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Randy McAuley takes aim at the CFL...p. 8
VOLUME
101, ISSUE 2 • THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
CIHR funds
for Western,
Schulich
$625,000 in grants
By Lauren Pelley
Gazette Staff
For years, London residents near King’s University College have complained students take up a large percentage of available street parking, leaving them with
limited options.
London City Council’s environment and transportation committee is recommending a new pilot
project that will restrict parking on streets near King’s
to homeowners.
“This sort of [problem] is not unique to that area,”
explained Shane Maguire, department manager of
London’s roads and transportation division. “It’s an
issue across the city in areas where there are high
demand facilities like hospitals and educational institutions, not just King’s College.”
The pilot project begins Sept. 1 and continues until
April 30; it’s unclear how the pass program will affect
Dr. Lique Coolen, a professor in Western’s Schulich
School of Medicine and Dentistry, recently secured
over $625,000 in funding for her research into the connection between sexual experience and drug addiction. Coolen’s research is one of 26 Canadian Institutes
of Health Research (CIHR) funded projects announced
May 8.
London-based research at Western, Robarts
Research Institute, and Lawson Health Research Institute received a shared total of $8.9 million in funding
from the federal government-run CIHR. The research
projects, covering various health issues such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and injury treatment, range
from one to five years in length.
Although London-based research accounts for a
substantial portion of recent CIHR funding totaling
$149.3 million over five years, fewer grants were
awarded than in the past.
Dr. David Hill, scientific director at Lawson,
explained government funding has not kept pace with
demand.
“When CIHR was set up six or seven years ago, they
thought it should have an operating budget of around
$1 billion per year… In the last couple years, continuing into the Harper government, the progression
towards the budget has slowed, stuck around $700 million,” Hill said. “The last budget saw a rise of just $37
million. That is just little more than a cost of living
increase [and] still short of target.”
Hill noted the success rate of obtaining a grant has
dropped to 16 per cent, nearly half of what it was initially.
According to Dr. Gerald M. Kidder, vice-president
research and international relations at Western, competition for grants is fierce due to the “funding crunch”
at CIHR.
“There won’t be much growth for graduate students
[needing] master and doctoral funding,” Kidder said.
Michael Brandt, currently in his second year of a
five-year residency in the surgical specialty of otolaryngology (head and neck) at Schulich School of
Medicine and Dentistry, said research support is dismal.
“Although we are required to complete a yearly
research project, my academic interests have allowed
me to pursue multiple research endeavors across a
variety of fields within my specialty,” Brandt said.
“Unfortunately, the absence of internal [Western]
granting resources for resident research and the ultracompetitive nature of the limited number of external
grants have resulted in several of these projects never
progressing beyond their initial proposal stage.”
Hill noted it is proving difficult for younger
researchers to gain funding, and this is having a negative impact on medical research in London.
“It’s a paradoxical situation, where we can recruit
very good people in Lawson, Robarts, and Western...
and yet when they arrive in London, it is very difficult
[for them] to get operating grounds to actually perform
their research,” Hill said. “It’s arresting the development of research in London.”
However, the problem stretches nationwide. Funding concerns will make it increasingly difficult to
recruit and maintain new, young scientists across
Canada.
“There’s other places where [graduates] can work,
PLEASE SEE HOMEOWNER P3
PLEASE SEE RESEARCH P3
Lulu Wei/Gazette
SHE SHOULD TAKE OFFSPRING’S “WHY DON’T YOU JUST GET A JOB” LITERALLY. A starving artist belts out some passionate vocals at Toronto’s North by Northeast music festival this past week.
The Gazette’s NXNE coverage
Music is the star at the North by Northeast (NXNE) music festival and conference. Held each year in Toronto, the festival
features over 450 acts over four days and nights of breathless
activity. Now in its 13th year, NXNE boasts the hottest independent talent while offering playtime for the latest up-andcomers. Between the seventh and tenth of June this year, fans
assaulted these venues to hear the festival’s eclectic mix of
sounds.
See pages five and six for The Gazette’s extensive coverage
of the event. Also, be sure to take a look at our online photo
essay featuring the work of Jon Purdy and Lulu Wei. The
essay can be found at www.gazette.uwo.ca.
And if any of these bands pique your interest, take the
time to check them out online or at your local music store.
The bands, we’re sure, will thank you.
Western invests in
more green research
Parking restricted
near King’s in fall
By Michael Gregoris
By Michael Gregoris
Gazette Staff
Earlier this week, Western
announced $1.6 million in funding
for environmental and climate
change research in a move that further solidifies the university’s commitment to environmentally
friendly initiatives.
Eight projects at Western, ranging from water purification to the
development of environmentallyfriendly products to insects’
impact on climate change, were
awarded funding through the
Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Leaders Opportunity
Fund.
Western Chemical and Biochemical Engineering professor
Madhumita Ray received $211,536
to develop new and cost-effective
treatment technologies for water
and sludge treatment — some of
which are already in use on campus.
“Basically, we can remove
harmful organic compounds and
mineralize them to carbon dioxide
and water through a variety of
techniques, rendering them safe.
This is nothing new, but a more
optimized process,” Ray said.
Research is being conducted in
a collaborative effort with Trojan
Technologies,
a
leader
in
advanced, environmentally friendly water-treatment solutions in
London.
PLEASE SEE WE MUST P2
Gazette Staff
P2 ➤ news
theGazette • THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
We must
control
our waste
CONTINUED FROM P1
Mike Gregoris/Gazette
LOOKING LIKE A MILLION BUCKS (JUST ABOUT THE SAME PRICE
AS THE DEGREE). Kevin Hare, a recent Poli-Sci graduate, stands
with his parents from Mississauga. He and hundreds of other
graduates and their families are gracing Western this week for
spring convocation.
However, such solutions are a
race against the clock. Ray
acknowledged that these technologies will not be fully implemented “for at least several more
years.”
The results of Western’s Waste
Audit last week indicated Western
generates 16,000 lbs of waste per
week on average, with organic
waste comprising the majority.
“Aside from leftover food in
cafeteria waste, the trash from
other buildings contained a surprising amount of whole sandwiches, fruit, entire packs of yogurt
cups, bags of cookies,” said Mallory Frederick, Waste Audit Team
Leader. “Reducing and re-using
generally come hand-in-hand.”
The capacity to treat and reuse
water raises the possibility of
establishing a composting initiative, something Western already
has in the works.
“Organic leftovers are already
being collecting in the residences
and in their kitchens,” said Brandon Watson, Communications
Officer at Western’s Physical Plant.
“A campus-wide composting
system is currently being assessed
for later implementation.”
Art in the Park
When: Every Sunday until Labour Day, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: Springbank Park
Local artists’ show and sale. For more information, call
519-471-8608.
Jimmy Bowskill Band
When: June 16, 9 p.m.
Where: London Music Club
A 2005 Juno nominee for Best Blues Artist brings their
act to the London Music Club on Saturday.
Tickets are $20.
Sunday June 17
Friday June 15
Relay for Life
When: 7 p.m.
Where: TD Waterhouse Stadium
Annual 12-hour community relay for Canadian Cancer Society. For pledge forms, contact Brent DeGraw at
519-432-1137 or bdegraw@ontario.cancer.ca.
“Never Another Girl Like Me”
When: June 13-15, 8pm
Where: The Arts Project
Tickets are $10.
London Majors Baseball
When: June 15, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Labatt Park
The London Majors play the Kitchener Panthers. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children. For more information, visit www.londonmajors.com or call 519-6946105.
Tim Lockwood instrumental
When: June 15, 9 p.m.
Where: London Music Club
Tickets are $5.
“Goodbye, Piccadilly”
When: June 15-24, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Where: Palace Theatre
Written by Douglas Bowie, a renowned Canadian playwright, this play is presented by the London Community Players.
For tickets, call 519-432-1029.
Saturday June 16
Summer Star Gazing
When: Every Saturday until August 25; Slide shows at
8:30 p.m.
Where: Hume Cronyn Observatory
Series of free open houses. For more information, visit
www.astro.uwo.ca or call 519-661-3183.
London Majors Baseball
When: June 17, 1 p.m.
Where: Labatt Park
The London Majors play a double header against the
Barrie Baycats. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children.
For more information, visit www.londonmajors.com
or call 519-694-6105.
Tuesday June 18
McIntosh Gallery Celebrates 65 Years
When: May 10 - June 30
Where: McIntosh Gallery
Summer exhibitions will feature boundary-pushing
selections from the past 65 years of McIntosh Gallery.
For more information, visit www.mcintoshgallery.ca or
call 519-661-3181.
Wednesday June 20
London Music Awards
When: June 20, 7-10pm
Where: London Public Library (Central Branch Wolf
Performance Hall)
Fifth annual awards night. Tickets are $10; available at
Grooves and Tribal Mountain Trade.
3-day forecast
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Cloudy with
sunny breaks
High 25C - Low 16C
Cloudy Periods
High 29C
Low 15C
Sunny
High 27C
Low 17C
Weather
news ➤ P3
theGazette • THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
Robarts integration
finalized this month
Institute merges with Schulich
By Lauren Pelley
Gazette Staff
Following months of discussion, the integration of Robarts Research Institute with Western has now been finalized.
On June 6, The Robarts Board of Directors voted in favour of the merger, following the prior approval of Western’s Board of Governors. The official integration will take place on July 1.
Robarts has been Canada’s leading independent medical research
institute since 1986, with over 600 employees researching various diseases
including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
With the merger, Robarts becomes a branch of the Schulich School of
Medicine and Dentistry.
In a recent Robarts press release, Robarts Board Chair Phil Bowman
said he was pleased to have reached an agreement with Western.
“Thanks to the strong support of both the Dean and the President, we
have established an arrangement that enables the scientists to pursue
their research priorities within a stable and supportive work environment,” Bowman said.
Discussions of a possible merger began because of ongoing financial
problems at Robarts.
On April 10, Robarts announced restructuring decisions in anticipation of the merger, which included the immediate termination of 14 personnel. Five more employees were notified that they face layoff with the
finalization of the merger.
According to Carol Herbert, Dean of the Schulich School of Medicine
and Dentistry, the merger will stabilize Robarts and help the institution
grow. There are also significant benefits for Western, as Robarts’ scientific team becomes Western staff.
“[Robarts] is made up of a highly productive group of scientists who
are responsible for more than a third of the [Canadian Institutes of Health
Research funding] received at Western, are published in the best journals,
and have cutting-edge research,” Herbert said.
According to Gitta Kulczycki, Western’s Vice-President of Resources and
Operations, the merger will “provide students with opportunities to work
with leading scientists who are helping to change our world.”
Research in London
CONTINUED FROM P1
like the United States and Europe,”
Hill said. “If there’s no substantial
investment in CIHR... we’ll really
start to see the effects and we’ll
start to lose scientists.”
Brandt stressed the importance
of research support, for both full
and part-time endeavours, to “promote the academic productivity of
tomorrow’s clinical scientists.
“The support of these research
endeavours is critical to achieving
high-quality projects that are of
immense potential.”
According to Hill, the federal
government needs to follow up
promises with investment and
should be informed about the
importance of medical research.
“Research always goes in cycles,
it’s never a linear path,” Hill said.
“There’s times when the government policy does not seem particularly friendly and there’s times
when it goes forward in leaps and
bounds.
“Now is not one of the best
times… we have to work on educating our elected representatives
on the benefits of research. This is
the work that is going to empower
the economy of Canada.”
Michael Gregoris/Gazette
BEHOLD, THE HOUSE OF MEDICAL MADNESS! Robarts Research Institute is set to merge with Western on July 1, presenting young Dr. Frankensteins everywhere with new, almost limitless possibilities.
Western’s Faces of the Week
David Simmonds
As if he weren’t already busy
enough, incoming USC VP-university affairs David Simmonds has
been elected as the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s president.
Simmonds, who is graduating
this year with an Honours Degree
in Political Science, will replace fellow Western student Paris Meilleur
in the top OUSA position.
According to Chris Locke, executive director of OUSA, Simmonds
is a natural fit for the organization,
which strives to “improve the
accessibility, affordability, accountability and quality of undergraduate education in Ontario.”
“In the few months that I’ve
H
known [David], his dedication to
student politics is almost scary at
times,” Locke said. “He’s been connected to student politics and education for a long time – he’s the perfect candidate to lead OUSA forward.”
Scary? Nah. Impressive? We’d
say so.
The Epic Pull Team
On Sunday, Western’s Epic Pull
team returned to London — with
their trusty six-ton RV in tow.
Since the 25 city Epic Pull tour
began on May 11, the team has
raised $10,000 for cystic fibrosis
research.
The attention-grabbing fundraising effort is the brainchild of
Epic Pull chief coordinator, Bill
Smoulders.
“There was a fantastic turnout,”
Smoulders said, in reference to
their stop in London. “It was one of
our biggest pulls yet.”
Sunday’s event, which raised
$1775, took place in the Masonville
Mall parking lot. It’s the last time
we’ll see the team until their triumphant return to London on
Shinerama Day in September. Until
then, the team is touring Canada
from coast-to-coast in a journey
nothing short of epic.
Donations can be made online
at www.epicpull.ca.
—Lauren Pelley
ave you always been a nosy Parker? How about a nosy
Singh, or a nosy Lee, a nosy Jones, or a nosy Szymanski?
Whatever your surname, bring you and your innate curiosity
up to Room 263 of the UCC and volunteer for the News department. No experience necessary.
Summer Students
Homeowner relief
Welcome!
CONTINUED FROM P1
students seeking parking close to
Western.
Homeowners along Brough,
Huron, Patricia, Steele and Waterloo Streets, University Crescent and
Broughdale Avenue will each be
given one street parking pass to
hang on rearview mirrors. Secondary passes can be bought for
$60 each.
Students and homeowners appear to be in favour of the project.
Daniel Bahcheli, a resident of
Brough St. for 23 years, is in favor of
the idea. “Residential parking is a
concern around here,” Bahcheli
said.
Mathew Gallinger, a fourth-year
management and organizational
studies student, also believes the
initiative is justified.
“It’s a great idea. People feel like
they can park anywhere,” Gallinger
said. “I’m in total agreement with
the initiative, but it will be interesting to see what happens when the
two-hour parking allotment clashes with those who have passes.
Anyone can park on the street, but
who has priority?”
The pass program will be effective Monday to Friday, with weekends and holidays open.
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100.HI.C.12
P4 ➤ opinions
theGazette • THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
theGazette
volume 101, Issue 2
‘What is now proved was once only imagined.’
—WILLIAM BLAKE
Allison Buchan-Terrell
Brice Hall
James Hayes
Editor-In-Chief
Deputy Editor
Managing Editor
Editor - gazette.editor@uwo.ca
Deputy - gazette.deputy.editor@uwo.ca
Managing - gazette.managing.editor@uwo.ca
website at www.gazette.uwo.ca
University Community Centre Rm. 263
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, CANADA. N6A 3K7
Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580, Fax: (519) 661-3825
Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579, Fax: (519) 661-3960
The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.
Domestic
research
is crucial
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR)
recent grant of $8.9 million towards medical research at
Western, Lawson Health Research Institute and Robarts
is a boon to these institutions as well as to the city of London. The grant highlights the importance of research conducted at these institutions while raising London’s profile
as a city that supports medical research.
London is fortunate in that this past year its institutions received a higher proportion of grant money than
most other cities in Canada. However, the fact there is so
little money to distribute among medical researchers in
Canada poses a problem, as it compromises Canada’s
ability to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge research
in this highly competitive global field.
Funding for medical research in Canada is not keeping pace with demand. As research is so vital, Canada
should be doing more to ensure its researchers have easier access to funding. Given that Canada’s economy is currently robust enough to accomodate added research dollars, the government should be serving its people by committing more money to academia.
The most unfortunate effect of a continued lack of
funds would be a brain-drain of our best scientists, who
would inevitably go where there are the resources available to do their research.
However, it’s unreasonable to expect research funding
to keep pace entirely when demand for it is constantly
growing. A balance must be struck between demand for
funds and its allotment. There are a number of ways
researchers can combine their work to take advantage of
shared resources.
The recent merger of Robarts and Western is one
example of how research institutes are cutting costs. Individual researchers, too, can work jointly doing research.
Why not combine Western’s resources with McMaster’s,
for example? The outcome would produce dividends
both for the institutes in terms of reduced costs as well as
for Canadians. Also, if researchers worked jointly, there
would be less competition for grants, meaning more
researchers could share the available funding.
Another slightly murkier solution would be to allow
further funding from corporations, as per the U.S. model.
Corporate funding would make dollars more readily available, though the risk is corporations would insist their
money support research solely of private interest. The
benefit of Canada funding research within its own institutions is that the country is, theoretically, responsible to
act in its citizens’ interest, rather than merely to a strict
bottom line.
It’s important that Canada invests in the advancement
of domestic medical research. To continue to withhold
from funding would be a disservice to Canada’s reputation abroad.
Stay informed on Facebook’s
third-party privacy policies
Hooked on
Chronics
Michael Gregoris
News Editor
At face value — no pun intended —
Facebook appears to be a safe, reliable
connection to one’s various social networks.
Its agency is like no other, brimming
with utility and functionality that mimics the addictive properties of Paris
Hilton’s favourite party favour. But there’s
another side to Facebook hidden under
the photo tags and wall posts. For
starters, Facebook’s privacy agreement
indicates personal information is collected and sold to third parties.
Most would be suspicious if the
clause weren’t disguised in a flurry of
legal jargon. But some people ignore that
stage, scrolling down and hitting the
accept button without reading what they
are signing.
Some might say ‘Who cares?’ Others
“I probably wouldn’t feel too good about
[Facebook selling personal information
to third parties].”
—Faranak Esmaeilbeigi
Micro-Immunization III
“I don’t really put anything that I wouldn’t want anyone to have on there. People
can know the kind of music I listen to,
the kind of TV shows I watch, but I don’t
put my address or phone numbers on
there so I’m not worried.”
—Sam Walderman
History III
“Everybody kind of does it, so I’m not too
put off about it.”
—Michael Diamond
BMOS IV
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.
Section Editors 2006-2007
News
Lauren Pelley
Michael Gregoris
Jaela Bernstien
Arts & Entertainment
Desiree Gamotin
Andrew Sullivan
Kaitlin Martin
Letters: Must include the contributor’s name, identification (ie. Economics II, Dean of Arts) and a telephone
number, and be typed double-spaced, submitted on
disk in Macintosh or IBM word-processing format, or
be emailed to gazette.editor@uwo.ca. Letters more
than 300 words or judged by the Editor-In-Chief to be
libellous, sexist or racist will not be published. The
Gazette reserves the right to edit letters and submissions and makes no guarantees that a letter will be published.
Associate Editor
Dave Ward
Opinions
Malcolm Aboud
Sports
Ravi Amarnath
Stephanie Ramsay
Katie Graves
Photography
Jon Purdy
Lulu Wei
Jonas Hrebeniuk
• Please recycle this newspaper •
Graphics
Tony Smerek
Elena Iosef
feel comfortable forking over their private information, which inevitably
reaches the faceless corporate entities
that own and operate the world in which
we live.
The website http://www.albumoftheday.com/facebook/ claims the CIA used
its corporate fronts to fund Facebook’s
development and, along with assistance
from the Department of Defense, that
Facebook data-mines our personal
information on a daily basis to create a
compendium of political views, known
affiliations, et cetera for perusal at the
government’s leisure.
These allegations have yet to be
proven, but at the very least it’s thoughtprovoking. What, exactly, are we getting
ourselves into?
Calls for amendments to Facebook’s
privacy policy have been made to ensure
user information is protected and
remains within Facebook. In response to
mounting criticism, Facebook’s owners
have acknowledged they intend on releasing an updated version of the policy that
will comply with requests for privacy.
Unfortunately, Facebook’s owners
Web
Shawn Foster
“I don’t have anything that I’d really call
private on my profile.”
—Vineet Neogi
BMOS II
“It’s kind of creepy. I don’t really want
people to know my personal information, so I took off my date of birth, my email address and any kind of contact
information because the people who
need that are my friends and they have it
already.”
—Amanda Cates
Biology IV
haven’t revealed a launch date for the
enactment of this revised policy. Is the
already incurred damage irreversible?
As of Feb. 2007, Facebook had more
than 27 million members, and it shows
no signs of slowing down. If these allegations have the slightest truth, governmental and corporate entities have
already won.
Herein lies the conflict: utility vs. privacy. To its credit, Facebook has revolutionized how we interact and relate with
one another. Where else can you find out
about a party you weren’t invited to?
The ability to reunite with a friend
from long ago enables us to reclaim the
past, therefore Facebook has become a
staple of everyday life. Perhaps that’s
what happens when a promising idea is
swallowed-up by a market-driven western world, where ethics are replaced with
dollar figures.
In this day and age, we’re over stimulated to a point where we no longer realize the extent of our actions.
It’s important for us to make an effort
to stay informed, and reject the enticing
pull of ignorance.
Uncomfortable sharing
personal information
on Facebook?
Send it to us instead at
gazette.opinions@uwo.ca.
Creepy? Yes.
More so than Facebook?
Not a chance in hell.
Gazette Staff 2006-2007
News - gazette.news@uwo.ca
Erik Adler, Nicole Bakker, Erin Baker, Sarah Berman, Jaela Bernstien, Mary Ann
Sports - gazette.sports@uwo.ca
Boateng, Dino Bratic, Steve Browne, Krystale Campbell, Rachel Cartwright,
A&E - gazette.entertainment@uwo.ca
Len Caballes, David Chen, Andrew Cionga, Dylan Clark, Carly Conway, Amie
Campus Life - gazette.campus@uwo.ca
Opinions - gazette.opinions@uwo.ca
Gazette Composing
Ian Greaves, Manager
Cheryl Forster, Maja Anjoli-Bilic,
Stuart Irvine
Gazette Advertising
Alex McKay, Manager
Doug Warrick, Mark Ritchie
Marie Curiale, Alana Daley, Mallory Daley, Kate Davis, Adam Feldman, Brian
Gasparek, Ryan Gauss, Katie Graves, Michael Gregoris, Mike Hayes, Will Harris, Jonas Hrebeniuk, Lindsey Janzen, Kelly Jeffs, Saktni Kalaichandran, Ragini
Kashyap, Shawn Katuwapitiya, Melissa Kim, Tyler Kula, Mike Last, Amy Leitner, Elena Losef, Kaitlin Martin, Chad Nevett, Danielle Neziol, Carl Onofrio,
Maciej Pawlak, Mark Polishuk, Josh Safer, Chris Scott, Paul Sham, Shaun Sinclair, Tony Smerek, Alexis Stoymenoff, Cali Travis, Matt Vens, Sheila Weekes,
Lulu Wei, Jonathan Yazer, Matt Zerker
P5 THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
Ar tsEnter tainment
North
by Northeast
music festival brings
indie scene to Toronto
By Desiree Gamotin
Gazette Staff
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Last weekend, enthusiastic music
lovers filled Toronto’s streets to
partake in the independent music
smorgasbord, North By Northeast
(NXNE) Music & Film Festival and
Conference. With over 450 bands
playing in 40 venues, it was like a
four-day Christmas for avid concert goers, aspiring bands and
labels looking for the next Arcade
Fire.
Now in its 13th year, NXNE
was bigger and better than ever
with bands like Urge Overkill,
Icarus Line and Soundtrack of
Our Lives playing in intimate
venues. Late-night performances by Ron Sexsmith and
Blue Rodeo rocked Lee’s Palace
until the wee hours of the
morning for exclusive NXNE
badge and wristband holders.
While there was much
anticipation for NXNExtra
concerts such as Voxtrot,
Junior Boys and Dinosaur Jr.,
there was always room for
smaller bands in a festival of
this size.
Although only 450
smaller bands were chosen
from over 3,000 demo submissions, NXNE head of
publicity Sue McCallum
says it’s still difficult to
choose which bands are
worth seeing.
“It’s a good experience for bands to go
through these things,”
McCallum says. “That’s
our gift from us. I feel
that we’re helping
spread that. Some
bands are just more
ready than others but
if it’s not this year, it’s next year. It
just depends on how ready that
band is to be a part of NXNE.”
Vancouver buzz band Mother
Mother’s lead singer/guitarist
Ryan Guldemond agrees these
festivals nurture the bigger bands,
but it’s all about timing.
“When you already have
momentum in the band, it’s the
best time to play in these festivals.
But it feels nice, you feel like
you’re getting somewhere. It’s
kind of what you want to happen.”
Deciding which bands to see
each night was hectic in itself.
With each band playing on the
hour every hour, you’re forced to
choose between seeing the cool
new dance punk band recommended by a friend or checking
out the exclusive DJ performance
from your already-favourite band.
“It’s exciting and stressful at
the same time,” NXNE volunteer
Julz Diva says. “There’s that rush
of everything and you’re meeting
so many people.
“One of the conference coordinators told me to go to a band
that’s from out of the country
because you can always see the
Toronto bands. Most of them only
come for North By Northeast and
we probably won’t see them ever
again. But word of mouth is definitely important. Many of the
bands I saw depended on word of
mouth or by listening to their
songs on MySpace.” Music aside,
the NXNE Conference portion
attracted industry honchos and
unsigned bands seeking advice on
how to get their name out there.
For three days, the conference
offered liquor-licensed sessions,
artist panels, round tables, legal
clinics and crash courses on song-
writing and financing. The conference kicked off with the NXNE
Town Hall at Much Music Studios
last Thursday. Participants included major label reps from
Sony/BMG, Universal and Warner
as well as small indie labels like
Six Shooter Records and Paper
Bag Records.
Alexisonfire’s vocalist George
Pettit and Moneen’s singer/guitarist Kenny Bridges also joined in
the tense discussion about the
plight of music industry sales and
the hard truths about digital
music.
Conference highlights also
included celebrity interviews with
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford,
Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis and Peaches who were interviewed by Kids
in the Hall’s Dave Foley.
Saturday’s Indie Music Market
saw tents lining Yonge-Dundas
Square where indie bands sold
merchandise and offered patrons
the chance to demo their music.
Live outdoor performances by a
band of seven year-olds, Burning
Boyz, and funky Spanish electronica group, The Pinkertones, stole
the show.
Despite the tightly scheduled
activities, McCallum dealt with
minor setbacks that arose
throughout the day while still
having an amazing time.
“Independent music festivals
bring a different element to
Toronto and we’ve had an overwhelming response from people
who wanted it,” McCallum says.
“It’s so important. There’s so
much talent all over the country
and all over the world. We were
lucky that the media views our
festival as an important and
vibrant event.”
P6 ➤ arts&entertainment
theGazette • THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
The Gazette’s North by
Northeast festival picks
Most Likely to Be From Another Planet: Mother Mother (The Boat) It’s hard to describe this Vancouver band.
With the lead singer resembling a timid blonde college
boy, the sound coming from this quintet seemed unnatural to hear during its first-night set. Mother Mother
went onstage dressed in sharp matching black suits and
dresses, immediately releasing a plethora of unconventional sounds, from robotic synchronized female harmonies to alien-like angelic vocals to cooing chipmunks. Following the same no-structure trend as Deerhoof, each song kept the audience’s interest until the
very end.
Most Hyper Band: The Ghost is Dancing (Sneaky
Dee’s)With eight band members and a song simply titled
“Running Song,” The Ghost is Dancing set was like
watching unlikely characters bond at a random party.
You had the nerd, the preppie, the flashy ‘80s-inspired
showman, the cute girls, the skater boy, the awkward guy
and the grungy bearded free spirit. Think of every instrument possible — recorder, trumpet, accordion and violin — and they played it, switching instruments after
every song. This version of musical chairs wasn’t as hectic as it seemed. Instead, it boasted the band’s talent and
genre-mixing, creating a peppier and poppier Broken
Social Scene.
Couple You Should Be Jealous Of: Handsome Furs
(Comfort Zone) The venue was at capacity last Friday
as a sea of heads skimmed Comfort Zone’s low ceilings
to hear Wolf Parade’s Vocalist Dan Boeckner and his
fiancée Alexei Perry play together as Handsome Furs.
The duo created a brilliant sound with repetitive drum
machine beats and minimal guitar riffs, reminiscent of
a more electronic Jesus and Mary Chain. Despite Boeckner’s hauntingly dark vocals, what made the set near
perfect was the chemistry between the 80s punk-looking pair. Perry’s infectious smiles and Boeckner’s passionate vocals from the opening song, “What We Had,”
to the closing Tom Petty cover gave the crowd reason to
ditch all the other bands.
Most Likely to Wear Sunglasses at Night While Head
Banging:You Say Party! We Say Die! (Legendary Horseshoe Tavern)If there’s one word to describe this band,
it’s ‘eclectic’. Going from country to dance-punk might
not seem right, but this West Coast act dashed away any
skepticism. Inspiring a mosh pit in the front rows with
songs off the recently acclaimed record Lose All Time,
the band wasted no time in delivering songs like “Goodnight Downtown Mayors, Alley Kids Rule!” to the unruly
mob. Singer Becky Ninkovic led the assault, often stopping mid-song to engage the audience in a clap-along
as they bounced in front of the stage — one fan even
made an ill-advised attempt at body surfing.
Best Rule-Breaking Band: The Carps (The Silver Dollar)The Carps have created a new genre: electro hardrock R&B. Vocalist Jahmal Tonge’s funky R&B vocals and
stylistic drumming battled Neil White’s heavy Death
From Above 1979 bass riffs and electronic loops. The
Scarborough natives are well on their way to becoming
the next Bloc Party. Tonge never missed a beat, belting
out soulful trills, drumming a mile a minute while White
rocked his black Badtz-Maru bass. By the end of the
night, every hand was up in the air jumping to the soca
beat of “AllTheDamnKids.”
Most Likely To Make Teenage Girls Weep In the Next
Five Years: Two Hours Traffic (Legendary Horseshoe
Tavern)Every time these youngsters hit the stage, they
get better. The newest protégés of the legendary Joel
Plaskett, Two Hours Traffic hails from Prince Edward
Island. Taking the stage in the wee hours of the
morning, this band reinvigorated a crowd that had
been on its feet for over five hours. With the front
row singing along with every song off their most
recent EP, Isolator, Two Hours Traffic proved
they have more than enough hooks to satisfy
any audience. Tracks like “Stuck for the Summer” kept weary eyes open and tired heads
bopping even as the clock neared 3 a.m..
Most Likely To Make London Funky Once Again: God
Made Me Funky (Yonge and Dundas Square) Playing
on Saturday afternoon, God Made Me Funky (GMMF)
took over Yonge and Dundas square, bringing a pile of
funk with them to spill onto the audience. Ignore the
innuendo. Waking a crowd ranging from five year olds to
grandparents, this eclectic act relied on crowd participation and its own exuberance to get the party started.
Performing covers of hip hop classics and their own
material, including “If You’re Funky and You Know It,”
GMMF seemed to be having more fun than the audience. No matter how ridiculous things got on stage, the
crowd seemed happy to follow. Who wouldn’t want to get
their funk on?
By Kaitlin Martin
Gazette Staff
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Take a listen to some of the Canadian
indie scenesters who rocked the festival.
Mother Mother - Touch Up A popdriven ode to Avon ladies and our
appearance-obsessed culture, Touch
Up is typical of Mother Mother’s
quirky style. It’s hard to believe an
entire chorus could be composed of
so many pronunciations of “I need a
touch up”, but somehow vocalists
Ryan Guldemond, Molly Guldemond and Debra-Jean Creelman
pull it off with enough style to make
the song a hit. “Touch Up” may be
silly, but Mother Mother owns it.
4 regular admission
3 Tuesdays
$
2nd Floor UCC
McKellar Room
Ends June 14
GEORGIA RULE
Rated 14A
7:00 Nightly
121 minutes
24
$
June 15-21
HOT FUZZ
Rated 14A
7:00 Nightly
130 minutes
No late show this week
www.westernfilm.ca
519 661-3616
Shadrach Kabango - Out of Love
Part 2 With a dreamy keyboard loop
and breezy rhymes, “Out of Love Part
2” sounds like a summer drive.
Bypassing the “bitches and hoes”
bullshit of his peers, Shad instead
offers some old-school substance on
this sequel tune. But like any good
summer song, he keeps it fun. The
scarf and the tight jeans complete
the emo look. Why don’t you go cook
some vegan food and rent The Notebook?
Peaches - Two Guys For Every Girl
While Peaches didn’t perform any of
her songs at NXNE, opting instead
for a comedy session with Dave
Foley, it’s obvious why she still drew a
crowd. This electronic epic about
guy-on-guy loving is just the tip of
the iceberg when it comes to Peaches’ obsession with sex. Be forewarned: “Two Guys” does not belong
on the playlists of conservatives – it’s
the musical equivalent of a late-night
sex-line infomercial.
Kathleen Edwards - Summerlong In
“Summerlong”, Ottawa-born singersongwriter Edwards sings about a
habitual relationship-ender who
finally falls in love. Despite the sickeningly sweet subject matter,
Edwards’s folksy voice transforms
the material from cheesy love song
fare into something beautiful. It’s
guaranteed to make you feel fortunate to be in love – or encourage you
to transform your next summer
hook-up into the real thing.
photos by Desiree Gamotin, Lulu Wei
Teach English An eclectic soundtrack
Overseas
filled with NXNE flavour
sports ➤ P7
theGazette • THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
Admin commits to IA funding
$1.7 million agreement to last four years
By Ravi Amarnath
Gazette Staff
ONE TROPHY SHORT OF A PERFECT SEASON. While the Senators
were only able to snag the Prince of Wales trophy, they can be
proud for bringing Ontario its first meaningful hockey achievement in 40 years.
Finding peace after
difficult playoff loss
Sens still No.1 for this fan
Step by
Steph
Stephanie Ramsay
Sports Editor
I have a long-standing relationship
with the Ottawa Senators. Ever
since I attended my first NHL game
— back when Scotiabank Place was
still the Palladium and Alexei
Yashin was still a star — I was
hooked.
During this 10-year love affair,
there have been some ups and
downs. The ups include a decade of
outstanding regular season play,
several decisive wins over the
Maple Leafs and more than a few
trips to the playoffs. The
downs…well…let’s just say Ottawa
has a history of early playoff exits.
In attempting to explain my
feelings about the Senators to the
non-hockey fans in my life, I’ve
often likened the Sens to that
boyfriend who disappoints you
time and time again, yet you
always, inexplicably, take him back.
Each April, I told myself I should
have known better, that they
always do this to me, but every September I was filled with renewed
hope. They’ve changed. They’re different this time. They’re not the
same team they were last year.
However, at the conclusion of
the 2005-06 season, I’d had enough.
I’d been burned too many times.
Determined to resist the allure
of a young team with a potent
offence, I entered the 2006-07 season skeptical of the Senators’
chances. As the season progressed,
my suspicions were confirmed. By
mid-November, the Sens sat below
.500, with a disappointing 7-11-1
record.
Several key players — including
Jason Spezza, Mike Fisher and
Antoine Vermette — were sidelined
by injuries. For the first time in 10
years, it seemed like the Sens would
not make the playoffs. In the back
of my mind, I could hear the Leafs
fans already.
How wrong I was. After an
undeniably rocky start, the Senators came back to win nine of 13
games in January and never lost
more than two consecutive games
for the remainder of the season.
Something clicked and Ottawa
discovered the chemistry and character that were wholly absent from
the first half of the season, finishing
the year with a 48-25-9 record, a
playoff spot and a chance to silence
their critics once and for all.
As the playoffs began, the tension in Ottawa was palpable. Fans
were certainly excited, but many
seemed all too aware that the Senators campaign could come to an
end at any moment. However,
Ottawa crushed Sid the Kid’s playoff hopes in just five games, before
defeating New Jersey and Buffalo in
as many games.
It seemed almost unbelievable,
but, for the first time in the franchise’s modern history, the Sens
were going to the Stanley Cup final.
In that moment, Ottawa came alive
in a way that is near impossible to
describe.
The streets were flooded with
thousands of fans, leading an
impromptu parade up Elgin Street,
since dubbed Sens Mile, to Parliament Hill.
Crimson-clad revellers overtook
the bars and the horns could be
heard long into the night. For the
following two weeks, Ottawa was
Hockeytown.
I’m sure you all know what happened after that. If you don’t, allow
me to fill you in: Ottawa lost to a
tough, tight-checking Anaheim
squad in just five games. But if you
ask me, that’s not what matters. You
might be thinking that after 10
tumultuous years together, I’ve
become blind to the Senators’
faults, that I’ve taken them back one
too many times. But that’s not it.
While I’m normally quick to dismiss trite expressions like “Success
is a journey, not a destination,” in
this case, the saying holds true.
Although the Senators did not
bring Lord Stanley home, they went
farther than almost anyone
thought they would go.
They proved they have the
tenacity, the skill, and (finally) the
goaltending to be serious competitors in the NHL. Lastly, they infused
a city with a decidedly conservative
reputation with excitement it has
never known before.
Is it better to have loved and lost
than never to have loved at all?
After years of uncertainty, I can
finally say, yes. Yes, it is.
Following a landmark announcement by Intercollegiate Athletics
and Western’s administration last
month, over 400 varsity athletes
will no longer have to exclusively
fund their endeavours.
Under a new funding arrangement, Western’s administration
agreed to provide $680,000 over
four years for the 18 formerly nonfunded varsity teams who represent the school in Ontario University Athletics competition. The
funding helps offset the costs of
equipment and uniforms, travel,
facility rentals, coaching stipends
and other team costs.
“We’ve been in discussions here
with administration for more than
two years to attempt to change the
construct of how the teams are
funded, what teams are funded,
and the tiering system,” said Western Sports and Recreation Director
Michael Lysko.
“We were in a position where we
needed to make a logical and convincing case for [changing the system], and that’s what I think we’ve
done.”
Western baseball head coach
Mike Lumley discussed how the
funding would affect his team,
which previously received no
money under the tiering system,
during the upcoming season.
“It removes some of the financial burden that’s put on the players,” he said. “In the past they had
to choose between taking buses or
[playing in] Labatt Park, and now
they don’t have to make that
choice.”
Lumley said each player on his
roster had to pay approximately
$400 this past year to play on the
team.
In addition to providing funds
for the currently non-funded
teams, administration also committed $700,000 in seed money for
athletic scholarships over the next
“
We’ve been in
discussions here
with administration
for more than two
years.
—Western Sports and
Recreation Director
Michael Lysko
”
four years for athletes who compete in Canadian Interuniversity
Sport sanctioned sports.
Under newly created guidelines,
Ontario schools are now allowed to
offer entry level scholarships to student-athletes up to a maximum of
$3500 per year, which covers
approximately 70 per cent of their
tuition.
“The scholarships certainly
don’t prevent migration of an athlete from here to a U.S. school, but
its intent is to prevent the automatic migration of student-athletes to
the eastern or western coast
schools,” Lysko said.
In order to qualify for an athletic scholarship, athletes must have
an 80 per cent average coming out
of high school and maintain a 70
per cent average in university.
While other schools have not
made their scholarship allocations
public, Lysko said coaches at Western have an idea of what their competitors are offering.
“Nobody has made it [scholarships at other schools] public
knowledge, but we have a good
idea for certain sports. You figure
out what sports are going to be the
most competitive in terms of what
recruiting needs coaches have, and
you allocate [them] accordingly,”
he said.
Fred Longstaffe, provost and VPacademic at Western, said the former tiering system was put in place
six years ago when the school was
in a worse financial position and
needed to make cutbacks in a
number of operational areas.
With the school in better financial shape, Western provides funding for currently non-funded
teams, and will provide an additional $105,000 starting in 2008/09
to offset increasing varsity team
costs such as travel, Longstaffe
added.
For
scholarship
money,
$300,000 of the total funds will
come from Western’s operating
budget, while $400,000 will come
from the Western fund, which are
unrestricted donations from Western alumni.
Track and badminton stars
shine in busy May for ’Stangs
The Mustangs are bringing home
the hardware left, right and centre
this summer and looking solid for
next season.
Western’s track and field team
owned the podium at the Windsor
Open on May 12, picking up three
medals at the tournament, including a first place finish for Miguel
Wason. Wason took the gold in the
200m with a personal best outdoor
time of 21.44 seconds.
Mario Rigby, a 2007/08 Mustangs recruit, also wore gold in the
400m.
Alanna Boudreau won silver in
the triple jump competition.
Boudreau jumped 11.32m for second place, but unfortunately suffered a knee injury later in the
event, forcing her to withdraw.
Jen Cotten placed third in the
100m hurdle race with a time of
14.78. Cotten finished eighth in the
200m with a personal best time of
25.64, and just missed a medal in
the long jump with a 5.39m leap.
The Mustangs badminton team
took home more bling at the Canadian University/College Badminton Championships in Waterloo held from May 18-20. Jenn Lam
won the singles and earned two silvers in mixed doubles. Western
placed third overall after losing the
semi-final game to Montreal.
Western’s men’s volleyball lost
integral veterans following last season’s finish, but things are looking
up with two new recruits for the
2007/08 season. Aric Sudicky, a
transfer student, and Demetri
Kantzos, a high school graduate,
have committed to the team for the
upcoming season.
—Katie Graves
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PLACE
Wanted
ARE YOU A kind and generous young woman from
India or the middle east? If so, please consider donating some of your eggs to me, so I may be able
to have a baby. Serious responses only. Please
contact: pat@soft-infertility.com
BODY COMPOSITION AND exercise. UWO researcher seeks healthy, non-exercising, non- pregnant females, ages 18 to 45. Free 18 week exercise
program offered at private UWO exercise facility.
Body composition and other variables will be measured. Contact Erin Pearson 519-661-3404 or
ecrookes@uwo.ca
TO WRITE A CLASSIFIED AD THAT SELLS
3. State the PRICE. Successful Classified advertisers have learned that the price in an ad helps
increase the chances for results.
Housing
Miscellaneous
2 BEDROOMS AVAILABLE in a 4 bedroom bedroom upscale condo on Richmond Street close to
UWO. Available May 1/07. Please call 519-582-8629
JOIN ONE OF the fastest growing natural health
global businesses now opening in Asia. Call Donna
at 519-672-4513 or Terry at 519-439-7952.
2 ROOMS IN 3 bedroom house (3rd room office)
with laundry and parking. Clean, close to campus.
Mature students preferred. Regent Street. Call Dimitri 519-854-3379. $360 +utilities.
4 BEDROOM HOUSE. Completely renovated with
new kitchens & bathrooms. Wood and tile flooring.
Excellent location close to downtown bus, shopping.
5 appliances, 2 bathrooms, parking, 9 months lease
possible. $375 a bedroom all inclusive. Call Yossi
519-318-6752
5 BEDROOM HOUSE. Brand new. 1 minute walk to
UWO. 3 full bathrooms All hardwood floors, dishwasher, central air conditioning $450/month. Call
Michelle 519-777-6019 or 519-679-2512
For Sale
WALK TO UWO 76 Chesham Crt, 4 bdrm 2 bath,
student suite with separate entrance, double garage, deck, patio, many upgrades, low-maintenance
treed landscaped lot. $274,900 www.bytheowner.com By appointment 519-473-0491
TO WRITE A CLASSIFIED AD THAT SELLS
5. Include your PHONE NUMBER. Classifieds get
results fast and often generate immediate sales. If
you cannot be available to answer the phone at all
times, be sure to specify special calling times such
as “after 6 pm” or “Before 11 am.”
P8 THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007
Sports
ON DECK: Men’s & women’s hoopsters reel in the recruits
Football stars take their game to the next level
McAuley, Kordic attempt to crack CFL roster positions
Joyce Wang and Cole Yates/Gazette
COMING AT YOU FASTER THAN A MIKE O’SHEA BLITZ. Former Mustangs Randy McAuley and Nick Kordic are in the midst of tryouts with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts
and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, respectively.
By Kevin Melhuish
Gazette Staff
May is often cited as the ultimate
month in the sporting year. The
boys of summer are in full swing on
the diamond, the NBA and NHL
playoffs are winding down, and the
CFL draft starts the month off with
a bang.
Alright, so the draft isn’t in the
same category as the aforementioned events. That’s not to say the
month didn’t start well for Mustangs defensive back Nick Kordic.
Kordic was drafted thirty-sixth
overall by the CFL’s Hamilton TigerCats.
The news came as a surprise to
the star defender, who converted
from running back after entering
university.
“It was something I dreamed of
accomplishing in my football
career, but I can’t say that I was 100
per cent sure it was going to happen,” Kordic said.
“After I got the news that I wasn’t invited to the evaluation camp, I
was a little more skeptical that my
draft status was dropping,” he
added.
Even though the selection was
somewhat unexpected, Kordic still
has high expectations of himself.
“I feel that making the team is a
realistic goal,” he said. “Anything
short of making the team would be
disappointing for me.”
Randy McAuley, running back
and reigning male athlete of the
year at Western, is taking a different
approach to his training camp.
McAuley was signed as a free agent
by the Toronto Argonauts.
“My expectations are to play my
best and to go out and work my
butt off,” he said. “I’m not really
expecting anything.”
McAuley said he is content
wherever the Argos use him.
“If they decide they want me to
run down on some special teams,
I’ll do that,” he said. “[If ] there is
something else that they want me
to do, I’ll do that, too.”
McAuley described his experience at training camp.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far, but a
lot of hard work,” he said. “Everyone is pretty supportive and helps
everyone out, but it is extremely
competitive. The first day you get
out there can be intimidating.”
Intimidation seems natural
when two of your prospective
teammates include Damon Allen,
pro football’s all-time passing
leader and former Heisman trophy
winner Eric Crouch.
“I’ve taken a few snaps with
[Crouch],” McAuley said. “It’s a really cool experience.”
McAuley was recruited by Division-I NCAA schools Penn State
and Michigan State, before deciding to remain at home in London.
Even though he’s not at the NFL
level, he has no regrets remaining
north of the border.
“I’d like to think that maybe [the
NFL] would have been an option
but that’s one of those ‘if’ situations,” McAuley said.
Former Mustangs head coach
Larry Haylor chimed in with another ‘if’ situation for the star running
back.
“Had Randy stayed healthy, I
think [he] would have broken every
rushing record at our university,”
Haylor said. McAuley finished fifth
on the ’Stangs all-time rushing list,
averaging over six yards per carry in
his career.
Haylor also had kind words for
Kordic, who amassed 89 tackles
while at Western.
“Nick is growing and has huge
upside,” Haylor said. “[He] is another guy that could knock your socks
off physically.”
The now retired coach offered
the guys advice before they went off
to camp.
“Try to impress with each
opportunity you get,” Haylor said.
“You never get a second chance to
make a first impression.
“Take it day by day, moment by
moment, and practice by practice.”
Kordic also shared advice for
others aspiring to play profession-
ally.
“Never stop believing,” Kordic
said. “If you dream, dream big and
work hard for that dream, and it will
happen.”
Kordic and McAuley aren’t the
only Mustangs attempting to make
a CFL squad. Defensive lineman
Glen Larocque is on the gridiron in
Saskatchewan, trying out for the
Roughriders.
The CFL regular season begins
June 28 when the Argos host the
B.C. Lions.
A
s McAuley and Kordic hope to join other notable Mustangs alumni in the CFL, The Gazette looks at some of their notable achievements over their careers at Western.
McAuley
2003: The rookie running back
shines in his initial campaign,
amassing 694 yards on 91 carries.
2004: Named to the second-team
OUA squad after finishing year with
735 yards rushing, and also named
MVP of East-West Bowl after returning a kickoff 104 yards for a major.
2005: Moved into fourth on the Mustangs all-time kick return list after
finishing the season with 196 kick
return yards.
2006: Became the second player in
Mustangs football history to have a
promotion in his honour, with the
McAuley “Back-in-the-box.”
Kordic
2003: Finished eighth on the roster
with 17 tackles, including six solo
tackles.
2004: Amassed 35 tackles during the
season, including a season high 9.5
tackles during the Mustangs home
opener versus McMaster.
2005: Racked up three picks during
his junior campaign, two of which
came in the Mustangs Homecoming
weekend 62-10 victory over the York
Lions.
2006: Named OUA Defensive Player
of the Week after recording three solo
tackles, two forced fumbles, one sack
and one interception against
McMaster.