pdf version - Western`s Off

M A R C H / A P R I L
O F F - C A M P U S
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I S S U E
A D V I S O R S
The Off-Campus Connection
Don’t Test Your Luck This St. Patty’s
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Subletting vs. Assignment
How to Deal With a
House Flood
Sayonara London!
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sell alcohol without a license—people found to
be selling alcohol can be fined and have the
kegs and profits confiscated.
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Legally Liable: Even if a guest drinks their
own alcohol at a house party, the tenants of the
house could be legally liable for any intoxicated
decisions made by their guests.
Let’s hope this St. Patty’s Day is warmer
than the last, but more importantly, while
2 you enjoy the Irish festivities be mindful of
liquor and party bylaws.
Heating Requirements
3
Dealing With Exam
Season
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The Search For the
Best Research
Home Away From
Home Safety
24/7 Noise Bylaw: Loud house parties can
result in a fine of $200-$2000 PER TENANT
at any time of day.
Mischief Bylaw: Students can be fined up
5 to $5000 and face potential jail time if
caught purposely causing problems for
6 their neighbours.
March/April Meme
Contest
Liquor Licence Act: Consumption of alco7 hol is restricted to areas of residence or
8 with a license. This means students cannot drink in public areas, including streets,
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parks, and sidewalks.
Contact Us!
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Into the Wild
Fire Safety Tips
March/April Newsletter Quiz
By Jocelyn
For more information, you can visit the offcampus housing website or call at (519) 6613787.
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Keg Parties: Are ILLEGAL. You cannot
Winter Houses
Need to get rid of that snow in these last couple weeks of winter? Luckily, Western’s Winter
Houses will be returning this year! The Winter Houses are operated by student volunteers who
live in the off-campus community, and will have signs displayed in front of each house noting
whether or not a shovel is available.
To find out if there’s a Winter House in your area email oca@uwo.ca. Make sure you include your
address, so that the address of the closest Winter House can be provided in our reply.
To borrow a shovel, bring your Western student ID to the Winter House in your area. You have
24 hours to bring the shovel back, as it is property of the University. Any questions can be directed to the Off-Campus Advisors at the above email address, or by phone at (519) 661-3787.
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Subletting vs. Assignment
By Leigh
Now that summer is fast approaching you have a couple options for how you choose to deal with your rental
unit. Some people choose to sublet for the summer, and others choose to assign their lease and opt out of it
entirely. Here’s some information to help you make an educated decision moving forward.
Subletting
 Becoming the tenant of an existing tenant for a short period
of time—the original tenant’s name is still on the lease, and
they are liable for the subtenant.
 A subtenant cannot be charged for more than the rental
price—and usually pays a fraction of the rent price.
 You’ll want to consider signing a Sublet Agreement.
Assignment
 Someone else completely takes over one tenant’s spot on the
lease permanently, including all the responsibilities and liabilities on the contract.
 Your landlord can refuse to give you an assignment—but if they do you can give 30 day’s written notice
regardless of how close to the end of the lease term you are (IF you’re on a single lease).
How to Deal With a House Flood
By Holly
In this bitter cold weather, and in London’s wet spring, flooding can unfortunately happen. Pipes can freeze
and burst, which is often preventable so long as the central heating is left on, and heavy rainfall can make its
way into your rental unit. In the case of a flood, here is what to do:
If the flooding is due to a burst water supply pipe in your home, and if you are safely able to do so, shut off
the main incoming water valve as this could help minimize the damage. You will probably know this is the
case because the water will be clean, and likely coming down through the house from an upper level. In the
future, make note of where this shut-off is and keep access clear. If the flooding is due to a sewage backup (or
you are not sure), do not flush the toilet, run a washing machine, dishwasher or any other feature with a
drain since this is likely to increase the flooding.
If you can safely do so, turn off your house’s power at the
main breaker switches to eliminate the risk of an electrical shock. Call your landlord immediately. Take pictures
for evidence of any damage the flood may have caused –
you may need them. If any of your belongings are not
affected by the flood take them to safety.
If you are responsible for cleaning up, be sure to wear
protective clothing, soak up the water either with towels
or using a wet vacuum, and provide as much ventilation
as you can, especially if space heaters are used to heat the
frozen pipe.
THE
OFF-CAMPUS
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Sayonara London!
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By Kate
It’s that time already! Time to move out! Whether you’re moving cities for a new job or
school, or just moving back home for the summer there are a few things you should keep in
mind when packing up.
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Pack important items in clear containers to easily pick them out first
Wrap breakables (in clothes or towels to save money)
Label boxes and bags to make unpacking easy
Use hampers to carry stuff
Sell/give away unwanted stuff
Cover openings to liquids with plastic
Clean the house!
Have everything ready when it’s time to go
Don’t grocery shop 2 weeks prior to moving so
you use up all your food
Take time stamped pictures to prove you did no
damage to the property
Cut utilities and end automatic withdrawals
Donations of furniture in reasonably good condition will be accepted from April 20th to May 1st for a furniture exchange with Western
students. These will be located at the East Lawn beside Alumni House and the Platts Lane
Estate's parking lot.
You can use Off-Campus Housing’s Garage Sale to sell furniture as well!
For other great tips, look here or here, and have a wonderful summer!
Heating Requirements
London has heat requirements that must be met from September 15th-June 15th! They are:
20°C from 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
18°C from 11 p.m. – 6 a.m.
Your landlord must provide, maintain, and repair the heating system of your rental unit.
If it’s not working, submit a repair request. For information on how to do that contact Western’s OffCampus Advisors: oca@uwo.ca
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Dealing With Exam Stress
By Michelle
It’s that time of year again… Exam Season! If your current round of exams has
you stressed and on edge, take a look at these three quick tips on easing the
pressure.
Get Organized
One of the best ways beat the stress of exam season is to plan out a study
schedule. Make a list of all the notes that need to be made, all the lectures that
need to be re-read, and all the chapters that need to be covered. It may seem
like you have 1000 things to do but once you lay it all out, it might only be 100!
Treat Yourself
Getting a
shed some light
Your stress can be amplified by the fact that it’s concentrated in one large dose.
Every now and then, interrupt your studying with a splash of something entertaining or delicious. If you opt for an edible treat, try maximizing your break by
taking a walk to a nearby shop. The fresh air and exercise can go a long way towards refreshing your brain for another round of studying.
on some of the
Talk to Someone
professional
opinion can
problems that
you’re facing
If your stress affecting you in ways you don’t understand, you should look into
Western’s Psychological Services, which offers individual counseling. It’s often
said that the first step to resolving a problem is admitting you have one but it
might even be the case
that you don’t even know
have one. Getting a professional opinion can
shed some light on some
of the problems that
you’re facing.
Looking Ahead
Did you know that the
Learning Skills Services
Student Development Centre holds a series of seminars and workshops on exam preparation, time management, and several other topics that can make exam season 10 times more bearable? Attending one of these sessions can help
get you prepped for your April exams!
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The Search For the Best Research
By Jocelyn
Tips from Weldon’s Library’s Research Assistant:
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Start research by determining the type of source you want: books or journals
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Western Libraries databases can help narrow your search as topics are organized by
scholars and librarians*
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Increase the number of keywords to focus your search
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Align keywords with your search results by selecting the subject form option in the
search portion
Frequently Encountered Problems and Solutions
Challenge
Printing glitches at the library
Research assistants are very busy with students in October/ November and February/
March
Source unavailable at Western
Solution
Research assistant at library can print it
for you
Start research early!
Interlibrary Loan allows students to borrow books and journals from other universities**
* Visit www.lib.uwo.ca/databases to start your research!
** Visit www.lib.uwo.ca/ill for more information!
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Home Away From Home Safety
By Kate
With the recent launch of “Protect your property, Protect yourself” Crime Prevention campaign and the 15
break-ins in London in the last month, home safety is a big concern! Cash, jewellery and electronics are the favourable targets of these thieves, which have targeted in the mid-morning to afternoon hours. We have some
tips to avoid you from becoming the victim while you’re away studying.
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First and foremost lock your doors, even during the day.
Hide your valuables out of plain site and close your curtains.
Make your house look occupied and active by shovelling walkways
and driveways. With an accumulation of snow it is easier for thieves
to know when someone is home or not.
Even when you are home know who is entering or exiting so random people are not coming into your house.
During the St. Patty’s festivities don’t let people you don’t know use
your washroom/scope out your stuff
If a break in occurs call 911 and then retreat to a safe room and
maintain phone call.
Most residential break-ins occur during the day contrary to popular belief according to the Ontario Association
of Chiefs of Police. This is the time when we are all away at class so make sure you and your housemates are
taking the necessary steps to ensure you don’t become part of these statistics.
Into the Wild
By Michelle
Here’s a round-up of a few of the awesome events taking place in London this month!
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THE
Are you looking to try something exciting? The Mystery Escape Rooms on Waterloo Street offer
you the chance to solve thrilling puzzles and riddles to escape from a locked room! It’s fun, safe,
and a great chance to try something new.
There are several great concerts going on at the London Music Hall this month. Artists include
The Arkells on March 12th and Limblifter on March 28th
The Blue Man Group will be at Budweiser Gardens on
March 28th at 7:30pm. This award-winning group is known
to put on a spectacular show filled with music, comedy,
and many other great things. They’ve been around for
over 24 years and they’re still thrilling audiences today!
The London Knights will be facing off against the Kitchener Rangers on March 12th at 7:00pm at Budweiser Gardens. Come on out to support our local team!
The Women’s Community House is hosting “Swap Till
You Drop” on March 12th from 5:00pm-9:00pm at Martini
Bar. For $10 you can join in on an exciting clothing swap
while having a drink with some friends. All unswapped items will be donated to the Women’s
Community House.
OFF-CAMPUS
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Fire Safety Tips
By Holly
Fire safety is important year round! Here are a few tips to keep you and your friends safe.
The most common fire hazard is attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol,
refrain from cooking after a night out and grab some food to go instead. When cooking, never leave
the stovetop unattended. Keep anything flammable away from your stove such as towels or food packages. If a pot should catch fire, put the lid on and turn off the stove immediately.
Candle fires are also on the rise, so be sure to keep open flames away from doorways and keep them in
sturdy candle holders. If you are a smoker, smoke outside whenever possible, and avoid smoking in
bed at all costs.
Due to the cold weather, many of you may be using space heaters to keep warm. Be sure to keep the
space heater at least one metre away from anything that can burn, such as paper, bedding, furniture,
and curtains. Turn the heater off before going out or going to bed.
Prevention is your best bet, but in case of an emergency, ensure that smoke/carbon monoxide alarms
are outside each sleeping area on each level of the house. Your landlord is responsible for maintaining and providing the alarms, but it is -your responsibility to test and report back any problems with
them. The penalty for removing a battery from your alarm is a minimum $200 to a maximum $25,000
and/or a year imprisonment.
And remember: there must be two ways to exit each bedroom by law! Any questions about fire safety
or prevention, call London Fire at 519-661-8419.
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MARCH/APRIL NEWSLETTER QUIZ
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Submit the answers, either true or false,
to these questions to oca@uwo.ca by
March 29th and be entered in a draw to
win a $25 Western Food Services gift
card! The winner will be contacted by
email.
1. What hours is London’s Noise Bylaw
in effect and what are the possible fines
associated with it?
2. If you have belongings that are damaged by a flood, what should you do?
make your move easier?
4. Who is responsible for testing fire alarms, and
who is responsible for maintaining them?
5. What kind of articles would you like to see in
future editions of the
newsletter?
Good luck!
3. What are three tips you can use to
Congratulations to Yanting H. for being the winner of the February Newsletter True or False
Quiz, and Vivian L. for winning the February Study Break Photo Contest! They both won a
$25 Western Food Services gift card. Thanks for participating!
MARCH/APRIL MEME CONTEST
Get creative, Western! Make a Western meme with an off-campus theme and
submit it to oca@uwo.ca by March 29th and be entered to win a draw for a $25
Western Food Services gift card! The winner will be contacted by email.
My Waste is a FREE garbage collection app that sends you reminders
of your collection day and includes
information on what you can and
can’t recycle!
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NEED HELP? HAVE QUESTIONS? ASK US!
OFF-CAMPUS ADVISORS
HOW TO CONTACT US:
Off-Campus Advisors
Western University
Phone: (519) 661-3787
Email: oca@uwo.ca
Website: www.has.uwo.ca/housing/oca
The Off-Campus Advisors are a group of
Western students who are trained to provide advice for off-campus housing questions and concerns. We also strive to create a positive community atmosphere between Western students and London residents. Please contact the Off-Campus Advisors if you have any questions or concerns
this year. Remember, we are here to help,
so make use of this great Western service!
The Off-Campus Advisors are available during the following time periods:
Monday-Friday: 4:30 p.m. - midnight
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 8:30 a.m. - midnight
Follow Us On Social Media!
Follow our Facebook page, Western Off-Campus Housing to get daily tips & information about life offcampus.
Follow WstrnOCHousing on Twitter to make sure you receive quick tips & information from the OffCampus Housing world at Western.
Follow our YouTube channel for monthly off-campus housing videos! This month’s video is about damages and
move out!
THE
OFF-CAMPUS
CONNECTION