OPENWIDE v.16.1

OPENWIDE THE FIMS’ A LTERNATIVE ST UDE NT PUBLICATI ON pantone 268!

Pantone 260!

OPENWIDEZINE.com

VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Issue Quote “Do it. Just Do It.” - Shia Labeouf

feature

4-5 Guest Feature: The University As Spectacle 6-7 FIMS UNPLUGGED 8 NOT ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS

Prof. Compton shares his view on the modern university in a piece that’s designed to make you think A poster for anyone to put on their wall to remind them to pave their own path

What was the President Chakma controversy really about?

WESTERN LIFE

9-11 WHAT I WISH I KNEW IN FIRST YEAR 12 I WANT TO GO TO IVEY 13-15 ON/OFF Campus Spots FIMS Alumni share some advice

You are more than your AEO status - investigating into whether Ivey is in your future Hidden gems that aren’t so hidden anymore

ARTS & world

16-17 Summer in review: world 18 summer in review: arts

Have the current events of the summer been all greek to you? Can’t remember the Panam Games because you were stuck in traffic? Catch up on the events that made news this summer.

CREATIVE

19 the adventures of fims girl 20-21 HOW TO SURVIVE O-WEEK: FOR THE INTROVERT IN ALL OF US 22 Why openwide?

23 ZINE CANADA Comic by Kyle Simons

Don’t worry, it gets better

It’s like a newspaper, but worth reading

Disclaimer: The sole responsibility of this publication lies with its authors. Contents do not reflect the opinions of the University Students’ Council of Western University (“USC”). The USC assumes no responsibility or liability for any error, inaccuracy, omission, or comment contained in this publication or for any use that may be made of such information by the reader.

ABOUT THE COVER Western Administration Meet and Discuss Which Shade of Purple Best Represents “Excellence” A heated argument erupted over Pantone 260 or Pantone 261 Art done by Lilian Gordon

Editor’s Note Editor’s notes are like tweets - too short for what you want to say and probably read by no one. If you read my note, thank you and enjoy the rest of the issue. If you don’t read my note, well I hate you and you probably won’t see this anyway.

Dear first years, You are more than your years, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Even though this is our frosh issue, it isn’t only for first years. Time, like most things you will learn in FIMS, is a social construct. Anyone reading this issue can come across something that is valuable to them.

I remember in my first year not being able to understand what I read in Openwide, not being able to understand the nuances of the topics - thankfully that all changed. When I reread it at the end of the year, it was like reading a completely different issue. But the issue wasn’t what changed - I did. It was a marker for my growth and I was astonished at how much can change in a single year.

So I challenge everyone out there to: keep this issue, embrace everything first year has to offer, and once April comes around, to pick it up again.

You will be surprised at how much more you understand, how much you’ve changed. Same applies to anyone in their upper years, find your frosh issue in our archives - read and reflect. Most importantly take time to stop and think. That’s all Openwide ever asks its readers to do.

This issue is dedicated to Nico DiPlacido, VP Comm 14/15. If it wasn’t for your aesthetically pleasing promo e-mail, Openwide wouldn’t have the team it does now. A special thanks goes out to all the contributors, editors, Zayn, and graphics team that dedicated their summer days to this issue.

Meet the Team stephanie gordon Marwa hassan Editor in chief managing editor

Like us: Facebook.com/OPENWIDEzine

“Bye gone to Europe!”

Follow us: Twitter.com/openwidezine

Write for us: writers.openwide@gmail.com

liam dorey world editor

samah ali laura palumbo arts & Entertainment western life editor

erica wallis Creative editor

kyle simons arielle goodman Head of promotions Promotions

neal mcauley promotions

krista chyc promotions

veronica Cheung graphics

jhana ellard web editor

tracy xie photography

jenna murphy asst graphics

openWIDE// GUEST FEATURE

THE UNIVERSITY OF SPECTACLE // JAMES COMPTON

The University of the Spectacle was first published on the blog noahconfidenze.tumblr.com. The tumblr’s name – 100 Days @ Western: The Alternative Listening Tour – was a response to President Amit Chakma’s declaration that he would embark on a 100-day listening tour in the wake of the so-called “Double-Dip” scandal. Revelations that Western’s Board of Governors had awarded President Chakma a double payment of his salary because he chose not to take a one-year administrative leave sparked a ferociously hot media scandal at a time of departmental austerity and layoffs across the university.

My “noah” offering was intended to draw attention to the core contradictions – political, social, economic and cultural – that led to the Chakmagate spectacle.

Appearances can be deceiving, and I wanted to find a way to link the specificity of the everyday experience at Western to the broader social totality that is the root cause of the crisis.

My entry point was the concept of spectacle as theorized by mid-twentieth century French radical filmmaker Guy Debord.

4 // v.16.1 He was a leading member of

the avant garde French Situationist movement. “Our ideas are in everyone’s mind” they wrote. As Greil Marcus points out the Situationists “meant that their ideas for a different world were in everyone’s mind as desires, but not yet as ideas. Their project was to expose the emptiness of everyday life in the modern world and make a link between desire and the idea real.”

The University of the Spectacle essay is an attempt to make visible the very real desires of students and faculty to change the material conditions of their scholarly lives using the Situationist style and method. The opening line is what the Situationists called a “detournement” (a repurposing of a cultural object to produce a subversive message) of the first lines from Debord’s treatise The Society of the Spectacle.

openWIDE// GUEST FEATURE The whole life of those universities in which modern conditions of managerialism prevail presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. All scholarship that was once directly lived has become mere representation.

I am reminded of this sad state of affairs every time I walk on campus. As students, staff and faculty attempt to go about their scholarly lives we are confronted by gigantic Orwellian images. Replacing the single image of Big Brother, looking down upon us are businessmen in suits, C-list reality-TV celebrities, and other cheerleaders of ‘entrepreneurialism.’ “Be extraordinary” they command.

We are not expected to reply. The University of the Spectacle is not interested in dialogue; it is an enormous tautology: its means and ends are identical.

In the command to be extraordinary we find the core contradiction of the University of the Spectacle. To be extraordinary is to be different, to go beyond the usual or customary. And yet the banners represent the denial of difference. They are the endless repetition of the same – represented as difference.

The University of the Spectacle inverts the academy’s core values. Students and researchers of social work, English literature or visual arts will not find themselves in these images. No sociology will be committed. Indeed, all traces of scholarship have been removed. The utilitarian managerialism at the heart of the University of the Spectacle has no time for such activities. After all, where is the value-added proposition?

The University of the Spectacle negates the independent search for knowledge. In its false image is the university’s real material existence made manifest most concretely in the strategic budgeting process, otherwise known as Responsibility-centered Management (RCM). Here we see the core contradiction repeat itself in a banal mantra lifted directly from the Harvard playbook: “Every tub must have its own bottom” (there’s always a central script that masquerades as individual administrative wit). Tubs are faculties and schools responsible for their own bottom line, defined exclusively in monetary terms. Conspicuous by its absence is the academy’s core mission of teaching and research.

In the University of the Spectacle power is centralized in the Board of Governors and senior administration.

Responsibility is decentralized and offloaded onto individual faculties, and schools who must compete among themselves in a zero-sum game for an ever shrinking portion of the budgetary pie. The model has led to a winnertakes-all mentality. Research and teaching that can be monetized and leveraged by private interests wins. Service to the public loses.

Separation is the alpha and omega of the University of the Spectacle. In its image we are united in what separates us, the university as spectacle. The utilitarian management system demands it. Be purple, be proud, be silent!

This was the message delivered so clearly by well-heeled donors in the days leading to the non-confidence votes in Board Chair Chirag Shah and President Amit Chakma. Debate and critical inquiry are unwanted. Indeed, they are viewed as “reckless and divisive.”

The University of the Spectacle demands fealty to the brand. Communication is essentially one-way. Here we find its strength and weakness. The illusion of control is exercised through the monopolization of representation and brand management. A new logo, complete with Hellmuth, a custom-made sans serif font and a new shade of purple – Pantone 268 – give comfort to those who wish to command. But once the walls are breached panic spreads – literally.

The University of the Spectacle requires quiet compliance. The smooth efficiency of the utilitarian RCM machine cannot function if this is denied. Utilitarian managerialism strives to negate friction; a healthy scholarly community celebrates it. The Double Dip scandal has awakened the students, staff and faculty at Western. Where there was once silence, we find debate. Where there was once the repetitive thump of a rubber stamp, wielded from on high, we hear multiple calls for collegial governance.

Change is not only possible, it’s happening. Scholarship is being directly lived.

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openWIDE// FEATURE

Not All about the Benjamins

President Chakma’s double-dip scandal is more than just the money // STEPHANIE GORDON This past April, amidst stressed students and stacks of exams, Western’s administration also had a lot on their plate. The annual release of the Sunshine List (a list that discloses public employees that make $100,000 or more) revealed that our president, Amit Chakma, received double his original salary of $440,000. Legally, it honoured his contract. He received his bonus because he worked through a scheduled one-year leave. This double-dip scandal, informally known as “Chakmagate,” stirred up controversy among students, faculty, and the general public. However, if we choose to understand this controversy through what was written in a contract we fail to see the bigger issue and the real reason it got the response it did.

Chirag Shah, chair of the Board of Governors, tried to defend the decision claiming that the double payment is usual among other comparable universities. This statement lost some credibility when The Free Press contacted 10 major Canadian universities and could not find one that double-paid its top executive. The issue though was not whether he deserved the money, but the fact that the Board of Governors skirted around the freezing of public salaries with a “professional bonus.”

Chakma eventually gave back the bonus and agreed to an investigation, among other initiatives such as a 100-day listening tour of Western. However, the money and Chakma are symbols for greater problems within the university.

Chakmagate was not a scandal, but just another crack in a broken system. Issues like this defy simplification - the university does not operate in a vacuum. It is influenced by greater trends in our

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economy, in our society, in our world. This article is not about understanding what happened last April, it’s about asking you to think about the university differently. Faculty, students, and the greater public did not protest at a Senate meeting because they were angry that someone was making more money than them. They were protesting larger issues concerning the management of the university.

to one everybody already thought it was. The decrease in public funding resulted in a need to make up for lost revenue through increased enrollment. All the exercises in branding - a university of spectacle not substance - aim to attract students to our institution versus others. As you read this, note that all these issues are greater than the words I’m using to describe them. They’re full of complexities and need to be understood from various angles - not just the typical student’s.

“Chakmagate was not a scandal, but just another crack “All the exercises in branding - a in a broken system.” university of spectacle not substance - are all to attract Public funding for universities have decreased across the board, but Western remains in strong students to our institution versus financial standing. With increased enrollment, a massive surplus, and a slew of expensive projects others.” (like the new FIMS building), everything seems peachy. However, Western’s relatively new strategic plan is open to interpretation that can see some faculties receiving more funding than others creating a cannibalizing competitive atmosphere that decreases the focus on academics. Increasing budget cuts during a time of surplus begs the question “who’s making the decisions?” On top of this, the Purple and Poor scandal revealed that adjunct/part-time professors and TAs rarely receive a living wage.

Although Western-UWOFA (University of Western Ontario Faculty Association) contract negotiations appeased everyone for the meantime, working conditions for those so vital to this institution are nowhere near the value they bring to it.

This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg - Western’s rebrand cost $200,000 to officially change its name

Only time will tell if Chakma’s listening campaign was just a PR stunt. His update included many steps that will see task forces/committees branching out to tackle issues brought up, but we must remember that the university is not solely run by our president, but by other administration members who must be held accountable as well.

This piece is meant to enlighten, not frighten. It is meant de-romanticize our view of “higher education” and realize that the modern university is not without its problems. It is meant to shift the spotlight from students to the many more who make up the university. See past the purple and proud, Western is great - but it could be better.

THINGS I WISH I KNEW IN FIRST YEAR

openWIDE// WESTERN LIFE Kennedy Ryan | Media, Information, & Technology

Graduate Headed to Humber’s Marketing Management to work on advertisements you’ll probably study This will all mean something one day. I promise. Ignore the smirks about your reading lists - they’re just jealous that you get to take graphic novels seriously.

Try to get everyone you meet to tell you a story about themselves.

Ask the person who’s making your coffee how their day went. Your university experience shouldn’t begin and end with your fellow students - realize that your university runs on the labor of so many people.

I wish that someone had told me that I didn’t have to do it all at once. First year feels so big, and Western has no shortage of activities - so it’s hard to balance everything.

Seriously – take care of yourself. I know, I sound like your Mother, but first year is your last easy year.

Get (enough) sleep. Try to make friends with people who you think you have nothing in common with. Soon enough, they’ll prove you wrong. The only lecture you should be skipping is your science credit.

“Seriously – take care of yourself. I know, I sound like your Mother, but first year is your last easy year.”

Kevin Chao | Media, Information, & Technology

Graduate Headed to UBC Law School to save the humans Don’t worry – four years ago I had the same “I don’t know what to do with my life” panic that you’re familiar with. Fortunately for both of us, we chose FIMS: something interesting yet broad to keep our options open. And by 2019 we’ll have both come out the other side with a new understanding of our world and ourselves.

Your amazing professors and equally remarkable peers will introduce you to different perspectives, and through them and the pursuit of your own interests, you’ll be naturally drawn in the right direction. In my courses we critically examined the social injustices brushed off by our hypermediated society, and discussed how important our mindsets were for positive change. It was only then that I considered human rights law as a potential career, and this September I’ll begin studying at UBC’s law school.

For the next four years you’re going to attend many mind-opening lectures and write many essays to be proud of – that’s to be expected. But what may come as a surprise is how you fall into a community, engage in the world differently, and discover the values that are truly important to you.

“Sure enough, your panic will probably become “I know what I want to do, but how do I get there?”

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Sure enough, your panic will probably become “I know what I want to do, but how do I get there?”

At that point you’re in the same boat as the rest of us, but at least you’ve got a heading and some paddles.

Spend your next four years pursuing your interests and getting involved.

Lean in and enjoy the ride.

openWIDE// WESTERN LIFE Monica Abadir | Media & the Public Interest Graduate Running to University of Toronto to master in Social Justice Education It’s hard to believe I’m writing a retrospective piece on my time at Western, rather than reading one right now.

I suppose the last thing you learn is that time really isn’t on your side–it will catch you by surprise, go right over your head, and swipe your feet from under you. I wish I had known that in my first year.

I’m not sure what tangible advice I would give my first year self, but what I do know now is that feeling uncomfortable is learning.

The most rewarding times of my undergraduate journey were times I hated; times I was forced to be self-reflexive and consider my own thoughts.

Embrace these moments. Take courses with professors who create these moments. Don’t run away from classes that look intimidating. Understand that everything you read and discuss are all connected, all things speak and listen to each other.

Something I learned in my final semester of university is how to trust my own words, or at least listen to them. I spent so much time in my undergrad, as so many of us do, trying to sound like the humans we were reading and learning, that by the end I had no idea what I sounded like or what I believed in.

Take time each day to recoil into your thoughts, and then uncoil and write them out. Share your ideas. Although some thoughts may be fleeting, you will find that these times are the most revolutionary.

Tim Blackmore (go to office hours–these will be the greatest moments of your life) taught me this, amongst a million other things.

Most importantly, I think, is to show empathy. Recognize your privileges, and consider those around you. Be thoughtful of others. I really don’t have much else to say–I am in no way qualified to explain how to have the most fulfilling time at Western. But what I do know is that when I finally looked up, I engaged with some of the most kind, creative, and thoughtful people I have ever met.

And for those moments, I really don’t have the words to describe.

“I suppose the last thing you learn is that time really isn’t on your side–it will catch you by surprise, go right over your head, and swipe your feet from under you. I wish I had known that in my first year.”

Kevin Hurren | Media, Information, & Technology

Graduate Assisting in USC propaganda as Vice President Communications Who are you? No really, who are you? That’s the question at the forefront of university orientation. Others will ask where you’re from, what you’re studying, what shows you watch or where you like to shop but these queries are just variants of a singular question – who are you? Now that you’re here can you answer that honestly? I know in first year I couldn’t. I wasn’t able to differentiate between who I was and who I was told to be at that point – by my parents, my high school friends, the media, and my own insecurities.

What’s exciting about your time at Western is that you don’t have those same pressures. You’re parents have (hopefully) given you some space, you’re in a new social environment, and as for the media, this program will help you discern value from vitriol. But this kind of self-awareness is not a passive process.

You will not wake-up in your residence single bed and, like an Oprah-moment, realize your values, ambitions, goals, and motivations. These take work to cultivate.

“You will not wakeup in your residence single bed and, like an Oprah-moment, realize your values, ambitions, goals, and motivations.

These take work to cultivate.”

For some, it’s as simple as engaging in course material. You are part of a faculty that rewards critical thought and individualism so take advantage of that and take part in discussions, regardless of whether or not you know the answer.

Others find self-awareness in involvement – joining clubs, councils, committees or any collective that will strengthen their voice. What I find most helpful is creation – create art, paint, draw, play music, design clothes, design websites, write for the paper, write for yourself. These artifacts can be the best reflection of your holistic self, so make sure to find time to type, brush or write yourself into the world.

After all, university is not about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.

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openWIDE// WESTERN LIFE

I want to go to the Four years ago, I was that student. I’m sure you’ve met someone like me before: high-strung, super focused on her future, caffeinated 90% of the time.

Getting less than an 80 on anything used to freak me out, and on more than one occasion I would spend hours hitting refresh on OWL because a prof promised to post marks that night. And for what? All for a chance to have the future I thought I wanted.

You see once upon a time I was a frosh with AEO status, hoping to survive two years of FIMS, go onto Ivey, and have the perfect career. I wanted to be a lawyer or an investment banker (freshman year had me convinced that investment banking was cool), but I wasn’t sure. All I knew was Ivey needed to happen for me because if it didn’t I wouldn’t have that perfect career.

So I spent two years being a ball of stress because that’s what I thought I needed to do.

“So as a recent graduate, let me take a small moment to impart a little advice to anyone who might be in a similar situation: There is more to life than Ivey.”

Ivey // MARIA ANGELICA CRUZ

nothing is worth letting yourself fall apart mentally or physically. Stop comparing yourself to HBAs and other AEOs. Just be you.”

There is no model of who the perfect Ivey student should be. Not everyone leaves as an investment banker or a consultant. A lot of us make choices to pursue careers related to what we spent our first two years studying. Some of my Ivey friends have gone onto to law school, others are accountants, and one particularly incredible friend decided to pursue a Masters in Philosophy. They’re all doing really well, but it’s important to know that their postgraduate decisions came down to an understanding of who they are as individuals. If those same friends had made the decision to not attend Ivey, I still believe that their determination and perseverance would have led them to a bright future. There isn’t just one right path that leads to whatever future we want.

I went to Ivey with one set of plans, and I graduated with a whole new plan to pursue communications and marketing.

“I went to Ivey with one set of plans, and I graduated with a whole new plan to pursue communications and marketing.”

And somehow things did work out for me. I ended up going to Ivey, and as of last June, I get to wear the alumni label proudly.

FIMS gave me a great background for that. I look back on my first two years grateful that I made decision to stay in my faculty despite being told there So as a recent graduate, let me take a small moment to impart a little advice were easier programs and easier classes. to anyone who might be in a similar situation: There is more to life than Ivey.

So before you go and rush through the next two years worrying about the FIMS grading curve and whether or not your extracurriculars are good I’m saying all of this to force you to think. Your entire university experience enough, take a moment to breathe. Ask as many questions as you can is what you make of it, and that includes the two years before Ivey. My about both FIMS and Ivey. Talk to upper year students and alumni because years at FIMS taught me to think critically and write eloquently. HBA1 they’re the ones who know what these programs are really like. Consider forced me to experience life outside my comfort zone (daily contribution things like mandatory classes, interesting electives, and the differences beand Excel were difficult adjustments). HBA2 reminded me of how much tween lecture-based and case-based learning. Don’t make such an importI can accomplish when I focus on things I’m passionate about (corporate ant decision using preconceived notions, and don’t stop doing the things communications, marketing, and business strategy). you love because you think you need to be someone else. Think of who you want to be in the future and how that future fits with your education. Don’t Ivey was the right decision for me, and given the opportunity, I would nev- rush past good opportunities. Keep your mind open. Let your decisions er change that decision. What I would change is how I went about getting be informed and reflective of you and your goals. And most importantly, there. I’d tell myself to calm down, breathe, and cut back on the coffee. I’d enjoy Western because it really is a wonderful place filled with intelligent say “I know you really want to go to Ivey, and I know it means a lot, but young people.

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openWIDE// WESTERN LIFE

ON/OFF CAMPUS SPOTS

ON CAMPUS FIMSSC OFFICE

Contrary to popular belief, the FIMS Student Council office is not well known. This is not about the office, but what it represents. It’s located in NCB 298, but your student council is located wherever you need them to be. Ditch the apathy that was so high school, and embrace the role of an engaged student whether it be on a faculty level or a larger university level. Their sole purpose is to serve the undergrads of FIMS, so take advantage of what they have to offer or ask them to provide you with what you don’t see already.

GREEN LEAF CAFE

An all you can eat buffet in Somerville Hall, room 3340, with fresh local foods, need we say more? Check their hours in advance because this much deliciousness is offered for a limited time only.

CONCRETE BEACH

A great place to sunbathe and/or weep in between breaks at Club Weldon. This is also the epitome of false advertising; beach towels, chairs, and sand not included.

Usually when someone advertises a slab of concrete a price is attached, but this space is priceless. Fun fact: a part of the Brutalist architecture trend, it was built in the 60s - along with other unfriendly looking buildings (shoutout Social Science Centre) – as a means to slow down a potential protest coming through campus.

MCINTOSH GALLERY

It’s hard to miss this building’s bright red doors when you’re walking through campus and the art it shows is equally striking. Tons of fascinating and thought provoking exhibitions have been passing through the McIntosh Gallery since its opening in 1942. As the oldest university art gallery in the province, it has earned more than its fair share of street cred in the art community. Check it out on the regular for your recommended dose of culture or stop by during their exclusive exhibits.

THE WAVE

They didn’t pay us to write this, but if they did we would want to be paid in food. A great place on the second floor of the UCC to grab a sit-in dinner that isn’t pizza before a night class, or to pick-up your food if you’re tired of playing the waiting game downstairs at Centre Spot. Their menu changes with the seasons, but their quality doesn’t.

We haven’t listed all the other hidden gems on campus or in London, but that’s for you to explore and find on your own.

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openWIDE// WESTERN LIFE

OFF CAMpus EXODUS ESCAPE ROOM/MYSTERY ESCAPE ROOM

520 Wellington Street/ 551 Waterloo St Stuck in the Western Bubble? Why not be stuck in a room with your friends instead (and we’re not talking about rez rooms)? Use your wit and survival tactics in an escape room meant for the brainiest of bunch.

CARDBOARD CAFE

114 Dundas Street Comfy leather couches, an assortment of gooey fudge brownies, and an entire wall of board games – from Jenga to Taboo to Star Trek Expeditions.

Wait, did you really think London didn’t have its own Snakes and Lattes?

Think again, and have a brownie while you’re at it.

MARKY'S CREPES AND WAFFLES

484 Richmond Street Entertain your tastebuds with a kaleidoscope of fruits and sweets that will change the way you feel about desserts for the rest of your life.

THE ARTS PROJECT

203 Dundas Street A non-profit gallery dedicated to promoting the arts. Check out their website for upcoming events that serve as a well needed distraction from school.

They host everything from art classes to trivia nights to theatre productions.

THE BAG LADY

474 Pall Mall Street This quaint diner wins “Most Instagrammable.” Enjoy a lovely breakfast or lunch surrounded by shelves and shelves of vintage artifacts that is just as much a feast for the eyes as it is the stomach.

THE EARLY BIRD

355 Talbot Street

Weird flavour combinations and even quirkier decor, but everything works to make eating brunch here a memorable experience. Featured on The Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here,” and we couldn’t agree more.

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openWIDE// WESTERN LIFE

TOBOGGAN BREWING COMPANY

585 Richmond Street Formerly known as JBRs or Jim Bob Rays, this once infamous bar has been refurbished to a surprisingly good restaurant. They have a range of culinary options to pick from all made in their 519 - locally orientated - kitchen.

VEG OUT

646 Richmond Street Impeccable meals and desserts made from in-season food around the local London area. Vegan and vegetarian friendly.

CONVENT GARDEN MARKET

130 King Street This market has a variety of vendors to satisfy whatever you’re looking for.

Whether it’s fresh bread, local produce, thai food, polish deli meats, or Yorkshire tea – you can will find it here. In the warmer months they have a seating area outside home to various events.

THE BUNGALOW

910 Waterloo Street Take a little stroll along Cheapside and you’ll find an adorable neighbourhood bistro, known for its burgers, but also serving a variety of food guaranteed to cure your rez food depression.

ORGANIC WORKS BAKERY AND CAFE

222 Wellington Street Hidden on downtown Wellington, this gem is the perfect getaway. Explore their seasonal menu of organic and fresh eats in their unique seating area.

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openWIDE// SUMMER IN REVIEW

World News Summer in Review

This summer’s news headlines were dominated by Greece’s financial crisis. Since Greece’s depression hit in 2009, the country has been through years of financial difficulty. In late June, the country came to the end of its loan agreement with no way of being able to pay it back. Greece became the first country to miss an IMF payment (not the prettiest label).

With Greece in panic mode and lenders threatening to raise austerity measures and interest rates, the country took to a vote to decide what course of action would best serve their citizens. An increase in austerity measures would leave Greek citizens with higher taxes and low to no pension, not to mention more budget cuts. Although past austerity measures managed to decrease Greece’s debt, they also significantly slowed its economy.

After a majority NO came from Greek citizens to accept the international bailout, the government came back to explain that no, actually, it had no choice but to accept a new loan, increasing austerity measures across the country. Many high ranking members of Greece’s new government who promised to cut back austerity measures arguing that they only worsen the country’s economy, stepped down after the new loan was accepted.

With Greece narrowly missing its final exit from the Eurozone, the country is far from out of the red zone. Europe’s big leaders, France and Germany, had different views on how to deal with the debt this time around, with Germany (one of Greece’s largest creditors) taking a more hardline stance. How In the build-up towards the 2016 U.S. election, candidates from the ever, a “Grexit” is unfavourable as an exit from the eurozone Democratic and Republican parties are competing against each other to win (where Greece returns to its own currency) is filled with uncertheir party’s support and nomination in the presidential primaries. And the tainty and a possible negative ripple effect for everyone in the current landscape of both parties could not look any more different.

Eurozone. Whether it’s extending loan periods or reducing the amount of the loan, there is no quick fix for Greece.

The second coming of Clinton is all but certain. Hillary Clinton doesn’t just have the Democratic nomination locked up - she might as well weld the lock shut and rename the Democratic National Convention “Hillary HypeTrain 2016”. With her established track record, the only real contention Clinton faces is from Senator Bernie Sanders, whose social democrat values and grassroots support have built momentum. Expect the Hillary Hype-Train to steamroll the competition.

Greece Financial Crisis //Tori Seston

Upcoming US Presidential Elections //Kevin Chao

While the Democratic winner seems like a shoe-in, the Republican primaries are political pandemonium. With over a dozen serious candidates and no true frontrunners, no prediction can be made confidently. Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker have all raised and dipped in popularity.

Donald Trump’s candidacy was initially lampooned, but his blunt remarks have resulted in high polls that should give him a spot in the GOP debates.

Results will depend on who can best capitalize on current events. I expect Trump’s paper-thin platform to cut him out of nomination, and the large selection of far-right Tea Party candidates to water down their chances. Expect a familial rematch of the 1992 Bush-Clinton election; both may represent the despised establishment, but that strength will allow them to easily weather any storms.

16// v.16.1

openWIDE// SUMMER IN REVIEW

The Pan Am games took Toronto by storm this summer, for two weeks of jam packed fun…and controversy. As the games approached more Canadians realized they knew basically nothing about the event--“wait what countries are coming again?”--and ticket sales for the event reflected it.

Spending controversies also surrounded the games. Stories about taxpayer money being used for frivolous expenses by CEOs and the city going $1.1 billion over budget weren’t the best messages to market the event.

As June rolled around, only 1 million of the 1.4 million tickets available prior to the games had been sold.

Thankfully as anticipation grew, so did sales, leaving game officials to sleep peacefully as they hit their goals days before the games.

Traffic in and out of the city was at an all-time high during the games as athletes and fans alike crowded the highways to see events and ceremonies. Toronto’s decision to introduce temporary HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes on several major highways to alleviate congestion left daily commuters aggravated at the changes.

The games also faced criticism for hosting events outside of Toronto, like the soccer stadium in Hamilton - an hour away from the city.

Controversy continued when Mayor John Tory announced Kanye West would be one of the performers for the closing ceremonies. Fans reacted in horror at the idea of West rapping his explicit lyrics on-stage to the family centered audience and how the opportunity to showcase Canadian talent was lost. A petition was formed gaining a whopping 50,000 signatures in less than a week to have West removed from the program.

Despite all the many ups and downs of the games, Toronto came out unscathed compared to the many other controversies surrounding international sporting events including, but not limited to, Qatar 2022, Brazil 2014, and Sochi 2014. All in all, most of the city came together to celebrate and cheer on its country. And nobody hated the abundance of athletes roaming the streets of downtown Toronto either.

Panam Games //Tori Seston

Supreme Court Ruling on Gay Marriage //Rachel Kelly

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage federally legal in a historical 5 to 4 vote. This decision came just two years after the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which had federally defined marriage as a union strictly made between a man and a woman. Several states retaliated, claiming that the federal government was unfairly controlling state jurisdiction. Alabama, Louisiana, and other states demanded that no marriage licenses be issued until citizens had time to protest the decision. In more liberal areas, major cities hosted their Pride celebrations in the following month with extra fervour. The phrases “Love Wins” and “Love Has Won” became a common part of the media discourse. Despite the historic win, LGBTQ+ are globally an at-risk demographic. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide as heterosexual youth, and 25% of trans youth attempt to take their lives. Conversion therapy, that is ‘psychotherapy’ to turn a child or adult heterosexual, is still legal in most parts of Canada and the US. It is illegal to be gay in 79 countries and punishable by death in 10 of them. The Supreme Court ruling was a major win for the LGBTQ+ population of the US, but love definitely has not won. v.16.1// 17

openWIDE// SUMMER IN REVIEW

Arts & Entertainment Summer in Review

Rapper and business mogul Jay Z recently launched a new streaming service called TIDAL. You may have heard about it. But the buzz about TIDAL is not because (most) people are excited about, it’s because they are outraged.

Here’s why: TIDAL took to Twitter for the bulk of their promotions, and their approach was not in good taste. They piggy-backed off the movement Black Twitter activists had started regarding topics of police brutality and the lack of exposure of police crimes against black women.

Whereas their twitter movement focused around exposing issues around the murder of Eric Garner and the #SayHerName campaign, TIDAL’s did not. The company’s Twitter account, along with some acclaimed artists, posted tweets like “Together we can make music history. Start by turning your profile picture blue. #TIDALforALL,” copying activists that turned their profile pictures black for the #BlackLivesMatter campaign. Another tweet followed the same structure: “Louder than words. The Revolution is coming… #TIDALforALL”. Jay Z has co-opted the leg work done by young activists while remaining silent about the seriousness of the campaign he imitated.

Household names like Jay Z have influence. He could have done something revolutionary by speaking up about the issues plaguing a community he was once a large part of. His silence on these issues while using the same formatting of people fighting for something comes off as gimmicky, and reduces the work of social media activists to something that is seen as trendy and profitable. TIDAL has a monthly cost of $10.99, making it a luxury item that many cannot afford. One of the main reasons Jay Z attributed to his creation of TIDAL was that the streaming services around weren’t paying them enough money. This was hard for many to stomach seeing as he is clearly a member of the 1-percent club.

The company has not been doing as well as Jay Z had anticipated, and many people have spoken out saying that they think it will fail, including rapper and business mogul 50 Cent. One can only hope that consumers will really look into what people are trying to sell them and make informed decisions. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. There is power and strength in numbers after all.

#TIDALforNONE //Zaena Harrison

As a former Olympic athlete and reality television star, Caitlyn Jenner’s transition dominated headlines over the summer. After her interview with Diane Sawyer aired in April, the celebrity, who still identified as “Bruce” at the time, retreated from the public eye to undergo a journey that would impact the lives of young trans* people worldwide.

Over the following weeks, the public eagerly waited for the star to re-enter the spotlight, and on June 1st Caitlyn Jenner took center stage on the cover of Vanity Fair. Overnight, social media feeds were plastered with the cover, and the star instantly became a trending topic on Twitter. Media personalities and Internet users immediately began commenting on Jenner’s post-transition beauty, but what was really beautiful was the articulate, sensible, and mindful way in which she handled her transition.

During the Sawyer interview, Jenner emphasized the privilege she would enjoy as she underwent this process. She did not have to endure the same fear of loss of employment or workplace discrimination that other trans* people face; her status as a public figure arguably provided her a degree of safety from physical harm; and she could financially afford to undergo the many costly surgeries necessary to transition, a privilege many trans* people are denied.

Caitlyn Jenner //Kyle Simons 18// v.16.1

Jenner’s awareness of her privileged position within the trans* community shone through during her acceptance speech for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the EPSYs. In her address, she brought up the names of a number of trans* youth who have taken their own lives, and stressed the need to change both the way that trans* issues are viewed and how trans* people are treated. Caitlyn Jenner’s discussions of her journey have been well-articulated, well-delivered, and have demonstrated the celebrity’s strength as an activist and as a role model for transgender youth.

openWIDE// CREATIVE

// KYLE SIMONS

v.16.1 // 19

openWIDE// CREATIVE

How to Survive O-Week:

for the introvert in us all // Erica Wallis

Get psyched for Canada’s biggest party! O-Week like the greatest event you’ll ever attend plus every birthday you’ll ever have, and all mashed into one totally alcohol-free weekend of complete responsibility that you’ll never regret!

I think there might be a thousand videos and articles floating around the universe that are all geared towards getting everyone hyped for O-Week at Western. But how do you deal with the biggest party ever when you don’t even know how to party? Or meet new people?

Or function as a human being? If you’re like me, you may need a little help.

For that scared, crying little introvert inside us all, have I ever got some 100% doctor certified advice lined up for you. Don’t worry buddy. You’ll have more fun then you expect.

20// v.16.1

openWIDE// CREATIVE

Follow These 5 Things (Hang In There, It Gets Better Champ)

1. First Impressions Don’t Count

The bad thing about Western when you’re an introvert is that there are 30,000 people. However, the good thing about Western is that it’s physically impossible to make 30,000 bad impressions at once. Which ergo means that even if you mess up, it’s not going to ruin your life like it would at a smaller school. And likely whatever awkward mess you’ve gotten yourself into probably isn’t so bad

2. Meaningful connections? LOL

Despite what everyone tells you, you aren’t going to be lifelong friends with people right away, and that’s totally cool. I met some pretty fun people during my first week at Western, but as soon as O-Week finished, I was overwhelmed by the realization that I didn’t actually know any of them. Could I call them and tell them that I desperately needed a slushie and a hug? Could I have a serious conversation with anyone about which track off Tswift’s 1989 best defined my life? No I definitely couldn’t have. Mostly because 1989 hadn’t been released yet. But now I totally can.

3. Running away for a little is good

The whole O-Week ‘get-up-early, be-around-people-all-day’ thing doesn’t really fly with my personality. I’m pretty chill with waking up early, but I have a definitive quota of time that I can bear to spend around other humans. My poor friends know well enough when I’ve exceeded that capacity and I need to lock myself in a room and stare morosely out a window for 10 hours like a normal person. So there were a few times that I sort of escaped for a little, and went on aimless walks around campus like an endearing old grandfather who totters around public parks and talks to pigeons. Turned out to be a decent idea, and then I didn’t get so lost on the first day, so 10/10 would recommend.

4. Running away for awhile is bad

However, while a little alone time is good for the introverted soul, a lot of alone time is good for nobody. It’s pretty easy to lose yourself in a school like Western, and I 100% did in first year (not physically of course, due to aforementioned exploring). But at the end of a long day, it’s crazy easy to retreat back into your room and close the door and watch Netflix all night, especially if you have a single room like I did. And although it was easy, I would 10/10 NOT recommend this. Get out of that room, even if it’s scary or cold outside. If the first people you meet aren’t a home run, try again with another floor. Or a class. Or a club. You will find your people. And they will not be named Liz Lemon or Chandler Bing because they will be real live human beings who can give your advice and bring you snacks when you’re sick and send you videos of cats to watch.

5. Awkward people get laid too

Holla, people think awkward is cute. You’ll get some. v.16.1// 21

openWIDE// CREATIVE

WHY Sometimes late at night, I doubt why I spend my time writing articles for Openwide when I could be handing in essays on time. There are times when I think my efforts are futile, but every time I hear people praise the publication or talk about an article they’ve read, I melt into a puddle of delight.

If so many people are praising the publication, why aren’t more people writing for it? This part does not really bother me as much because everyone has different priorities. It’s not easy to research, write, and edit an extra 700 words on top of everything else being demanded of you. Maybe, just a small maybe, after this article some of you will see that it is worth your time.

For me, the thought of Openwide not continuing is unbearable. A world without the existence of this kind of publication is a world not worth existing. But that’s just me. These days the world seems to be so much of that – this “just me.” In FIMS classes, we are inundated with examples of how our world is becoming an individualist, capitalist, nihilist, consumerist hot mess.

The boys of the Frankfurt School would scoff at some of the content that manages to grab our attention these days as pacifying nonsense with the sole purpose of keeping us complacent.

We as media studies students know better than most the effects of mass media and the numbing of critical thinking that it promotes, but we also know that it is not completely true. The balance may be off, but critical content still exists. Look at the popularity of John Oliver’s 20 minute displays of investigative journalism masked as comedy, or the anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters. There are people out there who choose to think, to question, to contemplate.

22// v.16.1

?

// Stephanie Gordon

As readers of Openwide, you are among them. We know our articles aren’t as easy to digest as Buzzfeed articles, but you still choose to read them. If the measure of a civilization is its compassion, then this publication is full of it. Openwide does not publish that often, but when it does, its articles are full of compassion. By that I mean, our articles dig a little deeper.

We engage in our content critically to produce articles that leave an impression in a culture of speed. Time, care, compassion, every article is a labour of love. But Openwide isn’t afraid to dish out some tough love from time to time. It produces articles that force students to reflect and critique their institution, promoting advocacy through information. It’s so much more than a magazine, it is part of a mentality that opposes the norm. When everyone else is telling you to get a move on and go, we’re saying stop.

Just stop.

Read. Revel in the detail. Reflect.

At the end of the day, some people won’t care, some people will never care, but this article isn’t for them.

This publication is for you. You, the one who thinks long after lecture is over. You, the one who doesn’t think paying attention to detail is an expense. You, the self-proclaimed lifelong learner. You, the one who picks research topics based on interest instead of ease.

You, the one who hasn’t stopped reading after the introduction.

As long as you read, care, and contribute, Openwide will continue. We will continue to carve out a space in this university for critical thinking and alternative spins on current events. Finally to you, I quote our previous editor-in-chief, “thanks for believing all this has some meaning.”

openWIDE// CREATIVE

ZINE CANADA

SILENTLY WONDERING, “WHY BOTHER?” SINCE 1906

NEW SOPH TEAM CREATED FOR AEO FACULTY

Mandatory attendance for at least 80% of O-Week events to keep status

WESTERN ADMINISTRATION CONGRATULATES ITSELF ON SUCCESSFULDRY O-WEEK

Local liquor stores celebrate reaching monthly sales goals by September 3rd

BOOSTER JUICE NOW SELLING HANGOVER REMEDIES

To be eligible, show your bar stamp from the night before

PRESIDENT CHAKMA BREATHES

SIGH OF RELIEF WHEN GREETING INCOMNG STUDENTS Statistically speaking, at least some of them don’t know about Chakmagate

ADMINISTRATIONS INSISTS THAT O-WEEK ISN’T A MONEY GRAB

O-Staff changes Opening Ceremonies to “Standing Room Only” with $50 VIP seating, cites “limited space”

DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCED AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR ONE LOVE

“Show me someone without an ego, and I’ll show you a loser” says the presidential candidate during his speech on acceptance

CONFUSED FIRST YEAR WANDERS AROUND WITH BATHING SUIT AND TOWEL “I’m looking for concrete beach”, student says

MIDDLESEX TOWER CLOCK TO BE REPLACED WITH AN APPLE WATCH Renovation part of several other building improvements included in the Strategic Plan MLA, APA, AND CHICAGO CITATION CREATORS FLOODED WITH INQUIRES ON HOW TO PROPERLY CITE DRAKE LYRICS BMOS students expected by professors to use “Started From the Bottom” to explain trickle-down economics

ADJUNCT PROFESSORS OFFERED FREE PARKING ON CAMPUS TO MAKE UP FOR LOW PAY

“I don’t even fucking own a car” said one of the professors when asked for feedback DONATION BOX TO BE ADDED TO CONVOCATION STAGE “Western Alumni have so much to offer” said Alumni strategic planning board

USC UNVEILS PLANS TO ADD AN EXTRA FLOOR FOR THE UCC FOR ALL THINGS MENTAL HEALTH

“We’re hoping if we throw enough money at the problem it will just go away” - USC representative

SEAFOOD AND CAVIAR BAR TO BE INSTALLED IN THE ADMINISTRATION’S PRIVATE RESTAURANT

Tablecloths rumoured to be made out of student dollars

USC SURVEY ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT REVEALS THAT THE MOST ATTENDED EVENT IS “EXAMS”

Second highest attended event was “Bus pass pick-up”

MEGAPHONES TO BE INSTALLED ACROSS CAMPUS TO BETTER HEAR STUDENTS’ COMPLAINTS

Council believes volume is the biggest barrier to having student concerns listened to

v.16.1// 23