Tuesday, December 4, 2012

w w w .w e sterngazette.c a • @uw ogazette

Are you my mother?

Vancouver indie band Mother Mother played London Music Hall Thursday. >> pg. 4

thegazette Giving up on life since 1906

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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City council torn over third straight tax freeze

New radar to aid with search and rescue Cam Smith News Editor

Cameron Wilson Gazette

Aaron Zaltzman News Editor Just like the holiday season, the yearly debate over London’s taxes is once again underway, as mayor Joe Fontana is attempting a third straight year with no increase in taxes. The issue has created considerable debate among a council already divided over the mayor’s refusal to step down in light of facing criminal charges.

Council will debate the best way to address a nearly $25 million shortfall in the city’s budget, considering the options of increasing taxes or cutting spending.

“The budget was tabled at just over 5.8 per cent, and we set the target at zero per cent, so we’re waiting until the meeting to see the situation,” Joe Swan, Ward 3 councillor, explained. “If we’re going to tax people more, I need to see a clear reason why.”

With unemployment in the city hovering at nine per cent as of October, council can expect to be under heavy scrutiny when deciding the budget, according to Har-

old Usher, Ward 12 councillor.

“I don’t know how we are going to get to zero per cent without cutting services, and I’m definitely not going to encourage cutting services in order to reduce taxes,” Usher said. “We talked about 3.8 per cent, and I’d be quite prepared to start discussions at that point.”

“I don’t know what the administration will bring to us, but when they present it to us, I’ll see where we go from there,” he said.

However, Swan said there is more than one way to save money, emphasizing efficiency over cuts.

“The question is whether or not we’re getting good value for our money. I personally want to start at a zero per cent increase, and the staff will have to tell me what they want more taxes for,” Swan said.

“Are we actually improving services to the public, or are we just the same people with more money to do the same thing?”

“That’s what we’ve been doing for the last two years and we’ve saved close to $35 million, and we haven’t lost a service yet,” Swan continued. “I just don’t accept that

costs must go up just because we’re the government.”

Also dividing council is whether or not the public supports a tax freeze at any cost. Fontana was elected in 2010 on the promise of zero per cent tax increases, but Usher thinks his support among the public is waning.

“I think the better part of London is aware, now, that you can’t have a tax freeze three years in a row. Even the ones who were in favour of it at the beginning are realizing that you can’t continue with that,” Usher said. “If they pay zero per cent now, you can bet that in two years time the taxes are going to be around eight to 10 per cent, and I don’t think anybody wants that.”

However, Swan was confident council could pass an agreeable budget that didn’t raise taxes. “[Londoners] didn’t believe it for two years, and they’ve been led to believe that it’s inevitable that taxes must go up,” he said. “That belief is being challenged by this new council.”

Volume 106, Issue 51

Western researchers are currently in collaboration with the company Sightline Innovations to develop a new, low-cost radar system to aid in search and rescue efforts.

Researchers Jagath Samarabandu, Xianbin Wang and Serguei Primak are heading up the project, dubbed SAR2, after recently receiving a $25,000 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, which will fund their research for the next six months.

Samarabandu was contacted after the CEO from Sightline Innovations visited Western.

“The CEO was coming to Western, saw my name and that I was working in machine learning.

He dropped by one day and we started talking about his ideas,” Samarabandu explained. “I contacted a couple of my colleagues who are working in this area, and we wrote an application [for the grant].”

The search and radar rescue system the researchers are working on is different from conventional systems because of its lower cost, and ability to be manufactured in much higher quantities.

“We are planning to use ‘offthe-shelf’ components, rather than the standard radar transmitters. The standard transmitters and receivers are very expensive components of these radar systems,” Samarabandu explained.

“That’s what keeps the cost down.

We are also planning to use inexpensive computing devices.”

Another method of reducing costs includes the digitizing of information.

“Rather than having a whole bunch of circuitry that does the signal processing, basically we’ve digitized the whole radio signal and have it processed as a whole series of numbers,” Samarabandu said.

Currently, the developing radar is merely in the testing phase, to see if it will be a viable replacement for contemporary radar, despite the off-the-shelf components and reduced cost.

“We are doing the feasibility [tests] at this stage,” Samarabandu explained. “Our current proposal is examining all the parameters.”

Rather than having a whole bunch of circuitry that does the signal processing, basically we’ve digitized the whole radio signal and have it processed as a whole series of numbers.

—Jagath Samarabandu

Western researcher and professor in electrical and computer engineering

The $25,000 dollar grant the researchers received for their work is only for the initial six months of testing. After this, additional grants will need to be applied for and received before additional development can occur.

“If we can show that our system indeed works, then we are planning to write a [Collaborative Research Grant which will make it] a three year project.”

Samarabandu concluded by asserting his confidence about the plausibility of this radar system.

When asked if he thought testing would be successful, Samarabandu responded, “Very much so.”

If put into production, the SAR2 can be equipped to aerial and unmanned vehicles, both military and civilian, greatly improving the ability to perform search and rescue missions.

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thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Caught on Camera

Crossword By Eugene Sheffer

Ritchie Sham GAZETTE

NICE TREADS. Work crews began repairing the stairwell treads of Social Science Centre’s outdoor staircases yesterday. The project is expected to be completed by Wednesday.

News Briefs

Ivey-China relationship maturing Western’s Richard Ivey School of Business was rewarded for its outreach efforts in China with the inaugural Education Excellence Award from the Canada China Business Council. Ivey was commended for creating a positive relationship with China in the departments of education, research and alumni relations, as well as student and faculty exchanges.

John Irwin, chief financial officer at Ivey, explained some of the

Solution to puzzle on page 8

school’s accomplishments in their relationship with China.

He noted one of the outreach achievements the school is most proud of is the expansion of the “intellectual capital” footprint in China with research partnerships, case teaching workshops and the development of cases focusing on the Asian marketplace.

Irwin also noted the future goal for Ivey’s relationship with China is to continue to learn and understand some of the key issues that businesses would be facing while operating in the Chinese marketplace. Not only would this include North American businesses operating in China, but also the issues Chinese businesses might face with capital, human and natural resources as the country continues to expand its global reach.

Going beyond the award, Irwin also elaborated on what Ivey hopes to see as a result of their outreach efforts.

“Ivey’s expectation, in the long run, would be to expand our knowledge base in an area of the

Now that the last Gazette is tomorrow, what can you read for the exam period? The Holiday Herald is a great diversion from studying and contains great information and puzzle games.

Learn how to stop fatigue Create winter snow activities Make your resolutions achievable Holiday recipes that would please your friends Plus your favourite Sudoku, word games & more!

On stands December 5th in the Gazette

The Holiday Herald is a winter break publication of the Advertising & Marketing Office, a department of the University Students’ Council.

globe that has now become the centre of the financial universe,” he said. “This expansion of knowledge will provide new research and case writing opportunities for the faculty, which will filter into the learning experience of all our students.”

—Jasleen Sembhi

Western WOWs students The University Students’ Council introduced the Wonderful on Western campaign last week, aiming to spread positivity on campus.

Students can share their happy experiences with Western by tweeting with the hashtag #WOWestern.

“It allows students to really focus on the little things about our lives. We get so caught up in our day-to-day lives, [as students], that we kind of lose track of the things we appreciate about our campus, and our experiences here,” Myuri Komaragiri, vice-president campus issues for the USC, said.

The USC is hoping that Wonderful on Western will help students de-stress during the final exam period.

“It’s exam time and winter blues are a huge reality. We wanted to do something nice during this season,” Komaragiri explained.

The project is part of a larger campaign called Purple Voices, which will strive to give students an outlet to share their experiences and stories.

“It’s about bringing our community closer together and creating a campus that [cares and understands] each other,” Komaragiri said.

The next stage of the Purple Voices campaign will include a Western version of PostSecret, where students will anonymously share their secrets on postcards.

“It’s really important for this project to show diversity of student experiences.”

—Amanda Law

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.

New seats, snack bar, balcony Midnight Cult Movies $4.99 Adults $3.50 Children, Seniors & Tuesdays westernfilm.ca McKellar Room, UCC 519.661.3616

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thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Western prof aims to make us poop green Kaitlyn Oh Gazette Staff The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently granted $2.2 million to an international research team from Western, the University of Toronto and the University of Queensland for their ‘Reinvent the Toilet Challenge.’

According to their website, the Gates Foundation aims to “deliver a reinvented toilet for the 2.5 billion people worldwide who don’t have access to safe and affordable sanitation.”

According to Yuri Lawryshyn, a University of Toronto professor involved in the project, developing countries do not have proper sanitation measures in place, and therefore suffer the consequences.

“In certain jurisdictions in the third world, the lack of cleaning of waste can have a very profound impact,” Lawryshyn said. “The problem is that people are defecating all around their villages. This leaks into their aquifers, ground water, rivers, creeks and streams where people are bathing, washing and potentially drinking.”

The challenge was to design a toilet that could be used in developing countries. However, there were many limitations, such as infrastructure, lack of energy and cost-efficiency.

Jason Gerhard, a Western engineering professor, explained the challenges of the project.

“The Gates Foundation calls it ‘Toilet 2.0,’ [and] this is supposed to reinvent sanitation for the developing world,” Gerhard said. “So we came up with some revolution-

ary ideas to work together to create a very efficient, low-cost, locally relevant technology.”

Gerhard explained the way in which the toilet would work.

“The first thing that happens is the liquids will get separated from the solids,” Gerhard said. “The liquids then get filtered through a sand filter [and then] are treated with a low-energy UV disinfection system.”

“Now the sand filter gets clogged after time as particles get strained out,” Gerhard explained.

“So this gets transported and mixed with the feces, […] and that sand-feces mix is put into what we call a reaction chamber.”

Gerhard went on to explain the concept he and his team at RESTORE, a Western engineering research group, designed.

“The feces are treated in our system by a very new idea that’s called smoldering combustion,” he explained. “It’s actually the same process that we use in a charcoal barbecue where you apply a little bit of fuel […] and then light it.”

According to Gerhard, the feces could be lit each night and the mix would be sanitized in approximately three hours. The sand could then be recovered and reused in the filter.

Lawryshyn said he thinks this could easily change living conditions in developing nations.

“It’s that low-hanging fruit solution. Cleaning the water is what saved the Western world at the turn of the century. So now we need to do the same thing in the third world,” he said.

Cameron Wilson Gazette

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Caught on Camera

Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE

KEEPING THEIR BUNS WARM. Concrete Beach’s beloved hot dog stand had a makeover last week, and is now fully equipped with a roof and walls.

Democracy losing steam Survey shows crisis of faith in democracy Julian Uzielli Online Editor Fed up with the state of Canadian politics? You’re not alone.

According to new research released yesterday, Canadian satisfaction with democracy is at an alltime low.

The online survey, conducted by charitable organization Samara, found that out of the 2,287 Canadians of voting age contacted, just 55 per cent reported they were satisfied with the way Canadian democracy works—a 20-point drop from 2004, when 75 per cent reported satisfaction.

“We knew that Canadians’ views towards politics and democracy had been declining, but we were a little surprised by the degree to which Canadians were reporting their levels of dissatisfaction,” Jane Hilderman, one of the study’s coauthors, said.

Only 36 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the way members of parliament were doing their jobs. According to the report, this may have to do with the priorities of MPs. Canadians said their MPs did the best job at representing the views of their party, with

61 per cent approval—but respondents ranked that priority fourth out of five in order of importance.

Ranked first was holding the government to account, receiving a mere 45 per cent approval rate.

“In other words,” the report read, “Canadians feel MPs are doing the best job at the very thing Canadians see as a low priority: representing the views of their political parties.”

According to Samara, this dissatisfied response was consistent across the country, regardless of gender, province or residence— Francophone Quebeckers were the only exception, displaying even higher levels of dissatisfaction.

Hilderman noted there was a slight difference in opinion, however, depending on the political affiliation of respondents.

“We did ask the respondents who they would vote for if there was an election called, and it made a small difference in some questions in terms of your satisfaction,” she said. “If you identified as a Conservative voter, you weren’t as dissatisfied as someone who identified as an NDP, Green or Bloc Québécois supporter.

But, still, the general trend for all

those different people was towards dissatisfaction.”

Though Hilderman noted a correlation between the drop in satisfaction since 2004 and the Conservatives’ ascension to power in 2006, she hesitated to identify that as a causal link.

“Importantly, we know, too, that voter turnout has been declining even longer, and that is sort of one symptom of dissatisfaction with the system. So it may have accelerated in recent years, but chances are we would see these roots even before the Conservatives came to power,” she said.

Hilderman said Samara had identified two main areas in need of improvement—increasing citizen engagement with political parties as membership levels among citizens have fallen, and improving communication between MPs and their constituents.

“There’s sort of a need of renewal in order to become more accountable, more representative and more relevant to Canadians again. We think if parties could do a better job of engaging Canadians, that would probably help the problem.”

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thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Arts&Life

tuesdaytweet @taylorswift13: Just tried reading a hotel shampoo bottle an arms length away from my face to check if I still need contacts— turns out I do. Eventful night.

—Taylor Swift

Mother Mother sticks it to London crowd

Jamie Yeung Gazette

Kevin Hurren Arts & Life Editor Performance Openers Setlist Crowd Worth the $$

GGGGF GGGFF GGGFF GGGHF GGGGF

Though their newest album, The Sticks, deals with themes of isolation and withdrawal, Vancouver indie rock band Mother Mother certainly wasn’t holding back at their London Music Hall show Thursday night. The five members of the band came onstage and delivered a performance that connected with audience members—allowing for an intimacy that amplified the natural talent of the group.

Before Mother Mother even

began playing, fellow Vancouver musician Hannah Georgas opened the show with a setlist reminiscent of the headlining act. Originally from Newmarket, Ontario, the pop/rock singer set a dulcet lead to the more energetic headlining set. Georgas’ ghostly vocals, striking lyrics and intriguing folkie tune allowed the audience to enjoy the music without having heard of her at all. The main flaw of Georgas’ set was her failure to alternate between her upbeat tracks and her more melancholic songs, creating lulls that disinterested the crowd, who became increasingly impatient for the main act.

When Mother Mother finally did appear, they donned their respective instruments and began to play tracks from The Sticks. While the band understandably wished

to showcase their newest work in this tour, the moments of greatest energy from the crowd were during tracks from their previous album, Eureka. There is no doubt the audience’s energy peaked during “The Stand,” and re-emerged during other songs from Eureka, such as “Simply Simple” and “Baby Don’t Dance.” While these moments were definitely strong points of the set, it’s wrong to say the audience didn’t enjoy Mother Mother’s newer material.

In fact, the impressive vocal abilities of lead singer-songwriter Ryan Guldemond surely sold The Sticks well. As if the audience was listening to the album itself, Guldemond’s performance was consistent and unwavering—qualities that speak to the talent of the frontman. Supporting vocalist Jasmin

Parkin also shone for her singing abilities. Behind her keyboard, the petite bandmate belted out a series of notes that highlighted herrange and supplemented Guldemond’s lead. Parkin’s ability was a dynamic part of the show, mainly because her talents are not as pronounced in the studio recording of the album.

Though Guldemond spent many of the musical interludes thrashing his unique and recognizable haircut, he spent the durations in between tracks in a quiet intensity. Guldemond addressed the crowd sporadically, but when he did, the frontman spoke of cosmic release, the mediation of music in culture and universal interconnectedness. Though not entirely comprehendible, Guldemond’s humble delivery of these

thoughts seemed almost poetic— adding to the overall contemplative nature of the band’s lyrics.

It was this poetic yet energized nature of their performance that inspired the crowd to demand for an encore from Mother Mother at the show’s end. When the band reemerged on the stage, Georgas returned as well to accompany them.

Together, the Vancouver musicians performed Mother Mother’s calmer song, “Love It Dissipates.”

The track seemed to be a perfect fusion of Georgas’ scratchy voice and Mother Mother’s hypnotizing lyrics.

Overall, the dual performance was the perfect way to end a show that, using the words of Guldemond, was transcendent.

Taking a leisurely break from lighting fires Gentleman Reg unleashes new solo EP, Leisure Life Ross Hamilton Gazette Staff 2012 has been a busy year for Canadian indie singer Reg Vermue, the Toronto-based artist more commonly known as Gentleman Reg. Between touring as one half of the dance music duo Light Fires, Vermue has managed to put out a trilogy of EPs in the last 12 months, culminating in the release of his new album, Leisure Life—a fitting title for what is overall a tremendously upbeat record.

“I really like titles that stand alone, that aren’t necessarily a song on the record, and there’s something about the vibe and the feeling of the record—the West Coast, big production, driving down the highway vibe—that meant ‘leisure life’ really worked for me. I like the sentiment,” Vermue says.

Despite being the fifth studio album he’s released, Leisure Life marks something of a departure for Vermue. For starters, it’s his first record to feature a consistent band lineup, something that had a major effect on the production process.

“The band had a lot more of a say in the arrangements […] They were just much more involved on

file photo

every level. It was really open,” Vermue reflects. “I let my guard down, let go of my ego and was really looking for what was the best song.

It was a really interesting experiment and I loved it—it worked.”

In addition, Vermue has chosen to release the album himself, after ending his previous affiliation with Canadian indie label Arts & Crafts.

“There were a number of reasons for that, the main one being that our relationship, like any dating relationship, had come to an end,” Vermue says. “When it came time to talk about this record, both

sides just weren’t really excited—it didn’t feel like the right thing to do, and I’m fine with that. I’m actually in a much better headspace than I was with my last album, so that’s a good sign.”

This positive feeling definitely comes across in Leisure Life. Some superb synth and guitar hooks complement Reg’s catchy vocals, and the album captures the New Wave sound that he acknowledges was a major influence.

“I was really going for The Cars and The Police and Eurythmics.

A couple of the tracks I specifi-

cally left off are the slow ballads, because I wanted the music to have a certain energy,” Vermue comments.

And there’s no denying that Leisure Life has energy in spades. It’s a pop album made to sing along to, and one that should be as at home on the dance floor as it is on the radio. However, perhaps most importantly, for Gentleman Reg, it represents a deeply satisfying personal victory.

“It was just the album I wanted to make,” Vermue concludes.

Mike Laine Gazette

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thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

On Disc

What’s Sumedha With You? Sumedha Arya Arts & Life Editor

British economist Tim Jackson has said, “We are persuaded to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need to create impressions that won’t last on people we don’t care about.”

I could not agree with Jackson more. We’ve all seen the videos of shoppers trampling each other in shopping malls. We may have even witnessed these displays of primal shopping ourselves and narrated ensuing events in the voice of David Attenborough.

“The vultures have a wild gleam in their eye. They survey their surroundings, keenly aware that others of their species are approaching. They feign disinterest—then, with surprising speed, they snatch up the last remaining toaster oven with their polished talons.”

Yes, the shiny signs on furnished store windows and the jingles that accompany holidaythemed commercials are alluring. But we need to resist the temptation to buy items we don’t need—and items others don’t need.

Firstly, the stress that’s associated with holiday shopping

just isn’t worth it—the time you spend combing aisles for barely affordable gifts could be better spent with friends and family.

Secondly, unless you immodestly divulge the extent of your shopping efforts, no one will really know whether you spent hours hunting for the “perfect present”—something that arguably does not exist—or whether you bought an item on a whim.

Thirdly, what do you buy someone who has everything? If someone really covets something, chances are that he or she has already purchased it.

There are numerous advantages to making gifts instead. For instance, while the value of most purchased presents will go down at a surprising rate, homemade gifts become more valuable with time. Giving someone a present with the latest technology? Don’t worry, it’ll be outdated by tomorrow. Giving someone a scrapbook of all your favourite memories together? They’ll be showing it to their grandchildren some day.

Besides their sentimental value and graceful aging process, homemade gifts show thought, effort and creativity on the maker’s part. And, with the proliferation of do-it-yourself information on the Internet, high-quality homemade gift instructions and ideas are more accessible today than ever before. It’s easier to avoid a haphazardous mess to create a carefully crafted masterpiece than you might presume.

Seven Minutes in Kevin Kevin Hurren Arts & Life Editor

You’re sitting with a group of friends, coworkers or teammates.

Everyone is exchanging gifts for Secret Santa, wrapping paper litters the floor and holiday cheer fills the air. You’ve just handed over an assortment of teas to your assigned recipient. You went a little over the alloted budget, but, you know what? This individual is a good person—he or she deserves it. Then, finally, your gift appears. With anticipation and glee you rip apart Frosty’s smiling face on the wrapping paper. After the debris settles, what remains is a Popsicle stick picture frame, one with glitter inscriptions on the sides and the remnants of hot glue dripping on the back. All you can do to mask your disappointment is shove the remaining holiday cookies into your mouth and nod fervently.

Don’t get me wrong—making a gift is a meaningful gesture. The gift represents the person cares enough about you to put in time rather than money. The effort is touching—however, I would urge most people against such an undertaking. Call me Scrooge or the Grinch, but the sad fact is that

most homemade gifts suck more than a kid in a candy cane factory. What many giftmakers lack is the ability and skill to actually make anything. While a knitted pair of gloves may sound like a good idea, the fact that you’ve adopted knitting only a week prior may put some holes in your plan—and in the gloves. Sure, a portrait seems like a great gift, but not being able to draw will create a present that makes the likes of abstract painter Jackson Pollock grimace.

Overall, if you’re in the possession of a talent then by all means, use that skill to create a Christmas gift. Alternatively, if you saw something cool on Pinterest and think you can throw a similar gift together, I’d suggest putting that plan on the backburner and buy a gift instead. You still put in the time while you shop, perusing through aisles of options all in the hope of getting a great present, and the careful consideration of what to buy. And if the recipient doesn’t like the gift, then there’s that magical slip known as the gift receipt.

So just purchase your gifts this season, because while you can’t buy friendship, you certainly can’t make friendship with some glitter and a glue gun.

GGGGF Nicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded-The Re-Up Crash Money Records

Following the mixed reception of her previous album, Nicki Minaj released her newest work Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded-The Re-Up November 19. On top of the unusually lengthy title, the re-release features seven new songs by the Trinidadian rapper.

Many songs on the album feature a composed rap style reminiscent of Minaj’s debut album, Pink Friday, and are more cleanly compiled than the tracks included on the original album.

Unfortunately, the features on the new tracks are nothing short of disappointing—male collaborators Tyga and Thomas Brinx mutually drive the initially playful track “I Endorse These Strippers” into a misogynistic train wreck.

Despite its collaborative failures, this re-release asserts Minaj as a prominent figure in the rap game. As a whole, the new disc serves as fun and enjoyable work.

Though it may have functioned best as a completely new release, The Re-Up is definitely worth picking up.

—Kyle Simons

Graphic by Naira Ahmed Gazette

Timely arrival of vibrancy Jenna Monteith Contributor It’s been called a celebration of age, as London’s well-known painter, former graphic designer and visual arts teacher turns 80. Larry Russell’s exhibition Getting To Here: Larry Russell Artwork 1954 to 2012 brings a celebration of life through vibrant colour to The ARTS Project.

Getting To Here: Larry Russell Artwork 1954 to 2012 is a reminder of how significant a part colour plays in life. Yellows, blues, greens and reds are presented in their most vibrant form, forming abstracted geometric shapes. Russell’s pieces create a summer-light oasis and an emotional escape as winter pushes forward.

Russell believes all colour induces emotion. The emotion the viewer feels is based on the viewer’s perception. The foundation of each piece, a pure white canvas, “sets off the strong colours,” Russell explains.

It establishes a sense of space, allowing each colour to be fully experienced by the viewer. This is, perhaps, most present in “Collision,” as colours appear to abruptly break off from one another, yellow breaking off from green, starkly intervened by white.

Russell describes the exhibition as non-objective works of acrylic on canvas. To experience Russell’s work is to become a part of the work through active viewership, in which

the viewer’s own perception and imagination shapes the way each piece is absorbed.

In “Secret Passage,” the viewer’s gaze is lured inward into a central image—a dimensional muddling of browns, tans, creams, oranges and soft pinks. The name of the piece informs the viewer’s perception.

However, the mind can carry its own ideas—a figure in a window, framed by wind-blown curtains, the veranda of a greying and tumbling estate home, an elaborate stage setting.

Perception is entirely subjective.

I have a very strong interest in architecture. So I think [my interest in geometry] comes from that. In addition, in my very earlier career, I was also a graphic designer. One had to lay things out precisely.

—Larry Russell London artist

Geometric shape informs most of the pieces. Yellow circles are formed just as one may have imagined the sun during childhood. Shape upon shape work together to allow the mind to search out imagery—a robot, a dinner table and a soccer field. Russell describes his attraction to geometry as being influenced by architecture.

“I have a very strong interest in architecture,” he says. “So I think it comes from that. In addition, in my earlier career, I was also a graphic designer. Not exactly architecture, but one had to lay things out precisely.”

In “Colour Run Series,” rectangles bleed into one another, colours flowing from one shape, down to the next. Russell explains this specific piece of art was different from his other works.

“With the ‘Colour Run Series’, it was a relief from the geometry, an experiment using the colour, and also another interest. I find the flow patterns in nature to be fascinating, and allowing the colour to run down, pulled by gravity, suggests what happens in nature—literally water flows downhill.”

To fully conceptualize Russell’s work, presence is essential, because texture informs each piece as much as colour. Russell works with a liquidex product, polymer, to establish texture, creating dimension. In “Contact,” the texture is luring, leaving the fingertips curious.

On future series, Russell suggests he may use a different or darker background. Russell’s work evolves with his approach, and Getting To Here: Larry Russell Artwork 1954 to 2012 captures a celebratory style in yet another milestone in Russell’s life.

Getting To Here: Larry Russell Artwork 1954 to 2012 is being exhibited until December 8 at The ARTS Project.

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thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Opinions Too much hype over baby’s crowning The royal watchers were busy yesterday morning as everyone’s favourite British couple, William and Kate, announced Kate’s pregnancy. The news sparked a frenzy of online activity, with #royalbaby trending globally on Twitter and fans of the monarchy desperate for more details. How far along was Kate?

Why is the pregnancy coming after only a year and a half of marriage? What will the newest addition to royal family be named?

The question that no one seems to be asking is what makes the news so compelling? Although media outlets are putting emphasis on the pregnancy, will the child really have any political significance, or is the excitement surrounding the royal conception just part of a greater celebrity obsession?

The child, no doubt, will be an important figure. As third in line to the throne—skipping over the young and rambunctious Prince Harry—the baby will one day be head of the armed forces, supreme governor of the Church of England and head of state for the United Kingdom.

However, though the members of the monarchy are involved and informed, they are mostly figureheads, possessing ever-decreasing power and influence in the political system. In this way, the new prince or princess wouldn’t be able to implement many significant changes in his or her time as the monarchy’s head, especially by the time Will and Kate’s offspring ascends to the throne.

More accurately, the obsession can be considered as part of the generally voyeuristic nature of the media.

Be it the monarchy or the film industry, intimate lives of celebrities are dissected and spread, ready to be almost religiously worshiped—a world the new baby will not be spared from. After all, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sold photographs of their daughter Shiloh for $4.1 million. While the royal couple won’t auction off images of their child in the same way, following news of the birth will be another way for people to intrude into the royal lives of Will and Kate.

In total, should the news of Kate’s pregnancy have received this much attention? Probably not, but regardless of whether it should or shouldn’t have, the child’s life will be a constant source of entertainment for anyone who still feels tied to the outdated monarch system, or craves glimpses into the lavish and royal life. Perhaps Will and Kate should consider naming the baby Tabloid, because that’s undoubtedly what he or she will become.

It’s vital that the monarchy keeps in touch with the people. It’s what I try and do.

—Princess Diana, Princess of Wales

Obesity more than just a numbers game Gimme some Liwei Liwei Zhou Illustrations Editor

I’ve had the subject of obesity come up at least three separate times in my science courses this year. It’s very similar each time. The professor talks. They try and make a few jokes. Maybe the class laughs.

Maybe a picture of a human who’s a little fatter than usual shows up on the screen. Obesity is a condition defined as having a BMI of 30 or above, the slides say. It’s linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke and type II diabetes.

It’s completely pathologized.

There’s not even a mention of anything otherwise. Then I go to my women’s studies class and we’re talking about the stigma against fat. On the Internet, my friend runs a fatpositive blog, and on Facebook, I see images of people of all sizes with body-positive messages overlaid.

It’s not really that remarkable. Science courses aren’t there to teach you about the social causes. Excess body fat really does cause health problems for some people.

I guess what bothered me, in particular, was the complete lack of compassion when obesity was mentioned. You could say that detachment is part of the deal when discussing medical science, but that same detachment wasn’t there when we talked about the untimely deaths of young people due to cancer and heart failure. Clearly, there’s room for compassion in the medical science classroom, and if victims of circumstance deserve it, how about

—The Gazette Editorial Board

victims of the pressures and stigmas of society?

A cursory Google search on obesity and BMI turned up a photo gallery of BMI 30+, “obese” people. They looked healthy to me. There were links to studies that show poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle as the precursors to poor health, not high BMI. My lecture notes had linked these with obesity. But it doesn’t take an obese person to eat poorly and never go to the gym, and proper nutrition and exercise isn’t solely the domain of skinny people.

So are the claims in my lecture notes that obesity is linked to a list of terrible conditions completely baseless? I think that’s very unlikely.

However, I think it’s likely that some of it is based on research touched by bias. How much is science obligated to mention the social causes of bias?

Let me pull out this quote from Richard Dawkins: “Science replaces private prejudice with public, verifiable evidence.”

I almost laughed when I heard this quote. I wanted to take it and superimpose it over some pictures of phrenology, the theory that “proved” the greater mental capacity of Caucasian males in the 19th century.

And what about the stipulations in the scientific community at the turn of the 20th century that women were physiologically unfit for education?

Science gets points for trying, but it so often falls short of “replacing private prejudice.” And it can’t get there without constantly evaluating its sources of bias, so much of which come from the culture that we’re all immersed in, like transparent fish in a murky tank. Ignorance regarding the way culture affects how scientific knowledge is gained and taught is the real epidemic.

#win There is possibly no greater joy in the world than making Donald Trump look bad, and that is exactly what Scotsman Michael Forbes did. Forbes took on the powerhouse Trump in court and won a suit that allowed him to keep his property—which was slated to become a golf course. For his efforts, Forbes joins names like J.K. Rowling and Susan Boyle as a “Scotsman of the Year.”

thegazette

Volume 106, Issue 51 www.westerngazette.ca

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#fail Physical threats are no trivial matter. A game of Trivial Pursuit in Phillipsburg, New Jersey on Thanksgiving turned foul when an argument over an answer in the game led one player to threaten another with a hatchet.

When the police arrived, the situation took an unexpected turn, as the hatchet was actually a piece of drug paraphernalia.

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• Please recycle this newspaper •

•7

thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Sports

factattack With his 10+ receptions in 17 career games, Wes Welker now sits tied with Jerry Rice for the most all-time.

Rundown >> The men’s basketball team lost this past Saturday, falling to the Queen’s Gaels 114–76 > This marks the second loss in a row for the Mustangs, leaving their record at 1–6 on the season—good for second-last place in the OUA West division.

Season-high streak alive and kicking for ‘Stangs Badgers no match for powerhouse Mustangs in 4–1 victory Sam Frankel Contributor On Sunday December 2, the Brock Badgers came to town to take on the Ontario University Athleticsleading Mustangs men’s hockey team. The Mustangs—ranked sixth nationally—entered this game on a 10-game winning streak that has lasted over a month. Keeping with their recent trend of success, the Mustangs knocked off the Badgers by a final score of 4–1.

This game was the Mustangs’ final game for four weeks, due to the upcoming break.

Western came out in a flash, as they struck under four minutes into the game on an even-strength goal from senior defenseman Geoff Killing, set up by Kyle de Coste and Tyler Cuthbert. This was Killing’s second goal of the year— however, a humble Killing felt much better about this goal than he did about his first goal, against Ryerson.

“Well, the first goal of the season was [David] Corrente’s shot and I tipped it, but it was going in anyways, so I kind of stole a goal from him. It was nice to get that one,” Killing said.

The rest of the period lacked intensity and was filled with three minors for each team, all of which were killed off.

The second period started off sluggishly, until Western captain Jason Furlong fought Brock’s Eric Bonawitz, which seemed to spark both teams. The fight resulted in offsetting penalties, with Brock drawing the extra minor for instigation—however, Western could not capitalize on the power play.

Brock was able to even up the score eight minutes into the second period. The goal came cour-

tesy of Brock’s 6’6” giant Daniel Tanel, with an assist courtesy of team points-leader Kaine Geldart and Sean Jones.

The game appeared to be up for grabs during the first two periods—however, Western was able to dominate the decisive third period. The floodgates opened only four minutes in, when Western’s Adam Stoykewych was able to slide one past Brock’s goalie.

Western struck again with 11:48

Well, the first goal of the season was [David] Corrente’s shot and I tipped it, but it was going in anyways, so I kind of stole a goal from him. It was nice to get that one —Geoff Killing

Mustangs defenseman

left in the third period. This time the goal came from rookie Matt Marantz, who put home his seventh tally of the season. Brock pulled their goalie in the remaining minutes in an attempt to mount an ultimately futile comeback. Western was able to ice the game with an unassisted Jason Furlong empty-netter, shot from behind his own blue line. With the win, the Mustangs were able to keep their season-high win streak alive.

After the game, interim head coach Pat Powers stressed the importance of the defensive effort.

After expressing his concern the team had surrendered five goals

to York last week, Coach Powers expressed his delight with the fact his team was learning to do all the little things. He stressed it is pivotal for his team to continue this strong defensive play for nationals.

“I put two stats on the dressing room board before the game—one stat was 10–5, and one was 9–8.

Piotr Angiel Gazette

[The former] was the win we had against York, and 9–8 was the accumulative score of every one of our games at nationals last year. I mean, we haven’t allowed as many goals in a game as we allowed the other night for quite a while. We’re not going to see the run-and-gun game we’re used to.”

Piotr Angiel Gazette

Western now starts a four-week break that doesn’t see them playing again until January 4, when they’ll play in Saint Catharine’s against Brock. Coach Powers did not seem to be worried about the December break, and jovially stated that his players “are sick of [him].”

Mike Laine Gazette

8•

thegazette • Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Good

UGLY

Remember the days when rookies used to have growing pains? Well, don’t remind the rookie quarterback class of 2012, because they are en route to unprecedented NFL success.

With Colts quarterback Andrew Luck leading his team down the field and scoring a touchdown with the clock reading zeroes, he became the second rookie quarterback to lead his team to victory this year as the clock expired.

Though only the Colts and Seahawks seem destined to make the playoffs of the teams led by rookie quarterbacks, the success by this crop of first-year signal callers is unparalleled.

With four games remaining in the season, Cleveland, Miami and Washington have all matched, or are approaching, their season win totals from last year and they are doing so with rookie passers.

Though this class of passers may not near the success of the 1983 class in terms of individual success—Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and John Elway are all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame—the breadth of talent and potential for success are certainly tantalizing.

A study undertaken by researchers at Boston University has discovered athletes playing contact sports are at an increased risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The study found 68 of 85 brains of dead professional athletes studied were suffering from CTE. CTE is caused by repetitive hits to the head. In its more advanced stages it can cause depression, memory loss, problems with judgment and eventually full-blown dementia.

Of the 68 brains found with CTE, more than half were professional football players. Five of the brains studied were former hockey players.

As if this weren’t disturbing enough, the researchers also discovered that a third of the athletes were also suffering from other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The CTE was also most advanced in those who died in their 70s or 80s, demonstrating the disease is degenerative.

With the release of the study and the tragedy of Javon Belcher’s murder-suicide this past weekend, perhaps it is time the health of athletes—both mental and physical—be looked at more seriously.

file photo

Bad

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With a loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to disappoint. Despite high expectations prior to the start of the season, the Lakers currently sit at a record of 8–9, putting them at ninth place in the Western Conference.

Just 17 games into the season, the Lakers have already undergone a coaching change. Unfortunately, Mike D’Antoni does not appear to be doing much better behind the bench, and one wonders whether the Lakers are struggling to adapt to a new approach. The Lakers are currently 3–4 under D’Antoni.

Dwight Howard, who has also failed to meet expectations, was not particularly impressive against his former team.

Howard’s woes at the free throw line continued, as he went 9 for 21 in the contest and 7 for 14 in the fourth quarter. Howard is now shooting at 46.5 per cent on fouls.

While Bryant scored 34 points in the game, his play hasn’t produced any lasting chemistry on the team. Pau Gasol has had a great deal of trouble with consistency, scoring only 11 points.

Bench Stoudemire The Sin Bin

Jason Sinukoff Sports Editor On October 10, Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks went down with a bruised knee. He was not expected to be out of action long, until an MRI showed the injuryprone power forward was suffering from a ruptured popliteal cyst behind his left knee.

Now, almost two months later, Stoudemire has revealed he is aiming to return to the NBA in late December.

Fans in New York are ecstatic for the return of one of their star players. But why? Yes, Amar’e is one of the best players on the Knicks, but without him, New York has excelled—starting off their season 11–4—one of their best starts in recent memory.

So—what will the Knicks do with the power forward when he returns?

Obviously, the Knicks have three options—they can play him, bench him or trade him.The smart move for New York is to bench their big man and give him a role as a sixth man—a role Amar’e himself said he would be open to trying.

The Knicks are off to one of their best starts of the decade. A key part of this impressive run is the switch the team made—sending Carmelo

Anthony over to the power forward position instead of his usual small forward role. This change almost immediately sparked the play of Anthony, as he is now almost leading the NBA in points per game and is playing like the superstar everybody knew he was.

Placing Stoudemire on the starting lineup would mean starting him at his old power forward position and thus moving Anthony back to small forward. This move would probably bring about the same result as it did last year—no team chemistry to speak of. A move to the centre position is also out of the question. Amar’e is horrid at defence and the Knicks are already paying maximum money to their current centre—Tyson Chandler.

Trading Stoudemire could prove to be advantageous for the Knicks. The problem, though, is that the Knicks would be trying to unload an injury-prone power forward with a monster salary that is just a mere shadow of his former Phoenix Suns self.

Lastly, the Knicks can bench Stoudemire. This, in my opinion, is the only real choice for New York.

This will let Carmelo remain in his new power forward position, and give the Knicks a very dangerous player coming off the pine. The downside to this is that the longer Stoudemire stays on the bench, the further his trade stock plummets.

But given the fact that finding the right value on the trading block for Stoudemire will be next to impossible, the bench should be Amare’s new home.

file photo

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WANTED VOLUNTEER EGG DONOR needed. We need your help to enable us to have a child. If you are willing to donate eggs voluntarily please contact kmiles284@yahoo.ca

PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

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LIFE AFTER PARENTAL DIVORCE. This study out of UWO explores the life of participants age 13-23 years whose parents separated or divorced after age 10. Includes 2 art-based sessions and one interview.

For more information contact Laura at 519.639.9806 or lhartma@uwo.ca.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS HAPKIDO: TRADITIONAL KOREAN Martial Arts, The Huron Hapkido Society meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:00PM-9:30PM, Huron University College Dining Hall (Huron Room) Visit us at “UWO Hapkido” on Facebook for more info.

PSAC LOCAL 610 A message to all Graduate Teaching Assistants: Don’t go hungry this winter!

Your union can help. Did you know your union has a food bank that can be accessed anonymously? If you are a member in need, please do not hesitate to apply for assistance. Visit our website, www.psac610.ca, or drop by our office in the basement of Somerville House, Room 1313, Monday-Friday, 10am to 2 pm for more information and to obtain a food bank application. This application process is designed to ensure anonymity.

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED 2. Visit banks' websites by typing the URL into the address bar. Phishers use links within emails to direct victims to a fake site. If you suspect an email is bogus, do not follow any embedded links within it.

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