2006/09/14 - Western USC

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VOLUME
100, ISSUE 9 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Assailant guns down Montreal students
At least 20 injured in Dawson college cafeteria shooting
MONTREAL (CP) — A trenchcoatclad gunman turned a college cafeteria into a combat zone Wednesday with a commando-style assault
that left the suspect and a young
woman dead.
The man, dressed in black and
sporting a Mohawk haircut, burst
into Dawson College in downtown
Montreal early in the afternoon and
went on a shooting rampage that
injured 20 people and caused widespread panic.
Montreal police said one young
woman died but gave no details.
Police Chief Yvan Delorme said
the gunman died but he did not
specify whether he was shot by
police or killed himself.
At least eight of the 20 wounded
were listed in critical condition,
according to the Montreal General
Hospital.
Although early reports suggested there could have been several
suspects, police said there was only
one.
“For now, I am limiting it to one
suspect who died after a police
intervention on site,” Delorme told
a news conference.
Witnesses described the suspect
as a man in his early 20s who
entered the school with a menacing
scowl and stayed focused on shooting throughout the rampage.
Student Andrea Barone said he
was sitting in the cafeteria with his
girlfriend and some friends when
he heard shots ring out.
“At first I thought it was a firecracker,” said Barone, 17. “Then I
turned around and I saw him. He
was dressed in a black trenchcoat
and I saw his hand firing a handgun
in every direction.”
Barone said all the students hit
the floor to take cover.
He said a police officer then
emerged from a corner next to the
cafeteria and fired on the gunman.
The shot missed.
Students were trapped as five or
six more police officers showed up,
taking cover behind a wall. The
gunman backed up against a vending machine as the officers surrounded him.
Barone said it was like a running
battle with five or six shots fired in
both directions every minute but
he said the officers were hesitant to
move in because of the students.
He said every time police fired a
shot or approached the gunman,
he yelled, ‘Get back, get back.’
The officers then helped the students leave the cafeteria, crawling
out on their bellies along a wall.
Barone said as they were crawling out toward an exit they saw a
girl who had been shot in the torso
and who was face down surrounded by a pool of blood.
He said officers told them:
‘Don’t look, don’t look. Keep going
out.’
Delorme did not give details of
the gunfire exchange between
police and the suspect.
He also said he did not know the
gender of the victims and he dismissed suggestions that race or terrorism played a role.
“There’s no information that
leads us to believe that it’s something other than what happened at
the scene.”
The streets around the school
filled with hysterical students in the
minutes and hours after the shooting.
Devansh Shri Vastava said he
was in the college’s cafeteria when a
man dressed in black combat
clothing stormed in and began
shooting at people.
“He had a laser gun or something, a big rifle, and he just started
shooting at people,” he said.
“We all ran upstairs. There were
cops firing. It was so crazy. I was terrified. The guy was shooting at people randomly. He didn’t care he was
just shooting at everybody. I just got
out.”
Derick Osei, 19, said he also saw
the gunman.
“I just got out of class and I was
walking down the stairs,” Osei
Canadian Press
A SHOCKING TRAGEDY. As of Gazette press time, one woman was dead and at least eight others
were listed in critical condition after yesterday’s school shooting.
said.
“He had one of them SWAT
army guns and just started shooting up the place. I ran up to the
third floor and I looked down and
he was still shooting. He was hiding
behind the vending machines and
he came out with a gun.”
Osei said he saw a girl shot in the
leg before he ran upstairs to escape.
“At first he was shooting around
the caf and he looked up and saw
there were people on the third floor
and he started aiming for the third
floor. I thought “I am not trying to
get shot so I got out.’”
The shootings recalled Marc
Lepine’s murderous rampage at
Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique
school on Dec. 6, 1989, when he
opened fire and ended up killing 14
women.
Another shooting in Montreal
occurred in Montreal in 1992 when
Concordia University professor
Valery Fabrikant killed four colleagues.
Ann Lynch, chief of clinical
operations at Montreal General
Hospital, said 11 patients were
brought in, eight in critical condition. Less critically wounded were
taken to three other area hospitals
as well.
Lynch said none of the patients
was in danger of death.
“The nature of the injuries are all
gunshot wounds to the abdomen,
to the chest, one head injury and
also several to the limbs, peripheral limbs, arms and legs.”
Lynch said the weapon was not
high-calibre.
“At this point we are certainly
watching all the patients extremely
carefully and certainly the team will
be doing its utmost for each and
every one of those patients.”
New HPV vaccine aids fight against cervical cancer
By Claire Neary
Gazette Staff
Though experts estimate up to 75
per cent of women will have at least
one Human Papillomavirus infection in their lifetime, many of these
infections go completely unnoticed. This statistic is particularly
alarming since almost all cervical
cancers in women can be traced to
HPV.
According to Western Student
Health Services, at least 66 different
types of HPV cause warts in various
areas of the skin including hands,
feet, and the genital area. Fourteen
of these HPV subtypes are associated with genital and cervical can-
cers.
Alain Desroches, media relations officer for the public health
agency of Canada, said most
women only realize they have HPV
if they experience an outbreak of
warts or through a Pap test. Since
HPV is a silent infection, many
women may be at a high risk for
cervical cancer and remain completely unaware.
HPV causes almost all cervical
cancer, killing roughly 290,000
women worldwide per year, including about 400 women in Canada.
HPV is also associated with cancers
of the penis, anus and vulva.
The Canadian Cancer Society
says all women who have ever been
sexually active are at risk for developing cervical cancer. The risk can
increase if a woman becomes sexually active at a young age or has
many sexual partners.
It recommends several risk
reduction strategies. First, women
should have regular Pap tests and
pelvic examinations to find abnormal changes in the cervix early. It
also recommends women use condoms to help reduce risk, consider
vaccination against HPV, avoid
smoking and eat a diet high in vegetables and fruit.
The situation has improved,
however. Last July, Health Canada
approved a new vaccine which has
been proven to prevent cervical
cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, pre-cancerous lesions and genital warts caused by HPV. The vaccine, called Gardasil, was developed by Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.
A representative from Merck
Frosst said the vaccine has shown
100 per cent efficacy against cervical cancer so far. The vaccine costs
$134.95 per dose and vaccination
requires three doses.
Desroches said more reccommendations to alleviate the problem are on the way.
“A joint Canadian Immunization Committee [and National
Advisory Committee on Immunization] working group has been
formed to make clinical and pro-
gram recommendations related to
the vaccine,” Desroches said. “This
group is composed of NACI members, disease experts and representatives from the province and territories. Recommendations on vaccine use are expected to be released
by the end of the year.”
The vaccine is currently available through physicians and pharmacists. The company recommends it is used by nine to 26-yearold women, ideally before they
become sexually active.
PAP tests can be booked by contacting Student Health Services at
519-661-3030 in room 11 of the
lower level of the University Community Centre.
P2 ➤ news
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
news ➤ P3
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Premier unveils plan for LCBO returns
Think we’re a bunch
of douchebags who
don’t know what
we’re talking about?
By Dave Ward
Gazette Staff
99 BOTTLES OF BEER, ER, LIQUOR, ON THE WALL. Starting Feb. 1, LCBO bottles can be returned at
The Beer Store.
News Editor
3-day forecast
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Mainly sunny
High 20C
Low 14C
Mainly sunny
High 22C
Low 14C
Mainly sunny
High 25C
Low 16C
Weather
The Canadian Forces are no
longer touting the military as an
option for citizens to secure a
career, free education, and training. Instead, the Forces have
opted for a far more sensationalist
approach in recruiting Canadians
through the release of a fierce
advertising campaign targeted at
young people.
The $3-million campaign,
launched Wednesday, was released
in Atlantic Canada, where it is
expected to have the greatest
impact. Currently, the region is
experiencing a period of substantial economic turmoil and already
produces a military recruitment
rate disproportionate to the rest of
Canada.
The campaign focuses on two
90-second advertisements depicting military personnel engaging in
activities including skydiving,
bursting into civilians’ homes (not
forgetting the classic “shh” gesture
to someone in a room by a man
with a large assault weapon), and
driving through the dusty remains
of war zones. It’s also complete
with people holding pictures of
loved ones lost overseas.
Defence Minister Gordon
Campbell announced after the last
federal election Canada would
increase its military strength to
roughly 100,000 full and part-time
soldiers. The Canadian military
has also announced it intends to
recruit 13,000 more people for its
regular forces and 10,000 reservists
Call
(519) 697-2369
or visit our website
266 Epworth Avenue,
London, ON N6A 2M3
519.963.1477
uwo.ca/kings/student_services/campus_ministry/
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Cigdem Illtan
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For more info stop
by our table
on the Concrete
Beach this week
We
ste
rn
Palestinian film festival
within the next 10 years.
The advertisements, reminiscent of Hollywood war flicks like
Saving Private Ryan or Pearl Harbor, are targeted toward young
men. No kidding.
Besides being young males, the
participants selected for focus
groups were unmarried, did not
have a focused career path, and
took part in activities including
snowboarding, martial arts, and
playing computer games, according to a report from the consulting group assigned to the project.
Video games? None of the hobbies listed included picking up a
newspaper or watching a television report about the astounding
number of deaths in the Canadian
Forces of late — or alternately, the
lagging public opinion polls
regarding Canadians’ support for
overseas efforts.
According to an Ipsos-Reid poll,
66 per cent of Canadians favoured
the Canadian deployment in
Afghanistan in 2002. The numbers
have dropped to 57 per cent today.
Forty-four per cent approve of
Prime Minister Harper’s plan to
extend the mission by two years.
Even more appalling is that the
initial test run of ads included
three phrases appearing in
sequence: “Fight distress,” “fight
with the Canadian Forces,” and
“fight terror.”
I can only hope the news
media’s continuous barrage of
information regarding the repeated failed attempts of armed forces
everywhere to quell terrorism
globally will supersede this multimillion dollar ploy — which parallels the tactics of our southern
counterparts — to entice more of
our citizens to participate in this
vicious cycle we call war.
Anne O’Hagan, a spokesperson
for the minister of environment,
agreed with Taylor and said some
public awareness initiatives might
be used to help the process.
There will be no additional costs
associated with the program aside
from the deposit.
“The minister said he doesn’t
expect The Beer Store to do this out
of the goodness of its heart,” Taylor said.
Deposits in other provinces are
between 10 and 40 cents per bottle.
lion bottles, and free up space in
blue boxes.
“Of the glass that is handled [in
the blue box program], 80 per
cent is LCBO products,” Godard
said.
“We’ve already had a great
response from consumers,” Taylor
said.
Taylor added that awareness on
the consumer’s part will be necessary, since the new initiative will
require a significant change in
behaviour.
519.471.7181
Richmond St
currently used for road fill and
there are numerous other waste
materials that can be used for road
fill.
“We sort [bottles] by colour, by
type, it means they are used for
their best secondary use,” Taylor
said.
“It’s a really good initiative; this
way [bottles] will actually be recycled properly,” Bradie said.
The ministry says the program
will divert up to 25,000 tons of glass
from landfills annually, or 80 mil-
10:30 AM
Mount St. Joseph
100.09.C.06
The University Students’ Council
needs to fill commissioner and
committee positions for the 200607 school year.
The commissioner positions
available are External Research,
Second-Entry Level Programs, Lifelong Learning, Substance Awareness, White Ribbon, Federal Affairs,
Policy Development, Financial Fitness and Festival of the Arts. The
While many students spent this
past weekend “re-acquainting”
with old friends, 13 members of the
Western New Democrats represented the party at a federal convention in Quebec City.
“We had the largest student
contingent [in] the country,” said
Devin Johnston, President of the
Western New Democrats.
Among the issues discussed at
the convention was the party’s formal policy on the war in
Afghanistan.
“The party voted to adopt a new
policy to withdraw troops...this is
not a winning war and we are not
helping the people of Afghanistan,”
Johnston said.
Johnston said the New Democrats will also hold a number of
events on campus this year, includ-
Gettin’
Ciggy Wit It
SUNDAY
EUCHARIST
Andrew Mastronardi/Gazette
100.09.C.05
Commissioner and committee
positions still available
Western students represent
at NDP convention
ing a protest against tuition hikes
on Oct. 13.
For more information on the
Western New Democrats and other
political parties on campus, visit
the University Students’ Council
clubs
page
at
www.usc.uwo.ca/clubs.
—Ravi Amarnath
The Canadian Palestinian Association and Sabeel and Solidarity for
Palestinian Human Rights are
bringing London’s Third Annual
Palestinian Film Festival to the
ARTS project this weekend.
Starting Thursday, Sept. 16 and
running until Saturday, Sept. 18,
the film festival will feature shorts
by Palestinian Director Larissa Sansour, the critically acclaimed documentary Children of Ibdaa, a trilogy
of films by Professor B.H. Yael, and
a presentation of the award-winning feature film Private.
The films address a broad range
of Palestinian issues, from living in
the shadow of Israel’s Wall to family life in a refugee camp.
Proceeds from the event will be
donated to IRFAN-Canada’s ongoing charity mission in Palestine. All
programs begin at 7 p.m. at the
ARTS project, located at 203 Dundas St.
—Mike Hayes
Christ the King University Parish
(Roman Catholic)
Formal Recruitment this week
The United Way campaign is reaching out for support tommorow.
The campaign launch and 3M
Harvest Lunch will be held at the
John Labatt Centre from 11 a.m. to
2 p.m. Tickets are available at the
door for $5 or by calling 519-4381721.
Western President and ViceChancellor Paul Davenport will
speak at the event.
United Way employee Jane
Edwards summarized the luncheon as “a great deal for a good
meal” and urges Western students
to attend the event.
Western has played a significant
role by contributing $430,620 to the
record $6.5-million gathered in
2005 by the United Way of London
& Middlesex county.
Each year, Western and United
Way have raised the bar for collections. This year the university’s goal
will be announced prior to the
Homecoming football game on
Sept. 30.
London philanthropists Richard
and Beryl Ivey will match donations, dollar for dollar, to a total of
$100,000. Proceeds will go to the
various agencies run by the United
Way of London & Middlesex county.
For more information about
volunteering for United Way contact Jane Edwards at 519-438-1723
ext. 256.
—Adam Feldman
positions fall under various portfolios.
Student-At-Large positions are
also available for numerous committees. More information on the
specific committees is available on
the
USC’s
website,
www.usc.uwo.ca.
“The advertised positions for
the committees are Student-AtLarge positions, which means any
student can apply for them,” said
USC communications officer Aron
Yeomanson.
“The requirements for each
committee and commissioner
position range depending on the
portfolio,” Yeomanson added.
“Basically [the requirements]
vary for each committee based on
that committee’s function. The
biggest thing is to have an interest,
and to have some applicable skills
to enhance the committees.”
Applications can be picked up
in room 340 of the USC office in the
University Community Centre.
They are due in the USC office by 4
p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20.
—Cigdem Iltan
Write Gazette
opinions about
why we’re idiots —
or anything on
your mind,
for that matter —
at gazette.opinions
@uwo.ca.
Recruiting ads send
the wrong message
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United Way to host
lunch at JLC
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The Ontario government wants to
empty landfills and fill student
pockets with a little more change.
On Sunday, Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty unveiled a plan,
starting Feb. 1, 2007, for deposits to
be paid on all wine and spirit containers purchased at the LCBO. The
Ministry of Environment said the
containers can then be to The Beer
Store for a full refund.
The ministry said The Beer Store
already has the infrastructure to
handle the expanded return program for beer bottle returns.
“We’re excited; it’s great for
Ontario and it’s a great next step for
the environment,” said Sarah Taylor, manager of communications
for The Beer Store.
“We’re pleased predominantly
because it’s been tested in other
jurisdictions and been successful,”
said Jo-Anne St. Godard, executive
director of the Recycling Council of
Ontario.
Johanna Bradie, Enviro-Western
co-ordinator, said the main problem is bottles cannot be sorted correctly.
According to Godard, when different colours of glass are mixed or
bottles break, they cannot be recycled properly. She also said intact
bottles can be reused more effectively.
Godard said most bottles are
Oxford St
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P4 ➤ opinions
P5 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
STAY TUNED: MySpace not just for goths... Friday
ArtsEntertainment
theGazette
Volume 100, Issue 00
“Lifestyles and sex roles are passed from parents
to children as inexorably as blue eyes or small feet.”
—LETTY COTTIN POGREBIN
Ian Van Den Hurk
Anna Coutts
Matt Larkin
Editor-In-Chief
Deputy Editor
Managing Editor
Hidden Cameras
light up London
Editor - [email protected]
Deputy - [email protected]
Managing - [email protected]
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
CONCERT REVIEW
The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.
Get ’em while
they’re young
Lowered drinking age benefits students
Prairie
Fire
Ravi Amarnath
Associate Editor
With the elimination of OAC from the
high school curriculum in 2002-03, the
Ontario government took a bold step to
cut costs and fast track its students into
university.
Four years later, the province should
take another bold step and examine the
feasibility of lowering the legal drinking
age in Ontario from 19 to 18.
There are many reasons why it
would be wise for the government to
lower the legal drinking age but the
most important is looking after the safety of Ontario residents.
Not all individuals require alcohol to
socialize, but, realistically, most people
experiment with alcohol at some point
in their lives. With this in mind, the government should consider the safest
places for young adults to have their initial experiences with alcohol.
While not all parents support their
kids consuming alcohol, home gives
young people a safe place to return to
after a night of drinking and someone
to take care of them.
Some parents may even let their children throw parties where alcohol consumption can be controlled and everyone will be supervised.
On the other hand, if students enter
university having never taken a sip of
alcohol and have only heard of its
“lure,” they are more likely to place
themselves in a compromising position when drinking with people they
hardly know in residence or at a stu-
dent house party.
Most importantly, if people have
experience with alcohol before coming
to university, they can establish their
limits with booze. While some individuals can cap their consumption at a
reasonable number of drinks, others
may decide after a few experiences that
they would rather enjoy life stone-cold
sober.
Lowering the drinking age to 18
makes sense given the majority of the
freshman class entering university is
now under 19.
Students moving from home and
into a new school are expected to be
equipped with the tools to live on their
own, the tools to succeed in school and
the tools to face new social situations.
Lowering the drinking age will better
equip first-year students with the latter
of those tools.
Seeking truth in a post-9/11 world
Yazer Sharp
Jonathan Yazer
Gazette Staff
Five years after September 11, 2001,
nobody can agree what happened that
day.
Consider the following: contrary to all
evidence, nearly a third of Americans still
think Saddam Hussein ordered the
attacks; a large proportion of the world’s
Muslims outside of North America
believe none of the 19 suicide terrorists
were Arab; and one fifth of recently
polled Americans believe it is somewhat
likely the events of 9/11 were co-ordinated by their own government.
There is a popular video, Loose
Change, purporting to be a documentary
and circulating amongst the anti-Amer-
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
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 [email protected]. 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
Ravi Amarnath
• Please recycle this newspaper •
Set List:
Worth the $$$:
By Cali Travis
Cameras’ live energy. The Mississauga-based band has a reputation
for imaginative, theatrical, and
highly entertaining live performances.
Featuring a rotation of eight or
more band members playing a
variety of instruments, CTO’s notoriously small stage quickly became
a cramped mass of dancing antics,
both on stage and off.
The Cameras played old and
new songs while audience members put hands in the air, stomped
their feet and twisted their hips
throughout the set.
With several encores and a hateto-have-missed-it lineup, The Hidden Cameras kept the audience on
their toes and extremely satisfied.
It was one unique, fun,
and
definitely
sweaty night.
Gazette Writer
News
Jen Davidson
Cigdem Iltan
Claire Neary
Dave Ward
Sports
Malcolm Aboud
James Hayes
Stephanie Ramsay
Campus Life
Allison Buchan-Terrell
Sarvenaz Kermanshahi
ican left that charges the destruction of
the World Trade Center was a controlled
demolition and the Pentagon was struck
with a cruise missile. Conspiracy theories of this sort have gained enough
standing to prompt Popular Mechanics
to expand its series debunking them into
a book and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to produce a 43
volume report on the collapse of the
WTC towers.
The acceptance of conspiracy theories and other bogus claims by numerous people doesn’t augur well for public
discourse about terrorism and how our
societies should respond to it. It is
impossible to have real debate about
anything if there is disagreement over
the essential facts because there is no
common ground from which to proceed.
Determining the essential facts has
proven to be a tremendous challenge.
That day truly felt unreal. When darkness
fell, we found ourselves at the bottom of
the rabbit hole, living in a world where
facts were both few and elusive. Our
sense of reality has improved since then,
but falsities about 9/11 clearly linger in
the minds of many, feigning the appearance of unassailable truths.
In desperate times, the gratification
that comes from believing in something
— whether it is true or not — can cause
us to forget or dismiss our duty to pursue the truth. This is the danger of fantasy —especially after 9/11, a day so
shocking it makes anything seem believable.
All we can do — and must do — is
question our governments at every step,
without committing to the fallacy that
because our governments lie sometimes,
they must lie all the time. Above all, these
events remind us to challenge our predisposition and pursue the truth with
more vigour than ever before.
Gazette Staff 2006-2007
Graphics
Brice Hall
News - [email protected]
Julie Achilles, Erin Baker, Marshall Bellamy, Dino Bratic, Jen Boucher, Krystale Camp-
Sports - [email protected]
bell, Rachel Cartwright, Mark Chesterman, Andrew Cionga, Chris Clarke, Jessica
Arts & Entertainment
Brian Gasparek
Maggie McCutcheon
Andrew Sullivan
A&E - [email protected]
Collins, Leah Crane, Dallas Curow, Alana Daley, Kate Daley, Dan Dedic, Ian
Campus Life - [email protected]
Denomme, Brian Fauteux, Desiree Gamotin, Ryan Gauss, Adam Gibson, Nancy Gray,
Opinions - [email protected]
Dominika L. Grzelak, Conor Houlihan, Nina Janowski, Holleh Javidan, Dave Joyce,
Opinions
Georgia Tanner
Shawn Katuwapitiya, Tim Kocur, Travis Kruger, Tyler Kula, Mike Last, David Lee, Scott
Gazette Composing
Legree, Aaron Lynett, Ryan Mackay, Kyle Malashewski, Lori Mastronardi, Heather
Photography
Andrew Mastronardi
Jon Purdy
Joyce Wang
Ian Greaves, Manager
Cheryl Forster, Maja Anjoli-Bilic,
Stuart Irvine
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Web
Shawn Foster
Alex McKay, Manager
Doug Warrick, Mark Ritchie
Gazette Advertising
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Courtesy of Londonbars.ca
YOU DON’T WIN FRIENDS WITH SALAD — BUT BEER AND BARS WORK WELL. A new website, Londonbars.ca, offers a comprehensive and objective guide to the local bar scene.
Simon says: check out
new site Londonbars.ca
By Andrew Sullivan
Gazette Staff
The London bar scene is a wellknown part of student life.
Stretched down the well-trodden
“Richmond Row” are numerous
establishments competing to fill
their building, sell the most drinks,
and be the best bar.
Drinking in London isn’t the
hard part; where and when to go is
the tough choice. That’s where a
new website, www.londonbars.ca,
comes in.
“I just started it because London doesn’t really have a true night
life site around,” says creator Joe
Simon. “I figured it would be
something new.”
The recently launched brainchild of Jerry Ziler and Simon,
Londonbars.ca operates as a onestop shop for London’s night life.
The site offers local bar listings,
along with tips on where to go on
which night, a list of local bands
and DJs, and a photo page. Simon
feels Londonbars.ca offers the
most objective and comprehensive bar site in London.
“We’re dedicated to the city of
XXXMPPOFZDBMMDB
The Faculty of Engineering has a significant gender
imbalance — an astounding ratio of more than four males
to each female — and it’s time to examine the problem.
This issue needs addressing and programs like Go Eng
Girl, which focuses on introducing the faculty to girls in
grades 7-10, effectively encourage young women to enroll
in engineering.
The problem extends beyond simple interest, however. Our society generally encourages a more language-oriented approach to academics for women, as opposed to
a more spatially-focused approach.
Some scientific evidence suggests female minds actually respond more to arts and language and men respond
better to spatial tasks, and, while we don’t presume to
begin answering the nature versus nurture debate, studies show tutoring each gender can narrow the gap.
While we recognize the inherent feasibility problems
of being tutored at a young age, programs like Go Eng Girl
should address the issue beginning with earlier grades to
encourage broader, more eclectic aproaches to learning
among girls. Young women should also be encouraged to
take math and science courses throughout high school.
The Faculty of Engineering should implement greater
scholarship opportunities for women — a practice
already in effect at numerous schools — to increase enrolment. Marketing initiatives could also encourage young
women to apply to Western engineering.
Western should also examine aspects of the program
possibly deterring female applicants, like the faculty’s
famous pranks and resulting “crazy engineers” image, for
example.
The social aspect of the divide should be explored. It’s
no surprise men are more likely to be interested in engineering, given that, from the earliest stages of life, they’re
encouraged to play with Tonka Trucks or building blocks.
Girls are more likely to be handed a Barbie, and such
social differences may play a significant role in both pushing men toward engineering and pulling women away
from it.
A complete overhaul of the way we raise children
might be rash to solve this divide, and we shouldn’t put
too much weight into these factors.
However, parents should consider encouraging their
daughters to take interest in other engineering-oriented
activities; for instance, they could introduce them to
building toys like Lego and K’Nex.
The gender imbalance is definitely not the result of
outright sexism within the program, but it still should be
addressed.
By developing interest in engineering among girls at a
younger age, offering scholarships and incentives for
young women applying to engineering programs, and
tackling any social influences on how each sex thinks, the
Faculty of Engineering can significantly minimize its gender gap.
Performance:
Openers:
Crowd:
London,” Simon says. “Other sites
are spread all over the countryand
aren’t as focused or detailed. We
have more to report on than they
do. A lot of us here have been
going to the bars in London for
seven years or more.”
Simon’s biggest challenge is
competing with other sites offering similar services and some of
the bars’ own sites.
“We’ve really had to do a lot of
promoting,” Simon says. “We had
to go out [to the bars] every night.
The biggest challenge in doing this
was the marketing aspect.”
Different bars react in different
ways to the exposure.
“Jack’s is really welcoming
when we go there. Most of the bars
are, really — I can’t centre on [any]
them,” Simon says. “At [Club]
Phoenix, the owner wasn’t too
happy. He was very skeptical. He
thought there were some hidden
fees or something like that.”
Though the website is up and
running, it’s still being improved;
band and DJ lists aren’t yet comprehensive, and there are a few
small bugs. Simon is confident it’ll
be perfected shortly.
“Everything is going really
well,” Simon says. “We have about
200 unique hits every day since we
put up a counter to keep track —
and the counter only went up last
Friday.”
The site offers helpful hints for
out-of-towners.
“On the site, we also have a
parking guide for people who
aren’t from the city,” Simon said.
“Along with this, we’re going to be
putting up taxi information and an
accommodation guide for the
area.
“Eventually I plan to get a chat
feature up on the site within the
next couple days. It should be
open all the time so anyone can
just jump into it.”
Simon and his partners also
hope to expand to other cities in
the future.
“We could possibly be expanding to Windsor and then Toronto,”
Simon says. “I think we have to get
established in London first, and
then in Windsor. Once we are
established in those two cities, we
might even go for Toronto.”
—with files from
Maggie McCutcheon
Can a London concert audience
really let loose and dance around
like the blinds are closed and the
doors are locked?
Last Friday at Call The Office
The Hidden Cameras answered
that question with a resounding
yes.
The night kicked off with a performance by little-known wonder
Laura Barrett. Her soft and whimsical voice, accompanied only by
her hand-held kalimba, immediately entranced the crowd.
With songs easily mistaken as
the blissfully delirious tunes of a
kindergarten teacher, Barrett sang
about everything from robot
ponies to growing up to be a bear.
Accompanied by the melodic
and careful plucking of her
thumbs on her kalimba, Barrett left a lasting impression.
Toronto’s young-blooded Spiral Beach immediately upped the night’s
tempo. Barraging through a
few technical hiccups, Spiral Beach pumped out original and unabashed songs.
Despite a somewhat Fiery
Furnaces-like edge, the band
maintains a unique pop-rock
sound.
Comparable to a ’50s surfmovie soundtrack accompanied by
quirky between-song banter, Spiral
Beach was a thoroughly enjoyable
live act with a sound beyond its
years.
An audible buzz
of anticipation
filled the bar as
fans awaited
The Hidden
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P6 ➤ arts&entertainment
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Attack in Black
choose to Dine Alone
By Andrew Sullivan
Gazette Staff
Attack in Black is spending fall
spreading its melodic rock ‘n’ roll to
the masses. This young four-piece
band’s current tour with Alexisonfire is its biggest yet.
Hailing from Welland, Ontario,
the members
w e r e
always
friends
b u t
were
originally in different bands;
however,
bassist
and
head lyricist
Ian Kehoe
says
the
band’s formation
was just a
matter
of time.
“The four of us just eventually
gravitated towards each other,”
Kehoe says. “We’re really just our
only friends; we only hang out with
each other. So the same thing happened with the music — we started making music only with each
other.”
Despite being the band’s main
lyricist, Kehoe takes no part in
delivering them.
“In my [old] band, I had the
same role. I took over the lyrics, but
I fucking hated how they turned
out; it was just a travesty,” he says.
“But with these guys, I love what
they do with my words. In a way, it
makes what I’ve written down better than I even imagined it, and I
wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Guitarist and vocalist Spencer
Burton agrees.
“I wouldn’t want to sing anything other than his words. He just
really sums up how the band feels.”
The band’s influences range
from Neil Young to Black Flag, a
diversity they aim to reflect in their
music. Kehoe claims their different
tastes don’t negatively affect the
band’s music.
“We all just compliment each
other really well,” he says. “We’re all
on the same page, we don’t have
Anna Coutts/Gazette
SEEMS THE SASQUATCH’S LITTLE BROTHER CAN PLAY GUITAR.
Attack in Black’s Spencer Burton rocked out at the JLC on Sunday night.
Band’s brotherly love
CONTINUED FROM P6
PLEASE SEE BROTHERLY P7
A&E WANTS YOU! Do you like movies, music, books and pop culture?
Have you ever wanted to write about them? Want to brag to your friends
that you write for The Gazette? Come to the UCC, Room 263 NEXT
FRIDAY, Sept. 22 to learn how you can become an A&E superstar.
Ian Kehoe
one guy who wants to put on a
drum machine and just scream
for half an hour.”
“We have parts where everyone in the band comes in to sing,”
says lead singer Daniel Ramon.
“Having more than one vocalist
can create a great dynamic.”
“I really just let Dan take care
of the vocals and insert all the
sweet harmonies to back him up,”
Burton adds with a laugh. “Basically, what Dan is saying, is that
we want the whole world to sing
and become a part of our band.”
Attack in Black not only consists of four friends but also contains two brothers, Dan and
drummer Ian Ramon. According
to Kehoe, the sibling rivalry is
more hilarious than annoying.
“It fucking rules to have brothers in a band,” Kehoe says.
“Spencer and I get to laugh when
they fight. There’s this weird aes-
thetic in the band because Dan is
the big brother and he tough
loves Ian like crazy. Dan might be
furious, making Ian feel vulnerable, [but] we just have to laugh at
it.”
Attack in Black is extremely
happy with its recent decision to
sign with rising independent label
Dine Alone Records. The label
also promotes the band’s current
tour-mate Dallas Green and his
side project, City and Colour.
“We love [Green and Alexisonfire] and we’re really happy touring with them right now,” Kehoe
says.
As for future tours, Dan aspires
to rock with a few fellow Canadian
acts.
“I would really like to tour with
The Weakerthans and The Constantines,” Dan says.
As for Kehoe, his sights are set
on touring with a legend.
“I would love to tour with fucking Bruce Springsteen!”
Anna Coutts/Gazette
SHAGGY HAIR, CHECK. GUITAR, CHECK. SHOWER? F*CK THAT.
Attack in Black’s lead singer Dan Ramon belts out touching
tunes for the masses.
arts&entertainment ➤ P7
P8 ➤ advertisement
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September 7 Trivia Answer
The correct answer was (B) “The Societal
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corruption).
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Ceeps 671 Richmond St.
Tuesday, Sept 19
-author Jim Butler, of Keala Kekua, Hawaii
OUA BASEBALL
The defending Champion Mustangs meet Toronto at 6 pm at
Labattt Park, London.
The Sept 7 winners were:
Steven Beasley and
Stephanie Serniwka
A well-regarded theory says that for every one of
these you have with you while you are hitchhiking,
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before 12 noon on Friday, September 15.
CORRECT ANSWERS will be randomly drawn and announced in the September 21
Gazette. Correct entries become eligible to win a prizes made available by advertisers
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A weekly advertising feature listing for events
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advertisement ➤ P9
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theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Thursday, Sept 14
WEDNESDAYS are
Friday & Saturday it’s
The Old Chicago Band
and House DJ DMW
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
P10 ➤ arts&entertainment
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Everyone Worth Knowing is worth the read
By Tina McFadden
Gazette Writer
Everyone Worth Knowing
Written by: Lauren Weisberger
Downtown Press
367 pages, $19.00
Everyone Worth Knowing follows
on the (high) heels of Lauren
Weisberger’s best-selling novel,
The Devil Wears Prada. In typical
chick-lit fashion, Everyone is
about a twenty-something girl
who hates her job and finds her
love life in the toilet.
Pantsuit-wearing
banker
Bette Robinson lives in ignorance of New York’s chic and
social elite — to be blunt, she
wouldn’t know an Hermès Birkin
bag if it fell from the sky and hit her
on the head.
Robinson soon quits her boring
job, and, with help from her wellconnected uncle, she lands a new
position at a PR firm. Since her new
job’s responsibilities include throwing celebrity and socialite-studded
parties, Robinson is quickly sucked
into the vortex of the city’s social
scene and rubbing shoulders with
the famous and the fashionable.
The novel is packed with references to real celebrities, designer
labels, New York hot spots and
offers insight into the VIP scene.
Robinson’s job not only sends her
to the Big Apple’s trendiest night
clubs but jets her to Istanbul, where
her only job requirements are to
party and keep the good times
rolling for a group of famous jetsetters.
Unfortunately, as Bette’s career
takes off, her personal life falls
apart at the seams. She loses touch
with her friends and her love interest becomes convinced she’s
involved with infamous socialite
Philip Weston.
To top it off, Robinson’s hippie
parents are aghast by the rumours
about her connection to Philip — a
man whose family is “reputed to
employ South American sweatshops in a couple of their business
ventures.”
Everyone provides elements of
romance and mystery, humourous
dialogue and comical scenarios.
While the story starts slow and
doesn’t pick up until Robinson
begins her PR job, Weisberger’s
writing is clear and simple, making
it a fast and easy read.
It’s only downfall is its lack of
unique, memorable characters.
Weisberger borrows Lumbergh’s
character from the movie Office
Space to portray Robinson’s bank
boss instead of inventing a compelling new character. Robinson’s
friends are boring and listless and
her coworkers are pretentious and
lack depth.
On the other hand, Robinson is
a smart, hardworking and downto-earth character. She’s easy to
relate to and the situations she
finds herself in are believable.
For instance, while visiting her
hometown, Robinson stops at the
local diner and finds herself suffering from a typical female-food crisis: “Even though I was stuffed, I
debated between cinnamon toast
and fries and then decided that
carb-loading was acceptable outside the Manhattan city limits and
got both.”
Weisberger’s tongue-in-cheek
humour also pokes fun at the fashion-conscious, upscale party scene.
At her parents’ house Robinson
changes in to “a pair of worn-out
cords from high school, a zip-up
wool sweater and a thickly-piled
fleece pullover. It felt weird and
wonderful, a relief from the flimsy
little tank tops and the skintight,
ass-lifting, thigh-binding musthave jeans I now wore religiously.”
Weisberger offers an interesting
contrast between Robinson’s hippie, peace-loving roots and her new
world of upscale pretension. Like
The Devil Wears Prada, Weisberger
once again reveals the VIP scene
isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and
reminds readers to recognize
what’s really important in life.
ON DISC
Motörhead
Kiss of Death
Sanctuary Records
Veteran Brit-rockers Motörhead
prove you can still leap around in
ridiculous leather outfits and get
laid, even when you’re pushing 60.
Considering the rest of its former heavy-metal compadres have
burned away or sold out to reality
TV, the band’s continued volatility
alone is quite impressive.
Kiss of Death never strays from
Motörhead’s classic and successful
formula of full-bodied, in-yourface heavy metal riffs seamlessly
thrown together with punk rock’s
fiery attitude and momentum. Add
frontman
Lemmy
Limister’s
unmistakable, gravelly voice to the
mix and you have another classic
Motörhead album.
Kiss of Death’s token ballad,
“God Was Never on Your Side,” provides a contrast to other explosive
anthems like “One Night Stand”
and “Living in the Past.” Kiss of
Death is perfect for loyal Motörhead fans or for anyone just wanting to rock out.
—Michael Gregoris
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Blasting through 16 tracks in
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Singer Jemina Abegg jumps into
her lyrics with wit and attitude on
songs like “We Will Vacation, You
Can Be My Parasol,” and her words
border on bizarre.
Accompanying Abegg is a posse
of Nashville boys providing a solid
garage-punk beat to match her
crazy antics punch for punch.
—Andrew Sullivan
comics ➤ P11
P12 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
campus life ➤ P13
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
CampusLife
Next Week:
How green is
Western’s future?
In the
midst
Students living
Western students discuss
their war-zone experiences
in a war zone
By Ravi Amarnath
Gazette Staff
This past summer, millions of people worldwide were affected by the
war between Lebanon’s Hezbollah
forces and Israel.
During the five-week armed
conflict, two Western students,
Wajdi Ghoussoub and Didi Nishlis,
were caught on opposing sides.
Ghoussoub, a third-year honours business administration student, was vacationing near Beirut,
Lebanon’s capital, when the war
began.
Nishlis, a second-year bachelor
of management and organizational studies student, remained in the
northern Israeli city of Haifa
throughout the war.
Both students expected to have
a typical summer holiday.
“My family and I go [back to
Lebanon] for vacations and the
plan was to enjoy the company of
friends, spend time on the beautiful beaches and benefit from the
touristic summer season and the
famous night life,” Ghoussoub
said.
A day after Ghoussoub landed
in Lebanon the Beirut airport was
bombed.
“I spent the first couple of days
in our apartment in a neighbourhood adjacent to downtown
Beirut, which was itself very close
to the southern suburbs, [which
are] now totally wiped out,”
Ghoussoub said.
Nishlis originally planned on
travelling both within Israel and
abroad after completing his April
exams.
“All my friends came back from
travelling across the world...we
planned to hike all over the country [as] there are some beautiful
places up north and down south.
“I also had planned a trip to
Thailand during that time. I came
back from Thailand after a great
time and a week after, that’s when
the war started,” he said.
While many individuals fled to
neighbouring countries during the
conflict, both Nishlis and Ghoussoub chose to remain in their
respective homelands.
“I stayed home because my
mother was home and I had to take
care of my dog and my little brother,” Nishlis said. “My father had to
work for the radio station, so it’s
hard to leave because he’s obligated by his job.”
Fleeing Lebanon became
impossible for Ghoussoub once
the war escalated.
“I intend[ed] to observe [in person] the human heart failing, and
once you see it happening and
brave and innocent people
[becoming] victims, you just can’t
easily leave,” he said.
The war left over 150 Israeli and
1,100 Lebanese soldiers and civilians dead. For Ghoussoub and
Nishlis, these statistics are more
PLEASE SEE WESTERN STUDENTS P13
CONTINUED FROM P12
than just numbers; they’re a
reminder of the destruction they
witnessed.
“Haifa, the third largest city [in
Israel], was a ghost city,” Nishlis
said. “You had to [stay] in the
house. Tens of thousands of businesses collapsed. We had no air
conditioning, no television and
only radio to hear what was going
on.
“Living like that for five weeks is
very difficult,” Nishlis added. “Even
though Israel is considered to be
strong and on top of things and
have the support of the world, all
the people I know suffered a lot in
this war. Even though there were
not as many casualties, it doesn’t
mean life didn’t stop for a million
and a half people.”
Ghoussoub witnessed similar
devastation in Lebanon.
“I was in a region where there
was no presence of Hezbollah
whatsoever, but trucks and infrastructure were famous targets still,”
he said. “Despite that, we felt relatively safer than areas in the south
and southern suburbs where massacres were taking place and whole
villages were being wiped out.”
Ghoussoub felt the war demoralized the entire country.
“Many families fled or had to
move within the borders, many lost
members, many suffered from
business losses,” he said. “Basically
everyone was affected at least
through low morale, hard conditions, the fear of death anytime,
scarcity [of resources] or high
prices. The whole war was just horrible and can be perceived as a failure of the human spirit.”
Ghoussoub is now convinced
the situation in the Middle East will
never be resolved unless peaceful
alternatives are actively pursued.
“Politics is a very messy business, especially when it concerns
foreign policies of world powers
and the situation in the Middle
East,” he said.
Ghoussoub emphasized the
necessity for Western students to
know and understand the war’s
“real causes” and how conflict situations are addressed.
“It’s very important to drop the
option of wars. It’s a cycle of terrorism.”
Nishlis time spent in his household’s bunker also left him questioning war and looking at life from
a different perspective.
“You start to think ‘What is
this? Why do we need to live like
this? Why can’t we be neighbours
in peace? Why do we need to go
through this, on both sides?’” he
said. “The minute the war was
over I started thinking about
enjoying my summer as much as I
could.
“War is never good to any side.
The best way to live...is by having
good neighbours and living in
peace.”
Gazette file photo
“Many families fled or
had to move within the
borders, many lost
members, many suffered
from business losses.
Basically everyone was
affected at least through
low morale, hard conditions, the fear of death
anytime, scarcity or high
prices. The whole war
was just horrible and can
be perceived as a failure
of the human spirit.”
–Wajdi Ghoussoub,
Western student
Beirut
LEBANON
SYRIA
Haifa
on living in Lebanon’s war zone
Tel-Aviv
“You start to think ‘what
is this? Whey do we need
to live like this? Why can’t
we be neighbours in
peace?”
ISRAEL
JORDAN
Jerusalem
—Didi Nishlis,
Western student
on living in an Israeli war zone
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Housing
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1 FEMALE ROOMMATE wanted! Large bedroom
$400 /month inclusive. 5 Southcott Crt. Cute house,
great neighbourhood. Next to direct bus to Western
Road. 3 enthusiastic roommates. Contact Deanna
(519)281-7800. [email protected]
1 ROOMMATE NEEDED for 3 bedroom house. 10
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4 BEDROOM HOUSE. September free! Oxford near
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BRIGHT, SPACIOUS, CONVENIENT -4 bedroom
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bus route, 10 minute bike ride, 5 appliances, 2.5
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GREAT 4 BEDRM Townhouse Min. to UWO &
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IMMACULATE ROOM FOR rent. Lower level of
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Call Anthony 519-670-4249
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parking and laundry included call 777-1972.
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Employment
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theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Sports
ON DECK: Athletes we’d put down... Friday
Inside Gates: “Who”ard?
the OUA
CONTINUED FROM P1
2006 Mustangs Baseball Preview
Tall Order: everyone’s gunning for Western
By James Hayes
Gazette Staff
Photo courtesy Western baseball
HUCKIN’ THE RAWHIDE. Western baseball looks to throw out the Brock Badgers and the rest of the
OUA in 2006 en route to back-to-back championship seasons.
Inside the OUA: soccer teams
By Ryan Gauss
Gazette Staff
Soccer has been called “The Beautiful Game” by many around the
world, but nothing is beautiful
about Western’s promotion of varsity soccer.
London is one of the richest
soccer markets in the province,
and Mustang Athletics, along with
both varsity teams, has seriously
dropped the ball promoting the
sport.
What are arguably two of the
most successful teams in Ontario
— maybe even the nation — are
lucky to see 100 fans on a good day
during the regular season.
These talented players compete
in front of virtually no one, treated
in some ways like second-class
athletes.
Brescia Fields, home to both
teams, is nowhere near the quality
needed for this level of play, and
several players describe their uniforms as embarrassing and
extremely uncomfortable.
Furthermore, the athletes lack
a dressing room to change in
before a game or practice. Instead,
they make the trek from Thames
Hall.
All that could easily be forgotten, however, if Western soccer was
promoted to its fullest, or if these
athletes, coaches and staff members were rewarded for their dedication.
In a diverse community with an
enormous youth soccer system
and a passion for the game, soccer
needs to be tapped into. There are
opportunities for greater sponsorship funding and fan support, as
well as the chance to make Western
soccer a legitimate ticket sport.
The addition of quality field turf
to TD Waterhouse Stadium next
year will give the university the
perfect venue. It would be ignorant
to think soccer would sell out, but
the community has proven it will
support the sport, so why not right
now at Western?
There needs to be an improve-
ment in branding Mustangs soccer.
Those travelling through campus
see several large banners on Alumni Hall for football, basketball,
hockey and volleyball.
You’ll find posters for these
sports in any campus building, and
you can pick up a pocket schedule
with home dates for your favourite
team. However, this is non-existent
for soccer.
It’s impossible for the community to know what’s happening
unless the school delivers its message creatively; word of mouth and
the Mustangs website simply aren’t
enough.
That said, the athletic department isn’t the only one at fault; the
teams themselves need to pick up
their game.
The hockey, football and basketball teams make an effort to
self-promote. They’re on campus
in their jerseys, setting up tents
and selling tickets. They’re letting
everyone know who they are, espePLEASE SEE INSIDE P15
“The wolf climbing the hill is
always hungrier than the wolf on
top.”
Western’s baseball team is
determined to assure this adage
won’t apply to its 2006 squad.
After bringing home 2005’s
Ontario University Athletics’ hardware last season, the Mustangs will
have to adjust to being the hunted
instead of the hunter.
“It’s staying tough, now that
we’ve been on top,” says manager
Mike Lumley. “A lot of people are
looking to knock us off, so we need
to stay tougher than anybody else.”
Last season, a lights-out pitching staff was complemented by an
offence that seized opportunity.
This year, the team will be without
ace starting pitcher Brook
Coatsworth, but has candidates
ready to fill the void. The offence,
on the other hand, will again be
paced by last year’s OUA Hitter of
the Year, catcher Ben Rich.
“In [Coatsworth], we’re losing
one of the best pitchers in the
OUA,” Rich says. “But at the same
time, we have a deep bullpen that’s
ready to step in and do the job.”
Defensively, virtually every
’Stangs position player returns, so
good defence will again be one of
the team’s trademarks. There
should also be no problems with
team chemistry with so many
returnees.
“We only lost three guys from
last year, and we’ve added three
more,” Lumley says. “That core of
camaraderie and playing for something together is already there.”
Third-year returning pitcher
Trevor Greenway agrees with Lumley.
“We’ve got basically everyone
back, and that’s almost immeasurable. To have that kind of experience — playoff experience, as
we’ve played in important games.
Hopefully, that should count for a
lot.”
Two key members the team
expects will have increased roles
are pitchers Sean Grimes and Jon
Rubin. Lumley will look to the duo
to log a lot of innings in the
absence of workhorses Coatsworth
and Andrew Morales.
“We have two solid guys back in
our rotation in [Grimes and
Rubin],” Lumley says. “It’s going to
be the same as usual, where we
have great speed, great team
defence, and I think our pitching
[staff ] is probably one of the best
in the league right now.”
In addition to run-producing
machine Rich behind the plate,
Western’s offence will be spearheaded by vets Matt Bekar, Mike
Winter, and Andrew Salmon and
dynamite second-year middle
infielder Bruce Craine.
The ’Stangs will need all of
those bats in top form for their
highly-anticipated
matchups
against the Brock Badgers. Brock
has been Western’s primary competition over the past few seasons,
and wants retribution after being
eliminated in the OUA final by the
Purple and Silver.
“There is a huge parity in this
league; there are no gimmies,”
Rubin says. “But Brock has been a
rival for as long as I’ve been here.
“Brock is a game we always get
up for pretty huge. It’s a matchup
that I have no problem getting
motivated for.”
“[The Badgers] always put out a
strong team, and they’ve got the
majority of their team back as
well,” Greenway says. “They’re the
team that will likely battle us the
hardest and we have a target on
our back now.”
In addition to the excitement of
trying to repeat as OUA champs,
there is a lot of enthusiasm about
Western baseball’s new home
venue. Last season, the team
played at remote City wide Park.
This year, the ’Stangs will play their
home games at Labatt Park, just
minutes from campus.
Western opened its season
Wednesday night; its next games —
a doubleheader against powerhouse Brock — are Saturday at
Labatt Park starting at 1 pm.
Rick DiPietro inked
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Rick
DiPietro re-signed with the New
York Islanders on Tuesday, agreeing
to a record 15-year deal that will
pay the No. 1 goalie US$67.5 million.
The Islanders scheduled an
afternoon news conference to officially announce the contract that
would keep DiPietro in the fold
until 2022, when he would be 40.
‘‘We’ve been working at it all
summer,’’ DiPietro’s agent Paul
Krepelka told The Associated Press.
The deal is the longest in NHL
history, topping the $87.5 million,
10-year contract the Islanders gave
enigmatic center Alexei Yashin in
2001.
DiPietro’s deal is believed to be
second only in length in North
American sports to the 25-year pact
Magic Johnson signed with the Los
Angeles Lakers in 1981. Wayne
Gretzky signed a 21-year deal with
former Edmonton Oilers owner
Peter Pocklington in 1979 but that
was a personal services contract
not an official NHL contract.
‘‘Clubs are free to make their
own decisions within the confines
laid out in the collective bargaining
agreement and other applicable
league rules,’’ NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Canadian Press. ‘‘Some decisions turn
out well, others not so well.
The contract is guaranteed and
DiPietro will be paid in full should
he retire because of injury. If he
ends his career otherwise before
the deal expires, he would forfeit
the remaining dollars, Krepelka
said.
Islanders owner Charles Wang
and new general manager Garth
Snow, DiPietro’s backup last season, were both involved in the
negotiations. Deals from one year
to five to 12 were discussed.
sports ➤ P15
cially the outside community.
Though this may not seem
important, it’s essential in showing
teams are serious about their athletic commitments and are worth
giving up time and money to
watch. The soccer program doesn’t do this and can’t expect to grow
if it doesn’t engage the student
body and the community.
While many soccer players are
quick to criticize how they’re treated, they should stop and think
about what they can do to improve
their situation. Many of these athletes have extensive soccer backgrounds, including minor soccer
coaching and playing for prestigious club teams.
It’s time for the program to use
that experience to its advantage,
garner the attention of the athletic
department, and visibly try to
build and better its sport. Once
that happens, the university
should be willing to make the
changes needed to help the soccer
program succeed.
In the end, the program’s future
is in the hands of these two parties.
If the athletic department and the
teams themselves don’t unite and
do a better job promoting the
game, the program won’t reach its
full potential. There is an opportunity for great things to happen to
Western soccer, but wishing for
change isn’t enough.
Ryan Gauss is in his second year
as a Gazette staffer. He has extensive experience playing and coaching soccer in the London area and
has covered the Western soccer beat
the past two seasons.
By Chris Scott
Gazette Staff
With the first week of the NFL in
the books, Major League Baseball
inching closer toward the October
playoff push and the start of the
NHL season in sight, the sporting
world is getting very interesting.
In NFL action, the “Manning
Bowl” went to Forrest Gump looka-like Peyton Manning and his
Colts. Indianapolis beat the New
York Giants in an entertaining
game decided by a pick thrown by
little brother Eli.
The Steelers continued their
winning ways, even with nincompoop Charlie Batch at the helm as
“Blitzburgh” beat the Dolphins.
’Fins head coach Nick Saban still
can’t decide whether or not to
throw his challenge flag.
With Kansas City quarterback
Trent Green suffering a serious
head injury, the Chiefs’ coaching
staff must wish they had never cut
CFL standout Casey Printers.
Instead, Damon Huard, who last
completed a pass in the NFL when
most of this year’s frosh were still
learning their times tables, went
under centre for KC.
The MLB pennant races are
heating up, and in the American
League Central there is still a
chance the Tigers won’t make the
postseason thanks to hard-charging Minnesota and Chicago.
Detroit’s manager Jim Leyland isn’t
worried, however; he’s simply
increased daily cigarette intake
from two packs to three.
The National League wild card
race is very tight, with half a dozen
teams having a legitimate shot. The
Florida Marlins are the underdog
favourites with their unprecedented use of 20 rookies and an inspiring no-hit performance from 22
year-old Anibal Sanchez. Miguel
Cabrera, one of the league’s better
players, is just 23 and has gained
the nickname “Grandpa Miggy” as
one of the team’s oldest players.
The NHL season is less than a
month away and Joe Thornton is
looking to repeat last year’s Hart
Trophy-winning season in San Jose,
while the Toronto Maple Leafs are
just flat out looking for some H-EA-R-T. The Detroit Red Wings lost
both their captain and their toughest player last year in Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan,
respectively. They gave the captaincy to All-Star defenceman Nik Lidstrom, obviously looking to continue the team’s recent run of early
Gazette File Photo
ANOTHER ONE, BABY. After another U.S. Open win, anyone who
steps on the court with Roger Federer must like domination more
than a closet S&M fan.
playoff exits.
The U.S. Open, tennis’ final
Grand Slam of 2006, concluded
this past Sunday. Maria Sharapova
captured the women’s title going
through the world’s top-ranked
players on her way to her second
career Grand Slam title. On the
men’s side Rodger Federer won his
third straight U.S. Open. Before the
match, Federer and Tiger Woods
were putting their heads together
trying to figure out the last time
either of them lost anything.
He’s excited about sports
— you should be too!
Gazette Sports is looking for volunteers:
head up to Room 263 of the UCC for
journalism, breeze-shooting and maybe even a root canal.
P16 ➤ advertisement
theGazette • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006