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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

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Volume 106, Issue 94

LTC overcrowding prompts public’s anger Jeremiah Rodriguez Gazette StafF

Julian Uzielli Gazette

The London Transit Commission has released a report which found an increase in total bus ridership outrunning services growth, leading to an escalation in formal complaints last year about overcrowding and riders being left behind on major routes like Richmond and Wonderland.

According to the 2012 service performance released by the LTC, the yearly number of complaints ballooned from 787 to 1,187 last year.

Overcrowding caused drivers to skip passengers at certain stops because there was simply not enough room to fit them.

On average, buses operated at a staggering 152 per cent of its seating capacity, meaning the total load on buses usually exceeded the actual seating capacity. Consequently, in the last four months of 2012, there were a recorded 26,000 cases of drivers whizzing past waiting commuters, which represented a 47 per cent

jolt compared to 2010.

“I feel bad for the sardines—I feel even worse for the sardines left on the side of the road,” Eric Southern, LTC chairperson, said during the March 27 discussion with commissioners regarding the report.

The number of transit trips has increased by 11 per cent, reaching 23.5 million, since 2010—during that same time, revenue service hours only increased by about two per cent. This problem was due, in part, to a lack of additional funding for those changes and because of deferred service changes in 2012, which would have addressed certain service problems.

“On overcrowded routes, that’s where we try to put in the service improvements, [but] we recognize we have limited dollars to do that.

Because of uncertainty in city investment levels in 2012, it made little sense to put them in there, only to take them back out in 2013,” Larry Ducharme, LTC general manager, said, adding he wasn’t surprised by

the complaint number.

“We’d been trending it. We knew there would be an increase and we’re not happy [with it], but because of economic timing, it makes things more difficult to put services in to address [them],” Ducharme explained, reassuring Londoners there “are measures [being implemented] to improve quality.”

Short-term strategies included an increase of 8,500 more service hours by increasing 10 Wonderland frequencies during Monday through Saturdays evenings, increasing frequency on the 20 Cherryhill, running the 17 Oxford West at full capacity in the summer, and semi-express services running Masonville to downtown, thus alleviating pressure off the 6 Richmond and the 13 Wellington.

As for the long-term, the business plan for a Bus Rapid Transit will be released this fall, and is expected to be fully phased in the next 20 years, providing little relief to current commuters.

Printing papers provokes digital petition Jesica Hurst News Editor Some professors at Western have moved toward a more digital approach of teaching, embracing tools such as email and OWL as a way to accept assignment submissions. However, some departments, such as software engineering, still require a hard copy of submissions—something that Alec Warren, a fourth-year software engineering student at Western, is frustrated by.

“Every year, we are required to print off dozens of reports that can range anywhere from a 10-page assignment to a 150-page design report,” Warren explained. “The kicker here is that we are also required to hand in a digital copy that is used to check for plagiarism, which raises the question of why [...] we even need to hand in the physical copy in the first place.”

“As we move toward a more globally-minded society, it becomes more apparent the little things, like requiring your students to print off assignments, can stack up to being wasteful, especially when alternatives do exist and are already in place.”

Warren recently created an online petition, which can be found on www.change.org, meant to draw attention to the unnecessary amount of waste produced by assignments and projects requiring physical copies in his department.

Although he will be graduating this year, Warren hopes this petition may raise some awareness on the issue and make change for future students.

He also believes Western needs to keep the environment in mind, and the switch to a digital model could reinforce sustainability.

Keith Marnoch, director of

media relations for Western, said it would be up to the faculty to decide whether or not they wanted to consider the petition—he isn’t sure if a number of signatures will help make the decision or not.

“If a student has a concern about an academic regulation or policy, they would need to work through their department or faculty to address it,” Marnoch said.

“I believe, in engineering, they have this specific requirement, and different faculties do have those, so whatever is being addressed through a petition needs to go through them.”

Regardless of if the petition is considered or not, Warren said students can still try and make a difference.

“I have already contacted the head of my design course and he responded very positively to the feedback,” Warren said.

Andrei Calinescu Gazette

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thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Caught on Camera

Crossword By Eugene Sheffer

Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE

A MAJOR ERECTION. Members of Habitat for Humanity UWO constructed a shed on Concrete Beach yesterday. The completed shed will be donated to a family in London.

News Briefs

Last-minute donations push Food Bank ahead of goal

Chakma tops Sunshine List’s university presidents

A wave of Easter weekend donations will allow the London Food Bank to meet this year’s Spring Food Drive goal, with current donations totalling 72,481 pounds of donated food.

Before the weekend, the food bank was running about 2,200 pounds below last year’s collection total.

“Easter kind of snuck up on everybody, it was really, really early.

It even kind of snuck up on us,” Jane Roy, co-executive director of the London Food Bank, said.

In addition, many of the high school students that usually help with the drive kick-off are just returning from March Break.

However, an influx of last-minute donations from the London community has seen this year’s total rise to about 300 pounds ahead of donations at this time last year.

“A lot of the food that we’re picking up today […] was donated yesterday, so we just haven’t got it in yet,” Roy said Tuesday.

These donations were much needed to meet the expanding demand for London Food Bank services. “[Usage has] gone up 10 per cent over the past year, so our average is now 3,500 families [served] a month,” Roy explained. “January [2013] was our busiest month ever.

We helped 3,800 different families.”

Donations to the annual spring food drive can still be made at local fire stations and grocery stores until the end of this week.

—Zoe Woods

According the new Ontario Public Sector Salary Disclosure for 2012, Western President Amit Chakma is the highest paid university president in the province. Also known as the Sunshine List, the OPSSD shows the salaries of all public sector employees who make $100,000 or more.

At $479,600.04 in salary, and $41,123.21 in taxable benefits, Chakma tops the list in both categories.

“We hired Dr. Chakma threeand-a-half years ago in a competitive process—it was an open marketplace and his compensation was determined, at the time of the commencement of his first contract, on the basis of the marketplace at that time,” Stephen Coxford, chairman of the board of governors for Western, said.

Despite his high price, Coxford said Chakma is well worth it, and remains an extremely valuable asset to Western.

“We think he’s a leader amongst leaders. Not only is he a great leader for Western, he has emerged as a leader in the university space in Canada. Not only have the finance minister and trade minister had him do a study on the internationalization of universities, he was on a standing committee for the industry committee in Ottawa called the Science and Technology Innovation Council, and he is the chairman of the working group of university presidents representing the big research-intensive universities around the country. We think we’re lucky to have him.”

—Alex Carmona

Solution to puzzle on page 7

Ontario pushes for accessibility Western is one of a number of institutions across Ontario that will be participating in the Innovative Designs for Accessibility competition. Inspired in part by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the contest provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to comprehensively address an issue of their choosing related to accessibility.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Employment, one in every seven people in Ontario has a disability, establishing accessibility as a primary consideration for provincial policy makers and potential innovators.

“This is a great opportunity for engagement at the undergraduate level, and to get interested in the research enterprise,” Dan Sinai, acting associate vice-president of research at Western, said. “I think it’s important not just for our students, but for all of society to look at people with disabilities in an inclusive way.”

Students may work individually, or in a team, in which case they are encouraged to connect with associate undergraduate deans and associate deans of research within their respective faculties, and with Sinai of Research Western.

The top two submissions from each of the five entrant categories will be selected, of which three cash reward recipients will be chosen upon further adjudication.

Submissions are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 14.

—Lily Robinson

Donate to The Gazette. westerngazette.ca /donate

The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error. © 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.

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thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

An unclear path to Whelan challenges Social Sci fee Algerian terrorism Dickie in a Box

Gloria Dickie Editor-in-Chief In fall 2007 I was a junior at London South Collegiate Institute, known then simply as South Secondary.

That year, a classmate made local headlines when his plans for a school shooting, and allegedly a hit list, went public. Shock and disbelief rippled through the tight-knit, middle class Old South community, much as it did Monday night when it was revealed the two Canadians involved in a January terrorist attack on an Algerian gas plant were former South Secondary students.

The younger of the two, Xris Katsiroubas, was in my grade. His time at South, seemingly, wasn’t memorable, with many of my peers straining to remember the hoodieclad student they had shared sophomore classes with before he dropped out in the 11th grade. If you look through a yearbook, he surprisingly didn’t win the title of “Most Likely to Storm an Algerian Compound and Kill 38 Hostages.”

Regardless, it seems many of his classmates aren’t questioning who he was, but rather how this happened. How did a middle-class, white, Greek high school pal turn into an extremist bent on terror?

For all intents and purposes, Katsiroubas was a passing figure in the hallway—not a person recalled for his fervent participation in class discussion, nor his commitment to extracurriculars. Still, a high school

underachiever, in most countries, is worlds apart from a violent, blood-drenched terrorist.

In a July 2012 editorial, following the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting, The Daily Beast published a column outlining the ways media and video games teach troubled individuals how to go “insane,” rather than merely inspiring violent crime. Similarly, perhaps our information culture has given students a new way to go off the deepend, or make a statement.

In the 1980s, student outsiders would have to comb through the school library’s musty volumes to find depictions of acts of terror.

Now, a quick Google search will suffice in whetting your palate for the extreme.

And if that isn’t enough, a trip to the cinema will see award-winners Zero Dark Thirty and Argo hitting it big at the box office—all providing detailed accounts of terrorism.

Is our media and informationdependent culture to be blamed for a Canadian teenager converting to religious extremism, dropping out of school and ending the lives of dozens of civilians, as well as his own? Certainly not. But, in many ways, a mass information culture provides the know-how and offers up alternative paths for lost, aimless teens. Did Katsiroubas google his way to terrorism, or did he take a more traditional path? It seems no one yet knows.

What remains is an elusive, confusing trail leading to the devastating outcome of mass murder. And, I’m sure, Monday night’s broadcast of The National left several of my peers speechless, rifling through old, lion-covered yearbooks in hopes of making sense of such an act.

Progress for mental health innovation Iain Boekhoff Gazette Staff Ontario is moving forward in round one of the Mental Health Innovation Fund, which aims to strengthen mental health services for post-secondary students across the province.

Ten projects from across Ontario are being implemented as part of the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, which provides $257 million in a multi-year effort to increase support for post-secondary students.

“The MHIF is a $21 million investment by the provincial government into mental health programming throughout the next three years,” Alysha Li, vice-president university affairs for the University Students’ Council, said.

In addition to this new programming, a new 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year helpline is being implemented to provide support specifically for college and university students with their mental health concerns. Kids Help Phone, in collaboration with postsecondary institutions, is working on the service, which is expected to be operational within the next year.

Li said the new funding is coming at a time when awareness for mental health issues and support

are becoming more important on campuses.

“Mental health issues are becoming more and more prominent in the past few years, and especially now,” Li said.

“We’re also seeing the need for more support now that students are more aware of [mental health issues], and now that students are encouraged to talk to a friend or talk to a professional,” Li said. “We find the support the students now need, and the demand for mental health support, is growing and [we] really believe any investment by the government, or by the university, to address those issues will really help students succeed when they’re at Western.”

Brad Duguid, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, explained the Ministry wanted to give college and university students the help they need to succeed in post-secondary education.

“We want to help them have a healthy, productive transition to post-secondary institutions and deal with newfound independence, both on and off campus.”

The second round of funding will happen later this year, with the Ministry beginning to accept proposals for funding from postsecondary institutions.

Andrei Calinescu Gazette

Aaron Zaltzman News Editor In light of the new tuition fee framework that will cap increases at three per cent per year, University Students’ Council president-elect Pat Whelan plans to take aim at a different type of student fee.

“One issue that was on our platform is the student donation fee,” Whelan said, referring to the facultyspecific fee meant to cover initiatives that would otherwise be impossible to pay for. “It’s something that may not be unique to Western, but we’re one of the bigger schools that do it.”

In his election platform, Whelan highlighted what he saw as misappropriation of the student donation fee. Currently, universities may not charge ancillary fees for expenses that fall under tuition.

“Social science, my faculty, has used the money to pay for parts of the academic counselling budget, which, in my opinion, should be part of tuition,” Whelan said. “They

pay for things like class field trips, equipment for certain classes— that student donation fee is being abused to supplement the budget of social science.”

However, Matt Helfand, president of the Social Science Students’ Council, argued this year’s council dutifully monitored the use of the fee to make sure it was within the established rules for ancillary fees.

“This year we took a very comprehensive approach to make sure the fee-use was absolutely in line with the university fee framework,” Helfand said. “The requests are not always honoured, and they’re not rubber-stamped—we actually do critically assess these sorts of things.”

Whelan took issue with certain consignments for the fee, including last year’s allocation to the geography department for equipment, and this year’s technical upgrade to academic counselling—examples of costs that, in his opinion, should be part of tuition.

“In an ideal world these things would have been covered by tuition,” Helfand agreed. “But the fact is that tuition only goes so far, and the faculties only have a certain budget to deal with.”

He also said the fee could still technically be used for tuitioncovered expenses because it is an optional one.

Whelan noted the optional nature of the student donation fee made it an exception to this law.

He argued, however, most students don’t know that.

“The opt-out process cannot be done when students pay their tuition,” Whelan said. “I think most students don’t realize they’re paying it, and that they can opt out.”

“Without a doubt it is deliberate that the fee is ‘opt-out’ rather than ‘opt-in,’” Helfand said. “Should they advertise the opt-out better?

Absolutely. But I do think that if students had the opportunity to see what it is their fee goes to, they would be in favour of it.”

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thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Arts&Life

word of the day Chimerical Adjective. Wildly fanciful; visionary or improbable.

A burning desire to create original show Rida Ahmed Contributor For the first time, Western’s faculty of arts and humanities will be putting on a play at The ARTS Project, performing an adaptation of the play Scorched, written by acclaimed Lebanese- French Canadian playwright, Wajdi Mouawad.

Scorched centres around twins Janine and Simon who journey back to their homeland to fulfill their mother’s dying request. They find themselves in a land ravaged by war, and, amid the death and destruction, meet a father they thought was dead and a brother they didn’t know existed. In their search for answers, the twins discover their mother’s secret past as a refugee and political activist, leading them to a shocking revelation.

Jessika McQueen will be making her directorial debut with the adaptation.

“My search for a play was quite a long one and I had a really hard time settling, but the moment I read this one I was really captured by it,” McQueen says. “What really struck me was that it’s very bold, innovative and risky while retaining a lot of classical components.”

McQueen got involved with theatre at a young age, and it has been a part of her life ever since.

“I love the way theatre allows

you to connect to so many different people in your audience and also in what you portray, who you can become and what characters you can create. I find it an amazing form of expression.”

Although the story exists in a land torn by war, McQueen explains that Mouawad was successful in making the play relatable.

“It has a sense of universality, the playwright alludes to certain locations, but he’s chosen to leave them nameless. What really struck me was that it could be anyone, anywhere. The story becomes relatable for anyone who’s watching.”

Even though Mouawad isn’t a household name, his plays and other works have been receiving attention internationally.

McQueen wanted to differentiate her version of the play from the various adaptations.

“The way I’ve chosen to stage it is different—I have 12 actors portraying 21 different roles. Some of the roles are smaller and are meant to have the same person portray them both to show the theme of coexistence,” McQueen explains.

“I’ve also chosen to keep all my 12 actors on stage all the time. I sit them all at the back of the stage and they drift in and out of scenes.

I intended for it to be a sort of seamless transition into different temporal settings, into different

Courtesy of Eric Zadrozny

BURNING UP FOR YOU BABY. Ashley Patenaude and Jonathan English get up close and personal at The ARTS Project for the production of Scorched.

countries, always coexisting constantly and always a part of the action even if they’re not in scene.”

Mouawad’s play, and McQueen’s adaptation, is long and incorporates many themes and issues creating one intricately woven piece.

Attempting to direct such a complicated story is something she is very proud of.

“We have chosen to take on such a difficult production, it hasn’t been done by a student group before. It takes a great deal

of dedication and I’m really proud of that.”

Scorched will be playing at The ARTS Project from April 3 to 6.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for students. Showtime is 7 p.m.

The Allens win CHRW Album of the Year Band rewarded headlining spot at Call the Office concert Sumedha Arya Arts & Life Editor Every year, CHRW radio honours an exceptional full-length album created by London artists. The album, which can consist of original music of any genre, is selected solely on artistic merit.

This past February, it was announced local band The Allens would be joining the likes of Handsom Dan and His Gallimaufry, Raised By Swans and Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, who have received CHRW’s Local Album of the Year award in the past.

The Allens, composed of Mack Edwards (male lead vocalist-guitarist), Mary Kate Smith (female lead vocalist), Michael Middleton (bass), Mark Kulmala (guitar-back-up vocals) and Brent Hebert (drums), released their self-titled debut album in October 2012. Produced

by Derek Downham and featuring iconic Canadian singer Ron Sexsmith, the album took three weeks in Toronto to create.

Hebert explains having Downham’s perspective and Sexsmith’s endorsement helped the band produce a product they could be proud of.

Yet making a full-length album with a producer-engineer in Toronto had its risks—according to Hebert, it was more costly for the band to produce the album in Toronto than creating it

Courtesy of The Allens

independently. This was a risk the band decided to take.

“We wanted to put a lot of resources into it— money from doing shows and stuff,” Hebert says of the band’s decision.

In addition to receiving CHRW Local Album of the Year, The Allens were dubbed number three on the London Free Press’ top 10 releases of 2012 list. Hebert divulges the recognition really helped the band’s momentum—especially because it came from local sources.

“Most of the band grew up in London. We really take pride in our

home city in our home city and in being acknowledged by the Free Press and CHRW,” he says.

For those who aren’t familiar with The Allens’ music already, Edwards describes the band’s sound as “Johnny and June training for the Olympics and being coached by the E Street Band.”

Hebert agrees with this description, adding that the music has hints of rockabilly—it’s rowdy, foot stomping music that aims to get people dancing.

This Saturday, The Allens will be showcasing their big sound at Call

the Office as part of CHRW’s Album of the Year concert. But, in the days prior to their show on Saturday, the band plans to have some extra fun by busking on the streets of downtown London.

The album of the year show, which also features finalists The Black Frame Spectacle and Tournament!, will showcase most of the tracks from The Allens’ album, some brand new material and a medley of covers.

“We’re excited to prove our worth Saturday and show fans what we have,” Hebert says.

Naira Ahmed Gazette

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thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Editors’ Picks > The essentials for your week

ON DVD Lincoln

Those who missed Steven Spielberg’s presidential biopic, Lincoln, in the cinema now have the chance to view it on DVD. Chronicling the final months of the 16th president of the United States’ life, the film deals with the issues Lincoln faced as he tried to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, and thus abolish slavery, during the bloody closing stages of the American Civil War. The film is heavy on 19thentury politics, and might be a little sedate for some, but powerhouse performances from Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field and the magnificent Daniel Day-Lewis make Lincoln easy to recommend.

ON DISC Comedown Machine —The Strokes

The March release of The Strokes’ fifth studio album Comedown Machine marks a return to form for the band after the disappointment of 2011’s Angles. Incorporating a variety of styles, from new wave, to funk, to progressive and, at times, veering into the synth-pop that frontman Julian Casablancas has indulged in his solo projects, it’s certainly not lacking in diversity. But most importantly, after hearing more than a few jaded and dull Strokes tracks in the last few years, Comedown Machine succeeds because it makes the band’s music sound fun again.

IN THEATRES

ON TV

Trance

Game Of Thrones

Trance is the latest film from director Danny Boyle, and his first since 2010’s claustrophobic 127 Hours.

The movie sees James McAvoy play Simon, an art auctioneer who gets involved in the theft of a valuable painting. However, after suffering a head injury during the heist, he is unable to recall where the painting is hidden, prompting the introduction of Rosario Dawson as a psychotherapist intent on retrieving the critical information hidden in Simon’s mind.

The much-anticipated third season of HBO’s wildly popular Game Of Thrones premiered on Sunday evening, kicking off another series sure to be filled with fantastic characters, political intrigue and good oldfashioned blood and guts.

After last year’s explosive conclusion, the first episode featured much licking of wounds, but with so many scores to be settled, it surely won’t be long before things are taken up a notch or two in the land of Westeros.

Winter is coming, after all…

ON THE CHARTS “Slasherr” —Rustie

Glasgow-based producer Rustie has made quite a name for himself in the past couple of years, both as an in-demand DJ, and purveyor of some of the finest electronic dance music out there at the moment.

New single “Slasherr” is a perfect distillation of Rustie’s bombastic, maximal style— just under four minutes of vicious synths and a relentless, transcendent melody. It’s a lot to take in, but the result is a quite brilliant buzz.

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Kevin Heslop Contributor GGFFF G.I. Joe: Retaliation Director: Jon M. Chu Starring: Dwayne Johnson, D.J. Cotrona, Channing Tatum, Adrianne Palicki, Bruce Willis G.I. Joe: Retaliation has all the elements of a modern day action flick—muscle, explosions, vapid dialogue and, of course, Bruce Willis.

Under the threat of a global nuclear war, where the U.S. president is an imposter, it falls upon the Joes to save the world. Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson) leads the Joes through allegiances with enemies who become friends, their eyes on a suitcase containing a button which would activate the world’s most powerful nuclear weapon.

This appropriately big-onbrawn, small-on-brain sci-fi action

flick attempts drama and comedy, but fails repeatedly.

This latest G.I. Joe attempts to use political undertones, which ultimately come off as uninformed and vapid. Tax hikes, gun control and the absence of confirmation meetings in the U.S. are all referred to with laughable humour and seem to serve as a reminder that action should keep to its domain.

The camera movement is jumpy—the cuts are intended to excite, but ultimately detract from the action and stunt the suspense.

With about 50 per cent of the film dedicated to fight scenes, and the other 50 per cent a mixture of slow-motion nods, old white guys shaking hands and inane dialogue, audiences for this movie shouldn’t expect much.

Redemptive qualities of the sequel is arguably a beautifully choreographed hand to hand fight in a mountainside Dojo, which leads to a back-and-forth swinging battle on the mountain. The sets, in this film

with a budget of nearly $200 million, were beautiful, elegant and impressive—particularly those in Japan.

Unfortunately, the Rock is incapable of the gravitas, which he apparently attributes to himself, and seemed most out of his element when attempting to conjure sincerity. He is most comfortable when playing big-dog, little-dog with his co-star Tatum, or when wrestling with his kids.

As for Willis, he’s hanging on for his age. Still capable of the commanding glare, one wonders how many more roles this nearly 60-year-old veteran of the action industry has in him. Nonetheless, a solid performance given in this film, adding to it some much needed credibility.

Overall, the film includes itself proudly to the long list of beerdrinking, cigar-smoking, monster truck rally action movies of the past 30 years. G.I. Joe: Retaliation bears each trademark of its kind and is sure to do well at the box office.

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thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Opinions A digital dilemma

A software engineering student recently started a petition against the requirement of hardcopy assignment submissions in the engineering department. At first thought, it may seem like the university is behind the curve by still accepting hardcopy assignments. Are we simply being ignorant of the digital age?

It really depends on the faculty. In this case, the student is petitioning for change within the engineering department. With an eight-page English paper, online submission makes sense. But in some engineering or math courses, complex symbols, charts and graphs within assignments may be difficult to create on the computer.

From a professor’s perspective, marking on physical paper may be much easier, less stress on the eyes and allows for more in-depth feedback. However, this can also be achieved through a word processor—and would use up less environmental resources.

When handing in a physical assignment, the transaction of the submission is more secure. The student is forced to bring the paper to class, and the professor sees the student submit it. With online assignments, there is more room for technical difficulties and lost submissions. On the other hand, with digital submissions, a strict deadline may be set, that allows for the professor to monitor all assignments and have a no-tolerance policy on late entries.

Environmental issues are also a concern. Though many might see the petition as an act of environmental activism, by ending paper submission in the engineering faculty, or even for all of Western, the positive effect on the environment would be minimal, if any. But that’s not to say hard-copy submissions are the better option.

If enough concern is raised, it might be wise for the university to experiment with full digital submission in certain courses, or have students choose their preferred method of assignment submission in years to come.

This may provide valuable insight from students and professors that could aid the administration in the future.

In the end, the petition itself may not accomplish much, but if enough people sign up and care about the concern, administration may take notice. The digital dilemma will mostly come down to an issue of preference. And yes, the petition is digital.

—The Gazette Editorial Board

thegazette

Volume 106, Issue 94 www.westerngazette.ca

Gloria Dickie Editor-In-Chief Nicole Gibillini Deputy Editor Cam Parkes Managing Editor

Contact: www.westerngazette.ca University Community Centre Rm. 263 The University of Western Ontario London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580 Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579

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

A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘individuality’ is the key to success.

—Robert Orben, American comedy writer

Grads gouged for everything Nearly every facet of the convocation ceremony is charged. Fancy academic regalia? Cough up $60. Want a DVD of the occasion? That’ll be $20. How about a souvenir grad cap? $10.95—but the tassel is free! Frankly, I’m surprised they don’t impose a penalty fee just for completing your degree.

Sure, you’re not required to purchase the DVD, the flowers or the cap. Hell, you’re not even required to attend convocation. It’s just one of those university traditions so propagated by media it seems almost impossible not to attend—sticking us with another considerable bill. Also, if you don’t attend, you better hope you’re available to pick up your diploma, because getting it mailed to you costs $25 in Canada, $50 if you’re international.

Let’s face it. To the university, students are just big, compliant cash cows, and nothing is more upsetting to the administration than seeing one of their pecuniary bovines wandering off the

field. The whole process of charging the ridiculous fees for every piece of graduation minutia exists as a means to milk every last quarter out of the students soon to be free of their fiscal shackles.

We have paid enough. Let us have the damned academic regalia for free, or maybe don’t charge us the absurd 60 bucks. It’s not like we get to keep the goofy gown anyways. Throw us a bone, and give us the souvenir cap.

Realistically, even car dealers will throw in the optional heated seats, or a custom decal, when you drop absurd amounts of money on a vehicle. After the Mercedes-like amount we’ve spent on Western, I think we’re entitled to the DVD or bouquet of flowers being thrown in.

The university treats us like customers in terms of how it milks us for money. Yet, even the sleaziest companies allow for some customer appreciation, something Western denies us even until the bitter end of our convocation.

Evolution a better alternative

Nye letter satirical?

Smoth soundin’ off Cam Smith News Editor Graduation looms before me, and one thing has become immensely clear after four years in this institution—Western sure knows how to run a damn good racket.

We’ve paid the tens of thousands of dollars for our tuition. We’ve paid hundreds in ancillary fees. We’ve paid for the useless, superfluous waste of money that is Access Copyright. Now, finally, the end of the money pit is in sight.

Graduation represents freedom from the financial burden that university represents—but not before they have one last good grope of our wallets.

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor: Re: Letter: Creationism a valid alternative, April 2, 2013 Dear Jonathan, you, like everyone else, are entitled to your beliefs.

However, no one has a right not to be offended. If individuals willingly choose to adopt false or implausible beliefs, others are entitled to criticize said beliefs.

If we accept the fundamentals of science and reasoning, creationism is in no way a valid alternative to the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution is the most supported theory in biology, and arguably in all of science. It has great explanatory power, is falsifiable and makes accurate predictions.

Creationism, in contrast, contradicts empirical evidence, unnecessarily posits supernatural powers and relies on religious texts that have questionable

#win Vancouver-based entrepreneur Mark Brand has restored a heritage building and turned it into a shop supporting the city’s underprivileged.

Attempting to break the perpetual cycle of unemployment that comes with social problems, 20 per cent of Brand’s staff are of lower means.

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.

accuracy. Even many major religious denominations, like the Catholic Church, disagree with creationism and reconcile their faith with evolution.

One of the great aspects of science— unlike most faiths—is that it embraces skepticism. Scientists are frequently skeptical of each other’s findings and criticize each other. Through this skepticism and criticism, scientists discover their mistakes and better their understanding of the world. Creationism may be correct and evolution may be false, but the current evidence indicates otherwise.

Jonathan, if you have compelling evidence proving creationism or disproving evolution, I encourage you to write it down, publish it and then collect your Nobel Prize. I would love to read it.

—Taylor Rodrigues Philosophy II

#fail An Easter egg hunt at Seattle Zoo turned ugly when a woman pushed a small child aside to allow her own child to snatch up an egg. This act provoked the mother of the crying child to fight the pushy mom, prompting a call to the police and a bloody nose.

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, Bill Wang, 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

To the Editor: Re: Letter: Creationism a valid alternative, April 2, 2013 Mr. Luk asks: “Why must creationism be made into a joke when I believe it is a valid alternative to the evolutionary theory?”

This statement either betrays the author’s fundamental ignorance to the function of satire, or is a weak attempt at further satire. I’m honestly not sure which is the case, but I will assume the former.

The point of satire is to ridicule people’s beliefs. Perhaps the author should consider the operation of the article, instead of taking a posture which is automatically and unflinchingly defensive of his beliefs.

Let me break it down for him. Bill Nye is a scientist. The theory of biblical creationism is refuted by voluminous evidence that supports the theory of evolution. Science is based on the honest appreciation of evidence. That is why it would be absurd for a scientist such as Bill Nye to harbour a belief in biblical creationism.

Is it really possible for someone to be this humourless, or is the joke on me? It seems that Poe’s law is true, “without a clear indication of the author’s intent, it is impossible to tell the difference between sincere extremism and an exaggerated parody of extremism.”

—Paul Stonkus Law II

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 •

•7

thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Good

The Bad

The Ugly

Baseball has returned! That’s right, the MLB just finished day two of its regular season and fans everywhere are glad it’s back. Like last year, there are tons of storylines that fans need to see answered this year.

This year seems to be the Toronto Blue Jays’ chance to walk away with the American League East crown. With the Yankees and Red Sox never looking worse, the new look Jays finally have a chance to climb the standings and make the post-season. But will the Blue Jays live up to all the hype? Last year, Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels took the league by storm, but which one will prove to be the MLB’s premiere young talent this year? All of these will be answered this year as America’s game returns!

The NHL trade deadline is upon us, and so far the trades have not been impressive. Although big name talent has been thrown around, they are being traded for virtually nothing, as Jerome Iginla, Jay Bouwmeester and Jaromir Jagr have been traded for conditional picks and no-name prospects. It simply doesn’t make sense for teams like Calgary to be having a fire sale if they are getting nothing in return. Some teams definitely have to rebuild, but what’s the point of losing high-end assets if you are getting nothing in return?

You can’t rebuild well through free agency, especially compared to rebuilding through the draft and by gaining prospects. It is about time we all see some trades benefiting both teams, and not terribly onesided deals.

In Sunday’s NCAA March Madness Elite Eight matchup between the Louisville Cardinals and the Duke Blue Devils, Louisville guard Kevin Ware was rushed to the hospital when he suffered a sickening compound fracture to his leg after landing awkwardly. Up until that point, the game was living up to its expectation as being one of the most exciting matchups in March Madness thus far. With his season gone and his future uncertain, Ware managed to inspire his fellow teammates as he shouted, “Forget me, win the game!” Louisville took his words to heart. The Cardinals dominated the Blue Devils in the second half as they rallied to an 85– 63 win, earning a spot in the FinalFour for the 10th time in history, and the second year in a row. file photo

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

thegazette HOUSING

classifieds HOUSING

SERVICES

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%

**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.

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.

6 BDRM. **#1 student rentals** Newly built red bricks in all the best locations. 5 appliances included. Huge, spacious rooms with massive closets, and parking included. Call Yan anytime at 519-495-5363.

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.

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.

— 4 MONTH —

STUDENT OFF SPECIAL

* 24/hr access * 7 days a week * * No hidden fees *

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

EMPLOYMENT

519-473-7867 Close 556 Wonderland Rd. North to campus 519-681-7867 677 Wharncliffe Rd. South

www.canstor.com

(519) 645-6662

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED Never respond to emails that request personal financial information. Reputable companies don't ask for passwords or account details in an email.

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID BEING PHISHED Visit banks' websites by typing the URL into the address bar. Phishers use links within emails to direct victims to a fake site.

63 WOODWARD AVE. $425 utilities incl. Two storey, 4+ bedroom, two bathroom, red brick house located minutes from central bus routes to Western, 7 min. from Western campus. Hardwood throughout. Dishwasher and free laundry. Lots of parking, nice fenced-in yard. Must come & check it out! Two bedrooms left to fill. Contact local landlord Mindy @ 519-777-3508.

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

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 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.

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

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.

UPCOMING EVENTS ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY Society presents Green Ball - Friday, April 12 starting at 9 pm at the Wave Restaurant and Bar, 2nd Floor, UCC. Ticket price $10. Ticket sales every Wednesday (Apr 3 & 10) in front of Taylor Library, 11 am to 1 pm.

Semi-formal, 19+ event. Proceeds go to rare Charitable Research Reserve.

WESTERN NAVIGATORS- COMMUNITY Meetings on Wednesdays, Room 59, UCC at 6:30 pm. We are a growing Christian community that is eager to discover who God is and how He fits into our lives. We challenge and strengthen our faith through lively discussion dinners, small groups, campus events and volunteering. Come and add your own individuality to this growing Nav community. For more information, contact Tim Bartja, tbartja@uwo.ca or visit www.navigators.ca/western.

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Christopher Miszczak Gazette

5 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. $450/room.

416-835-5293, enmars@hotmail.com.

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, rockfordj2000spaceman@yahoo.ca

130403

3 BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE 1/2 rent over summer. $1200/month including utilities. Wharncliffe/Oxford.

5 appliances, very quiet, 150ft from bus stop. Many updates. Ted 519-697-5746, Ken 877-582-9004.

The SPC Card™ entitles students to immediate and exclusive savings on fashion, dining, lifestyle and more.

Partners offer students 10%-15% off every time they show their SPC Card!

The SPC card. Only $9. Available at WesternConnections (formerly InfoSource) in the UCC lower level

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Sports

thegazette • Wednesday, April 3, 2013

saywhat?

“He was the best left-handed pitcher ever. I’m honored with the comparisons, but I don’t put any merit into it because I got a long way to go.”

Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw said of comparisons to Dodger great Sandy Kofax

Rundown >> The Lakehead University Thunderwolves have a new head coach > Bill McDonald has taken the place of Mike Busniuk > The Thunder Bay native previously served as the assistant coach of the CHL’s Allen Americans from 2009.