W W W .W E STERNGAZETTE.C A • @UW OGAZETTE
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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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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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
Caught on Camera
CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer Taylor Lasota GAZETTE
COLOURS OF THE WIND. As part of International Week at Western, students participate in a “Racism. It Stops Here.” Mosaic in the University Community Centre atrium by leaving a hand-paint imprint behind.
City and students collide >> TOWN continued from pg.1
Jeremiah Rodriguez GAZETTE
LEARNing TOGETHER. Mayor Joe Fontana (right) and councillor Judy Bryant at Wednesday’s public meeting on student-city relations. Tempers flared at the meeting, with both sides airing their grievances.
It’s student hell. These kids have no consideration at all and the neighbourhood has gone from a family one into crap. — John Warner
London resident
Solution to puzzle on page 8
Rejected an offer to work for SUN News?
Come to
The Gazette UCC Rm.263
residents speaking against Project LEARN saying, “London residents, especially those living near campus neighbourhoods, of course, have a right to a certain level of quiet and privacy. However, I’d like to say how important the student population is to the city.” He then said he encouraged city council to consider the long-term implications of Project LEARN for the city. After the public forum ended, councillors each spoke about their view of Project LEARN. “We had this meeting to work together with students and the community at large to figure out how to make it better,” councillor Joe Swan said. “But let’s be frank here, Project LEARN is not going anywhere.” Mayor Joe Fontana rejected the idea that the London police force was performing a draconian crackdown on students and reiterated the notion that London needs the vigor and financial support that visiting students bring to the community. “Education is the key for everyone understanding what the rules are. With students only here for a few years, it’s a continual thing we need to keep doing.” Fontana said. “And I commend the chief who after the last few incidents, was forthright and said we need to have a community discussion and look what we need to do together to solve this.” As for the effectiveness of the meeting itself, Eftakapour was hopeful despite the bickering between the two factions. “[Wednesday] was a very positive experience. Going forward, we need to keep hammering home that the previous core of Project LEARN, zero-tolerance enforcement, does not work. It has not reduced the number of infractions, and it has clearly harmed relationships between students, long-term residents and the city.” Near the conclusion of the meeting, councillor Judy Bryant motioned that the public forum would continue at the next Town and Gown meeting or earlier and that the numerous questions posed by the public would not be answered until the next meeting.
The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. © 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.
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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
University battles Lewis speaks at Salvation Army its student union Iain Boekhoff NEWS EDITOR A dispute over student fees between the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College and the student government of the two schools, the Student Association, has no end in sight after the SA has threatened legal action. The dispute centres on the decision of the university to not transfer the student fees collected on behalf of the SA to the student organization. The SA said in a press release yesterday that they are considering legal action against DC and UOIT. The SA is the representative body of students at both Durham College and UOIT, with a board of directors composed of 10 representatives, five each from Durham College and UOIT and an elected executive, consisting of a president and four vice-presidents. However, three of the vice-president positions are currently vacant. After the SA failed to send audited financial statements and other documents to the institutions in the summer, they decided to directly fund student clubs and other operations, including health and medical insurance for students, so students would not be impacted by the withholding of the fees from the SA. Last week, the SA provided audited financial statements to the two institutions whose students it represents, but not a “management letter” prepared by the auditor about any concerns they may have. However, the SA failed to include a governance plan about the future of the SA, which the institutions requested. MacMillan said the university has offered to meet and provide assistance on governance to
the SA, but so far the SA has rejected them. “Durham College and UOIT are withholding membership fees from the SA despite the SA providing the institutions with audited financial statements,” said Peter Chinweuba, president of the SA. “We have attempted to negotiate with the institutions but their refusal may force us to seek legal action.” UOIT spokesperson John MacMillan said the university has a responsibility to its students that these fees are used responsibly. The university had concerns over the management of the SA. The university also received complaints that the university code of conduct had been violated by SA members. “Our concern has always been about the students and so that’s why we set up a process to make sure that we are flowing money directly to [students]. We’re just not flowing it through the SA until it gives us an indication that it’s running its finances appropriately, and that it’s governing its organization appropriately, and that any allegations or concerns with respect to breaches of the code of conduct have been investigated and have been resolved,” MacMillan said. The SA held its Annual General Meeting last week, during which over a hundred students attended, but many left due to frustration with the proxy voting system. Carly Valcheff, a board director, resigned in protest of the way this year’s AGM was run. “We still view them as a partner [...] but we do have specific obligations and specific responsibilities and want to make sure that we have the information from the association that we need,” MacMillan said.
Sepsis, a fatal illness in which a person’s immune system has an overreaction to germs and bacteria, may soon receive a treatment thanks to a research project led by doctor Qingping Feng, a professor at the department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Western. Sepsis is the leading cause of inhospital death — approximately 18 million cases are estimated annually with a morality rate as high as 40 per cent. The research suggests a protein called recombinant human annexin A5 may be the solution to treat the disease. The research experiments involved the study of annexin A5 and its effect on rats that were induced into sepsis. “We treated the septic animals and to our surprise we found a dramatic, significant effect in improving cardiac function during sepsis and improved survival rates in the mice,” Feng said in a press release. “We also found it helped even if administered hours after the septic infection.” The safety of annexin A5 has been tested in humans and is currently being used in imaging to identify cells undergoing cell death. Sepsis can affect all vitals organs in the body, and the study done by Feng specifically studied the beneficial effects to the heart. But, Feng
>> LEWIS continued from pg.1
“I would say to them that they should spend a chunk of life, whether it’s during their student years or immediately after, working with a community-based organization that is focused on human rights or the environment or development or social services, whatever appeals to them, but also consider doing some international work as well,” he said. “It needn’t take more than a few months of their life, but it makes a huge difference.” “We are just thrilled with our
second Hope in the City Breakfast,” said Perron Goodyear, public relations and development representative at The Salvation Army. “The goal of our event was to bring together business and community leaders, and obviously to talk about ways that they can support the Salvation Army, of course with the all-important Christmas season coming up, but also throughout the year.” “We want the student population to be aware of this as well, because certainly from our perspective they’re going to be our leaders of the future,” he continued. Though this is only the Second
date
believes that the future of annexin A5 could have positive effects to the lungs, liver, and kidneys. —Emory Liu
Wind research facility to open soon Western’s new wind research facility, the WindEEE Institute, will have its public opening in the coming few weeks. The Wind Engineering Energy and Environment dome is considered a technological breakthrough and is one of the most advanced wind tunnels in the world. But even categorizing it as a wind tunnel might be doing it a disservice. More than a mere tunnel, The WindEEE Institute houses a hexagonal dome that is 40 metres in diameter and equipped with 100 specialized fans mounted on the surrounding walls of the dome. “Traditional wind tunnels would just blow wind in one direction, so they are good at reproducing large scale systems […] but they cannot reproduce those localized, very complex spatial and time dependent systems,” said Horai Hangan, an engineering professor at Western, in a video interview on the Western Engineering website. The $23.6-million facility specializes in simulating localized systems like tornados, downbursts, and gust fronts that cannot be recreated anywhere else. —Vidhant Pal
Hope in the City Breakfast, The Salvation Army has been active in London for over 130 years. The Christian charitable organization has grown to become the largest non-government provider of social services in Canada. It recently teamed up with Western through Project Comp-U-Give, which has provided over 50 refurbished computers to families in need. The event featured former London Police Service chief Murray Faulkner as the master of ceremonies, and was well attended by city officials and local business and community leaders.
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SPREADING HOPE IN THE CITY. Humanitarian and former diplomat Stephen Lewis delivered the keynote speech at the Salvation Army’s second annual Hope in the City breakfast yesterday, speaking about issues in the local community.
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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
Arts&Life
badwriting “You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever.”
Stephanie Meyer, Twilight
Whimsical wordplay at London Poetry Slam
WHERE
to
get it TOQUE — AMERICAN APPAREL Am Appy has a vast array of toques to choose from, in a wide variety of colours. Keeping a warm head and looking fly has never been so easy. WOOL SWEATER — THRIFT SHOP Big sweaters are a thrift shop classic. Value Village, Goodwill, you name it. These sweaters are cheap and cheerful additions to any outfit. BRIGHT PANTS — FOREVER 21 Forever 21 has a fair selection of pants, and online they even let you choose the colour — including a vibrant green, if that’s your thing. BLACK COMBAT BOOTS — STEVE MADDEN While Cook’s may have been a knockoff, splurge a little for the real deal, by getting a pair of these classic ankle boots from the source itself. Taylor Lasota GAZETTE
I
t sure is getting a tad brisk out there. But for lovers of fall fashion, it will take a far greater degree of cold to stop them from rocking the wools, free from the confines of outerwear. One such autumnal enthusiast is Kaitlyn Cook, a first-year English and Biology student. With a grey touque, long wool sweater, and black combat-esque boots, Cook is the picture of fall comfort — albeit, her pants definitely add a kick of colour to the rather somber outfit. “It’s just something comfortable. It was kind of cold this
morning but I knew it was supposed to warm up, so I wore a sweater which lets a good amount of breeze go through it,” she says about her apparel. On her feet Cook proudly wears a pair of knockoff Steve Maddens, unabashed by her lack of brand. When asked how others could pay homage to her style, Cook advises not to focus too much on a prefabricated image. “I don’t really agree with wearing a ton of huge brand names just to impress people,” she says. “Don’t focus as much on trying to portray an image to the people
around you, focus on what makes you happy.” As for shopping, Cook is all about the thrift stores to find her down-to-earth gear. “I kind of like the indie, bohemian vibe,” Cook explains. “I like thrifting.” To channel Cook’s style, try to keep things subtle with one major accent piece, like she did with her pants. Avoid loud brand-names, and try to find a style unique to your personality. Thrift stores are the perfect place for this endeavour. — Cam Smith
Taylor Lasota GAZETTE
Mary Ann C10sk ARTS & LIFE EDITOR “That’s all I’d be — skin, bones and wet clothes running off adrenaline and some elixir of carnal might and imaginative flight.” Whimsical wordplay like these lines from Bryton McKinnon’s poem “Today” is the essence of London’s poetry slam scene. Professionals and amateurs young and old gather once a month at the London Music Club to share their passion for creative writing and a love of language. The London Poetry Slam events are competitions judged by randomly selected members of the audience. At the end of the month a poet will receive an overall score based on their performances and the finalists compete in a year-end competition in April. “The slam is a competition, but most importantly it’s a place for people to share their personal stories and ideas and what’s important to them,” says McKinnon, host and organizer for London’s poetry slams and workshops. “Anyone can slam, that’s what’s really cool about it — it allows people who are just starting out to try things out, everybody gets a chance to slam, and there’s this community to pull them up if they’re really interested in it.” McKinnon says. “You can do a playwright excerpt, a skit with a group of people, a speech, old poetry odes, or sonnets [...] it’s really open for any type of creative writing,” McKinnon says. Although the poetry is judged, the atmosphere is lively and playful. As indicated on the London Poetry Slam website: “Audience members are encouraged to be vocal, enthusiastic and engaged. They’re also encouraged to influence the judges with applause or heckling. Poets are likewise encouraged to influence the judges by buying them drinks.” McKinnon describes the unique, communal feel of being an audience member at the slam. “There are these little nuances that people pick up on. For example, if someone says, ‘Yeah it’s only five dollars,’ everyone in the crowd, in unison, will respond, ‘Only five dollars!’ If you hear a line that you really like you’re encouraged to
The slam is a competition, but most importantly it’s a place for people to share their personal stories and ideas and what’s important to them. — Bryton McKinnon
have a snap or something. One of the oldest veterans of the London slam made up this thing of grunting which has really caught on —even nationally now. So you’ll hear a line, like ‘I’m bleeding out my cufflinks,’ that really makes a connection with you, and people just instinctually grunt now,” McKinnon says. Although the slam is a highenergy and dynamic environment, poets also learn that it is a safe and supportive space to explore more serious personal issues as well. “When I first started I wanted to perform what I thought people wanted to hear — humour and lovey-dovey type things. But when I went to the workshop every month I started realizing that it’s not about what I think people want to hear, it’s about what I want to say,” McKinnon says. “I am opinionated but I didn’t necessarily have the confidence to share what was important to me. The slam gave me that confidence and platform to really say and grapple with those important things.” The Poetry Slam is held on the third Friday of every month with a writing workshop held the Saturday following the slam, typically featuring a traveling slammer discussing writing techniques and experiences. The slams are held in the London Music Hall, doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. with an entrance fee of $5.
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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
Fracking over developing countries London film festival digs up stories about Canadian mining overseas Brent Holmes ARTS & LIFE EDITOR This weekend, a film festival will be digging up the dark history of Canadian mining companies. The Extracting the Earth film festival will be running from Friday to Sunday this weekend and will feature the screenings of several films documenting the impact of Canadian extractive industry on an international level. “The groups that are involved really want to bring together people from the community who are concerned about these issues and maybe haven’t seen the full range of effects,” says Western professor David Heap, spokesperson for the film festival. “A lot of people are talking about fracking these days because of what is going on in New Brunswick. But they might not realize that some of the same countries are involved in extraction elsewhere.” In 2012, Heap was asked by the Latin American Canadian Solidarity Association (LACSA) to go to Guatemala to participate in an international health tribunal investigating the health and social impacts of mining in the communities. He has been engaged in campaigning
for environmental rights ever since. Extracting the Earth will bring the issues Heap sees impacting communities in Latin America and around the world to London and will feature the premiere of the film Gold Fever, which focuses on gold mining in Central America and Guatemala, followed by a panel with Graeme Russell, a contributor and producer for the film. Russell is involved with Rights Actions. Active for 20 years, the group has been involved with the mining community since 2004 and contacted Russell to take the film crew to Guatemala, as well as be interviewed for the movie. “A few years back [Rights Action] decided to make a film about this open pit cyanide leeching gold mine operated by Gold Corp Inc.,” says Russell. “It was being operated in Western Hylands of Guatemala in Mayan mountain territory.” For Russell, the filmmakers had an easier time making the film than some of the indigenous filmmakers who are trying to get the message out — the corporations involved in the mining operations refused to comment for the filmmakers of Gold Fever, however, Russell believes that they have communicated in a different way to the indigenous
Courtesy of Greame Russell
population. “There are grassroots indigenous filmmakers living in the region trying to document the harms and they have suffered direct and indirect repression,” Russell comments. Gold Fever will be screened on Friday. The festival will continue on Saturday with a screening of Accountability Gap and In the Heart of the Conga on Saturday. The festival
Keeping his stick on the ice
will then take a more national turn on Sunday with films about Canada with H2Oil and Shattered Ground, which focus on the tar sands and hydraulic fracking in Canada. “The number one goal is that North Americans and Canadians [are made] much more aware of the health harms and human rights violations that many Canadian resource extraction companies are
causing in many countries around the world — and this is one of those stories,” Russell says. Extracting the Earth will take place at the Public Central Library (251 Dundas St.) in the StevensonHunt rooms from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17. Admission is free.
Gazette Tested >> Collared Green Wraps Increase your immunity to diseases and attain a plethora of phytochemicals and micronutrients by maximizing your consumption of leafy greens. An easy way to do this is by using collard greens instead of tortilla wraps for breakfast or lunch. Here’s a quick and tasty breakfast recipe to start off your day with green power.
Ingredients
• 3 collard green leafs • 1 banana • 1 pint of raspberries • 1 tbsp peanut butter • 2 tbsp walnuts • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon • 1 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
Directions Wash collard greens and line inside stems with peanut butter. Evenly distribute chopped banana slices, raspberries, walnuts and chocolate chips amongst the collard greens and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Wrap up the leaf like a taco and consume with delight.
— Mary Ann Ciosk Your Weekly Horoscope
The week of Nov. 15 – 21 This horoscope is intended for entertainment purposes only.
Courtesy of Christine McAvoy
Nusaiba Al-Azem SPORTS EDITOR It’s the farthest thing from the clichéd bullying story. Though it tells the tale of his ridiculed youth, award-winning author Grant Lawrence’s new book entitled The Lonely End of the Rink humorously ties in his mismatched peer relationships with hockey history to convey a story of depth. “I consider it to be my story of my lifelong, I would say darkly humourous, struggle with Canada’s national pastime — the game of hockey. It’s a sport that I did not feel welcomed into early in my life and I never really thought I would have much to do with it, and lo and behold, slowly over a series of events which started out very, very poorly early in my life, which involved a lot of violence and bullying, slowly over the years I kind of took hockey back on my own terms,” Lawrence says. Fans of the author’s first bestseller, Adventures in Solitude, can rejoice, because he maintains his quirky writing style while leaving references to the first book. “There’s little throwbacks, there’s
little callbacks, to the first book, which I kind of appreciate in entertainment, whether it’s books or television or movies so I try to do that as well. So something for fans of the first book,” Lawrence explains. Both books deal heavily with the theme of social isolation and survival. “I was single for a long, long time in my adult life, and now I’m married with a little boy but I never thought that would happen either,” Lawrence elaborates. “So I suppose I’ve been in my own head for large portions of my life, and trying to find myself through being alone.” By day, Lawrence is a CBC music journalist and radio host. Additionally, he is the lead singer of the acclaimed band The Smugglers. Thus, it comes as no surprise that both book titles are Canadian song titles as well. The books unconventionally conclude with listening recommendations. Lawrence is currently on tour for the new book, and he notes stark contrasts between this tour and previous music tours. “It’s totally civilized, and I really enjoy it,” he said. “I get to kind of
relive a bit of the rock and roll glory, just without all of the blood, sweat and beers.” A diehard Vancouver Canucks fan, Lawrence fashions a book that is infused with Canadian culture. He works to ensure optimal entertainment at his book readings, including factors such as live entertainment, music and funny slides or videos. “I come from a rock and roll background where it’s really important to put on a show, [so] when my publisher said ‘you’re going to go on a book tour,’ I said ‘what the hell happens on a book tour?’ And they said ‘well just go to a few events,’ so I went to a few and I was stunned at how shockingly boring they were,” Lawrence says. “Just this author, kind of almost basically in the fetal position, in a chair, and barely whispering. I’m like, ‘am I going deaf or can no one else hear this guy?’ And I thought I’m never going to do a book event like that. So I always try to make them as entertaining as possible.” Grant Lawrence will stop in London on November 26 at Landon Library (167 Wortley St.) at 7 p.m.
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, you have a lot on your mind, but only one concern demands your undivided attention. Find a quiet space to think things through and trust your gut feelings.
LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, a spark of ingenuity hits you out of the blue and you know just how to put that inspiration to good use. Set your plan in motion as soon as you are able.
TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, friendships may weaken if you don’t keep up your end of the relationship. Make an effort to get together with your friends and take the initiative with planning.
SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, after a few hectic weeks at home and at the office, now is the ideal time for a vacation. Cast all responsibilities aside and enjoy some rest and relaxation.
GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, your approach to a problem is not working. It could be time to take an entirely new approach and see if this produces results. Be patient with this new approach.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you may prefer to keep certain things to yourself no matter how strongly others insist you share. Don’t succumb to pressure to share those things you prefer remain private.
CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Don’t be surprised if a busy week finds you dog tired come the weekend, Cancer. Use the time off to recharge your batteries on this well-deserved break.
CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 Several new opportunities are coming your way, Capricorn. You just need to sort through all of them and figure out just what you want to do in the next few weeks.
LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 The new season has you feeling refreshed and ready Few things can hold your interest this week, Leo. for new beginnings, Aquarius. Make the most of this Although friends try, they can’t seem to keep you focused on any one thing. Expect to jump from task to new lease on life and encourage others to join you. task this week. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, an unexpected consequence appears this week and you are caught completely off guard. Don’t let others see your surprise. You must simply roll with the punches. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS NOV. 17 – Rachel McAdams, Actress (35) NOV. 18 – Chloe Sevigny, Actress (39) NOV. 19 – Calvin Klein, Designer (71)
PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, maintain your focus around the office, as you will have to juggle multiple tasks in the week ahead.
NOV. 20 – Josh Turner, Singer (36) NOV. 21 – Troy Aikman, Sportscaster (47) NOV. 22 – Jamie Lee Curtis, Actress (55) NOV. 23 – Kelly Brook, Model (34)
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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
Opinions
The essential ingredient of politics is timing.
— Pierre Elliott Trudeau
Trudeau speaks true, tho Aunt Smothy
Cam Smith DEPUTY EDITOR Apparently, telling the truth is a political gaffe these days. Justin Trudeau has recently faced a barrage of criticism after responding to the question “which nation’s administration he most admired” by describing an appreciation for China’s basic dictatorship because of its economic efficiency and ability to foster rapid environmental improvements. Whoa there cowboy. Did Trudeau just voice an unpopular opinion? Something almost akin to a real opinion, and not some horseshit, white-washed, cookie-cutter response to placate the Conservative pundits? Yes he did, and it’s immensely refreshing. Undoubtedly, the kid’s a rookie. A
more weathered, bloated, and decayed politician (here’s looking at you Harper) would certainly have replied with a prescribed and basic answer, something agreeable and easily digestible. Instead, the new-guy Trudeau answered honestly, albeit contestably — an indicator of his youth and apparent inexperience. I’m not defending Trudeau’s choice of country. Personally, I’m more partial to some of the Scandinavian nations myself. What I am defending, however, is the idea of a politician with the courage and frankness to respond to a question without drowning it in a mire of political rhetoric. It’s a nice change of pace to see someone make a statement that receives criticism and not back-peddle at the first convenient opportunity. Realistically, Justin isn’t hoping to set up a communist dictatorship anytime soon, so you can set your mind at ease, Conservatives. When Rob Ford was asked if he did drugs, it was months before the public got a straight answer. With Trudeau, a forthcoming “yes” was given, criticism be damned. Where Ford feels the need
to beguile his public and fabricate an image of himself, Trudeau is content to let his personal opinions, traits and habits speak for themselves. What kind of strange politician is this? Some Trudeau supporters describe some of his so-called gaffes as a few wrinkles to iron out — nothing to worry about, they’ll go away. Frankly, I hope they don’t. Let Trudeau be honest, without a rigidly maintained political filter. This will only increase his accountability. One person’s gaffe is another’s gain. A new generation is ready to take national responsibility, and this generation needs a new breed of politician, one in touch with the desires of a more informed and scrutinizing public. We don’t need another figurehead to get up and tell us what they think we want to hear. Instead, we need a leader with the passion and courage to share their opinions and direction with a public that can then act with informed democracy. And thus far, Trudeau has proven to be just that.
his speech he revealed the true hatred behind Hitler’s plans to eliminate the Jewish people. Nate began his speech by explaining the term “accident of birth,” a term he used to justify the reason why he, his family and the Jews of Eastern Europe were persecuted so brutally. Furthermore, Nate used his experiences in the Holocaust as a catalyst to call his audience to action against other contemporary genocides. The atrocities of the Holocaust must never be forgotten, and we must vow to never allow such injustices to happen again. Nate passed the torch onto us. This Sunday, the Western student body is invited to plant daffodils in our Am Israel Chai Memorial Garden, which will commemorate the 1.5-million children who were murdered in the Holocaust. We invite everyone to come out and honour those who perished or survived the Holocaust or who served and lost their life in World War II. Plant a daffodil with us this Sunday, November 17 at 2 p.m. at 1192 Richmond St. The Holocaust is one of the darkest periods in the history of humanity. The themes, messages and values we can learn from the Holocaust are universal. These issues are complex and they encourage critical thinking, not only within the historical context of the Holocaust, but also in contemporary society. The legacy of the Holocaust is the call to foster a caring and responsible society that respects its citizens. Western Hillel and Crafting for a Cure will be tabling all week so feel free to visit at the front of Weldon Library. —Richard Besney
Flags should be lowered
Letters to the Editor
Holocaust victims must be honoured To the Editor: This week, until November 17, Western Hillel is running a series of events in honour of Holocaust Education Week, an international week that is run on numerous university campuses. This began with a Shabbat dinner, where five local Holocaust survivors spent an evening with nearly 400 students, speaking to them about their experiences in the Holocaust. The week continued with an event co-sponsored by Israel on Campus, where students were given the opportunity to examine the relationship between Israel and Germany post World War II. Tuesday evening, Western Hillel and STAND Western hosted a Holocaust survivor who spoke in the Multi-Faith space. Nate Leipciger presented to a group of over 100 students and shared his testimony as a survivor. Nate was only 15 years old when he and his family were transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau; it was there that he was separated from his mother and sister, who were ultimately killed in the Nazi onslaught. After 12 weeks in Birkenau, he and his father were transported to a German labour camp, where he was forced to work as an electrician. Ultimately, after living through hell, he and his father survived Nazi brutality. Nate spoke flawlessly, enabling audience members to serve as nextgeneration witnesses to the horrors of the Holocaust. Moreover, through
thegazette
Volume 107, Issue 39 www.westerngazette.ca
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To the Editor: While driving through Western’s campus on Monday afternoon, I was extremely disappointed to see Canadian flags on University College and Alumni Hall flying at the top of the flagpole. The Canadian Heritage website states that all Canadian flags should be flown at half-mast from sunrise, or 11 a.m., to sunset on November 11. Lowering the Canadian flag to half-mast is a sign of respect and mourning for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country during times of war, conflict and peace. Throughout the day I also saw flags flying improperly at many other locations and businesses around the city, including LHSC University Hospital. After sending a couple emails I was pleasantly impressed by LHSC as they acknowledged the oversight and lowered the flag to half-mast within the hour. I was also impressed to see multiple high schools, including my alma mater, A.B. Lucas Secondary, flying the Canadian flag properly. I thought flying the Canadian flag at half-mast on Remembrance Day was common knowledge, whether the flag is in your back yard, or on the campus of a world-renowned university. — Paul Lytwynec
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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, Josh Teixera
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 •
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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
Sports
gameday The Mustangs’ men’s hockey team will be playing two home games against UOIT and Queen’s on November 15 and November 16, respectively.
Rundown >> The Mustangs’ women’s basketball team won their away game against York this past Sunday 77–49 > They will be playing their next game in Toronto against the Varsity Blues tonight at 8 p.m.
Mustangs head west to the Mitchell Bowl Undefeated teams fight for trip to the Vanier
Jonathan Dunn GAZETTE
Daniel Weryha SPORTS EDITOR The celebration is over. The Yates Cup final has passed, and the Western Mustangs football team now travels to Calgary to take on the University of Calgary Dinos in the Mitchell Bowl for the right to play in the 2013 Vanier Cup final. The Mustangs have proven time and time again that they are this season’s team to beat, and while many teams have put up a fight, not a single one has come anywhere close to beating them. This season, the Mustangs offence ranked first in scoring, points per game, total offence and yards per game. They fielded the Ontario University Athletics’ most valuable player in quarterback Will Finch, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport all-time leading scorer in Lirim Hajrullahu and the CFL scouting bureau’s top Canadian linebacker in Beau Landry — the list goes on and on. But it’s playoff time and regardless of season performance, this winner-take-all game between the Dinos and the Mustangs is the only game that matters. And once again, the heavily favoured Mustangs will rely on their big names to get the job done. This season Will Finch passed for 3,047 yards and 21 touchdowns. He led the OUA in completion percentage, and carried the ball 62 times for 319 yards and five touchdowns. “Defensively it’s a concern,” Blake Nill, Dinos head coach, said. “Finch is a terrific young quarterback. I don’t think you can shut him
down, I think you try to limit how much he can do.” Finch’s versatility has made him the most dangerous player on the field. His running backs have benefited from his ability to move the ball, and his receivers have thrived in the passing game. The Mustangs had two receivers ranked in the CIS’ top five. George Johnson, the rookie wide receiver, finished the regular season with 60 receptions for 982 yards and five touchdowns. Brian Marshall — who missed a regular season game due to injury — finished fourth in receiving yards, and second in touchdowns. The fourth-year slot back has been a reliable red zone target with nine touchdown grabs in the regular season, and one in playoffs. Western’s biggest playoff weapon however has been their CIS recordbreaking kicker, Lirim Hajrullahu. Hajrullahu is a perfect 10-for-10 in field goals, has put up seven extra points, and four singles for an OUA playoff-leading 41 points. “Our expectations are to come out strong and keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” Hajrullahu said. We are all excited because we will be flying out there, playing in a big stadium, in a big game, with a great opponent — just like the pros.” Not too far behind is Matt Uren, the fourth-year slot back who missed almost an entire season with a hamstring injury. In two playoff games, Uren led the OUA with 12 receptions for 172 yards and put up a pair of touchdowns. After taking a big hit to start the Yates Cup final, Uren returned to have a monster of
a game. On the ground the Mustangs ran the ball consistently throughout the regular season. While Greg Marshall’s smash-mouth style of play calling has reduced significantly with emergence of the Finch throwing game, it has yet to be abandoned.
We are all excited because we will be flying out there, playing in a big stadium, in a big game, with a great opponent — just like the pros. — Lirim Hajrullahu
Mustangs’ star kicker On the up-coming Mitchell Bowl in Calgary
Down the OUA playoff stretch, Yannick Harou, Western’s sophomore running back, put up a solid 210 yards on 40 carries and a leagueleading four touchdowns. The offtackle run game, that for the better part of this decade has been the staple of the Mustangs’ ground attack, has proven to be an effective red zone option throughout these playoffs. With the possibility of seeing Garret Sanvido — last season’s CIS leading rusher — back in a Mustangs uniform, the run-game will be firing on all cylinders. The Dinos play in a league that
relies heavily on the pass-game. Whether it translates to the level of play in the highly competitive OUA is still a question, but defensively, the Calgary Dinos rank in the bottom third of the CIS in average yards allowed. Their young secondary gave up an average of 320.6 yards through the air but has managed to limit their opponents to 22.6 points. If the Dinos are to be successful against the Mustangs in the Mitchell bowl, it will take a significant amount of pressure from their front seven to force the ball out of Finch’s hands. “I’ve always been a pressure guy,” Nill said. “If you can’t get pressure with five, bring six and if you can’t get pressure with six, you bring seven. We’re definitely going to try.” On offence this season, the Dinos averaged 232.2 rushing yards per game on 274 carries. The ground attack also put up a league-leading 25 touchdowns. Mercer Timmis, Calgary’s sophomore running back, highlighted the Dinos run-game with a season total of 1,157 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. “Our run game is a catalyst for our play-action and our pass game. We can certainly throw as well. Our quarterback threw the ball for over 2,000 yards this year. We can take what other teams give us defensively. It all just starts with the run game,” Nill said. In the air — despite the early injury to their starting quarterback Eric Dzwilewski — Dinos secondstringer Andrew Buckley threw for 2,184 yards and 12 touchdowns. While it is no surprise that the run game is the team’s focus, Buckley
has proven to be a competent starting quarterback, and the team won’t hesitate to attack through the air if their run game is stalling. “We’re definitely a run program,” Nill said. “If we’re completely unsuccessful at moving the ball on the ground we’re going to have to go with the air. We’ve got a lot of good receivers, our pass protection is good, and our quarterback had a great year.” But, the Western defence is definitely up to the task. In two playoff games, the Mustangs’ defence — led by defensive pivots such as Pawel Kruba, Beau Landry, Darryl Waud, Dylan Ainsworth and Simon Bahru — have limited their opponents to just 302 all-purpose yards per game. This lights-out defensive unit is playing its best football of the season at precisely the right time. “The game is going to be a great challenge for us,” Hajrullahu said. “They are undefeated in the West and their biggest threat is their run game. With our strong defence and Waud, Osei-kusi, Connop, Wheel[er] and Ainsworth on the defensive line we match up great against Calgary.” If Calgary is to have any chance of taking down the number one team in the nation they’ll have to start by finding a solution for a hot Mustangs defence because so far this season, shutting down Finch and the offence hasn’t presented itself as much of an option. The teams will kickoff in Calgary on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST at McMahon Stadium for their chance to keep their Vanier Cup dreams alive.
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thegazette • Friday, November 15, 2013
Mustangs take their opponents to the mat Western wrestlers awarded with multiple medals Nusaiba Al-Azem SPORTS EDITOR The Mustangs wrestling team had a successful weekend both internationally as well as domestically. Top members of the team were selected to compete in the New York International (NYI) tournament. The two-day meet featured high-calibre athletes from countries including Russia, Japan, Korea, Brazil and Kyrgyzstan, among others. Though the Mustangs did not medal at this event, the squad did extremely well. Brianne Barry placed fourth in the women’s 55 kg category and Steven Takahashi, who competed in the men’s 55 kg counterpart, lost a tight semifinal consolation round match. Both wrestlers finished the meet with a 2–2 record. “My strategy was to just take each match one step at a time,” Barry, the top Mustangs finisher of the event, said. Barry lost her bronze medal match to University of New Brunswick’s Sam Stewart, who she has previously bested in competition. “Following the meet I plan on taking home many mistakes I made throughout the tournament and fixing them for my upcoming season. Every wrestling tournament is a new experience and it allows me to realize the techniques I can improve on. I intend to continue to train hard daily, remain confident and enjoy competing in the sport I love,” she continued. Head coach Ray Takahashi highlighted the importance of
Courtesy of Ray Takahashi
DOING THE DO-SI-DO. Mustang Brianne Barry 9 (left) competing at the New York Invitational this past weekend. Barry was the top Mustangs finisher of the tournament, placing fourth.
international meets such as the NYI. “One of the important factors to obtain from attending international meets is to get high level matches against top opponents you normally do not meet within the OUA [Ontario University Athletics] and CIS [Canadian Interuniversity Sport],” he said. “The ability to compete in this environment is a valuable experience since you are also competing
against opponents who are representing their country — not just their team or club.” Domestically, the Mustangs also reaped success when they competed in the Greater Toronto Open, held this past Saturday. This tournament was led by coach Scott Proctor. The Toronto event saw success in the form of medals. The women’s team earned a collective bronze medal.
An array of individual medals were won as well. Emma Tedball, Ameed Lakhani, Caleb Rutner and Arllene Williams all earned silver medals, while Brenna Llewellyn and Kristen Bolivar received bronze. The Toronto competition included members with less experience under their belts. “I am very happy with how I performed at the meet, especially since it was my second university
level tournament,” silver medalist Tedball said. “My strategy was simply to be more aggressive, and also commit to my attacks.” Be sure to follow the wrestling team’s success as the women’s team competes at home this coming Saturday for the Harry Geris Memorial Duals, and the men travel to Toronto once more to participate in the University of Toronto Open.
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RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS WANTED As a doctoral candidate I am conducting a study about transition from secondary school to Western university. We are recruiting full time undergraduate students ages 17 to 24 to participate in focus groups where they will share their transition experiences and their opinions on transition services and information provided by Western University. If you are interested in participating, please contact Lisa at lcossy@uwo.ca.
HOUSING PENTHOUSE CONDO FOR rent (2-3 people) 500 Talbot St, 2 bed, 2 bath, huge open floorplan (1,366 sq ft), view of fork of Thames, 5 appliances, kitchen bar, designated parking space. Rent $1,500 plus utilities. Email dibacco88@gmail.com for questions or photos. RESIDENCE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Vacancies now available for first-year and upper-year students in main campus residences. Visit our website at www.residenceatwestern.ca and login to myResidence to complete the application and provide contact information. START LOOKING FOR next year early and beat the wait lists! Visit www.varsityhousing.ca for luxury apartments and houses. $500-$600. Downtown and near campus: 519-858-2525, tbell@varsityhousing.ca
UPCOMING EVENTS TYPHOON HAIYAN FUNDRAISER. Enter your team in a Charity Dodgeball tournament. Sat. Nov. 16th 2pm-5pm in Thames Hall Gym. All proceeds towards aid for victims of Typhoon Haiyan. Individuals and teams welcome. Email team name and member names to info.unicefwestern@gmail.com. Registration fee $10.00 freelance individual, $50.00 for a team of 5-8 members. Organized by UNICEF Western.
SERVICES FEELING STRESSED OUT? Registered Massage Therapy and Registered Acupuncture minutes away from Western. Coverage under SOGS and USC Health Plans. Call 519-601-5436 email: chaboczki@rogers.com
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Lower Level UCC
PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.
For solution, turn to page 2