Thursday, November 26, 2009

SPORTS

A&E

NEWS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BROOKS GRAY

BILLS BILLS BILLS

Well rested ‘Stangs take advantage … p.7

Comedian critiques Canadian TV … p.5

Water’s going up … p.3

thegazette ... buying our way into University since 1906

www.westerngazette.ca

UPPING ENROLLMENT

WESTERN’S DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • EST.1906 • VOLUME 103, ISSUE 48

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

IMAGINUS BACK ON CAMPUS

More undergrads likely on the way By Shreya Tekriwal Gazette Staff

Western is looking to expand first-year enrollment to help with the ongoing budget crunch. “A number of our faculties have indicated that they desire to […] increase their first-year enrollments modestly,” Fred Longstaffe, vice-president academic at Western, said. According to Longstaffe, the province is also expecting a surge in demand for placements at universities in the upcoming years. “[The province] is looking to its universities to accommodate that need for access,” he added. Currently, Western’s first-year enrollment level is frozen at 4,350 students. In addition to expanding its undergraduate student body, Western is also looking at offering graduate diplomas, high-end undergraduate programs, course-based master’s programs and increased international student enrollments — all as new sources of revenue. “For 2010-11 [academic year] we plan to maintain the baseline for the first-year entering class at 4,350 plus creating the opportunity for up to 100 additional qualified international students to attend Western,” Longstaffe said. With plans to increase enrollment, the University will also have to review its accommodation plans for first-year students. “We are full right now. Any increase in enrollment would cause us to have to review the situation [and] to work with the University to see what we can do about it,” Susan Grindrod, associate vice-president of housing and ancillary services at Western, said. Longstaffe added the University will ensure commitments such as the first-year residence guarantee is fulfilled in the case of increased enrollment. While other universities also face tight budgets, Western may be unique in its solutions. No discussions at Queen’s University have taken place to date on increasing enrollment, according to Jeff Drake, communications officer at Queen’s. “Certainly all the universities are struggling as costs have gone up and endowments have gone down,” Andrea Farquhar, director of public and government relations at McMaster University, said. “We haven’t set our enrollment targets firmly yet for the coming year. We have largely been holding steady on that over the past couple of years and it doesn’t look like we will be moving away from that policy.” Longstaffe mentioned discussions on enrollment levels for the 2011-12 and later academic years are only in their preliminary stages right now. He also ensured the impact on class sizes arising from changes in enrollment will be minimal for the 2010-11 academic year. “For future years, my sense is that growth in firstyear undergraduate student numbers will continue to be quite modest. I do not expect that there will be a big impact on average class size,” Longstaffe said. “Expansion in the number of graduate students at Western will continue to be the top priority.”

Brett Higgs/Gazette

CHALK UP ANOTHER SALE FOR THE “HECK YES I SPEAK GANGSTA” POSTER. A browser enjoys a few laughs yesterday afternoon in the UCC atrium — the home of the Imaginus poster sale for the remainder of the week.

York program combats faux degrees Investigation revealed fraudulent applicant accepted to law school By Abid-Aziz Ladhani Gazette Staff

York University has launched its online degree verification system in an effort to combat the production and sale of bogus university degrees. Entitled “YU Verify,” the service confirms whether or not an individual has actually graduated from the university and provides verification to employers and the admissions departments of other universities. “Basically it’s an online system whereby the [user] provides information that is required, like the person’s name or date of birth,” Alex Bilyk, spokesperson for York, said. “As technology changes you have to [adapt]. At this day and age you kind of have people who expect to access information online.” This initiative comes in the wake of an investigation that exposed the selling of

whether a person holds a Western degree.” Vanderwal also added Western has experienced some issues with fake degrees in the past. “We haven’t had many problems on the admissions side but on the verification side we have encountered instances,” he said. “We try to pursue [degree verification] with the campus police service. They get involved when people make their claims and they more or less flag that individual.” John Doerksen, vice-provost academic programs and students at Western, highlighted some of the precautions the University employs before admitting students. “Western relies on transcripts that are mailed directly from other academic institutions to our admissions offices,” Doerksen said. “We also rely on electronic transcripts from the applicant’s institution.” “We do not accept student-supplied degrees or transcripts as proof of achievement,” he added.

Poli-sci prof Copenhagen bound By Meagan Kashty Gazette Staff

Source: ipb.uwo.ca

illegitimate York University degrees by a former student. Further inspection also revealed an instance in which a student who bought a bogus bachelor’s degree online managed to gain admission into Osgoode Hall Law School at York. “These are sophisticated degree mills,” Bilyk said. “Some of these were used in a particular marketplace like the far East, which makes it difficult to verify degrees.” He added York was one of the first universities in Canada to adopt an online degree verification service. According to Ken Vanderwal, team leader of enrollment and structure at Western, university officials at Western are currently investigating the possibility of adopting an online request service. “We take the majority of degree verifications via fax,” Vanderwal said. “We also offer a telephone support service. An employer can call us and we can verify

Western will have at least one representative in Copenhagen for the United Climate Change Conference in December. Radoslav Dimitrov, associate professor for the department of political science, will participate in the conference as a member of the Bulgarian delegation. The conference will highlight climate issues and attempt to form an agreement intent on stabilizing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Dimitrov

noted Copenhagen, however, will not be the be-all end-all of climate change policy. “It’s part of a very long policy process,” Dimitrov said. “And the process will continue — the reason for this is very important because countries are negotiating the global transition of a low carbon economy.” Dimitrov added achieving this will involve the fundamental transformation of modern society. “[It’s] not just an environmental problem — it’s an issue that will affect every [aspect] of our lives — jobs, economic

growth [and] physical survival,” he said. For some, the Copenhagen conference will hopefully provide a push for the Canadian federal government to take a stronger stance on climate change policy. “I do not think the government is representing Canadians’ needs in terms of climate change policy,” Cory Morningstar, representative for Canadians for Action on Climate Change, said. “A lot of people are hoping for a deal but quite frankly, the policies on the table to be signed are all PLEASE SEE CHANGE P2

➤

news

theGazette • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

NEWSBRIEFS Donor doubles donations An anonymous donor has proposed an interesting offer to the United Way of London and Middlesex. The donor has pledged to match every minimum donation of $1,000 up to a total of $100,000 between now and the end of their advertising campaign. “It’s an exciting and rare event — we’re delighted. It’s a huge vote of confidence and boost to our 2009 campaign,” Andrew Lockie, CEO of United Way of London and Middlesex, said. Although the matched donations will be a significant boost in helping the United Way reach their goal, officials are concerned the suffering job market will have a negative impact on the number and size of future donations. “Unemployment is the second highest in the London area, compared to the rest of the country,” Lockie said. “A lot of our fundraising happens in workplace campaigns, and they’re certainly affected.” United Way estimates their campaign is at 50 per cent of the target of $7.4 million goal for 2009, an increase from last year’s goal. The United Way of London and Middlesex supports about 40 groups annually, such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Sexual Assault Centre London. —Mike Macdonald

Out of this world Participants of the newly created Canadian Astrobiology Training Program will have the opportunity to study life outside planet Earth. In partnership with the Western, McGill University, McMaster University, the University of Toronto and the University of Winnipeg, the program will recruit people to research organisms living in extreme conditions. “The catalyst [for this project] rested in the principal investigator, Lyle Whyte, and the research he’s been doing,” Robert Oxley, project co-ordinator, said.

Recruitment of candidates for the program will be done over the next six years. “After the announcement of the program we’ve had over a dozen interested candidates who have contacted McGill directly, and I believe some have contacted the other universities as well,” Oxley said. “Dr. Whyte has identified this as a new program that is multiinstitutional.” Oxley added the research will study whether life can exist in extreme conditions outside of Earth, as past research has indicated it can exist on Earth. “With the constant stream of data arriving daily form the surface of Mars, the fundamental question of humanity has never been so significant,” Whyte noted in a press release. —Meagan Kashty

Brescia students recognized Last Sunday, more than 60 awards were presented to Brescia University College students who demonstrated exemplary performance in their academic and extracurricular endeavours. The reception brought out about 200 people, including recipients and their family members, donors, volunteers and faculty and staff members. Brescia students were recognized for a variety of their achievements including academic performance, leadership ability and community service. “Sunday saw the celebration of our key award winners, and Brescia donors who made these awards possible,” Colleen Hanycz, principal of Brescia noted in the press release. “We had a huge turnout, with families travelling from great distances to celebrate with our students.” The awards worked to provide recognition, encouragement and in some cases financial support for recipients.

Change won’t come cheap Long-term gains worth short-term losses, according to Dimtrov CONTINUED FROM P1

suicide pacts. What we’re discussing is nowhere near anything that’s going to save us.” The federal government, however, said they are ultimately trying to bring the country into a greener future. “We will focus on the development of an effective international climate change agreement that balances environmental protection and economic prosperity, has a long-term focus, supports the development and deployment of clean technologies, supports constructive and ambitious global action and includes commitments from all major economies,” said Sujata Raisinghani, media relations officer for Environment Canada. Dimitrov confirmed the need for Canada to step up its commitment in regards to climate policy, but added Canadians need to push the government to do so. He also mentioned the government needs to assess whether they are willing to risk the economic drawbacks if they choose not to move forward with climate change policies. “Countries that rush ahead with the transition for a green economy will pay costs in the short and medium term, but in the long term they will be creating jobs in the new environmental sector,” Dimitrov said. “People have to stop being apathetic and complacent and start demanding action,” Morningstar said. “There’s no other way.”

—Meagan Kashty

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

We Offer Student Discounts Who’s Taking You to the Airport?

Book now for the holidays 519-673-6804 or 1-800-265-4948 Book On-line: www.robertq.com Serving Toronto and Detroit Airports

Airbus

3-DAY WEATHER FORECAST Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Cloudy with showers High 7ºC Low 1ºC

Cloudy with showers High 6ºC Low -1ºC

Cloudy periods High 6ºC Low 1ºC

091112

P2

news ➤ P3

theGazette • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

Conservation great, but it doesn’t pay the bills City ups water price by eight per cent to cover increasing infrastructure costs By Stuart A. Thompson Gazette Staff

The City of London is asking citizens to pay the price for water conservation. An 18 per cent drop in residential water consumption since 2001 is costing the City lost revenue. While the decrease is good for the environment, officials said the short-term effects are affecting their budgets. This week, the City responded by increasing water rates by eight per cent and wastewater treatment rates by nine per cent. This translates to about $62 more per year for a typical home, according to a press release from city hall. “This is the double-edged sword of conservation,” said Pat McNally, general manager of environmental and engineering services and city engineer. “The customer gets full credit for their conservation efforts. But at the end of the day, the average household is paying $280, which is not that far off from what they were paying in 2001.” The water conservation efforts also come at a crucial time when London is playing catch-up with its infrastructure maintenance. Even though water consumption has fallen, the City still has to pay fixed and unchanged maintenance costs, according to Roland

“The customer gets full credit for their conservation efforts. But at the end of the day, the average household is paying […] what they were paying in 2001.” — Pat McNally, general manager of environmental and engineering services and city engineer

Photo Illustration by Corey Stanford/Gazette

Welker, manager of the water engineering division for the City. “Irrespective of how much water is flowing through the pipes, you have to maintain the same amount of maintenance,” he said. “What we’re saving in water costs and chemical costs doesn’t necessarily offset the [maintenance costs] in the short term.” McNally said much of London’s pipes, valves and storm drains have been a “neglected utility” for years, with about 1,500 kilometre of pipes and infrastructure deteriorating beneath the city. “Some of that sewer pipe goes back to the 1800s and needs to be cleaned and maintained,” he said. City planners struggled with

Changes to water and wastewater rates compared to inflation

CATCH A FREE RIDE

% of change

100

ON THE WHITE OAKS MALL

75

SHUTTLE BUS

50 25

t
t
t

0 20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09

&WFSZ
4BUVSEBZ
TUBSUJOH 4FQUFNCFS
UI
VOUJM
%FDFNCFS
UI
UIF
8IJUF
0BLT
.BMM
TIVUUMF
CVT XJMM
SVO
SPVOE
USJQT
GSPN
680
UP UIF
NBMM
GSPN

QN
UP

QN
+VNQ
PO
#PBSE

JUT
FREE

Source: Pat McNally, rateinflation.com

Pre Winter Sales Event

• Magnetic Cycle Trainers • Helmets & Gloves • Clothing, Shoes, Eyewear

Service • Tune Ups • Tire Rims & Tubes

www.villagecyclelondon.com

Bicycles starting from $189 Includes 1yr of tune ups

Accessories

puzzle solution from page 6

rates to pay for it, according to Welker. “While we would like to give a break to the homeowner, in the long run I hope the homeowner will thank us for maintaining a water and wastewater system that meets their needs.” Mary Ann Hodge, riding association president for the Green Party in London North Centre, said the City should look to alternatives for funding instead of passing the buck to conservationists. “Tax things that are bad, not things that are good. The City needs to find ways to look at other forms of revenue […] so we’re not necessarily penalizing those who are in lower income brackets.”

Water

125

Gazette News has openings for writers and interns. Visit Rm. 263 and talk to managing editor Jaela Bernstien.

City is facing a widening “infrastructure gap” — a turning point in city maintenance when investment becomes necessary to curb an aging infrastructure problem. In 2007, City officials announced an 18-year infrastructure strategy, which budgeted $750,000 per year for pipe replacements alone. The money was used to target lead pipes used in many old homes in London. By April the following year, these homes saw lead concentrations fall by 40 to 50 per cent. In 2010, the City will spend another $8 million on contract labour to make infrastructure repairs, using part of the money from the water and wastewater

Wastewater Inflation

Interested in journalism?

raising rates for water and wastewater services as a way to pay for city-wide maintenance. But with city hall asking for a zero per cent budget increase in 2010, officials were left with little option but to raise the cost. “It’s always been a really tough dilemma,” said John Braam, division manager of water operations for London. Water management alone costs the City $1.8 billion per year, Braam said. The wastewater system, which includes sanitary and storm sewers as well as water treatment plants, costs another $3.6 billion. While Londoners are consuming and paying less for water, the

Available to all students living in and around the UWO.

344 Ridout St. S. www.villagecyclelondon.com Tue-Fri 10-6 and Sat 10-5

091126

519-672-1200

WHITE OAKS MALL BUS SCHEDULE 12:00 p.m. 12:05 p.m. 12:10 p.m. 12:15 p.m.

Elgin Hall Delaware Hall Saugeen Maitland Hall London Hall

12:20 p.m. 12:45 p.m. 1:00 p.m.

Departs London Hall Arrives at White Oaks Mall Departs White Oaks Mall

1:30 p.m. 1:35 p.m. 1:40 p.m. 1:45 p.m.

London Hall Saugeen Maitland Hall Delaware Hall Elgin Hall

1:50 p.m. 2:35 p.m. 3:00 p.m.

Departs Elgin Hall Arrives at White Oaks Mall Departs White Oaks Mall

3:30 p.m. 3:35 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 3:45 p.m.

London Hall Saugeen Maitland Hall Delaware Hall Elgin Hall

3:50 p.m. 4:35 p.m. 5:00 p.m.

Departs Elgin Hall Arrives at White Oaks Mall Departs White Oaks Mall

EXCLUSIVE TO LONDON AT WHITE OAKS MALL: H&M, Bath & Body Works, Aerie and Club Monaco COMING SOON: Coach and Bath & Body Works Home Fragrance.

P4

➤

opinions

theGazette • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

thegazette Volume 103, issue 48 “A good teacher is like a candle it consumes itself to light the way for others.” — ANON

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.

Defining the Role of TAs A recent article in the Gazette uncovered a budgetary shortfall at King’s University College, meaning some teaching assistants could be without a contract next year. Today’s opinions section also features a letter that draws attention to the fact that students are asking for more help than TAs are expected — or paid — to offer. Whether it is the fault of the students, the TAs or the departments, it’s clear Western needs to take a closer look at defining the roles and responsibilities of TAs. TAs, like professors, vary in quality from course to course and faculty to faculty. For every horror story about a TA who disappeared after the first lecture, there is another story of a TA willing to take hours out of their weekend to ensure every single student seeking help gets what they need. This vast range in experiences leaves undergraduates unsure of what to expect of their TAs. Part of the problem is the lack of a common job description — defining the role of the TA is often left up to the discretion of individual professors. While some professors may fully support their assistants, all too often TAs are left to take on undesirable tasks or waste time explaining concepts in tutorials that professors should be explaining more clearly during lectures. Much of the confusion surrounding the role of the TA comes from undergraduate students who seem incapable of understanding TAs are students too. With the pressures of graduate school and other personal commitments, TAs don’t always have time to answer every beck and call of undergraduates. Through their collective agreement with Western, TAs are not to be assigned more than 10 hours of work a week on average, except in special circumstances. During that time, the average TA could be expected to attend lectures, hold office hours, mark assignments and operate tutorials or labs — a lot for only 10 hours. However, office hours outside of essay and exam time are often underused. Perhaps instead of wasting multiple hours every week hoping students will stop by for help, some sort of “electronic office” could be created. With most students relying on e-mail for communication anyway, why not accommodate for such behaviour? Ultimately, the greatest task to ensuring TAs at Western can be an effective tool for academic achievement is to better define their role. Whether it be the individual faculty, or the university administration as a whole, defining what a TA is required to do and communicating those responsibilities to undergraduates will mean students can better understand what to expect. As it currently stands, there is no way for a TA to cater to the broad range of demands undergraduate students have for them. 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

Extra help shouldn’t cost more To the editor: As a teaching assistant, I’m constantly meeting students or responding to e-mail questions, even during the evening or on weekends. I want my students to succeed, so I make sure I am available to help them out whenever they are having problems. In my teaching contract, however, there is no time allotted for meeting students or answering e-mails, and so, in reality, I’m not being paid to provide help to students outside of the three-hour lab period we have together each week. I could simply ignore their e-mails and deny their requests for meetings, but then what kind of teacher would I be? Yesterday I noticed a bright yellow sign posted in the Natural Sciences Building. It was advertising a review session for Physics 1028: an intensive, six-hour review session that only costs $70, taught by two warm and friendly teachers — both have university e-mail addresses and university telephone extensions. This is not a review session offered by a private company; this is a review session offered by two individuals who work for the university and who are already paid a salary to teach students. So why are they charging those students looking for a little extra help? Furthermore, why are students, who already pay $5,000 per year in tuition, being asked to pay even more money if

Did you know? The Gazette looks back this week to 1990 when a former Western student lost his court battle against the University Students’ Council and London Crime Stoppers for what he said was a breach of contract. The drama began after the Gazette

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

they want this little extra help? Does tuition only cover so much learning? To me, this seems to be a shameful situation, and I am very curious about in whose pocket this extra money ends up. Interestingly, one of my students emailed me today to ask if I would be running a final exam review session during our last lab this semester. I responded that I hadn’t been planning to, but I would if enough people were interested. It turns out more than enough people are interested, and so I am going to brush up on aspects of animal physiology in preparation for a day of helping students, and I’m charging the low, low price of — free. —Jason Brown PhD Biology

Campus radio not dead yet Re: “Campus radio crunch” Nov. 19, 2009 To the editor: Thanks for covering the funding crisis of SoundFM — aka CKMS — at Waterloo. To put into context some of what we said in your article, the National Campus and Community Radio Association has just released information about the different realities — some brighter than others — in student support for campus radio across Canada. While the Waterloo referendum results are indeed sad news, and the

ran a story on Dec. 8, 1989 about a man who was videotaped stealing a briefcase outside of the Western Bookstore. A photograph of the alleged thief was printed next to the article along with reports about a $1,000 reward being offered for information leading to an arrest. Mark Henry approached Crime Stoppers and after an arrest was made, the committee presented him with a

team at SoundFM has an uphill road ahead, it does not represent an overall decline in support for student radio. You can see our full press release at www.ncra.ca. —Kevin Matthews NCRA

Spread the news, save the paper To the editor: Newspapers are not one-time-use materials. You can read one then pass it on to your friend, with no loss of information in the exchange. Every morning, I see tall stacks of newspapers all over campus. I also see equally large volumes of newspapers strewn all over campus whether in recycling bins, garbage bins, tabletops or elsewhere. This is my humble request: let us place our read newspapers back on the newspaper rack and not elsewhere. There are racks all over campus, so it can hardly be considered to be an inconvenience to do so. Common courtesy holds that crossword-solvers ought not put their newspapers back on the rack, but they can instead consider doing their crosswords online. If we all take these simple steps, think of all of the resources we can save. —Seth Climans Physiology IV

$125 reward. What the original article should have read was the reward was “up to $1,000,” but a disgruntled Henry brought suit against the USC, publishers of the Gazette and London Crime Stoppers. A correction about the wording of the reward was printed in the Gazette on Jan. 8, 1990, but Henry was never awarded a cent more for his information.

e-mail

Gazette Staff 2009-2010

News - [email protected] Sports - [email protected] A&E - [email protected] Opinions - [email protected] Seniors - [email protected]

Ryan Abreu, Tara Athar, Katherine Atkinson, Erin Baker, Mary Ann Boateng, Jordan Brown, Dylan Clark, Julie-Anne Cleyn, Caitlin Conroy, Sari Rose Conter, Adam Crozier, Angela Easby. Adam Feldman, Mark Filipowich, Allie Fonarev, Jennifer Gautier, Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt, Jeremy Gritten, Elton Hobson, Eliot Hong, Alan Hudes, Aras Kolya, Aaron Korolnek, Jay LaRochelle, Colin Lim, Jared Lindzon, Julia Lovgren, Kevin Melhuish, Paula Meng, Lauren Moore, Ora Morison, Jessie Murdock, Maciej Pawlak, Jonathan Pinkus, Aaron Pinto, Jaymin Proulx, Gennelle Smith, Cali Travis, Jennifer Urbanski, Drew Whitson, Dale Williams, Casey Yetman, Emily Zhou

Gazette Composing Ian Greaves, Manager Maja Anjoli-Bilić, Cheryl Forster Gazette Advertising Alex McKay, Manager Mark Ritchie, Karen Savino, Diana Watson

P5 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

ArtsEntertainment Canadian comedian Brooks Gray cock’d and loaded Gemini award-winner complains about Canadian TV, lack of cultivation By Amber Garratt Gazette Staff

Western’s humour writing class was in stitches Monday afternoon with a presentation from Canadian comic Brooks Gray. Professor Mark Kearney brought Gray back to campus to provide students with first-hand insight into the world of comedy writing and Canadian television. Gray is most commonly known for his role as Barry Ciccarelli in Cock’d Gunns. The Gemini awarding-winning rockumentary follows a talentless group of musicians on their quest to become a famous rock band. The show’s first season earned three Gemini award nominations in 2008 for Best Comedy, Best Ensemble Performance and Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series. “The chances of us winning, I thought, was really remote,” Gray said. However, Gray and his cast members walked away with the awards for best writing and best ensemble. Despite the show’s apparent success, it was not renewed for a second season. “It’s almost a cliché in Canadian TV — you get awards after your show has been cancelled. It’s a different game here,” Gray said. “I could sit here and bitch about

“No one expects Canadian shows to be a smash. It’s lucky when it happens, like [with] Corner Gas. It’s amazing that show is as popular as it is.” —Brooks Gray Canadian Comic

Canadian TV for hours.” Gray’s experiences in Canadian television are wide-ranging — he has acted, directed, produced and written for several shows. His knowledge allowed him to give Western students insight into the complexity of Canadian media. “The pie — especially in this country — is really small,” he explained. “No one expects Canadian shows to be a smash. It’s lucky when it happens, like [with] Corner Gas. It’s amazing that show is as popular as it is.” In an effort to promote Canadian programming, broadcasters are required to provide a certain percentage of Canadian content to receive funding — a sore subject for Gray. “[The attitude of broadcasters]

Gazette File Photo

CAN YOU SAY BAD ASS? Comedian Brooks Gray (far right) played a member of the fictional band struggling to make it big in the cancelled Canadian series Cock’d Gunns. is to fulfill a mandate rather than cultivate,” he said. “We have never been able to cultivate an industry that is self-sustaining in the way that the British have been able to or the Australians,” Gray added while giving credit to a small number of excep-

tions. “Some shows have been able to break through and become culturally relevant such as Corner Gas or Trailer Park Boys, but the examples are few.” So what does a future in Canadian television hold for Gray? “I’m currently developing

another show with a couple of guys from Cock’d Gunns. We’re developing and writing a pilot,” he divulged. “I’m also writing for an adult-themed puppet show and developing an animated production with an animation company right now. I am busy doing a lot of

Le Cyc transcends traditional entertainment Innovative show takes final bow, for now, at Arts Project Sunday By Mark Fillipowich Gazette Staff

Gazette File Photo

BICYCLE DYSTOPIA. Le Cyc uses unconventional media like wine and coffee to create the show’s artwork.

For most artists, picking one medium to hone their skills is a big part of the battle. The makers of Le Cyc set themselves apart by not only using several art forms, but also by exhibiting exceptional skill in all of them. The show is a mixture of surrealist painting, dystopian narrative, haunting rock opera and political commentary — a London audience experienced this first-hand during Le Cyc’s final performance for some time at the Arts Project Sunday night. The story takes place in a town called Le Cyc, where the citizens must power everything by peddling bicycles. The plot follows Mis de Berm, the town’s corrupt leader, and Jean-Paul and his sister-in-law Sophie, two of the oppressed citizens who are prompted to rise up against their government. The story is similar to other dystopian fantasies such as George Orwell’s 1984 or the graphic novel turned film V For Vendetta, but its absurdist, otherworldly background gives it a unique flavour. Much credit is due to David Willekes, whose simultaneously cartoon-like and sinister artwork brings the world of Le Cyc to life.

The jagged, masculine faces and the exaggerated moustaches give a real sense of personality to the characters. The paintings of faces shaded and textured with coffee and red wine stains are unlike anything seen before. The unique illustrations are accompanied by fitting music. The 11-piece rock orchestra moves seamlessly between songs of triumph, remorse, hope and defeat. The majority of the show is narrated musically. The writing is solid, and the music — even outside the performance — would make a terrific concept album. Unfortunately, London was the last stop on Le Cyc’s tour, as the creators have decided to take some time off to make a similar production for Toronto’s Images Festival in April. That means it could be a long time before audiences have the opportunity to see the production of Le Cyc again. Le Cyc has enough versatility to be a successful theatrical or filmed piece, album or art exhibit. The balance it strikes between different media is what makes it exceptional. The show shatters convention — it’s a form of entertainment so different it should be seen simply because it’s refreshing and new. Le Cyc is a delightful production that adventures successfully beyond the constraints of traditional media.

P6

➤

arts&entertainment

theGazette • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

Gazette File Photo

WEREWOLF LOVE? New Moon, the highly anticipated vampire love story brought in $72.7 million on opening day at the box office, setting a new record.

New Moon renews vampire craze By Mel Levitin Gazette Writer

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner Directed by: Chris Weitz

TUESDAY DECEMBER 15 JOHN LABATT CENTRE 7PM TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE JOHN LABATT CENTRE BOX OFFICE, FANSHAWE COLLEGE BIZBOOTH, THE BOOK STORE AT WESTERN AND BOOKS PLUS. CALL 1-866-455-2849 OR ONLINE AT WWW.JOHNLABATTCENTRE.COM All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. Ticket prices subject to applicable fees.

New Moon, the second installment of the Twilight saga, attracted groups upon groups of teenage fanatics decked out in New Moon paraphernalia during opening weekend. Moviegoers waited in a line wrapped around the theatre before finally being let inside with 40 minutes to spare until the movie began. The film almost lived up to the hype. From the very start, the audience became immersed in the magical world of Bella Swan (Stewart) — the average human teenage girl who lives among vampires and werewolves.

•Fast •Effective •Inexpensive HOW TO PLAY Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Solving time is typically from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience. The Gazette publishes Sudoku puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty.

Frosh, Soph, Senior, Grad Student

Today’s difficulty level:

SENIOR

For solution, turn to page 3

Housing

For Sale

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!

TUXEDO CLEARANCE. Used tuxes from $99, Shirts from $5, shoes from $5, vests from $10. 317 Adelaide Street south at Commissioners. Collins Formal 519680-2986

Employment CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPERS. Creative individuals. Locations: Downtown Toronto, Brampton. Managers to $11.50/hour +bonuses. Wrappers to $9.85/hour. Full- and Part-time available December 1-24. To apply, go to www.TorontoWraps.com.

Get noticed in the

Gazet te Marketplace

Introducing Classified Display Ads

Happy Birthday Chelsea! Wishing you all the best! Love your friends,

Kaitlin & Abigail

Looking for a roomate? Someone’s birthday coming up? Anniversary announcement? See us in Room 267 in the UCC one week before publication or call 519-661-3274 for details.

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. DO YOU LOVE teaching? Sign up for a two weekend Red Cross Instructor course just 15 minutes northeast of London! $450 includes all course materials and manuals. Contact: (519)549-0090 or www.thorndalecommunity.ca. NEED HELP WITH assignments? Professional copyeditor will proofread and edit essays, presentations, dissertations, reports, correspondence, applications, and any other written material. Expert service. Fast and affordable. ESL welcome. 519-319-5211, [email protected]. PROOFREADING FOR STUDENTS-FAST and affordable from $0.01/word. Improve your grades instantly with clear and concise writing. Professional English-first-language editors ready to help with whatever you’ve written! Visit us: MadProofingSkillz.com/UWO. WRITING AND EDITING professionals available to help you craft your assignments into perfect form. For help today call 1-888-345-8295 or email us at [email protected]. Visit our website: www.customessay.com.

Teach English Abroad TESOL/TESL Teacher Training Certification Courses

CANADA GOOSE

NOVACKS

211 KING ST. 434-2282 London’s most interesting store

www.novacks.com

091015

Special rate for students: ONLY $22.50+GST

For Solution, tips and computer program at: www.sudoku.com

Four issues, thousands of readers for $29.40 (based on 30 words) Call 519-661-3274 or email [email protected]

The first Twilight film introduced Bella and Edward Cullen’s (Pattinson) seemingly doomed romance. In New Moon, the story continues as Edward decides to leave Bella for her own protection. Bella consequently remains depressed for the entirety of the movie — her expression unchanging throughout the two-hour and 10-minute film. The lack of Edward in Bella’s life brings to her attention another teen boy fascination, Jacob Black (Lautner). The somewhat repetitive romance plot is made more exciting by the blooming relationship between Bella and Jacob, the part boy, part werewolf. The movie is interspersed with high-action fight scenes between vampires and werewolves in which Bella typically stands defenseless in the middle. It is in these scenes the movie’s impressive special effects are displayed. It’s clear director Chris Weitz made use of the bigger budget — as a result of the success of Twilight — to make author Stephanie Meyer’s fantasy world more realistic and alluring to viewers. The soundtrack complements the movie’s gloomy atmosphere. It boasts a lineup of indie all-stars such as Death Cab for Cutie, Thom Yorke and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Despite a plot that was drawn out at times, New Moon succeeds in entertaining viewers and drawing them in to the complex teenage love triangle. Overall, the film allows audiences to forego reality and appreciate the clichéd, yet intense emotional rollercoaster that is New Moon.

• Intensive 60-Hour Program • Classroom Management Techniques • Detailed Lesson Planning • ESL Skills Development • Comprehensive Teaching Materials • Interactive Teaching Practicum • Internationally Recognized Certificate • Teacher Placement Service • Money-Back Guarantee Included • Thousands of Satisfied Students

OXFORD SEMINARS 1-800-269-6719/416-924-3240

www.oxfordseminars.ca

P7 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

Sports

ON DECK: The prestigious Purple Pipe... Friday

MUSTANGS 66, GAELS 53

Anderson amazing in rout of Queen’s Fifth-year guard pours in 21 as Mustangs improve to 4-1 By Arden Zwelling Gazette Staff

When the Mustangs women’s basketball team got word RMC had forfeited their scheduled Friday night game with Western, they didn’t take the night off. They hit the gym. “We had a good practice last night,” fifth-year guard Amanda Anderson said when asked what the team did with their unexpected free time Friday night. “That definitely helped. Any day off before a game is always good, especially when you’re coming in against a good team like Queen’s.” The Mustangs certainly looked rested against the Gaels Saturday afternoon, coming away with a decisive 66-53 victory to improve their record to 4-1 on the season. Anderson led the way for the Purple and Silver, scoring 21 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the field. “I was feeling on,” Anderson said after her inspired play. “It helps when you have good players around you who make shots too. It takes some of the pressure off yourself.” Anderson has been a cornerstone for the Mustangs this season, averaging 15 points per game, good for sixth in Ontario University Athletics competition. Her 21 points Saturday were just one shy of her season high 22, which came against Ottawa two weeks ago. “Amanda’s been doing a little bit of everything for us this year,” Mustangs head coach Stephan Barrie said of his point guard. “The scoring is something we’re all used to, but she’s playing better defence this year. She’s rebounding and her leadership is really solid.” Anderson saw more time on the floor than anyone else in the game, logging 34 minutes. She grabbed three rebounds, notched four assists and hit two three-pointers. For Barrie, Anderson helps the team in ways that aren’t measured on stat sheets. “Amanda is a kid that we feel we have to have on the floor most of the game to give that direction, leadership and poise when we need it,” Barrie said. “Her presence is

much larger than the stat line shows. She’s a critical piece for us.” After a back and forth first quarter, the Mustangs pulled away in the second, going on a 10-0 run and preventing the Gaels from scoring a basket for the first five minutes of the second stanza. “We needed more control on offence,” Gaels head coach Dave Wilson said. “Western did a really good job of keeping us off balance. We didn’t play good enough defence. That hurt us down the stretch.” The Mustangs escaped the first half with a six-point lead, despite being out-rebounded 21 to 13. The Mustangs allowed the Gaels to come down with a whopping 11 offensive rebounds in the first two frames. “In the first half our rebounding was atrocious,” Barrie said bluntly after the game. “Queen’s had 11 offensive rebounds in the first half alone. They just didn’t score on any of those opportunities. The score was deceiving. We were up at half but we probably should have been down at that point.” Barrie wasn’t exaggerating. Despite winning four of their first five games this season, the Mustangs have been out rebounded 189 to 171 by their opponents. “Right now our rebounding is God-awful. We’re going to have to fix that before we’re going to be successful against the best teams,” Barrie said. “If you’re going to beat the best teams you’re going to have to play the entire game on defence and not just a half. That’s where we’re disappointed. We need to get 40 minutes of effort.” Despite their poor play defensively in the first half, the Mustangs were able to utilize their rested legs in the second and put the game out of reach with 20 points in the third quarter against a Queen’s defence that often struggled to keep up with the Mustang attack. “I thought we were sluggish. I don’t think we were very sharp at all,” Wilson said of his tired team. “Western did a really good job of keeping us under the gun with pressure all game long. Eventually we made a few mistakes and West-

Courtesy of Craig Glover

LOOK A LITTLE MORE BORED, GUY IN BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. Mustangs guard Amanda Anderson, left, drives to the net past two Gaels defenders Saturday afternoon. Anderson played 34 minutes and finished with 21 points on 10 of 14 shooting. ern did a really good job of capitalizing on them.” Despite only playing the one game against Queen’s, the Mustangs exited the weekend with two wins after the RMC forfeit. Next weekend sees tough road dates with Ryerson and the University of Toronto, who are first and second in

the OUA’s East Division. Anderson knows her squad will have to play better than they did against the Gaels. “The Toronto teams will be a challenge. They’re really aggressive […] so we’re going to have to take care of the ball a lot better than we did today.”

OUA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS

OUA West Windsor Brock Western McMaster Lakehead Laurier Waterloo Guelph

OUA East Pts 12 10 10 6 6 2 2 0

GP 6 6 6 5 5 6 6 6

Record 6-0 5-1 5-1 4-1 3-2 1-5 1-5 0-6

Win % 1.000 0.833 0.833 0.800 0.600 0.167 0.167 0.000

GF 346 422 355 379 383 370 306 308

GA 269 350 314 283 315 406 377 422

Last 10 6-0 5-1 5-1 4-1 3-2 1-5 1-5 0-6

Streak Won 6 Lost 1 Won 3 Won 1 Lost 1 Lost 3 Lost 2 Lost 6

Ryerson Toronto Carleton Laurentian Ottawa Queen’s York RMC

Pts 12 8 8 8 8 6 2 0

GP 8 6 7 7 7 7 7 7

Record 6-2 4-2 4-3 4-3 4-3 3-4 1-6 0-7

Win % 0.750 0.667 0.571 0.571 0.571 0.429 0.143 0.000

GF 546 394 453 474 460 454 403 181

GA 498 356 366 487 471 422 510 388

Last 10 6-2 4-2 4-3 4-3 4-3 3-4 1-6 0-7

Streak Won 2 Won 1 Won 2 Won 3 Won 2 Lost 2 Lost 3 Lost 7

AMANDA ANDERSON 5th year Guard Psychology Chatham, ON Vs Queen’s 34 minutes 21 points 3 rebounds 4 assists 8/10 field goals 2/4 3 point field goals 3/4 free throws

P8

➤

sports

theGazette • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009

#32 Roy Halladay Blue Jays Starting Pitcher 2009 Season Stats GP W L 32 17 10

BB 35

K 208

ERA 2.79

WHIP 1.13

Career Stats GP W 313 148

BB 455

K 1495

ERA 3.43

WHIP 1.20

L 76

Halla’ days numbered with lackluster Jays Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers showing interest in ace Zwellin’ it like it is Arden Zwelling Sports Editor

WITH

ON SALE TOMORROW AT 10AM

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 JOHN LABATT CENTRE

7pm

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE JOHN LABATT CENTRE BOX OFFICE, FANSHAWE COLLEGE BIZBOOTH, THE BOOK STORE AT WESTERN AND BOOKS PLUS, CALL 1.866.455.2849 OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.JOHNLABATTCENTRE.COM

All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. Ticket prices subject to applicable fees.

Sorry naive Toronto sports fans — Roy Halladay does not want to resign with the Blue Jays. Halladay wants to win, and Toronto is hardly the place to do that as a baseball player — or any kind of professional athlete, for that matter. This should be common knowledge. However, last weekend when the Jays’ now permanent president and CEO Paul Beeston told the New York Post that Halladay was “not inclined” to re-sign with Canada’s only major league team, it set off a firestorm of epic proportions amongst Jays fans. Let’s face reality. Halladay will almost certainly not be on this team past the 2010 season. He may not even be on the roster for opening day in April, marking the first time in seven years the doctor has not pitched that game. The most likely scenario sees Halladay being traded sometime before the July 2010 trade deadline and the man with the unenviable job of deciding Halladay’s fate is newly minted Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos. It’s a tough situation for a GM, knowing you’re trading one of the best players in franchise history in a deal that will surely be scrutinized for years to come. Anthoupolos does not want his legacy to be tarnished by a bad trade. The fear of making a bad deal could be one of the reasons why former Jays GM JP Ricciardi did not pull the trigger on a deal after vigorously shopping Halladay at the July 2009 trade deadline. Ricciardi demanded a high price for Halladay and eventually balked when he was unable to find any colleagues willing to match it. Now, four months later, Anthoupolos has replaced Ricciardi and the Halladay trade forum has reopened. Here are the teams that have emerged as the front-runners in this winter’s Roy Halladay sweepstakes. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees Trading Halladay to an American League East rival would be a nightmare for Jays fans, as they would be forced to watch Halladay decimate Toronto’s lineup three or four times a season. Ricciardi refused to do it at the trade deadline despite reportedly being offered promising young pitchers Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson plus others from the Red Sox. Anthopolous, on the other hand, has made it clear he has no problem dealing with teams within the division, and could, if he’s crafty, start a bidding war between the Red Sox and Yankees. Neither team wants to see the other gain the upper hand in the hyper-competitive division by landing the Jays ace. Masterson is since gone to the Cleveland Indians but the Red Sox could still offer Buchholz as the

centrepiece in any deal. Meanwhile the Jays would demand either Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain be involved in a deal with the Yankees. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Angels were in hot pursuit of Halladay at the trade deadline but talks fell apart when Ricciardi demanded shortstop Erick Aybar be included in the deal — a move the Angels refused to make. Once again, Anthopolous has taken a drastically different stance than his predecessor, insisting Aybar does not have to be part of any package for Halladay, which has brought the Angels back to the table this winter. Any deal with the Halos would have to involve one of the Angels’ top young pitchers: Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders or Ervin Santana. Shortstop Maicer Izturis and catcher Mike Napoli would also fit nicely in the holes left in the Jays lineup by the departures of Marco Scutaro and Rod Barajas this winter. The Philadelphia Phillies The Phillies were the closest team to landing Halladay at the trade deadline, eventually backing down after the price got too high and settling for the considerably cheaper Cliff Lee from Cleveland. At the deadline Ricciardi was asking for J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek, the Phillies’ two best pitching prospects, along with highlytouted outfielder Dominic Brown and others. This time around the Phillies certainly won’t be willing to bet the farm on Halladay after sending four prospects to the Indians for Lee. The Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers were also involved in trade talks with the Jays at the deadline in July, however they never pursued Halladay as vigorously as the Phillies or Angels. They aren’t the likeliest destination for the righthander, but they do offer the most viable options to help the Jays right now. Young starting pitcher Chad Billingsley would be the centrepiece of any package heading to Toronto, while James Loney and Canadian Russell Martin would help fill the Jays holes at first base and catcher. The Chicago Cubs Chicago’s interest in Halladay came out of left field last week when mlb.com reported the Cubs were in talks with the Jays. The Cubs already boast a strong rotation with Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano and Canadian Ryan Dempster. The addition of Halladay could give them one of the strongest staffs in the National League. Regardless, Chicago seems to be an unlikely destination for Halladay, as the Cubs are in no shape financially to take on his $15.75 million contract and they seem unwilling to move blue chip shortstop prospect Starlin Castro, who the Jays would expect in return.