University Students’ Council, Ruddock said the FIMSSC open letter was not the only piece of feedback taken into consideration.

“There was a large range of feedback and all that feedback has been gathered up and listened to and considered, and that’s helping to reform the revisions made to the next draft,” he said.

Amanda Todd’s mother to speak on campus Christine Bonk GAZETTE STAFF The Social Media and Sexual Violence Conference begins tonight at Western, organized by Western’s Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC), the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Thames Valley District School Board.

This two-day conference seeks to address the issue of cyber bullying in relation to sexual violence, a topic gaining media attention with the high-profile deaths of two Canadian teenagers, Amanda Todd

and Rehteah Parsons.

“We’ve had a couple of serious incidents that have occurred in Canada in the past year. We want to raise awareness regarding the issue of social media and sexual violence within the communities and within the schools,” said Anna-Lee Straatman, manager of the CREVAWC. The conference aims to raise awareness of the new dynamic technology introduces to bullying.

“Whereas in the old days when kids got home the bullying would come to an end, now bullying is 24/7,” said Peter Jaffe, Western

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professor in the faculty of education and academic director for the CREVAWC. “The other thing that is different is now with the posting of images and videos there is a link between bullying and sexual violence.”

Key speakers will include Carol Todd, Amanda Todd’s mother and founder of the Amanda Todd Legacy Society, Jackson Katz, author and social critic, as well as media violence specialists, representatives from the TVDSB and Western professor Alan Lescheid.

Friday’s itinerary also includes an interactive play, Tuned Out, written

and directed by Toni Wilson, learning coordinator at the Thames Valley District School Board.

The performance will present audience members with a dangerous situation, involving social media and sexual violence, ending in an unfortunate climax. The play will run through a second time allowing audience members to interject in order to identify when preventable problems occur.

Dale believes this conference is important to encouraging an ongoing analysis of the new issues as they arise with new technology.

“Whenever we’re dealing with

media, things are always changing […] kids have the knowledge how to use it,” Dale said. “Adults have the experience to know what can happen if things are posted inappropriately. We have to join that together.”

While due to its popularity the conference has sold out, Jackson Katz’s presentation “Social Media & Sexual Violence: Blurred Lines” is open to the public at no cost. The presentation will begin tonight at 7 p.m. in Althouse College.

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thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Caught on Camera

CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer Bill Wang GAZETTE

TAKE OUR KIDS TO... MALL DAY? On Take Our Kids to Work day, Western students, faculty, staff and visitors were greeted with a large advertising display in the lower floor of the University Community Centre. Microsoft sampled their products with an “ideal” dorm room exhibit and offered giveaways to build clientele on campus.

News Briefs

Food bank use up 30% in London since 2008 A study has found that approximately 833,000 Canadians are reliant on food banks across the country.

The Canadian Food Bank released the “Hunger Count 2013” study which found that although nearly 40,000 fewer than last year, this number is about 20 per cent higher than the number before the recession began in 2008.

The study showed that while most of Ontario has seen some improvement, London had not made any. In the last five years London has seen a 30 per cent increase in food bank reliance — from 2,500 people in

2008 to 3,600 people this year.

The reason attributed to this increase is the importance of manufacturing to the London economy, which is still experiencing the backlash of Ford and other major factories closing down. London still has a steep unemployment rate, which has not come down with the rest of the province.

According to the study, another attributable factor to the high use of Food Banks in Canada, is underemployment — low-and-minimum wage jobs cannot sustain a family.

The London Food Bank projects that the problem will worsen in the future before getting better, estimating 4,000 dependent residents in the years to come, according to Mary Ann McDowell, operations coordinator for the London Food Bank.

She added London Food Bank looks to new businesses coming to London as the solution, while the Canadian Food Bank is calling on different levels of government to collaborate on poverty eradication and training for workers to obtain better paying jobs.

Students have been praised for continuously donating and volunteering, and McDowell is calling on them as future leaders and residents of the city to take care of each other.

—Soheil Milani

Khan Academy updates MCAT prep videos

Solution to puzzle on page 8

Khan Academy, an online education resource, launched 150 new videos in their debut in the MCAT preparation market.

As medical school hopefuls know, the MCAT will be undergoing a dramatic change in 2015 — calculations will become a major part of the exam. Khan Academy, in collaboration with the Association of American Medical Colleges and members of the medical community representing all 141 accredited medical schools in the United States and over a dozen in Canada, is looking to prepare future candidates for the new format, for free.

Fans of TED will recall Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy, and his speech regarding education

reform. Khan is a former hedge fund analyst who decided his calling in life was in education instead. With high profile backers like Bill Gates — who invested $1.5 million in his vision — he has posted more than 24,000 videos on Youtube. Most of his videos are mainly math and science, from elementary through to university levels and have been viewed 319 million times.

While a course with competitors like Princeton Review could cost as much as $1,900 for 105 hours, Khan Academy has so far put up 150 new videos, about seven to 15 minutes each, with more to come in 2014.

MCAT preparation is now accessible to students of all financial capabilities.

—Soheil Milani

Explosives found downtown A suspicious package filled with explosives was found Tuesday on Montgomery Road near Harlech gate, about 10 kilometers away from campus.

London police were made aware of the package around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Explosive technicians were then called onto the scene and the package was safely disposed of.

A group of three to four males were seen around the location prior to the explosives being discovered.

London police are describing them between the ages of 17 and 24. They are searching for these individuals and would like to speak with them for further questioning.

The explosive were identified as being of a commercial grade.

However, London police said no detonation device was found. “[We’re] not going to get into further weights or descriptions of the commercial grade explosive, ” Amy Phillipo, media relations officer with the London Police Service, said.

While the fifth of November is often considered a day of action for anarchist groups, police said they aren’t considering the date to be significant in the investigation.

“It is a continuing investigation but I can say were not looking at this as terrorism,” Phillipo said.

—Vidhant Pal

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thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Ryerson hockey team suspended for drinking Lily Robinson GAZETTE STAFF

The student-athlete is responsible for his or her own behaviour at formal and informal, scheduled and unscheduled events.

— Ryerson student-athlete handbook

activities that are strictly prohibited

by Ryerson’s student-athlete code of conduct.

Several players admittedly engaged in alcohol consumption while behind closed doors of the team’s hotel, though the extent of their drinking is not known. The hotel in which the athletes stayed has confirmed that several guests made complaints of excessive noise from the Ryerson team that evening, according to The Globe and Mail.

All student athletes at Ryerson are expected to adhere to the student code of non-academic conduct, which calls upon students to represent the university appropriately, and acknowledges that failure to do so may result in consequences that could affect a student’s athletic and even academic standing.

According to the Ryerson student-athlete handbook, “Each student-athlete is a representative of Ryerson and is highly visible to

Midori Kuwahara GAZETTE

other people, regardless of whether the team meets on or off campus.

The student-athlete is responsible for his or her own behaviour at formal and informal, scheduled and unscheduled events.”

With respect to alcohol consumption, the handbook states explicit expectations that alcohol may not be consumed by Rams athletes or staff at any time during

the duration of road trips.

Western too outlines clear expectations for students travelling as members of an athletic team.

Alcoholic beverages are specified as being prohibited from team accommodations, and from any motor vehicle used by Western University sport teams.

Ryerson’s strict policy is therefore not alone when it comes to Ontario

Indecision and delays for new performing arts centre

FALL PREVIEW DAY

Saturday, November 16, 2013 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE YOU:

• Available to contribute your time for the day on November 16 • Interested in meeting prospective students and their families • Involved in campus activities • Enthusiastic and positive about your Western experience • Articulate, pleasant and responsible

Iain Boekhoff NEWS EDITOR

TO APPLY:

• Review the volunteer posting details on the Career Central website https://www.westerncareercentral.ca/home.htm • Email your completed application information to liaison@uwo.ca DEADLINE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

131030

Resistance is building and delays are holding up a new proposed performing arts centre in London.

At an Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee meeting Monday, Mayor Joe Fontana lashed out at some of his usual allies on council after they questioned whether either of the proposals for the centre should be supported.

Stephen Orser, Ward 4 councillor, and Dale Henderson, Ward 9 councillor, both felt the wrath of Fontana when Orser tried to put forward a motion to drop the project altogether but failed to get a seconder.

Henderson later bemoaned the lack of a business plan and funding for the centre. He also failed to get any support from councillors to scrap the proposed centre.

Fontana railed against them for trying to hijack the city’s process in commissioning the centre, even if it was taking a little longer.

The controversy surrounds a consultant report that identified several issues with the proposals — so much so that city staffers have requested more information, delaying a decision on the winning bid until at least January.

The report advised that both the Grand Theatre and Music London fork over more extensive details about the viability of each of their projects.

However, the report has highlighted several deficiencies with the proposals, including a lack of capital financing commitments, capital development plan or even necessary

universities. Western also formulates their non-academic policies in a manner that reflects the importance of student athletic conduct, and in turn establishes a standard of professionalism to be displayed when representing Western.

Representatives from Ontario University Athletics and the Western Mustangs were not available to comment on this story.

Please note that you must attend one of the following MANDATORY orientation sessions: November 11th at 4:30pm OR November 12th at 11:30am OR 4:30 pm. If selected as a volunteer, location of the sessions will be sent to you via email.

AT TENTION Bill Wang GAZETTE

Neither bids were strong enough to move forward and I need to know that when we do move forward, that it will not be on the backs of the taxpayers.

— Denise Brown City councillor

property ownership.

But regardless of what the report described, Orser said the city has bigger priorities than an arts centre, such as an overpass over the Adelaide railroad crossing, something he has fought hard for.

Henderson felt the proposals in their current form were insufficient considering neither had a business plan.

Councillor Denise Brown also expressed reservations about the two bids presented to council in their current state.

“Neither bids were strong enough to move forward and I need to know that when we do move forward, that it will not be on the backs of the taxpayers,” Brown said.

Should the requested information come in before November 15, the staff would be able to have a report in early January.

—With files from Jeremiah Rodriguez

STUDENTS USING SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES We would like to remind you that you must meet with a counsellor at Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in the Student Development Centre, to arrange academic accommodation for your 2013/14 winter courses.

If you have not yet requested accommodation for your courses, and you wish to use accommodation for December 2013 exams, you must meet with a counsellor by Friday, November 15th. If requested after this date, accommodation for December 2013 exams cannot be arranged by Exam Services.

To book your appointment please call

519-661-2147

131029

Ryerson University’s men’s hockey team is paying for their alcohol consumption, and it’s costing them more than an unpleasant hangover.

This week the team will face a sevenday suspension, which was doled out after several players were found drinking on a recent road trip to the United States.

The Rams’ men’s hockey team will miss two upcoming games, the first against the University of Ontario Institute of Technology on Thursday, and the second against Queen’s University on Saturday.

Disciplinary action has also been taken against head coach Graham Wise, who declined to comment, and assistant coach Lawrence Smith, who was dismissed from the team.

“The University is suspending head coach Graham Wise for four games as a result of the incident,” Ryerson University said in an online statement. “Part-time assistant coach Lawrence Smith is no longer employed by Ryerson University.

This is a personnel matter and the University will not be providing further details.”

The disciplinary suspension was handed down by Ryerson University on account of events that took place while on a preseason road trip to Princeton, New Jersey, in midOctober. The team travelled to New Jersey to compete against Princeton University in several exhibition games, but while off the ice, athletes were determined to be engaging in

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thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Arts&Life

saywhat?

“Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well.”

— Mark Twain

Getting in the mind of man’s best friend

Brent Holmes ARTS & LIFE EDITOR On November 21, CBC’s The Nature of Things will be going to the dogs.

Canada’s premiere science show will be doing an episode on Western student Krista Macpherson, who is working towards her PhD in canine cognition.

“I was approached by the director of the episode. He’s gone around to several dog cognition labs, ours being one of them,” Macpherson says. “They spent about six days out here with us, just talking about our various experiments and dog cognition. It was definitely a very cool experience. The Nature of Things is Canada’s premiere science show so we are certainly really thrilled to be involved with it.”

Macpherson’s work on canine psychology has been an ongoing project — in 2006, her undergraduate thesis was published in The Journal of Comparative Psychology under the title, “Do dogs (canis familiaris) seek help in an emergency?”

Her experiment for the assignment involved testing if dogs would actually respond and seek help when

Bill Wang GAZETTE

ROARING AP’PAW’SE. Krista Macpherson, a PhD student at Western, will be featured on CBC’s The Nature of Things on November 21 for her research into canine psychology. Macpherson has been recognized by Western for her past research projects debunking myths about man’s best friend.

a human was endangered. Her study won the McClelland award, which is given to the best undergraduate psychology thesis at the University of Western Ontario.

“We wanted to look at the idea of canine heroes because you hear a lot about the dog who rescued an owner from having a heart attack, the dog who rescues someone from a fire or the dog who pulled someone out of the ice,” Macpherson says. “What this study suggests is that the dog doesn’t have this inherit understanding that ‘Timmy is trapped

in the well and I need to travel the countryside to go get the sheriff to bring him back to help Timmy.’

They don’t seem to have that type of insight into the scenario.”

“I think I’m often labelled as a dog-hater for that,” Macpherson jokes.

Since her undergraduate thesis, Macpherson has moved into studying canine cognition on a more basic level, rather than a focus on human-canine relations.

“I haven’t continued with this particular line of research [dogs

responding to emergencies]. This line of research deals with the topic of our tendency to attribute humanlike characteristics to dogs. It’s something that we are always sort of wary of — you need to get at what is really going on behaviourally for the animal and not attributing human-like characteristics,” Macpherson says.

Macpherson’s area of research is now focused on time, space and number processing in dogs.

“A lot of the dog literature that is out there — to explain this a little bit, they don’t really study dogs in

psychology until about ten years ago — they were kind of seen as an artificial species because of their domestication,” Macpherson says. “[Right now] they are a hot topic in psychology, which is partly why they came up with this idea for The Nature of Things.”

Shooting for The Nature of Things was a fun experience for Macpherson, who had to set up and run several of her old experiments for the shooting of the show — including digging out a 20-foot maze hidden on the roof of one of the buildings on campus.

The shooting schedule can make running the experiments more of a challenge, especially given that Macpherson must make sure to make all of the experiments noninvasive for the dogs.

“It’s an interesting experience because they are quite interested in getting the science of it right,” Macpherson comments. “It is still a TV show so there is a lot of getting the right camera angles. There is a lot of repetition, which can be challenging for dogs. It worked out pretty well. They were a wonderful crew and I can’t say enough about how professional and fun to work with they were.”

Macpherson hopes to finish her PhD at Western and continue her research into canine psychology.

“It’s kind of an interesting PhD to have — dog psychology. I really consider myself lucky to have found my way into this field,” Macpherson says.

Try not to put off reading this article

Procrastination can be overcome with a few tricks Jacqueline Baker CONTRIBUTOR We’re now well into first semester, and students everywhere are settling into old habits — It’s time to sit back and relish in the inevitable joys of procrastination. The closer the deadline of an assignment looms, the more you manage to find anything else to do, but the assignment.

While we can all appreciate the bittersweet taste of procrastination, if you are consistently looking for excuses to complete tasks, and find ignoring assignments easier than actually doing them, then it might be time to start changing your ways.

Procrastination limits our ability to work efficiently, and does increase our stress. So, why do we continue to do it?

Timothy A. Pychyl, a professor at Carleton University, discovered in a series of studies with his students that we avoid some tasks in preference to others.

“We rationalize the dissonance between our behaviors (not doing) and our expectations of ourselves (I should be doing this now),” Pychyl says.

On certain days of the week Pychyl found his participants’ perceptions of their tasks changed.

“On a Monday, avoiding tasks was perceived as stressful, difficult,

Midori Kuwahara GAZETTE

and unpleasant,” he says. On a Thursday, participants’ stressfulness and perceptions of difficulty decreased significantly once they actually began the task they avoided all week.

Pychyl made a simple discovery: “Once we start a task, it’s rarely as bad as we think,” he says. He found that most participants realized they wished they had started their tasks earlier, finding they were actually interested in what they were doing.

Heather Johanson, a counsellor at Western’s Learning Skills Centre, echoed these sentiments.

“Commit to working for just five minutes,” she explains. “Many people find that, after five minutes [of working], they keep going.”

Johanson also recommends breaking tasks down into smaller, more attainable chunks and determining at what time of day you are most productive, and focus on completing your high priority tasks

at those times.

But how can one overcome that tricky mental block? When should you begin your work?

“Just get started,” Pychyl says.

He explains that just a small push to slowly engage in your tasks and assignments can help to avoid procrastinating. Even if you do not finish the task right away, it will make approaching the task the next day much more optimistic.”

Mike Laine GAZETTE

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thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Exploring the quantum world Vikram Natarajan THE MCGILL DAILY MONTREAL — In a day and age where information processing already occurs at a blisteringly fast pace, it’s hard to imagine that computing could get any quicker — but that is precisely what the field of quantum computing is attempting to do. By applying the principles of quantum mechanics to computer science, we may soon have a generation of supercomputers unlike anything witnessed before.

In traditional transistor-based computers, such as the one you might be using to read this article, a bit (the basic unit of digital information) has two possible values, 0 and 1. In fact, all information is represented using sequences of these two characters. Advances in computing power over the years have largely been made by making transistors — the building blocks of modern electronics — smaller.

Currently, about six million of them could fit into the period at the end of this sentence. As we approach the nanoscale, however, we enter the bizarre and counterintuitive world of quantum mechanics. In the words of the physicist Richard Feynman, “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you haven’t understood quantum mechanics.”

Quantum computing works by harnessing a principle of quantum mechanics known as superposition — which holds that any physical system can simultaneously exist in all of its possible theoretical states. This means that a qubit — the quantum equivalent of a bit — can have the value 0, 1, or both values at once.

This unique property can allow computations to be performed

Courtesy of The McGill Daily

many times faster than in a ‘traditional’ computer.

Although these concepts seem to belong solely to science fiction, the reality is that quantum computing is closer to reality than we think. Google’s recent purchase of the D-Wave Two, a 512-qubit quantum computer manufactured by D-Wave, a British Columbia-based firm, could spell the start of a new and exciting period for the field.

The research being done at Google, in collaboration with NASA and the non-profit Universities Space Research Association, is still in its infancy.

The initial question surrounding D-Wave was whether or not the machine actually uses quantum computing to process data.

This has still not been satisfactorily answered; although Catherine C.

McGeoch, a professor in technology and society at Amherst College in Massachusetts, concluded that the machine performed its calculations at least 3,600 times faster than a conventional computer, other researchers have stated that every problem the D-Wave Two has solved can be solved faster using conventional computers. Despite the debate surrounding D-Wave, its high-speed capabilities still have great potential for research and innovation.

Widespread commercialization of quantum computers is still a long way off, with the most optimistic estimates predicting 15 years before they go on the market. The reality is that it is likely to take a lot longer; however, if anything is certain, it is that quantum computers will bring about drastic changes in the technological world.

The Bodyguard (1992) As Rob Ford stood in front of the gaggles of flashing lights and solemnly admitted that he had indeed smoked crack cocaine, the world took notice. This Thursday when looking what to throw back to, memories of another star were quickly conjured.

In 2002, Whitney Houston delivered a groundbreaking interview where she detailed that, “crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let’s get that straight. Okay? We don’t do crack — crack is whack.” Sound advice from Houston and perhaps if Ford had headed her infamous advice, he would not be ridden with scandal. It’s owed to Houston, for her accurate understanding of crack, to discuss her first film vehicle — The Bodyguard.

Rachel Marron (played by Houston) is a music superstar who

soon becomes the victim of a stalker.

She hires a bodyguard, Frank (Kevin Costner) who is to protect her from this unknown assailant. The plot is fairly straightforward but for some reason, the film seems to drag on for a little too long.

The Bodyguard is a thriller, yet also a romance — it will get your blood rushing for both reasons. The film is not amazingly good but it’s one of the most deliciously entertaining movies that is also objectively bad.

Moreover, the soundtrack to the film is arguably both the most influential and popular movie soundtrack of all time. When throwing back to The Bodyguard, jam out to “I Will Always Love You” while thinking about Rob Ford’s bad life choices. It will be a hella entertaining juxtaposition.

— Bradley Metlin

Becoming the 0.1 per cent One woman, one quest, 42.2 kilometres Contrary Ann

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Mary Ann Ciosk ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Steady, slow breathing and I can hear my heart pulsing. There’s a constant ache in my hips and legs now, and God, what is that sharp pain my toe? The doubts will slowly but pervasively seep into my consciousness if I don’t keep a diligent guard. I could just start walking now and no one would know. What sane person chooses to run 42.2 km? The myth goes that the soldier who ran the first marathon from Marathon to Athens fucking died — how did that make people think that running this far was a good idea?

But this is a mind game more than anything else; I know that from my long training runs. I notice the crowds cheering, strangers yelling my name with words of encouragement and I feel that wonderful swell of adrenaline and endorphins again.

I bring my attention back to my form, my pace, and concentrate on the fact that when I finish this race today I will have achieved my goal despite its myriad of challenges, and I will be part of the 0.1 per cent of the population who ever completes a marathon.

I’d been interested in running for several years, but never went much

FILE PHOTO

farther than 5 km or so — it was just the most convenient and enjoyable way for me to stay in shape. The idea of running a marathon never entered my mind until one day in the summer, my brother rashly decided he’d do the 18-week training schedule. When I found out how far a marathon was it sounded absolutely insane and definitely impossible for me. However, my brother’s overzealous attitude was infectious and I found myself beginning to plan a half-marathon for the fall.

Going out for a run became a regular part of nearly every day for me.

After I completed the half I decided that in order to have the complete experience of running I had to do a full marathon. I started to enjoy the feeling of running more and more and it was encouraging to see how my body adapted to the exercise and improved to accommodate it. There

were, of course, days when running was the last thing I wanted to do. But you just do it anyways.

One of the most valuable lessons I took from training is that sometimes you choose to do things that are unpleasant because they allow you to accomplish a greater goal. It wasn’t always fun or easy but I can say with certainty that completing a marathon was one of the most significant events of my life — I achieved something that initially appeared unattainable.

As Haruki Murakami said: “Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: That’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life.”

If you can find something challenging that causes personal growth and makes you feel fully alive, that’s something truly worth pursuing.

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thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Opinions HAVE YOUR SAY

The Gazette asked students whether losing one’s virginity in public could ever be considered art.

Bradley Metlin ARTS & LIFE EDITOR

Economics II I think it’s inappropriate to lose your virginity in front of other people. I think it’s a private thing and you should want to make it special. Maybe he found the right person but you should make it a special time just with that person. I guess it could be considered art because everything is art, but I feel like he would regret having his first time in front of everyone.

Vinay Kanthan

Biology/Finance V I believe art is subjective, and no one can really argue that this isn’t art. We have film, sculpture, performance art — some people will like it, some people won’t. So there’s no true definition of art.

– David Duchovny

Sex may sell, but it’s not always art Breaking Brad

Alexandrea Will

I lost my virginity when I was 14. And I haven’t been able to find it.

A 19-year-old gay arts student, Clayton Pettet, in London, England is causing quite a stir in planning an experimental art piece. Pettet will lose his anal virginity on a gallery stage in front of a planned crowd of 50 to 100 people.

I’ve heard various responses from friends. Some believe it’s dangerous, while others believe it’s a brilliant idea that will provoke discussion. Though talk has certainly been sparked, we really need to question our perceptions of what is acceptable as art.

Something as intimate as losing one’s virginity is already an emotional experience. Imagine going through that with the scrutiny of a whole audience. What if problems arise? This experience could scar the artist in a deep way. I think any art that presents the potential to harm an artist or anyone involved should not be considered art at all.

The institutional theory of art, championed by revolutionary artists like Andy Warhol, dictates that anything can become art if presented in the context of the “art world” (for instance, a gallery). I wonder, though, why Pettet’s sexual exhibitionism should even be welcomed in the “art world.”

Engaging in this argument can become maddening, as some people argue for a blanket definition of art. As I discussed, I frequently encountered

Dear Life Your anonymous letters to life

those who championed the idea that “everything is art.” But let’s be honest with ourselves, we all have personal limits to what we consider art, and therein lies the problem. They’re personal barriers, it’s all subjective.

For instance, a generic action film that is designed for the sole purpose of bringing in a truckload at the box office is not really considered art by most. We seem to have no problem expressing a disdain for pointlessness in film, yet when something lands in a gallery it is almost taboo to question its value. It seems like there is an assumption that anything can be considered art, especially if in the “proper” context.

Pettet’s performance art is essentially a public sex show. Just in the way that most would not condone pornography as art, why is this any different?

What’s even more problematic is the artist does not seem to have a handle on the purpose of his own piece. Perhaps this self-exploitation could be excused with a clear artistic purpose, yet Pettet has been presenting a convoluted artist message.

What Pettet seems to be ignoring in this situation is that the loss of his virginity will be embedded with a sense of artificiality. One of his main purposes is to see how this intimate experience will change his relationship. The art he is producing, however, undermines this intimacy and will likely be the cause for any change in his relationship.

This sex show should not be accepted by society as art. I am all in favor of pushing boundaries and even breaking them — and Pettet should be as well — but maybe he shouldn’t break such a personal boundary in public.

Dear Life, What is your meaning?

Dear Life, Ectomorph? More like Lankomorph. Am I right?

Dear Life, Sometimes you just have to get off routine.

Dear Life, How come Toronto gets Rob Ford and Crack Gate and we haven’t even had a good USC sex scandal?

[Editor’s Note: I volunteer, for any member of the USC — Kevin] Dear Life, Thank God the Health Plan refund cheques came in when they did. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to replace my bong... er, I mean textbooks... Yes, textbooks.

Dear Life, You call that a fall reading break? That was a normal week for me. What a joke.

Dear Life, So many letters to the editor in Tuesday’s Gazette!

Keep ‘em coming! Student engagement is awesome.

Dear Life, The PINK cut-out was offensive? If you can’t handle advertisement, do the university a favour by getting off your high horse.

To the USC, thank you for raising money for students.

Diana So

Political Science III I think there’s two tiers to this — on a superficial level it could be art. Your body is your decision and you can relate this to dance or performance art. But at the same time, on an ethical level, it’s not really setting the best example for someone else who’s probably figuring themselves out.

Dear Life, Why can’t we have puppy therapy every day? wgaz.ca/dearlife

have an opinion as big as

Rob ford?

write to us!

Ryan Cassie

BMOS III I don’t necessarily agree that it’s art but I do believe that he should be allowed to express himself however he wants. The body is beautiful,w however, it’s just straight-up sex.

thegazette

Volume 107, Issue 34 www.westerngazette.ca

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

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Naira Ahmed GAZETTE

westerngazette.ca/contact Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Maja Anjoli-Bilic

Diana Watson

Gazette Staff 2013-2014

Christine Bonk, Hamza Tariq, Stephanie Grella, Kevin Heslop, Lily Robinson, Sara Mai Chitty, Taylor Lasota, Anne Wozney, Nathan Kanter, Emory Liu, Jenny Jay, Jonathan Dunn, Sam Frankel, Cheryl Madliger

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

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• Please recycle this newspaper •

•7

thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Sports

tweet of the week The next person to donate to my Movember page will win my game used @Easton_Hockey stick from #movember 1st

George Parros (@GeorgeParros) on his Movember website mobro.co/MoHabsMo15

Rundown >> The Mustangs women’s basketball team currently holds a 1–1 regular season record > They will be playing Queen’s and York this Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Wrestlers show their opponents to the mat Mustangs bring four medals home in their first event Nusaiba Al-Azem SPORTS EDITOR The Western Mustangs wrestling team kicked off their Ontario University Athletics season to a great start, capturing four medals at the McMaster Invitational.

Mustangs Kevin Ens and Kristen Bolivar both earned silver medals and Mustangs Alyssa Medeiros and Christine Schmidt received bronze medals in their respective classes.

Bolivar, a second-year kinesiology student, took home her silver despite the rust that comes with missing the whole previous season with an injury. Ens nearly took home a gold, only to be beaten by the Guelph Wrestling Club’s Jeremy Latour.

As it was the first event of the wrestling season, the coaches were pleased at the opportunity to evaluate their wrestlers.

“The coaching staff wanted to gauge each wrestler in a competitive environment to see what they need to work on or improve,” Mustangs head coach Ray Takahashi said.

“This was particularly important for some of the new team members.”

The event, in which the coaches declared any member of the team who felt ready could compete, allowed the team to compare their progress to that of other high-level competitors.

“My expectations weren’t very high for this tournament. I knew that this was the first tournament of the season and so I expected to be pretty ‘rusty,’” Mustangs bronze medalist Christine Schmidt said of the invitational in an e-mail. “I mainly wanted to use [the McMaster event] as a way to gauge where my endurance was and sort of get back into the competition environment

Courtesy of Ray Takahashi

POSE FOR THE CAMERA. Mustangs’ wrestler Kevin Ens (right) of London Western WC at the McMaster Invitational this past weekend. Ens won silver in the event — one of four medals the Mustangs racked up on the weekend.

where stress, nerves and just mental toughness really come into play.”

The invitational follows recent regulation changes to the official rules of wrestling used in the OUA. These modifications include a change in structure; For example, there are now two three-minute rounds rather than the previous three two-minute rounds.

Additionally, wrestlers cannot be seen as inactive by the referees, otherwise they will be disciplined

accordingly with a point granted to the opposition or the potential to be disqualified.

“This was our first tournament with the new rule changes, so now I’m able to change my strategy accordingly,” Schmidt said. “The new rule changes seem to really favour active wrestling and now that points are transferred over to the second round, if I’m behind I’m really going to have to work hard and [be] quick to make a comeback.”

While four medals is a very impressive showing, the Mustangs can still make room for improvement.

“Losses teach you what you need to work on and how to improve your technique,” Mustang Kyle Bonk, who placed fifth in the men’s 90 kg, said of his results.

Takahashi remains optimistic about the team’s results, but is focused on the goal at hand.

“The results were good, but

because it’s so early in the season, it’s difficult to use them as an indicator on how we do in February [for the OUA championships],” he said.

“We have a lot of work to do over the next few months.”

The invitational was a learning experience for the wrestling team and they will continue to acclimate to the new rules as they prepare for this week’s international tournament at the New York Athletic Club and the season in general.

Courtesy of Ray Takahaski

I HOPE THAT MAT TASTES GOOD. Mustangs’ own Alyssa Medeiros (on top) had three wins at the invitational to earn her a bronze medal in the 55 kg women’s class.

Naira Ahmed GAZETTE

8•

thegazette • Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Mustangs already facing an uphill battle Western Basketball looking to bounce back Daniel Weryha SPORTS EDITOR After a 3–18 finish in the 2012-2013 season, the Western Mustangs men’s basketball team can only improve.

With no graduating seniors, the team will begin their season with the bulk of their offence returning from last year.

Last year’s squad was young, and it showed. However, having each of their sophomores and freshmen returning with at least one full season under their belts, opponents should expect to play a tough Mustangs basketball team.

When looking back, this season stands out as somewhat of an anomaly. For the better part of a decade the Mustangs have always been a middle of the pack team.

The team will welcome back their two top scorers from the previous season. Peter Scholtes, the six-footfive forward, finished the year with a team-high 259 points. His experience will provide consistent scoring down low. Now in his senior year, one would expect Scholtes to best his previous year’s performance.

Quinn Henderson, the six-footfour guard, had by far his best statistical year as a Western Mustang last season. The Dundas native had a career-high 212 points, and shot 33 per cent from beyond the arc.

“We all got stronger physically this year,” Henderson said. “A lot of us being young, this summer we got in the weight room. Hopefully that will help us in the fourth quarter where we can play more minutes.

We took to conditioning a lot more.”

The two will be supported by a group of juniors who took on the bulk of the team’s game time in the absence of any seniors.

“We have a high character group who, once they understand what it takes to compete at this level, will be successful,” Brad Campbell, Western Mustangs basketball head coach, said.

The most exciting player returning for the Mustangs is George Johnson. The six-foot-three, 188pound London native finished his basketball season with 144 points in 21 games, earning him a spot on the OUA West all-rookie team. Johnson was originally recruited to play football, but has since become one of Western’s most prolific multi-sport athletes.

“We definitely expect him to come in and make an impact,” Henderson said. “He was one of our best defensive perimeter players last year and an all-rookie team guy, so we definitely expect him to come in, shake the rust off and definitely contribute to our team this year.”

This year Johnson took the Ontario University Athletics football league by storm. With 982 receiving yards, Johnson topped the regular season tables in the OUA. Now that the Mustangs football team is in the playoffs, the basketball team will have to wait until Johnson is ready to make the switch back.

In this year’s recruiting class, the Mustangs welcomed point guard Marcus Colloo. In 2012 Colloo led Catholic Central in Windsor to an AAA Ontario Federation of School Athletics Association championship.

FILE PHOTO

MISSED THE BALL. Mustangs guard Quinn Henderson floats the ball over a defender. Henderson had a career-year in the 2012-2013 season with 212 points. Now entering his fourth year of eligibility, Henderson will try to best his previous season’s performance. He will aim to lead the Mustangs once again this season.

Cam Morris of London South Secondary School and Matt McDonald of St. Michael’s College will fill the much-needed forward depth.

In addition to their recruiting class, the Mustangs added a Guelph Gryphons transfer, Eric McDonald, who has since taken over the point guard duties. In his rookie season as a Gryphon, McDonald scored 61 points, and shot 69 per cent from

the free throw line.

The Mustangs have played two regular season games so far against the top ranked Carleton Ravens and the Ottawa Gee Gees. In both games the Mustangs were defeated by sizeable margins — 117–42 to the Ravens. While this may bring back the daunting memory of last season, expect that the Mustangs — with help from the returning George Johnson — will find success against

the other teams in the OUA. “Playing both Carleton and Ottawa last weekend helped us to see the top level of basketball played in the CIS. Moving forward, hopefully we are able to improve our execution and compete level,” Campbell said.

The team will host the Queen’s Gaels on Friday night for their 20132014 home opener at Alumni Hall.

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Mustangs earn all-star status The Yates Cup has yet to be handed out, but the Western Mustangs football team is already raking in the awards.

Fifteen Mustangs were named Ontario University Athletics all-stars with 11 of those players earning first team honours.

For the first time in his OUA career, Mustangs quarterback Will Finch made the offensive team.

Finch led all pivots in the OUA this year with 3,047 passing yards, which was an OUA record, threw for 21 touchdowns and averaged 380.88 yards per game.

Other Mustang players who made the team for the first time included offensive linemen Matt Van Praet and Kadeem Adams and receivers Brian Marshall and George Johnson.

On the defensive side, Mustangs defensive tackle Daryl Waud was selected for the first team along with teammate Dylan Ainsworth.

Linebackers Pawel Kruba and Beau Landry were also named to the team. Both Kruba and Landry had a stellar year for the ‘Stangs, earning 36 and 29 solo tackles respectively.

And lastly, Lirim Hajrullahu — who was also just named the Canadian Interuniversity Sport football player of the week — was named the team’s punter and kicker.

The fifth-year kicker rewrote the record book this year, becoming the CIS all-time scoring leader with 422

total points.

Second team all-stars included Joe Circelli, Eddie Meredith, Ricky Osei-Kusi and Simon Bahru.

Rookies Jesse McNair and Matt McDougall were named to the OUA all-rookie list.

The Mustangs will host the Queen’s Gaels this Saturday in the 106th Yates Cup Championship.

Nation’s best to race in London The Western Mustangs will host the Canadian Interuniversity Sport cross-country championships this Saturday.

Two weeks ago, at the Ontario University Athletics championships, Western’s women’s team earned the silver medal. Amanda Truelove was the Mustangs’ top female finisher, placing eighth overall.

The men’s team placed eighth overall. Top finisher for the men was fourth-year Kevin Blackney who came in 34th place.

This championship will be the last for veteran coach Bob Vigars.

In March, Vigars announced he would be retiring after coaching and teaching at Western for 46 years.

During his time at Western, Vigars led Western’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams to 11 national championships.

The event will take place at Thames Valley Golf Course with the women racing at noon and the men following shortly after at 1 p.m.

— Kaitlyn McGrath

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“CANADA’S BEST IDEA? Creating the American National Park Service in 1916” The Centre for American Studies Speakers’ Series presents ALAN MACEACHERN, Department of History, Western University, speaking Tues., Nov. 12, 2013, 2:30pm, Social Science Centre, Rm. 9420.cas.uwo.ca

SERVICES FEELING STRESSED OUT? Registered Massage Therapy and Registered Acupuncture minutes away from Western. Coverage under SOGS and USC Health Plans.

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