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Suck our kicks. Western’s men’s soccer team played two games this weekend. >> See details on pg. 7
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East Adelaide doesn’t condone methadone Jesica Hurst News Editor The ongoing battle between residents of an east London neighbourhood and a methadonedispensing pharmacy has finally come to a halt—at least for the time being. Since July, the London residents have been kept in the dark with what has been happening at the newly opened London Drug Mart located at 1617 Dundas Street. But after taking matters into their own hands during a protest on September 3, the clinic was shut down at the end of their shift on September 9. However, since no one can confirm why the clinic closed, Marsha*, a fifth-year Western student and resident of the neighbourhood, believes this may be a shortterm resolution. “There is rumor the clinic was shut down because of the protest, but that hasn’t been confirmed,” she said. “It has shut its doors for now, but the computers are still plugged in and there are still some lights on.” “This is just a temporary thing. This battle may be done, but the war isn’t over.” Marsha and the majority of her neighbours were surprised when they first found out they had been living beside a methadone clinic.
“One day, a sign appeared saying London Drug Mart, and some of my neighbours had suspected they were dispensing methadone,” she explained. “I thought this was impossible—there had been no grand opening, no banners or flyers sent out throughout the neighbourhood. According to people who live directly across from the clinic, they noticed clients going in there while the place was still under construction.” According to Marsha, they never had to inform local residents about the clinic because less than 40 patients were being treated there— the main reasoning behind the protest on Labour Day. Although Paul Hubert, Ward 3 councillor, is unaware why the clinic was closed, he doesn’t think the location of the clinic is the issue. “I think there’s an appropriate place for these clinics, and that’s why we have a bylaw in place to ensure that methadone-dispensing pharmacies are only in certain areas,” Hubert said. “In my personal opinion, we need to wonder why only some pharmacies are dispensing methadone. If all of our pharmacies in London dispensed ten doses of methadone a day, it wouldn’t be a congregation at one particular location.” In an attempt to close down the clinic as quickly as it opened, Marsha and a few other local residents
FILE PHOTO
THIS IS YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD ON METH. A downtown methadone clinic, like the one pictured here at 528 Dundas Street, shut down September 9 for reasons unknown.
from the area began taking photos of the patients entering London Drug Mart—something Hubert argued was inappropriate. “There are other avenues for getting your voice heard. I guess they can protest outside on the sidewalk if they want to, but do we want to demean the person who is trying to get treatment?” he said. “I think we have to be very careful
that we don’t lose our dignity in the context of getting our message out there.” But Marsha wants London residents to understand this protest was not meant to target or victimize the local methadone users. “I understand that picture taking does bother some people, but these photos aren’t going anywhere beyond a memory stick in my
room,” she said. “We are not against methadone users or methadone as a treatment. We are not saying methadone is right or wrong. Our issue is with the policy that enabled this solely methadone-dispensing pharmacy in our neighbourhood— something we want city councillors to address.” *Source’s last name has been removed to preserve anonymity.
Canada 5th worldwide in economic freedom Alex Carmona News Editor
Stats
Rankings of Economic Freedom 1. Hong Kong 2. Singapore 3. New Zealand 4. Switzerland 5. Australia (tie) 5. Canada (tie) … 18. United States Source: Fraser Institute
Anyone who thinks the U.S. provides the best economic opportunities on the continent may want to think again. New data released Monday by the Fraser Institute puts Canada squarely ahead of its southern neighbours in economic freedom, a measure often linked to a nation’s overall level of prosperity. The Economic Freedom of the World report places Canada fifth worldwide, with the U.S. lagging sorely behind in 18th place. “When it comes down to it, economic freedom is the ability of individuals and families to make their own economic decisions free of interference by government or other powerful economic players,” Fred McMahon, vice-president international relations for the Fraser Institute, explained. “For example, it’s economic freedom that prevents the rich and
the powerful from taking advantage of the weak and the poor,” he said. James Gwartney, the primary author of the report, stressed the importance of economic freedom in a well-functioning capitalist society. “It’s really the main institution that underlies a market economy,” he said. “Many people don’t realize how crucial it is.” McMahon elaborated that economic freedom is not an issue that only relates to ivory tower economists. He said it’s an issue that pervades everyday life. “Economics impacts every day people both directly and indirectly. First, it gives people the freedom to choose, compete, to start their own business,” he explained. “But the indirect increases in positive outcomes in economies with a high degree of economic freedom are really quite astonishing as well. The drive and ingenuity
of people beats government planning every day of the week, so that spurs growth and prosperity.” Economic freedom is based on
The drive and ingenuity of people beats government planning every day of the week, so that spurs growth and prosperity. —Fred McMahon
Vice-president international relations for the Fraser Institute
the general principle that everyday people, working freely in coordination, create a better economy than can be created through high levels of government intervention. “Individuals are much better
judges of what they want than either a government bureaucrat, or a crony capitalist. Those things bleed over into an incredible array of positive outcomes that are associated with economic freedom,” he said. According to McMahon, such outcomes include longer lifespans, greater pay equality between men and women and the eradication of the dire kinds of poverty that plague less industrialized countries. He credited Canada’s rise through the ranks to policy implemented by Prime Minister Chretien. “Jean Chretien is from the left wing of a center-left party, yet he reduced the size of government and increased the space of free exchange proportionally more than Margaret Thatcher or even Ronald Reagan did.”
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thegazette • Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Caught on Camera
Crossword By Eugene Sheffer Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS. A student braves the sudden shift in weather under Middlesex Memorial Tower on Tuesday.
News Briefs
Reddit at Rick’s coming soon
Solution to puzzle on page 8
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After the success of the first Reddit meetup last Saturday, a second event, “Reddit at Ricks,” has been scheduled for September 26 and will take place at the Spoke. After attending the meetup one of the participants, Jonas Trottier, a thirdyear biology student at Western, decided to arrange another one. According to Trottier, there is always a possibility that a Reddit meeting will become uncomfortable. “Whenever you hold a Reddit meetup there is the chance that things are going to get really awkward really fast.” He went on to explain the people who gather at these meetings do not necessarily have anything more in common than their use of the website. “I was really pleased to see that we managed to avoid that sort of awkwardness for the most part,” Trottier said. “For the couple hours I was there at the last meetup, the conversation was lively with only the occasional lull.” However, this second meetup will be less focused on conversation and more on live entertainment. Trottier said he hopes the added element of Rick McGhie’s performance will help minimize the awkwardness even further, as well as provide additional incentive for Redditors to attend the event. Trottier explained he selected Rick’s night for the meetup because of the alliteration of the title, although that wasn’t his only reason. “It’s on campus, so it shouldn’t be a problem commuting for most people,” Trottier said. “The entertainment provides an incen-
tive for people who might not feel like coming out to a regular meetup where the focus is on Reddit. This way the focus is on Rick’s, but you get to enjoy it with fellow Redditors.” —Elizabeth Harris
Cutting corners on post-secondary The Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students held a conference on Friday addressing a discussion paper released by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in June. The ministry proposed to shorten undergraduate degrees and offer more online classes with the suggestion of creating an institution dedicated entirely to online education. “The major concern is that the government is trying to find ways to cut costs and not have a quality online experience,” Sarah Jayne King, chairperson of CFS Ontario, said. “Online education is not actually cheaper to execute, but it can be low cost at low quality.” The ministry appeared to be aiming at improving education accessibility. However, King believed that, “online access would not [necessarily] improve the accessibility.” King also suggested lack of funding limited the quality of available education. “If we wanted to have more online learning, then it would need to be better funded, but the system, as it is, is under-funded,” she said. “There are a lot of issues in quality and accessibility of education that aren’t being addressed. The ministry isn’t talking about tuition, about quality and how they’re willing to fund this.” —Kaitlyn Oh
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, September 19, 2012
City council to dial up meeting schedule
Caught on Camera
Megan Devlin Gazette Staff
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
KNOW HOW THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN? Think you can do better? Prove it by volunteering your photo skills for the Gazette in UCC 263.
Coombes’ aunt remembers his adventurous life Cam Smith News Editor The tragic death of Gareth Coombes left many close to him stunned and grieving—few more so than his aunt Zheny Coombes. “We’re still in a state of shock about what happened,” she explained. Zheny went on to remember her nephew as an adventurous and intelligent young man. “He loved to travel,” she said. “He was very gentle, but he was always thinking—probably thinking when he would go on his next adventure.” For Gareth, a native of Victoria, British Columbia, coming to Western was part of his ambition for travel and new experiences. “He wanted the best future, being in the university [at Western],” Zheny explained. “It was part of his adventure.” She also went on to extol the virtues of Gareth’s lifestyle, which took him all over the world, providing him with an exceptional experience of the world. She advised Gareths’s peers to live likewise, and offered them her sympathy. “Keep on with school. Gareth liked to be the best at everything, and go adventuring the way he did,” Zheny said. “I send my condolences to [his peers], I know Gareth was easy to love and like and
AN ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT. Gareth Coombes (middle of bottom row) died early Saturday morning after a fall from a railway bridge.
City hall is tweaking its structure to allow for more frequent, and hopefully more productive, meetings. Plans for re-organization were shared Monday at a strategic priorities and policy committee meeting, and went to council Tuesday night for approval. Cathy Saunders, city clerk, outlined the changes the report recommended. The meeting schedule will be altered to establish a two-week cycle instead of the current three-week one. Meetings will now start at 4 p.m. to deal with confidential matters before the press and public are allowed in at 5 p.m. Several committees will be merged to reduce the total number of standing committees from eight to six. “[The changes are] to address concerns with respect to the frequency and length of council and standing committee meetings,” Saunders said. More frequent meetings endeavor to quicken turn-around time for decisions, to clarify standing committee mandates and to shorten the length of individual meetings. Gina Barber, former city councilor, thinks the changes, coupled with consideration by councillors when choosing their committees, will lead to increased efficiency. Starting meetings earlier will avoid talking about sensitive issues late into the night, and rearranging the committees will lead to a more balanced workload. “There have been complaints by councillors that there are too many meetings and they go on too long. There is the perception that
three weeks is too long between meetings resulting in lengthy agendas. It is hoped that the committees will become more efficient as a result [of the new bi-weekly schedule],” Barber said. Barber also believed that councillors need to take personal initiative if meetings are to run smoothly. “The restructure is pretty minor in the scheme of things. What is needed is for councillors to choose and be appointed to committees that they care about and are willing to put time and energy into. Councillors need to read and understand the agendas and reports. They have to do their homework so they can debate intelligently,” Barber said. “They need to select chairs for committees on the basis of skill and knowledge, not for personal or ideological reasons. They need to listen more and talk less. The mayor needs to stop micromanaging every committee.” Paul Hubert, Ward 8 councillor, acknowledged a new schedule alone will not increase efficiency— it must be accompanied by diligence on behalf of the councillors. “The work load has not varied. Preparation for committees requires hours of reading, researching and reflecting. Thoughtful leadership will be required to invest this time. The changes could facilitate the achievement of effective decision making if councilors do the prep work,” Hubert said. While the changes are more of a tweak than an overhaul, both councillors believed shorter, more focused, more frequent meetings would be more accessible, and allow more Londoners observe discussions at city hall.
News Briefs
I’m sure they will miss him.” However, following the accident, Zheny encouraged students to take heed of the unfortunate choices made and make responsible decisions. “Don’t be stupid,” she said. “I think these young people in the university, I’m sure they will miss him, and learn from what happened, and not do similar things.” Zheny and her family are in the process of organizing a memorial to take place in Victoria. “A memorial is certainly something we’d like to do for our closure, and for him,” she explained. Zheny also asserted that she intends to have Gareth’s ashes buried beside those of his mother, who
passed away from lung cancer in 2005. As for students at Western, there are outlets for those who are experiencing grief from Gareth’s tragic death. “There are some specific things set up at Ivey, but anyone beyond this particular situation is able to access counselling through Western Student Services,” Keith Marnoch, director of media and communications for Western, said. “There are people on alert for people who are particularly affected by the student death, and that’s a service that people can access anytime.”
Thursday September 20, 2012
Friday September 21, 2012
Sunday September 23, 2012
ArtLab Gallery: Make/Shift Opening reception
Rotman Speaker Series: Sensibility & Metaphysics: Diderot, Hume, Baumgarten and Herder
McIntosh Jubilee Oaks Project: A Community Tree Planting Event
Student Development Centre’s Learning Skills Services: Effective Textbook Strategies
What: In celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Gallery’s 70th anniversary, the McIntosh gallery will be hosting a ceremonial tree planting.
What: Students are invited to learn efficient ways to study from their textbooks, as well as how to approach each one depending on their format and importance to the course
When: 3 p.m.
When: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Where: Western Student Services Building, Room 3134
YoYo’s says yes to Western ONE The Western ONEcard will be accepted at YoYo’s Yogurt Café located on Richmond Street. Since its opening in 2010, YoYo’s has helped fuel the frozen yogurt craze that’s rapidly taking over London, and has become increasingly popular amongst Western students. The sweltering heat of summer may be quickly fading away, but student cravings for a chilled, healthy treat are doing no such thing. Western students who find themselves frequenting YoYo’s softserve pumps will be happy to know that it is now accepting Western
ONEcards. According to Damian Box, brand manager of YoYo’s, this decision was prompted by the fact that Western was one of their first patrons. “You get lots of students hanging out here with their friends, and with the WiFi,” Box said. Not only will the deal go easy on student wallets, but the affiliation may also help to contribute to local charities. “We often work with charities through Western. Just recently we did something for Shinerama,” he said. “We’re just really happy to have Western’s support.” —Lily Robinson
Events Calendar
What: Make/Shift is an art exhibition featuring the work of graduate students in Western’s Department of Visual Arts. The art featured ranges from abstract painting and documentary photography to sound installation, drawing and sculpture.
What: Stephen Gaukroger, a British philosopher and intellectual historian, speaks about the 1760s work of J.G. Herder to put the philosophy of thought in an anthropological context.
When: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
When: 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: McIntosh Gallery
Where: John Labatt Visual Arts Centre
Where: Western Student Services Building, Room 2130
Cost: Free
Cost: Free
Cost: Free
Tuesday September 25, 2012
Cost: Free
Canadian Blood Services Donor clinic What: Students are invited to donate blood. New donors and walkins welcome. Call 1-888-236-2836 to make an appointment. When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Where: Medway Hall residence Cost: Free
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thegazette • Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Arts&Life
word of the day Cacology Noun. A bad choice or use of words; faulty speech.
Western grad takes on the Big Apple faces of western Emily Fister Gazette Staff For Serbian-Canadian actress Jelena Popovich, home is wherever her feet roam. “People ask me, ‘Where do you live now?’ and I say, ‘Well, where I sleep tonight,’” she says. The energetic actress is always on the move, driven by a wide-eyed passion and commitment to her craft. After graduating with a BA in film studies and psychology from Western in 2005, Popovich decided to pursue her dream of acting. From London, she travelled to Toronto and studied at the prestigious Equity Showcase Theatre and Professional Actors Lab. The next great acting adventure led her to Prague for a conservatory in film acting at the Prague Film School. Now in New York City, Popovich is
under the guidance of esteemed acting mentor, Susan Batson, who has coached Oscar award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, and the legendary Tom Cruise. Despite the pressure to become a big name in the Big Apple, Popovich remains grounded. “It’s an inspiration, really,” the actress says. “It’s a blessing to be here and to be trained by the woman that helped [Kidman’s and Cruise’s] career move forward.” Whether honing her Shakespeare theatre skills in Prague, or debuting dark, cutting edge independent films like The House of Gaudet at last year’s Toronto Alternative Fashion Week, Popovich always applies her experience from Western to the art of acting. “You can imagine that building a character is very intense and emotional,” she says. “So [taking psychology] helped me in my acting, to really understand the human being in a more complex way. It just gave me another perspective on cinema and it also fed my desire for acting.” In the midst of New York sirens, Popovich raves about her latest trip to Mexico for the upcoming theatre production, Tree of Hope Keep Standing Firm. A one-
Courtesy of Jelena Popovich
CROSSING BRIDGES. Graduating from Western’s film studies and psychology programs, Jelena Popovich is pursuing her dream of acting in the city that never sleeps.
woman show focusing on the life and legacy of painter Frida Kahlo, the Western alumnus describes the journey as life changing. “It was so rich. I immersed myself in the culture—I went to places that Frida went to. I visited the house that she and Diego [Rivera] built for themselves. I think that’s when I realized
COMET soars through local music scene
file photo
Danielle Bozinoff CONTRIBUTOR When the local band COMET sat down with the Gazette, they talked rock ‘n’ roll, the London scene and their origins. They expressed the struggle for finding an original sound during a time dominated by dubstep and covers. GAZETTE: You formed the band in 2010, how did this happen? COMET: I (Matt Chabot) met Frank Fanning at a party. I actually wasn’t thinking about forming a band or anything like that, but him and I seemed to have the same musical interests. The stuff that he listened to was very different from what my friends listened to. It was stuff that I had enjoyed playing on drums before. Then we met Matt Minshall on Kijiji because we were just looking for people to jam with. Our singer went to high school with Matt. It took six months for him to actually join the band because he was going to Laurier and didn’t have much time to practice. He tried out, and voilà, great voice. We couldn’t believe it. His vocal range is ridiculous.
GAZETTE: Has London been supportive of your music—has it been a good place to start out? COMET: Yeah, for the most part. 98.3 FM just started last year and they’re amazing—they play a lot of our influences and the stuff we listen to. We did an under the covers thing with them, and we ended up winning, so that was nice. They put us in the studio and now we have a constant radio play. GAZETTE: What kind of events do you do in London? COMET: Anything we can get. We will do acoustic performances when we have to, but we’re more for big electrics, huge amps and big drum kits. We’re trying to get more on university campuses as well. I think the main thing is to get around, get exposed. GAZETTE: One of your tracks, “I’m Gonna Leave,” is a beautiful song. What is it about? COMET: I (Matt Minshall) actually wrote it for the band I was in before COMET. We basically went over to my friend’s house and jammed, but
it never really worked out together when we played. I presented it, we played it once and they’re like ‘that was so good, let’s not kill the moment and play it again.’ So it ended up we never played it again. I basically wrote it about my girlfriend at the time–the best songs usually start up like that. GAZETTE: So you said you’re really influenced by 1970s and 1980s rock, is there a particular band that has really inspired you guys? COMET: Rush, Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Super Tramp, Elton John, Sticks, Boston—there are so many bands. We’re trying to get out of that 70s image though, and be more New Wave. We’re very influenced by the kind of stuff we play but for a lot of bars. You have to play a lot of covers in order to get properly paid, so we’ve actually been branded as a cover band, which is interesting because we’re 100 per cent not a cover band. We’re really trying to make an impact—especially to a lot of kids our age, because we just got into our 20s and a lot of people our age are into dubstep.
that she’s not just a character, but she’s a human being. I’m building a life.” As for aspiring actors at Western, Popovich emphasizes how a university education enhances a dramatic career. “Every action counts,” she says. “Whether it’s maybe signing up in the local the-
atre or amateur group, or shooting yourself and putting it on YouTube.” With the same infectious enthusiasm she had as a student, Popovich believes that a passion for acting and travel will make anywhere feel like home. “It is competitive, but it is possible.”
On Disc
GGGGF Grizzly Bear Shields Warp Records Highlight Tracks: “Yet Again” “Sleeping Ute” Grizzly Bear’s is an unlikely success story. Within three years, what started as Ed Droste’s bedroom music project went from being an acclaimed, but relatively unknown indie rock band, to an act that was breaking the Billboard Top 10 and appearing on the Twilight soundtrack. Quite the meteoric rise. It was with a great deal of anticipation that the band’s fourth studio album, Shields, was finally released yesterday. While its creation was arduous by all accounts, the
result is an album that is impressive, enjoyable and their most accessible yet. Like its predecessor, 2009’s Veckatimest, Shields is an intricate, meticulously constructed record, and opening track “Sleeping Ute” provides an excellent example of the Grizzly Bear machine working in complete accord. The percussion is cacophonous—frantic even—but it never feels random, and Daniel Rossen’s distinctive, spidery guitar dances around Droste’s voice through a breathless five minutes. There are some experiments with strings and horns, but otherwise, the sound is familiar—complex, melodic folk-rock often laden with distortion. Droste reverts at times to the mournful croon that characterised Veckatimest, but his vocals are at their most effective when they take on an anthemic quality, as on standout track “Yet Again.” Ultimately, the album represents a further refinement of the band’s sound, and while it struggles to maintain its early excellence through its back half, Shields is another success for the Brooklyn-based quartet. —Ross Hamilton
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thegazette • Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Editor’s Picks > The essentials for your week
ON TV Glee Who will be the new Rachel? That’s the question that fans and the cast of the show alike wondered as Glee returned to television with its fourth season this past Thursday night. With Rachel attending the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, the rest of the New Directions glee club must regroup after losing eight of the seniors to graduation. The first episode of the season featured special guest stars Kate Hudson as Cassandra July, Rachel’s New York dance teacher, and Whoopi Goldberg returning as NYADA’s dean. In addition to these known actors, the newest Glee season includes a number of unknown faces that will act as replacements for the graduated class members.
ON DISC
ON DVD
IN THEATRES
Fifty Shades of Grey- The Classical Album
What To Expect When You’re Expecting
Just when the antics of Fifty Shades of Grey protagonist Anastasia Steele seemed to be fading out of the public eye, Capitol Records released The Classical Album. As a collection of 15 classical music pieces, all selected by E.L. James, the author of the series, the album provides another dimension to the story of a young literature student and her CEO lover. All referenced in the novels themselves, these classical pieces are a must-have for any fan of the series. Even if you’ve never picked up Fifty Shades of Grey, the album’s tracks can be added to classical and coital playlists alike.
Inspired by the best-selling book of the same name, this film follows five couples whose lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. Sporting an all-star ensemble cast including Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Jennifer Lopez, Chace Crawford and Chris Rock, this DVD is good for a night of light comedy and stargazing. Though the film takes a comedic approach to pregnancy, it provides different perspectives on the nine months couples endure when expecting.
ON THE CHARTS
House at the End of the Street
Carly Rae Jepsen- “This Kiss”
Though Jennifer Lawrence has been busy with bows and arrows as The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen, she still made time to be part of House at the End of the Street. Coming out this Friday, Lawrence plays a girl who, along with her mother, finds the house of their dreams in a small rural town. When unexplainable events begin, the family learns of the town’s secret and the truth about the house at the end of the street. While the town featured in the film is portrayed as a quiet, mysterious location, the movie was actually filmed in rural areas of Ottawa.
Still trailing on the success of “Call Me Maybe” and “Curiosity,” Carly Rae Jepsen releases her newest single “This Kiss.” With a catchy almost-80s sound, Jepsen lays a light beat onto lyrics like “this kiss is something I can’t risk.” On the same infectious level of “Call Me Maybe,” Jepsen fans will be pleased they have another sugary sweet song to add to their puppy love playlist. The track was also co-written and co-produced by LMFAO’s Redfoo, which will be a surprise to many considering the song’s innocent lyrics and girly feel.
Evil continues its residency Getting cozy with
fall fashion trends Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor
file photo
Brian McNamara Contributor GGFFF Director: Paul W.S. Anderson Starring: Milla Jovoich, Sienna Guillory and Michelle Rodriguez Resident Evil: Retribution is the fifth installment in a film series originally based on a popular video game series produced by Capcom. The short summary of the first four films at the start of this one was a harbinger of things to come. After being attacked by soldiers of the sinister Umbrella Corporation on a giant floating barge, the protagonist Alice (Milla Jovovich) awakes inside a holding cell and is subject to interrogation from brainwashed former ally Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory). Quickly, however, Alice is freed from her cell by former Umbrella leader Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) and his operative Ada Wong (Bingbing Li). It is Ada’s objective to remove Alice from the Umbrella facility where the majority of the film takes place, and rendezvous with a crack squad of commandos. Along the way, a deaf girl named Becky (Aryana
Engineer) joins their group, due to a plot contrivance, which leads the girl to believe that Alice is her mother. Director Paul W.S. Anderson has created a film marked by its gruesome action scenes. For better or for worse, his distinctive visual style is evident—the film is chockfull of blood splatters, gruesome carnage and distracting computer animation. Despite initial visual stimulation, there is only so much slow motion, hand-to-hand combat and gunfire that one can view before being overcome by desensitization. The film suffers from its script— also written by Anderson—whose sparse dialogue is often stilted and expository in nature. Even a normally reliable actor like Oded Fehr is reduced to staring blankly into the camera, while occasionally grunting out a monosyllabic utterance before firing a big gun. The one exception is Durand as the cigar-chomping Barry, whose morbid delight at the proceedings makes him interesting to watch. Speaking of interesting to watch, Anderson seems very interested in provocatively outfitting
his female characters. Ada’s red cocktail dress with a thigh-high slit doesn’t seem like the most comfortable of outfits for fighting a zombie horde, and the skin-tight black leather bodysuit that Alice wears for the film’s duration probably makes her feel like she’s inside a furnace. The costume choices are indicative of the overriding issue with the film—it looks good, but it’s quite hollow otherwise. And yet, the film is not a complete fiasco. It does follow through on what it promises—lots of zombies die at the hands of people with large automatic weapons. There is a car chase through the streets of Moscow that is tense and exciting, and, as previously mentioned, Durand’s character provides the audience with at least one person of interest. The electronic and guitardriven score keeps the adrenaline pumping throughout the film. Overall, if you are looking for mindless action with wanton destruction, Resident Evil: Retribution might be the film for you. If you want any fulfillment with your zombie death, look elsewhere.
Fall is in the air—you can almost smell it on campus. Or maybe that’s just the pumpkin spice lattes from the new Starbucks. Either way, fall is coming and it’s time to make sure your wardrobe doesn’t leave you falling behind. Scarves can be a staple in any season, but there’s something cozy about wrapping yourself in a scarf as the temperature begins to dip. H&M has a wide range of scarves of varying colours, fabrics, styles and prices. Choosing a cashmere scarf might be stretching your budget, but buying a high quality fabric will save money in the long run—plus cashmere will feel like a warm hug on a cold autumn day. If you enjoyed reading this, then look for the Gazette’s first Style page of the year in tomorrow’s paper. Kaitlyn McGrath Gazette
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thegazette • Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Opinions Pros don’t always lead by example Anyone who has grown up playing sports knows that clothes aren’t the only things that change when one enters the dressing room. An otherwise pleasant person can transform into a homophobic, racist and offensive insult machine as soon as they are exposed to the competitive sport atmosphere. Obviously this is frowned upon, and being an athlete doesn’t automatically ensure you’ll reform to this baselevel sort of savagery, but the hard truth is that it does happen, and quite often. The sad thing is that it doesn’t stop at the amateur level. Even some professional sports players, who can be viewed by literally millions of people, can’t seem to restrain themselves from pushing the envelope, despite the repercussions. Some former perpetrators include LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, and Chicago Bulls centre Joakim Noah— both uttered anti-gay slurs. The most recent example of this head-scratching behaviour came from Toronto Blue Jays player Yunel Escobar. During a game versus the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, Escobar wore eye black—stickers worn underneath the eyes to reduce the sun’s glare—with the words “TU ERE MARICON” written on them. Translated from Spanish, the phrase could be interpreted as “You are a faggot.” A fan noticed this in a picture he had taken of Escobar, and posted it online. As might be expected, controversy erupted—the obvious side, which had people denouncing Escobar as a homophobe, and the other side, which claimed that in Spanish, this phrase is used as a joke, and not as a literal insult. Regardless of whether it was a joke or not, no one—especially not a role model such as Escobar—should write phrases like that. The Blue Jays have said that they don’t condone it—obviously, what else are they going to say? However, we’ll have to wait to find out the repercussions from these actions. Most likely it’ll be a small fine, or a fewgame suspension—both of which are just a minor slap on the wrist. In the long run, this probably won’t negatively impact the way the Jays are viewed—if anything, they may be respected more for punishing this behaviour. It’s unfortunate that it happens, but it seems as if, for now at least, these sorts of slurs are going to pop up in professional sports. Athletes are human, and do make mistakes—so hopefully they learn what is and isn’t funny. We may have to wait a while for that, though—so in the meantime, play nice. —Gazette Editorial Board
Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?
—Ernest Gaines, American author
Textbook adoration fading with age Wrath of McGrath Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor Raise your hand if you like textbooks. I bet you didn’t raise you hand—not only because you’d look silly raising your hand in the middle of Centre Spot, but also because you don’t like textbooks. Textbooks are a central part of education—they’re often required for courses, they aid in the studying process and they teach you the hard lesson that you should have gone to the gym because you can barely make it up the stairs with a bag full of books. But textbooks weren’t always viewed with such a cynical eye—receiving textbooks used to be fun. I have fond childhood memories of eagerly awaiting my name being called as the teacher doled out books. You held your breath as she picked up the grungy textbook. You know the one—so beaten up it looked like it had been unearthed from an archaeological dig. You let out a sigh of relief when it was destined for another pupil. By university, the youthful allure of the textbook is lost. It probably disappears some time between the two hours holding half your body weight in books and shelling out $900 in order to call them your own. It’s not a delightful task. In fact, I’d take every single grungy textbook if it meant I could avoid that hassle. But surprisingly, the process of getting the textbook isn’t the central issue here. Rather, the problem arises when textbooks and course packs aren’t even worth our time and money—and I’m sure I speak for most students when I say I have very little of both, and can’t afford to waste any.
Recently, a petition was started at the Ontario College of Art and Design because a $180 first-year art history textbook contained no artwork. That seems a bit counterintuitive, no? And professors, if you’re going to make us buy a textbook, please make sure the information is still relevant. Admittedly, technology is advancing faster than textbooks are being written, but students shouldn’t be suffering just because a publisher hasn’t released an updated version in 10 years. If the Internet is still being broached as a new and exciting tool, the textbook is too old. A reading once informed me the microcomputer would one day become a household device. I read this sentence then looked at my laptop, back at the reading, to my smartphone, and then thought, “Well, this reading might be a little out of date.” Or a lot out of date. Or so massively out of date that I’m pretty sure the photocopier used to print the course pack was a more advanced technology than the ones discussed in the reading. But on the other hand, you also get textbooks updated so often—usually with a few minor word changes and maybe an added photo—that the prospect of selling the textbook and gaining back a semblance of worth from it essentially disappears and you’re stuck with an irrelevant, overpriced textbook. Or hey, you could bury the book until it might actually be unearthed during an archaeological dig. A better solution might be converting to e-textbooks, but I hesitate to welcome this solution because there’s something comforting about having the physical book. In the end, textbooks are best suited to being a crutch to lean on when you realize it’s December and you’ve skipped all your lectures.
#win The time has come to stop ignoring Psy’s complete penetration of the North American music industry. With an appearance on Saturday Night Live, his music video for the song “Gangnam Style” has surpassed 200 million views, and has almost reached 2 million likes. On top of being the number one downloaded song on iTunes, Psy also holds the top spot on Billboard’s social 50 chart. Along with the song itself, many exciting parodies have also been done with the video and song. The exciting change of pace from regular pop music earns Psy this week’s #win.
thegazette
Volume 106, Issue 10 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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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, Megan Devlin, Kevin Estakhri, Connor Hill, Elton Hobson, Kelly Hobson, Katherine Horodnyk, Sarah Mai Chitty, Victoria Marroccoli, Megan McPhaden, Megan Puterman, Chen Rao, Pat Robinson, Taylor Rodrigues, Nathan TeBokkel, Amy Wang, Hillete Warner, Kate Wilkinson, Usman Zahid, Mason Zimmer
Dear Life
Your anonymous letters to life. Dear Life, Other people fold their toilet paper six to 10 times before wiping?? I hope my asshole didn’t read that and find out how poorly I’ve been treating it. Dear Life, What is it with people who refuse to move to the back of the bus, even when they see that others can’t get on? Are they that oblivious, or just plain mean? Dear Life, Classic rock station 103.9 “The Hawk” changes name to something dumb—city forgets it existed. Dear Life, The prices for Western gear sold on campus are bad and the people who buy it need to feel bad. What kind of sick fool buys a shirt costing more than $20? Dear Life, Why don’t pedestrians know that they can’t cross the street on an advanced green? Dear Life, Why do we address our sons as “Son,” but we never address our female children as “Daughter?” Submit your letters to life at www.westerngazette.ca/ dearlife.
#fail Olympic snowboarder Shaun White has some new bling to add to his gold medal collection—handcuffs. The American snowboarder was arrested on Sunday night and charged with public intoxication and vandalism after he pulled a hotel fire alarm that forced an evacuation of the building. It’s also been reported that White damaged a hotel payphone. White was released on Monday afternoon, and has since issued a public apology citing that he was celebrating with family and friends and “got carried away.” So for public intoxication and beating up a poor defenseless payphone, White has rightfully claimed the #fail for the week.
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 •
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thegazette • Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Sports
saywhat?? “It’s about us; it’s about the team. And Randy, he knows football. He knows the team that plays best is going to win the game. He’s been about that.” —Jim Harbaugh, coach of the San Francisco on the mindset of Randy Moss and his contributions to the team.
Rundown >> Dylan Ham of the men’s lacrosse team and Amanda Truelove of the Mustangs cross country team have been named the Goodlife Fitness Athletes of the Week > Truelove recently won gold at the McGill Open and Ham leads the men’s lacrosse team in scoring with seven goals in two games.
Mustangs break even in 2-2 draw against Laurier Dominic Bell scores late in the game to tie the Golden Hawks John Petrella Gazette Staff Green leaves on the trees for Saturday afternoon’s men’s soccer game between the Mustangs and Laurier Golden Hawks were the perfect indicator of the start of a new season. The teams struggled to a 2-2 draw, with Western notching a late equalizer to share the day’s spoils in the early season encounter. The game began as a scrappy affair with both teams trying to get a foothold on possession, to no avail. Both sides were unable to get comfortable, as neither team could establish dominance, resulting in many misplaced passes and no real flow to the early going. Eventually, the Mustangs began to impose themselves on the match, as the first half went on, and as a result many chances ensued. Despite these chances, there were no goals to be had, and the first half ended with no score. Despite the stalemate at the half, both coaches drew positives, especially in terms of their respective defences. “We were defensively sound,” Rock Bassaco, Mustangs head coach, said. “We held our shape well at the back in the first half,” Mario Halapir, Golden Hawks head coach, concurred. While defence was the story of the first half, the second marked a change of pace. Laurier came out strong with a much more offensive approach. The Hawks created numerous chances, including a shot that rattled the crossbar. The Mustangs looked on their heels, but eventually regained their composure. The Mustangs opened the scoring as Dominic Bell’s header from a set piece gave Western a 1-0 lead. Despite the goal, Laurier was undeterred as they continued
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
NOBODY INVITED ALEX TO PLAY. The Western Mustangs took on the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Hawks were in the lead for most of the game until Dominic Bell scored the equalizing goal late in the game to earn the Mustangs one point for the 2-2 tie.
to take the initiative in the game. The Golden Hawks were rewarded for their constant attack as they equalized midway through the second half, courtesy of a fancy chip shot. Laurier did not look to sit on their lead, however. They continued to push forward, threatening the Mustangs in their own end. The Mustangs defence was effective in repelling numerous Golden Hawk forays forward, but a deflection off Laurier midfielder Donald Chumra set up a second goal for Laurier as they took a 2-1 lead late in the game. The goal instilled some urgency in the Mustangs as they began to take the game to Lau-
Mike Laine Gazette
As the game progressed we did a lot more— Western is a great team and we showed lots of character. —Mario Halapir
Golden Hawks head coach on the performance of the Mustangs
rier. Their efforts were rewarded, as Dominic Bell headed in a goal from a set piece to tie the game with minutes remaining. The stalemate continued until
the final whistle, as the teams were forced to share points in a 2-2 draw. Laurier seemed happier with the result. “As the game progressed we did a lot more—Western is a great team and we showed lots of character. The result is a positive for us,” Halapir stated. Despite their late comeback, the Mustangs reflected on the game with a sense of a missed opportunity. “The bounces went their way, they did work hard though. It’s a positive that we were able to come back, but we shouldn’t have been down in the first place. We are starting to come along, but
there is still a ways to go,” Basacco explained. Western defender Alex Lewis agreed with his coach’s reaction. “It’s a positive that we came back. Laurier is a good team, but we need to defend better as a unit. On the positive side, our set pieces were amazing.” Lewis said. Western followed up the draw with a 3-1 win against Waterloo on Sunday. The win saddles the Mustangs with a record of three wins and one draw and one loss on the season. The Mustangs will take on the undefeated 6-0 York Lions on Friday at home. You can catch the game at 8:45 p.m. on the rugby fields.
Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE
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thegazette • Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Mustangs double down against Gee Gees Ottawa shut-out in consecutive games in Mustangs double header
Cameron Wilson Gazette
WESTERN MUSTANGS
FENCING “TRY FENCING!”
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Instruction by Varsity Fencers and Coaches. $40 includes use of fencing equipment. For more info: 519-681-8330 or mustangswordclub@gmail.com
Usman Zahid Gazette Staff The Mustangs women’s softball team shut out the Ottawa Gee Gees 7-0 and 2-0 this Sunday—winning both games of their double header at Stronach Park in London. Western entered the double header with a perfect 6-0 record— winning both games over Laurier in their home opener on Friday. They proceeded to beat the Carleton Ravens in a double header on Saturday before entering their
third consecutive day of play. After going a perfect 20-0 last season, the defending national champion Mustangs are trying to go for a fourth consecutive undefeated season. Starting the first game of the double header with a lot of momentum, the purple and white jumped to an early lead, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first inning. That is all the run support Mustangs pitcher Stacie Cox would need, as she shutout the Gee Gees, allowing only one hit and striking
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UPCOMING EVENTS ADULT HOCKEY PLAYERS LEAGUE has LIMITED OPENINGS. Sunday night prime time games. Great recreational league for all abilities. INFO: www.jffhl.com. MEMBERS OF MTV’S “The Buried Life” will be speaking Wednesday, September 26 from 7pm 9pm in Mustang Lounge. The $12 ticket includes a free after party with members @ the Wave. Go to Western Connections, King’s Connection or online for tickets. (www.usc-online.ca/buried_life.asp). S.A.L.S.A. CLUB IS back for a new year of salsa dancing fun! Lessons are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7-9 pm; beginners from 7-8pm and intermediates from 8-9pm. First lesson is on September 25th. Cost is $25 to join. Check us out: http://www.facebook.com/groups/salsa.uwo/ Email: salsa.uwo@gmail.com.
out seven as the Mustangs won in five innings via the five inning run rule—scoring seven runs in the game. For Cox, the win was extra special, as it came on her birthday. As far as birthday presents go, a good performance is among the better ones—and Cox was fairly happy with hers. “I tried to pitch my best, as always. I hit my spots, was throwing hard and my rise-ball was working,” she said. Mustangs head coach Pete Lemon made sure his athletes were prepared for the second game. “Oftentimes, when you win easily in one game you backslide in the second, so we talked about how they are a tough team and how we gotta keep playing hard,” Lemon said. Following the intermission, the Mustangs continued right where they left off —putting up two runs
early. Those were the only runs that the Gee Gees conceded. Ottawa tried to rally back, but Western pitcher Melinda Stevenson shut the door, allowing only one hit in a complete game shutout. Gee Gees head coach Scott Searle commented on his team’s performance. “A few errors on our part allowed Western to score a lot of runs. Both of the runs in the second game were unearned, and five of the seven in the first game were unearned. If we clean up our defence we are right there,” he said. On Friday, Sept 21 the Mustangs are going to face off against a Waterloo team that finished third in the provincial championship last year. This Friday is also going to mark the fourth year of undefeated play for the Mustangs women— they have not lost since September 21, 2008.
PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.
For solution, turn to page 2
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Cameron Wilson Gazette