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Thursday, October 18, 2012
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Volume 106, Issue 25
Researchers to study future of Great Lakes Jesica Hurst News Editor In an effort to assess the future state of the Great Lakes Basin-St. Lawrence River Basin, the Transborder Research University Network has initiated the Great Lakes Futures Project.
When you’re conducting research on an ecosystem or environment where there’s a lot of interest drawn, it keeps you and your institution at the leading edge of research. —Ryan Sorichetti
PhD candidate in the department of biology at Western
“The Great Lakes Futures Project is a multi-disciplinary, bi-national initiative between Canada and the United States that has come to be as a result of concerned academics who are really worried about the sustainable governance of the Great Lakes Basin-St. Lawrence River Basin,” Katrina Iglic, a postdoctoral associate and project manager of the Great Lakes Futures Project, explained. “What
this project will do is assess what the state of the basin could be in 50 years using a technique called scenario analysis.” Iglic explained scenario analysis is a structured approach used to envision plausible futures that bring to surface hidden assumptions and risks. “It’s really effective because it provides a context for evaluating the consequences of current and future management in policy decisions.” Irena Creed, a researcher and professor for the department of geography and earth sciences at Western, and the leader of the project, originally proposed the initiative in September 2010. Since then, the project has received support from 21 academic institutions in both Canada and the United States, including Western University, Guelph University, McMaster University and Queen’s University. According to Iglic, eight different drivers or forces of change were identified at a workshop related to the project. In the coming months, students that have been selected to work on the project will be working with a mentor to develop these drivers. From there, they will develop driver synthesis papers and present them at a workshop in January. Ryan Sorichetti, a PhD candidate in the department of biol-
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
ogy, was one of the 20 students selected to work on the project from over 20 different universities and institutions in Canada and the United States. “I’ll be working with a master’s student from the Université de Montréal, and another PhD candidate from Cornell University. We’re going to be looking at biological and chemical contaminants to do with the Great
Lakes history, and then we’ll make predictions into the future,” Sorichetti explained. “It’s an extremely rewarding experience.” Sorichetti believes Western’s investment into this project will help put it on the map for research it hasn’t traditionally been acknowledged for. “The Great Lakes are an extremely valuable resource— they’re one of the single most im-
portant hydrological features in the world, so there is a lot vested in them,” he said. “When you’re conducting research on an ecosystem or environment where there’s a lot of interest drawn, it keeps you and your institution at the leading edge of research.” “Hopefully, this project will influence the direction of Western’s research projects moving forward.”
Sedentary sitting affects personal health Megan Devlin Gazette Staff
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
Everyone’s heard the alarming statistics about how long North Americans spend sitting at their desks, in front of the television or in their cars. To make matters worse, a new study says frequenting the gym may not help as much as we thought. Researchers at the University of Leicester, in collaboration with Loughborough University, analyzed time spent sitting independently of time spent exercising, and reported some sobering statistics. People who sit the most experience a 147 per cent increase in the risk of heart attack or stroke, a 112 per cent increase in risk of diabetes and an increased risk of 49 per cent for immature mortality. “Simply because you become active does not mean you aren’t also sedentary,” Earl Noble, a professor in the faculty of health sci-
ences at Western, said. “If you have 23 hours of sedentary activity, it’s not completely offset by the one hour of physical activity.” This is concerning because, according to Noble, Canadian children and youth spend 62 per cent of their waking hours sitting— adults are estimated to spend 50 to 70 per cent of their day sitting. In addition, only seven per cent of Canadian children and youth are active enough to meet current guidelines. Noble, primarily, blamed screen time. “Screen time is your iPhone, your computer and your television set. Kids from zero to two should have no screen time.” Noble went on to explain there were several risks associated with inactivity, such as decreased selfesteem, decreased academic performance and increased aggression. “It’s a cultural thing,” Stuart
Biddle, co-author of the study and a professor of physical activity and health at Loughborough University, said. “We need to look at the environment that we operate in. We often sit down and watch a lot of television.” Biddle suggested getting creative with your work routine to break up time spent sitting. He suggested using standing desks, having standing or walking meetings and placing a computer on a filing cabinet in order to stand while using it. People sit out of habit, and by finding opportunities to stand and move around throughout the day, we can reap huge health benefits. “It’s almost like saying ‘Well, I exercise so I can smoke,’ or ‘I exercise, therefore I can have a bad diet,’” Biddle said. “It doesn’t work like that. We need to try to tackle several health behaviors, and sitting time is really different from being physically active.”
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
Caught on Camera
Crossword By Eugene Sheffer
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
GETTING INFORMED. Western students sit outside the University Community Centre educating fellow students in light of Islamic Awareness Week.
News Briefs
CORRECTION NOTICE Please note, that due to a production error, an incorrect offer appeared in The Athletic Club ad on page 121 of The 2012 Westernizer. Please refer to The Athletic Club’s January divider ad for the correct offer information. The Ad & Marketing Office apologizes to The Athletic Club, its clients and Westernizer readers for any inconvenience caused.
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Solution to puzzle on page 8
New planet discovered Astronomers have found the closest planet to Earth not in our solar system ever discovered. The planet orbits Alpha Centauri, the third-brightest single star in the night sky located four light years, or 25 trillion miles, away from Earth. However, this new planet is too close to its star and incapable of sustaining life, as its surface temperature is estimated at 1,200 degrees Celsius. Stephane Udry and Xavier Dumusque at the Geneva Observatory revealed the find, named Alpha Centauri Bb, in the science journal Nature. “Over the past 15 years, astronomers have been busy discovering planets around other stars in our local neighbourhood of the Milky Way galaxy. So there are about a thousand of those known, and most of them are relatively nearby,” Pauline Bramby, associate professor of physics and astronomy at Western, said. “The important thing about this particular discov-
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ery is that it is around the nearest star to the Sun.” This new planet orbits its sun every three days, with a mass only slightly more than Earth’s and is 10 times closer to its sun than Mercury is to our own. Discovering more of these planets is important in finding out if our solar system is the only one capable of sustaining life, according to Bramby. It would take 40,000 years for an unmanned spaceship to reach Alpha Centauri Bb. —Iain Boekhoff
Sorting out recycling priorities As part of waste reduction week, the City of London has decided to do its part by initiating a contest with a little twist. The Sort it Out contest began Monday, October 15, and will run until October 22, with the chance of winning an iPad. The initiative gives people a chance to properly take the time and sort out their blue boxes seen on the curbside every week. “Each day, a randomly selected home is checked to see if their blue boxes have been sorted properly. If they are, they will win an iPad courtesy of our recycling contractors,” Jay Stanford, director of environmental programs & solid waste for the City, said. “The iPads are not provided from the City.” “The primary focus of this program is on the small number of London homes that are not recycling correctly. With minimal inconvenience, they can take action that would result in program-cost savings, and reduce the recycling program reliance on tax revenues,” Stanford explained. The most common mistake people make while sorting out recyclables is mixing the items together. According to Stanford, “the City will also be running a similar program for multi-residential buildings over the next few months, as the process of identifying participants is a little harder.” The winners of the contest will be announced next week after the collection days for all zones have passed. —Ashima Jain
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.
Feeling a little under the weather? Look in your Westernizer in the London Guide for a list of doctors, pharmacies, and walk-in clinics who are there to help you feel better.
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
Canada second in safety Students abroad rank Canada behind U.K. Alex Carmona News Editor A new survey has found students worldwide view Canada as one of the safest countries in which to study abroad. Coming in at 15 per cent of the vote, Canada was beaten out only by the United Kingdom, which garnered 25 per cent. The most commonly cited factor in respondents’ decisions was consistently the level of multiculturalism in the host country. “I think multiculturalism is definitely a top point of attraction for Canada. It’s one of the things that people always point to,” Jennifer Humphries, vice-president of membership, public policy and communications for the Canadian Bureau for International Education, agreed. “Curiously, we find that many international students know specifically about our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Kurtis Gray, manager of international undergraduate recruitment at Western, said the university also promotes Canada’s multiculturalism to prospective undergraduates in other countries. “One of our main objectives when we travel overseas is to promote Canada as a whole, and certainly one of our main selling features is that Canada is one of the most multicultural societies in the entire world,” he said. While Humphries was relatively pleased with Canada’s performance in the survey, she was not convinced Britain deserved the top spot over Canada.
“This study may not be highly scientific, but I’m not sure about that,” she said. “It doesn’t seem to have been done fully with international students—it seems to have been done with an interesting mix of British students and international students. So it’s entirely possible that some British students are saying they feel safe, which is great, but not really relevant.”
Generally other studies have Canada as being the top, so it is a surprising study in this regard—I would definitely want to look further into this. —Jennifer Humphries
Vice-president of membership, public policy and communications for the Canadian Bureau for International Education
She added the study conflicts with others in the same area that, in fact, do place Canada first worldwide. “In our own surveys, which we’ve been doing since 1988, the second-most important reason for choosing Canada as a destination for study is safety. And, generally, other studies have Canada as being the top, so it is a surprising study in this regard—I would definitely want to look further into this.” Elgin Austen, director of Western’s Campus Community Police
Service, noted Western students do an exemplary job of welcoming foreign students to their campus. “Generally speaking, in the absence of outside interference, the students do a great job. We have over 2,000 clubs, the enthusiasm is tremendous and I think the respect for following the University Students’ Council rules is quite good in that respect,” he said. “In the absence of outside interference, which happened on one occasion last year, they do a great job,” he continued, referring to an incident where an unauthorized Palestinian demonstration interfered with a scheduled Israel On Campus cultural event in the University Community Centre atrium. Israel and South Africa took the bottom spots on the list, with students citing fear of terrorist attacks and human rights violations in the former and a high level of street crime in the latter.
Safest countries to study 1. Britain 2. Canada 3. United States 4. Germany 5. New Zealand Source: Student Insight Hot Topics: The Rise in Global Student Safety Concerns
Hacker returns to Internet Horwood to launch new social media site
News Briefs
Councillor Orser flustered over tweets Tweeting during class? It seems professors aren’t the only ones getting frustrated by the distracting virtues of social media. During Monday’s city council meeting, Stephen Orser, Ward 4 councillor for the city, unsuccessfully proposed to ban the use of Twitter, and Internet access altogether, during council debates. Claiming distraction as the primary justification behind the ban, Orser compared using Twitter to being on the phone during a council debate. Besides the distracting aspects of Twitter, Orser had a reason for his personal opposition to the social networking site. An imposter had set up a Twitter account under the innovative handle @notstephenorser, mocking the councillor, who has since likened the account to a form of “cyberbullying.” Paul Hubert, Ward 8 councillor, had a more inclusive view on the subject. He said social media, including Twitter, can be used in a positive way to involve the London community. “I use it to engage constituents, to gauge how the public is feel-
ing about issues and to be able to have more of a two-way dialogue,” he said. “It’s not the only tool, but it is a valuable tool.” When asked if such websites also have the potential to encourage gossip or hostility within city council, Hubert added there are measures in place to protect against public bad-mouthing. “We are guided by our council’s code of conduct, so whether it’s something I say verbally, something I write or something I tweet, it cannot violate the basic tenets our code of conduct,” Hubert said. “The foundation of [the code] is to treat our members with respect.” He added Twitter is a “tool” that has the means to be used either productively or destructively. Its power, as with other forms of social networking, lies with the intentions of its users. While the main issue Orser was attempting to address was not a ban on the use of social media, but rather on its use during council events, Hubert argued against this too. “If handling 140 characters overstretches our mental capacity, then we have other issues.” —Katie Roseman
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Gloria Dickie Editor-in-Chief After a seven-month hiatus from the web, Western elections hacker Keith Horwood has returned with a vengeance. The Whitby native has plans to launch NotePS, a communications operating system that Horwood asserts is “like a mix between Reddit, Facebook and Twitter.” The software is currently in its beta stage, but has a tentative launch date for early 2013. “We’ve developed a really neat, efficient way to give users live content that you’d typically only see in an operating system environment through their web browsers,
and we’ve packaged it with a private communication system that allows you to retain ownership of your personal and social media information,” Horwood said. If all goes according to plan, Horwood hopes his software could be the next big thing—perhaps big enough to get him on the cover of TIME magazine, per the words of Justice John Skowronski who sentenced Horwood last month. Unlike its social media predecessors, however, NotePS has one unique add-on—a fixed price. “There will be a one-time fee of $4.99 when we launch to support development costs,” Horwood explained. “We’re charging for this as a platform, selling it like an app,
and by paying a nominal amount you’ll be able to feel comfortable knowing that you own your information, and you’re supporting an ambitious project.” However, the first 5,000 users who get NotePS while it’s still in its beta stage will have free access. As for Horwood, life after the ‘Justin Bieber Hairstyle Vote 2012’ is finally coming together. “I’m going to continue to run my business, and keep putting together ideas and products that I think people will find extremely useful,” he said. “It’s my hope that I can begin to set up shop in London and get together a competent team of developers.”
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
Arts&Life
thespianthursday Extraordinary how potent cheap music is.
—Noel Coward, English playwright and composer.
A viral musical experience Getting pumped Internet celebrities walk into the Wave
up about fitness Chelsey Gauthier Contributor
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THAT VIDEO YOU USED TO KNOW. Canadian indie rockers, Walk Off the Earth, will be playing the Wave tomorrow. The band, famous for a viral video featuring five musicians playing one instrument, promises to give an engaging performance emphasizing crowd involvement.
Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor
Canadian indie band, Walk Off the Earth—responsible for the five musicians, one-guitar video that exploded on YouTube nine months ago is coming to Western for a show at the Wave tomorrow. The band is preparing for the release of their new EP, R.E.V.O., on October 30, which marks the first album for the band with their current members. “We’ve really come together collectively as a band, because some of the members weren’t in the band when the other albums were written,” Sarah Blackwood, vocalist and musician from Walk Off the Earth, comments. “[The previous albums] were a lot of Gianni Luminati and Ryan Marshall when they started the band six years ago.” The band united this past January, and started the new phase for Walk Off the Earth as their five-person, one-guitar video went viral. Blackwood is excited for the release of the EP, as it marks a new stage in Walk Off the Earth’s evolution. “The EP is the first record that we have written collectively as we are now,” she says. The new album also represents a transition from style for the band, whose previous two albums, Smooth Like a Stone on a Beach and My Rock have distinctive reggae influences, while R.E.V.O. reflects the new angle the band has adopted since becoming Internet celebrities. Walk Off the Earth’s popularity exploded with the release of a cover version of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Since then, they have performed equally successful covers of Adele and LMFAO. “It was one of the ideas that Gianni had brewing in his head for a while. All of our videos are
very creative and we put a lot of time into making them unique, special and not just your average performance video,” Blackwood reflects on the first video. “It was just one of those ideas. [Luminati] wanted to have a bunch of people on one instrument. The “Somebody that I Used to Know” was just hitting North American radio at the time, and he thought this song is wicked and wanted to use that idea for this song, so we did it. It was really just another day for us and then it just exploded.”
We really like getting the crowd involved. If you are shy, don’t stand at the very front. We will probably grab you and start dancing with you or make you dance with the person beside you. —Sarah Blackwood
Vocalist and musician from Walk Off the Earth
Walk Off the Earth’s popularity is part of a larger change in the music industry, as the band has been distinctly formed through the use of viral video. The use of the Internet, and performance videos are central to Walk Off the Earth’s vision for performing. “Times are changing. You don’t need to have certain things to get your music out there,” Blackwood says. “We have the Internet, so we can put our songs out on YouTube and if it’s good, and you have a wicked video, then hundreds of thousands of people can see it if they want.” For their upcoming show at
the Wave, Walk Off the Earth is eager to translate their distinctive and unique videos into a format for live audiences—incorporating instrument switches and putting a greater focus on getting the crowd involved. “We toss a lot of instruments around,” Blackwood says. “We try to incorporate as much as we can from the videos in the live show just because people have been watching us on the Internet for so long that if we just go up on stage and play the songs, it is not going to be as exciting.” Blackwood also reinforces the need for crowd involvement and making the music an experience for listeners. “We really like getting the crowd involved. If you are shy, don’t stand at the very front. We will probably grab you and start dancing with you or make you dance with the person beside you,” Blackwood jokes. “We really like involving the crowd because that’s such an important part of a live show. If you want to get the record, you can go to buy it and sit in your room and listen to it— but if you want to experience the music, you should have a really great show for the people.” From here, Blackwood and the band are looking forward to a U.S. tour that will start in less than a couple weeks, and preparing material for a full-length album release planned for next February. The band also intends to continue building on their Internet presence. “We have a lot of stuff coming up. We have a ton of videos coming out—we have one for our first single “Red Hands” on the [October] 29,” Blackwood concludes. “More music, more videos— we want to make a video for every single song on the album. In the meantime, we will be on tour with some blog videos. This is what we do.”
International Fitness Day, which occurred this past weekend, was a day dedicated to celebrating health and fitness, raising money for organizations that pride themselves in focusing on just that. This year, the fitness day was held here in London, with a little help from the Move It, London! initiative, the Special Olympics and Kristen Rogalsky, a master’s student in kinesiology at Western. “The day went really well,” Rogalsky says. “We had a large number of volunteers out to help out at the event. The morning was kicked off with a group warm-up, and followed with classes led by local fitness instructors.” Taking place at both the BMO Dome and Gibbons Park, the event was mainly engineered by Kris Nyhout, who is the public relations coordinator at Special Olympics London. “She began to connect with other individuals around the London community who were interested in helping to organize the inaugural event,” Rogalsky says. Other key leaders of the event included individuals from YMCA, Hutton House and Jazzercise. Nyhout wasn’t the only big name present at the event—
“I Don’t Feel Like Dancin'” — The Scissor Sisters A classic dance song from New York pop rockers, The Scissor Sister’s “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” is reminiscent of the classic disco style of the Bee Gees and features the great Sir Elton John on the piano. From The Scissor Sister’s 2006 album, Ta-Dah, “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” is the opening track and first single from this incredible album. The song’s anti-dance lyrics provide a clever, comic contrast with the song’s upbeat and happy sounding music. It is impossible to stop one’s toe from tapping as the song’s catchy chorus kicks in. “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” is a tune that will always get a crowd on their feet as one falls in the mood for dancing. Warning—do not listen to this song on a crowded bus. —Brent Holmes
Londoners were also excited to meet Janine Hanson, an Olympic medal champion from the Women’s 8+ rowing crew, who came out to talk about what fitness truly means to her. Participants also had the chance to play a fun soccer game with some of the members of the London Police Force. In addition to being fun, the day was a chance to educate London about the various interesting fitness classes available for participants. “We had instructors come out and lead fitness classes that many participants may never have been exposed to before, like Nia, Jazzercise and Zumba,” Rogalsky says. These options provided a kind of choice for everyone, allowing people to find an activity that fit them. “Participants went around to different fitness stations that included cheerobics and other activities involving skipping ropes, and hula hoops,” Rogalsky says. Because of the event’s success, Rogalsky is already looking ahead to next year. “We would like to keep spreading the word—word of mouth is by far the easiest and most effective way to get information out.” Find more information about future events and fitness on the Move It, London! Facebook page.
“Let Her Go”— Passenger Passenger originally started out as a four-piece band making folk music from Brighton, England. The band released their first album in 2007. Now, Passenger is the working name of singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg. Recently, Rosenberg released his fifth album All the Little Lights. Since the release of this album at the end of August 2012, Rosenberg has been touring the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States with high-profile English musician Ed Sheeran. Rosenberg’s recent album features heart-wrenching lyrics backed by an acoustic guitar. His songs are simple yet poetic, speaking to themes such as lost love and unrealized dreams. The song “Let Her Go” particularly stands out. Rosenberg’s unique accent will have you hooked—but his breathtaking vocals and mellow sound will make you click repeat. —Sumedha Arya
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
7 people who won’t take any shih tzu
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Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor GGGFF Director: Martin McDonagh Starring: Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson Director Martin McDonagh celebrated for his 2008 In Bruges, and writer of The Pillowman writes a chaotic story in Seven Psychopaths that is not as smart as it thinks it is, but still an interesting film. Colin Farrell stars as Marty, an alcoholic writer who is struggling to craft the screenplay of the same name. His friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) and associate Hans (Christopher Walken) are dog kidnappers who drag Marty into their misadventures when they kidnap the
shih tzu of an insane local crime boss Charlie (Woody Harrelson). The other psychopaths are unimportant. They are absent from the film—a fact that Hans will later point out in an attempt to exonerate the film for its flaws. Zachariah (Tom Waits) channels a weird cross between Michael C. Hall’s Dexter and Heath Ledger’s Joker in his few, but compelling and hilarious scenes. Normally, comedy undercuts the violence of a film, but here the violence undercuts the comedy. Burning men, suicide, a misplaced sense of religion and an intense and overriding desire for revenge all are recurring motifs that are often disturbing with cringe-worthy violence. As a result, the film lacks the charm the fairy taleesque In Bruges had. McDonagh
writes black comedies, but here the black overpowers the comedy. That being said, the most interesting part of the movie is the movie-within-a-movie stories from the screenplay—a Quaker, serial killers who kill other serial killers and a pseudo-religious victim of the Vietnam War provide interesting moments of filmic poetry. The film suffers from Rockwell and Walken’s performances, which are too preposterous to be believable—even for psychopaths. The former’s overactive belief that he is in a movie is jarring and the latter’s lack of response to the world around him, while funny, doesn’t balance well with his serious moments. The film’s climactic moments channel too much of Wes Craven’s
Lifestyle Brief
Scream and Spike Jonze’s Adaptation with the same ridiculous fourth-wall breaking of the former, and not enough of the subtlety of the latter. McDonagh is trying too hard to be meta—there is not enough nuance or smart commentary to actually say something. McDonagh was on a quest to finish with something life affirming in his screenplay—at the end, the message is so jumbled it is difficult to understand. Seven Psychopaths is a dark, occasionally comic, confusing mess of a film. This is definitely not McDonagh’s best work, but his future work should evolve from here. Despite its flaws, Seven Psychopaths is, at the very least, a film that forces its audience to think, which alone should be worth the price of admission.
On Disc
Safety of new drugs called into question A recent study has found that almost a quarter of newly released drugs in Canada require a serious safety warning, or have to be taken off the market. An extreme example of this was the 2004 recall of Vioxx, a pain killer produced by Merck & Company in the United States. This drug was found to have caused significant heart problems for many of its users. It led to an estimated 60,000 deaths in the United States. Recently, there has been concern in Canada regarding Health Canada’s drug review procedures. However, Malcolm Arnold, professor of medicine, physiology and pharmacology at Western, provides some reassurance. “Anything we do in life has some risks, [and] things do happen that are sometimes unexpected and can’t be specifically identified in advance,” Arnold says. “If serious complications are identified during the initial trials of the drug, then it won’t even be released to be prescribed by physicians.” Arnold identifies misuse of new drugs to be of greater concern than Health Canada’s review. “It’s possible and probable that some people and physicians may prescribe [a drug] without having fully read or understood the potential for side effects,” he says. In Britain, newly released drugs are required to have a black triangle on the label for at least two years after they are released. Arnold calls the black triangle rational and logical. He says it serves as a reminder to patients to use drugs as per their instructions.
Mike Laine Gazette
“If you don’t use [a drug] the way you are instructed to use it, we don’t quite know as to whether the safety is the same,” Arnold comments. Overall, Arnold thinks Health Canada is doing a good job with drug review and clinical testing. “They are very conscious of the repercussions of aligning a drug to a good market,” he comments.
GGGGH The Tragically Hip Now for Plan A Universal Highlight Tracks: “Goodnight Attawapiskat,” “About This Map,” “The Lookahead” “We Want to Be It”
It’s possible and probable that some people and physicians may prescribe [a drug] without having fully read or understood the potential for side effects.
The Tragically Hip is as Canadian as maple syrup and hockey. The Canadian icons new album, Now for Plan A, is a continued evolution of the band’s distinctive style, building off of their last album, We Are the Same, and incorporating elements of Gord Downie’s solo work. Gord Downie has brought in a lot of elements from his solo album, The Grand Bounce, into this new album. “Streets Ahead”
—Malcolm Arnold
Professor of medicine, physiology and pharmacology at Western
For the future, Arnold suggests that a way for Health Canada to become even more effectual would be to facilitate feedback from doctors more easily. He explains that physicians are often very busy, may not be sure who to send a feedback form to in Health Canada, or may not even have the feedback forms to fill out. He maintains the physician feedback process is currently a little bit cumbersome, and suggests the feedback process be streamlined to make communication relay easier for physicians. —Adam Betel
features a fast strumming reminiscent of “Night is for Getting” or “The East Wind,” and “The Lookahead” and “Now for Plan A” add excellent harmonies with Susan Hammer. The Hip has lost a fair bit of their hard-rock style in recent years. Save for “At Transformation,” guitarist Robbie Baker is not as heavily featured as he was on early tracks like “New Orleans Is Sinking.” The music is more atmospheric, but no less distinctive or Canadian. The final track, “Goodnight Attawapiskat” is the highlight of the album as the Hip dedicates a song to the northern Ontario settlement. Downie has always been a poet and his lyrics in Now for Plan A continue his powerful metaphors and referential lyrics. “About this Map” uses maps as a metaphor for a struggling relationship and “We Want to Be It” references lines from Alan Arkin’s autobiography. From the passionate“Man Machine Poem” to the softer and beautiful title track “Now for Plan A,” the Tragically Hip release another entry into their discography that is nothing short of amazing. —Brent Holmes
The Gazette’s Lifestyle Issue hits stands tomorrow! Mike Laine Gazette
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
Opinions
The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.
—Oscar Wilde, Irish poet
Resignation Labours of love should erodes Liberal be valued over money support
On Monday, Dalton McGuinty announced his resignation after nine years as Ontario premier. The announcement came as a surprise, especially because of the accompanying news—that he was also proroguing the legislature. The Liberals had been facing scrutiny in recent days over the gas plant documents scandal, so it seems clear McGuinty’s decision to prorogue was made for political gain. Prime Minister Stephen Harper set a precedent for prorogation twice—in 2008 and 2009, he prorogued parliament for what many considered political reasons. After all the fuss the federal Liberals made at the time, it’s nothing short of hypocritical for McGuinty to do the same. It appears this loophole in our democracy is only getting wider. Many have speculated McGuinty resigned to run for leadership of the federal Liberal party. This would make sense—as Canada’s longest-serving premier, McGuinty has more than enough experience running a government to mount a serious bid. After his three terms, Ontario remains intact—though on several occasions he has fallen victim to the foot-in-mouth syndrome all too common with politicians. The federal Liberals are desperate for a strong leader after their catastrophic performance in last year’s election, and McGuinty would be preferable to another Michael Ignatieff or Stéphane Dion. So if he does run, he might have a shot—except he wouldn’t be running against two of the worst leaders the party has ever seen. He would be running against Justin. If there were an election tomorrow, McGuinty would be a more qualified candidate for prime minister than Justin Trudeau. While McGuinty has run a province for nine years, Trudeau has only been an MP since 2008. But by the time the Liberals have a real shot at winning a federal election—almost certainly not for another seven years, at least— Trudeau would have gained a lot of experience, and McGuinty will be well into his 60s. As any Leafs fan will tell you, when you’re reviving a flagging sports team, the last thing you want to do is hire a bunch of scarred veterans past their prime. A rebuilding phase requires young blood—people who will be seasoned, but not old by the time their chance arrives. Our premier’s decision to prorogue parliament for political reasons was irresponsible, and will surely haunt him in the months to come if he decides to run for Liberal leader. —The Gazette Editorial Board
World of Raycraft Richard Raycraft Sports Editor
As I enter my senior years of university, I’m beginning to notice an increasing amount of conversation among my friends and colleagues regarding their concerns about the future, and what they want to do with it. This by no means is a bad thing, and it is my belief that viewing the future as exciting and full of endless possibilities is integral to our mental health. Yet, on this particular subject, a disturbing trend has emerged that has been on my mind a lot lately. “I want to be a teacher,” a certain individual expressed to me. That’s cool, I thought, asking what sparked their interest in that path. “I hear the benefits are absolutely ridiculous.” “I was thinking about joining the Air Force,” said another. Really? So you’re willing to endure a tough lifestyle day-in and day-out to defend our country should the situation arise? That’s very admirable. “Well, supposedly you only have to work for eight years and then the pension has you covered for life.” Do you notice anything worrying here? These individuals are but a sample of others I have come across who consider the money or benefits as not just the primary consideration for their future occupation, but the only consideration. I can’t imagine those who have truly worked to make our world a
better place had a number of sick days, or the size of a pension in mind when they chose to undertake certain projects. I believe they had passion, and a lot of it. What disturbs me is this key ingredient—passion—seems to be in critically low supply. Why should you choose to pursue teaching? I know this might sound crazy, but maybe because you actually want to teach. I should also address that I’m not trying to pick on certain professions. My father earned his education degree here at Western, but he did so because he loves history—all he ever wants to do is talk about history, and a life of teaching history is pretty much his paradise. I, myself, served for three years in the primary reserve of the armed forces, but I joined because I wanted to serve, not because I had money and benefits in mind. When I tell people that I’m looking to get into journalism they generally find it appropriate to inform me the industry is dying, and I will live in relative poverty compared to others. In general, people tell me this as if I were unaware of it, and now that they have enlightened me on the horrors of making $30,000 or less a year, I should totally reconsider my chosen career path. The objection that I will actually enjoy what I am doing is treated as some sort of relatively inconsequential side-benefit. With the tough economy, and our culture’s rampant materialism, money—and who has more of it— is becoming an obsession. Despite this, please don’t put your own happiness—not to mention the happiness of those you service—in jeopardy for the sake of it. A job well done is a job done by one who truly enjoys what he or she is doing.
saywhat?!
Dear Life
Your anonymous letters to life.
Dear Life, Why do we still bite into pizza that we know is too hot, only to have our mouths burn? Dear Life, Why do we rate looks on a scale of 1 to 10, but consider average around 6.5 to 7? Dear Life, Aristotle once said “humans are rational animals.” I’m sorry Aristotle, humans are not rational. Dear Life, Why are the bottom button slits on men’s shirts always sideways? Dear Life, How often could a situation really have called for speeds The Flash could handle, but Superman couldn’t? Dear Life, The zipper fly is, in every way, superior to the button fly.
Health Canada recently recalled an antibacterial hand soap based on the fact it had too much bacteria in it. The bacteria could pose a serious health risk to users with burns or other diseases. The irony is not lost on the public.
Dear Life, There are two people being paid to push the up button for GGG A local news station in El Paso decided it was a good idea the workers on the to interview a naked man in a cave about the upcoming first level of an office presidential election. If you’re wondering what he thought, building. Two. he referred to the candidates as “black Bush” and “white Bush,” and stated their only goal was to give federals giant paychecks. The oddest part about this is that a news outlet decided it was newsworthy. Wait… Hmm…
thegazette
Volume 106, Issue 25 www.westerngazette.ca
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Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Robert Armstrong
Karen Savino Diana Watson
Gazette Staff 2012-2013
Greg Colgan, David Czosniak, Megan Devlin, Kevin Estakhri, Connor Hill, Elton Hobson, Kelly Hobson, Katherine Horodnyk, Sarah Mai Chitty, Victoria Marroccoli, Megan McPhaden, John Petrella, Megan Puterman, Chen Rao, Pat Robinson, Taylor Rodrigues, Nathan TeBokkel, Amy Wang, Hillete Warner, Kate Wilkinson, Kartikeya Vishal, Usman Zahid, Mason Zimmer, Katie Roseman
News Alex Carmona Jesica Hurst Cam Smith Aaron Zaltzman Arts & Life Sumedha Arya Brent Holmes Kevin Hurren Sports Richard Raycraft Jason Sinukoff Ryan Stern Opinions Ryan Hurlbut Associate Kaitlyn McGrath
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Photography Andrei Calinescu Ritchie Sham Cameron Wilson Graphics Naira Ahmed Mike Laine Illustrations Christopher Miszczak Liwei Zhou Online Julian Uzielli Web Cameron Wilson Video Chris Kay
• Please recycle this newspaper •
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
Sports
tweetoftheweek Raul Ibanez is the St Louis Cardinals funneled into one man.
Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy (@ BMcCarthy32) commenting on Raul Ibanez’s clutch hitting
Rundown >> The Mustangs baseball team was selected for various Ontario University Athletics awards following their playoff loss to the Brock Badgers > Adam Paish was awarded the OUA pitcher of the year award, while Nolan Anderson was recognized as the OUA’s top rookie > Joining these two on the OUA all-star team were Paul Lytwynec and Shawn Robinson.
Mustangs leave Golden Hawks extinct in opener Western overcame tough squad for a come-from-behind 3–2 win Renee Tamming Contributor The Mustangs men’s hockey team definitely had their work cut out for them at this season’s home opener against the Laurier Golden Hawks. Though the Mustangs walked away with a 3–2 win, the Golden Hawks did not let it come easy. Western was coming off of a strong game against the Waterloo Warriors, where they were able to earn a 6–2 win, but the Mustangs had to try harder to send pucks past Laurier goaltender Ryan Daniels. “I thought Ryan was excellent tonight, not at just puck stopping, but his chances at fielding and setting pucks up for our defence were terrific,” Jeff MacDougald, Laurier assistant coach, said. “He can walk out of here with his head held high because he was a solid force all night.” The Mustangs emphatically agreed. “We knew going into it, playing Laurier, that Daniels is always going to be there for them, and again tonight he was on top of it. We shot pucks at him and he kept kicking them out,” Jason Furlong, Mustangs captain, said. In Laurier’s end, Daniels stopped the 29 shots he faced during the first two periods. However, the other end was a different story. A drop pass to the defence after a face off in the Western end led to a quick one-timer goal by Derek Holden at the end of the first period, and Mitchell Good scored another for Laurier at the end of the second. By this time, Western coach Pat Powers knew things had to change in the way that his team played.
Piotr Angiel Gazette
“We simplified things. We had to get pucks and bodies to the net. We had to get into the crease area and knock away at pucks. It’s the only way you’re going to beat a goaltender like Ryan Daniels,” he said. And it worked. Tyler Peters was able to send the first puck past Daniels, finally putting Western on the board. Halfway through the third, rookie Kyle DeCoste tied the game. The hero of this game, however, would be the rookie
Matt Morantz, who got the third and game-winning goal for the Mustangs. “I was just excited we scored, and we had the lead and we were going to win the game, because I didn’t think they were going to get another,” Morantz said of his goal. Morantz, who is a London native and former London Knights right wing, has impressed everyone on the team, including his coach. “Matt Morantz has done a real
good job coming in—he plays both sides of the puck extremely well,” Powers said. However, Morantz and DeCoste are not the only rookies on the 2012–13 hockey team. In fact, the Mustangs team experienced a very heavy turnover of players, all of whom are seeking direction from the newly appointed captain Jason Furlong—but the captain has decided actions speak louder than words. “They know coming in the
stakes, and we have enough guys in the room that have been here before and they lead by example. I think that a lot of the guys coming in, they kind of follow that role and follow suit,” he said. The Mustangs still have a full season ahead of them to work out the kinks, including their next two games, both at home. Western will face the Guelph Gryphons on Wednesday and take on the Windsor Lancers Saturday at Thompson Arena.
Mustangs tame Lions in preseason opener Ryan Hurlbut Opinions Editor The Mustangs and York Lions women’s basketball teams kicked off their exhibition season on Friday in a game where the Mustangs won with a convincing score of 77–48. The Mustangs got off to a hot start, going on an 11–0 run to start the game, and leading 17–6 after the first quarter. “I think we worked very hard on the team defence aspect, and worked hard on rebounding,” Brian Cheng, head coach of the Mustangs, said. “I felt like that allowed us to get some easy baskets, get some stops and get some transitions, which built us a lead and got us an opportunity to really get some confidence, and shake [the Lions’] confidence a bit.” The defence seemed to play a large part in the Mustangs’ hot
start, as the Lions were held out of the paint for much of the game, and were forced to attempt many three-pointers to claw back from the early deficit. Their first 18 points of the game all came from downtown, as they shot 50 per cent from behind the three-point line during that span. “They surprised us with a zone defence to start the game,” Bill Pangos, head coach of the Lions, stated. “We were taken aback, and it was 11–0 before we knew it.” The Mustangs were led by their captain Jenny Vaughan, who scored 20 points en route to victory, and aided by forward Mara Greunke’s hustle and rebounding at both ends of the court. “I’m pleased with the leadership that we’ve gotten from a fifth-year player in Vaughan, and a third-year player in Laura Dally,” >> see vaughan pg.8
Corey Stanford Gazette
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thegazette • Thursday, October 18, 2012
Vaughan scores 20 in win >> continued from pg.7
Cheng said. “A lot of what you saw out there was leadership efforts. They’ve led this group to where it’s at now.” The only point in the game where the Mustangs looked shaky was during the third quarter, when the Lions clawed back from a 19point deficit to cut the Mustangs’ lead to as little as 10 points. After this, the Mustangs’ game picked back up, and they continued on with the drubbing. “You’ve got to give them credit,” Cheng stated. “They came back with some fight. We held the fort, and then we came back and built the lead back up. That’s one thing I’m really proud of, because there
was a testing point for us, and I thought we passed it with good grades.” Exhibition season is a time for fine-tuning and improvement, as the Mustangs look to improve on their 11–11 record from last season, and the Lions look to improve on their 8–14 record as well. “The winning and losing is not a factor for us in preseason right now,” Pangos said. ”I’ll take losses if I can develop right now.” The Mustangs and Lions will both participate in tournaments on October 19, then begin their seasons on November 9 against the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s and the McMaster Marauders respectively.
Naira Ahmed Gazette
Mustangs fall to Martlets Western drops second preseason game 75–64 Gareth Bush Contributor The McGill Martlets defeated the Mustangs women’s basketball team 75–64 on Saturday night. With a strong performance by Mariam Sylla—who scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds—the Martlets were able to pull away from the Mustangs. Forward Helene Bibeau had 19 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Martlets as McGill dominated Western in the post, out-rebounding the Mustangs by a margin of 44–31. After trailing 17–16 at the end of the first quarter, the Martlets started the second with a 13–3 run, and never looked back. The Mustangs were unable to crawl back into the game due to a poor third quarter, allowing McGill to gain momentum and control the rest of the game. McGill was the more aggressive team on offence throughout the game, as they shot just over 45 per cent from the field in a contest dictated by their physical post-play and fast-paced transition game. The Mustangs had trouble finding the mesh, shooting at a sub-par 37 per cent. “This was the first game we’ve actually gotten out and started to run,” Ryan Thorne, head coach for the Martlets, said. “We pushed the ball well up the court and I think that ability got us some easy baskets.” McGill overcame a strong per-
formance from star forward Jenny Vaughan, who led the Mustangs with 25 points, 19 of which came in the first half. Vaughan also led the way with a game-high 24 shots in the losing effort. “I never really intended to take that many shots, but the opportunities were there close to the basket,” Vaughan said. “I just think we had a really poor third quarter. We played well as a team in the first half, but got outscored in the third and we never recovered from that.” The Martlets outscored the Mustangs 22–17 in the third quarter. Mustangs head coach Brian Cheng attributed the loss to a lack of consistent effort. “I thought our energy was intermittent. We didn’t have five players always looking to attack when we needed to put in a good 40 minutes,” Cheng said. “But I think there’s a moral victory there with how we played towards the end of the game.” Vaughan—who helped lead the Mustangs on a 16–5 run to end the contest—cited her readiness to take on a leadership role with the team going forward. “I think being in my fifth year, I’m really ready for that responsibility,” Vaughan said. Despite turning over the ball fewer times than the Martlets, Western was unable to grab crucial defensive rebounds throughout the game, giving Sylla and Bibea easy baskets that killed any momentum the Mustangs could
generate. “We’ve been working on our rebounding every day but it just hasn’t translated into our games yet,” Cheng said. “It will be something we’re going to focus on going forward.” With a veteran like Jenny Vaughan leading the way, the Mustangs should be primed for an interesting season.
We played well as a team in the first half but got outscored in the third and we never recovered from that. —Jenny Vaughan
Mustangs player
With the loss, the Mustangs dropped to a 1–1 record in the preseason, having defeated the visiting York Lions 77–48 the previous evening. Next on the docket for the Mustangs is a trip out west to the University of Alberta. On October 19, the Mustangs will participate in a tournament hosted by the University of Alberta prior to the start of their regular season. With an eye towards the regular season, the Mustangs will look to build off of their weekend preseason games in an effort to improve on their 11–11 record from last year.
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