Friday, November 15, 2013

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Lawrence of Canadia The Gazette talks to CBC’s Grant Lawrence about his new book, The Lonely End of the Rink. >> pg. 5

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013

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CANADA’S ONLY DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906

VOLUME 107, ISSUE 39

Tempers flare up at Town and Gown forum Stephen Lewis Students and Londoners clash over student-city relations speaks Jeremiah Rodriguez NEWS EDITOR

Council chambers overflowed with a rowdy crowd of students and London residents at Wednesday night’s Town and Gown committee meeting. Each unleashed their grievances against each other and the police. No one was spared at the forum held to air grievances over Project LEARN and student conduct. Students from Western and Fanshawe, their student council representatives, residents, as well as business owners and neighbours were all in attendance. After several hours, there was no consensus and lines were drawn between students and residents. Students complained over unfair labeling and excessive fines from the police’s Liquor Enforcement and Reduction of Noise program. Residents living in and around student off-campus housing areas argued that the Project LEARN’s zero-tolerance policy — which recently ended — was the only way to deter students from public drunkenness, mischief, and excessive noise from their parties. “Student hell” is what Ann Street resident John Warner called the months when students were in town. The relief only came when students left London and went back to their hometowns, he said. “These kids have no consideration at all and the neighbourhood has gone from a family one into crap,” he said. Pauline House, who lives in close proximity to the Fanshawe off-campus housing, praised Project LEARN and reported a “90 per cent decrease in the number of complaints since the police have [had] this zero-tolerance policy.” Students mentioned receiving inflated fines and residents started applauding. The committee chair and Ward 7 councillor Matt Brown at one point had to tell the crowd to

Richard Raycraft NEWS EDITOR

project as one that can and will help the community if implemented correctly,” Gourlay said. Students said that the name of the program was misleading as it failed to try and teach students how to interact with the community. In their eyes, the zero-tolerance approach discouraged any discussion between the London community and students. Apart from a few sympathetic exemptions from the London community, residents stood fairly unified. Joseph Hersh was one of the

Politician, diplomat and humanitarian Stephen Lewis was in London yesterday to speak at this year’s Hope in the City Breakfast, emphasizing and addressing the issues of poverty and homelessness in communities. The event is put on annually by The Salvation Army London. Taking place for the second time at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre, it brought together business and community leaders to discuss ways to support the local community. With the city of London facing challenges of mental illness, poverty, hunger and addiction, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations and humanitarian Lewis made for an inspiring speaker. Following his keynote address, Lewis spoke to The Gazette about addressing these issues in London. “It’s a matter of the city council sitting down and deciding what are its priorities, what can they do about homelessness, what can they do about improving incomes,” he said. “Around poverty, hunger and homelessness most of it has to do with income, and therefore if the City of London focuses on that, it may make a difference.” Lewis currently sits as chair of the board of directors at the Stephen Lewis Foundation and is a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University. The foundation focuses on issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, positive living, and health care. In addition, he serves as co-director of the international advocacy organization AIDS Free World, which he also helped found in 2007. He offered some advice to students.

>> see TOWN pg.2

>> see LEWIS pg.3

Jeremiah Rodriguez GAZETTE

IS THERE AN ECHO IN HERE? Students from Fanshawe and Western argued with London residents and the police over Project LEARN at the Town and Gown Committee meeting Wednesday night at city hall.

refrain from cheering and scoffing. Students from Western and Fanshawe complained in droves how the crackdowns were excessive and were having a negative effect by driving more of a wedge between them and law enforcement. Fanshawe student Kyle Parker said how the crackdown on students wasn’t justified as the police were using the 2011 Fleming drive riots as an excuse to bully students two years later. “The students who did that aren’t even here anymore. That happened two years ago. People that were involved in the riot — bye-bye, they’re gone,” Parker said.

Advocating on behalf of Western students was vice-president external of the University Students’ Council, Amir Eftekarpour. He expressed his disapproval at the police’s recent tactic of canvassing off-campus student houses and collecting personal information without cause. Adam Gourlay, president of the Fanshawe Student Union, echoed the same sentiments but then went on to say he supported the Project LEARN and the motives of the police. “We do believe Project LEARN to be positive for the community as an education piece, and it should be developed, as such. We view the


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Friday, November 15, 2013 by Western Gazette - Issuu