Friday, December 4, 2009

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Graduate studies … p.3

thegazette ... hotter than global warming since 1906

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WESTERN’S DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • EST.1906 • VOLUME 103, ISSUE 53

want Canada to be a climate leader,” the event’s Facebook page, stated. According to Jamie Biggar, one of the campaign organizers and a student at the University of Victoria, about 700 individuals have already signed up to call. “It’s so painful to say this. Canada has been the m o s t obstructionist country in

By Meagan Kashty and Shreya Tekriwal Gazette Staff

Students across Canada are refusing to take a backseat as countries come together to decide the fate of climate change. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Copenhagen, Denmark starting next week, representatives of various nations will attempt to resolve issues pertaining to climate change. Jim Leonard is a delegate of UofTCOP15, a group of students from the University of Toronto, who will attend the conference. He noted the importance of student awareness.

“The purpose [of the delegation] was to send students to Copenhagen [and have them] report back to the university and the campus body,” Leonard said. “[We] are also meant to represent student interests.” Another student group known as 5 for 5 has been organized by students from universities across Canada, asking individuals to call five friends and family members over five days. “Ask the people you call to call their members of Parliament and tell their representatives that they

the lead up to the talks. We have been doing anything we can to prevent a deal,” Biggar said. “We consume, on an average, much more water and natural resources and produce, on an average, three times more carbon dioxide emissions per capita than the world average,” Holly Stover, EnviroWestern co-ordinator at Western, said. While some students groups disagree with Canada’s stance on this issue, others believe the government is taking the right steps to ensure the well-being of the Canadian economy. “Our support […] at this point in time […] is aligned with the conservative fathers in the federal party,” Daniel Ferris, vice-president finance and administration of the Tories Association at Western, said. “The basic premise of what I’m trying to say is we can’t commit to anything beyond the scope of our own economic capacity.” “I think the government is representing strong corporate issues […], however that being said, we did vote our government in. The polls are saying we’re still supportive of the government,” Leonard noted.

According to Biggar, on the last day of the UN climate talks in Barcelona last month, Canada was named both “Fossil of the Day” and “Fossil of the Week” by the Climate Action Network International — a global coalition of over 450 leading non-government organizations who monitor progress at the UN talks. “[The award was given for having] performed ‘best’ at blocking progress in the negotiations. Canada was named as the single worst country in the industrialized world,” the IndyMedia Climate website stated. Irene Mathyssen, member of Parliament for London-Fanshawe, mentioned the UN secretary made it clear that Canada had not lived up to its international obligations. While Alex Crombie, vice-president of Western Liberals believed Canada does not have the right goals in mind, he mentioned it is much easier for some countries to sign on to the treaty. “Countries like China and the U.S. will be much easier to sign on to the Copenhagen treaty than Canada, because [they] do not have a high-tech oil refineries […] it’s going to be very expensive for us,” Crombie said. For Leonard, the conference will hopefully provide a ray of light for individuals who have lost faith on the UN’s involvement in climate change. However, Glen Pearson, member of Parliament for London North Centre, was apprehensive about this blind hope. “My worry is if they have this […] conference and it falls through, or doesn’t even come close to what it’s supposed to, [then] it will create a huge disappointment in people and maybe make them feel like giving up,” Pearson said. Regardless of the results of Copenhagen, most agree Canada must improve its international reputation. “We used to be leaders in terms of rights and environmental protection. Now we’re the pariah of the of the international community,” Mathyssen said. —With files from Abid-Aziz Ladhani and Cheryl Stone

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

What do you think about Canada’s position on climate change and do you think climate change is blown out of proportion? “I think it’s being blown out of proportion. But I’d rather [policymakers] blow it out of proportion than play it down and have us suffer the consequence after.” — Scott Middlemiss, Chemistry II

“Supposedly there is no global warming […] I don’t know what to believe but supposedly there have been recent reports [supporting this]. I don’t know what Canada should do.” — Phil Tso, BMOS II

“I don’t think Canada is doing enough about it.” — Giovanni Boggenpoel, Biology II

“Climate change is something to be worried about because it will affect generations to come. I think that Canada hasn’t taken enough initiative lately to address climate change. There’s been stuff in political platforms but not as much action has been taken.” — Nathan Caldwell, BMOS III

“I think it’s a huge issue that is not being addressed enough. I would like to see Canada and the United States put pressure on countries like China to meet their targets.” — Tristan Tye, Music IV

Council wary of UCC yes/no campaign By Stuart A. Thompson Gazette Staff

The University Students’ Council is taking a novel approach with its campaign to renovate the University Community Centre. Wednesday night, the USC decided against using a yes/no campaign, which would pit two sides against each other to win student votes for a referendum this February. Instead, the council voted in favour of an information campaign,

which offers “just the facts” about the renovations, according to USC president Emily Rowe. This will be the second referendum on the future of UCC space usage, with the first campaign getting shot down by students last February when the “no” side of a yes/no campaign argued successfully against the proposed $95 student fee increase. This year, the USC is trying again with a $25 fee and a new approach. Matthijs Van Gaalen, a senator-

at-large for the USC, was one of approximately four people at this week’s council meeting who argued in favour of a yes/no campaign. “With a contentious issue like this, I believe students are better informed by debate happening where people are responsible for providing alternative perspectives,” Van Gaalen said. “Issues are more enlightened when debate is ongoing.” By night’s end, council voted nearly unanimously in favour of an

information campaign. Melissa McClelland, president of the media, information and technoculture students’ council, spoke in favour of the information campaign. “In the interest of representing the students we should take a step back,” she explained. “The information somewhat speaks for itself.” Three of four referendums and plebiscites since 2006 used yes/no campaigns with mixed results. Only the bus pass referendum in March used an information campaign.

“If you look at the bus pass, an information campaign got the information out to so many more students and the voter turnout was massive,” Rowe said. She argued using an information campaign was appropriate because surveys have shown for years students want renovations. While a yes/no campaign pits two groups against each other to win student votes, one side tradiPLEASE SEE STUDENTS P3

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theGazette • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

EVENTS CALENDAR Fri, Dec. 4 • Talk on Aboriginal Medicine When: 12:30 p.m. Where: Dental Sciences Building, Rm. DS1002 What: Elizabeth Akiwenzie will be speaking to the Western community about her work as a cultural and traditional educator developing healing programs based in Aboriginal teachings. • Wine and Cheese When: 6 – 9 p.m. Where: The Wave, University Community Centre What: Undergraduate sociology students are encouraged to attend and meet other students and professors in their faculty. Hosted by the Sociology Students Association. • Western Cares Food Drive When: Until Dec. 11 Where: Donation boxes or shop-

ping carts will be set up in as many locations as possible around campus. What: For more information visit the Western Cares Food Drive website at communications.uwo.ca/facultyandstaff/WesternCaresFoodDrive.htm • Geography Speaker Series When: 3 p.m. Where: Social Science Centre, Rm. 2333 What: Minelle Mahtani, associate professor at the University of Toronto speaks on “Diversity in the Journalism: Neoliberalism in the Newsroom.” Sun, Dec. 6 • Ritual of Re-Membering: Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre When: Noon Where: Brescia University Col-

lege, Auditorium What: The Ritual of Re-Membering seeks the creation of sacred time and sacred space to honour the loss of the victims of the Montreal Massacre and all women that have been lost to gender-based violence. The ritual moves through our grief and sadness into hope and power for transformation and change. Mon, Dec. 7 • Exam Stress Relief Week When: Monday — Friday Where: University Community Centre What: Check out the University Students’ Council website at www.usc.uwo.ca for more details and a full schedule of events. If you have an event you would like to share please send your information to [email protected] Every time the University Students’ Council meets, the Gazette is there, observing from the sidelines and serving on behalf of students as the government’s watchdog. Since we’re generous people, we thought we’d share our favourite excerpts from Wednesday night’s meeting — the most hilarious, and the most moving. Enjoy.

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“If students aren’t willing to read one page of information before voting on something, then we should all close our doors and go home because we don’t have a purpose of being a student government. [Applause]” —Andrew Beach, Huron Councillor

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Two Western nursing graduate students have received de Souza Institute fellowship awards. Nisha Sutherland, a PhD student, was one of four students chosen across Ontario to receive the $20,000 scholarship. Melissa Snell, a master’s student, received a prize of $10, 000 to contribute to her studies. The de Souza Institute focuses on supporting education and research in oncology nursing, using a variety of information technology tools. Jiahui Wong, curriculum and program evaluation manager at the de Souza Institute, said there were many hopeful applicants this year. “We always have more applicants than we can support,” she explained. The awards, granted yearly, aim to support nursing graduate students who have a specialized interest in oncology or palliative care. “The fellowship is designed to encourage nurses to move beyond their clinical care role into leading innovations,” Wong concluded. —Kaleigh Rogers

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theGazette • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

What next? Part V: Grad School By Lauren Pelley Many say grad school is the new undergrad. Whether you believe that or not, pursuing a master’s degree can be a beneficial learning experience and an asset when applying for a job down the road. Keep reading if you’re interested in furthering your education at the graduate level.

Do your research Grad students tend to agree the most important thing when applying to a master’s program is to start exploring your options early. “This includes e-mailing the schools months ahead to introduce yourself,” notes Josh Morrison, a women’s studies and feminist research master’s student at Western. “Start with the graduate chair and tell her [or] him your general interests, and what professors you might want to study with.” Beforehand, spend time carefully researching the schools through their websites and learn about the professors you want to work with through Google Scholar, he adds.

Personalize your personal statement Most grad programs require letters of reference, transcripts and a personal statement where you express your intended area of study.

“Look at each point required in an essay or personal statement, think of your answers to each, jot them down and write a statement around it so you know you are hitting each point,” suggests J e n n a Cameron, a Western master’s student in computer science. According to Western alumnus Jeff Hynds, now a master’s student in English at Queen’s University, it’s good to keep in mind your statement of interest isn’t binding on your course of study. “It’s meant to test your writing skills and demonstrate some capacity for complex thought,” he explains. The structure of the statement, and the quality of your

writing, are the crucial factors. “The committee has to read so many applications, [so] if yours is short, concise, smart and academically sexy, it will stand out,” says Morrison. “Even consider the order of your statement of intent. Research first, reasons for choosing school second is my suggestion.” Cameron says it’s also important to give yourself time to review and rewrite your application, and have peers or professors you trust read it over. “A l s o consider asking profs in the same department but with different specialties than you to look at it,” Morrison adds. “The committee selecting you will have a broad range of interests, so your

statement needs to be specific enough to show you have a firm knowledge of what you want to do […] but must be accessible to everyone at the table.”

It’s all about connections Solid marks and admission essays will get you a long way but references can make or break your application. If you’re applying this year, choose professors whose class you did well in and who know you best. If you’re applying down the road, start developing a relationship with profs as soon as you can by chatting with them during office hours and regularly participating in their classes. “I had been developing the connections for good reference letters since my second year,” says Western grad Eric Taylor, now a master’s student in cognitive sciences at Purdue University. “I can’t imagine trying to do all that and applying within one semester. When I came knocking

Q&A Q: What is the GRE? A: The GRE general test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills that are not related to any specific field of study, so says the official GRE website. In other words, it’s a test for grad student wannabes with a pretty broad focus. Its questions force you to prove your writing and analytical abilities and show you understand basic math and data analysis. The good news is most Canadian schools don’t require a GRE score on your grad application. The bad news is most top-tier American schools do. So if you’re heading south of the border, you better start prepping for the GREs as soon as possible. For more information on how and where to take the test, visit www.ets.org. Got a question about life after undergrad? E-mail us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to answer it.

for reference letters, they knew I was coming.” It’s a good idea to give your references all the information they need, Morrison adds, whether it’s the address to which they’re sending the reference –– and who the grad chair is so that they address it properly –– and the information on recommendation forms. According to Taylor, the most important thing in the entire process of getting into grad school is that you develop a good rapport not only with your references, but the person or people you are applying to work with. “Supervisors realize that you are a huge investment, and they want to be sure that they are getting a good deal out of you,” he explains. “I had previously volunteered with my supervisor when she was at Western, and so she knew we would work well together –– in fact, she was one of my reference letters.” In summary: if you don’t already know the people you are going to apply to work with, e-mail them and ask if they’re taking grad students this year, tell them about yourself and why you are interested in their research and ask if they require anything specific in their applicants.

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tionally gets more promotion and attention, which results in more votes, she said. David Simmonds was the USC vice-president external affairs in 2008 when a plebiscite on selling cigarettes in the UCC was conducted using a yes/no campaign. He took on the no campaign and lost, arguing the yes side had more support from councillors who were actively promoting their position. But he said a yes/no campaign is preferable because it encourages students to care about the issues. “To suggest that you can provide information to someone without being biased, it’s a little naive,” he said of this year’s information campaign. “I don’t know how providing information on the benefits of increasing student fees is without bias.” Rowe responded, saying information about the result of a yes vote will naturally appear to favour that position. “The situation itself sounds so biased but realistically it’s not,” she explained, adding the USC is looking at what they will do if the renovation is refused so they can better represent that possibility during the campaign. “If the students say no, we’re happy to cater to what the majority says,” she said. Van Gaalen also took issue with the referendum question, which includes a list of ways the renovation will improve the 90,000 square feet of space in the UCC including “additional lounge, 24-hour study, programmable, meeting and stor-

age space.” Van Gaalen argued it doesn’t explain what will happen if the referendum is shot down. “We don’t know what’s going to happen if we vote no, and we do know what’s going to happen if we vote yes,” he said. “A yes vote is ‘certainty,’ a no vote is ‘uncertainty.’ A person will usually vote for certainty.” Sasha Kumar, vice-president finance for the USC, said there is no money to renovate the space without the referendum passing, meaning they will have to seek alternatives. “It’s a very likely possibility that we will give the space to UWO and we won’t have control over what happens to the space,” he said in Wednesday night’s council meeting.

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theGazette • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

thegazette Volume 103, issue 53 “When stress is at its highest, just know it can only go down.” — TOM RATAJ

Ryan Hendrick

Carly Conway

Jaela Bernstien

Editor-In-Chief

Deputy Editor

Managing Editor

Editor - [email protected] Deputy - [email protected] Managing - [email protected] website at www.westerngazette.ca University Community Centre Rm. 263 The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, CANADA. N6A 3K7 Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580 Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579 The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

Gazette Wish List: Chakma Claus, Free Coffee, Puppies Welcome to exam season! It’s that time of year again, when stress levels are high and temperatures are dropping by the hour. Here at the Gazette, we’ve put our heads together to think up some stress relief ideas Western could implement to ward off our exam blues. Amit and Emily — keep reading; we’re talking to you. LCBO in the UCC. What better way to make it through midterms — and the upcoming holidays — than with a bottle of wine or your favourite brew? Going off campus is nearly impossible, so please, bring the drinks to us. Designated napping areas. Sometimes the best way to study is through osmosis, with your head on a textbook. Weldon and other buildings should be lined with futons for our napping convenience. Libraries should also consider loaning out Snuggies and teddy bears too — for the most extreme stress cases. Increase student-to-puppy ratio on campus. Seriously, there just aren’t enough puppies around these days. Snow. Hey Mother Nature, could you get on that? If it’s going to be cold out, you might as well cover up with some white stuff. And with the bus strike still going strong, it’d be nice to have some convenient explanatory leverage in case we sleep through our morning midterms. Light up campus like Victoria Park. Nothing brings holiday cheer more than twinkle lights. While you’re at it, why not turn University College Hill into a tobogganing slope and bring back the skating rink to Concrete Beach. Rick Night every night. ‘Nuff said. Free stuff. The following things would exponentially increase our happiness: Free coffee vouchers, free drink tickets, free study munchies, free marks, free hugs. Chakma Claus. Come on Amit, don the red suit, grow some facial hair and make our childhood dreams come true. We’d love to sit on your knee and tell you our wish list. We promise not to cry — much. Prizes for the first person done the exam. You know if you’re done first, you probably did something wrong. So please, soften the blow of our impending failure with a gift card. Just not to the Bookstore. That would be cruelly ironic. Massages on campus. What do our students’ council staff do while we’re writing exams? Not much, of course. Let’s change their job titles during the midterm season to “Professional Masseuses.” Study day? Pssh. Give us a study week. Or month. Heck, cancel exams all together. Now that’d make for happy holidays. Editorials appearing under the ‘opinions’ heading are decided upon 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. Letters: Must include the contributor’s name, identification (ie. History II, Dean of Arts) and be submitted to [email protected]. Letters judged by the Editor-In-Chief to be libelous or derogatory will not be published. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters and submissions and makes no guarantees that a letter will be published. 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, worldwide, 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. • Please recycle this newspaper •

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Costly exam review divides students

unreasonable to expect them to pay even more money to private individuals if they need more help. If there is demand for a review session in this course, why isn’t it organized and taught by the faculty and TAs who teach the course?

Re: “Prep session not taught by class TAs” Dec. 1, 2009

PhD Biology

To the editor: I would like to thank Geron Bindseil for addressing several of my concerns about the Physics 1028 exam review session. In no way did I imply that the teachers of the exam review session were TAs for the course. I only said that they were associated with the university, based on the information provided on their posters — i.e., their Western extensions and e-mail addresses. Since writing my letter last week, I have discussed the topic of this feebased exam review sessions with several undergraduates. They expressed to me their concerns about these sessions, particularly that they contribute to two-tier education system: those who can afford to pay for expensive review sessions get more help and will do better, and those who can’t afford to pay will get no extra help and will do worse. Now I understand that private tutoring exists, and graduate students have every right to charge students money for help that is not related to their teaching contract, but perhaps my deeper concern is why this kind of activity is sanctioned by the University and/or the University Students’ Council. The University sanctions this review session by allowing it to be held in a classroom on campus and apparently — according to Bindseil, charging “thousands of dollars” for costs such as the room booking, and the University Students’ Council sanctions this review session since their stamp appears on the advertisement posters for the session. Thus, both these groups seem to acknowledge that, while students already pay a considerable amount of tuition to learn this material, it is not

Section Editors 2009-2010 News Meagan Kashty Abid-Aziz Ladhani Cheryl Stone Shreya Tekriwal Stuart Thompson Arts & Entertainment Amber Garratt Nicole Gibillini Maddie Leznoff Sports Daniel Da Silva Grace Davis Arden Zwelling

Senior Mike Hayes Lauren Pelley Opinions Jaclyn Haggarty Photography Laura Barclay Brett Higgs Corey Stanford Graphics Ali Chiu Jesse Tahirali Web Stuart Thompson

—Jason Brown

Recalling the rest of the recalled story Re: “SOGS president not recalled” Dec. 2, 2009 To the editor: It was nice to see that the Gazette included the full results of the vote; however, there should be some clarity as to timing of the motion. Before the recall motion was performed a petition was sent out to verify the support for it. This petition was circulated at the same time as the petition for the referendum on Canadian Federation of Students membership, though no connection between the two was ever made, as far as I could tell, until after the fact. Your article suggests the recall was attempted after the referendum campaign for CFS membership, implying the recall was related to the campaign. This is incorrect, as preparations for the recall were performed at the same time as the CFS campaign and for reasons independent of it. Anyone who read both sides of the issue would be aware of this, and I am glad the Gazette included the same information links that were e-mailed to all graduate students. That will allow anyone interested to see what the issue was all about, though I strongly recommend interested individuals also read the approved council minutes for the past several months.

Forced to pay for unused services To the editor: Being a Huron student for the first two years of my career at Western, I rarely was on main campus. When I was, I was in the University Community Centre for short periods of time, never leaving the main floor. Last week, however, I found myself wandering around UCC’s third floor, noting the presence of an office for PrideWestern and EnviroWestern. I found it quite odd that two University Students’ Council clubs would have full time access to their own offices, so I investigated further only to learn that these were not clubs, but USC-sponsored “services.” During Western’s Clubs Week, I get to wander around looking at the wide array of clubs and pay for those with which I would like to pursue a relationship, not the other ones. Yet with PrideWestern and EnviroWestern being classified as “services,” I am being charged for their operations and upkeep, yet not receiving any of the benefits from these clubs — nor do I want them. So, this begs the question, why are students being forced to fund special interest groups against their will? — Andrew Lawton Political Science III

LOOK OVER HERE We’re dying to hear from you. Send your letters to [email protected] Or Send letters through our website at www.westerngazette.ca

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P5 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

ArtsEntertainment

Courtesy of Claus Andersen

WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD. The Grand Theatre stage has been transformed into Emerald City for the production of The Wizard of Oz, starring the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Dorothy.

Yellow brick road leads to Grand Theatre Wizard of Oz entertains audiences with enchanting tale Gazette Writer

“We’re off to see the Wizard,” Dorothy hummed as she skipped down the aisle of the Grand Theatre. It’s been 70 years since the film version of The Wizard of Oz was released, but even the youngest members of the audience were excited for the theatrical production to begin. And the audience’s excite-

NOW PLAYING

Rated PG

ment was well rewarded. The show opened to a dreary scene in Kansas, but the cast soon brought the childhood fantasy alive in a simple but enchanting manner. Adrienne Merrell, who made her debut at the Grand as Dorothy, projected a childlike innocence befitting the character and delivered a shiverinducing rendition of “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Keith Savage and Steven Gallagher — playing the Scarecrow and Tin Man, respectively — were

Rated 14A

STARTS TODAY

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By Kate MacRae

a perfect comedic duo even in the face of slightly dated jokes. Unfortunately, the fourth member of the ensemble, Alana Bridgewater, fell flat with her portrayal of the Cowardly Lion, largely because of the decision to rewrite her two solos to fit her vocal style. “If I only had the Nerve” and “King of the Forest” were transformed from the familiar upbeat, Broadway musical pieces into slower, gospel songs that failed to deliver. Bridgewater’s comedic timing was also poor in comparison to Savage and Gallagher’s, making most of her jokes tired puns rather than witty banter. Fortunately, the rest of the ensemble and support-

ing actors put on such a dynamic show Bridgewater’s shortcomings weren’t overly noticed. Jewelle Blackman, who returned to the Grand for a second time as Miss Gulch and Wicked Witch of the West, made for a truly evil antagonist as both characters. Although she didn’t sport the traditional green skin, her costume was beautifully designed. Kawa Ada who plays the title character, Oz, as well as his Kansas counterpart Professor Marvel, delivered a convincing portrayal as the Wizard. However, as Marvel he tried too hard to make the character eccentric and instead came off as over the top. Similarly, Stephanie

Roth struggled with her two characters, playing a devoted Auntie Em but a rather vapid Glinda. The chorus was notable, as it was comprised entirely of actors under the age of 15 — the group created a dramatic presence on stage in numbers such as “Jitterbug” and the “Munchkin Musical Sequence” despite the young age of its members. If you’re a fan of the Judy Garland film or the classic tale, The Wizard of Oz is definitely worth checking out — especially for Toto, played by Tilley the Norfolk terrier. The Wizard of Oz plays at the Grand Theatre until Jan. 3. Tickets are available at www.grandtheatre.com.

P6

➤

arts&entertainment

theGazette • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

Gazette File Photos

DEFYING GRAVITY, IF ONLY FOR A SECOND. Moneen stops in London Tuesday on the band’s cross-country tour to promote their newest release, The World I Want to Leave Behind.

Masonville Place 519-679-4505

Music Tees Superhero Tees

Moneen shows the love for favourite London venue By Drew Whitson Gazette Staff

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The road hasn’t been treating Moneen well — constant van breakdowns and questionable GPS directions have caused some mild frustration for the Brampton rockers. However this hasn’t stopped the band’s consistent and rather hectic touring schedule. After just completing the United States portion of its headlining tour, Moneen is busy trekking through Canada to promote their latest release, The World I Want to Leave Behind, with friends Sights & Sounds. The new release is a fresh reminder to fans Moneen shouldn’t be forgotten, even though it has been three years since their critically acclaimed third release The Red Tree. Vocalist and lead guitarist Kenny Bridges describes the new project. “[On] this record we wanted to do something different,” he says.

“It’s a more atmospheric sound, a quieter sound we haven’t really touched before.” Moneen visits Call the Office on Tuesday and couldn’t be more excited. Bridges was quick to describe his love for the London music scene. “Some bands don’t really have a favourite venue. I can always say that Call the Office has been one of my favourite places to play,” he says. “There is something about the energy and the bodies flying all over the place.” A high-energy show is exactly what Moneen has been known for during their 10-year career. Bringing an arsenal of pop, rock and punk-inspired tracks, Moneen isn’t afraid to push the boundaries with energetic live performances. Guitarist and back-up vocalist, Chris “Hippy” Hughes was eager to point out the thrills of performing. “It’s all we’ve known for years, and when we don’t play, we miss it.” True to their word, Moneen

won’t let a broken van or messy GPS directions stop them from arriving at their destination — in the 10 years the band members have toured together, they’ve only had to cancel four shows. So what’s happening in the near future for Moneen? The band has promised to cover the entire Canadian circuit for their newest release, travelling coast-to-coast. Moneen hopes to tour even more in the new year, and perhaps take its sound in a different direction, “Our favourite moments [during] sets — the stand-out moments — have always been the quiet songs. Maybe that’s the honest way to go for us.” Bridges says. Moneen isn’t ready to quit anytime soon, and although a quieter sound might be on the way, the band is ready to rock Call the Office. Moneen is at Call the Office Dec. 8 with Sights & Sounds. Tickets are $12.50. Call the Office is located at 216 York St.

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5 BEDROOM Town Home living at Varsity Mills. Amenities include: on-site laundry and air conditioning. From $495 per room plus $85 utility package (including long distance in Canada). All students. 1 Beaufort St., easy walk to class and bus routes, roommate matching services available. For more information, please call 519.858.2525 or go to www.varsitymills.ca.

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5 ADMIRABLE BEDROOM home available May 2010. $460 all-inclusive. Bus #2 every 5 minutes, 10 minute walk. Bedrooms accommodate double bed.Dishwasher, laundry, parking, 519-380-0644, [email protected]. Won’t last! ROOM AVAILABLE NOW! Looking for a better place to stay? Room in a shared house available for female non-smoker, very near campus in nice neighbourhood. [email protected] or 647-746-2546.

Services ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC repairs. We also do custom made electric guitars. Come in for a free quote. Gilpin Guitars, call Robert Taylor 519-686-7895, [email protected]. DANCE CLASSES at Dancesteps. London’s closest dance studio to UWO. 743 Richmond St. at Oxford. Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop. 519-645-8515. www.dancestepslondon.ca. EXAMS, DEADLINES, APPOINTMENTS? Call Rise & Shine, Up & At’em Wake Up and Reminder Services at 519-777-1209 or email [email protected]. Our business is waking up...UWO! MAN WITH PICK-UP. $40/hr within London. Great for small moves. Flat rates on large appliances. Senior/student discount. Rick 519-281-2497.

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THE GAZETTE

sports ➤ P7

theGazette • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

On the offensive Fencers use national experience to top OUA By Daniel Da Silva Gazette Staff

Andrea Csiba 10/48 in women’s épée Mark Jones 29/67 in men’s épée Andrew Wang 29/46 in men’s sabre Celina Lin 29/42 in women’s sabre

As for this year, the team is hoping to improve on their excellent Ontario University Athletics performance from last year. The team was able to come away with bronze medals in four team events, with Jones and Csiba winning individual gold and bronze respectively. “This year we have a very strong team overall, especially with all of the training camps,” Wang said. “Men’s sabre has a really good team and the competition is weaker. I’m anticipating at least silver, if not gold.” “I think team-wise, we should earn a lot of medals,” Lin added. With the majority of the team — including the medalists — returning, the goal is to match, if not surpass, last year’s performance. “The last month of practice has been really good. All three weapons are well represented this year,” Winder said. “It’s just a matter of continuing to work hard and push each other.”

Courtesy of Carol Christie

IT’S ONLY FUN UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES AN EYE. Four of the Mustang’s fencing team captains competed at the Canadian national championships in Ottawa this past weekend. Andrea Csiba (top left) and Mark Jones (bottom right) were particularly impressive, finishing 10th and 29th overall.

INTRAMURAL STANDINGS

MEN’S SUPER COMP Mondays - 8:30PM–1:20AM Name Easter, Patrick Geoffrey, Taylor Leon, Andrew Godfrey-Wilson, Scott Camastra, Julian Schlotzhauer, Dave McCormick, Matt MacGirr, Greg Nail, Mitchel McCarron, Glen Macaulay, Connor

G 15 5 5 9 5 2 5 2 3 3 4

A 6 8 7 3 7 7 4 6 4 4 3

P 21 13 12 12 12 9 9 8 7 7 7

Thursdays - 10:30PM–1:20AM Name Stein, Aaron Dean, Kevin Beavers, Chris Cuthbert, Justin Oliver, Greg April, Andrew Blom, Chris Bergin, Chris Barratt, Chris

G 5 2 7 2 7 4 2 3 4

A 6 8 2 6 0 3 4 3 2

P 11 10 9 8 7 7 6 6 6

MEN’S CONTACT A Tuesdays - 10:30PM–1:20AM Name Karpel, Darryl Haimovitz, Mike Finn, Alex Manganja, Mike Rosen, Ian Noyek, Adam Noyek, Corey Lazaris, George Dimitry, Alex

G 8 6 7 4 7 2 4 3 1

A 8 9 4 7 3 6 4 4 6

P 16 15 11 11 10 8 8 7 7

Fridays - 12:00PM–3:50PM Name Panno, Michael Zehr, Jordan MacDonald, Mike Panno, Tommy Nelko, Riley Boult, Kyle Stevens-Hall, L Ferguson, Tyler Block, David Vasey, Mark Herron, Corey Cuthbert, Justin

G 8 6 6 7 7 5 5 4 4 5 3 5

A 6 3 3 1 0 2 2 3 2 1 3 1

P 14 9 9 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6

Sundays - 11:30AM -12:20PM/ 9:30PM–1:20AM G 4 2 4 7 1 2 2 4 6 0

5 0 3 1

1 6 3 5

6 6 6 6

MEN’S NON-CONTACT Sundays - 8:30AM–12:20PM Name Calleri, John Beaudoin, Nick Honour, Greg Smith, Patrick McLoughlin, Shamus Nieuwdorp, Austin Wedlock, Brandon Collins, Jamie Hoffman, Sammy

G 12 9 5 8 4 2 3 3 6

A 2 4 6 2 5 4 3 3 0

P 14 13 11 10 9 6 6 6 6

Wednesdays - 8:30PM–1:20AM Name Statten, Chris Peach, Kyle Crabbe, Rory Wallace, John Greg Cleaver, Curtis McDonald, Scott Coumans, Steve Rubba, Jon Taylor, Michael Mcclennan, Scott Bos, Derek

G 12 13 11 7 8 6 6 7 5 6 6

A 7 3 3 7 5 7 6 4 5 4 4

P 19 16 14 14 13 13 12 11 10 10 10

Saturdays - 9:30AM–12:50PM Name Shipley, Neil Lawrence-Farhi, Ben Mitri, Andrew Mels, Justin Holmes, Curtis Carey, Brendan Mackay, Brent Hull, Garrick Goad, Mark

G 12 14 11 4 7 3 2 4 2

A 12 5 7 8 5 7 6 4 6

P 24 19 18 12 12 10 8 8 8

WOMEN’S REC Mondays - 5:30PM–8:20PM Name Clubb, B Suzuki, H Pansonneault, Jaquline McGuinness, Kylie Sinclair, Carolyn Weisshaar, Heidi

G 4 6 3 0 2 2

A 3 0 3 5 3 3

P 7 6 6 5 5 5

WOMEN’S COMP

MEN’S CONTACT B

Name Newman, Kristopher Frey, Michael Burke, Michael Inns, Gregory Goertzen, Cameron Quintos, Aaron Smith, Marc Rollo, Scott Waddell, Allan Suckonic, Jonathon

Appleby, Matthew Eisen, Ethan Strickland, Daniel Cochrane, ?

A 4 5 3 0 6 4 4 2 0 6

P 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6

Tuesdays - 7:30PM–9:30PM Name Maddigan, Kaitlyn Garfinkle, Jaclyn Ramsey, T Sproviero, Rebecca Cataford, Carly Lochhead, Allison Bruce, K Bryson, Jen Nielson, Chantelle Wooton, Maddy VanSanten, Jessica Schroeter, Alysa

G 7 9 9 7 3 5 3 5 2 4 5 3

A 8 6 3 4 6 3 5 3 6 4 3 5

P 15 15 12 11 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

ICE HOCKEY, MEN’S CONTACT A

ICE HOCKEY, MEN’S SUPER CONTACT

Tuesdays - 10:30PM–1:20am Men`s Contact A Team No Mercy Hockey Disasters Hockey Night @ Western Barski Beauties THE SOCIETY Kings

W 5 3 3 2 1 0

L 0 2 2 2 3 5

Mondays - 8:30PM–1:20AM

T DFLT PF 0 0 24 0 0 14 0 0 13 1 0 11 1 0 6 0 0 4

PA PT 6 10 9 6 18 6 11 5 13 3 15 0

Fridays - 12:00PM–3:50PM Team The White Russians Jets X-Leafs Leyton`s Finest No Jersey Devils Misfits Marginal Contribution The Mighty Dusts

W 5 4 3 2 2 1 0 0

L 0 0 2 2 2 3 4 4

T DFLT PF 0 0 19 1 0 31 0 0 9 1 0 19 1 0 18 1 1 9 1 1 8 1 2 5

PA PT 5 10 13 9 13 6 12 5 20 5 15 3 21 1 19 1

ICE HOCKEY, MEN’S CONTACT B 1: Sundays - (11:30am-12:30PM)– (9:30PM–1:20AM) Team X-Redwings Iceland The Big Mada Beechys Clamslammers Western Law The Flying-V`s Chiefs Forest Bill

W 5 3 3 3 3 2 1 0

L 0 2 2 2 2 3 4 5

T DFLT PF 0 0 18 0 0 22 0 0 16 0 0 19 0 0 10 0 0 14 0 0 13 0 1 9

PA PT 6 10 15 6 11 6 14 6 11 6 15 4 20 2 29 0

ICE HOCKEY, MENS NON-CONTACT

Team Gongshow Shoulda` Beens Yoshi Prom Kings Regina Pounders Channel 4 News Team Whiskey Water Bottles The Broners The Pink Bunnies The Dusty Pucks

W 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 0 0

L 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 5

T DFLT PF 1 0 31 0 0 13 1 0 26 0 0 22 0 0 14 1 0 10 0 0 20 0 0 13 1 0 10 0 0 0

PA PT 15 9 14 8 11 7 12 6 7 6 17 5 15 4 22 4 24 1 22 0

Thursdays - 10:30PM–1:20AM Team The Free Agents Nashville Sexual Predators Down to Puck Super Toe Drags The Prodigies Varsity Commons

W 4 3 2 1 0 1

L 1 0 2 2 2 4

T DFLT PF 0 0 21 2 0 19 1 0 13 2 0 11 3 0 11 0 0 7

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Wednesdays - 8:30PM–1:20AM Team Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Chaz Trae Fanshawe Hockey The Flames The Gentleman The Mighty Dents Prosecutors X-Canadiens Dirty Dan Obiter

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Western has a lot to brag about, boasting some of the best academic programs, best residences and the best student newspaper. Now the school can also claim some of Canada’s best fencers. This past weekend, four of Western’s varsity fencers travelled to Carleton University in Ottawa to take on the best in the country at the 2009 Canadian National Fencing championships. Épée captains Mark Jones and Andrea Csiba and sabre captains Andrew Wang and Celina Lin all managed to qualify for this year’s tournament. “It was a really good experience. You fence people from all over the country and learn a lot from them,” Lin said. “It was great motivation to compete against people training for the Olympics.” Impressively, each of them showed quite well at the event, especially Csiba, who managed to finish 10th out of the best 48 épée fencers from across Canada. “It was exciting. It was my best result thus far [at nationals],” Csiba said. “It was a very high level [of competition] compared to other events.” Jones also produced one of the biggest upsets of the weekend when he knocked off national team member Igor Gantsevich in the round robin part of the tournament. “That was the highlight of my time there. He shook his head in disgust; he couldn’t believe it,” Jones said. Never before have so many Western fencers qualified for the championships. The coaches feel this is an indication of the team’s growth in talent. “People have to qualify to go to the nationals, you don’t just sign up for it. It is exciting to have that many fencers in that league,” women’s coach Carol Christie said. Part of this success is due to the expert coaching that Christie and men’s coach Brad Winder have brought in to help the athletes. This year alone they have run training camps with master épée coach Alex Frappos and former sabre world champion Felix Becker among others. “They helped raise the level of intensity of our practices. Felix [as a sabre coach] really helped us improve on our abilities. He pointed out a lot of our little flaws that we need to work on,” Wang said. “[Felix] focuses the practices a lot. Normally, we would spend a lot of time free fencing and seeing what we can learn from that, but he shows us a technique and we try to perfect it during practice,” Lin added. The team is hoping the exposure from competing at nationals and hosting some of the world’s top coaches will allow them to recruit the best fencers in the province. “It is favourable for the program and university to have athletes competing at such a level,” Christie said. “The younger fencers who are training at clubs around the province will recognize a program that is supporting our fencers to these competitions.”

Mustangs Fencing Results from national championships

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P8 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009

Sports

ON DECK: Can men’s hockey keep their winning streak alive?... Tuesday

THE PRESTIGIOUS PURPLE PIPE

Simon says win the Purple Pipe Veteran leads by example, helps team to 9-1 record By Daniel Da Silva Gazette Staff

“He’s really driven this year. He’s taking it upon himself to get us [to the championship],” Sage said of his all-star outside hitter. So far this season, Simon has been dominating the competition in the Ontario University Athletics division. He leads the division with 169 points, 24 service aces and finds himself among the top 10 in kills and digs. Last weekend, Simon led the Mustangs to victories over the Waterloo Warriors and Guelph Gryphons, scoring a combined total of 27 points, 22 kills, 15 digs and five blocks, earning the Purple Pipe along the way. Simon sat down with the Gazette to discuss his team’s strong start to the season, studying engineering and losing his shorts during a game. When did you start playing volleyball and why did you start? I started in Grade 9. I was playing for a London club team. I was forced into it by my parents. I stopped playing hockey because of all the politics once checking started. Way too many goons running around. My parents still wanted to keep me busy through the winter, so they signed me up for volleyball. You guys are sitting at 9-1 on a seven game winning streak. What has been the key to your successful start? Definitely the depth we have on our team. We have 14 players who can step in and play at any given time. It gives us a lot of flexibility during the games.

What makes this team different from last year? Everyone is a lot tighter than usual. The rookies are fitting in and stepping up. Everyone is putting volleyball first and bringing a strong work ethic to the team. The team has a strong rookie class this year. What do they bring to the team? We have an exceptional rookie class this year. About seven of them are talented and hard working. The veterans are seeing the rookies work almost harder than them, which pushes us even further. Nobody wants to get outworked by a rookie. What is it like to play for head coach Jim Sage? It’s a great atmosphere. He puts school first. I’m in engineering, so if I ever need to do school work, he gives me time off. He understands that volleyball is a five-year thing, but education is important for the rest of your life. How do you balance engineering with volleyball? In my first three years, it was really difficult. It would be class all day, practice, and then home to do work. I had no social life. But in the fourth and fifth year, it was a lot lighter, so I can concentrate more on volleyball. What do you plan to do after your time at Western? The last thing on my mind is getting a good career job. Hopefully I can go over to Europe and join a club team for a few years. What has been your best volleyball

Laura Barclay/Gazette

ERIC’S A GOOD DIVER – SHOULD’VE PLAYED SOCCER. Mustangs left-outside hitter Eric Simon got an early Christmas present when he was awarded the Purple Pipe for his excellent play so far this season. The fifthyear engineering student leads the OUA in points with 169 and is second in kills with 126. This past weekend he notched three aces and seven kills against Guelph, helping the Mustangs improve their record to 9-1 and move into first place in the OUA. moment? The biggest one was when we went down to Queen’s last year and we were down 14-9 in the fifth set. We came back and ended up winning 16-14. But I’m leaving it open for the possibility of winning an OUA gold this year. What has been your most embarrassing athletic moment? It was in my rookie year at my first game at Alumni Hall. We used to have these great big uniforms back then. I was out on the court and was diving for the ball and my shorts ended up coming down. Stuff was hanging out where it shouldn’t be, but luckily the jerseys were so long that I don’t think anyone noticed. Now I make sure the drawstring is always tight. The team travels quite a bit. What do you guys normally do to stay

entertained on the bus? If we are blessed to have a TV, we usually throw in some movies. But since that isn’t the case, we usually play stuff like euchre, which I am undefeated in this year. Who would you say is the class clown of the team? Definitely have to be “Simple” Jack [Creaghan]. I think it’s the fact that he doesn’t really know what he is doing is funny to people. What is the best part of the holiday break? It is good to have some time off volleyball for a little bit. You get to focus on weight training. And most importantly, you get to focus on your studies. And when you haven’t played for three weeks, you come back really wanting to get back at it and it makes you appreciate it that much more.

#11 ERIC SIMON Position: Left-side Hitter Height: 6-5 Hometown: London, ON High School: Oakridge SS Year: 5 Major: Engineering Career Accomplishments Second Team All-Canadian in 2009 Two-time OUA first team all-star (2008 & 2009) Named to OUA All-Rookie team in 2005-06 2009 Western Purple Blanket recipient Co-MVP of Western men’s volleyball team in 2009