Friday, January 17, 2014

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A raucous welcome for Tokyo Police Club

thegazette P good since 1906

The crowd got wild Wednesday in the Wave for TPC and Hollerado >> pg. 5 TODAY high -3 low -12

TOMORROW high -6 low -12

CANADA’S ONLY DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014

VOLUME 107, ISSUE 56

USC ready for online vote? Campus health Feelings mixed as election day approaches program gears up Katie Lear GAZETTE STAFF

Photo Illustration by Bill Wang GAZETTE

HOLD ME, KISS ME, HACK ME. After two consecutive years of online voting being compromised, security problems with the University Students’ Council’s voting system still may not have been addressed.

Jeremiah Rodriguez NEWS EDITOR With the University Students’ Council elections less than a month away, the elections committee is clamping down to ensure that the previous mistakes of years past aren’t repeated.

Pashv Shah, the chief returning officer for the USC elections is wary that the current system has only been fixed marginally after being compromised in the last two elections.

“We’re working off the assumption that it’s going to be the same thing as last year and that’s not going to cut it this year — we want to reaffirm people’s trust in the system,” Shah said.

Shah said that his six-month interaction with Western Information Technology Services has been frosty and that requests to overhaul the website have been largely ignored since June 2013. The requests varied from demographic

analysis of voters, voter turnout statistics and making the site vastly more pleasing to look at.

The USC election of 2012 was hacked by former Western student Keith Horwood, who took advantage of a weakness in the site. The record-setting 10,000 votes were discounted, and a re-vote was held two weeks later. The following year, poorly-timed human error lead to voters being presented with the wrong choices.

With updates to the security system and tweaks to the site, USC president Pat Whelan asserted that the past liabilities have been taken care of.

“We’ve addressed the old problems and the old system is fully capable of running these elections in a safe and fair way,” Whelan said.

“I think one of the things that will help quite a bit is that we’re not launching the campaign at midnight but at 8 a.m. Then all [USC] staff will be at hand so if a human error does occur, they’ll be there.”

Geoff Pimlatt, senior manager of the USC’s media and communications, shared Whelan’s confidence in the system and says the current system held up during three smaller elections for the affiliate colleges at Western last semester.

Pimlatt went on to claim that Western ITS has been working on more elaborate changes, but that the project was put on hold until next year.

“Western ITS was developing a new system that would analyze participant demographics. The hope was that that site could be used for elections as well by faculties and presidential slates,” he said.

Shah, however, is not completely convinced that the Western is making the strides it needs to in order to avoid another problem.

“We want to be progressing with these elections, we don’t want to be stagnant,” he said. “For the past several years we’ve been using the same system expecting the same result, limping on with minor fixes.”

Campus Recreation and Student Health Services will offer their joint Healthy Body Healthy Mind course once again for the second term.

The class was developed in response to the National College Health Assessment that was published by the American College Health Association in the spring of 2013. The study surveyed 34 undergraduate universities.

The report found that 56 per cent of students were able to rate their overall stress level as “more than average” or “tremendous” within the past 12 months.

“Students also suggested in the study that the number one thing that the Western student thought that affected their academics was stress followed by anxiety and sleep difficulties,” said Nicole Versaevel, health promotion manager at SHS. “So once this data was received, the program was created to address the key themes that came out of the survey.”

Healthy Body Healthy Mind is

designed to incorporate both physical and mental aspects for stress management skills. Versaevel said the program was expanded this semester due to its popularity last semester when they had to add spots due to demand.

Versaevel said that the goal of the program is to go beyond basic information and get students to try new things.

Versaevel said students know that they should sleep well and exercise, but the program addresses what prevents students from doing those things. She said the program offers a variety of experiences that students might not otherwise have, like sample spin class, different types of workouts, meditation and yoga, taught by different instructors from around the campus community, including a psychiatrist from health services, a professor who moonlights as a fitness instructor and a learning skills counsellor.

The Campus Recreation website says that the course is one hour long on Wednesday mornings and >> see HEALTH pg.3

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thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

Caught on Camera

Spencer Fairweather GAZETTE

THINKING OF GRAD SCHOOL? Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry hosted a preview day in Mustang Lounge Thursday afternoon where interested students could obtain information on the numerous graduate programs offered in the fields of health and science.

News Briefs

Located in the Lower level of the Community Center, for all your travel needs.

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Travel CUTS University of Western Ontario UCC Building, Basement Level Univ_Western@travelcuts.com

POSITIONS AVAILABLE Campus Tour Guides September 2014- April 2015

Are you: • Proud of your Faculty • Enthusiastic about Western • Involved in campus activities • Knowledgeable about your school • Articulate, pleasant and responsible To apply: • Review the application posting details on the Career Central website www.westerncareercentral.ca • Email your completed application information to liaison@uwo.ca DEADLINE: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 4:00 pm 140116

Please note that due to the number of applicants only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Your Weekly Horoscope The week of Jan 17 – 23

This horoscope is intended for entertainment purposes only.

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Though you are eager to plow through your to-do list, You are drawn to creative endeavors these days and certain plans may have to be postponed due to cir- have less patience for tasks that are not nearly as cumstances beyond your control. Go with the flow. fun. Find a healthy balance between the two.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Uncover the source of a disagreement with a friend Expect to serve as a mediator for your loved ones this and try to come to a resolution before the disagree- week. The issue that arises is relatively small, but your ment escalates. Handling things promptly will pay off. calm demeanor and cool head will be needed.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 Attention to detail this week will prevent delays You may be floundering a little in the romance down the road. Keep this mind when tending to per- department this week. Stick to what your intuition is sonal as well as professional matters. telling you, and you will come out just fine.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 You may find your mind wandering this week. You You are focused on your work, but distractions cannot seem to focus on the tasks at hand, but work beyond your control figure to prove frustrating. Try to hard to limit distractions and get your work done. remain as patient as possible, and everything will work itself out.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 Respect a loved one’s decision to keep a certain Take a breather and stop to give some careful matter private. There’s not much you can do other thought to your recent experiences and your expecthan offer your support and respect. tations going forward. You will benefit from this reflection in the long run.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Carefully schedule your time this week. You cannot Expect some valuable insight on your future to arrive afford to get behind in work or miss any important in the next few days. It won’t be difficult to set plans appointments. Stay focused and leave some time in motion. free for the unexpected.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS JANUARY 19 – Shawn Johnson, Gymnast (22) JANUARY 21 – Jerry Trainor, Actor (37) JANUARY 23 – Tiffany Amber Thiessen, Actress (40)

JANUARY 20 – Paul Stanley, Singer (62) JANUARY 22 – Steve Perry, Singer (65)

CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer

Fontana wants gondola system for downtown Londoners could one day be treated to a breathtaking tour of the downtown core via riverfront gondolas.

Mayor Joe Fontana has proposed building a cable-car system above the Thames River. The gondolas would disembark from the Forks of the Thames and end at Horton St. The goal of the project would be to create an attraction to bring in tourists as part of plans to revitalize the downtown core.

While initial public reaction has been skeptical, similar gondolas in New York and Boston have been successful and the executive director of Downtown London, Janette MacDonald, thinks it’s a fun idea.

“Any outside of the box thinking that draws attention to downtown is good,” MacDonald said.

The proposal will be discussed in the mayor’s State of the City Address on January 28 as part of broader efforts to revitalize downtown, particularly the riverfront area around the Forks of the Thames. The mayor has so far been vague on details and no research has yet been done by city staff for the proposed project.

MacDonald believes it’s premature at this point to speculate about the proposal’s feasibility.

“I think it’s an absolute ‘pie in the sky’ idea that hasn’t had pen put to paper yet,” she said.

Other ideas that have been floated to connect the downtown to the river include an “urban beach” at the Forks of the Thames and boardwalks and cafes.

At the very least, the creative proposal has drummed up interest that has Londoners thinking of how to improve the Forest City core.

— Conrad Floryan

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thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

Sexual assault underreported on campus Nova Scotia study finds reporting rate of under ten per cent Aaron Zaltzman ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Conrad Floryan GAZETTE

MAKING CAMPUS SAFER. Western University and the University Students’ Council are working together to establish a set sexual response policy for all university services. A study of Nova Scotia universities found only 5 per cent of sexual assaults are reported to the police.

university tries to keep in place support systems outside of the police services.

“A lot of victims don’t always report to police, but often speak to their friends instead,” he explained.

“It’s important for them to have support, so for us it’s important to have systems in place to help facilitate [the process] and make it less traumatizing.”

The University Students’ Council also plays a part in dealing with sexual assault on campus, primarily via education.

“We run educational campaigns to talk about what sexual violence is, because there is an immense amount of misunderstanding, not just among students but in general,” explained Sam Krishnapillai, vicepresident internal for the USC. Krishnapillai explained the USC and Western were making efforts to

Successful health program continues >> HEALTH continued from pg.1

is offered for free with a $20 deposit fully refunded if six of the eight sessions are attended.

“I think [the $20 deposit is] ultimately about accountability,” Versaevel commented. “Just in preparing for the program and doing some research, for a lot of programs that are free, a lot of people will sign

up and not come. It’s kind of seen as a way to commit and the money is returned if you actually follow through.”

Students can register through the Campus Recreation Services’ website. The class takes place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesdays from January 29 through to March 26.

— With files from Iain Boekhoff

Within the last 12 months, Western students rated the overall level of stress experienced: PER CENT (%)

MALE

FEMALE

TOTAL

No Stress Less than average Average stress More than average Tremendous stress

2.3 12.1 37 38.8 9.8

0.5 4.6 33.4 48.5 13

1 7 34.5 45.5 12

Source: Student Health Services

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Follow us on Twitter!

facebook.com /westerngazette

@uwogazette

coordinate sexual assault response policy across services.

“Right now there is no set procedure or guideline for people to follow when it comes to sexual assault,” she said. “Housing handles it one way and the police handle it another — it’s not a good or bad thing, but it isn’t clear to students what they can expect from who they’re going to.”

Aubin said there are various options offered by Western for students who are dealing with sexual assault on campus.

“We can assist a student in attending for medical treatment, and if they request charges we can help them with that as well. We involve London Police for sexual assault investigations for charges,” Aubin said. “We can assist the victim in different areas, and the victim would control what happens.”

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Efforts are underway at Nova Scotia universities to educate students about sexual assault on campus through an awareness campaign.

Though unrelated, the campaign comes on the heels of a report stating that only 5 per cent of sexual assaults on campus are formally reported.

The report, which was completed by consultant Anne Martell, offered conclusions about problems related to sexual assault on campus, such as the fact that consent is not well understood by students, sexual predators exist and operate on campus, and acquaintance sexual assault accounts for 90-95 per cent of all campus sexual assault, although most of those incidents go unreported.

The report also offered guidelines for preventing sexual assault on campus, including training programs that teach people to recognize potential sexual violence, sensitivity training about rights and consent and targeted genderspecific programming.

While the report was based on data acquired from students in various Nova Scotia schools, it would appear many of the same trends span across other provinces. J.C. Aubin, Western campus police staff sergeant, offered some explanations for why so many incidents of sexual assault go unreported.

“It can be very traumatizing for someone to report a sexual assault, so that could be a factor when deciding not to report it,” Aubin said. “There could be other factors as well too — in some cases [the victim] does not want to get the suspect in trouble, in some cases the victim blames themselves.”

He also said though many cases go formally unreported, that doesn’t mean the victim keeps silent, so the

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thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

Arts&Life

badwriting On the wall, a shadow appeared…the shadow of a man…standing in the cavern. But the man’s head was misshapen…badly. Instead of a nose the man had a long beak…as if he were half bird.

— Dan Brown, Inferno

Feeling irate over shitty Oscar bait.

WHERE

to get it

Coat — Ben Sherman You could pay full price for one of these exceptional Ben Sherman coats. Or just keep your eyes peeled at the thrift store like Stuart did.

Turtleneck — H&M What better place to purchase a fitted, full turtleneck than at H&M? The bonus is it’s also bound to be relatively inexpensive.

Pants — Urban Outfitters Realistically, where else are you going to find plaid pants outside of a specialty golf shop? But damn do they look fly.

S

ometimes your outfit acts as the perfect medium to express your lifestyle, and nowhere is this more apparent than with Thomas Stuart, a second-year PhD English student.

It might be cliché to imagine English academics clad in tweed, plaids, turtlenecks and horn-rimmed glasses. But in Stuart’s case, this is exactly what he is wearing.

Bedecked in a long overcheck herringbone-tweed trench coat, replete with a sumptuous turtleneck, plaid pants and chisel-toed Blundstones, Stuart is striking a distinct look — one as appropriate to a doctorate degree as overalls to a mechanic.

“I would say British fashion, and a little bit of 19th century flare,” Stuart says about what inspires his fashion.

“I am hipster preppy.”

Boots — Blundstone These are the hottest boots out there right now. Waterproof, classy and versatile, they’ll compliment just about anyone’s wardrobe.

Smoth soundin’ off Cam Smith DEPUTY EDITOR Continuing its annual tradition of disappointing film fans, the Academy has decided to disregard any valid film critiques in its nominations this year.

For the most part, the movies up for an Oscar in 2014 are fairly good.

We were all moved to tears by 12 Years a Slave, laughter by Wolf of Wall Street and vigorous epilepsy by Gravity — a decent crop for Best Picture. But when a middling, entry-level, Oscar bait film like American Hustle is a serious contender while artsy, ambitious films like Inside Llewyn Davis and All is Lost get shut out, we have to ask what drugs the Academy is on.

It gets said every year and I’m going to say it again: The Academy doesn’t give a damn about the quality of a film. All that matters is that the films nominated vaguely resemble well-made movies, and they draw an enormous audience.

What makes a good movie? Lots of factors, only a fraction of which are acknowledged with an Academy Award. Yet, it seems like the nominations exist entirely arbitrarily

— except to tempt filmmakers into attaining one.

Take director David O. Russel for example. It seems his entire directorial career exists to guile the Academy into nominating his most recent middling movie for “Best Picture” without ever actually earning one. The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle were all released smack in the middle of Oscar season, and all garnered nominations for Best Picture — without actually winning, or being all that good.

Exceptionally good films should be made without some silly trophy in mind. Instead, they should inspire audiences with their brilliance, stun them with their visuals, educate them with their morals or combine all of these things. By shunning these requirements, the Academy becomes a spectacle for the mildly interested, and an embarrassment for the seriously invested.

Yes, I am going to watch the Oscars this year. Much like one of the morons who slows down their car when passing a traffic accident, I can’t help but gape in horror. I enjoyed several movies this season immensely (especially the sentimental punch-to-the-gut Her), but was indifferent to at least half of the nominees.

At the end of the day, I’ll watch the spectacle like everyone else. But I refuse to like it, or acknowledge it with the slightest bit of credibility.

Winnie Lu GAZETTE

While Stuart certainly looks like his clothes are expensive, in truth, he admits that some of his favourite pieces are picked up at secondhand and thrift stores.

“Definitely check out secondhand shops for the best deals. My coat was found in a secondhand shop,” Stuart advises those looking to emulate his fashion.

What makes his outfit work is the absolute commitment to a specific look. Stuart refuses to compromise his aesthetic, embracing the archetypal pieces attributed to academics.

No matter what your style, it’s important you wear it with confidence, as Stuart does. Essentially, it’s possible to pull off anything as long as it’s worn confidently and the pieces work in harmony, so don’t be afraid to rock the horn-rims and the tweed.

— Cam Smith With files from Winnie Lu

Winnie Lu GAZETTE

Come shoot fashion photography Volunteer UCC Rm. 263

•5

thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

The Gazette gabs with Tokyo Police Club Before rocking out, TPC and Hollerado talk shop

Kelly Samuel GAZETTE

>> Q&A > Tokyo Police Club’s lead singer David Monks GAZETTE: I heard you used to do full

shows with just one album.

DAVID MONKS: Yes. When we started we only had 10 or so songs and they were all pretty brief so the shows would only be like 20 minutes. Last summer we did a few shows that were just the EP but they were just for friends, like we wouldn’t charge ticket price for that.

Why did you decide to play at Western?

DM: I live in New York now and Greg lives in Boston so we have to strategically plan when we’re going to get together and do things. There were show offers for going around the colleges, and it’s a good opportunity for us to practice the new material that we’re working on before the album comes out in March. This is like a warm-up for us. And Graham’s brother went to Western for English.

us being an insular four-piece unit.

We spent a long time making the record and there were a lot of exterior opinions and people had ideas about how we should do things. We felt a pressure from the industry around us. We put up with it for a while but in the end you have to just put your walls up and just do your own thing and block it out.

Sometimes you need a forcefield.

G:

G: So the new album title is Forcefield. Why did you decide to use that name?

DM: “Forcefield” is the concept of

G: How do you think this album dif-

fers from your past albums?

DM: All our albums are pretty different, they all have their own vibe, but they’re all also the same band.

But yes, definitely different ­— shinier — not necessarily poppier, but bigger. They’re not all pop songs.

Like more rock, less straight up pop. But it definitely feels bigger.

G: Do you prefer a university crowd?

DM: It’s something we only really do seasonally — you can do it in January, you can do it in September, that’s pretty much it. And usually we do a bunch of

A rowdy crowd and a killer concert Mary Ann Ciosk ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Students who made it out to Tokyo Police Club and Hollerado’s show Wednesday evening at the Wave certainly had a night to remember. The intimate venue allowed all audience members close proximity to the stage and inevitably engulfed them in the glory of the vibrant indie-rock. The Ecstatic, the opening band, was a solid addition to the night in the same vein of high-energy tunes as the headlining acts. Riding on the coat-tails of Hollerado and Tokyo Police Club for now, they’re sure to become a more widely known and respected band in upcoming years.

Hollerado compiled a crowd pleasing set-list with old and new hits, including “Juliette,” “Got To Lose,” “Good Day at the Races,” and their most recent single “So it Goes.” Lead singer Menno Versteeg kept the evening lively by advising students to try as many drugs as possible while in university, with the exception of meth — a statement which he followed up with a personal anecdote about getting high with a homeless woman and

looking through garbage all night.

The audience was extremely enthused when Tokyo Police Club began, forming a large mosh pit during TPC’s opening song, their new single “Argentina”. Lead singer and bassist David Monks, always the good guy, asked the audience to do him the “personal favour” of not violently shoving each other in the audience in consideration of the short girls.

Unfortunately Monk’s plea fell on alcohol-addled ears, and moshing as well as crowd-surfing resumed immediately. To Monk’s credit he later stopped mid-song to single out one particularly rowdy audience member and threatened to personally kick him out. In spite of the rambunctious crowd, Tokyo Police Club still managed to put on a fantastic show, drawing on old favourites such as “A Lesson in Crime,” “Breakneck Speed” and “Favourite Food” as well as new material from their upcoming album Forcefield. Overall the show was highly charged as confetti sprayed through the crowd signing, jumping and moshing along to the band’s irrepressibly catchy, up-beat tunes.

Kelly Samuel GAZETTE

>> Q&A > Hollerado’s lead singer Menno Versteeg university shows together. It’s cool to play to a bunch of people who all have something in common, maybe it’s a frosh thing and they’re all freshmen or something, or they all go to the same school, so it’s easy to get everyone excited about the show, it’s usually a good vibe.

You talk about interesting themes in your songs — does that lyrical style carry on in this album?

DM: The lyrics are very different in this album. My lyrics in the first couple albums have been more poetic, reaching for strange words, phrases that I liked, it wasn’t always an overall “this song is about this or that.” Writing Forcefield I had a couple songs I wrote that were specifically about something, and it felt really good to just hit the nail on the head and say it. It’s more in plain English, which is how the majority of songs are written. It’s not straight-forward, but all the songs have a very specific meaning, usually about simple stuff, so the lyrics are a little more simple.

G:

Do you prefer playing at a university campus?

MENNO VERSTEEG: Nothing is really preferable, but definitely the universities treat you really well. The thing about university shows is that the shows don’t necessarily have to make money because you have a budget for this kind of thing so when the promoters aren’t totally concerned about pinching every penny, like a lot of private promoters are, they treat you really well. They give you food and beer, and it’s always really nice. Also the people putting on the shows aren’t as jaded as people who have been putting them on for like 60 years.

GAZETTE:

Do you tour with Tokyo Police Club a lot?

MV: Yeah they’re good friends of ours and it’s a cool work environment. You get to pick your coworkers to some degree, and we like to tour with friends so we end up playing a lot of shows together, and it’s great because you get to see your friends.

G:

G: Did you meet through the indus-

try and decide to work together after that?

MV: Yeah basically, we didn’t know each other before we were both bands doing shows and they had us open for a few shows three years ago and they’re really, really sweet guys so we got along really fast.

G: Do you have a favourite song or album?

MV: Of Tokyo Police Club? They’re all shitty [Versteeg says as drummer from TPC, Greg Aslop, walks past. Addressing Alsop:] — I was just talking smack about you.

Anything you’d say to aspiring musicians or artists at Western?

MV: Totally — just enjoy doing it.

Enjoy making your art, because that is what success is. Who knows where it’s going to take you, but as long as you like doing it, and actually do it, don’t just talk about doing it, then you’re going to have a good time.

— Mary Ann Cisok G:

6•

thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

Opinions HAVE YOUR SAY

The Gazette asked students whether USC elections should still be held online this year, given the problems of the past two years.

“Idealism loses to pragmatism when it comes to winning elections.”

— Danny Strong

Pop it, lock it, add/drop it the program isn’t for you, an option to pull out is readily there for you.

Even the most absurd, head-scratching products brought to you through late night infomercials will give you 30 days to return the product. That’s 30 whole days to weigh the pros and cons of a robotic condiment dispenser, and over 700 hours to see if that hair growth solution is actually working.

So what does it mean, then, that our university — in all its resources — provide only a single week for students to swap courses?

That’s right. From the first day of school, January 6, to the last day of swapping courses, January 14, students had to decide if the classes they registered for were a good fit.

There are a few problems with having only one week. First, it assumes that in a single class students will get enough information to make an informed, important decision of whether or not that material is worth dedicating the next four months to study. Additionally, the sad reality is that most students don’t even get a proper first class.

Many professors will speed through the syllabus and then simply release the

Seven Minutes in Kevin Kevin Hurren OPINIONS EDITOR

Serena Quinn

English II I think we should try other methods if it has been a recurring problem for the past few years. It’s an issue if people’s votes aren’t getting in and people’s voices aren’t being heard.

Laurel Bury

FIMS I I think voting online is the most effective way considering that if you made everyone do the traditional ballet type voting, you might get even less of a turn out. I know there was a bad situation once, but that doesn’t mean it’s bound to happen again.

Justin Finkbeiner

Criminology and History IV I think it’s the only way people are going to vote if it’s online, If someone could just do it from their computer, they’re just going to do it on their computer instead of going to a voting poll. I personally don’t think a lot of people would do it if it was a normal poll type.

Fenton Jagdeo

Economics, Politics and Philosophy II I think, outside of all the inconsistencies with the technical issues, if there is a way to make that a lot more secure, I think online voting is the future especially. Not just with the university, but with political parties in Canada. It gets people a little more involved and if they say you have to go to the UCC to vote, more people are less inclined to vote.

thegazette

Volume 107, Issue 56 www.westerngazette.ca Julian Uzielli Editor-In-Chief Cameron M. Smith Wishes he had Jason’s running shoes Editor Jason Sinukoff 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

The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

When it comes to the time it takes to commit to something, there are often mutually agreed upon durations.

For instance, in relationships the number is usually two months. After two months of being with someone, you’ve passed the charade of trying to impress the other. By this point, you’ve exposed most of your surface insecurities, revealed your annoying flaws, and are ready to enter the third month in a committed relationship.

For weight loss programs, the commitment duration is about five weeks.

Most organizations will entice you with promises of toned abs and ripped arms, but acknowledge that not everyone’s body is the same. As such, you’ll get a few weeks to try and shed the points – knowing that if you fail and

Dear Life

Letter to the Editor

Election opportunities not promoted To the Editor: With the tidal wave of information and promotion that is the USC election under two weeks away, I am surprised by the lack of information available to prospective candidates.

Elections are about more than simply who wins or who loses the position of USC president. Elections are about bringing together the student body to engage in an honest and open conversation about the issues that matter the most. Elections are also an important period for establishing a vision for the university, a process that involves recognizing where we stand now and where we need to stand in the future.

This process can only be facilitated if elections are competitive. Last year, for the first year in many, every single Social Science councillor position was acclaimed. Though I cannot comment on how many registrants there currently are for this election, I can comment on the amount of promotion that has been put into the election; seemingly none.

I propose a relatively basic solution.

I challenge the USC to set up a booth

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.

in the UCC atrium for a couple of days, and promote the crap out of the dozens of elected positions available. Print out as many nomination forms as necessary.

Make it as easy as possible for students to register. By doing so, we encourage more students from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences to become candidates.

We have nothing to lose by simply asking western students if they would be interested in running for a position, and physically presenting them with the opportunity to do it. Besides, for most students like myself who walk through the UCC atrium on a regular basis, it will probably be a welcome change from being incessantly asked whether or not you have a place to live next year.

What we can never forget is that an organization such as the USC thrives on diversity in ideas. With a one-year turnover rate, it is absolutely necessary for the USC to attract new candidates for all positions, every single year. We all have a vested interest in maintaining competitive elections because it is a necessary precursor to a representative USC — to a USC that can connect with students on a meaningful level. The USC must take the necessary steps to make sure that we are telling enough students about the elections, before the election period starts.

—Matt Helfand Political Science MA USC presidential candidate

@uwogazette

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Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Robert Armstrong

Diana Watson

Gazette Staff 2013-2014

Christine

class. It’s not until the second and third weeks that students really get a grasp on the lecturing style, teaching philosophy and expectations of the professor.

Even if the professor does plan to go through a whole lecture in the first class, they don’t always get the chance to. For example, due to dangerous weather conditions last week classes were cancelled on Tuesday. As such, the “first” classes of that day actually happened on the second week — when the course swap period was over. Because of this I am now stuck in a class that is completely different than I expected, unable to drop the course (which I still have time to do) because I cannot replace it.

It just seems a bit laughable to me that a company like Proactive would give me more time to make a decision about skin cream than Western would give me to make a decision about where the thousands upon thousands of dollars I pour into the classes I take are going. Now, because of bad weather and Western’s poor planning, I am paying for an education that I — in part — do not want.

But hey, at least I’ll have good skin.

Bonk,

Jonathan

Dunn,

Spencer

Fairweather, Sam Frankel, Stephanie Grella, Dorothy Kessler, Kevin Heslop, Jenny Jay, Nathan Kanter, Taylor Lasota, Katie Lear, Emory Liu, Cheryl Madliger, Sara Mai Chitty, Soheil Milani, Vidhant Pal, Lily Robinson, Alex Seger, Tiffany Shepherd, Hamza Tariq, Josh Teixera, Anne Wozney

Your anonymous letters to life Dear Life, I’m stocking up on lotion and Kleenex for when the Gazette Sex Issue comes out.

Dear Life, Why are Jason Sinukoff’s shoes always made fun of on the radio?

Dear Life, Why are men being increasingly barred from the gym because some women aren’t “comfortable?”

Dear Life, I’m convinced that the lack of working microwaves on campus is a conspiracy by Western Hospitality to get us to buy more meals on campus. Well, it won’t work on me! I’ll eat my Kraft Dinner cold, dammit!

Dear Life, Remember Soulja Boy? wgaz.ca/dearlife

fb.com/westerngazette News Richard Raycraft Megan Devlin Iain Boekhoff Jeremiah Rodriguez Arts & Life Brent Holmes Mary Ann Ciosk Bradley Metlin Sports Daniel Weryha Nusaiba Al-Azem Caitlin Martin Newnham Opinions Kevin Hurren

Associate Kaitlyn McGrath Aaron Zaltzman Photography Bill Wang Kelly Samuel Taylor Lasota Graphics Naira Ahmed Illustrations Christopher Miszczak John Prata Online Jesica Hurst Graphics/Video Mike Laine

• Please recycle this newspaper •

•7

thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

Sports

gameday The Mustangs women’s volleyball team will be playing against Royal Military College and Queen’s this Friday and Saturday, respectively. The team’s current record is 2–9.

Rundown >> Before the puck dropped in Wednesday night’s game between the Western Mustangs men’s hockey team and the Ryerson Rams, a moment of silence was held for Major W. J. McLeod who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 92 > McLeod, the founder of the University Cup, cemented his legacy as a CIS legend, as a coach and as an NHL supervisor for officials.

Third-period goal gives Western the win Mustangs take down top-ranked West division Rams Daniel Weryha SPORTS EDITOR In a third-period thriller, Zach Harnden and the Western Mustangs men’s hockey team rallied to take a 3–2 victory over the top-ranked Ryerson Rams.

The Rams tied the game late in the third period, but just under a minute later, Zach Harnden, the Mustangs’ left winger, netted the game-winning goal — his 10th of the season.

While the Mustangs did secure the victory, they struggled to control the game. Coming into Wednesday night’s Ontario University Athletics West division matchup, the Rams sat in first only two games ahead of the third-seeded Mustangs.

“Our biggest advantage was that we never gave up and even though we were short players — everyone worked together,” Mustangs’ leftwinger Daniel Erlich said.

Despite playing against the OUA’s best power play, the undisciplined Mustangs took five minor penalties, and a 10-minute misconduct handed out to Matt Marantz with less than eight minutes to go in the third period.

“We need to stay out of the penalty box. Their [power play] is amazing and one of their biggest strengths,” Erlich said.

Josh Unice, the Mustangs’

Jonathan Dunn GAZETTE

STEEL CURTAIN. Josh Unice positioned to the left of his net awaiting the puck drop on an in-zone face-off. He stopped 43 of 45 shots in Wednesday night’s win over the Ryerson Rams to make it his ninth win of the season. The fifth-year goaltender struggled to start the season but has turned the corner and performed brilliantly down the stretch. Unice was perfect on the penalty kill against Ryerson’s number one power play in the league.

starting goalie, was up to the task.

Unice let in two goals on 45 shots, and denied the Rams on all three of their power plays.

“Unice is the biggest part of our team. If he plays well, we have a chance to win any game,” Erlich said.

The Mustangs, however,

performed brilliantly with the man advantage. They went two-for-three on the power play with goals from rookie right-winger Stefan Salituro and centre Steven Reece.

“Western is a hell of a hockey team. I didn’t [think] that we did a particularly good job at penalty killing. If you give Western that

chance they’ll put pucks in the net,” Graham Wise, Ryerson Rams’ head coach, said.

Reece’s goal, assisted by Daniel Erlich and Harnden, helped contribute to three multi-point nights.

Both Reece and Harnden finished the night with a goal and an assist while Erlich notched two assists of

his own.

Erlich leads the Mustangs with eight goals, and 23 helpers this season.

Despite Western’s strong defensive performance, Domenic Alberga, Ryerson’s top scorer, continued to impose his will on opposing defences. Alberga, who is now tied for first in the OUA with 17 goals, netted both of Ryerson’s goals.

Fellow Rams forward Jamie Wise picked up a pair of assists that moved him ahead of Alberga for the top point scoring spot in the OUA. The sniping duo was not enough to keep the Mustangs at bay.

With Wednesday night’s home win, goaltender Josh Unice improved to 9–4 on the season with a 2.94 goals against average.

“I thought Unice had a hell of a game last night, I thought he played great. He has full marks for the victory,” Wise said.

The Mustangs now sit just a game back from their top-ranked opponents in the OUA West with a 13–6–0 record. The team started 2014 with a 3–1 record, and has successfully downed the two top teams in their division in back-toback games.

The Mustangs will now travel to St. Catharines on Friday to take on the 8–8–3 Brock Badgers with hopes to turn their wins into a well-timed winning streak.

8•

thegazette • Friday, January 17, 2014

The Western Mustangs track and field team kicked off 2014 at the Can Am Invitational in impressive fashion. The men’s and women’s teams earned eight and seven medals at the event, respectively. Over the course of the two-day event, 31 Mustangs achieved top eight finishes.

Along with Mustangs football player Greg Morrow, Mustangs women’s track and field captain Caroline Ehrahardt was named the Western Mustangs Athlete of the

Week, and for good reason.

Ehrahardt won two gold medals at the event. The powerhouse took first place in both the long jump and triple jump in Windsor, which is why she deserves this week’s purple pipe award.

The Espanona, Ontario native reached the Canadian Interuniversity Sport standard in the triple jump by jumping for a distance of 12.60 metres. While her long jump did not meet the standard, the health science student’s 5.77 metre

jump was enough for first place.

Both Ehrahardt and her team will look to maintain their successful momentum this weekend. To start off, some members will travel to Toronto for the Fred Foot Pentathlon on Friday. The next day, Western will host the annual Don Wright Team Challenge at Thompson Arena. Be sure to catch the track and field team in action, and cheer on the purple pipe recipient of the week.

— Nusaiba Al-Azem Naira Ahmed GAZETTE

To place your classifed ad, please contact us at 519-661-3579 or adoffice@uwo.ca

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thegazette HOUSING

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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