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Thursday, March 21, 2013
Western’s cheerleaders landed third place at United Spirit Association College Nationals in California this past weekend. >> pg. 7 today high 1 low -6
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Volume 106, Issue 88
Orser criticizes Ombudsman High school, bachelor’s wage gap on the rise Jeremiah Rodriguez Gazette Staff
Andrei Calinescu Gazette
Iain Boekhoff Gazette Staff Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin, who is investigating an alleged secret meeting of the Fontana 8, is receiving a frosty reception from some members of the London city council. Marin’s team of investigators arrived Wednesday to investigate the legality of a meeting of several city politicians at local restaurant Billy T’s on February 23. The meeting of six city councillors and Mayor Joe Fontana resulted in a record 60 complaints from the public being filed with the Ombudsman’s office. Stephen Orser, Ward 4 councillor for London, is particularly concerned with the investigation and is worried about more investigations arising from when councillors attend the same events in the community. “We’ve got a culture of fear created by the Ombudsman of Ontario,” Orser said in an interview with The London Free Press. “It’s detrimental to the public’s ability to meet with us and talk to
us.” The latest issue facing councillors is a speech by Greg Levine, a local lawyer and integrity commissioner for several Ontario municipalities, which was organized by the Urban League, a non-profit association of community groups in London.
We often think we appoint [integrity commissioners] with some punitive purpose in mind, but they can also give councillors good advice in advance of meetings or issues. —Greg Thompson
President of the Urban League
According to Greg Thompson, president of the Urban League, Levine is a recognized expert in municipal ethics. Orser has vowed not to attend the speech unless the
Ombudsman formally approves it, telling the Free Press he wanted the Urban League to contact Marin and get permission for councillors to attend—something Thompson explained is not his job. Thompson characterized the criticism of the Ombudsman as self-serving, because it was the council themselves who appointed him to his role and are now mad when he fulfills his duties. An integrity commissioner for London may be recommended in a report due next month at city council. Thompson explained an integrity commissioner in London would have several benefits, and could help guide city councillors in their actions. “We often think we appoint [integrity commissioners] with some punitive purpose in mind,” Thompson said. “But they can also give councillors good advice in advance of meetings or issues that come up dealing with conflicts of interest and codes of conduct. So an integrity commissioner is a tool for councillors to consult with before these issues become issues.”
The wage gap between university and high school graduates has shrunk, according to a recent study released by Statistics Canada. The study looked at the overall evolution of wages in the last three decades, partly by compiling several previous wage studies. The decrease is a change from the 1980s through early 2000s, where there was a widening wage gap between bachelor’s degree graduates and their high school graduate counterparts. This wage gap curtailing was also seen in males with trade certificates whose average pay increased 7.2 per cent, compared to the 2.7 per cent increase in university graduates in the past decade. In hourly wages, the gap between female university and non-university graduates fell to 55 per cent from 61 per cent in 2000. “The narrowing of wage differences is a good news story [that] the wages of less educated workers grew at a faster pace. One has to recall that during the 1980 to 2000 range, the wages of less educated workers had fallen substantially. So what was observed in the 2000s was a partial recovery of the losses incurred in the previous two decades,” Rene Morissette, assistant director of research at Statistics Canada, explained. “One conclusion that would be misleading is that the average wages for bachelor’s degree graduates is declining. Bachelor’s degree graduates still earn 30 per cent or more on average than high school graduates, and that needs to be kept in mind,” he continued. Canada’s unemployment rate was low for much of the 2000s—reaching a lull of six per cent in 2007, and since wages increased for lowerskilled workers during these times, the wage growth may have helped reduce the wage differences between
the two education groups. One of the three possible reasons for this positive trend was an increase in world oil prices and other commodity industries, such as mining and gas extraction. This could cause a hike in the demand of workers with just high school diplomas compared to bachelor’s degree counterparts, as less intensive study is required from the former.
One conclusion that would be misleading is that the average wages for bachelor’s degree graduates is declining. Bachelor’s degree graduates still earn 30 per cent or more on average than high school graduates, and that needs to be kept in mind. —Rene Morissette
Assistant director of research at Statistics Canada
The second possible reason is less educated workers were more likely to be employed in construction contracts during the housing boom in the late 2000s. “A severe contraction in computer and telecommunications in the early 2000s compared to the previous increase in the previous two decades [was a factor], and since bachelor’s degree graduates are employed here in a greater extent, if that sector goes bust, then the demand for [them] falls in tandem,” Morissette noted. Further study would be geared toward understanding the precise reasoning for the decrease in the wag gaps and to see if the wages for university graduates were expected to continue so glacially compared to high school graduates in the coming decade.
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thegazette • Thursday, March 21, 2013
Caught on Camera
Crossword By Eugene Sheffer Haida Liu GAZETTE
#@$% TAX SEASON. Volunteers with the University Students’ Council Income Tax Clinic assist students with filing their taxes in the University Community Centre. The free clinic will run until Friday, March 22.
Donate to The Gazette westerngazette.ca /donate
Solution to puzzle on page 7
News Briefs
USC chooses new board of directors The University Students’ Council has invested much time and consideration throughout the recent months into the process of implementing a significant restructuring of their board of directors. On March 16, council elected five student nominees to sit on the board, beginning in the 2013–14 school year. First-year science student Domenic Bitondo and third-year Huron University College student Justin Pilon were elected for twoyear terms, while HBA President Connor Lyons, Western Law student Zach Silverberg and third-year HBA student Ridhima Gupta will sit on the board for a one-year term. Term discrepancy was opted for as a means of preventing a simultaneous turnover for all board members. In the past, the board of directors has been presided over by the same individuals who have made up executive council—the USC president and five vice-presidents. This presented a potential conflict of interest, and prompted the reconsideration of the board’s structure, an issue addressed by USC President Adam Fearnall and his supporting executives in November 2012, when the USC underwent a structural overhaul. “We want to give the opportunity to more students to be involved in the decision-making process, so changing the composition of the board was one way to do this. We were looking to increase the objectivity within the board, and at the level of debate,” Fearnall said. Student members of the restructured board are expected to be fully informed on the nature of organizational matters, and will participate in the board’s deliberations and decisions in matters such as policy, finance and personnel. —Lily Robinson
Agricultural investments up on Canadian farms In a recent study released by the Ivey School of Business Agri-food Innovation Centre titled Investment and Growth on Canadian Farms 2001-2009, Nicoleta Uzea, a postdoctoral associate, and David Sparling, chair of
Agri-Food Innovation, looked into how much money Canada’s large farms were investing in 2009 compared to 2001. According to the report, total investments on Canadian farms in 2009 exceeded $11.4 billion—a considerable $3.2 billion more than what was invested in 2001—meaning large-scale farmers were generally optimistic, even during the global economic recession. Uzea explained this increased investment has to do with the prospects for agriculture, such as the increasing population that has been predicted. “In countries like China and India, they’re having higher incomes, and also they are changing their consumption patterns in favour of more protein-based food,” she said. “Increased demand like this creates greater opportunities for agriculture.” Uzea also added she believes this trend will continue into the future, noting the numbers for 2011 will likely be even higher. “I think this will continue to increase, because imagine [the population] going from seven billion to nine billion—farmers will need to invest in order to maintain their competitiveness and be willing to capture as much of that global demand as possible.” One of the interesting aspects of the study Uzea wanted to draw attention to was the lack of money being invested into the environment, as only 3.8 per cent of farms invested in environmental protection improvements in 2009. “When we think of increased cause on sustainable production practices, this was an interesting result,” she said. “We were expecting farmers to invest more in environmental protection improvement, but that was not the case.” “Having this increased consumer awareness of sustainable agriculture production practices, we thought farms would want to take advantage of a potential premium consumers would be willing to pay for products with such attributes and they would be investing more into the environment, but we didn’t find that, so maybe the premium isn’t as high as these marketing agencies come up with.” —Jesica Hurst
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 • Thursday, March 21, 2013
On Campus > Speakers
Samantha Nutt lands on campus
New meaning to sickly sweet Study links sugary drinks to 180,000 deaths
Bill Wang Gazette
Herb Richardson Gazette Staff
file photo
Sumedha Arya Arts & Life Editor Samantha Nutt has no shortage of letters after her name. An MD, MSc, CCFP, FRCPC and C.M., Nutt is an award-winning humanitarian, a frontline healthcare provider in conflict zones, a respected authority for leading North American media outlets and bestselling author of Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies & Aid. Tonight at King’s University College, Nutt will be taking on one more role—she will be speaking to Western students about her various experiences working with communities at a grass roots level through War Child, a humanitarian organization founded by Nutt to assist children affected by armed conflict. “There’s different ways people can influence global health policy,” Nutt said when asked how one begins to make health reporting both medically comprehensive and accessible to the average reader. “Many people invest in research that can be used by other organizations as advocacy tools. But for me, the real question is how do you get people interested in international development causes, and how can we tackle low levels of development literacy?” Nutt said her role involves generating an audience that will hear the voices of people living in conflict. She accomplishes this by bringing years of experience to her reporting. “Journalists are generalists as opposed to specialists. When you come at [a story] with first-hand knowledge, though, that enhances the discourse,” Nutt explained. In the many years Nutt has been acquiring first-hand experience, she has also been learning of the challenges that are at the forefront of providing aid in conflict regions. Dealing with corrupt governments around the world, Nutt found security and accessibility to care are major obstacles facing children and families. Nutt also discovered creating sustainable aid could be a frustrating process due to lack of available resources and shifting public
attention. “People will react to a crisis in the news, but in a few years the needs are just as great. We tend to focus disproportionately on shortterm interventions and we’re constantly changing priorities. We lose momentum and good will.” In her book Damned Nations, Nutt challenges some of the methodologies of the aid industry, noting comprehensive assessment of a community, professionalism and strong partner connections are key facets of providing aid that is both credible and sustainable. “We think there is a linear relationship with good intentions and improvement,” an impassioned Nutt said. “People can set up activities that are not helpful or useful, and that can create resentment to those organizations.” To go into a community as an outsider and begin to understand the community’s greatest needs, a level of critical understanding and experience is required, Nutt explained. “People need to be appropriately trained and qualified for the task,” Nutt expanded. “Once you’ve done a very comprehensive assessment—which is about asking questions and being an avid listener—you get a better picture of what is actually required.” Nutt further emphasized experienced individuals are better equipped to identify partners on the ground that are already doing incredible work. To add to her own experience and expertise, Nutt completed a sub-specialization in women’s health—she felt her understanding of child health could be improved through an understanding of broader issues pertaining to women’s rights and women’s health. “So much of what we see comes down to the rights and opportunities women have,” Nutt noted of her experience with War Child. From travelling around the world, Nutt believes Canada has one of the most accessible healthcare systems. While she recognizes that improvements can be made, she also reminds us we are fortunate to receive care as we need it.
A study recently released by the Harvard School of Public Health for an American Heart Association conference linked over-consumption of sugary drinks to 180,000 deaths around the world. According to the study, people who consumed sugary drinks regularly had a 26 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future, with young adults and Asians as the highest risk groups. Another 133,000 of the 180,000 worldwide deaths were also linked to diabetes, with 44,000 linked to cardiovascular disease and 6,000 linked to cancer. Colleen Gobert, a food and nutritional sciences professor at Brescia University College,
believes many of the issues in the study have to do with issues of weight as well. “Being overweight changes the metabolism in the body, so that leads us to not use the insulin in our body appropriately, so we have insulin resistance,” Gobert said. “Over time, we’re putting a lot of stress on the pancreas, which produces insulin. We’re not producing enough insulin at this point, so you start to see blood sugar go up.” One in four people in the United States also received at least 200 calories per day from sugary drinks, with five per cent of the population getting more than 567 calories per day—the equivalent of four cans of soda. Sugary drinks were also found to be the highest source of calories in teenagers’ diets, as 226 calories per day came from the
drinks. Another study analyzing weight gain in children found for each 12-ounce soda consumed per day, the odds of becoming obese increased by 60 per cent. Gobert believes many of the health problems mentioned in the study have to do with overconsumption in general, rather than the drinks alone. “Just consuming sugar in the diet is not going to cause obesity— it’s consuming too much energy overall. And sugar is something that’s very energy-dense,” Gobert explained. “We have a large pop, it’s a lot of sugar—we’re getting a lot of calories in a very small amount of liquid. We’re getting a lot of this excess energy that our body doesn’t need, so then it stores it as fat.”
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thegazette • Thursday, March 21, 2013
Arts&Life
thespianthursday Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.
—Steve Martin, America comedian and actor.
Talking about ideas that make common cents Brent Holmes Arts & Life Editor Writer of 12 books and personality known for the Canadian TV series, Till Debt Do Us Part, Gail Vaz-Oxlade has made her name by teaching people common sense principles about how to save and spend money. The Canadian financial writer has recently published her latest book, Money Rules, and will be starting her new show called Money Moron, which expands on the lessons she has been teaching for her 19-year career. Vaz-Oxlade will be speaking at Western Monday, and sat down for an interview with The Gazette about her upcoming talk. GAZETTE: How can students apply
the ideas you talk about in Money Rules?
on the amount of time they spend cooking, these people spend more money.
GAZETTE: In a previous talk, you GAZETTE: Students spend a lot of
money on food. Do you have any advice and tips in that regard? VAZ-OXLADE: One of the things you can do is you can figure out how you can make your meals at home so you’re not spending your money on convenience foods or eating out. Whether you are a student or not—a lot of this stuff applies to everybody. People are looking for things that apply specifically for students—but a lot of things apply to everybody. GAZETTE: You take a pretty strong stance against credit cards. Do you feel there is a link between electronic methods of paying for things and increased consumerism?
GAIL VAZ-OXLADE: One of the
things that has become apparent as I toured around and met with people, is a lot of the things that I say people sort of go ‘Huh, it makes a lot of sense now that you’ve said it.’ But nobody actually thinks of these things, and I’m not sure why this is. It’s the reason I’m calling this the “The Common Sense of Money.” So many of the things that I say are just common sense, but apparently, some of them need to be said. It’s things like “lazy people spend more money”—it’s common sense. Whether it’s because they are using ATMs that aren’t theirs, or because they are buying convenience foods because they are trying to cut down
is an end to the amount of money I have so I want to make good choices.
VAZ-OXLADE: I don’t have a problem
with credit cards per say—I have a problem with how credit cards are used. We know there is [a link]. The brain does something differently when you pay with plastic. It’s been researched. In fact, when you pay with plastic, you are more likely to overspend, impulse purchase and buy bad food. The other thing that’s true is when you have a limited amount of resources. When you have this sense that your limit is not [existent], then you stop making choices, you start thinking you can have it all and that simply isn’t true. You can’t have it all. You want to create a sense that there
spoke about high debt loads. Why do you feel there has been this change in society’s attitude on debt? VAZ-OXLADE: It’s simply access.
Before we didn’t have the kind of access that we have now. People didn’t go into debt because they couldn’t. Very often I am asked by the media if the younger generation [has] more sense of entitlement. No. They do not have more of a sense of entitlement. They have exactly the same amount of entitlement we’ve always had. The difference is they have access to credit we never had access to at their age. GAZETTE: Students seem to be debt
magnets as a matter of circumstance. Is there a way that students could go through their education without student debt? VAZ-OXLADE: I meet people all the
time who have done it. [The thing is] it is a matter of priority. But I think, as a group, you guys are getting the shaft. For the most part, you are getting crappy educations—I’ve met a lot of people who are extremely frustrated with the educations they are getting. It feels to them that universities are churning [out] students as opposed to being a place where people go to get a great education. You are being asked to take record levels of debt for what is, in essence, a lesser education.
Courtesy of Shannon Ross
GAZETTE: What made this issue of money so important to you? VAZ-OXLADE: I’ve been writing about money for a really long time—for about 19 years. I’ve only been on television for about seven. The thing is, almost everybody who writes about money makes it sound hard. The majority of people tend to focus on very specific areas, as opposed to dealing with what most people
need. If you go to the bookshelves and look at how many books are about investing, you would think that we should all be rocket scientists on that topic by now. Writing a book on investment is its own industry. If those guys could get rich investing, they wouldn’t need to write the book. If you don’t have your personal finances in order, you shouldn’t be investing it.
Burt lack-of-wonder stone needs more magic Ross Hamilton Gazette Staff GGHFF The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Director: Don Scardino Starring: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Jim Carrey, James Gandolfini, Alan Arkin At first glance, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone—a wacky comedy about a set of rival superstar magicians—seems like a film with the potential to entertain, if not to engross. Indeed, it has a proven, star-studded cast, and a steady directorial hand in Don Scardino. However, despite its sound foundations, there’s disappointingly little cinematic magic or comic substance here to deliver on the promise of the three intently gazing, preposterously-coiffed figures on the movie’s promotional poster. The issues with Wonderstone are manifold, but perhaps the most prominent and fundamental is its titular protagonist, played by Steve Carell, is neither especially interesting, nor very funny. Carell’s character spends the first half of the film as a boorish, unpleasant narcissist, but within the span of a few minutes, he is transformed—as if by magic—into a modest, affable man of the people. It’s an unfortunate example of a character trying, and failing, to strike the tricky balance between
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ridiculous and empathetic. Elsewhere, James Gandolfini plays an irksome and avaricious hotel tycoon named Doug Munny —get it? —and Alan Arkin is given a supporting role as retired magician and idol of Wonderstone, Rance Holloway. Both performances are underwhelming, but Arkin in particular is woefully underused, the recent memory of his brilliantly dry performance in Argo only emphasizing the dearth of great lines in Wonderstone’s meagre script.
Despite these disappointments, the film does have one trick up its sleeve—Jim Carrey—and if there is a reason to watch The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, it’s for his inspired turn as the wonderfully psychotic Steve Gray. Where Carell’s Wonderstone is obnoxious, but also a little dull, Gray is a fantastically unhinged egomaniac, and every moment Carrey is onscreen provides the audience with a taste of what could have been a much more outrageous and engaging movie.
There are numerous other issues—the romantic sub-plot between Carell and his assistant, Jane (Olivia Wilde), is undercooked to the point of rawness—but the overall scarcity of laughs, Gray excepted, is what ends up depriving the film of any real comedic charm. That a spinoff starring Carrey’s character seems such an enticing project perhaps underlines that, ultimately, the greatest mistake The Incredible Burt Wonderstone makes is that it isn’t The Incredible Steve Gray.
Naira Ahmed Gazette
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thegazette • Thursday, March 21, 2013
Blues rocker coming to paint the town red Musician Matt Mays heads to London for an encore show Sara Mai Chitty Contributor After packing Call the Office for a sold-out show in November, Matt Mays is cruising through London again this Saturday, with his bluesinfused folk sound, on a North American tour that started in Ottawa. Mays always looks forward to touring, especially in Ontario. Having just returned from a trip to Costa Rica, the blustery weather hasn’t discouraged the rocker from hitting the roads for a 19 day tour that wraps up in Denver. When asked what he likes about returning to Canada, Mays says he’s an old hat at touring. “I’ve been doing this for a while now, so it’s really nice to go back to towns that I’m familiar with [and] I have a lot of friends that live around here,” Mays says. “It really is nice to travel around and see familiar places and familiar things.” While travelling, the east coastrocker always looks forward to coming back to Forest City. “London is a very enthusiastic audience,” Mays explains. Playing a different venue this time, at the newly renovated London Music Hall, the musician is looking forward to Saturday. “I am ready for the change. I mean, I’ve played Call the Office a lot and it’ll be fun to kick-start a new venue.” Mays’ sound is described as bluesy roots rock with indie atmospheric accents. The newest music video release of “Indio,” filmed in the town of its namesake in Costa Rica, is sure to stir a longing for long summer days in any listener. This flowing California jam, among the other raucous tracks stippled with mellow tunes, like “Rochambo” on his most recent album Coyote, showcase the hard work Mays puts into his music.
FILE PHOTO DAWN OF A NEW MAYS. Matt Mays returns to London to perform at the newly-renovated London Music Hall.
“Albums are tough, they’re bittersweet. Some drive you crazy, some are tricky to record properly. Coyote is no exception—it kind of took me a long time to sort of get to the final product.”
Albums are tough, they’re bittersweet. Some drive you crazy, some are tricky to record properly. Coyote is no exception. —Matt Mays
Making music isn’t just a job for Mays, it’s a relatively spiritual experience. “I just kind of do my thing, but
>> On the web
The Walking Dumb When the Metro Train group released the unorthodox Dumb Ways to Die video campaign to warn audiences about the dangers of train platforms, the catchy, cute video quickly became viral. After rising in popularity, a number of parody videos were created using the same melody and concept—one such parody is The Walking Dumb. The video takes Metro’s original message and twists it to the perspective of the zombies from AMC’s show The Walking Dead, warning of the dangers of being around humans. Any fan of The Walking Dead will get more than a few laughs from the video’s lyrics that make fun of the show’s central characters and motifs. Created by the YouTube channel TeddieFilms, the video’s production quality and make-up effects will make anyone question if the real show was involved—and with the positive feedback the parody’s getting, they should be. —Kevin Hurren
Kate Upton, Will You Go To Prom With Me?
I think [on] a non-traditional level, music, if it’s not spiritual, I don’t want to be a part of it. It’s why I ended up making music.” Describing Coyote as “a proper home for all his experiences,” Mays can’t think of one specific instance in his journeys that helped shape the album. “I think it was sort of collectively my experiences in travel—it was almost like a bunch of standout events together.” Mays strives to manifest the sounds of his experiences into songs, but some don’t come as easy as others. “I think the song that came easiest is ‘Chase the Light,’ the last song on the album. I think the reason is some songs come a lot easier than others, and I think it just came easy to me and it means a lot to me,” Mays says. Although Mays has been
touring and spreading his sound for over 10 years, he still doesn’t tire of it. “Rocking out as usual is still special to me,” he laughs. Mays, always in tune with sound and experience, famously says, “When the vibrations stop, it’s time to move on”—a mantra many can identify with in a sea of information and an overwhelmingly fast-paced world. Audiences can be sure to expect an energetic show Saturday, but not even Mays knows what he has in store for London. “It’s hard to predict the future. I’m excited to play, that’s obviously a given.” You can see Mays at London Music Hall this Saturday, March 23. Doors open at 8 p.m., the show starts at 9. Tickets are $23.50 and can be purchased at mattmays. com.
It’s prom season—and if Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton didn’t know it, she does now. Jake Davidson, a high school senior from Los Angeles, made a minute-and-a-half YouTube video asking the model to his spring prom. With over 150,000 views, the video has gone viral since he posted it Saturday. What’s even better than the quirky video is Upton responded to Davidson with a tweet, saying, “ How could I turn down that video! I’ll check my schedule ;),” and reports published yesterday note the model is now feeling pressure to attend the prom. Only time will tell if this celebrity will switch around her busy schedule, and make the 17-yearold’s senior year one to remember. —Nicole Gibillini
IN THEATRES
On TV
ON THE CHARTS
Editor’s Picks > The essentials for your week
ON DVD The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The first installment of Peter Jackson’s long-awaited return to Middle-earth is now available on DVD, giving those who missed it in the cinema—or haven’t yet read the 76-year-old novel—the chance to delve into Tolkien’s fantastical tale of dwarves, trolls and wizards. With the likeable Martin Freeman playing titular hobbit Bilbo Baggins, and favourites such as Ian McKellan and Cate Blanchett reprising their roles from The Lord of Rings, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is sure to satisfy fans until Jackson and company complete the trilogy’s second chapter.
ON DISC The 20/20 Experience —Justin Timberlake It’s been a long time coming — seven years, in fact—but Justin Timberlake’s follow up to FutureSex/ LoveSounds is finally here. Arriving on the back of two superb singles in “Suit and Tie” and “Mirrors,” it seems as though all that time away from music hasn’t dulled JT’s ear for a brilliant pop song. And if pre-sale figures are anything to go by, The 20/20 Experience could be an early contender for the biggest record of 2013.
Spring Breakers Spring Breakers is an oddity—a stylish, violent crime thriller that stars former Disney Channel sweethearts Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens as bikini-clad robbers, as well as rapper Gucci Mane and a braided and grilled James Franco as rival drug dealers. Director Harmony Korine is known for producing provocative cinematic works—see 2009’s Trash Humpers— but Spring Breakers could be the film that propels him and his unique style into the mainstream.
Vanderpump Rules Yet another reality show reaches Canadian screens this week, as Vanderpump Rules has its premiere on Slice. A spinoff of The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills, the show follows glamourous matriarch Lisa Vanderpump as she juggles her family life with running her Hollywood restaurant—with hilarious consequences, no doubt. You can catch Vanderpump Rules Sundas on Slice at 10 p.m.
“Whoa” —Earl Sweatshirt The most precocious, talented rapper to emerge from California hip-hop collective Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt has spent the last year slowly building toward the release of his first album since 2010’s Earl, a record produced for the most part when he was just 14. Four years on, single “Whoa” delivers a sickly synth beat that perfectly complements his pointed delivery, prodigious rhyming and relentless, sibilant flow, providing us with the latest indication that Earl is on the cusp of something special.
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thegazette • Thursday, March 21, 2013
Opinions From the desk of the managing editor
Speak up, speak out As many of you are probably now aware, Western faced some tragic news this week when one if its students passed away. Police have reported no foul play is suspected. While death, in most cases, is a sad affair, instances where a young person feels the only way out is to take their own life transcend the realm of sadness and become extremely troubling. I want to make it clear that I am by no means issuing any blame here. No one is at fault. What happened was a tragedy—especially because it was preventable. We all need to talk. And yes, I know this is said all the time, and it’s certainly easier said than done—but I want to say it again. Our school has many great services, as well as a fantastic network of people, who can help you if you need it. First and foremost is the Peer Support Centre—it’s staffed by people who want you to come in. They want to hear your problems, and they want to help. Recently, Western UMentioned—a site intended for casual flirting—has become a forum for people to anonymously post their problems, concerns and fears, and get feedback and help from the community. Every single post of that nature I’ve seen has been met with tons of positive responses, encouragement and advice. I hope this shows that, while you may feel alone, you have thousands of people—strangers, nonetheless—not only willing, but eager to help you. And just yesterday, the University Students’ Council posted a pep talk video. Lots of different people talked about how to remain optimistic, and to not let stress get to you. We have events like Mental Health Awareness Week, but a stigma still exists. People don’t want to talk about it. We have to change this. Depression is just as much an illness as cancer. Anxiety can cause as much pain as arthritis. Mental illnesses are exactly that—illnesses. They need to be treated, and there are tons of people who want to help. Admittedly, I do not have a mental illness. I don’t claim to understand how someone with one feels. However, from having been in close proximity with those who do, I really can’t stress it enough—talk. Talk about it to someone. Whether it’s with a counsellor, doctor or even an anonymous post on an Internet website. Talk with me if you like. I sit at a desk for upwards of 10 hours a day and would love to talk with anyone who wants/needs to. I’m the first person you see when you walk into room 263 in the UCC. It doesn’t matter who you talk to, but please—talk with someone. I think it’s extremely important to get help if needed, and to also realize something. No matter how it feels, you’re not alone. —Cam Parkes
A goal is a dream with a deadline.
—Napoleon Hill, American author
Missing deadlines still gets you failing grade Wrath of McGrath
Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor
Most of us won’t be in school forever. And I bet, right around this time of the year, most students are dreaming of the days when they never have to fill out a Scantron card again. So here’s a little uplifting preview—soon your days of essays and tests and nights spent in Weldon will be over. But one component that will follow the majority of students even after their university days are gone is deadlines. In the corporate world, the legal environment, civil service, journalism, publication and just about every professional realm you can think of, deadlines are a reality. And unlike in the academic world, where you may only lose a few percentage points per day for missing a deadline, in the real world, missing a deadline could get you in some pretty hot water. Making deadlines, then, should qualify as one of the top skills we aspire to acquire during our time in post-secondary. However, I don’t believe that’s the case. Far too much emphasis is put on grades, and therefore a trade-off is often created. Students will weigh the pros of taking a one or two per cent hit on their papers by handing it in
late and writing a better paper against handing in a paper on time that may have been rushed, and therefore receives a lower grade. I can’t begin to count the times I have heard fellow peers choose the former of those options, and that’s the problem with so much emphasis on grading. Now, I understand if someone is looking into pursuing post-graduate education, his or her grades do matter. But it still doesn’t excuse the fact that having no regard for deadlines doesn’t exactly boast well for your future in the workforce. In many professions, missing hard deadlines is inexcusable. And, I fear, with such wishy-washy policies on late assignments in many faculties, many students aren’t quite grasping the importance of time management. If university is meant to be preparing students for the workforce, I believe it’s sufficiently failing when it comes to promoting the importance of a due date. Here, if you miss it, you’ll lose a few percentage points, but if you do devote some time to the assignment—after it’s due of course—you can still manage to do quite well. If you miss a deadline for an importance business deal, the deal falls through, and, subsequently, you are fired. It may sound extreme, but it’s definitely in the realm of possibility. If we’re not enforcing a culture of strict deadlines across all faculties, and students are treating them as merely guidelines rather than rules, then students aren’t leaving higher education prepared for the workforce.
saywhat?! After selling the space on his face to advertisers, Alaskan native Billy Gibby—also known by his legal name of Hostgator Dotcom—is leasing out space on the rest of his body in order to fund the removal of his facial tattoos. While these new ads may not be so apparent to onlookers, it is still silly to think Dotcom is doing the exact same thing he is trying to erase.
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Volume 106, Issue 88 www.westerngazette.ca
Gloria Dickie Editor-In-Chief Nicole Gibillini Deputy Editor Cam Parkes Managing Editor
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Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors or staff. To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Contact.” All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and cartoons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives.
Gazette Composing & Gazette Advertising Ian Greaves, Manager Robert Armstrong
Karen Savino Diana Watson
Gazette Staff 2012-2013
Iain Boekhoff, Danielle Bozinoff, Jaclyn Carbone, Mary Ann Ciosk, David Czosniak, Megan Devlin, Jonathan Dunn, Andrew Evans, Chelsey Gauthier, Ross Hamilton, Danny Huang, Amanda Law, Logan Ly, Jared MacAdam, Sarah Mai Chitty, Sarah Manning, Bradley Metlin, Kaitlyn Oh, John Petrella, Sarah Prince, Chen Rao, Herb Richardson, Nathan Robbins-Kanter, Lily Robinson, Jeremiah Rodriguez, Katie Roseman, Jasleen Sembhi, Nathan TeBokkel, Jacqueline Ting, Caroline Wang, Kate Wilkinson, Zoe Woods, Kartikeya Vishal, Usman Zahid, Mason Zimmer
News Alex Carmona Jesica Hurst Cam Smith Aaron Zaltzman Arts & Life Sumedha Arya Brent Holmes Kevin Hurren Sports Richard Raycraft Jason Sinukoff Ryan Stern Opinions Ryan Hurlbut Associate Kaitlyn McGrath
Letter to the Editor
GSP should be able to wear his gi To the Editor: Re: Georges St. Pierre is not a true fighter, March 19, 2013 I’ve been involved in karate going on 12 years this fall. That being said, I don’t follow mixed marital arts enough to comment on much in Richard Raycraft’s article about GSP’s fighting style. However, I do take offence to his comment about “the douchebag karate gis.” For those who are not familiar with the term, a gi is the uniform worn when training in many martial arts. Now, I may be a little biased, but I can’t think of a situation where wearing one’s gi would make him or her out to be a “douchebag”—though I do get the occasional weird look on the bus—especially if he or she is an accomplished martial artist at a martial arts venue. Wouldn’t that be like calling a police officer or soldier a “douchebag” for wearing their uniforms at work? —Marc-André Brooks Engineering III
Dear Life
Your anonymous letters to life.
Dear Life, My biggest regret in life is not having a twin. Dear Life, Did I order salad with dressing, or dressing with salad? Dear Life, People who walk and text are completely in their own little world. I wonder if they know we are talking about them. Dear Life, I just retrieved a popcorn shaving from my teeth, yet can’t remember when the last time I had popcorn was. Dear Life, It was a good day today. My econ professor quoted Pokémon. Submit your letters to life at www.westerngazette.ca /dearlife.
Photography Andrei Calinescu Ritchie Sham Cameron Wilson Graphics Naira Ahmed Mike Laine Illustrations Christopher Miszczak Liwei Zhou Online Julian Uzielli Web Cameron Wilson Video Chris Kay
• Please recycle this newspaper •
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thegazette • Thursday, March 21, 2013
Mustangs place third across the border Kaitlyn McGrath Associate Editor
Have you ever kicked a ball before? Did you pass the grade 10 literacy test? Then Gazette sports wants you! UCC Room 263
Courtesy of Cole Baker
To place your classifed ad, please contact us at 519-661-3579 or adoffice@uwo.ca
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BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 bedrooms available. 8 - 12 month leases. Close to campus. Call now for 3 months’ FREE. PAD rentals 519.433.0999. **5 BDRMS, DIFFERENT styles, all steps to campus. Modern building with huge kitchens, tons of cupboards and counter space, centre island with barstools. Spacious bedrooms and huge closets. Call Sam anytime at 519-495-7661.
4 BDRM NEW Red Brick townhouses, apartments and single homes for rent. Features 5 appliances, huge rooms and closets, open concept kitchen/living room, and free parking. Located in great student areas. Call Yan: 519-495-5363.
1 & 2 PERSON apartments on Western Road. Seeking quiet, non-smoking, serious students with no pets. 8-month contract possible. $400-$700 per person includes utilities, coinless-washer/dryer, free parking and 24/7-management. 519-673-1843. 2 BEDROOM 2 full bath. $550/room INCLUSIVE. 5 appliances, Internet, new doors and cupboards, pretty kitchen with ceramic floor, quiet and convenient to bus route (150 ft). Ted 519-697-5746 Ken 877-582-9004. ken@soundinvestments4.com. 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS available. Hardwood floors, large common area, and newly renovated kitchen. Right on the #2 Dundas route; closest 2 bedroom to the heart of campus. Contact Sam today 519-495-7661.
3 BEDROOM HOUSE. 602 Middlewoods Cres. Hardwood floors, 2 full bathrooms, 6 appliances, A/C, free parking, and more. Near UWO, mall, bus stops. $425 inclusive, flexible leases. Sama 519-5207510, srahimia@uwo.ca. 3 BEDROOM MODERN townhouses close to Masonville area. Close walk to campus and steps to major bus route. Spacious bedrooms and close to all amenities. Contact Yan to book a viewing: yanl@londonproperty.ca.
OXFORD & RICHMOND 1 bdrm basement apartment in 5 unit house, electric/heat/water, washer/dryer on premises, free parking. Avail May 1. $675.00. Bruce 416-806-7456, rockfordj2000-spaceman@yahoo.ca OXFORD & RICHMOND 2 bdrm apartment 2nd floor house, hardwood floors, spacious living rm, balcony, 9ft ceilings, heat/water, dishwasher, washer/dryer on premises, free parking. Avail May 1. $950.00. Bruce 416-806-7456, rockfordj2000-spaceman@yahoo.ca SHORT TERM ACCOMODATION 1 to 3 rooms available until August 2013. Modern, spacious, very clean house. 5 appliances, parking, bus, shopping nearby. Call Cathy 519-657-7000 or 519-657-6911.
5 BEDROOM BROUGHDALE behind Med/Syd front Gates. Modern, open-concept, kitchen island/barstools, side-by-side stainless stee l fridge. Large rooms (no basement room), 50” flatscreen, fireplace, dishwasher, lots of parking. $450/room. 416-835-5293, enmars@hotmail.com.
5 BEDROOM HOUSES and townhouses on all sides of campus. Free parking, free maintenance and fulltime property management. Units are rented on a first come first serve basis. Call Yan at 519-495-5363. 6 BDRM. #1 student rentals. Newly built red bricks in all the best locations! Includes 5 appliances, huge, spacious rooms with massive closets. Parking and 24 hour property management included. These ones always go fast so call soon. Call Sam 519-495-7661, samm@londonproperty.ca
WANTED LOVING COUPLE WHO has struggled with infertility for a long time, is in need of an angel of African descent to donate some of her eggs so that we can become a family. Serious inquiries...Please email: val@soft-infertility.com.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
ARE YOU SINGLE? Participate in online surveys created by UWO Psychology researchers and receive up to $45 in Amazon gift certificates in appreciation for your contribution. For more information, please contact Kristi Chin (uwosingles@gmail.com). ONTARIAN CANNABIS USERS for harm reduction research needed. You have the chance to take part in our lottery. For further information and to participate in the study, visit www.camh.ca/cannabis-study
UPCOMING EVENTS WESTERN ADVENTISTS PRESENT “Taste & See Healthy Living” with Dr. Shon Darcy. Learn simple, practical tips on how to improve mental, physical and spiritual health. March 21, 22 & 23 @ 7 pm nightly in UCC Council Chambers. http://westernadventists.wix.com/club
ANNOUNCEMENTS MARCH IS NUTRITION Month 2013. Visit www.brescia-shea.ca for some healthy recipes along with some tips and tricks for eating right! Download the eaTipster app to your smartphone for some daily nutrition tips from Dietitians of Canada. Follow @NMBrescia on Twitter for updates on Nutrition Month activities! THE TA AND Post Doc Union’s Foodbank distributes grocery store gift cards of $50-100 to members in need. Stop by the office (1313 Sommerville Hall) or apply at psac610.ca
PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.
For solution, turn to page 2
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3-6 BDRM HOUSES and town homes for rent. Large, modern units, and close to campus. Everything you could ask for, with 5 appliances, free parking, spacious bedrooms/common rooms and full-time maintenance. Call Sam at 519-495-7661, samm@londonproperty.ca
SERVICES
6 BEDROOM BROUGHDALE behind Med/Syd front Gates. Modern, open-concept, kitchen island/barstools, side-by-side stainless steel fridge. Large rooms (no basement room), 50” flat-screen, fireplace, dishwasher, lots of parking. $385/room. 416-835-5293, enmars@hotmail.com. GOOD VALUE & MANAGEMENT3 to 4 bedroom houses available. Very clean and modern. 5 appliances, spacious rooms, close to shopping, bus, parking, restaurants and fitness centre. $425.00 per student. 519-657-7000 or 519-657-6911.
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In December, the Mustangs cheerleading team captured their 27th National Cheerleading Championship. But this past weekend, the Mustangs travelled to Anaheim, California to see how they stacked up against the competition at the United Spirit Association College Nationals. As the only team from the great North, the Mustangs were up against stiff competition from elite NCAA programs, like Texas A & M and the University of Colorado. The Mustangs competed in the four-year university large co-ed division and placed third, only three points behind the second-place powerhouse team from the University of Hawaii. Before the competition, Mustangs head coach DavidLee Tracey—or Coach Trace, as he prefers—explained the other teams from the States could be lethal. “We have our work cut out for us,” he said. Because of a late performance time of 10:30 p.m. paired with the time difference—three hours— Tracey explained the Mustangs had a less-than-stellar run in the first round. Many of the first-year members may have also felt overwhelmed by the big stage. “A number of our freshmen team members looked like freshmen team members, and kind of got spooked in the big U.S. arena,” Tracey explained. After the first round, the Mustangs were sitting in fourth place. Following the poor routine, Tracey sat his team down and analyzed the performance video, so the team could make the small adjustments to ensure their final performance would be one to remember. And it seems the team meeting had a positive effect, since the Mustangs delivered a much better run in the final round with only a few very minor mistakes. Tracey commented, “Western looked like Western” in their second performance. With the much-improved routine, the Mustangs were able to better their placing by one and finish on the podium in third place. The defending champions from Weber State University once again claimed first place. With a number of graduating seniors on the team this year, the Mustangs will be looking to add a host of new talent to the team for next year.
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Student Saving Tip: Use the coupons inside your Westernizer Going out for the night and want to use your coupons? Just tear some out and slip them in your bus pass. You’ll have them handy when you’re on the go!
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thegazette • Thursday, March 21, 2013
Sports
tweet of the week Is Puerto Rico beating the USA in baseball equivalent to the Yukon, Northwest, or Nunavut Territories beating Canada in Hockey?
Milwaukee Brewers closer John Axford (@JohnAxford) shares his thoughts on the World Baseball Classic.
Rundown >> Korissa Williams of the Windsor Lancers women’s basketball squad and Keaton Hartigan of Waterloo Warriors hockey are the OUA athletes of the week > Hartigan turned away 42 shots as the Warriors upset the University of Alberta Golden Bears 2–1.
Volleyball Coach Dave Edwards retires After 13 years with the Mustangs, Edwards says goodbye Ryan Stern Sports Editor
Through triumphs and failures, Coach Dave Edwards was a steady force for the Mustangs volleyball program. Starting next season, the purple and white will have a new face patrolling the Alumni Hall bench for the women’s volleyball team, as Dave has decided to hang up his clipboard. Following a season that saw the women’s volleyball team fall just short of their season goal of the final eight, Dave decided it was time to move on to the next stage of his life. Despite the loss, Dave believed the time was right, regardless of this season’s result. “There is always that perception, but I don’t think [my retirement] hinged on it. The results this year did not affect my decision. I think my family was an important factor in this,” Dave said. The decision was not an easy one for Dave, who has been with the program for a total of 13 years. As an alumnus of Western himself, Dave returned to the school in 1999 as an assistant in the men’s program. He switched over to the women’s side in 2002 and continued his career as an assistant until 2010, when he took over the head coaching position. “I think it had been a decision I had been contemplating for a while. To be honest, the time was right for me,” Dave said. “I have been here for 13 years, I am not getting any younger.” With all of Dave’s success over his 13-year career, he was emphatic on what moment stood out to him the most. “My greatest success was my first year as a coach—winning the [Ontario University Athletics] championships. It was such a thrilling thing for us, and a great
thing for the program, and for me that is a very fond memory,” Dave said. Through the thick and thin, Dave held strong for the team. Along with the OUA championship in his first season as a head coach, he believes it is his relationship with his players that will transcend his time on campus.
I think it had been a decision I had been contemplating for a while. To be honest, the time was right for me. I have been here for 13 years, I am not getting any younger and I just felt it was time for me to move forward. —Dave Edwards
Mustangs women’s volleyball head coach
“The integrity I brought to the team, the compassion I had for both the sport and my team,” Dave said. “The team makes the coach in many respects, and I did my best to create an environment for a positive experience.” Western and volleyball have both been a part of Dave’s life for a long time, and he doesn’t plan on just cutting them loose despite his retirement. With a love for both amateur sports and the Mustangs, Dave will still be heavily involved, with the goal of a lesser commitment in mind. “If I can be of assistance in some way in the program […], I would be more than willing to help,” Dave said. As for his knowledge of the sport, it won’t be going to waste.
Andrei Calinescu Gazette
Dave plans on using his talents in a more relaxed way. “I will continue to coach. I think I would like to go back to coaching high school, because the rigors of coaching high school are a lot less than that of a university program,” Dave said. With the OUA in Dave’s rearview mirror, he is going to use the time to enjoy his family. “Two weeks ago was the first time we actually sat down for dinner on a Monday night, because usually I have practice, or my wife is teaching at the university,” Dave said. “It has been a busy season for us, but I am looking forward to taking time for me.” Mike Laine Gazette
Corey Stanford Gazette