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TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2010
Western’s p
Western’s presentation
resentation o
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n Are you getting enough
energy
e nergy cconsumption
onsumption
>>>> westerngazette.ca
westerngazette.ca
PURPLE IS THE NEW GREEN
Finally make it to class on time. The Purple Bikes program costs $5 for an annu-
al membership and offers easy bike rentals for students.
Bike co-op, rideshare
rolls into Western
Program not immune to campus crime
Gloria Dickie
NEWS EDITOR
There’s a new fleet in town. Come
September, more than a dozen pur-
ple bicycles are set to hit Western
concrete.
The aptly named Purple Bikes,
an offshoot of EnviroWestern, had
a modest launch earlier this year
and is set to expand operations this
fall. By offering both a bicycle co-op
and a ride-share program, Purple
Bikes hopes to green Western’s
campus and promote safe cycling
in the London community.
Mimmi Thompson, co-chair of
the program, is optimistic about
the initiative and its impact on the
campus environment.
“We have lots of great paths stu-
dents don’t know about and we know
it’s hard for students to buy and store
Study sets new salty goals
Canadians should shake off one third of
current sodium intake
Kaleigh Rogers
NEWS EDITOR
Angelina Jolie fans aren’t the only
ones talking about salt this summer.
After more than two years of
research and debate, a new study
recommends Canadians cut their
salt intake by a third over the next
six years.
“This is something everyone
should be aware of,” said Katherine
Gray-Donald, a professor at McGill
University and a member of Health
Canada’s Sodium Working Group,
the 25-member panel who released
the report.
Panelists in the group have
backgrounds in nutrition, food
manufacturing, and government.
They began meeting in 2008 to
establish sodium reduction guide-
lines and develop strategies to help
Canadians meet these guidelines.
thegazette
WESTERN’S DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1906
vitamin D?
>> see pg. 8
Stuart A. Thompson
their own bike,” she said. “Hopefully,
this way, they can experience these
great spots in London through our
rental system. We want cycling to be
affordable for everyone.”
But bike programs like this don’t
come without risks.
Western, like any campus, is sus-
ceptible to bike theft and vandalism.
Every year, about 75 bikes are stolen
or lost on Western’s grounds, accord-
ing to Elgin Austen, director of Cam-
pus Community Police Service.
Michael Brown was one such
victim.
“I lost a really nice bike. It was on
the bike racks on Concrete Beach. I
had a cable lock that was sliced
clean through with a bolt cutter.”
Brown, program director for 94.9
CHRW, downgraded to a more
>> see BIKES pg.3
Sodium has become a growing
concern because a high-sodium
diet can lead to health problems,
including hypertension, a major
cause of heart disease.
“We have suggested that restau-
rants make the sodium levels of the
foods they serve available to the
public. Many websites of chain
[restaurants] do show the nutrition-
al content of their foods, including
the sodium content,” she explained.
However, single restaurants
have more difficulty providing this
information, as they generally don’t
use standardized recipes, Gray-
Donald added.
As far as campus eateries go, stu-
dents can get the nutritional infor-
mation for all residence food halls,
as well as many eateries across
campus, according to Anne Zok,
nutrition manager for Western’s
Hospitality Services.
Looking like a million bucks since 1906
Campus > USC
The million dollar mistake
UCC Renovation expected to end six months behind
schedule following series of delays
Stuart A. Thompson
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Renovations in the University Com-
munity Centre could finish up to six
months behind schedule following
a summer of setbacks and a mis-
take that could force the contractor
into the red.
Planners originally hoped to
transform the UCC gyms into
lounge space by September. Now
the official completion date is
December, with some involved in
the project saying February is more
likely.
Ely Rygier, vice-president
finance for the University Students’
Council, explained the series of
problems at an executive council
meeting last Monday.
It all started after an unusually
low bid was placed by a contractor
at the end of June. At the time, six
contractors placed bids on the pro-
ject by submitting estimates to
Western.
The bid from M.J. Dixon Con-
struction, a contractor out of Mis-
sissauga, was lower than all the oth-
ers. Tomlinson said the highest bid
— $4.46 million — was probably
the real cost of the project. Dixon
bid only $3.28 million.
The USC assumed the contrac-
tor made a mistake in the propos-
al. Both sides reviewed the bid and
found a number of small mistakes
and one larger mistake, causing
Don’t shake it like a salt shaker after all. The Canadian government wants citizens to cut down on sodium intake,
which can be particularly high in junk food like this.
“Students can find daily menus
and nutritional breakdowns on the
residence dining website,” Zok said,
adding the nutrition kiosk in the
University Community Centre pro-
vides information about food
served by Hospitality Services.
Hospitality Services have also
onlli
on
We talk
We talk education
education with Ontario
m inister JJohn
minister ohn Mil
Milloy
>>>> w esterngazette
westerngazette.ca
Dixon to under-price the project.
The USC didn’t elaborate on the
mistakes before press time, saying
only the larger mistake was related
to the stage.
A week passed while both sides
discussed their options. Unable to
alter the bid after they submitted it,
Dixon quietly asked to pull from the
deal.
“That’s when things from our
perspective got a little bit difficult,”
Tomlinson said.
Western fired back, saying all
bidders agree to a “bid bond” — a
kind of insurance worth about 10
per cent of the bid. Boris Pertout,
project manager for Western, said
the University also has a precedent
to award contracts to the lowest
bidder. Dixon would have to pay
$328,000 just to walk away from the
contract.
With Western’s rules handcuff-
ing the USC and the bid bond
handcuffing Dixon, everyone in the
deal was suddenly gridlocked.
Talks continued for two weeks
until Western finally gave an ulti-
matum — do the project or Western
will seek legal action, likely forcing
Dixon to pay the money.
The next day Dixon agreed to
the project, Tomlinson said. This
means the contractor will now do
the work for a loss or close to break-
even.
Rygier addressed whether the
company can cut corners at the
been working towards healthier
options on campus, including
reducing sodium, Zok added.
Among the changes being made
on campus are an expansion of the
Just Like Home pasta and soup sta-
tions, which allow customers to
choose the ingredients in their
VOLUME 104, ISSUE 2
>> All the bids
Hayman Construction
$4.46 million
Bronnenco Construction Ltd.
$3.85 million
Norlon-Builders
$3.83 million
Graceview Enterprises Inc.
$3.83 million
Tonda Construction Ltd.
$3.61 million
M.J. Dixon Construction Ltd.
$3.28 million
meeting last week.
“The answer is patently no,”
Rygier said to a roomful of USC
brass, including other vice-presi-
dents and the USC general man-
ager.
He explained Western provides
the contractor with a large book
specifying all the materials used in
the project, right down to the types
of nails and screws. The contractor
agrees to the specifications when
they submit the bid.
Tomlinson added Western and
the USC will watch the project
closely to make sure no corners are
cut.
Despite the delays, Rygier insist-
>> see A SUMMER pg.4
Nyssa Kuwahara
meal. Zok also mentioned includ-
ing lighter-dressed pasta salads and
portion-controlled sandwich com-
bos at campus eateries.
But it’s ultimately up to the indi-
vidual to do their homework and
seek out the healthiest choices,
Gray-Donald noted.
2•
The new home of hard knocks. Ivey students are getting an all new glass-covered building to call their own. The $100
million structure has been under construction all summer with the first phase expected to end in March 2011.
Students foot university’s bills
OUSA says tuition passes government grants
Cheryl Stone
NEWS EDITOR
Students are paying more than ever
for their education and the
province is to blame, an Ontario
student group is claiming.
Meaghan Coker, president of the
Ontario Undergraduate Student
Alliance, explained students are
now paying close to what govern-
ments pay to each university’s
operating budget.
“This signals Ontario moving
away from what has branded our
public education system since the
1960s and towards the American
private college model,” she
explained. “Students are now pay-
ing [for] a greater proportion of
their education than their parents.”
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thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Lauren Pelley
Percentage of Contributions to Ontario University Budgets
SSource:
ource: OUSA
Coker, who also works as vice- Students are now
president university affairs for the
University Students’ Council, cited
schools like the University of Water-
loo and Brock University, which are
already receiving more money in
tuition than in provincial grants.
But across the province as a
“ paying [for] a
greater proportion
of their education
than their parents.
— Meaghan Coker
OUSA President
whole, things appear differently.
According to Tyler Charlebois, OUSA wants to see the province
spokesperson for the Ministry of take a stronger role in funding its
Training, Colleges and Universities, universities, with students only
Ontario universities received $3.1 paying a third of the school’s oper-
billion in government operating ating budget. Charlebois explained
grants from 2008 to 2009. This com- there is currently no general model
pared with $1.9 billion in tuition for university funding across
across the province. Ontario, apart from the tuition
OUSA says students are paying framework. The framework allows
more for education, but are getting universities to increase tuition by
less service, citing an increase in an average of five per cent per year
class sizes and a decrease in the for the next two years.
amount of programs offered. Coker views the framework as
Western is not immune to this part of the problem.
funding shift. According to Jan- “The root of this trend is that the
ice Deakin, provost and vice-presi- growth in funding from the
dent academic at Western, tuition province is slower than the growth
in the 1990s was approximately 20- that the province allows in tuition
25 per cent of operating revenue. fees,” she said.
Now it sits at 37 per cent. Deakin explained Western will
“Over the past five years, tuition increase tuition by the maximum
for direct-entry undergraduate pro- possible amount except in cases
grams has increased by about 4.2 where there’s more flexibility, such
per cent per year,” she said. as graduate studies or medicine.
Deakin also explained the Western typically increases gradu-
provincial funding model is the ate and professional program
lowest in the country because the tuition at a lower rate than the one
province has always tried to keep set out by the province.
universities accessible. The flexibility in tuition has
made the University of Waterloo
one of the first schools in the
province to receive more revenue in
tuition than government grants.
The University issued a statement
claiming these increases were used
to improve the quality of their pro-
fessional programs.
“If the current funding trends
continue, all institutions will face
similar situations in the coming 3-day forecast
years,” Coker explained. She cited
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
enrollment increases and the Mainly sunny Isolated showers Cloudy periods
province’s desire to see more stu- High 25C High 25C High 23C
dents with degrees as future stress- Low 16C Low 18C Low 15C
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es on the system.
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Weather
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
News Briefs
Western faculty union in contract talks
A strike may be on the horizon for
Western faculty if administration
can’t reach a new contract deal.
The University of Western
Ontario Faculty Association has
been in talks with Western admin-
istration over the summer regard-
ing their contracts, which expire
this year along with six other West-
ern employee groups.
One major sticking point
between them has been compen-
sation freezes. In a video posted to
YouTube in May, UWOFA Vice-
President James Compton elabo-
rated on the recent provincial bud-
get, which included compensation
freezes for some groups. He
explained the freeze does not
apply to unions like UWOFA. He
also cited that university revenues
are expected to rise by 6.8 per cent
this year.
Last week, Western sent a letter
to UWOFA asking the association to
suspend collective bargaining, cit-
ing a request from the Ministry of
Finance for “a collective bargaining
hiatus” to allow the government to
consult with various groups to
Bike colour a
natural theft
deterrent
>> continued from p.1
modest bicycle in hopes of deter-
ring thieves after flashier models.
Currently, Purple Bikes policy
states a bicycle must be returned
within 48 hours of its rental, but the
repercussions for those who don’t
are still unclear.
“We have to decide on the
process for unreturned bikes or
accessories,” Thompson said.
“Campus police has said they will
assist us in getting the bikes
returned and we’ll be working with
the USC to ensure students return
their rentals.”
But Thompson doesn’t foresee
stolen bikes being a problem. In
addition to being mostly older, sec-



 
ond-hand vehicles, they’re coated
in a startling shade of Mustang pur-
ple.
“Just the fact the bike is painted
purple will likely be a theft deter-
rent,” Austen affirmed. “They
should be easily identifiable.
Many bikes that are stolen are
pieced together with other bikes
and re-sold. A fast turn-around
time for the thief, from theft to
sale, is preferable and a purple
bike may be considered too much
trouble.”
Additionally, Austen stated bicy-
cle theft at Western has been on the
decline for the past few years. How-
ever, for those that are stolen, very
few are ever recovered.
Within weeks of distributing his
bicycle’s serial number and
description to local pawn shops
and used bike dealers, Brown dis-
covered his bike had been stripped
down and its parts distributed to a
bike store in Windsor.
achieve a compensation increase
freeze.
UWOFA sent a representative
along with eight representatives
from other groups to talk with the
government. The Ministry present-
ed a compensation freeze idea to
the group.
“The end game is already under-
stood,” Compton said in an inter-
view last week. “That is, they want a
two year compensation freeze of
zero and zero. They want people to
agree to that and discuss how we’re
going to get there.”
Both Western and the govern-
ment said they’re committed to
negotiations but couldn’t elaborate
on specifics.
At an executive council meeting
last week, University Students’
Council President Mike Tithecott
said he met recently with Western
President Amit Chakma and talked
about the negotiations. Tithecott
said if the union rules “no board,”
they would be in a strike position.
At that point, the USC will begin
preparations for a possible faculty
strike at Western.


•3
André Alexis
Changes coming to UCC
A number of renovations and new
Department of English
businesses will change the look of Writer-In-Residence 2010-2011
the University Community Centre
after this summer.
The University Students’ Coun- For many years the Department of English has been host to a writer-in-residence. The
cil is using part of the renovation post of the James A. & Marjorie M. Spenceley / Canada Council for the Arts Writer-
in-Residence will be held in 2010-2011 by André Alexis.
referendum money to renovate
council chambers. They are adding Writers-in-residence hold regular office hours, discuss problems and aspects of writing
new carpet, new chairs, and an (even their own), and are pleased to comment on creative writing submitted by
students for criticism. By assuming this post, writers-in-residence have signified their
audio-visual system. willingness to meet accomplished or novice student writers, and to engage in critical
Western Film is also getting new dialogue with them.
chairs as part of an upgrade to the
Mr. Alexis will take appointments beginning the week of September 20th, 2010 and
theatre space. The second-floor the- continuing into February 2011.
atre is also getting a new video pro-
Please contact Vivian Foglton in the Department of English (Tel: 661-3403; email:
jector, which is higher quality than
vlavers@uwo.ca) to arrange an appointment with Mr. Alexis. For more information on Mr.
the current projector. Western aban- Alexis, please visit the Department of English website at http://www.uwo.ca/english.
doned use of the space as a class-
Western’s Writer-in-Residence program is generously funded by The James A. &
room last year when renovations to
Marjorie M. Spenceley Lectureship in Literature and the Canada Council for the Arts.
the rear of the UCC were finished.
100824
New operations coming to the The University of Western Ontario
UCC include a Booster Juice on the
main floor (where Purple Berry was
last year) and a Grocery Checkout
in the lower level.
Mustang Alley will be renamed
thegazette | books
the Purple Store and will switch Buying or selling textbooks? Try us first.
locations with the Pharmacy and
no longer sell concession products.
— Stuart A. Thompson books.westerngazette.ca
Go to Ross,
come home
to practice.
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and the US.

 

 
Despite his ordeal, Brown con-
tinues to ride his bike to campus
every day — adding a few extra pre- Attend our Information Seminar
cautions to his daily routine — and
considers the Purple Bike program Sunday, September 12, 2010
a nice addition to Western. Medical Seminar 2 pm
“I’ve seen this on other campus- Veterinary Seminar 10 am
es in other cities, and I think it’s just
a really great idea. The bikes they’re Hilton Toronto School of Medicine
using are not the flashy variety, Register online at RossU.edu/doctor S c h o o l o f Ve t e r i n a r y M e d i c i n e
they’re utilitarian. I really hope peo-
ple dig the service.”
4•
renovationwatch
renovation February through May
PROGRESS USC hires consultants
to help prepare
renovation plans. The
This project’s
necessary approvals
six month
are sought and
history
received.
February 10, 2010
Referendum to
renovate the UCC.
Fifty-seven per cent of
votes were in favour
of the $25 student fee.
A summer of setbacks for UCC renovations
>> continued from pg.1
ed the problem was out of the
USC’s hands.
“We don’t oversee the project.
We oversee the people that oversee
the project. We have no power over
the situation,” Rygier said. “We
acknowledge, as we understood,
that there will be some cost increas-
es from this.”
The cost may climb beyond the
bid price because of the delays.
Since classes will be running beside
the gyms come September, the
contractor will have to do some
work on nights and weekends,
which will cost a premium, Tomlin-
son said.
Any changes to the plans would
also cost more money. The contrac-
Campus > O-Week
O-Week sponsorship
irks Western groups
Gate-keeping protects frosh: USC
Monica Blaylock
NEWS EDITOR
During Orientation Week, the Uni-
versity Students’ Council is the
boss. By renting out Western’s cam-
pus, they have control over the
week’s events. This gives them the
ability to decide who gets to pro-
mote to frosh and who does not. In
recent years, only those who pay
sponsorship dues have been
allowed to promote themselves
during the week, leaving some stu-
dent groups frustrated.
This year Rogers and The Athlet-
ic Club are shelling out big bucks —
between $3,000 and $6,000 each —
to be a visible part of Western’s O-
Week.
The Mustang cheerleaders are
one group who are not allowed to
recruit frosh during the weeklong
event.
“Countless times I’ve heard the
USC tell me, ‘You can’t promote
[the cheerleaders] like that’,” coach
David-Lee Tracey said. “The cheer-
leaders promote Western spirit.
Since when is promoting a bad
thing when it’s for Western?”
The USC countered by saying
clubs and sports teams including
the Mustang cheerleaders and
marching band are welcome on
campus during O-Week as long as
June 8
Project announced
and bids are open.
tor would allow some flexibility if
there wasn’t a mistake in the bid,
according to Tomlinson.
“That’s our job, to make sure
that if there are necessary changes
— and frankly there are always nec-
essary changes — that we’re getting
value for the money,” Tomlinson
explained, adding the USC is pre-
pared for any scenario.
Dixon declined to comment on
the project.
Getting back on track
Students approved the renovations
after a referendum last year. During
the USC presidential election, stu-
dents voted to add $25 more to
their student fees, amounting to
around $662,500 every year.
they don’t try to promote them-
selves. In other words, no recruit-
ing.
“We’re willing to acknowledge
that we want them there, we want
that Western spirit,” said Mark
Wellington, manager of the USC’s
Student Life department.
Sponsors are allowed to pro-
mote more than Western groups
because it’s difficult to offer fair-
ness, according to Justin Mackie,
vice-president of student events for
the USC.
“We want to make sure that
there is equity amongst all of our
groups and it would be near impos-
sible to facilitate all campus groups
during the week since there are over
200 of them,” he pointed out.
Another reason why sponsors
are the only ones allowed to pro-
mote during O-Week is to control
messages sent to frosh, according
to Wellington.
“Many years ago Orientation
Week was full of hazing, sexism and
homophobic comments. As people
became more aware of this the Uni-
versity and the USC decided to take
action,” Wellington recalled. “We’ve
worked with the USC to get it down,
it’s taken almost two decades to get
where we are now, providing a con-
sistently welcoming and friendly
environment for first years.”
June 29
All bidders sit down
with the USC and
Western at a meeting.
Bids are opened and
recorded.
July 8
M.J. Dixon, the lowest
bidder, asks to be
allowed to withdraw
bid without penalty.
>> Other renovations
Council Chambers
The USC is spending part of the renovation
money to renovate the council chambers on the
third floor of the UCC. They’re adding new chairs,
carpet and an audio-visual system.
Western Film
The USC-owned theatre business is getting
a facelift. As part of the renovation fund, it’s
getting new theatre-style seats, flooring and a new
projector.
At the time, an FAQ was posted
on the USC election website
explaining when the project would
be finished.
“The renovations would be
scheduled for completion before
the first day of class in September
2010,” the website read.
O-Week, brought to you by sponsors. Every year, sponsors buy advertising space like the banners seen at the base of
the Talbot Bowl stage. O-Week sponsorship packages range in price from a few hundred dollars to over $3,000.
The USC pointed out O-Week
staff and sophs are trained to
encourage this welcoming message
and that all sponsors are reviewed
by an advertisement oversight
committee to ensure they are
appropriate and contained.
But Tracey argued frosh are not
as impressionable as the USC
believes and the sponsorship sys-
tem strips frosh of a genuine West-
ern experience.
“Whether it be a protective pol-
icy or a sponsors-only thing, it’s as
though we aren’t allowed to truly be
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
July 22
Western tells M.J.
Dixon they have until
July 23 to formally
July 29
withdraw their bid,
after which Western First meeting
will proceed with its between Western, the
legal options, such as USC and M.J. Dixon
pulling the bid bond.
August 6
July 23
First on-site meeting
M.J. Dixon tells
place inside the UCC
Western they will
gyms. They coordinate
honour their bid
demolition plans.
and take on the
renovation project.
In early June, USC officials told
the Gazette that renovations
would finish by November. By the
time bids were open, planners
pushed the deadline back to
December.
Tomlinson said they’re sticking
to a December 20 completion date.
But after Dixon agreed to the
project, planners faced more
unexpected delays. After Dixon’s
proposal was vetted, planners
realized one of the subcontractors
hired to remove materials from
the gyms wasn’t qualified to han-
dle asbestos and mercury. The
contractor was forced to find a
new subcontractor to handle the
project, delaying the demolition
stages.
Western during O-Week,” Tracey
commented.
Student groups can still have
access to O-Week through advertis-
ing, Wellington said. Some groups
have purchased small inserts into
the O-Week kit in the past.
While the majority of clubs and
Western groups don’t make use of
this option, Wellington concluded
sponsorships — and the rules that
come with them — are necessary to
provide the kind of O-Week stu-
dents want and expect.
“In the majority of years, spon-
Week of August 9
Mobilization and
demolition commences.
Planners realize a
subcontractor arranged
by M.J. Dixon isn’t
qualified to handle all
the materials, such as
asbestos and mercury.
Week of August 16
Difficulties with the
subcontractor are
resolved
At the executive council meet-
ing, Rygier said the new completion
date was February.
“I predict that students will be
very frustrated with this,” he said.
Pertout called the delays a “con-
cern” and said the real project
deadline that remains unclear.
“I’ve asked the contractor for a
schedule but we don’t know the
final date at this point.”
Tomlinson concluded that, iron-
ically, the delays are ultimately
caused by the “good price,” not by
any individual or group.
“If we hadn’t got a good price,
we’d be in better shape. It sounds
counter-intuitive, but that’s just the
way it worked.”
Shaun Ding FILE PHOTO
sorship has provided the revenues
necessary to fund 20 to 40 per cent
of O-Week’s programming,” he said.
“Without it, it is likely that one or
more of the major evening events
would be cut.”
This year the USC is introducing
Purple Week immediately after O-
Week, an initiative kick-starting the
promotion of USC groups, projects
and operations. The week is quick-
ly followed by Clubs Week, which
allows campus clubs to promote
themselves in the University Com-
munity Centre atrium.
thegazette • DAY, MONTH, 2009 advertisement ➤ P5
6•
Opinions
3D: New dimension
of stupidity
Jesse Tahirali
OPINIONS EDITOR
Jesse@westerngazette.ca
In real life—one of my favourite
places to spend time—I have the
option of closing one eye or don-
ning a stylish pirate eye-patch if I’d
like to eliminate a dimension from
my experiences. Lately in the cine-
matic world, however, it seems dif-
ficult to escape the phenomenon of
3D.
As much as I appreciate my abil-
ity to use two eyes to accurately
gauge relative distances, some-
times I just want to be able to wit-
ness the world in two dimensions.
While I understand many of the
movies being released in 3D are
obvious attempts to sell tickets
based only on the use of this new
technology, I hate how this has
resulted in most high-profile ani-
mated films forcing you to wear
large, plastic glasses make certain
things on the screen jump out as
you’re trying to take in the story.
There are only two things that
3D glasses are useful for. The first is
hiding the tears threatening to
escape over your eyelids as you’re
hit by a combination of extreme
nostalgia and the seemingly
inevitable death of your favourite
group of animated playthings while
watching Toy Story 3. The second is
standing in front of a mirror and
experimenting with the awesome
effects of polarized light. What
weeklypoll
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>> westerngazette.ca
thegazette
Volume 104, Issue 1
www.westerngazette.ca
Contact:
Stuart A. Thompson www.westerngazette.ca
Editor-in-Chief
University Community Centre
Rm. 263
Meagan Kashty
The University of Western Ontario
Deputy Editor London, ON, CANADA
Mike Hayes N6A 3K7
Managing Editor Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580
Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579
The Gazette is owned and published by the
University Students’ Council.
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
onlyonline
Editor-in-Chief Stuart Thompson managed to find where exciting
meetings go to die. Read his blog about the University Students’
Council executive meeting featuring USC president Mike Tithecott
>> westerngazette.ca
they’re not useful for is opening the
door to the future of film making.
Whatever the key to that door is, I
hope it doesn’t involve looking like
the world’s least successful Buddy
Holly impersonator.
In order to avoid seeming like a
crotchety old man violently resist-
ing change and progress as the
youth of today stand around con-
fused at what I’ve chosen to focus
my complaints on, I am not saying
that 3D films and television have no
place in entertainment. Rather, I’m
choosing to complain about being
in the unfortunate position of being
subjected to a new technology
which has been far from mastered.
I feel like I wouldn’t have appreciat-
ed colour television either if I’d
been forced to wear special goggles
in order to experience the colours
of the rainbow — sometimes I like
to itch my eyes, or not picture
myself being laughed at by people
living 50 years in the future for the
lengths we travelled to experience
O-Week ads are A-OK
this “cool, futuristic technology.” During Orientation Week, the University Students’ O-Week is a glitzy festival filled with Western pomp.
I look forward to one day being Council rents the entire campus from Western. This lets It’s a time when the impending gloom and doom of uni-
immersed into a holographic and them decide who comes and goes. On the VIP list are versity is put on hold — even if it’s just for a little while.
realistic three-dimensional envi- frosh, sophs, students, staff, and one other party: adver- Clubs get Clubs Week. Varsity teams have the rest
ronment when I sit down to watch a tisers. Anyone who can’t foot the sponsorship bill is of the year to recruit. The USC now has Purple Week,
movie. I also look forward to not denied access to promote themselves, including clubs which is supposed to showcase USC services once O-
paying 130 per cent of a regular and sports teams. Week ends. Summer Academic Orientation covers
price ticket only to be subjected to Like any sponsorship, money from advertisers gets almost everything else.
gimmicky screen manipulations routed through the USC to create bigger and more If sponsorships can help make our O-Week a real
and a mandatory accessory less prominent events. Sponsors cover about 20-40 per cent spectacle, there’s no real harm in doing so.
attractive than Tila Tequila’s last of the bill, making Down With Webster and Sex With But the USC has to be careful about how far it goes
public appearance. Sue likely impossible without them. with sponsorships. Making the “biggest O-Week in Cana-
With any sort of luck, Holly- Whether O-Week advertising is appropriate da” a reality is one thing, but what about allowing the
wood’s equivalent of Auto-Tune will depends on what you think O-Week is for. Some would USC’s Speaker Series to be “brought to you by Rogers”?
either let up in the near future, or argue a true orientation week welcomes frosh to West- Advertising can be a slippery slope. Bringing adver-
quickly evolve into being a legiti- ern and “orients” them with information. Clubs would tising into normal USC projects would turn sponsor-
mate form of entertainment. Until recruit, varsity teams would publicize and off-campus ships into a revenue stream they would soon come rely
that time comes, I will continue to promoters would promote. on. Once you go down that road, it’s hard to crawl back.
vehemently avoid any movie that Running that kind of O-Week wouldn’t need the same While sponsoring a festival-type event is appropriate,
proudly announces it’s in 3D. level of sponsorship to round out the expenses. After all, sponsoring regular USC services is another. The USC
students buy O-Week kits to help fund the week of events. already tried — and failed — with the HYPE Team,
Clubs and sports teams would promote themselves for which was once sponsored by Hype Energy Drinks.
free and even provide entertainment in some cases. As a student government, the USC needs to look at
The truth is, O-Week doesn’t have to be about all
that. Some would argue it’s about one thing: fun.
When you think back to O-Week, you don’t remem-
advertising on a student-centric basis. O-Week spon-
sors help bring us things we’ll remember that would
otherwise be impossible. And if sponsorships else-
ber any sponsorship, banner ads or junk mail in your where can provide this kind of value, the USC should
O-Week kit. What you remember is breaking the ice at seek them out and use them responsibly. Kind of like a
Sex With Sue. You remember jamming with friends at nice, cold, refreshing bottle of Bud Light Lime.
54% the Talbot Bowl concert. You remember that hypno-
tized guy who was terrified of his belt buckle. >> See the related article about O-Week sponsorships on pg.4
24%
dailyquote
We’ve had some work done.
Notice the Gazette’s facelift? Advertising: the science of arresting
We’ve got a new look, a new section and
a more pronoundced web presence.
So what do you think? the human intelligence long enough
Send your comments online by visiting
westerngazette.ca/contact
to get money from it.
–Stephen Leacock
Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and
are written by a member of the editorial board but are not nec-
Gazette Composing
Ian Greaves, Manager
Gazette Advertising
Mark Ritchie
News
Gloria Dickie
Opinions
Jesse Tahirali
essarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member.
Maja Anjoli-Bilić Karen Savino Monica Blaylock
All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not nec- Photography
Cheryl Forster Diana Watson Cheryl Stone
essarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors Kaleigh Rogers Corey Stanford
Nyssa Kuwahara
or staff.
Gazette Staff 2010-2011 Arts & Life
To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Con- Editorial Cartoonist
Katherine Atkinson, Alli Aziz, Christian Campbell, Adam Nicole Gibillini
tact.” Armani Elrofaie
Maddie Leznoff
All articles, letters, photographs, graphics, illustrations and car- Crozier, Angela Easby, Mark Filipowich, Allie Fonarev,
Anna Paliy
Amber Garratt
toons published in The Gazette, both in the newspaper and online Jennifer Gautier, Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt, James Hall, Katie
versions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such
Grace Davis Creative Director
Hetherman, Elton Hobson, Eliot Hong, Alan Hudes, Elena
material to The Gazette for publication, you grant to The Gazette Sports Lauren Pelley
Iosef, Aras Kolya, Jay LaRochelle, Colin Lim, Jared Lindzon,
a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to Daniel Da Silva Gazette Creative
publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but not Pat Martini, Paula Meng, Lauren Moore, Ora Morison, Kaitlyn McGrath Sophia Lemon
limited to, The Gazette‘s hard copy and online archives. Maciej Pawlak, Jonathan Pinkus, Aaron Pinto, Jaymin
Associate Richard Goodine
• Please recycle this newspaper • Proulx, Kaleigh Rogers, Cali Travis, Drew Whitson Arden Zwelling Anders Kravis
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Arts&Life
Law school hustle
Western student’s music videos go viral on YouTube
Arden Zwelling
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
When Mike Lickver is holed up in
the law library cramming for his
next exam, he’s perusing the work
of some of the world’s greatest legal
minds and thinkers.
John Locke. Immanuel Kant.
Plato.
But when it comes time to
describe life in law school, he turns
to a more modern philosopher.
“My goal was to spin law school
life in a different light and show
people that, man, it’s a hustle here
too,” Lickver said, taking the words
right out of rap star Rick Ross’
mouth. “Whatever your hustle is,
our hustle is law school and we
grind it out every day.”
Who knows if Locke and Plato
would approve of that description
of their favourite topic but these
days you have to relate to the kids.
And that’s exactly what Lickver
was going for when he and some of
his closest buddies set out to create
the music video about life in law
school that would quickly become
an overnight YouTube hit.
“Law School Husslin’” — the
product of a weekend of filming in
and around Western — boasts over
10,000 views on YouTube and has
been featured in Precedent Maga-
zine, the National Post and on the
front page of the London Free Press.
E E us
R
Fut t le
B TUE &
Sh
supplied by:
1280 Fanshawe Park Road West
Not bad for something nobody
was supposed to see.
“No one believes me, but at the
time I actually did not know that
anybody was going to see this. It’s
one of those things that you make
for your buddies to laugh at and
then it just spins out of control
and somehow ends up being
watched by like 10,000 people,”
Lickver said.
Lickver — in his third year of the
combined law and MBA program at
Ivey — produced the video for the
annual Western Law talent show,
held every year in February to ben-
efit the London Hospice.
Inspired by other faculty themed
videos he had seen on YouTube,
Lickver set out to create what he
hoped would be the greatest law
school video Western had ever
seen.
“I saw these videos out there and
I knew I could make a better one. I
knew I could take it to the next
level,” Lickver said. “When I do
things, I don’t like to do them half-
assed.”
Using his networks from both
Toronto and London to leverage
connections, Lickver secured time
in a professional recording studio,
a top of the line $15,000 camera,
professional lights and even a green
screen.
“That’s why people see the dif-
ference between some other
SEP 7
FRI
SEP 10
LOCATION
WESTERN ROAD
Essex Hall
London Hall
Bayfield Hall 1:10PM
YouTube
Whatever your
“
hustle is, our hustle
is law school and
we grind it out
every day.
— Mike Lickver
Video director, Ivey student
videos that just get thrown on
YouTube. We had professional
equipment,” Lickver said. “I told
the film company I was a student
and it was for charity and because
of that they gave me an amazing
rate on everything.”
When it comes to whether or not
Lickver has achieved his goal of
producing the best law school
video of all time — well, the jury’s
still out.
But the reaction, according to
the Richmond Hill native, has been
overwhelmingly positive, including
an unexpected e-mail from Ian
Holloway, Western’s dean of law.
“That was the best one for me —
he e-mailed me and said he was
‘gobsmacked’. I literally had to look
up that word,” Lickver said. “It was-
n’t just the dean too. It was the
entire faculty. They all loved it.”
Of course, once Lickver’s Ivey
friends caught wind of the video,
they had to have one too. After
>> see THIRD pg.8
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ARRIVES
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saywhat?
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sleep and I told him I can’t sleep... My people need this new music
Review > Books
Editor’s Picks
Some of our recent reads
The 19th Wife
By David Ebershoff
David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife
intertwines historical fiction with a
modern mystery. Set in the 1800s,
Ann Eliza Young grows to become
the 19th wife of the prophet and
leader of the Mormon church. The
book recounts Young’s struggles as
she grows up in a faith she doesn’t
believe in and follows her crusade
to end polygamy and plural mar-
riage in the United States.
In a parallel story that takes
place in the present day, Jordan
Scott must return to the isolated
Utah community he was thrown
out of as a teenager. He’s forced to
return home when his mother, the
19th wife of a well-respected man
in town, is arrested for murder.
While book is chock- full of his-
torical merit, Ebershoff succeeds in
using a variety of different voices to
keep it from reading like a history
textbook. He includes diary entries,
letters, Wikipedia articles and occa-
sionally the perspective of other
characters to keep the reader enter-
tained.
Perhaps the most striking part of
the book is Ebershoff’s depiction of
polygamy — both past and present.
His ability to delve deeply into such
a taboo topic is alone worth the
read.
—Meagan Kashty
DEPARTS ARRIVES
1:05PM 3:00PM
1:10PM 3:05PM
1:15PM 3:10PM
•7
—Kanye West (on Twitter)
Black Hole
By Charles Burns
Black Hole tells the strange story of
a group of teens in the 1970s who
contract a sexually transmitted dis-
ease. But it’s not your average STD.
This one causes bizarre mutations,
like horns on your head or mouths
on your neck. The hapless kids who
contract “the bug“ are sudden out-
casts who bind together in awk-
ward teenage love stories. Soon
enough, the mutations are just the
backdrop for a compelling coming-
of-age tale in bizarro world.
The throwback graphic novel
comes from storyteller and artist
Charles Burns, whose black-and-
white artwork is plain and under-
stated — the perfect compliment to
his rich and complicated charac-
ters. Some mutations are disgusting
deformities, like drooping skin or
scales, but what’s more disturbing
are the characters who treat their
exile like a departure from social
rules all together. Soon enough,
depression turns to murder and the
kids find themselves lost in a black
hole all their own.
— Stuart A. Thompson
WORD TO YOUR MOTHER
www.westerngazette.ca
DEPARTS
3:05PM
3:10PM
3:15PM
8•
Students low on vitamin D The APK to
Sunshine vitamin lacking at universities
Nicole Gibillini
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
If you’re a university student in
Canada, spend most of your time
studying indoors, and are faithful to
a diet of coffee and bagels, chances
are you need more vitamin D.
Vitamin D can be obtained from
sun exposure, certain foods and
supplements. It’s known to increase
bone strength, prevent cancer and
boost energy levels.
But Anne Zok, nutrition manag-
er for Hospitality Services at West-
ern, is unsure whether students are
aware of all its benefits. “I think that
perhaps some students might be
aware of their vitamin D needs,”
Zok says. “But for the most part I’d
say more education is needed.”
Laurence Fraher, a professor at
the Schulich School of Medicine
and Dentistry, has seen first-hand
that students aren’t getting the mes-
sage: “I teach on this very subject,
and most students haven’t followed
a lot of the details of this story.”
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As more research is conducted,
scientists are concluding the cur-
rent recommendations of vitamin
D are not enough.
Gerry Schwalfenberg, assistant
clinical professor at the University
of Alberta, found university-aged
students to have some of the lowest
vitamin D levels in Canada. To
combat this, students should be
aware of all the ways available to
obtain the vitamin.
“One important thing to keep in
mind is as you age your skin’s abili-
ty to convert ultraviolet rays into vit-
amin D decreases, making it almost
impossible to produce vitamin D
from mere sun exposure,” Fraher
says. “The younger you start the bet-
ter health you are going to have.”
If sun exposure isn’t possible,
appropriate levels of vitamin D can
be obtained through food as well.
“Many of the students I have seen
over the years do not consume ade-
quate amounts of milk and vitamin
D fortified yogurt,” Zok says.
Fraher notes he’s never seen an
issue arise when people intake
large amounts of vitamin D natu-
rally, all issues resulted from taking
too much of the vitamin D supple-
ment. Skin cancer also becomes a
concern with excessive sun expo-
sure.
While it’s important not to
overuse supplements, when it
comes to what’s now commonly
known as the “sunshine vitamin,”
it’s crucial to know the type of nour-
ishment your body requires, and to
what degree.
Shows at the APK
SEPTEMBER 10
A Horse and His Boy, Wild
Domestic and Krupke
SEPTEMBER 11
Bryan Jesney Art Show
After Party
LOLA After Parties:
SEPTEMBER 17
Invincible, Pursuit Grooves,
James T. Cotton (Dabrye /
Tadd Mullinix)
SEPTEMBER 18
Bang The Party and The
Makeover
SEPTEMBER 23
Official opening
SEPTEMBER 24
Bruce Pennisula, Forest City
Lovers and Handsome Dan
and His Gallimaufry
SEPTEMBER 25
Can’t Wait to Dance
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
re-open its doors
Maddie Leznoff
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
After a year and a half, the Alex P.
Keaton is back from the dead.
The beloved Talbot Street bar
and music venue has relocated to
Wellington St. after closing in
March 2009.
It’s official debut will be held
September 23.
“We had challenges at the old
location with respect to the model
that we wanted to present to our
faithful crowds,” says Marc Gam-
mel, owner of both the new and old
venue. “It just made sense to move
on, reassess the model, and make a
pledge at getting back into the
industry.”
The old Alex P. Keaton had a rep-
utation for welcoming local musi-
cal talent, embracing many forms
of art and, of course, providing loyal
patrons with food and drink. Gam-
mel is happy to be able to continue
that tradition, especially by sup-
porting live arts and entertainment
in London.
“The opportunity to present
local, provincial and national talent
is of the utmost importance in the
brand as it was before,” he says.
“Hopefully it can be that place
where live arts, whether it be music
or poetry, can have a stage.”
After scoping out a few different
What’s on tap? The new APK will be located at 340 Wellington St. Lower beneath
Yuk Yuks. It’s official debut is September 23.
Third video expected to
be bigger and better
>> continued from pg.7
weeks of pestering, the 26-year-old
was convinced to get back behind
the camera for the Drake-inspired
“MBA Forever.”
Many of the characters from
“Law School Husslin’” make return
appearances and the auto tune on
the chorus — “I don’t plan on stop-
pin’ at all, I’m an MBA forever, man”
—is pitch perfect to Drake’s multi-
platinum original.
“I actually recorded it at a studio
that has worked with Drake a bunch
of times. That’s how we got the sound
quality,” Lickver said. “I started at the
bottom. I made the song and then
the video just fell into place.”
“MBA Forever” has been even
more successful than “Law School
Husslin,’” garnering just shy of
14,000 YouTube views. But when you
talk to Lickver, it’s clear that “Law
School Husslin’” is really his baby.
locations, 340 Wellington St. was
chosen because of the landlord’s
enthusiasm for arts and culture.
The venue is in the downtown core
this time, making it accessible to
various crowds.
Renovations began once the
location was solidified — but open-
ing a new bar isn’t always smooth
sailing.
“There are always things that
pop up when you go into a space
you’re not familiar with,” Gammel
says. “You know, you tear down a
wall or you open a drainage pipe
and you find new issues you have
to deal with. But in the end, the city
has been amazing to work with.”
“We’re just working through var-
ious details with permits,” he says.
Former frequenters of the APK
are anticipating the reopening, and
Gammel says he’s excited for peo-
ple — whether familiar with the old
venue or not — to walk through
their doors.
“We’re a bit overwhelmed by the
support we’ve had in the past year,”
he says. “I think it just shows that
London is a really neat spot and
there’s a harnessing of energy that
seems to be pulling together in var-
ious different outlets — we just
want to be part of that energy.”
The new APK will be located at
340 Wellington St. Lower beneath
Yuk Yuks.
Courtesy of Marc Gammal
That’s why come February —
just in time for this year’s Western
Law talent show — Lickver plans to
drop his third single, a sequel to
“Law School Husslin’” where we’ll
learn the verdict of the trafficking
case from the original.
“For the next video, I’m thinking
about doing it on a much larger
scale. I want to get corporate spon-
sors. I really want to outdo myself,”
Lickver said.
But if you’re Mike Lickver, you
can’t stop there. You’ve produced
two of the best faculty videos
Western’s campus has ever seen
and your services are in high
demand.
“I’m being pushed to do a med
school video,” Lickver said with a
laugh. “I don’t mind taking on the
campus title of professional video
consultant. If any other faculties
out there want to make a video,
they know who to come see.”
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
iDosing: Getting high from a digital drug
Is this a legitimate concern or an urban legend?
Amber Garratt
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
What if getting high was as easy and
legal as putting on your head-
phones? That may just be the case.
iDosing claims to provide a
music-induced high achieved by
downloading an MP3 drug and
simply listening. The resulting
combination of binaural beats and
auditory pulses are believed by
some users to alter brainwave fre-
quencies resulting in an altered
state of awareness. Some compa-
nies, such as I-Doser.com, market
these downloadable files as digital
drugs, as each MP3 track has a dif-
ferent effect.
“Binaural beats alter the way I
feel — subtle — but in a very real
way,” Wayne Hoover, founder of
Healing Beats, a binaural beats
provider, explains. “They can make
me sleepy, or they can make me
wide awake depending on which
type of beat I use. It’s hard to
explain consciousness but they do
feel like they subtly alter the way I
think, feel and simply am after lis-
tening to them for a while.”
iDosing gained media attention
when Bonnie Lightfoot, superinten-
dent of Oklahoma’s Mustang Public
School district, sent home a letter to
parents warning them of the iDos-
ing phenonmenon and the psycho-
logical and physical effects associ-
ated with listening to the MP3s.
Lightfoots’s letter stated “stu-
dents who listened to one of these
•9
>> The Rundown
IDOSING - a music-induced
high achieved by downloading a
digital music file and listening.
BINAURAL BEATS - rhythmic
humming sounds that are creat-
ed by playing two simple tones
in the right and left ear. These
beats have been shown to alter
brainwave frequencies resulting
in an altered state of awareness.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON
DRUG ABUSE - an American
organization who’s mission is to
bring the power of science to bear
on drug abuse and addiction.
Nyssa Kuwahara
MP3s exhibited the same physical pills and hash. patterns this is called entrainment,” may be more of a media panic then
effects as if they were under the But how valid are these claims? Hoover says. “Binaural beats can a real public concern.
influence of drugs or alcohol, The American National Institute make you feel pretty good but bin- “I don’t see this reaching the sta-
including increased blood pressure, on Drug Abuse released a state- aural beats are much more subtle tus of a ‘moral panic’, but it is more
a rapid pulse and involuntary eye ment saying they are not aware of than a real drug. It’s best to try for like media hype of a very minor
movements. Two students reported any scientific data on iDosing and yourself to see how strong they are. incidence of youthful experimenta-
auditory and visual hallucinations.” they could not validate whether In my experience it’s not as strong tion,” James Côté, a sociology pro-
Some believe experimentation users can get high listening to these as a real drug would be, but still fessor at Western explains. “It also
with iDosing has the potential to sounds or that it leads to drug very real — just less intense. Binau- has the elements of hoax or an
become a gateway to actual drugs. abuse. ral beats can make you feel differ- apocryphal story, not in the league
I-Doser.com not only sells iDosing “The scientific literature on bin- ent, but not ‘high’ as most people of panics like those portrayed in
MP3 files but has links and adver- aural beats say that while listening use the word.” Reefer Madness. The more the
tisements to websites that sell to them they have the ability to Despite Hoover’s claims, it media reports on it, the more peo-
drugs such as marijuana, mood change your dominant brain wave appears the phenomena of iDosing ple will try it.”
10 •
How students can fix their finances
Grace Davis
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR
Imagine what you could do with an
extra $3,000 or $4,000. You could
put the money towards a car, trip,
or set it aside for a house fund. Or,
you could let it disappear.
In his first year at Camosun Col-
lege in British Columbia, Spencer
Cole tracked all of his purchases.
After making a bagel for breakfast
in the morning, Cole would hop on
the bus to school. A couple of hours
of class later, he would munch on
some veggies and fruit that he
brought with him for snacks. On
the rare occasion when he would
buy a seven or nine dollar lunch,
he’d keep the receipt and track his
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spending on a personal Excel bud-
get sheet.
In his second year Cole stopped
using his Excel system, and by the
end of the year he had spent
between $3,000 and $4,000 more
than he had in first year.
“When I stopped tracking my
money I definitely ended up
spending more than I would’ve
liked. I think most of it went
towards just going out,” Cole says
with a shrug.
“I think people just aren’t
aware of their limits. They don’t
think of the period when there’s
no income at all. Everyone has to
be aware that after you quit your
job in the summer, there’s no
income — only expenses,” sec-
ond-year Ivey student Elizabeth
Lynde points out.
“It’s a different mindset and it’s
an uncomfortable mindset to think
about because of course you’re
more comfortable when you’re
making money.”
With tuition fees and the cost of
living constantly increasing, stu-
dents are getting deeper in debt. A
study published in the Janu-
ary 2010 edition of Perspectives on
Labour and Income shows that stu-
dents are relying more on loans.
The study found 57 per cent of
the graduating class of 2005 had
student loans compared 49 per
cent 10 years earlier. Average stu-
dent debt on graduation increased
from $15,200 to $18,800 during the
same decade.
“I think [budgeting] can be a lit-
tle bit confusing when you haven’t
been taught the basic skills,” Lynde
notes.
“Many students may not know
how to construct a model — how to
put it together in an Excel spread-
sheet and organize your thoughts.
On one line I have my income, then
on another I have my expenses.
What are my expenses? I’ve got my
one-time expenses like tuition and
property located along
the Thames River in a
scenic park-like setting.”
SAME
DAY
APPROVAL!
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
>> Listings
$3000
$300 London
H
Trips Home
events and
$4000
Clothin
ng
Clothing $2,800 $4,000
festivals
Food Rent
$400
$1,500 Phone FESTA ITALIANA
Books & August 27 — 29
Suppliess $1 600
$1,600 Convent Garden
Entertainment
$6,200
Tuition
OPENING OF THE
$200
0
Laundry
Laund
dry NEW YORKER
$160 August 27
Cable/Internet 333 Richmond Street
Total: $17, 620
(old location of GT’s)
Based on yearly estimated
estimated expenses for a
student living off-campus
off-ccampus with roommates
CAPTAIN
FANTASTIC - THE
then the expenses that come every “I would say think about your
single month like rent and food. I financial situation and how much GREATEST ELTON
think the best thing to have is a blue you’d like to spend. What are your JOHN TRIBUTE EVER
print, and I know that some banks goals? Are your goals to spend all August 27
have them,” Lynde adds. your money and live off your par-
Royal Bank of Canada mutual ents? If that’s your goal then that’s London City Music
funds representative, Jullieann Pow, fine, but if your goal is to be self Theatre
says banks provide online student sufficient then you need to start
budget sources. thinking about how much you
“There’s tons of information have in your bank account and
A TASTE OF
online that can help you with bud- how much you spend every single ROCKOLOGY
geting. If you insist on using plastic, month.” August 28
we have an online feature called Lynde recommends looking at
‘My Finance Tracker’, which shows past credit and debit card bills to
London City Music
you where you’re spending your look at your monthly spending Theatre
money,” Pow says. habits.
If you want to start budgeting “Remember, [as a student]
LAMBETH
and know that you should avoid you’re all expense, no income. In
plastic, Pow also recommends the business terminology, you’re in the HARVESTFEST
envelope system. This is when you red,” Lynde says. “Be smart with the September 9 — 12
determine your fixed costs, like rent money you spend, educate yourself Optimist Park
and utilities, and estimate your on how to save when you’re actual-
variable expenses, like food and ly earning money, and try not to
entertainment, while taking into incur debt that you don‘t need. You 135TH
consideration one-time expenses don’t want to start off your future WESTERN FAIR
like trips home and course materi- career in a hole that’s deeper than it
als. Every month you put cash in needs to be.”
September 10 — 19
envelopes for each category. Western Fairgrounds
Lynde notes finances shouldn’t Download a personal budget sheet
intimidate students. online at www.westerngazette.ca
Recipe > Cooking with Grace
Blueberry crumble
Ingredients:
4 cups of blueberries
(approximately)
1 heaping cup of oatmeal
“An accommodating 1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 tbsp of coconut oil, margarine,
or shortening
1. Thoroughly wash blueberries.
Remove stems and any rotten
blueberries.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
It’s blueberry season, and we all 3. Using wax paper, spread mar-
know that means it’s time for some garine (or coconut oil or shorten-
scrumptious blueberry crumble. ing) on a deep dish baking pan.
This recipe is quick and easy with Spread blueberries in pan.
simple ingredients. Feel free to use 4. In a separate bowl, combine
1 variations in terms of quantity — if oatmeal, flour, and cinnamon. Add
BEDROOMS you keep the ratios, you can margarine (or coconut oil or short-
FROM $595 change the size of the crumble. If ening) and work into dry ingredi-
2
you want less, use half of every- ents with a spoon. Using your
thing. hands, squeeze the ingredients
BEDROOMS Also, take a peek online at the together to create a crumble.
FROM $695 different ingredient options for 5. Evenly spread the crumble over
healthier choices. There isn’t very the blueberries.
*Find a Roommate much sugar in this recipe to begin 6. Bake covered with a lid or tin
& PAY LESS! with, but it’s possible to make it foil for 30 minutes. Once the blue-
with even less. berries start bubbling remove the
MOVE IN NOW!
If you’re starting to get a little covering for about 10 minutes to
FOR A panicky about summer almost brown the top. Be careful not to let
CHANCE being over, distract yourself by it burn.
TO WIN
AN IPAD! picking some beautiful fresh sum- 7. Serve warm, with yogurt, ice
mer blueberries and trying this cream, or tea. Enjoy!
dish out with friends! —Grace Davis
thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sports
therundown >> Men’s basketball team fall to powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats 96-68 – Women’s basketball split two game series with Indiana-based
IUPUI Jaguars – Track and field recruit Taylor Stewart wins bronze at IAAF World Junior Championships – Russell sisters representing Canada, Western at
the women’s World Cup in England
Team Takahashi unites
Father and son team up to dominate CIS
Kaitlyn McGrath
SPORTS EDITOR
Watch out Western, now there’s two
Takahashis in town.
Steven Takahashi, top recruit
and son of Mustangs head coach
Ray Takahashi, will be joining West-
ern’s wrestling squad for the
upcoming season. Seen as one of
the top young wrestlers in Canada,
Steven is expected to make an
immediate impact on the team.
“Steven is one of the top
recruits entering university this
year and he will substantially con-
tribute to our team,” coach Taka-
hashi said. “I’m fortunate to be
able to continue to be a part of his
development and I’m also happy
that other members of the coach-
ing staff at Western and our affili-
ate club, London-Western, will
continue to work with him.”
Not only is it in his genes, but
Steven’s successful development
into a world-class wrestler can also
be attributed to his all-around ath-
letic ability. Despite participating in
both competitive soccer and cross-
country throughout his life, ulti-
mately Steven decided to follow in
the family tradition.
“I was always around the sport
due to my father, but I was heavily
involved in other sports,” he said.
“It wasn’t until grade nine that I
knew wrestling was the sport I
wanted to focus on.”
Who would have thought two guys in spandex could cause so much pain? Takahashi performs a powerful shoulder
throw in front of a full gallery of spectators.
Apply today to guarantee your spot for September 2010 • Call to find out how to get 1 month free
London’s biggest floor plans
However, even with his father’s
involvement in the sport, Steven
insists that choosing wrestling was
his own decision.
“My dad never told me to start
wrestling, but his career definitely
had an influence on me,” the
younger Takahashi said. “He’s
always been an inspiration to me,
so in a way I wanted to be like him.”
Steven has the
“
potential to be the
top wrestler in
Canada in his
weight at the
senior level.
–Ray Takahashi
Mustangs wrestling coach
Already in his short career,
Steven has experienced a wealth of
success, including three Ontario
Federation of School Athletic Asso-
ciations gold medals, first place at
the 2010 Juvenile Nationals, and
most recently a second place finish
at the Junior Pan American
Wrestling Championships held in
Nicaragua.
Steven won his first three
matches before losing to a com-
petitor from the Dominican Repub-
lic in the final.
“He won two matches in third-
round tie-breakers, so he was able
to stay tough and win two close
matches,” Ray said. “It’s a good
see office for details | limited time only
• 11
onlyonline
In his most recent blog, prolific twitterer Arden Zwelling examines
the various ways professional athletes sometimes say more than
they intend using social media
>> westerngazette.ca
quality to have to be able to win the
close ones against top opponents.”
Always the harsher critic, Steven
was less forgiving about his silver
medal performance.
“Coming in second is always a
little disappointing, but I am satis-
fied,” he said. “I’m still young for the
junior age class which is 20 and
under, so it’s a little comforting
knowing I still have a couple more
years.”
More than anything, the experi-
ence and success at the interna-
tional level has instilled confidence
in Steven, which will help make his
transition into the Canadian
Interuniversity Sport level compe-
tition seamless. With continuous
training and improvements in his
strength and technique, Ray is con-
fident that Steven will quickly
become the best wrestler compet-
ing at the university level.
“Steven has the potential to be
the top wrestler in Canada in his
weight at the senior level,” coach
Takahashi said.
With a strong recruiting class,
alongside plenty of returning veter-
ans, the future looks promising for
Western’s wrestling team.
“My goals and expectations for
my career at Western are simple. To
get a good education and to do well
at the Ontario University Athletic
and CIS championships,” Steven
said. “Hopefully I can be a part of
winning an OUA or CIS team title.” Photos courtesy of Ray Takahashi
This is going to hurt you a lot more than it will hurt me. Soon-to-be super-
star Steven Takahashi lays the pain on an opponent during competition. Above:
Takahashi at the Junior Pan American Wrestling Championsips
Western On Campus
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12 • thegazette • Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Athlete egos ruin the game

upcoming season.
A month later, fellow narcissist
and Minnesota Vikings quarterback
Brett Favre decided to retire for the
third time in his illustrious career.
Incredibly, nobody believes he will
stay retired past the first couple of
Daniel Da Silva weeks of the 2010 National Football
SPORTS EDITOR League season. Probably because
he pulled the exact same crap the
It was on July 8, 2010 that the Earth last two years.
stood still for an hour. The powers– When it comes to North Ameri-
that–be decided sports fans every- can professional sports, athletes’
I also have hour-long specials broadcasting my meal choices. LeBron James where should be watching ESPN’s egos and their desire to constantly
and Jim Gray on ESPN’s “The Decision” – a prime-time TV event where LeBron special program, “The Decision” – be in the spotlight has become
revealed which NBA team he had signed with. the groundbreaking moment when embarrassing. When coverage of
LeBron James would choose which these players starts to rival a reality
basketball team he would grace show on MTV then we have a seri-
with his saintly presence for the ous problem.
Unfortunately, the money they
make is probably central to this
issue. This trend has really started
in the past 20 years or so when play-
er salaries started to skyrocket.
When you are treated and paid like
royalty, you are going to get a little
full of yourself – especially if, in the
case of LeBron, you’ve been
referred to as “King James.” Hyper-
bole aside, that’s beyond ridiculous.
What shocks me most is some of
these guys actually have the audac-
ity to say they aren’t making enough
money. The NFL training camp has
begun and the big headline, as
usual, is players ‘holding out’ on
their contractual obligations. In
effect, players aren’t reporting for
camp and are threatening not to
play during the season unless they
get paid more.
Right now, New York Jets star
Darrelle Revis is refusing to play. He
is considered the best cornerback
in the NFL, so he feels like he
should be paid like the best corner-
back in the league, which is under-
standable. What isn’t understand-

OUR
able is how he feels about his cur-

Y
ES LET
rent salary of roughly two million a

A T ON’T
year. He thinks 16 million a year, for

D
M
10 years, is a more accurate reflec-

M
R OW YOU DO
O
tion of what he’s worth. Doctors

O
working on curing cancer don’t

.
make $16 million a year!

WN
Perhaps we should fault the
owners, coaches and agents for
this. These guys refer to these play-

SL
ers like they are God’s gift to Earth
and then go out and sign them for
stupidly large salaries.
If you saw the Vikings play last
year, you witnessed Favre skirt team
rules and try to run the team him-
self. He pretty much disobeyed his
coach, Brad Childress, by going
back into a game he was pulled out
of.
Not to mention they allowed
him to skip all of training camp

Share Rogers Internet & TV

before signing him. Sounds a lot
like what is going on this year. There
has to be a few people in the Vikings

with your roommates

dressing room that aren’t too happy
about having to work their tail off
for months while this guy waltzes in
whenever he damn well pleases.
Or perhaps it is the fans who are
responsible. Anyone who loves
INTERNET EXPRESS sports has at least one idol they

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But a lot of fans go beyond my

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of deifying these players. If you
for 8 months. No term. have a big ego when you are
referred to as a king, imagine what
it would be like when you are con-
CABLE TV sidered a god among men. This is
• Enjoy local news and programming likely one of the main reasons why
• No installation fee LeBron’s ego has swollen to its cur-
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However, as much fault as there
is for the agents, the teams and the

:  , - <) 1 4 ; fans, it all goes back to the individ-

ual. For every LeBron James, there

  . 7 are several like Steve Nash. For

  !   every Brett Favre and Darrelle Revis,

there are even more like Drew Brees

+)44
and Peyton Manning. These are the
guys who work to master their craft,
don’t complain about the size of
their salary, use their fame for good
through charity work and, other-
wise, stay the hell out of the spot-
light.
For you egotists out there in the
sporting world, it’s time to get your
head straight. You may be physical-
*Offers available for a limited time and subject to change without notice. Taxes extra. Regular monthly rates apply after promotional period. CRTC Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) Fee also applies, corresponding to 1.5% of your recurring TV monthly service fees. 1. Speeds
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© 2010 Rogers Communications. you is all that special.
LeBron, Brett and Darrelle, I
think it is about time you each
received a well earned reality check.