thursday, october 29, 2009

8/14/2019 Thursday, October 29, 2009

1/8

thegazettewww.westerngazette.ca WESTERNS DAILY STUDENT NEWSPAPER EST.1906 VOLUME 103, ISSUE 32 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009... tired of covering strikes since 1906

SPORTS

ROWINGDouble gold for Mustangs p.8

A&E

RAH RAHConfetti and pop rocks at Blackshire p.6

NEWS

ANOTHER POSSIBLE STRIKEThis time at U of T p.3

Latest LTCoffer declinedUSC keeping tabs ontransit negotiations

By Meagan KashtyGazette Staff

London transit workers rejected

their companys final offer on Tues-day, leaving the London TransitCommission dispute unresolved.

Amalgamated Transit UnionLocal 471, a representative of theLTCs staff, referred to a 94 per centrejection rate of the offer made.

It gave us a chance to expresshow dissatisfied we were andexpress a democracy to vote, yes orno, John Gillet, vice-president ofLocal 471, said.

He added while workers havenot come to an agreement, they willcontinue to work regular hours asthey have in the past couple of days.However, employees are refusing towork voluntary overtime.

Gillet pointed out some preva-lent misconceptions of transitworkers, particularly the belief theyare city workers.

We dont receive any of the ben-efits that city workers receive, Gilletnoted. We wanted to be comparedto other transit workers and whatthey receive and what they do.

According to Gillet, the ridershipin Guelph is in the neighbourhoodof 12 million passengers a year,whereas the ridership in London isbetween 23 and 24 million. Guelphtransit workers, however, makeroughly $1 more per hour.

He added Hamilton transitworkers make about $3 more.

Threats of a strike have left

many students aggravated with theidea they will have to find their ownway to school, but the UniversityStudents Council is maintainingcontact with the LTC in order to beupdated on any new information.

We [are] continuing to liaisewith LTC to get the latest info fromnegotiations, Dan Moulton, USCvice-president university affairs,said. Our primary concern is thatstudents get to campus, he added.

Gillet was quick to point out astrike is not the first option for theunion.

At this present time, we want tokeep working, Gillet said. Weunderstand its an essential serviceand students have to get to their

exams. We understand its veryimportant.

While negotiations are not cur-rently taking place, the union hasexpressed they are willing to meetwith management at any time andlook at another offer.

What we would really like is justa starting point to start getting someof those benefits, Gillet concluded.Were just looking for a startingpoint and getting basic benefits.

London transits managementcould not be reached for commentby press time.

MANAGING MIDTERM STRESS

By Shreya TekriwalGazette Staff

As midterms and assignments pileup for many students, Westernsadministration is looking into theimplications of altering its policy ontests and examinations outside theexam period.

Under current policies, studentsmay request alternative arrange-ments if they are scheduled to writemore than two examinations in a23-hour period.

However, this policy does notapply to midterm tests. Therefore,students with three midterms with-in 23 hours may not be able torequest alternate accommodationsin accordance with the policy.

There is a difference in termi-

nology. People refer to midterms asexams but the [accurate] terminol-ogy for that is tests, Lee Ann Wil-son, team leader of examinationservices at Western, said.

Despite classifications, thedemand of midterms is a notice-able issue, according to Dan Moul-ton, vice-president universityaffairs for the University StudentsCouncil,

I think thats obviously a con-cern for students, because when itcomes to midterms, the workloadseems to increase more and more

every year, Moulton said.One student senator has

brought the issue to the attention ofJohn Doerksen, vice-provost acade-mic programs and students atWestern.

Ray Park, the USC undergradu-ate senator-at-large who contactedDoerksen, voiced his concern forstudent constituents.

There is no real differencebetween final exams and midtermexams in my opinion, Park said.[In most cases], midterm examsare worth just as much as finalexams.

During midterms, you are evenmore stressed because you haveother work going on at the sametime [] like assignments [and]extra-curricular [activities], Jaclyn

Vertes, a third-year social sciencestudent, said. Often exams are onthe exact same amount of materialas midterms.

Doerksen explained one of thechallenges in changing policy isthat, while the registrars officeoversees the three in 23 hours poli-cy for final exams, midterms are theresponsibility of each faculty.

To help with midterm stress,some universities have initiated fallreading weeks; however, Westernhas not followed suit.

While Park believed the policy

changes should be passed withoutmuch discussion, he did not feel

Westerns administration will beimplementing a fall reading week.Senate policy requires a mini-

mum number of days for a term.And so if we were to implement afall reading week then that wouldmean an earlier start to the term ora later ending, Doerksen added.

We are hopeful that the Univer-sity will recognize that the stressesof academics are not limited to theexam period [] and that they areincredibly difficult during themidterms [as well], Moultonadded.

According to Gail Hutchinson,director of the Student Develop-ment Centre, all programs includ-ing psychological services face an

increase in demand duringmidterms.

Midterms have put me behindin every single class by three weeks, Vertes added, whileemphasizing the greater impor-tance of applying the policy tomidterms over final exams.

Additionally, the examinationpolicy requires final exams to be ina consecutive order.

I have five final exams in sixdays. [The academic counsellors]are not going to do anything aboutit, Vertes said. They said there are

still a few hours between each exam[] do they not want us to sleep?

While Moulton characterizedthe current examination policy asfair and appropriate, he felt it stillrequired some work.

Doerksen noted Western wouldbe looking into the implications ofapplying examination policy tomidterms.

We are hopeful thatthe University will

recognize that the

stresses of acade-

mics are not limited

to the exam period

[] and that they are

incredibly difficult

during the midterms

[as well]. Dan Moulton

USC vice-president university affairs

Brett Higgs/Gazette

CRAM CITY. Students currently facing three midterms within 23 hours cannot request alternative arrangements according to Western policy.

Midterms prompt policy discussion

Increased workload sees rise in demand for psychological services


2/8

Vandervoort recognizedTony Vandervoort, a Western healthsciences professor, received a sur-prise at the end of last week, as helearned he would be the recipientof an esteemed award for hisresearch in the field of aging.

Vandervoort has been conduct-ing research at Western for 25 years,studying the benefits of exercise

programs on the physical effects ofaging. The Herbert A. de VriesResearch Award he will receivecomes from a large American orga-nization representing educators inthe physical and health fields.

Im delighted by it and a littlebit humbled to be amongst a list of

outstanding researchers whovereceived it in the past, Vandervoortsaid. Recognition from an Ameri-can organization for studies done ata Canadian university is an impor-tant factor for Vandervoort.

When I accept this award, Ill beacknowledging a large group of stu-dents and faculty, colleagues andadministrators to whom I feel

indebted for supporting our researchover these past 25 years, he said.

Vandervoort highlighted thesupportive environment Westernhas for such research specifical-ly the team of graduate studentswho have conducted studies withhim at the Canadian Centre forActivity and Aging at Western.

Its like Im accepting on behalfof the group, he said humbly. He will be receiving the award inMarch of 2010.

Allie Fonarev

Man stabbed downtownA 24-year-old man was stabbed fol-lowing a confrontation on a Lon-don Transit Commission bus.

The victim was involved in analtercation with four other peoplewhile riding the bus last Mondayand was followed by the group afterexiting near Dundas and RichmondStreets. The victim was stabbed atthe intersection at approximately7:15 p.m.

It is unusual to have something

happen where there are lots of peo-ple and during the daylight, saidAmy Phillipo, media relations offi-cer for London Police Services.

According to Phillipo, Londonpolice originally sought the arrest offour suspects, but arrested only one17-year-old male on Tuesday night.Upon further investigation, policedetermined the man arrested was

the only person responsible for thestabbing. He is charged with aggra-vated assault, two counts of posses-sion of a dangerous weapon, utter-ing threats and assault with aweapon.

Ora Morison

Bomb hoax at YorkA bomb threat called in to York Uni-versity on Tuesday afternoon pre-vented a number of students fromwriting their midterm exams.

Two buildings were evacuatedaround 3:00 p.m. following thephone call and students as well asstaff were allowed to re-enterroughly two hours later. Accordingto officials, the quick resumption of

class and work did not mean theevent was insignificant.

A hoax such as this takesresources away from the communi-ty, both in the form of fire personneland police and, in this case, it dis-rupted traffic, Alex Bilyk, directorof media relations for York, said.

Bilyk noted similar hoaxesappear to be more frequent duringexam periods, but did not confirmthe most recent prank was per-formed to avoid an exam. Helamented the inconveniencecaused to students who were pre-pared for their exams and worriedthe York community may not takethreats seriously if hoaxes becomemore common.

It is our obvious hope that who-ever is responsible will be caught. Ifit is a student, expulsion will be theleast of their problems. A criminalact such as this merits full punish-ment, Bilyk said.

Ora Morison

P2 news theGazette THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009

NEWSBRIEFS

puzzle solution frompage 7

Friday, October 30Show starts 9:30 pm (doors open 8:30 pm)

LONDON MUSIC HALL185 Queens Avenue 519-432-1107

Tickets $15Get them online at:

www.londonmusichall.comwww.ticketscene.ca/events/1275

USS and The Scenario

A benefit concert for Wellspring Cancer Support Centre

GREAT SHOW GREAT CAUSE

[Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker]

091029

ThursdayCloudy with sunny breaks

High 12C

Low 8C

FridayLight rainHigh 16C

Low 12C

SaturdayCloudy with sunny breaks

High 9C

Low 5C

3-DAY WEATHER FORECAST

We Offer Student DiscountsWe Offer Student DiscountsWe Offer Student Discounts

Airbus

Whos Taking You to the Airport?0

91029

HappyHalloween!

519-673-6804 or 1-800-265-4948Book On-line: www.robertq.com

Serving Toronto and Detroit Airports

The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands for another. If you think that X

equals O, it will equal O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apos-trophe give you clues to locating vowels. S olution is by trial and error.

2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.


3/8

By Mike HayesGazette Staff

Another Ontario university maysoon find its operations severelyimpacted by a strike.

Sessional instructors at the Uni-versity of Toronto have voted them-selves into a legal strike position.

On Nov. 9, members of theCanadian Union of Public Employ-ees local 3902 will be able to strike.The union represents part-time lec-turers and instructors who teachapproximately 30 per cent of U ofTs undergraduate courses.

Mikael Swayze, the staff repre-sentative for CUPE local 3902, citedthree main sources of contention forthe union going into negotiations:wages, job security and research.

Most of the Universitys bargain-ing units were in negotiations lastyear before, during, and after theeconomic crisis, Swayze said. He

noted that even with the financialtroubles, most groups were givenannual increases of around threeper cent.

Now, [U of T] is coming to thebargaining unit and saying 1.5 percent for three years, Swayze said.Our members are only paid onaverage about $15,000 a year.

He noted the discrepancy inwages was especially visible whenU of T was compared to Ryersonand York universities.

Sessional instructors at U of Tonly organized under a union rela-tively recently, compared to Ryer-son and Yorks units who organized

in the 1970s. Weve been playingcatch-up ever since, Swayze said.

Sessional instructors at U of Tshould not pay a premium to work at the school, he added.Especially when our full-time

faculty members are paid muchmore than their counterparts atYork or Ryerson.

Another issue brought forward was job security. Under currentconditions, sessional instructorsmust reapply for their positionsevery four to eight months, makingit difficult to count on long-termwork in Swayzes eyes.

Itd be great if we had the samejob security as a Wal-Mart worker ora Tim Hortons coffee slinger,Swayze quipped. Were not eventalking about the same job securityas a civil servant or a professor.

The unions final grievance con-cerns research assistance. While theUniversity provides full-time facul-

ty with resources for their research,sessional instructors are required todo research work on their own timeand out of their own pocket.

[Under the current model]there is no conference funding, nogrants to do research, no supportfor subscriptions to academic jour-nals, Swayze said.

Laurie Stephens, director ofmedia relations for the U of T,explained the school would notcomment on issues currently underdiscussion.

The University is committed togetting a fair and balanced resultfrom negotiations, Stephens said.

news P3theGazette THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009

Complete 30-Hour Seminars

Convenient Weekend Schedule

Proven Test-Taking Strategies

Experienced Course Instructors

Comprehensive Study Materials

Simulated Practice Exams

Limited Class Size

Free Repeat Policy

Personal Tutoring Available

Thousands of Satisfied Students

LSAT MCATGMAT GREPreparation Seminars

OXFORD SEMINARS

1-800-269-6719

416-924-3240

www.oxfordseminars.ca

ATTENTION

STUDENTS USINGSERVICES FOR STUDENTS

WITH DISABILITIES

We would like to remind you that you must meet witha counsellor at Services for Students with Disabilities(SSD), in the Student Development Services, toarrange academic accommodation for your 2009fall/winter courses.

If you have not yet requested accommodation for yourcourses, and you wish to use accommodation forDecember 2009 exams, you must meet with acounsellor by Wednesday, November 18th.

Accommodation for December 2009 exams cannot bearranged by Exam Services if requested after this date.

To book your appointmentplease call 519-661-2147

091029

Thirty per cent of U of Tundergrad teachers set to strikeWages, job security and research on bargaining table

CUPE 3902 DEMANDS

List of issues in dispute for the

union fall into three groups:

WAGES

Members allegedly earn only$15,000 a year while carrying a largeteaching load

Proposed raise of 3.5 per cent firstyear followed by a 3 per cent increase

the following two years Wage increase would be accom-panied by a four per cent marketadjustment

U of T is offering a 1.5 per centwage increase over three years

JOB SECURITY

Union wants a change from currentsystem where members must reapplyfor jobs every four to eight months

RESEARCH

Members should have access tothe same research resources grantedto full-time faculty

Maria Samhouri/Gazette

FOR A GOOD CAUSE. Members of the Muslim Students Associationmet on Wednesday wearing pink in support of breast cancer awareness.

MSA BREAST CANCER DAY

Interested in journalism?Gazette News has openings forwriters and interns.Visit Rm. 263 and talk tomanaging editor Jaela Bernstien


4/8

As anxious students fill the libraries and struggle through

midterm season, the stress on campus is palpable. Espe-cially at an institution that boasts academic excellencelike Western, theres no doubt students should work hardfor their degrees. However, is the University demanding toomuch of its students?

Technically, university should be preparing us formeeting the demands and rigours of adult life. However,collegial expectations have little application to life in thereal world. Teaching students time management skills isone thing, but earning a respectable grade should notrequire one or two all-nighters in a row.

Western Senate policy allows students to file an appealif more than two exams are scheduled within 23 hours;however, this rule does not apply to midterms. Thismeans students are often faced with deadlines for exams,assignments and essays all in a tight period of time along with having to balance their daily class schedulesand other commitments.

A manager would never expect employees to completeseveral varied, highly challenging and rigidly timed taskswithin 24 hours likewise, a university should never dothe same.

Admittedly, studying at Western is supposed to be achallenge. We regard ourselves as among the best institu-tions in North America because our programs are moredemanding, our content is more complex and the workwe produce is of a higher standard.

But where do we draw the line? The Universitys expec-tations of students are, at times, excessive. There has tobe a way to encourage high performance without pushingstudents to the point of nervous breakdown.

A second reading week during October is one solutionto alleviating the stress of midterm season. Certainly moststudents would not mind sacrificing a week from theirsummer or winter vacation if it meant gaining somemuch needed study time during the fall.

Another solution would be to limit the grade weights of

midterms to be level with or below the weight of finalexams. When a courses midterm reflects a significant per-centage of a students mark, a one-time poor perfor-mance could dig a deep hole in anyones average.

Schools should also be looking at the ways they evalu-ate students. Timed, multiple-choice exams are not anappropriate judge of a students knowledge. Throwinganyone into a high-stress situation especially thosewith learning disabilities or anxiety issues is settingthem up for failure.

Ultimately, its not only Western we should be criti-cizing, but also the general university system. Midtermstress is simply a symptom of a larger problem amongpost-secondary institutions instead of testing an indi-viduals ability to comprehend and apply knowledge,education has become a forced habit of memorizing andregurgitating information a far cry from academicexcellence.

For more on midterm mania, see Pg. 1

Education vs.

Memorization

thegazetteVolume 103, issue 32

Well, you see, Siegfried, I thought it would be a lot easier to study for

tomorrows exam if I had a copy of it tonight.

MAXWELL SMART IN GET SMART

Ryan Hendrick Carly Conway Jaela BernstienEditor- In-Chief Deputy Editor Managing Editor

Editor - [email protected]

Deputy - [email protected] - [email protected]

website at www.westerngazette.ca

University Community Centre Rm. 263The University of Western Ontario

London, Ontario, CANADA. N6A 3K7

Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579, Fax: (519) 661-3960

Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580, Fax: (519) 661-3825

The Gazetteis owned and published by the University Students Council.

An open letter to President Amit Chak-

ma and the Board of Governors:

In late September, 88 per cent of thelibrarians and archivists at the Universityof Western Ontario authorized their unionto initiate strike proceedings. The 55librarians and archivists at Western havebeen without a contract since July 1. Thereasons for this decision are three-fold:

First, the librarians and archivistswish to ensure they receive fair job eval-uations conducted by their peers inorder to continue to develop as profes-sionals, academics and educators.

Secondly, they are calling forincreased job security. This would pro-vide assurances that our librarians andarchivists are allowed to continue per-forming the duties and responsibilitiesthey have been hired to carry out with-out fear of involuntary relocation orreassignment.

Thirdly, they are seeking improve-ments in salaries and benefits equitableand representative of their collectivelevel of education, academic knowledgeand professional roles. Despite thewealth of riches available at Western, ourlibrarians and archivists are among the

lowest paid in Canada. According to the2009-2010 Canadian Association of Uni-versity Teachers Almanac, the averagesalary of a librarian at Western is nearly$15,000 less than that of the nationalaverage for academic librarians in Cana-da. Moreover, in comparison to the 113members of the Association of ResearchLibraries, the salaries and benefits forlibrarians at Western Libraries rank at91st.

These highly trained and highly edu-cated professionals are experts in theirfield. They provide the student body, aswell as faculty and staff with an inim-itable wealth of academic expertise. Ourlibrarians and archivists are the heart ofthe university: facilitating the flow ofscholarly information and researchthroughout the University and its affili-ates. Additionally, these individuals arehighly respected mentors and role mod-els for the students in Canadas leadingLibrary and Information Science pro-gram at Western.

The librarians and archivists havestridently kept pace with the rapid tech-nological changes affecting the profes-sion. Now it is time for Western to alsokeep up with the times by providing ourlibrarians and archivists with a fair dealreflective of their intrinsic value to thesuccess of Western and its student body.

We, the undersigned Library andInformation Science student groupsalong with the Library and InformationsScience student body, pledge our sup-port to the librarians and archivists at theUniversity of Western Ontario: our col-leagues, peers and future professionals.

Debbie KendzeChair of the Canadian Library Association

UWO Student Chapter

Julia Merritt

Master of Library and Information Science

Student Council

Jessica Luet

Member of Librarians Without Borders

UWO Committee

P4 opinions theGazette THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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 otheropinions 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 contributors name, identification (ie.

History II, Dean of Arts) and be submitted to gazette.opin-

[email protected]. Letters judged by the Editor-In-Chief to be libelousor 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 car-

toons published inThe Gazette, both in the newspaper and onlineversions, are the property of The Gazette. By submitting any such

material toThe Gazette for publication, you grant toThe Gazette

a non-exclusive, world-wide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to

publish such material in perpetuity in any media, including but notlimited to,The Gazettes hard copy and online archives.

Please recycle this newspaper

Section Editors 2009-2010

Ryan Abreu, Tara Athar, Katherine Atkinson, Erin Baker, Mary Ann

Boateng, Jordan Brown, Dylan Clark, Julie-Anne Cleyn, Caitlin Conroy,

Sari Rose Conter, Adam Crozier, Angela Easby. Adam Feldman, Mark

Filipowich, Jennifer Gautier, Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt, Jeremy Gritten, Eliot

Hong, Alan Hudes, Aras Kolya, Aaron Korolnek, Jay LaRochelle, Colin

Lim, Julia Lovgren, Bryn McDonnell, Kevin Melhuish, Paula Meng, Ora

Morison, Jessie Murdock, Maciej Pawlak, Jonathan Pinkus, Jaymin

Proulx, Gennelle Smith, Cali Travis, Jennifer Urbanski, Dale Williams,

Casey Yetman, Emily Zhou

Gazette Staff 2009-2010

News - [email protected]

Sports - [email protected]

A&E - [email protected]

Opinions - [email protected]

Seniors - [email protected]

Gazette ComposingIan Greaves, ManagerMaja Anjoli-Bili, Cheryl Forster

Gazette AdvertisingAlex McKay, ManagerMark Ritchie, Karen Savino, Diana Watson

NewsAllie FonarevMeagan Kashty

Abid-Aziz LadhaniShreya Tekriwal

SeniorMike HayesLauren Pelley

Sports

Daniel Da SilvaGrace Davis

Arden Zwelling

Graphics

Ali ChiuJesse Tahirali

Arts & EntertainmentAmber GarrattNicole GibilliniMaddie Leznoff

OpinionsJaclyn Haggarty

PhotographyLaura BarclayBrett HiggsCorey Stanford

Web

Stuart Thompson

Librarians, archivistsstand in solidarity In the spirit of Halloween, the Gazettelooks back this week at the haunted

happenings of one of the citys mostbeloved theatre houses.

London locals are likely familiarwith the story of Ambrose Small the big shot theatre entrepreneurfrom Toronto whose mysterious dis-appearance and reported hauntinghave fascinated people for years. Thestory begins in 1901 when Smallmoved to the sleepy town of London,Ontario and soon acquired owner-ship of the Grand Theatre, which stillstands on Richmond Row today.

Legend has it, following a series offailed attempts to produce a successfultheatrical show, Small deposited a mil-lion-dollar cheque into his bankaccount, had lunch with his wife, leftfor Toronto and was never heard fromagain. Police immediately launched afull investigation that focused exten-sively on his London theatre house,but Smalls body was never found.

But that was not the last London-ers heard of Ambrose Small.

Since his disappearance, a series ofstrange events have taken place in thehallowed halls of the Grand Theatre.Jay Campbell, local TV weathermantold the Gazette in 1990 of his ownencounter with Smalls ghost, which

occurred in 1964.I went to the back [of the theatre]and I saw this glowing apparitioncrossing the catwalk. It was a smallishperson, dressed in period clothing.Im convinced that I saw the ghost of Ambrose Small, Campbell recalled.I got out of there fast. I dont reallybelieve in ghosts, but I keep saying tomyself, what did I see there?

Did you know?

Only a few more sleeps until All Hallows Eve.But theres no need to be scared.

Just be sure to pick up theGazette tomorrowfor our ghoulish weekend edition.

And remember to vote for Murray, the Gazettesboo-ti-ful entry in the USC pumpkin-carving contest.

All entries are on display in the Students Council Office, Rm. 340 of the UCC.


5/8

ArtsEntertainmentP5 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009

Courtesy of Jocelyn Mandryk

OH SO NATURAL. Daphne Marlatts poetry from her book Steveston willbe featured tonight at Conron Hall in an artistic performance titled LikeLight Off Water.

By Paula MengGazette Staff

This evening Conron Hall will betransformed into a sensuous musi-cal and poetic landscape.

In the collaborative Like LightOff Water performance, Canadianpoet Daphne Marlatt will read pas-sages from her book ofpoetry, Steveston, set to a musicalsoundscape score performed by theMinden Duo, comprised of Canadi-ans Robert Minden and Carla Hal-lett.

The music aims to intensify theundercurrents and rhythms ofMarlatts poetry. Marlatt is anexperimental writer who has beenpraised for her use of poststruc-turalist technique and feministtheory. She is a member of theOrder of Canada.

In her work, Marlatt is con-cerned with themes of subjugation,

empowerment and the break-ing down of hierarchical structures.Steveston is no exception it isboth a nostalgic and critical work.It explores the sensory experiencesof a small fishing village calledSteveston on Canadas Pacific coast,and also describes its history as aSecond World War internmentcamp for Japanese-Canadians.

There was something in Steve-ston which drew us, over and overagain, and which our workattempted to enunciate some-thing under the backwater quiet,the river hum of comings andgoings, the traffic of work, that wasshouting at us to tell it, Marlattonce said of the village.

She uses long-lines to capturethe ebb and flow of the rustic liveslived by the sea, explores the darktimes of the prison camps and givesa voice to a disempowered people.

Western English professor Man-

ina Jones describes Marlatts workas innovative and avant-garde fem-inist fiction theory.

The [poetry] is also about thechanging relationship people haveto the land, Jones explains. Forinstance the river Delta becomes animage of environmental changeand the way people relate to it.

When Steveston was first pub-lished in 1974, it was accompaniedby a series of photographs taken byMinden.

They are quite striking, Jonessays. The Minden Duo has beenreally interested in how storytellingand song come together, incorpo-rating experimental vocals, andunusual instrumentation, sheadds.

To imitate the feel of an accom-panying symphony, an array ofnon-traditional instruments is usedto marry the sounds to the imageryof the text, including waterphones,

carpentry saws, blown bottles,conch shells, floating bowls andother percussion objects. Mindenand Hallett have been creative part-ners since 1986 and formed theRobert Minden duo in 1996.

Born in Australia, Marlatt andher family immigrated to Vancou-ver in 1951. She obtained her bach-elors degree in literature from theUniversity of British Columbia andpublished her first volume of poet-ry in 1968. In 1996 she received herhonorary LL.D. degree from theUniversity of Western Ontario andserved as writer-in-residence atWestern.

Westerns current writer-in-residence, Penn Kemp, who hasbeen a long time friend and collab-orator of Marlatt, will introduce theLike Light off Water performance.

Like Light Off Water takes placetonight at 8 p.m. in Conron Hall,Room 224 in University College.

Like Light Off Water sets poetry to a music landscapeCanadian poet Daphne Marlatt collaborates with the Minden Duo

Courtesy of Nancy Walker

OUT OF THIS WORLD. The Minden Duo, composed of Robert Minden and Carla Hallett, will provide accom-panying music for Like Light Off Water.

There was something

in Steveston which drew

us, over and over

again, and which our

work attempted to

enunciate something

under the backwater

quiet, the river hum of

comings and goings, the

traffic of work, that was

shouting at us to tell it. Daphne Marlatt

Gazette file photo


6/8

By Drew WhitsonGazette Staff

The crowd at the Blackshire Pub onMonday night was certainly not dis-appointed as The Open House ArtsCollective (Oh!) of London put on an

impressive live show featuring someof the best-hidden talent in Canada.

Londons own Say Domino!opened the evening with a strong

pulsing set that relied heavily on amixture of solid drumming andcatchy riffs. Although the three-piece band was visibly ill, theyproved to be surprisingly lively andhad no trouble engaging with thecrowd.

Yukon Blonde took the stagenext and kept the energy going. TheVancouver-based act seemed to fitright in with the evening whilebringing an entirely different 1960srock atmosphere to the Blackshire.

Showcasing a surprising balance ofwell-blended vocals and melodicguitars, Yukon Blonde had a softand polished sound. Their talent

alone would have made theevening worthwhile, and they gen-uinely seemed excited to play for asmaller crowd.

Having just released their firstEP, Everything in Everyway, YukonBlonde was able to showcase a widevariety of songs, including theirpopular track Streets, which theyplayed as a finale. The crowd wasvisibly receptive and pleased to wit-ness some of the best live musicfrom Canadas West Coast.

The night capped off with theperformance of headliner Rah Rah a band hailing from Regina. Theindie group brought an energeticstage performance complete witheverything from confetti blasts to

pop rocks candy. However, themost impressive part of the eight-piece band was their completeinterchangeability on a variety ofinstruments.

During the set they had threedifferent members play the drums,

several switch-ups on keyboardand bass, and the addition of violinand accordion on select songs. Thecrowd was dancing during Rah

Rahs critically acclaimed singleTentacles and didnt stop until athunderous encore that nearlybrought the house down.

The challenge co-ordinating aneight-person rock outfit combined with the positive results of theirinterchangeability proved to be atestament to the bands growingsuccess. The complexities in thevariety of instruments showed justhow important it is to correctlylayer your music and certainlyshowed off the technical talents ofsuch a large band.

The Blackshire has been knownto start concerts pretty late, and thisproved to be the only downfall the show didnt get underway until

after 10 p.m. and went into earlyTuesday morning. However, withlittle to gripe about, the Blackshireonce again proved to be a hiddengem within the London live musicscene. The evening proved to bewell worth the $5 cover.

P6 arts&entertainment theGazette THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009

AvailabletoallstudentslivinginandaroundtheUWO.

CATCH AFREE RIDE

ON THE WHITE OAKS MALL

SHUTTLE BUS

FREE

WHITE OAKS MALL BUS SCHEDULE

12:00 p.m. Elgin Hall

12:05 p.m. Delaware Hall

12:10 p.m. Saugeen Maitland Hall

12:15 p.m. London Hall

12:20 p.m. Departs London Hall

12:45 p.m. Arrives at White Oaks Mall

1:00 p.m. Departs White Oaks Mall





1:50 p.m. Departs Elgin Hall







3:50 p.m. Departs Elgin Hall



EXCLUSIVE TO LONDON AT WHITE OAKS MALL:

H&M, Bath & Body Works, Aerie and Club Monaco

COMING SOON:Coach and Bath & Body Works Home Fragrance.

2 toppings on each2 FREE dipping saucesMED Pizzas44

3-169 Wharncliffe Rd. S

519-438-9999

50or50 WINGS50 $1999091027

Call the Best for yourHALLOWEEN Party!

Delivery hoursfrom 11am daily

STARTS AT

1140 DUNDAS STREETAcross from Kelloggs

519-659-3787Extended Hours: Effective Oct. 17th

Mon. - Fri. 9 - 9; Sat. 9 - 5:30; Sun. 12 - 5

FREEPARKING

Londons LARGESTselection of costumesfor sale or rent

MakeupDemonstrations Daily

Decorations Wigs Masks Make-up Props

www.mccullochs.on.ca

091015

Rah Rah show energy and spunk on stageStrong openers complement Regina-based headliners early morning set

Courtesy of Sam Chang-Gardner

RAH RAH ROCKING THE BLACKSHIRE. The Regina band put on a fan-tastic, energy-infused show on Monday night.

CONCERT REVIEWCONCERT REVIEWPerformance:Openers:Crowd:

Set List:Worth the $$$:


7/8


8/8

SportsP8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009

R

By Grace DavisGazette Staff

Nothing is sweeter than redemp-tion.

After an unexpected upset toQueens last season, Westerns mensand womens rowing teams trainedintensively for a year and fought toregain the Ontario University Ath-

letics Championships title.This year we had hugeturnover. A lot of members gradu-ated so we had a lot of rookies comein. It is a different dynamic, but ithas worked out well so far, heavy-weight double-gold medalist SarahBlack said.

This year, the OUA champi-onships were hosted by Brock Uni-versity at the Henley Island courseon Oct. 24.

The Mustangs returned homefrom St. Catharines with goldmedals and championship bannersin hand. Westerns rowing programadded to its impressive record, win-ning four OUA banners in the pastfive years.

It was nice for everyone to stepup and maintain Westerns winningreputation, president of the West-ern rowing student athlete execu-tive and mens lightweight con-tender Tim Myers said. It was by farour best performance of the year.

All season there has been stiffcompetition between Western,Brock and Queens.

For the men, we consider Brockto be our main competition. Werea very young boat whereas Brockhas had a lot of experience and a lotof time together, mens heavy-

weight Sean Addison said beforethe regatta.

In the mens category, Westernfinished first with 80 points, Brockcame in second with 78 points, andQueens followed in third place with73 points.

On the womens side, Westernwon the gold with 98 points. Brockand Queens also made the podium

with 93 and 63 points respectively.It was a complete team perfor-mance, Myers noted. With thepoints working the way they do,you need the entire team to do welland not just a couple of standoutsbecause there are so many eventsand so many other strong schools.

In a surprising result, Paul Ham-mond finished second in the heavyweight mens single competition.Hammond was slated to finish lowerin his race, but managed to earn histeam some crucial extra points.

Some individuals that we wouldnt really have expected toperform stepped up this weekend,Myers said.

For the men it came down to the

last race of the day the mensheavyweight eight.

Where you watch from you canonly see the middle section of therace so youre not really too surehow its going to finish. They wereleading Brock by about half a boatat that point, and its the first timethey had been leading them allyear, Myers explained.

After the points were tallied,Western edged out Brock, securingthe gold by a margin of two points.

The womens team also per-formed well, improving building on

their impressive showings at regat-tas from earlier in the season.

The lightweight women did alot better than they did a couple of weeks ago. The heavyweight women are a bit of an exceptionbecause theyve dominated theentire season, and they kept doingit this weekend, Myers said.

A key performer for the women

was Lauren Wells. She won both theheavyweight and lightweight sin-gles events, beating national squadteammate Katya Huurman.

In the week before the champi-onships, Black discussed how theteam was preparing for the regatta.

We ramp up training rightbefore the race, and then we start totaper off two or three days before tomake sure that we peak at the righttime, she said.

With the goal of winning theOUA banner from the beginning,the Mustangs focused on traininghard all season and not just the fewweeks before the OUA finals.

Our season accumulates fromunimportant regattas to very

important regattas. Its all about theone race at the end, Addison saidbefore the regatta. [For us], its asmuch about the training and show-ing up to practice as it is about theraces during the season.

The team is practicing every day,twice a day this week in preparationof keeping their winning streakalive at the Canadian UniversityRowing Championships this week-end in Montreal.

Weve won every race in Canadathat we have done, so we know weare on the right path, Black said.

MUSTANG ROWERS WIN OUA GOLD

GOLD MEDAL BOATSMens heavyweight eights 5:47.2

Genna Wood (coxswain),Dave Lariviere,William Matthews,Jason Kirkey,Sean Addison,Nick Chisholm,Mark Dawidek,Nicholas Schudlo,Michael Huurman

Womens lightweight single 7:37.5

Lauren Wells

Womens heavyweight single 7:41.0

Lauren Wells

Womens heavyweight coxed fours 6:58.3

Kris Rogalsky (coxswain),

Lindsay Sferrazza,Sarah Black,Jen MartinsAndrea Ernesaks

Womens heavyweight eights 6:28.7

Paige Sain (coxswain),Lindsay Sferrazza,Sarah Black, Jen Martins,Andrea Ernesaks,Alex Shishkov,Athena de Brouwer,Lia Renaud,Adelyn Barr

It was nice for everyone to step up and maintainWesterns winning reputation. It was by far our bestperformance all year.

Tim Myers Mens lightweight rower

Rowers grind out the double-double

ON DECK:

Football quarter-finals preview... Friday

Courtesy of Valker Nolte

thursday, october 29, 2009

Documents