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WESTERN’S DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER • EST.1906 • VOLUME 103, ISSUE 47

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

g n i w o l P h g the u o thr BUDGET

By Stuart A. Thompson Gazette Staff

Roger Khouri sat in council chambers Monday night as officials debated an unusually controversial issue in London: snow removal. Improving sidewalk snow removal has been a five-year campaign for Khouri, who is visually impaired and the chair of London’s Accessibility Advisory Committee. Before 2004, London put more effort into sidewalk snow removal than required, according to Doug Leckie, director of roads and transportation for the City. When budgets tightened, London looked to save money and slashed $200,000 from the sidewalk snow removal budget. Since then, Khouri campaigned against the standards, saying they allow ice and snow to compact on sidewalks and mounds of snow to form around road edges, making it difficult for seniors and the disabled to get around during winter.

This year, Leckie and his department looked at what it would cost to return sidewalk snow removal efforts to the previous levels and came up with a $400,000 price tag. At the meeting on Monday, councillors argued what to do with the bill, eventually passing it on to the budget planning session next February. Controller Bud Polhill offered a frank prediction about what will happen to the proposal. “We’re not going to do it, so why are we telling people we will?” he explained in an interview yesterday. “Instead of playing the game, we have to be up front about it.” Polhill argued any budget increases would be dead on arrival at the budget planning sessions in February and March — just as similar proposals were for the last several years. Leckie agreed there are many challenges facing this year’s budget. “Council is being barraged by

numerous things to increase the budget. The sidewalk snow clearing was one of them,” he said, adding council asked for staff to put forward zero per cent budget increases, which actually means cutting money because of inflation. Nancy Bromscombe, a councillor who supported the budget increase, was more confident they could reach the 10 votes needed to pass it. “We want to go back to that extra level of service,” she said, arguing seniors and the disabled are sometimes trapped in their homes waiting for snow to be cleared from the sidewalks. While London has gone overbudget for the past few years with snow removal — $2.5 million over its $10 million budget last year — Polhill said budget planning can be a catch-22. He argued if the snow season ends with a surplus, the City is criticized for not putting the money where it’s needed; if they have a

deficit, they’re criticized for not spending enough. “What I could support is putting a little more money in [snow removal] but there are other areas in our budget where that money could come from,” he said, adding existing supervisors could solve snow buildups on sidewalks. Leckie disagreed, saying those workers are already assigned to areas around the city. “The equipment that they use is gainfully employed. It’s not like it’s sitting somewhere, waiting to be activated.” Without any progress, Khouri said he may turn to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act for help. “You know what? I’m not going to be waiting around for a budget meeting in February or March for them to make a decision,” he said. “I haven’t ruled out filing a complaint with the AODA and seeing what the City responds to, or going to the human rights tribunal.”

“We’re not going to do it, so why are we telling people we will? Instead of playing the game, we have to be up front about it.” — Bud Polhill, City of London controller

“You know what? I’m not going to be waiting around for a budget meeting in February or March for them to make a decision.” — Roger Khouri

Students fight to study all night By Cheryl Stone Gazette Staff

Students pulling all-nighters may soon have another place to spend those frenzied hours. A group of students are circulating a petition asking for the Allyn and Betty Taylor Library to be open for 24-hours a day during final exam periods. Currently Taylor library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. for studying, with the circulation desk closing at 9 p.m. “We see this as something that is needed for students at Western,”

Arjun Chandra, an organizer of the petition and a third-year medical sciences student, said. “This has nothing to do with bad study habits and just cramming at the end. Everyone studies at the end [of the year] despite how they study during the year.” The petition will be sent to Kim Cornell, assistant university librarian for Taylor library. Cornell will then submit the proposal to the Taylor library committee. She thought the current arrangement was meeting students’ PLEASE SEE SECURITY P3

Photo Illustration by Corey Stanford

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news

theGazette • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

ARMYWORM MOTH BOOT CAMP

Laura Barclay/Gazette

FACING DAUNTING BUDGET CUTS, THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HAS RESORTED TO KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON USING MOTH POWER. Masters of science student Angela Marinas works away in the biotron on campus yesterday as an armyworm moth, with paper glued to its back, flies a few laps. The project has the moths fly to increase the adipokinetic hormones, whatever the hell that means.

NEWSBRIEFS Mistletoe mix-up This holiday season kissing may be safer than shaking hands. Due to H1N1, kissing under the mistletoe came close to becoming another holiday activity removed from the things-to-do list. However, according to a report from the Associated Press, exchanging kisses on the cheek is more hygienic than shaking hands. Debrett’s — an etiquette publication — had said pecks on the cheek are considered safe, while kissing on the lips and touching hands fall under the H1N1 not-todo list. However, Tom Freeman, chair and professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, disagreed. “Kissing on the cheek is a higher risk situation than shaking hands,” he said. “During the holiday season there’s a tendency to be in closer contact with individuals and any viral illness can spread more quickly.” “In a meeting we were discussing the French habit of kissing on the cheek and many said they still do it,” Freeman noted. He added people shouldn’t stop living their lives because of the H1N1 scare. —Yalda Paydar

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OUSA lobbies for government support Last month, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance presented Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy with a copy of Ontario: A Province of Knowledge. The document noted OUSA’s recommendations for a new longterm plan for higher education. “Each submission is designed to affect how we as students feel among the sector about post-secondary education and some of the challenges that we see and face on our campuses every day,” Dan Moulton, president of OUSA, said. The submission outlined OUSA’s policy on three key problems including the Ontario Student Assistance Program, tuition and student success. It made recommendations on how the government can make measurable improvements not only to the OSAP program, but also to how students succeed on campus. “In higher education there’s a debate on the quality of the educational experience at a post-secondary institution,” Moulton said. “So student success is the way that we as students have chosen to define quality.” Moulton added OUSA has been holding consultations with the government since last June, and believes the government is seriously looking at the policy initiatives. OUSA is also looking at the government to recognize the importance of support programs and teaching quality at universities. “Right now universities are in a difficult financial situation, so

when they’re looking to tighten their belts, these [programs] are the first to go, unfortunately,” he noted. —Meagan Kashty

Brescia graduate published Alyssa Van Belois, a Brescia University College psychology graduate, had her thesis published in the December issue of Camping Magazine — the official publication of the American Camp Association. Her thesis discussed the use of summer camp programs to improve the social skills of those with special needs. “Alyssa’s work demonstrated that [people with special needs] benefit a great deal from the camp in social situations,” said John Mitchell, the psychology department co-ordinator at Brescia. Mitchell described special needs individuals as a group that has fairly few resources and is often overlooked. Mitchell also noted campers were able to gain confidence through their experiences, and were able to interact more effectively with others as a result. “[Van Belois] is wonderful, outstanding, committed and passionate about her work,” Mitchell said. Mitchell added he believed Van Belois’ positive personality played an important part in helping with her research. Van Belois’ experience with special needs individuals also includes the creation of the Shining Lights Camp, a division of the Lighthouse Landing program in London, designed for youth or adults with special needs. —Randall Ho

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theGazette • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

Security, staffing seen as barriers CONTINUED FROM P1

By Meagan Kashty Gazette Staff

Students at the University of Regina will soon have the opportunity to take an extra year of classes with the University footing the bill. Next September, U of R will launch a guarantee program for students who cannot find a job in their field within six months of graduation. The school has offered to pay the tab for a full year of classes for graduates who find themselves unemployed. “It’s a program to ensure students are involved and engaged in their academic endeavors,” Barbara Pollock, vice-president external relations at U of R, said. She added as an additional benefit, promotion of the program could aid in the university’s recruitment. In order to stay in the program students will need to maintain a 70 per cent average while participating in volunteer activities, internships, workplace learning and career counselling. This is all done ultimately to prepare the student for the workplace. “We’re anticipating to see an increase in [the university’s current academic and career counselling] because of the program,” Pollock noted. The current economic situation has given many students a

reason to take another year of school rather than try to enter an unpredictable work force. “Because of the economic climate there’s been a surge of activity,”said Maria Forte, co-ordinator of the Employment Resource Centre at the London Public Library. “We’re seeing a lot more newcomers this year than in the past.” Jennifer Caron, career counsellor at Western’s Student Success Centre, mentioned the predominate users of career services last year were undergraduates in their fourth year of study and graduate students. Western has no plans of implementing a guarantee program similar to U of R. However, Dan Moulton, vice-president university affairs for the University Students’ Council, acknowledged the concerns students have upon graduation. “I think anyone who goes to a university [is] going to meet some students that are apprehensive about the job market,” Moulton said. “Students are always concerned about this kind of thing — it’s important that students are aided in achieving not only their educational goals, but their career goals as well.” Moulton added students should be prepared to look beyond universities as a means of furthering a career. “I think it’s incredibly impor-

tant students have the ability to invest in their education and see the outcome of that education,” he said. “But I think it’s important to remember the educational experience isn’t just designed to get us a job — it’s designed to give you an educational experience.” Moulton added Western has a number of services students can take advantage of before heading into the work force. “We’re always here to adapt and serve students,” Caron said. “We’re open to suggestions, recommendations about what students need and trying to adapt to meet those needs. Pollock said Regina’s guarantee program ultimately aims to expose students to the market, and make them a more marketable employee. In an article by the Canadian Press, Pollock noted U of R has the highest job placement rate in Saskatchewan at 97 per cent. “We at the USC have long pushed for a strong career services at Western […] It’s important that students know these services are available and that they use them because the career services are amazing,” Moulton noted. “There are endless resources for students, but it’s incumbent for students to recognize these resources and use them to the best of their advantage.”

OPINION

Investing in arts cure for core Stuart A. Thompson News/Web Editor

You know those brightly coloured metal trees littering downtown? Those were part of London’s revitalization effort in 2007. “Downtown is a pretty drab looking spot,” Bill Hodgson, the local ironwork artist behind the trees, told the Gazette last year. The target of much criticism, the trees were actually a brilliant forethought into the kind of downtown we eventually want. Last night, the City of London hosted a town hall meeting to discuss their latest revitalization effort — a 15-month study looking at where the downtown has come from and where it is going. Between the report’s useless layers of formalities and jargon, there are some difficult realities that need to be faced. For one, by locating social services and bus depots in the downtown core, the City has forced many of London’s less-privileged into the Dundas Street and Richmond Street areas. While not a problem in and of itself, the resulting social stigma detracts from the area’s physical appeal and financial potential. The Masonville area is far more compatible with pocket books and business-types than most of the Dundas and Richmond area. Business planners are noticing this trend, and it will undoubtedly be a focus for their next strategy. But the downtown problem

well-educated people to live in the core. Even the metal trees have attempted to create an environment where young people want to live, work and play. As city planners hold meetings and citizens voice concerns, they need to recognize how important culture is for keeping and attracting young people to the city. As we graduate, grow up and settle down, young people want a richer cultural experience than Richmond Row can provide. It makes good business sense these days to invest in the arts — especially in London’s core, where it’s sorely lacking. The trees were a good start. But as city hall plans its next big strategy for the plan, they need to look beyond the bottom line and past the businesses.

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“We are not doing anything new. Twenty-four/seven libraries already exist at a lot of good universities.” — Arjun Chandra, petition organizer

get into the building. There were also renovations to include more power outlets and more seating. “Students asked for it […] and basically the University said we need to do this,” Langford said. Langford’s tally counted over 10,000 students had used the library during the overnight hours since September. Chandra felt Western needs to follow U of T’s example. “One more thing to mention is that we are not doing anything new. Twenty-four/seven libraries already exist at a lot of good universities,” Chandra explained. “It has been done before and it works.” “The library has been great with this,” Chandra pointed out, noting he has met with Cornell who agreed to pass on the petition. In the end, the committee will have the final say as to whether the petition is approved.

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runs much deeper than bus routes and business, and it’s something few are talking about. In some cities like Montreal and Toronto, downtowns are concentrated hotspots for a community of musicians, artists and designers. This educated “creative class” congregates in galleries and venues, creating the foundation for thriving cities. In London’s downtown, we have metal trees, but little else. The result is a London braindrain, where Western and Fanshawe graduates flee back home because they never connected with the city. Relocating social services and redirecting bus routes would attract more of the affluent class to spend their time and money downtown. New apartment buildings are trying to attract young and

needs, but added she valued the feedback. “Certainly the number of signatures [on the petition] would indicate support [for a 24-hour library], but we have to look at other factors,” Cornell added. In order for the petition’s plan to take effect, budgeting and housekeeping issues would first have to be addressed. Cornell also pointed out security was a concern, both for the Natural Sciences Building and students. “We need to ensure our students are safe,” she said. She also expressed concerns about transportation, since the exam season shuttle buses are timed with the library’s current hours. Chandra’s plan to address these concerns is by increasing security. “Already the last few hours of the library are manned by one security personnel — maybe two on some days. We would like for that only to be extended by 6.5 hours,” Chandra explained. The University of Toronto has designated the first three floors of its Robarts Library as a 24-hour study space during weekdays. Security issues were also among their top priorities. “You just have to take a good look at your space,” said Lari Langford, head of access and information services at Robarts Library. According to Langford the elevators and stairwells had to be locked off from the upper floors. They also added security cameras and hired more security staff. Students are now checked for a U of T student card before close, and need one to

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opinions

theGazette • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

thegazette Volume 103, issue 47 “What’s a library, dad?” “Oh, it’s just a place where homeless people come to shave and go BM.” — CHRIS AND PETER GRIFFIN, FAMILY GUY

Ryan Hendrick

Carly Conway

Jaela Bernstien

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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.

Longer Library ‘Tis not the season Hours Christmas creep brings holiday A recent student petition circulating Western is calling for the Allyn and Betty Taylor Library to remain open 24hours, seven days a week during exams. Although the proposal may seem ideal for many, the logistics of putting the plan into action have some questioning whether administration should adhere to student requests, or if students should learn to cope. Exams can be a stressful time for many students and the last thing anyone wants to worry about is finding a place to hit the books. While studying at home may seem like the logical choice, issues like noisy roommates can leave students searching for an alternative quiet study space. The 24-hour University Community Centre is always an option for those who need to get out of the house at all hours of the night during exams, but it can sometimes be full of distractions. From dance groups to the newly licensed Spoke, finding a space to study quietly may prove difficult. An all-night library would mean a more serious atmosphere for those who need to focus. Furthermore, if students are asking for more space to study it would be in the best interest of the University to adhere to the request, especially if it ensures more students will succeed. Western prides itself in providing the “best student experience” — if students think more study space would benefit their experience, why not give it to them? However, the solution is not so simple. Running a 24hour library — even if only during exams — carries a financial burden. Western would be required to hire more staff to secure and maintain the building, and if the UCC is already operating all night, why add additional costs? Also, Taylor is not the best library on campus to operate all night being hidden in the back of the Natural Science Building, it poses more security risks if students are roaming the hallways at all hours. The argument can be made that students should make the most of libraries when they are open. Exam schedules are available far in advance and if the home front is not ideal for late-night cramming, then perhaps students should consider hitting the books earlier. However, even with the best time-management skills, some still wish they could have had a few more hours to spend in the stacks. Since we’re paying Western to provide us with a good education, they should ultimately do what is necessary — within reason — to provide it. A better solution might be the best compromise. Perhaps one or two floors of Weldon Library — a more central and larger location than Taylor — could remain open 24-hours to complement existing study spaces. 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 •

cheer earlier and earlier every year Scroogin’ Mike Hayes Senior Editor

Today marks exactly one month until Christmas Day. Thankfully, it will all be over soon. For well over a month, hints of Christmas-related decorations, advertisements and music have invaded my life like some sort of demonic possession. The phenomenon known as Christmas creep has arrived — when businesses and over-zealous shoppers move up the start of the holiday season. There was a time in my life when I approached the holidays with great anticipation — but I was six. Since that time, I would like to think I have aged and matured, recognizing my quarteryear obsession with Christmas was a stage to be grown out of. Unfortunately the rest of the Western world thinks otherwise. Of course such an approach is understandable. The holiday season represents one of the largest opportunities for businesses to shore up their profits before the end of the year. The advertising executives who manage to find a way to extend the shopping orgy of Christmas well into August will have statues built in their likenesses at the entrance to every Wal-Mart and shopping centre across North America. We now spend more time preparing for the Christmas season than we do actually celebrating it. Back when I worked in retail, we would normally receive our Christmas stock by Labour Day. Does anyone question the sanity of such a practice? What

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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

has turned into an annual rant on my part is met with indifference on the part of my peers. “What’s so bad about Christmas coming early?” they ask. Well to start, there’s the issue of Christmas music. Shoppers will note that the majority of stores around London have started piping out Christmas tunes 24/7. I’m not sure exactly who is to blame for such a practice, but I am confident there is a very special level of hell reserved for their eternal punishment. One can only hear Mannheim Steamroller synthesize their way through “Deck the Halls” so many times before their will to live totally evaporates. The banality extends beyond music, too. Christmas creep gives us the dubious joys of seeing dancing Santas and singing Christmas trees wherever we go for well over a month. These evil creations still persist as popular decorations, though they likely terrorize all toddlers to the point of pants wetting. The worst part of this phenomenon is how it totally overshadows how special the holiday can actually be. Though retailers selfishly hope to extend the Christmas season in order to boost their profits, they fail to recognize how the practice undermines the holiday. There was a time when Christmas was an event to look forward to for an entire year. Knowing the holiday season would only last a scant couple of weeks meant savouring every moment of it. Instead, we now have a society where we feel everything must be available all of the time, where waiting for something is seen as a fatal flaw. Part of the joy of Christmas comes from the knowledge that it only happens once a year. But by making it last for three months, is it really all that special anymore? Bah, humbug.

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

This feature takes excerpts from discussions happening right now on westerngazette.ca — log in today and add your voice to the debate. Re: “The Future of Radio” Nov. 19, 2009 “Fortunately or not, radio is a public medium, and the airwaves are technically “free,” so no one wants to pay for it, even a paltry amount like the $2.50 per term we were asking for it. Add competition from radio on demand and the Internet, as well as the consumptive “what’s in it for me?” attitude today’s university students have, and the future of campus radio is bleak at best. What campus radio offers that Internet and commercial radio don’t is a real sense of your own peers, your own community.” —Selene MacLeod Vice-president, Sound-FM 100.3 Waterloo

“On the Simon Fraser University campus in B.C., student interest in radio is booming […] We’re podcasting and on the web, but also iPod is adding FM tuners. Anyone who says campus-community radio doesn’t change is just not looking.” —Frieda Werden

“People keep talking about how ‘radio is changing’ but the truth is that commercial radio (which has changed its content very little in at least 15 years) has seen profits in the London market double from 20042008.” —Rob

Ed note: Comments may have been condensed due to size constraints. For full comments please visit our website.

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P5 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

ArtsEntertainment Theatre Western tackles themes of sexuality Spring Awakening a sad, disturbing and funny production

Courtesy of Theatre Western

WORKING HARD. The cast of Theatre Western’s Spring Awakening prepares for the opening performance on Thursday at the Grand Theatre. Tickets are on sale now at InfoSource.

By Maggie Pajak Gazette Writer

Sex takes the stage at the Grand Theatre’s McManus Studio this week, as Theatre Western presents the contentious, award-winning play, Spring Awakening. Following the success of last fall’s gripping production of The Laramie Project — which went on to be featured in the Toronto Fringe Festival this past summer— Theatre Western has taken on another controversial work this year. Spring Awakening is a daring play to say the least, as it presents teenage self-discovery, growth and sexual oppression in its most uncomfortable and awe-inspiring forms. Masturbation, abortion, suicide and abuse — nothing is offlimits for the production that was deemed offensive, obscene and pornographic after its first run in 1906. Wendla, one of the main characters, cannot seem to understand where babies come from. She questions her mother, who deems the situation inappropriate and awkward and ignores her. Elsewhere, Melchior defends his friend Moritz who speaks out against the rigid nature of school and is struck with a stick by his teacher. Wendla and Melchoir accidentally meet in a forest and

instantly feel the pangs of love for each other. Nicole D’Alessandro, Theatre Western co-ordinator, believes the play hits home. Although written by German dramatist Frank Wedekind in 1890, the issues of sex, love, violence and great expectations are still relevant over a century later as they are things many teenagers experience as they enter into adulthood. Spring Awakening explores these issues in such a unique way that the story is sad, disturbing and funny all at once. “Many of the issues [in the play] still have not been resolved in today’s society. Sexuality is still often treated as taboo and the pressures from parents and teachers are still overwhelming — often to the breaking point,” D’Alessandro explains. “I really believe that theatre is a powerful medium to initiate discussion and bring about change.” With this powerful medium, Theatre Western’s production of Spring Awakening promises to bring back these important and sometimes painful memories. Tickets are now on sale for Spring Awakening, which starts Nov. 26 and runs until Nov. 28. Shows are 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 28. Tickets are $10 for students or $15 for the general public. They are sold at InfoSource and can be purchased online at www.grandtheatre.com.

A&ESHORTS Tribute to Canadian folk music Saturday evening marked the fifth annual Canadian Folk Music Awards. The awards were held at the Dominion-Chalmers United Church in Ottawa with hosts Shelagh Rogers of CBC Radio One and La Bottine Souriante musician Benoît Bourque. The evening was filled with live performances from bluegrass band Yonder Hill, Ottawa Valley fiddler April Verch, folk veteran

Joel Plaskett

Valdy and banjoist Luedecke. Traditional Album of the Year was awarded to James Hill and Anne Davison with True Love Don’t Weep. Halifax’s Joel Plaskett, one of the more recognizable names of the evening, took home the Contemporary Album of the Year and Producer of the Year awards. Toronto’s folk music was well represented with Chris McKhool, Sultans of String, Madison Violet and The Good Lovelies all walk-

ing away with awards. Tribute was paid to 19-yearold folk singer-songwriter Taylor Mitchell who passed away last month after being attacked by coyotes while hiking in Cape Breton. The Canadian Folk Music Awards have been essential in promoting the strong folk music scene in Canada. The awards are judged by a randomly selected jury from the folk music community. — Amber Garratt

James Hill and Anne Davison

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arts&entertainment

theGazette • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

Gazette File Photo

BAH HUMBUG! Jim Carrey stars as the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge — as well as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come — in Disney’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

3D puts spin on Christmas classic Disney’s A Christmas Carol lives up to expectations By Amber Garratt Gazette Staff

In the movie Amelia,

starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere, several of the stunt flying scenes were filmed in the skies over southwestern Ontario. The yellow Jungmann biplane was piloted by London resident Larry Ernewein. For much of the flight work, Larry had to impersonate Hillary Swank (Amelia). He wore a custom leather flight helmet, which was carefully tailored by a specialty milliner, and a jacket cleverly designed to conceal the parachute and yet allow it to be deployed if needed.

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A Christmas Carol Starring: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth Directed by: Robert Zemeckis With Christmas fast approaching, Disney’s A Christmas Carol is the perfect way to put you in the holiday spirit. Originally a novel published in 1843 by Charles Dickens, the story has become a Christmas classic, and Disney’s adaptation succeeds at capturing the same sense of holiday magic. Like the original version, A Christmas Carol takes place in Victorian England. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable old moneylender, is visited by the ghost of his former busi-

ness partner Jacob Marley, who is forced to spend his afterlife carrying heavy chains due to his greedy ways. He warns Scrooge he will suffer worse if he does not repent. Through the night Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Each ghost attempts to show Scrooge the results of his miserable and greedy ways. He is left with the fear that his fate is set in stone but wakes Christmas morning hoping to change his ways. The voice of Scrooge is executed by Carrey, who is able to embody the essence of the character all the way down to his famous “Bah Humbugs!” Carrey also does the voices the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Carrey’s performance would make Dickens proud.

on the

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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.

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Services

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!

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.

Services 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.

THE OMBUDSPERSON is a good source of information about student rights and responsibilities and university policies. For confidential help or advice, drop into UCC-251 or call 519-661-3573.

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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.

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Oldman does a phenomenal job as the voice of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the ghost of Joseph Marley. Firth stars as Fred, Scrooge’s nephew. The unique cartooning style, referred to as antique British political cartooning, gives the film an authentic Victorian feel. This is a different approach for a Disney film but Zemeckis is able to pull if off flawlessly. Furthermore, the effective use of 3D technology will have audiences jumping out of their seats. These visuals brought to life the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. In fact several scenes seemed purposefully drawn out just to show off the 3D capabilities. Zemeckis’ remake brings the essence of A Christmas Carol to a generation whom did not grow up on the 1951 adaptation.

More thoughts More thoughtss on the Y ates C up Yates Cup

P7 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

Sports

ON DECK: Western finally beats Queen’s at something... Thursday

MUSTANGS WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Mustangs humbled with two weekend losses

Laura Barclay/Gazette

Queen’s rubs salt in the Unmotivated Mustangs falter against lowly UOIT wound with 5-1 drubbing By Kaitlyn McGrath Gazette Writer

The Mustangs’ hot streak was put on ice this weekend. After winning four of their last five games, the Mustangs women’s hockey team delivered a lackluster performance on Saturday afternoon, falling to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks by a score of 3-2. “We didn’t come out strong enough, we [looked at] the fact that they are below us in the standings and expected to win,” Mustangs’ goaltender Lindsey Martin said after the game. “They wanted it more.” UOIT took the early lead in the opening period, converting on their first power play opportunity of the game with a goal by forward Sarah Worthington. UOIT continued their strong play into the second period, which saw them double their lead with a second from Worthington. Despite being down by two goals, the Mustangs showed they still had some fight left in them. “We had a really good spurt in the second period for about 10 minutes where we played well,” Mustangs head coach Paul Cook said. During those 10 minutes, the Mustangs finally looked like a team who wanted to win. They were rewarded when forward Tawn Rellinger was able to bury the loose puck in front of the net, cutting the lead in half. In the dying minutes of the period, forward Katie Dillon added the equalizer when she took a pass from Ashlyn Karapalidis, and was able to beat UOIT netminder Emma Thompson. “We had a little bit of a lull in the last 10 [minutes] of the second period,” Ridgebacks head coach Karen Nystrom said. “It seems

that whenever we have that lull, good teams can convert on the opportunities.” Midway through the third period, UOIT forward Jaclyn Gibson found an opening and shot the puck through Martin’s five-hole, putting the Ridgebacks up for good. “We had to get one back right away, that would have been perfect,” Martin said. “We struggled to put the puck in the back of the net.” Once again, the Mustangs offensive struggles proved to be costly as they were unable to muster another comeback. After the game, a visibly upset Cook expressed his frustration with his team’s disappointing performance. “[I’m] not happy at all with my team’s play this afternoon,” he said. “Mentally we weren’t ready to play today and it showed.” In stark contrast, Nystrom was ecstatic with her team’s victory. “I am very happy with [their play]. We had a very consistent first and third period.” For a game that was dominated by penalties, Western failed to convert on any of their five power play opportunities. “We didn’t execute on special teams very well, usually we are pretty good on the power play,” Cook said. “You have to give marks to the other team, they played really hard and smart today and we did not.” With the loss, the Mustangs dropped into a four-way tie with Toronto, Brock and UOIT, for fifth place in the Ontario University Athletics standings. After the tough loss, Martin and the rest of the team are looking to bounce back from Saturday’s game and return to their winning ways. “We have to put this game behind us and come out stronger,” she said. “We have to bring our A-game.”

By Steven Howard Gazette Writer

The Western Mustangs women’s hockey team valiantly tried to shut down the league’s most potent offence. Unfortunately, the floodgates burst open as the Queen’s Gaels scored four goals in 10 minutes to down the Mustangs 5-1. The Gaels’ forward line of Kelsey Thomson, Becky Conroy and Elizabeth Kench led the way Sunday afternoon, combining for three goals, including the winner. The trio make up the top three scorers in the Ontario University Athletics division. After Thomson opened the scoring in the first period, Western responded on the power play. Third-year forward Ellie Seedhouse planted herself in front of the net on a 5-on3 and deflected a shot into the net to tie the game up at one. Unfortunately, Thomson potted her second just four minutes later, putting the Gaels up for good. “The difference was [probably] getting a quick goal right back,” Gaels coach Matthew Holmberg, whose team leads the league in goals scored with 46, noted after the game. “If we had let it go longer, the game might have been different.” Queen’s put the game out of reach with Kench burying a rebound off Thomson’s initial shot on their second power play opportunity of the game. The victory was sweet revenge for the Gaels after losing the first meeting between these teams in Kingston less than a month ago. “They beat us on our home rink in a shootout so we kind of had a little fire under our butts to get going because we obviously wanted to get them back,” Thomson said. Mustangs coach Paul Cook said the letdown

in the second was the difference in the game. “[We have] some fragile egos in [our dressing room],” Cook said. “We got caught probably not playing like we should and it resulted in four goals.” Seedhouse didn’t think the Mustangs started playing well until it was too late. “We had a tough first two periods getting into the game,” Seedhouse said. “Queen’s was all over us from the start.” Despite Seedhouse’s goal, Western’s special teams play cost them. They were a paltry one for seven on the power play and conceded two goals with a player in the box. “Normally, we’ve been awesome penalty killers,” Cook said. “We weren’t fighting the battles for the puck well enough [on their goals].” Seedhouse said the power play is also normally strong, especially at controlling the puck. “We did that again tonight,” she said. “We’ve just got to keep working on it in practice and hopefully bury some more of the chances we get.” Unfortunately for the Mustangs, despite out-shooting the Gaels 30-29, they were denied by the stellar play of goalie Mel Dodd-Moher. She repeatedly shut the door on forward Katie Dillon when the score was tight early on. “In the first period, when the game was close, she had some key pad saves,” Holmberg said. “If she hadn’t been there, it could have been a different score after the first.” After winning three straight to end the month of October, the Mustangs have fallen away from their winning streak, with three losses in four games. The team looks to rebound next weekend in Waterloo as they take on the last placed Waterloo Warriors before playing the undefeated Laurier Golden Hawks.

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theGazette • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009

A WEDNESDAY ADVERTISING FEATURE LISTING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AT UWO, LONDON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27

ARTS

ARTS

Andrew McPhail: All My Little Failures McIntosh Gallery, UWO

Andrew McPhail: All My Little Failures McIntosh Gallery, UWO

CLUBBING

“The Levelling” Artlab Studio Session: Sculpture Program, FREE John Labatt Visual Art Centre, UWO

Jessie Labelle Jack’s, 539 Richmond St.

Canadian Celtic Choir 7:30 pm, $15 advance/ $20 at door St. Paul’s Cathedral, 427 Richmond St.

CLUBBING

Open Mic Poacher’s Arms, 171 Queen’s St. LIVE MUSIC

DJ Forty Dollar Martini Barney’s, 671 Richmond St.

Acoustic Lunch with Laura Conning 12:30 pm, Busker Alley, UCC, UWO

Highman & Carbunkle Spoke and Rim Tavern, UCC, UWO

Justin Plet, Constant D, Jamie Beswick, 9 pm, $5 London Music Club, 470 Colborne St.

FILM

Matthew Good w/ Mother Mother 8 pm, $22.75 to $53.50 Centennial Hall, 550 Wellington St. Rick McGhie Spoke and Rim Tavern, UCC, UWO

John Scott and Ryan Buckley 9 pm, $5 London Music Club, 470 Colborne St. Rick Taylor, Violet Fuse, Brownsyn Jerome, The Zolas, Distance Between Stars 5:30 pm, Black Shire Pub, 511 Talbot St. Street Pharmacy, Mean Tangerine, Dodger, Rebel Emergency London Music Hall, 185 Queens Ave. The Joys, Boss Rebel, Matt Ridder, Bread Envy, Laura Conning, The Good Acoustics 10 pm, The Wave, UCC, UWO

Film Series: Coopers’ Camera 7:30 pm, $10 Museum London, 421 Ridout St. LIVE MUSIC

SPECIAL EVENTS

Darren Eedens, Ingrid Gatin and Dress Rehearsal, 9 pm, $5 London Music Club, 470 Colborne St.

London Potters Guild Pottery Sale 6 to 9 pm, $2 admission London Clay Art Centre, 664 Dundas St.

Ron Sexsmith, 8 pm, $35 advance/ $40 at door, Aeolian Performing Arts Centre, 795 Dundas St. at Rectory

Winter Wonderland at Victoria Park Lighting of the Lights, 6:15 pm Victoria Park, Downtown London

SPECIAL EVENTS

SPORTS

Prize Giveaway! Listen in on CHRW’s All Syrup Super Squishy Show from 3:30 to 6 pm for a chance to win tickets to see P.S. Your Cat Is Dead at the McManus Theatre, performing December 2 to 5.

Live Racing 7:05 pm, Western Fair Raceway

THEATRE Doubt, A Parable, 8 pm Pay what you can Preview The Arts Project, 203 Dundas St.

London Knights vs. Sarnia Sting 7:30 pm, $15 students John Labatt Centre, 99 Dundas St.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Spring Awakening, 2 and 8 pm $10.50 student/ $15.75 regular McManus Theatre, 471 Richmond St.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30 SPORTS Live Racing, 3:35 pm Western Fair Raceway

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1

ARTS

ARTS

Sundays at One: Magic Show, 1 pm Museum London, 421 Ridout St.

Andrew McPhail: All My Little Failures McIntosh Gallery, UWO

COMEDY Gerry Dee Live, 8 pm, $40.05 to $48.10, Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St. LIVE MUSIC

CLUBBING Open Mic Black Shire Pub, 511 Talbot St.

Paul Davenport Concert Series: The French Connection, 7 pm, $15/$10 Paul Davenport Theatre, Talbot College, UWO

Spokeoke Spoke and Rim Tavern, UCC, UWO

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sophie Milman, 8 pm, $40 advance/ $45 at door, Aeolian Performing Arts Centre, 795 Dundas St. at Rectory

London Potters Guild Pottery Sale, 11 am to 4 pm, $2 admission London Clay Art Centre, 664 Dundas St. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30 ARTS

LIVE MUSIC

SPORTS Live Racing, 3:35 pm Western Fair Raceway

Andrew McPhail: All My Little Failures McIntosh Gallery, UWO CLUBBING Retro-spoketive Spoke and Rim Tavern, UCC, UWO Skinny Phat Jack’s, 539 Richmond St.

Western Mustangs Women’s and Men’s Volleyball vs. Waterloo 6 and 8 pm, Alumni Hall, UWO THEATRE Doubt, A Parable, 8 pm, $18 The Arts Project, 203 Dundas St.

Spring Awakening, 8 pm $10.50 student/ $15.75 regular McManus Theatre, 471 Richmond St.

Spring Awakening 8 pm, $10.50 student/ $15.75 regular McManus Theatre, 471 Richmond St

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27 ARTS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Andrew McPhail: All My Little Failures McIntosh Gallery, UWO

ARTS Andrew McPhail: All My Little Failures McIntosh Gallery, UWO

CLUBBING Allure Fridays w/ DJ Flash Up on Carling, 153 Carling St.

CLUBBING DJ Boogie Cello Supper Club, 99 King St.

DJ Kaos Jim Bob Ray’s, 585 Richmond St.

DJ EP Lavish, 238 Dundas St.

Finally Famous Ceeps, 671 Richmond St.

DJ Zoltan/DJ Sternberg Barking Frog, 209 John St.

Passport Promo Spoke and Rim Tavern, UCC, UWO

www.ceeps.com

Open Mic Night Spoke and Rim Tavern, UCC, UWO

LIVE MUSIC

join us on : The Ceeps

LIVE MUSIC A1N1 – in-store performance, 3 pm Grooves, 353 Clarence St. Italian Symphony – the second concert of Orchestra London’s Ovation Series, 8 pm $43 to $59 general; $17.80 student Centennial Hall, 550 Wellington Rd.

Monday

Tuesday

39¢

Rib & Wing Night

Wings after 7PM

Wednesday Thursday Ladies Karaoke Night Night

Friday & Saturday

Sunday

After 10PM - Dance to Live Music or DJ

Kids Under 10 Eat Free, Brunch Menu, $10 Pitchers after 8PM

SPECIAL EVENTS London Potters Guild Pottery Sale, 10 am to 5 pm, $2 admission London Clay Art Centre, 664 Dundas St.

235 North Centre Rd (corner of Richmond & North Centre Rd.)

519-850-9487

091104

More Thank Just A Book Sale, 10 am to 3 pm Brescia Auditorium, Brescia College SPORTS Live Racing, 7:05 pm Western Fair Raceway THEATRE Avenue Q, 3 and 8 pm, $50 to $65 John Labatt Centre, 99 Dundas St.

AL! GREricAeTApDpEetizers

Domino’s Accepts Western One Meal Cards

plate not neccessarily as shown

(519)

(519)

673-6600

1673 Richmond St. N (at Fanshawe) 100 Wharncliffe Rd. S (at Euclid)

Doubt, A Parable, 8 pm, $18 The Arts Project, 203 Dundas St.

Byron/Oakridge

471-3030

1290 Byron Baseline Rd. (at Boler)

Northeast London

686-6700

647 Wellington Rd. S. (at Wilkins)

963-4040

1355 Huron St. (at Highbury)

South London (519)

519-657-6888

672-3030

Central London

East London

453-6460

1548 Dundas St. E (at First)

091104

091111

Oxford St. West location ONLY beside Blockbuster

North & U.W.O.

(519)

ay it On Tuesd s W 39¢ ing

(519)

1/2 P pm ht after 9 Every Nig ’s

(519)

HALF Price ay’s d s e n d We Chicken Fajitas