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Tuesday, October 16, 2012
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Volume 106, Issue 23
Colleges looking for a degree of respect Colleges Ontario seeks to offer three-year degrees Aaron Zaltzman News Editor Would not a credential by any other name smell just as sweet? Colleges Ontario, an advocacy organization representing 24 colleges across the province, including Fanshawe, is lobbying the provincial government to allow colleges to hand out three-year degrees. Currently, colleges are only allowed to offer diplomas for their three-year programs.
The provincial government looks at degrees in a very specific sort of way. We’re hoping they can change how they look at those distinctions and say these diplomas are merely degrees by another name. —Karen Horsman
Manager of media relations and communications for Colleges Ontario
“What we offer as three-year diplomas is viewed as a degree in other jurisdictions in the world,” Karen Horsman, manager of media relations and communications for Colleges Ontario, said. “We are just
hoping to bring our academic standards in line with what others have in the rest of the world.” The proposal to remove the distinction between diplomas and degrees came in response to a discussion paper released by the Ontario government this summer. One of the questions raised in the paper was the possibility of allowing universities to offer three-year degrees. Though few universities have shown enthusiasm for the idea, Ontario colleges are looking to take advantage of the opportunity. “In some cases, the option of a three-year degree could also improve the educational opportunities for students who were streamed away from a degree pathway in high school, but who find that their ambitions and abilities best suit a degree program,” College Ontario’s proposal paper, entitled “Empowering Ontario: Transforming Higher Education in the 21st Century,” read. Currently, Ontario colleges can offer degrees for four-year programs. Horsman said the government has to take another look at discerning between three-year programs in colleges compared to universities. “The provincial government looks at degrees in a very specific sort of way. We’re hoping they can change how they look at those distinctions and say that these diplomas are merely degrees by another
Richard Gibillini Gazette
name,” Horsman explained. “The government is looking to revolutionize post-secondary education, and we think this is part of it.” One issue at stake is the value of making a distinction between a university education and a college one. “I think, generally, we hear from students that they do value differentiation in the system, and find value in their university degrees,” Alysha Li, president of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, said.
“There is some worry that removing this distinction would somehow water down a university degree,” Horsman explained, adding the proposal was merely the first step in a long process. “We want a governing body to compare those two educations, to make sure they are compatible,” she explained. “We want to make sure that when students graduate from college with a three-year degree, we’ve had an outside body to make sure the standards and accreditation matches what we think
a three-year degree should have.” Colleges Ontario has been reviewing all the three-year programs offered in an effort to match the standards to university programs. “It’s an apple and orange, and while some are concerned the standards wouldn’t be high enough, we would make sure we had somebody to give it a stamp of approval,” Horsman said. “We would need to go through a huge process to get this done, and we’re asking the government to allow us to go through this process.”
Smoking bylaw a drag for Bud Gardens Jesica Hurst News Editor
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
It’s been only a week since city council voted to support the latest smoking bylaw, but Brian Ohl, general manager of Budweiser Gardens, already has some concerns. According to Ohl, the bylaw— which will restrict people from smoking within nine metres of London playgrounds, municipal buildings and recreational sites— will do more harm than good in their specific situation. “I haven’t been formally told that [the bylaw] would apply to us, so right now we’re trying to do our research to find out exactly what areas it will apply to,” Ohl said. “If it does apply to us, our biggest concern is safety because smokers will have to leave our property. If we cut
someone off drinking here, they could go out for a smoke, and go have a couple more drinks somewhere else and that’s not a good thing for anybody.” Guests currently have two spots they can smoke outside the downtown venue—one on the north side on the sidewalk on Dundas Street, and one on the south side just outside the building. According to Ohl, staff currently monitors these areas so smokers can’t wander off and come back on their property as they please. Harold Usher, Ward 12 councillor, thinks Budweiser Gardens will be able to work something out with the city during the transition phase. “I’m sure that there is something that can be negotiated, but we have to be careful how we allow any buildings to [get around this
bylaw],” Usher said. “I’m sure we’re going to find places, like Budweiser Gardens, who will find it very difficult to accommodate the bylaw at the beginning, but I do believe people of London will understand.” Usher also noted municipal buildings are being included in the bylaw to eliminate smoking as much as possible. “We’re trying to reduce people smoking, and we have to start with our own buildings that we have jurisdiction over,” he explained. “We have to set the lead—it has to start with us.” If something can’t be worked out, Ohl said they would consider banning smoking entirely—similar to the model used by the Rogers Centre. “That’s also an option. Right now, we will consider everything.”
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Caught on Camera
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
Crossword By Eugene Sheffer
DESPICABLE TREATS. Western’s Society of Biology Graduate Students took to selling minion-inspired treats yesterday at Natural Sciences Centre in hopes of raising money for their formal.
News Briefs
Nye sells out If ticket sales are anything to go by, science does truly rock. Tickets for Bill Nye’s speaking engagement, presented by Western’s Science Students’ Council, went on sale October 9, then again on October 15, and sold out in a matter of minutes. According to Samik Doshi, SSC president, pre-sale tickets sold out within half an hour, while online general admissions sales reached the cap within 20 minutes, and tickets available at Western Connections ran dry after four hours. “The response to our initial presale was definitely not expected,” Doshi said. “We knew students would be excited for something like this, but for it to blow up the way it did was unprecedented.” Long lines plagued the pre-sale ticket kiosk, however Doshi noted the SSC was more prepared for general admission sales. Bill Nye is set to appear at Western on Tuesday, November 20 at
Alumni Hall. However, for those hoping for one last chance to catch the famed scientist, luck isn’t on their side. “Unfortunately, we have sold out all the seats that the venue holds,” Doshi explained. “At this time there is no plan to release any more tickets. We suggest that students continue looking for tickets to buy from friends and people who bought tickets, but are unable to attend the event in November.” —Gloria Dickie
Londoners still haven’t L.E.A.R.N.E.D. Project L.E.A.R.N., a London police initiative, concluded at the end of September. According to a recent press release, the number of provincial offence notices laid this year has increased nearly two-fold compared to last year. London Police Chief Brad Duncan remarked it is not the fault of students, adding student behaviour has greatly improved.
“What we experienced this year was a significant increase in responsible student behaviour as the majority of offences addressed by L.E.A.R.N. officers were committed by individuals who were not students,” Duncan said. “The London Police Service, in collaboration with Western University Canada and Fanshawe College student unions and administrators, has worked very hard to educate students and promote responsible behaviour,” he continued. The primary cause for the increase in offences, according to Duncan, was the proactive approach taken this year. “Overall, our approach has also been very proactive in terms of engaging our community partners, including neighborhood associations, housing mediators, landlords, bar owners and municipal law enforcement officer,” Duncan said. —Kaitlyn Oh
Liberal arts goes elite Alex Carmona News Editor Western’s faculty of arts and humanities is moving up in the world. A new program to be offered next fall, dubbed the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities, will accept 25 freshfaced first-years into the unique program, seeking to offer an ‘elite’ liberal arts education. The program will combine a multidisciplinary and experiential approach to learning that will differentiate it from Western’s more traditional liberal arts offerings. According to Laurence de Looze, a professor of modern languages at Western, SASH will pro-
Solution to puzzle on page 8
ways has been, the great training ground for most professions.” The types of courses that will be offered, while not yet firmly set out, have the potential to differ substantially from regular arts courses. De Looze has proposed a course outlining the evolution of the book, from ancient Egyptian papyri through to the e-book. David Bentley, a professor of English at Western, has proposed a course entitled “A Tale of Two Cities” that will contrast London, Ontario with London, England, which would culminate in a trip to the British city itself. Bentley said he hopes the new program will attract even more top talent to the faculty of arts and humanities. “SASH is directed to people who, I suppose, are happy with taking on a little extra if they can see how its going to help them,” he said. “My opinion is biased in the best possible way, but I think that this faculty may well have many of the best students in Ontario. Our students have extraordinarily high entrance averages. That means that they are extremely intelligent and extremely motivated and those are the types of students that we want to attract.”
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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vide a host of added benefits to its small class. “The simple fact is we are now living in a world that is, at all times, multidisciplinary and multicultural, and that’s the way this school is being set up,” he said. SASH will provide its students the opportunity to interact with the London community within the context of their various classes. “Students are going to be taking what they’re learning in their classes out into the real world, and communicating these things out in the real world. They’ll come back with a lot of knowledge they really wouldn’t have had otherwise—you could even look at it as job training,” he continued. De Looze stressed, however, his disagreement with a common sentiment running rampant regarding the liberal arts. “There’s this strange vibe out there in society that thinks the humanities is not job training. But if you took our students and asked them to ask their parents, and their parents’ friends, what they studied, unless they’re a doctor or a surgeon, they probably studied English, philosophy, history— something in the humanities,” he argued. “The humanities is, and al-
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
No coddling for Budweiser Gardens
Caught on Camera
Camopticon
Cam Parkes Managing Editor
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
LEAVING THEIR MARK. Students chalked up Concrete Beach yesterday as part of Sexual Violence Awareness Week.
City committee eyes southwest expansion
A bylaw passed recently by city council states that no one can smoke within nine metres of playgrounds or municipal buildings. A relatively fair—if not hard to enforce—law. But now, Budweiser Gardens wants to be exempt from this bylaw. Their main concern is that, should they force patrons to stand 30 feet away, said patrons will disappear into the night, likely to get rip-roaringly drunk at a nearby, cheaper bar, before returning to the arena, where they will almost certainly commit drunken acts of alcohol-fuelled debauchery. Currently, Budweiser Gardens only allows patrons to step outside to take a drag on a cancer stick—a smart idea, which allows them to somewhat-control the unruly populous of avid hockey fans or concert-goers. However, here’s the thing—if someone is intent on getting wasted before hitting up the Gardens, they’re going to do so before they enter the premises. No one in their right mind would plan on getting drunk off of eight-dollar beers. It’s just not economically viable. And of course, there’s the ageold slippery slope argument. If Budweiser Gardens is allowed to be exempt from the smoking
bylaw, who’s to say that the library shouldn’t be? Last I heard, some people who read also smoke. Why shouldn’t hoodlums be allowed to smoke outside the police station while posting their friend’s bail? I’m sure there are plenty of other buildings that stand to maybe lose some business due to the bylaw—should they be exempt? The Gardens should take a look at the Rogers Centre—they don’t allow anyone out, for any reason. If you can’t go a few hours without lighting up, don’t go to a baseball game, or hockey game, or concert. It’s that simple. This is an example buildings should be following. Everyone knows smoking is bad—yes, people still choose to do it, and yes, they have the right to, but they also don’t have the right to put other people at risk. You’ve heard the argument before. Budweiser Gardens should be promoting anti-smoking—if they’re worried about smokers taking a stroll before returning, then simply don’t let anyone out. Then there’s no risk of belligerent drunks coming back in through the smokers’ entrance. On that matter, don’t the Gardens have security? Shouldn’t they be able to recognize overlydrunk people? The real solution is to not allow smoking at their centre— not to ask to be exempt. Budweiser Gardens should treat this bylaw as an opportunity to be a role model as we forge ahead to a cigarette-free future.
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
Cam Smith News Editor
Big plans are brewing for southwest London. The Planning and Environment Committee will soon vote on a plan to develop 2,700 hectares of land in the southwest corner of the city. This plan has the potential to bring new business and revenue to London, but some landowners remain hesitant. If the committee approves the plan, it will proceed to city council, where councillors will make the final decision regarding the proposal. “There’s been some controversy about it,” Bud Polhill, Ward 1 councillor and chair of the Planning and Environment Committee, explained. “Some people who already have commercial interest in the area are upset because this plan means competition for them.” “It’s not up to me to decide whether it means competition for them, it’s up to me to decide whether the zoning is correct, and the competition will work its
way out,” Polhill added. If the development plan proceeds, it could mean an increase in jobs, commercial interest and tax revenue. “At the end of the day, this will create a tax revenue of nearly $7 million,” Polhill explained. “That’s one and a half per cent of our budget.”
At the end of the day, this will create a tax revenue of nearly $7 million. —Bud Polhill
Ward 1 councillor for the City of London
However, not all city councillors are sure of the plan’s merits, and whether it will ultimately pass at city council. “I’m not [sure it will pass] because this past year we’ve seen the planning committee vote against staff recommendations a variety of times,” Joni Baechler,
Ward 5 councillor, said. “I’m just not sure what’s going to happen.” According to Baechler, the scale of the proposal is one of the challenges to implementing it. “It’s an extraordinarily large parcel of land,” she explained. “It’s just a very extensive process that requires a tremendous amount of public consultation.” Despite the controversy and objections, Baechler acknowledged the project possessed many benefits, and was well planned. “Not everyone’s going to be happy, but I think they’ve tried to balance the interests of the landowners with the interests of the city,” she said. “I think they’ve come to a very reasonable plan.” Polhill also noted the challenges of implementing the development plan, but noted it was flexible and could be subject to change to meet the needs of landowner. “[The plan] is not cast in stone—it could undergo various changes as we go along,” he said. “The road to success is always under construction.”
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15% off reg. priced food w/student ID 7 days a week. Specials run all day. Add applicable taxes.
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Arts&Life
tuesdaytweet @ladygaga: ‘I dare you to be compassionate in a cynical age’- LG
Not a million-dollar performance Sarah Prince Contributor Performance Setlist Crowd Worth the $$
GGGGF GGGHF GGGGF GGGHF
According to an Orchestra London poster, the Barenaked Ladies’ show at Centennial Hall on Friday night was supposed to be the “hottest ticket in London,” but the famous foursome didn’t entirely live up to such high expectations. Beginning the show with hits, including “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” and “Another Postcard,” the band garnered the most excitement when they played The Big Bang Theory theme song, which they made for CBS’ sitcom. Other songs performed on Friday included “Pinch Me” and “One Week,” until they closed with “If I Had $1,000,000,” the latter of which featured an excellent violin solo from an orchestra member. When forty-something lead singer Ed Robertson joked about his old age, this fazed neither the middle-aged couples cozy in the balcony’s plush seats, nor the other patrons enjoying pitchers of beer while sitting around tables in the mezzanine. The band joked about the unusual seating arrangement
FILE PHOTO
by announcing “the next number is B9,” as if they were bingo callers. Among the many jokes cracked throughout was Ed’s suggestion that they pass around a wireless microphone to each member of the orchestra, so they can say what an honour it is to play with the Barenaked Ladies. Albeit a poor
testament to the band’s comedic expertise, the crowd seemed amused. Ed repeatedly said, “we love our visits to the 519,” but inadequately demonstrated appreciation for London fans. The band didn’t do anything particularly elaborate for Londoners. At Toronto concerts,
fans are wooed by improvised renditions of catchy jingles, and such surprises as a special appearance by David Suzuki onstage, whereas nothing remotely comparable was done at Centennial Hall. Nothing beats a concert where the performers genuinely feel most at home.
The amount of lighting in Centennial Hall worsened the experience. The Barenaked Ladies’ mass appeal is fundamental to their long-term career and presumably most concert-goers would rather focus on Ed’s handsomeness—or talent—and everything happening on stage rather than on fellow patrons in the audience. Fortunately, the Barenaked Ladies redeemed themselves with a fun medley in the encore featuring about five to 10 songs ranging from Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” to “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan. However, including “Call Me Maybe” felt like a cop-out here, as it lacked creativity and was already sung by The Arkells at Western Fair in September. Although most remained in their seats for the show’s approximately two-hour-long duration, there were some exceptional women in the crowd—women who refused to sit stiffly listening to silly lyrics, opting instead to have mini dance parties beneath exit signs. The Barenaked Ladies may have lost their original lead singer, Steven Page, but they performed their kooky music in an atmosphere that was hardly short on high spirits.
Comedy a major high note From blogosphere to the big time Kevin Hurren Arts & Life Editor
GGGHF Director: Jason Moore Starring: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Hanna Mae Lee
Ever wonder what Glee would be like if it lost its moral authority and sexual confusion? The answer—Pitch Perfect. The film, directed by Jason Moore, follows an all-girls collegiate a cappella group in their battle to beat the reigning all-boys a cappella champions. Marketed as a musical comedy, Pitch Perfect distinguishes itself from Glee early in the film as the auditions host rips on “other high school music groups.” After a series of early crude jokes it’s clear that the film wasn’t kidding when it said it’s no glee club. Though Moore makes his feature film directorial debut with Pitch Perfect, he is no stranger to musicals or comedies. Taking into account Moore’s experience directing the musical Avenue Q, one can easily recognize the same crass and inappropriate humour that fans of Avenue Q loved in Pitch Perfect. With jokes about race, sexuality, gender and vomit, it seems no punches are held back when it comes to comedic material. To the film’s credit, quite a few of these punches land, and though Pitch Perfect may not be the upper crust of humour, it does provide a number of decent laughs. If none of these names seem
Kevin Chao Contributor
file photo
familiar that’s to be expected as all of these young actors are virtually unknown—with the exception of Wilson, who played a small but memorable role in Bridesmaids. Also keep an eye out for comedic cameos by Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. What really drives humour in the film isn’t the jokes, but rather the comedic performances by a great ensemble cast. Anna Kendrick adds to her growing list of comedic roles and provides a strong star in the film as Beca, an outsider forced to join the a cappella group. In addition to Kendrick, hilarious supporting characters include Hana Mae Lee’s Lily, Skylar Astin’s Jesse and of course Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy. As much as Pitch Perfect is a comedy, its musical components can’t be disregarded. Featuring a number of impressively-com-
posed song mash-ups, the film’s soundtrack will be a must-have item for anyone who enjoys mixes of current and decade-old hits. The film also showcases impressive vocal performances from not only the singers that are cast in the film, but also from the actors you may not have thought could belt a tune, such as Kendrick, or co-star Brittany Snow. The high energy and choreographic performances of the a cappella groups in Pitch Perfect provide not only entertaining moments, but also shine light on the amount of work and complex preparation that musical a cappella and show choir groups do. Overall, what Pitch Perfect has to offer is some good laughs and some good songs. Audience members are sure to walk away from Pitch Perfect not only chuckling from a joke, but also humming a tune.
Last Thursday, Backpack 2 Briefcase introduced Deepak Sethi, a comedy writer and Western graduate. Though he may be credited in the entertainment world as a Family Guy writer and one of MSNBC’s ten funniest people on Twitter, Sethi still looked right at home here on campus. Sethi told stories about his year as a Medway-Sydenham RA, and recalled his university days by asking, “Aren’t sophs the sweatiest people you’ve ever met?” The friendly, charming and unsurprisingly funny alumnus spoke at both a screenwriting workshop and a keynote event. At his workshop, Sethi shared with students his experience and advice for writing comedy stories. His firsthand account of working in the Family Guy writer’s room with Seth MacFarlane was fascinating, and he described the experience as “surreal.” Aspiring writers were quite appreciative of having such an engaging and experienced speaker show them the ins and outs of comedy writing for TV and film. At the keynote event, Sethi recounted to listeners his heartwarming story of how he became an established writer in the business. Sethi graduated from Western in 2002 with a computer science degree, and expected to spend most of his life working for his father’s business, selling beans
and chickpeas. Fortunately, in 2009 a friend noticed Sethi’s writing talents, and convinced him to start blogging. The blog, named Tremendous News, started off slow but became increasingly popular. Readers were quick to share his quirky but humorous posts about technology, culture, and anything that Sethi thought was worth discussing. The blog grew large enough that a few celebrities took notice, meetings were arranged, and Sethi found himself signed with an agent. Through lots of hard work and many inadequate scripts, some of his talent was sent to Seth MacFarlane and Sethi was hired to write for the 10th season of Family Guy. In just a few short years, Sethi has transformed his life, and is quite busy with his newfound writing career. His future plans include two possible comedies for Canadian television, a children’s book and a musical in the making. Expect to hear his name again soon.
Last call for photo and art submissions! Send yours to arts@westerngazette.ca
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Honesty emerges from the punk years Jared MacAdam Contributor
If a nice, refined and classical art gallery visit is what you have in mind, do not attend Raymond Pettibon: The Punk Years, 1978-86 at the McIntosh Gallery. However, if the nitty-gritty, dark, urban, anarchic art of the early punk years is what you’re looking for, then look no further. Raymond Pettibon is the artist for this exhibit, a main artist in designing show posters, art books and album art for many punk bands in the Los Angeles area, including the Black Flag, Circle Jerk, Dead Kennedys and many other underground punk classics. Pettibon’s distinctly dark and harsh use of blacks and whites throughout the gallery creates a simplistic visual punch in each piece. An unapologetic display of nudity and sexuality runs through most of his artwork—from depictions of masturbation to penis and dildos, Pettibon is not afraid to use traditionally taboo sexuality to deliver his artistic assault. Peculiar sexual relations also dot the horizon, as a woman coddles a dismembered penis or, in another piece, a woman confesses that she cannot live without her man, who is lying in the bed dead and erect.
But Pettibon’s art seems to have a cryptic message to it. Each piece, while being simply posters for band shows, seems to tell a twisted story, a tiny vignette into the decaying world of Pettibon’s imagination. One such poster depicts a man with a wrench, who you can only see from the waist down with the words, “I am the wrench in people’s lives, really fixing them up” or, in a much darker vein, a man stands above an unconscious woman saying, “I want her to dream about what I did to her when she passed out.” Such twisted and morbid stories are a constant theme throughout his works. Shock value, though, seems to simply be a way to grab viewers’ attention, as Pettibon’s artwork is riddled with political and social commentary. “You’re tormenting me and magnifying the problem,” exclaims an ant as a man bends over, with a magnifying glass, and is burning him. Another seems to sing a more politically obvious tune, as an astronaut plants a black flag with the anarchist symbol on the moon, with commentary saying, “If Punx would only unite, we could do anything.” A more macabre scene has skeleton stands on stage saying, “Life is a joke,” with the words “this is the punch
line” underneath. Suicide and self-mutilation are other themes, as one poster depicts someone cutting ‘m alaise’ into their arm, another has a man with a gun to his head, a fresh bullet hole with blood oozing, smiling cheerily saying, “I feel better already.” The Raymond Pettibon: The Punk Years, 1978-86 exhibit is a rare look into an underappreciated vein of artistic expression, the underground punk movements. A curious glimpse in modern North American art, this is a unique experience to see and one not to be passed up. However, with its themes of violence, sexual obsessions, multination, life, death and authority, it is not for the faint of heart, as Pettibon’s artwork is oddly offensive, crude and harsh. But it’s in his honesty that its artistic value comes out. Raymond Pettibon: The Punk Years, 1978-86 is circulated by Independant Curators, New York. It will be at McIntosh Gallery on campus until November 3.
westerngazette.ca /arts-life Andrei Calinescu Gazette
2008–2012: Gaga then and now Seven minutes in Kevin
Kevin Hurren Arts & Life Editor
When the piraya of tabloid magazines decided to encircle Lady Gaga as their next target, the pop sensation was not having it. Recently criticized for gaining weight, Gaga did the work of tabloid journalists and uploaded a number of unaltered, unadjusted photos of herself almost completely naked. The goal—to proudly present her body to the world the way it is, and to encourage others to do the same. Media attention on celebrity weight gain and loss is nothing new. With an array of photography skills at the media’s disposal, celebrities’ bodies can be scrutinized to an unprecedented degree. Most celebrities will ignore such attacks, occasionally addressing the issue as due to the stress of a new project or in preparation for a role. Gaga, however, is unsatisfied with this kind of status quo. After uploading the photos, she urged fans to disregard the self-shaming messages of media and instead showcase the features that popular culture tells you to hide. Fans took to the Internet and uploaded pictures of themselves in a similar manner, continuing the ‘born this way’ momentum that Gaga began last year. Some may question the sincerity of Gaga’s action, and if it were another celebrity the con-
cern might be valid. The reason that this movement, which Gaga calls a ‘body revolution,’ isn’t just feel-good fluff is because the performer has long been a crusader for self- confidence, and very vocal about her own challenges. Gaga has shared stories with interviewers and fans about her time in high school where she was bullied, was isolated, fought with bulimia and even thrown into a dumpster. Now, Gaga works to use her wealth, fame and influence to positively change things. This body revolution is one of many self-love messages the mother monster has been propagating since her rise to stardom. Contrarily, Gaga is not starting a war on health and fitness. It is not as though she suddenly signed a deal with McDonalds telling fans to love themselves no matter how many McNuggets they buy. Rather, Gaga is starting a dialogue with her fans, one which says that self-hate is a poor motivator for losing or gaining weight. Along with the photos, Gaga released a statement that said she is healthy, happy and with a man who likes some curves. If the only reason you want to lose weight is to please someone else, whether it’s a swarm of paparazzi or just a partner, then something is wrong. It is your body so it’s time to claim it as such. As Gaga would say, self-image should be a love game, not a bad romance.
Holmes on the Case
Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor
It’s time to call Lady Gaga’s bluff. The poker-faced singer recently responded to critics of her weight-gain by launching a body revolution campaign. Her aim is to encourage people to be brave in spite of a media that tells them they have to look a certain way. The only thing certain here is that there is no meat to the campaign—only fat. Lady Gaga labels everything she does as some kind of postmodern performance art that seems to be ignorant of the fact that art is more than just image— it’s something much deeper. Calling her weight gain art and then calling some kind of obscure revolution is absolutely ridiculous. This is not Gaga’s first attempt to pander to some kind of targeted group of outcasts or the insecure. Like a college liberal on steroids, the pop icon has appropriated every kind of sexuality and social issue into her bizarre and over-the-top performances. Since her last album, Gaga encourages people to love themselves, telling them that they were “born this way” as though they are outcasts from the island of misfit toys. Gaga’s latest attempt to become some kind of representative for the overweight is nothing short of pathetic. Putting on 25 pounds is hardly gaining weight,
In her case, that’s the equivalent of going from being the size of a piece of floss to a toothpick. Putting on some kind of “body revolution” is not only ridiculous, it’s outright cruel. I am a 260-pound man trying to lose weight—Lady Gaga does not represent me because she ate a few slices of pizza. While I sincerely doubt Lady Gaga’s body revolution campaign is somehow against health and fitness, the revolution is full of over-the-top feel good rhetoric that feels fake and insincere. All Gaga is really doing is capitalizing on people’s insecurities, promising acceptance like a televangelist promises salvation. People will buy into a message that tells them they were “born this way” because it means they don’t have to work towards any kind of self-improvement. Our generation is one that has come to believe that the journey is more important than the destination and that enjoying the moment is more important than sacrifice—if somebody told us that we should strive to be more than we are, they aren’t likely going to sell as many records. That’s what all this really comes down to—Lady Gaga is using a meaningless pastiche of social and personal issues to sell her music. It’s all about the image of her message rather than the weight it carries. file photo
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Opinions
God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars.
—Elbert Hubbard, American editor
Diplomas a lesser degree? Would you be more likely to go to college, as opposed to university, if they offered degrees instead of diplomas? Colleges Ontario is looking to change the name of their post-secondary papers from the latter to the former. They argue that, since many college programs are the same length as some university programs— three years—they should be considered degrees as well. A prevalent concern is that colleges don’t attract as much international attention—or even attention closer to home—due to the stigma surrounding diplomas. The apparent idea is that a simple name change will coincide with a change of attitude. Not only is this unlikely to happen, it’s a bad idea. Regardless of how many name changes the certificates go through, people are going to know the difference. This will inevitably result in the same view that dominates society now—college ‘degrees’ are less valuable than university degrees. It won’t solve anything. Colleges shouldn’t strive to be the same as universities. The distinction between degrees and diplomas is a good one. Most college programs focus on hands-on experience, as opposed to the typical theoretical university program. This distinction is also important for employers to determine the type of skill-set a potential employee may have. University degrees seem more appealing than college diplomas mostly because of prestige. Realistically, though, college graduates find jobs within their field more often than recent university graduates do. When it comes down to it, university and college programs serve different purposes and a name change won’t fool anyone. People who want to go to law school or medical school are required to have a university degree in order to do so. Similarly, people who want a job in plumbing wouldn’t have a use for a university degree, so they’d probably go to college. Appeal for international students comes to mind as well. Most people don’t travel overseas for a college program, and calling diplomas degrees won’t change that. Additionally, many colleges—like Fanshawe— already have a diverse range of people without offering degrees. In the end, it doesn’t seem likely that lobbyists will be successful with this. Changing the terminology from diploma to degree at Ontario colleges won’t make enough of a difference to anyone for the push to be worthwhile. —Gazette Editorial Board
thegazette
Volume 106, Issue 23 www.westerngazette.ca
Gloria Dickie Editor-In-Chief Nicole Gibillini Deputy Editor Cam Parkes Managing Editor
Contact: www.westerngazette.ca University Community Centre Rm. 263 The University of Western Ontario London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580 Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579
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Letter to the Editor
Review unfair
Uze Your Brain
RySpace
Ryan Hurlbut Opinions Editor
Julian Uzielli Online Editor
This weekend, Felix Baumgartner plunged out of a balloon floating 39 kilometres above the ground and set a new world record by landing safely. While an incredible feat, Baumgartner’s jump almost stands in a league of its own, not because of the impressive drop, but because of the technology used. To look at footage of the old recordsetting jump in the 60s, it’s almost an entirely different feat—occurring in a rickety balloon with only a leather jacket and a manually packed parachute as guides. Technology tends to increase the grey area in which a record stands above all else. Would Baumgartner have been able to complete the jump without Red Bull’s high-tech equipment? The danger involved in many aspects of the record is severely lessened due to technology. It’s not to say that dangerous stunts should not be accompanied by equipment that allow for the highest chance of survival, just that technological advancement has taken away from much of the wonder of the records of old. Breaking a record is essentially putting oneself in direct competition with somebody from the past, and the introduction of technology into the equation gives modern competitors a gigantic advantage. Imagine lining up for a marathon, only to notice that the person to your left has cybernetic legs. In certain circumstances, such as land speed records where technology is facing off against other technology for glory, advancements are the whole point, but in cases where one person is facing off against another, it seems wrong to say that one is objectively better when they had different means at their disposal. There is no empirical way to compare modern records to those of old that fairly takes into account technological advancements, but it seems odd that people just pretend the feats stack up equally against each other. All I ask is that people try to take into account technology in records, and marvel each accomplishment as it’s own pinnacle of humanity.
Since the dawn of humanity, people have sought to improve the quality of their lives. Every great inventor in history, from Leonardo Da Vinci to the Wright Brothers, was driven by the same desire—to make the future a better place to live. Some time in the distant past, a caveman chiselled a circular form out of a rock for the first time without possibly having been able to conceive the importance of what he had created. Do we apologize to the Wrights every time we build a faster airplane? Hurlbut is right—there are different kinds of records. Some measure purely human abilities, like the time it takes to sprint 100 metres, while others, like the land speed record, measure technological change. But technological achievements are also records of the ability of humankind to improve itself. On Sunday, Felix Baumgartner set a series of records that, until recently, weren’t possible due to technological limitations. But while Baumgartner’s name will be the one to go down in history, there are countless other individuals—scientists, engineers, right down to the janitors at mission control—without whom Baumgartner’s feats could not have happened. There is no reason for holders of old records to be jealous, or feel cheated out of their glory when a new challenger comes along. That’s the nature of human development—we do something great, and then we do something better. Just as record-setting athletes often go on to become coaches when they get older, Joe Kittinger, the man who held the previous records broken by Felix Baumgartner, played an important role in Sunday’s events. He was the main man on the ground keeping constant radio contact with Baumgartner as he ascended in his balloon on Sunday, as everyone watching the live event was well aware. Not only was Kittinger happy to see his records broken, but he actively helped it happen. And that’s the way it should be. If we held off on breaking old records out of respect for the record holders, we would never improve as a species. To move forward, we must always be improving on what came before.
Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors or staff. To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Contact.” All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and cartoons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives.
Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Robert Armstrong
Karen Savino Diana Watson
Gazette Staff 2012-2013
Greg Colgan, David Czosniak, Megan Devlin, Kevin Estakhri, Connor Hill, Elton Hobson, Kelly Hobson, Katherine Horodnyk, Sarah Mai Chitty, Victoria Marroccoli, Megan McPhaden, John Petrella, Megan Puterman, Chen Rao, Pat Robinson, Taylor Rodrigues, Nathan TeBokkel, Amy Wang, Hillete Warner, Kate Wilkinson, Kartikeya Vishal, Usman Zahid, Mason Zimmer
News Alex Carmona Jesica Hurst Cam Smith Aaron Zaltzman Arts & Life Sumedha Arya Brent Holmes Kevin Hurren Sports Richard Raycraft Jason Sinukoff Ryan Stern Opinions Ryan Hurlbut Associate Kaitlyn McGrath
To the Editor: I am writing in regards to the unfair review you gave of J.K. Rowling’s new book, The Casual Vacancy. The book was not as you put it: obscene, incoherent, and weakly written. Indeed, I found it to be poignant, touching, funny, tearful and masterfully written. I’m glad that you live in a perfect world that is always fantastic and full of rainbows, but the rest of us live in reality. The themes and situations the novel explores are ones that people the world over, including those living in London, Ontario, deal with every day. I found the characters and the situations they found themselves in to be instantly relatable, and I especially loved how multidimensional they all were. Rowling shows both the best and worst sides of all of her characters, and leaves it to the reader to pass judgement on each of them. She does not lead readers through each scene as though we are children—instead she gives us each scene from the point of view of a different character, and leaves it to us to decide where our loyalties should lie. Rowling gives readers a true microcosmic view of Western society. Your comment that the book is a disappointment when compared with her previous works does both the book and its author a disservice. Andrew, Sukhvinder and Gaia are not the trio, and Pagford is not Hogwarts—and that’s a good thing. The Casual Vacancy is not Harry Potter, and it’s not supposed to be. —Jasmine Pettie Social Justice and Peace Studies II
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Photography Andrei Calinescu Ritchie Sham Cameron Wilson Graphics Naira Ahmed Mike Laine Illustrations Christopher Miszczak Liwei Zhou Online Julian Uzielli Web Cameron Wilson Video Chris Kay
• Please recycle this newspaper •
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sports
factattack David Freese’s RBI in Sunday’s game versus the San Francisco Giants tied him for second-most RBI’s in the first 25 postseason games of a career with 25 RBIs. Lou Gehrig holds the record with 32.
Rundown >> The Mustangs women’s rugby team fell to the Waterloo Warriors in their Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals match by a score of 24–7 > Having finished third in the OUA’s Shields division, the Mustangs were forced to travel to Waterloo for the quarter-finals match-up, and home field advantage proved to be a deciding factor in the game.
Finch to Marshall keys Mustangs blowout Stout defense and strong passing game dispose of Laurier Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor
Before Saturday, Mustangs receiver Brian Marshall had never scored multiple touchdowns in a single game. On Saturday, when the Mustangs faced the Laurier Golden Hawks, he scored four, tying the Western record for touchdowns in a game and helping his team secure the dominating 56–3 victory. “It feels pretty good,” Marshall said. “I’ve never had a game with multiple touchdowns so it’s pretty exciting, but I have to thank the [offensive line], and Will [Finch] for throwing good passes.” With Donnie Marshall still sidelined with a high ankle sprain, there was a question of whether Finch would be able to develop any kind of chemistry with his receivers in such a short period of time. After Saturday’s game, hopefully that question has been answered. “He’s a great quarterback, almost any receiver could have chemistry with him,” Brian Marshall said. “He finds the open guy pretty well and throws a perfect ball—I just had to be on the other end to catch it for him.” After a forgettable debut last weekend, this was a game Finch should remember. The rookie quarterback looked poised at the centre, throwing for 339 yards and rushing for 88, including a one-yard rushing touchdown of his own. “I didn’t really think about last week at all—I kind of put it behind me,” Finch explained. “My mindset was to have a good week at practice and have a good game.”
With a surprising record of 3–3, and amidst a two-game losing streak, the Mustangs were in dire need of a confidence builder— and this game seems to have provided just that. “We needed it—we know we can play like that. This late in the season it’s a big boost for us,” Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall said. Western’s focus might have been absent during the opening kickoff. After the Mustangs fumbled the ball, Laurier’s Ronnie Pfeffer kicked a field goal for the early 3–0 lead.
Brian can get open and Will’s got good vision. We needed a receiver to step up and Brian stepped up today. Greg Marshall
Mustangs head coach
That would be their only lead. On the next possession Mustangs kicker Lirim Hajrullahu added a field goal to even the score and begin the rout. Finch would find Marshall for the first time midway through the first quarter for a 69-yard passing touchdown. Just two minutes later, the pair would connect again to give Western a 17–3 lead. “Brian can get open, and Will’s got good vision,” Coach Marshall said. “We needed a receiver to step up and Brian stepped up today.” The Mustang defence com-
Ritchie Sham GAZETTE
NOT EVEN CLOSE TO AN INTERCEPTION. The Mustangs football team steamrolled the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday–winning by a score of 56-3. In Will Finch’s first complete game, he threw for touchdown passes and 339 yards. Brian Marshall also took matters into his own hands, earning four touchdowns of his own.
pletely shut down the Laurier attack. Even with two quarterbacks—Steve Fantham and Travis Eman—splitting the duties, the visitors were restricted to 25 offensive yards at the half. Golden Hawks head coach Gary Jeffries was discouraged by the defeat. “That wasn’t any fun—we just got beat badly,” he said. “Full credit to them—they’re a good football team.” Mustangs running back Gar-
Mike Laine Gazette
ret Sanvido rushed for 94 yards, including a one-yard touchdown, bringing his year total to 999 yards—good enough for first in the country. Marshall would score his record-tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 20-yard pass from Finch, giving the Mustangs the 55–3 lead and all but guaranteeing the Laurier thrashing. With the win, the Mustangs can breathe a sigh of relief, as they not only secure their place in the
Ontario University Athletics playoff picture, but also ensure their first playoff game will be at home. “We can go down to Ottawa [next week] and see how they playoff situation shakes out,” Coach Marshall said. “But [this win] gives us that boost that we need going into the playoffs.” The Mustangs will take the long bus ride east next weekend to take on the 2–5 Ottawa GeeGees for the final game of the regular season.
Ritchie Sham GAZETTE
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thegazette • Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Campbell shuts out Badgers in 3–0 victory Solid penalty killing and goaltending lift Mustangs atop OUA Nathan Robbins-Kanter Contributor The Mustangs women’s hockey team defeated the Brock Badgers 3–0 Saturday afternoon at Thompson Arena. With the win, Western moves to an impressive 3–0 on the season, sitting in sole possession of first place in the Ontario University Athletics. “I knew we’d be better than last year, but we’re very young,” Chris Higgins, Mustangs head coach, said. “I figured we’d maybe be .500 this time—one win, maybe a tie— we’re overachieving right now and it’s good for them.” The most significant player in this torrid start to the season is unquestionably goaltender Kelly Campbell, who has stopped 102 of 104 shots this season. Those stats add up to a ridiculous save percentage of .981, and include a magnificent 42-save performance against the defending OUA champions, the Laurier Golden Hawks. “It’s years of practice, I think,” Campbell said when asked about her spectacular play as of late. “I’ve been playing for 13 years, so I just never get rattled.” Her calm play in net is particularly helpful on the penalty kill—a unit that was extremely busy on Saturday—killing off all six attempts. In fact, the Mustangs’ third goal of the night was scored shorthanded, when Ally Galloway used her speed to break past the defender and pot one through
Ritchie Sham Gazette
the five-hole of Badgers goaltender Emily Kelly. It was her second goal of the night, and third in three games. “We probably have the best penalty killing in the league,” Higgins said. “The other teams don’t seem to figure out what we’re doing, but the bottom line is we’re not going to win nationals if we keep getting penalties like this—
we’ve got to keep it under control.” Too many penalties could certainly have hurt the Mustangs on Saturday, had the Badgers been able to capitalize. They had their chances, but just couldn’t bury them. “We just had difficulty getting to the net to pounce on any rebounds,” Jim Denham, Badgers head coach, said. “They
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were there, but we couldn’t get at them. We were playing a very good team.” Going into the third, the score was extremely close at 1–0, and it was Western’s Kryshanda Green’s brilliant end-to-end rush that seemed to change things. Starting in her own zone, Green picked up speed, slipped the puck past the defender and cut in on goal, flip-
Sports Briefs Women’s Softball
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The Mustangs softball team completed a 4–0 road weekend after sweeping doubleheaders against Queen’s and York. Melinda Stevenson and Kara Stirling each went 2–0 behind an offence that plated 48 runs over the four game span. Stevenson and Stirling combined for three complete games during the four victories. Shannon Davidson led the offensive barrage with two home runs and two triples, with Alanna Anstett also going deep. Strong performances at the plate were also seen from Victoria Ely, Jenn Wakefield and Taylor Murray, each with multiple RBI games. The team returns home for this upcoming weekend’s Ontario Championships at Stronach Park. As defending champions, the Mustangs know what it will take to defeat anyone who gets in their way to win the big one.
Women’s Soccer
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ping a backhand through the legs of Kelly. “That was ridiculous,” Campbell said. “I’m so happy for her. It was a great goal—just beautiful.” The Mustangs suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday against a tough Guelph Gryphons squad. The Gryphons and Mustangs now sit tied atop the OUA leaderboard.
Student Saving Tip: Use the coupons inside your Westernizer Going out for the night and want to use your coupons? Just tear some out and slip them in your bus pass. You’ll have them handy when you’re on the go!
The women’s soccer team hit the road this past weekend, taking on the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The Mustangs won both games— shutting the Golden Hawks out 1–0 and taking down the Warriors by a score of 4–1. Mustangs defenceman Sabrina DeNard was the hero against Laurier—scoring a late goal for her third goal of the season. The Mustangs relied on a more balanced attack against Waterloo, however, with goals from Jen Spinozzi, Adrianna Guiffre and Lauren Winquist. The purple and white now boast a 9–3–2 record this season, and have the playoffs in their crosshairs. They currently sit in second place in the
Ontario University Athletics West division, and if they can keep up their superb play, they will earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The Mustangs will continue their quest to win the OUA title next weekend when they travel to Brock University on October 20 and host the McMaster Marauders on October 21.
Men’s Soccer It was a windy afternoon away from home in Waterloo for the Mustangs, as they decisively defeated the Waterloo Warriors by a score of 4–2. The win improves the Mustangs’ record to 6–4–4, good for third in the Ontario University Athletics West division. The wind, and whose side it was on, was a big factor in the contest. The Mustangs started off with the elements on their side in the first half, as the wind gave shots on goal some extra heat. The first half of the contest was relatively quiet, as Christian Douglas posted the lone goal to put the Mustangs up 1–0. The floodgates opened up in the second, as the Warriors came back twice to tie the game up. Additional goals by Pat Mroczek, Vinny Caminiti, and Dominic Bell, however, were enough to give the Mustangs the win. Victor Jiminez and Adam Craig posted goals for Waterloo in the losing effort. The Mustangs appeared to have some disciplinary problems, however, as both Caminiti and Bell received yellow cards. This marked Caminiti’s third yellow card of the season, and as such he will miss the Mustangs next contest—their final away game against the Brock Badgers on October 20.