Thursday, October 4, 2012

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Looper delivers The star-studded film will have you wanting to watch it over and over again >> pg. 5

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canada’s only Daily Student Newspaper • founded 1906

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Volume 106, Issue 19

UCC conference centre City council eyes now open for business water price hike Cam Smith News Editor

Courtesy of Jeremy Santucci

OPEN FOR BUSINESS The University Students’ Council executive cut the ribbon on the University Community Centre’s new conference centre at the grand opening yesterday afternoon.

Jesica Hurst News Editor Students and clubs now have an improved space to work in on campus.

As part of the University Community Centre Renewal Project, which was announced in June, the University Students’ Council announced they would be providing an updated area for students to hold meetings, interviews and practice presentations.

After weeks of renovations, this space—which has been named the USC Conference Centre—had it’s grand opening at 2 p.m. yesterday. According to Adam Fearnall, USC president, several students involved with clubs and groups on

campus had requested this space in the past.

“Some of our most frequent complaints in the past have come from clubs and student groups that needed more quality programming and meeting space. The UCC conference rooms were rundown and unpleasant to work in,” Fearnall explained. “We’ve wanted to do this for years and are really excited to be able to finally deliver these improvements to students.”

The UCC Conference Centre, which is located on the third floor of the UCC, has multiple rooms equipped with a high level of IT functionality. Some of the features of these rooms include full white board walls, 56-inch smart televisions, full wall projectors

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and surround sound. These features are meant to assist student groups with their presentations and meetings.

According to Fearnall, these conference rooms can be booked for free by any student between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. The USC will be working out logistics and funding to extend the hours based on student demand.

“For immediate assistance, students can book rooms at Mustang Central but we are working towards being able to book rooms through the USC Conference Centre Front Desk [which is located] directly at the opening of the hallway, online and through our self-serve kiosks within the next month or two.”

Water bills may soon rise for London residents.

London city councillors are discussing the possibility of adding a fixed minimum charge to water bills, a change from the current billing system, which is based mostly on water usage. This stems from conservation efforts made by residents, which has made bills cheaper for them—but not the city.

“The revenues that are being generated are going down due to conservation, but the cost of maintaining the water system continues to go up,” Paul Hubert, Ward 8 councillor, explained. “Even if you don’t use a drop of water, it costs money just to get water to your door step.”

Further compounding the problem is the maintenance of the pipes and reservoirs, which cost the same amount to maintain regardless of how much water is used.

“That’s the pipes, the treatment plant—it all costs money to have the water ready for you,” Hubert said. “We have aging pipes—they deteriorate over time whether water runs through them or not.”

The idea of changing the rate for water in London is not new. In fact, it has already been proposed several times.

“The rate structure in London has been needing a change since about 2004,” John Braam, city manager of water and wastewater operations, said. “This is our third attempt at trying to change the rate structure itself.”

However, Braam noted this current proposal is aimed to merely increase the fixed minimum for water while keeping variable usage rates the same.

There is a small fixed minimum water bill currently in place totalling about five dollars, which only covers the costs associated with bill-

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ing itself, and not other fixed costs like infrastructure maintenance.

When residents pay lower bills because they use less water, there isn’t enough money coming in to cover those costs, Braam explained.

Braam estimated the new fixed minimum cost per bill would be raised to around $20, which does not include the amount to be charged for actual water usage.

According to Braam, the new proposed price structure is justifiable based on the importance of the service.

There’s an old Irish proverb that says we don’t know what the value of water is until we run dry.

—Paul Hubert

Ward 8 councillor for the City of London

“It’s all about the value of water, from my perspective, and the value of our service,” he explained. “The intent is to really balance the conservation effort with the need to get a focus on the funding.”

Despite this, there is opposition among some who don’t wish to pay more for their water.

“Is there dissent? Absolutely,” Hubert said. “There are voices in the community who just don’t want to pay more.”

Yet, Braam advises residents not to be too stingy about the price of their water.

“There’s an old Irish proverb that says we don’t know what the value of water is until we go dry.

Well, we’re not going to go dry, but the reservoirs needed to sustain our system may. That’s what the caution is all about,” he concluded.

—With files from Julian Uzielli

DENTAL STUDIO

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thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Caught on Camera

Crossword By Eugene Sheffer

Cameron Wilson GAZETTE

SPLAT! A falcon perched atop the flagpole of University College yesterday on an unusually warm October afternoon.

News Brief

LTC may slash service As if the 6A wasn’t crowded enough already, the London Transit Commission may be forced to cut service hours if they don’t get a capital increase for 2013.

“Part of this is in anticipation of a zero per cent target, and if the LTC is going to come in at zero per cent, there will be significant reductions in hours of service,” Paul Hubert, Ward 8 councillor, said. “Students need buses to get to school and work, so it becomes an issue of economic access.”

Hubert said a slowdown in LTC service could have an economic impact on the city, as it would result in people taking longer to get to work.

According to Hubert, the LTC is looking to city council for their much-needed capital increase, requesting a budget increase of 3.8 per cent for next year. If this doesn’t work out, the commission will have to explore other options. The 2012 London budget allocated approximately $24.5 million to the LTC. “There always is the possibility of a fare increase, which is really up to the commission itself, but there’s always a cost to that, in terms of ridership going down,” Hubert said.

Hubert explained the LTC’s submission, which is part of the city’s larger budget discussions, will be received in December and discussed in early 2013.

—Aaron Zaltzman

Look on Wednesdays for special offers to Western students on health and wellness products and services from local businesses

Solution to puzzle on page 8

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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•3

thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Western promises easier transfers, better teaching Karty Vishal Gazette Staff

On Monday, Western made its Strategic Mandate Agreement available online. The proposal, required by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, outlines Western’s vision and objectives for the future.

One of the key objectives outlined by the SMA includes strengthening the student experience.

Western will continue its commitment to providing the best student experience through several initiatives, including the implementation of teaching fellows, and a more transparent credit transfer system. Now every faculty will have at least one teaching fellow— a professor who assists instructors in developing their courses to better cater to students.

As well, Western has launched the University Credit Transfer Consortium in partnership with McMaster University, Queen’s University, Guelph University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto and University of Waterloo.

According to the SMA, first-year courses offered by a Consortium

member will be accepted for general credit by all other members— provided a minimum grade of 60 per cent is obtained. Members also agreed to specific equivalents for 20 courses. These courses will be accepted for specific first-year credit by all member schools.

I think we, as students, can look at what [the best student experience] means for us. Is it academically, is it support services, or is it a combination of both?

—Alysha Li

Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance president

Both of these initiatives are in line with recommendations made by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. Increased credit transfer transparency and teaching support were among topics emphasized by OUSA, according to Alysha Li, OUSA president. Li, who is also vice-president university affairs for Western’s University Students’ Council, reasoned the

depth of research behind OUSA’s recommendations contributed to the university’s receptiveness.

“Not only are we identifying issues, but we are doing our research, and we are providing solutions that are feasible and that could be implemented.”

Li added there are still issues to address. She noted the current seven-member consortium excludes 13 major universities within the province—the eventual hope would be to extend it to the rest of Ontario schools. She also encouraged students to critically examine the “best student experience,” offered by Western.

“I think we, as students, can look at what that means for us,” Li said. “Is it academically, is it support service, or is it a combination of both? What does that best student experience look like for us?”

Li added Western is currently in its long-term strategic planning process. For that reason, the time for students to voice their opinions is now.

“I think the administration always needs more student voices when they’re doing a long-term strategic plan. The SMA is a good start, but hopefully this year will be even better.”

Western man maps Mars UWO professor unveils atlas of red planet

News Brief

Love and money Money may not buy happiness, but studying money may help contribute to it.

A study from the United Kingdom shows that university students studying economics have had, on average, the most sexual partners since starting university.

The website studentbeans.com interviewed over 4,000 sexually active students from more than a hundred universities across the UK to compile their list of the most sexually active faculties.

Students of economics sit at the top of the list with an average of 4.88 sexual partners during their

Donate to the Gazette. www.westerngazette.ca/donate

Mysteries of the Dark Universe The Elizabeth Laird Memorial Lecture

Dr. Edward ‘Rocky’ Kolb The University of Chicago

Presented by Jesica Hurst News Editor

If you’ve ever wondered what has been documented on past Mars exploration missions, wonder no longer.

Philip Stooke, a planetary cartographer and faculty member at Western’s Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, officially launched his latest project, The International Atlas of Mars Exploration – The First Five Decades: 1953 to 2003, yesterday at the Probus Club of North London’s annual general meeting.

This project, which Stooke has been working on for the past three years, is a unique representation of everything that has happened on every spacecraft mission to Mars since 1953.

“The idea is that we’ve spent half a century now exploring Mars with different spacecraft— all these different countries have spent lots of money on it, but what has been done?” Stooke said. “What I’m trying to do is tell the story of what has been done, documenting all the different things that have happened in the past when we’ve explored Mars and what we’ve found there.”

This volume, which will be the first of the Mars series, documents 50 years of exploration—a seemingly daunting task, but not for Stooke.

university careers. Social work and counselling programs came in a close second with 4.7 partners.

Rounding out the top five are marketing, hospitality and tourism and agriculture faculties.

Theology and comparative religion students rank 42 of the 43 listed faculties with an average of 2.13 sexual partners while at university.

The faculty whose students have the fewest sexual partners?

Environmental Science. Understandable—the fight against global warming is undeniably a timeconsuming task.

—Sarah Manning

Public Lecture

The Department of Physics and Astronomy

Thursday, October 4, 2012

www.physics.uwo.ca

Conron Hall (University College 224)

5:00 p.m.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Everyone is welcome.

Courtesy of Philip Stooke WHERE’S WALL-E? These early maps of Mars appear in Western faculty member Philip Stooke’s new atlas.

“It’s quite a lot of information—about 400 pages with a lot of maps. Basically, it describes in great detail everything that has been done on Mars during that length of time.”

When Stooke finally had the opportunity to announce his project, he was pleased with the reaction he received.

“I think people were very interested in it and happy about it,” he said. “There’s a lot of interest in Mars right now because NASA landed a rover there a few weeks ago. People are interested in this, and I’ll be covering what that new rover is documenting in the next volume—this first volume is like the background to it.”

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www.utoronto.ca/mmpa

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thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Arts&Life

funfact Ladies’ nights are banned in California, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin under state or local statutes for being a form of gender discrimination.

Hard acts to follow for Two Hours Traffic Danielle Bozinoff Contributor Performance Openers Setlist Crowd Worth the $$

The Time Keeper

by Mitch Albom

FILE PHOTO

CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC. Two Hours Traffic rocked homecoming weekend playing a show at London’s Call the Office last Saturday night. Rich Aucoin, however, stole the show with his on-stage antics that won over the crowd.

the opening of Twentieth Century Fox movies played in the background. Aucoin’s intention was to get the crowd hyped for the performance to come—and he definitely succeeded.

There was never a dull moment throughout Aucoin’s performance.

The indie singer danced amongst the crowd and referenced various moments in pop culture via montages he had put together. His unconventional performance was unlike anything many audience members had seen before.

Aucoin’s piece de resistance was his trademark use of the familiar playground parachute. The crowd held on tight to this parachute and swarmed underneath. This created an energetic atmosphere for Aucoin’s music.

Two Hours Traffic took the stage next. Prior to performing, lead singer Liam Corcoran appropriately stated, “Rich Aucoin, ladies and gentleman, the toughest act to follow in Canada.”

While Two Hours Traffic did have large shoes to fill, they im-

Boarding house on the prairie Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor GGGHF Set in 1930s Saskatchewan, All Things Beautiful is an interesting play about a collection of characters living in a boarding house.

When Elsie (Tate Kenney), a young pregnant teenager, is taken in after a car accident, she is introduced to a variety of subplots involving romance, tragedy and dreams of escape from the dustbowl prairie.

Like a small town or an American sitcom, every character seems to have a secret and it’s only a matter of time before they’re all revealed. Playwright Kierston Drier does an excellent job mixing tragedy and comedy with funny and sweet moments, playing well off of the darker ones—but one revelation is a bit too heavily foreshadowed.

With an ensemble of 10 characters, it becomes difficult to be able to get everything out of them.

Each character is compelling, and the acting is good, but it always seems to be that one extra scene is needed. Whether it would be a closer look at Jim and Joyce struggling with the latter’s dementia, or a more in-depth look at Lillian’s life at the boarding house and how

Winter of the World

by Ken Follett This is the second novel in Ken Follett’s trilogy, following Fall of Giants. This historical epic set in World War II follows five families whose lives cross paths over many years. At 960 pages, this novel is a bit lengthy, but promises to keep you intrigued.

GGGFF GGGGG GGGFF GGGGG GGGGG

Last Saturday night, those who wanted to avoid the chaos of homecoming—and the ridiculous bar lines—settled down to an evening of magical sounds at London’s Call the Office. While Two Hours Traffic was the main event, crooning to their 1970s inspired pop rock sound, opening act Rich Aucoin stole the show.

Toronto-based band Great Bloomers took the stage first, warming up to an initially sparse crowd. Lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell Sostomi warmed up the crowd, making reference to how happy he was that people showed up—even though the venue’s liquor license had been revoked previously that week. An outsider may have been unable to tell that the bar was dry—the crowd’s energy was as lively as ever.

Following the Great Bloomers, indie rock Halifax native Rich Aucoin took the stage. Aucoin put up his signature bed sheet, using it as a makeshift projector screen. If there was anyone in the audience sitting down at this point, he made sure this was no longer the case.

Aucoin began his performance with a creative slideshow mentioning all those that had tweeted at him previously that day. In the meantime, the familiar sounds of

Weekend’s Must-Reads

Courtesy of Heather Smart

she can pour tea so quickly, these characters are interesting and fun to watch.

The stage space is used well with three distinct areas divided into the reclusive Daryl’s (Mark Prince) room, the living room and outside. The foremost could be more used if it represented more than just Daryl’s room, potentially allowing for more scenes of Jim and Joyce, or Marilyn and Sam. While some of the blocking cuts off some of the characters for certain sections of the audience, director Jenn de la Chevotiere does a good job of getting the right notes from her actors.

Drier does know how to organize a collection of scenes—there

are well-structured parallels between Jim and Joyce’s back story, and Jack and Lillian’s lengthy romantic struggles. For a first-time playwright, Drier definitely knows what she is doing and will undoubtedly get even stronger as she continues to write.

All Things Beautiful is a worthwhile show with solid acting and plot points—its themes and organization being its strongest elements.

This is a play of first times and bright futures that will warm the cockles of a viewer’s heart.

All Things Beautiful will play at the ARTS Project at 8 p.m. until October 6, with a matinee performance on Saturday at 2 p.m.

pressed the crowd by playing a mixture of old hits and new songs from their most recent album Siren Spell, which was released in September 2012. They even covered Nick Lowe’s 1983 hit “Raging Eyes,”a song from the man who is said to have inspired their sound the most.

At the end of the night, the dry bar venue proved to be the perfect setting for a modest crowd, having old-fashioned fun dancing with friends and singing along to upbeat tunes.

The author who wrote Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, brings The Time Keeper, a fable about the first man on earth to count hours. Published at the start of September, this novel promises to be inspirational and a quick read at only 240 pages.

Low Pressure

by Sandra Brown This suspense novel follows Bellamy Price, who writes a novel about the murder of her older sister, Susan. She writes it under a different name, but a reporter discovers her secret and reveals it.

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thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Successfully looping around time and space

Our Lifestyle Issue hits stands October 19 ...and we need models! Register at www.westerngazette.ca/model-registry or email deputy@westerngazette.ca for more information.

file photo

Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor GGGGF Director: Rian Johnson Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt In the future, time travel is discovered—and immediately made illegal. Crime syndicates use it to dispose of inconveniences by sending people back through time to be assassinated by a “looper.” A looper’s contract expires when they eventually assassinate future versions of themselves.

Thus stands the premise of Looper, a science fiction masterpiece starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis as two versions of a looper named Joe. The older version of Joe escapes when his younger self is supposed to “close the loop,” causing the younger to have to hunt down his future self while deleting and rewriting his own future history.

This seems like a simple story, but writer-director Rian Johnson does not treat this film like clock-

work. There is a slow buildup that gradually constructs both versions of Joe, creating two multi-dimensional characters. Several of these scenes establishing Joe’s characters disorient the viewer in a way that is both invigorating and surprising.

Johnson does a masterful job of showing rather than telling. Several excellent—and sometimes gruesome—scenes taking time paradoxes to their logical conclusions establish the rules of Looper’s science fiction universe. Hiding his secrets in plain sight, Johnson keeps the audience guessing, as the rules of his science fiction world enter the plot’s complicated timelines.

Levitt’s occasional voiceover discreetly attacks notions of a predetermined fate challenging the bleak aesthetic created through a mixture of poverty and out-ofplace future technology. These visual flair create a disorienting present and a unique science fiction aesthetic like Terminator 2, Moon and Blade Runner.

There are also great performances by Emily Blunt and childactor Pierce Gagnon, whose abrupt

appearance in the middle of the film is well-orchestrated and slowly developed so that these characters do not feel like last minute additions.

There is a scene early in the film where a conversation between the leather-clad young Joe and his boss Abe (Jeff Daniels) that functions as the film’s thesis statement—it is the point at which everything else loops around, and is what makes Looper incredibly smart.

The film ignores concepts of normal action-movie pacing. Halfway through the film, the tone and direction of the plot dramatically changes, presenting the fundamental question of whether or not action heroes are necessary, how far they are willing to go to see their goals through and whether their actions are a wheel of violence that runs in circles through time.

Looper is a must-see film and definitely worth multiple viewings.

Like Ruby Sparks, it takes careful aim at established movie tropes, lifts them in the air and exterminates them in a bloody mess that is as smart as it is methodical.

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519.432.9255 www.scizzorhands.com Your Weekly Horoscope

Gazette Tested > Egg Breakfast Sandwich

The week of Oct 5 – 11

This horoscope is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Serves: 1 Preparation time: 2 minutes Healthier than an Egg McMuffin and great for on the go, this egg sandwich has lots of protein and flavour and takes only a couple of minutes to make.

Ingredients: • 1 whole-wheat English muffin • 1 egg • Sliced cheese • Sliced turkey or sliced ham • Sliced tomato • Avocado chunks (optional) • Salt and pepper Directions: 1. Warm a non-stick frying pan

over medium-high heat. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray and put one whole-wheat English muffin in the toaster. Crack one egg into the frying pan and sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper.

2. Once the bottom of the egg is golden brown, flip it over. You can break the yolk with a spatula to allow it to cook as well. Take your English muffin and put the fried egg in the middle. Add sliced cheese and sliced turkey or ham.

Top the sandwich with few slices of tomato. For extra flavour, add chunks of avocado. When testing this recipe, the egg was fried in the time it took for the English muffin to toast —about two minutes!

—Marika Terry

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 Thinking outside of the box is what sets you apart from most. When you are put to the test, you seldom fail to come through. This is a good selling point with potential employers.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Big plans are in place, and you can be excited about the prospect for some change. Make a few adjustments each day and the transition will go smoothly.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 Some people just don’t understand you, and that is OK with you. It can be good to be a bit mysterious, especially when it comes to romance.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Don’t let others underestimate your abilities. Once you set your mind to something, it is very hard to direct you otherwise. Capitalize on your dedication at work.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 Analyzing spending and other financial concerns should be at the top of your priority list. It is always a good idea to keep on top of where your money is going.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 You are ready to pull out all of the stops in the romance department. Whether you’re single or attached, focus on ways to make your partner feel very special.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 Communication is key if you want to make real progress. Actions can be misconstrued if you don’t accompany them with some thorough explanations.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 A few things have gone wrong lately, but the good thing is you haven’t let them get you down. Good things certainly come to those who are patient.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 Others could find your enthusiasm infectious this week. Don’t be surprised if you have coworkers signing up to be on your team. At home you’re much more mellow.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Take inventory of your belongings and determine if there’s anything you can donate. You can clear out clutter and do something positive at the same time.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 Achieving your toughest goal won’t be easy. Those who survive the challenges become stronger overall.

This week you are certainly put to the test.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Things seem out of sorts, but you haven’t been able to figure out what is off-kilter. Leo may shed light on the situation.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS OCTOBER 7 – Simon Cowell, TV Personality (53) OCTOBER 10 – Bob Burnquist, Athlete (36) OCTOBER 12 – Hugh Jackman, Actor (44)

OCTOBER 8 – Chevy Chase, Actor (69) OCTOBER 11 – Joan Cusack, Actress (50)

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. file photo

Mike Laine Gazette

6•

thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Opinions Taking thanks

Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings, and generally, give thanks. We know that this never gets old and everyone always likes to hear all about what you’re thankful for, so here is a list of some of the things our editors are thankful for this year.

1. No NHL season—we love having more time to study at night.

2. Hard-ass professors—there’s nothing better than a strict prof to really drive the lesson home.

3. Starbucks—yet another line we can hang out in while chatting with friends.

4. Imaginus—what would we do without this poster sale? Exactly what the Mustang Lounge is for.

5. Early midterms—so nice to get these out of the way.

6. The flu—we love having an excuse to make ourselves soup.

7. Facebook—how did it know we actually wanted our private messages to be public?

8. Plants dying—those things were such an eyesore while walking through campus. Good riddance!

9. Geese—fuck plants, geese are the only things we need to make our walk enjoyable.

10. Canker sores—we really should stop eating, anyways.

11. Early lectures—we heard that just enough sleep is actually bad for you.

12. The LTC—we love spending more time outdoors waiting for the bus, then cramming in.

13. Cigarette smokers on campus—just the thing we need to keep us warm on those chilly days.

14. Cover at bars—nothing like an added charge to remind us that our summer job money is gone.

15. No letters to the editor—that’s fine, we like coming up with our own content.

16. UGGs—we can’t wait for that one week of the year where UGGs are actually wearable.

17. Spoke price increases—we’ve always said that the Spoke didn’t charge enough.

18. Crowded gym—we’re so proud of all the people who simultaneously decided they like treadmills 19. Freshman 15—we know we were too thin in high school. Thank goodness for the extra warmth.

20. Satire—we are so thankful that Gazette readers completely understand satire, and can tell when a column is written satirically, and we don’t have to put in subtle clues to let them know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

—Gazette Editorial Board

The hours of folly are measured by the clock, but of wisdom no clock can measure.

—William Blake, English poet

Lecture hall clocks remain frozen in time RySpace

Ryan Hurlbut Opinions Editor

You know that feeling when you’re dreaming, when time moves in mysterious ways? You’re late for an exam, and hours are just shooting forward, or standing still—or even moving backwards.

There is a strange, unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach, as you realize that you can’t even trust the physics of the world around you to help you with your everyday actions. What time will it be when you look up at the clock again? How much time has actually passed since you last risked a glance at the unpredictable hour and minute hands?

This is what it feels like to spend a class in a lecture hall without a working clock.

It seems odd that the university can put funding into multi-million dollar buildings and renovations, but lacks the ability to send someone around to replace a few clock batteries in our classrooms.

Even some of the clocks that work are offset by a daylight savings time from years past. Some are even offset by odd increments of over an hour. Clocks never need change by more than an hour at a time. Why are these clocks so messed up?

The stress of having a frozen clock can be disturbing during class, but it takes on a whole new level of intensity during a midterm or a final exam when one must meticulously manage their time.

Sure, some professors write on

the board every half hour to let you now the time, but it’s not the same as the constant stream of updates given by a live clock.

Even when the room has a working clock, there are times when it is trapped about 10 metres above the tallest student in some sort of metal cage. Who is going to climb a gigantic brick wall to steal a small clock?

Couldn’t we cover them in some sort of glass or clear substance?

Those metal bars are the same width as the hands on the clock.

These metal grates also make it impossible to fix the time on a clock that is significantly off. I would literally fix your clocks for free if I could reach through the grates to do so.

Some people might be thinking to themselves, “Ryan, you’re a stubborn idiot. Just buy a watch.”

Well those people are out of touch.

The year is 2012, and we’ve moved beyond the point where watches are any sort of necessity beyond a fashion statement.

I’m not going to go out and buy a watch in order to compensate for the slight chance that I’m in a classroom where the professor will dock me participation marks if I even so much think about my phone.

I have the time in my pocket— it’s not my fault that I can’t access it.

Realistically, the university has invested in hundreds and hundreds of clocks, most of which are sitting around collecting dust. To not even attempt to fix this problem is sheer laziness on their part, and creates an environment where students are more stressed than is necessary.

This is an easy fix. Hire someone with a pocket full of batteries.

They’ll clock in, clock out and if they mess up, we’ll clock them.

weeklypoll The University Students’ Council is letting students submit their own policy proposals with their new Purple Papers program. Is this a good idea?

put more power in students’ hands. 64% No — everyone who cares that much is already involved with the USC. 36% Vote on next week’s poll at westerngazette.ca

Volume 106, Issue 19 www.westerngazette.ca

Gloria Dickie Editor-In-Chief Nicole Gibillini Deputy Editor Cam Parkes Managing Editor

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Your anonymous letters to life.

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Dear Life, Why do we have 18 Tim Hortons, but only one Booster Juice???

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Dear Life, I just witnessed someone quit a job via text message. What has this world come to?

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•7

thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

Sports

tweet of the week Dear CBS please stop showing Wilforks wife. PLEASE

San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture (@Logancouture) telling CBS he has seen enough of Vince Wilfork’s wife on television during their broadcast

Rundown >> The Mustangs men’s basketball team lost to the Trine University Thunder in their second exhibition game by a score of 67–57 > A slow start doomed the Mustangs as they fell behind 32–12 in the first quarter and were unable to recover > The Mustangs will travel to Calgary on October 11 to participate in the Calgary Cup tournament.

Freak injuries open door for unlikely starter Potential new face appearing for ‘Stangs this weekend Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor

The Mustangs were dealt a heavy blow this week in the injury department.

After starting quarterback Donnie Marshall went down with an ankle injury—the same ankle that failed Marshall last season— during Saturday’s loss to McMaster, backup quarterback Will Finch had to receive an emergency appendectomy late Monday night.

“I got a call probably around 5:30 p.m. that he was in emergency,” Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall explained. “[I] went over to the hospital and met with our team doctor there, and [Finch] had his appendix out later that night around 10 o’clock.”

Marshall explained the surgery was routine, and Finch is recovering remarkably well considering the emergency occurred only a few days ago. In fact, Finch was able to attend practice, although only as an observer, on Tuesday night.

Though his recovery is going well, being able to play on Saturday against the Guelph Gryphons is a different story. Although Finch, obviously disappointed with the situation, would like to start his first game, Marshall stresses that health always comes first.

“That’ll be a decision that will be made by our team doctors in consultation with the surgeon who performed the surgery, and obviously Will and his parents,” Marshall said. “It’s a game and

What do you think about Marlies coach Dallas Eakin’s criticism of Nazem Kadri coming into training camp? Is it justified?

—Mark Dunstall, Science III Let’s face it, it’s troubling to see one of your top prospects come into training camp fatter and slower than last year. At the same time, as Michael Traikos of the National Post points out, there was absolutely no need to make this a public matter. So the criticism itself is completely justified, but the method through which pressure was put on Kadri was not.

It’s not only that making this public is slightly unfair to Kadri, there is also the fact that there is reason to doubt that it will produce its intended results. Will openly expressing disappointment encour-

his health is way more important.

We’ll take it a day at a time.”

In the event that Finch does not start the game, the Mustangs will rely on Blake Huggins, who, despite never having played an Ontario University Athletics game, has practiced with the Mustangs for the past two years and is also the starting quarterback for the London Beefeaters, an affiliate team of the Mustangs.

When it rains, it pours.

We can’t control those things so we just have to roll with it and get our team ready as best we can.

—Greg Marshall

Mustangs head coach

“Blake Huggins took the majority of the reps [Tuesday] night in practice, and he did a great job,” Marshall revealed.

Being thrown into game action might be overwhelming for Huggins, but one thing he won’t have to stress about is learning an entirely new playbook.

“The offence they use with the Beefeaters is the identical offence that we use,” Marshall said. “Everything is called the same, the codes words are the same—everything.”

As far as the game plan for Saturday, that’s still up in the air. If on the off-chance Finch is able to start, the Mustangs would

age Kadri to improve? Maybe, but telling Kadri privately would be just as effective in this regard without creating a rift between him and the coaching staff.

With Jose Calderon taking a backseat to Kyle Lowry in the Raptors future plans, what do you think the Raptors would get in return for an asset like Calderon?

—Brandon Andrews, Kinesiology IV The Raptors need talent in many areas so any impact player would aid the team’s long journey out of the East’s cellar. With many options to pursue on the open market, Calderon has definitely become expendable.

With a young core, the Raptors would be well served searching for veteran players to shore up their

Ritchie Sham GAZETTE

OW! MY ACHILLES HEEL! Mustangs starting quarterback Donnie Marshall suffered an ankle injury in last week’s homecoming game. He was re-evaluated Wednesday night, but his next start is still unknown.

open up their game, and rely on Finch’s arm. If Huggins is forced to step in, the team will execute the familiar run-first strategy employed under Donnie Marshall, although, as always, they’re prepared to throw the ball too.

“We have good receivers,” Marshall said. “We know what Blake can do and if [Guelph] tries

to crowd us at the line of scrimmage, then we’re going to take shots down the field.”

Injuries are always unpredictable, but the unlikely scenario of having two quarterbacks go down in one week is something even a veteran coach like Marshall has never experienced.

“When it rains, it pours. We

can’t control those things so we just have to roll with it and get our team ready as best we can,” he said.

“Good teams rebound from adversity, and we have some adversity right now. We’ll see what kind of character we have on the team.”

bench. A package could include Calderon, and potentially DeMar DeRozan due to the fact that his deal with the team expires after this season.

Additional to the value Calderon holds, the transition to Kyle Lowry as the starting point guard would begin immediately if Calderon was not on the roster. The Raptors would be best served to seek a trade sooner rather than later due to the fact that Calderon’s value may take a sharp turn for the worse as he finds more time on the bench.

Don’t get me wrong, Calderon has been a valuable player for the Raptors during his tenure, but it is time for the Raptors to cut ties with their lovable point guard as they move into a new era.

for real? Are the Saints a true dud?

—Chris Lochte, Medical Sciences II

stumbled out of the gate following the bounty scandal off-season.

Nobody could have ever guessed how much master play caller Sean Payton meant to this team, but without him they have been left for not. They don’t have the looks of a winless team, but the playoffs may be out of reach in the competitive NFC. The Falcons have a four-game lead on the Saints in the NFC South, and the wildcard may be out of reach sooner rather than later.

Behold the beauty of the NFL. If you were to guess that after four weeks the Saints would be winless, and the Cardinals would be undefeated, you would have been scoffed at. With arguably the greatest parity in professional sports, the NFL always has a surprise or two up its sleeve. That is why they play the game.

What are you to make of the NFL surprise teams? Are the Cardinals

Four weeks into the NFL season, teams are starting to show their true stripes, but this does not preclude teams from correcting their mistakes from early in the season.

The Cardinals, though a surprise to most, are far from the duds they were to begin last season.

With a stout defence led by a strong defensive line—Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett are receiving early Pro Bowl consideration—and one of the better secondary players in Patrick Peterson, the Cardinals are here to stay. It will be tough for them to grab hold of the suddenly competitive NFC West, but they will definitely be in the hunt for the playoffs come December.

As for the Saints, they have

8•

thegazette • Thursday, October 4, 2012

The crown versus the kid: Who deserves it?

Camopticon

Cam Parkes Managing Editor This year, the Major League Baseball American League MVP race is only a race in name—there’s already a clear winner. Miguel Cabrera.

Now, some people don’t agree, and say that the LA Angels’ Mike Trout should claim the MVP. For those doubters, let’s start with the

The tables have sterned Ryan Stern Sports Editor I didn’t know the Flintstones still had a vote for the American League Most Valuable Player race. When the Baseball Writers of America get out of the Stone Age, give me a call, because the MVP trophy is riding on useless statistics.

As the season drew to a close, it became more and more obvi-

most obvious reason why Miguel should win.

Cabrera is poised to become the first player to win the Triple Crown—that is, leading the league in batting average (.331), home runs (44) and RBIs (139)— since 1967.

Undeniably, Trout has had one hell of a rookie season. His runs scored and bases stolen are unrivaled by anyone of any age. While his play has been remarkable, he doesn’t deserve league MVP—and I’ll tell you why.

One of the most important—but sometimes forgotten—aspects of an MVP is the impact he had on his team during the year.

Let’s take a look.

In Trout’s case, despite his outstanding play, the Angels are still going to finish third in the AL West.

Take Trout away, and they still would have come second-last, just ahead of the Seattle Mariners.

However, Cabrera’s case is the opposite. He has led the Detroit Tigers to a first-place finish in the AL Central. Take Cabrera away from the Tigers, and they’d have been out of playoff contention ages ago.

Yes, a player who is on a bad team can still have a fantastic personal season. But baseball is not about any particular individual. It’s a team game, and the end goal is for

your team to win the World Series.

It seems evident to me, then, that a player who helps his team win, who plays the way they need him to in order to get those wins, and who does this consistently, deserves the MVP. Back to the matter at hand— there’s the argument that Trout is the more valuable player defensively—although, that’s not really an argument. It’s clear to everyone that Cabrera is not a better third-baseman than Trout is centre-fielder— but think about it. Cabrera had to move to third base to make room for free agent Prince Fielder. While he may not be a Golden Glove con-

tender, Cabrera has performed surprisingly adequately, considering he’s not playing his native position.

Trout is also clearly better on the base path than Cabrera. Trout’s 140 runs and 40 stolen bases leave no room for doubt there.

However, Cabrera wasn’t meant to be an all-round, all-star player.

His job was to hit—and hit he has.

If Cabrera can close off the season as the Triple Crown winner, the MVP should be his without a doubt.

Even if he only wins two out of the three categories, he should be in strong contention—although the absence of the extremely rare feat may give Trout an edge.

ous that Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was going to secure the first Triple Crown since forever ago, but what does this even mean?

The Triple Crown categories consist of batting average, runs batted in and home runs, and these categories undoubtedly give some indication as to the prowess of a hitter—however, these categories are far from the best indicator of a player’s overall effect on the game.

Mike Trout is the game’s most valuable player, period. He is among, if not the best in the game at every single aspect that goes into making a good baseball

player.

Defence? He plays a premium defensive position with skills that would make Willie Mays look twice. Base-running? He leads the majors in steals with 49—and he has only been caught stealing four times.

He is miles ahead of Miguel Cabrera in those essential aspects of the game, while still keeping pace with the Detroit slugger in counting stats. Trout stands second in the AL in average (.324), has pounded out 30 homeruns and has 83 RBIs out of the leadoff spot.

Should Trout be punished because his team values his legs just as much as his bat? Is it at all fair

to minimize Trout’s contributions because he doesn’t have an onbase machine like Austin Jackson hitting in front of him?

Wins above replacement level is one of the most telling stats in illustrating the overall value of a player to his team, and it is the stat that tells the most about Trout’s dominant season. Trout stands atop the majors in WAR with a 10.7 while Cabrera lags far behind with a mere 6.9.

Let us remember that this trophy rewards the most valuable player to his team, not the player that puts up the best counting stats. Without Trout in the lineup at the beginning of the season the

Angels sat at a measly 6–14. Once called up, Trout led the Angels to an 83–58 record. In that same time span, the Tigers have gone 77–64.

This argument is not set out to minimize the skills and impact of Miguel Cabrera—who is probably the best hitter in the majors—but to point out that Cabrera is, in fact, less valuable a player than Mike Trout. If the award were decided at the plate Miguel Cabrera would run away with this year’s decision, but the award measures the overall impact of a player on his overall game.

Rookie or not, in my mind, Mike Trout was the most valuable player in baseball in the 2012 season.

Heavyweight: Travis Browne vs.

Antonio Silva

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Silva goes into this contest riding a two-fight losing streak, making this is a must-win fight for him, so expect “Bigfoot� to come out swinging. In contrast, Browne has yet to lose a single fight. Despite this, Silva is a much higher caliber fighter than what Browne is used to and has a more diverse attack. I’ll take Silva by second round knockout.

Welterweight: Jake Ellenberger vs.

Jay Hieron

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These two fighters share a strong wrestling base. While Hieron is the veteran, Ellenberger is bigger and younger—I’ll take him by second round knockout.