Wednesday, October 24, 2012

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The End of Growth David Suzuki & Jeff Rubin took the stage at Alumni Hall Thursday night >> pg. 3

thegazette Eating too many Rockets since 1906

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

today high 17 low 11

tomorrow high 21 low 12

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Volume 106, Issue 28

USC to redefine relationship with Western Alex Carmona News Editor University Students’ Council President Adam Fearnall stepped up to the microphone Monday night in the Mustang Lounge to outline what may well be the defining aspect of his presidency. In a surprisingly candid address, Fearnall told a crowd of students that the university administration is not pulling its weight in meeting student needs.

“I promise tonight to be candid and blunt,” he began.

Fearnall characterized the university administration as content to let the USC take on more and more responsibility for the well-being of students, without affording the student government a proper seat at the negotiating table.

“I think the USC should have a much bigger role in telling the university what it needs to do to serve student needs on campus,” he said.

Fearnall pointed out that while the USC is, and should be, responsible for providing community and peer support to students, the university has dropped the ball when it comes to its responsibility to provide professional support services on campus.

“We can help the university in certain areas through peer and community support, but we just can’t provide professional service— that’s on them.”

Another major talking point was

what Fearnall called the “climate of competition” between the university and the USC. “We can compete with the university over who’s going to serve you your bagel, or sell you your sweatshirts, but that plays out into more serious duplication of services in some areas, and holes in service in others,” he explained.

I think the USC should have a much bigger role in telling the university what it needs to do to serve student needs on campus.

—Adam Fearnall

University Students’ Council president

“We can compete over who is going to provide LGBT support, for example, but at the end of the day, the students are saying ‘We just want the service,’ while we’re squabbling—and that’s a problem.”

Fearnall also brought up a need for the USC to get more involved in the “big philosophical issues” on campus. This would be in contrast to the more fluffy issues, which he metaphorically referred to throughout his speech as “bagels”—lambasting the USC’s longtime concern over the success of

Ritchie Sham Gazette

the Spoke Café against its rival, Tim Hortons. But Fearnall stressed part of the blame lay with the university not including the USC in those kinds of discussions.

“How many years have we said parking on campus is a problem for students? Have many years have we said that study space is a problem on campus for students?

And how many noticeable changes

have we seen?” he asked the crowd passionately.

Fearnall also stated students do not have an adequate understanding of what they are paying for. While he became fairly technical in explaining how the various fees students pay in their tuition play out on campus, it always came back to his second major theme of the night—the need for the USC to

have more control over the management of student fees.

“All we need to do now is to realize that 12,000 voices are enough to make us legitimate and to deserve a multimillion dollar voice at the table.”

The university administration was not in attendance at the address and was therefore unable to comment.

Lab tech hospitalized in Robarts explosion Jesica Hurst News Editor A research technician is being treated for minor chemical burns and shock after an explosion took place in Western’s Robarts Research Institute yesterday afternoon.

According to Keith Marnoch, director of media and community relations for Western, the explosion, which was contained to one lowerlevel lab, was reported to Campus Community Police Services shortly before 3 p.m.

“Emergency services got a report of an explosion at the Robarts Research Institute and evacuated and secured the building,” Marnoch said. “I don’t have a name, but a Western research technician was treated on the scene by EMS, and they’re now being treated in emergency over at the University Hospital.”

Shortly after the technician was

taken to hospital, Western’s Hazardous Materials Team and the London Fire Department were inspecting the lab and building to make sure there were no hot spots present, which could cause a fire to flame up again. Marnoch explained the other main concern was the atmosphere of the building, but a photo ionization test was completed and determined the air quality in the building is back to normal.

“They’ve done a complete sweep and the air is clean. I’ve also been told the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is being flushed as well to make sure that there’s nothing in the air, or in the building,” he said.

Anne Shatkin, a development officer for the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, was in the building at the time of evacuation. >> see EXPLOSION pg.3

Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE

BOOM BOOM POW. The London Fire Department was called after a lower-level lab explosion at Robarts Research Institute yesterday.

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thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Caught on Camera

Crossword By Eugene Sheffer

Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE

A HAUNTING WE WILL GO. The University Students’ Council’s Haunted Forest will return October 24 and run until October 26. All spooking will occur between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the forest behind the Support Services building.

Proceeds will benefit ChildReach.

News Briefs

Smashing pumpkins on UC Hill On November 1, Western’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders will be smashing pumpkins as a metaphor for their quest to try to smash poverty in African nations.

The annual Pumpkin Drop event has returned for its eighth year, after the event fell through last year.

This year will feature two pumpkins—each weighing over 700 pounds—which will be dropped from a 200-foot high crane.

“We know there isn’t a direct link between smashing a pumpkin and ending poverty in Africa,” Graeme Clancy, director of advocacy for EWB’s Western chapter, said. “[However], raising awareness about poverty in Africa with a fun, interactive event like this will contribute to the overall efforts.”

EWB is hoping to raise roughly $2,000 from the event this year.

Many of the larger items, including the pumpkin, crane and fence are being donated by businesses in the London community.

In addition to the pumpkin drop, the event will feature fund-

Solution to puzzle on page 8

N O V A C K S

raising events, including a raffle to guess the weight of the pumpkins, an auction of the ripcord and a smaller pumpkin smash with baseball bats.

The money will go towards EWB’s current goal to send two student volunteers overseas for a summer work placement, and pay for one long-term overseas staff.

—Zoe Woods

Western hopes to engage community in the future Western is looking to the university community for help in renewing its strategic plan.

Western’s most recent plan, Engaging the Future, was created in 2007 and updated in 2010.The university community is now being asked to help create a new plan to continually improve.

“This [new strategic plan] is an opportunity for groups and individuals to make representations to the development of the plan,” Keith Marnoch, director of media and community relations at Western, said. The community is being asked for as much input as possible so the plan will meet the standards of past strategic plans.

Marnoch emphasized the principals from Engaging the Future are working, but the continuous renewal of the plan is important in keeping up with the ever-changing community at Western.

“We’re definitely not starting from scratch. We are trying to move forward and improve. The new strategic plan is an opportunity for new ideas, expansion and tweaking,” Marnoch said.

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scheduled to approve the new strategic plan in September/October 2013.

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Homeless memorial planned for the city The London Homeless Coalition is aiming to erect a memorial in order to raise awareness on the issue of homelessness in London.

The proposed memorial “would serve as a structure of acknowledgment for the issue of homelessness in our society,” Michelle Hurtubise, executive director of the London InterCommunity Health Centre, said.

If no kin or family can be contacted after a death of a homeless person, the City of London will arrange for a burial, but does not publicly fund a memorial service or grave marker. This faceless death largely causes the devaluation of human life, and the reality of homelessness goes unnoticed by the community.

“Currently, what happens is a community agency might pull together a gathering of clients, but this [new] memorial will create a centralized gathering space to acknowledge when people have passed,” Hurtubise said.

The estimated cost of the memorial is $15,000, including labour and general maintenance costs. So far, $8,000 has been raised through London Homeless Coalition agencies and private donation.

“We still have another $6,000 to $7,000 dollars to raise, but we are hoping that with sufficient funds, construction should be underway by spring to late summer,” Hurbutise said.

The monument will serve as a physical reminder of the intrinsic value of human life, and will be a small step toward creating an environment of community awareness.

—Tyler Fyfe

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The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. © 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.

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thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The end of growth is nigh David Suzuki and Jeff Rubin visit campus

Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE

THE NATURE OF LECTURES. David Suzuki and Jeff Rubin visited Alumni Hall Thursday night to discuss the issues threatening our environment, and the prospect of limited growth.

Gloria Dickie Editor-in-Chief

dent trend of environmental alarmism, Suzuki pointed out human kind was currently “at a catastrophic moment ready to plunge over the precipice.”

The solution? Both Rubin and Suzuki were evasive when it came to determining what needed to be done, but strongly advocated the need to reduce our energy demands, and move out of what Suzuki said was the “Anthroposcene Epoch”—an epoch where humans have become equivalent to a geological force.

“Let’s put the ‘eco’ back in ‘economics,’” Suzuki concluded, opening the floor for an audience question and answer session.

Both Rubin and Suzuki were grilled on topics ranging from the viability of geo-engineering to genetically modified organisms, but often diverged on the question at hand.

The evening concluded with Marnoch wrapping up the lecture, and directing patrons to a book signing being held by the two authors.

Survey says—satisfied Cam Smith News Editor Western’s claim to offer the ‘best student experience’ recently received some more validation. Yesterday, in The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report, Western was ranked top in student satisfaction with an ‘A’ ranking for the 11th year in a row, along with the University of Guelph.

According to Steve Tustin, editor of the Canadian University Report, the annual report is a comprehensive look at the experience students receive at universities across Canada.

“The [student] survey is conducted for our [report] every year.

The results you see reflects the views of 31,000 students who responded to our questionnaire,” Tustin explained. “That’s a fairly significant cross section of students.”

Though the survey reflects the opinion of current undergraduates,

its intention is to accurately portray the university experience to students applying out of high school, and their parents.

I think it deserves its ranking—Western puts a lot into their student experience.

—Shannon Brown

Fifth-year science student

“We try to provide a guide, and perhaps answer some questions that students might have about where universities might rank in some other categories from other undergraduates,” Tustin explained. “[The categories] are tailored in such a way, so we try to paint a picture of what your life might be like

on a particular campus, depending on where you want to go.”

“We try with the stories in the [report] to give some guidance to students in a broad sense about their decisions, and their parents too.”

For students at Western, though individual experiences might vary, there seems to be a general agreement with the survey results.

“It’s been pretty good, I’m fairly satisfied,” Shannon Brown, a fifthyear science student, said. “Some people are more satisfied than others.”

According to Brown, it’s primarily the social aspects of Western which contribute to its satisfied students.

“The student experience is defined mostly by clubs and also by residence, and a little bit of class,” she said. “I think it deserves its ranking—Western puts a lot into their student experience.”

Come work with jerks!

>> continued from pg.1

“I was on the telephone when the fire alarm went off,” Shatkin said. “We all just grabbed our things and left the building.”

Although some bystanders outside the building were unaware of what had happened, a building supervisor stopped by and provided more details about what happened to the group of people Shatkin was standing with. Those who were evacuated were allowed in to retrieve their belongings at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Volunteer for Gazette News! news@westerngazette.ca

One thing I have to say is Western has been very good here about making sure we’re all trained in WHMIS, and that we’ve all been through safety procedures in case anything like this does happen.

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In Shatkin’s years of working at Western, she has never witnessed an incident like this, or been evacuated from a building because of similar circumstances.

“One thing I have to say is Western has been very good here about making sure we’re all trained in WHMIS, and that we’ve all been through safety procedures in case anything like this does happen,” she said. “We never feel unsafe— we always know what the process is. There is a lot of security and signage around to make you feel safe.”

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Environmentalist David Suzuki and former bank economist Jeff Rubin brought their ‘Eco Tour’ to a packed Alumni Hall Thursday night—the eighth stop on a 10city tour—to address, what they say is, the “end of growth.”

After a brief introduction by Western’s director of media and community relations Keith Marnoch, Rubin took the stage, stating boldly, “Every major global recession over the past 40 years has had oil’s fingerprints all over it.”

Rubin, former chief economist for CIBC, went on to trace the havoc oil dependence has wreaked on our economy, making note of the OPEC oil shocks of the 1970s and 1990s, and the subsequent recessions.

“No one has to tell me how damaging [energy shocks] were on financial institutions—why do you think I’m an author now?”

Rubin joked, referencing his book and namesake of the lecture, The End of Growth.

In the end, Rubin alleged these prolonged shocks would cause the “end of growth as we know it.”

While Rubin kept the audience in rapt attention, it seemed the majority of the crowd was there to see the famed Suzuki, best known for his long-running show on CBC Television, The Nature of Things.

As the white-haired Suzuki, clothed in a Bohemian brown vest characteristic of the movements of the 1960s, walked up to the microphone, the audience erupted in a resounding bout of applause, leaving many environmentalists in the crowd “breathless.”

Suzuki began by explaining the reasoning for the name ‘Eco Tour,’ demonstrating both economy and ecology come from the Greek word “ecos” which means household or domain. In this instance, Suzuki interpreted the term to mean biosphere.

“Nothing within a finite area can grow forever, unless you’re a cancer cell, and the end result, as you all know, is death,” he said.

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thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Arts&Life

word of the day Phenakism Noun. Deception; trickery.

Bungalow burgers beat beef battlers

Visual Recap > Walk Off the Earth

Verbal Azalt Aaron Zaltzman News Editor

Ritchie Sham GAZETTE

YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO CUT ME O—. Last Friday, Burlington, Ontario natives Walk Off the Earth played a mix of original and cover songs at the Wave to promote their new album R.E.V.O. The band is best known for their YouTube cover hit of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Their performance at Western did not disappoint.

Tusks charges forward Toronto band releases new album

It’s a question as old as cooked meat itself that has plagued every civilization since—which place has the best burger?

London’s student-heavy area offers a number of fine choices. You can go with the Works, which is backed up by its reputation from other cities. With its—let’s face it—insane collection of burger varieties, the Works can offer novel experiences to even the most welltravelled of tongues.

Alternatively, one could go with any classic fast-food burger, such as McDonalds, Wendy’s or Burger King. While some may be quick to condemn such institutions as the refuge of the troglodytes, they should keep in mind the old adage that simple is often better.

However, for the serious burger aficionado, there is only one place to find a match for your highly critical palette. I must give you a fair warning—dining at The Bungalow Neighborhood Hub, 910 Waterloo Street, will absolutely ruin other, lesser burgers for you.

To properly describe the burgers at Bungalow, one must leave the usual framework and understand that it transcends normal food. All great idols from history stand on the shoulders of lower, but nonetheless, important actors. These serve to illustrate the superiority of the Bungalow burger, reinforcing its place as the champion of London burgers.

Bungalow’s strength is that it doesn’t rely on one champion—as a customer you may select your patty from an all-star team that includes beef, premium beef, boar and buffalo. There are also some less overtly masculine options such as turkey, salmon, tuna and portobello burgers for those that prefer second liners.

Like all great champions, Bungalow’s burgers come dressed in all sorts of finery. You can choose to anoint your meat experience in all sorts of toppings including bacon, chorizo, guacamole, jalapenos and many others.

Bungalow burgers should, rightfully, be served upon a platter of patties from the various, inferior spots around London, the remnants of foes that were defeated and humiliated before the might the almighty champion of grilled meat.

These would serve to drive home the point—you have chosen the greatest hero from the pantheon of hamburgers.

Prepare for glory.

Lifestyle Brief

Ontario cervical cancer screening guidelines change

Courtesy of Matt Charlton

Alison Knight Contributor For Toronto band Tusks, it’s all about the music. Lead singer Samir Khan has sung alongside Arcade Fire’s drummer Jeremy Gara in the bands Weights & Measures and Kepler—they even used to be roommates. But Khan and his four-man Tusks crew aren’t concerned with the fame.

“I would like things to be a little more home-spun,” says Khan, who puts value in a less commercial music scene. “A lot of people think that musical communities are important and try to organize that way, but people are doing commercials and stuff now. I get it, you make money and you’re trying to get sales, but there’s something very un-rockand-roll about a lot of things.”

Before forming in 2005, Tusks has been actively involved in Canada’s indie music scene since the late 90s, belonging to bands such as Kepler, Snailhouse, Weights & Measures and Bruce Peninsula. Their first album, a six-track EP was released in 2008. After this, the band’s

future was uncertain until original members Khan and Shaw-han Liem were lucky enough to acquire Steven McKay and Jordan Howard to replace their departed drummer and guitarist.

“It’s been a little while since our last record, so there have been some changes and we have some different members in the band,” Khan says. “I’ve known Shaw-han since I lived in Ottawa, he’s played in Tusks from the beginning. Steven and Jordan I just know from playing music in and around Toronto. It’s been really great since they joined.”

Tusks’ new album, Total Entertainment, came out October 23. The tracks range from upbeat to soothing, providing a refreshing range of sounds.

“I’m sure there are consistent things about the record, but it’s not a consistent record. We have a short attention span. I’ll write one song and then try to make something different,” Khan explains.

The band consistently aims to be humble, yet innovative with their sound. “What I would aspire to is this adventurous spirit behind

our music. Hopefully, it sounds like somebody with a diverse record collection.”

Their unique name also reflects their down-to-earth vibe. Though inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s album Tusk, Khan explains that there’s more to it.

“We sometimes do and sometimes don’t sound like them. It was more like that record is a lost record, an old classic. I like that sensibility and the way it sounded kind of animalistic.”

Tusks kicks off their tour on October 24 in Guelph before heading to St. Catherines, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Unfortunately, their October 25 appearance at London’s APK Live was cancelled due to the venue’s closure on October 15. The band does, however, plan to make an appearance in London in the near future.

“I’m sure that once the guys at APK Live get something new together we’ll be there. I know they said that once they do they’d love to have us in London at some point soon.”

Most women diagnosed with cervical cancer have never been screened through a pap test, or have never been screened regularly. All it takes is a simple test and a few minutes in your doctor’s office.

These are lines from Cancer Care Ontario’s recently updated promotion video. The new video outlines Cancer Care Ontario’s changes in cervical cancer screening guidelines.

Cervical cancer is an infection on the opening of the uterus caused by persistent HPV. HPV, short for human papilloma virus, is amongst one of the most common infections passed through sexual contact.

“Most of the time, our own immune system takes care of it, yet on some occasions HPV persists, leading to cervical cancer in the end,” explains Meg McLachlin, senior medical director of Diagnostic Services at London Health Sciences Centre.

Regular screenings can detect changes in the cervix, which cannot be detected by the eye. According to McLachlin, waiting for visual symptoms may be too late.

“When someone has already acquired cervical cancer, there is no way for them to tell themselves,” she says. Even though cervical cancer is preventable, about 550 women in Ontario are diagnosed with cancer of the cervix annu-

ally, and about 160 of these women die from this disease, according to Cancer Care Ontario.

The previous recommendation for screening was three years after initial sexual intercourse, and then every two to three years after that.

However, as McLachlin explains, “most HPV infections are very transient and can be handled by their own immune system. The real risk of cervical cancer doesn’t really increase until they reach age 21, or for some, even 30.”

When someone has already acquired cervical cancer, there is no way for them to tell themselves.

—Meg McLachlin

Senior medical director of Diagnostic Services at London Health Sciences Centre.

Cancer Care Ontario recommends all girls at the age of 21, who are or who have ever been sexually active, should go through a pap test, and continue with regular testing every three years after that. These updated guidelines clarify the age of screening and the optimum screening intervals. Taking such safety precautions could catch not only HPV, but signs of cervical cancer early on.

—Danning Huang

•5

thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Editor’s Picks > The essentials for your week

ON TV

ON DVD

IN THEATRES

ON DISC

ON THE CHARTS

Revolution

That’s My Boy

Antiviral

Red — Taylor Swift

Earlier this month, NBC picked up the new science fiction show Revolution for a full season.

Created by Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams, who are known for shows such as Supernatural and Lost respectively, Revolution occurs in a post-apocalyptic setting where all technology has been wiped out.

The show asks, “What would you do without it all?” Five episodes into its first season, Revolution focuses on the mysteries and dangers of a dystopian future. In a world of blackness, the main characters try to light their way to some answers about the past.

Adam Sandler’s back at it—this time, with comedian Andy Samberg and posh gossip girl Leighton Meester.

Sandler’s movie That’s My Boy has received criticism for being both ridiculous and offensive, which makes you want to see it, right?

Sandler plays Donny Berger, an incompetent father who is estranged from his son (Andy Samberg).

That’s My Boy focuses on the misadventures of the father-son duo after their reunion. If the famous cast and bizarre storyline isn’t enough to capture your attention, note that Vanilla Ice also makes an appearance —as himself.

Brandon Cronenberg, son of the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg, starts his directing career with Antiviral.

Cronenberg Jr. starts in his father’s genre with a venereal horror film about a society where people can get closer to the stars by purchasing the illnesses of the famous celebrities. Antiviral takes celebrity obsession to its logical conclusion in a film for people afraid of needles.

Famous country-pop singer Taylor Swift is inspiring female-dominated karaoke sessions around the world again with her new album Red. Released this past Monday, her fourth studio album features catchy break-up track “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” as well as “Begin Again,” which provides yet another perspective on a really bad relationship. Swift seems to churn out one break-up song after another—but she’s made a fortune doing it. Grab this album, grab your country boots, grab your friends and get ready for some sing-along material.

“Locked out of Heaven” — Bruno Mars The lead single, “Locked out of Heaven,” from Bruno Mars’ upcoming album, Unorthodox Jukebox, is a smooth and catchy song that promises a great follow-up album to his acclaimed 2010 album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. With a triumphant crescendo on its chorus and a funky smooth sound, “Locked out of Heaven” manages to find a sweet spot between its elegant sound with its raunchy subject matter. With this song, Bruno Mars proves that he is still knocking on the door of the musical gods.

New Paranormal movie lacks activity Ross Hamilton Contributor GHFFF Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman Starring: Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively Halloween is fast approaching, and with it come several seasonal staples that are difficult to escape at this time of year. Costumes fill store windows, carved pumpkins line porches and the latest chapter in the now-annual Paranormal Activity series has arrived in cinemas.

Promotional material for the film boldly promises that “all the activity has led to this…”—a statement that’s impossible to refute.

However, what ‘this’ unfortunately turns out to be is nothing more than tedium, disappointment and mild irritation.

The original Paranormal Activity was a limited, but undeniably tense little horror film that cre-

atively used its meager budget to induce if not many outright scares, then certainly a protracted feeling of dread and unease. It worked because it took a single concept and stuck to it, creating the air of plausibility crucial to the success of ‘found footage’ films, and honed with such finesse in The Blair Witch Project and [REC], the finest examples of the genre to date.

Sadly, all that remains of these humble beginnings are a tired, played-out premise and returning demonic vessel Katie (Katie Featherston). The huge increase in budget hasn’t led to any developments in narrative or scare tactics either, and has instead served to actually diminish the series’ greatest asset. Gone is the immersive, lo-fi aesthetic of Paranormal Activity, and the faux-retro look of prequel Paranormal Activity 3. In their place is a film that may look sharper, clearer and better defined than its predecessors, but is ultimately cheapened by its glossier

file photo

coat.

Even the well-established, underlying concept—a family places cameras around their house in order to capture some supernatural shenanigans on film—is needlessly complicated here, with the narrative contrivance providing

LIFTing indie filmmakers Ross Hamilton Contributor Last Thursday, Museum London continued their recent run of cinema-related events in the lead up to next year’s film festival by screening a selection of short films curated by LIFT, the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto.

Celebrating its 30th birthday, LIFT appropriately commissioned work from 30 renowned artists and filmmakers, with the loose mandate that films should originate on, or in the spirit of, the iconic Super 8mm film.

The results were eclectic to say the least, but quality and ingenuity were present throughout. The 29 films showcased spanned everything from hand-drawn animation to visually diverse triptychs to cinematic collages composed entirely of found footage. And while most contributors opted for a more abstract, impressionistic approach, there were also more conventional

moments of humour and tragedy to be found.

The event was introduced by LIFT’s executive director, Ben Donoghue, who wryly acknowledged the difficulties of assembling a body of films from such a large number of artists, but for the most part, the emphasis was on the movies themselves. Indeed, the most extensive discussion of LIFT and its history on this significant anniversary came from Alan Zweig’s video 30 Found Clips and a story I’ve told before, a short piece that combined a narration on the origins of the organization with footage from Zweig’s first ever film project as young student.

Other highlights included Madi Piller’s visually arresting diptych 7200 Frames Under the Sun, Nobu Adilman’s creative filming of a diary in A+, and John Porter’s hypnotic, long-exposure, performance piece Light Sleeper. The latter was shot continuously for ten hours, and whilst it was the only film ex-

hibited on the night using an authentic Super 8 projector, it demonstrated perfectly the aesthetic value that the old format still holds.

Admittedly, there were some films that strayed too far into the realm of the bizarre—Julieta Maria’s On Firm Ground, for instance, presented several minutes of a woman’s arms, feet and face being trodden on—but the overall quality of the work was undeniable and the immense variety of the films on display meant that there was plenty to satisfy all tastes.

Going forward, Museum London’s cinematic schedule will resume next month with the London Short Film Showcase, and LIFT has workshops and programs organized over the coming months in different locations. A lot has changed in the last 30 years of cinema, but on the strength of the creativity shown here by Ontario’s independent filmmakers, it seems the collective can look forward to many more years of success.

yet another distraction from what little fright there is to be found.

All this, combined with some astoundingly brazen product placement, makes for an experience completely devoid of tension or terror, and one that is more likely to bore than it is to thrill.

With luck, lessons will be learned before next year’s inevitable Paranormal Activity 5 rolls around. In the meantime, fans of the genre would be better off renting [REC] again than dealing with this latest, abject Paranormal installment.

6•

thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Opinions Letter to the Editor

USC and Western need strong partnership to increase student engagement To the Editor: Monday night’s State of the USC Address from Adam Fearnall outlines a major shift in the focus of the University Students’ Council. The USC is finally ready to prioritize its vital role as the voice of Western students.

It’s a relief to see a president who is ready to walk away from internal battles and focus on more than just building his own legacy.

There are two major questions that arise from the address. Firstly, what does an engaged student population look like? Student engagement was mentioned quite a few times on Monday night and we’ve heard the buzzword before, but we need to start defining what that means. How can the university engage students? How can the USC help to facilitate this engagement?

The second question now is how can the USC effectively move forward and turn this prioritization into reality?

If the USC executive is serious about this change, it should start by outlining an action plan. The university administration is preparing a strategic plan that will guide the direction of this campus for the next few years.

If we are serious about prioritizing student voice, let’s push for university administration to commit to concrete partnership with students in its strategic plan.

As a student senator, I have doubts about the ease by which this can be accomplished. It’s important we all start talking about the realities of this goal—this shift will take years, not months.

This is a profound shift, but it’s what students have wanted for a long time. I think this prioritization is a great step forward for our university, and finding an answer to these two questions is crucial in order to move forward. I’m excited to see what progress we can make this year.

—Pat Whelan Senator-at-large

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.

—Harvey S. Firestone, American industrialist

Internet allows cyberbullies to hit home Wrath of McGrath Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor These days it seems like everything is going online—even bullying.

By now, most are familiar with Amanda Todd’s tragic story, and just recently a story broke that eight girls from a London high school are facing criminal harassment charges. A common thread between these two cases is cyber-bullying.

I’d guess a large majority of bullying is now delivered virtually, considering kids as young as 10 years old own smartphones and are probably more tech-savvy than their parents.

Likely, there are still instances in which traditional schoolyard taunting exists, but the bully is not necessarily the Herculean stereotype depicted in cartoons anymore. The new bully does not rely on brute strength or an entourage of cronies.

We are in an era where victims, within the confines of their homes, can be targeted relentlessly on a daily basis. The new 21st century bully can hide behind a computer screen, and through the avenues of social media and messaging, can instantly deliver relentless insults to the victim.

What was once a refuge for the victim has now become just as cruel a place as the schoolyard—home does not present an escape, but instead a place of more bullying.

While the Internet may be a vehicle in which insults are delivered nowadays, it is also ironically the avenue through which many victims seek support.

On popular sites such as Reddit, it’s common to come across personal stories of bullying. Posts from victims looking for answers, support or even fellow victims—anything to make them feel less ostracized.

Take Amanda Todd for example.

After being bullied for years by fellow peers, Amanda felt helpless, alone and desperate. And the Internet, the place where she made the original error of flashing her breasts on webcam—the place where her encounter with bullying first began—was also the place she turned to for guidance. Amanda posted a plea on YouTube, sharing her story and seeking someone to listen.

With bullying so prevalent right now, it’s appropriate that it has been brought up in parliament. A New Democrat MP, Dany Morin, has put forward a new motion calling for the creation of a House of Commons committee to build a national bullying prevention strategy.

But how is a government initiative supposed to reach every child who may be suffering? This is where our generation needs to step up. We, like so many children, have grown up with the Internet.

Parents may not know about browsing history, but we do. I believe that for children and young adults, privacy is a privilege and not one that should be automatically assumed.

If you have younger relatives, then take it upon yourself to keep a watchful eye. Parents, older siblings, teachers and volunteer workers—everyone has a responsibility. It’s no longer an excuse to say, “you didn’t know what they were up to online.” Ask. With the rise of smartphones, tablets and laptops, cyber-bullying may only continue to rise.

And perhaps that’s the most tormenting thought of all.

#win The Lance Armstrong saga is coming to its crux, as the athlete is being asked to return the prize money from his Tour de France titles. The amount is estimated at £2.4 million, and is compounded by $7.5 million in bonuses to his Texas insurance company. It’s nice to see an athlete held accountable for their past actions.

thegazette

Volume 106, Issue 28 www.westerngazette.ca

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

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Dear Life

Your anonymous letters to life.

Dear Life, It’s 15 degrees out, let the CG epidemic begin.

Dear Life, Why do people at the UCC Tim Hortons refuse to line up under the sign saying ‘line up here?’

Dear Life, Western just sent me an email telling me that I can expect an email later this week with regards to some survey or whatever.

I don’t need you to EMAIL ME TO TELL ME YOU’RE GOING TO EMAIL ME! Dear Life, Who decided to make salt and pepper the king and queen of spices?

Dear Life, Only two more months until the end of the world! Maybe if I procrastinate on my thesis till then I won’t have to do it.

Submit your letters to life at www.westerngazette.ca /dearlife.

#fail The St.Louis Cardinals are the recipients of today’s #fail, as they failed to hold onto a 3-1 series lead, and allowed the San Francisco Giants to come back from a 2-game deficit to win a series for the second time this year. The Cardinals were outscored 20-1 in the final three games, and their poor play has left them packing their bags and going home.

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

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 •

•7

thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Sports

saywhat?

“If we cannot accomplish that kind of standard [of high play], I am inclined to not play it.”

>> NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, on the status of the Pro Bowl

Rundown >> The Western Mustangs women’s basketball team ended off the University of Alberta’s Hoopfest tournament the right way—defeating the Brock Badgers by a score of 62–57.

Straight set loss not indicative of close affair Gee-Gees narrowly defeat Mustangs in hard-fought game Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor The Mustangs women’s volleyball team opened up their season with a split, winning their opening match on Saturday against the Brock Badgers 3–1, but losing in straight sets to the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sunday.

Even with the loss, Mustangs head coach Dave Edwards said he was happy with the weekend’s results.

“I’m very pleased—the weekend was a good outcome,” he said.

The optimism stems from the fact that, though his team lost to the Gee-Gees, they are the seventhranked team in the nation and his team stayed in close with the Ottawa squad, losing the sets only marginally.

Mustangs captain Danielle Marshall explained knowing they could stick with a veteran squad like Ottawa till the dying points of a set is a positive the Mustangs will take away from this loss.

“It’s early in the season, so there’s lots to improve on,” she added.

The opening set remained close, with neither team being able to string together a solid run of points to form a substantial lead. Late in the set, the Mustangs did have a slight advantage over the visitors, but veteran Karina Krueger Schwanke led the Ottawa attack, which proved to be more than Western could handle as they lost the set 25–23.

Ottawa carried their momentum into the second set, looking more organized and executing their attack more efficiently, leav-

Ritchie Sham GAZETTE

ONE OF YOU BETTER HIT THIS. After winning their first game of the season, the Mustangs took on the Ottawa Gee-Gees Sunday. The 3-0 score didn’t do the Mustangs justice–they brought Ottawa to the brink and only narrowly lost each of the three sets.

ing the Mustangs on their heels.

At one point, the Mustangs looked completely lost down 17–7.

“There was a stretch in that second set where we just didn’t come out and compete,” Edwards admitted after the game.

However, thanks to aggressive hitting from Mustangs left side hitter Rebecca Oxland, who finished the game with 10 kills, the Mustangs climbed their way back into the match.

With Ottawa verging on another set win, Mustangs middle Marshall delivered one of her three solo

Mike Laine Gazette

blocks of the game to save the set and tie it up at 24. Though Western would go on to have two set points, they failed to seal the deal and the Gee-Gees managed to squeak by with the 28–26 set win.

Ottawa Gee-Gees head coach Lionel Woods commended the Mustangs for their second set comeback.

“We’d get up by a lot and then we’d take the foot off just a bit,” he said. “They’re a good enough team that all they needed is a little crack and away they came.”

In the third set, the Mustangs

jumped out to a quick 4–0 lead, but the Gee-Gees fought back, proving why they’re one of the teams to beat in the Ontario University Athletics. With Ottawa up 24–22, Oxland hit the ball into the net to end any chance of a comeback win. Though the result may not have been what Edwards wanted, he was still proud of the character his team showed.

“We fought every point, and yes, we had opportunities to get the outcome we wanted and we didn’t,” he said. “We can’t allow ourselves to think about the negative things that we didn’t do, but

build on the positives that we saw this weekend.”

And it’s because of those positives—solid blocking, a well-balanced offence and good setting— that Edwards thinks this year’s team has what it takes to get back to the Final Four.

“I’m quietly optimistic about where we’re going to be,” he said.

“There’s a lot of parity within the OUA this year, but we have a team that people have to look out for.”

This Friday the Mustangs will travel to Toronto to take on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

Ritchie Sham Gazette

8•

thegazette • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Western rowers strong at premier regatta

Alyssa Ethier Gazette

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Richard Raycraft Sports Editor The Mustang rowing team turned in a very strong performance this weekend at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. Competing against Olympians, top-ranked American and Canadian schools and a number of national rowing teams, the Mustangs efforts were rewarded with respectable finishes on all fronts, including a first-place finish by the women’s lightweight fours.

The regatta, which takes place every October, is one of the top rowing competitions in the world, drawing many national team-cali-

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ber rowers from all over the world.

“The rowers exceeded my expectations,” Volker Nolte, head coach of the rowing team, said.

“We had requests from our rowers for many years that we should go there, and after the outstanding performances from last year, I said this is the year we should go and show that we could do very well.”

The lightweight women’s four team pulled off a first place finish in their race. Consisting of Sarah Christensen, Alyssa Ethier, Sara Matovic, Melissa Falchuk and coxswain Celine Girard, the women beat out a field of 15 other teams to snatch the victory for Western.

“When I took over here, the lightweight women’s program was very weak,” Nolte reflected. “We put out a long term plan, and we are extremely glad that the plan worked out and now they’ve won this race which we certainly didn’t expect.”

The championship women’s four team finished strong in eighth place out of a field of 21 competitors. There was more good news for the Mustangs in this race, however, as Rowing Canada took first place with a Mustang and a former Mustang on board in Jennifer Martins and Sarah Black, respectively.

The lightweight women’s single event saw Mustang Erin Snelgrove take fifth place while representing St. Catharines Rowing Club.

The men nearly replicated the women’s success, with the men’s championship four crossing the finish line third, just ahead of the

United States National Team. The men’s lightweight eights were also successful, finishing seventh and beating out every other Canadian team.

Adam Rabalski, Western’s entry in the men’s champion single, faced the most difficult competition the regatta had to offer, including an Olympic gold medalist.

“Adam Rabalski probably had the toughest field of all the athletes there,” Nolte commented. “He is striving to become a national team athlete and go to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and he certainly showed that he has all the abilities to reach this goal.”

Despite the competition, Rabalski’s determination gave him an eleventh-place finish out of a field of 27 competitors.

For Nolte, the success at one of the world’s premier rowing competitions came as a result of the hard work of the coaches, athletes and all those who contribute to the rowing program.

“We have an outstanding coaching staff. I really believe that we provide our student rowers here at Western with the most modern training and the best training possible,” Nolte said. “Overall, we try to provide our student athletes with the best environment to improve to the highest level, and each student proved how far they want to go.”

Next up for the rowing team will be the Ontario University Athletics Championship, which will take place in St. Catharines on October 27.

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