Sex App(eal) Apps like Tinder and Grindr are changing the way students interact with casual dating and sex. Opinions Editor Kevin Hurren looks at why these apps might be so popular on campus, and what effect they’re having on our relationships.
S
wipe right for yes, left for no. Tap for more pictures. It sounds like a video game, and for fourth-year psychology student Samantha*, it certainly feels like one too. “The first time I stayed on it for hours. It was very entertaining,” she said. But Samantha wasn’t playing a game — at least not one in the conventional sense. Samantha was on Tinder, a matchmaking smartphone app. Tinder is just one of several apps that use the geographical location of its user to find nearby potential matches, falling in line with Grindr, Blendr, Pure, BeNaughty, and Tingle. The idea is simple: If two users swipe “yes” to each other’s pictures, a private chat box appears. Having established mutual attraction, the two can arrange to meet up. The simplicity of the app is partly what attracted Samantha to the product. “I find that other dating websites are a bit too intense,” she said. “It sounds silly, but I think it’s more demeaning going on those websites and spending hours making a profile. On Tinder, it’s less time-consuming.” Samantha isn’t the only one to feel this way. Launched in late 2012, Tinder has since created more than 250 million matches, many of which happen on university campuses. According to a report released in early September by Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen, almost 70 per cent of the app users are between the ages of 18 and 24. But the popularity of these apps isn’t surprising to everyone. “A lot of people today have a smartphone, so they’re constantly connected to Facebook, Twitter, and other communities,” said Anabel Quan-Haase, a professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies who teaches a course on social media in everyday life. “It just seems natural that dating and intimacy would move into that sphere as well,” she said. Technology, according to QuanHaase, is already used to mediate potential relationships. When you’re getting to know someone, you exchange messages through Facebook and text conversations. Apps like Tinder just capitalize on this tendency. But although they feel like social media, apps like Tinder have a much
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more sexual subtext, said Western grad and doctoral candidate Evangelos Tziallas. “Their popularity is actually based on their ability to become a platform for self-made amateur porn,” said Tzaillas, who has researched Grindr specifically. “Applications like Grindr become a type of game — you have to ask the right questions, do it the right way. You have to play this game of combinations and permutations to sell yourself,” he said. Getting caught up in the pseudoanonymity, protection, distance and non-commitment these apps offer, Tzaillas found that users often have erotic conversations — sending a stream of messages, texts, and videos that collectively create a kind of pornographic sequence. “Most of the time [users] don’t even end up hooking up with the guy they invested all this time in. Once they get their pictures and have their sexy chat, they’re kind of done and move on to the next guy,” he said. After using Grindr on and off for over a year, second-year MIT student Corey* understands how it feels to be the object of this kind of “DIY” porn narrative. “People are very blunt on these apps. It’s not face-to-face so people say things they normally wouldn’t say in person,” he said. Receiving a number of sexual photos and forward messages, Corey realized how he was being viewed on the app by the majority of other users. “A lot of people will see you as a sex object. For some people I might be a person, but for others I’m just a body to have sex with,” he said. Tzaillas believes this is all part of the screening nature of these apps, a process that can leave many disheartened. “There’s obviously a preference for a certain kind of body — thin, muscular,” he explained. “You can announce your preferences under the guise of collecting information, and you’re not trying to be hurtful, but you almost are implicitly. That can leave an effect on someone to feel bad about themselves or bad about their bodies.” Tzaillas finds that after continuously getting blocked or rejected, Grindr and Tinder users will then undergo a disciplining process of eating less or going >> see SEX pg.3
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thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Caught on Camera
Kelly Samuel GAZETTE
SANTA’S GOT A NEW SET OF WHEELS. News editor Iain Boekhoff doesn’t feel comfortable on Santa’s lap. Creative services had a Christmas-themed photo shoot set up in the atrium of the UCC – pose with Santa for $1! Relive your creepy Christmas nightmares by taking up that seat on Santa’s lap. Ho ho ho!
CROSSWORD By Eugene Sheffer
News Briefs
London drivers slightly safer Over the last two years, the Forest City got a little bit safer for people driving big metal contraptions at breakneck speeds. According to the Allstate 2013 Safe Driving Guide release on Wednesday, which ranked 50 Canadian municipalities in order of vehicle collision frequencies, London scored 31st with 5.3 collisions per 100 cars.
To put that in perspective, the guide shows that London has 0.67 more collisions per 100 cars than other university cities such as Guelph and Windsor — who ranked 18th and 19th, respectively with 4.64 collisions — and a whopping 2.38 more than top-ranked Medicine Hat, Alberta, who boast a low collision frequency of 2.93 per cent. Despite the high number of accidents, the results of the study indicate that London has shown a noticeable improvement of 13.64 per cent fewer accidents from just two years ago, where London was ranked 40th with 6.14 collisions per 100 cars. So although it sucks that everybody can’t be Medicine Hat, it could always be worse. We could all live in Milton, who ended up in 50th with 6.37 collisions per 100 cars. —Jason Sinukoff
Boler opens early The bright side of the massive snowfall this past week in London is that
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Boler Mountain will be opening up for skiers and snowboarders today. Snow sports enthusiasts will be able to strap on their skis or snowboards and feel the wind through their hair as they fly down the runs at 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. tonight and all day during the weekend. “Normally Boler Mountain targets the middle of December for opening. However, weather conditions in the past six days have allowed us to move opening day up to November 29,” read a press release from Boler Mountain. “The staff at Boler Mountain has been working around the clock in the last week to ready the hill for this early opening and take advantage of the weather conditions.” Greg Strauss, part of Boler’s management team, said this was the earliest opening in 25 years. It has lead to an unusually long ski season due to a cold spring and the late closing of Boler Mountain earlier this year. “We are ecstatic to be one of the first clubs to open in Ontario and combined with the fact we were one of the last clubs to close in Ontario last April, we have provided Southwestern Ontario with an opportunity to ski and snowboard in six calendar months of the year,” said the press release. Strauss noted Boler Mountain is now the only ski resort in Southwestern Ontario, now that Cobble Hills is no longer operating. Strauss said when Boler is fully open, it offers three quad chairlifts servicing 15 runs and features day and night skiing and snowboarding. Strauss expects the tubing runs to be open in a couple of weeks. —Iain Boekhoff
Feeling frisky? Don’t be risky!
Gazette writers have no time for romance. UCC 263.
The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. © 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.
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thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Western ITS makes Movember grows $84,000 new student app Katie Lear GAZETTE STAFF Western Information Technology Services has developed a new smartphone app for students. The app, called Western Now, uses Western students’ login information to find their daily schedule, and supplies users with a Google map highlighting class locations and a direct e-mail address to each of their professors, as well as a section for notes. “What we did was we had a couple of small groups of students — first-years or third-years — and we got some ideas from them of what they wanted. A lot of them just wanted practical things they use every day, and it just made sense to start with classes,” Melvin Samuel, a member of the Western Now development team, said. Western Now had a soft release on November 14 and the free app has been advertised on TV monitors across campus. “We wanted to actually do more of a soft launch so it wouldn’t get heavy use around September, for instance,” Samuel said. “That was just because if there are any problems — if we did put it in around November and there was a major problem, a bug or something — we could easily pull it down and it would only affect a couple of hundred students.” Western Now can be found on the iTunes store, and is so far exclusively for the iPhone. “What we’re doing right now is we’re introducing this starting functionality on iOS and we’re very interested in the feedback from students on what additional functionality they want in the iOS app. If it is successful than we will definitely port it to Android and possibly Blackberry,” Carac Allison, Team Leader of Web and IT Services, said. According to the app’s website on the registrar, there are plans for future updates, such as exam information and event details. The development team has been
We would love to have students be able to take notes and share them — or a repository, if they wanted to share notes. —Carac Allison
Team Leader of Web and IT Services
playing with the idea of expanding to include other registrar services, such as intent to register, and definitely plans to include exam information in coming updates. There is also the potential to tie into OWL’s services. “We’ve definitely talked with ITS about the possibility of connecting to OWL. We don’t have plans for specific pieces of functionality but the possibility is there, and if this is something that students are interested in we would definitely look at investing time and making it happen,” Allison said. There are also some talks about expanding the notes section to possibly become interactive with other students. “We initially had this ‘pie in the sky’ idea, we would love to have students be able to take notes and share them — or a repository, if they wanted to share notes, but we had to start somewhere,” Allison said. “Just be able to take notes and tie them to your classes, or just take a note saying ‘this is the day of the exam.’ So the idea is to expand on that and maybe push to things like Evernote so you can share it and stuff like that, and maybe next year we’ll see if we can get that in. But yeah, we’re starting somewhere. If it gets use — and we’ll be able to tell if people are using it — and if they do then we’ll go on to expand on that.” The app has a student feedback option and the developers encourage students to let their opinions be known.
Photo illustration by Kelly Samuel and Iain Boekhoff GAZETTE
WAKE ME UP WHEN MOVEMBER ENDS. November is nearing an end and the moustaches that have been so lovingly cared for and groomed will be disappearing. Men have been growing — or trying to grow — their facial hair to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer.
Jeremiah Rodriguez NEWS EDITOR Come November 30, the sound of millions of razors will cut through millions of moustaches as the campaign to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer comes to a close. During Movember 2013, Western moustaches sprouted up all over campus, growing in every colour of the rainbow. Handlebars, Tom Sellecks, lumberjacks and goatees reigned supreme from King’s to Huron as more than a thousand students came together to raise approximately $83,000 for Western’s network as of Thursday night. Taylor Brown was one of Western University Team’s admin and captain of the smaller Western University Mo team. The fifth-year BMOS student worked alongside UWO students Taylor Brodie and John Hooper. The latter network of 77 members raised $11,200. Brown spearhead the social media aspect of his own 47-man team. “One of my really good family
friends passed away from prostate cancer, which makes me want to support this more. It’s one way to give back,” Brown said. Pockets of the Western community rallied together in smaller teams to raise money, in clubs, or faculties or even fraternities. “Four years ago this was up-incoming thing at my frat, but it quickly caught on […] so far, as a team of 32 guys including some alumni, we’ve raised $1,400,” Paolo Campisi, from Delta Upsilon London chapter, said. “Just how ribbons are synonymous with breast cancer awareness, when you see a young guy with a moustache this month, it’s synonymous with men’s health.” The campaign is hoping to raise awareness and fundraising for discussing men’s health issues like prostate cancer and mental health escaping social stigma. “It’s not an easy thing to talk about, getting your prostate checked, or talking about depression or testicular cancer. This is making this easier,” Campisi said. “The more people with moustaches,
the more people are talking about it and the more socially acceptable it is to talk about this.” Movember began 10 years ago in Melbourne, Australia and every year since cities across the globe have added their own moustachioed armies in far-flung places from Moscow to Dublin, Madrid to Johannesburg, to right here in London. “We have shy of one-million Mo-bros and Mo-sistas globally. In Canada the 171,000 who to date have raised $23 million. That makes Canada the leading country globally,” Matt Matheson, head of PR and communications for Movember Canada, said. “Last year, we were able to award 40 discovery grants across the country for new novel research which hopes to tackle prostate cancer is new ways,” Matheson said. Even though the month-long campaign is coming to a close, Matheson implores sponsors to continue to donating as they are accepting funds until the close of the year.
From pixels to pleasure >> SEX continued from pg.1
to the gym more. Michael, a fourth-year music student and fellow Grindr user, who didn’t want to reveal his last name, also feels the burden to look a certain way. “I definitely think that it does make you somewhat more selfconscious — people are very picky, vain and shallow,” he said. “I think these apps tell you that you have to be perfect in order to get someone to message you.” But, according to Samantha, this aim for perfection is a result of the way Grindr and Tinder are designed. “There’s so many people on the app, if you start saying yes to people who you think are just okay looking or acceptable you’ll get too many matches. You learn to refine,” she said. And Samantha’s not wrong to feel overwhelmed. According to AppMtr — an organization that measures the use of apps that connect to Facebook — as of this month, Tinder
has more than 3.78-million active users. Of these, over 1.6-million use the app daily. Though justified, emphasizing snap judgements based on appearance doesn’t prevent women’s studies professor Andrea Allen from seeing this as a dangerous potential. “The focus on superficiality can be problematic because it can limit the possibilities for people who may not look what is conventionally attractive,” said Allen, who believes that the lack of alternative matching criteria in these apps reinforces certain ideas about beauty. “So then it’s not necessarily about people enjoying their bodies and sex, but about people enjoying their bodies and sex with others who are deemed conventionally beautiful,” she said. But for Tzaillas, the problem isn’t just conventional beauty — it’s the unachievable standards. “Apps like Grindr and Tinder create this sense that perfection is out there, and you can find perfection,” he said. “There’s this kind of pump
and dump cycle where we’re chronically dissatisfied with what we have in front of us — we’re always going onto the next person.” Because of the seemingly endless supply of potential partners, app users often feel less inclined to go out. Samantha, Corey, and Michael all said these apps were a way to expand their communities, but Tzaillas argues that they actually supplant traditional ways of networking. “New media falsely sells itself as connecting us, when ultimately it alienates us,” he said. “You’re so ‘connected,’ but really all you have is images and a few words — it’s a false image of intimacy and connectivity.” As such, this leaves Tinder and Grindr users with two options. They can go out — facing the potential of rejection, disappointment, chance, and spontaneity of the night. Or they can slide right. *Source spoke on condition of anonymity, and is referred to with a pseudonym
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thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Arts&Life
badwriting “bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!”
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Red pea-coat — Calvin Klein This daring pea-coat adds a great punch of outerwear colour, and the brand name can be found at any large department store. Skull-print scarf — Zara This pattern, along with dozens of others, can be found at Zara. The price may be higher than other outfitters, but the quality will be hard to beat. Cream pants — Urban Outfitters For well-fitted pants in a variety of colours, Urban Outfitters is a onestop-shop. White may be out, but don’t fear cream, as long as you pair it with stronger colours.
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inter is finally upon us, and with the multitude of snow, so comes the exciting outerwear. Perfectly exemplifying this is Allahnah Karmali, a social science student, wearing a bright red pea-coat and headband. “I like to dress casual, comfortable, but still nice,” Karmali explains. “I don’t like to dress the same as everyone else so it’ll be more plain clothes with one accent piece. I’ll accent with the headband or the scarf. While her coat and headband might be classically cool, Karmali
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amps up the edge with her skullpatterned scarf. When asked what her favourite piece was, Karmali responded, “Probably the scarf, because it’s kind of a classier outfit, but the scarf gives it a bit of an edge.” Karmali’s outfit works because the punches of colour look outstandingly good against the white and dreary background. Also, they fit her excellently, something she takes pride in. “Wear clothes that flatter your body,” Karmali says. “When you look good, you feel good!” While much of what she was
wearing was brand name, including her jacket, which is a last season’s Calvin Klein, Karmali’s favourite one-stop-shop is easily found at your local mall. “I honestly like to shop at The Bay, it has every brand under the sun,” she laughs. To channel Karmali’s style, try finding potently coloured outerwear and accent pieces to stand out against the dreary background, and make sure they fit well on your body. —Cam “Smoth” Smith
Brent Holmes ARTS & LIFE This weekend, a local London show will be taking audiences back to the origins of theatre in London, Ontario. The performance is a reimagining of Dion Boucicault’s London Assurance — a popular play, which was recently performed at the Stratford Festival in 2006 — with a focus on retelling the story of how the arts community developed in London. Spearheading the production is Western graduate Mark Tovey, who developed an interest in the history of London theatre and the early garrison theatre after taking a Canadian theatre history course. “I got interested in [London’s history] because of all the lectures in the class, that was the only thing about which there seemed to be very little known,” Tovey says. The early theatre in London was started because of a military garrison established to defend British territories against possible American incursions or uprisings — they never fired a shot in their fifteen years here, but they did ignite the sparks that started theatre in London. “These theatricals were put on by military folks — not only in London, Ontario, but all over the British Empire. Wherever there were garrisons, there was theatre. It isn’t just a story of London but a story of the British Empire, generally,” Tovey comments. The military garrison was also responsible for putting on balls, steeplechases and painting. This adaptation of London Assurance will feature a fictional account of the creation of theatre in London using the historical figures involved as characters in the
production. “These are important figures in London’s history just by themselves, but what we wanted to do was to imagine a plausible scenario where they may have gotten together and read a play together in an afternoon,” Tovey explains. “One of the plays that we know the officers put on in 1843 was [London Assurance]. We thought that would be a really fun one to do because London Assurance, the play that they are reading, remains a popular play today.” The adaptation by Tovey and Joe Lella will make use of basing its jokes on the sharing of the name between London, England and London, Ontario. The writers have cast the historical figures from London, Ontario into roles in the play that correspond to their community roles. Seeking to emulate the atmosphere of the theatre back in its first days, the production will make use of art from the 1840s as a backdrop and will be performed at the Bishop Cronyn Church as a stand in for the Old Saint Paul’s Church — the oldest church in the city, which burned down in 1844. The performance of London Assurance will also feature rewritten versions of classic Gilbert and Sullivan songs including “I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General” and “The Pirate King.” London Assurance will be performed at the Bishop Cronyn (The Memorial Church, 442 William St.), which has been reconfigured as a space for the Arts. The performances will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $15 for students and can be ordered at cronyn.ca/CentreSpace.
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thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Courtesy of Nicola Paviglianiti
“EXPLORING THE STEETS —LEARNING HAPPENS THROUGH THE LOCALS YOU MEET.” Nicola Paviglianiti won first place for her photo featuring her bonding experience with a local in Siena.
Courtesy of Roberta Lindal
“ROMAN ARCHES.” Roberta Lindal’s photo of a yoga arch mirroring those of the Colosseum won third place in MLL’s contest.
ALPHA GAMMA DELTA Congratulations to our new initiates:
Courtesy of Julia Phillips
“GEMÜTLICHKEIT”. The second place winner, Julia Phillips, titled her photo to reflect the cozy, welcoming and comfortable atmosphere she appreciated on her exchange in Germany.
Marie Ann Ciosk ARTS & LIFE EDITOR The above photographs are the winners of The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures’ first annual photo contest, highlighting Western’s International Week. “The photo contest is designed to showcase our study abroad/ exchange opportunities. It was for anyone enrolled in our programs — including modules in Italian, German, Spanish, as well as Comparative Literature,” said Jamie Karp, the undergraduate affairs assistant from the department of Modern Languages and Literatures. The exchange and study abroad programs provide students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture by taking courses at another institution which count towards their degree at Western. An e-mail was sent in September
to encourage students who are registered in a Modern Languages and Literatures program to send a photo of their study abroad experience with a tagline. “We received 15 submissions in total and had over 1,000 votes off of our website. We had photos showcasing study abroad experiences from all around the world, including Italy, Argentina, Ukraine, Cuba, Spain, Germany and France,” said Karp. The first-place winner, Nicola Paviglianiti, is a second-year Health Sciences student with a minor in Italian Language and Culture. Paviglianiti took the third year Italian course at the Università di Siena during the summer of 2013. The tagline accompanying her photo read: “Exploring the street — Learning happens through the locals you meet.” Julia Phillips, the second-place
winner, is a fifth-year double major History and English, Language and Literature student with a minor in German. Phillips is currently abroad, studying at the University of Tübingen in Germany. The tagline for her photo is “Gemütlichkeit” — a German expression for a cozy, welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. The third-place winner, Roberta Lindal, is a fourth-year French Language and Linguistics student who is also completing a minor in Spanish Language and Linguistics. Lindal is on exchange at the University of Nice for the academic year. Her photo is titled “Roman Arches.” The first-place winner will receive $100, the second $50, and the third $25 at a ceremony on Wednesday December 11 at 11 a.m. in UC 225.
Kimberly Ah-Chong, Carlyle Apps, Jordan Clark, Arley Coffin, Riley Connor, Natasha Cryderman, Simone Green, Ashley Han, Emily MacLennan, Paige Matatall, Iman Mohamed, Amy O’Kruk, Nicole Ricci, Rue Samarabandu, Alexis Smith, Desiree Smith, Victoria Tracey
Your Weekly Horoscope
The week of Sept 28 – Oct 4 This horoscope is intended for entertainment purposes only.
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20 LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23 Delay your plans for the time being. A number of Conflicting emotions arise in the week ahead. You unexpected tasks that will require your undivided have the desire to fulfill people’s expectations of attention in the coming day, so clear your schedule. you, but you also just want some time to yourself. TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21 SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22 Assume the role of the strong and silent type this Maintaining your focus on chores is nearly impossible week. You do not have to share your opinions with eve- this week, when you are easily distracted by anything ryone, as an air of mystery may boost your popularity. else that sounds interesting. Try to get your work done. GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21 SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21 It can be easy to allow excitement to overtake your Reestablish your priorities. Doing so will help you logic. But you need to be patient and not allow exu- live up to your end of the bargain on various comberance to interfere with the tasks at hand. That is a mitments. If necessary, ask others for help. recipe for trouble. CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22 CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20 A hefty workload at the office may zap your desire to Expect to be busy for the rest of the month. With do much else. However, don’t pass up the oppor- potential birthday celebrations and holiday tasks to tunity when a social engagement beckons this week. complete, spare moments are few and far between. LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23 AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18 You will have to continue your rather hectic pace this Learning a new skill this week will only add to your week, even when you start to feel tired. Fortunately, you already vast repertoire of abilities. This is one more are excited about some of the things on your to-do list. reason to have a positive attitude. VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22 PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20 Getting involved with the right people now opens Emphasize feeling good about yourself this week. doors that previously may have been closed to you. Doing so will enable you to help others in the near Do not squander the opportunity to use these new future. contacts. FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS DECEMBER 1 – Bette Midler, Singer/Actress (68) DECEMBER 3 – Amanda Seyfried, Actress (28) DECEMBER 5 – Gary Allan, Singer (46)
DECEMBER 2 – Aaron Rodgers, Athlete (30) DECEMBER 4 – Tyra Banks, Model (40)
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thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Opinions
Sex appeal is fifty percent what you’ve got and fifty percent what people think you’ve got.
—Sophia Loren
Sex apps not Shoveling the path worth the grind to good reputations It’s never been easier for people to find someone to mash genitals with, as hook-up apps like Tinder and Grindr are making casual sex accessible to anybody with a smartphone. They allow one to view a person’s limited profile and decide if they are worthy of sexy fun time — if that person does the same, the app will notify both parties and soon fluids can be exchanged. Is the app effective for creating relationships? Well, in the sense of bringing people together it certainly makes things succinct — no hassle, no awkward conversations or even effort, just a notification that you’re both DTF. However, whether or not these relationships can last meaningfully is a different question. You’re most likely not going to form a strong intimate connection with someone if your first interaction with them is the horizontal mambo — this holds true if you meet this person at a bar or over your phone. But since these apps don’t exactly lend themselves to courtship, its unlikely that many meet-cute stories will start with “I was looking on my casual sex app…” It also adds to the problem of negative body stereotypes. While the importance placed on appearance is a given in any scenario of casual sex, the apps that are centred on it don’t even allow for people to see anything else. Medium-looking people will not be able to use their dashing wit to convince someone else to hop into bed with them. However, there is some good to these apps. They allow people to connect in the first place, which could be a plus — for example, for the gay community of London, whose members might have difficulty in finding partners due to few venues catering to their sexual preferences. It also allows for shy people to get over their fear of rejection by offering a no-risk way to see if somebody is interested. However, this last plus is actually a severe detriment to the next generation. Propositioning somebody in the meat world, whether it’s for sex, a relationship or even a favour, is about getting over the fear of rejection, as well as learning to deal with the rejection that does come up. This is essential to growing as a person and learning proper social interaction. In providing this no-risk option, these apps stunt the emotional growth of people who are learning the skills they’ll need to succeed in life. —The Gazette Editorial Board
Holmes is on the Case
Brent Holmes ARTS & LIFE EDITOR With winter arriving earlier than in past years, the time has come for us to stand up to the waist-high snow pile, hopelessly trying to clear out our driveways. Unfortunately, driveways are usually dug out for the purpose of getting your car out of it. Because herds of students just walk on the sides of the road to catch their buses, few on my street choose to clear out the sidewalk or driveway. While the prospect of my fellow students becoming roadkill by absentminded London drivers really only means less competition for me in the job market, the lack of shoveled driveways and sidewalks really says something about London’s poor sense of community. My particular neighbourhood is not in the student ghetto, but includes students, families with small children, and empty nesters. Maybe it’s the fact that London has snowplows that clear out the sidewalk after a few days, so people just want to wait. After all, there aren’t any bylaws saying one has to shovel the sidewalk — but where I come from it was an expected behaviour. When my dad dragged me out of bed at five in the morning, shoveling the driveway included the sidewalk — regardless of how much snow was on the ground. For many students, shoveling comes
under the responsibility of the landlord and — if one is not in possession of a car — the prospect of spending an hour, if not more, during essay writing and exam season to shovel snow is an unappealing prospect. However, whether it is students or London residents, not going out into the cold to shovel the sidewalk seems to be more a statement of disdain for one’s fellow citizens. Let’s face it, in the midst of Project LEARN controversies, students crowding bus routes, holding house parties, and the usual complaints surrounding students, our relationship with the city at large could be better. It comes down to how we want the London community to see us — are we just here for four years, trapped among a bunch of people who we don’t like and who don’t like us, or are we a part of a city that influences us, and that we can influence as well? It’s the little things that will determine how the community perceives the student population, and if we live up to the reputation of ignorant, raucous individuals. The number of times I’ve seen fellow students not give up a bus seat for a parent with children or senior citizen has been a disgustingly high number. Changing the attitudes towards our demographic is about going the extra mile to be considerate to other members of this city. Let’s be honest, it’s not like we aren’t procrastinating anyways. Shovel your sidewalk, do the neighbour’s sidewalk, do the whole block if you have to. It’s not likely going to get you much attention or change the way London residents see us at that moment, but at least we will be able to say we contributed to the city’s safety and environment.
weeklypoll
YES – Students should not be able to purchase tobacco products on campuses (52%, 59 votes) NO – Students should definitley be able to purchase tobacco products on campus (27%, 30 votes)
I DON’T KNOW (2%, 2 vote)
Volume 107, Issue 47 www.westerngazette.ca
Julian Uzielli Editor-In-Chief Cameron M. Smith Deputy Editor Jason Sinukoff Managing Editor
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Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Robert Armstrong
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Gazette Staff 2013-2014
Christine Bonk, Jonathan Dunn, Sam Frankel, Stephanie Grella, Kevin Heslop, Jenny Jay, Nathan Kanter, Taylor Lasota, Katie Lear, Emory Liu, Cheryl Madliger, Sara Mai Chitty, Soheil Milani, Vidhant Pal, Lily Robinson, Tiffany Shepherd, Hamza Tariq, Josh Teixera, Anne Wozney
Dear Life, Why don’t they put a schedule on the doors of the GENLABS? Sometimes I’m working on assignments and have to leave the room because there is a class. It sucks! Dear Life, A guy in the library farted so loud that I actually thought I was involved in some kind of prank video. Dear Life, Is there any way to dress fashionably without piling on the layers? I get too hot and sweat like a pig. Dear Life, I was not built for the fifth floor of Weldon. Dear Life, I have amazing social media skills and can spend hours on Facebook and Twitter, so how come I’m not rolling in job offers? #dealwithit
Dear Life, Booster Juice has the “egg nog” smoothie! All is right in the world! Dear Life, Can you find me a date for the OC Semi Formal this weekend? That’d be great. wgaz.ca/dearlife
Vote on next week’s poll at westerngazette.ca
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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 Logan Ly Bill Wang Kelly Samuel Graphics Naira Ahmed Illustrations Christopher Miszczak John Prata Online Jesica Hurst Graphics/Video Mike Laine
• Please recycle this newspaper •
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thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Sports
gameday The Western Mustangs men’s hockey team will take on the Windsor Lancers on Saturday at Thompson Arena in the first of the teams’ two match ups.
Rundown >> The Western Mustangs women’s basketball team defeated the Brock Badgers 99–96 for their eighth consecutive win > Jenny Vaughan was 12 for 22, and a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line for a total of 25 points.
Mustangs lose to the winless Badgers Brock snaps Western’s two game win streak Daniel Weryha SPORTS EDITOR The Western Mustangs men’s basketball team was defeated Wednesday night by the formerly winless Brock Badgers. The 88–78 final was the Mustangs’ seventh loss of an already bleak season. After a 17–5 run to start the game, the Mustangs gave up 31 first-half points to give the Badgers the lead and the team never recovered. In the midst of some early foul trouble, Western’s starting forward Greg Morrow and guard Quinn Henderson were forced onto the bench until the start of the second half. The duo finished with a combined 40 minutes of game time but still managed to top the scoring sheet. “I wanted to play but I understood where the coaches were coming from,” Morrow said. “I’ve fouled out in two games already this year so I didn’t want to not be able to play at the end when it’s the most crucial.” Morrow was nine-for-14 from field goal range, and three-for-four from beyond the arc but only shot 60 per cent from the line as he finished with a team-high 27 points. “I’m just trying to give what the team really needs,” Morrow said. “If the team needs scoring I look to be aggressive.” The Mustangs shot an abominable 50 per cent from the free throw line hitting only 14 of 28 — a total that proved to be more than the difference in the game. “We handled the press alright but we missed a lot of free throws and lay-ups and those just led to transition baskets for the other team, so our offence really hurt our defence because we couldn’t capitalize,” Morrow said. Peter Scholtes, the fourth-year forward on the Mustangs, led the team in minutes but only finished
Spencer Fairweather GAZETTE
SHOOT FOR THE STARS! Mustangs’ forward Peter Scholtes throws up a jump shot in Wednesday’s game against the Brock Badgers. The six-foot-five London native played a total of 37 minutes and clocked 17 total points in the game. Western lost against Brock by a score of 88–78.
the game with 17 points. Scholtes hit eight of his 23 shots and struggled at the free throw line missing four of his seven attempts. The Mustangs were under fullcourt pressure the entire game as the Badgers pushed the tempo and refused to settle down. “We got to put pressure on the ball and not let teams get out and have easy looks. If they were going to make shots, they were going to be tough ones,” Badgers head coach Charles Kissi said. After being chased out early in the second, Quinn Henderson returned in the third quarter only to foul out in the dying minutes of the fourth. Henderson had 12 points with his limited time on the court
Mike Laine GAZETTE
but hit a critical three-pointer late in the game that kept the Mustangs within striking distance. The Mustangs, however, were unable to shut down Brock’s top scorers. Dani Elgadi and C.J. Smith
I’m just trying to give what the team really needs. If the team needs scoring, I look to be aggressive. —Greg Morrow
Mustangs’ forward
— Badgers’ centre and point guard, respectively — led Brock in scoring. Elgadi hit nine of 13, and was near perfect from the free throw line. He also had 11 rebounds to complete the double-double. Smith hit seven of his 10 field goal attempts, shot 50 per cent from three-point range and shot a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line for a total of 21 points on the night. The Badgers shot 78 per cent from the line — hitting 22 of 28 to seal their fourth-quarter victory. Though the Mustangs dominated possession, the Badgers were able to convert their high percentage shots. Missed lay-ups and free throws burned the Mustangs down
the stretch and put the game relatively out of reach in the last minutes of the game. We’ve been in that situation where were down in the first quarter against almost everybody we’ve played so it was nice to sort of come back and then go on top as oppose to playing from behind,” Kissi said. Brock’s comeback rally put an end to their winless season as they improved to 1–8 moving them one game behind the now 2–7 Mustangs. The Mustangs will host the McMaster Marauders at Alumni Hall on Saturday. The 6–3 Marauders are ranked first in the West and will look to prolong their two-game win streak against the struggling Mustangs.
Spencer Fairweather GAZETTE
8•
thegazette • Friday, November 29, 2013
Ravens soar to halt Mustangs’ momentum Carleton ends Western’s three-game win streak in 3–2 win Jason Sinukoff MANAGING EDITOR The Mustangs men’s hockey team looked to win their fourth game in a row heading into Saturday’s tilt with the Carleton Ravens. However, a win just wasn’t in the cards, as the Ravens ousted the Mustangs 3–2. The game looked to be going the Mustangs’ way early, with a goal from right-winger Stefan Salituro just 1:29 into the first period. Salituro continues to be a huge part of the Mustangs’ offence, with six goals and three helpers in 10 games. This was the only goal in the first period, giving Western a 1–0 lead heading into the second period. After a second period that saw both teams score one goal apiece, the Ravens finally seemed to crack Mustangs’ goaltender Josh Unice in the third. Unice played an otherworldly game, but Carleton just out-worked and out-shot Western and their 39 shots on goal proved to be too much for the veteran netminder to handle. “We just got out worked and competed. They were ready to play and we didn’t have out best game from me on out. Every team is good in this league and we have
Jonathan Dunn GAZETTE
to be ready to play every night,” Unice said. The Mustangs’ special teams were both a bright spot and a bleak spot in the game. Western held Carleton to just converting on one of their eight of their power plays, but went zero for eight when they had the man-advantage. “We have worked on the power play but just have to be ready to play at puck drop. We just weren’t clicking and it showed on the ice. I know we will bounce back,” Unice said.
Coming off of the disappointing loss, the purple and white will be looking to rebound when they host their rivals, the Windsor Lancers, tonight at 7 p.m. at Thompson Arena. The Mustangs will be looking for revenge against a 9–4 Windsor team that defeated them 3–2 in their last meeting last season. “They are not only a rival, but one of the best teams in the country and [the Ontario University Athletics]. We have to be ready to play because they always bring
their best when they play us,” Unice said. Unlike the Carleton game, the Mustangs’ game plan is simple: Compete, control the puck and play smart hockey. “We have to compete and play to the best of our ability. We need 22 guys ready to play and willing to sacrifice for each other,” Unice said. “As for a game plan we have all the talent and scoring power we need, just have to control the puck and play smart, focused hockey. It should be a great game.”
Naira Ahmed GAZETTE
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