Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tuesday, april 2, 2013 canada’s only daily student newspaper • founded 1906 Volume 106, issue 93

thegazette

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Hunting for Easter eggs since 1906

todayhigh1low-4

tomorrowhigh1low-4

A pressing challengeLondon-based team launches DIY gaming application for iPad.

>> pg. 3

Gripes fly over tEdx selectionCampus > TEDx

alex CarmonaNEws EDiTor

TEDxWesternU is gearing up for its launch on April 5, and their 100-attendee, student-only limit has ruffled some feathers.

“There were two types of com-plaints we’ve received. The first were coming from students asking why this event was limited to only 100 people. I knew we were going to have to deal with this type of complaint,” Oscar Linares-Leon, co-chair of the TEDxWesternU team, said.

“I explained to them that we are only allowed, by TEDx rules, to have 100 attendees—this limit is imposed by the TED organization, not us.”

Linares-Leon explained the rea-son for the low attendee cap was due to how new TEDx is to Western. While a previous TEDx event was hosted at Western two years ago, according to Linares-Leon, it did not follow the TEDx regulations enough to truly be considered a TEDx event.

“This is the first time we’re really doing this. The other TEDx event that happened [in 2011] didn’t really count because it didn’t fulfill any or most of the [TED] requirements. So this is pretty much the first time TEDxWesternU has a chance to prove itself worthy,” he said.

If the event is successful, future TEDx events at Western could be given bumped-up attendee limits.

The event received hundreds of applications to attend, which were reviewed on a blind basis by members of the TEDxWesternU committee.

However, Andrew Kanapatski, a second-year science student at Western, took issue with the qual-ity of the application.

“The questions were very generic. I mean, how can “What is your favourite TED quote?” be indicative of whether you should attend or not?” he asked, citing an example of one of the application questions.

“Frankly, I did not put a lot of effort into the application. However, what surprised me is that the

selection process seemed random, since some of my friends who put just as little effort into the applica-tion got in,” he continued.

Keith Marnoch, director of media relations for Western, stressed the selection process held no element of randomness to it.

“[It’s] not just some random cruel and unusual treatment of Western students. [The] selection process was done anonymously by reading applications and mak-ing decisions in a panel setting,” he said.

The TEDxWesternU team also received complaints from alumni who were barred from apply-ing because they were not active students.

“A lot of alumni wanted to come to this event, but sadly we decided to keep it only for students. Given the fact we only have 100 spots, we wanted to have as many spots avail-able to students. We want to influ-ence the way they are thinking so to maximize that reach we wanted to have only students,” Linares-Leon said.

YouTube

BRAIN WORK. Acclaimed neuroscientist Adrian owen speaks at the 2011 Tedx Uwo event.

tuition framework seeks compromise

aaron ZaltzmanNEws EDiTor

If the mark of a good compromise is that neither side is happy, then the Ontario government can give itself a pat on the back for their new tuition framework, which will come into effect this fall and allow for a three per cent increase in tuition per year.

With the old framework, under which tuition could rise from five to eight per cent per year, set to expire this fall, the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities opted not to renew it, prompting input from all sides.

Student groups, like the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, pushed for a mini-mum one-year tuition freeze, and for further increases to be no more than inflationary. They called the average Ontario tuition of $7,180—the highest in Canada—unsustainable.

“Ontarians recognize that our province has the least affordable tuition in the country,” Alysha Li, president of OUSA, said. “Support for a more affordable tuition framework, including an imme-diate tuition freeze, strongly exists in Ontario.”

Opposite student groups were the universities, who argued tuition hikes were necessary for their already-overstretched bud-gets if they were to continue their quality of education. The Council of Ontario Universities strongly argued against capping tuition increases, saying their institutions received the least government funding in the country.

In the end, both sides expressed disappointment, as well as appre-ciation for the new framework.

“We acknowledge that it is progress. However, it’s not what students asked for,” Li said. “In the past, inflation has been an average of two per cent, so this

framework calls for tuition plus one per cent—it’s better than the five per cent we had before, but it’s not what students have asked for.”

Keith Marnoch, director of media relations for Western, shared a similar albeit opposite sentiment.

“We appreciate the fact that they did listen to all stakeholders,” Marnoch said. “But our message was ultimately that universities, like Western, are trying to protect the quality of education they cur-rently offer.”

As for getting tuition down or funding up, both sides expressed the same opinion—the new framework is a step in the right direction, but there is still much work to be done.

“We would really like to see the universities focus on qual-ity despite the three per cent increase,” Li said. “Ontario has some of the lowest funding for universities, and we would like to see the government invest more.”

“We were looking for some-thing different, but we appre-ciate how the government got there,” Marnoch said. “We don’t get that government support that other provinces receive, and that’s something we’re continually try-ing to work at fixing.”

If either group is going to push for increased funding or lower-ing tuition, they have until 2017, when this new framework expires, to do so.

New: 3% cap on provincial tuition increases.

old: 5% to 8% cap on provincial tuition increases.

average ontario tuition: $7,180

source: oUsA

ontario tuition framework

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2 • thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Crossword By Eugene sheffer

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 apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error.© 2002 by Kings Features Syndicate, Inc.

Caught on Camera

It’s pink, and it’s scented.

Taking a page from Elle Woods, Agnes Scott College, an all-wom-en’s college in downtown Decatur, Georgia, has added a little some-thing extra to their application pack-ages this year.

In order to set themselves apart from their plain-paper compatri-ots, they will now be scenting their acceptance packages.

“With this booklet, we hope to share the experience of being on campus with our admitted appli-cants,” Mark DeLong, director of marketing services and admissions for Agnes Scott College, explained.

The smells accompanying the pages will highlight some of the unique natural features on cam-pus, such as the ubiquitous pine and magnolia trees.

“The idea for our scented book-let came about through conversa-tions with our marketing firm, RHB,” Delong said. “We hope the scented booklet helps them recall the feeling of being on campus.”

The college is hoping this unique application package will help them stand out, and will also include a pair of purple cotton gloves and scented moisturizing cream created

by alumni in their packages.“For those who haven’t visited,

this offers another way to experi-ence part of our campus and imag-ine themselves here,” Delong said.

—Zoe Woods

Parents stick heads in sand

According to a recent report released by The Bank of Montreal Wealth Institute, the majority of Canadian parents don’t know the total cost of post-secondary secondary education.

The report, which was compiled after interviewing a random sample of 1,400 Canadians, including a sub-sample of 520 parents with children under 18, explained three quarters of parents with children under 18 have not made a detailed estimate of what their child’s education could cost—a statistic that may come as a surprise considering the cost of a four-year university degree for a child born in 2013 could rise to more than $140,000 due to tuition inflation.

The report also outlines how crucial RESPs are when it comes to saving for a child’s future edu-cation—something only half of Canadian parents are using, and only 20 per cent are taking full advantage of. For those already tak-ing advantage of RESPs, the report provided five additional saving options for parents to consider—non-registered accounts, tax-free savings accounts, trusts, corporate dividends and life insurance.

Chris Buttigieg, senior manager of Wealth Planning Strategy for BMO Financial Group, explained in the media release about the report that it’s important to look into all options available when saving for education.

“You will likely need more money than you anticipate. Consider one option, or a combination of options, that suit your situation to make the

most of your money,” Buttigieg said. “Proper planning will make it easier to save and also set your children on a path to future financial success.”

—Jesica Hurst

Canadian schools lacking in job

transitionCanada is excelling in its primary and secondary education, but lag-ging in its post-secondary and the transition into the labour market, according to a survey conducted by the Conference Board of Canada.

In its education and skills report card, the CBOC noted Canada had an extremely high percentage of stu-dents actually completing both sec-ondary school and college, attaining an ‘A’ in both categories, but lagged in university completion behind the United States.

“Canada’s university completion rate is a ‘B’ grade,” the CBOC stated in a press release. “In the United States, which gets an A grade on this indicator, people may be more motivated to complete university because of the high returns on their university investments.”

However, Canada’s most notable shortcomings are students attaining degrees in the sciences and maths, and those completing PhDs.

“Canada continues to get a ‘C’ grade for percentage of university graduates in science, math, com-puter science and engineering, and a ‘D’ in the number of PhD gradu-ates,” the press release stated.

Despite these categories where Canada received low grades, it still managed to attain an overall grade of an A.

“As part of its overall A grade, Canada earns A’s on seven of 20 indicators—including the second-highest rate of high school com-pletion, and the top rate of college completion,” the press release said.

—Cam Smith

News Briefs

Cameron Wilson GAZETTE

THE CHERRY ON TOP. A student indulges in the wave’s new hot fudge brownie sundae, part of the restaurant’s Go Big and Go Home feature menu.

There’s only 6 issues left this year.

Come volunteer before you graduate.UCC 263

Look here on Tuesdays for special Western student deals on food and entertainment from London businesses

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Show your Western student ID prior to purchase. Store open Mon-Sun 7am-11pm

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thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013 • 3

New app allows users to create mobile games

do-it-yourself gaming

YouTube

FUN AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. GamePress, a new application that will soon be available for the iPad, was created by a group of Londoners to give non-programmers the opportunity to create their own mobile games.

Jesica HurstNEws EDiTor

Have you ever had a great idea for a mobile game, but couldn’t create it because you don’t know anything about programming or graphic design? If so, GamePress might be for you.

Created by a three-person team based in London, GamePress is an application that allows you to create, share and play mobile games all in one location. GamePress users are provided with all of the necessary tools, graphics, sounds, music and anything else needed to actually create the game—they just need to bring their imagination.

According to Hamed Saadat, a fourth-year computer science stu-dent at Western and one of the pro-grammers behind the GamePress application and core technology, the idea came about when the

team wanted to create a game on vacation, but had no way to create it due to the lack of tools they took with them.

“Making games has always been a hobby of ours. We decided to make something that would let us quickly create and prototype our ideas,” Saadat said. “From there, it transi-tioned in an easy-to-use applica-tion so anyone could unleash their creativity.”

“We’re giving regular people the power to unleash their creativity in a way that they never knew was possible. Game development has always been seen as something very difficult—we are changing that.”

Saadat has been working with his cousin, a computer engineering stu-dent at the University of Waterloo, and his brother, a graduate from Fanshawe College’s business infor-mation systems program, for the last eight months to create what will be

the first application on the iPad to offer a non-programming game cre-ation platform.

“We each put in over 100 hours a week for development,” Saadat said. “We’re currently in the final phase of development and making sure it’s ready for launch.”

GamePress will not be ready until the end of April, but once it is available, students can purchase it for $4.99 on Apple’s App Store. Even though the application will only be available for iPad, users can down-load the free GamePress arcade on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch to enjoy games made by friends.

According to Saadat, the team has made plans to make it available for Android as well, but their focus is currently on the iPad.

For more information on the application, visit www.gamepres-sapp.com, or follow the team on Facebook and Twitter.

Patients let their eyes talkaaron Zaltzman

NEws EDiTor

More than half of all communication is nonverbal, and now four Western students have shifted that number a little bit higher.

Created by third-year engineer-ing students Anish Naidu, Adam Newsome, Jochem van Gaalen and Wesley Johnson, the Intuitive Communication via Ocular Motion project is a device that allows hos-pital patients who are incapable of communicating via speech or ges-tures to do so via eye movements.

“The I-COM is a headband upon which electrodes are placed stra-tegically, so they can pick up volt-ages from one’s eye,” van Gaalen explained. “These voltages are pro-cessed, and from the information we can allow the person to manipulate a basic menu on a computer screen.”

The manipulation is done on a digital three-by-three grid, with options such as ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘I want.’ The patient glances in the extreme of the direction corresponding to the option, such as the far right for ‘no.’ I-COM uses electrooculography to convert the eye movements into digital ones.

“We were in contact with doctors at University Hospital, and we asked

them what problems we could help solve,” Johnson said. “One problem we heard was difficulty in commu-nication between themselves and the patients, as well as between the patients and the nurses, as well as their loved ones.”

“We wanted to work on that, and they gave us a few facts, such as patients rarely lose control of their eyes.”

At the same time, the group learned of delayed engineering proj-ects in the use of electrooculography for digital manipulation.

“We researched it and what it could do, and eventually we pieced

the two together and decided to have a communication device using electrooculography,” Johnson explained.

The I-COM captured first-place in the Innovative Design category of the Canadian Engineering Competition earlier this month, in addition to a $5,000 prize. For now, according to van Gaalen, the focus is on improvement.

“We want to take a look to see if this would be a good option from healthcare workers,” van Gaalen said. “We’d pretty much be improv-ing it from there until it can be used in hospitals.”

Courtesy of Adam Newsome

WE’RE ALL CYBORGS. Third-year engineering student Jochem van Gaalen wears a headband he and three classmates created to enhance communication with iCU patients via ocular motion.

USC takes new stance on standing committees

Cam SmithNEws EDiTor

The University Students’ Council has decided to take a stand against their previously inefficient standing committee structure, in the hopes of broad-ening its effectiveness.

In a motion passed during the March 27 council meet-ing, the ‘terms of reference’ for the USC’s standing commit-tees were changed to ensure councillors are able to address a broader range of issues and complete focus on their work most efficiently.

“The standing committees were introduced two years ago, and they were based around the different executive port-folios,” Pat Whelan, incom-ing USC president, said. “That was a good starting point. But they weren’t equally divided in terms of work, and they didn’t always give councillors mean-ingful work. [Adam Fearnall], the current USC president, has come up with a new set of stand-ing committees, and these are based around different focus areas, rather than executive portfolios.”

To do this, the committees were rearranged and retitled to focus on broader issues not specifically related to executive portfolios.

“Basically, what we did is take a look at the standing commit-tee structure and make sure the topic areas the committees were looking at lined up with what the organizational needs were,” Fearnall explained. “We took a different approach with putting the committees together

this time—we looked at making them broadly based in issues.”

With this increased breadth, Whelan noted councillors would have a chance to pursue more meaningful work, and that more than one executive councillor could participate in each stand-ing committee.

“Instead of only looking at the USC through one lens, we want to look at it with a broader view,” he said. “I think this is going to give councillors meaningful work, and put them in control of the oversight of the govern-ment in a way they haven’t in the past.”

According to Fearnall, these changes were a long while in the making, as the old standing committee structure existed largely as a trial to test their effectiveness.

“It’s something we’ve needed to do for a number of years,” he explained. “I think if you look at the first committee structure, that was ‘Let’s get some commit-tees and see if it works’ and this is sort of us saying ‘This is mov-ing to the next phase.’”

[The standing committees] weren’t equally divided in terms of work, and they didn’t always give councillors meaningful work.

—Pat whelanUniversity Students’ Council president-elect

4 • thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Arts&Life tuesdaytweet@lights: i should start measuring things in Neil Young. “it took me three Down By the River’s to get downtown.”

—Lights

western grad hopes to knock socks off dragons

Kaitlyn mcGrathAssoCiATE EDiTor

The London-based company Cole and Parker makes socks. But these aren’t just any old pair of gym socks. They’re bold, creatively designed, high-quality—and they also start businesses.

Jeff House and Diana Charabin, two self-described serial entrepre-neurs, are the co-founders of Cole and Parker, an innovative sock com-pany that supports entrepreneur-ship globally.

House had previously travelled to Colombia and became interested in micro-financing, a concept that gives small loans to people who would otherwise not have access to them.

With the intention of combining their love of funky socks and help-ing entrepreneurs around the world, both House and Charabin devel-oped the business model One for Many, an adaptation of the One for One model made famous by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes.

House, a Western graduate, explains how Cole and Parker expanded on the TOMS shoes vision.

The idea is simple—the company sells socks, and 20 per cent of their proceeds go toward micro-loans for entrepreneurial businesses around the globe. In order to facilitate their loans, Cole and Parker partnered with the non-profit organization Kiva, the world’s largest micro-loan distributor.

“We thought, ‘What is something that is maybe even more sustainable than just giving a pair of socks?’” House explains. “We thought, ‘Okay, let’s have a portion of our proceeds go and act as micro-loans through Kiva.’ The micro-loans support these entrepreneurs and get paid back, and those loans get recycled and recycled again.”

“Technically, the sale of few pairs of socks could literally start multiple businesses,” House says.

The loans, which can be as little as $25, can go a long way in helping a business person living in poverty. As well, Kiva has a 98 per cent pay-back rate, which means when loans are repaid they can be recycled and loaned out to other people in the village to create a sustainable econ-omy. House explains micro-lending can be easily understood by a wise, old phrase.

“Instead of just charity, where you give a man a fish, you teach the

man to fish so he eats for a lifetime.”Thanks to the company’s inno-

vative business model, House and Charabin have earned the oppor-tunity to pitch their idea on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. House explains they’re currently working with a show pro-ducer to refine their pitch in prepa-ration for the fateful moment when they face the Dragons.

For anyone who has watched the show, presenting in front of Kevin O’Leary, an Ivey alumnus, seems like a daunting task, but House says he’s looking forward to the opportunity.

“I’m actually excited,” he says.

“I think it’ll be fun. We’re entrepre-neurs and the Dragons are entrepre-neurs as well, so I think we’re already starting on common ground.”

House explains that while earn-ing an investment from one of the dragons would be a tremendous opportunity for Cole and Parker, their networks and distribution channels would make the most significant difference.

House and Charabin, along with a few sock models, will face the Dragons on April 3 and the epi-sode will be featured in the upcom-ing season.

As for the company’s name,

House explains the inspiration stems from renowned jazz artists, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.

“We think entrepreneur-ship relates a lot to jazz,” he says. “Entrepreneurs have to carve out a bit of their own path, and in jazz, improvisation is a huge part.”

As of right now, the company is currently preparing for their first production run. The socks—designed by Juan Mendez, a mem-ber of the Cole and Parker team—all feature vibrant colours and dynamic geometric shapes. They can be purchased online at www.colean-dparker.co

Courtesy of Cole and Parker

whining about resveratrol

GGGFFShotgun JimmieEverything, EverythingYou’ve Changed Records

Everything, Everything consists of 16 jangling alt-folk cuts that wrap up tightly in just under 40 minutes.

The endearing scrappiness of Shotgun Jimmie’s latest has tracks that blister in and roll out, blow through clever hooks and harmo-nies while never outstaying their welcome.

Roughly half of the songs here clock in at less than two minutes. However, this often works to the record’s benefit, providing breathing room for the charming narratives in

Jimmie’s songwriting. The album references myriads of culture, from recalling summer performances at New Brunswick arts festival, SappyFest, fellow Canadian indie-rock troubadours Ladyhawk and even the drunken maintenance of online relationships in the track “Skype Date.”

And as much as Everything, Everything is not a conventional heartbreak record, there is certainly an underlying tone of longing that paces the tracks—an audible hope that something great is around the corner.

On opener “Standing in a Line” Jim Kilpatrick odes, “On with the showbiz / if you like sleeping on couches,” a heartfelt sentiment shared by most all road-weary inde-pendent musicians.

Though it may be a less cohe-sive record than 2011’s acclaimed Transistor Sister, Everything, Everything remains a fine piece of Canadian music. As the sun warms and the snow melts, Jimmie’s latest is plentiful in campfire-ready melo-dies and is surely the perfect record to welcome spring with open arms.

—Travis Welowszky

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Brittany tilstraGAZETTE sTAff

Ten years ago, resveratrol, an anti-oxidant primarily found in red grape skins, was touted as having life-preserving qualities, and wine drinkers tipped their glasses to another health benefit of red wine. A little while later, “experts” poked holes in those studies and the data was dismissed.

In recent months, a study led by David Sinclair of the Harvard Medical School brings resveratrol back into interest. His findings include life-preserving effects on worms, flies and mice. In one of the studies, mice that were injected with resveratrol could run for twice as long as untreated mice before suf-fering from exhaustion.

In 2003, Sinclair was on the team that discovered some of the early data on resveratrol.

His recent study shows a more

complex relationship between resveratrol and sirtuin, a cellular protein.

Resveratrol activates the creation of a second protein from the sirtuin, which in turn encourages the pro-duction of more mitochondria. This gives the cell more energy. Although, it should be noted Sinclair has yet to conduct human clinical trials. Until then, the benefits of resveratrol as a miracle cure for the diseases of aging remain a hopeful possibility.

“It’s true that this is a topic of current interest, but it is still debat-able that it will extend life. The studies have only been conducted on worms and mice, so the next step is clinical studies,” AJ Gaiwkd, a pharmacist at the Richmond Street Loblaws, says. “If you’re looking for an antioxidant, you should find it

in a natural way through fruits and vegetables.”

“While antioxidants have been known for centuries to fight dis-ease, such substances will contin-ued to be discovered even though they have always been in natural products,” he adds. “In the future, these items should be standardized and clinically justified. As well, the way these items are isolated is very important. When components are extracted from their natural, form they can lose health value.”

However, if red wine is one’s pre-ferred intake of choice—moderation is key, like anything else you con-sume. Pinot noirs are said to be the best source of the antioxidant. The rule of thumb is the darker the wine and the colder the region, the more resveratrol the wine will have.

fiLE PHoTo

it’s true that this is a topic of current interest, but it is still debatable that it will extend life. The studies have only been conducted on worms and mice so the next step is clinical studies

—AJ GaiwkdLocal pharmacist.

thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013 • 5

Pumping the Zs a part of a healthy life

teenage romance twihardsNew Stephanie Meyer adaptation flops

fiLE PHoTo

Samantha ChinCoNTriBUTor

Everyone knows a student is supposed to get seven or more hours of sleep to function, but sometimes an all-nighter or late-night cram is needed to finish work. But don’t make a regular habit out of it.

Researchers at the University of Colorado found that an inad-equate amount of sleep leads to overeating and weight gain in as little as a week. These findings were released last month.

The study tested 16 healthy individuals. Subjects in the first group received five hours of sleep each night and gained an average of two pounds. They ate far more than the second group who were getting nine hours of sleep. When the groups switched sleeping schedules for the second week, and the for-merly well-rested group also gained weight.

However, according to Irene Livingston, a recently retired nutritionist from Toronto, this study has important implica-tions for students.

“ W h e n y o u’re s l e e p -deprived, cortisol—the stress

hormone—rises and encour-ages more fat production. The body’s metabolism won’t be able to burn fat efficiently with more fat replacing it,” she says.

When students are stressed and need that quick burst of energy to work late at night and get through the next day they turn to sugar, carbohydrates and caffeine for support.

Some students have voiced their solutions to combat tired-ness and weight gain, which include taking a nap during the day and skipping meals. However, Livingston does not support this behaviour.

“A nap will help get you through the day, but it’s not the same as a good night’s sleep,” Livingston remarks.

Sleeping during the day will also make it harder for the body to fall asleep at night, and if the body’s biological clock becomes used to it after a week, going back to a regular sleeping schedule becomes difficult.

Skipping meals does not solve the problem either, according to Livingston. Because people stay up late to eat snacks, they wake up full and have a smaller breakfast.

At lunch, they eat a substantial amount, skip dinner, then end up eating a late snack again and staying up later. The cycle goes on and on.

In short, avoid reliance on

sugar and caffeine for energy, day or night. Give the body nat-ural boosters instead, or better yet, sleep.

“It is better not to eat several hours before bed,” Livingston

advises. “But if a snack is needed, have something light, such as apples or raw veg-etables—they won’t stress out your digestive system [and as a result, you].”

Andrei Calinescu GAZETTE

SLEEP MORE, WEIGH LESS. A recent study found insufficient amounts of sleep contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle and leads to overeating and an increase in weight gain.

Kevin HeslopCoNTriBUTor

GHFFFThe Host

Director: Andrew NiccolStarring: Saaoirse Ronan, Rachel Roberts, Max Irons, Chandler Canterbury

The Host is a tale of a girl timidly stepping into womanhood, and the love, lust and fear of utter indoctri-nation that go along with it.

But don’t let that generous, pic-turesque summation fool you. The film is based on a book written by Stephanie Meyer, the author of the critically panned Twilight series.

The Host stinks of a badly impersonated epic, complete with laughable attempts at humour, obnoxious and relentless narration by the struggling inner self of the central character and emotionally stunted, call-and-response acting.

The story takes place in a world that has been nearly saturated by ‘Souls,’ an alien race ritualistically

implanted into humans by other Souls. Though a peaceful race, the Souls hunt humans with the intention of adopting their bodies and erasing the memories of the bodies’ previous owners. Melanie Stryder (Saaoirse Ronan) sacrifices herself to the Souls for the sake of her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and boyfriend Jared (Max Irons), and is implanted.

Melanie soon discovers her previous self resists the memory- wipe, a seemingly rare occurrence. Both personalities, Melanie and a Soul called Wanderer, slowly rec-oncile. Love and lust flare within the human colony into which Melanie is brought and popu-lated, in part, by Melanie’s family members, including her brother and boyfriend, all of whom don’t know she survived the mind-wipe. Eventually, Melanie is able to remove Wanderer, and Wanderer is infused with another body.

Throughout the film, Melanie’s awkward teenage figure is accen-tuated, harkening back to every-thing eye-roll-inducing about the

Twilight series. Meyer seems to have worked out a formula that caters to the desires and centralizes the fears of teenage girls, though director Andrew Niccol shares this achievement.

The film is riddled with obnox-ious manifestations of the female teenage psyche. The graceful, pic-turesque cinematographic choices are somewhat redemptive, how-ever, and contribute to the overall feel of the film.

Also, Ronan steps into the role with maturity, and does an admi-rable job of affecting an altogether laughable script—even occasion-ally creating a genuine connection with her younger brother, Jamie. These moments are few, and con-trasted by a slew of rice paper-thin interaction, but they are there. Canterbury gives an altogether impressive performance.

Overall, The Host is exactly what one can expect from a film based on a Meyer book, and is subsequently full of the unintentional humour the Twilight series was saturated with.

“Put a Light on”—Generationals

New Orleans’ indie-rock duo the Generationals seemed to have dis-appeared from the music scene after releasing their last album Actor-Caster in 2011. However, Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer are re-emerging with their newest album Heza, which hits stores today.

The track “Put a Light On” from Heza was released with an official music video in late March. While the playful tune remains faithful to the Generationals’ eccentric yet cheer-ful and laid-back sound, it makes a departure from the duo’s older tracks, which are often described as being fun and “summery.”

“Put a Light On” maintains a light tune, yet, contradictory to lyrics “This one wicked road/ you gonna make it right,” the pair sing as they aimlessly and unsmilingly wander around peculiar city scenes.

The track marks a successful divergence from the Generationals’ previous cute-boy pop-rock sound, and while it lacks a stand-out cho-rus, it has an entrancing hook that makes it deserving of being called catchy.

—Sumedha Arya

“Lover of the Light”—mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons songs are typi-cally fast-paced and catchy, but “Lover of the Light” takes a differ-ent approach.

Lead singer Marcus Mumford starts the song off with a slow, crooning verse and some mellow guitar chords, and by the time the

Mumford-esque rhythm guitar kicks in, you’re already hooked.

Poignant verses and a passion-ate chorus that starts out slow and builds to a crescendo only add to the appeal of this song. The break-down is actually a build-up—bass drum thumping the time, guitar strum-ming rhythmic chords and banjo—a Mumford & Sons staple—shredding a plucky, simple-yet-memorable solo. This all leads to an emphatic outro that will have you racing to click the repeat button.

—Cam Parkes

“Let it out”—Girl talk

How does one explain twerking? After all, is twerking only a physi-cal movement—a kind of posterior shaking that deserves it’s very own title? Or is twerking an emotion, an ideology, a way of looking at the world that culminates in this simply profound form of booty-popping? If twerking is, after all, a kind of reli-gion, then Girl Talk’s track “Let It Out” is the sacred text.

From his 2010 studio album All Day, mash-up mastermind Girl Talk samples from the twerking mani-festo of music, including Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Busta Rhymes “Make It Clap,” and, of course, Project Pat’s “Twerk.”

The track also incorporates some unconventional songs like “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra, but such supplementary tracks only fuel the lower back dance craze. So put on “Let It Out,” clear the room’s sur-rounding furniture, and get back to twerk.

—Kevin Hurren

fiLE PHoTo

thegazetteVolume 106, Issue 93www.westerngazette.ca

Contact:www.westerngazette.caUniversity Community Centre Rm. 263The University of Western OntarioLondon, ON, CANADAN6A 3K7Editorial Offices: (519) 661-3580Advertising Dept.: (519) 661-3579

Gloria DickieEditor-In-Chief

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The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

Editorials are decided 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.

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News Alex CarmonaJesica HurstCam SmithAaron ZaltzmanArts & Life Sumedha AryaBrent HolmesKevin HurrenSports Richard RaycraftJason SinukoffRyan SternOpinions Ryan HurlbutAssociate Kaitlyn McGrath

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Ian Greaves, ManagerRobert Armstrong

Karen SavinoDiana Watson

• Please recycle this newspaper •

6 • thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Opinions

ryan HurlbutoPiNioNs EDiTor

As we grow older, things in our lives change. We have new responsibili-ties, new perceptions and new ways of interacting with the world around us. We have new stipulations that gov-ern our everyday lives, and these get thrown way out of whack when the world decides April Fools’ Day takes precedent over everything else.

The Internet is a hub of informa-tion, and a place many of us use to educate ourselves on what is going on around the world—and the world doesn’t stop on April Fools’ Day.

I’m tired of the Internet devolving into a pool of farce that masquerades truth just to play some sort of trick on an unsuspecting victim. Sure, some sites are well-suited for this sort of harmless fun, but more serious top-ics should just be left out of the pranks.

There’s just an overall demeanour that anything could be a lie that makes it difficult to actually take any news at face value. If, for example, North Korea were to launch a nuclear strike on South Korea, it would be a shame if such news was initially obscured amid the April Fools’ pranks.

All in all, the day means nothing. Persuading an entire society to prank each other is nothing more than a representation of the banality of our everyday lives. How on earth did this tradition start, and can’t we just open our eyes and end it?

April Fools’ Day is like a nation-wide game forcing people to par-ticipate against their own will. To let your guard down is to be pranked by an obnoxious friend. Even pleas of the event being over at noon do little to stop prankers.

People should not have to deal with other people’s crap if they never wanted to participate in the first place. Being forced into something is an almost surefire way to make it a huge hassle.

Some people might say I’m being a bit of a wet rag with my opinion here, and I should note I’m not against a good-natured prank in the slight-est. However, such a concentrated nexus of “April fools” creates a mess of a situation that is undesirable and unenjoyable.

Nicole GibilliniDEPUTY EDiTor

April Fools’ Day sucks.Just kidding. Come on, who doesn’t

like a good prank? Someone with no sense of humour, that’s who.

I remember the first time I fell victim to an April Fools’ Day trick. It was in third grade and we were doing a unit on Nunavut—it had just been declared a province that day—and my teacher told us an Inuit named Sloof Lirpa from Iqaluit was coming to talk to our class. Spell his name backwards and you’ll get the joke.

Although it was a little disheart-ening for a bunch of over-exuberant third-graders, the sentiment was gen-erally well-received and, since then, I’ve gotten a kick out of April Fools’ Day. It’s a day I look forward to seeing how creative people can get with their sense of humour.

Yesterday was another example of light-hearted fun—a nice bit of comic relief from the stresses of everyday life.

Surfing the web and finding little pranks here and there was an enjoy-able way to start the week. The Gazette, like other news sources, didn’t shy away from the fun. We came out with our annual Spoof Issue last week (we don’t publish Mondays), and fooled a lot of our readers.

While some people sent in letters claiming we were insensitive, many of our readers enjoyed the satire and appreciated our efforts to trick the stu-dent body. A good joke takes creativity and thought, and usually results in a laugh—and who doesn’t like to laugh?

While the tradition of the day, which surfaced in the Middle Ages, doesn’t mean much to most people, its objective is to bring out people’s fun, playful sides. Sure, news sources shouldn’t forgo actual reporting on this day, but I doubt reporters would take the day off and neglect serious news coverage.

So, to those anti-pranksters out there, lighten up. It’s one day out of the whole year—half a day, really—that you may have to face a trick or two.

If one were to break down our penal system to its utmost base, it’s essentially the mantra that someone breaks a law, and then serves a fixed amount of time in prison as a consequence. After their sentence, they are no longer held accountable for their crime, in the sense of receiving punishment.

Should this be the case?On Saturday, London Police discovered two bodies.

Police are calling it a double-homicide, and a suspect has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Here’s the kicker—the man had already been convicted of manslaughter in the death of his business partner back in 2003. Yes, this man presumably served his time, but with his record, shouldn’t he be under close scrutiny at all times?

Here’s a better example. Recently, Londoners were outraged to learn that a lifelong pedophile is now living in London. This man has been in and out of jail since 1979, and has been convicted 15 times for molesting children.

And here’s what really gets me—he is considered at an extremely high-risk to re-offend.

Police are not releasing this man’s address, saying they don’t want to drive him underground, and they have a duty to protect all members of the community.

Okay, that may be fair for the pedophile—after all, regardless of his past, it wouldn’t be good if some neighbourhood vigilantes took matters into their own hands—but how the hell can police think dropping a man who molests children into the middle of a community is safe?

Let me repeat—this man is at high-risk to re-offend. Meaning it is likely he will try to molest more children. While police assure community members the guy won’t be yanking kids off the street—he’s 300 pounds and wheelchair-bound—he works more behind closed doors.

Why is this guy allowed to integrate back into community? We’re not talking about a single offence—which, given the type of offence, is inexcusable anyway—this man was convicted 15 times. Fifteen.

I know it’s probably not possible to keep this sort of person locked up forever, what with it costing money and the like. I know the solution isn’t to execute them either. But how can we justify setting them free in our communities? What else can we do? Maybe a walled community just for dangerous offenders?

I think, in this case, it’d be much safer to inform the community of this man, and then maybe post a police officer or two around his house to make sure no one attacks him.

The saying goes “Everyone deserves a second chance”—not a 16th.

—Cam Parkes

Sixteenth time’s the charm? No chance

Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.

—Mark Twain, American writer

From the desk of the managing editor

rySpace In the Nic of time

@Scott_wheatley@uwogazette what’s everyone’s problem with geese? I think they’re cool.

@bwishart@uwogazette night class allows people more flexibility to work jobs, care for kids and family during the day and weekend. it needs to stay.

@kazewan@uwogazette for a while i actually was devastated by the lack of cryptoquip, but then i realized April 1st was coming up. Oh you guys. <3

@mrmarshall_1Contrary to this week’s @uwogazette, my dad is not resigning as the head coach of the mustangs football team. #aprilfools

@julesfreshhnot sure whether it’s hilarious or sad that people think the april fools issue of the @uwogazette is real #useyournoodle

Follow and tweet your thoughts to @uwogazette

tweets of the week

Letter to the Editor

Creationism a valid alternative To the Editor:Re: Bill Nye reconsiders the following, converts to creationism, March 28, 2013I see another issue of the April Fools’ edi-tion of The Gazette has come out.

I would just like to comment on one piece that I found somewhat offensive—even if it was meant as a joke. Although completely fiction, I still did not appreci-ate the piece about Bill Nye and creation-ism being satirized as being foolish. Why must creationism be made into a joke when I believe it is a valid alternative to the evolutionary theory?

I am offended by the lack of sensitiv-ity and thought placed into the writing of this satirical piece. It directly slanders the view that creationism can be true, and indirectly—and unfairly—criticizes those who hold to those beliefs.

Please be prudent in the topics you decide to publish, even in an April Fools’ edition.

—Jonathan LukFoods and Nutrition Masters I

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thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013 • 7

Deep farm system and young core should keep them afloat

texas rangers’ ship is not sinking so fast

ryan SternsPorTs EDiTor

They are not the embarrassment of riches they were last year, but the Texas Rangers have put them-selves in an enviable position for the future.

The belief among most experts is that the Rangers have passed their window of opportunity to compete, but due to savvy scouting and player development, they are actually in a

better position than it seems, and they have capitalized on that posi-tion. With a reported eight-year contract in place for current starting shortstop Elvis Andrus, the Rangers epitomize the phrase ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’

Jurickson Profar currently sits atop almost every prospect list and is set to start the season in AAA. Many believe he will supplant Ian Kinsler as the team’s starting second baseman, moving Kinsler to first, but the Rangers have left open a variety of options to help their team.

Profar could very well be a stud, but prospects are prospects, and as much potential as they have, how could you go wrong with two of the best middle infielders in the game?

The Rangers have significant holes with the off-season departures of Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli. As the Blue Jays showed this off-sea-son, prospects make very valuable trade assets, and with holes to fill, the potential Andrus signing frees up the ability to explore Profar’s options.

The Andrus signing makes sense to me because how much better can Profar be than Andrus? No, I am not a baseball scout, and I don’t understand the absolute lim-its of Profar’s talents, but when the fifth-best shortstop in the majors—according to Fangraphs’ Wins Above Replacement—who is only 24 years-old currently occupies that posi-tion, it might be time to consider

plugging other holes.Along with Profar, the Rangers

also control the 22nd-ranked prospect—according to Baseball America—in Mike Olt. Olt is natu-rally a third baseman, but with Gold Glove award-winner and MVP can-didate Adrian Beltre holding down the hot corner for the foreseeable future, the Rangers should have enough trade bait to retool their roster.

As a one-year holdover, Lance Berkman should be sufficient at first base for the 2013 season, but the Rangers should seriously consider sending one of their top flight pros-pects for a middle-of-the-order bat.

Considering what the Jays got in return for the 23rd- and 54th-ranked

prospects—Travis D’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard in the R.A Dickey deal—the Rangers should not be hard pressed to find a taker for one of their young studs.

With the promise of greener pastures always on the horizon of Prospectland, it does not always necessarily play out according to script. With a strong young core already in place, the Rangers did a superb job in locking up Andrus—and previously Kinsler—in order to give them the option of exploring trades to fill their other holes.

The may not be the same team that won the pennant two years in a row, but the Rangers have the assets and talent to be in contention for a long time.

the tablesHave Sterned

Christopher Miszczak GAZETTE

8 • thegazette • Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Sportsrundown >> After four years with the San Diego Chargers, former Mustang Vaughn Martin signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins > Martin was drafted by the Chargers in the fourth round back in 2009, which made him the second CIS player to be drafted into the NFL.

factattackWith their incredible 20-point win over the Florida Gators on Sunday, the Michigan wolverines punched their ticket to the final four of the NCAA March Madness tournament for the first time since 1993.

Naira Ahmed GAZETTE